Muddy River — The Shape of Dreams

He noticed how her hackles rose at his words; how her lip quivered slightly to reveal her fangs. Inside, he was trembling with anticipation and uncertainty. It felt like he was on the edge of a knifes blade. One small tip to the side and he'd be at the mercy of her anger and fangs... but on the other side of the knife, if she was pleased with him - well, he wasn't sure what to expect there to be honest. He had never known Enya to hide her feelings and he was sure she would let him know quickly if she disapproved of his antics. When she leaned forward, Caedwyn's body tensed and his ears flicked forward. His body was poised, ready to react to whatever she was going to throw at him in the coming moments. He stood his ground as she leaned in, pressing herself alongside him, and his eyes followed her movement - not even noticing how the mud on his body was transferred to hers. No, he was too busy watching her eyes, watching how she moved. He was too busy feeling a rush of excitement at her touch. "Queen it is, then." Whether she meant it to or not, to Caedwyn her words slipped out like thick oil, coating his senses as he listened and watched intently. Yes. She was certainly worthy of the title Queen. There was no denying that. He did nothing when her tail flicked under his chin, but he let a wickedly pleased smile stretch his maw as she moved around him again, circling to his other side. When she leaned in, his head titled ever so slightly but he didn't turn toward her. Instead now he kept his gaze forward, looking out ahead of him as he let her move freely. He wasn't going to try to control whatever was happening between them. Instead, he was just going to stand there and take it in every second of it and let her touch wash over him. "I hope you know what you're doing, Alpha." A shiver went through his body at her words. It was sweet, sweet victory. Hearing her call him that and finally acknowledge him felt better than anything he'd ever imagined. He hadn't realized he had wanted it so badly until the words danced on his ears. Enya was acknowledging him. He wasn't just her underling, following her will or doing her bidding. No, he was the one calling the shots and she had admitted it. He was finally walking beside her. He was her equal. Without even realizing he was doing it, his tail smoothly rose behind him, arching up over his back in a proud, dominant display. It felt good. Really good. He could feel her against him and his heart pounded. His breath was heavy as he tried to contain the rawness of his emotions that coursed through his veins. Was that her breathing he could feel or his own? Was it her heartbeat pressed against him that he felt pounding or was his own? And why was she touching him this way? He'd made a short-sighted decision to tease her, to imply,... to flirt. He had expected embarrassment. Or maybe more likely than embarrassment, he'd expected her to sass him and tease him right back. But not this. Was this a game or... the thought lingered, as he questioned whether this was simply a game they were playing back and forth, like cat and mouse, or whether he was the one who had misjudged the situation all this time. But despite his questioning, he couldn't deny how good it made him feel. The way she touched him; her confidence; the way she whispered in his ear: all of those things made him feel powerful, and it gave him an insatiable hunger deep in his belly. What was this hunger? This desire? Thought it had felt like eternity, letting the surge move through his body, only a short moment had actually passed. As her voice finished in his ear, he turned quickly to finally face her. Their noses were nearly touching and with a quick movement, shifted his weight backward to balance more on his hind legs and lifted one of his front legs. He moved to place his paw over her shoulder, near the base of her neck almost as though he was pulling her in for a hug. Just as quickly, he lowered his head, leaning in close, and pressed his mouth into the fur just behind her ear, letting his lips touch her as he let out a deep, low tone. "My Queen." The words were quiet - being that he was speaking directly toward her ear almost like a secret shared between them - but not quite a whisper. No, this voice was not a sly teasing whisper. It was a confident, commanding voice. "I always know what I'm doing."