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

[JaddWard]

Rhea accepted his explanation and settled back into him, not really sure what to follow it up with, there was a lot to think about and she didn't know where to begin. What did this act mean for the short term? What did this mean for the long term? It felt damn good- save for the bite and her branding him. Could she get him to do this every night? Again, save for the bite and her branding him. She imagined them working all day on her Evo-Animation Circle, then fucking like bunnies wolves all night, the joys and pleasures that she'd just discovered about sex mingling with the afterglow of a day spent working hard and accomplishing things? The thought of it was idyllic.

Of course, Rhea had no idea the risks associated with sex, the things that could happen. Her sexual education so far had surprisingly been non-existent. And she certainly had no idea that even as they spooned during the tie, his fertile seed was already assaulting an ovum deep within her. and before the night was out- she'd be carrying a fertilized egg. But, instead of thinking about any of the calls on her mind, she tried to snuggle in closer to Wolfram, her right hand raising to intertwine fingers with his massive paw of a left hand, giggling softly to herself as she enjoyed the remnants of her shattered afterglow.

"I had it right the first time. You're such a skilled thief, it took you less than a day to steal my virtue."

[Zero]

It wasn't just Rhea that indulged in imagining the future. Of course Wolfram had a far clearer idea of what was in store. He was more than pleased to snuggle up closer with his mate, happily entwining his long, fur covered fingers with hers. The images of his mate snuggled up comfortably in the living room of their den, belly round and full with one of their precious pups. It was an absolutely perfect vision in his humble opinion.

Unlike his mate, Wolfram knew enough of sex and reproduction to be well aware of the potential consequences of their mating – consequences that he would giddily accept. It was amazing to get to claim his mate, but having her show up and also be primed for impregnation?  The wolf was over the moon with excitement. He just hoped that his beloved new mate wouldn't be too upset at carrying his pup so soon after meeting. Of course there was no guarantee that his seed would take tonight, but he was very optimistic of his chances. His mate was strong and fertile, he was young and virile, there was no reason for her not to conceive.

Wolfram was drawn out of his pleasant mental wanderings by the sound of Rhea's voice. A deep rumbling chuckle escaped him at her observation. "Love, you have no idea how hard it was not to steal your virtue within the first hour. You're even more perfect than I imagined you'd be."

[JaddWard]

Rhea smiled to herself, pleased with the chuckle and response she got out of him. Closing her eyes and almost drifting off to sleep before she really thought about what he said. The first hour? She picked her head up and tried to look at him, "And what exactly was your plan to seduce me in the first hour, my handsome thief in the night? Don't tell me that your first inclination was to force yourself on me. Also, why do you keep calling me Love? Love isn't a name." While both her questions were born from general curiosity, the first was more teasing and the second came from just a general lack of understanding.

[Zero]

"I would never want to force you, love. You were attracted the moment you set eyes on me. Your admiration in the forge didn't go unnoticed, you're not as subtle as you think." Wolfram nuzzled his head against hers, still chuckling softly. The questions weren't exactly easy to answer. How did he explain that his wolf had been clawing madly at his mind to claim her from the moment he looked into her eyes and caught her sweet, delicious scent? It wasn't really easier to explain just why he was calling her by an endearment like love.

"Calling you 'love' is just a term of endearment - a pet name of sorts that someone might use on a beloved person in their life. Do you dislike it?" Wolfram leaned around enough that he could look down into her face, see her pretty ember eyes. Even as a beast, his own face and eyes were expressive, showing that he earnest and seeking her approval.

[JaddWard]

She smiled softly as she looked into his stormy eyes, giving a gentle shake of the head. "No, I don't dislike it, I just didn't understand why you were doing it. After all, you're wrong about me being attracted the moment I laid eyes on you, it was when you first said my name. I was pretty much falling for you after that." She tilted up and gave him a peck on the nose before nestling back down on his arm. Closing her eyes and yawning, "How long does your knot last? If we're going to be out here all night, I should make a fire to stave off the night's chill."

[Zero]

"I'm glad to hear you're falling for me, because I've been smitten since I caught your scent. It would have been utterly heartbreaking if this was all one-sided." When she mentioned making a fire if they were going to be out there all night he pulled her in even closer, letting his body heat and fur keep her warm. "Not all night, love. Just cuddle with me a little while longer. I'm not ready to get up yet."

Wolfram was extremely comfortable, and tired. He honestly could have dozed off right after they settled onto their sides and napped until his knot shrank enough to slip out of Rhea's tight body, but talking with his mate was very nice too. They had already been out there for a while, so it didn't take more than fifteen minutes of quiet cuddles before he could feel his cooling seed starting to escape as his knot was no longer engorged enough to hold it all in.

"This is the messiest part." The wolf grumbled, finally stirring from his comfortable position. He carefully wiggled his hips until the much shrunken knot was pulled free, accompanied by a generous gush of his excessive load. "We might consider that bath we never got around to earlier..."

[JaddWard]

Rhea gave a slow exhale of a breath that was almost a moan as that knot pulled free and the pressure of his virility started to flow from her crevice and womb, first quick and runny, like water, but as she started to stand up, thicker, white globs of seed started to drip from her womanhood and fall fatly down her legs. Wolfram had been right, it was the messiest part, and her wolven lover would assuredly get quite the view as her stepped up onto shaky legs. Shaky legs that were now glistening in the moonlight as his seminal fluid flowed from her deflowered snatch. "Bathing sounds like a wonderful idea, come on, we can wash each other's back."

Popping her neck, she looked up into the sky, an small orb of fire appeared several feet overhead, then another, and then several more until the entire area around them was bathed in a soft warm light as she started for the small stairs that she was so thankful for. The railing too, that small little embankment seemed impossibly steep with her shaky legs. "Did I really call you puppy before you, uh, took me?"

[Zero]

Wolfram was observing Rhea very carefully, noting the shakiness of her legs as she managed to stand, and definitely couldn't miss the thick, gooey globs of his seed dripping from her well-used womanhood. He was immensely proud of his excess; the sheer volume of semen he could produce was just another testament to his youth and health. It was also extremely sexy to see all those fluids glistening on the insides of Rhea's legs. He licked his lips and almost offered to give her a bit of a tongue bath before they went down to the river.

"Mm. I'll take any excuse to have our hands all over each other." Maybe he would save that for next time, since his mate was already up and conjuring little fire balls to light their way. Wolfram could see just fine in the dark, but knew that she would have struggled and fumbled in the dark. Her legs still had a visible wobble to them as she got closer to the stairs. It worried him to have her try to walk down them.

"You did." Wolfram confirmed as he moved quickly behind her, chuckling the words into her ear before wrapping his arms around her again. Like when he had carried her to that soft patch of grass, he lifted his mate up bridal style and tenderly cradled her against his warm, furry chest. His legs were steady and he was easily able to descend to the water's edge, like her weight in his arms was nothing at all. With a small amount of reluctance, he set her down on her feet next to the river. The sounds from earlier when he had shifted for her the first time cut through the air until the massive hybrid was replaced by a once more human appearing Wolfram. He stretched, popping and cracking joints that were stiff from the changing process. "Ladies first?"

[JaddWard]

"Maybe I'll make that your pet name. Now that I think about it, there's lots of pet names I could give you. Puppy, Thief in the night, Canis." She sat down on the riverbank as soon as he was set at the waters edge, dipping her feet in the nice cool water. It felt good to her, though she supposed some might find it quite cold, being a fire sorceress gave her a weird sense of external temperature sometimes. She looked up as she started to hear him shift, watching with fascination. "Does that hurt? It sounds like it might hurt quite a lot."

At his offering for her to go first, she slides in, until just her breasts are above the surface of the water, sighing as she leans back until she just barely starts floating, the cool water chilling her skin remarkably. "Oh this is nice, no wonder you prefer to bathe here. It's such a clean river too, deep enough to actually bathe in, nothing like that shitty stream by the Fire Brand Camp.."

[Zero]

"I don't consider it stealing when you offered it so readily." Wolfram quipped with a chuckle. She had been the one to insist on joining him to bathe at the river, the one who had started removing her clothes, and the one who proclaimed she was ready for him. He hardly thought that earned him the title of thief. Of all the things she suggested he only thought that Puppy really might count as a possible nickname of endearment, although he wasn't sure how he felt about his mate calling him Puppy.

"Pet names are more like Love, Dear, Darling, and words that imply great affection." If she did decide to call him Puppy he really wasn't sure he could convince her to pick something else. He didn't know if it would really matter to him. Wolfram just wanted her to return his love and affection – and to agree to stay with him forever.

"Not anymore, but it used to." He shrugged his shoulders as he watched her enter the water before turning to grab a bar of soap and wash rag to join her in the cold water. Wolfram smiled dreamily as he watched her float on the surface, the view was nice and she seemed so relaxed. He liked the sound of her voice as he moved through the water towards her. "Yeah, the water is really clear and the cold doesn't bother me. I hope you don't get too cold before we go back to the cabin."

[JaddWard]

She opened her eyes and started to visibly ponder after something. Finally voicing it a moment later as she sat up and started to rub her body down with her hand. "I read once that 'even if freely offered, a woman's virtue can never be given, it is always taken. If taken by a man cut from The Cloth, then her virtue is seized justly by the gentleman. If taken by a man of lesser means, then her virtue is stolen and she should be disavowed of her family.' I thought it was high society horse shit at the time. So I threw the book from the tower window. By stealing my virtue, Wolfram, you've saved me from ever having to deal with high society horse shit. Quite the noble act of my handsome, rugged, noble Thief."

Rhea gave him a sidelong smile as she groped at her breast in full view- before continuing to wash the dried sweat from her chest, remembering the feeling of his hands around her, groping at her. She was thankful for the cold water keeping her from really 'feeling' her remembrance, they were in the process of getting clean and for as good as the act had felt, having sex was quite messy. "Cold hasn't ever really been a problem for me. I can certainly feel it, but because of the nature of my power I can warm myself up with a thought, I don't think I can get too cold, but I appreciate your concern."

As she moved to rubbing away at her legs, watching more and more of Wolfram's cum flow from her nether lips only to be carried off by the river, she found that if she flexed her abs, some squirted out, and she wasn't sure if she could get entirely clean, she felt like she'd still be leaking bits of his 'production' for days to come. That brought a question to her mind. "Wolfram, since it's obvious that werewolves don't have a problem taking human lovers, do they take wolf lovers too? What if you were to bite a wolf? Could they turn human?" She hoped her smile indicated to him that she was teasing and joking with him, but as she thought about, she looked down at the bite mark, and her smile faded to a pensive, thinking expression. "Am I going to turn into a werewolf?"

[Zero]

Wolfram genuinely had no idea what Rhea was talking about. What even was a man of 'The Cloth'? He shook his head and reminded himself that humans were weird. At least she called him her handsome, rugged, and noble Thief. If she insisted on calling him a Thief at least she seemed to think highly of his supposed thievery. Thoughts of her potential pet names were shoved from his mind as he watched her grope at her breast, flashing him a teasing look as she did so.

Damn if he didn't want to take her again. His grey eyes were hungry as they watched her run along her body as she started rinsing sweat, dirt, and his seed off her body. He was glad that freezing in the cooling night air while bathing in cold water wasn't a concern for either of them. Wolfram began lathering up the cloth in his hands, getting it nice and soapy as he stalked towards his mate, smirking as more of his fluids leaked from her body. All the devious, naughty thoughts running through his mind were brought up short as she asked him if werewolves took wolf lovers and if the wolf would become human. He made a face of heavy distaste at the very idea.

"Oh, love, no. Please don't worry about that. I wouldn't turn you unless you wanted me to." Wolfram had seen the way his mate had turned serious and thoughtful. He right up to her and began gently running the soapy rag along her back. "Something like that is a big decision; we can talk about it another time. I think discovering the thrill of sex together is enough excitement for one night. Well, the sex and discussing what tonight means for...us."

[JaddWard]

"So I take it there's something symbolic about this then. That it has meaning to werewolves?" Her finger traced the bite mark, studying it. The fact that it still didn't hurt, hadn't bled nearly as much as multiple puncture wounds should, when it had occurred. She had to admit it felt very ritualistic. Now that she thought about it, while she still found him incredibly attractive, that tugging, distracting draw to him had ebbed- definitely didn't vanish, but she could focus on things again. His voice still stirred the deepest parts of her, and she wanted to hear him say her name again.

As Wolfram washed her back, she thought about what Wolfram had said. About us. What did that mean? They'd had sex, that was that right? She honestly didn't know what her future had in store. What she'd do if the ring worked, what she'd do if it didn't. She'd invested so much money into this project already, each ingot of Animica had cost three hundred gold. and there was twenty more coming. Not to mention paying one of her bandits to go retrieve it and bring it to her. Rhea's eyes flicked out to the forest, this massive expanse of forest. A hole in the center of the map, pieces of which people probably haven't seen in decades, if at all. The same forest, she realized, that her bandit camp was in. The same forest that she already practiced her magic. She could stay here, she realized, if that's what he was about to ask. "What about us, Wolfram?"

[Zero]

"Yes, it is very symbolic, and it means everything to us." The importance of the mates, mating, and the mating mark really couldn't be overstated. To a werewolf there was nothing more important or scared to them than the bond with their mate. Rhea meant everything to him from the moment she had walked into his life that morning. He really didn't know how to explain that to a human. They didn't fall in love the same way werewolves did, they didn't mate the same way that werewolves did.

"Rhea, you can't imagine how much you mean to me. Werewolves mate for life, and they know their mates immediately. I knew this morning when I first laid eyes on you that you were mine. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I can make happen right here, with me." He would forge her circle, he'd build extra buildings, rooms, clear parts of the forest, import items, materials, and just about anything else she could possibly ask for to make this place her home. Wolfram would move mountains to keep her with him and happy. His arms moved around her, hugging her waist as his lips pressed against the back of her neck. "Please don't leave me. I need you to be home."

[JaddWard]

Rhea stood from the water and turned to face the werewolf. Her mouth was a thin line of contemplation as her eyes, dark and red like fresh blood, searched his face. She could feel the drain of the day wearing on her. she was tired, and his words seemed to just jump out at her. Part of her didn't want to trust it. He wanted her to stay with him. Needed it, even. She hasn't been wanted in a long time. Almost every place she lays her head, people either fear her or disdain her. But, she didn't see dishonesty in his face, and her gut instinct was telling her that he was telling the truth. Her quiet, tired voice broke the quiet between them, "Turn around Wolfram, let me wash your back."

She took the rag and soap from him and started lathering it up, pressing it to his back, down and up, then across and repeat. Keeping sure to give the burn on his shoulder space to keep the soap from getting in it, she spoke up again as she worked. "I honestly can't say I understand this. I barely know you. And the total sum of my experience with werewolves is a three paragraph insert in a Magical Bestiary. And even that is probably mostly inaccurate considering you haven't killed me." It was another moment before she spoke up again as she rinsed the rag and started to rinse off his back. "It's the first time in a long time someone has told me they want me to be anywhere. let alone with them. And for some reason, despite not knowing you that well, my gut is telling me to trust you. So I'll stay."

[Zero]

It was nerve wracking standing there, looking into Rhea's eyes, searching her face for some hint of how she had taken what he'd said. Wolfram knew that pouring out his heart and soul to a human after only meeting her that morning might not be taken as well as he would want, but he couldn't help but look at her with an earnest hope. He had no choice but to love his mate – there was nothing to guarantee that she would ever return that love. It was hard not to let his entire demeanor deflate at how quiet and tired her voice was as she told him to turn around. He did as she said, of course, but he felt tense and uncertain as she scrubbed at his skin.

Wolfram wished that he could enjoy having his mate washing him more, but he was too afraid to feel pleasure as she began speaking. He nodded a little as she said she didn't know what to think about all of it, it was to be expected and he didn't blame Rhea for not fully grasping all of it right away. It was a lot to take in so quickly for someone that didn't know about the mate bond and expect it. She was a human and didn't feel the pull the same way that he did, hadn't been made aware all her life that one day she would meet someone that would absolutely rule her world. That made it mean so much more when she said she trusted him and would stay.

"Thank you, it means so much to hear you say that." He turned back around quickly and wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head down to steal a kiss, the first chance Wolfram had gotten to actually give Rhea one. The werewolf had fucked her before he'd even gotten to kiss her. When he pulled his lips away he spoke softly. "I love you."

[JaddWard]

It was remarkable that, only when he pulled her into his arms and stole a kiss, that Rhea realized that Wolfram was taller than her. Not by much, only a few scant inches. While it certainly wasn't an uncommon occurrence to see a guy taller than her, she normally gave people a wide berth unless she had need of them, so this particular exchange had definitely never happened before. And the kiss, oh the kiss. It was electric. Sending shivers down her spine and making her face tingle. She liked it, loved it even. But she had no idea what to do to prolong it, and before she figured out that she should kiss back, he'd pulled away.

And then he said those words. Those three little words. Words that Rhea had not heard directed at her in twenty years. She felt like she'd just be slapped. her eyes wide, she blinked at him a few times, then looked down, blinking back the sudden rise of sharp emotions and memories, dragging it back down, burying it back deep. "I.. I'm sorry Wolfram. It's clear that this me-.. that I mean a lot to you. But I'm not there yet..."

[Zero]

"I know, but you're staying with me, and that's enough for now." In a perfect world his mate would love him just as much as he loved her, but Wolfram knew better than to expect the same level of adoration and devotion as he held for Rhea. This was all new and strange to his human mate; she needed time to really process it all. For now, she was staying, and that gave him time to earn her love. He had no doubt that he could show the sorceress why he deserved to be loved by her given just a little bit of time and a chance to prove that he was the right mate for her.

Wolfram was still holding her in his arms, very reluctant to let her go. He craved the contact with her, and wasn't ready to give it up. Rhea had already gladly given her body to him, and he assumed that sleeping arrangements would no longer be a concern, but if she wanted the bed to herself he would honor it – no matter how much he wanted to hold her through the night. Patience wasn't a wolf's strong suit when it came to their mates, but too much counted on him taking his time and letting his mate accept him at her own pace. He tilted his head to capture her lips in another slow kiss, letting the contact linger. She made his whole body vibrate eagerly. His hands gently caressing her back as he pulled back again.

"We should finish up quickly here, it's getting late and we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." As nice as it would be to stay in bed for days on end just getting to know Rhea, well she had come here for a reason and he would hate to disappoint her.

[JaddWard]

This second kiss, as electrifying and enticing as the first, saw the sorceress slowly react, sliding her hands lightly around him as she leaned up a bit to press into the kiss. Kissing was new to her, but she's certainly seen it enough to know a little of what to do, her head tilted, jaw parting slightly, the new position making the kiss so much more comfortable- but, she was inexperienced. The sorceress held her breath throughout and by time they pulled away, her heart pounded in her chest and she was ever so slightly dizzy.

As Wolfram mentioned the work they had left to do, Rhea looked up, sighting the moon between the trees. There was maybe two more nights before the waning crescent moon, the first of the time sensitive work dates. Thankfully, the rings only have to be completed on the night of specific moonphases, they didn't have to be done in any specific sequence. Which was good, because looking at it now, she didn't know if her colleague would make it in time for the new moon ring to be worked, let alone ready for completion in time.

Strangely, she didn't find that she minded. She hadn't particularly been in a rush to get the job done, but now that she'd agreed to stay? She didn't want to not finish the magic circle, after all, it was her best chance at finally recreating what she'd seen in that dream in the temple so many years ago, but suddenly- she didn't seem to mind the thought of delays.

"And you need that salve on your burn. Scarring is inevitable, but I'll be damned if you're getting an infection because of me." She took a step away from him and returned to washing herself, trying to clean herself out a little bit so she wouldn't be dripping the whole way back.

[Zero]

It was electrifying to have Rhea attempt to return the kiss. Sure, the first kiss had left him hot and tingling, but somehow the second had been even better. Wolfram knew that each kiss would just get better and better as his mate gained experience and her affection for him grew. He almost regretted reminding her of the work ahead of them. It would have been downright magical to spend the rest of the night kissing her.

Wolfram took her moving to continue washing as his cue to do the same. As exciting as everything had been, he was looking forward to crawling into his bed, with his mate curled up against him. He doubted she would object to being spooned again. This time without the mess – although making another mess sounded like a fantastic idea to him.

"You can put the salve on me if you want, love. I'm really fine, though. Werewolves are pretty hardy when it comes to diseases and infections. We don't really get ones that humans do."  He really didn't think it was necessary, but if it made Rhea feel better and happy she could rub whatever kind of medicine on him that she wanted.