Four Winds

Restless Conscious


Yurii: UGH! Finally done! WARNING: Tala/Drayea LEMON!

Ha, this is proof that you can write a lemon without using cuss words in every single sentence. There's two in the whole chapter.


Drayea sighed again, her breath fogging up a spot on the window before it chilled over and faded away. It was dark again outside, snow falling quietly to the ground in a kind of dance. It was peaceful, but she was still restless. Even after soaking in the bathtub for nearly an hour, drowning in her favorite aromas and getting out again clad in a soft, knee-length robe with her hair still pinned up from the party, she –as always- had a lot on her mind… however, instead of the usual troubles, it was about something else.

Or rather, someone.

---

The door slowly cracked open, a familiar dark figure slipping inside noiselessly. He shut the door again just as quietly, turning to the window. He was slightly surprised to see Drayea still up, let alone at the window in just her robe when the room was this cold. She had that faraway look in her eyes that he could see even in her reflection in the window; she was thinking again. His expression softened. He worried about her, it was like he always had to be alert to make sure she didn't try to hurt herself.

Her hair was pinned up still, and he couldn't help but think how nice it looked. Moving quietly over the floor, he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her shoulders, muttering in a hushed tone in her ear.

"You'll get sick if you stand around like this."

She didn't even look back at him.

"Hello Tala."

She tensed slightly when he leaned down to her exposed neck, taking in her scent. Sage, pine and peppermint; the sharp, clean scent of winter. It was so uniquely hers; he loved it.

"Hey…" He breathed, making her shiver slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"No… I'm fine…"

There was a few seconds of silence before Tala brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face and behind her ear. Drayea let her eyes drift shut; they both knew that she couldn't resist a touch like his. He'd accidentally overheard bits and pieces of her conversing with Taylia; the comment he remembered the best had been that she would have nothing to do with anyone who couldn't be gentle without treating her like the stereotypical weak, fragile girl.

He was brought out of his thoughts when she shivered; it was so slight that only he could feel it from having his arms around her. Without giving it so much as a second thought, he swept her up into his strong arms, getting an immediate yelp of surprise from the griffin. He couldn't blame her though; he was a lot stronger than people gave him credit for. However, she did not protest. He gazed lovingly down at her; the collar of her robe had loosened and fallen enough to bare her shoulders, her arms crossed over her chest and holding her arms. The clip in her hair was coming loose, giving her a vaguely disheveled, sexy appearance.

Tala carried her to her unmade bed, carefully laying her down, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he leaned in and started to kiss her neck softly, drawing an almost inaudible purr from the griffin. His gloves long since removed, he moved his hands sensually over her shoulders, caressing the smooth skin and enjoying the feel and scent of her. His free hand traveled up her back to her hair, pulling the clip out and freeing her long, auburn tresses.

---

Starting to catch on, Drayea shyly uncrossed her arms and put them around Tala's neck, pulling him closer to her and arching her back enough to press herself against his chest. He smirked against her neck as he made his way down to her collarbone. Smirking playfully in response, she pulled him down so he was on his hands and knees above her. Tala looked down at her with a questioning expression; she had never been one to make a move before. She looked back up at him with a small, reassuring smile, the cue card telling him it was okay.

Still testing the waters, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips, softly at first, but then getting a little bolder and letting his hands explore down to her hips. Drayea's hands rested on his shoulders, one of them starting to play with his hair. He followed suit, though it was probably more satisfying on his side; even though it appeared a lot shorter the way she wore it that night, Drayea had beautiful, long hair that the other Four Winds girls –excluding maybe Taylia- were in total envy of.

Starting to get a little more confident, he pushed her robe down a little further, almost exposing her chest had it not been for the fact that she'd taken the liberty of at least putting on her bra and underwear. He smirked inwardly. Even if she didn't look it, she was still feminine to an extent. One of the things he was so keen on about her was that she was no pushover, but she knew how to be a girl.

---

Drayea flushed slightly; she wasn't used to going this far just yet. Tala noticed this and leaned in to speak in her ear.

"I'll stop, any time you want me to. I won't try to force you to do anything if you're not ready."

"I'm fine..."

He's so understanding…

Feeling that she meant it, he slowed down and nuzzled her neck affectionately, calming her blushing down.

In her thoughts, Drayea's mind was in turmoil, but it was in a good sort of way. Tala was nothing like people saw him; if he let his guard down, he could be gentle, affectionate and protective, not like the ruthless blader his reputation deemed him to be.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt his fingertips tracing her collarbone before he silenced her pleased groan with a kiss.

My turn.

Drayea brought her leg up to rest in the slight curve of his waist; Tala smirked against her mouth and moved his hand down her side, tracing the length of her leg with his fingertips like he had done to her collarbone a moment earlier, giving a sensation that made her shiver. Her hands started to undo the clasps on his jacket, deft despite that she was navigating blindly. Tala pulled away, taking off his jacket and tossing it to the side, his shirt following a moment later.

Drayea sat up, her legs still on either side of him, putting her in his lap and straddling his hips. Her hands lifted and rested on his shoulders, eyes half shut in a slightly dazed expression. It was next to impossible to imagine Drayea with a warm look with those frozen turquoise eyes, but every time it sent a shiver down his spine.

---

Tala leaned in, letting Drayea close the space between them. This time, he didn't waste any time prodding her lips with his tongue. She gave a soft groan at the contact, smirking slightly against his mouth and deciding to tease him and keep her lips shut. Tala smirked back; she played hard-to-get the whole way. Still, he had a few tricks up his sleeve. She gasped and let out a louder groan as he dragged his teeth sensually over her lower lip, taking the opportunity to slip into her mouth and retrace his territory.

Heh…

Bryan was rubbing off on him.

---

Drayea's grip on his shoulders tightened at the feeling of him caressing her mouth, leaving no area unacquainted. Even after the number of times they'd done this, it was still mind-melting every time. It was fervent but tender at the same time, not wanting to scare her but not seeing her as fragile either.

Tala was slightly surprised when he felt Drayea kiss him back, her hands moving from his shoulders to his face and deepening it enough to return the favor. Her winter scent was intoxicating as it was; her taste drove him wild. Just like the unique fragrance he could recognize anywhere, something about her taste was just hers… and it belonged to him and him alone. The idea that any other man besides him so much as even dare try to touch her pissed him off.

---

Drayea was taken aback slightly when Tala let out a growl, sounding unusually like a wolf before pulling her as close to him as he could, his hands on her arms tightening their grip though still being careful not to hurt her. True, Drayea's endurance and pain tolerance were very high, but that didn't mean he would test it and try.

They parted after a moment or two, both of them panting and Drayea with an adorably confused expression.

"What was that about?" She breathed, her breath fanning out over his face from the close contact.

"I was thinking…"

Drayea smirked playfully, putting her arms around his neck.

"You think too much. What was it of?"

His gaze lowered to his hands in a kind of shameful way.

"It's just, it's disgusting just thinking about that bastard Alekzander putting his filthy hands on you. It makes me want to tear him limb from limb."

Much to his surprise, her smirk broadened.

"Sorry, but you'll have to wait in line. Tai and me have first dibs."

The smirk became a loving stare.

"Besides…" She continued softly. "He's not important. Right now, I'm yours, and only yours."

All it took were those last two words to make it crystal clear; she wanted this as much as he did, and nobody, not even Alekzander, was going to stand in their way this time.

Tala softly pushed Drayea back onto the bed, distracting her from his hands removing her robe by trailing butterfly kisses up her neck and jaw line. Her robe hit the floor with a rustle by his discarded jacket. Drayea let out a heated groan as he gently rocked his hips into hers, though it didn't keep her hands from deftly unbuckling his belt and getting his pants off.

He didn't have time to register what she'd just done when she lifted one leg to run up the inside of his thighs, drawing a shuddering groan from him. Drayea smirked at his reaction and did it again a little more forcefully, getting him to arch his back and driving him wild with the action.

---

Deciding to even the odds, Tala smirked as one of his hands brushed Drayea's back, making her shiver as his deft fingertips traced lines of definition and scars alike. She'd had it a hell of a lot worse in the Hermitage than he did back in the Abbey, but somehow those scars just made up a part of who she was.

He unlatched her bra with just the flick of his wrist, tossing it carelessly aside and teasingly eyeing her, making the griffin blush. She wasn't exactly 'large', but the built-up muscles in her chest made up for it. Just to bring him out of his trance, Drayea let her hands drift lower onto his chest and got a slight shiver from him. From first glance, one might assume that Tala was rather scrawny for a young man his age, though from her perspective, he was close to being as well muscled as Kai was; it was just built into a more lithe, slender physique similar to that of a wolf's.

---

Drayea smirked Tala's reaction to her hands; she wouldn't have guessed he was so sensitive to touch. Sensing that she was up to something, Tala swiftly kissed her again, pinning her hands between his chest and her breasts while his hands held her arms. Eventually, he let them slowly travel down her sides to her hips, lingering a moment at her underwear before starting to pull it off, taking his time to caress her smooth legs on the way down.

He smirked when it drew a soft groan from Drayea, who managed to free one of her hands while he was distracted. Tala shivered slightly as her hand traveled slowly down his side; she mentally took note that he was ticklish on his sides. Still not breaking the kiss, Tala placed his hand over hers, guiding it to remove the last article of his clothing.

The blue-eyed griffin drew in a deep breath when Tala finally pulled away, his forehead resting against hers and her eyes staying shut to keep her from becoming dizzy at his closeness. Their soft panting was the only sound for the moment until he spoke up.

"Drayea?"

"Mm?"

"Are you sure you want to do this? I'll understand if you decide to back out…"

Drayea paused a moment in thought. The last time a man had ever touched her, it had been to cause her harm, and she still suffered the psychological and physical scars it left behind those five years ago.

No.

Tala was different. He had been patient in waiting for her to get used to having him around, and he'd been understanding when she didn't want to be touched or needed her space. He was loving, and he was gentle. And he wasn't Alekzander.

"I'm sure."

Taking it as the sign to continue, he lifted up enough to let Drayea free her other hand from between them, her arms now around his neck in anticipation of pain. She tensed under him as he eased himself into her, pausing only once when she winced before continuing. The absolute last thing in the world he wanted to do was hurt her. Not after working so hard to earn her trust and affection.

"You alright?"

Underneath him, Drayea had her eyes hidden in the crook of his neck and her hands clutching his shoulders.

"I'm fine. Don't stop."

He smiled against her neck and started slowly rocking his hips into hers again, this time in a much smoother, more fluid motion searching for her sweet spot. It was pretty easy to tell he'd found it by the strangled gasp that escaped from her, the second time coming out as a moan.

"Tala…"

That drew a smirk from the redheaded wolf; Drayea was definitely a moaner, not a screamer. It didn't matter what she was feeling, she never let anyone hear her scream. Anyone who'd seen her fight knew about her shouting, fierce battle yells and rare growls of pain, but never once did anyone –even Taylia- ever heard her scream.

---

Drayea moaned again as he started to move a little faster, still keeping it slow and sensual. Tala's hands were intertwined with hers, holding them, not pinning them as he moved in and out of her repeatedly and drawing a moan from her each time. She didn't even know it was possible to be this immersed in ecstasy, but to say it was mind-melting would be a serious understatement.

Starting to move faster, she arched her back and moved her hips with his, drawing a low, deep-pitched moan from him that sounded almost like a growl. Their breathing was starting to become more strained, though it didn't stop Tala from trailing kisses up and down Drayea's neck, letting his breath cool her skin. A thin layer of sweat was forming on her body, giving even more definition to her sleek, well-muscled body. On anyone else it would have looked crass; on her, it looked very erotic.

Drayea came with a strangled yell, Tala with a loud groan as they both fell back onto the bed, panting and trying to regain their strength. The griffin smiled through her labored breathing as her wolf came out of her, still too drained to roll off her. Managing to sit up against the headboard, she held him against her and stroked his hair, her free hand pulling up the sheet.

"That was your first time, wasn't it…"

Eyes still closed, Tala smiled.

"Yeah…"

Summoning whatever shred of strength he had left, Tala got up on all fours and picked himself up off of Drayea before leaning against the headboard, returning the favor and pulling his lover against his chest, arms around her in a protective manner.

"Hey…"

Drayea looked up, topaz meeting frozen turquoise.

"Я люблю вас." (1)

"Я люблю вас слишком." (2)

Outside, the snow continued to fall silently, cold and unforgiving. Looking through one window, it was warm and safe, and the restless conscious that had been watching it was finally at peace.



Yurii:
How was that? I liked the way this turned out a lot better than the lemon I did in Royalty in Arms. Please review!

(1) I love you.

(2) I love you too.