well, I'm a lion in the haze and the lamb in the lightning
oh, these spears and chains of flames around my neck are tightening
Even though he had a home, a home seemingly abandoned and in turmoil but a home nonetheless, Alek still found himself wandering, his feral nature taking him far and wide on most days. Today, he had risen with the fog in the forest, his body damp from the humidity and pointed his dark nose to the border. He had shaken the rust from his coat and broke into a jog and then a gallop, and it was at this pace that he had travelled for most of the day. It had felt good to stretch out, to run, to wind his muscular body around the winding trees and beat out a new path, but now, the day having long folded, he felt exhaustion set in.
It was just the tendrils of it, sweeping through his belly and winding up his throat, and he welcomed the ache of it. His body was slick with sweat, the cool night air causing steam to rise off his haunches, and his eyes were fever bright. He loved this feeling, loved the lather on his neck, the heaviness of his body as he wandered, his belly full on the freedom. Sleep would be good tonight—dark and deep and endless.
He was reaching for it, almost there, when he heard her tears, the sound of them soft and eerie in the otherwise silent forest. For a moment, he considered ignoring them; after all, he had no obligation to hunt out an unknown female. But, curiosity took over and he began to search, following the source of the noise until he came across her, the small dark mare looking devastated. A frown crossed his handsome features as he took a step forward, predatory grace clear in the way he moved, markedly feline even in this form.
“Hello, love,” his voice was husky, his dual-colored eyes searching her face. “Make a habit of haunting these woods?” One corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked smile, although concern laced his expression.
Aleksandr