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Snowbound: Fox

This had not been the most successful scholarly venture for young Alden Howe, even he had to admit that in his dreamlike stupor. He couldn't remember what had happened, only that the world went all white and...

He exhaled, his breath was ice cold. He couldn't move.

Alden began to panic, at least as much as he could while being merely semi-conscious. From the tip of his nose and down to his tail, he felt chills wrack him.

Calm down, sir! Alden commanded himself. Remember what that old dog told you, if you feel cold, you're fine. It's when you feel hot in the snow, that's when you're doomed.

Reassuring though the words were, they didn't have much of an effect at waking the fox and certainly had none at making him feel less like an ice cube.

Warm air began to grasp at his fur and something began to smother him. The dreaded heat delusions! Alden tried to thrash about but it was no use, he was confined to his snowy coffin.

I should have never come out here! Alden berated himself, thinking about all the professors back at Greenfield University and how they laughed at him when he told them he was going to do an anthropological study of the wolves of the Northern Tundra. His colleagues suddenly materialized inside his mind.

"Young kit!" a venerable fox with grayed fur and a gold monocle pinched across his right eye. "You don't seem to understand the purpose of these expeditions!"

Another fox, only a little older than Alden, and wearing enough pomade to keep his fur slicked back even through a typhoon, spoke up, "You pick someplace warm and exotic, far from rainy Greenfield, make up some excuse like you've heard rumors of a non-documented culture or some new fad; spin it up as an anthropological study and propose it to the board. They'll rubber stamp anything and then you've got yourself a free vacation subsidized by the government!"

"Myself," the monocled fox cleared his throat, "I'm going to study indiginous clothing styles of the native cheetahs in the Southern Coast...or their lack thereof!" he winked, the monocle sliding off his eye in the process and he just barely caught it before it shattered on the floor.

"And I'm doing a study on absinthe den culture in the capital," the slick fox lifted his glass of sherry in a toast.

"So, young kit, why in god's name would you propose going all the way up north to cavort with wolvenkind!?"

Alden told them, way back then, that he was doing it to make an honest study and not treat it as a vacation. He had ideals back then, perhaps he still did, but it was difficult to channel those ideas when all he could imagine was being discovered, perfectly preserved, by the next fox dumb enough to travel up here.

It was getting warmer, it was almost hot. Alden knew that he didn't have much longer. He remembered that one wolf, Raakk, and how he seemed like he was trying to stop him from wandering away from the camp. He was their leader, or Alpha, he supposed.

Perhaps he was trying to warn me...

It didn't matter now. Alden was dying, he knew this to be certain. He was now burning up, almost as if he was soaking on a beach in the Southern Coast in the Summertime. It was not so bad now, he felt like he was there now, drinking from a coconut and watching the waves go by, or whatever it was people did there for fun.

Thunderous growls echoed through Alden's head, ruining his little fantasy. This was his death, he wanted it to be done his way, who the devil had the right to interfere!?

Now he began to convulse, shaking violently as the sands and the waves began to fade. The sunny beach gave way to a blurry, gray figure in a dimly lit room and they had their paws around Alden's shoulders, shaking him.

"I should have gone South..." Alden muttered and he was let go, collapsing back into something soft.

His vision began to clear and the gray figure became more visible. It was Raakk, the same wolf who had attempted to stop him from leaving. He recognized him right away from the scar across the bridge of his muzzle. His fur was gray, except for his cream belly, and it covered up thick, powerful muscles. As with most of the wolves, he only wore a leather loincloth over his crotch and nothing more.

"What happened?" Alden muttered wearily.

There was no reply from the wolf, who continued to stare at him with those intense golden eyes. Alden didn't quite know what to make of that, the wolves didn't understand much of his language and from studying them, he found that they often communicated nonverbally.

However, he never made much progress on actually translating their non-verbal language.

"Did you rescue me?" Alden asked. "Thank you, I would have surely-"

The wolf suddenly snatched the fox's narrow muzzle and pinched it shut with his rough paw-pads. Alden flinched and folded his ears back, was the wolf offended by something? Alden feared that he was upset at him, perhaps for not staying at the camp when he tried to stop him.

Raakk said something in the wolven tongue, it was very harsh and booming, but wolves tended to speak that way all the time.

Alden sat up and adjusted the pelts beneath him, slipping his snout out of the wolf's grasp easily and continued, "I need to get back home! They're expecting me!"

The wolf pushed the fox down onto the bed of belts gently and said something, once again in a very authoritative voice, like he was the King of Greenfield himself. Without any warning, Raakk forced his finger past Alden's teeth and ran its pads along his tongue. The young fox felt flushed and looked away, not quite sure what the wolf was doing.

Another voice growled out from behind the gray wolf, Alden couldn't see who it belonged to, as it was too dark, but it sounded like another wolf. Raakk looked back to the darkness for a second before examining the fox in greater detail. Alden could feel his gaze as he examined his body and froze, almost afraid to move for fear of offending the wolf.

Raakk finally spoke once more and the voice behind him exclaimed one indignant word. A black wolf emerged from the shadows, blending in with the dark tent almost like a chameleon, and him and Raakk exchanged some words. They were angry, furious even, and Alden was too afraid to say anything.

Eventually, Raakk quietened and placed a palm on Alden's chest. Alden's heart skipped as it slowly ran along the lengths of his white chest-furs and up to his neck. For a moment, Alden was worried the wolf was going to strange him then and there, but he just grasped the underside of his chin and forced the fox to look into his yellow eyes. The wolf spoke in a calm voice, for a wolf, but Alden didn't know what to say back.

The black wolf growled and Raakk suddenly turned around with a snarl. His voice boomed and the black wolf cowered back into the shadows, turning invisible once again to the fox's eyes.

A few more words were exchanged between the two and a brief flash of sunlight escaped into the tent as the flap was shoved aside and the shadowy wolf fled. Alden shivered against as the cold night air invaded the tent. The Alpha continued to speak, softly once more.

"I'm sorry, did I do something to make him mad?" Alden nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Alden held his breath as the gray wolf slipped his paw under the pelts and felt the fox's chest again, moving his paw up to his neck and muzzle. Alden shivered, the wolf's paw was so warm against his skin.

Raakk suddenly turned away and stood up. Alden sat up but the wolf suddenly pushed his footpaw into his chest, pressing him into the ground.

The wolf ordered something at the fox, digging his dull claws gently into his chest but not enough to hurt. Language issues aside, Alden knew he was ordering him to stay put and so when the Alpha removed his foot and left the tent, he stayed still. It would be foolish to go outside now when he was still suffering from chills.

Almost immediately after the wolf left, Alden was carried back into the world of dreams. His dream was short and abrupt, but a memorable one at that. He was flying around in the Greenfield University conference center while a crowd of foxes in colorful tailcoats were murmuring around a new exhibit behind a glass case. A tour guide waved a white-gloved paw towards the exhibit and the crowd gasped, parting to the side to allow Alden to see.

Alden was staring at himself, his fur a pale blue and an icicle hanging from the tip of his nose. His expression was fearful and his eyes were staring down at his leg, where it seemed some large carnivore had taken a big bite out of.

Someone brushed up against Alden from behind and he awoke with a start.

"Don't eat me!" he snapped at the darkness around him before calming down and realizing he was back in the tent.

Heavy arms embraced him and pulled him snout-first into a thick coat of fur. Hot air brushed against the tip of the fox's ear and he looked back to find Raakk was laying next to him underneath the pelts.

"T-this is improper!" Alden squirmed but the wolf effortlessly wrestled him into submission.

He had to admit, the warmth from the wolf's abundant pelt was helping fight the chills. Alden had already spent a bit of time with the wolves and knew that they liked to do this with their packmates. However, they also liked to take it a bit further...

Alden stopped fighting it and let the wolf hold him still. His hair was tickling the fox's small nose but the wolf didn't seem to care. Raakk was very interested in Alden's scent and the fox felt the wolf's large nose snuffle up against his head. Alden had to admit that the wolf's own scent was a little appealing in such close quarters, it had a rough, earthy tinge to it. Very fitting for a proud hunter such as him.

It was improper beyond belief, but it was necessary for the current situation and Alden didn't even notice that he had fallen asleep into a dreamless slumber.

_______________________________________________________________________

Alden woke up the next morning alone in the tent. He was still quivering from the chills that had overtaken him but he was no longer feeling light-headed or delusional. It had almost seemed like the events of last night were but one of his many dreams.

But it had not been. Alden's nose was pressed into the empty pelt next to him and he sniffed, catching the wolf's scent. Back home, it was considered the height of rudeness to sniff someone or their things like that, very improper, but for the wolves it seemed to be the model of politeness to shove their big, black noses into nearly every crevice and bauble their packmates possessed. So Alden only felt slightly dirty doing it.

A bit of light escaped through the leather flap of the tent, no doubt the sun was blazing right behind it, and it revealed a large knapsack laying on the floor. Filled with a burst of energy at the wolves having retrieved his possessions, Alden tore it open, pushed aside his favorite winter coat and pulled out the leather-bound tome he was using for his studies.

He flipped through the pages, which were filled with musing, observations, and even a few doodles. Alden blushed when he saw a few charcoal drawings that he did of the wolves and parts of their anatomy; in particular, Alden nearly burned up when he saw a rough scribble of a wolven phallus (Which had been drawn for _research_purposes, mind you!) that he had observed for a brief moment one day and clapped the book shut. In the distant corners of his mind, he heard his colleagues laughing at him once again.

The wolves were aesthetically very pleasing, the fox had to admit. A life of hunting and wandering had sculpted their muscles into prime forms that would make even the strongest fox seethe with envy. They were all a good foot taller than the average fox as well and would stand out like a sore thumb if Alden could convince one to return to the capital with him.

Alden brushed aside such thoughts and began composing the latest entry in his journal, detailing his failed attempt to navigate through the tundra, his collapse in the snow and rescue by the wolves.

Midway into his writing, the flap flew open and a hulking silhouette entered. Alden cringed from the sunlight and upon opening his eyes again, saw Raakk sitting by his bedside, holding a wooden bowl with a lightly browned leg of some kind of game.

"Thank you," Alden nodded towards Raakk and accepted the bowl. Having no knife or fork, Alden gleefully did away with formal dining etiquette and grabbed the meat by the bone and snapped at it with his jaws. It was a little undercooked for his tastes and very gamey tasting, but it tasted better than the finest restaurants back in Greenfield, after having survived last night.

Alden took another chomp and while chewing, noticed that the wolf was thumbing through his journal, sitting down on the empty spot on the pelts next to the fox.

"Oh!" Alden put the bowl down and scooted up close to the wolf, leaning on his muscular shoulder while pointing at some of the writing. "This is my journal. I've been writing about the things I've learned about your pack down here."

Raakk nodded but Alden could tell he didn't fully understand. Despite the wolf's tough exterior, he handled the delicate pages with great care, slowly turning them as if he was afraid they'd tear up at the slightest bit of force. Alden supposed the wolf might never have seen a book before and was treating it like it was a priceless artifact.

Another page turned and a detailed sketch Alden had made of a wolf greeted Raakk. Raakk pointed at the drawing and turned to the fox, his lips tightening as he attempted to speak.

"Wolf?" he struggled out in Foxen.

"Yes!" Alden pointed at the picture and then at the wolf himself. "Wolf!"

"Wolf," Raakk pointed at himself and then tapped Alden on the chest. He made a guttural noise, some strange words in the wolven tongue and then continued with one of the few Foxen words he knew, "...wolf."

"Fox!" Alden pointed at himself.

Raakk made that same growling noise again and tapped the fox on the chest again, "...wolf."

"Fine! I guess I'm a..." the fox scrunched up his muzzle and attempted to imitate what the wolf had said, "rrrrrghrgh wolf!"

The wolf broke out into laughter and slapped the fox on the side of the shoulder. Laughter might have been the universal language, but the fox was just left more confused than ever. As the wolf continued to speak, occasionally chuckling heartily, Alden just sighed and thanked god that whatever it was that he said had sparked amusement rather than anger.

Though his relief would be short-lived as Raakk turned the page once more and Alden caught a glimpse of his anatomy drawings. The fox lunged his paws forward and clapped the book shut, snatching it away from the wolf. Bowing his head, he explained, "That part is not complete yet! It's a little embarrassing!"

Raakk tilted his head, a clear sign of confusion, but didn't press the matter and laid back in bed, shutting his eyes.

The fox scribbled some quick notes down in the journal but found that he couldn't help but snap his attention back to the sleeping wolf. A content smile was wrapped around his muzzle and he would occasionally lick his lips. Just looking at the wolf was enough to set the fox at ease.

Turning to an empty page, the fox found he was tracing the outline of a wolven face.

________________________________________________________________________

It was a chilly winter morning and Alden was laying atop his soft featherbed with a heavy duvet wrapped around him. A tiny fire was sputtering in the fireplace in the corner, the last echoes of its heat wafting into the air.

He was content and it was his day off from the university. He wasn't going anywhere.

Yawning, Alden slipped his head beneath the covers and curled up into a ball, burying his nose into the bush of his tail like a feral fox. It wasn't like anyone was watching him.

The covers grew tighter and Alden's hackles raised. Someone was holding them down!

Alden thrashed, trying to escape and show the assailant what-for, but he couldn't get out. The smothering embrace of the duvet increased its vice-like grip on his body until the fox couldn't breathe.

"LET ME GO!" Alden screamed as he broke free of the dream. He was halted from sitting up in shock by two wolven claws pinching his nose shut.

Raakk was there, a gray figure in the shadows of the tent, staring down at Alden with a confused look as he released his grip from his nose. The wolf said something as he rubbed Alden on the scalp, scuffing up his fur.

Clapping his paws on the fox's head, Raakk leaned in closer and brushed up his large, black nose against Alden's forehead. Alden flinched as the wolf's hot, strong breath brushed against his fur until the wolf suddenly pulled back.

Raakk said something in the wolven tongue before uttering one of the few words Alden understood, "...good..."

"Good?" Alden asked, tilting his head in the same manner as he observed the wolves doing when they were asking a question or were confused. "What's good?"

"Rrrrrgrgh wolf!" Raakk pointed at Alden with a laugh, followed by some other wolven nonsense.

Suddenly, the larger wolf grabbed Alden by the wrist and pulled him up, dragging him towards the tent flap. The fox was still entirely nude and he planted his feet against the ground, covering up his sheath and balls with his free paw.

"Wait, I'm still not dressed yet!"

Raakk swatted the fox's paw away from his crotch and pointed, shrugging dismissively while pointing at the fox's shame and speaking. Alden yelped and slapped the wolf's paw away sharply.

Lowering his ears against his skull and whining slightly, Raakk nodded and quietly backed out of the tent, leaving Alden alone.

Sighing, Alden opened up his bag. He didn't think the wolf was trying to be rude but nor did he catch the wolf's meaning. The wolves were a bit more free with touching intimate areas but it was something that Alden was more than a little uncomfortable with. It would be the height of scandal to touch another male like that in public back in Greenfield, let alone sniff like the wolves did.

Alden retrieved his favorite winter coat from the bag, which was covered in crimson-red dyed fur, far brighter than Alden's own natural coat, with black cuffs. The coat was toasty and essential for surviving in the tundra. Even though the wolves had naturally thick fur coats on their bodies, Alden still found it surprising that they could tolerate being outside nearly naked.

Slipping his journal, a few sticks of graphite, and his mechanical pencil into the deep coat pockets, Alden retrieved a leather holster and undid the latch on it, retrieving his pistol. It was a Levy Flintlock, the most popular dueling pistol in Greenfield and downright essential to carry in public to show off your todness, but never actually lose unless someone insults your honor. Consequently, Alden had never used it before.

The barrel was plated in silver with trailing ivy etched into it. Alden admired the inscriptions as he refreshed the supply of powder into the pistol and slipped in a lead ball. It was a little dangerous to carry it like this but everyone else back in Greenfield did it so it was okay.

Tying the holster's straps around his waist, the fox emerged from the tent, feeling the bitter sting of cold nip at the tip of his nose.

Most of the pack was staring at the fox silently as they stood in a semi-circle, where Raakk and the black wolf were waiting in the center. Alden blushed as he noticed a black bulge hanging freely from the wolf's crotch and that Raakk was holding a leather loincloth in his paw, motioning the fox to come closer.

Alden inched closer, snow crunching beneath his boots, chills running down his spine as the other wolves stared him down with cold, indifferent eyes. A few broke the silent when he passed, growling some cryptic comments to the other wolves that the fox interpreted as not being very polite. An icy wind breezed through the camp and the fox shivered. One of the wolves laughed, the fox was certain of it.

As he reached the two large wolves, Alden bowed his head slightly towards the two of them. The black wolf snorted angrily at this, his intense eyes staring at Alden as if he were a slab of meat. Alden couldn't break away from the wolf's gaze, afraid that if he did, the wolf might attack him.

Something was suddenly pressed into the fox's nose and he gagged as he breathed in, taking in a heavy, musky aroma that created quite the impression in his brain. Raakk was forcing Alden to sniff the loincloth and held the fox in place when he tried to break away.

"This smells awful, stop it!" Alden objected nasally. He couldn't figure out what was going on, despite the wolves being very intimate with one another, Alden had never seen them do something like this. Were they singling him out? Or was this some kind of ritual?

Alden took the straps of the loincloth and wrapped them around his skull, tying it in place. Raakk's eyes flickered and he released his grip on the piece of leather, letting its flap fall over Alden's nose. Small notes of cedar began to make themselves present past the musk, mixed with the subtle aromas of what Alden could only describe as pepper.

The pack broke out into howls of laughter and Alden tucked his tail with embarrassment. Raakk growled and pulled off Alden's makeshift mask.

"Alden!" Raakk suddenly spoke up.

The fox jumped and turned to face the wolf, who was leaning down and staring at the fox with serious, but not unfriendly eyes. He shoved the loincloth into the fox's paw and then pointed to the black wolf, who was growing ever more distant, "Sgen!"

Alden tilted his head and Raakk sighed.

"Sgen! Sgen!" Raakk pointed off into the distance, where the black wolf had now vanished into the nearby woods, disappearing into the snow-covered pine trees.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're asking of me!"

One of the wolves barked and another growled as Raakk suddenly got on all fours and pressed his nose against the snow, loudly snuffling as he crawled.

"You want me to track him down, by scent?"

Raakk got to his feet and said something, ending with, "...Sgen!"

"I don't think I can do that! Our noses aren't as..."

Alden sniffed at the air, which was full of musk, as expected when among a pack of male wolves, but once more he picked up the distant smell of cedar and pepper, which was coming from the forest.

_If I started sniffing around like this back home, someone would box me on the snout!_Alden thought as he pointed towards the forest, "Track him down? Track...Sgen...down?"

Raakk nodded and grabbed the fox by the scruff. The wolf said something in an exasperated voice as he pushed the fox into the woods lightly.

"I'll..." Alden gulped, "...I'll find him!"

It must be some kind of a game! Alden thought as he pranced into the woods, darting behind a thick pine trunk. Hide and seek, perhaps? Naturally, the wolves would make a bigger deal about scent rather than sight for such a game!

Alden quickly took down some notes in his journal about this before hiding it back in his pocket and returning to the hunt. The scent was growing distant but when he walked forward, it grew in intensity slightly.

As Alden used his nose, the initial disgust he experienced began to fade, in fact, he began to appreciate the spicy endnotes of the black wolf's scent. It wasn't calming like Raakk's was to him, mind you, but it was enough to make his fur stand up on its ends.

How refreshingly brusque! Alden thought as he crept along, following the invisible trail with his nose. I wonder what scents one could pick up in Greenfield if it weren't such a faux pas!

Alden's eyes watered as the smell grew and it felt like he had his nose inches away from the wolf's crotch. A thick bush was leaning up against a trunk and Alden felt an intense itch in his nose and eyes when he focused on it. He was there!

But now what am I to do? Pounce atop him? No, no, he might get mad if I were to do that and if I were to get in a fight...should I merely tap him on the shoulder? That doesn't seem like the wolven thing to do but perhaps it would be better to err on the side of-

The decision was eventually made for Alden as a black, furry mass leaped from the bushes and tackled the fox into the snow. It was all a blur for the fox and by the time he realized what was going on, he was staring into a row of sharp fangs that were inches away from his snout.

Alden's ears swept back in pain as the larger wolf growled and barked out a furious verbal assault. Strings of saliva dripped from the wolf's fangs, landing atop Alden's face.

"I'm sorry! I-I don't know what-"

The wolf held the fox's muzzle shut and grabbed the loincloth from him, snarling all the while. Alden began to squirm, fearing that those long fangs were about to dart forward and sink into his neck.

"SGEN!"

A rustle of leaves announced the emergence of a gray mass of fur bursting from the bushes. Raakk stood before the black wolf, Sgen, hackles raised and lips peeled back in a snarl. Sgen's grip on Aldens muzzle immediately released, though the strong wolf did not let the fox escape from being pinned.

The two wolves exchanged growls and despite being the target of their frustrations, Alden could not help but be fascinated by their little dance. Raakk's posture was supremely confident with a controlled anger, his back was straight and his ears were folded back onto his head in preparation for a scuffle. Sgen, on the other hand, although he kept on making a lot of noise, he could not help but lower his gaze and his ears.

Raakk gave one last grunt and the black wolf slowly lifted himself from the fox. Before Alden could get to his feet on his own, Sgen snatched him up by the scruff of his neck like a kit and effortlessly pulled him up as if he were a ragdoll. Electricity jolted through Alden's spine and he could not help but go limp when handled in such a way, only barely getting his footing just after being let go.

They're both so strong! Alden thought as the two wolves began to argue in their foreign tongue, Sgen tying his loincloth around his waist the whole while.

I wonder, if they had fought, which would have won?_Alden examined the two wolves, either one could snap his spine in half with one crunch of their jaws. The growling and posturing they did was terrifying to be caught up in but neither of them had come to blows yet._Is this, in some strange way, their own method of avoiding violence?

Raakk suddenly bared his teeth, his voice booming as he shoved his face straight into Sgen's. Sgen growled, but did not fight back. The two of them stared intensely at the other and Alden was fearful and uncertain about whether his hypothesis had been correct.

Eventually, Raakk broke out of the face-off. Walking towards Alden, but never taking his eyes off the black wolf, he grabbed Alden by the arm.

"Wait! What just happened, did I do alright?" Alden chattered.

Raakk ignored the fox and exchanged a few more terse words with Sgen before pulling Alden away. As much as Alden tried to ask further questions, the language barrier was just too much to overcome, though Raakk did not seem to get annoyed at his constant questions as they walked back to camp.

________________________________________________________________________

Whatever chill had been left in Alden's bones had entirely faded during the next few days. Indeed, the fox had noticed that he wasn't minding the cold nearly as much and that his fur was starting to grow a bit longer to compensate. Still, he kept on wearing his beloved winter coat, which just made sense to him over being nearly naked like the wolves.

If it gets too warm, I can just take it off! Makes more sense to me!

Raakk made Alden perform the same scent game during this time, shoving a different wolf's loincloth in his nose and making him track them down. The other wolves were a bit more cooperative and none of them tried to cause trouble like Sgen did, which actually made the events a little more fun.

One such game stuck out in Alden's mind. The target this time, somehow managed to have a scent clinging to his loincloths that smelled like cinnamon buns. Alden was not sure how this was possible, but he was still new to poking his nose against undergarments in a socially acceptable manner. The wolf had led him the furthest away, through the same forest Sgen had ambushed him in, over a steep hill that had a spectacular view of the endless, snowy tundra leading to the furthest Northern reaches of the world, before finding the wolf hiding behind a rock just down the slope. It was quite a journey to take, all while chasing down the scene of cinnamon buns, which made Alden a little bit hungry, he had to admit.

Alden kept up with his writings, naturally. During calm periods, he would ask some of the wolves to show off their tools and equipment, which although they were often rudimentary, it was truly fascinating to the fox. If necessary, wolves could hunt down and even skin prey with their own natural weapons, but Alden noticed they were using a particular skinning knife that fascinated him, having a wooden bit that was held in the paw and an axe-like head shooting out from between their middle fingers.

Wonder if I could convince them to give me one to take back? The Greenfield University Museum would give me a fine bonus for such an artifact? Or perhaps a rich noble would pay a fortune to show it off to his friends?

Alden couldn't find the words to ask, nor the courage, but some of the wolves indulged his curiosity and showed him how to grip the knife properly and scrape at the air.

They wouldn't let him work on a real carcass, despite the massive amount of game that the wolves were bringing home. Perhaps they feared that he'd waste some precious skin and meat, not that Alden was exactly keen on the prospect, but he wanted to contribute a bit more to the wolves and perhaps have a new skill to gloat about back at the University.

The increased game led to morale at the camp visibly increasing. Just about every hour of daylight had a victorious howl ringing across the tundra, followed by a massive elk carcass being dragged back shortly after. Nighttime followed with the moon gradually growing larger until it was full one night. Alden couldn't help but laugh internally when Raakk would intensely stare at the moon each night, his eyes shimmering in the moonlight, and when the moon was full he looked like an excited puppy, even wagging his tail happily. Alden wasn't sure even if the wolf knew how cute he looked when he did that.

Some sort of a festivity was called, Alden wasn't sure about it until one day after a hunt the wolves started piling up wood and lit three bonfires throughout the camp. Meat was roasted around the fires by some of the hunters, the savory smell making Alden's mouth water.

But something else caught his attention over the rest of the revelry: several wolves had started forming circles near the fires while pairs tackled each other while entirely naked, not even wearing their loincloths. Alden felt his skin flush and his paws shook as he withdrew his journal along with a charcoal pen.

Part of him was certain it was just another game, that they were just wrestling for fun and a display of strength, but Alden's mind wandered when he saw one wolf pin the other down into the snow, clamping his jaws on the back of his partner's neck while his hips pressed up against his rear. Alden shifted his legs, feeling a growing stiffness between them, and continued scribbling, not taking his eyes off the scene.

Alden sighed in relief, and perhaps a little bit of disappointment, when the two wolves broke away. The winner helped the loser up and they gave a friendly embrace, with the winner nipping the loser on the top of his muzzle.

Alden felt something heavy sit down on the log next to him and he looked over, Raakk was there, peering down at the drawing.

The drawing was definitely focused on what Alden's overactive imagination was taking the wrestling. Although there was no visible genitalia, the submissive wolf had a begging, ecstatic expression on his face that made him look like a character from an erotic penny dreadful!

Despite feeling a little flushed, Alden did not try and hide the drawing from the wolf, he didn't see the need to anymore. Raakk said something softly, motioning towards the wrestlers.

"They're quite strong aren't they?" Alden felt some pressure build up in his chest. There was no point in denying it anymore, he was not back in rigid Greenfield and it was not like the wolf understood what he was saying. Alden exhaled. "And quite fetching!"

To Alden's surprise, Raakk placed his paw on his leg. Alden's heart raced, wondering for a moment if the wolf had somehow understood him? Understood the gravity of what Alden was admitting? The wolf's tail was wagging, was he excited? Happy?

Raakk was staring straight into Alden's eyes, they didn't look angry but he had always seen the wolves do that when they were angry with the other!

God! What have I gotten myself into!?

The wolf whispered something and leaned in closer. It felt like Alden's heart was about to leap out of his chest.

Oh God, this is happening, isn't it!? Oh God, God, God! Slow down! I'm a fool!

Raakk slowly took in a breath of air, raised his muzzle to the moon and a deep, graceful howl sang out to the night sky.

While Raakk was howling, Alden sighed deeply out of relief. That had been the bravest and most open he had ever been with someone and the rapid pace he feared things were going was a little much!

Gradually, more wolves joined the howl, a veritable symphony that even the Greenfield Opera House would admit was a masterpiece. All the anxiety that Alden had experienced felt like it was floating off into the sky, along with the howls.

When the wolf was finished, he placed his paw on the fox's chest and unlike before, Alden felt more comfortable with it, whether the wolf had more intimate intentions or not.

The moment was ruined by Raakk laughing and grabbing Alden by the muzzle, forcing him to point towards the sky. The Alpha gave off a tiny howl, more similar to a whistle, enough to make the request clear.

When the wolf released his grip, Alden stammered and began to explain, "N-no, you see, I failed choir in school, in fact, not only did I fail it, I was kicked out! They had to replace one of the windows after a hairline crack appeared in the glass, I know you don't know what glass is, but believe me, it happened!"

Raakk barked out an order, something that sounded similar to, "Hoo!", a word that Alden now knew was, "Howl."

"Howl!" Raakk poked Alden in the side and let loose another howl, creating a smaller orchestra from among the wolves. It was still a very impressive sound to behold.

"Howl!"

There was no way to argue with the pack leader. Alden pushed aside the embarrassing memories of his classmates clutching their ears in pain, hearing the south window crack, and seeing his choir teacher vainly ring her bell to try and maintain order. Now was not the time to be an anxious fox, it was time to be a brash wolf!

Alden lifted his muzzle to the air and...what came out could not be described as a howl. It was more similar to a long, prolonged, high-pitched whine and even before he was finished, he could hear it echo across the tundra, no doubt terrifying the local wildlife.

Unfortunately, Alden had attracted an audience. The wolves were listening in stunned silence until it became clear that the auditory assault was over and a cacophony of laughter rang out among the pack, Raakk included.

Alden looked to the ground nervously.

Perhaps laughter is better than everyone cringing in pain?

Raakk patted him on the back and said some soft words. Alden couldn't understand a word of them but the tone carried through and helped make him feel a little bit less embarrassed. Just a little bit.

Reaching around his shoulders, Raakk pulled Alden into a hug. Alden felt the wolf's large, wet nose probe around his scalp, giggling as his strong breath tickled his fur.

Alden's eyes went wide as he noticed that Raakk's loincloth was askew and his sheathe was prominently on display. It was not the first one Alden had seen in his time among the wolves but this was the first time he got a really good and personal view of one. Much like the rest of the wolf's chest, it was covered in course, snow-white fur. It was larger than the average fox's, that was to be expected, but the size still fascinated Alden.

What would such a thing feel like inside me? God, if it were to slip out it would press up right against my lips! I should say something...it would be rude not to...

Having been making use of it so much the past few days, Alden didn't realize that he was sniffing quite intently at the bulging sheathe. The thick, musky scent of the wolf was at its strongest there and Alden found his muzzle slowly drawing closer, following the wafting musk.

NO! It's impolite!

"Uh...your, uh...it's out..." Alden muttered with his snout buried in Raakk's chest.

The wolf looked down at his crotch, chuckled, and adjusted it so that it covered up the bulge. Alden felt a little relieved but at the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen.

Can it even fit?

Raakk suddenly tugged at Alden's coat and it began slipping off. Alden's eyes went wide and he pulled away from the wolf.

This is happening, isn't it? I want this to happen, but...

The wolf crouched down beside Alden, his golden eyes shining as he looked into Alden's. Their snouts were mere inches away.

Should I have gotten practice first? Allegedly there were tods who worked at nights down in the Crimson District back home who would provide such services! Perhaps I should have tried them on for size first?

Heavy paws clamped down on the shoulders of the coat and tried to pull it off. Alden tried to bat him away, partly fearing that the wolf was going to tear his favorite coat! The wolf did not seem to be aware of how the buttons worked on it.

Okay, I want this to happen. I want this to happen.

Alden undid the buttons and helped Raakk take the coat off. Although he shivered as he was exposed to the chilly, winter air, he quickly acclimatized, partly thanks to the roaring bonfire.

Alden waited for the wolf to begin taking off his trousers, but instead he began feeling up his chest, running his large paw through his soft fur. It almost seemed like he was feeling up his muscles and bones.

Eventually, the wolf began trailing his paw down the fox's cream belly until it started approaching his trousers. Things began to feel a little too real for Alden and he snatched up the wolf's paw and pulled it away, but when the shock ran off he found that he couldn't let it go.

His paw pads were calloused and rough, something that would be seen as an indicator of being a member of the working class back home, but here it was the surest sign that the wolf had earned his place as pack leader.

"You're very handsome, you know that?" Alden idly whispered.

Raakk suddenly dove in face-first, pressing his nose up against the fox's neck. Alden whined with surprise, not expecting the wolf to understand or reciprocate, and pressed his paws up against his chest.

Part of Alden's brain was telling him to fight back, but his other side was winning, the one that said to let the wolf probe him. He was starting to enjoy the attention he was getting. Alden pushed back gently, just enough to give a bit of playful resistance and the wolf began wagging his tail.

"Mate me..." Alden whispered.

A shadow flickered beside the bonfire and a dark figure emerged, golden eyes dancing with flames as they looked down upon the two. Sgen was here.

"Wait!" Alden began pushing back, this time for real. "I-I-I think someone's-"

Raakk took in a long, deep breath, which made Alden's skin dance. Sgen's eyes narrowed and his lips began to peel, showing off those same fangs he had threatened the fox with several days ago.

"Stop! Stop!" Alden continued to push but Raakk just responded by playfully growling and continuing smelling him.

Finally, Sgen sheathed his fangs and spoke up. Raakk immediately broke off contact with Alden, giving the fox a smile before turning to face Sgen.

Alden did not pay much attention to the two wolves talking, he was much more fixated on Raakk's rear. The wolf's tail was still wagging, showing off his well-toned butt, like he was part of a cabaret striptease.

Raakk motioned his head towards Alden and Sgen growled, breaking Alden out of his fixation. Raakk said something to Alden before quietly following Sgen away, leaving the fox alone.

Gray mist seeped out of his mouth as he sighed, adjusting his trousers to hide the bulge of his shame. He was ready, truly ready then, even if half of his mind was not certain.

A wolf yelped sharply and Alden looked towards the wrestlers. One of the wolves, a smaller one with light-brown fur, had just submitted to a larger, gray-furred one. The larger wolf immediately let him go and they began playfully rolling in the snow, with the gray one licking at his opponents face.

When they were done, the brown one looked over at the lone fox and slowly padded up, a smile wrapped around his lips.

"Jotke?" Alden pointed at the smaller wolf, trying to remember what he had assumed was his name, having heard the other wolves use it around him. He was still quite large compared to a fox, but did not tower over him like the other wolves did. Although Alden felt safe around Raakk, it was a little bit of a relief talking with someone closer in size.

"Jotke!" he slapped himself in the chest, tongue lolling out as he smiled.

"Alden!" the fox slapped himself in the same manner.

"Alden!" Jotke reached out and slapped the fox in the chest. The wolf then looked over to the wrestlers and pointed. "Alden?"

"N-no, uh, I don't think I would last very long!" Alden nervously stammered. Much like choir, he also had a horrendous experience with boxing during a time when it became quite the craze back in Greenfield. One pop on the nose was enough to knock Alden down onto the ring and for him to declare it a barbaric sport.

"Alden!" Jotke pointed towards the two wolves wrestling. Once again, the loser yelped in submission and the victor began nipping at the top of the loser's muzzle, followed by playful licking.

Jotke suddenly licked Alden in the face, surprising the fox. When the shock wore off, he saw the brown wolf nodding.

"Alden?" the wolf tilted his head.

It doesn't look that bad, does it? None of them seem to be hurt and it looks like it's all in good fun! Why not?

"Okay, okay, Alden!" Alden sighed with a smile and stood up.

Jotke skipped happily away, his tail happily wagging as he bounced over to the now-empty ring. Alden, on the other hand, took his time and carefully walked over, giving the passing wolves polite greetings and bows.

The wolves closed around the two as they took their places at opposite ends. Jotke was smiling pleasantly as an older wolf stepped into the ring and began tugging at Alden's pants. It was hardly proper for a gentlefox such as Alden, but at this point he was feeling a bit more comfortable around the naked wolves. Alden stepped out of his trousers, hissing as a cold breeze swept across at that exact moment. Embarrassment flushed over him despite his renewed confidence but Alden did his best to shoo it away.

Taking his place in the center of the ring, the old wolf held out his palms, one towards each fighter. Without any warning, he barked, clapped his paws together in the air and stepped out of the circle. The fight was on.

Jotke raised his paws, wiggling his clawed digits, and began to circle the ring. Alden matched his movements, both with his feet and with his paws.

What are the rules? Can we use claws? Teeth?

Anxiety briefly shot through the fox's spine and it must have shown somehow because the wolves started to laugh.

It's just a friendly match, calm down! Just give it your best shot!

Alden ducked past Jotke's arms and wrapped his paws around his shoulders. Despite the wolf being smaller than the others, his shoulder muscles were as solid as Raakk's. Alden grunted as he tried to make the wolven wall tip but he would not budge an inch.

Heavy paws landed on Alden's shoulders and something wet dripped on the tip of his nose. Face darting up, Alden saw Jotke's lips were peeled open, saliva dripping from his sharp fangs and his ears were folded back. A low, angry growl rumbled in his chest.

The wolf barked, snapping his fangs just inches short of Alden's muzzle. Freezing, Alden could do nothing to resist when the wolf threw him onto the ground.

For a moment, Alden realized he was in grave danger but he was not fast enough to scramble to his feet and soon the wolf threw his entire weight up against him, pinning him to the ground. Fangs pinched up against the scruff of Alden's neck and he went limp as Jotke reached up under his armpits and put him in a shoulder lock.

Rolling over onto his back with Alden still stuck to him, Jotke put the fox on full display. He poked at Alden's comparatively smaller sheathe and balls with the claws of his toes, making the testicles dance in their sack. Wolves surrounded the two of them, laughing, some even rubbing at their loincloths.

Without warning, Jotke pulled his feet behind the fox's back and kicked him forward, hurtling Alden snoutfirst into a pile of snow on the edge of the ring. A few wolves stepped aside, whistling in mockery at the fox.

Once again, Alden could not scramble to his feet before Jotke pounced atop him and pinned him to the ground. His sharp fangs were once more clamped along the back of Alden's neck as the wolf rubbed his nose through his fur, snuffling heavily.

A new, more terrifying sensation began to rub itself against Alden's rear. Jotke began to hump the fox with his hips, it was something that Alden had seen the other wolves do to a submissive at the end of the match, but it didn't take long for the fox to notice something else make itself present. A hard, tapered tip started to thump up against the fox's rear and with each thrust, it was growing bigger.

This is what you wanted, isn't it?_Alden shut his eyes and winced. _I'm a fool! A sick fool!

Alden stopped his thrashing, there was no point in resisting.

Jotke stopped his humping and the wolf used one of his paws to grab the fox by the tail and lift his rear up.

Alden thought of Greenfield: of his favorite cafe, the one that served his favorite cup of black tea; of the Royal Parkway and its vast, dropping willow trees; of his compatriots in the University, even them. All pleasant memories, tinged only by the realization that he may never return, but nonetheless, pleasant memories.

Alden's thoughts eroded back into the moment. The unspeakable had not happened yet, he would have surely felt it, but he felt nothing. He heard nothing too, save for quiet footpads on snow. Carefully, he opened his eyes and deigned to look back at his assaulter.

Jotke's eyes were wide-open, staring off to the right and frozen with fear. The source of his fears soon made himself apparent, a mass of gray fur colliding with the smaller, brown wolf, knocking him off of Alden.

Rolling around, Alden stared onward as Raakk snapped his jaws around the smaller wolf's neck. Jotke was yelping and whining in submissive mere seconds after getting slapped down, but Raakk showed off his power. Jotke was on his belly, kicking his leg against the pack leader gently as if to submit, but Raakk only relented after about five taps.

Raakk got up and stomped towards the ring of wolves watching, growling fiercely and snapping his fangs with sharp clicks. None dared challenge him, lowering their posture and their tails between their legs.

The only wolf who was not showing signs of submission was Sgen, who was barely visible in the dead of night, watching from outside of the ring.

Sgen and Raakk exchanged some words, prompting Raakk to bare his fangs at the black wolf. Only after a few seconds of staring down his leader did Sgen relent, albeit seemingly reluctantly.

Turning to Alden, Raakk's lips were still peeled back in a snarl, which quickly softened when he met the fox's terrified stare. Raakk picked up the fox as if he were a ragdoll and Alden quivered when he felt the wolf's cold nose nuzzle up against the side of his face. Raakk pulled away with a small whine.

"Please, can we go back to the tent?" Alden made a triangle with his fingers.

Rakk nodded and scooped up the fox in his arms, cradling him like he was an infant or an invalid.

"I can walk!" Alden objected but the wolf did not understand. He could see some of the wolves looking at him with disdain that even their language barrier could not hide.

Sgen was the worst of them all, spitting onto the ground as they passed. Raak and him shared a few short, angry words, but nothing came of it.

Soon, they were back at the tent. Raakk gently placed the fox down on the hides covering the floor, wrapping him up in the blankets tightly. Alden attempted to adjust the blankets so they'd be a bit more loose, but the wolf responded by tucking him in again.

"Please! I'll be-" Alden attempted to loosen the blankets once again but Raakk all but forced him down and got under the blankets with him.

Gasping, Alden felt the wolf's cold nose brush up against the back of his neck and all he could think about was the feeling of teeth burying into his hide. Alden rolled over with a start, facing away from the wolf and curling up.

Soon, Alden felt a wet tongue lap up against the side of his head and face. Raakk was whining softly and holding the fox in a tight hug.

Is he trying to make me feel better?

Alden wanted to crawl into a corner and be alone right now, but he couldn't bring himself to snap at the wolf. He was not Jotke and he was not Sgen. Whatever Raakk was doing, it was not out of malice.

But what is he doing? Am I just some weak, pathetic fox that he feels sorry for?

Whining, Raakk rested his snout up against Aldens' face. The wolf began to breathe slowly and he whispered something in Alden's ear.

Something hard poked into Alden's rear and he had to suppress yelping in fear. For a moment, he was back in the ring with Jotke, about to be violently mounted in front of a crowd of wolves.

No, no, no, no! I'm in the tent. I'm with Raakk. I'm safe. I'm safe. Raakk will keep me safe.

But for how long?

Alden didn't stand up for himself once this entire night. Jotke, the smallest of the wolves, was about to turn him into a conquest; Raakk saved him from being taken, Raakk helped him to his feet, Raakk carried him away.

Heavy snores rumbled up against Alden's face. He envied how fast the wolf was able to fall asleep.

Alden was able to push the wolf's grip aside and roll over. Pulling the blankets aside, he peered down at the wolf's nether regions.

A thick, red cock was poking out of his sheathe. Veins were running along it and it would occasionally throb while Raakk rumbled in his sleep. Sometimes the wolf would stir, lick his lips and snuffle at the fox before drifting off once again.

Thoughts ran through Alden's mind. Raakk was clearly attracted to him, but in what way? Did he view the fox as another conquest, much like Jotke had earlier?

And if he does, would I let him?

Alden imagined the wolf grabbing him in a fit of aggressive passion, pinning him to the ground as the fox vainly tried to resist. His teeth sank into his neck and lifted him by the tail as he prodded his rear with the tip of his tapered cock. The wolf laughed at the weak, pathetic fox and forced him to admit that he was his property before thrusting...

Clenching his legs together, Alden pushed that thought away. It was an exciting fantasy, but he could not help but think about the stark reality. Of the fears he faced when Jotke tried to make that fantasy real. Jotke had seemed nice too, before he showed his true colors.

Alden forced himself to imagine a different scene. A scene of him waking up in the morning in Raakk's arms, gently nuzzling the snoozing wolf awake in time for the morning chores. At first he imagined them in his bed back at his home in Greenfield, on a cold winter morning and had a bit of a laugh imagining the tribal wolf putting on a suit and tie; but the dream slowly turned to them in the same tent that they shared now. He imagined them leaving the tent together and greeting the pack before heading out for the day's hunt. Perhaps the fox would go along with them or perhaps he would stay behind, treating some hides to be used as blankets or tent covers. It did not matter, all that mattered was Alden would be a part of the pack and respected, respected so much that none of the wolves would bat an eye at the end of the day when he and Raakk would retire to their tent and passionately make love.

Alden found himself filled with new resolve. He would not let himself become the submissive bitch of the packleader, no matter how much he felt for Raakk.

He would fight to earn the pack's approval.