while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping

Somewhere between the Everfrost and Rippling Heights

---

He's up a little earlier than usual today. The sun was just getting ready to go down for the night, not his usual stalking hours. Yet the man found himself incapable of sleeping any more, so instead began his way back to the Everfrost.

Eyes scanning the horizon line as he went, waiting for predator or prey alike to come into his vision. From here the smell of other packs lingered. They tested his nose. At least 2- maybe 3- packs were in a strip of mountain near Haldis. He made a personal note to himself to return later and see if he can meet them.

Something about getting familiar with nearby packs caught his interest.

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^^There was the overpowering smell of smoke, and the feeling of kitchen grease. The taste of ash mixed with blood, and the pain of betrayal in her gut — and suddenly, the princess awoke, gasping for air as she rolled over and stood, shaking out her coat.

There, she stood for a moment; a low growl in her throat as she narrowed her eyes, and looked around. Where in the bloody forsaken hell was she?

She didn’t like not knowing. There were too many trees, not enough rocks. The ground felt too soft. Her ears pinned back, and she let out a snarl, which transformed itself into a howl.

A summonings.

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At first his ears perked to listen, surprised to hear a howl. Like he hadn't heard one in a while.
Though his features transformed into something annoyed, bothered, disturbed perhaps.

Disrupting a perfectly nice and quiet evening, they were. So Erebus pursued the noise, determined to shut them right up.

The black figure came over the hill, eyes ablaze as always.

"What the hell are you doin-!?"

He seemed startled to spot her. Blacks mixed with browns, laced over one another in a way that tugged at his memories. No one from his previous life had been seen yet, and his orange eyes widened- startled, as he came to the slow realization to who it was.

"A-...Acheri?"

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^^What foul creature would come to the calling? Perhaps something fat, and juicy; something to sink her canines into, yes? Acheri licked over her canines, her coat rippling with energy, as she spotted the darkness as it crept over that hill;

Acheri stood her ground, tail raising with a sneer as a smirk flew across her dark features, eyes narrowing on Erebus with the arch of her brow.

He spoke her name and she quivered some more, slowly licking over her lips and just stared. She lifted her head, made eye contact with an expression that said don’t towards his - well, whatever he’d been going on about before he realized it was her.

“Expecting someone else?”

Were their vows broken? Dare she ask?

She stepped forward, studying him.

^^
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His eyes widened in shock, and his tail struggled not to sway to and fro.
Life had been so different, so warped and scary. He had been attacked, healed, and made many a friend.

Any idea of the Haldis queen melted from his masculine head, and only the memories of the woman before him replaced them.
The Haldis Queen was gorgeous, sure, but Acheri-

Erebus remained enthralled by her heart. Enraptured by her talons, who sunk deep into his soul in a way that every tick flooded through another memory of their childhood.
Sheepish gazes across ballrooms and banquets, foolish playing and merrymaking while their parents failed to watch.

"My oh my.." His voice began in a weird way, astounded by her and her playfully beautiful browns.
"Even in this state of chaos I lie in, your beauty quenches my soul."
Erebus stepped towards her, nose testing the air around her. Trying desperately to pick just where she had been, away from him, all this time. He longed for her touch, but wondered if she had any anger towards him for his similar absence.

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^^Had there been any question of where Erebus’ loyalties lie, it was gone within an instant. The way he looked to her; the way he spoke to her — like no time had passed between them, and the fire between them was still real as it always had been.

He stepped towards her, and Acheri watched him carefully, her own nostrils flaring with the scents that she didn’t recognize on his own coat. She licked at her lips; an invitation for him to come closer. She, too, longed to touch him; to hold him — to embrace him.

Nervously, she stepped forward, tenderly brushing her nose against his with a hungry growl. Did she desire more of him than he was willing to give?

“Erebus.. ”

^^
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Some matter of stress began to ease at her touch, and longing for more the man pressed further. Tongue slipping out to brandish gentle licks on the woman's cheek. His eyes closed to half-lidded, her presence near-relaxing him if not also igniting some sort of fire.

There was a power that tickled in his paws, something that made him restless with every graze of her skin. He would burn the world to ashes for this creature, he was sure of it- without question.

"Where have you been so away from me?" He would stop his loving affection to ease back slightly, and eyeball her with the slight turn of his head. So quickly reminded of her similar fire, that felt to fuel and power even his own. Her gaze could burn him to ashes if she willed it.

His tail swayed happily behind him.

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^^

rolled 19 of 20 for charisma check

---

There were so many questions and not enough time in the day. The demon and the prince seized each other up, as though this were a cruel dream; a dream that had been long desired — two halves of a whole, together again.

It seemed too easy. His tongue came out to greet her, bringing her back to reality. One touch was all it took, wasn’t it? Her eyes, like a fire, brightened; the corners of her lips igniting as he questioned her.

Her ears flickered, and so too did her hackles; she knew of the power she held on him. She could have put him in his place for questioning her, she knew; just as she’d done time and time before. But this was different, in its own sense, but Acheri was wise not to allow that power to go all to his head.

Powerful men were dangerous.

But not more dangerous than Acheri could ever be, at her full potential.

"In despair," Acheri whispered with a quivering tone that was enough to make him shiver in place. Slowly, she turned to gaze over him, a tongue coming to kiss at her own lips as she raised her head to make eye contact with him.

"And what of you, Erebus?"

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He felt the rolling wave of goosebumps and raising fur as she whispered, his ears twitching a few just to top it off. Erebus stood placid and still as she leaned to make more direct eye contact with him.

She leveled him with her gaze.

A wash of guilt came over him. How dare he think it hopeless? That his love, his most powerful bride, would not pull and tear and scratch her way to him again. To assume that she would not bare the horrors of hell- or personally smite the face of god, would be a foolish conclusion. The strength of her heart could turn any skilled warrior to shame and ash.

"Wandering what I could akin to a purgatory."
His eyes were near melancholy. Erebus thought it not to be right to snuff their fire with stories of how quickly he gave up search, how quickly he felt defeated in the face of death. To be torn from his proper kingdom was a scar that would never heal. Was he worthy to rebuild it anew?

"Without you I am the shell of a man."
There was an honesty in his voice, a conviction towards the truth. Was gaining power ever worth it if not to gain it for the benefit of his beloved?

@Acheri
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^^Wandering what I could akin to a purgatory. He was nothing without her; she’d always known it; he was stronger when with her. Stronger when fighting for her, and even stronger when she gave him purpose.

He’d always been so good with words; a true romantic, though he likely didn’t think so. How many other women had he made weak at the knees, without her? Or did he think that life on earth without her was a sin, or that she was the flame that kept his heart going?

Without you I am the shell of a man, he would continue, as if on the same wavelength. The honesty in his voice caused her to look up at him with a certain softness, meeting his melancholy gaze.

“There is no force within this realm, or any other, that can keep me from you.” And thankfully, there was no one that had the desire to.

Acheri went in for him, then; nuzzling deep into his coat and soaking up his scent as though it was the essentials she needed to live.

^^
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Her embrace warmed him and he was one sigh away from beginning to purr. There was an weight lifted, a feeling of relief. To touch her was to ensure that she actually stood before him, not some ghoulish specter or dream. She truly was there.

Erebus felt a true comfort, which fluttered his heart in a playful flurry. After awhile, he pulled from the embrace. His eyes gleaming over her with a warm smile, truly pleased.

Suddenly he dropped, ass up, tail wagging. He barked softly, just to get her attention as to what he was doing.

To be apart was agony, so it was only fitting that they should hunt and play when reunited. As almost to reenact the feeling of finding each other again, what a gleeful feeling it was.

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^^Either Acheri was having one hell of a time of seducing her mate, or Erebus was very purposely teasing her and playing hard to get. He pulled away from her, and if they had not been two halves of a whole, Acheri might have considered tearing out his throat and feeding it to some stray children for the insult.

A growl caught in her throat.

He dropped to the ground, but forgot to bring his ass with him, though his tail was wagging. He barked at her, and Acheri blinked at him. Tch, how rude! Her ears went back, and she took a step backward, unsure of what he was trying to accomplish.

She looked to him like he’d (finally) gone insane.

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A truly gleeful smile shined on an otherwise melancholy face. Her confusion brought him joy, and he laughed in response.
"Your angry face just makes you cuter." He teased, finally hopping up from the ground.

He hoped to tease her enough that she would catch onto the game, and finally give chase.

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^^
Her confusion for his little game and sudden change of mood had brought joy upon him. He laughed. She sneered, until he made his comment; it was too late, now. She had to settle this. She licked her lips and narrowed her eyes.

She scooted closer.

She bounced on over, planted a kiss on his cheek, and then ran away, into the darkness of the evening with a cackle of laughter.


/ exit acheri

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Like two dancing ghosts, dark as the night that enthralled them, they went. Leaping into the air as though the wind itself uplifted them, hearts like wings in their merriment and glee.

Erebus too mirrored her laugh with his own, deeper and more rumbly than the feminine and creamy one that Acheri possessed.

-exit Erebus-
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