<~> CHAPTER 32 - LUNA

When I woke up we weren't in the same clearing. I could tell based on the position of our tents and the direction of the sun on the trees. That wasn't where my focus was right now though. I was currently trapped! Trapped under a big, intimidating, ball of fluff.

I must have fallen asleep and while I was out, Helena must have carried me here and then gone to sleep using me like a stuffed toy. I hugged the large arm that was wrapping around me. Her whole body was curled around mine in a nice comfortable patch of grass in the shade. Her fur was slightly cool to the touch despite the warm body heat she was sharing with me. Had she taken the power of the frost salamanders the same way she had taken her improved hearing from the bats? At the moment I was content not to worry about any of that, I preferred to continue to lie here. Held and protected by the woman I fancied.

Unable to help it, I blushed and grinned like a young kit. Helena was a hard person to read. At times she was a fearsome raging beast... and others she was a kind considerate soul. I got the impression that she fancied me back, but it was hard to tell sometimes. I felt as though I made my interest in her clear but even when she reacted to my advances positively, it was never to the extent that I had liked. Her slight aloofness had left me worried, worried that she did not like me as much as I liked her.

At least until today! How else was I supposed to interpret this? Waking up with her clutching me like a bride? Our differences in culture may make her hard to read, but I was satisfied with this for now. Even if this isn't an actual confession, it showed me that my efforts weren't wasted. Despite my deficiencies, she would be willing to hold me, protect me as I slept, and love me. I am sure of that now.

My heart fluttered in my chest and I felt warm inside. I nuzzled my cheek into her fur, hoping to spread my scent onto her. It's something that's undetectable to most humans... though perhaps Helena might smell it... but it would tell other demi-humans and beastkin that Helena was mine. ...Even if nothing was official yet.

Helena was in a dead sleep, her powerful lungs took in relaxed breaths that shifted her body around me. I could probably slip out if I tried but I didn't want to. I wanted this to last as long as possible. I idly thought about getting more sleep, lying against her, and drifting back off... But I couldn't. I was too excited. My heart was beating in my chest and my whole body was blushing as I leaned into her arms and leaned against her chest.

I think I would be devastated if she spurned my advances at this point. It was hard... trying to make my feelings known without crossing any ill-defined lines that would upset her. There was also the problem of dominance... I didn't want to wait any longer for her to chase me but I also don't know if her culture sees things the same way as mine does. What if she never confesses to me because that's just now how her culture does things? Will we always be in this state? Held as a bride but not taken as one? Should I make my feelings known without any room for question or would she take that as an insult?

Sighing, I squirmed a little in her grasp. I felt like a kit again, still getting used to my cycle and obsessing over boys. Or, well, in my case, girls. There weren't any women in my old village interested in a female bride and since leaving... there haven't been many opportunities for romance at all.

I reached up and trailed my fingers across the scars on my neck. Nor had I thought anyone would overlook my... circumstances. Yet Helena still looked at me fondly, asked about the scars with curiosity, not disgust. She isn't like most humans who looked at my ears and tail with wariness and distaste. Well, if she's even human, that doesn't seem like a certainty... I looked up at her sleeping wolfish face. Those frightful eyes of hers were closed now... though I admit, even when they were open... I had started to find her look comforting rather than fearsome. I reached up and cupped the side of her face and smoothed the fur there down. Even her more bestial form was starting to have an appeal to it.

"Luna..." I froze as Helena spoke... but it seemed she was still sleeping. Dreaming of me.

I blushed and gently pulled my hand away, careful not to wake her and spoil this moment that I didn't want to end. I closed my eyes and tightened my hold around her arm, hugging it to my chest. I thought of her human form, her well-defined body, free from all blemishes. Her skin and hair were like that of a noblewoman but she fought with the ferocity and vigor of a barbarian. There were always interesting contradictions in her. Monstrous, yet kind. Ferocious, yet intelligent. Beautiful, yet rugged. Confident, yet shy.

I had never met a more suitable suitor, never met someone who had enthralled me this much. From their jests and pranks, it seemed that even Max and Piper approved of the pairing. My heart swelled. Max and Piper were the only family I had left. I had never known my mother and my father had tried to kill me, the only people in this world I could still call family were those two. The idea that they approved of my match with the woman who set my heart aflame was more important to me than I had expected.

("Luuuuna. I see you squirming over there!") Piper's voice spoke to me through the rings. I frowned. I didn't want to get up.

("Shut it, Piper. Let me enjoy myself.")

("Hey! There's my little spitfire, I haven't heard you take that tone with me in a long time.")

I blushed and looked away. It was true. I've felt so indebted to them for so long now that it always felt uncomfortable to talk back to them or give them any lip, even when we were in the city where it was safer to use the rings liberally. I... had really changed since that night, hadn't I?

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

("Okay, okay,") Piper continued. ("I'll let you keep cuddling with your lover over there. I'm sure I can handle starting a fire without your help.")

("She's not my lover yet...") I replied.

("Yet?") Piper asked.

I blushed again and buried my face in Helena's fur. I felt a little guilty leaving Piper to start the fire without me but I couldn't help myself...

Piper's footsteps trailed away from us and I took a breath. Helena always smelled so nice, like a smoky wood with hints of different spices. It was a complex scent unlike any I had ever smelled before. Despite all the blood, the coppery and iron scent never stuck to her. I wasn't sure why but it must have something to do with how her magic worked.

I'm convinced now that her transformation is some kind of unknown magic. It seems to work innately for her, even unconsciously when she's knocked out. The times that I've seen Helena near death had chilled my heart but watching her shrug off mortal wounds and stand back up had given me strong reassurances that she wouldn't die so easily. Hunting in the dungeon wasn't a safe job, not for anyone, but the idea that she would get up from nearly any wound gave me hope that day would never come. I felt guilty that I wouldn't give her the same assurances but that was the life of delvers like us. Especially ones in so much debt...

"Mmm..." Helena rumbled. She tightened her grip around me and nuzzled the top of my head. All I could do was close my eyes and relax into the feeling. With her strength, she could probably break me in half but I trusted her not to hurt me, even in her sleep. Unfortunately, that was not a sign of her sleep deepening but of her slowly coming to, our time lying like this is seemingly coming to an end.

The eerie light of her glowing white eyes illuminated the ground in front of us even in the daylight. Her eyes rapidly blinked as they fluttered open and her large clawed hand trailed down the front of my body. I bit my lip and held back a moan, it would be mortifying to make a noise like that now.

"Luna?" Helena whispered as she looked down at me.

My skin was flushed when I looked back up at her. I could read her expression even on that wolfish face. She looked nearly as embarrassed as I was. Though, both of us knew it would be even more embarrassing to acknowledge how intimate the moment was and so... neither of us did. I got the sense that, in this case, the moment was just as embarrassing for her as it was for me, something that hasn't been universally true in the time I've spent with her. Another difference in culture that I had begun to notice after a while.

She slowly unwrapped herself from around me and shifted back to her human form. If I was going to make any progress I couldn't sit idly on my hands. I wasn't ready to confess to her yet in her stead but I could at least be even more forward and obvious with my desires. Before she could stand up I came over and sat in her lap and leaned against her chest. This form was much less comfortable to lean against with her armored chest piece in the way but I needed to push harder. I didn't want to wait much longer.

Helena froze, unsure what to do. I pressed even further by wrapping my tail around her waist, closing my eyes, and pretending to rest against her. Inside I was doing anything but resting. My heart was beating without end, my stomach had turned, afraid of rejection. Even the tip of my tail flicked, I was sure that would have given me away if I wasn't so sure that Helena wasn't the best at reading the less obvious cues of my tail. As if wrapping my tail around her was anything but the most obvious of clues.

I nearly flinched when she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head against my own. One of her strong hands trailed up and down my back as if to comfort me. I nuzzled into her neck. I had gone this far, I would give her every sign I could that I wanted her, needed her. I had to push past our cultural barrier, do everything I could think of to get her to understand, to get her to want me.

She cupped the side of my face and tilted it up to look at her. Her glowing white eyes stared into mine and I blushed. The eyes that had once frightened me now gave me comfort. Things would be okay. She would protect me. Love m—

All my thoughts died when she pulled me in for a kiss. I moaned and tightened my hug around her. Her tongue pushed into me and I accepted it and pushed my own against hers. Her strong arms pulled me even tighter to her chest and I shivered, I felt taken, I felt hers. We hadn't traded any words through the rings yet but I knew what this was for her, wherever she had come from, kissing was just as much an act of love for her as it was for me. I could tell from her passion. She didn't stop, kept kissing me more and more passionately. I felt the warmth of her affection, the passion of her desires matched my own.

She broke the kiss and pulled back. Both of us were panting. Her face was red, just as red as I imagined my own was. I smiled up at her, I hoped it was a demure smile, I'd like to at least pretend that I had maintained a bit of modesty despite throwing myself at her. But I didn't really care. I had gotten what I wanted.

The smile she returned was anything but demure, but it was genuine, her smile reached all the way up to those fearsome eyes. I reached up and cupped her cheek in return and pressed my forehead to hers. I was elated.

I was in love.