I'll finish Weapon one of these days—I swear Dx Until then, enjoy the fruits of my procrastination. This is a continuation of Bulls-eye. Some cute, fluffy stuff in time for the winter season.
-Mine-
The Kumungu Jungle was as opposite the frozen tundra of Freljord as possible: it was humid, verdant, and every little nook and cranny teemed with life. Exotic birds with startlingly bright foliage soared close to the towering canopy and all manner of creature—magical or otherwise—wandered the loamy soil.
One such resident, a breed of cougar with satiny caramel-coloured fur littered with faint spots of a darker shade, crouched among the foliage, eyes the same colour and clarity of an emerald trained on a lovely blonde woman garbed in a forest green dress and matching hood, both decorated with intricate, swirling patterns in gold. A quiet growl bubbled in her throat and she shifted, dark gaze moving to the to the cougar kittens that were clambering all over the sole humanoid being in the entire region, nudging her with cold pink noses and releasing questioning, high-pitched mewls.
It was her job to protect.
The huntress shifted again, her tail flicking, and licked her chops. For whatever reason, seeing her Avarosan interacting with the cubs in this manner was… incredibly attractive.
The maternal instincts that the blonde displayed made the beast within purr and bare its soft tummy in eager invitation.
Nidalee rose from her crouch, winding soundlessly through the surrounding greenery, focused on keeping her family—those most important to her—safe. It was strange to think that the Avarosan had been added to that list in such a short amount of time… Cougars were naturally wary of outsiders and yet here she was, frolicking with the kittens in the warm sunlight while their parents lounged in the branches high above.
Perhaps they smelled Nidalee all over the Archer and that was why they hadn't questioned her presence. Somehow, that thought—'Mine.'—made a pleased purr thrum in her chest.
The Bestial Huntress cocked her head, pointed ears swiveling, and the purring stopped: there was a racket in the distance—the sounds of a large form moving swiftly through the undergrowth. She quickly entered the clearing, revealing herself to the archer and cooing when olive green eyes flicked to her and a smile curved full lips.
"Hey…" A kitten climbed into her lap, using her as a step so that it could paw at the older cougar's snout. When Nidalee growled, she frowned slightly. "What is it? What's wrong?"
The answer came in the form of a rather large cougar crashing out of the brush, fangs bared. There was a nick in one of its ears and faint stripes ran horizontally along its spine, though one couldn't tell with the way its hackles were raised. A snarl left the newcomer and the kittens scrambled behind the Frost Archer, peering from under her cape and mewling as the blonde made comforting sounds, her eyes on the smaller of the two big cats.
"Nid?" She said it softly, calmly, and the mage knew that the woman trusted without a doubt that her lover would protect her.
Her faith was well-placed.
The huntress's return snarl had the kittens cowering and the pair walked stiff-legged around each other, hackles raised, tails pointed skyward.
(What is the meaning of this, kit? Why is there a human amongst us?)
(Stand down, mother.)
This female, the head of their pack, was the very same cougar that had discovered her among the wreckage that was the remains of her human life all those years ago.
The cougar stopped mid-step, her tone communicating disbelief more clearly than an expression ever could. (You would challenge me?)
(Of course not.) Nidalee lowered herself to her belly, fur falling flat, in a submissive gesture and she could smell the archer's confusion. (Please… Welcome my mate as you would welcome me.)
(Mate?!)
There was a collective rumble of dissent from the unseen cougars crouched in the tree tops and Ashe flinched.
"Nidalee…?"
The fear in the normally unshakeable young woman's voice spurred the Bestial Huntress to do something she hated doing when she was with her adoptive family—in a whirl of emerald energy, she returned to her human form, becoming a mocha-skinned beauty with a curvy, hourglass figure and long dark hair. She pulled Ashe to her side, nuzzling into blonde hair and taking in her sweet, calming scent.
It was her job to comfort.
"Be still, love," she murmured.
Unexpectedly… the warm rich scent of the Avarosan's excitement hit her at that moment—likely a result of their proximity—and she felt her body react in turn.
Another snarl left the older cougar and she took a menacing step forward, dark ochre eyes meeting olive green with an intensity that would have had a lesser being cowering, its tail between its legs. They could both hear the furious beat of the blonde's heart, but her stance didn't reflect the fear she felt and she didn't break the female's gaze, meeting it with a steadfast determination that awed even Nidalee.
The big cat sat on her haunches, tail curling around her feet. (This one is… different.)
(She is,) the mage agreed, inclining her head towards her mother. (Apologies… I cannot control what… or whom my body desires.) She could feel Ashe's surprised stare at the guttural sounds that a human throat should not have been capable of producing, but this wasn't the time to address it.
(It is evident that you care for this human, daughter. And, while I do not agree with this coupling, I cannot prevent you from finding happiness among your own kind.)
(My heart will always remain in the jungle.)
The cougar bared her fangs in the approximation of a smile. (And you are always welcome here, my daughter. You and your… Mate.) With a final appraising look at Ashe, she turned and slinked into the foliage, melting away from sight without a rustle.
All at once, the birdsong resumed and the cubs began to clamber over the archer once again.
"What just happened?"
"That was my mother."
Olive orbs blinked. "I feel as though I was at my Judgment once again."
Nidalee chuckled, giving the younger girl a squeeze. "You passed. Don't worry."
The Bestial Huntress moved like a shadow through the darkness, velvet paws making no sound despite the thick carpet of leaves beneath them. Every so often, the pale light of the full moon illuminated the faint spots on her fur and made her whiskers glint silver; revealed pinprick pupils and taut muscles. Heat coiled around her mind, wiping it clean of rational though and making a beeline for the sweet spot between her hind legs, starting up an incessant throb that had her tail raising, pheromones pouring off of her like a waterfall.
She was in heat.
Pointed ears swiveled, catching the sounds of other creatures moving through the darkness—creatures like herself that were looking for a rut.
There was only one person she wanted.
Her ears flicked back and she whirled, snarling and snapping her jaws at the male that dared to approach her and, as the terrifying sound echoed and faded out, she caught the faint sound of… singing?
Every fiber of her being thrummed eagerly, the heat increasing ten-fold until it was radiating off of her like a second skin.
'Avarosan.'
What was it about the Frost Archer that called to her so sweetly? When the moon was full, its milky face a perfect sphere, Ashe became the most potent drug in any realm.
And the cougar happened to be an addict.
Her sex quivered and she growled wrathfully, emerald orbs seeking the one person that could make the ache go away.
'Avarosan.'
The scent of her mate tickled her nose and she inhaled deeply, jogging through the brush in hot pursuit.
'Avarosan.'
Nidalee happened upon the elfin beauty some distance away: the pale blonde woman was standing thigh-deep in the cool, still waters of a pool, her back to the cougar. As the mage shed her feline form, the Frost Archer turned to face her, smiling warmly, and her heart caught in her throat.
Perfection. A narrow waist, full breasts capped with pale pink nipples, wide hips, and the glistening flower that lay between slim thighs…
Her mouth actually watered.
"I knew you'd come find me," Ashe husked, holding her hand out. "Join me?"
Taking a single step forward seemed so far beyond her facilities at this moment, what with the way they were being besieged by a tidal wave of pure, unadulterated want. In fact, the cougar actually had to snap her eyes shut, the removal of the blonde goddess from her sight allowing her brain to momentarily reengage its basic processes, and remind herself to breathe.
There was gentle splashing and a cool hand cupped her cheek, prompting dark eyes to open cautiously: the archer's expression was knowing. "Do you need me?"
As if she needed to ask.
Wordlessly, the huntress nodded, her vision swimming a bit.
"Nidalee, breathe."
"Can't," she choked out, stepping into the taller woman's slender form and nuzzling her throat, canines positively aching. She needed to claw and bite—to mark what was hers. When Ashe made a soft, pleased sound, the Bestial Huntress's claws unsheathed, her tail coiling and uncoiling—
Wait, tail?
"Your magic is weakening," Ashe observed. A smirk curved her lips. "Do I affect you that much?"
A whimper escaped the mage and she retracted her claws, taking a firm step away from the object of her desires.
It was the most difficult thing she had ever done.
"Please…"
"Mm?" Slim fingers rubbed against the pointed ears poking out of her hair and the brunette's chest vibrated with a deep, satisfied purr. "Don't tease me… I can't hold back."
"Who said I want you to?"
'Shik.'
Without any conscious thought, the Bestial Huntress lowered herself into a crouch, instinctively rolling onto her back, legs splayed open, and releasing a soft crooning sound. When she dropped a hand to her loincloth, shifting it aside and baring herself to the Avarosan's dark gaze, Ashe gasped. Those sharp green eyes were like a physical touch as they dragged appreciatively along the brunette's form and the soft sound intensified into a growl, Nidalee's other hand followed suit, brushing up against the triangle of wet curls that lay between sleekly muscled thighs. The cougar released a hiss, hips bucking, and began to tease herself, spreading slick heat in a way that had little sparks of pleasure fizzling from synapse to synapse.
She knew that her own touch could never bring her the mind-blowing ecstasy that her mate's could, however, and her sex throbbed, her body wordlessly begging for the archer. The mage made a frustrated sound, arching her spine and offering herself to the woman who unwittingly held so much power over her. "Avarosan."
Ashe started, her awed expression fading a bit, though the bright red hue in her cheeks did not. "Y-yes?"
She made that sound she knew the blonde liked—that low, guttural rumble that she only ever made when Ashe's fingers were inside of her, fucking her for all she was worth, while tongues and teeth battled fiercely for supremacy—and dipped a finger inside herself then pointing the now-glistening tip towards the blonde, gesturing her closer.
Instantly, the Frost Archer was kneeling before her and taking that slim digit between her lips, a talented tongue circling the tip in able to capture every drop of sweet nectar. When she pulled back, a thin line of saliva connecting her lips to the mage's finger, her gaze was unfocused.
"Okay…" she breathed, leaning down to press a kiss to the cougar's hip bone. "Okay…" she repeated, her expression becoming more serious—as though she had made a decision.
That decision was revealed not a second later when Ashe nuzzled into excitement-drenched curls, taking in the heady scent of Nidalee's arousal, and rested her hands on a corresponding thigh, holding her lover open to her attentions and flicking her tongue against the hypersensitive bundle of nerves located at the top of her slit; a strangled yowl left the brunette and her hips bucked, a coil of blissful heat coiling tightly in her loins.
She was going to burst—it wouldn't take much to send her over the edge.
…
Some time later, the clearing was littered with furs and scraps of emerald cloth, the pale Avarosan cuddled against her dozing lover's side.
"You will not believe the number of capes I have gone through because of you." Despite the statement, Nidalee knew her mind was not on the dwindling state of her wardrobe, but on the way the claw marks along her spine throbbed with the steady beat of her heart, sending little tendrils of pleasure through her. She could smell the heady mixture of scents—blood, sweat, and arousal—and it made the beast within croon.
The brunette stretched in a decidedly feline way, arching her spine and lifting her bottom into the air. She heard the blonde's pulse spike in response and it made her smirk. "Mm…"
Ashe chuckled, reaching out to cup the cougar's cheek and kiss full, pouty lips. "You are too cute," she murmured once they had parted.
Emerald orbs drifted open lazily, contentment shimmering in their dark depths. "Mine."
It appeared speech was still beyond her at this point.
Still, the smile that graced the Avarosan's lovely face in response to that grunted utterance was dazzling. "All yours," she vowed, taking a deceptively delicate hand in her own. Their fingers intertwined, the spaces between them fitting perfectly together.
"An Avarosan's word was her bond," she had once told the huntress.
The gentle warmth that suffused her heart had the cougar purring and a hushed, "I love you," left the brunette before she could help herself.
"And I you," Ashe responded without missing a beat, her gaze softening. She wrapped her arms around Nidalee's middle and the cougar didn't miss the way a soft, pained gasp left her. The blonde didn't complain, however, and soft lips pressed against the mage's shoulder. "Rest now, my love."
Obediently, the huntress snuggled into her lover and her eyelids fluttered shut, weighed down by a mixture of contentment and satisfied exhaustion.
Birds were chirping.
With a displeased sound, the Bestial Huntress rolled over. She had half a mind to toss a javelin into the treeline and—
Emerald orbs snapped open and she sat bolt upright, a fearful sinking sensation tugging at the bottom of her stomach. She was alone.
Where was Ashe?
The mage shed her humanoid form and made a dash for the trees, her sharp nose picking up the faint smell of her mate.
The cougar was slipping. Normally she was the first to wake and she had certainly never missed the movement of another entity near her—asleep or no. In the event of Ashe detangling their limbs and walking away, she should have woken up immediately from even the deepest of slumbers.
How had the Avarosan disappeared like that?
The jungle was no place for a humanoid being—especially one who was on their own. There were an immeasurable number of dangers lying unseen within the cover of the thick foliage, any of which could end one's life in an instant if they weren't careful.
She had to protect Ashe. Her mate. Her world.
Nidalee came skittering to a halt when the scent trail went cold and she realized that this was the invisible boundary between the cougars' territory and that of the plant witch, Zyra. Even on her best days, the Rise of the Thorns was bloodthirsty and unreasonable, her primary focus while she was in her element being to devour all that stumbled blindly into her web of vines and soak their roots with blood.
The very thought of what the sharp, neurotoxin-edged thorns could do to the Avarosan's soft flesh made the huntress feel ill.
No… She couldn't be over there. That section of the jungle was a death sentence.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, the cougar pressed her nose to the ground and began to retrace her steps, tracking the blonde's scent back towards the clearing where they had shared such beauteous ecstasy the night before. When she came to a stand of bamboo-like plants several yards from her destination, she paused, catching wind of a new smell that was just as familiar.
What were the kittens doing this far from the den?
Flattening herself to the earth, the cougar crept forward, sharp ears pricking as she registered the soft, playful mewls of the young felines. When she came to a rise overlooking a rare open stretch of land, the mage's muscles relaxed and she released a small, relieved sound: Ashe was sitting on the flat face of a boulder, her legs crossed and the tattered remains of her olive outfit tied around her to preserve her modesty. She was speaking softly to Nidalee's mother while the kittens chased down a small, unfortunate creature that would serve as lunch.
"Nidalee!" The Avarosan sat up straighter and lifted her hand in greeting, absolutely breathtakingly beautiful in the early morning sun. "Good morning."
The huntress mewled, loping down the sharp incline to join her mate, only to be tackled by half a dozen soft, furry bodies and sent rolling across the warm grass.
Ashe's musical peal of laughter was well worth the tangle of limbs and tails and the undignified detangling that followed.
(Mother,) she greeted, panting slightly. Those darned rowdy kittens were still nipping at her heels, but they pounced on the Frost Archer the moment they were in range and soon the blonde was laughing helplessly under velvet paws and raspy little tongues.
(Daughter.) The cougar seemed more at ease than she had before. (I had thought you'd sleep a bit longer, so I had your mate accompany the kittens during their hunting exercise.)
Oh… Nidalee settled onto her haunches next to her mother, joining the female in observing what had gone from a hunting exercise to a game of tag that the elfin woman had no hopes of winning. After a moment, she growled, (Does this mean… She can stay?)
(Of course. She is your mate and therefore a part of our family. Besides, the kittens seem to like her.)
Her heart skipped a happy beat as she turned back to watching their—yes, their—family, love settling like a soft, warm pelt over her senses. The adoration that she felt for the archer was nearly breathtaking in its intensity, shoving aside all else until Ashe was her only thought—the very reason she breathed.
It was then that the Bestial Huntress noticed that the cape-turned-loincloth had undergone a wardrobe malfunction, providing the cougar with a tantalizing glimpse of the archer's pretty pink sex.
She shed her feline form in an instant, love taking that easy, seamless step into lust. "Ashe…"
At her name, the Avarosan looked up from the wriggling mass of spotted bodies, her eyes widening and her pulse spiking as she registered the predatory gaze that was trained so heatedly on her. Before she could blink, the tanned beauty was pouncing on her, tackling her to the ground like she would her prey and sending the kittens flying.
And, as their lips locked and a tanned thigh slid between pale ones, Nidalee promised herself that this beautiful creature would always be—
'Mine.'
-Fin-