Sharing Feelings

Climbing plants were falling like a curtain before the narrow entrance of a cave, which was positioned in front of Dangu's burial ground. Nyell hadn't noticed it when he passed in front of it earlier, and he probably would never have known of its existence if Allen hadn't shown it to him. It was well concealed, so much so that Nyell suspected it had been purposely hidden away from prying eyes. Not only did the plants serve as a distraction, but so did a half-meter boulder lying at the feet of the entrance. If Nyell had a bit more fat around his waist and a little less flexibility, he probably wouldn't have been able to make his way inside.

"It's like climbing into a rabbit hole," he grumped as his feet touched the ground and turned around to take in the inside of the cave. "What the…" 

"Your shocked face is very endearing," Allen, who had come in first, chuckled. "Quite the cozy place, isn't it?"

"Gotta admit you're right," Nyell clicked his tongue. "This is not what I expected when you said we'll sleep in another cave to get some privacy and told Lapis and Myrven to spend the night at Dangu's. I thought the cave would resemble my uncle's sealed ground, but… This place seems even more comfortable than my own hut! It's clearly man-made!"

The cave walls were too even to have naturally formed. Moreover, the furniture inside indicated that someone lived there. Permanently or temporarily, it didn't matter. A rug made of fur and leather covered a great part of the ground, and a wide hammock, weaved with unknown material, was suspended above. In a corner, what seemed to be a stony hotel was erected with various objects displayed on it, and beside it laid three coffers. In another corner were jugs of water, dried fruits, and jerky, among culinary tools. Illuminating moss had been placed at strategic points, casting a pale blue light all over the cave. Since the moss wasn't found around this area and only in the Black Moon tribe's memorial cave, someone must have brought it over.

"Well, Dangu told me your mom used her monstrous strength to carve a hole into the rocky wall and expand it every time she visited. Apparently, it took her over three years to build this cave. He said she often came to pray for him and spent a few days near his burial ground every three months. She would talk to him about what was going on in her life and confide even her deepest and darkest secrets, unaware that he was actually listening as he couldn't show himself to living beings then. She never really got over the fact that her little brother was dead or how he departed this world."

"I guess the hotel is for him, then." 

"Yes. Because Dangu's body was buried deep underground and sealed in the other cave, Hulien didn't have an urn with his ashes. So, she brought everyday objects your uncle used or was attached to instead."

A vague sense of deep sorrow and feeling of unfairness grew inside Nyell. It was ironic how his mother killed her brother, and how her children and mate ultimately killed her. Knowing her, she'd probably say that she got her just deserts. Still, the thought didn't comfort Nyell in the least. But before he could drown in self-hatred, a rustling noise caught his attention. 

Nyell turned around, and his eyes fell upon Allen's naked torso. His robes were lying at his feet, and his hands were already settled on the waistband of his pants. The moss cast a pale blue hue over his fair skin, enhancing the shadows defining his lean muscles. It made Nyell cock an eyebrow. Allen was indeed an anomaly. Shamans usually had a weak physical constitution and couldn't exercise much. Lapis was the prime example: Myrven had to help him with the hike in the jungle not even an hour after they departed. Just a bit of walking had been enough to render him breathless. And yet, here was Allen, whose body showed clear signs of daily exercising. 

"You should undress, too." 

"Right…"

Scenting and skin-to-skin proximity would be easier done without clothing, after all. That was the main reason why Allen had proposed to sleep in another cave. Although werewolves tended to have no claims about walking around naked, some awareness still existed. It was a thing to see others in their birthday suits, and it was another to see them cuddle naked. Moreover, both men were aware their instincts would most likely react if they lay in each other's arms for an extended period of time, and Nyell wasn't very keen on showing others what his lower half looked like once erected. He knew some werewolves didn't care, but he did, and Allen seemed to have noticed it.

"What's taking so long? Do you need help undressing? I'll gladly do it for you if need be."

"No, thank you. I can do it myself."

Not doubting an instant the White Moon tribe's chief would do it if he didn't get to it soon, Nyell quickly got rid of his clothes, throwing them in a corner. Meanwhile, Allen folded his robes and pants, carefully placing them on the edge of the rug, before climbing into the hammock and beckoning his destined mate to join him. And although Nyell felt reluctant, he complied and dragged his feet to the hammock. Despite being relatively wide, it wouldn't allow the two men to lay beside each other without feeling constricted, and thus, Nyell knew he had to settle atop the shaman. He would rather not, but what else could he do? 

"I thought you'd be heavier," Allen chuckled once his destined mate flopped atop him, intuitively putting his hands on the smalls of his back after covering themselves with a blanket. The nights were chilly, and their body temperatures wouldn't be enough to keep them warm.

"Shut up," Nyell grunted as he rubbed his cheek against the man's neck to scent him, borrowing his nose in the crook of the man's shoulder. "If you say unnecessary things, I'm going to bite your mouth off, so you better keep it shut." 

"That's a scary prospect," Allen laughed softly before closing his eyes and growing silent. He knew better than to test his destined mate's patience. He might not bite his lips off, but he had a hunch Nyell could and would bite them until they were nothing more than a bloody mess.

As silence settled in and only the night noises of the jungle echoed from afar, Nyell's thoughts once more diverged toward his discussion with his uncle. Guilt surged again, but before it could devour his mind whole, gentle caresses on his lower back snapped him back to reality. Allen was rocking his thumbs up and down, and the slow movement soothed Nyell. Right. Destined mates could appease their partners' turbulent minds if they desired to. It was a weird feeling, and Nyell couldn't help but tense. When he did, Allen tilted his head to nudge it against his.

"Don't tense. Just accept it. It'll help you relax and fall asleep."

"You still have the leisure to concern yourself with me? Shouldn't you concentrate on recovering your spiritual energy instead?"

"I'm good at multitasking."

The hummed comment had the merit of drawing an amused chuckle from Nyell. Allen sure loved to have the last word. 

'Seems like we share a bad habit,' Nyell thought. However, whatever Allen said, he didn't feel at ease with letting another person influence his emotions that much, and he even loathed the idea. Still, he tried to follow the shaman's recommendation. He had to get a grip on himself and not let dark thoughts gain the upper hand. Too many things needed to be done for him to fall prey to despair. His mother was dead, and nothing could change that. But that didn't spell the end. Before she passed away, Nyell promised her he'd take care of his father and little sister, and he had to keep his word. If only for that, he had to piece himself together. 

"Your shoulders are finally relaxing. Are you feeling better?"

"I don't want to admit it, but yes."

"Glad to hear that."

Nyell licked his lips, hesitating a few seconds before asking, "How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?"

"You know what I mean. How are you soothing my body and mind? I know mates can do it, but I have no idea how."

"Let's say it has to do with my state of mind. I need to be calm myself if I want to appease you. Mates and destined mates can somehow share their feelings and emotions with their partners, influencing their mental states. Long ago, when our kin were battling to survive each day, we developed this ability to alert us if something happened to our partners. The first emotions to be transmitted were fear, anxiousness, hunger, pain… The kind of things that put them in danger, in short, so we could react in time and protect our mates. Later, when things calmed down, other feelings and emotions started to be transmitted, like happiness. Some people, like myself, can control what we transmit to our mates, while others are open books who can't hide anything, especially when strong emotions are gripping them."

"I didn't ask for a history course," Nyell rolled his eyes. "Wait. Am I the open-book type?!"

"What do you think?"

Nyell felt like crawling into a hole. But on the bright side, he could now understand a bit more about some of Allen's actions and reactions. For example, he had grown aroused when he entered his hut after Nyell had pleasured himself two weeks ago. Nyell had first thought it was due to the smell lingering inside the room, but though it might have played a role, the first culprit was probably his own state of mind. He was still feeling high on lust when Allen knocked on his door. As a result, the White Moon tribe's chief entered the hut with a not-so-discreet tent stretching his pants.

The physical reaction didn't even seem to bother Allen one bit, getting to business while blatantly ignoring his erected member. It had rendered a certain someone speechless.

As for Nyell, didn't he blame the two moons' cycle and his soon-to-be rut at the time for his own arousal to Allen's smell? Thinking about it, it was strange how his rut hadn't been triggered yet, but maybe the anxiety and fury of the past two weeks had kept it in check. Still, it was a little weird.

Should he ask Allen about it? The shaman seemed to have extensive knowledge about pretty much anything and everything. But on an emotional level, Nyell wasn't sure if he wanted to. He feared Allen's reaction if he were to ask. The guy did love to tease him, and there was no reason for him not to when the opportunity was presented on a gold platter.

One thought lead to another, and a peculiar one then crossed his mind. What if Nyell had his rut while Allen was around? What would he do if he was nearby…? That was a good question. He did not know how his inner beast would react with its destined mate in the vicinity. Would lust cloud his mind enough to turn him into a brainless fool? Nyell could not help but remember the fantasy playing in his mind when he pleasured himself the last time—maybe making it a reality wouldn't be so bad after all. The thought itself of pushing his member deep into Allen's mouth until it hit the back of his throat and messing up his pretty face was exciting, although he would rather die than admit it aloud. He could not lie to himself, though: only thinking about it, and he already felt a part of his body reacting slightly.

'Wait, something seems off,' Nyell frowned as something gradually stiffened under him. Before he could wrap his mind around what that meant, or, more like, before he could accept what it meant, Allen's strained voice resounded.

"Nyell."

"What?"

"I know I didn't answer you clearly, but you did realize you're the open-book type, didn't you? So, you do know that when you're feeling aroused, the feeling is shared with me, right? And no matter how down-to-earth I am, my lower half will undoubtedly react to it. Like right now."

"…How about pretending to be dumb?"

"No, can't do."

Nyell let out a wry laugh, wanting to borrow himself six feet under. Why did he let his mind go down the gutter, especially after he had been warned? Was he an idiot or what? But whatever the answer was, it didn't matter: it was already too late.