Swain had left her a week.

A week to make her choice of betraying her homeland, or to betray Talon's love for her. Deep down inside, Quinn knew what she had to do, but didn't have the strength to do it. The crows were regularly watching her, all they needed was a word from her. I accept.

She woke up to an empty bed. Though she had expected it, it still hurt. Talon's warm presence and solid body had been the oxygen she had needed not to drown. She had heavily slept through the rest of the night, but still remembered the horrid dream that had tortured her before Talon's arrival.

She rose from her bed slowly, still unsure if Talon coming to her had been a dream too. She concluded it was real, for she had not dreamt for far too long, her mind falling prey to nightmares instead. She stretched her arms up, and yawned.

Quinn felt dirty and vile. Her body and mind had been sullied by Swain's treacherous words. Though she was his unwilling partner in crime, even thinking about what she had to do made her want to vomit her soul out. She made a bee line to the bathroom and stripped of the dress Lux had offered her. Quinn contemplated it for a second: it was such a beautiful piece of work, and she hoped she wouldn't associate it with this painful night.

She filled the bathtub with warm water and slipped her naked body inside, shamelessly sighing. This. This was what she needed.

Before letting herself relax completely, Quinn felt the urge to scrub every piece of skin on her body. She started with her arms, rubbing them with her favourite sage-scented soap. She then pulled out her legs, careful not to miss a single part of skin, even paying attention to every toe. She didn't feel purified from the guilt enough, but that would do for the moment.

She observed her own body, and spotted a few bruises on her thighs and hips. Sudden warmth nestled in her stomach when she lightly passed her fingers on the blue marks. They were the proof of what Talon had done to her, and she loved it. She pressed her own digits where he had pressed his, trying in vain to recreate the delicious sensation of his fingers taking hold of her.

While she recollected the exquisite memories of their time together, she didn't realize her hands started caressing her own body, sliding from her breasts to her hips, to the inside of her thighs. Her skin was extremely sensitive, and she bit her lip in shame when she realized what she was doing. Yes, she was ashamed, but her body forbid her to resist this urge.

She closed her eyes and began to stroke her left nipple, capturing it between two of her fingers and gently rubbing it. The jolt of utter pleasure it sent through her was the confirmation she needed to indulge in even more of this treatment. Her other hand traveled under her navel, and she spread her legs eagerly.

Quinn usually rarely did this, and had never experienced such a strong urge to pleasure herself. She refused to think about the reasons for it, and the sensations running through her body were momentarily helping her to forget everything.

Her skin down there was so hot and soft and sensitive that a single touch from her forefinger already set her on fire. She pressed in there, and with the help of her other fingers, rubbed and pulled her delicate bud of flesh. Right above, she squeezed her nipple to the point it almost hurt. She wanted more.

While she kept on gently torturing herself, she freed the hand that was in charge of her breasts and brought it much lower. She slid one finger inside... Not enough. Two. Still not enough.

Three. That was already better.

A repressed whimper escaped her mouth as she felt filled again... Then she started to move her hand in, and out.

She had never dared to go that far with herself, and at the moment, she wondered why. The slick and warm flesh inside was only asking to be stroked and stretched over and over again.

"Talon..."

She bit her lip.

"P... Please."

He was not there... And that was the worst part. Her hips started moving on their own as the pleasure became too much handle. Then, her flesh started tightening and clenching around her fingers. She then remembered how he had gone so deep in her, pressing against places she could never reach and that made her completely forget herself.

It seemed like her body had been made to fit his.

Quinn shook her hand in the water of the bathtub, her cheeks red from both pleasure and embarrassment. Her release had helped her feel better, but she was not completely satisfied. Her core was begging to be filled by him again.

She allowed herself to bask in the bath, enjoying the soothing warmth spread all over her body. The emptiness in her mind was liberating, but her body wanted to be with Talon again. Fast.

Quinn unwrapped the wet towel from her body as she had taken her clothes out of her wardrobe. She slipped in a simple leather attire with a dark blue shirt, and simply brushed her hair with her fingers, recreating Talon's caress from last night.

She grabbed her boots and sat on her bed to put them on. As she was slipping her right foot in one, she felt something was stuck in the boot... She pulled out a folded piece of ripped parchment. Her heart began pounding in her chest as she opened it carefully. A few words were scribbled: Outer hunting woods. Apple tree. Noon.

She marveled at how clever and professional Talon was. Though they had never discussed the subject together, Talon knew she had good knowledge of the royal hunting woods. Maybe it was a bet, but he had deduced she must have known of the old apple tree out of the hunting grounds. She thought it incredible, how well he had scouted the surroundings of the castle and its park.

Quinn knew precisely where the apple tree was. It stood in an isolated clearing where no one bothered to go. She had been there a few times while hunting with Valor, and had eaten a few wild apples. They tasted great, and reminded her of the apples from her childhood. She wondered if Talon intended to stay there all day, waiting for her, in case she didn't understand the message. But she did.

She strapped her boots as fast as she could, and looked at the sky through the window. It was a warm and sunny day. Sometimes, she missed the rain that had them stuck together in that Ixtalian cave.

Quinn was famished. Before secretely leaving for the outer royal woods, she went down to the castle's kitchen to grab some food. Lunch time had already passed, and the cooks were resting. They didn't bat an eye when she took some bread and cheese from the main table and took a hungry bite.

With her improvised sandwich in hand, she walked down the aisle leading to a lesser known exit gate in one of the castle's deserted towers. It led directly to the hunting woods, which she had to cross and go past in order to find Talon. But before taking the gate, she had to walk through one of the castle's many gardens.

The garden's trellises were covered with honeysuckle and pink roses. Quinn wished she could have innocently met Talon there without risking anything. It was such a peaceful place, butterflies and bees were usually the most frequent visitors. Quinn didn't mind them at all.

To her horror, she recognized Jarvan's silhouette calmly walking on the main trail. The garden was not dense enough for her to hide, and the sudden movement from his head told her she had been spotted anyway. With a sour taste in her mouth and a knot in her stomach, she calmly walked in his direction. After all, it was the only thing she could do.

What the hell was he doing there?! A paranoid thought told her it was maybe one of Swain's tricks... Or that Jarvan had maybe ordered her surveillance by his own spies... She bit her tongue and smiled. A part of her wanted to laugh at the situation, running into her prince as she was about to secretely meet an enemy mass murderer.

"My prince."

Quinn inclined her head in respect. Though the situation reeked of danger, she felt slightly less uncomfortable than last night. At least, her current clothes felt like a proctective armor. They felt like her old self.

Jarvan had a genuine smile, and his presence felt less tense and solemn than at the ball. It had been a long time since Quinn had seen him like this, almost like a friend.

"Quinn, what a surprise. What are you doing there?"

"I was about to meet up with Valor for some flight training! He must be in the woods hunting some rabbits."

"You know poaching is forbidden in the royal woods, right?"

Quinn became red in the face and began to speak fast.

"I... I didn't think that counted as poaching, my prince. He doesn't do this very often, I..."

Jarvan had an amused chuckle.

"You're a bad liar, Quinn. That's what I love about you. I'm only fooling around."

"Ha... Haha..." Quinn tried to smile. Maybe she shouldn't have.

"Valor is free to hunt every rabbit he wants. You and him have done so much for our kingdom... I am glad to have you as a ranger knight."

His voice had something warm in it, personal. Quinn felt the same cold uneasiness as last night creep up her back.

"It is an honor to serve, my prince." She tried to keep her own voice distant, like a soldier would answer. But that didn't seem enough.

"You were quite a beauty, at the ball. In fact, I don't remember ever seeing you like that."

She naively hoped that it was only a compliment, and that nothing else was behind it. But it was getting too much, Jarvan was clearly stepping out of the usual boundaries. His inquiring eyes were searching for hers like they were claiming what he thought was his. She thought it couldn't get any worse, when Jarvan spoke again.

"Your professionalism is more than respectable, Quinn. But I know how you look at me. How you think of me. We're both alone now, you can be sincere with me."

Oh, how serious his voice was... Quinn saw his breath quickening at the implications of his confession. Jarvan thought it was his moment, and Quinn felt absolutely stuck. Not a word could get out of her mouth.

"Talk to me, Quinn." He almost felt fragile.

"I'm sorry Jarvan... I think there's a mistake."

There, she had said it. She was waiting for the consequences of her rejection. She almost winced. Jarvan was dead silent, his eyes still fixing Quinn. She spoke again, and was absolutely sure everything she would say wouldn't change a single thing, and would probably make matters worse. But she couldn't stop herself from trying to mend things.

"I don't like you that way... But I appreciate you a lot. You're a true inspiration to me." And that had been true... Not so long ago.

Jarvan's look was stale. He was hurt. And Quinn was afraid.

"I understand, ranger knight. Forget everything I said. I wish you a good flight session." Jarvan managed to speak with an emotionless voice, but it was still laced with the bad taste of rejection. He walked away from Quinn after a short nod, getting back into the act of the prince.

When he was finally gone from the garden, Quinn realized she hadn't been fully breathing during the whole exchange. She wondered why she had to go through this... Apart from admiration, she had never shown any sign of romantic attraction to Jarvan... Not even once! She wondered for how long he had been keeping these feelings bottled up.

Talon. Her mind searched for Talon, and focused on him. He was the cure to all her pains. He was the cure.

Without a second thought, she passed the honeysuckle-covered gate, and ventured into the forest.

The further Quinn went in the woods, the denser they became. Hopefully, she knew of shortcuts to cross them faster. She soon arrived at the limit of the royal hunting grounds, and stepped inside the real wild forest. She was not far away from the apple tree clearing...

When she finally arrived at the clearing, she was welcomed by the warm rays of the sun on her face. The apple tree was there, spreading a nice shadow on the grass underneath. This place was exactly like she remembered it... But Talon was nowhere to be seen.

She slowly walked in the direction of the apple tree, searching for any sign of his presence. She began to worry a little: was there another apple tree in the forest she didn't know of?

"A lost Demacian ranger roaming the forest... What could possibly happen to her?"

Talon's playful voice made her jump. Her lips tugged into a smile. The Noxian assassin's silhouette graciously jumped down a high oak with thick foliage, right behind the apple tree.

Quinn crossed her arms, but couldn't hide her smile.

"I don't know... Maybe you could enlighten me?"

"Oh, it's not a story for sensitive souls..." He stretched his arm and grabbed an apple from the tree. "The protagonist is going to suffer a lot." He then bit in the apple, flashing his canines. Quinn had a shiver of anticipation.

"I'm not a sensitive soul. Tell me how the story ends for the lost Demacian ranger..."

Talon had a predatory smile. He threw the apple away, and licked his own lips to clean then. He confidently walked to Quinn, his cloaked figure hiding his features from the sunlight, except for the glint in his amber eyes.

"What if I show you how it ends, instead..."

He immediately pulled Quinn in for a deep kiss laced with the fresh taste of apple juice. Quinn let him crash his lips against hers and invade her mouth, already drunk on the feeling of having him so close again.

She still had the presence of mind to pull his hood down, revealing his face to the sunlight. She had rarely seen him in broad daylight, and was absolutely stunned at the man's beauty. The angular definition of his jaw and cheekbones, his strong chin, his piercing eyes. Every feature of his made her legs weak.

Talon's jaw moved against hers with confidence as his hands roamed Quinn's back and fondled her hair. She felt her own body burn with need, relishing every touch from him. All her worries were forgotten at this moment, for she had found her personal heaven again.

"Mmm... Talon..." There was not an ounce of shame when she pronounced her lover's name.

She found his hands with her own, and proceeded to hastily take off his gloves. She wanted to feel his skin on hers. Right after Talon realized what she was doing, he stopped kissing her and deeply looked at her. He then brought his bare hand on her cheek, brushing it with his thumb.

That was the gesture Quinn needed to completely give in to her urges. She not so shyly brought his hand closer to her mouth, still wet from the kiss. She took his thumb in her mouth, gently kissing it at first, then came to swirl her tongue around it. Talon let her do as she pleased. Quinn's stomach swelled with pride when she saw him bite his lip as a result from her tease.

"Oh, you..." Talon rumbled through gritted teeth.

He roughly pinned Quinn against the tree, one hand on her hip, and the other hand still wet from her tongue going down, down... He reached the hem of her leather pants, and slid his hand under the fabric. Quinn felt a surge of heat ignite from the apex of her legs. He was so close. When he found her most private part, he made sure to torture her and make her want him even more with every caress.

Quinn was already a mess, having a lot of trouble remaining steady on her legs. Talon's wet thumb started to gently press against her sensitive bud of skin, while his other fingers worked their way to her entrance. She let out a moan of pleasure in his mouth, which made him deepen the kiss even more. Damn, it was better than when she did it herself.

She moved her hips greedily against his hand, and that was all he needed to claim even more of her. He unbuttonned her pants and took them completely off while she threw her shirt away and revealed her naked chest. He grasped her bare hips while he pulled her body upwards, and pressed her against the tree. He passed her thighs over his own shoulders, easily supporting her weight. After sliding his fingers in and out of her a few more times, he buried himself in her.

Quinn whimpered and bit her lip at the sudden fullness. Talon gasped at the exquisite sensation of having her warm flesh all around him again. They didn't move for a moment. Their reunion was too good.

Talon's grip on her haunches tightened, and he started ramming into her. Quinn didn't know what she enjoyed the most: his length stretching her every part, his loving bites in her neck, or his fingers painfully digging in her skin. All he was doing to her was a delicious torture.

With such an angle, he went deeper in her than he ever had. Quinn felt him press against places she had never reached, and which were softer than any part of her. Her mind was so clouded with pleasure that she could barely open her eyes, but she caught sight of Talon's face. He looked feverish, his forehead glimmering with sweat, and his eyes heavy-lidded.

The pleasure was so intense that she barely felt the pain of the tree's bark digging in her back and breaking her skin. Talon realized it sooner than her, for his hand had been smudged with her blood.

"Shit..." he panted.

"Ah... Ah'm alright. Just... continue... P-Please."

Speaking was so foreign to her now.

Talon carried her away from the tree down to the softness of the grass. She was on her hands and knees, aware that Talon had a view on her entire backside. She suddenly felt the wetness of his tongue sliding up the fresh wound in her back, and shivered of pleasure. He then stopped, admiring her from behind.

"You're beautiful."

Honest. Blunt. Loving. Talon's words were simple, yet the most pleasant sound in existence.

His hands roamed her backside, tracing her arched back, then grasped her lower cheeks, lightly pulling on them. Quinn yearned for him to fill her again. She pushed herself against him desperately.

"Please... Please..."

She begged shamelessly. She needed him.

Though she couldn't see him, she perfectly knew what his smirk looked like when she heard his chuckle.

"It seems you're at my mercy..."

He pushed the tip of his length against her demanding entrance, stopping right there.

"Are you expecting me to be kind?"

She almost sobbed as she pushed her hips against him, only to be held in place by his powerful hands. He really was a merciless demon.

"Please!" She cried.

His little game of torture was too much to bear, even for him. He didn't resist long to the temptation. And at once, he was welcomed by her starving slit again.

Their movements were all heat, absolutely mindless, guided by the perfect union of their bodies. A few forceful thrusts from Talon, and Quinn loudly came, uncontrollably whimpering and pressing herself against Talon. He went over the edge with her, grasping and kneading her breasts in the process. She felt his weight shudder over her.

Time slowly came back while the two lovers stayed in the same position during their aftermath. Talon finally pulled out, and exhaustedly sat against the tree. Quinn almost collapsed on the ground, but found a last strength in herself to sit up.

Talon's mouth was still slightly parted, his breathing fast. He was looking at Quinn with those feverish eyes that made her melt.

"Seems like the ending was not too bad for the Demacian ranger..." Quinn tiredly blew out.

Talon had a playful smile.

"If you're telling me that... It means I didn't go hard enough on you."

Quinn was about to reply, when Talon's head suddenly spun to his side, his attention entirely on something else. She followed his eyes, already worried by his stoic expression.

A strange looking crow. Perched on a low branch of the apple tree.

It scanned them both with its multiple eyes, then took off without waiting. Talon's eyes kept fixated on the winged form as it disappeared in the sky.

Quinn was breathless. All the hurt of the previous day was coming back to her body in one brutal shock. She wanted to cry. Talon looked cold and withdrawn compared to his playfulness from the past seconds. Quinn had never seen him wear such an expression.

Talon then broke out of his stare, and spoke slowly to Quinn. For the first time, she heard his voice was tainted with worry.

"You know him, do you?... His master."

Acidity rose in her mouth as she managed to utter a word.

"Yes."

[A/N: Lots. Of. Smut.]