Ch.16 The Hunt

They reach the former headquarters building an hour before sunset. Levi reluctantly agrees that they can wait until tomorrow to start cleaning. It's only been a year since the scouts abandoned this castle, but a fine layer of dust has already begun to settle. If he didn't have important shit to do tonight he would have made them clean before going to sleep.

Petra and Oluo hurriedly unpack supplies to get dinner started; while Eld and Gunther tend to the horses. Hange sets up her lab; running several large bags up the stairs to her chosen room while talking to herself excitedly. He and Rhea are left to their own devices.

Levi grabs his bag from Blue's saddle and makes his way into the castle. Rhea follows close behind with her own bag. He chooses the largest room. It had belonged to Commander Shadis, and it takes up half of the third floor with two conjoined rooms and a massive en suite bathroom. Someone had thought to lay sheets over the furniture, so he puts his bag aside and sets to work pulling them off carefully and dropping them down the laundry shoot. Once that is done, he locates the broom closet, gathers supplies and steps back into the suite. Rhea accepts the rag he offers her and they clean the room in comfortable silence.

Suddenly, a soft humming fills the quiet. Levi glances at Rhea and observes her actions. She moves about the room with grace, steps so quiet that if she weren't humming he might forget she was there at all. Her brows are slightly furrowed as she stretches on tip toes to wipe the top panes of a window. There is a small, content smile on her face, and the tune she hums is light and sweet, though slightly off key. Her auburn curls frame her face and flow beautifully around her shoulders, and the gentle light from the window highlights the red tones.

She had changed into a pair of slim trousers before they left. He hadn't paid much attention before, with the rush to get ready and then his irritation with Hange. Now, with nothing to distract him, he takes the time to appreciate the change. The pants hug her form, accentuating her curves and lifting her shapely backside. As before, he feels the sudden pull to be near her, to touch her. Levi glances around the room. It's clean enough for now, so he gives in to his desire and moves behind Rhea.

She starts a little when he wraps his arms around her, but quickly relaxes into his embrace. Levi moves her hair aside and slowly kisses from the base of her neck up to her ear. He smirks against her neck as she sighs happily and relaxes further, unwittingly pressing her rear against his groin. He retaliates by closing his lips over her sweet spot and sucking the taught flesh between his teeth lightly. She gasps softly, and he uses her distraction to untuck the shirt from her belt and reach underneath, running his calloused fingers first over her sensitive hips, then up her torso until finally he cups her breasts.

He wonders briefly if she just hates wearing a bra, then remembers they hadn't bought any. A vision of her; laid out before him in nothing but a black lace bra and panties, wild curls splayed out over his white sheets and bright eyes begging for his touch flashes in his mind. He groans into her neck, his dick throbbing to life. He's already seen her completely bare, yet somehow this vision is even more attractive.

Rhea turns in his embrace and wraps her arms around his neck. She pulls him into a passionate kiss, coaxing his mouth open with her tongue. He can taste fresh mint on her lips. She breaks the kiss all too soon and pushes gently on his shoulders. For a moment he's confused, but when she nudges him again and steps forward he understands. He backs up until the back of his legs hit the couch, then sits. She climbs into his lap and kisses him again, almost urgently. He feels a slight tug as she wraps her fingers into his hair and can't help but smile into their kiss. So eager.

Levi's hands find their way to her breasts again. This time, he runs his thumbs over the nipples until they are erect, then pinches her pert buds and pulls slightly, earning him a quiet moan. He wants more. He wants to taste her; kiss every inch of her skin and have her begging for release. His cock strains against his tight uniform pants and he tries to reign himself in. Not yet. They don't have time to do it right. Patience. As if sensing his inner struggle, the universe sends him a blessing in the form of a knock on the door and Petra's muffled voice.

"Captain, Rhea, dinner's ready."

Rhea pulls away, breathless, and cheeks stained a dark rose. Levi smirks up at her and calmly responds.

"Thank you, Petra. We'll be down shortly."

He hears retreating footsteps and turns back to Rhea. Her eyes are narrowed and her full lips are pursed. She's pouting. Levi resists the urge to laugh. How cute.

"How come everytime we kiss I end up looking like a tomato while you look like nothing happened at all? What do I have to do to make you flustered?"

Levi does laugh now. It starts as a low chuckle, until Rhea crosses her arms and pouts more. Then he breaks, pressing his face into her chest and laughing until his eyes water.

When the laughter finally ebbs he looks up, expecting to see a glare and a scowl. Instead, she's smiling at him gently, and her cornflower eyes shine with something he recognizes but can't bring himself to put a name to yet. He schools his features back into his cool mask and lifts her gently off him before getting to his feet.

"We should go before Oluo eats everything."

"I actually think I'm going to stay here. I probably won't be able to eat anything, and I'd rather not have to explain why just yet."

"Just say you're not hungry."

"It's not just that. Whatever they cooked, I can smell it from here. If I have to sit right in front of it I might get sick without even eating it."

"You can really smell it all the way on the third floor?"

Rhea nods her head slowly, and he can't withold his curiousity.

"You can smell titans too, like Mike?"

"Yes. From farther away than he can, in my wolf form."

"Earlier, you smelled Mike, and that's how you knew he was like you, how exactly?"

Rhea smiles at his questioning.

"His scent was similar to mine, had the same undercurrent of power, though faint. It's a little difficult to explain."

Levi's eyes widen slightly.

"So, What do I smell like then?"

She seems surprised that he wants to know, and for some reason her cheeks turn rosy again.

"Like...black tea, pine, soap...and you have power too. It's different from mine though."

Levi remembers then, the first time he had felt a sort of power rush through him, like fire in his veins. He had tracked down the man who made his mother sick, with Kenny's help. He had insisted on fighting him alone, even though he was just a child and the man was easily twice his size. Levi confronted him, told him exactly why he was going to kill him, and the man laughed in his face a promptly beat the shit out of him. Levi was no match, even with Kenny's lessons. With a wicked smile the bastard had called his mother the most heinous things he could think of. The fire came then, and with it an impossible strength, and an instinct that told him exactly what he needed to do. He killed the man quickly after that, and Kenny had left him that day.

Levi forces the memory away and pulls himself back to the present. A smirk pulls at his lips as he quips back.

"If you can smell all that, it's a wonder Hange didn't make you pass out."

Rhea responds with her soft, bell like laugh. He smiles to himself. She always laughs at his jokes, even the ones he knows are terrible.

"Alright. I'll go down to dinner by myself then. I'll just tell them you're tired. If there's something you need to do to get ready for tonight, go ahead. We'll leave as soon as everyone's asleep."

Rhea smiles excitedly and nods her acceptance. As Levi leaves, he can feel his own excitement building. It might be extremely dangerous; going out into titan territory alone. But, he's confident that between Rhea's strength and his own they'll be just fine. And, though he'll never admit it aloud, riding on her back as she ran faster than any horse could carry him had been absolutely exhilarating. He can't wait to feel the wind on his face and her thick fur between his fingers again.

A few hours later, Levi and Rhea at last arrive at the top of wall Rose. There are fewer guards at night. This makes it easy for them to slip by unnoticed. Rhea holds him tightly as he scales down the wall. As soon as they touch the ground they run for a patch of trees close-by. Once there, Rhea removes her cloak and hands it to him. He has only a moment to appreciate the way the moonlight bathes her naked flesh before she shifts, and the beautiful white wolf is staring down at him. She lays down and he quickly climbs onto her back.

Her snow white fur is coarse between his fingers, and her powerful muscles flex underneath his legs as she lifts herself and takes off toward her hunting grounds at a dead sprint. The wind throws his hair back. Levi doesn't hold back his grin as the cool night air hits his face and the trees pass him by in slow motion.

Rhea throws her head back and sings in a joyful howl. After a couple minutes, Levi hears several voices respond to hers. The range of pitch is amazing. Each wolf has a completely different sound, and they meld together in a perfect melody. Wolves are extremely scarce inside the remaining walls. The packs that do exist are small, malnourished, and often prey on farm animals due to the lack of big game. He had heard a few of them howl before, but it was sorrowful and discordant. Rhea and her pack must have thrived out here with so little competition.

It's not long before Levi can make out the pack on the horizon. They fall behind Rhea in a sort of double wedge formation, and she relaxes her pace until hey travel at an easy lope. The pack glances curiously up at him, but seem to decide that he isn't a threat, and soon focus their attention on the hunt. Some of them put their noses to the ground, while others lift them to the sky to scent the air. Rhea is the first to pick up a trail. She changes direction with a short bark, and the pack follows.

They follow the trail for over thirty kilometers without slowing or showing signs of fatigue. Levi is impressed by their stamina. Is this what every hunt is like? No wonder Rhea is so fit.

Part of the pack suddenly breaks off to the East, while Rhea and the rest finally slow to a stop at the edge of the tree line. A herd of large red deer graze in an open field just meters from them. Rhea looks back at him and leans against a tree with a low branch and Levi steps quietly onto it. It's just high enough to give him a good view of the field, and any titans that might still be wandering. He'll only deploy his gear if needed, otherwise the noise might startle the herd.

Rhea refocuses on the deer. She becomes totally still; one ear forward and the other turned to the side. Levi watches her every muscle tense in anticipation. He's suddenly struck by how different she is tonight then she had been the last few days. Inside the walls, she had been nervous, fidgety, and unsure of herself. Now, there is nothing but confidence, like the night he had first met her. Would she grow more confident the longer she stayed with him and the squad, or would she always be looking over her shoulder? They need to deal with Carter as soon as possible so she can get some relief.

Seemingly without warning, though Levi is sure there was some signal he couldn't pick up, Rhea launches into the clearing, half her pack hot on her heels. The deer scatter immediately, but the remainder of the pack bursts from the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. They cut off three deer from the herd and chase them down, biting and clawing at the deer's haunches.

Levi sucks in a quiet breath as Rhea takes on the largest of the three alone; an older buck who simply didn't have the speed to outrun them. Rather than tire himself out in vain, the buck turns and charges with a menacing, eight-teen point set of antlers. Rhea's sheer size and abnormal strength gives her the advantage. Her maw opens wide and crushes one antler to splinters as she snaps it closed. The deer charges again. This time Rhea jumps to the side. The buck staggers, unable to stop his charge, and Rhea's claws are on him the next instant. She rips through his shoulder and neck and the old deer crashes to the ground. It doesn't move again.

The pack has successfully taken down the other two deer and they tear into the carcasses with fervor. Two deer this size will probably feed them for weeks. Levi turns his focus back to Rhea, who hasn't started eating yet. She looks up from her kill, and her expression is one of...fear? No...anxiety. What could she be anxious about? She glances at her pack and Levi follows her gaze. The wolves' muzzles and paws are soaked with blood as they eat their fill. They bark and growl at each other, and though he can tell it's mostly play, they still look utterly savage. Oh. Is that it? She's self-conscious? He locks eyes with Rhea and nods his head, trying to encourage her with a playful smirk. She hovers uncertainly over the deer, but eventually her hunger forces her to forget whatever worries she had.

Levi watches with morbid fascination as she tears into the buck. It's, admittedly, a little disgusting, and yet he can't make himself look away. In no time at all, the carcass is reduced to practically nothing but bone. Does she eat this much every hunt? How often does she need to eat? How long could she go without and still be able to fight and train? They can't risk coming out here for then once every couple weeks. Any more than that, and they will risk being noticed.

Another chorus of howls pulls Levi from his thoughts. The pack has gathered around Rhea in a lazy half circle, faces to the sky as they celebrate their success. Rhea is the last to join the song and the last to finish. When she does, the wolves draw close. One at a time, each wolf tenderly brushes noses with hers and lick the underside of her jaw before taking of into the night. Levi realizes with a start that they're saying goodbye, and is awed by the tender gesture. He had very little experience with wolves, halving lived underground most of his life, but the first thing he had learned about them after coming to the surface, was that they were vicious and dangerous predators. He didn't realize they could be more than that. He feels almost humbled to witness this familial moment.

When the last wolf disappears, Rhea returns to him. He jumps from the branch and settles onto her back, ready for the journey home. When Rhea takes off though, it's in the wrong direction. He knows she isn't lost, so he leans down and calls to her.

"Where are we going? It's only a few hours until sunrise."

Rhea turns her head and he swears she is smiling at him as the corners of her jaw turn up, and her tongue rolls lazily past her sharp teeth. Her gold eyes are bright with excitement for wherever it is they're going, and Levi concedes with a huff.

"Fine. But make it fast, brat."

With a bark of laughter she jolts forward. He quickly grips her fur tighter to avoid falling off.

As they head East, the flat plains give way, first to hills, then to heavily forested mountain side. The trees grow so close together here that Rhea is forced to slow down to a walk. Growing impatient after nearly a half hour of travel, Levi opens his mouth to insist they turn back, but is stopped by the sound of running water.

At last, they come to a stop in a small clearing. A mini waterfall pours steadily into a large pool of water. Steam billows from the pool and covers the area in a humid fog. Rhea kneels, and shifts the moment he climbs down. Levi watches with growing excitement as she jumps across a bridge of rocks to the waterfall on the opposite side and eagerly washes the blood from her face and hands. Once finished, she returns, stands at the edge of the hot spring and holds a hand out to him with a coy smile.

"Join me?"

Levi raises a brow.

"You want me to strip down to nothing in the middle of titan country?"

"It's still hours before sunrise. The sulfur will mask your scent anyway. No titans will surprise us tonight. I promise."

Levi looks up. The moon is still high, and the sky is pitch black, with the exception of the thousands of brightly glittering stars. They hadn't seen a single titan tonight. He returns his gaze to Rhea, who stands with complete confidence. Even if a titan appeared, he's sure she could shift and kill it before he even reached his gear. She had kept his unconscious body safe out here for days. He's safe with her.

And how could he deny her now? The billowing steam kisses her bare skin, caressing her slowly before floating away. He imagines for a moment his tongue in place of the steam, and his mind is made up. He quickly removes his gear and clothes and walks to her. A thrill runs through him when she trails her eyes down his body and bites her lip.

Levi groans as he slips into the near boiling water, props his arms on the edge, and leans his head back with closed eyes. The water shifts around him and he tilts his head forward as Rhea approaches him. She wraps her arms around his neck, keeping her body just inches from his. The gold eyes fade into cornflower blue as she smiles down at him, and they are again shining with that unnamed emotion. Her curls look more red than brown now.

He pulls her mouth to his hungrily with only one thought in his mind. He wants her. Every nerve in his body is suddenly on fire, burning with the need to touch her, to take this beautiful creature he has somehow been blessed with. No more waiting. No more distractions. Tonight, in this perfect place, under the light of the moon, he will know her.

Levi chuckles to himself as he wraps his other arm around her and pulls her against him. Damn. So much for not being the romantic type.