Chapter 26: Progress
The last beam slid into place as Harrow used a stone to smack it into the groove. Each percussive hit echoed slightly over the group below, each strike shoring up the supports. They had the skeletal structures of two buildings complete already, even though it had only been a few suns.
Mama had been informed that the various furnishings would be put on hold and had taken to her work with great enthusiasm as the pack dragged the logs into the hub for processing. Shortly after the raw materials were delivered, they were carried back out by Jax and Nalah in stacks of precisely cut boards and delivered to either the construction sites or the fire for what Joseph called ‘tempering’.
Harrow had thought that they would be simply tempering a single wood to the varying degrees required for each piece to serve its function, but Joseph had proven far more capable with the materials when he demonstrated why mostly only the core load-bearing supports would be made of ironwood while a large portion would be made of the wood he called ‘oak’. The ironwood was treated to bend slightly under high pressure where the oak would crack and splinter. This was explained to be important in the case of excess load or high wind so that the structure would flex with it without simply falling in on itself or requiring repairs so often. Pure ironwood would lead to an overly flexible building that would deform quickly and destabilize. A complete absence of it, while it would likely still function for its purposes, would be more likely to break under stress or heat.
The floors were being made purely of oak and ‘palm’ was being used as ‘plywood’ to provide light yet large walls without straining the structure as a whole. Ironwood was used around a hole in the centre of the base that was to act as a fire pit.
When Harrow asked why they would use any wood at all, Joseph explained that Ironwood wouldn’t break or become structurally unsound like the others and they would line the actual pit itself with stones to prevent unwanted fire once everything else was completed. A hole in the centre of the roof was sporting a square tube with a cap propped up from the top that hung over the edges of the protrusion. It would allow smoke to have a clear exit path while also stopping rain or snow from entering through the egress point. Windows were oak framing with palm panels that would slide closed.
She was fairly surprised when she learned a lot of the smaller details were considerations that arose due to his consultations with Nalah, though the female denied the significance of her contributions despite Joseph’s insistence that he would have just made a box. The two made a pretty good team for this type of work, despite their mutual disregard for their own competence.
She struck the last portion flush, the sore muscles in her arms protesting at the extended abuse. The training she had expected would have been full of sparring or drills of the weapon prototypes that Joseph and Jax designed but instead consisted of slow movements that were repeated for them to internalize the movements. Her legs felt as if the bones had simply given up their desire to hold her weight and her core screamed when she reached to pick up pieces handed by the pack below.
Their training was not universal amongst them but instead split into four ‘classes’ where one or two at a time would train while the rest would continue working on whatever task needed to be completed. The discussions with the others revealed that no two ‘classes’ were taught the same movements.
Jax and Nalah reported being led towards a style of fighting that was heavily oriented towards absorbing hits and using the opportunities to damage their opponent. Sahari and herself were taught a style that focused on swift hits and dodging. Tel and Pan were apparently undergoing a separate methodology in dedicated time slots that neither talked about. Pan believed that what she was learning would interfere with Joseph’s training of the rest of them and as such decided that she would not ‘taint’ his teachings, whereas Tel simply found their frustrations amusing and would coyly make suggestive comments about her ‘alone time’ with the Grand Hunter.
Which leads to now.
“Harrow!” Her prospective mate called to her. Due to his injuries and subsequent ‘rush order’ on the constructions as well as their staggered fire watch shifts, they haven’t had the time to properly mark one another. It was frustrating but the Grand Hunter had quieted them all with merely his presence and sharp eyes when the possibility of others was brought to the table. None of them were going to discourage him from taking command when he thought it necessary, lest he shy away from making the proper decisions when it was required, so the two had agreed to put the issue to the side for now.
Harrow climbed down the notched post that was a replacement for a more traditional ladder and was easier to manufacture. She stretched as her foot touched the cold ground, greeting Jax and Nalah as they rejoined the effort after their training. Neither looked particularly lively but the grin on their faces spoke to a small rivalry developing between them.
Jax was happy. His breath was laboured from several hours of Joseph’s somewhat spartan influence, his movements as sluggish as the rest of them from repeated motions and usage of unattended muscles. Yet, even though he looked like he had been chased through the Void, he was satisfied. It brought a smile to her face. He had spent a long time since they evacuated from the base with a brooding expression and the conflict that plagued him until the meeting had kept him emotionally preoccupied. He had a purpose now, and someone who was taking the time to ensure he would fulfill it.
Now that she could quite literally feel how gratifying he found the rather direct guidance, she was happy too.
“Jax!” Harrow called out to the exhausted male. “We just finished setting up the foundation, so you guys can take a quick break and start on the walls.” She gave him a quick hug and separated lest the pack start teasing them.
Jax nodded, taking a moment to breath in the cold air again to cool himself. The long fog that escaped into the brisk air blocked him from her sight for a moment. “That i will do. The Grand Hunter is requesting your presence out back.” He informed her. They had developed a small code of conduct when it came to Joseph; Only call him a Grand Hunter when it was related to his position. The rest of the time everyone called him by name.
Some Hunters and Huntresses preferred to always be referred to by title while others, like Sahari and Joseph, preferred a more casual approach. Joseph was a more extreme example; only really willing to accept the address when it was directly involving either an order or an environment where his authority was emphasized. Since Jax had used his title, it was a fair bet that Joseph was asking for her input on the first prototype of his ‘bow’ and not simply to have a chat.
“Yes, Head Security Officer Jax.” She replied with a wink. The rest of them didn’t have anybody to lead yet, so calling each other by title was mostly just them having fun and accepting that their Grand Hunter actually found a critical use for each of them. Harrow didn’t really think much when he had sat them down and was even excited that she was being given two separate tasks that wouldn’t clash too much. When he had gone through each of them and explained that they would all be in charge of something that wasn’t simply busywork, she felt just a little more sure of Jax’s trust in the male. A metric that was gaining ground by the day, if she was honest.
With a pep in her step that superseded the soreness thanks to Jax’s high mood and a sway of her hips that would ensure it stay high while she was gone, she walked around the outside of the dormitory wing towards where Joseph had set up their rudimentary weapons testing and production area.
The building she had just left, located some mild distance from the dorm wing, was explained to be their future ‘production’ building. It was to be where she and Nalah would work when they needed access to fire without standing out in the cold. The second building, placed slightly beyond the first, was to be a barracks. That one was to be used as a storage until the off-chance that someone may need to use it. Joseph and Jax alike disagreed with allowing any new arrivals to take residence in the main building due to security concerns, which Harrow didn’t think Joseph would readily suggest.
The barracks was ‘functionally’ done. As in, it had four walls and a roof. The actual ‘livable’ portion would be postponed until the production building was completed due to Mama’s work being required for the furniture. The Atmo was gifted when it came to processing the lumber that they brought in, that was for sure. She would be given a log that was almost too big to fit in the hub and she would have perfectly cut and jointed planks as well as supports ready to be taken out within two hours, assuming the clock on Joseph’s terminal was correct. The excess material would then be hauled to where Joseph was working on prototypes to fuel the fire as well as be fodder for whichever design he was testing at the time.
It only took watching her blades work through the wood once for Harrow to be reminded why Joseph specified that Violet was the most dangerous fighter ‘sheaths off’.
As she rounded the last corner, Joseph could be seen fiddling with what looked to be a crescent blade. Upon further inspection however, the ‘blade’ didn’t have an edge and Joseph was attempting to bind the two ends together with what looked to be fibres of palm wood. She was going to announce her arrival, but the curiosity had gotten the better of her. She walked up behind him and struggled to look over his shoulder while at rest. There was a notch whittled into either end of the ironwood contraption that the twine rested in to hold the two ends in tension.
Joseph was struggling to force the two ends close enough to secure the string, forcing Harrow to lean in with her tallest stance so that she could get a better view of the process with a paw about to rest on his back to stabilize herself. She watched the fur on his neck stiffen for a second before he spun on the spot and grabbed her by the wrist and throat. She barely had time to feel the surprise before she had been completely immobilized on the ground with his knee pressed into her right shoulder and a splayed hand planted against her collar. She stared wide eyed at the fist readied to deliver its punishment until his voice broke the tension.
“Oh, fuck! Harrow! I’m sorry, you scared me!” Joseph cried out, quickly displacing himself and helping her to her feet.
In a mere instant, the agent of death that had her in its claws had reverted to the kind Grand Hunter she knew. She was too stunned to really reply with anything, instead blinking as she caught up with her sudden continuance of mortality.
“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to... Fuck. Should we head in? I should still have a fair bit of that pain-killer powder if i hurt you...” Joseph rambled as he firmly checked everywhere he had ended up contacting her for abrasions or cracked bones.
“N-no. I’m okay.” She stuttered, gently removing him from her. “That was...”
“Stupid?”
“Unexpected.” She corrected. “I thought the only person who could jump-start you like that was Tel. Even then you always know when she’s around.”
Joseph tensed up, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. An embarrassed smell scorched her nose slightly. “Sorry, I haven’t been getting enough sleep since Tel dropped that bomb on me.” He quickly diverted eye contact with a blush to accompany the scent of shame while he muttered to himself. Something involving ‘mint’, whatever that was.
Harrow rubbed absentmindedly at her throat. “When’s the last time you slept, anyway?”
“Uh...” Joseph took a deep breath and stared into the distance as his hand dropped. “Two days? Little more? Doesn’t matter.” He waved the concern off. “We need a working prototype so we can start actually practising with these. I think i got it right this time. The bow needs to be tempered in a few different areas but the areas are so small that i had to test out an idea i had to direct the heat. If i use a tube and a conical collection above the fire i can direct the portion that sits outside of the visible spectrum instead of simply hoping it doesn’t flicker around too much in the wind. Ironwood doesn’t display its properties if we use pure heat. I tested with boiled water and the electric elements in the kitchen... don’t tell Tel.”
He paused to glance at her with the request. “Anyway, if we treat the finer sections with just the tail of the flame, it lets us do some precise adjustments instead of just tempering a spear to last longer. It might also make the knives somewhat more usable, though still inferior to their metal counterparts.”
He had started pacing around in an area that the tracks in the snow showed he had made a habit of. She reached out to stop him when he started theorizing about using the snow to rapidly cool the edges of a blade to let it retain the sharpness for any real use. Her paw connected with his chest with a soft push. “Joseph. You’re rambling and i can’t follow a word you said after mentioning metal. You need to go to sleep.” She said firmly.
He shook his head softly with a tired smile. “You guys have been putting in a lot of effort for me, the least i can do is make sure you can defend yourselves.”
She took a breath, ready to insist on the issue when she decided to switch tactics. “If i remember correctly, you said our next lesson would be a two versus one spar with us, right?”
He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. The expression used more than a little upper body as his muscles slackened. “Yeah, you guys need to work on positioning against a more dangerous opponent.”
She nodded with a more exaggerated motion. “Right. Do you think you could stop yourself from hurting us if you don’t rest up?” She gestured to the disturbance in the snow where she had been thrown.
The question seemed to have the desired effect. He looked at the outline for a long moment before exhaling and letting his posture slouch. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry again, by the way. Just been on edge.”
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She shook her head while spinning him towards the door and pushing him along. “No hard feelings. Now, go in. Get a bath. Then go to bed before Tel notices or Pan throws a fit in worry. You look like death.”
“Tel?” He asked over his shoulder.
Harrow met the single eye he shot at her. “Do you think she’d miss a chance to assault you when you can barely think straight?”
“...Point taken.” He agreed with a nod. “Bath and a nap should get me back on track to pick this up tomorrow.”
Harrow stopped as they reached the door. “Tomorrow you’re taking it easy. I caught the important parts of what you’re working on so I’ll take over.”
He stood in the door way and stared at her with a flat face. “You just want to skip out on practice.”
“No.” She said with a smile. “I want to skip out on construction!”
Joseph rubbed his eyes and chuckled. “I’ll leave it to you as an apology. Later, Harrow.”
“Rest well, Joseph.” She waved him goodbye as the door closed, an odd gesture she found herself using since joining his pack. Jax occasionally called her out on assorted gestures she copied but she never remembered when she started using them herself. Maybe Joseph would know more about it?
She mused it over for a second before resolving to inquire about the oddity. No matter. Her curiosity over the bent stick and twine took precedence for the moment.
The stick had been secured on both ends by the string, probably a moment before she startled him, and sat in the snow under tension. A quick pluck with her claw left the string making a single note and vibrating in place.
It was supposed to be an explosive-less gun, right? Where are the... There. These must be the bullets. She reached out to a small pile of four sticks that were shaped like quite long darts and a single notch cut into the tail end of each. A quick fiddling with positioning and a few awkward minutes of trying to parse how to hold it later, the dart launched out a foot or so away from her. Foot. Another weird measurement Joseph uses. He also references something called ‘millimetres’ and other variations at odd intervals. They sound like they’re used to measure the same thing but with different degrees of precision, but they also don’t seem to overlap correctly for it to be the case. Two different systems? He was strange enough that usage of two systems wouldn’t be the weirdest thing she’s ever seen him do.
He mentioned that he was using a special device to control the tempering... Ah.
Above the fire sat a hollow dome shaped lid that was supported by two blocks. The fire led up into a chimney where the flames tended to converge with a smaller hole at the very top. What if she tempered the points that bent more so that they wouldn’t take so much of the stress?
She got to work by setting up several sticks and laying them out in order of thickness and size. She nodded to herself with a bit more excitement than she was expecting and had to stop her tail from swaying into the fire. This was going to be a long night.
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A ‘right hand’. The strongest paw. The second in command. She was the second in command of the pack.
The thought still stunned her. She was resolved to happily reside at the lowest rank and act as a shepherd for his will but being given power that was only lesser than the Grand Hunter was far beyond what she thought prudent. When he had listed her current duties, that she had willingly took on as tasks, and claimed that they were as critical as any other, she was confused. It was certainly important that the Grand Hunter know of what became of his requests and directions but it was a function that could be just as easily served by any mundane communication method.
When she had inquired about the nature of the promotion, he had simply told her that she had shown an intrinsic understanding of the importance of every task he had been assigning and was able to further assign more based on whom they would be suited for. She felt like she had taken advantage of her bond to him.
He would speak with certainty when pondering aloud whom would fit an action and she would feel it. She remembered what he had said about the importance of each task and which other tasks it relied on, so she memorized the order in which they were to be completed. If Nalah had finished with her current work, she would recall which other items were now available to be completed or if there was another prerequisite that she could be assigned.
It was ‘work’ only in the sense that Joseph would be troubled if she went to him every time to request new assignments. She would still report of course, no amount of memorization of his words would supersede any adjustments he had made since she last committed his plans to memory, but because he often lost himself in thought he would usually just thank her for ‘keeping the ball rolling’ and smile.
That smile made her heart flutter. The gratitude she felt from him whenever she successfully continued sharing his will staved off the cold of the outside and motivated her to assist him further wherever possible.
“Huntress Pan.” The voice interrupted her thoughts and her flinch offset the floorboard she was seating. The involuntary flush of her cheeks felt as if it would illuminate the late evening with its glow. When she turned to the source of the disturbance she was met with Nalah’s wide grin at the address.
“Yes, Nalah?” She tried to keep her tone steady despite the embarrassment.
“Jax and I have returned from our training. Harrow was called out back to assist with whichever project Joseph is working on and Jax is helping Sahari with the walls.” Nalah pointed off to the side of the building where some palm boards were leaned against the barracks. “Where do you need me?”
Pan thought for a moment. Jax and Sahari would only get less efficient if she were to add Nalah to their task, and Harrow had already finished the support structures. Pan looked around at her own task, the floors remained only partially done and none of the work for the centre fire was started yet.
She nodded to herself. “Nalah, I’ll have you help me with this. Could you bring some of the treated ironwood and assemble the pit?”
“Of course, Huntress Pan.” She replied with a wink. Pan watched her walk away to the hub where the treated materials were cooling and should have finished doing so by now.
She shook her head as she grabbed the next section to be slotted in. She was Joseph’s bond, that much was true, but her sudden ‘Huntress’ designation was typically saved for the Grand Hunter’s mates. In cases where there was no such position filled, the Grand Hunter or Grand Huntress could allow the abbreviated title for their retainers but the pack have seemed to have universally deemed her suitable for the title. She supposed that it could be in response to her gaining a position reserved for a mate but they were all aware that Joseph had no such intention when he made the announcement.
Not that it stopped her from getting embarrassed by how happy the thought made her. A reaction the pack had noticed instantly and are teasing to full effect.
Even Tel was teasing her more often now, often making provocative comments about her training with the male and what it could imply for their relationship. Before she would have attributed her increased forcefulness to her fascination with him, but it seems to have developed into something of an infatuation. The revelation of Tel’s feelings towards Joseph having surpassed mere curiosity had given Pan a small smile. Even if Joseph was conflicted about the attention he was receiving, she was happy that others could see his value beyond his capability as their leader. He was a kind soul with so much love inside him.
Joseph had asked Tel and herself to do singular training sessions from the rest of the group because they were of different skill sets and would be tasked with managing combat in different ways. Pan had her training adjusted to be a ‘play-maker’ as Joseph called it while Tel was receiving a separate training that she was not privy to. He had hinted at the lessons being converged later on, once their individual skills met his standard for them, at which point they would be doing group sparring. She hadn’t told the others yet as his emphasis on waiting until they could all perform to an unspecified metric led her to believe that they should focus purely on what they were given before worrying further.
The clunks of wood rang out as Nalah laid down the blocks required for the fire pit. Pan quickly seated the few pieces around the pit that Nalah would need to install them before returning to the rest. It was quick work, all things considered. Mama had taken the joining methods that Joseph only half-remembered and quickly integrated it into her work, leading to pieces that slotted together with little effort yet still remained a singular rigid piece once assembled.
Violet was inside the base working on the next batch of leathers so that the pack could continue to combat the cold that increased the depth it pierced their coats day by day. Joseph declined having more made for him after his only set was destroyed in his fight with Jax, stating that his clothes brought from the shuttle would be sufficient for the length of time he spent exposed to the elements.
With a solid ‘thunk’ the final slot she was responsible for was populated by a floorboard. Nalah was about half way through installing the ironwood needed to hold the stone lining and her assistance would be more of a hindrance should she try to force the task upon herself. She stood up, stretching the hours of being bent over at her work away.
“Nalah, I’m going to go inform Joseph that the building is coming along well and should be completed some time the next sun. Once the rest of you finish up the walls and pit, you’re free to retire for the night. We’ll deal with the doors, windows, and roof early in the light.”
Nalah gave a firm nod and waved her off. They may refer to her by a stiff title for fun, but the casual nature of their relationship remained fully intact. She giggled to herself and set out to round the dormitory wing in search of her bond.
The walk was shorter than it could have been, thanks to her completing the work closer to the edge of the building than starting there, and was interrupted by a flit of silver some distance in front of her. Harrow’s excited cheering could be heard before a quick yelp once she noticed Pan.
“Sorry! I wasn’t expecting anyone to come back here!” Harrow called out while waving a bent stick over her head.
“I’m fine.” She replied while walking towards the excitable Head of Technology. “Where’s Joseph?”
Harrow flinched for a moment before responding. “I forced him to go in. He’s apparently been going over two suns without resting and it’s starting to put him on a hair trigger.” She ended the statement with a slight rub of her throat.
“Are you okay?” Pan asked with a tilted head.
She waved her off. “Yeah, i startled him. Remind me not to do that.”
Pan nodded firmly. “That would be for the best, yes.”
“He used some grappling techniques I’ve never seen before. I thought he was a striking specialist?”
Pan thought for a moment with a claw raised to her chin. “He is, if i recall correctly.”
“Then i should give my thanks to the Hunt Mother that he didn’t feel the need to punch me.” Harrow replied with a conflicted expression.
“That would certainly be preferable, yes.” She giggled into her wrist. “I take it he should be in his room sleeping?”
The orange Lilhun returned to her work. “Yeah, I told him to take tomorrow off so that he could catch up on rest. He’s been pushing himself too hard.”
Pan’s ear twitched and a small wave of guilt washed over her. She had been too preoccupied with making sure the tasks he had assigned were taken care of that she had neglected to confirm how he was doing. She knew he was anxious and wanted to be ready for whatever was next as soon as possible but had assumed he would manage himself as competently as he did everything else.
“Thank you.” She bowed her head.
Harrow waved her off. “You’re good to go rest yourself. You wouldn’t be back here without making sure everyone knew what to do and it’s getting late.”
“I will. I assume you volunteered for the first watch?”
“Yeah, I’ll throw Jax out here when i finish testing a few ideas Joseph had.” She replied with a laugh. She removed a stick from the oddly shaped cap on the fire and placed it down again with a different section resting over the hole.
“Okay, I’ll retire for the night then.” Pan turned and entered the dormitory door after returning the wave Harrow offered. She considered going straight to Joseph’s room to rest but decided that if he was going to rest tomorrow that he would want to stay in the bed for a bit longer than usual. If he was going to do that, then he would likely spend more time sleepily holding her and she would want him to indulge in the feeling of her fur as much as possible.
She flushed at the idea. He had a habit of cuddling in his sleep and would often hold her for hours while rubbing his face into her head while mumbling about how soft it was. It was a more dramatic affair when she used ‘conditioner’ that made her fur softer than usual since he would include his hands in the assault until he woke up and apologized with an abashed expression. She found it soothing and rather enjoyed the attention so she would take a small advantage of the situation.
It was embarrassing when his unconscious enjoyment led him to feeling her fur over areas that were more intimate but that also held its own appeal, though she would never mention it to him lest he refuse to allow her company.
Although it did lead to the occasional night of frustration for her.
Shaking her head free of worldly desires, she decided that the minor inconveniences were worth it and quietly proceeded to the baths. They usually bathed by gender, though the Atmo would simply join whomever was in there at the moment with little consideration. Not that anyone minded.
Mama would relax and listen to the company talk amongst themselves and Violet would hug whoever was closest until someone else came within range. Their inclusion in the bathing ritual was left to random chance and everyone was rather taken by Violet, much to Joseph’s delight. The cute pseudo-kit has cemented herself as an object of affection around the den. The only exception being Tel, who would spend her time with the child by teaching her dubious activities with a grin.
She opened the doors to the bathing area and noted one of the privacy fields active over the bath that the Atmo frequented. It was fairly shallow on one end and quite deep on the other, allowing Violet to swim around and Mama to float with little worry about her legs bumping into the bottom. She undressed, laying her leathers in their usual spot and turning the shower on to rinse them out, then gathered the shampoo and conditioner with a slight smile.
She found that lathering the shampoo in the shower then using the conditioner before rinsing it off in the bath held the best result for her fur, if Joseph’s response was any indication. She felt her fur dampen then wet as it hugged her body under the weight of the water. A through scrub, a rinse, and a lather of the conditioner left her feeling clean and ready to join whichever of the insects that had decided to relax.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to walk into the water. She let the warmth wash over her feet up to her ankles, the heat soaking into her tired muscles. A few more steps and it graced her thighs. She had repeated this enough times by now that she could recall the number of steps it would take until she was in front of her favourite section of the submerged ledge so that she could comfortably sit with the water washing just below her shoulders. She counted them out, feeling the conditioner in her fur wash off and leaving behind the silk feel she was hoping for.
Since she hadn’t been tackled into the water yet, that meant that Violet was elsewhere in the building and Mama would be a handful of steps deeper and anchored to the edge while she floated. With the information in paw, she assumed her seat nearby the usual location. The water shifted from her abrupt displacement and waved up to her throat. She submerged her head momentarily to wash off the last of the conditioner and leaned against the ledge to relax. The sound of breathing came from her left in a slow and steady rhythm.
Ever since her ‘talk’ with Mama, she found herself seeking the mother out more often to discuss the matters of the heart. Each conversation was usually ended with a hug or understanding cuddle. Since she couldn’t respond vocally, Pan found it a lot easier to admit her wants and desires as well as insecurities with her. Even though she was a radically different species, she never made fun of how Pan felt and firmly offered a supportive shoulder. Seeing as how she didn’t have anything new to discuss with the Atmo today, she simply leaned over to rest against her.
When she ended up leaning on a body that was far smaller than the one she expected, her eyes shot open in confusion. They quickly landed on her bond who had fallen asleep in the warmth of the water.
Her cheeks burned bright crimson and she fumbled slightly to distance her naked form from his, the latter drawing a longer gaze than she would ever openly admit. Sure enough, however, he was deep asleep as the many hours of undisturbed work had taken its toll on him. Worried, she set aside her shame to brush his hair from his face and ran her paw along his jaw. He seemed exhausted, his eyes carrying dark rings below them and his muscles tense from consistent load.
Her paw found its way down his throat, tracing the blood vessels which fuelled him before travelling down to his chest where his beating heart lay. She found herself stood over him with little regard for her state of dress, instead leaning into him to soak in his intoxicating warmth. With a relaxation of her legs she sat on his lap, chin resting on his broad shoulder to listen to the sound of blood pumping with purpose in her ear. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling every scar and muscle that she knew would tear the world apart should harm befall her. Trace amounts of adrenaline stuck to his nape sent electricity down her spine with every breath.
She held him tightly as the water brushed her fur over his bare skin. Her heart increased its drive, the suppressed craving within her building her temperature higher in response to her proximity to the object of her desires. She allowed one paw to follow his form across his chest, slowly falling lower as her mind clouded. Her breathing grew laboured while she took the time to explore all that normally lay hidden below his clothing while her paw worked its way down.
Joseph tensed his face, stirring slightly in his sleep as his heartbeat spiked in preparation to awake from his nap. Her body moved before she had time to think.
She held her paws over her mouth and nose as she hid behind the privacy field, having quickly distanced herself from him in her adrenaline rush. She listened as he grumbled about falling asleep in the water and exited the tub, grabbing a nearby towel and drying off before tossing on clean clothes and retiring to his room to go to bed. As soon as she heard the door click behind him, she allowed herself to breathe.
She sat there deflated. He was asleep and all she thought about was the urge to take him. She was ashamed of herself when she recalled her actions. Each a motion she knew was not requested and yet the voice in her head screamed for more. She held a paw up, still feeling the blood that pulsed under his skin and every mark that marred his body. The desire that grew as it travelled lower towards his intimacy. She curled it into a fist and resolved herself again. Eventually, when he was not so distressed about the pack and when he had been freed of his worries, she would ask him. For now she would restrain herself. She hoped that her resolve would be stronger than the instincts that drove her heart towards him.
She knew that it wouldn’t be, but she hoped.