Forever... And Always (Callista)

(Sorry it's short, my dear... But I got it up!)

Many days went by since Callista and Jagara’s outing by the time Jagara had found her phone. She’d lost it in the deepest pockets of her trench coat, and the sleekness of the phone made it difficult to find amidst the thick fabric. Now, she marched along the fresh forest floor, reading through their text conversations since then. They clearly kept in touch this time. Her texts to the olive-skinned woman were occasionally humourous, but overall they carried a clear tone of close friendship. Though some of the texts might have seemed a bit flirtatious as well. The Auxiliary was, however, oblivious to her growing attraction towards that werewolf. Without even considering the idea, she denied it fully within herself. Every time Callista’s face or voice appeared in her imagination, it was greeted with the label of a “good friend,” and nothing more. The pair of stormy blue eyes glanced up from the phone screen, taking a moment to adjust themselves to the darkness of the night. With a small sigh, she put the phone away and shifted to her natural form, trotting towards the Autumn Gorge. Jagara didn’t know why, but she felt herself being pulled in that direction. She didn’t mind it though. She needed a quiet place to reflect some thoughts.

Reaching the cliff where she had first met the Beta of werewolves, Jagara came to a halt. The rock where Callista sat on in the rain was still there. The foliage, even in the darkness, remained frozen in time in their amber color. Though the night sky was a lot clearer today, it seemed that nothing had really changed. This thought was strangely comforting in a world where so much else had. Jagara moved towards the ledge, sitting down gracefully upon it. Her long, spotted tail curled around her paws and slightly dangled off of the side, the tip swaying softly in the wind. Gaze drifting upwards toward the moon, it occurred to Jagara that she should soon speak with Eden, discussing in detail how to handle the upcoming alliance with the werewolves. The topic seemed prevalent in day-to-day conversation amongst the pack. It certainly wasn’t a bad idea, for together they would only be stronger, and besides, it wasn’t like she minded working alongside Callista. Her thoughts floated around from topic to topic, recalling pack security, noting the recent lack of violations of pack rules, how well everyone was getting along, Callista’s texts, Niko and his position as Epror, her fading relations with the Regina that she should soon try to revive, the eerie quietness of the humans’ activity, Callista’s seductive body… Huh? Jagara blinked for a moment before giving a stubborn huff. “No, no, no. What the fuck is wrong with you? You don’t call a friend seductive. She is, but that’s not the point. Friend. She’s seductive to others. That’s certainly what I meant,” the snow leopard muttered to herself in a hushed tone. Suddenly startled by her own thoughts, her black-tipped ears swiveled around in every direction to check and make sure she was alone, hoping no one had heard her. The feline’s stomach dropped rather painfully when she realized she was not.

Once again, Callista was left waiting for some sort of message from her friend, Jagara. They had been in touch frequently so now it was odd how Jagara hadn't replied already but she didn't think on it too much for when she did she worried slightly. At this point she was comfortable with calling her a friend, it was after all true. The shifter had proven to be loyal and honest, and was there to speak to or message whenever she had a stressful or annoying day or anything else to share with her or get off her mind. Callista trusted her, what else was needed to call one a friend? They had become rather close, sharing things with each other and even going to places a few times. Just a couple of weeks before they had been to the theatre together, though the Beta hadn't really concentrated on the movie. Instead she had been listening to Jagara's breathing, finding comfort from her scent and mulling over thoughts of what the wild feline's feline form really was, and pondering what the Auxiliary thought of her. She didn't know why she wanted Jagara to think well of her though she had briefly had the thought that she could get used to being around Jagara, going out to places she wouldn't normally enjoy just to hang out with her, like the movie theatre and Lavender Lounge that one time. But she had quickly banished every bit of those thoughts and the feelings associated to them. This had been exactly what she had avoided for so long, building relationships with people. It was better for her to be alone, no chance of disappointment and nobody else to care about. A pack was fine and was part of her nature, but she was essentially a lone wolf by the human's terms.

Without having the usual text conversation to keep her satisfied at having contact with someone she actually liked, she had set out on a walk to spend her time. As she walked along she didn't have both hands stuffed in her pockets but rather she had one on her phone and used her thumb to scroll through the recent messages with the shifter. Their conversation had mostly been light-hearted with sarcastic humor, and the wolf acted completely unaffected by the amorously suggestive comments that Jagara sometimes made. The light of the phone screen cast a small amount of light in the dark, and she read the words quietly while the noises of the forest attempted to disturb her. Somehow she didn't feel alone. She took one glance up, blinded briefly as her eyes got accustomed to the night, and noted where she was. If she went east she would be at the gorge captured forever in the state of Fall, her favorite time of year. Right now going there seemed like a decent idea, she liked that place, it was undisturbed and it would be nice, she figured, to visit the place she met Jagara, someone who had given her much companionship. Turning to walk that way, she walked on for a few minutes, eventually slipping her phone into her jacket. The closer she got, she detected a scent getting stronger. It took her a moment to decide whether it was just because this individual was on her mind, or if the scent truly existed, for it was Jagara's. There was no mistaking it, the werewolfess knew it well. Upon entering Autumn Gorge, the blonde lady's fragrance was very clear and definitely wasn't a figment of her imagination. Scanning around, she soon knew there was nobody else there but them, and it struck her how it all seemed the same as when she'd last visited, other than the lack of rain, though that wasn't really a bad thing. The water still gushed heavily and was fairly loud as she stalked on further, looking for the feline.

Naturally she moved to the spot where she had sat that day, and sure enough there was a figure there. It smelled of Jagara, though it was an animal, a large spotted cat. So she had stumbled across her in her true form, something she had longed to glimpse, but now that she cared for the other she felt it was maybe an invasion of privacy. Even so, Callista stared at the creature and moved silently closer to find that the beauty was a snow leopard. An animal so rare, stunning and graceful, was fitting for Jagara in every way. She admired her form and watched the little movements of the fluffy tail, understanding from the way she stared at the moon that she was having quiet time alone. She froze however when the other began to speak, believing that she had been caught redhanded with the thoughts in her head, thoughts that clearly said she thought more of the leopardess than she would admit to. But her voice was too quiet which suggested she was talking to herself. Listening, the other seemed to be scolding herself for having an attraction to a friend of hers. A female friend. The pieces fit together in her head: their text messages, the way they interacted with each other. Had there always subtly been something between them? She felt 'the friend' was her, but she may have been jumping the gun..or it was wishful thinking. Regardless she had to know to confirm something for herself, something that she wanted to know but kept stubbornly ignoring. Stepping forward, she raised her voice. "Which seductive friend would that be?" She raised a brow as she knew Jagara would turn around, she wished for her to look over so she could glimpse those eyes on the face of her primal form. Her short hair ruffled in the breeze while her face kept as blank as always despite the warring emotions within her. Was it just coincidence that they were brought together here again, or destiny?

Terror, a feeling that the snow leopard rarely encountered, flooded her entire short body. Jagara’s mouth, which was usually pleasantly moist, went so dry that she had to breathe in the damp air of the surrounding waterfall. She knew exactly who was behind her, the one person who should not have been there. The question that stung the air around them only confirmed that. Why had they both come to this one spot, of all the places in the world? Eyes widened into miniature stormy moons, the shifter jumped up to her paws and then slowly turned around whilst her ears folded in both fear and embarrassment. Her heartbeat thrummed in a bit of a panic, something so unnatural for her. Jagara still had not even admitted to herself that she found herself inevitably drawn to the werewolf, let alone built up the courage to discuss those feelings with Callista. The idea of her being attracted, both physically and emotionally, to the woman before her was labelled as impossible. Looking straight at the figure she identified as a friend, the Auxiliary froze for a long moment, jaw gaping ever so slightly to accommodate her suddenly heightened breathing. It had been better if she had never spoken aloud, but it was far too late for that.

Snapping herself out of the state which resembled a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, Jagara glared at her slightly, clearly disgruntled. Her pulse was still at an excited rate, and it took every ounce of willpower for her to pull herself away from shock. Only twice before had she been this scared in her entire life, though this one incident lasted only five insignificant seconds. In a brisk tone that rushed her sentences, Jagara answered her. “No one. It doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t be here. And really, neither should I. I should leave. Ignore my rambling.” With her position of leaving noted, it only then occurred to her that she was in her primal form. This was the first time Callista had seen her true body, which was something she had planned on revealing to her soon enough, but the circumstances made it unpleasant. She felt that privacy had been intruded upon. With a growl of frustration, she shifted and shot forward at a long-strided speed walk to get past the Beta. Somehow, the entire interaction, though consisting only of one set of exchanged words, made her feel sick at the stomach. Jagara stepped around the warm body of the other with graceful haste, sensing the body temperature of the “sniffer” as she passed close by her. But a step or two later, she came to a halt. Her fair-skinned form, shrouded in the night by the dark clothing she wore, faced towards the forest and hid her face away from her dearest friend. She couldn’t leave without saying it. Subconsciously, she comprehended her own emotions completely, but she was previously incapable of even admitting them to herself. Jagara had to force out the words, but it was deemed necessary. “So perhaps I like you. I mean sure I like you, you’re my friend. But maybe I really like you, like I have the capability to develop even deeper feelings for you and perhaps I want to. I think I do. Maybe I already have. I don’t know…” Somehow, saying the words released the grip of nausea from her, but it seemed to twist her insides into a knot. This knot of anxiety pained her greatly, and she decided it would not be best to wait around. Continuing on her path, Jagara began to move forward again, finding herself running from a situation in which she might get hurt. It was such a cowardly thing to do in her regular opinion. Normally, the Auxiliary would never run from fear. In fact, she would be the first one charging to meet it. But in this one situation, everything was different. She could not stay by any means other than physical intervention. The possibility of the emotional pain associated with rejection and losing a friend, which the other’s blank face and voice hinted towards, was simply too great of a risk to her.

Unfortunately the she-wolf had not anticipated how the leopardess would react, she certainly hadn't expected nor wanted to scare her but it was obvious that she had as the shifter jumped at her voice. How strangely inconvenient it was that the last time they had been to this gorge Callista had attempted to frighten Jagara somewhat and failed, yet now she managed to without even trying. Their roles had also been reversed, the werewolf walking in on the shifter when the opposite had been true before. So little of this interaction resembled any of their previous ones, and it had only just begun. It was quite the turn of events that they were unintentionally there at the same time, where it had all began. She stared at her friend, still in some state of disbelief that Jagara was an animal despite knowing all along, but seeing it with her own eyes made it real. It wasn't really shocking to her since she was a type of shapeshifter herself, it was mostly a moment of realisation and awe at how beautiful and unique a creature she truly was, and a relief that she was alive since she hadn't received any recent texts. The many thoughts within her managed to pause for just a moment as she took in the sight and once again found a sense of security in the shifter's familiar scent. In the last few weeks she had grown slightly nervous just thinking about Jagara or knowing they were due to hang out, because she knew what feelings she held within that she didn't want to have, but whenever the feline was physically with her suddenly she was alright. She had been aware of the feelings developing after their Halloween dinner. That was when the seed had been planted and ever since it had grown into a messy weed that persisted to live on despite every attempt to uproot, burn or trample it. It really was originally an ugly thing that she wanted rid of, but with time she knew it wasn't going away so instead she just ignored it and tried to act like it was never there though she fully admitted to herself what it was. But it didn't work. If she wasn't thinking about her consciously she was dreaming about her in her sleep, scenarios where Jagara had been upset or in danger and the Beta came to keep her safe. She wanted her closest friend to be protected and cared for, and somehow she saw herself in the role of ensuring that. Did she want to love her? Maybe she did already. It wasn't clear as she had nothing to compare it all to. Perhaps the weed wasn't a weed at all, and if she paid attention to it now there would be a budding flower at its tip.

Looking at one another now face to face, her eyes only looked more spectacular amongst her spotted pale fur, more blue and less grey. It was something she knew would stick in her mind, maybe she would draw it later. They were both frozen, her raised brow now returned to its natural place. She was puzzled over why it took so long for an answer, unless she didn't want to, possibly because it was Callista that she had spoke of being seductive. The wolf didn't rush her into replying since she could tell her level of breathing had increased, and the terror in her eyes only confirmed for her that this supposedly seductive friend was Callista even if the words didn't leave the other's mouth. She knew it would have to be for her presence to shock her so much. The tanned female should've been flattered but she still had her doubts, quietly flexing and cracking the joints in her hand as discomfort crept in. She knew now why she had always wanted to know what Jagara thought of her; she didn't want her to just like her, she wanted to know if there was an attraction to her, so she knew if she had any chance with the shifter because she didn't want to let go of her lifelong avoidance of love only to end up the fool who got rejected. When the other suddenly glared at her and spoke abruptly it seemed like a good cover-up to appear like she was annoyed at being eavesdropped. Jagara claimed it was no one, clearly a lie, and that they both should leave. Callista remained silently confused, as she had every right to be there if she wished, but already it seemed her 'friend' was leaving. Just as she thought, once the snow leopard realized she had been seen in her animal form she was not pleased and at her growl Callista took a small step back, only for the shifter to transform to her human shell and move rapidly closer to her as she attempted to get away. The slender and poised lady easily dodged the werewolf who tensed slightly, wanting to do something to stop her, but she couldn't verbalise the reason for wanting to know who the friend was for the doubts she had. She prepared to be left alone, but then she heard the footsteps stop.

Turning her head, it seemed that in fact the other had halted mere steps away, though she kept hidden in the dark. The wolf listened closely and finally she got what she had needed to hear: Jagara did like her, in the 'more than just friends' sense. The other was clearly also afraid of rejection, as she said the words 'perhaps' and 'maybe' far too much. She must have been holding back because she didn't want to get hurt, which was understandable as it would seem like Callista would not be able to love her due to her general attitude. Not knowing how to react, at first she simply didn't. As the footsteps resumed it finally triggered a reaction, she knew she now had a chance so she shouldn't wait. After several seconds she jogged quickly away from the sound of the water until she caught up to her at the edge of the forest. She grabbed the woman's arm in her left hand and gently spun her around to look straight at her. "Jagara... It's hard for me to explain to you. I have not felt like this before in all my life. I do not know what love feels like. I just know I want you near me, I want to keep you safe and for you to be happy. I keep thinking of you and I have all these feelings.." Breaking off, she glanced up at the night sky to gather what she should say. Her olive-skinned hand loosened and slipped down Jagara's arm to grasp her hand as she turned her dark eyes to meet the grey-blue ones once again. "I don't know what will become of this. But I know of one thing I must do." Her eyes studied the pale face, eventually settling on her fair lips. Whatever happened, she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss one she loved. That was what it was, it had to be. Slowly she leaned forward, pulling her right hand from her pocket and wrapping the arm around the feline's waist. She lingered only briefly as their lips brushed lightly before locking them together in a soft, heartfelt display of affection. And that was it, instantly she fell deeper into the loving action, moving closer to press Jagara's back against the tree behind her and lacing the fingers on her left hand with those of the hand she held. That part had been unpredicted but she willingly went along with it. All the while she was careful and controlled, not wanting to hurt her or overstep any boundaries.

Jagara kept walking away, focusing solely on her footsteps. 'Left, right, left, right,' she repeated in her mind. The mantra helped to clear her mind of all thoughts and fears so she would not have to face the rejections she was surely about to be presented with. Perhaps it would have been for the best. Jagara’s mates did not have the best survival rate, for one reason or another. The snow leopardess could not herself survive another such loss. The pain of each one was simply too great. She did not even realize when Callista rushed over to her, which made the sensation of her right arm being grabbed and herself being spun around even more alarming. Unprepared for the actions, the shifter cast her a hard glare, her brows furrowing above her light eyes, still round from shock and suspense. But as the other spoke, her furious gaze melted into one simply soft from confusion, barely able to make sense of what she was trying to say. The idea that Callista actually had feelings for her seemed unreal, as she previously had thought her to be incapable of such emotions, at least for her. As the beautiful olive-skinned woman paused to look at the night sky and her hand was taken in a gentler fashion, the feline’s human jaw opened slightly to say something, only to find no words to express her lack of understanding. When faced once more with that alluring dark gaze, her mouth shut itself and took a slightly nervous gulp. What was to become of what? What must she do? It didn’t seem to matter though. Before too long, they were both swept up in a kiss.

That was when it truly happened. Her formerly tense body shed its rigidity and melted into her grasp. Her lips acted against the others, uncertainly at first because of the lingering doubt, but eventually to where she did not even have to think about it. It just felt right. Her back felt the presence of a tree behind her, though she did not seem to feel herself move. Now, however, she was trapped between nature and the woman she loved, pursuing the kiss until she no longer knew where her mouth ended and Callista’s began*, lacing their fingers together in a metaphor for their binding souls. Her left arm wrapped around her beloved’s waist, pulling their bodies even closer together. Neither would ever be the same, not now that they admitted it. She could never again deny the love she felt for the werewolf, as unnatural as it may have seemed. But then again, one never falls for whom they think they are supposed to. It is an occurrence as natural and spontaneous as lightning, with the same power to ignite blazing fires even in the pouring rain. Eventually, as with all things, their movements had to slow down. Jagara pulled away just enough to separate their lips. Opening her eyes, which had remained closed throughout the kiss, she looked deeply into the other dark pair that faced her. In a voice as low as a whisper, she finally spoke to her while stroking her lower back gently with a thumb and keeping her hand in a secure hold. “I suppose I can no longer deny it to myself, nor keep it hidden from you. I have fallen for you, in a way that was slow at first. I could ignore it, conceal it even. But now, I’ve been thrown right into its depths, all at once submerged and surrounded. I can only hope that you feel similarly, but in any case, no longer shall I keep it away from your knowledge. You mean more to me than you could ever know.” She paused, hoping for a response but not necessarily expecting one. After a long moment, Jagara could not help but plant a soft kiss upon her lips, feeling drawn to them almost magnetically. “My dearest Callista, what shall we do now? I suppose, if we were to pursue a relationship together, we would need to inform both of our leaders. But what else?”

*Heather Anastasiu, Glitch

Although the wolf knew all too well that she was enjoying kissing Jagara, she knew that it also posed a risk. She didn't want to be too forward with who was formerly just a friend to her knowledge as she knew the shifter had been through a lot already in terms of relationships. It wasn't that she was making a move on the humanlike feline so soon, but rather that she struggled to find the correct words to elaborate on her feelings so she felt that actions would suffice to remove any confusion, plus the fact that she knew if she was ever to affectionately kiss someone it would be Jagara, one she had come to realize she loved. She could only hope that in doing so she would not shock the one whom was receiving her rare and precious kiss, and unintentionally make her reconsider and so be pushed away and left again without any texts. But she need not have worried, as the other seemed to melt and succumb to her hold and her lips. Pressing against her firmly and yet with a gentleness, Callista hoped to help Jagara feel wanted and safe, to remove all of her earlier fright and the anxiety that she had sensed after the Auxiliary had confessed to liking her, as well as the defensive ferocity after she had grabbed the blonde's arm and spun her around without warning. As their lips pursued each other with increasing tender passion, all the uncertainty was lost, at least for the moment. Whether she would truly be able to let go of her solitary way of being and adopt a somewhat softer and caring side, less controlled by logic and her brain and more willing to take a leap of faith by following her 'heart', only time would tell. It did however seem like she was making a decent start, though she was inwardly startled at her own behaviour, only because it was very foreign to her. She was full of adrenaline and emotions, ones that felt good, but as the future unfolded she would be faced with something that did actually scare her, having to fully knock down the tall hard walls around her that had kept her alone and safe and strong for millennia. Although really, she had simultaneously been caging herself in, locking herself away from genuinely great experiences. Experiences like what was happening that very moment.

When the snow leopardess pulled the two even closer against each other, their bodies molded together perfectly, just like she had been waiting to feel for so long. The Beta wolf felt a pleased growl begin in her throat and a slight blood rush until she quickly silenced that primal part of herself that seemed to want to break free. After many years living a double life, living as a monster disguised as a human, she was an expert at taming the beast within her that sometimes wanted to take control. Being one who enjoyed her true side, it was unfortunate to have to be so controlled the majority of the time. Her thoughts turned to pondering what could happen if she were to unleash her wild side with Jagara, and her mind jumped to one idea, a smirk rising as their kiss slowed down and then came to an end as both females took subtle cues from each other that it was a good time to stop. They held each other's gaze, their lips still close enough that she could could kiss those belonging to the other woman again if she moved closer by a few millimetres. She listened to the shifter's quiet words as she stared into her pale eyes, noticing the reflection of her own within them. Silently, she understood that now they were united and bound as one, fire and ice somehow coexisting together. Suddenly she wondered what Lucian would think, surely she should ask for his consent even if Jagara was not of their race. She believed that since he was involved with a shifter himself, he would be understanding. Shrugging it off mentally, she focused on the blue eyes again and could see the love Jagara held for her within them, and it brought a slight smile to her face, knowing she had made the right decision by holding off from having a mate before if it meant her first love would be as special and right for her as the creature before her. "I do feel similarly. I suppose I knew from the moment I met you that you were different, it was obvious. I hate how cliche it sounds, but it is correct. Over time, I knew that you would be difficult to push away and not become attached to in some way, though I too kept the feelings hidden. And well, clearly I was right. Anyhow, now I know it is what I want, it feels right. I'm sure it is clear now that I want to love you and I trust you. I promise I will keep both you and myself safe." After murmuring those honest words, she was awarded with another delicate kiss, which she returned although it ended soon enough as her love spoke again. It was odd for her to be addressed in such a way, with terms of endearment, but she accepted it was to come with relationships. "Yes, I think before we take this much further the first thing we must do is to tell my Alpha and your Regina about our wish to be mates. I suppose we should do so separately unless we can get them to meet us together. Other than that, it would be a pleasure to spend the rest of tonight with you." Pulling her warm body away from her love, she unwrapped her right arm from the lady's waist, taking the beauty's left hand that had been gently rubbing her own back so that she was holding both of her hands. Raising the hand to her lips, she kissed the cooler skin of her knuckles softly before intertwining their fingers on this pair of hands also. As she did so, Callista used their joined hands to pull Jagara slowly away from the tree as she stepped backwards, no longer pinning the leopard with her heated body and instead allowing her room to readjust herself however she wished.

Jagara held Callista’s warm gaze as she listened to the meaningful words that were murmured in the tiny but existent space between them. With each phrase, a hint of rose would splash upon the pale cheeks of the shifter. She smiled softly, partly in embarrassment from the blushing, but mostly out of genuine happiness from the words. The kiss they shared afterwards was brief, but well deserved. Not that she could have stood standing so close to her without a kiss anyway. Jagara pulled back with a slight grin, which lasted for a few seconds until the reality of their relationship hit. They would have to get approval, of course. She knew this, but thinking about possible rejection (though unlikely) from their leaders ruined the moment for her. “I will ask Regina Eden as soon as I see her.” By replying so quickly, Jagara had entirely forgotten what Callista had finished with. It would be a pleasure to spend the rest of tonight with you… It resonated in her mind like an echo, bouncing off of the walls of her mind. As her other hand was taken and she, in turn, was pulled up, the shifter stepped towards her beloved and away from the tree roots. She allowed her fingers to twine and rest between those of Callista for a long moment, watching them in fascination. The sensation felt so warm, both thermally and emotionally. Keeping a physical connection, even so simple as holding hands, seemed to send waves of loving warmth throughout her body. Instead of putting some space between them, Jagara took two steps to come so close to the olive-skinned woman that she could feel her emanating body heat. Her hands, in the meantime, released their hold on the other pair and slid instead along her muscular arms then down along her sides until they would eventually slip into the werewolf’s back pockets. With a mischievous little smirk, Jagara pulled Callista against her significantly cooler body and leaned over to whisper into her ear with their cheeks brushing softly. “A pleasure it, indeed, will be…” With a soft purr that vibrated within her throat, the feline allowed herself to give a gentle squeeze to her werewolf’s rear. It was meant in a seductive, teasing way, and she hoped silently that Callista would not see the gesture as disrespectful. Slowly releasing her grip, Jagara nuzzled into the olive neck and gave a soft, meaningful kiss to the skin whilst rumbling to her, “Let’s go then. The hotel isn’t far from here, right?” The smirk grew into a lovely smile as she withdrew her hands from their position and took the sniffer’s left hand up once again with her own right. Giving Callista a soft nudge with her shoulder, Jagara set off elsewhere with the love of her life, walking side by side, hand in hand, and fingers intertwined.

It had been a relief to see that Jagara took her words well with the grin on her face, as everything she had said was completely true to how she felt. The wolf was not one to lie, although perhaps she had been somewhat dishonest all this time. But then again, no, she hadn't lied about how she felt for the lady before her, she had just been ignoring it. Not telling the shifter until only a few minutes ago was simply withholding information, which was still a similar sin but not the same. Regardless, she would endeavour to be open and truthful to her newfound love. That was why she had voiced her opinion on the importance of having the blessing to be mates, at least from Regina Eden, as she did not know the tigress so could not judge her view on their relationship whereas she had a gut feeling that Lucian would wish for her to be with Jagara if it made her life better, which it would. If they were to go further with their relationship and plan ahead only to not have approval there would be a big mess to deal with, and she did not like that possibility. Normally if she was to do something, she would ensure it went smoothly or else she would not do it at all. However, so far things already seemed to be a little rocky. The mention of asking their leaders seemed to dishearten the feline slightly, her blushing and smile faded, and she could understand why: another chance of rejection. Yet Jagara seemingly understood that it had to be done, and the Beta nodded her head once at understanding Eden would be spoken to as soon as possible. From then, they just stood for a few moments, wrapped up in the affection between them as their fingers were laced after the werewolf had pulled her beloved from the tree's bark. Jagara's hands might have been relatively cold, but still she felt warmth flow beneath her tanned skin. Perhaps it was what love felt like.

She wondered, as she looked softly upon the leopardess, how she measured up to her previous lovers. They had all been shifters, probably equally as beautiful in their true form as Jagara was, that she had only first seen that same day. It was early days yet, but even before this phenomenon in their relationship they had been friends and known each other for some time. It was almost certain that she had not been nearly as romantic or flirtatious, nor as extroverted or humorous, and maybe not as courteous as the male shifters who had first loved Jagara. There had been literally no courting involved either. She wondered then, what Jagara could even like about her. But maybe she would have to figure that out at a later date, as the gorgeous woman now moved herself further from the tree and towards the beast. As their hands parted, she moved her own darker pair to hold the other's hips while the other's travelled around her body. As they traced along her sides she couldn't help but growl, a praising grumble within her throat. Enjoying it, she barely focused on the smooth palms that dipped down to her ass as she was pulled against her beloved. All she wanted then was to kiss and devour her, but the smirk on Jagara's lips told a different story. Words were murmured to her, and with the purr and gripping of her behind that followed, it was quite an arousing promise. With the squeezing of her rear her growl deepened to a near-threatening tone, but it was seductive and not aggressive. She loved the sound of her leopardess's purr; it was both lovingly reassuring and sexy. Her arms snaked tight around the fair blonde and she leaned closer, their cheeks brushing again as she carefully nibbled and tugged the lobe of Jagara's ear as her ass was eventually released. She was kind of glad for that as it wasn't something one could tolerate for an extended amount of time, but it was an enjoyable tease nonetheless. Slowly removing her arms from the lady, she smiled and muted her grumbling with the tender gestures that were adorned to her neck, though it morphed into a tiny smirk at the suggestive comment that followed. "I'm not sure anything is actually nearby out here, but I do know a nice place where you can usually get a room short-notice, if you really wish to go to a hotel. But honestly, I can't believe you want to sleep already." The last bit was an obvious joke. She knew what Jagara hinted at and it was what Callista would like to happen after all Jagara had done to turn up the passion between them, but she wasn't sure she could allow that until things were certain for them as a couple. Maybe they could check-in and share a bed for just sleeping with the comfort of having each other... Mixing together love and lust at this stage could be a mistake. It didn't trouble her deeply though as they set off, away from the gorge that they seemed to always visit at the same time, and always with a surprise in store. With small smiles on two sets of lips, they were joined in hand once again while headed together to other neutral grounds for whatever the night would lead to.