After a while of prolonged silence, with the exception of its ragged breathing filling the space, it cocked its head as if pondering. And then slowly, with steps that seemed almost tentative, it approached Marisol and let out a snarl when it stopped in front of her.
"Hi, nice to meet you again," Marisol answered, a wave of relief washing over her as she tried to suppress her mirth.
For a moment, there was hesitation until a flicker of recognition flashed in its eyes, a spark of humanity that shone through the primal instincts that drove him. And at that moment, Marisol knew that she had made the right choice in staying by his side.
With a loud huff, it took a step away, looking from her to the door that led to the hallways and outside the hidden castle.
"Nope." Marisol refused, popping the wolf to stare at her. "We're staying indoors today," she said, gaining its attention.
It let out a snort and began prowling around the room.
Marisol took the chance to try to shut the door. However, Cedric's wolf seemed to have interpreted it differently as it growled and lunged at her.
She barely escaped its heavy weight, and immediately, Marisol sprang into action, her instincts kicking in as she danced gracefully out of reach. She led it on a wild chase, dodging and weaving through the corridors of the hidden castle as she led the wild wolf through its labyrinthine halls.
Despite the danger that lurked at every turn, Marisol found herself laughing in exhilaration as Cedric's wolf pursued her with relentless determination, its primal instincts driving him to pursue her with a single-minded focus.
As she danced and dodged around Cedric's wolf form with the grace and agility of a seasoned hunter, Marisol found herself filled with a sense of exhilaration and freedom, her laughter ringing through the halls of the hidden castle. It felt so good as she evaded his every move and matched her wits with the fearsome beast after her.
And as the night wore on and the moon began to wane, Marisol knew that she had succeeded in her mission.
The haze cleared out, and suddenly the wolf pulled to a halt, shaking its head once, twice, until the movements grew frantic and then, the snapping of bones filled the air as Cedric began to shift back to his human form.
Back to his senses and now in human form, Cedric found Marisol sprawled across his throne, and a whirlwind of emotions stormed within him. Admiration warred with anger as he beheld her reckless actions. What had possessed her to risk her life in such a foolhardy manner?
How could she simply overlook the dangers surrounding the situation she placed herself in? It was a bold move, bordering more on reckless, and Cedric felt caught between getting upset and relaying his genuine appreciation. Marisol had saved him. She had saved Redwood.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded, as he approached. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been seriously hurt."
Marisol chuckled softly, exhaustion evident in the weary lines of her face. "I'm fine, Cedric," she assured him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not a single scratch. And I told you, I wasn't just going to leave you alone."
Her words pierced through the haze of his anger, stirring something deep within him. Despite his frustration, he couldn't deny the warmth that flooded his chest at her simple declaration, and just like that, Cedric's feet began to move without so much as a thought.
Gently, he lifted Marisol from the throne, cradling her tired form against his chest. Marisol just lets him, even humming in content. The feel of her in his arms sent a jolt of electricity through him, igniting a fire that blazed to life with every beat of his heart.
"And I'm supposed to be the crazy one." He murmured against her neck.
She shivered in his arms as laughter bubbled out of her throat, "I'm glad to have proven everyone wrong." She retorted tiredly and unable to resist the pull of her presence any longer, Cedric finally threw caution out of the window as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. The fire that'd ignited within him the second he regained consciousness to find Marisol in the throne room, raging wildly at the contact, the walls he'd convinced himself to have set up crumbling down to nothing.
He was hungry and hungry for her. The kiss deepened, igniting a passion that burned hot and fierce between them. Marisol's soft moans mingled with Cedric's low growls as they succumbed to the irresistible pull of desire, their bodies pressed together in a passionate embrace.
His wolf was on the edge. It needed her. It needed to make Marisol his. Her hands drove into his hair, fingers tugging desperately at the loose strands as she kissed him back with fervor. Before he could stop himself, Cedric pushed her onto the throne, pressing his arousal against her.
She gasped and writhed, fingers reaching until they found Cedric and pulled him until their lips met again. Marisol's lips were the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Yet he wanted more. He wanted to make them one.
"Fuck," he growled as he felt his wolf taking over.
Fear clasped his breath. He knew that if he let his wolf win, there would be no going back. He was going to mark her tonight no matter what.
Cedric's mind was a jumbled up mess at this point and Marisol was definitely not being of any help, her sinful lips teasing as she ground against his bulge.
But just as the flames threatened to consume them both, Cedric forced himself to pull back, his chest heaving with the effort of restraint.