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Somewhere I Belong

Larkin's paws ached. Pounding the earth, scrabbling across rocks, catching on sharp fallen tree limbs, skidding through loose pine needles and loam, she sought greater speed with each push of her haunches. Moonsilver spotted the forest floor in pools, but failed to reveal dangers lurking in shadows. A small dip nearly sent her tumbling tail over paws, but she caught her balance just in time. Her nose warned of a rabbit warren--she side-stepped, and barked her shoulder on a tree-trunk, yelping in pain.

Other yelps and growls answered, from the left, from the right, and more from behind.

Larkin ran on.

Blurred shapes ghosted between trees on the edge of her vision, pacing her. One passed through a pool of moonlight to her left; a flicker of glittering fangs, amber eye-shine, and dappled fur. The other wolves knew this forest far better than she, and were keeping up easily.

From her right, a guttural snarl and a flash of motion. A large wolf burst forth from behind a tree, dashing in beside Larkin. She veered, aiming to put a trunk between them. Glistening fangs flashed. White fire drew a line across her flank, teeth slicing through protective fur, eliciting a gasp. Then, the wolf was gone, vanishing into the invisible hunting pack as Larkin realized her mistake.

A smaller, black-furred wolf barely into his adulthood sprung from the shadow of a boulder to her left, poised to strike. He'd leapt too early, his attack revealed by the moon. Larkin stepped into him, her shoulder impacting his chest, winding him and throwing him off with her momentum. His high-pitched squeal of surprise was gratifying, but he'd still slowed her down. She ran on, the fur of her flank growing wet, a steady throb radiating up her right shoulder.

The trees were thinning, providing less cover for her pursuers, though that would hardly stop them. Grey shapes flanked her, closing, penning her in. One darted close, fangs snapping. She snapped in return, fending the wolf off, but another hot burst of pain stabbed her opposite haunch, teeth piercing flesh. Larkin stumbled, nearly fell, and kept running, though her left haunch trembled, agony searing her with each step. They were all around her, the entire pack, snarling, baying, excited with the scent of blood.

Larkin burst from the final line of straggling trees; a small open basin lay before her, a wooden man-dwelling in the middle, next to a stream. She couldn't slow down, the abrupt slope dropping her to slide, trip, tumble and roll. Her world spun, jolting a cry from her throat as her body was battered about.

Coming to a halt at the bottom, Larkin stumbled to her paws, shook herself to free the dizziness, growling both at herself and her attackers. She couldn't run from them now.

The pack loped towards her with the relaxed ease of an assured kill, at least ten lanky forms traversing the basin slope, and several more circling around the top, cutting off possible escape routes. Larkin backed up, hackles and upper lip raised, her snarl rattling in her throat.

The man-dwelling behind her... could it be a sanctuary? Warm light poured from square openings in the wood, and she saw a shadowed form at one of them, watching the events outside. Depending on the sort of two-legs who lived here, they might help her. She'd heard of two-legs like that--usually those related to her own kind.

From the closing wolves, the lead bitch, Reya, stepped forwards, eyes fixed on Larkin's retreat, her posture radiating satisfaction. Dark brown mottled grey on her coat, making a pretty pattern that the pack alpha apparently found appealing.

"Nowhere left to run, Not-she," Reya said, her tongue lolling from her muzzle. "I warned you that you didn't belong here. This is your own fault."

She was smaller than Larkin, but she made up for it with smugness. "I have as much right to live in this forest as you!" Larkin's back paws touched wood--the front of the man-dwelling. "I never asked to be a part of your pack, or competed for your hunts."

"Yet your eye was on my mate, Not-she. For most, I would not care, but for one such as you, I cannot forgive."

"I didn't-!" Larkin growled. Arguing with her was pointless. Encountering the alpha male and his jealous mate alone during their 'private time' had been mere bad luck. She backed up further, ignoring the ache in her haunch and climbing the raised wood platform to the front of the man-dwelling. At the very least, a solid wall at her back would help. "Whatever you think of me, there is no reason for this. I will leave your territory and not return."

"I cannot allow that, Not-she. An abomination like you is a slight to the great wolf. I have declared you not-wolf."

The pack closed, hemming Larkin in. Her tail brushed against a wall. A sharp, sour scent permeated the air; prey fear.

It came from the man-dwelling.

There was no sanctuary here. Larkin braced herself, ready to fight the contemptuous bitch and her pack until her last breath.

Wood creaked behind her. Flickering light poured out from an opening in the man-dwelling, and from that brilliant portal, a tall figure emerged. The scent tickling Larkin's nose as he stepped past her was all prey-sweetness, tempered by sour fear sweat and the earthy musk of a male. He was bulky, muscled flanks rippling with restrained power as he held his forelimbs out in front of him, holding something glittering in each paw. He stood in front of her, turning his back to her fangs, and facing down the glowing eyes and snarling maws in the darkness beyond.

This wasn't normal prey. A long, thin-haired tail swished behind him, indicating his nervousness, but he didn't waver.

"Not right to hunt down your own kind," he said in the careful, rich tones of man-speech. "I've never been fond of bullies."

Growls rose to snarls. The pack advanced, their momentary surprise broken. Reya's eyes glittered with hunger as she lead them in for the kill."Meat to sweeten the night? The moon has blessed us, kindred!"

She couldn't allow this foolish prey to sacrifice himself for her! Larkin raised a paw, prepared to charge out and face her fate.

Light flickered in the two-legs' paw. Bright yellow flames burst forth, shooting out at the wolves. Heated air whooshed into Larkin's face, her vision momentarily dazzled. Snarls turned to yelps, fear and shock replacing aggression. Another gout of flame, chasing the hunters. The two-legs stepped forward and pressed his advantage. Larkin stood frozen, staring at the strange sight of a prey creature driving back an entire pack of wolves. Two-legs had a lot of tricks, but...

A pair of bushes burned merrily, marking a boundary between the two-legs and the wolves. As the pack fell away, confused and disorganized, the two-legs jumped back, two quick bounding strides returned him to the dwelling's entrance. Larkin caught the hot-ash scent of fire and something else--sweet, like pine sap.

"Now's your chance," he said, standing next to her and holding open the door of the dwelling. "You either hide in here, or you run."

Larkin glanced out at the circling pack, who were beginning to fall into line from Reya's frantic yips to settle them. She wouldn't be able to run, but the wolves wouldn't be bold enough to try getting in here. Ducking her head, she darted into the warmth of the dwelling.

Inside, a sizable open space lit by a crackling fire in a stone hearth welcomed her. Two large padded seats stood on either side of the fire, and to the right, a low table with more seats set around it. Scents of food came from the left, from another room with tidy surfaces and gleaming metal objects hanging on hooks from the wall.

He hurried after her, slamming the door shut and dropping a wooden bar in place across it. He leaned against it, heaving out a long breath, and looked down at her.

"And what exactly to do with you now? Will you let me take a look at those injuries? I'd rather not have you bleed to death after going through that."

Larkin hesitated. Should she answer? Two-legs could be strange creatures, and even though this one was being kind to her, revealing her ability to understand and speak the man-tongue might not be wise. Instead, she turned, exposing one of her wounded flanks to him, and lowering her head in submission.

"Yes, um.... very good. Wait here, I need to gather some things." His tone was gentle, and perhaps he was surprised by her quick response, but he shuffled by without apparent alarm, and disappeared deeper into the dwelling.

Outside, the baying of frustrated wolves pierced the night. The mournful howls of an unfulfilled hunt. Reya would not be satisfied, but they would find other prey tonight. No wolf would enter a man-dwelling of their own free will.

Except her. Not wolf, Reya had called her. Was the bitch right?

Larkin sighed, dropping to her belly, tail tucked between her legs. This was a mess. She owed this two-legs, certainly, but she'd need to leave as soon as she'd healed enough to run. Staying in this territory wasn't an option with Reya's pack about.

Heavy footsteps signalled her helper's return, his paws full of things Larkin didn't recognize, save for one that looked sharp. A weapon? No, too small. Nothing to hurt her with. She could smell the wariness on him as he approached and crouched at her side, placing the objects on the floor.

"I'm really hoping that you'll trust me," he said, holding out a cautious paw to her nose. "Some of this might hurt a bit, but it's going to help you."

She drew in the scent, though she already knew the measure of him. That was just how two-legs greeted ferals.

"Good, good. I'm Rune, though I suppose that won't mean much to you. No biting, please..." His voice wavered, but that wary paw hovered from her nose to the top of her head, eventually settling between her ears, brushing her fur. "Easy, that's it..." The trembling paw stroked down her neck, across her shoulders. Once, twice, a third time.

"See? Nothing to be afraid of..."

Larkin snorted. He was telling her that? He still smelled of fear all over. Couldn't he get on with it? She hadn't growled or bared her teeth, surely that was enough! But, he was a prey species, so perhaps she couldn't blame him. Huffing, Larkin forced her tail to thump the ground briefly, and allowed him to grow accustomed to touching her.

"Good boy, just lie still for me."

Boy? He must have seen her sheath, which of course was the more obvious part of her sex, her female parts hidden under her bushy tail. No reason to raise her tail and prove him wrong.

His touch steadied as he moved along her flank, finally coming to rest on her haunch, above the wound. A gentle tug spread the fur, exposing the torn flesh to the air, a sharp bolt of pain shooting up Larkin's spine. She shuddered, but didn't cry out.

"Looks nasty, but not terrible," he murmured.

Now that she had a better look at him, Larkin saw he was equine, his coat mottled grey with splashes of white and dark flecks spattered all over. Large, even by two-legs standards, with a wide chest and heavy limbs. Only his bottom half was covered, loose dark fabric down to his knees, leaving his chest and belly bare. His belly bore a large splash of white, and he carried only a thin layer of fat over defined muscle. Larkin's nose twitched, breathing in that rustic, clean smell over the scents of wood and artificial man-things. It was an oddly calming scent, and--

Ice and fire shot up her spine from the wound. Larkin jerked, yelping. A firm paw on her shoulder pressed her to the ground, the two-legs making shhh sounds. Larkin looked back to see him holding some sort of container over her injury, a fine mist spraying from it to coat the wound. She subsided, grimacing at the stinging pain, which was beginning to numb. He could have at least warned her!

It took some time for him to treat her injuries, and she nearly did bite him when he started clipping her fur! He said it was necessary, and after he'd made an ugly bare patch on her flank, he proceeded to stitch the wound closed. It was odd to see the sharp needle pricking her flesh, but not feel a thing through the strange tingling _flatness_left behind by the spray.

Finally, the job was done, and the two-legs sat back on his heels with a sigh. "There. I won't claim good as new. I'm no doctor. But, at least you won't bleed out or anything. Those are field stitches too. They'll dissolve on their own in about a week, so won't need to be cut out. You'll be able to leave tomorrow if you want. Not that I'm saying you have to or anything. I--" He sighed, shaking his head, his ears falling flat. "What am I doing, babbling on to a wild animal? God, maybe they're right. I'm pathetic sometimes."

Larkin raised her head, let her tail thump the floor, and whined softly. Should she speak up? No, the perking of his ears and straightening of his posture meant that her canine body language was enough.

He gave a quiet whicker, leaning forward and extending a paw towards her head. She tilted her muzzle down, allowing him to stroke between her ears. A bit undignified, but it felt nice, especially when he dug beneath the fur to scratch in a manner that sent a shiver down her spine and... oh, oh!

The two-legs chuckled, glancing down at her kicking hind leg. "Guess even for wolves, that works just as well." His gaze lingered on her lower half for a moment before flicking back to hers, his breath hitching. "My, you are a beautiful creature." That questing paw dropped to her shoulders, massaging pleasantly. "Uh, anyway, maybe you can't understand, but I hope you know you're welcome here for as long as you need."

A new scent tickled Larkin's nose. Part of the two-legs' but stronger, with a hint of musk and sweat. She tracked the trail to his groin, where the fabric of his covering was stretched noticeably more than it had been. Interesting. And he thought she was male?

His paw withdrew so suddenly, she thought she might have frightened him. His ears were flat again, and his tail swished erratically as he gathered up the healing items, muttering, "Pathetic," to himself. He stood, stretching with an audible pop from stiff joints.

"I'll bet you're hungry. I don't really have meat, but maybe I can find something you'll eat." He turned, retreating back into the other parts of the dwelling, leaving Larkin to ponder.

What a curious two-legs she had stumbled upon, one that rescued wild wolves and grew aroused at the sight of males. Larkin rolled to her belly, staring down the corridor after him. She would stay here for tonight at least. Perhaps she would leave tomorrow, depending on how her leg felt. Or, maybe she might hang about this strange two-legs a bit longer, just to see what he would do. He did have a nice smell.

***

Two- legs, Larkin thought, must lead very curious lives. They had no need to hunt, for food was readily available from an odd cold box, which they would then heat over a contained fire. With the issue of belly solved, and shelter provided for, they must only leave their dwellings to seek a mate. Perhaps they had rut cycles like deer?

Her two-legs seemed very concerned and oddly bashful about the food he placed before her the following morning--a steaming mix smelling of herbs and heartiness. As she sniffed it, he hovered nearby, stinking of fear, clasping his forepaws and looking so ready to jump in and snatch the food away that she nearly growled at him to protect her portion. Did he think she would bite him, or decide he looked tastier than the meal?

She kept an eye on him as she lowered her muzzle to the bowl and took a cautious bite. Soft, earthy chunks with a popping savour teased her tongue, and went down easily enough. Nothing like the delicious tenderness of meat, but it would do.

Rune heaved a sigh of relief when she took a second bite, dropping into one of the wooden seats set around his eating platform and picking up his own bowl. "If you stick around," he said, "I can probably make a trip into town and buy some meat. I guess you're probably going to want to leave if your leg is well enough though..."

Larkin glanced up and grunted. Her injuries ached, but she could walk well enough. During the bright light of day, she likely wouldn't be pursued by Reya's pack, and she could probably make good distance. If she wasn't mistaken, Rune's dwelling was already near the edge of the pack's range. But, it would be wiser to wait, just in case she needed to run. She certainly couldn't evade pursuit in her current condition.

"I wonder if you have a name?" Rune said, munching on his own food. "I feel strange calling you 'wolf', no matter how one-sided these conversations are. I've always been curious if ferals have the concept of names or if it's more of an abstraction. What kind of name would even fit a gorgeous creature like you?"

Should she speak? On one side, this two-legs wasn't a danger to her. On the other, responding in his own language might spook him so badly that she would lose the protection of dwelling that he currently offered, and be forced to flee the forest sooner than she was prepared for. No, not worth the risk. Instead, she raised her muzzle, and licked his casually dangling paw.

His leap and whinny were decidedly amusing.

After breakfast, Rune opened the door to allow Larkin freedom. She loped out into the fresh air and sun, and scented the breeze. No wolves nearby. Good. Trotting out into the gully clearing Larkin circled about, sniffing the brush at the edges. As she'd thought, mingled aromas of marking from the pack, including Reya's own pungent offering, dead center, and crossed over the bush-line. A clear, insolent message from the bitch. 'Leave. Or else.'

The smart thing would be to leave well enough alone. This territory didn't belong to Larkin, and she had no particular desire to claim it. But, Reya had committed a breach of etiquette. One that perhaps the alpha bitch didn't realize herself. She'd marked the two-legs ground as her own, and that was something Larkin couldn't abide. Hiking a leg, she let loose, covering Reya's marking with her own, and making sure to spatter it onto the nearby bushes as well, at a greater height than the pack female's. Let her read into that what she would.

Turning back to the dwelling, a flicker of movement in the window caught her eye. Watching her again? Fine, let him. Would he understand the significance of what she'd just done?

She spent some time trotting about the clearing in easy, loping circles, stretching out her legs and testing the wound. It didn't start bleeding, and though her haunch ached, it didn't wobble or give out. After stopping for a cool drink from the stream and a few moments basking in the warm sunlight, Larkin walked back to the dwelling, satisfied with the exercise. More rest was the best thing now, followed by further food, if Rune would be so kind as to continue providing from his magic cold box.

The equine was absent from the main common area. A strange sound--almost like rain--pattered from towards the back of the dwelling. Larkin scented the air, tracking his musky-earth tone, and caught the freshest trail leading towards the rain sound. What secrets did her skittish two-legger have back there? Larkin padded down the hall, ears perked. The rain sound grew louder. The first doorway she peered into revealed a small room with a soft-looking raised platform. Upon inspection, it proved to be very soft indeed, and permeated with Rune's scent so thickly that it could only be where he slept. Larkin's paws sank into invitingly cushy fabric, all but _begging_her to flop down, roll about like a gleeful pup, then curl up and nap.

That sound though...

Jumping down from the sleeping platform, Larkin followed the trail by ears and nose, arriving at a half-closed door from which heated steam poured out. Was he burning things in there? No, it wasn't the smell of fire. She shouldered the door open, and stepped into a rolling, heated fog.

Cold stone beneath her paws almost made her think she'd walked outdoors, save for the presence of walls behind the steam. A thin, opaque barrier surrounded the source of the steam and the rain sound, and the dark, tall silhouette of her two-legs stood on the other side, shadowed forelimbs moving in languid circles up and down his chest and sides. Larkin halted, tilting her head to the side, and sat on her haunches. Was this a two-legger ritual of some sort? Perhaps this was how they rested? The steam was quite relaxing. Or maybe he was using this as a means to keep warm? Though the weather had yet to turn to winter's chill, and he did have fur, even if it was a thin coat.

A soft moan. The silhouette turned, and Larkin's ears perked. Of course! He was practicing courtship techniques! She should have guessed, though she'd never seen how the two-legs approached such things before.

Even in outline, Rune's maleness was impressive. A long, thick shaft jutting from his groin, which his paw slowly stroked, coaxing his arousal with gentle, yet urgent care. Larkin's breath caught as she took in the sheer girth of the thing. It was bigger around than her_leg_, and near as long! That wandering paw squeezed and pumped, unwittingly showing off, displaying the flared head, the dangling sac, the twitching jerks of pleasure straining the turgid flesh. How long had it been since her last mating? Several seasons at least, and she'd certainly never had a male as endowed as this one.

"Ohhh, wolf..."

Larkin started. Had he seen her watching? No, he was still turned to the side, leaning back against a wall behind the thin barrier and now seeing to his arousal with gusto. How nice it must be to have paws like those? Licking oneself to satisfaction was nice and all, but it wasn't the same as the grip of a tight passage around your shaft, or indeed, a thick male to fill the damp walls of your sex.

"Yes, wolf, fill me!"

Wait, was he calling out for her? Was this display aimed to win her approval?

A sharp, joyous whinny broke the moment, and a heavy spurt of liquid spattered across the opaque barrier. Another. A third splash; thick gooey ropes dribbled down, obscuring her view of his twitching maleness and shuddering hips. Musky-salt climax aroma roiled in Larkin's nose. Rune's sigh rose over the steady patter of water, and his dark outline slumped against the wall, the equine's pleasure rolling out in a wave with the steam.

Larkin's tongue lolled. A familiar tightness in her sheath made itself known, along with a dampness in her loins. She rose to her paws, and silently withdrew from the humidity, the seductive perfume of sex, and the quiet panting of a satisfied male. A curious two-legs indeed, practicing to woo a four-legger like her, and he still thought of her as a fellow male. She'd never mated a non-wolf before, but, she wasn't opposed to trying something new. That display had been damned impressive! It would certainly be a due reward for his kindness towards her, and a bit of fun to balance her recent pain? Absolutely.

But, not until after a nice nap on that lovely sleeping platform.

***

She heard him approaching well before he entered the room, hooved footfalls on wood. Rousing from her half doze, Larkin cracked her eyes open just enough to see Rune step through the door wrapped in a fluffy robe, and immediately halt with a gasp. She remained still, lying on her side in an unthreatening pose, one hind leg stretched ever-so casually back to expose her belly and male bits.

His scent was clean of arousal now, replaced by a vaguely damp version of his usual earthy wholesomeness. Larkin kept her breaths deep and even, feigning sleep. His nostrils flared, though if two-legs were as nose blind as she'd heard, that didn't mean much. His eyes were certainly exploring though, sliding from muzzle to chest to belly, lingering there, widening slightly to show white around the large pool of wary brown. Slowly, as though in her sleep, Larkin edged her hinds further apart, and gave in to the low boil of excitement tickling the back of her emotions, allowing her tapered pink tip to poke free of her sheath.

What now, my curious two-legs?

Rune gulped, shifted his weight, but didn't approach, his paws worrying at the soft fabric of his robe. Dappled chestfur showed in the gap between the dark cloth, and the covering below his waist was beginning to bulge and sway. Larkin clenched her belly muscles, twitching her arousal, allowing him unimpeded view of her male assets. No question--this was what he wanted. It showed in the tremble of his paws and the sudden jump beneath his lower robe.

His scent wafted, tickling her nose with a mire of fear, desire, shame, lust, chagrin... other emotions she couldn't identify. He was a puppy just turned old enough to mate, rolled together with wary old wolf. Were all two-legs this complicated? Surely he must see she was_inviting_ him!

"Fair enough, you probably need the sleep," he muttered at last, shaking his head. Turning on his heel, he fled the room. Hoofbeats retreated rapidly down the hall, the door slapping closed in his wake.

Larkin raised her head, a soft growl rolling in her throat. Moon curse it! Should she have spoken? No, nose-blind or not he _had_to have seen what she was doing, she couldn't have been more transparent. Any wolf would have already had their nose between her legs and been offering her the same courtesy! He'd gone and shown off for her--albeit unintentionally--and now wasn't going to follow through on what he'd started?

Fine. If he wasn't going to respond to obvious invitations, she'd just have to be a bit more forceful. He wanted to act the part of the bitch, did he? Well and good. She would court him as an alpha courted his in-heat mate.

The only question was, did she lie in wait? Or did she go on the prowl? This was skittish prey, like a deer, and deer needed to be carefully stalked. When would his guard be lowered? Perhaps after a meal. Yes, a full belly would relax him, and he wouldn't fear her hunger if she had also eaten.

Rolling to her belly, Larkin's tail thumped as her eyes slipped closed once more, excitement bringing a twitch to her hips, grinding her plump sheath pleasantly against the soft bed. Strange how fate twisted sometimes, pairing misfortune with fortune. Reya and her pack be damned, this two-legs would be hers.

***

Whether it was a result of her injuries, or her full belly, or the languid safety offered by the two-legs dwelling, Larkin didn't wake until the sunlight angling in through a window was tinted orange with the onset of dusk. Cracking her jaws in a yawn and stretching out from her leisurely nap, she hopped down from the bed and went in search of Rune, finding him tinkering about in the food room, the scents of spices and herbs mingling with the sizzles and pops of a cooking meal.

He didn't notice her at first, allowing her to spy on him as he hummed softly to himself, tail swishing behind him through a hole in the fluffy robe he still wore. Those powerful haunches of his... He would be quite the runner, if not quite the equal of his feral counterparts. Not that she could take him hunting. While he would have two-leg tricks to make up for his lack of fangs and claws, grass-eaters like him wouldn't hunt other prey. Shame. It would be nice to have a hunting partner. Still, he'd shown he didn't lack for talents, and, if she wasn't mistaken, there were other ways they could bond.

Her gaze fixed on that twitching tail. On one paw, startling him could have consequences. On the other...

Larkin crouched, stalked around the table, keeping out of his sight. She was a shadow, silent, unseen. A few steps more, keeping her belly low, creeping up to her unsuspecting target...

In a smooth motion, she rose, lifting her muzzle and nudging up under his tail. Soft fabric prevented her cold nose from kissing his flesh, but his resulting shriek and leap was most gratifying. He whirled, chest heaving, bracing himself against the counter and staring at her wide-eyed.

"Good gods, wolf! Are you trying to scare me to death?"

She sat back on her haunches, tongue lolling and head tilted, putting a question in her posture.

Grumbling under his breath, he cinched the tie at the front of his robe a bit tighter. "Fine, you've had your fun. Dinner will be ready soon, okay? Please refrain from cold-nosing further."

Larkin merely tilted her head the other way, earning a sigh.

"Is there something else you need?"

In fact, there was. Turning, she made for the door, and looked back at him expectantly. He got the message, walking over and opening it for her. Larkin trotted out into the dusk, first heading for the stream for a quick drink, then to investigate the bushes surrounding the clearing. Scents criss-crossed one another--older aromas of rabbits, squirrels, even deer; the fleeting scent of her two-legs, clumsily brushing against foliage. Strongest of course, was the recent musk of the wolf pack.

Circling the entire clearing, Larkin detected nothing more recent than the previous night. Good, they weren't so eager as to return during the day, though they would likely be back once the moon rose. Larkin looked up at the darkening sky, then back over at the lit windows of the dwelling. Perhaps she was being foolish. The wise move would be to rest here another night, then leave for further territory.

"I have declared you not-wolf."

Larkin's lips skinned back in a snarl. Reya had started this. Choosing strategic spots at the edges, she marked the bushes with her own scent, issuing a challenge to Reya and any who came with her. It felt right--far more so than turning tail would. Her leg wasn't fully healed, but if it came down to it, she could fight. She was bigger than Reya, stronger. Now that she was rested and fed, the bitch was no match for her in a fair challenge. How bold would the other female become? Would she press when at the edge of her pack's territory, or leave well enough alone?

Not that she expected Reya to fight fair. To hunt another wolf was obscene, but she could incite the pack, whip them into a blood-frenzy that would make them act outside their instincts and hunt-sense. Larkin was an outsider to them, but despite Reya's statement, she was still a wolf. The pack would be wary of her, and hesitant to act. Like any lone wolf in a pack's territory, she could earn her place by challenging a member of the pack, proving herself stronger, more able. How many times had she been driven away from one territory or another, not accepted due to her... differences? No more. She was through with running.

Larkin returned to the dwelling with her head held high, nosing open the door which Rune had helpfully left ajar for her. A steaming bowl wafting the smell of herbs and green fields and something _almost_like meat awaited her on the floor near the table, where Rune was setting down his own bowl. He glanced up as she entered, nodded to the food, his ears perking as she wagged her tail.

"Like the smell? I know tofu isn't really a substitute for meat, but I figured with the right spices... Your leg is looking better. Always amazes me how well ferals tolerate pain. I suppose you'll be leaving in the morning. Not that I'm asking you to but..."

He trailed off as she trotted closer, standing beside him and meeting his dark brown stare with her own blue. With him seated, she came up to his chest, and the sudden flare of his nostrils and stiffening of limbs spoke of prey instincts barely suppressed in the presence of a predator. She kept her posture neutral, lolling her tongue and lowering her head slightly.

Rune sucked in a loud breath, swallowing hard. "Uh, right. Or you can stay, of course. I don't mind." A nervous paw rested between her ears, stroking softly. "A wild wolf is a bit overkill for a guard dog, but why complain about good fortune, right?"

Was he calling her a dog? She almost growled, but then those clever two-legs fingers found that mysterious place beneath the fur of her ears, scratching and massaging and... and... Larkin's tail wagged fiercely, earning a chuckle from Rune.

"I get the feeling that you really understand what I'm saying. Almost like you've been around people before. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Projecting, fantasizing. Always been a weakness of mine, if my family is to be believed." He sighed, withdrawing his paw and turning back to his food. "Whatever the case, I'm glad I could help you. So long as you don't end up eating me in my sleep. Hopefully I can keep you well fed enough to stop that from happening, hmm?"

Larkin nearly spoke then, forced the odd, two-legs words past a tongue and lips not made for them. But, she refrained, instead offering a soft whine and dropping back down to tend to her own meal. There was a vulnerability to him that called to her instincts--not as a hunter, but as a pack-mate defends a wounded ally, or an alpha defends his mate. The way his earthy scent tickled her nose; his hesitation and poorly hidden desires; the innocent kindness he offered without thought of repayment...

She had the impression that, like her, he was an outcast. Why else would he be out here alone, so far from other two-legs, and seeking the company of a wild wolf? She didn't care why--as far as she was concerned, his secrets couldn't be so dark as to overshadow his actions. And besides, she knew enough about two-legs to know they had some silly ideas of what was proper and what wasn't.

She would claim him as hers, reward him, yes, and after? Perhaps she would trust him with her secrets, and see what her two-legs would do then.

***

Howls echoed in the night. Reya's pack hunted in the forest, questing for game, and calling out to the moon and each-other. Larkin sat in the darkness of the main room in Rune's dwelling, ears perked. Her two-legs had retreated to his sleeping room some time ago, leaving her to her own devices. The other wolves weren't close--their goal was filling their bellies, not seeking her out yet--but a higher pitched howl rang out in chorus with the others. Reya was out there too, and she sought blood. Larkin stood and stretched. Let them come. Let Reya find her challenge, and grow enraged. When the time came, she would be ready.

For now, she had prey of her own to stalk.

Ambling down the hall, she crept up to the door of Rune's sleeping room and peered in. He lay on the soft platform, his lanky form sprawled beneath a fabric cover. Hiding from her? Silly two-legs. He'd need to do much better than that.

The vague lump beneath the blanket rose and fell in patterns too quick to be sleep. He lay on his side, facing away from the door, and even awake, with that thing on top of him, he'd have no chance of escape even if he were to see her coming. Perfect. She stalked in, keeping low until she'd drawn alongside the sleeping platform, and leaped.

Rune squealed as she landed heavily beside him, thrashing and kicking out, succeeding only in tangling himself with the cover.

"Wolf! What are you doing?!"

Larkin waited until his panic ceased, leaving only his heaving chest, fear-scent gradually fading even as the whites of his eyes shone through the dark. She could speak to him now, certainly, but some messages were best sent in other ways. Slowly, she lowered her head to his neck, pressing her muzzle beneath his chin, nose tickled by his short fur as she inhaled, drawing in his aroma.

He trembled, the muscles of his neck bobbing when she drew her tongue across the curve of his throat. The vein of his jugular throbbed against her tongue, rich with lifeblood. Ever so gently, she parted her maw, taking hold of his throat with sharp, hunter's fangs, razor points dimpling delicate flesh.

A high-pitched, keening moan escaped him, rattling beneath her teeth as Rune sucked in a ragged breath. He didn't fight--he knew she could have his throat in a flash if she wished. Fear-stench roiled in her nostrils. Her prey tense, waiting for the inevitable.

Larkin waited a moment longer, her saliva dampening his throat. Then, careful not to accidentally wound him, she let go, raising her head to press her nose to his. He had to understand. This was a far more powerful statement than mere words could deliver.

At first, he merely stared back at her, panting and hesitantly raising a paw to feel his undamaged throat. Then, as his new bout of terror faded, he heaved a hoarse chuckle, moving his paw to rest between her shoulders and rubbing in slow circles.

"Tired of my jitters, are you?" he said. "Tough to fight instincts, I suppose, and, well... you are wild. Still, that's one hell of a way to earn my trust."

Larkin let out a soft rumble of affirmation. Amusing as some of his reactions were, she couldn't have him always afraid that she might snap and tear him apart. Especially for what she had planned next. As pleasant as the massaging paw on her shoulders was, she straightened, shouldering it off and moving to stand over him. She pawed at the blanket, tugging it partly aside, pulling it off his chest.

"You'd rather share the bed? I suppose I don't see why not, though stealing all the covers isn't part of the deal. Here, allow me..." Fabric rustled, and he attempted to roll over and make room for her, throwing the blanket to the side.

Her paw on his chest held him in place.

"What, I'm not allowed to move now? C'mon..." He chuckled, but it sounded forced, and his muscles stiffened. "Are you planning to stand over me all night?"

Larkin ignored him, keeping her weight on his chest. As she'd hoped, he didn't wear any fabric when he slept. He lay bare beneath her, his rich earthy scent stronger with his lower half exposed. Turning to the side, earning a grunt as her paw shifted to his belly, she inspected her prize. He wasn't aroused, not yet. A dark pouch of skin hid his impressive maleness for now, two heavy orbs dangling beneath, his thighs forced to spread slightly to accommodate them. Quite different from a canine in appearance, but not so foreign as to confuse her.

"Hey, wolf, what are you up toooohhh!"

He really did have a nice smell, and it was all the stronger when spiced by the powerful musk of his sex. Larkin inhaled, nosing around his sheath, below that weighty sack, sampling the heady aroma beneath his tail. She'd gotten a good whiff earlier, but so much the better with none of that silly fabric in the way. Her tongue drew a wet line across the curve of his balls, up around the wrinkled skin of his sheath. Clean, as expected, tasting only of him. She worked her tongue across the opening of his sheath, earning little huffs and half-formed protests, even as she dipped into the source of his masculine aroma, coaxing the hidden flesh with eager laps. Her own sheath was beginning to swell, desire as much as her actions kindling arousal.

"Wow, I know canines can be curious, but this is rather... exceptional. Ah! Easy there, watch those fangs."

Grumbling half an apology, she nosed his emerging maleness, dragged a lick up its pink length and sampled the curious ridge at its flat head. Even now, it was as thick as a good sized knot, and swelling proudly still. She shivered at the thought of such a spire filling her, stroking the needy places inside that made her squirm and howl... Would she even manage it? No, of course she would. But first, there was other business to attend, a different arousal to sate. Awarding his shaft a final lick (which earned a shiver and a twitch), she dipped low once more, sweeping beneath his orbs, dragging her tongue across his tailhole. Rune gasped, one leg flailing.

Cute, how sensitive her two-legs was. Larkin's tail swished as she teased, lavishing his clenching entrance and drinking in the growing aroma of his musk. Could he smell her own? Did he see the pink tip she could feel poking free of her sheath? Did he know what was coming? A lusty growl rattled in her throat. Oh, what a delight it would be to claim him, to feel him squirm beneath her thrusts...

"Oh gods, wolf! No one's ever done that for me..."

A fumbling paw found her ears, whether trying to press her on or stop her, she wasn't sure. Larkin drew back, her growl ratcheting into a snarl. He was as ready as he'd ever be, and her need cried out for more. She nipped his knee, then his hip, drawing a surprised yelp and some more flailing, but he got the message as she stepped off his body. Trembling, he slowly flipped himself around, rising onto his elbows and knees, presenting his rump for her. He looked back, dark eyes wide. Those heavy breaths... The soft whimper... The spread hinds and flagged tail... If one ignored the plump balls and dangling equine shaft, he made quite the bitch in heat.

"This is what you want, right? I didn't think... Well, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't hoped you might, but I never really expected you to. I know a few things about canines, and I know males don't usually um... breed other males, but you seem to know what you're about. I don't care if it's just a show of dominance or whatever, I want--"

Moon and stars, he was noisy! Growling, Larkin hopped up, dropping her chest onto his rump and back, cutting off his words in a squeak. Her forelegs wrapped snugly around his waist, allowing her to shuffle forward, nudging between his thighs. Her hips pistoned, instinct driving her, cool air kissing her erect member as she prodded about. A whisper of furred thighs tickled her flesh--too low. Solid muscle blocked her thrust--off to the side. Something velvety and forgiving! She surged, seeking penetration that must be oh-so-close. No resistance, no sliding into warm flesh. That smooth skin teased her spaded tip, swaying with her prods and frustrating her desire for more. His balls, moon curse it! She jabbed again, trusting the alignment of their hips and aiming up.

Still nothing. Her questing shaft probed unyielding skin. Her conquest grunted, then had the gall to laugh.

"A little different from what you're used to I guess. Maybe I can help?"

He was reaching back, his paw delving between his legs, seeking her maleness. He thought he could mock her, did he? Two-legs needed to be shown that they weren't superior. She barked, halting that paw even as he found her, fingers brushing her exposed rod. A firm nip to his shoulders had him buckling, dropping to his chest with a muffled,"Oomph!"

Much better. His knees had spread apart, lowering his rear just enough. Two quick jabs, and she felt that damp heat welcome her, soft flesh parting around her tapered head. He tensed, sucking in a sharp breath. Pre dribbled over his entrance as she prodded, giving him the briefest moment to steel himself. She'd heard this could be painful, and she didn't want to hurt him.

Only to claim him.

Larkin steadied her balance, and plunged in.

Hot, tight flesh caressed her on every side, instant pleasure racing through her loins and igniting instinct as old as the forest. She barely heard his whinney, her hips moving without her control, driving her shaft into her prize. His body tried to protest--firm muscles gripping her length, trying in vain to hold off the onslaught. Yet, even as his passage strained against the intrusion, her needy two-legs submitted to her in full; turning his head and baring his throat, rolling his hips and pushing back against her, moaning as she ravished him.

Red-hot ecstasy crackled through her, urged by the virginal ripples of his abused tunnel. Everything about him fed her arousal--from the desperate noises to his roiling scent to his utter surrender. Her maleness twitched and strained, rapidly filling out to its full size, the bulb of her knot grinding against him on each hammer-thrust. Spurts of pre painted his insides, easing her passage while her invading shaft gradually explored deeper, loosening once tight muscles.

"Oh gods, wolf, yes! Take me!"

Still too noisy for her liking. Rattling a growl, she took hold of his shoulder, drawing a gasp when her fangs found purchase. Just enough to dimple the flesh, exercise control, ensure that he... One fang pricked through, hot blood dribbling over her tongue. So sweet, such heady taste... The beast within her called to tighten her jaws, turn that trickle to a flow. But, no. Sweeter still was the writhing and moaning of her he-bitch, the clench of his walls around her twitching rod. Salty stallion incense rose to her nostrils. He was dripping a mess below them, surely. Good. Let him have a few reminders of her dominance. Spending his seed uselessly while she bred him true...

Larkin doubled her efforts, desperation to tie her two-legs removing all sense of care from her mind. His panting squeals stopped being words and turned to a feral keen, a formless desire that transcended language. Gasps and shudders punctuated the grinding of his hips, his need mirroring hers, wet slapping and smacking marking both her frenzied thrusts and his own wild stroking of his untended member. The engorged bulb of her knot pounded his stretched entrance, each shove of her hinds earning a bit more purchase, slowly wearing down that final barrier of resistance until it could just... slide... in!

"Holy shit!"

Pleasure roared through her, boiling up from her loins in a mighty wave as the tension within her gut snapped, tight flesh bearing down hard on her sensitive knot. Her balls twitched, the glorious release leaving her with a muffled howl, hot seed splashing deep inside her bitch, her conquest, her mate. Spurt after ecstatic spurt, soaking his inner walls, claiming him. No matter that he could give her no pups, her body knew only that she had bred, and the warm glow of satisfaction radiated through her.

Pungent stallion scent wafted, marking his own climax along with his shaky panting and occasional quivers. Larkin's tail swished, pleased that her mate had found his own release, despite how rough she had needed to be. Her balls and buried shaft continued to twitch, filling him with her essence, though the spurts weren't as powerful as the first few. Slick warmth dribbled over her sac, feminine honey soaking her fur. Had she climaxed there as well? Rare, that, though she'd barely felt the ripples of her unfilled tunnel amongst the haze of ecstasy from her male bits.

Now, for the tough part. Huffing a sigh, Larkin relaxed, releasing her hold on Rune's shoulder. An apologetic lick soothed the sting of his cut, earning a wordless murmur. Part of her wanted to turn, raise her hind leg and slid off him to wait out the tie, but she held still, keeping him pinned beneath her weight and her forelimbs firm about his hips. It was as good a time as any, and he couldn't exactly go anywhere. She had him tied up three different ways.

"Oh my god, wolf... I expected it would be intense, but nothing quite like that. You ferals don't mess around!"

Her tongue curled around unfamiliar shapes, her words coming rough and heavy from both the exertion and lack of practice.

"I h-hope I didn't h-hurt you."

Had she not held tight, he might have thrown her off, which would not have been pleasant for either of them. His squeal of surprise and frantic buck served instead to jostle their tie, his insides squeezing her knot in an almost painful grip. She rode out his panic, grunting when an elbow found her stomach, and barking in irritation as he frantically tried to pull free.

"Stop it!"

A whinney faded to a nicker, but he subsided, dropping once more onto his chest. He turned his head, trying to look back at her, eyes showing white. "Either I'm dreaming, going crazy, or... You just talked."

Larkin snorted and bucked her hips, forcing a tiny gasp. "That feel like a dream, two-legs?" The man-speech still grated in her throat, her voice too long unused. "I do not know 'crazy' but if that is the same as moon-touched, then I think not." Her tail flicked, her ears perking. "Though for prey to offer himself to a wolf as a bitch in heat... One could say they are addled between the ears."

"I wasn't..." He quivered. "No, scratch that. You certainly have the advantage of me in that regard." As if in support of the notion, her shaft pulsed, gracing his depths with another load of seed. "But, you could talk, all this time? And you didn't say anything? I could have... I don't know..."

"Begged me to claim you sooner?"

"No! Not been scared for my life, for one thing. That stunt you pulled nearly had me fainting dead away!"

"Yet it proved my intent, no?"

He whickered, muttering. "Certainly did that."

For a moment, they sat in silence, Rune studying her from the corner of his eye, his equine features a mask of confusion. Had she made a mistake? Should she have maintained her charade? Much as the delight of his body quivered through her loins, perhaps she should not have been so bold. What if he turned on her, tried to use two-legs tricks to capture her, drag her away from the wilds?

"I've heard of things like this," he murmured finally, one paw rising from the bed as if to touch her muzzle, then falling back to the covers. "Ferals with intelligence far above normal. I always thought it was an urban myth, but apparently, I was wrong."

Larkin held his gaze. "And now that you know, what will you do?"

He chuckled. "Right now? Sit here and contemplate the mind-blowing pounding you just gave me, and how I'm not going to be able to walk straight for days. Beyond that? I don't really know. I guess it changes some things, but..."

"What things?"

He grunted, and she belatedly realized she was gripping him so tight, her dewclaws were digging into his belly. She forced herself to relax, easing herself to rest on his upraised hips once more.

"It doesn't change my offer, if that's what you're worried about. You can stay here as long--or as little--as you like. Otherwise... Tough to say. I certainly can't go on calling you 'wolf' and thinking of you as a normal feral. I especially can't lie about being a bit more attached than I was before--pardon the pun." He grinned. "I have so many questions! Not ones that need to be asked _now,_but if you'd permit me to indulge my curiosity, I would be ever so grateful." Larkin's ears perked, her posture easing. She hadn't been wrong about him. Her nose never lied! "I have things to ask as well, my noisy two-legs. But, I think you may ask first."

"Generous of you." He nodded. Was he mocking again? No, he wouldn't be so foolish, not while she lay buried to the hilt inside him, completely free to assert her dominance and--

Unless that was what he wanted? Well and good. An alpha's mate should desire his control, even as they supported his strength.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She'd never been very good at sounding it out in man-speech. Something about the way it rolled on the tongue. "Lar-kin. It sounds different in wolf-tongue, but that is the closest in two-legs." "Larkin." He said it slowly, as though savouring it. "Pretty. It suits you. And of course, I've already introduced myself, though you seem to prefer different names for me."

Larkin's tail wagged, her maw hanging open. "I think I earned the right to call you as I please."

"That you did. And what might it please you most to call me?"

She hesitated. Should she? She'd come this far. Great wolf strike her down if she backed out now...

"Mate."

If she'd known he was so easy to silence with words, she would have spoken up long ago.

Eventually, he found his voice again. "You're serious? No, of course you are. Feral practicality and all that. I'm sorry, that's just rather sudden to process." He shifted, grunting as the motion tugged on the mating tie. "I realize it doesn't exactly involve rings and ceremony. Are wolves even monogamous?"

Larkin tilted her head. "I do not understand."

"Sorry. Do you mate only one other?"

"Usually. In the pack, the Alpha may mate several, but others remain with one."

"So why me? Forgive me, but I gather that you don't travel with a pack..." His gaze slid to the wall, seeing beyond it to the woods where Reya's pack roamed. "Though I don't see why you would give up your own kind for someone like me. A two-legs."

"You stood at my side and fought, cared for my wounds. You gave food and shelter. You offered yourself to me. That is reason enough. My own kind shuns me. I will never find a mate among them. I have long been a lone wolf."

"Because you can speak?"

"Yes, and one other thing." Larkin tugged on the tie, testing. Rune squirmed beneath her, a soft whimper escaping him. She had some time to wait yet, pulling free now would be painful for both of them. "I will show you, soon." Would he reject her when he learned she wasn't fully male? She fixed him with a glare, searching for a lie. "What say you?"

He sighed, gripping the sheets in his paws and glancing up at her, then away, once more the skittish prey. "I don't know. I never really thought I'd... well... I'm something of an exile myself. I come from a well-off family, and they've always pressured me to seek a wife matching our 'station'. But, I've never had an interest in those they've tried to match me with. I came out here to escape from it all--from that life--and figure things out for myself. Then, you came along. I suppose I've always had a fascination with ferals, and you were so beautiful and wild at once I just... I found a courage I didn't know I had I guess."

Larkin perked her ears, maw opening in amusement. "Courage to raise your tail for me?"

Rune snorted. "That too. No, courage to step away from my own safety, to offer sanctuary to one in need."

"And for that, you have my thanks."

He nodded. "I'm glad I was able to help you. But now, I suppose I don't fully understand what this would mean. I can't exactly bring you home with me and have you meet the family..."

Larkin tilted her head. Wasn't it obvious? Then again, her two-legs did like to complicate matters. "Stay with me. Hunt at my side. Share my warmth as we den together. We may not have cubs, but a wolf cannot be forever alone."

"What about the other wolves out there? Will they come back?"

A growl coloured Larkin's words. "If you stay, I will deal with them. I have issued a challenge to the one who hunts me. She cannot ignore it and keep her status. When I defeat her, they will respect our territory and let us be."

"If I don't stay?"

"Then I too will go, find new forest to roam." The thought brought an unexpected stab of regret. Perhaps, deep down, she had desired this more than she'd realized.

For a long moment, he remained silent, the shaky rise and fall of his breath and occasional flicker of eye movement the only signs he was still awake. The pressure on Larkin's knot gradually lessened, allowing her to slide free of her two-legs with a lewd slurp. She dropped from his rump to land on all fours abreast of him, awarding him a nuzzle along his neck as he straightened up and arched his back with a groan. Larkin glanced between her legs; her cock retreated from the cool air, hiding snugly again in her sheath. She would need to clean up later, but for now...

"I will show you my other secret." Turning around, she flagged her tail, displaying her rump for him.

He rolled about, turning to face her. "Yes, it's a very nice rear, but I don't... oh! You're intersexed?"

"No. I have both."

"That's what--nevermind. And other wolves reject you because of it?"

"Yes. It is not natural to them." She looked back, eying him as he inspected her female assets, a strange expression on his equine features. "Does this anger or frighten you?"

"No... Not at all. If anything, it's attractive. I was surprised of course--you seemed so, well, male."

"I think of myself as a she. But, when a needful mate begs to be filled, when a heat is in need of sating..." she trailed off in a lustful growl. "I can be alpha male when I wish, two-legs. Though I saw something else of you I wanted, even more than to breed you as I did." Her gaze drifted down his flank, nose quivering in search of that musky stallion scent. So deliciously sweet...

She looked back at him, keeping her tail flagged, a surge of desire spurred by his masculine scent kindling in her loins. "If you would have me, then prove it. Let us no longer be alone under the moon."

"Larkin I... Gods. You are persuasive, aren't you?"

She swayed her hips, stretching her forepaws and lowering her chest to better show off for her two-legs. "Stay with me, Rune."

"My family would kill me."

"You said you care not for your family."

"Not that I don't care for them, only--No, I suppose you're right. What they think has only ever been a burden to me."

"Then mate me. Claim me as yours, as I have claimed you for mine."

"Wouldn't I be a bit... Err, I don't mean to boast, but, a bit big for you?"

She growled, partly annoyance, part desire. "You will not break me, and my she-parts crave what you have. Will you leave me wanting?"

Silence. For a moment, she thought he may not have understood. Then, fingers gripped the fur of her flanks, his warm presence hovering over her back. Something wide and firm nudged up against her balls, trailed up to kiss her damp arousal.

"I'm not sure if you bring out the best or the worst in me, Larkin." His herb-scented breath tickled her ear. "But, I could never be so unchivalrous." The blunt head of his shaft prodded her, testing her sodden spade. "I can't say what the future will hold, but for now, I want nothing more than to stay with you."

The crawling doubts she'd been ignoring vanished in a white-hot wave of lust. At last, one who did not shun her as a freak of nature, who desired her for what she was. No matter that he was no wolf, or even a four-legs. They were more alike than any other she had ever met. Rumbling, she pressed back against him, grinding his shaft into her pussy, begging for him to claim her.

"Show me."

"As you wish."

He encircled her waist, tugging her close. Pressure on her sensitive entrance--a flash of delight as his shaft nudged her clit. Slowly, her trembling lips parted around the huge equine length, a soft whine escaping her as her body struggled to accommodate the intrusion. Great wolf above, had she been reckless?! It felt like she was about to split in two, that massive shaft inexorably plowing deeper, forcing her walls apart, causing her to gasp and pant and claw at the bed, bolts of burning pain colouring the pleasure until the urge to howl nearly overwhelmed her existence...

"Hey... Larkin, are you alright?"

Belatedly, she realized he'd stopped moving, though her passage still ached and rippled, fighting the oversized invader. Her tongue lolled, saliva drooling onto the bed between her forepaws. She took a deep breath, forcing her tense body to relax.

"I can pull out if you'd rather not. I understand if--" "No!" Her snarl cut him short, and she glared back at him. The pain of the initial stretch was beginning to fade, and a quick squeeze of her inner muscles told her she could handle more. "I will have you, Rune. All of you. As much as my body will stand."

He let out a soft whicker, paws rubbing pleasant circles along her sides. "Fine, but I'm going to take it slow until you stop shaking. Don't give me that angry face! I'm not going to injure you just because you're too proud to admit when you've bit off more than you can chew."

Her retort vanished in a haze of sensation as he began to withdraw, the wide head rubbing places within her she hadn't known existed. She shuddered, revelling in the languid massaging along her depths, his member dragging along her clit and replacing the smarting throb with more pleasure. He halted at the edge of her folds, a curious emptiness in the wake of his thrust, her inner walls quivering.

Before she'd gathered her wits, he was plunging into her once more, filling the void with stallion heat. Deeper, driving with an inexorable force past her fluttering squeezes. His next retreat was shorter, and the return thrust drew a joyous bark from her throat. It still hurt--oh, how it ached to be spread so far_--_but now the raw bliss overwhelmed pain. Again and again, he took her, delved the untouched softness of her sex, shared in her carnal desire. He left her wanting when he drew back, only to sate her two-fold on the answering thrust. Her walls dripped, loud slurps punctuating each roll of his hips, feminine nectar easing their mating. Her own shaft twitched, bobbing free in the cool air, spurts of pre staining her belly. She growled, hunching into his motions, revelling in the liquid heat spurting across her depths, the firm length she could squeeze down on until he nickered and clutched her all the more fiercely, their mingled scent tantalizing as it played in her nose.

"Holy shit, Larkin, ease up a little, or I'm not going to last..." "I don't care, claim me!"

Huffing, he leaned low across her back, his long thrusts turning to short, quick jabs, rocking her entire body. The flat, wide head of his cock nudged a hidden barrier far within her, jolting her with a new mix of agony and ecstasy. His paws caressed her belly, finding the hidden nubs of her teats and teasing over them--tiny euphoric quivers among the haze of stronger feelings.

Her passage rippled, milking him and soaking their loins, new sensations burning up her spine like wildfire as her muscles stiffened with a tiny climax. Larkin snarled, bucking into him, craving more, even as the flaring tip of his embedded maleness stretched her further than she could have imagined. She. Would. Have. Him. All!

He didn't allow her time to recover now, giving in to his own instincts and pleasure to rut her in feral passion. Bestial snorts and half-whinnies replaced words, their bodies moving in natural tandem. She longed for his hips to slap against her rump, though a distant part of her knew he was pressed into her as far as her smaller body would permit. Growling and straining, she thrust back with wanton fervor, another mighty storm of pleasure building in her loins.

She felt him shudder, his maleness sinking into her rippling depths and nestling tight against her womb. A long, ecstatic whinney flattened her ears against her skull. His buried tip flexed, the huge flare locking them together as surely as a mating tie.

Yes!

A torrent of raw liquid heat gushed into her. Larkin howled, surrendering to the pure bliss blooming in her belly, her tunnel clamping down on her mate as her hips tried desperately to somehow impale her further on his rod. More and more, a piping river of seed flowing in, filling her to the brim, and still jets of thick cream geysered into her, trapped by the seal of his oversized shaft.

Gradually, the mighty surges ebbed, easing the incredible pressure in her womb. Larkin's exposed member jerked randomly, adding to the messy puddle soaking the sheets beneath them. Streams of mixed fluids ran down through the fur of her thighs, her overstuffed passage unable to contain all of Rune's climactic gift. His laboured breaths whooshed past her ear, his weight resting on her shoulders, pinning her down in a manner that felt... right.

Panting, she struggled to collect some semblance of thought. The pleasant weight in her bulging belly... The snug fit of him inside her, even as his shaft began to soften... The intoxicating aroma of their shared satisfaction... His gentle sigh and affectionate squeeze of her flanks...

She'd been right after all.

***

Cool night wind ruffled Larkin's fur. The wonderful memories of the previous evening rolled through her mind as she stood alone in the clearing, steadying her for what was to come. For the second time, she faced down a pack of wolves with Rune's cabin at her back. Furred shapes skulked in the bushes, circling about as shadows in the dying sunlight, cutting off escape on all sides. A howl lifted on the crisp air. Another, then a third; lupine voices joining in ancient harmony.

"Challenge!"_they bayed to the hidden moon, _"Hunt. Blood."

The urge to add her voice nearly overwhelmed her, but she caught herself with her head tilted back. To join the pack's song now would be insolence, an insult. She couldn't afford to break the thin layer of formality that kept them from leaping upon her as one. Instead, she stretched out, testing her haunches. The healing skin of her flank itched, pulled taut, but the muscle beneath felt strong. She was as ready as she could be.

The sense of invisible eyes on the back of her head made her ears twitch. She'd forbidden Rune from following her out here. He would watch from safety. Succeed or fail here, at least the wolves would leave him be. No matter what two-leg tricks he held, being an interloper at a challenge was an invitation to be a meal. Shaking herself and settling her fur, she strode forth into the center of the gulley, presenting herself before the pack.

From the bushes near the stream two wolves emerged, the pack's howls trailing off in mournful regret. Reya, and a larger, tan-furred male; the pack alpha, Sydon. He topped Larkin herself by nearly half a head, and sported more muscle besides. A scar crossed the left side of his muzzle, and his tail ended in a blunt stub rather than a bushy tip, proving he'd not won his place with ease.

"See how smug the not-she is," Reya growled, pacing across the grass and halting a bit more than a leap's distance from Larkin."Poking her nose from a two-legs den after licking his hand and begging for scraps like a common dog. Disgusting. We cannot allow this!"

Larkin's hackles rose, but she held her tongue.

"I see her, mate of mine," Sydon rumbled, joining Reya and examining Larkin with cool disinterest. "I see a healthy hunter. Though I do not approve of her seeking two-legs help, I cannot deny she could strengthen the pack."

The mottled female's nose twitched. "She reeks of him! Not enough that she is an abomination. She abandons the forest and marks the hunting grounds of the Great Wolf! I say she is not-wolf! I say she has no right of challenge!"

A collective snarl rose from the hidden wolves at this. Larkin's gaze slid about, catching flickers of motion as hunting shadows closed, prepared to break from cover and spring. Not good. If Reya riled them enough...

"Peace, brothers. Peace, mate." Sydon didn't raise his voice, but the rolling growls cut off as surely as if he had barked. "It is a foul thing to devour another wolf without need. This one smells and looks like wolf. The challenge will stand." He met Larkin's eyes, piercing her. "What say you, wanderer? You seek a place in my pack?"

"I do." Not complete truth, but close enough.

"You know what comes should you lose?"

_"Yes."_She'd be exiled in truth--assuming she survived the fight--under threat of death should she ever return.

"Very well." Sydon looked to the surrounding pack. "Step forward, any who would fight the wanderer! Step forward if you oppose her claim."

Several wolves padded out of the lengthening gloom, one by one approaching Sydon and presenting their throats in submission. Two burly adult males, hunters in their prime. A female with a ragged ear, her eyes wild with bloodlust. A male with white spattering his muzzle and a limp in one haunch, but who still stalked with grace and poise. Finally, the young, black-pelted male she'd thrown off in the woods darted up, joining the other four. Reya growled at him, but he ignored her, defiance marking his stiff strut as he presented his throat to the alpha. Sydon acknowledged him with a slow tilt of his head and a slightly rougher pinch of jaws than the others, earning a whine from the pup, quickly suppressed. A protege of Reya's, no doubt, drunk on her poisonous ideas.

Sydon waited, and when it became apparent no others were willing to risk their place in the pack, he barked once. "As it once was, so it is again. A new wolf seeks the shelter of our den, brothers. Step forward, wanderer, and choose. You may challenge any for their rank, but none lower than those here."

Larkin inclined her head. With the pup stepping out, she could easily claim a victory. He would be the lowest ranked adult, and judging by Reya's glare, not a skilled fighter. But, humiliating the over-eager pup would prove nothing, even if she would earn a place with the pack by doing so. Nor would fighting any of these others, despite how close a thing it could be with any of the fit hunters eying her up and down. No, her path was set. Steeling herself, Larkin walked forward until she stood nose to nose with Reya, glaring down at the alpha female.

"I challenge this one."

Barks and snarls rang out.

"Insolence!"_cried the mad-eyed female. _"How dare she!"

"She makes a mockery of tradition," the old white-muzzle added."Alpha, end this!"

"Shall I rend her, Alpha?" one of the males growled, prowling close with hackles raised. "Shall we see how she bleeds?"

_"Enough!"_Sydon's snarl could have been a lightning strike for how well it silenced the pack. For a long moment, none spoke, leaving Reya and Larkin to glare at one another, fangs bared, growls rattling. The alpha female's ears were flat, but her tail hung loose rather than tucked defensively, belying her stiff posture.

"Mate of mine," Sydon said, his voice flat. "Do you consent to this challenge?"

"Alpha, you can't--" the old wolf began.

"I CAN, Kalo. Be silent, unless you would challenge me instead? No? Very well. Reya, what say you?"

She didn't take her eyes from Larkin, a note of glee entering her growled words. "I say that I will gladly defend the pack from this... creature. I say that no two-legs dog shall find a place in my den. I say that I will not cease until scraps of the not-wolf's pelt litter the forest!"

Sydon's gaze lingered on his mate for a moment, but at last, he inclined his head. "As it once was, so it shall be again. Until one bares throat, or passes on to meet the Great Wolf. The moon watch over you, mate of mine."

The last part was a small break from tradition, but none of the other wolves questioned the alpha as they withdrew, leaving Larkin and Reya to pace about, circling one another. By now, dusk had settled, a shimmer of silver replacing the sun's glow in the sky. Scents swirled in Larkin's nose. The clean shimmer of the stream. Earthen sharpness from the forest. A rising haze of pungent aromas, ranging from bitter to sharp--the excitement of the pack. Reya's scent drifted atop the other canine musk, no hint of fear; only anticipation and confidence.

And, ever so faint among the other smells, but drifting on an evening breeze from the cabin behind her, was the clean scent of Rune. Her two-legs. Her mate. He was watching her, silently cheering her on.

"Second thoughts, Not-she?" Reya taunted, feinting a quick snap at Larkin's foreleg, and huffing amusement when she danced back. "Fear not, I will not devour you. I tasted your blood already, and it near made my belly empty itself. I would as soon pick over a corpse as defile myself so." She made to dart for a bite at Larkin's haunch, but the set of her shoulders gave away her ploy. Larkin spun, dodging the true attack seeking to catch her tail, and kept the other female in her sight.

"I think I shall leave pieces of you for the two-legs," Reya continued, circling, her tail slowly swishing. "He watches, does he not? Will he again come to save his loyal hound? I wonder what he will do when I drop your tail at his door, Not-she. Will he rush out to weep over your remains? Or will he go on with his life, not caring for the miserable creature who once sought his den?"

Larkin's growl rose, her ears pressed so flat to her skull, she felt they might become part of it. No, she couldn't give in to the bitch's taunts. Anger blinded, made one fight stupid. Larkin waited until Reya began another turn, then lowered her shoulder and charged, aiming to bowl over the smaller female and press her advantage of size.

Reya didn't flinch, sidestepping neatly and letting Larkin harmlessly plough into her haunch, bouncing the two apart. A line of fire coursed down Larkin's left flank, scored by Reya's fang as she'd rushed past. Shaking herself, she jumped back from a follow-up snap of jaws that nearly took a chunk from her nose. Moon above, the bitch was fast!

"Call for him, Not-she," Reya mocked as they returned to circling."Howl for your prey two-legs to come to your rescue. How sweet does he taste? Surely sweet enough to wash your foul blood from my tongue."

Red hazed over Larkin's vision. "He is mine!" She lowered her head to charge, took two steps, and instead leapt, tracking Reya's dodge this time. She crashed down on the other female, bearing her to the ground and tussling to pin her opponent. Forelimbs tangled, maws lunging for throats turned aside by quick twists and knocking muzzles.

For an instant, Larkin held the alpha bitch steady, poised atop her with one forepaw on her chest, staving off attempts to latch onto her foreleg. She managed to seize a mouthful of shoulder, her fangs parting fur to briefly pierce skin. Then, savage rear claws raked across her belly, forcing a grunt from her throat that ratcheted to a yelp as strong hind legs powered a blow to her unprotected testicles. Larkin's belly churned, and she stumbled away, a dull ache radiating from her loins topped by the hot lines coursing down her underside. Copper tang wafted in the air. Her blood, dripping to the grass below as Reya rolled back to her feet, fixing her with a smug look.

"You are weak, Not-she. You wear a male's weakness, with none of his strength. You pretend a female's wiles, but rush blindly. You say you are wolf, but come to heel for two-legs. You have no place here. Not with my pack, not in this forest, not in this world. I almost pity you. Submit, and I might show mercy."

"No."_Larkin snarled, planting herself and shaking off the pain."You're wrong. I have found a place. You will never take it from me."_ Submitting was never an option. Reya would make good on her oath, and tear out her bared throat.

"You're a fool, Not-she." Reya darted forward, jaws reaching to seize throat. All around, the pack bayed, smelling blood, and waiting for more.

Larkin tensed. If she was wrong, she could die here. But, Reya didn't want to end this quickly. She wanted to humiliate Larkin.

At the last possible instant, Reya twisted, lowering her head. Razor points ripped down Larkin's flank, a hair's-breadth below the old wound. White-hot agony blazed. Her hind leg buckled, threatened to give way, but she held firm by sheer will.

A quick snap, and she had the bitch's tail tight in her fangs, allowing herself to be jerked about by Reya's momentum. Reya snarled as Larkin hauled back, using her superior weight to spin, lifting the other wolf into the air by the tail. Her jaws ached--she didn't dare let go. Reya's outstretched form whirled in an arc, almost graceful.

Then, Larkin slammed her to the ground on her side, summoning all the force she could muster.

Reya hit with a yelp and the sickening crunch of snapping ribs. Her body bounced, sliding a little as Larkin released her tail. Blood rolled across Larkin's tongue, stained the dappled fur of Reya's tail, which now lay crooked, half-severed. The alpha female twitched, wheezing for breath, more blood dripping from her muzzle--Larkin's or her own, it was impossible to tell.

Larkin didn't allow her the chance to recover. Limping from the fresh wound on her haunch, she closed on her stricken opponent, ducking in and fastening her jaws about Reya's throat.

_"Submit,"_she growled, muffled as her fangs dug beneath fur, seeking flesh. She could feel it--the pulse of life-blood, still strong and steady, despite the other wolf's gasping breaths.

"Never,"_panted Reya. _"I would sooner die!"

"You will if you do not submit. Don't think I won't kill you."

"Then do it, Not-she! But this changes nothing. You don't belong in this pack, you--"

"Silence, mate of mine! I have seen enough."

Sydon's roar rattled in Larkin's ears, nearly making her drop to her belly in submission. But, she held tight to her prize, maw poised to end Reya should the need arise. The alpha strode into view, towering over them and fixing first Larkin, then Reya with a withering glare.

"You have earned your place, Wanderer. Reya, my beautiful Reya, blind with pride. I forbid you to throw away your life. Submit. It is done. As it once was."

A whine rose in Reya's throat, keening past Larkin's fangs. Her eyes rolled to meet Larkin's, then her mate's. Would she be so stubborn as to defy him? A shudder racked her form, nearly causing Larkin's grip to pierce her throat. Then, she slumped, her eyes closing.

"I submit." It was so soft, Larkin nearly didn't hear.

Cautiously, she released Reya's neck, tensing in case the other female might suddenly lunge at her. Sydon quickly inserted himself between the two, shouldering Larkin aside and making her stumble back. Reya merely lay in a heap, broken, defeated, even as her mate sniffed at her, inspecting her wounds.

Despite the throbbing pains now making themselves more apparent through her body--including two smaller wounds along her shoulder and forelimb that she hadn't noticed right away--a surge of pride swelled in Larkin's chest, mingled with pity for the spiteful female she'd just defeated. Perhaps things could have been different, but perhaps not. Had Reya not sought to hunt her down for her strangeness, the other wolves would have eventually taken issue with her. Enough challengers had stepped forward to prove that. Now, it was done. She had proven herself, and would never need to do so again.

Sydon turned to her, eyes and voice cold. "She will live, Wanderer, and for that, I am grateful. A place in our den is yours. Your voice shall join ours in song, your fangs will seek alongside us on the hunt, and your cubs will grow strong under our care. What say you?"

Larkin drew a deep breath, a touch of lightheadedness making her sway as she stepped closer to the burly male. Lowering to her belly, she tilted her head, exposing her throat. "Respect, Alpha, but I cannot. My place is elsewhere."

He loomed over her, close enough for his hot breath to tickle her cheek as he stood between her and his fallen mate. His scent boiled in Larkin's nose, heated musk and clean canine sweat. Dominance wrapped around restrained anger. A moment passed, Sydon studying her, though she wasn't foolish enough to meet his eyes, keeping her gaze down.

Finally, he spoke. "And where is your place, Wanderer, if you shun that which you fought for?"

"I would stay here, on the edge of your grounds, Alpha. I would not take from the pack, nor beg their kill. I ask only that I be allowed to hunt, and that the two-legs be left unharmed."

He snorted, a growl rattling across his words. "So it is true. You den with the two-legs? Submit to him as a common dog?"

"No, Alpha. He is mine, and I seek to keep him so. This is the right of challenge I claim."

A long pause. She sensed him quiver, as though straining to keep from taking her throat, and tradition be damned. She almost cringed. Almost, though it would have done her no good had he decided to finish her.

At last, he turned without another word, padding away from her and barking for the pack. "Whisper, Pax! Assist me."

Larkin looked up to see two large males dash in, and begin to help Sydon carefully drag the whimpering Reya out of the clearing. The rest of the wolves were fading into the bushes; silent shadows, no howls, snarls, or curses. Slowly, she rose to her paws, watching them leave, wincing as Reya let out a pained yelp when she bumped over a rock. The alpha female would live, yes, but she would be a long time healing, and she might never be the same.

Wood creaked on wood. Warm, flickering light poured into the clearing. Larkin turned, and met with a beautiful sight. Rune stood framed in the door of his cabin, waiting for her. He held the wrappings and shiny things ready to treat her wounds, and was eying her with a concern she'd never been granted from another creature. After all, he was hers, and she was his.

She didn't need to run anymore, but run she did, with no small amount of stumbling.

And he was there to catch her.

Fin