Solaire listened and leaned against him as she thought, planning on how short she could make her shower without skipping anything. She didn't want to be away from him for any length of time but she couldn't stand the dirty feeling from not showering in a couple days, "Can I take a shower? Then maybe we can go get some breakfast and then see about plans for today? Can we go pick up Wriley and maybbe Hannah first?" she asked, wondering what kinds of clothes Contessa would have, hoping she'd have some lighter colored clothes. She couldn't be picky she knew and wouldn't mind if Contessa didn't have the type of clothing she liked but she still hoped there might be something.

Siloh's mood was boosted by her words and he thought a moment before sighing, "Well, I know I need to deal with that lynx at some point." he moved his hand, scratching his face then chuckling a bit, "And I need to shower and shave in the worst way." He watched her face and smiled before a slight yawn escaped him and he shook it off.

Kristoff stroked her arms as she listened to her questions. "Go ahead and shower, I won't be only anywhere. And I would love to get them. I missed Hannah." He said. He nuzzled with her for a moment longer before he released her. He waited for her to get up from him, he didn't want to push her off him. He enjoyed her body against his, her scent was covering him. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something you'll like in my sister's closet. She loves to shop and has everything you can imagine besides the real kinky stuff." He said, shuddering at the last part.

Contessa sat up a bit, stretching again. She loved that feeling you got when you stretched out all your muscles. "Well, I can take you to my house and you can shower and shave. Then you can deal with the lynx, but I don't think I can be there." She said, looking away for a moment. It wasn't because of him or what that beast deserved to get, she just couldn't see people hurt. She looked back at him with a sad smile and reached out to touch his face.

Solaire thought for a moment about home and rememberd how all their showers had been women's and men's instead of personal, in home, showers and she also remembered the mix room showers and had a sudden vision of her and Kristoff then looked down with a blush, her skin having gotten warm. She abruptly ended that temptation though before it could get her into trouble, looking up at Kristoff with crimson cheeks, "Why don't you just pick out what you want me to wear today? I'm sure I'd be fine in anything if you like me in it." She left him with a quick kiss and ran a hand over the scars on his body, feeling the contrast in texture, before carefully crawling off his lap and moving to the shower room and starting to undress.

Siloh watched her stretch and swallowed a bit loudly as he did then smiled at her when she turned around, a fire in his eyes as his hands reached for her waist. It was a controlled fire, one he wasn't going to let take him over but he still needed something to quell it so he sat up and pulled her over, kissing her fiercely but pulling away after a moment to make sure she wasn't angry. It was then that her words reached his ears and he sighed, "Contessa, he may have led that group of lynxes to kill my tribe but I assure you, I will not kill or harm him, no. I'll do far worse. I know every banishment marking of every tribe. I will leave him with no one to turn to but since banishment locks lynxes in their animal form, he won't even have their aide. He'll be just as much a menace to them as he was to my tribe. He'll be forced to stay out of all tribal territories." I will not harm him, I'll leave that to the humans." he said with a sigh, not telling her that he was planning on selling the lynx to poachers for a canned hunting. He wanted the lynx to feel the sheer terror he'd put his entire tribe through but die like the majority of it did.

Kristoff watched her for a moment, wondering what got her to blush that way. He smirked to himself, thinking it was possible she was thinking the same thing he was. Her reaction was much cuter than his. Kristoff purred as she touched him. He didn't really want to go into his sister room, but Solaire asked him to so he would. He watched her until she disappeared into his shower. He stood and pulled on a clean pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt, it was like his uniform or so Contessa would say. He liked the dark colors and he didn't think he would looked in anything else. Kristoff paused outside the door of his bathroom, listening for a moment. He sighed happily as he went into his sister room and rumaged through her clothes, pulling out undergarments, a soft pink camisole and a pair of jeans. He layed the clothes out onto his bed and he went downstairs and waited for her.

Contessa made a sound of pleasurable surprise as he grabbed her and kissed her. She loved it when he was agessive like that. She purred asgainst him, wrapping her arms around him and returning the kiss. She pouted when he had pulled away, playing with his hair as he spoke. "I'm glad. I know he and his tribe did some terrible things, I just can't see anyone hurt." She said sadly. She couldn't even take revenge for her parents when her brother had found the wolves who had killed them.

Solaire enjoyed her shower, perhaps more than she'd ever enjoyed a shower in her life, but washing thw soot away she found sores on the bottoms of her feet from the embers she'd walked over that first day and from the debris as well and they began to sting. She didn't mind them though but knew she'd have to be careful of how she walked for a while. She didn't take long in the shower, longer than she'd planned at least and when she stepped out she looked around then blushed as she stood shivering in the bathroom, looking around and finding no towel, "Kris?!" she called, shivering as goosebumps formed over her entire body, too cold to move.

Siloh nodded and hugged her closer and nuzzled her, "I know and since I don't want to be away from you at all, I'm willing to find other ways to exact my revenge on him. If you can't see others harmed then that's exactly what I'll keep from you." His eyes wandered from her face at a sound and he smiled suddenly and gave her a quick kiss before turning her a bit, "Hey, look." he murmured and pointed at a corner of the room at the mated foxes who were cuddling together and the reynard running his fingers through the vixen's hair with a loving gaze, telling her something and brightening as she giggles softly at it. "I loved watching the mates wake up and start their days before the attack." he told her softly, holding her to him still.

Kristoff's ears perked up when he heard his name being called. He rushed upstairs to his room and went to the bathroom door. "I'm here, Solaire, what's wrong?" He asked through the door. He had to hold back in order not to break down the door. He was so protective of her even though he knew that she could care for herself if needed. It was just his instinct to prtect what was his. And she was his no matter what anyone else thought. He put his hand on the door handle, pausing before opening it, he didn't want to embarass her. Pissed off mates weren't always fun.

Contessa smiled at him. It should have made her a bit angry that he said that, but she couldn't be mad at him. If her brother had said that she would have beaten him. Her eyes wandered over to where he had pointed and her heart melted. "That's so cute!" She gushed. "I used to love watching my mom and dad when they thought they were alone." She said and blushed. Her mom and dad were so loving to each other and to them, Contessa always wanted someone to make her feel that way. She was happy now that she had found someone to make her feel that way. "Now I know how they felt." She said, her cheeks pinking again as she looked at him again.

Solaire shivered her teeth chattering and she waited until she heard him outside the door until she looked up, "I was dis-disttttracttted when I c-came in here and d-didn't s-see th-there wa-wasn't a t-towel." she said, her voice shaky from shivering so much. IF she didn't know she'd get him all wet she'd just open the door and go to him, nude or not she was so cold but she didn't know how he would react to either one, getting wet or seeing her nude and she decided she would keep to herself, "I-I'm c-c-cold." she said, half hoping he would come in to warm her, after all she'd not told him he couldn't, she'd made no such suggestion.

Siloh too had loved to watch his mother and father when they thought they'd been alone and he smiled at the thought and looked at her with a strong mix of happiness and wanting but he only hugged her again and massaged her shoulders, "We really should get going before everyone starts waking up. There's going to be things they want from me today that I can't give them and we'd be stuck here for hours if we don't leave now." He said softly, smiling at the happy couple still and then at her as he released her to stand when she wished. His leg was still sore, he'd found that when he'd pulled her a little too close and onto it some but it wasn't nearly sore as it'd been before but he knew he'd still need some help getting around.

Kristoff grabbed a large towel from his closet and opened the door. He saw her there, fully nude, but didn't say anything or look away. He kept his eyes on her face, her beautiful face that always seemed to take his breath away. He smiled gently at her as he wrapped the large, warm towel around her. "Sorry, I'm not use to having other people use my shower." He said, his arms around her. "Is that better?" He asked looking down at her.

Contessa hopped off the bed and moved beside him. "You're right. Where do you want to go first?" She asked him. She gave the loving fox mates one last glance. Looking at Siloh, Contessa longed for offically making him her mate. She wondered if he was willing to make it offical. She also pondered what it entailed becoming mates in the fox tribe. There was usually a sort of bonding where in the end they merge life forces and have a mark somewhere on them, at least in her tribe that's how it was done.

Solaire looked up as the door opened and she covered herself as best she could and looked up at him as he put the towel around her and sighed, her shivers lessening but the goose bumps on her were still there. She leaned into him and looked down with an embarrassed smile, "It's alright. It was actually my fault. I didn't check if there was a towel." she said then looked up at him, smiling slightly, "Much better thank you, and I'm sorry about that." she nodded, "Much warmer." she smiled wryly as she lifted her hand and set it against his cheek, showing him how cold her fingers were.

Siloh thought a moment then smiled at her, "I really should shower. Can we go do that first?" he asked, holding her and thinking of his mother and father, pain crossing his face at the thoughts. They used to be such fond memories but at the moment they just made him sad and he sighed as he looked down and rubbed his face, moving to get up.

Kristoff shivered at her cold touch. "You're freezing. You want me to turn the heater up?" He asked, loosening his grip on her. He moved them out to his bedroom and released her from his embrace. "I hope those clothes are alright." He said, watching her. He had hoped he got the right size and the right everything else. He really didn't know what girls like to wear, he usually got them to take off whatever they were wearing.

Contessa smiled at him as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "Sure! I'll take you to my house. And I can let you go through some of the old clothes we have there." She said, helping him away from his bed and towards the door as quietly as she could. She didn't want to wake the others before they got outside.

Solaire laughed slightly and shook her head, "It's just from me being wet but thank you for the concern." she said and shivered slightly as cold water dripped from her hair to her neck. She moved to see what he'd gotten her and finding everything acceptable but not her usual attire she went back to him for a hug, going on her toes to kiss him then nodded, "It's fine. I said anything you'd like me in would be fine." she said, picking up the pink camisole then nodding to him with a pleased smile. The clothes were a size too big for her slight build but any clothes were better than none. Wrapping the towel around herself she but the underthings on underneath then the pants, finally taking the towel away to put the camisole on and wrapping the towel around her hair to dry it.

Siloh nodded as he heard her and wrapped his arm around her waist as well for support. when they were outside he sniffed the air and then looked at Contessa suddenly, "If it's not much trouble I'd like to take some flowers to my mother's grave after breakfast." he said, staring at the sky then looking back to her, kissing her cheek. "Tell me if you will, how are mates made official in your tribe?" he asked.

Kristoff had watched, not meaning to watch her get dressed. He was entranced by her movements and a bit disappointed that she had gotten dressed. He smiled at her once she was fully clothed again. "Do you want to get the kits before or after we eat? I'm sure they'll be hungry when we get to them." He said thoughtfully. He would cook at his house unless she wanted to go to the diner. He wondered if there was any food in the house, he hadn't been shopping in a long time. That was normally Contessa's job and had been for a while.

Contessa smiled at him when he mentioned that he wanted to put flowers where his mother was. "Of course. We'll both do so." She said smiling. She hadn't visited her mother's grave in a couple of years now. It had been so hard for her to go there. She brighten at his mention of her tribe's mating. "Well, we bond life forces and after that's done, there'll be a mark somewhere on our bodies that are the same but unique to us. And if one of us dies, so does the other." She said. She hadn't meant to speak the last part, but if he didn't truly want to be her mate, then now was the time. She didn't want to bond with him and then he not want her any longer due to the bonding of life forces.

Solaire turned to Kristoff as he spoke and smiled back at him then nodded, rubbing the towel against her incredibly long hair, "Sure! Just let me finish drying my hair and brush it then we can go." she said with a nod and soon she was ready, her long brown hair wet, reaching a little below her rear when it was still damp, "Alright, I'm ready. Do you think we could maybe just pick them up and come back? Depending on what you have in the house I'd like to make something." she told him, smiling and reaching for his hand.

Siloh nodded, smiling slightly and looked distant before listening to her and seemed surprised, "I've never heard of anything like that." He said, sounding surprised but not disinterested, "We marry similar to humans but the wedding bands don't come off without permission of the tribe leader. It hasn't happened in more than a hundred years but the band grows warm if one mate is cheating on another. Our life forces don't join or bond." he said, giving her a slight hug, just tightening his arm around her waist gently. He really didn't mind the thought of bonding life forces with her but actually wondered if it'd be any different from how they were now or if they'd be able to feel each other all the time. He was curious about it and asked, "How does the bonding work? I mean, does it change the way we live?"

Kristoff watched her as she dried her hair. He took her hand when she held hers out. "We should check to see what I have then we can hit the store after picking the kits up." He said as he lead her downstairs. Once in the kitchen, he looked around and saw they were bare. "Looks like we're going shopping." Kristoff gave her his lopsided grin. Contessa was always creeped out by his silly smile, he hoped she wouldn't be.

Contessa frowned slightly at the difference between their tribes. "Well..I guess our mating is a bit more serious. It's something one doesn't rush into." She said thoughtfully. She perked back up at his question. "I believe so. I mean, we'd be more aware of each other, can always sense each other and if one is in danger the other will feel it. And when one dies the other feels an intense pain and then dies a few mintues after." She explained.

Solaire laughed softly when there was nothing to eat though she didn't know why she found it so funny. Perhaps it was the cute smile he had after he'd said it. Regardless she leaned into him and smiled up at him, a hand on his cheek, "You're cute." she said, in a completely truthful way, her cheeks pink with happiness. She never would've thought she would have such a good morning but it was a surprisingly good start to her day. She tugged on his hand as she started for the door, thinking of what she could make for breakfast and smiling at him still.

Siloh frowned, "More serious? What do you mean by that?" he asked, truly confused by what she might mean by that. His tribe never rushed into mating, having laws about it. A pair must wait a year to two years, living together, to be mated after they make the initial request making sure it would work. Even then there were precautions against dishonesty among the two as well as other precautions. Listening more he nodded and thought about it a moment, "That's certainly interesting and sounds nice. Except for the last bit. Tell me, why would your tribe do that?"

Kristoff laughed when she called him cute. He hadn't been called that in such a long time. He let her tug him along to the door, shutting the door benhind him. He lifted his face to the fresh air and the morning sun, enjoying the feeling. "What do you plan on making?" He asked her, enjoying her feeling against his skin.

Contessa blushed as she realized how it must have sounded to him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! It's just that a long time ago, before the modern world, the leader of our tribe was warned that his mate was going to betray him for another in the tribe. The other panther tricked his mate into killing the tribe leader. So the leader made it so that mates shared life forces. So when she killed him, she died a few moments later after a surge of intense pain." She explained to him. It was a brutal story of love's betrayal. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "That's what I had meant." She said.

Solaire had been watching the sky but blinked and slowed, looking confused a moment before looking at him, "Um, I don't know.. What will you eat?" she asked, realizing that he might not like what she might've picked to make. She was craving french toast and strawberries but had no idea what he liked to eat.

Siloh listened to her and nodded, "Then I guess it is. That's never happened with our tribe. We have a high penalty for that kind of thing. We would have executed the woman in a very painful way so I suppose it's basically the same thing." He shook his head then and looked at her, "With the difference of accidental deaths will not kill both members of the mated pair. Our small sizes, both unshifted and shifted are easily killed, but not caught. Think if we bonded mates like your tribe Nana May, Heather, the now unmated vixen, and Tony, that young teen we found, would all be dead. Their mates were killed in the attack." He said and held her closer as they walked. "No offense meant by that though." he said, realizing too late that what he had just said might've been taken as rude.

Kristoff smiled at her as they strolled along towards fox building. "I'm good with anything you make." He said to her, holding her hand tightly in his much larger one. "What do you think they kits would want?" He asked, more pondering than anything. He knew that they would love some fruit, what else he didn't know. Kristoff nodded his head at a few of the passing panthers, some nodded back, others looked away. Kristoff bit back a snarl, he knew that no matter what, they won't execpt the foxes. But as long as they don't try to interfere, it'll be fine.

Contessa nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know. We're a bunch of ht headed panthers around here." She said with a smile. She looked up at the sky and thought for a moment. "I wouldn't want to live if my mate was taken from me." She said after a moment. It was true, even if they had children, they would be fine, but she wouldn't feel complete or even alive if her mate was taken from her. She looked at Siloh, knowing that if he was ever removed from her life, she would die.

Solaire looked up at him and smiled, leaning on him for a few steps in an odd kind of hug before standing on her own again and thinking, "Fruit of course but I was actually thinking stuffed french toast... Well, my version. I put peanut butter on a slice of bread, then slices of banana and another slice of bread on that then cook it as french toast." She looked up at him again and stopped walking to ask, "Does that sound good to you?" she began walking again and noticed the unhappy look on Kristoff's face and put her hands higher on his arm, "Hey, it's okay. They don't have to like me. I don't give a damn if they don't like me. The only person who matters is you and you alone." she told him so only he could hear, looking up at him softly with puppy dog eyes and her huge ears perked up to accent the adorable face she was making as she held her tail in her hands, trying to calm him by catching his attention and taking it away from the rude panthers. She tentatively reached a hand up toward his ears and gently rubbed them, giving them a good petting and watching his face to see how he would take it.

Siloh smiled at her as he listened and hugged her fully for a moment, uncaring as he stood on his bad leg to do it, "I would probably kill myself but some can live through it with the support of others and eventually find a new way of living. You've seen Nana May. She just took the whole tribe as her family and we filled the hole for her." He knew that it wouldn't be the same for him if he lost Contessa. He didn't care that they were in a public place as he gave her a kiss then kept moving, smiling apologetically at her as he looked around them.

Kristoff hadn't realized his anger spoke on his face until she said something. He looked at her, his anger washing away as she spoke. He smiled at her, her adorable face calming his upset heart. "You're so cute. And thanks, that means a lot to me. No one matters in the world as much as you do to me." He said. Not even his sister, he loved her and all, but Solaire took top on his list. He snatched her up in his arms and buried his face in her neck. "I love you." He whispered into the smooth flesh of her neck. "More than I ever intended.." He added. He put her back on her feet and laced his fingers through hers.

Contessa loved it when he wrapped her up in his arms. "I guess so. I always thought that it would be better without having to die when your mate did. But now that I found you, I can understand it." She said. She spotted Kristoff and Solaire coming towards them from her house. She frowned a bit, wondering why they were getting so close to each other. Contessa bit her lip, wondering if Siloh would be upset at the sight. Contessa knew her brother and she knew that he wouldn't be holding Solaire's hand if he only wanted one thing from her. Contessa knew her brother had found his mate as she had found hers.

Solaire blushed at him as he called her cute and she seemed content and satisfied to hear what he'd said, "Thank you." she murmured. She smiled as he buried his face in her neck and smiled happily at his words, burying her face in his chest as he set her down, "I love you too." she whispered back, "More than you could imagine." unsure of why she'd gotten so incredibly attatched to him. He was her mate, yes, but fox mates usually have to go through all the normal human things to fall in love. Her hand, which was still laced with his, was then coupled by her other hand as she held his in both of hers, walking with him happily.

Siloh nodded, "Same here. I now understand the death rate of widows and widowers." he said, spotting Kristoffer and his sister. He frowned as he first spotted them but after a moment's thought and a glance at Contessa he smiled, "That's wonderful." he said, watching the two and looking to his own mate. He knew that Kristoffer could easily protect his sister, that Solaire could stand up to him, she loved panthers, that many problems were being fixed, and that he'd found his own beautiful panther girl.

Kristoff was elated when he heard her return his words. It made him happier than he had ever been before. He noticed Contessa and Siloh. He was so happy he didn't even mind seeing them that way, in fact he was happy for them. "Yo, Tessa!" He called out, leading Soliare towards Siloh and Contessa. He watched Solaire and then Siloh, to see their reactions. It had been the first time since they buried their mother.

Contessa grinned at Siloh, happy that he agreed to Kristoff and his twin. "I'm glad too. Kristoff never looked happier." She said. She smiled at her brother as he and Solaire neared them. "Hey brother. How is everything? Morning Solaire! I hope Kristoff has been taking care of you." She said with a playful wink. She had snuggled closer to Siloh, happy that she had found her mate and happy her brother had found his.

Solaire smiled at Kristoff until she saw her brother then her smile faded but not to angry or mad that he was with Contessa like he was, no, it turned sad and she held onto Kristoff tighter, looking up at him with a heavy sigh, unable to forget her mother's death when she was with Siloh. "Kris? Where's my mother's collar?" she asked, looking at Siloh then back up at him, knowing that Siloh would want her to wear it or at least use it. Solaire looked back around at Contessa as she spoke and gave her a watery smile and nodding, "Morning. He has been the greatest." She returned looking up at Kristoff again and holding on tightly before looking dead at her brother as her arms went around Kristoff and tightened insecurely, "I've resolved the issue the way I wanted to resolve it." she told him with a slightly choked voice, "So don't talk about that."

Siloh noticed his sister's face as they moved over and his face began to mirror hers but finally he kissed Contessa's cheek, respectful of Kristoff's presence yet still being affectionate with her. He looked at Kristoff straight in the face and his voice a bit shaky, "May I speak with my little sister please?" he asked, referring to her in the most endearing, yet annoying way he could as he gently slipped from Contessa and held his hand out to Solaire, neither of them waiting for an answer as he pulled her to the side and discussed something. Siloh asked something though and Solaire broke down crying as she shook her head, thus ending their conversation there and Siloh, though injured had to help Solaire back, turning her over to Kristoff and limping back to Contessa his leg starting to bother him.

Kristoff smiled down at Soliare, trying to ease her tension. He felt is as if it was his own. "It's back at my house." He said. He looked at Siloh and nodded. "I'll go back and get it." He said, eyeing his sister for a moment. He wanted to ask her if he was her mate and he wanted to let her know that he had found his. But he decided not to say anything, not then. He'll catch her later. He was sure anyhow, the way the fox was with his sister told him everything. He watched as the two foxes went, his got a little anger when he saw her cry, but held back. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Contessa smiled happily when Siloh had kissed her. She wasn't ashamed or shy around her brother, it didn't matter to her anymore. She watched as Siloh lead his sister away, she also watched her brother for moment, interested in his reaction to Solaire's crying. She saw the muscles in his jaw twitch and the look on his face, it reminded her so much of when she was young. He was protective of Solaire now, it made Contessa smile. When the two returned, Contessa slipped her arm around Siloh's waist again, her other hand to his chest. "I'm so glad we've all found mates." She said to ease the tension in the air. She wondered if Siloh would tell her what he and his sister talked about.

Solaire looked up at Kristoff as she felt his arms around her and she calmed quickly, everything about him was so wonderful she couldn't stay sad for long and she turned completely into him, burying her face in his chest and sniffling, her arms wrapped around him as well her skin prickling pleasantly as his warmth washed over her. She looked up at him suddenly as she remembered something he'd said and shook her head, "We can get the collar after we pick up the kits and all that." she said to him before she went back to standing how she'd been. She didn't want to ignore Contessa but she was so warm and felt so much better with the way she was standing, she did nod her agreement to Contessa and smiled a bit, unable to help herself as she nuzzled him.

Siloh leaned on Contessa enough to bring the pressure off his leg and sighed as he smiled contently, "I'll tell you later." he said low enough only she could hear, sadness still in his eyes but also happiness, "Yes, so am I." he said kissing her cheek and looking at Kristoff, "My sister no longer has to resent me." he whispered, not intending for anyone to hear it but saying it a little louder than he'd intended.