and the stars in their orbits shone pale through the lightof the brighter, colder moon

The pain that had increased recently whenever Nadya tried to shift saw the young brunette sticking to her human form. It was horribly new not being able to walk in her feline form and deny the call of the night. Mainly, it caused her to feel vulnerable. Nadya spent her time during the day at her business getting it put together for opening night and then wandered over to the west side of town where the Ark lay. While she rarely went inside except to eat, Nadya remained close to it for the security knowing that her brother and Tobias were just inside should she need them. She still did not care to be inside Ark very much, especially in her current condition, but near the end of the night she'd wander in to eat and then was walked home by Tobias on Tetradore's orders. This was the routine of things.

It was a beautiful night, clear skies with a view of the stars and the moon waning in preparation for the full moon in almost two weeks. There was still the late winter nip in the air but nothing a jacket didn't shield against. Nadya didn't notice the cold as much as a human but she wasn't dead to it like a vampire. "I just want to make a little stop." She commented to Tobias as she steered them passed the path to her and Isolt's shared apartment and to the outskirts. The need to be somewhere that felt secluded was too great, away from the lights and concrete jungle back to the earth and trees that she missed so much. As soon as they came to the border Nadya kicked off her shoes to hold so she could go barefoot and truly feel connected again. The earth was still damp and soft from the snow that had melted a few days ago; there hadn't been enough sun and heat to breech through the thick trees to dry the ground completely. It was both a frustrating torment and relief being amongst the trees again. Nadya wished she could shift and run so she could feel the freedom it brought but was at least calmed slightly that she could feel the earth beneath her feet again and the smell of the wet grass.

Nadya glanced down at the spotted leopard who continued to follow her path. Trying to shake Tobias would be a futile attempt due to his heightened location sense but it did feel a little frustrating tonight to have him following her. She was feeling restless and simply wanting to be alone for some reason though she figured it was just a mood swing caused by the hormonal roller coaster she had been under these past few months. "You know you don't have to follow me. I can get home from here." Nadya paused in her tracks and perched on a large rock. "Tetty will want you back soon and I don't want to go home yet." She wriggled her toes into the soft ground in emphasis and sighed as she brought a hand up to roam her very swollen stomach. The twins had been eerily still the whole day which her organs were grateful for the break from being soccer practice. "Seriously, Tobi, I want to be alone for a little bit. If you won't go back to tetty why don't you go hunt?" Honestly it was surprising that the two had peacefully coexisted for so long already with Nadya not just willingly allowing Tobias' presence but seeking it out and the patience she had held for his antics.