Alpha and Omega (SilverDreamer x JacksAreWild)

"Getting her the damned steak would of been far wiser...."The thought crossed her mind before all coherent thoughts seemed to be evacuated from her mind. Her human counter part sought to simply submit in some ways but her wolf side certainly was not ready to give in without making it quite clear who the alpha was here.

She felt her force her weight downward rather than upwards so that their bodies equally pressed against each others. Perhaps Azura's slight saving of grace was the fact she at least still had the barrier of dress to act as a barrier against Sasha's thrusts. It did not help too much but it did at least prevent her form being fully exposed to what it would be like if she had been bare.

Sasha seemed to have made a mistake herself as her lower body rubbed against Azura's own, perhaps not helped by the gentle friction of the dress and she heard her breathing change once more and saw the wolf side start to win out in what ever inner turmoil this situation was creating within her.

Azura breathed in deeply in an halfhearted attempt to calm herself down but all she ended up doing was breathing in the mingled scents of both hers and Sasha's arousal. She seemed to give up as she made her body relax beneath Sasha as she felt her lift her hands up above her head and pinned them to the mattress. For now she seemed unable to do anything in return to the young wolf and that frustrated her until the point she let out a loud, throaty growl and bucked her hips upwards to add to the friction between her Sasha.

Her own breathing quickened as she felt Sasha's hand in her hair and then felt her fingers tighten and move her head to the angle Sasha sought. For some reason the fact that Sasha had not simply backed down added to her arousal and made her wolf grin at the fact Sasha had shown she would not simply give in either. She was not acting like a normal Omega would which left Azura a little uncertain in what lay ahead of them in the next three weeks but she pushed that concern away for now.

In truth seconds later Sasha's act made it leave her mind without looking back as lips and teeth found her neck. AT first she froze and her breath caught in her throat as she tried not to react too much but the kisses and nips made her groan and her hips started to buck upwards once more. The ache between her legs became an unbearable itch that was not properly being scratched.

Then Sasha bit down on the sensually sensitive flesh and began to suckle on the skin. Azura was quite certain this was not a mark of dominance any she had seen inflicted were meant to hurt the one that lost in the duel. This one though was very different. It was not pain that coursed through her form but pleasure and the awareness that she was being marked as Sasha's!

Her hands tightly gripped Sasha's hand as her legs kicked out along the mattress in equal pleasure, enjoyment and frustration but the act was useless. Her breathing had become nothing more than pants and groans and she felt the wolf run out of it's shell as her body started to change. Nails once more became claws and teeth sharpened and lengthened.

She slid one foot to the side of the bed and against the wall so it acted as a prop to help her push both herself and Sasha over. She used the added strength from the semi change to help her and decided it was her turn to be on top once more. There was that small voice that wanted her to give in, wanted her to submit especially as Sasha clearly wished to be in charge but she was not ready for that yet.

Finally she got a good foot hold and pushed against the wall to force them both onto their sides and then gently over once more so that Sasha was on her back but they were also finely balanced at the edge of the bed. She pulled both hands free from the single hand that held them and one hand sought the fine, cocoa coloured strands of Sasha's hair, gently and carefully she tilted her head back until her throat was exposed as if that was her target.

At the last moment though she slid down along Sasha's form and placed her mouth on her chest, just where the skin rose at the firm swell of her breasts and nipped down lightly. Her tongue moved against the skin before she truly bite down on the flesh. If Sasha was going to mark her, then Azura's wolf side was perfectly content in returning the gesture.

She did not attempt to Pin Sasha's hands down incase they did end up slipping but her right hand settled on Sasha's other breast, her fingers gently stroked along the pale flesh up to her nipple but did not actually brush the most sensitive point but in fact decided to tease her by circling the skin instead.

Sasha was far too focused on leaving hickeys and bites all along Azura’s clavicle in some sort of makeshift necklace or collar of ownership in order to notice the change that was going through the willing prisoner beneath her. Well…perhaps not too willing, because soon the young guard found herself on her back, becoming paralyzed as Azura’s fingers ran through her hair. The Alpha’s claws scratched pleasantly against the guards scalp and coaxed out a soft, needy whimper as her head willingly tilted into Azura’s hand, seeking more of the pleasant touch and baring her neck to the other woman. Her neck wasn’t that sensitive, and she was sure that she could deal with whatever little bite the Alpha was going to give her in an attempt to reassert her dominance. But what surprised Sasha was that Azura was not marking her neck, but marking her in a much more intimate place!

“Azura!” The gasp was followed by a low, throaty moan as silken lips pressed against the upper swell of her breast. Sasha’s nipple was teased with a touch that was oh so close but not quite enough, making her tremble and her skin prickle with excitement. Still not yet ready to concede and lay still, the guard’s back arched up, pressing her more firmly into Azura’s form as she tried to get those fingers to play with the hardened pebbled flesh of her nipple instead of just toying with her. Sasha let her left leg fall off the bed, finding a foothold on the cold floor so that they didn’t fall off the bed. She also used it as a point of leverage so that she could pick up a slow, steady grind with Azura, pointedly rocking her hips in a way that she knew it would stimulate the Alpha’s sex and distract her. Strong arms encircled Azura, another low, gutteral growl rumbled from her throat and--…

”What are we doing...” The thought finally managed to escape from Sasha’s more rational mind and with it came a tidal way of realizations. Azura didn’t belong to her, she belonged to Lazarus. Sasha had no right to be marking her friend as her own. And that’s what they were only to be, correct? Just friends? The Alpha was getting married in three weeks. In three weeks she would have to give Azura up…and if they made love, if they were eachother’s firsts…it would be so much harder to say goodbye forever than it was already going to be.

Her uncertainty soon blossomed into all out fear as she looked down at her own form which had begun to shift too far without her meaning to. Her skin was more or less covered in soft, snow-white, fur. The hands that held Azura began to feel more clumsy, like paws, and now the sudden realization that the Alpha would see her wolf’s form made her grow nervous. At least if she were in her human form they could share intimacies that didn’t involve deflowering the woman who’s virginity she was supposed to be protecting in the first place!

But Sasha didn’t want that right now…she wanted to be buried inside of Azura, to be as close to her as possible by joining with her, to claim the Alpha undeniabley as hers. But she couldn’t… Well, correction, Sasha shouldn’t

“Azura…please…” Sasha’s words were difficult to understand. Her blue eyes were pleading, her body was frozen, as though terrified that the slightest movement would cause something to brush against something else and then she would be launched headfirst into her full wolf’s form. “I need…” ”…you”! ‘I need you Azura’ Say it! Tell her!” “I can’t…” Sasha whispered, half to herself. “Please…release me…”

Fire seemed to lick through her veins when she felt Sasha started to buck up against her. To make it even worse the dress had bunched slightly between her legs and no barrier was going to protect her. The material rubbed against her sex and she could feel the heat from Sasha's sex which simply added to the sensation. A low growl escape her mouth as she set about placing another mark on Sasha's breast. She could almost feel each on that Sasha had left burn on her skin and she counted at least three. She felt two was the bare minimum payment in return for such claims.

The heat of her blood seemed to rise and she could feel Sasha trying to shift her position so that her fingers grasped a nipple but Azura managed to avert her fingers at the last second each time despite the temptation. Her tongue continued to tease at the new patched of flesh caught between her teeth and the sound of Sasha gasping out her name made her happier than she had thought she had been previously.

Feminine but strong arms seemed intent on either holding her against the form beneath her or at least restrict her movements and Azura only assumed that Sasha was going to try and turn the tables again but all that changed in a moment.

The way she spoke her name again did not have the surprise nor the pleasure the previous one had, her form seemed to have turned to ice beneath Azura's and when Azura broke the bite and looked into Sasha's gaze it felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. In fact it felt as if she had been dumped in the icy lake of a week ago..in fact that would of been warmer!

Azura skin flushed bright red as realization dawned on what they had come so close in doing. "I am sorry..I didn't mean to..my apologies...I... we....." In truth she did not know what else to actually say. "What the hell are you saying..? Tell her you want her, that this is not simply...sex..."

Sasha looked so utterly terrified though and Azura assumed that some how the Omega was terrified of her. Her gaze moved down to the marks she had left on Sasha's form , they would likely ache for days. No wonder she was so scared. Had she been too rough..? She did not know. All she knew was Sasha wanted no more and she cared too much to do anything but what she requested.

As carefully as possible and as if Sasha had some how transformed into delicate crystal she separated their forms without actually noticing the truth already too ashamed of herself.

Instantly the wolf within seemed to flee from her and the canine characteristics became wholly human as she turned away from Sasha. Her body felt cold and her soul suddenly felt old as without another word in case the calm facade broke further she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her gently.

The grey dress she had created had been forgotten as Azura leaned against Sasha's door and closed her eyes. She felt her throat constrict and her eyes water but she blinked away what tears threatened to spill and made her way back to her room. She quickly stripped out of the dress that stank of Sasha's scent and changed into another one. She did not want the reminder of what had been happening until she had some how spoiled it. "Not that you should of been doing anything. Lazarus remember? Your betrothed...three weeks...wedding? Pack promises..Any of this familiar? Your pack needs you to do this..?" The reminder made her feel even worse as it made her feel selfish as well as guilty but she could not recall wanting anything for herself since she knew what her fate was until now.

She had not wanted anyone because she knew she could not have them. She had blocked out such wants and feelings. Part of reason she always seemed so cold and serious until this trip but Sasha had managed to break through that barrier.

Exhaling slowly she pulled the barrier back in place, piece by piece while reminding herself this was surely for the best.

Once she felt safe in her bubble she walked out the room and down to the bar. She needed a drink, in fact she was going to need a few. Putting some coins on the bar she smiled at the bar maid. "Your strongest mead please." She ignored the reflection of herself in the mirror behind the woman and pretended she could not feel the warm and tormenting aches of Sasha's marks on her neck.

“A-Azura. I-I…” Sasha stammered, trying to interrupt the Alpha as she began to apologize. Azura honestly thought this was her fault? That couldn’t be further from the truth! If anything it had been Sasha that had instigated the whole thing! Gyah! She hated her wolf! For the first time in her entire life, she wished that she had been born a human!

The other woman was out the door before the guard’s mind finally recovered to the point that she could articulate real words. This was a mess…she had forgotten her place and look where it hard gotten her. She should have just gotten into the dress as the Alpha had said, rather than try to challenge her. Sasha was only an Omega after all, a lowly guard…she should have just yielded and obeyed orders like she was supposed to. Confused, upset, and about two seconds away from some frustrated tears, she took in a deep breath, blue eyes focusing on the silver piece of cloth that was still hanging up on the back of her door. She had seen Azura working on it…even though the Alpha had been as secretive as she could be about it. It would be a shame to let all her friend’s hard work to go to waste…and even worse if she were to back out on her end of the deal.

After washing up a little bit and putting on some of her perfume to mask Azura’s scent that still lingered on her, Sasha was ready to put on that dress! And after some tugging and pulling, she actually had it on and everything was in place. She felt naked…so very, very naked. She felt more naked than when she was actually naked!

Sasha twirled about infront of the full-length mirror in her room, whimpering softly as the skirts followed her movements, reaffirming the fact that she was in a dress. This was not how she saw herself! Ever! All Sasha had ever seen before was a tomboy, wearing pants and raised by men ever since she had been six and her mother had passed away. How was she supposed to fight anything in this thing?! Blue eyes looked down, wondering where on earth she was supposed to put her sword. Would the brown belt and scabbard go with delicate silver material?

There was no reassuring weight, nor feminine-hiding layers. For the first time in years she looked in the mirror and saw a young woman with an hour-glass shape, supple breasts, and a toned rear. Was this what Azura wanted to see…?

”SHE’S NOT INTERESTED!!” Well...maybe she was interested it. But it didn’t matter. What good would it do her to wonder anyways? Azura was promised to someone. And though it angered her that her friend was to be traded for an alliance like an object rather than a person, it was not her place to do to anything about it. With a soft sigh, Sasha tried to quiet the errant thoughts of her mind. Azura had probably just wanted to give her a dress that suited her as consolation for having to wear it in the first place.. The dress showed off her form, but was not binding. The neckline was modest, but still clung to her just enough to show off every curve and valley of her body. And Sasha really did like the color…the fact that her friend had been so thoughtful made her smile a bit and she resolved to go find her.

After checking her room and not getting any sort of response, nor did she hear any sort of signs of life from beyond the door, Sasha went downstairs, figuring that Azura was getting dinner. Her lips pursed into a frown as she noticed the Alpha drinking alone and she hurried down the stairs, wove through the bustling bar, and then reached out, gently placing her hand on the small of Azura’s back to catch her attention.

“Hey… I’m…I’m sorry about earlier. It was not your fault, none of that was your fault. I just…my wolf.” Sasha bit her bottom lip, wishing that she could just tell Azura everything. But she didn’t want her traveling companion to have to worry. Sasha had been assigned because Azura’s father had thought that she was purely female…she didn’t want to do anything that would cause doubt. “I didn’t want to hurt you by accident…I was just worried that I would shift and…” Sasha sighed and slid into the barstool next to her. She would never hurt Azura, but if a little white lie was what was needed to help put her charge at ease, Sasha would say it.

“Now…I believe one of the conditions of this bet was that you would buy me a drink as part of my consolation prize?” The brunette asked with a smile.

Azura was quite aware she had made mistakes in the past. It was human and natural for such to happen. She knew she had also been foolish and had let herself get carried away when the playful acts between herself and Sasha had become something more. She should of simply ordered her in the dress or left her to get into the dress. She had known Sasha would get into it eventually even if only to settle her payment on the bet. Yet she had been foolish enough to straddle he, had been foolish enough to attempt to tickle her while knowing that Sasha was naked beneath the blankets. While she also knew Sasha had been the one to initiate the bite she felt the guilt because secretly she knew what she wanted and had in truth been unaware of how Sasha had felt.

Yet Sasha had returned to the thrusts, the growls and had certainly not declined Azura when the situation had started to twist out of their control. She had been just as willing and wanting as Azura and perhaps it was that understanding once she was in the bar that scared her most. What ever Azura felt was not purely only her. Sasha to some degree felt the same way.

She lifted the glass of mead up once it was placed before her and emptied the glass within a few seconds and asked for another just as a soft lull seemed to enter the bar. She assumed someone well known in these parts entered though she had not felt a chill form outside as she would of expected. It was only when she caught the reflection of Sasha approaching the bar did she realize why the room had fallen still. She certainly was going to need another drink or two if only to curb the wave of desire that suddenly washed over her. If she thought the barrier she had put in place was some type of shield against Sasha and the effects the young woman was having over her, that moment proved to her how feeble it really was.

The dress had clung as she had expected it to, it gave Sasha a sense of sexuality without being slutty and a air of mystery. She saw several of the men int he bar and women watch as she walked across the room. When she felt Sasha;s hand on the small of her back she had to fight the urge to jump off of the stool and lean into the touch.

She did not want to look at Sasha, she knew that if her reflection alone had such an affect on her than her true form would be even worse. None the less it would be rude of her not to.

She turned to Sasha and smiled carefully, civilly and calmly while a whirl wind of emotions tore her apart within. Had Azura marked Sasha's neck minutes ago then the dress certainly would not of covered it and for a moment Azura wished she had marked her there, made it clear that Sasha was owned and who by. That she belonged to some one. "You can not have her! She is not yours, you are not hers and remember she was the one that made it clear she was not interested ? Get a handle over yourself woman!"

She sighed at the inner annoying voice as she fought to turn her gaze away from Sasha. "The dress suites you." She finally managed to say after Sasha spoke about her wolf side. Perhaps it was for the best that they pretended nothing had happened. To carry on as they had before..right?

At the mention of a drink Azura gave Sasha a warm smile and then looked tot he bar maid and indicated for her to get Sasha anything she wanted. Azura kept her gaze lowered so she did not have to see Sasha's reflection in the mirror. "Do not concern yourself with what happened before. You made the right decision and at least one of us was in enough control of ourselves to stop what was happening. Besides it would of been a huge mistake if we had, wouldn't it?"

She let the question hang between them as the barmaid got Sasha her drink. Azura felt cruel for using those words but she knew she had to make sure nothing happened again and if that meant angering Sasha, she could handle that. She was already uncertain how she was going to let her go when they reached Darcia. How would she handle their parting if she knew what it was like to have Sasha as her mate?

She knew already that the next three weeks were going to be hell and she deserved no less for her errors. She looked to Sasha out of the corner of her eye and inwardly sighed. The Omega was beautiful, in the dress or in her armour. The dress simply amplified her beauty in a way the armour did not. Azura knew she would love to see the Omega dressed in nothing but rags and dirt just because she loved her.

"Let the next three weeks pass quickly please...help me Gaia...help me forget her when the time comes..."She tipped up the second glass and enjoyed the warm heat the alcohol filled her form with.

“Y-yes…of course…a mistake…” Sasha’s voice grew quiet and it was easy to hear the hurt in her words as she responded to Azura’s statement. Of all the things that came to mind when she thought of sleeping with the Alpha, a mistake was not one of them. She knew that it was irresponsible, selfish, dangerous even… but a mistake… No, it would not have been a mistake at all. Making love to Azura would be perfect, she knew it would be. It was just the consequences that came afterwards would be horrible. She was certain that Lazarus and his family would have her head if he found out, and if he did not, then Azura’s father certainly would.

Her heart ached so much that she did not trust her voice to stay steady, and so she kept silent for awhile, eyes glued to the ale that she had ordered, pretending to be very interested in the yellow-brown liquid that filled her mug. She downed the rest of it and then ordered another. It was not often that Sasha drank, and she already felt the warmth of the alcohol flowing through her system. Maybe she should order dinner to keep from getting drunk? Nah! Then she wouldn’t have room for more ale… The guard attempted to pay for her second drink herself this time, but a young man had apparently seen her place her order, and took this opportunity to approach. He was handsome, tall and muscled with short, neatly kept black hair. He smelled like werewolf and was dressed in a guard’s uniform.

“Good evenin’ Miss.” He gave the brunette his best charming smile. He also gave one to her friend, for the sake of being polite, but because the thinner girl’s neck was marked, he figured that she belonged to someone already and so his eyes stuck closely to the curvier girl in the silver dress. His eyes glanced between the two of them and he figured that the auburn haired girl was an Alpha and the brunette must be her lady in waiting. “My name is Ty. Mind if I buy you a drink?”

“Hmm?” Sasha looked over to the young man, blinking in confusion. Why on earth would a complete stranger want to buy her a drink for no reason…? “Oh…wait…dress…hah…” “Oh, er, no, I, ah…thank you. But no…thank you, Ty.” Sasha’s cheeks turned pink at her own embarrassment at being unable to articulate a proper sentence.

“Aw I don’t bite. Not unless you want me to.” The young guard teased gently, finding the way the female’s cheeks turned pink quite endearing. “But, if you change your mind, let me know.” He said, nodding over to the table that him and a couple of his friends were sitting at.

Her cheeks turned absolutely scarlet at the realization that she was being hit on and she shyly looked away. “Ah…thank you…perhaps another time…” How do you politely tell someone to go away? She didn’t know! Thankfully the guard picked up on the fact that she wanted interested pretty well and merely gave her a short bow, another smile, and then left to go sit back down with his comrades that bought him a beer to ease the pain of striking out.

After the young man had left, she scooted her chair closer to Azura’s, much like how a shy child will move to hide in the safety of their mother’s skirts. Usually Sasha would gladly chat with other travelers and strangers. But something about being in this dress made her feel vulnerable and shy... Plus she had the suspicion that the gentleman that had approached her was hoping for much more than just a friendly dinner and a little conversation. Men would never approach her like that back home. They were terrified of her father, the Captain of the Guard, to even look at her. Or they were her friends, who knew of her preference for women over men (but still liked to flirt sometimes, if only to make Sasha flustered).

“Hide me! This is all your fault!” She whispered softly to Azura. It was like she could feel the eyes on her. Sasha was not used to attention. It was as though people were conditioned to not notice guards, they saw the uniform and paid as much attention to her as they would a stick of furniture. “I do not think I like the attention I get when I’m wearing this. It’s…strange…”

Azura inwardly winced at the pain she heard within Sasha's voice but she managed to keep her face masked in a look of calm. She to felt that if they had of continued she would not of regretted the act. Had they of mated, that would not of been a mistake. From what they were doing to each other and how it had felt up until the moment Sasha had froze..it would of been.."wonderful? Life changing? Mind blowing...need I go on..?" Her thoughts writhed and turned on themselves. Her conscience fought with her desire. Her mind quarreled with her heart and she was left feeling a mess in between it at all.

It would be the aftermath that that would make it...unwise. She knew that her pack certainly would not be happy. The Captain of the guard would likely be after her heart on a platter...and Lazarus's family would gain the right to throw Azura out of Darcia under the claim of her being a rogue wolf. That would put herself and most certainly Sasha into too much danger. While at that moment she truly felt sorry for herself and desperately wanted that which was forbidden. She was not going to risk Sasha's life for hours of lovemaking.

She looked to the man as he spoke. In truth his appearance was too neat for her liking and she returned the polite smile with one of her own. It was only when she saw his gaze move to her neck briefly did she return her gaze to the mirror. In the reflection she noticed one of the marks Sasha had imprinted upon her was now showing. Carefully and discreetly she lowered her hand to the dress collar and pulled it up to cover the darkened skin. Sasha had certainly left an impressive collection marks on her neck which was going to take days to heal completely.

Thankfully Sasha seemed distracted by the males not too discreet attentions which while Azura smiled inwardly felt like a blade to the back. She kept silent and simply watched out of the corner of her eye as Sasha and Ty spoke. Azura was not certain she could watch if Sasha decided to spend the night with another but she was not going to stop her either. Sasha had every right to bed who she wished be it for the night or a life long relationship....well everyone except Azura and Azura knew not all of her kind were ruled by pacts and agreements between packs. She felt a strange sensation that burned in her throat and wondered if she felt jealous? She had no desire for the males attention she knew that and was quite content in not being the centre of attention.

Was she a possessive were..? Well to some extent they all were. Mates were marked just as territory was but Azura never imagined herself to feel nervous or angry should any mate of hers draw attention. It took several minutes before she realized it was not quite that either. What irked her was the fact she could not openly state her claim on Sasha. In no way could they actually belong to each other publicly..or even privately now.

Sasha made the moment a little worse as she suddenly seemed to be right next to Azura and with each breath drawn in through her nose Azura could smell her scent. The oils Sasha had used had not quite fully covered and masked the scent of arousal from before. Before she quite knew what she was doing Azura felt her senses heightening. Her pupils dilated as she turned her gaze to Sasha properly.

"You are not meant to hide Sasha." She whispered faintly as she leaned in close so the words were only heard by Sasha herself and none in the room that had heightened hearing. "You are beautiful and amazing, loyal and self sacrificing. You should not hide but be proud of who you are and what you look like." She tried desperately not to breathe in while so close to Sasha's skin even though she greedily wanted to place her fingers against Sasha's chin and turn her to face Azura, to lean forward and place her lips upon Sasha's mouth until Sasha groaned with pleasure as she had before.

Instead she pulled back and finished of the third drink of mead that had been put before her. "When you claim your mate, they shall be an extremely lucky person." She finally managed to add as she rose to her feet. " I am going to get a meal before the food runs out. Would you like to join me?"

She turned her gaze about the inn and despite her words just seconds ago she noted the kitchen and dining area was darker than the bar, the tables had been given an element of privacy with booths and while she felt Sasha had no reason to hide her potential, she was not going to make Sasha feel uncomfortable either. "Perhaps you will feel more comfortable with a full stomach."

She tilted her head towards the more covering area that would not remove Sasha from sight but perhaps put her at more ease.

Sasha’s ears turned absolutely scarlet at Azura’s sweet words. No one had ever said anything so nice about her in her entire life (well, perhaps her father had, but he had to because he was bound to her by blood). She did not know how to take the heartfelt compliments that Azura had given her. “Thank you Azura…that means a lot to me that you think so highly of me.” Sasha whispered softly, turning her head so that she may look at the Alpha so that the other woman knew how sincere she was. That was a big mistake. She immediately felt the urge to fling her arms around Azura and show her how much those words had meant to her. Words were not enough, they would never be enough. Even though she could hug Azura as only a friend, she knew that would not be enough either. If she had the other female in her arms, she would want to kiss her, to capture those lips that she had longed for ever since she had seen the other woman smile… Thankfully Azura pulled away before she leaned forward the three inches and actually did carry out her heart’s desires.

”Heh…when I claim my mate…” Sasha snorted inwardly at the comment. Her fictional mate would be sorely disappointed to find that she was male one way and female in another. While Miss Esme and her parents had assured her that it was a blessing, that her traits were so strong and desirable that her body had chosen to keep both genders in order to be assured that she could pass on those characteristics, she did not feel the same way. It was a curse. She was already different because of her preference towards women, she didn’t need to be more different by having extra bits and pieces that she did not want. What wolf would want a creature that had two genders?

”Well…Azura might…” She supposed the thought was true. The Alpha was to be mated to a male and had not seemed to have any qualms about it before. Over the week they had been traveling, she had expressed no dislike for Lazarus (though neither had she really expressed any liking for him either). Azura seemed to be slightly attracted to Sasha (at least enough to not slap her across the face whenever the Omega pushed boundaries). Would she love a werewolf that walked between genders as easily as she walked between her forms? ”Tell her!” The thought was wild, reckless, headstrong, and she knew that it came from her wolf. But she was too scared to obey. What if Azura saw her wolf’s form and laughed? Or worse, told someone and Sasha was cast out for being an abomination? As irrational as her fears may be, she was content to keep her big mouth shut just incase the worst came to pass.

“Yes….dinner sounds wonderful.” Sasha said after a moment. Maybe Azura was right, maybe some food would make her feel more comfortable. Perhaps her nerves were just rattling about because of the lack of food in her system. So she drank the last of her ale and moved to stand. It was easy to see that the alcohol had had an effect of her. Usually Sasha walked with the measured step of a guard, but now, as she made her way to the table, her posture had relaxed, letting her hips sway alluringly with each step she took, turning a couple of heads of a couple of males, (and even one or two females!) in the process. Though, now she was pleasantly tipsy enough that she didn’t feel the looks any longer.

She slipped into an empty booth so that she could sit across from Azura and caught the eyes of the waitress, who nodded that she would be right there in one moment. Sasha turned her gaze to Azura while they waited. “Do you love him?” The words were out of her mouth before she even knew what happened and she paled slightly when she realized just what she had asked. “Y-you don’t have to answer that…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have asked…”

Azura's noted how Sasha's ears changed colour so drastically at her positive words and was wondering if she should say the rest of the compliments that were in her head. She decided that would simply make the situation worse and dismissed the notion within seconds. Azura smiled as Sasha's words and could not help but wonder if anyone had told her such remarks before. As Sasha turned to look at her she felt her heart race and the urge to lean forward and put her mouth against Sasha's increased. It was only the look of extreme focus that followed Sasha's words that actually made her pause long enough to regain control. Sasha seemed for a moment torn and as if something was going to be said but moments passed and nothing came.

Azura simply smiled as Sasha finished her drink and agreed to come and eat with her. She let Sasha move ahead of her and once more instantly regretted where her attention kept diverting to. Sasha's hips moved with grace she likely had no idea she held, the seductive sway made Azura have to bite down on her tongue, her fingers curled into her palms and for a minute she had to close her eyes and stare blankly at the back of her eyelids. Her fingers ached with the desire to grip those hips and pull Sasha's form against her own.

Even her pelvis seemed to ache with longing and want to have Sasha's form back against her own. Yet Sasha seemed genuinely and completely oblivious to the affects she was having on those in the inn. That fact made Azura adore her that little bit more. Once she forced the desire down she sat at the table on the opposite side as if putting a piece of wood between the pair would act as any genuine barrier between the two if they truly wished to get at each other.

Azura blinked in surprise at the question that seemed to spring out of Sasha's mouth and even she seemed surprised by it. She saw her skin pale and simply smiled calmly. She considered her question carefully. She had no need to ask who he was and just over a week ago she could of honestly said she had no genuine idea whether she loved him or not. That she expected it would grow in time. Cared for..? Yes. Respected and enjoyed the company of..? Yes. He was quite attractive , quite rugged in a way Azura favoured in men..and there was a element of love there. A love she shared with the men of the pack to some degree. Yet he did not make her heart flutter, he did not make her feel any different to how she had before her time with Sasha. He certainly did not make her day dream and fantasize about how he would feel against her form, or how she would feel when ti came time for him to mark her as his and his alone. In fact while Sasha's marks were still so sensitive, raw and hot on her skin the thought of another leaving any sort of mark simply angered her.

She took several moments considering all those factors, her gaze had lingered on the surface of the table they were at in deep thought. She finally looked up to Sasha, her mouth opened and she was ready to admit everything. To tell her what she did and did not feel for him and how powerfully she felt for Sasha. What she really wanted.

"I..." Yet before she could utter another word another female voice spoke loudly over her own. "Sorry about that, ladies, what can I get you? We have some very good steaks in , as well as some freshly caught fish. The last we may have before the near by lake freezes entirely this year. May I get you some drinks first?"

Azura's gaze ran along the form of the young , human female who stood besides them. She at around six foot tall, slightly broad of shoulder but slim of waist and quite gifted in the swell of her bosom from the way the uniform clung. Azura fell silent while the maid waited for Sasha to speak first instead.

”Please don’t yell at me for being bold. Please don’t yell at me for being bold.” was the chant that ran through Sasha’s head as Azura remained quiet and thought about the question she had posed. Part of her was fearful of the answer. What if Azura did love Lazarus? Then what? ”Well then you’re a jackass, that’s what.” Sasha grimaced a little bit at the thought. But what could she do? She wanted to know, needed to know. It Azura loved Lazarus, it would make stomping on the fire that was burning in her heart all the easier. And if she didn’t? Well…then Sasha would probably continue to bumble about and act like an idiot as she tried to prove that she was a suitable mate. ”Smooth…very smooth…”

Thankfully the waitress appeared and interrupted Azura before she could get an answer out! Thank goodness, now she wouldn’t have to hear Azura say ‘I love Lazarus’, or whatever horrible thing she would have, because Sasha was used to her luck being bad. Trinket from Miss Esme or not, the young guard was used to bringing about more bad luck than a black cat and couldn’t fathom Azura saying that she did not love Lazarus. Although she had never seen the other Alpha, she had heard from gushing Omega females that he was ‘so handsome’, ‘so dreamy’. Ugh, she felt like she was going to be nauseous from all the sighing doe-eyed girls that she could see in her minds-eye. ”You are a sighing doe-eyed girl! Just you make doe-eyes for Azura, who you shouldn’t by the way, you dolt!”

Usually her eyes would wander and she would look at girls when they came by, much the same way that men would do (though, she liked to fancy herself as being much more covert than they were). In her defense, the reason those blue eyes constantly roved over the female form was because she had grown up with boys that objectified women her whole life, and it just seemed natural to check out the opposite sex. To top it off, she just liked women, all shapes and sizes, Sasha could probably find anything to like in anyone. But the personality of a woman was what attracted her the most…how they were soft and gentle with their voices. How they do not hide behind bravado and pride, afraid to reveal their true feelings. Plus she’d been surrounded by enough rowdy, crude men and testosterone to last her the rest of her life.

But tonight her blue gaze did not rove over the waitress’ body, even though she supposed that the other woman was gorgeous in her own right. There was something alluring about a woman that could probably knock her onto her ass after all. However, Sasha vastly preferred Azura over anyone else, to the point where her eyes would not settle for anything that was not the Alpha herself. So she just gave the waitress a cursory glance, just to determine whether or not she was a threat. Seeing no cause for alarm in the human, Sasha relaxed a little bit and listened to their dinner options.

“May I have the steak please? Medium rare?” Even though she hadn’t had fish in a long while, she did love a good steak. Her and Azura had become quite adept at cooking their kills over the fire, but still, she felt like eating something a little less gamey and a little less roasted on a stick.

“Ah, another werewolf hmm?” The waitress smiled, though didn’t seem to be too perturbed by what the brunette was. She just wanted to see if her guess was correct.

“Yes, how did you know?” Sasha tilted her head to the side curiously. She could smell that the human was a human, but she did not know how the woman knew that she was a were.

“Only soldiers and werewolves seem to order steaks that are still mooing. You and your mate are too pretty to be soldiers, so I figured it must be the other.”

Sasha didn’t know whether to be offended over the comment or proud of Azura for making her such a lovely dress that drew strangers’ eyes away from her calloused hands that were meant for holding swords, the broad shoulders meant for supporting heavy armor, or the couple of scars on her arms from blades and claws that had cut her during spars. She supposed that she didn’t have any right to be offended, so long as she was dressed in such a way, and just smiled and nodded her thanks at the compliment--… Hey, wait a second, did that human just casually label as her and Azura as mates?!

“N-no! She’s not my mate. Just my friend. Er-, I’m just her guard...” Is there a dark cave she can go hide in for the rest of her life nearby? Was she really so transparent that even the waitress could see how she longed for Azura’s touch or even a passing smile from the Alpha?

“My apologies.” The waitress smiled, though it was one of those smiles that said ‘Awww you’re so cute trying to hide something so obvious’. These two weren’t mates, and she was queen of Constable! Hah! But it was not her place to push, so she looked over to Azura, ready to take her order. “Now what can I get you, hun?”

Sasha adjusted her legs under the table, it was so hard to find a comfortable place for her feet with a skirt on! Her boots lightly brushed up against Azura’s in the process and even with the barriers between them, Sasha still felt like electricity was running through her body at just the slightest touch that was associated with Azura. The young guard blushed, mumbled an apology, and then set her hands ontop of the table, trying to hold still. She desperately wanted to reach out, to do something as childish as play footsie with Azura under the table of hold her hand over the top like lovers, but she knew both ideas were very bad ideas. Still, that did not keep her from wanting such things…perhaps more alcohol would help? That was how it worked, right? People drank in order to forget such things such as heartache.

“May I have another mug of ale, please?” Sasha asked after Azura placed her order.

"Was that a timely sign from the gods? " The thought crossed her mind as Sasha and the maid exchanged pleasantries. In truth she did not pay particular attention to the words that came from their mouths until the maid used the word mate and even then it still took a second or two to actually realize she was referring to Sasha and herself. While Sasha bumbled her way through her denial Azura smirked slightly at the notion. Until the reality dawned on her that if a human could read the air so well around them it was likely others would as well. Yet the male Were whose senses were meant to be heightened had not managed to read the situation. Perhaps it was that typical female perception that had her while technically wrong but able to read the obvious chemistry between the pair.

Azura did smile at the compliment of Sasha being far too pretty to be a guard and as Sasha seemed to be looking to hide some where Azura could not hep but smile as the maid turned her attention to her. "Oh my companion is both pretty but also a soldier. She is my guard until I reach Darcia. As I am sure you can see..she is far more than she appears. I in truth would love the fish please, with plenty of potatoes and white sauce if your chief is able to make such without setting the kitchen on fire."

She gave the maid a warm smile. "I would also love some honey mead PLEA-" Her voice suddenly reached a higher octave as she felt Sasha's leg brush against her own. She felt heat slide up along her leg, to her thigh and slam into her stomach and her gaze turned to Sasha in surprise. "Please." She finished the broken word as she turned her attention back to the maid and watched as a look of uncertainty crossed her face before she added Sasha's drink order to the piece of paper. "Thank you." Azura said gratefully as the maid made her way into the kitchen behind them.

While Sasha's hands settled atop the table Azura's gripped beneath the surface instead. Her finger tips dug into the wood. "There is no need to apologize Sasha." She finally managed to utter out once she felt able to settle on the chair once more. "This is going to be impossible." "I care for him." She said moments later once she remembered what Sasha had asked before. "He is respectable, pleasant, polite and good company."

She rolled her eyes at herself inwardly. She sounded like she was referring to a pet dog rather than her mate to be. "I..assume love shall come in time." She finished answering her question as she lowered her gaze to the table. It had not been the answer she was going to say before the maid had interrupted but perhaps it was the right answer to give. It felt wrong to say especially as she knew now that what ever feelings could develop over time for Lazarus, they would not be the same as she felt for Sasha. Not as powerful or consuming because while she could grow to love him deeply. She would not be in love with him. Sasha had unwittingly seen to that.

Sasha looked rather concerned as Azura’s voice rose an octave higher. Had she accidentally kicked her friend that hard? She had thought that she had just brushed her leg and was confused as to why the Alpha had had such a strong reaction to that little bit of touch. But at Azura’s reassurance that she had no need to apologize, Sasha seemed to relax, thinking that she had just brushed against another one of the Alpha’s sensitive spots.

There was silence between them for a little while before Azura seemed to remember the question that Sasha had asked earlier. Now she definitely wished the other woman had forgotten her question entirely. She wanted Lazarus to be a jackass, a toad, a pitiful excuse for a wolf. Well, the selfish part of her wanted him to be a jackass. Then perhaps Azura would find cause to refuse to mate with him and she would be a free woman for Sasha to pursue. But…she knew that there was more to this arrangement than what was on the surface. The two were being used as a symbol of their pack’s unity…surely Azura would just stay with him if only to keep her pack safe, jackass or not.

“I hope he takes proper care of you then...” She chose her words carefully, because she could not honestly say that she was ‘glad that Lazarus is a good man’, that she was ‘happy for you, Azura’. Alll she could do was wish was that he could take care of the woman she felt so strongly for, hopefully better than Sasha herself could. The guard tried to smile, to put some positive force behind her well-wishes, but the gesture was forced, the smile did not touch her eyes. Her heart her too much for her good nature to shine.

Thankfully their drinks arrived, and she would no longer be expected to speak because the mug was at her lips as soon as it had been set down. It was strange, usually she enjoyed the shared silences with Azura and did not seek for reasons to not talk. But for the first time since they had set out, Sasha felt like things were uncomfortable between them. Perhaps it was the gut-wrenching realization that what she wanted for herself was too much, too impossible… Sasha sighed softly and rubbed her forehead a little bit, thinking for a moment that perhaps she should switch to water for the rest of the night. She was being a horrible drinking buddy right now and she knew it. The alcohol was just dragging her down lower…which was new, because usually she was a giggly, handsy drunk that liked to flirt. So she took another gulp of her ale to steady her nerves and tried to think of a few positive things to help bring her spirits up.

What else brought her spirits up? Challenges…

“Hey, ah, would you like to play a drinking game with me, Azura?” Sasha seemed to perk up a little bit. Yes…a game would be good. It would help her take her mind off of having to give up Azura later, and focus on her time with the Alpha now instead. “I’m sure we could pester our waitress for a deck of cards orrrr....” Sasha's eyes darted around as if searching for something. "Oh we could play some darts!"

Her mind thankfully seemed to go blank as the silence between the pair of them seemed to go on and on after her answer about Lazarus. She was just about to begin wondering if she had some how gone deaf when finally Sasha spoke. The words sounded odd and lack luster. It did not hold the genuine , fullness that Azura had learned came with Sasha when what she spoke was heartfelt. Her voice seemed empty and almost purely civil. That the words were expected to be said rather than desired. She brought her pale eyes to meet the cerulean that did not glow or sparkle as they normally did..or had at least up until that evening.

The maid returned with their drinks, she simply placed them on the table and quickly excused herself after receiving a set of cool thanks. Azura brought the cold glass up to her lips but this time sipped the strong alcohol instead of simply swigged it backwards. "Thank you..I am sure he shall." She finally managed to force the words out between lips that did not wish to speak further on the subject. She tightened her grip around the glass until she could feel her nails ache at the pressure. They ached once more to simply slide along the side of Sasha's neck, to grip her by the nape and bring her forward, to tilt her head back as she whispered the words she truly wanted to in her ear. They would have to purchase a second tent if possible. Spending another twenty one nights with Sasha's scent tormenting her, with her arms around her frame and their legs tangled up with each others was going to be hell other wise.

She blinked as Sasha spoke and then her eyes widened in surprise at the idea of Sasha holding darts while sober let alone with alcohol in her system. None the less Azura could not think of another way to distract themselves from their current torment Well she could..many ways in fact..all of them just beyond reach.

"Darts sounds like it could be an interesting game..?" She watched Sasha a moment and wondered if this was a challenge. "Do you have a particular idea in mind or simply a game to pass the time." Azura was wondering if she had enough coin to pay any a compensation should Sasha's aim be worse drunk that sober....Though the idea of a dart hitting something it should not and Sasha's flushed cheeks made her grin.

She rose to her feet, picking up the glass with her and scanned the inn, just a few feet away was a roaring fire and a dartboard just a little ways from that. She could see the darts nestled into the small cubby hole for the items and grinned broadly. "Just remember, you aim the darts at the board, not people."

"Hmm...we can play three hundred, that goes by pretty fast so our food won't get cold when it comes. Annnddd we can do simple wagers. Loser has to chug a pint of ale?" Maybe they should play 501 (or even 1001?) so that they weren't drunken wrecks? Nah! It might be fun to see the proper Alpha totally obliterated. Sasha enjoyed seeing a side of Azura that she was sure that few had ever gotten to witness back home. She liked it when her friend was smiling and having a good time, it suited her much better than the stoic facade that she had inherited from her father. Sasha was pretty good at darts, she played it with the other guards often when they went to the local tavern back home. Unfortunately she was completely and utterly abysmal until she was drunk off her ass. Since she was a little tipsy now though, she thought that she'd have this little competition in the bag!

"Har har, you're hilarious." She rolled her eyes Azura's teasing, but smiled anyways. "Don't you worry about my aim. Worry about how much alcohol you're going to have to drink. Should we give you a handicap? You only have to drink half a pint rather than a full one when you lose? I feel like you maaayyy be a lightweight." That smile turned into a grin as the guard teased her charge. In truth she had never seen Azura drink before (Sasha never went to festivals after all), though, judging by her petite form, Azura couldn't possibly be able to handle her alcohol that well...could she? Well, only one way to find out!

"Come on! Let's go." Sasha slid out from the booth and then offered her hand to Azura to help her up. It was just habit at this point...she always aided Azura whenever she could, even though she knew her friend did not need it. She liked the excuse of chivalry, if it meant that she got to hold the other woman's hand if only for a moment.

Sasha caught the attention of the waitress and made a motion towards the dartboard and for two more drinks. They left their half-full mugs at the table to mark it as theirs and then headed over towards the fireplace, which Sasha kept looking over to, as if trying to memorize where exactly it was so that she didn't somehow manage to chuck a dart into it. After beating Azura in a round of rock, paper, scissors to see who would go first, Sasha retrieved the darts and took up position at the marker on the floor.

Thankfully the tables near the dartboard were mostly vacant, so she didn't have to worry about hitting an unsuspecting patron! Her first shot was good, the second, even better, and the third...ehh...the third was not so good. Somehow she had managed to hit the metal rings that separated the scoring sections, and rather than just veer off into the felt, the dart managed to ricochet off and towards the table of two older gentlemen, enjoying a drink! Sasha cringed, expecting the next sounds to be roaring, angry old men, flinging curses at her for taking out one of their eyes. But all she heard was a soft Splash. The dart had managed to end up in one of their mugs of beer rather than in their flesh.

"That was a...er...practice...throw..." Sasha's face heated up and she turned scarlet. She wished the rest of her would heat up too so that she could just melt into a puddle and then escape through the cracks in the floorboards.

"Does this belong to you young lady?" The man who's beer the dart had managed to fly into approached them and was now carrying the glistening golden dart in his hand.

"Ah...yes...thank you... Sorry about that...little rusty..." Sasha smiled nervously an accepted the dart from him.

"Yes, well, try to aim for the board next time dear." The man chuckled a bit and nodded before returning to his table. Though him and his friend did move themselves and their drinks to another table, further from the young werewolf with the horrible aim.

Azura chuckled as Sasha's offer and debate about whether Azura could handle her drink. She could to a certain degree. She certainly could not withstand the same strength or as much alcohol as some of the alpha males she had met. Some she was certain could out drink Mayahuel, the goddess of alcohol if they were given half a chance! Yet she was not too bad either. She had never fully let herself go and push her boundaries on such nor was she allowed to. The wolf was the far more primal, primitive and basic of creatures and her family had been aware and prevented anything untoward happening and as Azura was learning the wolf side was far more stubborn and demanding than she had expected it to be now it wanted out.

She went to capture Sasha's hand in hers a moment as she was now used to but after the affect Sasha's simply brush had , had on her leg she was not so certain even that casual gesture was too much. None the less after a moment she gritted her teeth and held it fleetingly. As they moved towards the dart board her gaze moved along the tables and thanked the gods that they were practically empty.

"Let us pick 401 and the loser does have to drink a pint. I am sure I shall be able to manage that without embarrassing you too much at least." She smiled as she watched Sasha go first, the first two throws were quite well done and then she burst into laughter as the last one hit the board wrong. She heard the sound of the tip, striking the metal wire and flying off in a random direction before the sound of a splash reached her ears. "Well you missed them..at least." She muttered as she stepped behind Sasha after the man had passed back the dart that dribbled with the pale, golden liquid.

She smiled apologetically as they moved further away as Azura leaned in close , just behind Sasha's right ear. "No more practice throws. I think we should add to this game that if a dart miss, falls..or strikes a person. That person has to complete a dare." She waited to see how Sasha would react to the change in rules and wondered if the woman was ready for what dares she had in mind.

Sasha had been so focused on praying that she did not aggravate the older gentleman, that she did not even notice that Azura had snuck up closer behind her. "Yes well.... I'm trained to not strike civilians." She smiled ruefully even though Azura could not see. While she had hit people with darts before, all of them had been armored and holding a sword. On one such occasion, she had struck Ulric with a dart back home. He had gone to retrieve his darts from the board next to hers and Sasha had gotten distracted and chucked a dart which had hit him right in the arm because Ulric was so broad that his body had overshadowed her play area. Another time she had hit Alex with a dart, but that was because he had goosed her from behind and her immediate reaction had been to thrust the piece of metal into his shoulder. After that night, the other guards had learned not to sneak up on Sasha from behind, especially when she was holding anything dangerous, like a dart, quill, or any other object that had a point.

She grabbed a napkin off a nearby table to wipe off the dart with so that Azura had no reason to playfully accuse Sasha for 'tampering' with the darts by making them slippery with alcohol. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Azura murmured right beside her ear. Not because she was frightened (she probably would have stabbed Azura with the dart had she not known it was her), but because of how the other woman's warm breath had ghosted over the hairs on the back of her neck. It immediately brought back the memory of Azura perched ontop of her, hot breath spilling over her neck and breasts as she leaned down to mark her chest... The memory made her visibly shiver before she could chase it out of her mind. Sasha had to truly fight the urge to grab her friend by the hand and drag her back upstairs so they could finish what they had started earlier.

"Your drinks, ladies." The waitress tossed the two a look that more or less read 'Pffft, 'not mates', yeah, right.' The two were practically right ontop of eachother! But she did not say anything further on the subject. Instead, she just set their mugs down on a table behind them. Having seen the brunette's horrendous throw earlier, she didn't want to have to be mopping up spilled ale later. Then she wandered off, their order wouldn't be done for a little while, may as well give the two females in denial some privacy so they could sort things out on their own.

Oh thank goodness for the waitress that kept appearing at inopportune times. Sasha exhaled the breath she hadn't even noticed she had been holding until her lungs ached. Azura was so close that she was the only thing the young guard could smell. And while her scent was not tinged with the heady aroma of arousal as it had been earlier, it was still warm, familiar, and she wished she could just turn around, draw Azura into her arms and bury her face into the other woman's neck in order to get lost in that pleasant scent. But...they had a game to play, there was no time for that.

"Alright, you're on." Sasha grinned as she turned her head so that she could look over her shoulder at Azura. "Do not think I will go easy on you with my dares this time." Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was the fact that Azura and her had spent a week non-stop with one another, but Sasha did not feel the barrier of Alpha and Omega as strongly as she usually did. She would be sure to be a bit more bold with her bets and her dares this time around.

Before she was distracted anymore by Azura, she slipped away so that she could retrieve the two darts that were still on the board and hand them off, (tails facing out so that she didn't poke her friend with the metal tips), to her friend so that she could take her turn.

Azura had at least learned her lesson briefly perhaps, not to inhale while she was so close to Sasha. She had, had that experience not too long ago and while there was some temptation to do so she felt certain as the night wore on the more of a distance they put between each other would certainly be wiser than giving in to the desires that rose and fell. As the visible shiver ran along Sasha's form she realized that Sasha had not been so lucky and something had been triggered in her. For a moment heated energy charged between them before Azura jumped slightly at the sound of the maids voice once more.

She turned quickly to face the woman who had the best and worst of timings. Azura sighed with relief though as the energy dissipated and the two women turned their attention to the game and challenges at hand. She smiled her thanks to the woman and watched as she retreated back to the kitchen, that grin on her face that made it quite clear she had not believed either of their words on not being mates. She decided there was little point in trying to convince her other wise. Clearly the energy and chemistry between herself and Sasha was far more blatant and clear than the actual relationship was.

She accepted the three darts with a grin and then moved to the line that had been painted on the floor. She took a careful breath through her mouth rather than her nose and then threw the first dart. She managed to get a double 15, a triple 5 and a twenty. Thankfully none of the darts caught the metal and she walked to the board with a grin, plucked them all from there places and walked back to Sasha and passed her the darts with the flights pointed towards her. "Your turn."

Sasha was a little distracted throughout the entirety of their first dart game together, causing her to throw a little to the left each go around. Every time their fingertips touched when they had to exchange darts, it felt like electricity passed between them. Whenever their arms brushed as they switched positions behind the line, Sasha felt heat course through her body. Or maybe it was the alcohol that was causing the feeling of heat… She couldn’t really tell anymore. But anyways! She was distracted. And more importantly, she was losing.

It had been an equal match in the beginning. But at about 200 points, Sasha began to slip, the alcohol she had been drinking on an empty stomach had finally caught up with her. On one of her last throws, she’d missed the mark by quite a bit and had chucked her dart into the already holey wall behind the board, making her groan softly. Though, to add insult to injury, the dart didn’t even have the decency to stay in the wall! It jerked downward, pretended it was going to stick, and thheeennn clink. The, the damned thing fell to the floor.

“Ah…hell…” Sasha sighed. She’d lost their first match and did so gracefully, raising her glass to Azura the victor before downing the whole bitter mess of ale quickly. Good thing she was hungry, otherwise she wouldn’t have had room for all this beer!

Her blue eyes found Azura’s when she was finished with her drink and she smiled a little bit. “Alright, what will you have me do for my dare? And would you like to make the stakes of the game a little more interesting?”

The rest of the game for Azura at least went as smoothly as the first throws had been. Rapidly her scores accelerated beyond Sasha's own but unfortunately Sasha had not managed to foul up any throws since her practice shot. Not until her last throw and Azura grinned at the sight of hesitation the dart seemed to have as it held onto to the wall and then fell with a distinct sound to her ears. Azura could not help but give a proud grin to Sasha though it was not obnoxious or prideful but to some extent a height of happiness she had not yet seen in the Alpha. Despite everything that was happening between the two and the fact that with each accidental touch or brush Azura had to fight that urge to do something more she felt happier than she had for a long time. She felt or would of felt quite relaxed if she was not holding onto the the reins of her sexual desires.

It was as she was stepped past Sasha to pick up the darts while Sasha drank all of the liquid in the mug , she felt Sasha's elbow accidentally catch her neck, the point of her elbow just glided smoothly over the collar that now covered the marks but even her skin had become sensitive to her touch. She could feel that ache in her teeth return but this was a different ache. A sharper one , one she had not experienced before and for a moment her smile faltered as she reached a hand up to rub along her lips as she turned away from Sasha, hopefully before she noticed the slight change in emotions. She rubbed her thumb along the rough and bumpy edge of the roof of her mouth but all felt normal there for this form. It was then she felt that animal within her pipe up once more like an incessant child not getting it's way. "I want her, I want to mark her properly. Do it! Claim her properly! BITE HER!" The ache was the wolf within that scratched at the back of her mind and now her body also as her restraint grew stronger. "We can not have her. She is an Omega and I am an Alpha...we can not be together!" The human side of her nature argued back. "So? When we claim her , we create our own pack, our own rules. She won't have to be an Omega int he eyes of anyone..She is barely that in the eyes of us now and you know it. Claim her!." Azura had never heard of such happening in history and she knew the pack needed this alliance. Both the packs required something from the other. "What about our pack back home? How are we going to keep them safe. We can not do this for them..."

The wolf quietened slightly at the reminder and the ache eased as Azura gathered up the three darts and returned to where Sasha stood A fixed smile on her lips. She had heard what Sasha had said and gave her a quizzical look. "Are you so sure you wish to make this challenge any more costly? You look to be on a losing streak already." She managed to say in a playful manner as she gave for now her final argument to her wolf side. "Besides, she won't be able to give us cubs, won't be able to fill us with seed. ..". The final argument seemed to be one that for now seemed to get to the root of her wolf side. If there was one thing both sides of her nature wanted for the future was cubs of their own. Azura wanted to feel the movement of a child within her stomach and watch her belly grow. That instinct had long been there.

"Seen as you managed to send your dart into the wall..I think you should have to..try and convince that maid of ours that we are not mates. By any means possible..to a certain extent of course." She raised an eyebrow towards Sasha as she waited for her reaction.

“I’m just giving you a head start.” Sasha grinned, taking the loss in stride. It was early and she was feeling good! And Azura was having a good time, that made her even happier. Well, she had been happy, until her dare came out. “Y-you…want me to go to the maid and convince her we’re not mates…?” Sasha blanched slightly. How the hell was she supposed to do that?! How do you go up to a complete stranger and tell them such a thing?

“Hmmph, fine. I will.” Sasha grinned and stuck her tongue out at Azura. If the other woman thought she was going to scare her with this little dare, it wasn’t going to happen! So Sasha strolled right over towards the maid who was currently cleaning up a table, trying to formulate something clever in her head to start the conversation off with. “We are not mates you know.” Sasha blurted out.

Wow. ”Very clever Sasha…very clever…” the young guard kicked herself mentally.

“Oh?” The maid chuckled. It appeared that this one lost the filter for her words when she was drunk and just said whatever came to mind. “Words are cheap, hun.” The maid smirked and stood up from the table she was wiping down, giving the werewolf her full attention. The woman in the silver dress was cute, not quite her type mind you, but the girl looked strong, hardy, and had a beguiling set of blue eyes and a very pretty smile. If she were indeed single, she’d probably make a very nice companion for a cold winter night. “Prove it.” The maid said after a moment of thought, leaning down closer to Sasha, green eyes flicking over the shorter brunette’s shoulder and towards her suspected mate. The maid was trying to gauge whether or not she had anything to worry about, because as big as she was, she could do without a jealous wolf biting her.

Sasha suddenly felt very, very small. Not only was it psychologically because she was being called out on her bluff, the maid was a head taller than her, and the fact that she had bent over to even their height made her seem even broader and more intimidating than she was. To make matters worse, she was leaning forward slightly, giving Sasha an amazing view down her uniform and making the poor guard freeze in place because she was suddenly too afraid to move because she may look down.

The view down the maid’s top was probably phenomenal. Sasha liked breasts. Who doesn’t like breasts? She should look down. She should be allowed to look down. But the bite marks were a reminder of where her loyalties should lie. But why should they lie there anyways? She didn’t belong to Azura, not really. And Azura didn’t belong to her, the Alpha would never belong to her. So why couldn’t she move? Why was she frozen like a baby rabbit? ”DO SOMETHING!” Sasha cried out to her wolf which was being stubborn and would not help her find her courage. Do what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? There was nothing to do! Their mate was over there, watching them. They were wolves! Not humans. They mated for life, not for whenever suited their urges.

Sasha tried to summon up something else that would appeal to her wolf. So she thought about their honor, how Azura would gloat if they could not accomplish this. This was a dare! A challenge! They could not fail it and give their friend a reason to doubt their bravery…

Well…Azura had said any means possible…

Sasha steeled herself. Okay, she could do this. It was just a little dare. It was not as embarrassing as some of the other things she’d done with her guard comrades. So with a soft, low growl to help make herself feel a little more brave, she reached up, cupped the back of the maid’s neck and coaxed her downwards. Sasha had expected some resistance, but found none, the human let herself be pulled down, let the guard press their lips together.

As far as kisses went, it wasn’t a bad one. It was slow and tentative at first because the first emotion that surfaced in Sasha’s heart was guilt. But when the realization came that she needed to make the maid actually believe that her and Azura weren’t mates, she kissed the taller woman with all the unrequited feelings that had been harboring for Azura for the last week. Her tongue delved into the other woman’s mouth, eliciting a soft, appreciative moan from the barmaid. While the kiss didn’t make her heart flutter in the way a simple smile from Azura did, it had been okay, enough to leave the maid flushed and a little dazed at least when she finally pulled away.

“My shift ends in two hours. If you’re not terribly drunk after playing some more games with your friend, perhaps you’d like a little company tonight?” The maid smiled sweetly down to Sasha.

“I…ah…perhaps… We shall see.” Sasha smiled, trying to remain cryptic even though she had zero intention of calling upon the maid tonight. Now that it was all over, she headed over towards Azura, content to hide somewhere, preferably behind the other woman.

“There, she does not think we are mates any longer.” Sasha looked incredibly nervous as she glanced over towards the kitchen doors, past which the waitress had disappeared. “I feel the very strong urge to go hide.”

Azura calmly at Sasha's reaction to her words. She clearly had not expected Azura to issue such a dare, at least not straight off of the bat anyway. She could see her pride kick in though and soon Sasha was moving towards the maid as if she was ready to convince the whole inn rather than one person. Azura very slowly relaxed the reigns on her instincts so that she could heighten her hearing. Her silver gaze followed each movement carefully as if she was studying a element of art.

She lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the chuckle that wanted to escape at the first sentence that left Sasha's mouth. "Oh, yes that will make her believe you. Worked so far hasn't it?" She thought to herself and smirked as she watched Sasha suddenly freeze in place. Minutes seemed to pass before anything happened and Azura began to wonder if Sasha had in fact become dumb struck.

It was as Sasha lifted her hand up to place upon the maids neck and bring her forward that Azura felt as if time slowed down. She could hear a round of cheers from the guests that saw the act and several men tapped the were Ty on the shoulder, some supporting him while others winked and informed him of a shame she did not play with both genders. Ty himself seemed to take it just as well and burst into laughter himself.

At first Azura simply smiled while the kiss was so light and timid it appeared as if Sasha had met a unseen relative. It was as the kiss deepened and such emotion seemed to cross Sasha's features and she seemed to lose herself in the kiss that Azura felt her wolf rise up suddenly and almost turned the night in to a utter disaster.

She drew in a long breath and bite down on her tongue sharply. It had been her own fault. She had declared the dare and while her reasons were sound to her..the actual observing of such nearly made her storm over there and bite Sasha upon the side of the neck even though she was still kissing the human female. As the kiss finally broke the maids words to Sasha did not help but the fact she was certain that Azura and Sasha were not mates had been her main goal.

Azura had realized not long in life that Alphas had to think about the pack, those under their care and to see the broad picture. While Ty had not sensed any relationship between Sasha and Azura the maid clearly had and was loud about her opinion. Azura could not know if any of those there were going to Darcia or coming from but she had to make sure, no news spread that far of a traveling pair of females that were brazenly together. She could not have Lazarus's family hear the rumours and put two and two together to come up with an accurate four. Sasha life would be in danger the moment they were through the gates and she was Azura's main priority. Azura could not kiss the maid to convince her, it had to be Sasha. With the maid convinced so was everyone else.

That thought in mind and the potential threat now controlled she relaxed slightly, the wolf eased on the primal desires and a smile had returned to Azura's mouth by the time Sasha returned. "Well no time for hiding. It be your turn to start the next game." She gave Sasha a warm grin and offered her the darts as if she had not been affected by the kiss at all but as Sasha took her turn she drank some of the honey mead to keep her relaxed.

“No, no, I believe there is always time for hiding when there is a scary barmaid that now thinks you like her.” Sasha’s words were slurring even more than they had been before, but she was still understandable. She shuddered slightly, the kiss hadn’t been unpleasant, but the realization that she didn’t even know that woman’s name was. Sasha was a perfect stranger and yet the server had seemed eager to offer her company tonight. Humans were so odd! So promiscuous, no wonder they reproduced like rabbits.

Sasha scooted a little bit so that she was properly hiding behind Azura, as if to prove a point that there was indeed plenty of time to hide from tall, Amazonian women. While pretty to look at, the barmaid was a much larger and curvier woman than she would have liked. The idea of having a woman that could toss her about like a ragdoll was a little unnerving. Plus the maid’s forwardness had caused Sasha to believe that she was experienced. If she were going to mate with anyone for the first time, she hoped it would be with someone that would bumble about in their inexperience as badly as she surely would.

Azura proved to be unsympathetic to her plight with the barmaid, so with a sigh and a nervous glance towards the kitchen doors, Sasha accepted the darts and left the safety of Azura’s shadow to take up position behind the line. Even though her feet were firmly planted on the ground, her top half seemed to wobble on it’s own accord. When was dinner going to be served? She knew that her limit was nine pints of ale before she blacked out. But without any food in her belly and no proper night’s sleep, Sasha was left feeling disastrously drunk at two! No…that’s not right…it couldn’t be two…three? No, there was a mug on their table. So that was…three and three quarters? Goddess, math was so hard right now!

Heh…Azura was so cute over there, drinking her mead. When her head tilted back to drink, it stretched the skin of her throat and Sasha could barely make out the tip of one of the marks she had made. Perhaps she should go over there and make another…one that was higher than the collar of her dress so that Azura was not able to hide it so easily…

Wait…what was she supposed to be doing again?

Oh! The darts. Yes, the darts. Throw the darts. Okay. She had this.

With the last bits of her ingrained guard’s stance finally drowned out by the alcohol, Sasha was much more relaxed and much better at throwing darts. Twenty, sixteen, and triple twelves, much better than the ones and fours she had been nailing in their first round when Azura had been distracting her….

Azura was still distracting her…

Why was Azura always distracting her?

”Because you like her, you drunken fool! You are an embarrassment!” Hah, that’s a good wolfy. Shhh. Sasha’s playing darts right now. Go lay down.

The would inside of her must have been offended, because it forced out a low, feral growl as Sasha passed the darts off to Azura. To an outsider, it may just appear as a challenge between competitors. But judging by the way her blue eyes seemed very interested in the Alpha’s neck, there was no doubt that her wolf wanted nothing more than to pin Azura up to the nearest wall and take her time nibbling and biting the delicate flesh.

”Yes, I’m the embarrassing one here. You’re the one that growls as if we’re in heat.”

Azura wondered as Sasha's words if she was going to have to remind her guard that while the maid was scary (though Azura had no clue what was so scary about the tall woman) that the maid was human and she was a werewolf. Despite her seeming strength even that would not be able to defeat Sasha or be bale to corner her if she truly did not wish it. It was only as Sasha came to stand to throw the darts once more and Azura watched the feet fall in place solidly and yet her top half seemed to sway a little as if she were a tree caught in a breeze that Azura considered that perhaps she had to be the one to guard Sasha for the night.

She placed her drink down once Sasha had scored up a decent number for her to attempt to surpass in the progress to get to 401 first and Sasha was coming back to her. There was suddenly the sound of a growl aimed in Azura's direction but it took her a second or two to actually realize where the growl was coming from. Her blue gaze took in the way Sasha was looking at her, the fact that her gaze seemed quite settled upon what was at the moment her seemingly unmarked neck. Azura lifted a hand up and covered the bare skin as if that would act as some kind of deterrent should Saha's wolf suddenly decide it was not going to behave itself.

For a brief moment Azura considered going to her room but at that moment she was not too sure either that Sasha would end up taking the run as an invite or simply chase her and simply want to mark her more. No, running certainly was not the wisest option. Instead she closed the gap between the pair of them, she reached out her hand to accept the darts and gave Sasha a smile. "Keep your wolf in check Sasha. ..." She considered the next few words carefully and hoped they worked rather than drew the wolf further out. " before I decide mine should come out and play...especially with how much you seemed to enjoy being under me."

She walked passed Sasha and settled upon the white line as she turned her gaze to the dart board. "Perhaps that last lot was not the best way to try and get her to behave, you know?" Azura knew it was not the most calming of words to say but part of her could not help it and she was certain it was the wolf within that was once more trying to get out. The out and out sight of Sasha's wolf trying to get out had encouraged her own and she knew that Sasha preferred to counter a challenge rather than walk away from it. "Maybe going to my room would of been wiser..." None the less she threw her darts, she managed to get a twenty, a ten and a four (certainly not the best of starts) when she could sense the maid coming. The scent of meat and fish filled the air and the maid gave Sasha a "come hither" look as she placed their plates on the table.

Quickly Azura moved towards Sasha and with a hand on the small of her back before Sasha could argue she started to propel her towards their table and the maid who was stood behind Sasha's chair.

“It will be me ontop next time, I promise you.” Sasha murmured as she handed off the darts, softly enough so that it was only Azura that could hear. She didn’t even have time to think better of encouraging this sort of banter; apparently she had drank enough that her wolf would not be silenced. While it was capable of shoving words into her mouth, it was going to. At least she managed to keep him locked up in his cage so she didn’t shift in the middle of this inn and do something foolish. That was good, right?

”Why are you ashamed of what people will see?” Because we are not like everyone else. ”We do not wish to be like everyone else.” No, YOU do not wish those for that. I do. ”You and I are not separate. My wishes are your wishes. Your desires are my desires. I’m just not afraid to say them.”

“And I will make sure to mark more than just your neck next time, to repay you for earlier.” She whispered as Azura walked past her to get to the shooting line. The words tumbled out with more confidence than Sasha had ever expressed before. Her wolf had chosen words for her that reflected their core desire, which was undeniably the same: they both wanted Azura. Her wolf wished to claim the Alpha as its mate, and Sasha wanted nothing more than to bring such pleasure to Azura so that she was as much of a trembling mess of arousal as Sasha had been earlier in the evening. The memory of Azura’s warm wet mouth tormenting the left side of her chest while her fingers had teased at the area surrounding her nipple immediately sent a coil of heat between her legs and made the marks on her chest sear with fire. The view she had of Azura’s backside was definitely not helping right now.

”Perhaps we should pin her down right now and claim her…she and her wolf taunt us. Let us show them that we are not afraid of their challenges.” What?! No! ”Why not?” Because there are people. ”So? Let them see, let them know that she belongs to us.”.

Sasha growled softly, though it was directed at herself this time. She forced her eyes upward so the stared at the back of Azura’s head and made herself remember that the Alpha did not belong to her, she belonged to another wolf, to Lazarus. The ache the thought caused in her heart was great enough that her wolf withdrew, as though wounded, and for a moment, Sasha felt at ease because she was alone in her mind without the nagging of her more primal side to give her a headache with it’s bad ideas.

“Azura!” Sasha jumped in surprise when her friend’s hand came to lay on the small of her back. She had turned her gaze towards the food as soon as she had smelt it, and of course her eyes had fallen upon the maid who gave her a coy smile and little wave. The guard had been so lost in her own thoughts that touch from behind had startled her, and she only seemed to grow more out of sorts as she was steered towards the barmaid on unsteady legs. Couldn’t she just take her food up to her room and eat it there? Alone? Where it was safe? Where women would not torment her because she planned on locking the door as soon as she got up there? Azura gave her no time to argue the location of their dinner, because soon enough Sasha had been pushed within earshot of the maid and the young were held her tongue. Damn this dare! She had to keep pretending to be interested in the barmaid so that the other woman kept believing!

“Here’s your dinner ladies. I refilled your drinks, on the house.” She smiled sweetly and gave a little wink to the brunette. “And I brought you both some water and some tea so that neither of you get sick tonight.” It was fairly obvious that she was hoping that the pretty little blue-eyed girl would sober up after some water and some food, at least enough to welcome some company to her room.

“Ah, thank y-OU!” Sasha squeaked out the last syllable. The maid had ‘helped’ her into her chair and had taken the liberty of pinching her rear before she had sat down!

“No trouble at all, enjoy your meal.” The maid purred sweetly, not blatantly ignoring the auburn haired girl’s existence but pretty damn close. It was clear to see her focus was mostly on the young woman in the silver dress. As she turned to leave, the barmaid’s fingers danced lightly over the brunette’s shoulders and she could swear she felt the firmness of strong muscles underneath the fabric of the dress. Apparently she had been wrong on both accounts of her guess. Not only was the brunette not partnered off with the other girl, but she indeed seemed to be built like a soldier underneath that dress!

Sasha visibly trembled at the touch along her back and her heart rate spiked. She couldn’t help it, she liked to be pet, whether it be fingers through her hair or light touches along her back. ”Oh great, now she’s going to think I’m trembling with the need to do unspeakable things to her tonight.”

“This is all your fault.” Sasha glared accusatorily at Azura once the maid had retreated to the kitchen again. But her voice was light, she wasn’t really mad. She knew that this was her own fault for throwing her last dart so poorly.

"Surely this night can not end well..."That thought crossed her mind and later she would debate that it was the comment Sasha had muttered as the darts had been past over that made her falter with her throws and that was why her game started off so badly. She was trying to ignore the images her mind wanted to create and her body wanted to make happen but they came to life in her mind as Sasha spoke, or perhaps growled the threat and promise out to her. She could feel the soft mattress against her bare back , she could feel Sasha's weight pleasantly on her form. Blue eyes filled with lust, love and that feral side within. She could feel fingers in her hair and then Sasha spoke again and she heard the comment of her marking her else where.Suddenly instead of being above her Sasha moved downwards. She felt her hands settle on her thighs, could feel them be pushed apart before she felt warm breath on her skin...then lips before teeth...

As her mind over worked she seemed lost in the thoughts so much so her body shuddered and she bit down on her tongue to stop the sound of desire coming out. She left the darts where they landed and did not react when she heard Sasha's reaction to be propelled forward suddenly. She did not care by her surprise. She needed to get out of here. Eat, finish the game and get to her room before she forgot everything and went on that primal instinct within. She released her hold on Sasha when they were close to the table so she did not surrender to the urge to push her down upon it , to tear through the thin material of the dress and do everything she truly wanted to.

Thankfully and unfortunately the maid was more than willing to show her interest in Sasha. She watched with a false look of amusement as Sasha jumped and then then trembled and her hearing picked up in the brief change of her heart rate as strong fingers skimmed skin. Azura simply smiled to the maid and whispered thank you before she disappeared back into the kitchen. Did she care that the maid was now ignoring her? Or close anyway. No, it reduced the chance of her noticing the truth in what Azura felt for her guard.

Azura managed to burst into laughter at Sasha remark before she reached forward and picked up the glass of water she had been provided with and emptied the glass within minutes. "That it is my fault, she does not seem to have any complaints in the matter." She looked over her shoulder to the door then back to Sasha before she smiled as she leaned across the table. Unaware that the movement stretched her dress slightly, her neck became revealed with two of Sasha's marks showing and there was a brief glimpse of her petite cleavage under the material. "Nor do you really." She said it quietly and confidently so to remind Sasha of what the dare entailed.

It was hard to watch and she was not certain if Sasha understood fully why that had been her dare but nor did it truly matter for now. "Now eat and see if your wolf calms down before we do something we should not."

She muttered the last few words softly as she sat up straight and made sure to pull her feet under her chair so there was no accidental brushing of her feet against Sasha's own. She focused on her food instead, the fish was fresh, well cooked and did not contain any bones at all. The white sauce was thick, creamy and had a hint of lemon and parsley to it. Over all it was lovely and it settled her hunger. There was only one problem with her satisfying that urge. It meant her form had one less distraction and one other hunger that simply swelled in it's place. "We should order a desert while we can enjoy such."

She said simply and oddly sharply as she rose to her feet once both her and Sasha looked to have finished and took the empty plates tot he counter and asked for the maid to come and tell them about what deserts they had in a few moments.

She returned to the table and awaited the maids arrival, knowing she would have to watch the flirting continue. This time she drank the honey mead instead, her nails starting to length and sharpen but not fully transform to claws.