I felt terrible. I always did now. Before, I could always run around and search for Caleb or Tembovu however doing that now would only make things worse. Caleb had believed that I chose Tembovu when I hadn’t. I told Temb I wished to stay as friends. I needed things to simmer down, I needed to clear my head. However as much as I wished it to clear it only seemed to grow foggier as time moved on. Days went on and it was like I was blind to feeling anything, numb. I had seen that Caleb was in the Basin at the gathering and the memory of him getting close with Eden burned in my mind. I knew he could move on fast without me. I fucking knew it.

Unless it was that mask he carried so strongly. Reminiscent of a Venetian mask used to display various colors and events to hide the person carrying it. The beauty of such a mask was enough to distract you from the truth within, the true nature of him that I feel like I haven’t really understood fully. Perhaps I needed to get to know Caleb a bit more, to get him to understand my history and perhaps then I could understand his. Why was he the way he was? I could only imagine different situations that would have made him that way, but nothing really seemed to fit him.

One thing I knew for sure was that I needed to apologize. I needed to let him know that I was sorry for the fuck up that I was and what I did. My whole being ached at the thought of him and for being alone for as long as I had was when I ultimately realized that regardless of my actions and who I loved; I longed for him. I wanted to be near him, to stand close to him within the shadow of his great powerful wings and feeling the gentle brush of feathertips along my side. That was a feeling I truly missed and something that being with Tembovu could not give me.

As I wandered through what I had learned to be the Heart Caves, I couldn’t help but to feel my heart ache with every step. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see him again. Yes he lived there with me, but the Basin was a large span of land paired with mountains and hills and hideaways. He was graced with those powerful appendages that could easily sweep him away from me if he knew I was near. Was that what he had been doing? Perhaps then I’d never catch up to him and see. Shaking my head with a small sigh, I rounded a corner and came to see a silhouette of a beast that my mind possibly tricked me into thinking it was the person I had longed so much to meet again.

“C-Caleb?” A slight stutter in the hopes of not being wrong, I felt my legs lurch with my heart and bring me into a rush toward him. I raced to him, hopeful to catch him before he took off. Long legs swiftly took my golden body across the earth, my dual toned mane flying back in a flurry, and that iconic golden chain of mine flapping around like a fish as I frantically approached him. I got close, but not too close. I came to a halt, quickly, and was easily out of breath and such a fast paced movement. My eyes were glued to the creature before me, standing like a regal statue in the light whereas I looked like a fumbling idiot who just missed the train.

“Caleb please stay for just a moment, I need to talk to you.” I spoke breathlessly, hoping it was enough to keep him around for just a few moments. ‘Please just hear me out..’





Rexanna

I watched as Caleb silently tried to blow me off. I couldn’t help but to flick one hear back in sheer annoyance as he stepped deeper into the cave into another cavern. I sighed to myself, watching as his bitch of a hound hesitate in the entrance of the section as if thinking she could stop me. Whether she tried to bite me, I’d make my way through. I followed him, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to just let me go that easily. Frustrating began to flare but I did my best to push it back down deep in my gut. Being emotionally unstable caused these mood swings to grow heavily and quite bipolar in very odd moments.

As I stopped by the entrance of the history room, his booming voice echoes against the walls as it hits my ears. A sigh escaping, inaudible in the dynamics in the room as I watched him, dull eyes nearly piercing through his figure. His huge body, shadowing the center as the symbols on the wall reflected onto his ebony coat. Shaking my head slightly to myself, I kept my eyes on him, his words like a viper reaching out to bite at every opportunity. This was enough. He needed to know what was going on, and I wasn’t going to be sweet about it. But how to get into the cave and get him to listen without being so bitter?

Blue orbs watched the hound as I stepped the threshold of the cavern, my original frustrated appearance turning into more of a loving one. Swishing my tail lightly, I approached Caleb, growing close within his personal space. I aimed to get as close as possible to him. Hoofstep after hoofstep, I found myself beside him, hoping to run my golden pelt along the wings that lied on his side. The feathers feeling rather rough and rugged against my porcelain smooth skin. I continued forward, flicking my tail at him in an almost playful way. This would get at his attention, I knew it would.

I did my best to get closer to him, turning slightly to circle him where his chest lied, angling my horn as to not impale him. Doing my best to hide a small playful smirk that lined my maw. “Come on, baby.” Silky smooth words dripped from my velvet lips as I looked up at him, a playful gleam within my eyes. “I missed you.” I said softly, trying to pretend that the event that had occurred beforehand as if it was just a play; an act. I needed him to know the truth of what I had said after I left, but I knew he’d never listen unless I caught his attention in a way I knew best. Seduction.




Rexanna

I had a suspicion from the beginning that I had a bit more experience when it came to life than Caleb had. It wasn’t based off of events seen firsthand or anything else for that matter; but of age. I had been around longer, lived more years than he. However, I wasn’t fully sure. Perhaps his lust was due to his age? Or possibly because of it just being him. Though it appeared to me after the other males I had met, that few seemed to have strong restraint against me. Particularly the ones more experienced with trauma and heartbreak knew better.

Caleb was different, naïve in the fact that he didn’t feel. I never really believed him before, but I knew that the chances of him shedding a tear over me if I were lying half dead in front of him would be low. I never truly grasped that idea before now, before I attempted to let my sorrowful voice grasp his attention only to rely on my promiscuity to even get him to listen. And with that, I watched as his body language changed toward me. I watched as he grew silent, not having a single word to say aside from the fire that sparked in his eyes with the way that I spoke to him.

Then he stepped toward me, and I stepped one closer to him. That smile still playing on my lips as my eyes searched his face before I stretched out my neck; creams dancing with the colors of the symbols glowing around us, before I hoped to reach his jawline with my nose. I wasn’t sure how far I was going to go before I decided to possibly just go for it and delve in deep with him; or speak my mind. I gave in to many different situations in my life. This seemed rather small in the grand scheme of things; but I couldn’t help but remember seeing Temb’s broken face as he walked away from me in the fields all while I held that deeply seducing smile upon my lips and in my eyes.

I wouldn’t let that idea ruin the possibility of telling Caleb the truth. Both because I didn’t want to deal with the statue of a feathered beast glaring at me around every corner, and because I didn’t want to have to constantly think of Tembovu every time I was with him. Though I was beginning to learn that beggars can’t be choosers. “Caleb, love.” I spoke in a hushed silk tone. “Listen to me.” I muttered under my breath, allowing each exhale to graze across his neck. Perhaps now he would listen.




Rexanna