The Woods ✔

Leaves Are Falling

Days of content bliss followed the gathering.

Caden felt at ease in his new environment and he was less and less bothered by the surprise visits from other pride members. It didn't feel like they were intruding on his territory anymore and he learned to accept them as wholeheartedly as they accepted him. They were Ajax' pride, his family, so they were the same to Caden.

Their daily morning runs got better, too. Caden still felt shaky and drained afterwards but it wasn't as exhausting to keep up with the lion as before although Ajax still held back for him. He spent his days mostly reading while the Alpha male did some paperwork, and being fussed over by Jade. She had made it her mission to pamper him to death it seemed. She even went to town to go shopping with him - allegedly he couldn't live his whole life in her son's clothes, though he thought he definitely could - and it had been a traumatic experience. Either she had shoved piles of clothes  in his arms or tried to get him to eat something every two minutes because he was too thin. He hadn't even tried to explain to her that he was lean and not thin.

So now she came over every other day to make sure he was okay along with reminding her son that he better take good care of his cougar.

And he did indeed. Caden's cheeks still flushed a bright pink when he thought about the way Ajax had shoved him against the fridge this morning - both of them sweaty - to devour his mouth. It had been carnal and dirty and so arousing. Unfortunately Ajax had refused to take a shower together afterwards and Caden had been forced to shiver under the cold spray of water for solid ten minutes. Stupid lion.

"Ajax?" Caden muttered, not taking his eyes off of the colorful scenery in front of him. The weather was surprisingly warm and they had decided to soak up the sun rays on the back porch, wrapped up in warm blankets and - in Caden's case - a book in his lap.

Ajax hummed in acknowledgement while his fingers drummed on the keyboard of the laptop.

"I want to shift," Caden continued and finally turned his head to look at the other man. He felt restless and wanted to move desperately, run and jump and climb trees. It was impossible that the humans still were on the hunt for the rabbit-murderer. For sure the little girl had a new pet by now and didn't waste a second thought on her deceased critter.

He batted his eyelashes at Ajax who chuckled softly.

"Come on; it's getting dark fast this time of the year."

Caden quickly put his book aside and bounced down the steps into the backyard. He nearly forgot to undress - Jade would have his head if he ripped the carefully selected clothes - and the cold air bit into his bare skin as soon as he stood naked in the grass.

Ajax had opened the gate that would allow them to leave the garden safely and disappear in the woods and was shedding his own clothes. Caden licked his lips as he hungrily stared at the tantalizing body in front of him. Damn. He really wanted to run his hands down that strong back and to those firm cheeks. Perhaps this was the reason Ajax was so obsessed with Caden's ass.

However he also thought that Ajax was like a rose. So beautiful to look at with a sweet alluring scent that made you think of the world as perfect while it wasn't, and colors so vibrant they made everything else look bland. But anyone who tried to touch the rose, even tried to get near it, would be fended off by the thorns, their skin scratched and blood forced to the surface.

Although he hadn't been scratched yet he knew that he had to be careful because he had seen the look in Ajax' eyes when someone ventured too close. It would hurt him more than any wound if that same look would be directed at him. Those green eyes full of mistrust and warning and - what shocked him the most - fear. The big, bad Alpha was afraid.

Now that Ajax stood naked in front of him he saw again all those scars, all those reasons to wear as many thorns as possible.

The grass felt cool and wet under his feet when Caden took a cautious step forward. He cocked his head to the side, analyzed Ajax' scent that was carried over to him by the slight breeze. After a moment he deemed it safe and took a couple more steps until he was directly in front of the lion.

Ajax raised his hand and brushed his knuckles softly over Caden's cheek bone. A quiet growl was heard in the silence but Caden didn't feel threatened. The male took a step back and shifted, Caden following suit.

He rubbed his body against the lion's side and purred before trotting through the gate and into the woods. He stretched thoroughly and looked back over his shoulder to see that the lion was watching him intently. He huffed and inclined his head at the Alpha male who followed his invitation and joined him instead of just staring.

By now it was obvious that the seasons were changing. The cold bite of autumn could be felt in the air and nature prepared itself for the upcoming winter. Leaves littered the ground, carelessly abandoned by the plants and trees in favor of surviving snow and ice.

Caden bounded happily through the colorful piles, yipping excitedly when the dry leaves flew up all around him and floated back to the ground. Ajax followed him without complaint and only snorted when he ended up in one of those orange clouds, too.

Caden sprinted up a slope, chirping and pushing himself to go faster when he felt the lion nipping playfully at his haunches. They tumbled to the ground and panted breathlessly. Caden was buried halfway under the bigger carnivore but he wasn't bothered by it and simply pawed at the fluffy mane whereupon Ajax affectionately licked his cheek.

They stayed like that for a while. The sun was slowly setting and the dry leaves seemed to be even more colorful - brown, yellow, red, orange and occasionally even pink.

A daring squirrel used the dwindling light to dig a hole with its tiny paws just a few yards away from them. They both perked up, instincts pushing them to hunt, before settling back down and watching the animal with the rusty colored fur and the fluffy tail. It sniffed the soil a few times before producing a nut out of its mouth and dropping it into the hole. After filling the earth back on top of its treasure it quickly disappeared back up a tree.

Perhaps the squirrel wouldn't find the nut again and in the spring a sapling would sprout there. Over the years it would grow into a tree, nurturing future generations and following the tradition of letting leaves fall down to the earth.

Caden looked at Ajax, saw the golden flecks in his eyes. He wanted whatever was there between them to sprout. Maybe there would be times when it was better to let everything go and start anew but he hoped that they could do it together, starting over again no matter how cold the winter was.

And there, in the dying light, lying in a bed of colors, he saw. Saw the lion without the thorns, just his beauty, just his vulnerability.

He thought that maybe it was time to let go of his own thorns.