**Acting as Eferhilda's medium**<br/><br/>Aidan sighed, feeling like a complete ass for snapping like that. The pack was going through enough as it was, they did not need to snip and snap at one another. Making her own plate she noticed when Lucan and Eryan returned, judging from their  scents and body language their time alone had been pleasant. Honestly she could not recall ever seeing him so, happy. There was a literal skip in his step that brightened her mood some.<br/><br/>â€œThanksâ€ she says simply to Lucan at his offer to start skinning the deer.<br/>---------------------------<br/>â€œI'll help himâ€ Eryan was quick to throw in, giving Aidan a wink as she walked past to come up behind Lucan and give his rear a good pinch.<br/><br/>Eryan was certainly in a better mood, after everything that had happened it was nice to connect to someone when she felt so alone. It did not hurt that he looked good either. Given sometime and a few exchanged stories among the rest of the pack he would come to realize that this was not â€œfastâ€ at all by her usual standards. This was as tamed and careful as Eryan had ever been her entire young adult life.<br/><br/>Kneeling down with Lucan and the deer she glanced over her shoulder at the rest of the pack then back to him, â€œSo is this pelt for me or am I welcome to share yours tonight?â€ she asked a teasing smirk on her lips as she waited his answer.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Aidan fixed Lucan and Eryan their plates and was working on her own when heard Jaden. Looking over she smiled at him having returned to his human form. â€œNot a problem. You can help Juliet with the dishes as a thanksâ€ she said giving Juilet her biggest smile knowing how the she would probably not like being volunteered for dish duty. â€œI mean she is heading off to do laundry so you can go with her and clean the dishes. Maybe after the pair of you are done she can trim up your hair like she promised. She is about the only one whom I would trust to do it to be honest with youâ€ Aidan said before she grabbed up her plate.<br/><br/>Standing there for a moment she took a deep breath and went into the cave. She only hesitated another moment before she made her way toward Thomas's private sleeping area. Managing to catch the end of his whispered plea she stood just outside of his area, â€œTalking to ghosts?â€<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Thomas sighs, a bit upset that he was heard but nothing that could be done about it now. "In a way: yes..." He pauses for a moment before looking in Aidan's direction. "Is something on your mind, Aidan?" Thomas responded in a slightly concerned voice... putting his troubles mostly aside to help a member of his pack.</span><br/><br/>Aidan shook her head then shrugged, "I was just....well concerned about you..." she admited as she looked down at her plate of food that was still untouched and that she would probably still not eat later. "I'm sorry. For snapping at Kakasha and killing the fun mood. I was just..." she sighed. "I just did not like how our time together had been interrupted" she shrugged a bit to try and down play her confession of being annoyed that their time had been interrupted. Even if that time had been merely some friendly flirting and nothing more.<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Private or one on one time is not something we have the luxury for very often," Thomas responsed with a nod, not picking up on the downplay. He gestures for her to come in, "Please make yourself comfortable... no sense in you standing there with a plate in hand." He waits for her to take a seat before he continues, "You were right to be upset at Kakasha... still the snapping was little over the top I think. Even if you had not snapped the mood had been ruined," Thomas assured her without directly pointing out Kakasha's action as the cause. "... I see you're all ready getting some use out of Eryan's gift," Thomas said partially trying to improve the mood if slightly.</span><br/><br/>Sitting there looking down at her plate she smirked at his comment, â€œWell you only really caught the tail end of it...â€ she said giving him a sidelong glance as she picked at her food a bit. â€œMaybe tomorrow morning you will be able to watch it from beginning to end....maybe even participate? If you get up early enoughâ€ she teased him a bit as a genuine smile comes to her lips. â€œGuess what we are having right now?â€<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Careful... it could be interrupted at any moment," Thomas responded at her last comment/question. Thomas gives a moment of thought before remarking back, "It would have to be something really interesting or important for me to drag myself out of bed that early." Thomas was partially teasing but at the same time being a bit serious. He had enough to deal with keeping the pack together so energy/rest was a precious commodity. </span><br/><br/>â€œWell you remember the other day...â€ she paused to give him a moment to remember the morning when he pinched her ass. â€œImagine that with new and better music. I just need a partner to dance with is allâ€ she stressed the word dance as if to give it a double meaning. After a few moments she went on in seriousness, â€œIf you do need someone to lean on...to talk to....I am here for you Thomasâ€ her tone sincere as she looked over to catch his gaze.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"I vaguely recall a bouncing rear hovering over dinner," Thomas teased back, half wondering if she really had stressed the word dance a bit extra. "That kind of seemed like a solo thing..." It was hard to say if he was brushing it off or egging her on that time. When she talked about someone to lean on and talk to, Thomas looked over at her. "Thanks Aidan... it's just been a bit crazy," He responded trying to shrug it off as not as bad as it might be... Still it was good to have the offer since generally he was more the person to be shouldering burdens of others.</span><br/><br/>"It's always more fun to dance with someone then alone" again stressing dance as she looked over at him with a teasing grin. "Crazy is probably putting it lightly, but you can't shoulder the burden all on your own. We are a pack, together we are far stronger then we ever would be on our own" playing with her fork and food a bit before she continued. "I just want you to know that I am always here for you"<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"I see..." Thomas responds contemplatively (halfway dirty state of mind mixed in) to the dancing part. He sighs though at the later stuff, "I know but... it is a major balancing act for everything." Thomas was not sure he was truly getting his point across. How he tried to figure out what was an Alpha problem and what was a pack issue. Figuring out what needed stepping into and what needed to be left alone... the upcoming Heat season only furthered to muddle things. "... Thank you Aidan though for your support... I have a feeling I'm going to need some to maintain my sanity in the coming days," <span style="font-style: italic">if that's even possible,</span> He wondered. Truthfully it would be his first Heat season actually close to the cave and all the females and he had no clue what to truly expect.</span><br/><br/>"Well look at it this way. You can come to me to rant, or ramble on about something that is on your mind. If only so that you are not talking aloud to yourself or to ghosts" she smiled at him. "Also you know if you just wanted to get away from everything for a bit I would be more then happy to accompany you on a run, patrol or swim" the last bit was said probably with more double meaning then<br/>she meant.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Thomas started to say something but stopped and stared at Aidan for a moment as her words and tone fully sunk in. "... Why do I suddenly feel like if I say yes to your company I'm going to get jumped?" Thomas joked back at her though her words had at least perked the ears of his wolf a little from where it had been napping in his mind. </span><br/><br/>Aidan grinned and shrugged, "There is only so much one can do alone in the furs at night to scratch that special itch" her grin became a teasing smirk as she actually made the effort to eat. Mostly it was a subconscious attempt to draw his attention to her lips.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Thomas actually gave her a stunned look at her remark and his wolf's mental head popped up. His imagination took off a little (possibly nudged along by his wolf self) of Aidan laying under her furs at night and certain 'motions' detect beneath them. His breathing deepened and sped up a little as he tried to remain calm and not betray his wayward thoughts. "Well..." Thomas trails off a bit trying to actually recover from that sudden shift. The rest of the response got caught somewhere between him and his wolf self, "Is that a... constant problem?" Now this was getting a little... odd.</span><br/><br/>Aidan blushed a bit looking down at her plate, â€œMore often then I would like to admitâ€ she confessed softly. His increased breathing made her own increase a bit, â€œUm...I am not really sure how we got on this topic. I am sorry if its making you uncomfortable....â€ she apologized feeling a bit embarrassed about what she had just shared.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"I believe it was you saying:  There is only so much one can do alone in the furs at night to scratch that special itch," Thomas responded, teasing her a bit. A wolfish smile formed on Thomas face for a few seconds as his wolf got up and about in his head before the human came back. It was Thomas' turn to blush a little, "I'm sorry. I should not have done that..." He said as his gaze went to the side to where his untouched plate of food remained. "Things really are getting... awkward around here..." He comments... almost like trying to remark about the weather but failing. Didn't help that the scent of arousal began to hint in the air.</span><br/><br/>Aidan blushed, â€œNo need to apologize. I mean it is true and I did bring it up...â€ suddenly it felt very warm in there and she felt the need to go for a walk to cool off. Try and distance herself from Thomas a bit, though at the same time her wolf was nudging her to stay and continue. â€œIt only awkward because of well....what will be happening in the next few days and our wolves are pushing for us to find a mate before that. Someone we may have been checking out already...â€ her voice trailing off as she again realized what she was saying. Standing suddenly she cleared her throat, â€œUm..you know I should go and check on the others. Make sure they began cleaning up and stuff...â€ again her voice trails off for moment in awkwardness before she just smiles and heads out of the cave with her now cold plate of food in hand.<br/><br/>Her mind was a jumble of mixed up emotions and right now she just needed to be moving and doing something so that she could start thinking straight again.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Thomas started to respond but Aidan was too quick in suddenly shifted what she was saying and walking away. Instead he found himself sitting there alone again, his wolf was telling him to give chase... to not let her get away. His human side won out though in seeing she needed some space for now at least. He needed to actually eat his breakfast any way (or at least that is what he told himself) and grabbed his plate. As he began nibbling at his food he tried to refocus on what needed to be done hopefully before everything went crazy. It was not easy though as his wolf self (and potentially a little bit of the human) kept trying to nudge his mind back to images of Aidan at night... He did need some laundry done though so that would be a place to start... once he finished eating.</span>