He had successfully tackled her to the ground. Aha! He felt very happy with himself at the moment. And apparently by her giggling she was happy to. Knox stood above her, two paws on each side as he gnawed a little on one of her ears, though made sure not to do any damage to it as she nipped at his neck. He smiled to himself and then licked the side of her face.

Sometimes Sahara could be just like a pup, like now as she tried to tug on his scruff. Though he found this incredibly adorable. He pulled his head back a little and grinned at her before nuzzling her, rubbing his head against her neck and chest as if trying to get his scent on her as much as possible. It was a little possessive, and was his way as marking her as his and nobody else’s. But then he remembered he hadn’t even asked her to be his mate, so he looked at her again and tilted his head to the side. “Sahara, what do you consider us to be?” he asked.

He patiently waited for her to answer and let his mind wander for a moment. What were they to each other? Friends? Best Friends? Or more? Were they mates yet? He was not sure at all, and didn’t know what Sahara thought of them. Where did she think their relationship stood? Hadn’t she said she liked him? But was it enough for her to considering him her mate? This was all very confusing to Knox.

"I consider us to be really close…"

Knox’s eyes narrowed slightly and he tilted his head to the side. It seemed like she may be avoiding giving a direct answer. Perhaps she was as unsure as much as him? She had every right to be just as confused as him, though it somehow annoyed him that she didn’t know either. That feeling of resentment he used to get so often swept back to him, and his muzzle twitched slightly as he fought off a snarl. He hated when this happened. When his temper flared for no reason. It had not happened in a while. And he had thought it had stopped forever. But looks like it came back. And he knew he was very likely to hurt Sahara if he let it get the better of him, so he stepped away from her so he was not towering above her anymore and walked a few feet away.

Knox shook his head, fighting off his flaring temper that he hated so much. In his head he was calm and collected, but his muscles seemed to want to make him lash out at everything. Though he knew it wouldn’t last long. In a way it was like a wave of nausea; one moment it would be there and the next it wouldn’t. If he could just hold it off for a few minutes and let it pass everything would be fine.

"Honestly...I would like it if we were..."

He turned his head to look at her, an angry look on his face that he did not like. He hated that he had hardly any control over his own anger. Why did it flare up at the worst times possible? It wasn’t even really him that was angry, but more like something in him. It had always confused him, and he couldn’t exactly explain it to anyone. It made no sense to him, so how could he expect it to make sense to others? That he had little to no control over himself sometimes. Others would think he was crazy. He thought he was crazy. Heck, maybe he was crazy.

"...mates?...I mean I consider us really good friends...but if we were to become mates, I would very much like that.."

Knox’s ears pinned back and he looked away from her. On the inside he was overwhelmed with joy, though it did not show. He needed his flash of anger to wear away before he could even say anything. Knox stood and paced back and forth, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. For several minutes this is all he did, and occasionally a growl that he had no control over slipped from his throat. God he hated himself sometimes.

But, finally, the anger passed and he stopped his pacing and looked at Sahara, finally able to smile at her again. Though the smile was a sad one. “Sorry about that” he mumbled, apologizing for his pointless anger that had taken control of him. “But eh… will you be my mate?” he asked hesitantly, averting his eyes to the river. He wouldn't blame her if she rejected him. Maybe she had gotten sick of his uncontrollable and unexplainable temper.

"Really?"

He nodded, eying her oddly. Did she not believe him? Did she think he was joking? That he was just asking to amuse himself? It wasn't that at all. He really did want her to be his mate. Really and truly. It made him a little sad that she didn't seem to believe him at first. "Really" he mumbled.

"..because, I would love that...if that is what you want.."

His tiny smile grew a little when he heard those words. "Of course its what I want. Your amazing, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you" he said honestly and walked back to her and laying in front of her, nuzzling under her chin. So, it was agreed then? They were mates? Knox had not ever been expecting this day to come. To bond himself to someone forever. But he was happy about it none the less.

"Knox...I feel the same way..."

He grinned at her and wagged his tail, letting it thump against the ground noisily. His ears were perked forward, his eyes wide and alert. He kind of expected it all to end. To have Sahara and his feelings suddenly disappear. Surely the great spirits were playing tricks on him? Could he really have found someone as amazing as Sahara? The fact that she had even stayed with him for so long was a shock in itself. Yet, here she was, with him, licking his muzzle.

Knox was not sure what to say at this moment. Should he tell her again how much he loved her? Or just keep laying there like a great buffoon, seemingly clueless. No, he would try and have a conversation. That seemed best right now. “You never did tell me where you came from” he said quietly, wanting to know everything there was to know about Sahara.