They abandoned her?
“Were... you lonely?”
Had she been like him, filled with the same pain that had lingered inside him for hundreds of years?
“Eh.” He felt her shrug. “I was at first, when I was young, but I got over it. There was nothing I could do about it and no point on fixating on it.”
He chuckled. That was a very Reia thing for her to say.
She is such a strong creature. So resilient, despite what had happened to her.
“Have I ever told you that your fur is really soft?” she asked, rubbing her face against the long, wolfish fur around his neck.
She was changing the subject, and he happily allowed it.
She likes my fur. His eyes glowed a bright yellow, making the Mavka next to him step back in uncertainty at his sudden emotion change.
“We should stop here for now,” he said to them both when they reached a small space between the trees. “We have passed into the border of the village. We will not be able to rest from here on out.”
“Thank goodness,” she sighed, dropping her legs so he would put her down. She stretched, reaching her arms above her head while going to the tips of her toes. Then she dug into her bag. “I’m also really hungry.”
She always reached her hand out to grab the hem of his cloak, keeping a hold of him as it was the dark of night and she couldn’t see. She’d been distressed the first night and only found comfort when she knew she was holding onto something of him.
When he had to move away from her to scout the area himself to make sure they weren’t near any Demons, she always remained on the spot. When he returned, her hand
came towards him even if the other Mavka came close as well, knowing exactly who was who.
He returned from scouting the area when she had just finished eating.
“We will arrive at the village tomorrow,” he said as she grabbed a hold of him. “Are you ready for your bath?”
He washed her each day in the stream, making sure the Mavka couldn’t see her naked body as he circled the forest around them to keep watch.
Nodding, she allowed him to brace her as she blindly and trustingly, walked with him towards the stream. She winced when something sharp dug into her foot.
“Will there be shoes you can get me there?”
Reia had lost her shoes on the way to the Veil and there weren’t any left behind by his other offerings that fit her feet. It wasn’t that she was too small, in fact, she had big, sturdy feet. They were still tiny in his large hands, quite cute with adorable little toes, but apparently big for a human woman.
“I will get you whatever you want,” he answered when they reached the edge of the river.
He rose his snout into the air, sniffing to double check there was no danger. Then he started to remove his cloak, shirt, and shoes. He thought it was better if he kept his pants on – more for his sense of self control rather than for her comfort.
Reia untied her cloak before lifting her black dress from her body.
Naked and bared to him, desire swirled in his gut as he raked his gaze down her. He didn’t think he wouldn’t ever not have that reaction when she was presented to him like this.
As much as he wanted to just stare at her body, to peruse it for his own enjoyment, she reached her hand out for him to take it. He could see, she could not, and the longer she
remained standing, the likelier the Mavka would catch a glimpse of her.
He took her hand, so little and fragile in his grip, and walked backwards to lead her into the cold stream. Orpheus removed the ceramic jar of oil with its lid tied to it from his pocket before he entered the water and placed it on the ground on the river’s edge.
She always gasped at the temperature when her toes first touched the water, but she allowed him to help her in by the stream’s short cliff edge.
“I’m starting to miss the tub at home,” she whispered once she was fully submerged and had even dipped her head under to wet her hair. “The water isn’t too bad, but I like my bath hot.”
Orpheus worked to open the ceramic jar and dipped his fingers inside the oil to begin. He couldn’t waste time. Reia was out in the open with no coverings.
“I am sorry,” he apologised, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to give her some of his body heat. “But we must do it this way.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
She placed her hands on his sides to hold herself steady as he started to wash her shoulders, arms, hands, and then face and neck. Her body shivered when he scraped his claws over her scalp as he washed her hair.
No matter if he was rushing or not, touching her always made his vision turn purple in lust and his cock stir and begin to harden. Orpheus wanted what he could not have yet, and it burned within him, crushing his resolve.
The little moan she gave when he rubbed his hands over her breasts, feeling her nipples were already hard – whether that was from his touch or the cold – caused his body to stiffen further. He lingered a little longer than he should have, brushing his thumbs over each one at the same time just so she would twitch.
Her legs brushed against his in the water as he watched her blonde brows twitch and her lips part.
It took everything in him to move away, to not play with her soft breasts the way he wanted to. She hadn’t asked him to, and he shouldn’t be trying to tease her when they were in the forest.
“Y-you know,” she stuttered quietly after he dipped his fingers again and started working down her sides and abdomen. “This is a little more intimate than at home.”
Her breaths came in pants, and her body stretched when he was slipping past her navel.
“What do you mean?”
