My Mind & I

[Lorcan Drach]

So she wasn’t married...But still. Lorcan could feel that something...wasn’t right. Like there was something else to that cocky smirk, like she knew something he didn’t and it made him uneasy. He didn’t like the fact she stood up and came towards him. His hand tightened on the blade of the knife, prepared to use it if she did something he didn’t like. He looked up at her, waiting for whatever she said.

He expected another joke. Hell, maybe even a seduction from the way she’d come to him. It was something she hadn’t tried yet, but no. What she did instead was give him a glimpse of her cards she apparently was holding.

Fucking.

Hell.

Lorcan Drach. His nostrils flared for a second at hearing his name. Granted he’d just given her his first name, but not his last. He’d given her a promise as a Drach to get her out of the territory alive, but there was no way in her knowing he was a Drach. Jayna. Was his first thought. The more and more the Wynfrid woman spoke the more panicked he became. He did well at blanking his face. He’d mastered the expression from he was a small boy. Any form of emotion, what so ever got you hit in his house hold. He was a pro. A master. But for a brief moment there was a flash of something in his eyes before it turned stone cold.

Jayna was his answer to everything right now. How else would she know such things? He hadn’t said who Jayna was. He supposed there was a chance the woman might have recognized her name, or just connected the dots, or something, but he’d been careful! So very careful to not say anything. Jayne had to have told her. Had to. His knuckles turned white from how tightly he held the knife. The anger that had taken him a week to get over, suddenly came raging back.

He didn’t dare move. He didn’t dare say anything. His silence for once was because he didn’t know what to say. The woman had rendered him speechless. Her words had sunk in alright. It had sunk in that he’d fucked up. Yet again. He was slipping further from the fragile control he kept over himself. Anymore he was afraid of the man he’d become. Of the type of man he could be.

Lorcan stared at the woman, as she said more of her peace. We’re the same. No. She was wrong. They were not the same. She was a wolf, he was a dragon. He would not be so easily swayed. She didn’t know what she was implying, what she was getting at. One did not go against Kaige Drach. To do so… Lorcan thought of his father, and how irritable he’d been lately. He was falling deeper into his insanity. There was nothing this woman could do to help him. He needed to know what she knew so he knew whether or not to take her to Kaige. He remembered the half hearted promise he’d made Jayna. That he wouldn’t take this woman to Kaige and yet…

He felt his muscles tighten as his anger coursed through his blood. He needed to go outside, shout his frustrations, his rage at Jayna, he...He didn’t know what to do. And not knowing what to do was not an emotion he liked to have. It made him feel helpless. And he would never feel helpless again. He couldn’t.

“You. Know. Nothing.” He forced out in barely a whisper. His lips barely moving as he spoke. It was the most he could do, any louder he knew he would lose it. “How can you help me? Are you Ookami Wynfried? Are you in a position to help a dragon. You don’t see it. You don’t know what he’s like. You don’t know me, or him. Me? Fearful?” Lorcan slowly stood, tossing her knife on the table as he pulled the chair out and away, and he came and stood in front of her. Getting in her face like he had when he promised her that he would get her out of here alive.

“I’m fucking terrified.” He whispered so low she’d have to strain to hear him. “Do I look like a man that fears anything?” He asked. His voice was eerily calm, but she'd be able to see the storm of rage, raging through his eyes that would indicate he was barely keeping a hold on it. From what she’d seen of him it would be clear to see he didn't fear anything from the scars that marred his body and how he held himself. “You want to know what I think my father is planning?” He growled out. “Total. Alsdage. Takeover.” He nearly spat out. “Thousands dead so he can sit on a throne.” He whispered. “You don’t know what he’s like. He cannot be stopped. If I take you to him, it gives him all the power he needs to start a war, if I let you go back? Possible war. Anything we do? War. Kaige will not be easily stopped by a smol infuriating little blonde woman from Wynfrid. So I ask again, what. The. Fuck. Can. You. Do. Ash?” He asked her. Searching her crystal blue eyes. He’d said to much, he knew, but at this point?

Fuck it all to hell.

[Aspen Wynfrid]

She could see the anger brewing, felt the air in the cabin change as the two seemed to return to the state they'd first met each other in. It seemed their stubbornness knew no bounds and both were evenly matched. She paid attention to his hand tightening on her dagger, paid attention to the way he stiffened, taking note of that very brief facial change as she spoke. She expected him to retaliate immediately, expected him to lunge at her. She'd prepared herself for it. Instead, he seemed to sit in silence for a moment, masking any other emotion other than the rage he felt inside. Her eyes narrowed on him when he finally began to speak and her jaw clenched as she let him say what he needed to.

He stood then, getting close to her, his face inches from hers like he'd done twice before already. She was becoming immune to this little tactic. She was growing tired of his temper tantrums. Aspen looked him dead in the eye as he continued, showing the same fearlessness she often did, not cowering to him at all. However, it was the whispering of those words that caught her off guard, nearly causing her to step back as he spoke them, her face twisting into confusion. But she held her ground, though her face softened as he spoke, slowly becoming an empty expression as her eyes narrowed again and her lips twitched ever so slightly into a frown. A million thoughts began to race through her mind at all she'd been told and for a moment she wondered just how deep she'd begun to dig her grave. When he was finished, she cleared her throat, never breaking eye contact.

When she was sure he was done, she took a step forward, her torso meeting his gently. Her face tilted upwards, placing her lips dangerously close to his. She could feel his breath against her skin. Her eyes drifted to his lips again as a hand moved to touch his cheek gently, eyes never rising again to meet his eyes. Her head titled slightly as if she were going to kiss him. Instead, she spoke - her voice sounded dark, malicious even, as she whispered, her lips nearly brushing his. "You think you're the only one that's terrified?" Her lips turned up in a sadistic smile as her hand gently traced down his neck. "That feeling of terror your feel right now? That's how I have felt about the fate of my people every. single. day since the Drachs killed the Morelings." She hissed, her words strained. Her hand had made its way to his chest, feeling his heartbeat, her voice softening. "Yet, I cannot bring myself to believe you are a monster, despite how much you terrify me." Her fingers curled back leaving only her index extended as she pressed it to his chest, stepping back until he was at arm's length. "I do not fear you taking my life." She began to explain. "I fear that I'll see you become a monster because of your own fears."

"You're hearing my words, but it is very clear to me that you're not understanding them." She said firmly, a hint of darkness shadowing her usually bright blue eyes. Her heart wanted to pound against her chest and seeing him so vulnerable now.. Her eyes glanced at his lips for a moment before her resolve took over. "I am not Ookami Wynfrid. But I can tell you that he would refuse to help you, Dragon. Just as he refused to help the Morelings those few years ago." Her tone was firm, hoping that he was getting the big picture. "Jayna and her father had come to our clan too, Drach." She spat. "For the very same reason they'd come to yours. Seeking allies, a treaty." Aspen huffed a laugh. "Ookami turned away a clan that we'd never had any bad blood with. Didn't bat an eye to their slaughter. What makes you think he would even consider helping a Drach, under any circumstance?" She hissed. "But I know someone who would. Someone who holds more power over her people than you realize, and she's standing right here in front of you as your prisoner." Her chin lifted in defiance at him.

It was true. Her father was following the path of Kaige Drach. He'd become dark, almost power-hungry. It seemed insanity was quickly taking the place of reasoning and it shook Aspen to her core. "One thing about the Wynfrid's that you should know, Dragon, is that we know our enemies well. We always know who holds the power and who's the next in line." She told him calmly, though the expression cast across her face was nearly threatening. "All I needed was your name." She smirked then, wondering if he was finally getting it. "Wynfrids will not start a war if I am returned. But if I am not, then you will see war." She dropped her hand then, sighing her frustrations. "You know, I really did want to help the Morelings. I single-handedly went to their aid, but I was far too late. I was the only one that wanted to help." Tears welled in her eyes now as she spoke passionately. "Do you know what that did to me?" She whispered. "Do you understand that seeing what I saw is what led me here?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side as she questioned him. "Somehow, my path crossed yours. The one person who wouldn't and still hasn't taken me to Kaige Drach. Who kept me locked away in secret despite how terrified and angry you were and still are." She finished, turning her back on him as she walked towards the bed, sitting down and finally feeling the weight of how exhausted she was. She ran her hand through her still wet hair and sighed again, waiting for his reaction. Waiting to see if the puzzle was starting to fit together in his mind.

[Lorcan Drach]

Lorcan’s eyes didn’t waver, nor did he blink when she stepped closer. If anything his eyes turned darker. Their eyes were a complete contrast of each other. He watched her eyes drift to his lips, however his eyes never left hers. He couldn’t. She had his full attention. Her touch was like an electric shock, his immediate reaction was a low rumble in his chest, sounding like a growl as he continued to watch her face. What. The. Fuck. He thought, his body reacted to hers, his back tensed and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss him. Why would she do that? To distract him? Take one of his knives? Stab him with it? What? She couldn’t fool him!

His eyes narrowed, and for a second he thought about stepping away. Moving her out of reach, stopping whatever this was, but he was frozen in place. She spoke then, and if had been any other man, he might of puddled under the sound of her voice. But he was Lorcan Drach. More so, he was Kaige Drach’s son, and this woman was preaching to the choir on terrified. Her hand on his neck sent a chill down his spine. Specifically as her fingers grazed the scar on his neck, that felt like she’d sent his nerve ending on fire.

He still didn’t move despite how much his body might have wanted him too. She was pushing buttons again, no not buttons. She was playing with the dragons fire, and if she wasn’t careful she was going to get burned. Or torched.

His eyes narrowed at her and he straightened to his full height so he was no longer at her level. Slowly pieces were coming together. He’d never talked to Jayna about her clan. And at the time, Lorcan hadn’t been Kaige’s second. He knew nothing about the other clans unlike Aemon had. Aemon had known things. When Lorcan had become his replacement, he had hardly been privy to anything Kaige wanted him to know. He supposed it was because Kaige didn’t think the time was right. His father guarded his secrets with tooth and claw, only letting those that needed to know things, and when they could be told, to himself. Apparently the Morelings had wanted other allies then the Drachs. “If his clan was going to get wiped out the same way the Morelings would and it could be prevented would he do it?” He shot back in response.

His eyes raked her up and down at her next statement, and he actually chuckled then. An actual laugh, that had his lips curling up, but it was more to make a mockery out of her than anything she funny she might have said. “Are you going to annoy them into helping a dragon, little wolf?” He asked, amused at the notion.

All I needed was your name. And how, had she gotten that? “And how, did you get that madadh-allaidh?” He asked. “I only told you my first name. Not my last.” He told her. His eyes narrowing. “Did Jayna tell you?” He asked. The way he asked it didn’t sound like a threat, but his earlier anger was returning as she spoke yet again of that night. He watched her turn away and go and sit on the bed. He could see how exhausted she was, but he didn’t care. She’s pushed buttons. Again.

He walked up to her, his body still tense from whatever little spell she’d cast over it, and he placed both his hands on either side of her before he leaned in. “There is a war, whether you return or not. The question is how we stop it.” He spoke. His voice was quiet, rough. “Did your soul leave your body that night? To be consumed by hatred and rage at your own father? To the point you didn’t even think who you were Killing, but that you wanted someone to hurt as bad as you were hurting? Did you see the light fade from your brothers eyes after he tried to help someone? Show mercy? That same person stabbed him in the back. Did you think that this whole thing could have been avoided if your father had been a man of his word and not a snake?” Lorcan’s voice had taken on such a quiet tone, it came out in a seductive husk as his eyes bore into hers, He was close enough their noses were touching, and he lightly traced his nose down the length of hers. Wanting to her see into his eyes. To see into his soul so she could see what that night had done to him. Pain. Grief. Rage. 

“That your brother would still be alive if he kept his word. So he could see his children grow? To be there for the birth of his child? Did your father tell you to get over it, and that if your brother hadn’t of been weak, he would be alive? That it wasn't his fault?” His voice cracked with the rage he felt at Kaige. His fingers curled into the blankets on the bed as his knuckled went white. “Did you die that night madadh-allaidh? Did you turn into the savage that everyone thinks you are? Did you?” He whispered harshly. “Do you know why I won’t take you to him. Why you’re here?” He whispered. He took one of his fingers to run it gently across her cheek bones. “Because if I did, and Kaige learn who you were,” He lightly trailed his finger gently down her cheek to her jawline. “He’d do the same to you what he tried to do to Jayna.” He whispered. “He’d find out who you are, and would. Eventually. They break. They always break.” He murmured. “He’d make you share his bed with him. Willing ot not.” He added. “Rape you, humiliate you, break you, and stomp out the light and joy from you. Maybe even the life.” His finger trailed to her chin, his eyes following his finger as it moved against her skin. “She would probably cut my tongue out,” He smirked. “But Jayna is a Dragon. Despite the beatings, the rapings, she keeps her fire, and Kaige has live with the scar she's given him forever. Like a true dragon. I’ve only seen one other person that no matter what Father did, he couldn’t break his spirit. In fact, Kaige pushed him so hard he finally retaliated.” He said amused, but there was anger and bitterness in his eyes. “Have you ever seen Kaige?” Lorcan whispered. “He’s blind, in one eye.” He said. His finger went up right above her right brow, and He slowly would trace a design into the right side of her face. “He was attacked. By my baby brother. Beat father to a pulp with a burning lute.” He grinned then at the memory, as the other three Drach brothers had stared in horror at the sight of their father's screams, and Jannik sitting on him as smashed his loot into his face repeatedly, but they’d silently cheered Jannik on. “His whole right side of his face is scarred. Burned. That brother is dead too.” He whispered. The amusement that had been in his tone left. Jannik was dead to them all.

Not being able to help himself his thumb gently ran over the bottom of her lip, as his fingers curled around her chin, and tilted her head up towards him. “Kaige will die. With a machete severing his head from his body so there is no chance of him ever returning. I will have my revenge for my brother. For his family. For Jayna’s family, for all the lives he’s costs for the sake of his greed. Now, madadh-allaidh, Tell me who you really are and how we stop a war? Because Kaige will not be killed so easily.” His breath washed over her face as lips barely brushed over hers. He pulled away then abruptly, before he could press them firmly against her own like he suddenly very much so wanted to. Nope. This was bad. To close. The little spell she’d put him under was wearing off. He wouldn’t kiss another. Not in this house. Not in Maja’s house. He backed up returning to his discarded chair, and sat down. Crossing his arms over his chest as he waited.

[Aspen Wynfrid]

No, he still wasn’t getting it. How disappointing. He was going to make her spell it out for him and with all that had been said already, what was the point? She was as good as dead already, she could feel it in her very bones. So then why should she say anything else? Why should she even care about what happened in this encounter? What did it change? At his question, she’d shook her head, though it had not been an answer; it was annoyance that caused her to shake her head from side to side. She nearly glared at him but instead let her gaze fall to the floor. He just wasn’t getting it. No. He wasn’t listening. That was even more disappointing. Ookami Wynfrid cared not for the fate of the other clans, only the fate of his own. With that, he thought himself and his clan stronger than any force that opposed them. Thought that they could take down the larger Drachs without the aid of others if it ever came to that. But her father didn’t know what she knew. Even more, he didn’t realize what she’d come to over the last week. There was so much that Ookami Wynfrid no longer understood because he didn’t dare believe that things around him changed, that the Drachs could ever be stronger than the Wynfrids.

Then he laughed - really laughed. But it wasn’t at anything she’d said or done. It was at her. Her eyes found him then, and the expression that clouded her face could only be described as a death glare. It was piercing as her eyes bore into him, her lips set in a hard line as her body tensed. What a stupid Dragon he was proving to be. So very fucking stupid. She supposed there was a reason dragons were only alive in myths and legends while wolves were very much real and feared by a vast majority of people. There was a reason wolves existed and dragons did not. If real dragons would be just as ignorant, perhaps they didn’t deserve to exist beyond legend. “Did Jayna tell you?” The fact he wasn’t listening only served to make her angry. He hadn’t heard a word she spoke, or at least, he hadn’t heard the ones that mattered. ‘Pathetic.’ She spat to herself.

When he moved towards her, arms on either side as he leaned in close, Aspen didn’t move, sitting still as a statue as she erased any form of emotion from her face. Had exhaustion not begun to set in, she may have kicked him, punched him, something. But instead, she sat, listening carefully, something he just couldn’t seem to do.

A snake. That was something Ookami was proving to be. Treacherous. Diabolical. Evil. He was becoming everything Kaige already was and Aspen had the unfortunate privilege of watching it happen right before her eyes. It made her sick to her stomach. He’d been a great man at one point in time, or so she’d thought. He’d been worthy of leading their clan, but now?

Lorcan’s nose trailed down hers, his eyes boring into her very soul and she did her best to keep her body from shaking. His closeness, the way he spoke - it disarmed her completely, rendering her helpless to a flood of emotions that began to wreak havoc inside her, compelling her to do something she shouldn’t. Something she’d never dare to do. He continued to speak as she sat stone still, taking a deep breath as she felt her heart constrict in her chest at his touch, her eyes closing against the sensation as a fire seemed to travel through her body. She did shake then, curling her own fingers into the bedsheets to steady herself and force her body to still once more. How could someone so… So callous, so coarse and cold be so gentle with his touch? Why did she find herself enjoying it? Her eyes flickered open, a bright fire burning behind them as he spoke of Kaige and what he’d do to her should Lorcan take her to him. She couldn’t stop her head from tilting, a sadistic smile spreading ear to ear across her lips as her eyes squinted slightly. He didn’t know that the wolfess had once ripped a man’s throat out with nothing more than her teeth. Didn’t know that Kaige would most certainly meet the same fate should he lay a finger on her in such a manner. He didn’t know what she was capable of. She’d never shown him. He’d never seen her covered head to toe in blood, screaming a blood-curdling scream as joy nestled in where horror and sorrow should have been for the fallen. He didn’t know how immensely the Wolf loved to kill those that dared threaten her, her family, the innocent. How it brought forth a sick sense of pleasure. He was clueless.

She looked away when he spoke of Jayna. She already knew how strong the Moreling was. Aspen could never be as strong as the Lioness. She could not have endured what Jayna had with the same dignity; no one could. Jayna was a different breed of strong and resilient. She couldn’t imagine seeing her family die, especially Lycus. While her heart would ache for Ookami’s death, she knew that Lycus’s would shatter her into a million fragments, never to be put together again. She would be an empty husk without him. She’d be nothing. Her brother was everything to her and knowing that Lorcan had lost his brothers made her imagine losing Lycus and her heart began to ache an unbearable pain in her chest at the very thought, glazing her eyes with tears though she continued to look away from the Dragon. But then, his finger found her bottom lip, tracing it gently and Aspen squeaked out a soft moan at the touch, her eyes finding his face again as his fingers curled around her chin, lifting her face towards him. As the words washed over her, she felt herself lean forward and his lips brushed her, causing hers to part ever so slightly as her eyes closed in anticipation for his lips meeting hers. She wanted it, craved it in that moment. But instead, he pulled away, moving back to the chair in which he’d earlier been sat. Aspen’s eyes remained closed, her lips pressing into a hard line as she breathed slowly, willing the tears, the craving, the pain and anger to stop.

For a moment there was silence as Aspen gathered herself and her thoughts, allowing her body to tremble now, the force of it causing the chain to rattle quietly. She opened her eyes slowly, letting them fall to the floor as she contemplated before she closed them again as she stood, using the bed to push herself up. The shaking slowly stopped and she moved to stand somewhat close to him. Not close enough to touch, but close enough that he would hopefully listen this time. “I told you, Dragon,” She said slowly. “The Wynfrids always know who is in charge and who is next in line.” She let the words sink in, hoping they would. “Well, I guess I should say I always know. Unlike my father, I do well to know my enemies, to know who my people shall face should the time come.” She swallowed against her words. “I’ve known about you for quite some time. I must admit, I never thought I’d meet you. At least, not like this.” Her fingers absentmindedly reaching towards her lips and she felt her heart pound against her ribcage, causing her gut to twist uneasily. “I have not felt your pain. I can admit that. I never want to. That is one of the many reasons I am here.” She whispered. “And despite seeing you as my enemy, I have not once attempted to kill you since my imprisonment here. Would you like to know why?” She asked then, moving forward so she was standing directly in front of him. “I see so much in you, Drekka.” She used her people’s old native tongue now. “So much good where you have let rage and bitterness reside.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, her expression looking sympathetic. “Ég sé sál þína.”

She found her strength, moving towards him so that their noses touched. Like he had before, she wanted him to see into her eyes, wanted him to finally really listen. “I cannot stop a war, but I can - I will help you fight it, Lorcan.” His name sounded seductive coming off her tongue. “I cannot stop your father on my own. I need your help. We can make a change.” She said, her expression soft as she looked at him with sadness and determination mixing into one another. “I will do whatever it takes to see your vision for Kaige through.” She whispered against his lips before drawing herself back though she desperately wanted to remain close, to feel his touch again, to feel his lips collapse into hers with the same fervor she felt inside herself. Her back straightened as she looked down at him. “You want to know who I am?” Her voice nearly cracked on the words as she whispered them. Then, with more strength, “I am Aspen Wynfrid. Daughter of Ookami Wynfrid, sister to Lycus Wynfrid. Beta of the Wynfrid clan” She revealed with confidence. “I am the only one that will risk my life for this, Drekka. I am the only one that will do whatever is necessary to prevent another slaughter. The only one that will save others from losing their families as you have lost yours. I am a warrior, fighting for what is just and right until the day I draw my last breath.” Her body was tensed as she spoke. She was sure she’d dug her grave. “Heyrirðu í mér, dreki?”

[Lorcan Drach]

His eyes narrowed as she stood up, and came towards him. His body going tense. He’d wanted distance between them, not for her to just come back and fill it in. Damn woman… He thought. He watched her come to a stop right before him, but with still some space. Good. He leaned back in his chair, giving more space.

She kept saying that, and yet Lorcan still didn’t have an answer to the burning question he had. How did she know the position he held within the Drachs? Aemon had been Kaige’s second the night the Morelings died, and after that, the Drach’s had gone quiet. Eerily so, as they huddled in the homestead. Not to mention, they were not buddy buddy with any of the other clans. As far as Lorcan knew, none of the other clans knew who he was. A Drach warrior sure, but anything more? Just how far had this wolf gotten into Drach territory? This was reason enough to send up a red flag. Patrols would need to more thorough, more frequent.

Good? She saw good in him? A corner of his mouth curled up into a smile. Good was not something Lorcan would call himself. There was amusement, but there was also something a bit darker. “Good? Get your eyes checked wolf, I’m not good.” Who could be good with a father like Kaige Drach? He was in disbelief. Lorcan was many things, a coward when it came to his father, a follower, someone who put his clan before all else. He was a weapon for his father to use like all the other warriors. He wasn’t even a good son. If he was, this Wynfrid would already be in Kaige’s clutches.

She came closer and Lorcan’s tense body just grew more tense as their noses were touching again. Her scent invading his nose. Push her back. Stand up. Leave. Go. Now, before you do something more stupid. He told himself, yet as his brain yelled at himself, his body didn’t respond. Instead he let himself get lost in those crystalline eyes of hers again. He watched her say her sweet words. Trying to break through his thick skull, and maybe they did, but it wouldn’t be that easy. “I will do whatever it takes to see your vision for Kaige through.” Her lips brushed against his and found himself growling. A low rumble coming from his chest. A warning, but it was disguised as want. She was casting that damn spell over him again, and if she wasn’t careful they were doing to do something they both might regret. At least him. His darkened as he stared at her, his body buzzing with energy. One slight head tilt and he could press his lips firmly against hers. He could release the pent up stressful energy that had been building since that night. It would be a moment of weakness. A weakness he couldn't allow himself to have. Something he couldn't afford. A path he was terrified to go down again.

She moved back finally, thank the gods, and Lorcan felt his body relax only slightly. He tilted his head curiously at her next comment. Already knowing she’d been lying, but pleased now she felt like she could finally tell him who she was. He was not prepared for what he received. Well fuck fuck, fuckity fuck. He had hoped she wouldn’t be that high on the totem pole of Wynfrid. Hoped she’d just been some hunter. That wasn’t the case, and she was gone a week already. Her clan would come looking for her if she was the chieftains' daughter, if they hadn’t already. Shit.

From what she said, she was the only one willing to do whatever it took to end Kaige. And what of her clan? Who there would be willing to stop the dragon? She was the only Wynfrid who willingly came to help the Morelings. What did that say about her clan? About Aspen’s word with said clan? One small wolf, two dragons and a lion were not going to be able to take out Kaige Drach. They’d have to plan. “And if you’re the only one willing to risk your life to avoid slaughter, what is that going to do?” He asked. His words were surprisingly gentle. “How much weight does your word actually hold with your people Aspen? If you the only that gives a shit, then what does that do for my people?” He asked. Her real name sounded way better then the name she’d given him. She looked like an Aspen, and not an Ash.

He stood then, pushing the chair into the table, and picked up her knife from where he’d tossed it on the table earlier. Placing it back in his belt at the small of his back. “I won’t endanger more lives to take care of a problem that should be dealt with by those that have allowed it to get this bad.” He turned to face her. Slowly approaching. If she allowed, he’d gently reach out to gently grip her chin while he looked down at her. His thumb resting against her chin. “This should be a Drach problem first before it becomes an everyone problem madadh-allaidh. We need to stop him before he gets the chance to hurt others. My clan will not accept outside help. We’re too proud, however.” His thumb ran over her bottom lip. “If my brother and I can find out what Kaige is really planning, what his real intentions are, we can plan from there. See what we can do. Figure out our options for how he dies. Until then,” He growled again. Clearly not thrilled with the idea, but he had no choice. “Stay here for a bit longer... Please," The word was so foreign to him. Lorcan had rarely used please in the last three years, and he'd said it for the first time ever to Jayna the night he'd brought her here. There was a weight to the word, that he hoped would show her how serious he was. "If you truly want to help, then stay. I promised you and I promised Jayna you would leave this territory unharmed and untouched by Kaige." His large body sighed then, as his thumb grazed her lip again. "I’d like for Jayna to go with you. So she can get the freedom she deserves, but the moment Jayna goes missing Kaige will lose his shit. He will send people to look for her. He will stop at nothing to get her back. I can’t risk it until I know for sure you both can go free without there being danger. Together. So...can you...be patient?” He asked softly, voicing his thoughts allowed while he searching her face.

[Aspen Wynfrid]

In an instant something seemed to possess the Wynfrid and, assuming he did not shove her away, her hand had found his chest, pressing hard into him as her fingers curled into a fist with the fabric of his shirt. She did not pull, instead she continued to push, her eyes growing brighter as she glared at him with a twisted smirk. It was almost as if something else entirely had taken over her very core. "I do not see these things with my eyes, Dragon." She hissed. "I sense them with my very soul." She leaned close to him, but not as close as they'd once been before. Her fist returned to a flat hand as her palm pressed into him again, feeling his heartbeat beneath her skin that caused her own heartbeat to stutter for a mere second. Her voice softened then. "You can deny it with words, you can allow your actions to speak differently than how you truly feel, it makes no difference to me. Sál mín sér þína." Suddenly she drew her hand back as if she'd been burned. The look that came across her face was that of shock and seemingly being lost as she stumbled a few steps back. Her other hand had curled around the wrist of the one that had touched him and she looked at it before looking at him. Whatever had consumed her had faded away in an instant, leaving her nearly breathless as she pulled her brows together, unsure of what to make of what had just happened. With her eyes wide on the Drach, she didn't know how he'd react. She didn't know if he'd attack her.

It came as a surprise when he spoke somewhat gently, questioning her as he'd done many times now. But this was different. There was something else there, Aspen just couldn't quite put her finger on it. As he spoke her name, she felt her body tense. The way it rumbled from his chest sent a thrill through her body that almost made her react. But, she steadied herself, taking a slow, deep breath. "My people know nothing of what I know. They are blindly following my father, believing every word that rolls off his tongue that they are safe." She said as he began to push the chair back to the table. "But they know that I take their safety more seriously than my father. They know that if I tell them something, it is true. They follow my father because he is their chief, but they trust me. They trust my brother." Her words trailed off slowly as he placed her dagger back in his belt. She eyed the blade, her lips pressing into a hard line as the thought of taking it from him crossed her mind momentarily. 'No, you need his trust..' She reminded herself. "If I tell them that I was here, that I have spoken with a Drach, if I tell them what you've told me, they will believe me. They will follow me." She assured him. "My father's commands be damned." She scoffed.

She'd began to speak again, to reassure him further, but he was already speaking, crossing the room between them. His hand found her chin, resting there gently. Her small hands pressed against his torso firmly. She wondered if he could feel her trembling through her touch. Wondered if he could see that spark alight in her bright eyes as she made eye contact. She wondered if he could see that desire that burned within her, wondered if he felt it too. She almost couldn't focus on his words. Her focus was lost further when his thumb trailed along her bottom lip. Her eyes closed against the touch, a fire beginning to spread through her entire body, roaring to life something that terrified and intrigued her all at once while a chill rushed down her spine, fighting with the fire for dominance. Her eyes had left his now, finding his lips as she tilted her head, trying to read his lips as his words sounded far off in the distance. Then a single word was muttered, causing her eyes to flicker back to his with curiosity. Had he really just pleaded with her? Her heart began to thunder against her ribs, causing her breath to catch in her lungs. A single shake rocked her small body, her words lost in the unfamiliar emotions that began to stir. 'Stay?' She repeated the words to herself, nodding slowly. "I will stay for as long as it takes." She whispered hoarsely, not really aware of what she'd said. There seemed to be a deeper meaning behind the words she spoke, but Aspen was so lost in those stormy blues of his that she hadn't noticed.

When his thumb ran over her lip again, she resisted the urge to kiss his finger, knowing that would only land her in hot water. Instead she listened, interested now as she seemed to return to her body, she pushed against him lightly, though her hands never left his body. She willed herself to break her touch, to push him as far away from her as she could muster, but her limbs refused to listen. "I never intended to leave without Jayna." She told him firmly. "She would remain here over my dead body." The words were whispered, heavy as she said them, weighed down by the truth and determination that were behind them. Then, he asked her a question and her face fell to the floor, even as he tried to search it. She moved away from him then, taking a few steps back, practically curling in on herself as her hands found her elbows. She didn't want to be patient. She desperately wanted to go home, to see her clan, Khan, her brother. A defeated sigh escaped her. Wolves were always patient. It was how their hunts ended successfully, how the strongest packs reamined the strongest. She sighed again. "Yes." She said simply, looking back up at him with a sad expression. It was clear that she wanted to cry in that moment. But, he'd seen her cry once, he wouldn't ever see it again.

[Lorcan Drach]

Her hands were firm against his chest, and Lorcan tried to ignore it, as well as try to keep his face blank. Not wanting her to see how pleased he was that she was willing to stay, and among other things. Her hands were warm, causing heat to spread across his torso, and he didn’t realize his eyes had darkened even more as he looked down at her. He subconsciously tilted his head the same she did hers. Mirroring her as his thumb kept rubbing against that bottom lip of hers, and why? It was quickly becoming a fascination, wanting to see what would happen if she’d parted those lips of her, wanting to see if she’d press her body against his so he could claim those lips and-

His hand dropped to his side. No, he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Not here. She pushed against him lightly, and he expected her to step back and away, only she didn’t. Her hands staid glued to his chest, and he wondered if she could hear the drumming of his heart from through the fabric of his shirt. He didn’t say anything about her wanting to take Jayna with her. Only nodded in understanding as his eyes stayed planted on her face. She moved away then, curling in on herself, and he continued to watch her. Could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes, and unlike last time, these stirred something in him. It was like a knee jerk reaction as she looked at him with that sad expression, and he wanted to instantly make it better. He wanted to put that annoying smile of hers back on her face, he-

He moved towards her again. With the elegant grace of any predator, his movements fluid as he slowly moved, not wanting to make her afraid. He needed the touch. The warmth of her hands on his chest again, he wanted to comfort her. If she allowed, Lorcan would with the gentlest of touches he normally only used on his sisters, would pull her into his arms. Resting her head against his chest while one hand rested on the back of her head and the other on her back. It was incredibly stupid, to let her get this close to him. But he would have to trust her now. If she wanted to work together, he’d have to trust her, and she would have to trust him. His head bent, and he pressed his lips onto the top of her head. “It won’t be long.” He murmured softly. If hugging her was stupid, what he did next was the stupidest thing he’d ever done in the entire world. But it was like he’d been possessed. Like his movements weren’t his own, and cupped one of her cheeks with the hand that had been at the back of her head, and looked down at her. “I promise.” He whispered. In that next moment, the distance was closed, and the thing he’d been telling himself he couldn’t do, he disobeyed and did it anyway. His lips pressed against hers, and it was like he was hit by a runaway horse. His chest began to burn, but he ignored it. Sealing his promise with a kiss. He dared not do it anymore. His lips were gentle but firm. A burning need to deepen it was all but consuming, and Lorcan quickly realized he was in dangerous waters.

Get out. Now. A voice that was not his own screamed into his mind. His hands went to her hips, and rather then pulling her into him like he wanted, he was pushing her back. He ripped his head away like she’d burned him, and in that moment he was there, and then wasn’t. Turning as he fled from the room, and out of the cabin without so much as a word, as he fled from whatever the thing was that had possessed him to kiss her.

[Aspen Wynfrid]

He pulled her into a hug and she felt herself sink into him, her arms wrapping around his muscular frame as she squeezed him tightly. It was the only thing that kept the tears from falling down her face. Using all the strength she could muster, she willed them away. He would not see her cry again. He couldn't. She was not weak and he did not get to believe she was weak. Not after everything he'd put her through in such a short amount of time. She'd maintained her sanity, for the most part. She told him what he wanted to know, but only when she wanted to tell him. It was clear that emotions to him were a weakness and she was not weak. Even still, the feeling of his gentle embrace nearly made her melt. He was warm as his arms wrapped around her, holding her head to his chest while the other found her back. But it was also strange, the way he comforted her. Why was she relishing in his comfort? For the second time since their encounter, she found herself feeling calm in the arms of the enemy.

However, that calm was short-lived as her blood froze when he spoke, his lips against the top of her wet hair. She could hear his heart thundering in his chest, mirroring her own rapid heartbeat. He cupped her face with his hand then and as she looked up at him, she felt her heart immediately constrict. That look in his eyes.. No.. No, no, no. "Lorcan.." His name was whispered on her lips as if cautioning him. But it was already too late. His lips had already met hers and she felt herself sink into him further. A soft gasp escaped her and again a fire began to spread through her body once more, warming her where her blood had frozen in her veins. She met his kiss with the same gentleness, though her body had begun to press into his as her hands found his chest, her fists curling into the fabric of his shirt, threatening to pull him into her. But just as soon as the kiss had begun, it ended. Her eyes remained closed for half a second, even as he pushed her away from him by her hips. The sound of his footsteps caused her eyes to flutter open, though the narrowed on his back as he disappeared from her line of sight. "After all that, you're still going to leave me chained?!" She called after him. But as she heard the cabin door click closed, a look of surprise crossed her features and she groaned. "I'm going to kill him, I swear to Mother Earth." She whispered to herself, plopping to the floor with her face in her hands. What the fuck just happened?