#moon crescent eye necklace

[eternalnightboutique]

Tiger Eye & Labradorite Moon Necklace

Only 3 Left.

[things-of-fire]

The Prince and the Prophet ❄️🌙

One of my favorite retro Wings of Fire drawings to date. I’m especially happy with Moon’s design and pose. I can’t quite remember where the background came from—I want to say it was the Don Bluth Dragon’s Lair pitch, though it’s probably been edited a bit.

[ID: Digital art of Winter and Moon from Wings of Fire in a cartoony style with retro effects. Winter is a slender, pale blue dragon with a sharp spiky head, long horns and white spikes running from his head down the neck, drawn to look like hair. He’s wearing a silver headband/crown with a deep blue gem in the centre and a matching necklace. He has azure eyes and looks angrily at Moon, who sits in front of him. She’s a chubby, dark greenish dragon with a black heart-shaped nose, silver crescent and moon markings on her forehead and big, round, forest green eyes. She’s looking anxiously into the distance while fidgeting her talons nervously, part of her twisting tail visible beside her. The edited background shows castle walls with huge uneven torch holders done in cold colors. The whole piece has a noise effect and chromatic aberration applied to it. End ID]

Thanks @firnmist for reminding me to include image ID!

[yooniivrse]

melted kisses | myg

summary. yoongi's kisses are always sickly sweet. but the taste of melted sugar on his lips makes you crave him more than the plate of sugar coated fruits.

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pairing: yoongi x reader

genre: fluff, established relationship au

word count: 1.9k

summary: yoongi and reader makes tanghulu together / yoongi very midly burns himself / makeout session ensues after their cooking / reader is elementary school teacher

warnings: making out, allusions to sex

a/n: yay im finally finished with exams!!! this was supposed to be posted next week but it's bts' 11th anniversary so 😋 also im very sorry that the drabbes are jumping around in the timeline, i will eventually put them in chronological order

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main masterlist

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"I'm an amazing cook, I don't know what you're on about," Yoongi grumbled as he pulled your back closer against his bare chest. You whined as the cool metal of the silver necklace he wore pressed against your back which caused goosebumps to erupt across your skin.

“I’m just saying. I’m not the one who blended chicken and other shit into a smoothie so I didn’t have to cook for the rest of the day.”

“That was one time. I’m a changed person now, love.”

"Whatever you say, babe."

You giggled softly and Yoongi huffed into your shoulder before he placed a soft kiss against your naked skin.

"You just can't admit that I'm a better cook than you."

You rolled your eyes at his words and turned your head slightly in an attempt to look at him. You could just about see his tired eyes that were closed shut.

"Fine. Next time we're both free, we're making tanghulu."

A lazy smile tugged at the corners of Yoongi's lips as his eyes scrunched into crescent moons.

"You were just waiting for an excuse to make tanghulu, weren't you?"

You hummed in response. You had mentioned the sweet snacks to him frequently, sending him numerous videos with recipes on how to make them.

"Yep. And you fell right into my trap," you giggled. You felt as Yoongi's body shook with airy laughter behind you.

"Ah, you're so annoying."

"You love me anyway," you said with a grin.

"I know," he whispered. He brushed aside your hair to press a kiss onto your temple and drifted off into a peaceful slumber within a few minutes.

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In all honesty, Yoongi had completely forgotten about your agreement. He had thought you would too, as you were both too giddy and drunk on sex.

But when you arrived home after work the next day with a bag full of ingredients, the only words that stumbled from Yoongi’s mouth were to ask you why you hadn’t used his card to buy everything.

“It’s fine, I had cash on me,” you say, swatting away his words as you place the bag onto the marble countertops.

“Still.” Yoongi’s eyes watch your movements as you begin arranging all of the ingredients into different plates and bowls. 

“Babe, it’s not like I’m poor or something. Plus, I’m the one forcing you to do this.”

A sly smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you look back at him, and he playfully rolls his eyes before making his way over to you.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest or something? You just came back from work," he says as you start cutting the leaves of the strawberries off.

"Mhm, I’m sure. Can you get the small pot for me? The one we used for ramen yesterday."

Yoongi obliges and places the pot on the stove. You take the bowl of strawberries and bring it under the sink to rinse them. 

It wasn’t often that you would eat strawberries, always complaining about the millions of bugs within them. So when you did decide to have them, you made sure that they were squeaky clean even though it took more time. Yoongi thought they tasted the same either way, but never complained about your antics. 

During the early stages of your relationship, you both rarely got to spend time with each other, whether it was due to his work life or your college classes. Your preferences and quirks meant that a few extra minutes could be spent in your presence, so it didn't bother him in the least.

He moves to the rest of the ingredients and spots three tangerines lying together in a glass bowl.

"You got tangerines?" he asks, taking one into his hands. He throws it into the air like a tennis ball and catches it with ease.

You nod eagerly, a smile plastered onto your face as you look up at him.

"You love them so I wanted to try them out along with the strawberries and grapes. If we end up not liking it, you can have the rest."

Yoongi simply smiles as you bring the freshly cleaned strawberries back to the counter, a familiar, warm feeling tugging at his heartstrings.

He listens to the recipe you read off from your phone and places half a cup of sugar into the pot of water to melt before making his way behind you. He wraps his arms around you and lightly squeezes your body.

He had missed the warmth of your skin against his, and the light smell of your signature perfume. He had even missed the way your voice melodically bounced off the walls of his usually silent home.

Was he being dramatic about you being gone for nine hours? Yes. Was he going to stop? No.

"How was work?"

He places a kiss against your neck before moving his head down to rest on your shoulder, his narrow eyes watching you work carefully. 

"Good. A kid called me mom today and it was literally the cutest thing!"

He laughs softly as you place the knife down and bring your hands to your heart to emphasise your point.

"Mhm, that is cute."

A beat of silence passes before he whispers into your ear.

"I missed you."

It's embarrassing how fast the heat rises to your cheeks at his words, even after this many years of being together.

"I missed you too."

By the time you finish peeling the tangerines, cutting the strawberries and plucking the grapes off their stems, the sugar has fully melted. It would've taken half the time if you had an extra pair of helping hands, but you didn't want Yoongi's arms to move from where they rested around your waist.

Unfortunately, he's forced to peel away from your body as you lower the heat of the thick syrup and begin pushing the pieces of fruit onto skewers.

You playfully scold Yoongi whenever you catch him plopping one into his mouth before asking him to feed you one too.

"We need to stop, or there's gonna be none left by the end," Yoongi says, and you sigh in agreement.

Still, you sneak a slice of tangerine into your mouth, simply placing a peck on Yoongi's lips when he catches you.

In a few minutes, you have two plates filled with multicoloured fruits on skewers ready to be dipped.

You work carefully with the sugar syrup, and you’re surprised at how well the first few pieces turn out. 

"See, I told you! I'm just such an amazing cook," you say, waving the freshly coated skewer in front of him.

"This isn’t even that hard. Here, let me try."

Yoongi moves you to the side and takes a skewer. He tilts the pot to the side and rolls the fruits into the syrup, thickly coating it. He then puts it into a bowl of ice water for it to cool and begins working on the next one.

This time, however, he happens to reach too far into the pot and manages to dip the tip of his finger straight into the melted sugar. 

The hot substance takes a few seconds to do damage, giving Yoongi enough time to place the skewer into the water before swiftly pulling back his hand.

"Shit."

He wipes off the hardening liquid onto a small towel, but it leaves his skin red and angry.

"Babe, I told you to be careful! Are you OK?"

You step towards him and take his hand into yours. It wasn't serious, but there was now a tiny bump forming on the pad of his index finger.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It isn't even that big, see?"

"And? You still burned yourself," you huff.

Without another word, you look through the cabinets to find the burn ointment you had bought months ago as Yoongi protests.

"Seriously, love, it's fine. It doesn't hurt or anything."

"Still."

You successfully locate the ointment within your medicine box. You never really knew why Yoongi kept it in the kitchen, but his actions had proved useful.

You unscrew the cap and apply the tiniest amount onto his finger. He winces as you rub it into his skin, and you whisper an apology.

"There. Now, you've been fired as my co-chef and this also clarifies that I am clearly the better cook."

"That's not fair!"

"Sucks," you say with a shrug of your shoulders as you place the burn ointment back where you had found it.

Yoongi rolls his eyes with a playful scowl and moves to sit on the counter as you work on finishing the rest of the fruits.

Soon enough, the two plates are filled with fruits on skewers with a glassy finish to them. You watch a video to make sure you clean the pot of melted sugar properly and Yoongi offers to clean the rest of the kitchen up as you do so.

You reluctantly agree after seeing that his burn was starting to look less angry. After cleaning the pot and leaving it in the sink with a few other dishes from earlier in the day, you prop yourself onto the counter.

Yoongi finds himself standing between your legs not even a minute later, and you watch eagerly as you give him the first taste test.

His eyebrows scrunch together as he evaluates the taste, clearly taking his job very seriously.

"So?"

"Damn. That's really good. Have a bite."

You smile widely, proud of your work. He points the rest of the skewer at you, but you bring your lips to his and use your tongue to swipe the sugar from his lips. 

"You're right, it is good!"

You smile at the blush that creeps across his pale skin as he takes another bite, failing to hide his timid smile.

You both manage to eat around four skewers worth of fruit, sharing each one between you. Yoongi sneaks kisses against your cheeks and jaw after every few bites, enjoying how he left you a little flustered after each one.

"You're gonna get my face sticky with the sugar," you complain, though you both know you don't want him to stop.

"I'll just lick the stickiness off," he says with a shrug.

"Ew, you're disgusting."

He laughs at the whine in your voice, placing another kiss on the corner of your lips.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbles, moving his mouth down onto your neck.

You tilt your neck to give him better access, stealing another skewer as you do so.

"Don't leave any marks, I have school tomorrow."

"The kids won't even know what they are," he mumbles, moving his tongue to gently graze your skin.

"Yeah they will! Kids are very modern nowadays, and there's only so many times I can say I burned myself with my curling iron."

Yoongi smiles against your neck and you leave the skewer in your hand to be forgotten on the counter. Your hands find their way into his grown-out locks, and you gently tug at the roots.

You bring his head back to meet your lips again, and the taste of melted sugar on his tongue drives you insane. You wrap your legs around his waist and pull him in even closer.

You find yourself smiling against him as his hands move up to cup your cheeks.

Yoongi doesn’t mind being called a bad cook as much if this is how every cooking session was going to end with you.

[bibbityboppitybillyharvgrove]

Embarrassment - T.Nott

Summary - Because they stayed at Hogwarts this year, the Slytherin gang and their significant others spend time together in the common room as they exchange gifts and enjoy each other’s company. However, the two Italian speakers in the group quickly find out that they aren’t the only ones in the building.

Word Count - 920

Warnings - Italian Speaking!Reader, female reader, use of Y/N, swearing, Snape makes an appearance, Italian sentences but they all have the translation, not proofread

Author’s Note - Day Eighteen! One more week left! My Italian is very rusty so I did use Google translate for most of the sentences. I haven’t used Italian in a long time so I thought it was time to dust off and get back to using it. I hope you enjoy!

my masterlist

25 days of fics masterlist

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

Enjoy!

not my gif

It was officially Christmas at Hogwarts, the Scottish Highlands coated with a blanket of white snow as more fell from the clouds above. It was a picture perfect Christmas morning, the Slytherin gang all getting up and meeting in the great hall for breakfast first before they started their gift exchanges. Theo’s girlfriend, Y/N, had been the last to join them at breakfast, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she sat down beside the aforementioned boy. 

“Buongiorno amore, come hai dormito?” Theo greeted his girlfriend in Italian. (Good morning love, how did you sleep?)

“Buongiorno tesoro, bene, tu?” She yawned as she leaned into his side. (Good morning treasure/darling, good, you?)

“Enough Italian you two, we would like to understand you too you know?” Pansy teased the couple, earning a flip of a certain finger on his hand.

“Bene. Mangi(you eat) amore. Happy Christmas,” The boy whispered to his girlfriend before planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Happy Christmas, Theo.” She kissed his cheek before eating her breakfast consisting of pancakes and eggs. As the ending of breakfast came, the group made their way back to the common room where they agreed to exchange their gifts. They gave their friends gifts first before significant others, Y/N running up to her dorm to get Theo’s gift. As she came back down to the common room with a wide grin, she held out the gift for him. “Per il mio principe,”(For my prince) She smiled, pecking his lips as he grabbed it from her.

“Grazie principessa,”(Thank you princess) He thanked her before tearing the gift open. She had gifted him a watch that he had been eyeing up the last time they went to Hogsmede together. “I love it, grazie bellissima." He kissed her gently before hugging her tightly. As they pulled away from the hug, he handed her his gift.

She tore it open to reveal not only a gorgeous golden necklace with a diamond encrusted crescent moon but also a photo of them on their first date that someone had sneakily taken. “Chi ha scattato la foto? Lo adoro, Theo! Grazie, grazie, grazie!” (Who took the photo? I love it, Theo! Thank you, thank you, thank you!) She asked her boyfriend as she threw her arms around his neck to pull him into a loving embrace.

“Draco preso(took it). Sono felice che ti piaccia, amore(I’m glad you like it, love),” Theo replied before connecting their lips again. They only pulled away because their friends were fake gagging.

“I heard my name and I would like to know why,” Draco insisted.

“The picture, Dray, thank you for taking it,” Y/N assured the boy before letting go of her boyfriend to hug her friend. 

“In that case, you’re welcome, I’m glad I was able to take it without you noticing.” She giggled as she kissed both his cheeks in thanks once again. She made her way back to her boyfriend as they began to chat in Italian.

Much to their friends’ dismay, they continued to speak Italian back and forth. Their friends had given up telling them to try and speak English so they could all talk together. Pansy found it sweet that her best friend had found a guy with the same native language as her and a guy that treated her well. Blaise on the other hand was practically sick because Theo was constantly talking about his girlfriend when they weren’t together. Deep down he loved seeing his friend so happy but he would rather be mad at Theo for his constant rambling. 

The couple had switched back to English as they were readying themselves to talk with the whole group rather than just each other. They got teased by their friends for the switch but it was all in good fun. The rest of the day was spent with their friends, joking and fooling around, playing some games and exchanging embarrassing stories about each other. The Slytherin common room might have been nearly vacant but it was more lively than ever as the friends mucked about. They had only quieted down after Snape had stormed in to tell them that some of their housemates had complained about their volume.

“Cazzo in culo(cock up your ass)!” Y/N swore, causing Theo to burst out into laughter.

“Posso parlare anche italiano(I also speak Italian), Miss Y/L/N. Detention for a week once the term begins, same for you Mr. Nott. Happy Christmas,” Snape spoke before exiting the common room. 

“What did you say to piss him off?” Draco asked with a chuckle.

“Cock up your ass,” Y/N muttered.

“What was that?” Pansy asked, not hearing her friend.

“Cock up your ass. I didn’t know he spoke Italian! Sono così imbarazzato(I’m so embarrassed), Teddy!” She whined to her boyfriend.

“I know you’re embarrassed, principessa, but you should probably watch your mouth around professors. I do have to say that was the funniest thing I have ever witnessed in my life,” Theo teased her. She let out a groan as she hid her face in his warm chest, their friends laughing along with him in agreement. Y/N joining in sooner rather than later, the embarrassment going away quickly.

Although their Christmas was spent at Hogwarts away from family, the Slytherin gang had enjoyed spending it with each other. Having fun with no responsibilities for a couple weeks and having nearly the whole Slytherin common room and dorms to themselves. It was the best Christmas any of them had ever had.

[jadecantcreate]

day 18 of legends of avantris shiptober: tattoo/flower shop! additional thoughts/explanations below the cut

i couldnt decide whether i wanted to do kremy -> flower and gideon -> tattoo or the other way around, so i ended up doing both

for the first one, i gave kremy a sunhat (?) to replace his tophat, adorned with an ornamental queen of the night flower; a little gardener apron thing; a necklace; and, most importantly, a semi translucent shirt with bell sleeves and embroidered deadly nightshades (fruit and flower), lillies of the valley, and orchids throughout. i especially like kremy as a florist because hes such a meticulous cook and i feel like that eye for precision and detail carries over nicely (plus he’d know how to curse someone’s entire bloodline for decades to come in flower) as for gideon, he kept his suspenders (of course), but i gave him cargo pants(tm) and a tank top, as well as a handful of tattoos: a sleeve with fire and smoke, a spiral patterned sun tattoo, and a tick tattoo. it sounds random (and it kind of is), but let me explain: so, im brazilian and i cannot stop projecting onto characters about it. we have this expression (“ai ai ai, carrapato não tem pai”) that roughly translates to “oh oh oh, ticks don’t have fathers” — it doesn’t really have a set meaning, it’s more just an exclamation loosely used whenever you’re mildly annoyed/inconvenienced by something (not really, but thats the best way i can put it). hfsskfjksf yes its a cruel joke (iykyk…sorry gideon fans) but i imagine his dad said that a lot (kind of like how everyone has a specific phrase they use often?) and itd be a way to pay homage to him yk…maybe he got a tick when he was a little kid and his dad took care of him…in my mind it carries personal meaning

for the second one, i gave gideon a little utility belt thing (with different small supplies he can carry around, maybe some seed bags?), gardener apron (look google didnt give me a conclusive answer—), and gloves. muscular calves: out. bare for the world to see <3 his apron thing has a pouch that is embroidered with red and orange lillies. kremys design has fancy flare pants with lace thingamajings in the inner corners, a necklace, a black turtleneck top, and a fishnet shrug. his tattoos are a mustache (obviously), an outline of his humerus bone, a raven, an ornate key, and three symbols (a crescent moon, a skull, a teardrop shape) vertically aligned

[kanmom51]

JM Muse Blooming

Concept photos and clip

JM's first concept photos dropped, and what can you say? The man is 🔥🔥

Walking in the Smeraldo flowers garden.

Wearing this belt:

Same belt?

The minute I saw this photo it felt a little familiar.

And then it hit me.

JK's 2D shoot.

Now, I'm no photography expert, but it looks like the same kind of slow exposure technique is used for this photo.

And then we have this:

How far will you go for love

To the moon?

To tell the whole world that you want that one person you love, even if your love may be considered as wrong or ugly to some?

To enlist together, being the first idols EVER to do so?

I guess pretty far.

Yeah yeah, I know not everything is about Jikook. This is JM's album, JM's photo concept, JM's creation. And yes, not everything is about them as a couple. There is definitley plenty that isn't. But with saying that, we have seen, time and time again, referencing, coding and mirroring of one another. Not everything is about them as a couple, but yet, I do believe that some of it is.

And then we have this next photo.

Now really?

If you are sitting there and denying the second you saw the tie you didn't envision this:

then you are lying. Either out right or to yourself.

The tie, the crop top. Even the pose with the shoulder tilt and the lifting of the chin gaze looking down.

Reminds me of someone else that had some mirroring going on and was called a copycat and so much more and worse.

I can assure you that was one among many photos taken in that shoot, and yet, that was the photo chosen by JM.

Third photo.

Besides the fact that JM is beautiful, no need to even state the obvious, we get a few more details from this photo.

First we get the 13 on his cheek.

In the Face shoots he had the studs/thorns and scar under his eye, and now he's proudly wearing the number 13, a number that means so much to him that he has it permanently tattooed on his arm.

His nail art.

In the teaser clip we had the crescent (probably right hand) and now we get two parallel lines. An equal sign perhaps?

We also have a little bit more sharing going on.

I guess Jikook do love to share their outfits and accessories when it comes to these solo shoots specifically.

Another coincidence? I think we are way past the point of believing that it is.

We have shared belts.

Same pants.

Different parts of the same outfit.

Same singlet.

Same necklace.

We also got this message:

ARMY! Who knew a baby chick could be so dangerous? One look at these concept photos and you might have a heart attack 🐥 10 years of this boy and he’s still finding new ways to be beautiful? 🤦‍♀️ 🐣: Is that how you see me?! 💜: Exactly that, yes. Hope you’re all pumped up for another new chapter in our lovely shared story!!

I find a few things curious with this one.

First of all, using the terms "boy" and "beautiful".

JM being an almost 30 yo man choosing the work boy is a little strange here, and knowing that every single thing he does is done with thought, just like the use of the non binary singer emoji for the 30 minute reminder or the tteokbokkibyjk.

And what about the use of the term beautiful, a term usually used as an expression of feminine good looks rather than masculine (not by me, btw, but by many).

Another curious thing I found was the dialogue, and more so, the question asked by JM: "Is that how you see me?!"

Question mark exclamation mark.

Is he asking us if we see him as a boy? Is it about age or gender? If we see him as beautiful? Is this about me overthinking? 🤣🤣

And then we have the clip:

So, JM in the dark, looking away from us.

Then the place lightens up and the camera goes into a close up of JM's face, and he's looking into the camera, or at us.

He's literally looking into my soul.

What to expect?

With JM I think we have gotten used to expecting the unexpected, in the very best way possible.

D-19

[jerirose]

Happy Bang Chan Day 🐺

© Jeri Rose | INPRNT

[Image Description] A digital realism painting of Bang Chan from Stray Kids, with a wolf. Chan is crouched down with the wold laying in front of him, both of them are looking towards the viewer. Chan is wearing black pants and a black sleeveless jacket over a black tank top. His arms are covered in cuts and bandages, and purple see-through stars. His dark purple hair is gelled into messy spiked tips that shape his face. Chan's eyes are glowing yellow, along with the wolf's eyes, there is a long scar down one through one of his eyes. Chan holds his hand up to his mouth, which is also scared. His ears go into a short pointed tip and he has a golden tunnel in his lobe. Pink and purple stars cover his blushed cheeks, that also have star freckles pepper across them. He wears 2 golden necklaces, has a golden stud in his nostril and a a gold eyebrow bar. In front of him, the wolf's coat is dark with a white chin. Behind them, large pink and purple Hydrangea bushes stand in front of a clouded night sky, the sky full of stars and a shining crescent moon. A golden wisp crosses through the painting, wrapping itself around Chan and the wolf.

[angel-of-the-moons]

The Arm of a God (And Other Things)

Khonshu x Fem!Reader

Summary:

You take a week-long hiking trip alone, despite the warnings at the lodge from experienced hikers.

But were you truly alone?

No. Never.

The bears and mountain lions were the least of your concerns. In fact...

They never were to begin with.

TW/CW: NSFW, Smut, PiV sex, unprotected sex, size difference, reader is a size queen, needy(?)Khonshu, creampie, ngl it's a lot like the dude's a god and like 9 feet tall I refuse to believe every part of his anatomy isn't proportionate to the rest of him, like he has a breeding kink?? God of fertility hellooooooo

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

Taglist: @drinkingwithkhonshu @gingersforeverbox @manque-damour @nikkivenomized

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

"Look, kid, no offense but..." The older man replied to you, his thick, bushy eyebrows pinched with concern for your well-being, "It's dangerous out there if you're alone. And compared to a bear, you're a small snack."

You smile at the old man, briefly taking in his far more rugged appearance. He looked every part of a human grizzly bear; large, imposing, muscular. He could probably take an actual grizzly bear in a bare-knuckle fight and come out even. He was an experienced hiker, a man born for the wilderness.

His concern for you was sweet. Compared to him, you were a tiny porcelain teacup; clean, and fragile. Sure you looked that way, but you trusted yourself and your abilities.

You looked small... but you weren't helpless. And you never had to worry in any of your travels.

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm covered." You chuckle sweetly, tapping the pendant around your neck. It was a small stone, scribbled with some sort of symbols, a crescent moon featured most prominently.

He squinted his green eyes at the necklace. He obviously couldn't understand what they said, but he understood it was some sort of religious object.

"Look kid, god can only do so much if a brown bear raids your camp in the middle o' the night." He says, clicking his teeth.

"Trust me. I got my bear spray, a good taser, a machete..." You begin listing off your protective items, some of which were bullshit. Most of your items in your pack were food and other important supplies.

He seemed impressed once you were done, stroking his thick beard approvingly. "All right, I s'pose. But since you've checked in here, there's a policy you tune into the lodge's frequency so if anything happens, we can come get ya."

To show how serious you took his advice--even if it wasn't needed--you pulled out your radio. It had about a 30 kilometer radius. An expensive purchase, to be sure, but a nice one. You tune it to the frequency he tells you and look at him as you clip it back to your pack securely.

"Anything else?" You chirp.

"Nope... Just... Be careful. The weather can get kinda crazy further up the mountain." He grunts.

You turn, giving a playful salute as you do, dragging deep into your lungs the air of the mountains after a fresh morning rain.

You weren't afraid for what the night brought. Not at all. But you knew that you've never had to be afraid when the moon rose.

Not when you had faith.

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

You'd made good progress, only having to stop and rest a few times throughout the day, free-climbing a few boulders here and there, and to check your map. Your destination was an old burnt-down mansion that was destroyed in a bad storm sometime in the 1920s. So, over a hundred years ago.

Nobody really knew about them or bothered to find them because they were so far off the beaten path, but you marked your trail to find your way back. If you even got lost in the first place.

The first time you found out about this place was a small article written by a backpacker who explored forgotten ruins on YouTube. Yeah, they aren't as exciting as climbing a pyramid down in South America, but to you they were. You adored finding them and exploring them, touching pieces of recent history that were forgotten far quicker than ruins from thousands of years ago.

And when you found them, you tossed your pack down and did a happy little dance; they were amazing! The walls were made of river stone, joined by concrete and held up merely by their own sturdy construction. Some of the walls had fallen due to time, but you could easily make out a few old windows and doorways. Every inch of the ruins was covered in moss, shrubbery, and old and young trees embracing what was left.

You'd even climbed an old stairway you found in the back for fun; it may have led to the worker's lodgings, or.... hell maybe just another entrance to the second floor.

But now, the sun was gone, and you'd set up camp in the middle of the ruins, where a small pond had formed thanks to a depression in the ground. Perhaps the remains of a basement or cellar that had caved in due to the fire and passage of time.

Your fire crackled as you let your water purifier do it's job, your clean water dripping into your canteen with a steady "drip, drip, drip".

You finished off your pre-packaged meal--a nice packet of spaghetti and meatballs with some extra protein powder thrown in--and was now letting it settle, laying on your plush sleeping bag as you stared at the night sky, the moon fat as it hung from the stars; your fingers brushing and caressing the small pendant around your neck.

"I am not surprised to find you in a place like this." A heavy voice echoed off the stone walls.

You sat up on your elbows and lifted your gaze, smiling as you spot him--a large, lithe figure perched casually on the ruins, the light of the moon illuminating the eerie bird skull in place of his head.

"You know how much I love doing this." You remind him.

"Yes, I know." His voice said softly, his body moving in a blur. In a moment, he was standing above you.

You crossed your arms behind your head and grinned up at him. "It's been a month... Having fun with your Moon Guy?"

"My Moon Knight." He corrects, moving to sit next to you, laying his staff down on the remnants of the stone floor, little bits of grass and foliage peeking through the crags.

"Yeah, yeah." You snort, turning to roll on your side to grin at him again, resting your head in the palm of your hand.

"So... Read on the internet about some crazy shit going down in Egypt. And... It felt like you were gone. What happened with that?"

"Ammit and her cult. My Moon Knight and Taweret's Avatar stopped her. My Fist killed her Avatar." He said slowly. "And for meddling with the heavens... The Ennead imprisoned me, briefly."

You sat up fully, shocked by this news. "What? H-how... Why did--"

His fingers brush your lips to silence you, the touch feather light but enough to cease your speaking.

"It is settled, now. Don't worry." He says to you gently, his hand moving to cup your cheek, his warm palm heating your skin while his thumb brushes your cheek.

You close your eyes and sigh, frowning at him. "Damn you, old man... Don't worry me like that again, or I'll kill you."

"Of course. I wouldn't dare incur your wrath." He chuckled.

"Damn straight you won't." You sigh; his hand moved down your throat to encircle you, flattening on your upper back to pull you against him so you were astride in his lap.

You slowly slide your hands up his bandaged chest, feeling his heat bleed through your skin and warm you to your core. Your fingers toy with the large crescent moon fixed to his chest, brushing his flowing robes off to the sides.

"You are a force of nature," He hums, his other hand sliding down to completely encapsulate your ass and pull you tighter against him.

"One I have come to appreciate far more after my imprisonment."

You chuckle and watch as the strips of linen as soft as a moth's wing fall away into wisps of mist, leaving his almost searing hot skin bare to your touch.

His skin was a lifeless monochrome, ashen color, but it wasn't lacking in life at all, far from it. You could feel his godly heart thump in his chest, feel his muscles twitch as you touched him.

And already, you could feel the hard length of him pressing against you, swelling and twitching as it came to life as well.

It felt like his arousal flooded into you, spreading through your core and riling you up. You could already feel yourself soaking through your underwear, a dark stain soaking through your pants.

Sometimes you wished he could come to you at home; or in a motel room at least, so you can wear something nice for him, some lingerie or...

His fingers brushed your lips once again and he tapped them twice, signaling for you to open.

You obey silently, letting the soft pads of his index and middle finger part your jaws, caressing the muscle of your tongue, your eyes locking with his own eyeless gaze.

A rumble comes from him, and he groans as you roll your hips against his erection, the want and heat almost burning you inside and out.

One of your hands shoves down to undo your belt and unbutton your pants, and Khonshu withdraws his fingers from your mouth and almost dizzingly fast, his hand was shoved into your underwear, toying with your swollen clit.

You moan softly, your own small hands gripping at the gold collar on him for stability as one of his large fingers dips into your tight hole.

He grinds his palm into your clit as his finger curled and pressed against that overly sensitive spot on the walls of your cunt.

"Tight..." Khonshu growled, his other hand rolling your hips in time with his other hand. "You need to relax for me, love."

"T-Trying..." You pant, feeling the cool texture of his smooth dry beak caress against the blazing heat of your cheek.

"Hmmmh." He sighed and retracted his hands from you. "Get undressed. I need you to lie back."

You scramble off of his lap, watching his throbbing length bob eagerly as you peel your clothes off of you, lying back on your sleeping bag, spreading your legs for him to see every inch of you that was ready and waiting for him.

He had been gone for a month, and you knew on some nights, even when he wasn't there with you physically, you knew he would watch as you'd touch yourself to thoughts of him. No mortal man could ever compare to the love and carnal touch of a god, and he always felt a pang of guilt when he had to leave you for whatever duties he had.

But your reunions always ended this way, heat, lust and sheer want for companionship. You had started praying to him when you felt other religions didn't do it for you, finding that you being the wanderer that you were, would find more solace in prayer to a god who protected those like you.

And you certainly didn't expect to catch his eye, let alone capture his heart the way that you had.

His hand rests on your knee, thumb caressing the bones beneath the skin as he leans over you. He couldn't kiss you, but you always made sure that was never a problem, even now, as you tipped your head to place a soft kiss to the smooth side of his beak.

"Fuck--" You groaned, dropping your head back onto your travel pillow when his other hand rediscovered its place against your weeping sex, his thumb rolling small circles over your engorged clit while his other two fingers glide over your entrance; the muscles fluttering in anticipation of what was to come.

You squirm with impatience as each swipe of his fingers only serves to ignite a hotter flame burning low in your loins.

"Khonshu." You breathed.

When you said his name like that, it was always sweeter than any offering or prayer he has received. More uplifting than knowing his works uproots evil to protect the innocent, more delicious than watching Ammit and Harrow die at the end of Jake's gun.

"Just a bit more." He tightly reprimands, his other hand squeezing your knee to remind you to relax.

"You're such a damn tease." You whine, wiping one of your hands down your face, biting your lip and gripping your hair as his fingers inch slowly into your tight, hot hole.

Another deep, rumbling groan comes from him as he feels your body grip him like he was your reason for breathing; dragging, squeezing, pleading for him to just take you already....

But he wouldn't--couldn't--until your body had adjusted enough for this to be pleasurable for you as much as him. He was larger than a human man, and he knew your body was fragile compared to his.

Of course, he always felt smug and prideful when he acknowledged the fact he probably ruined you for any mortal man you may decide to bed one day. Because, honestly, now.

What mortal man can compare to a god in both love and in the bedroom?

You arched your hips up off the ground with a moan, whimpering out his name when his fingers curled upwards. But by bit he could feel your muscles ease up around him, your sweet body becoming slick and welcoming.

Sometimes he would get so mesmerized in how your body reacted just to his fingers that he neglected his cock entirely in focus on you.

He could feel your gummy walls press down on his fingers, fluttering around him as he pumped and curled them inside of you, fingering you open so you could take him fully.

He said your name so softly that it crackled like dry leaves on the wind, and you had to lazily drag your eyes open to look at him, the moon and stars shining above and behind him.

He was beautiful, in his own macabre sort of way...

Oh, if the Ennead knew he was fucking you, you both would probably be in heaps of trouble. But you always figured "bring it on" because you had some choice words for those bastards if you ever had the chance to meet them.

But those were thoughts for later, right now you were focused on your impending orgasm as his fingers scissored inside of you, pushing you closer and closer to that peak so when he pushed inside of you with his cock you wouldn't hurt (or bleed, as that has happened before when the two of you got overzealous).

And of course, right as you were about to cum, your whole body electrified to the point you actually thought you saw sparks in your peripheral vision... Khonshu pulled his fingers free of your wanting body.

You practically sobbed in frustration as your climax was taken from you so abruptly. It was a favorite thing of his to do to you; edging you like he does. But you knew it was for more selfish reasons than anything else.

He leaned over you, bracing his body on his forearms as he gently brushed your head with his beak--his closest approximation of a kiss--and you felt something warm and wet drip onto your belly.

Sparing a glance down, you pant softly as you watch the faintly glowing fluid drip from the tip of his cock; the very tip of it flushed the tiniest shade of pink on his otherwise colorless body. Maybe once upon a time his skin was a different color, but in his exile, it has become so dull.

"Are you ready." He grits out. More a statement than a question, really, as he knew your answer beforehand. But it was important to him that you never had any reservations.

He would not take without first receiving consent from you, without giving.

He was not Set, after all.

"Please." You breathe, reaching out to touch his cock, fingers brushing along the silky soft skin, smearing the precum over the tip with your thumb; earning a delicious groan from him.

He grunts softly, nodding as he lets you guide his weeping cock through your slick folds and to your hole.

It was always breath-stealing, the moment he pushed into you, his thick girth spearing you open and filling you so full you swore he was buried in your guts.

You kept your hand low, feeling him as he slowly slid further inside of you, a hiss coming from him. You were relaxed now, yes... but still so tight because of your comparative sizes that it knocked him off kilter; your heat enveloping him so welcomingly as though he was coming home again.

"K-Khonshu!" You hiccuped, your eyes rolling back into your head as you felt him fill you.

Khonshu's leg moves, pushing your thigh and nudging your legs open for him further; the both of you making low breathy sounds as your body squeezed him instinctively at the action.

"I'm... going to move, now." He snarls, reaching down to caress your thigh as he pulls back, your body desperately clinging to him, begging him to stay inside.

Your nails claw at his arms as you grit your teeth, sweat beading your brow as you feel him slide out inch by torturous inch before rolling his hips back into yours, filling you up almost as quickly as he pulled away.

"Oh--oh--" You whine, barely able to speak or form coherent thoughts as Khonshu starts arching his back and rolling his hips at the right angle to make your brain turn to mush.

The first time he had you, you thought you actually died. He had you ride his fingers until you couldn't move, and then he had you pinned, still thrusting his hand inside of you, coaxing and caressing your muscles to allow him entrance.

You did bleed, of course, because of his size. You'd had human bed partners, yes, but none compared to him in any way. You'd probably never be able to look at a human cock again and get as excited as you did when Khonshu teased you.

Oh, how strange it was... Gods often looked down at mortals because of their fallacies, not unlike their own in some ways... But lifetimes ago, the Old Gods of Egypt kept close relationships with their mortal followers. Of course... None had gone so far as to lay with them like Khonshu had done with you.

You'd tried to tease him, the first time you got intimate, that you were his first.

That's when he proved to you that just because you were his first human, didn't mean you were his first bedroom partner.

The way he made love to you was ethereal, almost entirely unreal. It was so good that sometimes you thought you'd dreamt it.

"Khonshu, I'm..." You moan, lifting your hips off of the ground to meet his thrusts as they picked up speed.

Khonshu watched you, his eyeless gaze boring holes into you as he studied your face, as beautiful as the most detailed works of art in human history as you came undone around him, soaking his skin as your body pushes every wave of your climax out.

His pace faltered, and he collapsed back onto his forearms as your legs locked around him, digging into the taut muscles of his glutes as your orgasm nearly knocked him senseless for a moment.

He gripped your sleeping bag tight in one hand as his pace quickened, desperate to taste his own release that threatened to swell up inside of him.

"Almost." He says, his voice wavering.

"Do it." You moan loudly, dragging your nails down his back desperately.

"Hrr--you--" He moaned back, his other hand moving back to grip your thigh so tightly you'd be feeling the bruises for days onward, even in his absence.

"Please."

"You... are... always... so... greedy." He snaps out with each thrust of his hips, the sinful sound of skin slapping skin and your cries filling the ruins.

"Is--Is it really being greedy if you--you want to--want--" Your voice breaks apart as he angles his hips up, his cock throbbing and twitching inside of you as he pumps you full, the sensation of being so utterly stuffed enough to push you into your second orgasm, forcing out globs of his glowing seed around his cock as he fucks you through both your orgasms, riding our your highs together in a blissful, mind-numbing spiral.

You were vaguely aware when he pulled his cock free of your body, barely grasping at the threads of consciousness as he looked down at you, his thumb pressing into your lower belly as he watched his divine seed drip from you.

He half wondered, if maybe you would get pregnant. Wondered what kind of child you would bear. A demi-god, surely, but what kind? In his pantheon, the children of their parents rarely shared the same aspects. Save for some overlapping connectivities, that is...

He could almost see your belly swell, nice and round... And felt something tug deep within his chest, a drive to see if this little thought bubble could burst--to see if his imagination would be a reality and bear fruit.

But, of course... His mind was dragged to the forefront of reality when your shaky little hand caressed the skull that was his head, your eyes drowsy and satiated as you smiled up at him, your god, your protector.

Your lover.

As he laid next to you, he curled your body with his and watched as the last embers of your fire burned away, leaving you only haloed in the soft, silver rays of his moon.

He couldn't believe he ever found you

[ozai-the-bonsai]

Cry for the Moon

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |

Pairing: Zuko x firebender!reader

Important Notes: I don’t think there is any use of she/her in this chapter but for future chapters, please don’t be surprised if other characters refer to the reader as she/her. And just like any other Fire Nation citizen, the reader has amber eyes. Other than that, I have given my best to avoid any further details about the reader but constructive criticism is always welcome!

Warnings: none

A/N: I am looking forward to your feedback on this very first chapter, personally the first ones are the hardest :) if you want to be added to the taglist, let me know!

Taglist: @annonymatic @yoongiesstar @lost-inthe-v0id @lokigodofmyheart

Credits to @lost-inthe-v0id for the main idea behind the story

“This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life,” you spoke with a low voice as your hands reached the necklace Zuko was holding. It was past midnight, and you two had to be sleeping but – as always – you decided to sneak out to lay under the moonlight, enjoying the peace the night brought to the palace. “Did you do it yourself?”

Zuko nodded in a proud manner. “I have always loved the way the moonlight reflected from your amber eyes,” his words made you turn your gaze away, feeling heat rushing to your face. “So I wanted to capture that beautiful light in this amber stone as well.”

Apparently, he had somehow managed to melt the amber, place some tiny silver pieces which looked like stars, and then form the amber in a crescent moon.

“Do you want me to help you put it on?”

You nodded, gathering your hair on your left shoulder. “I love it,” you spoke as you laid your left hand on the necklace, your eyes finding Zuko’s. “Thank you.”

Slowly, Zuko’s left hand found your right one, which was resting on the grass, and held it tight. “Once I become the Fire Lord and make you my Fire Lady, I will gift you the finest of jewels.”

A small smile formed on your lips, he was always so eager to show his love – you adored it. “That sounds lovely,” your left hand was still on the necklace as you spoke. “But I cannot imagine a better gift than this.” Zuko’s face lit up almost immediately. “Every time I look at it, I will remember how lucky we are to have each other.”

Zuko left an innocent kiss on your forehead, his lips were warm against your skin. “You are my favourite person in this world.”

Waves crashing against the ship woke you up from the dream – a memory from the life of a different person. Unconsciously, you moved your left hand to your neck, only to find emptiness there. There was no necklace. There hasn’t been a necklace for over three years.

Your mind was playing tricks on you now that you knew it was only a matter of time before you saw the Banished Prince.

Realising that sleep was not going to be easy to find, you wrapped yourself in your red gown and went outside, only to find the Princess there on the front deck. The cold wind of the ocean was causing you to use your breath of fire as you walked towards her.

Azula didn’t even look to see the owner of the footsteps, she could recognise you anytime. “Having trouble sleeping?” She asked, but it was rather a rhetorical question.

You nodded as you stood next to her, your hands rested on the railings. “Sometimes I feel like my dreams hate me,” you muttered. “What’s your excuse? Please don’t tell me you have been up all night, again.”

The Princess simply shrugged; her amber eyes were fixed on the waves. You heaved a sigh.

“Azula, darling, even you need to sleep once in a while.” You spoke with a tender voice, which caused Azula to look at you. “Do you really want your failure of a brother to see a slipping version of yourself just because you were too stubborn to admit that you were sleepy?”

“But I am not done calculating all the possible scenarios for tomorrow,” she spoke with a low voice that wanted to sound stubborn but in the end, she was just tired. “I must be ready for anything.”

Gently, you wrapped your left arm around Azula’s waist. Growing up together – and especially after Zuko was banished – you two had developed a special bond, perhaps such that Azula hadn’t shared with anyone before. Not even with her mother.

“Sleep deprived Azula won’t have the same capacity as a well-rested Azula – we have talked about this before.” You were slowly making both of you walk inside. “Your body needs to rest, your mind as well. With a crystal-clear mind, you will finish your calculations in no time tomorrow, I am sure of it.”

She would never admit it, but Azula loved the way you had this soft spot for her – it was too easy to read it from her eyes if one had known her long enough.

“Plus, sleep deprivation is bad for your skin – you will get dark rings under your eyes. Nobody wants that.”

Azula let out a chuckle as you stopped in front of her chambers. “You do know how to get to me.”

You let her waist go as you adjusted your red gown. “As long as you allow me to, Princess.” Your voice carried the hints of affection, sympathy, and loyalty. “I intend to be there to get to you, to assist you, and to kill for you, when you need me to.”

The edge of Azula’s lips curled upwards upon hearing you. “Allow yourself to rest,” she spoke as she walked into her chamber. “I can see that having to see Zuzu after all these years is starting to trouble you – I need you to bury the ghosts from the past.”

“We both know that the ghosts have all been buried long ago,” you said before heading back to your room. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here with you today.”

At least, that was what you had believed for the past three years – that all the flames from the past were snuffed out – until Azula visited you in your chambers a week ago.

[Flashback]

You giggled as you ran your fingers through Shuzi’s smooth, dark hair; his head was rested on your lap as he laid on your bed. It had been a peaceful morning with Shuzi surprising you with breakfast in bed – apparently, he had been in the kitchens, preparing your breakfast on his own, declining any kind of help offered by the servants.

“Do you have any plans for today?” Shuzi asked, his amber eyes wandering on your face.

“You know that I need to keep up with learning the languages,” you responded as your hand moved down to cup his face. “And I have this family dinner later today.”

Shuzi pouted in a playful way. “Won’t I get to see my girlfriend for the rest of the day?” he spoke imitating a baby’s voice, which caused you to giggle once again. “That’s too long!”

Before you could lean in and leave a small kiss on his nose, the doors to your chambers were opened to reveal Azula standing outside. She was already in her royal uniforms but without the armour – compared to the sleeping robes you still wore. Which made you realise that you hadn’t even combed your hair.

“Aw, adorable,” Azula spoke with a rather soft tone which sounded a bit too sarcastic and caused Shuzi you sit up straight. “Shuzi, give us a moment.”

Of course, just like everyone else in the Fire Nation, Shuzi wouldn’t dare make the Princess repeat herself. Hence, he quickly stood up, gathered his stuff, placed a quick kiss on your lips and left your chambers. As the servants closed the doors, you raised a questioning eyebrow at Azula.

“He is not a puppy, you know.”

Azula made herself comfortable on your couch while watching you walk towards the table to pour yourself some tea – it was still warm enough. “Well, he certainly allows himself to be used as one.” She responded, causing you to heave an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, please – only a fool could miss the way you get him to do everything for you.” Azula crossed her right leg over the left one. “A little bit girlish coquetry, a little bit kissing and congratulations! You get the finest top knot pin with rubies and black diamonds.”

Holding the tea with your both hands, you turned back to face Azula, the eyebrow still arched. “Azula, there is no need to be jealous over something so small – you are the princess, you can literally get anything you want at any time.”

“Me? Jealous?” Azula let out her well-known, condescending laughter. “You have said it yourself – I am the Princess. There isn’t possibly a person in this world that I could ever be jealous of.”

Once again, you heaved a sigh – Azula knew very well that you could see through her almost all the time for you knew her way too well. However, at moments like this, she would show the Ozai in herself by pretending that the deep connection you shared didn’t even exist.

Sometimes, you tended to get mad at her for such behaviour, but you tried to remind yourself why Azula acted the way she did and how you could heal her – and it wasn’t by approaching her the same horrible way Ozai had been doing for all these years.

“Azula..?”

The Princess brushed you off and you decided not to push further, you would probably have more private time with her after the day was over. “Anyways, I have some exceptionally important news for you.”

You took a long sip from your tea as you leant the table behind you. “I am all ears.”

“Father has assigned me a crucial task after the recent outrageous failure in the North,” Azula began explaining and you simply nodded – not that you believed the failure to be outrageous but to signal her to continue.

The moment you had heard about the plans to siege the Northern Watertribe from your father, you had known it was not going to work out the way Ozai had fashioned it to. There was a reason why the North hadn’t even received a single blow in the last hundred years.

Azula slowly stood up. “I am to stop Zuzu and Uncle from further disgracing my family. Father wants me to capture them and bring back as prisoners of the Fire Nation.”

“Will you be sailing to Earth Kingdom, then?” You asked with a curious look in your amber eyes.

“We will be sailing to Earth Kingdom.” Azula corrected you with a smirk on her lips. “I want you to come with me on this mission.”

The teacup between your hands fell down onto the ground, breaking into million pieces.

[Flashback ends]

Sleep hadn’t been eager to pull you into its soothing embrace that night. Before going on to this mission with Azula, your only concern had been whether you would miss Shuzi or not – well, you two hadn’t really spent several days apart ever since you got together. You being a noble resident in the Royal Palace due to your father’s military work and Shuzi’s family being the Fire Lord’s foremost advisors, you two could easily spend any night together at your chambers.

However, instead of missing Shuzi’s arms wrapped around your body at night, you had found yourself missing the peaceful sleep which wasn’t haunted by the ghosts from your past. It disturbed you greatly that even the anticipation of getting to see Zuko after three long years was starting to disrupt everything you had built since he was gone.

It hadn’t been easy to rebuild – no, it had been the most painful thing you had ever done in your sixteen years of life and you certainly did not intend to let the Banished Prince burn your whole world to ashes.

Not this time.

[midnightmusings06]

Valentine’s Headcanons - SDV Bachelor Edition Pt. 1

summary: What the sdv bachelors would do for you on Valentine’s Day!

pairing: sdv bachelors x gender neutral farmer 

category: fluff

word count: 819

a/n: these are inspired by some of the heart events + personal headcanons <3                                                                                                                      

Sebastian:

You awake to find a note and somewhat large package on your front porch, the note from your boyfriend in his scratchy handwriting reading, “I’ll pick you up at sunset tonight, and bring what’s in the package, you’ll need it. Love, Sebastian”

Opening the package you find a motorcycle helmet, a small heart encrusted with amethyst crystals laid into the helmet. 

Sebastian arrives right on time, the sky alight with shades of bright pink and purples, pulling into the pathway in front of your house clad in leather with his own helmet, now adorning an amethyst heart to match yours. 

Stepping off of his bike, he takes off his helmet to greet you with a sweet smile, his eyes drinking you in.

He scoops you up bridal style, carrying you to his bike as you giggle.

“Where are we going?”

“It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you now would it?” He teases you gently.

You tuck your arms around his waist, holding tightly as he speeds you down the long highway outside of Stardew Valley.

Driving up a mountain range, you suddenly begin to recognize where you are headed.

Sitting above the luminous Zuzu City, is the same spot that you two confessed your love, and kissed for the first time.

Under the striking moonlight, he holds you in his arms, kissing you gently and caressing your hands with his own. 

He gifts you a gorgeous gold sun ring, to match his own silver crescent moon ring.

After riding back home way past midnight, you end your evening snuggled up together in your bed, as he mutter sweet nothings as you slowly drift off to sleep. 

Harvey:

He catches you in the town square that morning headed to Pierre’s, the tips of his ears a bright red and a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead.

He manages to stutter out, “Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner tonight, dear?” 

You of course accept, and dress to the nines for him, wearing your favorite outfit and your hair nicely done.

Walking into his house, the lights are dim, candles are scattered throughout the room and an elegant spread of your favorite (and healthy!) foods are laid across the dining room table.

Poor Harvey is so nervous as it’s your first Valentine’s Day together, but you manage to calm his nerves, assuring him that everything is perfect.

You enjoy a quiet meal together, soft music playing in the background, and his fishes a small box out of his coat pocket.

He walks to your side and offers it to you, and opening it, you find a heart shaped pendant necklace.

“May I?” He holds the necklace, his eyes staring into yours, with such a look of love and care.

You nod, and he lays the necklace around you with a gentle touch, fingers brushing against your neck.

Your evening ends with an evening walk back to your farm, where he musters up the courage to kiss your lips ever so tenderly, before letting go of your hand and walking home himself, feeling giddy with love. 

Elliot:

He left you a letter in your mailbox, writing to you in his signature cursive style, “Happy Valentine’s Day my darling, please meet me at the dock today at 1 o’clock, I’ve prepared something special for you. Love, Elliot” 

After you finish your farm chores, you head to the dock and see Elliot standing beside a small boat, equipped with two oars.

“Good afternoon my love, you look absolutely ravishing today. Happy Valentine’s Day,” He whispers, kissing your cheek.

Taking your hand, he helps you into the boat so as not to fall, where he sits opposite you, still clutching your hand.

He rows you out into a small secluded cove near Ginger Island, where he’s prepared a decadent feast of wine and all kinds of extravagant foods.

Hand feeding you fruits and such, he holds you in his arms, your back against his chest, trailing kisses from your ear to your collarbone, reciting the poems he’s written for you, about the little things like your quirks and interests and special moments between the two of you.

The sun sets from midday to sunset to evening, as the two of you walk along the cove’s beach, footprints trailed behind you.

Stumbling upon a forest filled with tropical flowers, Elliot plucks several, weaving them into an exquisite crown for you, laying it upon your head.

When the two of you finally grow tired from the events of the day, Elliot will row you back to Pelican Town, thanking you for such a wonderful day, and kissing your hand farewell.

[rampantram]

How did Helob fell in love with Lenn?

Helob smirked; she was back again.

He glanced down at the small silver watch sitting on the crate in front of him, still strung on its original chain and tick, tick, ticking away. The pincers on his chin twitched as the enticing sound of rustling leaves stirred somewhere behind him. It took everything he had to quell the chuckle that rumbled deep in his throat, thoroughly amused by the image of her crouching down in her hiding place, green eyes squinting at him through the foliage.

The spider hummed to himself, carrying on with his to-do list as he sharpened a garish-looking knife on a whetstone that had seen far too much use. Raising the blade, he turned it over for inspection, licking at his fangs as he tapped the tip of his tarsus against its side, admiring the shine it took on in the lantern light. He could taste the subtle scent of fear on his tongue, making him drool.

Suddenly, the sound of something smacking into a tree trunk and falling to the ground caught his attention. Pincers tittering curiously, he could tell it wasn’t living - a rock, probably, based on its impact - and his lips twisted into a smile as he quickly pieced her plan together: she’d meant to distract him, draw him from his post, thus leaving the watch unguarded. He hummed, setting the knife down tenderly in front of him, then made a lackadaisical strut into the dense woods, feigning his eager interest in the source of the “unknown” racket. ______________________________________________________________

It worked, Lenn thought to herself, quick to her feet as she sprang into the clearing, the soft soles of her feet making little noise as she quickly closed the gap to her stolen necklace. She couldn’t believe it; this was the closest she had gotten to getting it back, the relief she felt making her shoulders slump. Carefully, she cradled the heirloom in her hands, feeling her brow furrow as she traced over the engraving of a rabbit sitting on a crescent moon on the watch’s cover. She knew her distraction wouldn’t keep Helob away long, so she quickly stuffed the necklace in her bag and-

The yelp fell from her throat before she even realized she was being pulled up, head quickly swapping places with her feet as she was hung upside-down by the waist, her hands batting at a nearby branch to steady herself with. Vertigo blurred her vision, delaying her reaction to the set of glowing purple eyes staring at her from the dark shroud of leaves she now found herself in. Already panting for breath, she felt her heart thumping against her ribs, throat instantly feeling dry as she tried to gulp.

The grin on Helob’s face as he emerged into the dim lantern light was smug and amused, clearly satisfied with his ruse. Lenn’s mouth would twist into a frown if she weren’t feeling so terrified.

“Sneaky, sneaky bunny, coming into my lair,” he tutted playfully while effortlessly relieving her of her bag, “Stealing my things.”

“It’s not yours!” she shouted shakily, face burning red as the bottom hem of her shirt drooped closer to her neck. Helob looked her up and down with that same grin, brow raised, as she pulled it back down - or up, in this case - to her legs, her other hand still grazing desperately at her branch. “Stop messing with me and give it back!”

The spider tilted his head, clearly having all the fun in this scenario. “But then I won’t sees you anymore if you have your little watch back.”

Now Lenn was frowning, heart pounding in her ears as she seethed. “Wh-why don’t I trade you something for it?”

Helob hummed, swinging the bag on his spindly arm by its sash. “Too boring.”

Lenn’s face scrunched from the intensity of her frown and the deep furrow of her brows. “What about gold? Will you take gold?”

Helob didn’t even respond this time, only watching the bag spin while humming an unfamiliar tune. Lenn squeezed her eyes shut, the headache from all the blood rushing to her head making it feel like her skull was going to pop.

“Okay, okay!” she finally gave, catching Helob’s attention, her green eyes peeking open to send him a pained stare. “I was going to ask the lamb if I could go on missions to get out of the cult grounds every now and then, so…” She bit at her lip, as if subconsciously trying to stop her next words. “So I’ll come see you then! If you give my necklace back!”

Having stopped swinging the bag, Helob stared at her with a surprisingly stone-faced expression. His two face pincers clicked once, then twice, and suddenly Lenn was gently spun right-side-up and lowered to the ground, her feet slowly touching to the grass, toe to heel. She backed up a step as Helob lowered in front of her, still strung by his silk and giving her that same stoney, unreadable expression from before.

“How do I knows you’re not lying?”

The graveness of his voice made her fur stand on end, something he clearly noticed. Taking a quick breath, though, she stood with her shoulders back and head high. Helob shrunk back a little as she put out her hand, pinky extended outwards.

“I promise I’m not.”

Helob eyed her and her extended digit strangely, the look of confusion on his face borderline comical given how intimidating he usually was.

“It’s a pinky promise: you wrap pinkies and swear you’ll do what you promised.”

Helob eyed her a bit blankly as he clicked his two front-most tarsi together. Lenn’s ears drooped in embarrassment.

“But I guess we can’t really do that since…” Just as she began to retract her hand, one of his knife-like arms hooked its end appendage around her pinky, dwarfing her hand by comparison.

“It is a ‘pinky promise’ then.” Helob had returned to his mischievous self, smiling at her with narrowed eyes as he dropped her bag back into her hand. Rising back into the treetops, the spider sent her one last cheeky look. “Do not disappoint me, little bunny…”

Lenn blinked as she watched him disappear into the shadows. 

She couldn’t believe that worked…

Feeling the frigid prison of shock melt away from her body, she hurriedly rushed out of the clearing and back into the thinner woods she’d come from, hastily putting her bag over her shoulder as she jumped over hedges and fallen trees, hardly even thinking about the deal she’d made with Helob, surprised to have gotten out with her necklace and her life. ______________________________________________________________

Settling into the trees, Helob watched as Lenn stared up in shock, obviously not able to see him, but the look on her face still made him chuckle. He smiled to himself as she made a quick exit from his clearing, wondering to himself if she’d uphold her end of their deal - their “pinky promise.”

With a tired hum, Helob rested his chin on his crossed arms, staring down at the spot she’d been standing. Despite the fire still burning strong at the center of his little makeshift camp, it felt chillier now that she was gone, his blood having gone back to cold and tepid rather than the bold, rushing feeling he felt while watching her attempted infiltrations of his space. He came and went from different spots, as he’d always done, but still she always managed to find him. At first he only wanted to test her, to see if she’d match her fiery words with action, then he soon began to look forward to their little “playtimes,” as he’d come to see them.

With a huff, Helob’s eyes fell closed, a strange fluttering feeling in his chest as he pictured all the games of chase they could play, suddenly feeling hopeful that all of that “pinky promise” nonsense she’d brought up wasn’t so nonsensical after all.

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Hey, a writing! 😀✨

I imagine Helob's feelings for Lenn as a "fascination to infatuation" kind of deal, so I hope I captured that here. I also haven't written that much in a while, so I hope this came out decent. 😅

Anyway, thank you for your question, and I hope you all enjoy~! 💕

[newtthetranswriter]

Snow and Cuddels.

Word count:1333

Paring: Zora Ideale x reader

Summary: Snow day turned into cuddles with the best prankster who is allergic to wearing a shirt.

Warnings: Not much, cursing, mentions of colds and frostbite, maybe ooc Zora

A/n: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy this. I am aware some of the bulls are not mentioned, i just couldn’t think of what to have them doing. Also this is my first time writing for Zora so it may be a little off, I’m hoping with this event to write for more fandoms and maybe get some requests in as well, but who knows. Anyway, have fun, enjoy and remember to Hydrate or Diedrate.

      Winter has finally arrived in the Clover Kingdom, and I couldn’t be happier. Playing in the snow with friends and family, baking cookies and making candy, and drinking hot chocolate, just some of the many fun things to do when winter hits. And of course today was the first day that there was a decent amount of snow, and Captain Yami kindly gave all of us at the Black Bulls hideout the day off.

      Charmy decided she’s going to be baking and cooking all day, Vanessa is already passed out drunk, Magna and Luck are fighting over whatever one of them did this time, Gouache is well being Gouche, Gordon is trying to hang with gouache but is just being creepy, and Gray is hiding from everything. The more rambunctious and childish of the group were outside in the snow, this included Asta trying to get Noelle to participate in a snowball fight, Finral has made a snow person he’s practicing his flirting with. That just leaves Me and my grumpy boyfriend who just wants to go inside because ‘shit it’s cold out here’, I’m trying to get him to enjoy the chilly weather but Zora being well himself refuses to, I don't know, put on a shirt and try to enjoy this free time.

     “Come on, Y/n why do you want to be out here it’s freezing. Why don’t we go lay down and cuddle? Or steal whatever Charmy has made for the day, we could also mess up Gouche’s creepy sister shrine again.” I turned to the red head slouched against the wall, rolling my eyes at him in response. “What are you even doing over there? It’s just snow, what can you possibly be doing with it?” He asked, pushing off the wall, moving to look over my shoulder.

     I lend further over my creation to hide it from him. “You don’t get to see it until it’s done. If you don’t want to be out here, you can go in if you want. If you really want to mess with the others, have fun, I’m enjoying it out here.” I tried to tell him he didn’t have to stay out here.

     “You know it’s not as fun if you’re not helping, plus you know where Vanessa hides her booze. Plus you could get sick if you stay out here too long.” Zora said, still trying to see the snow creation I was working on.

     “Why do you want Vanessa’s booze? You know what nevermind with that, but seriously if you want to go inside you can, I won’t blame you. I just hoped we could do something fun out here, instead of staying cooped up all day. And I won’t get sick, I’ll be fine.” I said, leaning back to show him what I had finished making.

     Zora paused processing the drawing I had carved in the patch of flat snow in front of me. It was a crescent moon along the side of one of his trap spells, to represent both of our magics, in the center was our initials. “I know it’s cheesy and won’t last long out here cause it will melt eventually, but it just popped into my head and I need to physically see it and show you. I was thinking we could maybe get it made into necklaces or something?” I explained my thinking. I hoped he understood what I was saying.

     “It’s amazing. But why draw it out here in the snow, if you want to get it made into necklaces or something you’re gonna have to draw it again on paper, why not wait till you go inside?” He asked, looking at me quizzically.

     I thought for a second before answering. “I just didn’t want to forget it plus, I want to stay out here as long as possible. Since I finished, would you want to pummel Asta with some snow balls?” I asked knowing he would want to cause some kind of trouble.

     He just groaned at the thought of being in the cold any longer. “Fine but after we bury him in the snow we are going inside and cuddling.” He answered standing up straight and offering me his hand to help me up.

     “Deal as long as we get Hot cocoa before cuddles.” I started moving behind a tree close to where Asta was now trying (and failing) to build a snowman. “Let’s hide from him here and make some snowballs, before we launch our attack.” I said bending down and beginning to make some roughly ball shaped clumps of snow to throw at the young boy.

     After about ten minutes of making and throwing snowballs at a screaming Asta, and him running over Finral. Zora and I decided it was time to go inside for the rest of the day and finally get some hot chocolate, mostly because Zora’s chest was now bright red from being in the cold for so long while shirtless.

     We made our way inside, snagging some cocoa and cookies from Charmy, before heading up to our shared room. I couldn’t help but laugh as the normally grumpy and closed off Zora dropped onto the bed sighing while thanking whoever assigned our room for it having walls without cracks so the cold couldn’t be felt inside it. 

     “You know if you put on a shirt you wouldn’t be so cold in the winter right?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I took a sip of my hot cocoa.

     He just rolled his eyes standing up and taking his mask off, walking over to me. “If I wore a shirt, you would be robbed of the second best sight known to man. The first being your face after I do this.” I was confused for a moment before he lent in, placing a kiss on my lips, before pulling away with a smirk. “See that’s the face, all shocked and confused.” He said turning back to the bed to pull the covers down. “Stop gaping like a fish and come lay down, I’m still fucking freezing and need your body heat so get over here.” He complained, laying down on his side of the bed having taken off the rest of his flashy clothes opting for a pair of sweatpants, he’s still shirtless but at least he’s under the blankets.

     I rolled my eyes moving to kick off my boots while hanging up my coat. Crawling under the covers I was met with very little warmth as Zora’s ice cube off a body sapped all the heat from the bed. “Holy fuck Zora you’re so fuckling cold.” I said moving to cuddle up to him. “I wouldn’t be shocked if you get frostbite or something, damn.” He just chuckled but pulled me closer, sighing at the fact that I was at least a little bit warmer than he was. “Next time we go out in the cold, will you at least wear a coat, it doesn't have to be zipped just enough to keep your arms warmer.” I tried to bargain with him.

     He paused before responding. “Fine, but I better get cuddles anyway.” I just nodded, now focused on warming him up while also trying not to fall asleep. “Go ahead and sleep. I'll be fine with you snuggled up to me being a space heater.” He said, rubbing my head. Letting out a yawn, I mumbled a quick I love you before falling asleep. The last thing I heard was Zora’s quiet response. “I love you, too, today was fun even if it was freezing.” He quickly followed suit in sleeping.

     The next day when  we woke up it became apparent that Zora was right about getting sick staying in the cold. But finally the jokes on him, cause he’s the one to wake up the sniffles and a slight fever. His pouting and grumbling could be heard throughout the hideout as he complained about it the rest of the day.

[phantomspiderr]

Make A Wish

Pairing: Marc Spector x gn!reader, Steven Grant x gn!reader, Jake Lockley x gn!reader

Summary: a little glimpse at how each of the boys would treat you on your birthday

a/n: it’s my birthday🥰 and these thoughts came to me right before I went to sleep the other night

Marc

“baby, wake up”

his quiet voice would stir you from your slumber and you would grumble, whining when he continued to intrude in on your sleeping state

marc would slowly be pressing kisses to your face and neck, along your shoulders and collarbones

eventually you would peek into the dark room, surprised to see it’s still pitch black and you can barely see marc right in front of you

you’d gaze over to look at the bedside clock, seeing it’s only a minute past midnight

you’d only been asleep for a short time, nowhere near long enough

“sleep”

you’d whisper while pathetically attempting to shove him off of you

marc of course was still firmly in place looking down at you

“it’s your birthday”

he’d press a kiss to the corner of your mouth, a big smile on his own lips when he pulled back

this man may not care about his own birthday anymore but he sure as hell cares about yours

you would hum still caught up in a sleepy haze

“happy birthday sweetheart”

marc would kiss you slow and sweet

his arms would cage in your head, fingertips grazing the top of your head

your hands would slowly move their way into his hair, holding him closer

then you’d be whining when he pulled back, your brain confused about what it wants more; him or sleep

“hold on”

then his warmth was gone from above you, making the cold of the room more noticeable to you

you’d move up the bed to lean against the headboard when you see a small light in his hands, curiously watching as marc lights a small candle

“make a wish”

your heart would instantly melt

marc would hold out the candle towards you, a huge smile on his illuminated face

and in that moment you can’t think of a single thing you’d want to wish for except this right here

but still you would firmly close your eyes before blowing out the candle

“what did you wish for?”

“if I told you it wouldn’t come true now, would it?”

you would press a firm kiss to his lips

then you would be pulling him back to lay down, forcing like you’d need to him to cuddle with you

“you’re really not going to tell me?”

marc wold whisper after a few moments of silence and you’d laugh

“I wish you’d let me go back to sleep”

Steven

would wake you up similar to how marc did with kisses and quiet whispers

"happy birthday, my love"

you'd wake up feeling all loved and happy, a big smile on your face as you stretch and wrap your arms around him to pull him closer

cuddling like that while he keeps pressing kisses onto your neck

then he'd surprise you with breakfast in bed

you'd both cuddle up next to each other and pick at the food while you discuss what you wanted to do with the day

even if Steven already had the day planned to a tee

he'd insist you go shower and get ready for the day while he tidied up the mess he'd made in the kitchen

once you were dressed, you would go find him just finishing up in the kitchen but what would catch your eye was the pretty little box with a big bow sitting on the kitchen island

"is this for me?"

you'd ask with the biggest puppy dog eyes and Steven would nod with a big grin

the little box would contain a stunning gold necklace with a crescent moon

and tears would instantly pool in your eyes

"do you like it?"

Steven nervously fidgeted across the island and you'd immediately reach over until both your lips met

"I love it"

he'd smile before kissing you again

then he would come around to gently put the necklace around your neck and he would be so happy to see the shiny moon sitting against your chest

something would 100% stir in him at seeing that his symbol on you

“thank you”

you would wrap your arms around him, hugging him tightly

you’d stay stuck like that for longer than necessary, swaying together

Jake

you'd answer the door to a delivery driver holding a pretty large box

and now you're staring at the note you'd found inside

wear this, I'll pick you up at 5 J x

now it made sense why he disappeared, saying he needed to run an errand

inside the box would be a beautiful outfit that you distinctly remember telling Jake you loved but that you had no reason to spend that amount of money on

the gift made you smile and forget momentarily about how much you needed to scold him for spending that much money on you

but even still you'd be sitting waiting for him in the clothes he'd provided

Jake would of course show up at 5 o'clock on the dot

there would be a small bouquet of red roses in his hand

and he'd greet you with a kiss on the cheek, muttering something in Spanish when he pulled back to look at you

"where are we going?"

"it's a surprise"

Jake would open the car door for you, insist on holding your hand in the car or resting it on your thigh, then he'd guide you down the street with a hand firmly pressed to your lower back

"no way"

you'd stop in front of the fancy restaurant, the one you had read amazing reviews of and hadn't stopped mentioning for the last month

it was always busy, and difficult to get a reservation but here you were being escorted into the building and being seated right at the window

looking out in complete wonder at the twinkling lights of the city

Jake would reach his hand across the table inviting you to place your own in his

he would encourage you to talk, tell him stories of past birthdays while he wholeheartedly listened

he’d insist that you order whatever you wanted when you cringed slightly at the prices, he’d even insist that you both have the full three courses, insisting even harder that you deserved anything

“mi amor, you will have anything and everything. I will make sure of that”

[dailyreverie]

Chain 'round my neck

A/N: ...can you still tell taylor swift is my entire personality this year? Whatever. Title comes from the song "Call it what you want" from Taylor Swift.

@flufftober - Day 23 Trinket

Pairing: Steven Grant x reader

Word count: 820

Flufftober masterlist

He was going to hate you. Steven was going to get home any minute now, and he was going to hate you. You had been looking for the necklace for what felt like hours now, everything you had in your handbag now scattered on the bed, your boxes of earrings emptied out the same way, yet the very same necklace Steven gave you for your birthday, with your initial beautifully carved in gold, was nowhere to be found. 

Did someone ripped it on the bus? Did you take it off at work and don’t remember? Damn it, you didn’t even had a good excuse for it and you could already hear the clink of Steven’s keys outside the door. “I’m home!” He called, with his usual chirpy tone and a smile in his voice.

“Shit,” you muttered to yourself, going through your scattered belonging one last time before facing him. 

“I have a surprise for you, love!” The excitement in his voice only twisted your stomach more, guilt eating your insides.

“Steven, honey, before you say anything-”

“Is everything alright, love?” Steven found you sitting by the edge of your bed, the place you landed after giving up with your search. He joind your side, backpack still across his body, finding your hand and looking for your eyes.

“No, it’s not alright.” You took a deap breath, bracing yourself and looking for the strength you needed. “I lost the necklace you gave me.” Your eyes were filled with tears when you looked up at him, and even though you expected him to get mad, you still squeezed his hand; it was natural by now, looking for his reassurance any time you were upset.

“Oh. Honey you didn’t-” Steven tried to stop you, but you kept going about it anyway.

“No, no, I did. I lost it, and I don’t remember how or when, I don’t even remember if I wore it this morning now and I feel like shit because I love it so much and-” 

“I have it.” He spoke a bit louder, only so you could hear him above your nervous rant.

“What?” You asked after a beat. “You have it?”

Searching in his bag, Steven pulled out a little red velvet bag and placed it on your hand, leaning to see your reaction only to find you confused.

“I took it this morning because I needed to get it fixed for this.” He signaled the bag with his head, waiting for you to move and open it, not realizing how confused you were until he looked at you and saw your furrowed eyebrows. Steven chuckled, kissing your cheek sweetly, making you turn to look at him with tear-filled eyes. “Here, let me.”

With delicate fingers Steven took the small bag and untied the cords, opening it and pulling your necklace out of it. Extending it over your hand, you felt your heart swelling when, right next to your golden initial, you saw a golden moon - a crescent moon, pointing to the right just as the moon in their suits did.

“Seven… this is…” You were speechless, looking at the moon in your hand not knowing what to say.

“I saw it at an antique shop, the one we like by the museum. I saw it last week when I went for a book and it made me think of you, and how beautiful it would look on you. I needed the chain to get that little loop on top just right, I’m sorry, I should have-” He stopped when your hand reached his cheek, cupping it before meeting his lips in the middle.

“It’s beautiful.” You beamed, kissing him again and feeling him smile too. “Thank you,” You whispered, not trusting your own voice after going through so many emotions only to land in the love you had for him.

He swiftly took it from your hand, softly turning your shoulder to guide you to face away from him so he could place the necklace were it belong around your neck. When you faced him again you were both smiling like a goofs, the reflection of the sunset outside casting over your room making the charm shine. 

“Now we’re all matching.” Steven said with a grin, his eyes locked with yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close for an embrace that made the remains of the worry and anxiety you felt before fade away, leaving nothing but the endless love you felt for each other.

“I’m sorry I freaked out.” You whispered, now feeling a bit embarrassed. 

He chuckled and held you tighter, his voice soft and affectionate. “You know I love a good treasure hunt.”

Maybe you necklace was never lost, yet still, you had found once again how truly lucky you were to have Steven in your life, making every moment as enchanting as a crescent moon on a starry night.

🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂

Thanks for reading! Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

[flowerbetweenfangs]

Marked by the Moon: Part 02

This is part two of a previous story, which you can read here!

Originally posted on A03

(CW for Dubcon in part one. Part 02 does discuss infertility and there is an animal harm in a dream. If anything else needs to be tagged, let me know)

Carmen stared at the face of the older man and her breathing became labored. The thoughts of the night before clawed their way out, making her stomach drop. He rose up, rubbing his eyes. She could see small red lines across his back. Looking down at her fingers, she saw the small bits of dried blood under her nails. 

Her throat closed up, and she started to scoot away.

No. 

What happened couldn’t have possibly been real. But the way her body felt, the scents in the air, and the fact that she had already woken up meant that it had to be true. 

Esau sniffed. In the silence of the cave, the noise was amplified. His nose and brow wrinkled, his jaw setting. 

“What the?” He turned around, the bewilderment clear on his face. She saw the silver ring on his shoulder, indicating a bite mark. 

Getting to her feet, Carmen looked around the den. The only thing she had on her was the necklace, which felt like a lead weight trying to drag her back to the ground. She could see scraps of fabric across the floor. Her clothes. The only thing she could even recognize as a piece of an outfit was her shirt, but the edges were torn and frayed. 

She ran, her body protesting every movement. 

“Carmen!” He yelled after her, but she put the voice out of her head. 

The world around her became a blur and Carmen’s vision swam. As she ran, every noise sounded like it was coming through the end of a tube, echoing and buzzing directly into her ears. The scents of the reserve were strong, as if each bit of flora was being shoved directly into her nostrils. Gagging, Carmen fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. 

Cradling her head, Carmen fell into the fetal position. How could last night have happened? Werewolves were real? Several had spoken to her. One had… 

The thought made her heave. Her body was shaking and sweating, her injured arm burning like it had been dipped in liquid fire. 

When she managed to get her wind back, she brought down her hands and saw the statue above her. Worn down and in need of some restoration, but she recognized the crescent moon mask and wolf across the woman’s lap. 

“Please.” She said, grabbing it by the base and pressing her forehead to it, “I need some answers. Give them to me.” Shivering, she felt the stone become slick in her fingers. Small vines and thorns pricked at her skin and she finally let go. 

The woman’s voice had vanished from the wind. 

A scent on the wind made her turn, pressing her cheek against the base. 

The hair was ginger and shaggy, covering his face with a beard, with the lupine eyes she’d looked into enough times to recognize them on sight. But he was a man now, maybe in his late twenties, like Carmen. He’d dressed in a simple baggy shirt with a faded sports logo and basketball shorts. 

And he made a rage boil over in her stomach and heart. Clenching her jaw and fists, she tasted blood and saw red. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He asked, looking at the statue. 

Carmen was on him in an instant, slamming her fists into him and screaming with a primal fury she didn’t even realize was possible. He snarled, snapping at her with teeth just long enough to not be human. 

“Hey!”

Carmen was yanked off him. Her hands clawed at the air, her feet kicking at the empty space being created. 

Esau’s scent overpowered her nose, his arms wrapped securely around her torso and pulling her away. She fought against him, slamming the heels of her palms into his wrists and twisting her body, howling with rage. The strange sounds scraped her throat raw. 

A dark haired and bearded man was grabbing onto the ginger, hauling him back. Both were now sporting scratches and bruises. His scent hit Carmen, she felt herself trying to place it. Snapping her jaw, she continued to thrash and try to get free of Esau’s grip. 

Esau was breathing heavily, his whole body sweaty against Carmen’s. For an old man, he certainly had a strength she wasn’t expecting. His fingers dug into her, and she could feel his nails, curved and sharp. 

“Enough!” He said, his voice dropping to a pitch that made Carmen’s ears hurt. It almost made her want to drop flat against the ground. The sound seemed to rattle her very being, threatening to break her open. 

 “You’re hurting yourself.” And it was gone, his tone more gentle. 

Carmen looked down and saw her sutures had burst open. The pain that she’d pushed back registered, and she felt her whole body shaking again. 

“Give her your shirt.” Esau slowly let Carmen go. She fell to her knees on the ground. Blood dribbled from her arm, the drops staining the grass below. 

The bearded man walked over, offering up the balled up shirt to her. Taking it, she hugged the article of clothing to her chest. Almost as if on cue, she could hear them turning away so she could dress in privacy. 

Despite being taller than most women, Carmen still found the shirt hanging almost to her knees. 

The scent of the dark haired man overpowered her, and she finally placed him. The beard had aged him, but the smell was familiar because he had been at the clinic only a couple days prior, pulling the wolf away just an instant too late. Max. His name had been Max. He’d signed the paperwork. 

  Taking a few deep breaths, she got to her feet. How far did all of this go? Before she could think, her head began to pound. 

“Listen here,” The ginger got back in her face, his eyes flashing with fury. “Don’t think just because you’re a-” 

“Quit!” Esau barked, his voice dropping low again. Carmen could hear the click of his teeth as they snapped together. “This is your fault, Peter.” 

“He’s right.” Max finally spoke up. “You were the dumbass who was running through bear territory. And you fucking tried to bite her!” Carmen wondered if he’d been so harsh with Anna. 

Peter’s eyes flickered, losing the hunter’s glint and his pupils dilating. Carmen was sure that if he still had his tail, it would be lowered into submission. His whole body shifted and he pressed himself closer to the ground.  

“How was I supposed to know there would be traps there? It’s not hunting season.” Peter scowled. “Although having a bunch of rednecks attempt drunk triage on me in the bed of the pick up truck was an adventure.” 

Carmen was about to lecture him on how rules and laws didn’t deter people from still doing illegal things, but she held her tongue. How had she been so worried for him less than a day ago? 

Her arm stung and she yanked back, before realizing it was Esau trying to check her for injuries. His fingers were tinted red with her blood.

Holding his hand to her, Esau let out a deep breath, his whole body going slack. When he looked up, he just looked exhausted. 

“Can I look at your arm, please? I want to make sure it’s not going to get infected.” 

Reluctantly, she held it out to him. 

Having the man touch her again made her squirm, knowing he’d been a monster only a few hours before. But aside from the hirsute body and slightly elongated nails, he looked no different than the doctor from the clinic. 

Taking Carmen’s arm, Esau tilted it back and forth, before rubbing his face. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he glared at Peter. 

“There’s a first aid kit in the visitor center. I can patch you up.” He sighed. “I know you’ve probably got a thousand questions, and I can hopefully answer some of them. Just… Come with us, please?” 

Mouth dry, Carmen nodded. What could she even do at this point? 

“Are you two the only ones who decided to stay human?” Esau asked as they went down the hill. 

“Reluctantly.” Peter snarled as he walked ahead. “Diana would have probably let me die if I stayed in my wolf form.” He tilted his head side to side and cracked his neck. “I thought you wanted to actually kill me when you struck me last night. Some leader.” 

Esau shot him a look, and the younger man visibly shrunk back into Max. 

“Someone’s got to work at the reserve.” The dark haired agent said, “Did you get shaving cream this time?” He scratched his face. “I look too much like a mountain man with this scruff.” 

“How many of you are there?” Carmen asked, walking into the visitor center. The scent hit her. The barest amount of nature to set off a human nose and make them feel closer to the forest around them, but compared to outside, it was… Bare. 

“Half a dozen werewolves.” Esau said as he went to the front office. “And a dozen actual wolves. We can pick which form we want to stay in at the full moon, but I try to urge people to stay in one or the other because people going missing can be… Noticeable. And the wolves get stressed if they lose and gain pack members too rapidly.” 

He looked through the cabinets as Peter went to the cafeteria, a stove firing up. The scent of meat made Carmen’s mouth water. She looked down at her hand when she felt liquid and saw a silvery puddle of drool forming around her palm. Wiping her mouth, she shook her head. What on earth was going on with her. 

Max let the sink run in the bathroom, starting to shave. He was humming a tune she could place, but the lyrics wouldn’t come. 

“You said last night you try to keep the social circle small.” She wanted to ask him about their… Other activities, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Esau couldn’t meet her eyes. Was he feeling the same way she was? 

“Yes.” Esau finally found the first aid kit, setting it on the desk next to him and holding out his hand for Carmen. Sighing, she let him take her arm and start to work. “Because otherwise things like this happen.” He sniffed, the confusion coming back to his face. 

“There’s normally a more formal vetting process, to make sure we’re not changing someone who has a young child at home or has a lifestyle that won’t allow them to make the change.” He sighed, before glowering in the direction of the kitchen. 

“Or changing someone literally days before the full moon and then having them run around as a crazy monster of fangs and claws with no preparation. The fact that you didn’t start chasing down random people and animals is a miracle.” He swallowed, taking care to dab at her arm and clean off any dirt and dried blood. 

“The first few months are rough, but if you have a pack then it becomes easier and you’re able to keep your mind.” Turning toward the kitchen, he gave a nod. “That’s why we took in Peter. Although he’s still learning to be a team player.” 

Swallowing, Carmen stared at the desk in silence outside of a wince or a hiss as Esau applied the disinfectant to her arm. What would have happened if Anna had been the one scratched instead of her? 

“When you visited me at the Urgent Care, I saw the wound, but I couldn’t smell the wolf inside you.” He continued to explain, before he finished bandaging up her arm. 

The phrasing gave her pause. 

“Wait, smell the wolf inside me?” Carmen asked, flexing her fingers. “The one you were trying to make come out?” 

Esau clicked his tongue. “When you’re bitten, the wolf inside you starts to wake up, becoming stronger the closer you are to the full moon.” He frowned. 

“It’s like… having two minds able to control you, but only one of you gets to be in the driver’s seat at a time.” He held up two fingers, waving both up and down. “I assumed that since you were only scratched, that meant that Peter wasn’t able to infect you.” 

“I was just thinking we had to add something to break up the sausage party.” Peter said as he came out of the kitchen, a plate piled high with food. “Welcome to the pack, girlie. You’re the first bitch we’ve ha-” 

Carmen glowered at him and he withered under her look, mouth opening and closing without sound. Muttering to himself, he set the plate on the desk and walked back into the kitchen, legs slightly bent, an invisible tail curling between them. 

“ Normally,” Esau emphasized. “But so far, it’s been the farthest thing from normal in this whole process.” He rubbed his face, shot a dirty look at Peter, then shook his head with a sigh. “I understand you’re probably feeling all sorts of… Everything. But you’re in this now, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m sorry. And I can’t say it enough.” 

Carmen stared at the food, then felt her stomach heave. Fatigue, disgust, and sickness all warred, before the nausea finally won out. 

Max yelped as she shoved past him into the bathroom, kneeling down at the toilet and vomiting her guts out. Her whole body shook with fatigue and she pressed her forehead against the bowl. Max carefully put down the razor. 

“... You want me to hold your hair back?” Water ran and Max toweled off his face, suddenly very interested in the wall. 

Carmen shook her head. With a noise of understanding, Max stepped out of the bathroom. Then, a moment later, he tossed in a pair of boxers through the door and retreated again. 

After what felt like forever, Carmen drug herself out of the bathroom, boxers now on. The three men had eaten most of the food from the plate. 

“So what do we do now?” Her stomach flipped, but she knew there was nothing left. Picking up a slice of toast, she forced herself to eat it. Esau handed her a water bottle, which she sipped. 

“Back to normal life.” Esau shrugged. “Make sure everyone is healthy, then meet up again next month.” He looked over at Peter. “Although I’m going to have a new roommate for the next cycle.” 

“Not my fault,” Peter said without looking up from his food. “Someone decided to throw me off a cliff and make me shift to my human form.” 

Carmen and Esau both shot him a dirty look, and he got up and headed back to the kitchen with the dirty dishes. 

“I’m going home.” Max announced. “My roommate is worried sick about me. I keep getting texts.” He looked at Carmen and sighed.

“You can uh… Keep those.” He gestured to the clothing and exited the Reserve, putting the phone to his ear. 

Carmen looked at Esau, who set a keyring on the table. Carmen realized it was hers. Taking it, she went to shove them in her pockets, then remembered there wasn’t any on the boxers. 

“I’m sorry about everything.” Esau said insistently. “I know it’s a lot to take in. But I also need to remind you that you can’t go telling everyone about what happened last night.” Looking down at the table, he sighed. 

“Not only would no one believe you, but those that would are the type of people we need to keep out of the pack.” He swallowed, eyes flicking back and forth between her and the wound. 

“Look, about what went down.” Swallowing hard, he pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked up at the ceiling. 

“I don’t have a good excuse for myself. I don’t take women into the pack for that reason. Because the full moon triggers a heat cycle in you and it can be painful if…” He suddenly looked very flustered. “Well, that doesn’t happen. As you found out.” 

He scratched nervously at the desktop, scraping up shavings of wood. 

“While most others can control themselves, I never wanted to try and take that chance.” He rubbed the side of his head, “I understand if you can’t forgive me, nor do I expect you to. I can offer you apologies and a safe place to change each month.” He leaned against the desk. 

“I promise I will do what I can to make this right.” 

The events of last night finally cascaded, hitting her all at once. Carmen looked at the desk, seeing the tears landing on the wooden surface. 

Covering her face, Carmen clenched a fist and felt the rage and sorrow swirling inside. How could one event cause such a ripple effect? What would she even tell everyone when she came back to the clinic? 

“Is it safe for me to go home?” Her sides heaved. “I don’t… I don’t have anyone there but myself. But I don’t want to suddenly wolf out and destroy my apartment.” She made a growling noise and wiggled her fingers like claws. 

Esau nodded, wincing at her impression. “The change only happens at the full moon.” 

Carmen then licked her lips, the thoughts rattling around in her mind. “You mentioned that the full moon triggers a heat in female wolves…” Her breathing was shaky and she felt the toast about to come back up again. 

“Does that mean that they can get pregnant?” Each word was a chore to push back her lips. Dreading the answer, Carmen stared at him. The desk seemed to groan against the grip she had on it. 

Esau’s eyes went wide, and he quickly shook his head. “No. The only way we can increase our numbers is through the bite.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m… Sorry if you had plans to do that.” 

Carmen felt relief wash over her. 

“Oh, thank god.” She pressed her forehead to the desk and felt more tears squeeze out. Esau offered her a paper towel, which she used to blow her nose and dry her eyes. “You uh… Also you don't have any wolf … stuff, do you?” The amount of viruses and diseases she had to vaccinate for flashed across her mind. How would she even treat them? 

Esau shook his head. “I can run a few tests for you at the clinic, having another person process them if you don’t trust me.” His face was pale as he spoke. “I’m still so sorry for what happened. Had I known, I would have done so many things differently.” 

“What’s going to happen to Peter?” Carmen looked at the man as he paced back and forth. The limp was a lot more pronounced. Maybe he hadn’t been completely healed from his injuries after all. Or he was faking again. 

“I’ll come up with some sort of punishment for him.” Esau looked back at him. “What would you want done?” 

Carmen couldn’t come up with an answer. There were so many thoughts rattling around in her mind, but none stuck. She had been willing to kill him earlier, trying to claw out his throat. But seeing how pathetic he was… She almost felt sorry for him. 

Almost. 

“Let’s put a pin in that.” She drank down another water bottle, then got up. She needed to leave. This was starting to make her feel sick all over again. She was also probably behind on her medicine. And she needed to check back in with Anna and the clinic.  

“One more thing.” Esau grabbed a scrap of paper and scribbled down on it. “If you have any other questions, or just need to talk, here’s my phone number.” 

Carmen clutched the paper tightly. What could she even say? 

“I guess… See you next full moon?” She couldn’t even bring herself to force a smile. Everything was happening too fast. 

“Hopefully. You know how to get here. But I’ll be in contact with you just in case.” He watched her leave, and Carmen wondered how someone who looked so… Tired and frail could have been the same beast that was about to tear her apart only a few hours before. 

“Jesus, Carmen,” Anna remarked when she came back into the clinic three days later. “You look like Hell. But I’m glad to have you back. Full moon makes everyone act a fool.” 

“Turns out when a wolf scratches you that it can be a horrible experience.” Carmen remarked as she started to look through the files of the clients they had coming in for the day. As she flipped through the papers, she picked up on the scent of Anna. It brought to mind the coffee they’d drank, and the fear and worry she’d been feeling. 

“I’m fine,” Carmen said, turning and trying to smile. But her teeth suddenly felt too big for her mouth and the scowl returned. Her skin still hurt from the scalding hot showers she’d subjected herself to. She’d probably seared off the top three layers of tissue in an attempt to feel clean. 

“I just…” Anna sniffed. “I just worried that I had done something wrong. I’d missed his dose or something, or I hadn’t secured him properly. God, if he didn’t have the muzzle… Then when you vanished for a week, I worried you’d-” 

Carmen got up and hugged her. Anna sniffed again and rested her head on Carmen’s shoulder. Her scent of sorrow, worry, regret, wafted up and about made Carmen reel back from it all. 

“I’ve seen what they can do,” Anna sobbed. “I know nature is beautiful and everything, but when I worked on the reserve…” Sniffling, she pulled back and wiped her eyes. “God, I’m sobbing and I wasn’t even hurt.” 

Shrugging, Carmen turned to face the door when the bell chimed, a howling maine coon being carried in by a distraught looking man. 

“Hello, Kelser, is Bruiser giving you trouble again?” 

In the back room, Carmen worked through the patients almost mechanically. Sure, she smiled and waved, but she could feel… Something stirring in the back of her mind that she was pressing down. 

The thought of harming the animals wasn’t flitting across her mind, but she just saw them in a way that was hard to put her finger on. Bruiser yowled, and she found herself giving a sour look to the cat. He stopped the act almost immediately as soon as Kelser was out the door. 

“Dramatic.” She mumbled to herself, before checking him over. The feline purred and rubbed up against her. Cradling his squishy face, Carmen sighed. 

Then, his ears went flat. Pulling back, he hissed and swiped at her arm, nearly ripping the wound open. Snarling, he backed himself into a corner and continued trying to phase through the wall, spitting and hissing. 

Carmen found herself snarling back, and she bore her teeth. 

“ Quit it .” Something in her throat rumbled in a way that made it sore. But Bruiser was suddenly laying on the ground, pupils dilated as he stared at her. Then, he gave her a slow blink. 

Shaking her head, Carmen felt a twinge of worry about what had just happened. Bruiser didn’t seem hurt, but he was suddenly a lot more submissive. He made irritated chirps, but allowed her to work. 

Once the day was over, Carmen stretched her arms above her head and looked over at Anna, who was shuffling their last customer out the door. 

The clinic closed, Carmen dashed out the door and checked her phone. 

“ Hw ws ur 1st dy bck ?” Esau's message lit up her screen. Carmen messaged him back, then saw she had two more messages. 

“Here’s my number in case you need it, Max .” 

“ E wants you to have my number. So here it is. Peter.” 

Carmen sent a response to both and slipped the phone in her pocket. Anna was calling someone, making plans for the weekend. She gave Carmen a friendly wave, before pulling the phone down and covering the speaker. 

“Hey. Me and the gang are going to get together tonight. You want in?” 

Carmen opened her mouth to agree, but the thought of so many people around her, scents assaulting her nose, loud cries and wails making her ears ache… She didn’t feel like it would be wise. A craving to be around others was stoked in her, but it felt hollow. 

“Sure.” Carmen cracked a smile, feeling the muscles in her neck strain. 

Anna nodded, then went back to the conversation. 

At the bar, she met up with Anna’s college friends, a man and a woman. 

They all said their greetings, making small talk that Carmen tried to participate in, but she couldn’t really come up with much other than “ Yeah, I’m Anna’s friend ” and “ Yeah. I was sick as a dog for the past week. ” 

“Oh! You’re the one who bought the necklace!” Mae smiled broadly. “I’m glad you liked it! When Anna told me her coworker wanted it, I just had to make it extra special! The wolf-” 

“Don’t talk her ear off.” The man, Nick, lectured. 

But Carmen didn’t need to do much talking. Once she was around others, Anna took control and began to catch them up on current events. 

“So get this, this huge ass wolf comes in,” Anna said, recounting the story, a wine cooler in her hand as they were served an entree of greasy food. 

Carmen stared down at the sandwich she’d ordered, picking and prodding at it with her silverware. Overstuffed, with oily meat that would fall out if she lifted it up. The scent coming off the cocktails and bottles was making her sick. 

“Jesus,” Nick winced when they got to the part about Carmen’s injury. “Good thing it wasn’t a bite, eh?” 

He looked at Carmen’s arm, which she slipped off the table and settled into her lap.

 “So what about the wolf?” Mae asked. “I mean… I know they sometimes put down dogs for biting people…” 

“He’s been relocated.” Carmen answered quickly, drawing the attention of the table. “...I was talking to one of the agents while I was recovering.” 

Anna stared at Carmen with confusion, and she realized that it had never come up. But then again, she’d been keeping him out of her thoughts. 

A sudden wave of fury came over her at the reminder of Peter. He’d scratched her, and for what? So he could get laid? Set her up to be at the mercy of the pack? What would have happened if Esau hadn’t intervened? 

 The knife in her hand cracked the plate as she continued to saw at the sandwich with it. She looked at the mess she’d made as the bits of food sprayed across the table. 

Everyone looked at the broken plate, before staring at Carmen with what she hoped was concern. But the fear and confusion started to penetrate her nose. The scent it put off made her stomach churn. Even Anna was staring at her with wide eyes. 

“ It’s fine .” She felt her voice trying to slip into the calming pitch that she’d used on the animals, but she fell into a coughing fit instead. Taking her water, Carmen took a drink and sighed, knowing the night was ruined. 

The tension around them began to rise. Carmen apologized, excusing herself to the restroom and staring at herself in the mirror. Her face was clammy, sweat soaked hair clinging to her skin. Taking a deep breath, she fished money out of her purse and headed back to pay her portion of the bill. 

“Do you mind if I walk you out to your car?” Nick asked. “You don’t look so good.” 

Carmen looked to Anna and Mae, who both nodded. 

They walked outside, and Carmen leaned against the vehicle. Her legs felt like they were about to give out. A familiar shiver of a fever began to creep up her body. 

“You alright?” Nick asked.  

“I’m okay.” She insisted. “I’ve just been having a rough patch.” Turning to the side, Carmen gave an exaggerated fake cough, hoping it would deter him. 

With a nod of understanding, Nick gave her a pat on the shoulder. 

And it was like he’d stabbed her. Her legs buckled and if she hadn’t been leaning against her car, she probably would have hit the pavement. When Nick pulled his hand away, she saw the flash of silver on his finger. If he noticed her reaction, he didn’t say anything. Opening her car door, Carmen ducked inside.

Clutching her shoulder, Carmen took a few deep breaths. Giving herself a squeeze, she jolted awake. Ears ringing, she started the drive back home. 

When she got back to her apartment, Carmen tore off her shirt. The skin on her shoulder was now raised and angry, marbled with red and silver. Grabbing a bag of frozen peas, she set it on the wound. 

Sitting on the couch, she fluffed up the pillows and tried to lay on them and focus on the television to take her mind off the pain. But nothing could hold her attention. 

Holding the biggest body pillow, Carmen curled her entire body around it. Looping her legs and arms around the softness, she sighed and sniffed. She wormed her way into the pile, pushing them off the bed and making a sort of nest on the floor. 

Laying between two and peeking at the television, she finally was able to watch it. But something still felt… Off. 

She found herself tearing through her laundry, then her trash. After a few moments of searching, she found the baggy shirt and boxers that Max had given her. Taking the shirt, she draped it over the pillow and rested her cheek against it. 

Taking the trash, she found the bandages Esau had used to patch up her arm and the piece of paper he’d given her. Not wanting to touch them directly, she slipped them under the pillowcase. 

Despite it having lost most of their scents, it still brought Carmen some degree of comfort. She hung the rose quartz necklace above her head, then felt herself slipping into sleep. 

She was sitting in the field, but her vision was distorted, almost as if she was looking through a telescope. Something warm rested against her. Looking down, Carmen saw a wolf laying across her lap, shivering and bloodied. 

“Shhh…” Leaning down, she dropped her voice and watched the wolf lift its head, sniffing at the air. Fingers running through its fur, Carmen continued to soothe it as it whimpered and whined, nosing against her palm. A strange heat was coming off it. As it whimpered, she saw the silver arrowhead in its haunch. 

“Please…” It whined. “It hurts. Like my blood is turning to fire. Turn me back...” 

Despite her efforts, she wasn’t able to pull out the arrow. The silver sliced through her own fingers, leaving the whole thing a mess of fleshy ribbons and blood. The wolf whimpered and whined, looking up at her with piteous eyes, before it slowly turned to stone. 

Something called out. When Carmen looked up, she saw a woman running toward them, her stomach swollen with pregnancy. Her eyes fell on the wolf and she fell to the ground, sobbing. 

“You were supposed to keep this from happening,” She said as sobs wracked her body. “They were supposed to be smarter than this.” Hands beat at the earth, and a look of pure hatred pierced into Carmen. 

“I will never forgive you.” 

In the distance, she could see a silhouette of a deer. More hunters walked alongside it, notching more silver headed arrows as their necks craned. Distant howls echoed in the forest, followed by yelps and snarls. 

Carmen sat up, tangled in blankets and pillows. Her sweat soaked through the fabric. Pulling herself free, she flinched when touching the now warm bag of squishy peas. 

Taking in shaking breaths, she got to her feet. The necklace had become entangled around her wrist again. Going to the sink, Carmen splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up, then shoved the peas back into the freezer. Her shoulder was still sore, but it was just uncomfortably warm rather than white hot. 

Sitting in her pillow pile, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Esau. 

“ Hey. Sorry it’s late. But are dreams normal ?” She paused, before sending up a follow up message. “ Like, dreams about the Statue Lady? Diana? ” 

Opening the window, she sat on the windowsill and stared up at the moon. The cool night air felt better on her skin. They’d talked about the gods in school, but it wasn’t something Carmen took to heart. 

Her phone buzzed. Slipping back inside, she closed the window when she saw a video call incoming. Reluctantly, she answered it. 

Esau grumbled as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. His face was pale in the blue light of the camera. 

“Sorry, fat fingers.” His voice was still groggy with sleep. “You okay?” 

“Yeah.”  Carmen recounted the dream. “But it was weird because… I had a dream the night I turned.” 

“You’ll only turn on the full moon if that’s your worry.” He rubbed his face and shook his head as if that would loosen sleep’s hold on him. 

“Diana… Sometimes you’ll have dreams about her. She is the goddess of the moon, so a lot of wolves think she’s a dream walker of sorts. One of the theories is that we’re descended from her hounds that she hunted with.” Taking in a deep breath, he rose from the bed and she realized he was shirtless. Carmen made sure that she had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

“Aside from the dreams, you feeling alright?” 

“A little sick.” She admitted. “And… Kinda lonely.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, Carmen berated herself. Why did she say that? It wasn’t like she could command someone to come over. Looking over her shoulder, Carmen winced at the little den she’d made of the pillows again. No way would she show him that.

“That’s normal.” He assured her. “Your body is going through a change. And… We’re pack animals.” He paused, as if mulling over his options. 

“You want me to send Max down to check on you?” His mouth opened to say something, but he clicked it closed, before glowering as something shuffled off camera. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Carmen didn’t want to drag Max out of bed. He would probably come to resent her for making things so difficult right off the bat. She already felt guilty about waking up Esau. And she was sure that if Peter was sent over, he wouldn’t leave the apartment alive. Thankfully, Esau never brought up that option. Nor did he invite himself over. 

They stared at one another in silence, before Carmen inhaled sharply and gave a wave. 

“Well, have a good night. Sorry for waking you up!” 

Hanging up the call, Carmen tossed her phone away. It clattered noisily on the floor, skidding into the pillow cavern. 

Another restless night had Carmen feeling like a slug in the morning. More sweat and heat rolled off her. 

Groaning, she looked at the homescreen of her phone and tried to will it to an earlier time so she could go back to sleep without guilt. Being a werewolf didn’t come with reversal powers, it seemed. Just a lot of sickness and irritation. 

After dragging herself to the shower, Carmen felt a wave of fatigue and soreness come over her. The tile slammed against her head. Groaning, she curled into a ball on the shower floor and just let the water pour over her. 

Grabbing a blanket, she burritoed herself inside and called the clinic, apologizing profusely. 

“Just… Get some rest, okay?” Anna swallowed. “Nick said you didn’t look so good when he walked you to your car." 

 Carmen groaned and shivered, her body feeling like it was on the point of a convulsion. 

Anna swallowed hard as a dog bayed in the background. “Carmen, please let me know if you feel any worse, okay?” 

“Anna, you’re the real MVP, you know that?”

“...Carmen, go back to sleep. You can barely string together a sentence, don’t leave your apartment.” Anna snorted. “And feel better, okay?” 

Sighing, Carmen hung up and looked at the ceiling. 

“ How much longer is this supposed to last? ” She messaged Esau. “ Because I do not want to deal with this and keep missing work .” Pausing, she let her thumb hover over the screen, before she added. “ And hit Peter, for me, okay ?” 

“ Wts ur adrss ?” 

Carmen sighed. How old was this man? Sending her address, she laid her head back down. 

Sleep continued to be elusive, so Carmen laid in her little pile of pillows, watching the tiles and shadows on the ceiling. 

A couple hours later, there was a knock at the door. Rising from the pile on the floor, Carmen shuffled to the door and opened it. 

Esau was standing at the door, a plastic bag in hand. His scent rolled over her and she suddenly was ravenous. The fatigue and the nausea fell off like heavy manacles, leaving Carmen feeling lighter than before. 

They stared at one another, awkward silence following. Shifting from foot to foot, Esau looked around at the halls, before clearing his throat. 

“Don’t you have work?” She stepped back and let him in. He walked in, looking around with raised brows. Carmen was suddenly aware of the state of disarray of the apartment. Her clothes and blankets were strewn about, the pillow pile in the middle of the living room, positioned so she could peer out and rest her head on the coffee table to eat. 

“I’m on break.” He set a plastic container on the counter. “I couldn’t sleep last night after your call, so I did some cooking. I figured you’d want to eat something. I managed to rescue some ingredients from Peter before he ate me out of house and home.” 

Carmen scowled, before she found herself rushing over when he popped the lid on the container. Her stomach growled.. 

“I thought you were feeling sick.” He put his palm to her forehead. “At least it feels like your fever broke.” 

The touch was warm, his hands soft. Fingertips brushed against brow and temple. Carmen found herself leaning into the touch, the familiar scent of Pack washing over her. Quickly, he pulled his hand away. 

“Sorry.” Sliding the container to her, he inhaled, putting a hand on his hip. His eyes swept around the apartment, taking in everything. The silence was suffocating. 

“Thanks for coming by.” Carmen forced a smile, but she felt a flicker of happiness that made it somewhat more real. She grabbed his arm to escort him out. 

It was like a jolt went through her. Her vision became tinted with silver and blue again, and her grip on his wrist tightened enough for him to grunt with discomfort. She stared up at him, her lips parting slightly. The familiar sensation of arousal stirred between her legs. Nowhere near as intense at the first time, but she recognized it. 

Esau looked down at Carmen, hands not leaving hers. 

“You’ve got wolf eyes…” He said softly, brows coming together. “But it’s not the full moon…” Sniffing the air, he stared at her, the confusion and fear rolling off him. But it was quickly overpowered by curiosity. 

Carmen let him go, rubbing her eyes. “Sorry.” She blinked, shaking her head and looking at him again. “Are they gone?” 

But her vision still remained the same silvery blue. The aching need was filling her again. The attraction she felt toward Esau was something she wasn’t sure about. Or was she just feeling that lonely?

Esau’s eyes never left her. There was something familiar about how he looked at her. The way the beast tried to push her away while he fought his own arousal. However, she felt them slowly coming closer together. 

“Carmen,” He said softly, “It’s not the full moon. You shouldn’t be looking at me like that.” 

“What if I’m not being affected by the moon?” Tongue flitting across her lip, she stared at him. "What if I just… really like you?" She’d never been too terribly into older men, but if someone was attractive, they were attractive. 

His eyes wouldn’t meet hers. “It’s not right. I’m so much older than you. And I made too many mistakes already.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he let out his breath. 

“I’ve contacted an all female pack about three hours away from here. You should be able to get along there just fine without having to worry about-” 

“Are you kidding me!?” Carmen jerked away. “I’m not moving. I’ve got a life here. A job. People who rely on me! If you should be sending anyone away, it should be Peter, he’s the one who did this to me!” 

Esau flinched at her words. “I know. And I’m sorry. But if I send him away, then he's going to get himself killed.”

He clenched his fist, his whole body shaking with an effort to contain himself. “I lost control once. I’ll never do it again. And the best thing for that is to send you away.” 

Carmen grit her teeth. 

They stared at one another, not breaking eye contact. 

“ No. ” Carmen’s throat felt raw at the word. Esau’s face went pale and he fell to one knee, his whole body shaking. Hands clenched and opened, scratching at the hardwood floor. Veins bulged, joints twisted, and he let out a pained whimper. 

Could she really hold so much power? Her eyes widened as Esau slowly got to his feet, his body slick with sweat. Breathing heavily, he stared at Carmen. There was a flicker of the wolf in his eyes, but his body strained and it was snuffed out. She opened her mouth, almost ready to call for him to change. 

Horror filled her and she backed away. 

"You keep talking about staying in control, keeping it, never losing it." Carmen flexed her fingers. 

"But you didn't hurt me when you…" Cheeks burning, she shook her head, remembering how she was crying out with a need that frightened the both of them. And it was starting to rise again. 

And she didn't want to stop it. 

 "What do you want to do?" She asked, nearly begging. 

Esau turned away from her, staring at the den of pillows. "What I want isn't important. I need to keep the pack safe. I've sent away people before. That's why I took in a lone wolf like Peter, because he needed a pack to ground him. And that's why I need to send you away, before I-" 

Carmen reached out and touched his chest. She could feel his heart racing, hear the blood singing in his veins. Shifting, he turned to her touch. Fingers curled around the back of her hand, slowly lifting it away and cupping Esau's face. 

"We shouldn't be doing this." But he only leaned more into her hand as he spoke. 

 "Do you not want to?" 

"I do. By Diana, I do. But you're…" His words trailed off and he sighed. "I owe it to the pack. And to you." 

"You're not the pack leader right now." She reminded him. "You're just a man checking in on one of his patients." 

Standing on her toes, Carmen brushed her lips against his. The small bit of friction lit a flame. Fingers twisted in Esau's hair and brought him down. 

Arms looped around her waist and he pushed himself against Carmen. She could smell the shaving gel that he'd used that morning, the cologne he barely applied to cover up the faint scent of animal on him, and the desire. 

Head swimming, Carmen pressed her nose to the curve of his neck and inhaled his scent. Lips rain across scorching hot skin, making Esau's knees buckle. A raspy moan rattled in his throat, years of desire and repression finally unraveling. 

 Squeezing her shoulders, Esau brought her mouth back up to his. Stubble from the day scratched against her chin, but she didn't care. Their lips parted for an instant, only to come crashing back together. She shoved him, hard. With a grunt, he landed on the couch. 

Taking his shirt between her teeth, Carmen realized she wanted to tear it off him. Sanity came back an instant later, and the garment was pulled over his head instead. She inhaled his scent deeply, the arousal making her shiver. 

Her eyes went to the silvery bite on his shoulder. Fingers traced the wound, and it seemed to pucker and raise under her touch. Esau flinched, sucking in a breath, his fist making a white knuckled grip on the couch. 

Slipping off her pants and underwear, Carmen straddled him. Hands cupped the small of her back and rear. Nails pressed into skin, making it prickle at the touch. 

"This is going to be different." He warned her. 

“That doesn’t make it bad.” She kissed him again, grinding her hips against his. 

Fabric rustled, and she felt him pressing against her. Even the brief touches seemed to send a jolt through both of them. His nails dug more into her skin, making the contact last just an instant longer. 

The tip pressed inside her, already damp and slick with precum. 

“Are you sure?” He asked, even though his cock was pulsing, twitching against her wet slit. 

In response, she slid down onto him. Esau gasped, pushing Carmen’s shoulders and burying himself to the hilt. Panting, he began to thrust up into her as she met him in the opposite direction. 

They continued their movement, becoming entangled in one another, skin slick, breath catching, soft noises escaping as they explored one another with hands and mouths. 

“You alright?” She asked, trying to not moan too loudly and keep her rhythm going. Her breasts began to bounce as she took more control, putting her hand on the back of the couch to allow her better balance. 

Esau continued to gasp and whimper, each movement seeming to awaken something new to him. When she took him to the hilt, he'd toss his head back and let out a growl that rumbled through Carmen. 

“It’s just…” He took in a couple breaths, holding her to him. “Been a while.” Cupping her cheek, he stared at her. "It's a lot different when… you're human." 

"Just let me take care of it." She laced her fingers with his and continued to roll her hips. There was something about the two of them that just fit , and she couldn't put her finger on it. 

Picking up her pace, Carmen buried her face in Esau's neck. Moans escaped them both, before becoming muffled by lips. Carmen felt herself approaching climax, the orgasm building before she could even think to slow down and enjoy it. 

This was what she had craved. What she'd needed. 

Esau's nails dug into Carmen's hips, and he held her down. At first, she struggled, but he hilted himself, grinding against her to push in more than she thought possible.

A cry went past her lips as he twitched and she clenched, their climaxes within an instant of one another. With labored breaths, he weakly thrust upward as fluid covered the both of them, before finally slowing when he was spent. 

Pressing her forehead to his, Carmen inhaled their mingling scents. They kissed, Esau slipping hands inside her shirt and not allowing any space between them.

When he finally pulled back, there was a look of awe on his face. It was the glow and glint in his eyes as man and primal need were both satisfied.

Resting against him, Carmen closed her eyes. His hands remained around her waist, and her arms around his neck, cheeks, torsos, and groins pressed together. 

"What do we do now?" He asked, sounding genuinely lost. 

"I guess leave it up to the mercy of Diana."

The next part is out, you can read it here.