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"I want to challenge you to a hunt. As an alpha's challenge."

The large bonfire crackled in the silence of the night. Between the tribe of wolves, dozens were there, but all the focus was on the two wolves that stood at the center of the small tribal village. The first one, the biggest, the alpha, just grinned in response.

"You wish to challenge me? An outsider? That's beside the rules," the alpha stated. Gard was his name. The big grey wolf was large, larger than most of the wolves of the tribe, even most of the warriors and hunters. It was true that he had inherited the alpha status from his father before him, but he had trained hard during his whole youth to pass the trial that came when he was old enough. The result of that was that Gard had a very intimidating set of muscles, clearly visible even through his fur bulging in a thick pair of arms, through his broad chest, abdomen and well-defined legs. Everything was always at plain sight since with the hot climates of the forest and their thick fur, the wolves had no reason to wear more than a loincloth. A piece of cloth hanging from a waistband that started just above his tail went between his legs to the front and folded itself over the waistline again. He was a fine example of a male wolf, as he often said so himself.

Taking challenges for his alpha status wasn't new to him. It was he who had made that rule, after all. If someone was unsatisfied with his leadership, they were free to challenge him and try to take it from him. He had gotten a few brave, or foolish in his opinion, enough to try it over the years, but he always came up on top. Gard was unbeatable in a direct fight with his size and strength. He was a very proficient hunter too, of course, but fighting challenges were his ideal ground.

And then there was this other wolf. Ezhno was his name. Even the name sounded foreign. He was an outsider who had left his own tribe years ago, according to him, and had been hanging around Gard's tribe for quite a few suns now. At first, Gard paid him no mind, for it was good to do some trading, but then he heard of the wolf befriending hunters. Joining them on hunts together. Jousting with his warriors. It wasn't unheard of for a lone wolf to join a tribe, but there was something in this wolf that Gard just... didn't like. It was enough for him to want him gone. Ezhno was a small wolf who had a somewhat lean build and a fair amount of muscle, as one had to have to survive in the wilderness, but he was also just downright short. His fur was yet another clear sign of his foreign origins taking a darker tone of brown that came closer to red, unlike anything Gard's tribe had. It also bothered Gard that the females seemed to like that. Nevertheless, the small wolf was nothing compared to the alpha, so it was no wonder he wasn't issuing a fighting challenge.

"I may be an outsider from your tribe, but I'm still a wolf. I believe I have what it takes to win the challenge," the wolf said in protest. He held his head low and ears slightly folded back in a respectful demeanor. That pleased Gard, at least, who looked down on him with his arms crossed. He shook his head.

"I don't see a need to bother with a challenge from one that isn't even part of the tribe. You're biting more than you can chew," the alpha said with a snort.

"Very well. I can understand your fear in this matter," Ezhno said, standing up and turning to leave. Gard growled. It was a threatening snarl, some teeth showing from the powerful wolf. He took a step forward, arms uncrossing and fists curling, making the small wolf stop and look back. The way his ears folded back a little more pleased the alpha.

"You dare imply that I, the alpha, am scared of your petty little challenge?" The alpha demanded. Ezhno averted his eyes, his tail curling a little. Good. The damned outsider knew his place, at least.

"Well, it's just... It seems like the only logical reason for you to refuse the challenge." Ezhno sounded nervous. It made Gard's growling increase. The alpha thought about it for a few moments and there was truth in his words. Granted, that wasn't the reason at all, but a glance between his tribesman was enough for him to see them whispering towards each other. A stain of fear in his reputation certainly wouldn't do.

"You're a bold little wolf, coming here and challenging me like that," Gard said, giving special emphasis to the word 'little'. "I will, however, accept your challenge. However, should I win, I want you gone from our lands. Go hunt and find another tribe to bother with your meaningless challenges."

The alpha's statement was loud and clear. More whispers rose from the wolves around them, worried and concerned with the new conditions. Even Ezhno seemed surprised. Gard's grin slowly returned. He was proud of his own genius, for now, the younger wolf couldn't refuse his own challenge anymore, else he'd look like a cowardly pup, but he also had no chance of winning, so he would have no choice but to leave them forever. It took a few moments for the small wolf to regain his composure, but he lowered his head and nodded.

"Very well, I accept your conditions," he responded, surrounded by more whispers.

"The challenge is issued, then. It will be a hunting challenge held tomorrow at dawn. We will both leave at the same time and whoever brings back the most impressive beast, wins, as per usual in hunting challenges. You may make preparations and take whatever tools you want." The alpha stated everything out loud and clear, letting everyone hear it. He liked making a show of his authority over things. Ezhno just nodded again, agreeing to the terms.

The rest of the night went smoothly. When the 'event' dispersed, Gard didn't even see Ezhno in the vicinities afterwards. The alpha ate good meat from the tribe's day hunt, sat by the bonfire and made plenty of fun of the small wolf's challenge. He wasn't even worried or nervous about it, just excited for another opportunity to display his superiority.

---

Morning came and Gard was already up even before the sun appeared in the sky. The big wolf enjoyed using his adornments to display his status as alpha, but he left the necklace made of animal teeth and feathered head ornament behind because he knew those would only get in the way during the hunt. With his loincloth tied properly and a small ankle band to hold his faithful sharpened bone knife, the alpha grinned at himself. He'd need nothing more than that and his hunting hatchet to show that little wolf who owned the place. His trusty hatchet itself was special. It featured a perfectly round, smooth handle crafted by the tribe's best woodworker alongside a perfectly sharpened piece of bone that could cut through any animal with ease. The best tool belonged to the alpha, of course.

The tribe's hunters gathered around the totem near the village's center. A dozen wolf hunters or so attending to witness the challenge and give a fair judgement of the winner. Gard had to wait for a while before Ezhno showed up, but the fact that he did was already impressive since the wolf half expected him to just run away and forfeit. The smaller wolf, unlike himself, had come wearing protection made of leather over his chest in the form of armor he had probably fashioned himself. To complement that, the canine wore a few adornments over his arms and neck.

"You dress well for your defeat," Gard commented towards him as he approached, grinning. The smaller wolf had a tired, anxious demeanor to himself, which pleased the alpha greatly. Even for his taunt Ezhno did nothing but lower his head. With the challenger now present, the alpha called for everyone's attention.

"Today we have a challenger who thinks he has what it takes to be an alpha! We will let him try to prove his strength and wit against the current alpha, me, to see if that's true!" The big wolf's words boomed through the village tents, all the gathered hunters and a few warriors watching. Glancing at Ezhno's smaller figure, Gard almost felt sorry for the wolf. As he had done so many times before, the alpha wolf used a claw on his footpaw to draw a single line originating from the big totem in the earth beneath them.

"Each of us will go and hunt for prey, as is true to our inheritance, and when the totem's shadow reaches this line, whoever has managed to catch the biggest, mightiest beast will have won the challenge!" Every tribesman present knew how the challenge worked, yet Gard revelled in the attention that the display of his authority earned him. Finally, he turned towards Ezhno. "Do you agree with these terms, small challenger?"

The alpha wolf extended his paw for the other wolf to shake in acceptance. The extra word he added did not go unnoticed, raising a chuckle or two between the grounds. Ezhno's ears folded back a little giving away his embarrassment, but he stood proud to shake the alpha's paw.

"I accept the terms. May the best wolf win."

Gard's grin returned.

"Indeed."

With the challenge officially started neither of them wasted any time. Gard prefered his hatchet, but a hunter spear was given to the small wolf. It was humorous to see how he could barely hold it right. With that, they both set off to the woods in different directions.

The alpha wolf let himself focus on the forest ahead of him. Though his tribe hadn't moved there too long ago, it was more than enough for him to know that the best prey would hang close to the small riverside. Though moose and deer were something best caught in small packs, he could definitely take one down alone. It would be enough to win the challenge. Gard could almost picture it. A moose so big that he would barely be able to carry it against some sort of large rabbit.

Hunting was all about patience, Gard knew pretty well, so once he reached the river, he sniffed around the place. He could pick up a lot of animal scents, which was great. The wolf set himself near the thickest bushes and trees where he could both scout and not be in sight in case a suitable prey should appear. It took quite a while, but soon enough, Gard had to grin. He was right, as always. It was the wolf's ears who perked up first when he heard a small, faint sound that could be a moose. It came from the other side of the small river and he saw the vegetation moving at the same time, giving away the animal's location. The grey wolf gripped his hatchet with excitement and went to work. He'd have to cross the river, which would give away his cover, but he could still do it.

Gard moved away, crossing the river a little farther up in the hope the animal wouldn't sense him, and kept his eyes fixed in the spot he saw something move. A few more bushes shook, indicating movement, and that was good. The animal was still there. After crossing the river, Gard walked in a crouched position. All he had to do was get close enough for a throw... The wind was against him, so the animal wouldn't smell him. Yes, things were going great. The wolf already imagined himself walking back to the tribe with big game, so early in the day. His teeth glistened against the small rays of sun with his grin.

The stalking wolf was almost close enough, but then he sensed more movement. He froze. The bushes moved... and then the animal started sprinting. He could tell by the myriad of sounds, by a thousand branches getting snapped in the opposite direction. Gard cursed out loud, no use in stealth anymore. How the hell had the animal sensed him? The alpha wolf sprinted in the same direction. He could still beat him in a chase if he cornered him at the right position.

The wolf ran through the thick trees with all his might, making an effort to catch up to the animal and judging by the sounds ahead of him getting closer, it seemed like he was succeeding. Either the moose was too big or it was old enough to be slow. As soon as he got close enough, the wolf tried a throw. He gripped his hatchet with his right hand and used his strength to throw it spinning on the animal he still couldn't see. If he missed, which was likely, he would just pick it up from the ground as he continued the chase forward. As soon as he reached an area without too many trees in the way, the wolf stopped, aimed and threw. He immediately continued his running, but his ears perked up when he heard the movements ahead of him stop. Did he hit? That must've been it. Gard reached a small clearing, already feeling proud of himself. He rushed forward through it, sniffing the air. He still couldn't smell blood. What was the animal doing? He was pondering over that when suddenly his foot was swept up from the floor and the whole world suddenly turned around.

Gard felt disoriented for a moment, struggling like a lost animal as his leg got pulled upwards towards the trees until he was hanging upside down a foot or two away from the floor. It took a few moments for him to realize what had happened. He'd fallen into a trap of some sort. It was the kind they usually used for rabbits, but this one had thick rope and was bigger in every way as if to catch larger animals with it. The wolf growled in frustration. How could he not have seen it? The big wolf made an effort to bend over himself, even upside down, to reach for the knife he held in his ankle to cut the freaking rope, but then he saw it wasn't there. A moment of confusion went by before he spotted the bone knife laying there on the ground. It must've fallen when he was pulled up. Another growl came from Gard. He was going to lose his prey! The hunter who had put the trap on the ground was going to pay for it, no matter what. The big wolf extended his arms as best as he could, trying to reach the knife, but the ground was still a few inches away from his paws, no matter how much he stretched himself.

"Fuck!" Gard cursed. He could probably use his claws to cut the rope, it would just take a while. If only he could reach it with his teeth... The wolf's ears perked up when he detected movement near him. At first, he thought it was the animal and, in such a helpless position, that would be pretty bad even with a herbivore, but it wasn't the animal. Gard felt both relieved and angry when he saw Ezhno instead. The little whelp he was competing against. The small wolf was carrying a large rope hanging from his shoulder, spear held in one hand, Gard's own hatchet in the other.

"Well well well, looks like a beast fell into my trap after all," Ezhno said. The bastard was now smirking. Gard immediately growled, showing he did not appreciate the jest. The tree creaked above him with the big, muscular wolf's weighing on its branch, but it wasn't enough to snap it. Being upside down and hanging like that made the alpha feel rather defenseless. He hated it.

"YOUR trap? You put this here? You idiot! Let me down!" Gard growled and threatened, frustrated, he tried stretching his arm to reach the knife on the floor again, but it was no use, it was too far. When Ezhno got close enough, he must have noticed it, for he kicked the knife yet a little closer to the upside down alpha, but it was still too far for even the tip of his claw to reach it.

"Now, why would I let my caught prey go?"

"...What?!"

The question was everything Gard had time to ask. He lifted his head, which was at level with the small wolf's waist, only in time to see him advancing upon him. The wolf took hold of one of his arms, twisting it just enough to make Gard grunt and grit his teeth with a hint of pain. The bound wolf spun twice upside down, which left him slightly disoriented for a moment, and then he felt his wrists getting pulled together by the rope he had barely noticed had been looped around them. Gard growled, his wrists pulled up, then downwards towards the floor and that's when he got angry and used his strength to pull back. It wouldn't budge, though. He looked down, or from his position, up, to see Ezhno with a footpaw over a stake on the ground, which was thoroughly connected to the ropes keeping his wrists together. The alpha wolf pulled and pulled, but the stake was thick and deep into the ground now, so he couldn't budge it even with his superior strength. Not even when the wolf took his foot away from it.

"Have you lost your mind?! What do you think you're doing? If this is some sort of prank, it's NOT funny! I'm gonna have you banished for this!" Gard threatened, his throat rumbling with his powerful growling. He pulled and pulled, angry and frustrated about the ropes keeping his wrists together and making his arms useless. His whole body felt exposed like that.

"No prank, big alpha. I'm just doing my job, completing the challenge. Hunting the biggest beast I can find." Ezhno spoke in a calm tone that hinted amusement. It made Gard's anger spike. The small wolf stepped away from Gard towards the tree, but the bound alpha had a hard time following what he was doing in his position.

"You can't be fucking serious! I'm not a beast! You can't do this! Let me down right. NOW!" Gard just wanted to grab the damned wolf's neck to strangle him at that moment. He looked down, however, and saw the knife still laying there, right next to the stake keeping his hands bound. He tried to reach it again, he could cut all his bonds if he could take it, but as much as he stretched his arms, his claws up to the limit, he was still a few small inches short of touching it. The alpha was distracted with that, then suddenly he felt more rope going around his second ankle, the one that wasn't tied to the trap. He immediately tried to kick, looking up, but his ankle too got pulled towards the other one, keeping his legs together no matter how much he pulled. The small wolf had climbed over the thick tree branch and was apparently reinforcing the ropes of his trap. Gard would never admit it out loud, but the fucker did have a remarkable skill with ropes and knots. Once he was done and Gard couldn't get his ankles apart anymore, either. The wolf jumped down, landing right in front of the helpless alpha.

"There we go, all tight and secured. How's it feeling?" Ezhno actually chuckled this time. Gard was blind with rage, struggling against his bonds. All of his great strength was dedicated to it, and yet none of the thick pieces of rope gave any indication of failing to do their job.

"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO AN ALPHA?!"

The alpha wolf's threat actually made Ezhno chuckle again, which only made him angrier. How dare this outsider do this to him?! Worse yet, the smaller wolf's hand came to his chest, slowly trailing upwards towards his abs, feeling it over his fur as he hung there, upside down. The touching felt invasive to the bound wolf and it only made his struggle more vehement.

"Such a big beast indeed," Ezhno commented, still with his incredibly irritating calm tone. "One last touch to make this perfect..."

With a smaller piece of rope, the smaller wolf had to stand on his toes to reach up and, much to Gard's surprise, loop the rope around his sheath and balls, which were still concealed by the folded part of his loincloth. It enveloped the wolf's package tightly over the cloth, pulling his balls upwards towards his sheath and making them both get very prominent with clear outlines over the stretched fabric of their coverage. The alpha's growling grew with outrage for being touched like that. The rope felt uncomfortable once it was tied up, forcing the loincloth to press against his privates, making it both tight and humiliating.

"What do you think you're doing?! TAKE THAT OFF! If you don't let me down right now I swear you're going to regret it! You hear me?! I'll make your life a living hell!"

"I don't think so, big wolfie." Ezhno's voice was filled with amusement. He reached up to poke the bound wolf's package a few times with a claw, toying with it and successfully enraging Gard even more. "I have only one last thing to give you."

The alpha was blind with rage. He genuinely tried to reach the small wolf's legs to bite them. He just wanted to twist the bastard's neck to get that superior smirk off his face! From a pouch on his belt, Ezhno took out a small leather flask, which he shook a little, uncorked and the sniffed. His smirk grew.

Again, Gard didn't have much of a fighting chance. Despite his superior strength, despite the fact that he could take the cocky bastard down in a minute, tied up as he was, there was just nothing he could do. Gard growled and roared with rage when Ezhno kneeled next to him and pushed the flask against his muzzle. Much of the contents spilt out on the floor or over the alpha's face, but he felt the bitter taste and texture of mashed up leaf pieces all over his tongue, flooding it. He wanted to spit it out, but when Ezhno had managed to make him drink a good amount, he just held the wolf's muzzle shut with both hands and covered his nose, forcing him to swallow the rest before he let go. The wolf had absolutely no idea what it was since he'd never cared much about herbs and plants, but he was sure it wasn't anything good.

"YOU FUCKING...!" Gard pretty much shouted, coughing up a few remnants of the terrible tasting liquid. "You little brat! I'm the alpha! You think you'll get away with this? I'll make my whole pack hunt you down day and night until we get you!" Alongside his rage, Gard's struggle came again with full strength. His powerful muscles bulged and strained, his wrists and ankles felt chafed by the strong rope, and yet nothing budged, not even the stake on the ground. To make it even worse, Ezhno was chuckling. The fucker was laughing!

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see about that," the smaller wolf said, closing his flask and putting it back. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go report my hunt in. I'll be back soon, don't worry. You be a good wolf and stay right here, alright?"

"You fucking little brat! LET. ME. DOWN! Don't you dare walk away! COME BACK AND RELEASE ME!" All Gard could do was stare at Ezhno's tail wagging happily behind him as he walked away towards the trees while he cursed. Was he just going to leave him bound like that? So he would lose the challenge? That was cheating, it would never be accepted. All the wolf could do was keep struggling.

And struggle he did. He struggled and struggled until his arms and legs hurt from the effort and still, nothing had changed. Being upside down was starting to get really uncomfortable, too. He felt hot, very hot, probably from all his effort, but he ignored the physical strain. All he wanted was to get out from these ropes so he could hunt Ezhno down and bash his skull against a tree. After quite a while of struggling, the wolf resumed his attempts to reach for the knife, but no matter how much he strained, how much he tried, he just couldn't reach it. Had the wolf done it on purpose? Leaving it right there, so close, yet still out of reach? The thought made Gard growl all by himself. Ezhno would regret doing that to him. He would regret it deeply.

The sun had shifted a little by the time Gard heard sounds again. His ears perked up, the trained wolf looking straight in that direction. He had resorted to trying to cut the ropes with his claws by then, but with ropes that thick it was a process that would take far too long, if even possible. He hadn't even gotten close to succeeding yet. Quite some time had passed, but Gard could tell the challenge time still wasn't over.

"This way, folks. Gotta be careful with this one, he's pretty savage," Ezhno said as he made his way into the small clearing Gard was bound in. Behind him came two wolves, both much bigger than him, but still smaller than the alpha himself. They were hunters, his own hunters. Terron and Ferver, he recognized immediately. How dare the brat expose him to his own hunters in such a degrading position! Gard's growling returned in full force, but he couldn't deny the deep embarrassment of his predicament either.

"I'm gonna get you for this... this joke! As soon as I get free, you're done!" Gard shouted right at Ezhno, resuming his struggling for appearances if anything. He noticed the small wolf's smirking hadn't wavered and, worse yet, he noticed the two bigger hunters chuckling as well. They would pay for that, too. "Release me! Let me go so I can punch the teeth out of this fucker's muzzle!"

"Your primitive ways of violence and tradition are what caused your downfall, you know," Ezhno said as he approached. "We're not feral wolves. If we use our heads, we can be better. Wits beat strength every time. Want proof? Look at yourself."

As always, everything the damned wolf said made the rage inside Gard erupt. The wolf growled and struggled more. He felt tired and hot. So hot, he didn't know why, but even though the morning had a light breeze and the trees provided shadow he felt like he was bound right under the strongest sun. None of that mattered, however. What mattered was making Ezhno pay.

"What the hell are you talking about? We'll see how much your 'wits' help you when I get my hands on you!" Gard's threat was full of venom. Oh, he couldn't wait. He shifted his eyes for the two damned hunters who just stood there, watching. "What are you waiting for?! LET ME DOWN!"

Gard saw both lower their ears, as they always did when he gave orders, except that this time they still didn't move to obey. They'd chosen the worst time ever to test his patience. The alpha made a mental note to punish them heavily for this delay. They looked at each other, but it was Terron who took a step forward.

"Sorry, alpha. No can do. We're just here to help Ezhno carry his game back." The wolf looked unsure, having his ears completely downed while he spoke, but Ezhno put a hand upon his shoulder. Gard saw his tail wagging for that. Pathetic! The alpha could barely comprehend what he was saying. He didn't remember ever feeling so angry in his life.

"What did you just say?! I'm ORDERING you as the alpha to release me! If you dare to disobey I'm gonna have you both tied down for outside for ten suns while I make you watch me take your wives out in the op-HNGH!"

Distracted cursing at Terron, Gard had overlooked Ezhno taking out of his pouch a different thing. The carved piece of wood was shoved straight into the alpha wolf's muzzle and, even with the alpha throwing his head back and forth in an effort to spit it out, the small wolf still managed to tie the small cords attached to it behind the struggling wolf's head. With some tightening the gag did its job, reducing the bound alpha's cursing and threatening to a series of muffled sounds and growls. Gard's eyes were wide with rage.

"HMMMGHFF!! HMFGHFM! MMGHH!"

The alpha did not give up on cursing, even if he could no longer make any coherent sound. The two hunters still had worried expressions, but again Ezhno was there to 'comfort' them. It was Ferver who stepped forward and spit on the floor, right next to the alpha's muzzle, almost hitting him.

"You were always a terrible alpha and it's high time you pay for that," the hunter said. His companion just nodded in agreement. Gard stared daggers at him. If he thought that, he was free to challenge him for it and prove himself stronger! Gard wanted to shout that at the wolf's face, but even that had been taken away from him. They would pay for it.

"Let's take the beast back," Ezhno said, and his two wolves seemed much more eager to obey the little brat. He would banish those two traitors alongside the brat, Gard decided, but all he could do was watch as they went through the usual process of hunting. They found a sturdy branch amongst the tree and used their bone knives to break it down. After testing its sturdiness, they finally let the Gard down, feet first.

The alpha took the opportunity to kick, struggle, squirm, twist and do everything else he could to get himself free, but with plenty of rope and three pairs of hands to hold him down, not even his mighty strength could keep them from tying him up again. An exaggerated amount of rope was used on his body to make sure he didn't have a chance of breaking loose, the hunter knots too strong for him to fight with poor positioning. On top of it all, Gard felt his body so, so hot that it too got in the way.

It took a while, but the three hunters managed to bind the big alpha wolf to the new, sturdy branch. They bound him hugging the branch by his wrists and ankles through several loops of rope and then, with Terron on the front and Ferver on the back, the wolves lifted the big pole to leave Gard hanging from it just like a hunted beast. They started walking, but with every jerk, every swing in this humiliating position, Gard growled with anger.

"MGGHFF!! MMMFFGHHM!!"

The bound wolf kept protesting, mostly towards Ezhno, who walked right at his side idly playing with the alpha's own hatchet with his hands, but the small wolf just kept going with that damned tail of his wagging behind him. When the small wolf finally glanced his way, Gard saw him grinning. The alpha followed his gaze to look down at his own groin. Through the fabric of his loincloth, still kept tight with that piece of rope tied around it, his bulge was more prominent. The bound wolf hadn't even felt it through his rage and the heat, but now that he was looking at it, he could see and few his member straining out of his sheath, tight and obvious under his stretched loincloth. The alpha stared at it in confusion. The situation was everything but arousing!

"I see it's finally working," Ezhno commented. That's when Gard realized it. The thing he drank. The heat. That's what it was!

"What's working?" Terron asked, glancing back at them.

"Oh, nothing important," Ezhno answered, giving Gard a wink. The alpha wolf's ears actually flickered back, but his growling and struggling soon returned. It wouldn't be long before they reached the tribe, after all.