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‘Don’t worry.’ Timeo winced as the cloth made another pass. ‘It’s- ow, ow- a badge of honour. It’ll look better there than the floggings I’ve had.’

Ana felt a little guilty. She hadn’t expected her claws to have sunk in so far and so deep as she’d had one of the best moments of orgasmic bliss in her life, which had resulted in her claws sinking into his back. It wasn’t so much that the blood bothered her, it was more the guilt that she'd inadvertently hurt him.

‘Well, I’m still going to make it better. I’ll get some cream to help with the healing.’ She dabbed again, checking the cloth by candlelight in case there were still spots of red. There were some but far fewer now. ‘Unlike some stains, these don’t wash out.’

Timeo raised a brow as the bed moved when she got up. When she came back, she had a small pot of some fragrant-smelling cream. His nose wrinkled. ‘What’s that?’

‘Something to seal wounds.’ She looked mildly embarrassed. ‘Um. Dag needed it after I did the same to him. Your fur is thicker than his so it was a lot easier to see on him. I had to wear claw sheaths after that as he couldn’t sit straight for a few days.’

Timeo gave a slight chuckle as he let her tend to his back. ‘You could have warned me. But then again, you’re not the first to draw blood that way- Just a little gentler… that's better. Thank you.’

She hadn’t done as much damage as she’d thought. It had looked worse than it really was.

As her fingers worked, they traced over long healed welts that could only have been inflicted by a whip or a flogging tool. She frowned as the healing salve worked its way into her claw marks.

‘Can I ask something?’

‘Go ahead.’

She paused then traced over a particularly long welt. ‘How did you get these?’

A slight change in his breathing made her think she’d asked something impertinent. Maybe this had ruined the whole mood. She bit her lip nervously.

Then his voice came over his shoulder, still matter-of-fact but carrying what she felt was an edge of something else. ‘Various infractions. You see, the military machine is just that, a machine and we’re the cogs. But sometimes you have to get the cogs in order. With percussive maintenance.’

He turned a little to offer a lopsided smirk. ‘Sometimes the cogs bite back. And I bite back more often than I can count. So I earned these marks as some sort of dishonour or so they told me.’

It seemed to Ana that the edge of something else wasn’t so much a regret as a smugness or a hint of fiery rebelliousness. A satisfaction that not even the higher ranks of an army could tame him fully. Her fingers once again worked the cream into the final set of claw marks. ‘Is this why you see mine as… well, I suppose, the word is… different?’

He nodded, turning to face forward. ‘Those are earned by truly serving another. The others are earned only because they feel I don’t serve enough.’

Serve. Service. That had been a bit of a recurring theme that night. Part of her wanted to query it but the majority vote was sleep. She closed the pot and set it on the side.

‘It’s done. It may still sting though but at least it won’t bleed.’

Timeo tested his shoulders with a small roll. It did still sting a little but nowhere near as much. He stood up and started to walk to his pile of clothes. ‘Thank you. I take it you’ll be requiring me tomorrow?’

Ana’s heart leapt. He was trying to leave? Her tail twitched in anxiety as she immediately sprang up to intercept.

‘You’re going?’ Her large eyes radiated concern. ‘I thought…’

‘You said to come over. But I never outstay my welcome.’ He met her look with something like regret crossing his face. ‘It’s better I leave discreetly.’

‘I hardly call this discreet.’ Oh god. She had sounded so petulant there. Briefly she looked down then gathered her thoughts. ‘Timeo… I meant to say to stay as well. As in get some proper rest. Maybe a cuddle?’

Now he looked pained. His eyes dropped to the floor briefly and his shoulders sagged. It looked for all the world he was fighting within himself to come to a conclusion. Reluctantly he made to reach for his clothes then drew his paw back. ‘This would not damage your reputation?’

For a moment, Ana was now the one battling with an inner dilemma. She recalled how, only a few years earlier, she’d almost done damage not only to her reputation but the King’s one too. Their dalliance had been far more heated, far more potent and it had almost slipped out that the other mystery woman in the King’s life at that point was her.

She remembered how scared and nervous she’d been. Come to think of it, both of them had been more scared for each other than anything else. It had been just as well that at that point Norway had decided to make a threat at the border and despite both countries being neutral, they had both sent forces enough to secure the border to quell any trouble. The scare had brought attention away from it but… Oh it had been too close, far too close.

Finally she shook her head. ‘I am not exactly an open book. But even so, my reputation is enough that I could weather it with a deflection.’

This seemed to satisfy him for now. ‘Then I’ll stay. If you’ll have me.’

It seemed he was grateful for the chance to stay. She was sure it was more than just her imagination but he settled in beside her and the moment she drew the covers over them, he closed in with an arm about her (a good strong but above all supportive arm) and rested his broad head on her shoulder.

The moment he did so, his purr started. She smiled to herself, pressing into the warm fur and soon drifted off herself.

—----------------------

Ana was as much an early riser as her lover was. Her body clock naturally favoured a time to wake up between the hours of 5 and 6 in the morning, no matter what time she fell asleep the night before. Dag was usually an hour later and she often ended up waking before him and letting him do so at his own preferred time so as to get the house in order.

She stirred when Timeo’s arm about her was moved and she’d found her own arm linked with his, fingers entwined.

‘Morning.’ His sleepy tone nonetheless indicated he’d woken up not long before her.

‘Morning.’ she replied with a long yawn and turned a little to look at the blue feline. ‘How was your sleep?’

He winced as he rolled his shoulder, sitting upright. ‘Surprisingly peaceful.’ He rolled out of the bed and found, to his surprise, some freshly warmed water next to a clean cloth. He frowned. ‘This is new. Do you often get your servants coming in while you sleep?’

Ana nodded, slipping out of the bed. ‘Yes.’ She picked up the cloth and dipped it in the basin provided, motioning Timeo to turn around. ‘I have a small household. So you being here would have been impossible to keep secret for long. And, so Stig tells me, they were hedging bets on how long it took me to get you in here.’

She couldn’t see it but Timeo frowned. ‘And you are fine with this?’

He winced as the cloth cleaned his back and fresh bursts of stinging but temporary pain made the skin on his back tense. Once done, she patted his back dry. ‘There. All clean. No blood.’ As she tended to her own brief ablutions, she spoke again. ‘Well, knowing who encouraged it, no. But if you still worry about my reputation, just consider that you aren’t the first to have been brought in here.’

Timeo waited patiently until she had finished to sort out his own cleanliness,. It didn’t take long and he found he preferred it to having to get dressed in a hurry. Her own unhurried manner was not too different to some experiences he’d had and felt quite refreshing.

‘Stig… Which one is he?’

‘The horse. The only one on staff.’ Ana was slipping on her dress. It wasn’t an eventful day but at some point in the afternoon she had to attend some function or another. Right now, it was a simple dress over the underskirt and bodice while preparing to organise the house. ‘And sometimes… Well, he’s got some extra duties there too.’

Her coy manner had Timeo raise his brow then nod approvingly. Ah. So that's how it was. This sort of thing must have been common enough that coming in with a basin of water and leaving, with merely a glance at the bed to see another stray male was perfectly normal. He hoped they were at least discreet.

He wasn’t a great talker in the morning. Neither was she. He was dressed briskly and before making his exit, Ana had pulled him into a gentle goodbye kiss before confirming he could come by in a couple of hours to make headway on the portrait.

‘I shall return.’ He winked then headed out via the balcony.

—--------------------------

3 days.

That became 2. Another courier had arrived with another notice. Timeo had surveyed it gravely then nodded. ‘You see how difficult it can be. Sometimes I get notice I have to go right away.’

He still would not say what it was. Ana had tried to curtail her natural curiosity but it was hard. All he’d say was that it was delicate and no, it had nothing to do with Dag, or any diplomatic work. It didn’t take much to know he was hiding something and it was likely for her protection, maybe the protection of everyone. It didn’t stop the frustration of not knowing, especially as she had convinced herself that she’d finally understood him.

Nonetheless that left 2 days to do as much as she could with him there. Thankfully she didn’t need him for the finer details. That she could do on her own and with no other time constraints than-

Oh shit.

She’d almost forgotten the date of the unveiling. Oleg had been in touch via messenger to say he was going to see it and then set a date for completion so it could be put up in the palace. Of all the people, it had to be him…

On the last day that Timeo was with her, he had watched her closely. ‘You seem tense,’ he said finally. ‘Would you like a break to maybe talk?’

Ana sighed and put the brush aggressively into her tightly tied hair.

It wasn’t as if it was all work and no play. Before Oleg’s courier had arrived, she’d been quite relaxed, if nervous about Timeo’s departure and more about his possibility of never returning. But while he was there, his very aura of calm was enough to ease such concerns temporarily.

They had had breaks but now they were past the point of awkwardness, the activity moved to the library where Ana would ask not to be disturbed for a little while. Both came out feeling rather satisfied afterwards and a little unkempt. No point in hiding it since Stig had apparently won his bet.

Now he was suggesting a break but his tone was far more of concern than anything else. Ana pulled up a chair as Timeo sat down.

‘Talk to me.’ Timeo’s white-tipped paw patted her hand. ‘Something’s bothering you.’

‘Yes. I suppose it is.’ She took a breath. ‘Oleg is coming in 3 days’ time. He will set a date for the inauguration of the painting. And I don’t want to deal with him. It’ll just be me and him.’ She puffed out a breath. ‘He’s hard enough to deal with but-’

Timeo patted her hand firmly. ‘You will be fine. I can promise you that. I see a steel in you that'll make him think twice before he tries to put you down.’ He leaned forward. ‘You know your pace the best. You just have to make him see that.’

Ana stared into his eyes. They reflected back only honesty. He really thought that. He really thought she could do this. And to think she’d not even known him that long…

‘I’m also worried.’ She swallowed. ‘You’ll be gone tomorrow. And while I understand you can’t tell me what it is, I do want to know one thing.’

‘Tell me.’ His expression was now unreadable.

‘That you’ll come back safe and it’s not as dangerous as my heart thinks it is.’

Timeo raised a brow then briefly looked down. ‘I cannot guarantee the last part. All I know is that if I play my cards well, I will get out of it in one piece. If anything, I think it may be the one sending me on this mission who’s overstating the danger. But I come back. I always do.’

She wanted to say: ‘You say that. You say you’ll return. But you’re a risk-taker. You live for it. If it’s not dangerous, you wouldn’t risk it. And that's why I worry you’ll take it too far one day and just… not come back…’

She wanted to add something. But the emotion was too much. She couldn’t bring herself to say what was on her mind and sighed, wiping an eye. ‘Please do.’ She settled for this instead. ‘I’d like you to see the completed piece. I’d rather it be a celebration while you’re alive than a memorial.’

Timeo had watched her. Her shoulders seemed tense and he felt her hand tremble. He leaned forward.

‘I want you to understand something very important. I take big risks. The first big one I took was seeing the Haberdashers in their finery in Gothenburg, seeing those white feather plumes and then deciding on my tenth birthday that I’d join them. I swore I’d protect our borders and be a big general. My father later beat me that day when I ran to tell him and he said if I did, I’d be thrown out of the family. And I still joined.’ He saw Ana frown.

‘The point is that since then, every day is a risk for me. I know I could potentially be injured, go mad, die even. But it’s all part of life for me. It’s how I am. But you can rest assured that the one tasking me with this… shall we say, missive, he’s one I respect and know that he wouldn’t put me in danger. At least nothing I can’t handle.’

Ana wasn’t sure what to say. She’s almost wanted to meet the man giving him this mystery mission but that'd be prying into a life not hers.

Finally she found some faltering words. ‘You… You must think high of this person if you’d still go despite the risks. They must have been very persuasive. I just worry that a stray bullet or something else might make its mark.’

With the heaviness between them somewhat lifted, Timeo chuckled. ‘My dear, there’s quite a few things that would try to get me but I’m not going to let them bother me. As long as I can outrun or dodge them, I'm fine. Now, does that reassure you?’

A small nod. ‘Not completely but… thank you.’

Standing up, she composed herself. ‘I don’t suppose you’d have time to come by later?’

Timeo’s ears seemed to perk up. ‘Always.’

—--------------------------------

One last night before he left. A nice send off for him and something she was just as sure to remember.

Timeo had left with a promise he’d stay the night then go in the early morning. And to make it extra special, it was something a little riskier.

It was cold out on the balcony and she leaned heavily on the stone parapet. She was as naked as the day she’d been born and her fur had fluffed out just a little.

Head bowed, she suppressed a moan. From behind, Timeo’s claws combed through her fluffed fur from her shoulders to her side before he once again gripped her waist and resumed a ferocious rutting.

She hadn’t said anything about her weakness for potentially getting caught in the open. She had nothing against it at all, having only queried it from Marielle when the beagle had admitted to it for the reason that it was without her husband’s knowledge and so their dalliance was to be discreet. Marielle and discreet were two words you’d never see together.

There was a certain frisson to it. To being so desperately horny and eager to be filled that all senses were lost to it, and damn whoever could come by and see. An audience might be even better. Having them join in was maybe a step too far, but that depended on who the discoverer was.

Dag was into it. The number of times they’d almost been caught as he’d (with her full consent given beforehand) pressed her into finding a more private (but not too private, of course!) location…

This was a rutting, no doubt about it. His strokes were long and deliberate but his pace was that of a feline who had waited for this and was determined to make it worthwhile.

Her claws dug in, scraped on stone as his dug into her side, mere pinpricks from digging in enough to draw blood. She didn’t have to imagine how he looked right now looming over her. His golden eyes had flashed with bestial lust as he’d drawn her out here, his tail thrashing with pent-up excitement and his cock already very erect and ready.

She yelped as his bite to her shoulder drew her out of a reverie.

‘You like this. On show for everyone.’ Timeo’s voice was distorted by his half growl, half purr. Oh yes. He was purring so loud right now. ‘Marked as mine.’ A crude chuckle at that. ‘I wonder. Does Dag ever get this deep? Does he please you like I can?’

Her second yelp as he bit down again was turned into a long moan halfway. He'd thrust back in, making sure she had every inch. The soft barbs did their wicked work of teasing as he pulled back. ‘N-no,’ she managed as her breath came back. Another sharp thrust and she whimpered. ‘H-he’s nothing like you.’

‘Good. I’d hate to think that I had competition.’ His paws moved from her hips to slide up her sides then onto the chest and finally cup each breast in his paws. It earned him a shuddering moan and a roll of her hips back to his. ‘So now I’m going to rut you. And you’ll see just what you’ve been missing.’

That growl. It made a shiver run down her spine. How primal it sounded! Such a contrast from the kind old soul she was depicting in the portrait. How he could change from a gentle considerate but possibly troubled sort to a beast capable of fucking her enough to draw out the slightest sound with a touch was something she’d wonder for days afterward but right now, that was not important.

She planted her feet squarely, gripped the stone and pushed back, her tail curling about his waist.

‘Fuck me, you stud. I want you to make Dag jealous.’ It was her turn to become almost feral as she snarled the words out.

His tail curled about her leg tight. His fingers squeezed.

‘Mine,’ he growled in her ear. Then he bit her neck in a vicious mating bite and clamped his jaws shut.

It was sometime later that two sets of pleasured feline yowls that sounded almost primaeval were heard in the estate. And neither cared who heard them.