The next few days had been strangely calm. Talon and Quinn had been helping around the house, fixing stuff that had been broken for too long, and in return Vianna left them largely enough space to feel comfortable. They had installed a makeshift mat in the main room; it was not the most comfortable bed, but it was the first that belonged to the two of them. Quinn's sleep was uneasy, but the trauma and underlying anxiety were more to blame than the lack of a real bed.

Though he liked to hold her in his arms in the early morning, Talon still hadn't lost the habit of leaving the bed as soon as he was awake. Quinn thought he didn't like the vulnerability he was in while lying down, for he always dressed fast and scouted their surroundings first thing. Letting himself completely rest seemed impossible for a man like Talon.

Quinn hadn't told him, but his early absences made her overly anxious. She had trouble getting back to sleep, and waited for him with a restless mind.

On this particular morning, he didn't come back.

Quinn hadn't found the strength in herself to engage in any activity, not even eat. When Vianna returned from the garden, after tending to her beloved flowers, she sat next to Quinn and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I can sense your discomfort from miles away. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Her tone was soft and caring. It sounded sincere. Quinn always felt bashful and secretive on the subject of her relationship with Talon. So many people had tried to separate them, and she had trouble entrusting anyone with her worries. She simply wanted him back.

"I just miss him, that's all."

"He'll come back, dear. He always does."

Quinn chewed on her lower lip and rose her eyes to Vianna. She was afraid that the older woman would understand the extent of her fear if she read in them, but she couldn't stop herself from making eye contact.

"Yeah..."

"Quinn... I don't know if I should tell you this... But I saw a lot of things when I read his mind."

The ranger froze. This was definitely something she didn't need to know about. She had thought about it a lot though, even if she couldn't admit it.

"I know him well, Vianna. You don't need to worry."

"I don't think you know him that well... There's so much violence in his past. He's done things I don't even want to tell you about." She had a long sigh. "I just want to warn you."

Something in Quinn raged at the insinuation. She perfectly knew where Vianna was trying to go, and she refused to let her do it.

"He's not the monster you think he is."

"But he is."

Quinn couldn't answer. Vianna's eyes were sad. She was truly telling her what she saw. Quinn squinted her own eyes shut.

"I just love him. I don't care if it makes me a monster too." Her words almost strangled her.

Vianna had another tired exhale, and stood back up.

"Sylas... He was like that too. I hope this sweet girl knows what she got into."

"Her name is Lux. She's tougher than it seems."

"Interesting name, Lux... Interesting." Vianna's voice suddenly got lost in her own contemplation of the name.

The older woman decided to leave Quinn alone, which she was glad for. She started gathering ingredients for the next meal. Quinn had gathered her knees protectively in front of her, laying her chin on them. Vianna turned around, and talked to her again, much to her displeasure.

"When Talon comes back, could you go hunting? It's about time we get some meat. I believe you're quite good at it."

Quinn nodded.

"I am."

Talon came back at noon. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all this night, but he was as alert as a hunting eagle. His face was cold when he passed the threshold, but it suddenly lit up when he saw Quinn.

The Noxian assassin walked up to her in a straight line, and instantly wrapped his arms around her. Quinn was so relieved to have him back that she buried her nose in his chest. As always, the smells of the forest lingered on him, and gave her clues of where he had been. Quinn spoke against the fabric of his shirt.

"You were gone for so long."

"I know."

"Will you do it again?"

"Maybe."

She blew air against him. He gently caressed her hair with his hand. The feeling was almost enough to erase any unpleasant memory of her anxious waiting for him.

"Where were you at, young man?" Asked Vianna from the counter of the kitchen side.

"It's none of your business, old woman."

Vianna turned around, and put her hands on her hips. A vexed frown creased her forehead.

"Old? Where do you see I'm old?"

Quinn giggled against Talon's chest as silently as she could. She saw a glint of amusement dancing in Talon's eyes too... Her heart suddenly lurched in her chest at this sight. She realized she wanted to see him like that again, and again... It made him far too attractive for her own good.

"Oh, don't be upset. I didn't say crumbling old. But yeah, you're old." Talon feinted innocence.

"I'll show you if I'm old!" Vianna growled.

A wooden spoon suddenly flew over the room. Talon was quick enough to dodge it, and brought Quinn's body with him in the process. It was hard now for the ranger to keep her mouth shut, and a few nervous laughs escaped her. Vianna didn't seem amused though. She stomped her foot like an annoyed mother.

"Enough, you two. Now, what are you waiting for to go hunting? The meat won't get in the cauldron by itself!"

They were soon out of the cottage, laughing like children after a stupid prank. Vianna had thrown at them two old bows she had stored... They were poorly maintained, but they would do.

The birds loudly chirped while being hidden in the thick trees of the forest. The gentle wind rustled the leaves, and shook the low ferns and bushes too. The crack of Quinn and Talon's boots on the ground could barely be heard.

Quinn had longed for her ears to be invaded by those familiar sounds again. They took her to a world where time completely stopped, and where no one could get to her. Silently walking there with an equally quiet Talon felt like a whole new kind of intimacy. After all, she had never been hunting with anyone, apart fromValor and Caleb.

Talon lightly trod the ground and barely made any sound. The ease whith which he was progressing in the thick forest and how he cautiously observed his surroundings reminded Quinn of a mountain lion. She had seldom seen such predators, but at the time she had avoided them carefully.

They hadn't found any traces of large animals yet. The rain of the past day had washed away some possible tracks and still wetted the lush vegetation in some places unreached by the sun.

Talon suddenly stopped moving. Quinn thought she had heard a crack too, and she imitated him. Their bows and arrows were ready. Talon looked behind his shoulder, and made a movement with his eyes to tell Quinn to look his way. Her breath hitched when she saw who was the visitor.

A large grey wolf was spying on them, a few meters away. It was hiding behind the remains of a dead tree.

Quinn had seen many of them before, and had never feared them. But she had been with Valor, who was a formidable enemy for wolves. She realized how deeply she missed Valor. Roaming the forest without her winged companion made her feel naked.

It appeared to her that Talon knew how to behave around a wolf. He maintained eye contact with the animal without moving an inch. Quinn highly doubted it would attack, but she was ready to react if it did.

The moment seemed to last forever. Talon hadn't crouched or diminished his size, instead he stood in defiance to the wolf. Finally, the beast left silently. Talon had won.

Quinn let out a breath she had kept in for too long.

"It might follow us." She whispered.

"I know. Let's keep going."

An hour had passed, and they still hadn't seen any sign of the wolf's presence. It seemed gone for good. They had climbed on the top of a hill, and could see the roof of the forest from there. They stopped there for a well needed break.

"It was hungry I think." Said Quinn.

"Yes. Following us like a scavenger."

"Do you often encounter wolves?"

Talon smirked.

"They feed on my prey. I'm used to their presence."

Quinn knew what he meant by that. After his murders, when they happened outside of cities, wild animals often came to devour the corpses. It probably was very useful to Talon to disguise his assassinations.

Talon looked in the distance, contemplating the top of the trees.

"I've seen patrols outside of the forest."

Quinn's heart rate suddenly increased, and foul memories resurfaced in her mind.

"When?!"

"Early this morning. I've been tracking them for days." Talon was speaking silently, as if he was afraid to be heard.

"They must be looking for us."

"Or this man, Sylas. Anyway, we must care."

Though Talon was calm, Quinn didn't take the news as well as him. She had expected this a thousand times in her sleep and in her anxious ponderings, but she still wasn't ready to face this threat for real. She absent-mindedly touched her neck where a light scar lingered. Her mind raced and she couldn't stop it. Fear was breaking the peace of the hunt she had been experiencing.

"I... I don't want to go back there." She mumbled.

"You won't."

"How can you know? They might even send rangers for us."

"You know their methods don't you?"

Quinn nodded. She crossed her arms and started chewing on her lip. She sat down in a pitiful attempt to calm herself down. Talon noticed this, and sat next to her. He passed an arm in her back and laid it in her nape, softly scratching her there.

"Don't be scared. I'm there."

His deep voice wrapped itself around her pounding heart and fought the paralysis induced by her fear.

"I don't want them to kill you."

"They won't." Talon's grip on her neck tightened slightly. "I'll kill them before they reach us."

Quinn felt so guilty to be reassured by his murderous words. She was not ready to admit to herself that the Demacians had now become her enemies. She was a disgusting traitor in her own eyes. Her trembling hand found Talon's, and clenched it as if her life depended on it.

"My love..." He caressed her hair. "I still don't know where we're going next. But we're staying together... No one can change that."

Talon embraced her tightly from behind. He buried his nose in her neck and breathed soundly. Quinn's body was electrified by his warm weight on her. When he spoke to her with that voice, she believed he could take on the world to keep her safe. It still was funny to her how she had dreamed of princes and knights when she was a teenager. Oh, if she had known her lover would be an assassin. A Noxian.

The sun was high in the sky, but some trees remained on the hill to shield them with their shade. Quinn wished she could forget everything they had been through and simply enjoy moments like these with Talon.

She felt him lay a kiss in her neck, right on the scar. A shiver ran through all her body from that spot. Every time, it surprised her to see how fast she physically reacted to Talon's touch. The clothes they wore were light enough to let the warmth of their bodies be felt through them. With that single kiss, Talon ignited a now familiar need in her.

The rhythm of Quinn's breathing increased. Timidly, she took his hand and put it right over her breast. He opposed no resistance and let her gesture guide his hand. She turned her head, her mouth slightly parted, and searched for his lips. Talon had a low chuckle... Did he know it made her even more aroused?

"Oh... So you want me little bird?"

His predatory smile betrayed his own growing desire for her.

Quinn bit her lip and nodded.

"I need you."

Talon's hand kneaded her breast while the other snaked its way around her neck. His digits pressed against her tender skin and veins, sending a surge of heat through her.

"Talon..." She pleaded.

He made her head tilt to the side and started suckling on her neck. This gentle torture was too much to handle for Quinn. She whined and arched her back, pushing her breast against his hand even more. The hot wetness between her legs was already unbearable.

"Look at you..." He said through gritted teeth. "Such a pretty bird... All for myself."

The playful tone of his voice made Quinn anticipate some kind of evil tease. He slipped his hands under her shirt, and brushed her nipples with his fingers. He didn't go further... Not yet.

"Hmm..." He marked a long, torturous pause. "If you want it, you'll have to earn it..."

Quinn let out a frustrated breath. As much as she loved being at his mercy, she needed him now. She tried to pull his hands over her breasts again, but he reacted faster than her and caught both of her wrists, holding them in place in her back.

"Don't cross me..." He deliciously threatened.

He punished her attempt by nipping her neck. This was already too much to bear for Quinn.

"You're too evil!" She cried.

She couldn't have pleased him more.

"That is true..."

Talon rewarded her by pinching her nipple with his free hand, and kissing her jaw. He was truly driving her insane.

"We'll play a game of truth, Quinn. I'll give you what you want if you're honest with me. Do you understand?"

She nodded. After all he wasn't leaving her the choice.

"First question... Am I kind?"

"No... Not at all. You're a cruel man."

"Right answer."

He brought his hand lower than her navel, right above the apex of her legs.

"Now tell me... Have you been good, Quinn?"

She bit her lip. She didn't know what to answer.

"Y... Yes. I've been."

A new bite came on her neck.

"Don't lie..."

"I... I haven't been good. Please..." She said in a shy, trembling voice.

Talon's hand now hovered over her most private part.

"If you tell me you haven't been good... I'll have to punish you."

Quinn hardly swallowed when she felt him lower her pants. His forefinger and middle finger suddenly pressed against her sensitive bud and started drawing small circles. His other hand kneaded her breast lovingly.

He slid one finger inside of her, pushing it deep inside her hot and warm flesh, then took it completely out. She cried in frustration.

"You bastard!" She let out in an uncontrolled high-pitched scream. She didn't know quite know if it was her anger, or her burning desire for him speaking there.

Talon's evil smirk betrayed the arousal her words had ignited in him.

"Who knew you were so foul mouthed?" He let his finger rest right above her entrance. "You deserve a far worse punishment than I thought."

Quinn squirmed as if she was in pain. Talon was toying with her to a point that made her vitally need to feel him inside of her. This was too much to bear.

"Damn you!" She cried.

Whether it came from her last profanity or Talon's own irrepressible need, his tongue was in her mouth in a split second, while three of his fingers penetrated her, stretched her and rubbed against a deep, soft spot inside of her. She moaned in his mouth at the sudden fullness.

Talon gently bit her lower lip with the tip of his teeth.

"I thought better of you."

Quinn's hands were still held by Talon's hand in her back. She felt his hardness brush against her fingers, and she attempted to caress it through his clothes. The few strokes that she gave it seemed to make him abandon his little game. He hoisted her on his lap, and caught her thigh. She eagerly parted her legs: she couldn't be more ready to take him in.

His hot and hard member had been freed right below. With a trembling hand, she took it, and guided it in front of her wet slit. She bit her lip and pushed him in.

Talon's fingers tightened on her thigh, and he let out a long, heavy breath. His pulsating member filled her to the hilt, gravity had pushed Quinn's body so hard that he was deeper in her than he had ever been.

"Fuck..." Talon blew out.

Quinn's lips were slightly parted and her eyelids were closed. Finally.

She wasn't ready for the torturous thrusts Talon started. His length was pumping in and out of her thoroughly, igniting her tight warm walls with every movement. Her sensitive breasts bounced to the rhythm he had created, and she had no time to catch her breath. This man was going to be the death of her.

Her pelvis now moved on its own, accompanying Talon deeper and deeper with each thrust.

"Quinn, I love you..." Talon growled in her ear.

His words sent a surge of pleasure through her. At the same time, he started rubbing her exposed pink bud with his fingers. But in the state she was, a light stroke was enough to make her come.

Waves of raw pleasure flowed through her violently. She couldn't control herself at all as she cried out her pleasure and love for him as her body moved independently from her will. Her hand instinctively found his balls and gently squeezed them. He couldn't hold in a long pant while he went over the edge in a shudder, and graced her with a few last deep thrusts.

His arms started trembling from holding her that way for so long, and he pulled out soon after. Their mixed bodily fluids dripped out of her, and she blushed in shame at the sight. But Talon tiredly took her in for a long and loving kiss.

Quinn dreamed of simply lying there, and making love over and over again with Talon. The grass was soft and welcoming, and not a human soul would ever find them here. But when she saw Talon dressing up without even taking the time to rest, she knew they had to get back on track.

The Demacian and the Noxian were exhausted and hungry. Giving in to their urges had not been the best idea at the moment, but they didn't regret it. Despite the hunger, a warm sensation was flowing through Quinn's body, she felt slightly dizzy.

Talon had taken with him a few slices of dried meat for the day and shared him with Quinn; it wasn't enough to make a true meal, but their bodies needed all the energy they could find. Quinn chewed on it eagerly.

They had started walking again, following faint tracks on the other side of the hill. The trees were lower there, and allowed them to see further. There was no chance they found an animal before the end of the day...

"Stop." Talon whispered.

Quinn followed his eyes and stopped moving. A few meters from them, behind high bushes, grazed a large stag. Quinn understood the animal hadn't sensed their presence due to the wind being against them. Her hand clenched her makeshift bow, and her and Talon's eyes crossed. This was their chance.

[A/N: The new chapter is finally here! Sorry for the wait, though I guess you're used to worse with me :p I'm so excited for the next chapter, it will be really important in Quinn and Talon's relationship. Speaking of the game (for once lol), Talon and Quinn feel so WEAK right now, it's terrible. I still play them because I love them too much, but they deserve so much better than this.]