The Lone Wolf

~~TEN~~

Fleura

I can do this...

I try to convince myself as I pace back and forth in the master bathroom, my thoughts a bit scattered as I attempt to figure out the best way to approach a particular subject with Dakota.

It's been a week since Dakota and I had that heart to heart at the pond, and things have gotten much more intimate between us. He kisses me on the mouth more, and much more heated than the pecks he used to give me. He lets his hands wander more when we get caught in a particularly heated kiss, and he's been leaving hickies in the place where he wants to mark me.

He always stops before it goes too far though, but I can tell he wants to go further...to be as close to me as mates possibly can be to each other...and truthfully, so do I. I want to be closer to him, I want to complete our mate bond and bear his mark on my shoulder, to make sure that everyone knows we're mates.

But...that requires bringing up the subject of...mating.

Goddess, just the word makes me blush, how in the world am I gonna ask Dakota about this out loud if I can't even think it to myself without turning red faced and bashful? And what is even the best way to bring this up? Do people just ask when they want to mate? Is there a specific way of asking? Or do they just know?

~You could always let me take the direct approach...it worked well the last time I had control...~ Aurora murmurs, and as much as she is right...I can't do that this time.

~No...I want to be able to do this myself, I can't always have you take control when I don't know what to do...~

She stays quiet after my reply, but I can tell that she understands. Her helping me mark Dakota was a one time thing, but mating is something I'll have to be able to handle myself...especially considering that even with my limited knowledge on it, I know it's going to  happen more than once between mates...

A shiver runs down my spine, no doubt caused by the cool air of the bathroom hitting my wet skin, the shower I had taken was what got me thinking about this in the first place...

~You don't need to stress about this so much dear, this isn't a test. He is our mate, there isn't a wrong way to ask about mating...~

I sigh. ~I suppose you're right...~

~Of course I am dear.~

I pout irritably, cheeky wolf.

"Flower? I'm home! Where are you?" I jump at the sound of Dakota's voice traveling through the house, and my hands instinctively hold the towel I'm wrapped in tighter around me.

I can do this...just go for it...

I chant to myself, and Dakota's footsteps get closer.

"Flower?" He calls out again.

"In here!" I reply a bit loudly, exiting the bathroom to go to the bedroom door. But I only get halfway there before Dakota comes in, his eyes turning dark at the sight of me as he forgets whatever he was about to say, his low growl sending my heart into an erratic rhythm. We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity before he clears his throat, pulling his eyes from me with some effort.

"I'll just wait outside until-" He starts, beginning to turn around and exit the door. My eyes widen as I quickly run up to him, knowing that if he shuts that door I would lose all of the courage I spent so long building up. I stop him by grabbing the back of his shirt, my forehead resting against his back.