The Anvil Sings While the Forge Howls [Zero!] [M]

[JaddWard]

Many times, Rhea regretted not traveling with a Caravan. It was less of a hassle to just sit in carriage or wagon and ride to your destination, not having to heed stones or roots in the road, or feel the weight of travel packs bearing towards the ground. But that wasn't super possible this time around. For one, Rhea's destination was a smaller village about a day and a half from Ketra by caravan into Draconi Forest, But Rhea was coming from the opposite direction and she'd been walking for five days so far. The late morning sun was starting its warming metamorphosis into a noon sun as she crested a hill and finally saw her goal. The Village of Anville. A surprisingly appropriate name considering what she needed here. She adjusted the oil treated satchel at her side, and tightened the strap of her heavy travel pack, then started down the hill.

It was maybe half past noon by time she crossed into the village proper, walking in front of the inn, she looked towards the notice board, sighting a faded wanted poster that was easy to miss if a person wasn't actively searching for it. In fact, most of the posting on the notice board were faded. That was a good sign to her, made things easier. Catching the attention of a local, she asked after the smith that she'd come all this way for.

'Follow the sound of hammering' is what she was told, and the information was certainly valuable, she walked perhaps another quarter mile down the road before she heard it. Tnk! Tnk! Tnk! Tnk! Getting louder and louder as she got closer to the modest cabin with an adjoined workshop. Well, modest in regards to other houses she'd seen, it was about twice the size of her little two room shack back in La'marri. She was about 100ft from the house and shop when she placed her hand to her mouth and called out a friendly enough greeting "Hello? Is there a Wolfram Hart about?" She continued to approach, closing half the remaining distance before calling out again "I'm looking for a Smith Extraordinaire!"

[Zero]

The sounds of hammer striking metal had begun around dawn, as was typical. Anville was a small village deep in the forests of Adela, but that didn't stop Wolfram from working from dawn until dusk almost every day of the year. Working a smith took strength and endurance, something he had in spades as a werewolf, and it was a job that could actually tire him out by the end of the day. That was important to him. A young wolf with too much energy was always in danger of finding himself neck deep in mischief.

Today was supposed to be just another day. He would work until the light begun failing him, not that his night vision was poor, but the townsfolk didn't need to know how sharp his eyes remained in the dark. It was a simple life, one a lot of people would probably consider boring, but for Wolfram it worked. He felt at peace, secure inside his own territory and doing something he found satisfying.

Wolfram heard the woman the first time she called, but he didn't stop the smooth rhythmic hammering against the scythe blade he was working on. He hated having his work interrupted, and a human probably wouldn't hear someone calling at that distance over the sounds his forge was making.

Given that he had been called by name it was far too much to hope the person would just go away if he ignored them. Some would think it odd that a smith would be so loathe dealing with a customer. Humans put so much value on currency, but to a wolf coins meant very little. He had built his own house, his own forge, most of his furniture, and he hardly needed to purchase food when he could easily hunt more than enough meat to keep a full belly. Still, it was expected for him to seek some kind of monetary gain, as a businessman.

He heard the second call and sighed as he struck the blade he was working on one last time and set it into the barrel of oil he used for quenching. The hiss of the heated metal touching the oil released a distinctive smell into the forge. Wolfram spent most of his days surrounded by the scents common to a forge, and he enjoyed it for the most part.

Setting aside his tools, with an almost silence descending on the workshop for the first time since daybreak, Wolfram wiped the sweat off his forehead. Being a werewolf made him tolerate heat and cold better than a human, but he was not immune to it, and despite his superior capabilities his work was still physically exerting.  Thankfully he hadn't dealt with too many customers that chided him for greeting them while covered in sweat and a bit of grime from his dirty job.

"I'm Wolfram Hart," he rasped out in a gruff growl as he stepped out of his workshop to see who was looking for him. A non-local trying to find him generally only wanted one thing, something to be forged for them.

[JaddWard]

Well, well, well, he certainly isn't hard to look at. Ember eyes scanned scanned over the smith as he stepped out and answered her call. Thick arms, broad chest, with a skin tone that seemed to suggest that the man before her had be sculpted from the very bronze he probably worked with. Lean muscle was every piece of him that she could see and Rhea had to admit, this man was fairly handsome. But she was here on business. If the sweat and grim on his body bothered her, she didn't show it at all, not that she was exactly prim- she'd just spent the last five days walking from dawn to dusk.

"Good afternoon, Mister Hart. My name is Rhea Abenthey." She closed the distance between the man, stopping at a comfortable distance of about five feet. her fiery hair seeming to radiate heat in the sunlight, "I hear that you're a smith of remarkable skill with complicated work. I find myself in need to employ your skill, is there somewhere we may sit and discuss a possible work commission?" She accented her request to sit and discuss by shifting her position, causing her two heavy bags on her back to resettle as she reached into her satchel and pulled out a sheaf of papers, the cover of which showed a sketch version of what exactly it was she needed made.

The Diagram on the top of the papers was that of an arcane mandala, composed of three bands joined by a complicated and flourishing trim, if it weren't for the arcane symbols etched around the mandala, it would have 8 way symmetry. The contents of the sheaf were blueprints, lots and lots of blueprints detailing exact measurements needed, all the way down to full size drawings of the arcane symbols.

[Zero]

It was hard to miss the assessing looks the woman was giving him as she closed the distance between them, and Wolfram didn't feel at all shy about returning the calculating gaze. She was one of the taller women he had seen, her body seemed well toned, nice thighs and hips, her bust was modest, but fit her well. A very attractive woman, although he supposed some men might have been a little put off at her height, since most men were not as large as him.

The first few breaths outside the forge only smelled of clean air, but by the time his silver eyes met her red ones a sweet smell had flitted to tease at his nose. It was like getting punched in the gut with one of his heavy hammers. She smelled like fire and wood smoke. Wolfram felt his mouth run dry and his hands become clammy as his mind reeled with the sudden shock.

It was all he could do to stand still, his body trembling slightly as he felt the wolf side of him rippling just beneath the surface, clawing to be let out. He sucked in a sharp breath, but that only served to draw in more of the lovely scent assaulting him.

Thank goodness she was preoccupied with the business at hand. Wolfram felt his eyes darting all over her now, drinking in every last detail. She was lovely, strong yet feminine, a fine female who would produce strong, healthy pups. He shook his head slightly, trying to cast off the thoughts. His mate was speaking and he tried to pay attention to the words even though it was hard to concentrate. Without the sound of his forge to muddle it, her voice was beautiful.

How could he have been irritated to be called to by her?

"Mister Hart is very formal, just Wolfram is fine." He very much wanted to hear her speak his name, and while he was actually able to listen and appreciate it. Wolfram wished his voice wasn't so tight, but it was a strain to be so close to her and not able to touch her. There was also something enticingly dangerous about her. He was both enthralled and wary, which was a rather thrilling and confusing combination. "We can discuss the project inside, would you like some tea?"

Wolfram gestured to the door of his cabin before opening it to reveal the inside of his home. None of the workshop spilled into his living space. There were no tools lying around. Everything was neat and surprisingly comfortable. There were soft sitting chairs and a sofa, made of wood and thick cushions, furs were draped over the back of the couch. The kitchen had a woodstove, a small dining table, with two chairs. A couple doors led off the living area, presumably to bedrooms.

"It isn't much, but please make yourself comfortable." Wolfram offered, eyes still watching her closely.

[JaddWard]

"I would, thank you Wolfram." She hadn't exactly noticed why he suddenly seemed so eager and tense, maybe he really liked prospect of a challenging work commission. Accepting his offer, she stepped into his cabin, eyes flitting around the room to scope out corners, places where people could be hiding. She was in Adela after all, not terribly far from Ketra either. Shrugging off her bags, she took a seat on the couch and cast her eyes out again, seeking the candles on the coffee table in front of the couch, they flared to life under her gaze as she set the sheaf of blueprints on the table and sat back, one leg crossing over the other as she relaxed on the remarkably comfortable couch.

"It's a lovely place you have here, I have to admit, I didn't expect it to be so tidy inside." this place wasn't just comfortable, it was downright homely. Made her shack back in La'marri look barren and cold by comparison. She hoped the day stayed going as good as it so far had, she'd hate to have burn it down in self defense or something stupid like that. When the smith returned, she accepted the offered mug and started in on explaining the work project.

"In case you haven't yet noticed, I'm a Sorceress, my element is fire, and I'm attempting a project of great importance to me. I need an arcane circle to be made of solid metals, my last attempt- this tea is delicious by the way -with a drawn circle was disastrous, the circle burned and the spell failed, damn near exploded in my face. The body of the circle is three rings that will need to be made of a Mithril Orichalcum Alloy called Animica." She leaned forward and set the tea cup on the table before reaching into one of her bags and setting an ingot of dark greyblue metal onto the table, followed by five more, making a little pyramid of six five-pound ingots, "The innermost ring must be completed on the night of a waning quarter moon, the secondary ring needs to be completed on the night without a moon, and the third ring must be completed on a night with a waxing quarter moon. Those are the only time condition steps for this circle. The trim that binds the three rings together will need to be made of white iron." Her finger traced around the trim of the top diagram while her other hand produced six five-pound ingots of refined white iron, glinting softly in the light of the candle. "And finally, the Evocation Equation that lines the rings must be made of black iron. I didn't bring any of those with me, but a colleague of mine should be bringing more ingots of all three types within two weeks time." She leaned back to give him time to look through blueprints sipping on the delicious tea.

The notes and blueprints were meticulous, written in a neat script, and perhaps a tad extensive now that she was giving him a moment to look through it. "Is this something you think you can help me with, or will I need to find another smith? Name any price for the work."

[Zero]

Wolfram couldn't describe the feeling that swelled in his chest as his mate stepped over the threshold of his home. It was euphoria and relief, mixed with some wiggling anxiety. What would she think of his simple cabin? Some would call it cozy, but it was not the fanciest of homes, not even in the small village he lived in. He had never needed more than what he had, but now he wished that he had done more with it, because his mate was stepping into the very heart of his domain and he desperately wanted her approval of the den he had prepared for her long before even knowing who she would be.

His breathless anticipation was rewarded as she settled on the couch and remarked that his home was lovely. A sense of pride jolted through him as he moved to the iron stove. It wasn't needed for heating at this time of year, but he kept embers going with a kettle of water on top for tea through the day on his sparse breaks in work. "I like a tidy place to rest after working."

There was a flicker of surprise that ran through him as the candles came to life suddenly, but he was more curious than fearful. His mate could control fire, which was definitely an interesting thing to know. It helped settle his wolf some to learn this about her. His mate was in no danger; clearly she could defend herself easily if fire obeyed her. Wolfram prepared a raspberry tea with just a hint of honey and handed the warm mug to his mate as he took the chair closest to her seat on the sofa.

As much as he wanted to be closer, he didn't trust himself to be any closer to her. Wolfram wasn't even sure how he had managed to remain so composed in her presence this long. His wolf still wanted her badly, but he didn't seize control as expected either. Was it because the wolf side of him didn't fear for her safety as much as it normally would? There was her lashing out at him to consider as well.

Just because he knew she was his mate didn't mean that she did. Wolfram hadn't expected a human mate, and had always held a bit of a low opinion of humans, but now he couldn't care less that the woman before him was human. He was just glad that she was his.

As much as he would rather just pull her against him and get to know her intimately through taste and touch and smell, Wolfram forced himself to pay attention as she described what she wanted of him in the first place. This project had brought his mate to him and he would definitely want to get it perfect for her. Tension entered him when she spoke of her last attempt exploding in her face. Whatever she was doing was clearly dangerous. He didn't know whether he wanted to talk her out of it or be extra sure that it was done perfectly, because a mistake could endanger his mate and that was simply unacceptable.

Wolfram picked up the blueprints, examining them carefully and shuffling through them. It was a very intricate piece, the timing requirements made it unusual and challenging. He visibly bristled slightly when she asked if he could do it or if she needed to find someone else.

"You wouldn't find anyone else that could finish this piece better with your exact specifications than I can, my work is exemplary." It wasn't just the idea that he might not be up to the task, he hated the idea of her leaving and working with someone else. Wolfram hated the idea of her leaving for any reason at all. She was his and he couldn't let her leave him, what would he do without her? "Naming a price is difficult, this will be a time consuming piece, with any number of things that could complicate matters through any part of the forging process. Since you don't seem to care what price I ask, it might be easier if I wait until it is finished to calculate the cost."

Honestly he didn't want anything from her except...her. Wolfram doubted asking for her as his price would go over well. This work would take time, however, and if she stayed during the process that would give him time to show her just how much she belonged with him now.

[JaddWard]

Rhea smiled at the larger man, genuine and pleased by his response, "I'm delighted to hear you say that, Wolfram. Here.." She reached into her second back and started pulling out tightly bound bags and setting them on the table. the way they clinked as they were set down clearly indicating they they were full with coin. three bags, then four. Six! she finally stopped as a small pile of ten tightly bound bags of coins rested on the table, in front of the ingots. "Here's a deposit for works rendered yet to be rendered. Five hundred gold pieces." She drained off the last of the tea and smiled at him.

"I plan to stay at the village's inn until the project is complete. I understand this is a big project and that as the village's smith, you'll need to work on some things other than my project to maintain quality of life for the village, that's absolutely fine. I'd hate to burn up Anville's good will. But about how soon do you think you'll be able to start work on my Circle?"

[Zero]

Wolfram felt a little thrum of pleasure, maybe it was silly, but having his mate say she was delighted with him, for any reason, was gratifying. Although a moment later he felt his eyebrows creeping upwards as bag after bag was set on his coffee table. Five hundred pieces of gold for one project, and this was only a considered a deposit. He wasn't sure the entire town combined made that much coin over the course of months. They were small and isolated, money trickled in from outside, mostly through his workshop, but a lot of the town bartered among themselves to get what they needed.

It was a large amount of money to humans, but he made no comment. He didn't care about money at all despite being the wealthiest man in town by virtue of having the most demanded profession in town.

"I'm sure the town will appreciate your understanding that they may require my services between working on pieces of your commission. I can start immediately with what pieces we already have material for and that don't require to be done on the night of certain moon phases." What was far more interesting to him was his mate's intention to remain in town during the length of the entire commission. Wolfram pursed his lips a bit unhappily at the idea of her staying at the local inn for the duration of her stay. It wasn't as if there was something wrong with the place, it just wasn't with him, where he wanted very much for her to be.

"This project is going to take some time, by virtue of the timing requirements if nothing else. I doubt a room at the inn will be very comfortable for that long, especially given the out of the way location of the forge and the walk you would have to make back and forth. You could follow progress on your piece more closely and enjoy a more comfortable living situation if you had a mind to stay here. I would not expect any extra payment for it, as it is more convenient for both of us if you are nearby should I have to ask for clarification on any part of your circle." Wolfram didn't think he would need extra guidance, the blueprints and diagrams were very detailed and thorough, but he'd grasp at any excuse to keep his mate closer to him.

[JaddWard]

As she heard Wolfram's offer, Rhea's smile turned from pleased to knowing, with just a hint of teasing as her eyes flicked back over his bare chest. Bare, broad, muscular, hairy chest. Then down to his thick, strong arms. Now that she thought about it, it was odd that he was in such a state of undress. most people didn't have an immunity to fire like she did. True, he'd been shirtless outside, but there was something there that she wasn't seeing. Something was off about this man, and it picked at her curiosity.

Rhea was definitely going to accept- still certain that she could defend herself if his gentile nature turned out not to be kosher, but now she wished she had more tea so she could tease him over the rim of the glass, that always looked good. Instead she leaned back, her arms draping along the back of his couch. "My dear Wolfram, a woman cut from more refined cloth might think that a shirtless man inviting a woman to stay with him was of the motive to rob her of her virtue. After all" she made a quick show of looking around the living room, "while your home is lovely, I don't imagine it's hiding multiple bedrooms. But you make a good point, the Inn is a fair ways off. By being nearby, any complications in the work can be more quickly addressed, and the project can be done sooner. I suppose I'll have to accept."

[Zero]

It was hard to miss the change in expression and demeanor of his mate as she leaned back on the couch, lounging like she owned the place. Wolfram's stormy grey eyes dilated slightly as he sat back in his own chair, raking his eyes over her as she also examined him. His muscles flexed and tensed with each movement he made. He knew that he was a fine male, by human or wolf standards: young, large, powerfully built, and healthy. It was still gratifying to have his mate to be so shamelessly checking him out.

Wolfram felt the right corner of his mouth twitch slightly, almost smirking at how she addressed him, and eager for a time when she wasn't calling him 'my dear' in a teasing manner. His heart quickened at the very mention of stealing her virtue, but he forced himself not to move. It was so difficult to remain where he was. Every fiber of his being wanted to pounce upon her and reduce her to a squirming, submissive little mate. He couldn't do that yet. She had shown off her ability to use fire to him so nonchalantly, he had no doubt that if he made a move that she didn't like he would regret it dearly – not only in pain, but in losing any chance at earning her trust and love.

"You don't have to, but I think it is the right decision." He was elated. She had agreed to stay with him so easily. The project would take time to complete, plenty of time, more than enough for him to show her that she was his.

"For the record, I do have more than one bedroom, but I'm afraid only mine is furnished. As for robbing a lady of her virtue, well I would have to be dead not to find that idea tempting; you're a very gorgeous woman. Could you blame me for being attracted? Either way, I was planning on offering the lady the use of the bed, and being a gentleman, I was going to take the couch. At least until we could make a better arrangement. Beds are not all that difficult to make." Not that he wanted to make another bed, but he wasn't going to be the first to suggest they share his bed.

[JaddWard]

She didn't reply immediately, she couldn't help but notice him squirm, muscles flexing and unflexing, what was it that was making him restless? There had to be something other than minor lust to make him fidget so. Still looking as relaxed as ever, that teasing smile as comfortable on her face as any other expression while her eyes searched his from across the sitting room, by the gods they were deep. Fathoms of mystery hidden behind his pupils. Finally, she relented, "As I'm not cut from the refined cloth, calling me 'the Lady' is improper. Rhea is fine."

She rose off the couch and grabbed one of the ingots of animica as she stood fully. "Lets go get started then, shall we? We can figure out sleeping arrangements later."

[Zero]

"Okay, Rhea it is." Her name came out somewhere between a growl and purr. Wolfram liked the way her name felt on his tongue. It was slightly surreal that he was speaking his mate's name. That he was speaking to her, that she was in his home right that moment. He had never expected to find his mate like this. Until the moment his eyes had first met hers and her scent had wrapped around his brain he hadn't even realized how badly he had wanted to find her.

When she rose from the couch he stood from his chair and grabbed two more of the ingots she had grabbed, as well as the blueprints. The sooner they started, the sooner Wolfram could impress his mate with his skill as a smith, and later in other ways as well. He was eager to show Rhea that he would be a good mate for her, that he could provide for her and protect her.

"Right this way, but please be careful, a lot of my tools are heavy or sharp, and the forge can get sweltering when the fire is burning hot." He led her through the door that connected the inside of the house to the workshop. Much like his house, the forge was carefully organized. Wolfram did not leave tools he was not currently using left haphazardly about. He set the ingots on a table then moved to pull his heavy leather apron off a hook near the outside door.

[JaddWard]

The very first time Wolfram said her name, and something stirred within her when he'd said it. Her face ever so slightly shifted towards a more stoic mask as she tried to grasp what the fuck that just was. It hadn't felt like magic, she'd been subjected to more than enough mind altering magic to know what that intrinsically felt like. What was worse is that- unlike magic of the mind, which felt wrong even as your body obeyed it -this stirring came from deep within and she ached to feel that stirring again. What. The. Fuck.

As he slipped on the apron, she unfastened the fur mantle on her shoulders and took the liberty of hanging it on the peg his apron had just recently taken, draping her vambraces over the top of it and rolling back the red slip from her arms until it looked like she wore a simple vest under her hard leather breastpiece. It was still quite modest and unrevealing- unless one found her toned arms to be rather scandalous. And they were toned, not necessarily for a surplus of arm strength- though there certainly wasn't a lack of it, but rather an overall lack of body fat in this region. As she turned back to face the smith, any trace of the stoic expression were long fled.

"Very well Wolfram, show me what makes you such a master of your craft that your name could travel from this small village in the middle of nowhere to the distant village of La'marri!" and she promptly lifted herself up and took a seat on a table that she hoped was out of the way.

[Zero]

Wolfram couldn't be sure how much the mating pull and bond might call to Rhea prior to the actual mating, she was human after all. Some non werewolves were more sensitive or less sensitive to it than others. He didn't dare presume what his mate was or wasn't feeling beyond the obvious. She found him attractive, but so did many other human women. Attraction alone was proof of nothing.

Trying not to openly watch her as she removed part of her garb was difficult. Wolfram could only manage to keep his keen interest wrangled to observing her from the corner of his eye as he laid out the blueprints and pulled out and arranged the tools he would need. He chuckled at her, seemingly to the wolf's mind, challenging words. A defiant glint reflected in his grey eyes as she sat herself on a table that would be out of the way of his work.

"I'll be happy to show you why you've come to the right place, Rhea." That low, rumbling growl accompanied her name again. He loved saying it. Wolfram would have gladly murmured her name over and over again, giddy as can be over finding his mate.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. Remaining focused on his work was going to be difficult with his mate sitting so close to him, still unmarked and unclaimed. Wolfram was at least grateful that the strong smells of the forge did help, ever so slightly, to mask her sweet scent so it wouldn't tantalize him endlessly while he tried to forge the beginnings of his mate's circle. He didn't know what it really was or what exactly it was for, but he wanted it to be perfect for her.

"Let's get started, shall we? We both know a regular forge won't let me temper this material, I assume you're staying on hand to assist with that." Normally he preferred to work alone, but the idea of working with his mate to accomplish something made him very excited.

[JaddWard]

Until he turned towards her, she'd been eyeing him in a way that could easily be called lustful, unwittingly staring directly at his crotch. Hidden behind his heavy smith's apron and then his work pants. she didn't even really realize that she'd be staring at it. What the fuck was going on with her? She'd been flirting before, and now this? Yeah, she'd seen cocks before, bandits from her camp usually waited until the last fucking minute to wash their everything, and her usual reaction was to turn away, hope to never see that particular anatomy of that particular person again. Yet in the half fucking second between her settling to watch him work and him actually turning to address her, she'd gone to full on fantasy mode wondering just what his 'forge hammer' looked like. 'I'm sure it's quite big, just like the rest of him, pleasant looking too, unlike other gu- WHAT THE FUCK?!'

Rhea blinked the thoughts out of her head and smirked, doing her best to not let the mental back and forth she was having with herself play on her face, "I was wondering how you were going to accomplish that, the metal apparently has to be forged using dragonfire, it's an innate conduit for magic, apparently that means it deflects heat very well. But I've already tested, I can get it red hot all the same."

Sitting up, Rhea popped her neck and took a deep breath, an enclosed space like this, a white hot fire would eat all the oxygen in the room quickly. She'd need to concentrate- which was good, kept her from focusing on him. "Open the door to the workshop, a flow of fresh air will make this easier." Her palms turned upwards as she took another deep breath in and a ball of flame appeared over each hand, they bobbed and flicked, reminiscent of torches until her hands flexed in unison, making more grasping motion, like she intended to grope the ball of fire. The fire responded, pulling closer to her hand and directing its motion, becoming a small jet of flame that died roughly a foot above her hands. She squinted, staring into the fire and turned her hands so that the two jets of flame collided with each other, her face becoming harder to look at as the heat coming off her hands rippled the air.

Though the glow of the fire in her hands hid most of it, a perceptive eye could absolutely see that her eyes were also glowing, like red hot embers, the fringes of her hair too glowed, like she'd crawled from a hearthfire, still alive with the warmth of it. With a grit of her teeth, she killed the heat radiating out from the fire once it passed six inches from where the two flames intersected. This was to ensure that the workshop didn't become a sauna as she continually cranked up the heat of her handheld forge. Maintaining the footwide bubble took an immense amount of control, but it was nice to get show off in a way that didn't result in someone getting hurt. Slowly, her handforge turned from an angry red-orange to a vibrant blue, then finally to white. She held a tiny sun in her hands, casting the entire workshop in vibrant light. "I'm ready for you. Please be careful." was all she could manage to say as she worked to maintain the heat and the bubble killing the heat that tried to move into unusable spaces, sweat beading on her brow not from the heat of the fire she held, but from the effort of control she was having to expend to do so.

[Zero]

Wolfram immediately did as instructed, opening the doors, all the large shuttered windows, and the vents on the roof. A good forge always had plenty of ventilation. She had only said the door, but opening up more airflow couldn't hurt. The last thing he wanted was an accident in his workshop.

It was when he passed her while opening up everything that the scent first tickled at his nose and caused a ripple of tension to roll over him. His mate's smell alone was enough of a temptation to drive a wolf mad, but catching the aroma of her arousal was damn near impossible to ignore. For a moment Wolfram felt light-headed and wasn't sure if he could hold the primal instincts back. He moved away from her quickly, trying to give himself space to breathe without inhaling that with every breath.

Keeping the wolf in check was easier as he watched her work the fire in her hands until it was white hot and ready to heat the special ingots Rhea had brought. She was a sight to behold – absolutely breathtaking. He could practically feel the power radiating off of her and felt a tinge of pride at just how strong his mate was.

Although hearing her say she was ready for him did make him grit his teeth, because working was not the first thing that popped into his head. No, his mind first went to that intoxicating scent and flashed teasing images of ripping his mate's clothing off, pulling her hips to the edge of that table, and burying his face between her legs. His mouth practically began salivating at the idea of tasting her. She would undoubtedly be incredibly delicious.

Wolfram gave another shake of his head to chase the thoughts away, grabbing his tongs and the first ingot he moved it to the white fire and got to work. He had never actually forged anything with this type of metal before, and working with it took a great deal of concentration, which helped keep his mind from wandering too much. What didn't help was the need to stand close to her each time he needed to get the metal hot enough to draw out and shape. The scent of her arousal only grew stronger through the afternoon and into the evening. It only added fuel to the fire that was his instincts to mate, mark, and claim.

By dusk he wasn't sure how he was still able to function. The first ring of the circle was slowly taking shape, but they were losing the light and Wolfram was in physical pain from the effort of controlling himself.

"That's...that's enough for today. We don't want to work in the dark." His breath was slightly ragged, but he hoped that would just be attributed to the fact that he had been swinging a heavy hammer on and off for the last several hours. Wolfram removed his apron, but made sure he was facing away from Rhea to hide the bulge in his trousers, trying to discreetly adjust himself, although he doubted it would help in hiding it much. He focused on putting his tools away.

"I'm covered in sweat and grime, going to go bathe in the nearby river. There's a washtub over by the water pump on the back side of the cabin. You're welcome to fix a bath for yourself. I've got a few bars of soap, but none of them are fancy and scented." The water would be cold and he hoped that would help temper his lust enough to keep up his resistance efforts.

[JaddWard]

Rhea let the fire die in her hands immediately as he called off the work. They'd gotten a third of the first ring complete, if they worked on it all of tomorrow, the first ring would be ready for completion on proper moonphase. But she didn't care about that right this second. Her face was flush while she panted, still sitting on the table as other parts of her hidden from view blushed. Her core was remarkably warm and she knew that it wasn't because of the fire she'd been holding. Stupid sexy blacksmith, and his stupid sexy resonant voice, and his stupid sexy rippling muscles, and his stupid massive cock that formed a gods damned near mountainous bulge that she got a fantastic view of each time he turned to reheat the metal. Through his fucking work pants and his god damn apron.

Man, fuck feeling like this for the rest of the time they worked on her arcane circle. She was going to see if Wolfram would be willing to lay with her tonight, just so she could stop fantasizing about it. "Hey wait. What direction is the river? A cool dip sounds better than a tub of still water after working in all this... heat." She really hoped that her flush face and panting came across as being flush from the labor of intense concentration, even though it couldn't be farther from the truth.

[Zero]

Not that she would know it, but the reason behind her flushed skin and panting breaths couldn't be hidden at all from Wolfram. He knew how aroused she was. That smell was driving him out of his damn mind, and had been all day. Seeing the way she looked at him, lust burning in those ember eyes, beautiful flesh flushed and warm, it was maddening and he found himself gritting his teeth again as she stopped him with her husky voice. How was he going to manage having her in the river with him? They would be naked out in the isolated little stretch of river he enjoyed using. He knew she wanted him, just like he wanted her, but she didn't know how dangerous the fire she was playing with now was next to her own flames.

"Just follow the little dirt path that leads into the trees and right down to the riverbank." Wolfram didn't even pause to look behind him. This woman was going to be the death of him if he didn't claim her soon, but she didn't know what that meant. It was all lust to her, and while lust was a big part of his problem right that moment, it was nothing compared to the emotional mess tangled up with all of it. This wasn't just about fucking her. He needed her in a way that went far beyond the physical. They had just met, humans didn't forge bonds the same way wolves did, and some of them didn't want to have one person the rest of their life. How was he supposed to convey the severity of the situation?

Reaching the river took a couple minutes, even with him walking hastily. Years ago Wolfram had made wooden steps and a railing down the embankment. It wasn't impossibly steep and he didn't really need them, but it seemed like a human thing to do. They were all about making their environment more convenient for themselves. The water was slow moving right now and the current wasn't too strong. There was no hesitation as he kicked off his boots and stripped out of his pants. The relief of freeing himself from the stifling confines of his clothes was immense. Spending much of the day in discomfort was not pleasant at all. There was a bucket with soap and he had towels hanging over a low branch that had been left to dry from the last time he had bathed here. Wolfram grabbed the soap and plunged into the cold water.

He was fighting an internal battle that was wearing him down beyond the point of resisting, slowly but surely. The need and desire didn't cool any, but at least he was able to pull back from the edge, just a little, just enough to breathe and think. It would have to be enough, because she would be joining him at the river, and as hard as it was not to push her down and mate her was, he also couldn't stand being away from her.

[JaddWard]

As he left, Rhea still sat there, listening to the sounds of his boots scuffing on the dirt path, away from her. And only then did her heart stop hammering in her chest, only then was she finally able to catch her breath. They were both dancing around each other, that much she could see for certain. He'd given her a very clear indication that he wanted her, and now she decided she wanted him. And yet, as she sat, recollecting herself, nerves danced across her skin. She'd never had sex before. She knew of it, she knew what happened during it, but she had no idea what it was like. She'd never had the desire to find out. Yet somehow, this.. this Wolfram had her loins burning like a brushfire. What the fuck was up with that? It couldn't just be lust, could it? This felt physical, far greater than just desire. It was a need.

She was in the process of unbuttoning her leather breastpiece when she thought she figured it out. The way the deepest parts of her stirred when he said her name, the way she felt whenever he drew nearer, and the fact that she mostly returned to normal as he left. Mostly, there was still the ache of wanting him. Fuck. He was performing some kind of magic on her, somehow, very subtly. She'd read about a creature that could do this, she reached back into her memories to find the name.

"Incubus" she practically hissed. The lust from earlier had been replaced, anger started to boil up her body. Oh fuck that devilish little bitch. He was going to try and have his way with her at the river. Well fuck his plans! She had him figured out and she was going to make him admit it. Sliding off the table, she was storming out the door, the air behind her rippling as her anger made her control over her power slip, just a little bit.

Before she even realized it, she was at the top of the built stairs, glaring down at the smith. No. At the Incubus. Her displeasure plain to see across her face. Just standing at the top, of the embankment, trying her best to look intimidating without her fur mantle or leather breastpiece that completed her ensemble, it probably further didn't help that her erect nipples were poking through the thin red slip. "I figured something out just now. You're not human. Tell me what you are or so help me god I will burn you and this entire forest down."

[Zero]

Even if the water did little to cool his passion, the cold did feel good against his sweaty, hot skin. He had barely gotten a chance to enjoy dunking himself in the river, rinsing away some of the grime of the day, before Rhea showed up, and in very dramatic fashion. Wolfram felt momentarily stunned. Given her behavior just a few short minutes ago at the forge he had expected to have to try to fend off her sexual advances, not be faced with a very angry sorceress threatening to burn his forest down.

"No you won't." Wolfram said confidently as he stood up in the river, the water just past his waist. Luna preserve him she was still gorgeous and sexy beyond reason while pissed off at him. His eyes were narrowed, swirling like a storm cloud as he looked over her, noting that despite her threat she was still very much turned on by him. He shook his head, now was not the time to think about nipping at one of those pert nipples. All that mattered was that his mate would not actually hurt him, and now she needed to be made to understand why. There was no point trying to hide when she already decided she knew that he wasn't human.

"This isn't exactly how I hoped you would find out, but I promise I would never hurt you." He hoped she wasn't afraid of him hurting her. The idea of his mate being afraid of him, of Rhea believing he could harm her, was painful. At least she did not smell fearful, just enraged. "Showing is easier than explaining."

Wolfram closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather enough willpower to shift without immediately losing control of the wolf part of his being. The sound of popping, then ripping and the crunching of bone filled the air. It wasn't even painful anymore, and the process was swift as his body expanded, twisting as it rearranged itself into the new shape. A handful of heartbeats after he began Wolfram shook out the fur that covered his massive form, a mix of black, grey, and white highlights. Not in the shape of a wolf, but no longer the form of a man, he was something in between. The water only came up to his lower thighs now, and he did nothing to try to hide the angry red cock that jutted proudly from its sheath.

His eyes were still that lovely storm cloud shade when he opened them and looked at her with an almost predatory glint in his eye. Only the wariness of her fire kept him from leaping out of the water to finally take what was rightfully his. Hopefully she would not panic; if she ran he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from chasing her.