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"What the!? Dammit! Anubis! I really don't wanna like ye!"

Oh, good. Jack was up and had discovered the most current of late night miracles.

While Silver had been driving the tractor back from one of the further fields at the end of the previous day, a large rear tire had blown out, startling half the pack. Limping into the equipment barn, the men were tired and hungry and had no motivation for such a monumental task.

At least Fern was thankful for the freed up morning, stating it gave him more time to terrorize White Toe, who glared at him suspiciously and spent the day cautiously waiting for... something, much to Fern's amusement that evening. Silver was quite certain that this divine assistance to lessen their burdens was an indication for them to use the spare time to make more puppies, a sentiment none of the other men disagreed with. Not even Jack, though he grumbled to himself before spotting the great void pretending to ignore him from across the hamlet. Frowning deeply, he held up his hands over his head in a heart symbol before breaking them apart. He didn't get to see the shiny, delighted grin that made everyone else in the Great Lodge snicker with merriment.

Now that he had full use of both hands, Anubis was twice as intent on making it as difficult for Jack to dislike him as the Alpha was going to make it for him to gain rank. The pack was so accustomed to their struggle by now that they teased Jack mercilessly, sometimes even pretending Anubis didn't exist and that their Alpha was just paranoid and yelling at no one. After all, none of the night watch ever caught him doing these things, even though it had become their favorite past time in the middle of the night to try and discover their godly benefactor at work.

The last week had been particularly sleepless. Once again, Nova was hiding in her mother's cabin, only coming out for food or to hurry to the den where the females who did not wish to breed could keep their distracting scent at bay most of the time. Only once had she looked up and locked eyes with him, quickly blushing with a whine and rushing off, his nose quivering at the sweet scent of her dampness.

At least the tornado was a distraction. Anubis had never seen the sky grow so green and ugly and twisted. Even the most intense mountain storm had not been as terrifying or awe inspiring as the pillar of dark, churning air that had seemed to appear from nowhere and destroyed all in its path. It was the moment Anubis truly understood why the Aroogar dug their barns and homes so deep into the ground. Not that it made him less nervous as the roof and doors rattled against the relentless wind while the sudden bangs of objects falling from the sky reminded him entirely too much of some of his firefights.

Since the cabins were built above ground, many of the higher ranks had taken refuge in the sleeping hall. Even a couple of the women had ended up with them, but in such an emergency, the only thing that mattered was that everyone made it inside safe. None of them seemed fazed by all the noise and movement, so he sat in his alcove and just hoped Nova and the others were alright in the den.

"Hey."

"Oh, Silver. Hi." Anubis hoped the panic just under his fur did not seem as obvious upon it. Looking him over, Silver sat himself on his bed without fear or concern despite the bristle and glare.

"I take it there ain't nothin' like the 'nadoes up there in the mountains?"

"No," he replied flatly, staring at the wall.

"S'pose I'd be nervous, too, if I'd never seen one."

Seemed he wasn't nearly as stealthy as he thought. "I'll be fine."

Peering up at him from the corner of his eye, Silver gave him a little smile. "Ye know, it's a interestin' journey discoverin' who we can be when we're safe ta do so, rather than who we gotta be in order ta survive. Pack I came from, my pa found 'imself some bitches an' made entirely too many pups than he could feed. We was always hungry, but he beat us all to keep us compliant. I had ta be real mean ta get my share, but that just weren't who I wanted ta be. So, I ran off, middle o' the night. Walked forever 'fore Wild River picked me up right off the road. Figured I were a Radkial the moment he laid eyes on me. I never dared imagine a place like this existed. I didn't have ta guard myself here. Though, s'pose took me a bit to get used to that part."

Grimacing at another large object banging full force against the metal, reinforced roof and rolling off to thud on the ground, Anubis let out a long breath. "It, uh, reminds me of some of my fights... during the war."

"Yeah, I don't like it, neither." They both looked up at White Toe standing at the foot of the bed. "I didn't fight long, but it were long 'nough. Lots o' big bangs, always some sort o' noise. Keep havin' to remind myself I'm here an' not back then."

Silver wordlessly moved over so he could sit with them. Anubis cocked his brow, but this time did not protest his space being occupied. Reaching into his vest, White Toe pulled forth a deck of cards and deliberately shuffled them loudly in an arch between his hands. "I think perhaps somethin' to take the mind off it. A game might make this go 'long much faster."

"Cards?" Eli's head popped around the corner.

"Wait, someone has cards?"

"Are there 'nough cards?"

"I got more under my bed!"

"I dunno if we should be trustin' what comes out from under yer bed."

The game grew intense between Anubis, Canyon, and White Toe at the end, the rest of the men cheering for their chosen winner. Unable to bluff any longer, Canyon had to fold, much to the groans of his fans. By the time the storm was over and the doors were opened to the beating of Jack's fist, White Toe was emptying his pockets of every last roll he had won off the others while Anubis smirked smugly with his hands out and full.

As Anubis emerged to peer about at the mess, he perked to hear the high ranks speaking with Jack and Cloud about the damages done. Thankfully, none of the structures had been damaged and no one had been hurt, but most of a middle field had to be declared a loss.

Jack groaned loudly, rubbing his eyes. "Course. Everythin' were goin' too well. Somethin' had to come 'long."

Cloud was shaking her head, deep in thought. "It'll be 'nother lean winter. We might end up beggin."

Jack glared at her. "Beggin'? Radkial's ain't gon be beggin'. We'll be huntin' 'fore we be beggin'!"

She glared at him. "We start huntin', it'll bring the skaowl out 'gain."

He rolled his eyes. "An' we go beggin' we'll be tellin' all the packs we ain't got 'nough to be keepin' the fields."

"I 'gree with Jack on this one, Omma," Fern interjected. "I'd rather piss off the skaowl than let the other packs know we're fucked."

Flashing him a thin lipped glare, she shook her head. "I jist hope yer pride don't cost us no one this winter."

Fern and Jack glanced at each other, but Cloud stomped off before they could say anything further. Jack watched her go with a concerned look before jabbing his thumb in her direction.

"I don't 'member her bein' so ornery growin' up."

Shrugging back, Fern was instantly twiddling his thumbs and looking into the distance when Cloud glared back at Jack with a bared tooth. Jack's ears laid flat to his head, and he joined Fern in studying the landscape off in the distance. With a snort, she continued on her way. Glancing over his shoulder to ensure she was gone before shaking his head, Jack wandered off with the group of men to assess the damage of the field.

It took most of the day to clear the debris that had been strewn about. Doing the majority of the heavy work, Anubis was surprised to find himself to be too tired to spend time with Denver and turned in early.

That put him awake with plenty of time to climb the water tower and watch the sun rise over the verdant, rolling landscape in a golden spectacle that brought the pack out little by little. Most of the women went to work on the food, accompanied by some of the lower ranking men, while most of the other men got the equipment ready for the day.

Just before he climbed down, Anubis spied Jack leaving his cabin with a woman on each arm. They nuzzled at the curve of his neck on either side, giggling together as they purred and cooed at him all the way to the Lodge.

Pursing his lips with a stab of jealousy, Anubis kept himself busy until lunch time when Nova finally emerged, but did not come to greet him as she had the last time her heat had ended. In fact, she did her best to evade him. He was surprised to discover she was quite good at it when she really wanted to be, and even gave Denver the slip when Anubis mentioned to him that she was acting strange.

It was just before dinner when Anubis finally bumped into her outside the Great Lodge and pressed her until she relented. Fidgeting with her tail, she let out an anxious breath. "Uh, w-well, I, uh... I... went ta Jack."

"Oh," he responded softly.

Nova whined with a deep blush. "He-He were just checkin' on Soot, a-a-an' I just... I missed 'im so much, I-I-I couldn't help it...."

She stopped when he put his hand on her shoulder. "Nova." Hesitantly, she looked up at him. "You loved him before you ever met me, didn't you?" She nodded. "Then, if you do have puppies with him, I hope they're healthy." He smirked lecherously and waggled his brows. "I'll have my chance when it's time."

The palpable tension in her body melted away with relief. "Oh. I, uh, I thought ye'd be upset."

He blinked in surprise. "Why would I...?" Jack's words about his training her suddenly rang as clearly in his head as when they had been exchanged. Taking a deep breath, he leaned down to nuzzle her ear. "Nova. I don't own you anymore. You were right when you said that you were sure I was glad all of that's over. I like seeing you here with your pack. Even if it means I have to share. If I can have more than one pet, shouldn't you get to have more than one master?"

With a little smile, her tail waggled and she burrowed against him. "I still want pups with ye," she mumbled into his fur.

Smirking, he cupped her snout to raise her face to him. "Oh, I know, pet, and I have every intention of having as many litters as I can with you. But, in the meantime, you had a life here before me, and it shouldn't stop just because I'm here."

"Hey! Anubis!"

Startling, not because he didn't know someone was there but because he had not expected them to call him with such urgency, Anubis snapped his head around to find White River, Swift River's litter-sister, trotting to them. She frantically waved something in her hand until she could thrust it into his.

"It's a letter fer ye!" she exclaimed while panting, ears perked tall. "Came just a few minutes ago. That's some fancy lookin' writin' on there. Real thick, too. Who's it from? Seems they got lots ta say."

Perplexed and curious, Anubis turned the envelope over. When his brows nearly touched his ears, eyes widening, White River nearly shook with anticipation. "Aw, c'mon, who is that?"

"I'll bet it's Caesar," Nova responded softly when Anubis did not, too engrossed with staring at the elegant handwriting on the front.

At his brother's name, Anubis sucked in his breath and stuffed it into the band of his kilt. "A good guess."

"Well, aren't ye gonna read it?" White River pressed.

Anubis nodded once slowly. "At the right time. Thank you for bringing this to me."

Her jaw dropped, and Nova giggled at her. "Luna knows what happened 'tween Swift River an' Dusky from East Hammer last year."

White River's eyes grew wide. "That were his litter! I knew it! That scoundrel, sneakin' 'cross the river an' lyin' ta me!"

"Ye ought ta ask 'er 'bout it, though. I can't do the story justice. She heard it straight from Windy!"

With a snort, White River spun on her heel and hurried off towards the den.

Shaking his head as she left, Anubis let out a relieved little breath. "She reminds me of Rasha. She needs to know everything about everyone."

"A little," Nova agreed, then giggled. "Least she's nicer."

He smirked in return. "And doesn't bite when I tell her no." With a big breath, his smile faded, and he fell silent in thought.

Lowering her ears, she turned to head into the Lodge. "I'll go...."

His hand grabbed hers, stopping her. "Not yet. I'll be awake later. It'll give me something to do." Pulling her tight to his body, he smiled down at her. "I have a whole evening to spend with you."

Smiling up at him in return, they soon joined the pack for dinner. It was a bit of a celebration tonight for a number of joyous reasons, any of which would have been enough of a reason on its own. From the first harvest of the year to start in the morn to another litter born to the pack and even surviving the tornado. While it was loud with music, chatter, and sex, and the ale flowed freely for this night, the food was less than usual.

Off in a corner on a soft leather couch, Silver had managed to snag Moon all to himself and had her straddling his lap. Gripping handfuls of his chest fur while he bounced her on his shaft, she was biting her lip, trying to hold back the flood of moans and whimpers that were escaping anyway.

Smirking at her attempt, he slid his fingers through her hair to cup the back of her neck, holding her to his lips. His tongue probed until she surrendered to the orgasm that made her melt in his arms and let him in. His hand tightened, bunching up the skin of her scruff so she lost all control, nearly howling against his mouth.

Once tied with her, she leaned against him and panted with the afterglow, her face nuzzled into the curve of his neck. Pouting, Luna got up and slipped under his arm, snuggling against his side. Holding her close around the shoulders, he smiled and gave her a kiss.

Nova was watching her sisters with longing, her tail slowly waving behind her. As though he knew he was being watched, Silver looked up and saw her. Smiling, he leaned back and opened his other arm in invitation. Nearly jumping to her paws, she paused and looked back at Anubis.

He raised his brow, glancing between them. "What? He's not inviting me."

Hopping up, she hurried over and leaned up against his other side. After giving her a squeeze, he smiled at Anubis and winked. He then leaned his head back, nose up in the air, and his eyes slid to their corners to smirk smugly at Jack's narrow eyed glare from across the room. The deeper the Alpha's scowl became, the wider Silver's smile grew. Finally, with a roll of his eyes and a head shake, Jack turned his attention to seeking his own pleasures.

After eating, Nova and Anubis escaped the noise to sit together on the water tower. Anubis shared his earlier winnings with her as they watched the sun change the colors of the sky.

When he let out a deep sigh, she peered at him from the corner of her eye. He noticed and gave her the same look in response. "What?"

"Oh, c'mon! I know it's killin' ye."

Shaking his head, he took another long drag off his roll, more than just his head tingling. "What kills me is waiting on Jack to give me Rank. He seems to delight in this."

Smirking, she nodded slightly in agreement. "I think he don't want all the ladies ta choose ye."

The snort that came out of him trying to hold in a laugh as he was smoking caused him to cough. "I already figured that out," he replied after getting back his breath, then smiled seductively at her. "But I really only want to breed you."

She giggled and stretched up to touch noses with him. "An' Moon an' Luna really wanna be bred by ye."

His deep bark of laughter resounded through the hamlet, making anyone outside turn to look around, and even a few heads to poke out of buildings, uncertain if it was part of the music.

"Well, I would gladly oblige, of course." His arm wrapped around her to hold her close. "However, my pet, yer first in line."

Her eyes widened at him. "Wait! What'd ye say?"

Taken aback, his ears folded down, and he thought back to what he had just said. "Uh, I said you're first in line."

The corners of her mouth curled up knowingly, and she slowly shook her head. "No, ye didn't."

Thinking on it a second longer, he returned her smile. "Hmm, s'pose yer right, darlin'," he imitated her accent as best he could. "Seems I'm one o' ye'all so why not?"

Laughing at him, she leaned into him before perking up again. "Well, speakin' o' rank, Omma said she been happy to see me 'take my work more seriously.' She says I might be gettin' my next Rank soon."

He smiled. "Excellent! Enjoy your head start, while you have it." Leaning over to nuzzle her into giggles, he chuckled darkly. "I'll come to your every beck and call, but no matter how much you outrank me, I'll always be your Master."

Her fur fluffed, but she giggled cheekily. "Well, aren't I technically yer master? Since ye belong ta the pack an' all."

Narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips tightly at her smug little smile, he glanced around the empty hamlet before letting out a hot snort and pulling her into his lap. She gasped but did not resist, at first unaware of his intentions. Squirming to press his back to the wall of the reservoir to be hidden by the platform and the darkness, he jerked her hips against him so she could feel him hardening. It was enough to make her bite her lip and glance at him over her shoulder. His lecherous, nearly disembodied grin caused a shudder all over her body, no longer guessing.

"I've had quite enough of your impudent behavior, pet," he growled darkly, pressing her head forward so he could line her up to slide his smooth shaft right through the leg hole of her shorts and rub her aching pussy up and down his length.

Biting her lip even harder in an effort to stifle her moans, she was rapidly getting his cock slick. "B-But, M-Master," she complained, her eyes darting around, "someone... someone might see...."

She had to stop to stifle the feral moan that tore from her when he grabbed her hips, lifted her up, and pressed his tapered tip against her entrance, stretching her wide over his girth. She couldn't see his devious grin, but she could certainly hear it. "That's right, my pet, someone could, so you better keep quiet and on the look out, as I've had quite enough of waiting." His smugness was in his groan once he hilted into her, the walls of her passage milking him already. "And it would seem, my pet, you've had enough of that, too."

A primal moan escaped her before she could clutch a final thread of sanity. "W-We could get in trouble," she panted, but she didn't sound like she was encouraging him to stop.

"And what are they going to do to me? Demote me?" He chuckled before setting an aggressive pace with a tight grip on her hips so she could not protest again.

Her eyes were too busy exploring the space in her skull to keep vigilant. A steady stream of moisture had soaked her shorts and was working its way through the fur of her thighs and down his balls with every deep, wet plap.

"Ah, pet," he growled lustfully against her ear, pulling her closer to his body so they were more hidden in the darkness, "I was trying to resist, but I've missed this sweet, tight pussy so much. It's fun with Denver, but there's no comparing to my moaning bitch cumming on my cock."

Burying his fingers in her hair, he pulled her head back so he could muffle the sounds she was making with his mouth, kissing her with the same ferocity that he pounded her. Every nipple poked through her tight shirt, and he pushed the fabric up to reveal them to the warm evening air. Her back arched to his touch as he teased a tight little bud, her body melting against him as another wave of bliss washed away any worry of being caught. His other hand stuffed down her shorts, instantly soaked while circling her swollen button.

"Mmpf, mmpf," she moaned against his lips, surrendering herself to him completely.

Breaking the mouth lock, Anubis growled before gripping her tighter and leaning back more to pound her even harder. Every thrust was accompanied by a loud squelch as his knot popped in and out of her. She could feel it swelling, every push in becoming more difficult than the last. She whimpered his name as though she wanted to say something, but he didn't give her the chance.

"I'm not pulling out this time, mutt," he growled, resisting the urge to knot for a few more thrusts to let another orgasm burn away her resistance. Kissing her roughly again, he could hold back no longer and slammed her down to lock every hot drop of his searing cum as deep inside of her as he could, battering her insides with every thick rope that made him join her in a muffled erotic duet.

Dizzy and panting, it took them both a long minute to come back to reality. His fur was so thick, she could feel it through her own. Whimpering lustfully, she was lost in the sensation of being so full and warm. Smirking at her continued humps that tugged his shaft, he shamelessly played with her spade to keep her aroused and milking him.

"Keep doing that, my snug little cock sleeve, and you'll end up with a second dose," he rumbled into her ear. "I've missed my helpless little dick warmer and now that I'm in this trembling pussy, I just don't want to leave. I'm just so... warm," he thrust, making her gasp, "and... cozy," he thrust once more, "inside my pet. Why ever would I want to leave?"

Trying desperately to grasp at some sanity, Nova whimpered and moaned, worked up into another quivering release that suckled at his shaft. He groaned at the feeling, his voice low and gruff. "I'm not kidding, mutt. I've been pent up just for you."

There wasn't much she could do to control herself when he did not relent, mercilessly stimulating her even when they heard a boisterous group stumble out of the Great Lodge and hurry off to their destination, likely about to engage in a similar activity. He grinned at her attempts to stay silent.

Swallowing a primal moan, she could barely think of the words she was trying to whine out. "That... that's... not fair, Master."

His deep growl made her tremble and submit to his thrusts. "What's not fair is that I don't get to fuck your pussy whenever I feel like it just like a proper pet. I don't mind sharing, but I want to end every night with my knot buried inside of you, and this waiting game is starting to wear thin."

It was then his sinister chuckle made every strand of fur stand all over her body. "You did only finish your heat this morning, didn't you, Nova? Why, I was told that a bitch could still be fertile even a couple of days after her heat." His rumble was hot against her ear. "Maybe I'll get my chance to fill you with my litter sooner than I thought."

The very mention was enough to melt her into a puddle of carnal fur in his hands. Unable to hold back any longer, Anubis could feel the warm pulse of his seed filling her up once again, his knot even more solidly locked in place against the pressure.

Again, the two had to grasp at strings to bring themselves back to reality. Glancing around, Nova looked down to the swell of her belly and whimpered. "There... there's so much, Master. I, uh, don't have anything to clean up with."

Laughing softly, he nuzzled the back of her ear. "That sounds like a you problem," he teased, causing her to scoff in disbelief and glare at his grin.

"That's not funny!" she pouted. "Yer the one who made this mess."

He was unconcerned. "I have no regrets."

Her pout deepened, but she muttered under her breath. "W-Well, I were kinda hopin' ta be Sigma."

Glancing around, he nuzzled and licked at her cheek. "I don't think anyone's in the showers."

When his knot softened, it caused Nova to whimper again, eyes fluttering, biting her lip at the hot dribbles that squirted out around his thick plug. Pulling free, her shorts and fur did very little to soak up his pungent deposit. She was practically dripping all the way to the showers, growling half-heartedly at his teasing. Quickly cleaning up so she could hurry back to the den before the rest of the pack called it a night, he pulled her close one last time for a kiss that made her grip his fur and not want to let go.

As much as he wanted to go to sleep, his mind was awake enough to start thinking, and he knew the battle was lost. Turning to his back with a deep sigh, he stared at the ceiling a moment before reaching under his pillow and pulling out the letter he'd had to keep dry from his fur.

With another breath, he carefully cut along the seam with his thumb claw to pull the papers free. He could feel something in the crease, and unfolded them slowly to find a thick tuft of undercoat tucked in the middle. Plucking it gently before it had the chance to move, he brought it to his nose and recalled the only joyous moments of his puphood in the company of his favorite siblings.

No matter how he tried, though, a bitter feeling kept interrupting his thoughts. Every memory involved the slaves who cowered at their every glance; always frantic to please and avoid punishment. They weren't anything like the memories he had here. There was nothing to be ashamed of here.

Sucking in the scent once more, he stuffed the fur into the envelope, noting to himself that he would wrap it in the fine wire he'd seen in the art barn meant for jewelry. At last, he turned his attention to the flowing letters on the parchment, 4 pages long. It made him smile. Caesar always had the best handwriting of them all, and he was always verbose. Starting, Anubis swore he could hear his brother's voice in each elegant word.

_My dearest and only brother,

I hope this letter finds you well and whole. I pray you have it as good in your pack as I have it here! I'll be honest, Anu. I think I did die that day and ended up in some kind of paradise. All I ever wanted was to see Jun wag her tail. Now, the moment my eyes open in the morning, there's a dozen wagging tails in bed with me, and she's one of them. I spend my days reading, learning, smoking, fixing things, and fucking my bitches! Have you tried this grass of theirs? It makes everything better. I realized I had no idea what being happy was like, and now, I have no idea how I was living without it.

I hardly know where to start. I suppose I should start from the beginning, the moment we arrived. It was near midnight, and I was squeezing out of that tiny bus in a daze, looked up to see all of Jun's pack there to greet her with joy, and she immediately went into labor! They hurried her off, so I didn't get to see my two girls born, nor did I get any sleep that night, but the next morn, Jun insisted I be brought to her to see them. They both look so much like her! They're so cute and tiny. I may have cried a little, much to my chagrin, but the women didn't mind at all. They named my girls Marble and Lace. I couldn't be prouder._

The guards and driver stayed the night, and were reluctant to leave me with a dozen and a half bitches, an old man and a few pups, but Jun and the others convinced the pack they didn't need to be afraid of me so the soldiers left. It wasn't even 4 whole days afterwards that Jenni, Jun's niece who just gained her Rank before we arrived, went into heat. Can you believe, a trio of cur from the neighboring pack hopped the fence and just strolled right in thinking they were going to snarl their way into the den! I was told they'd been doing that for a few months with the others and were just waiting for her to go through her Rite, like that made it any better. You should have seen how high they jumped when they realized I was standing behind them! Ha! I didn't even need to growl! A good, hot breath down their necks was enough. I didn't think anything could make me laugh again, but there I was, clutching my belly as they fled, screaming like pups! It still makes me chuckle. Well, that was more than enough for the rest of the pack to accept me and, um, show their appreciation. We're pretty sure Sunshine is pregnant now. Maybe even Ulva and Petal!

And you'll never even guess what happened a few days ago! I learned the neighbor pack sent some letters to Khade'grr telling him how I had 'threatened their lives!' Apparently, they were very detailed and wanted me hung! Well, he showed up! That's right, the Supreme Alpha himself! In a brand new vehicle, and a whole contingent of M.A.S. even nicer than the ones the sand lickers gave us. I even saw old Stone Fang! The guy looks way better. He says they pulled that infected tooth, gave him medicine, and he's been feeling great since. Well, Khade'grr looked around, looked up at me, but made me wait outside while he talked with the pack. When he came out, though, he just... smirked at me, gets back in his truck and off they went!

That very evening, guess who shows up at the front gate? All 8 men from the neighbor, even their Alpha! After returning all the equipment they'd stolen, and some extra food to boot, they all apologized! Alpha Gerrolf said he was sorry for not doing anything about the assaults, and he was giving us back the fields they took, even though they had already planted them. We've got 3 fields about ready to be harvested, and we didn't do anything for it!

Petal says she heard from one of their bitches that Khade'grr had not exactly been so nice when he showed up. Had them out on their knees and shamed them like pups! Told them they'd returned to feralism and were everything he was marching across the mountains to fight against. Stood over them like some sort of Angel of Justice as he made them gather everything they had taken when they knew their neighbors were defenseless, and told them they were lucky it was not his place to Banish them. That Khade'grr! He's really something else. He almost makes me hot. Ha, I wonder what Terra would say to that! I'd be out there helping him if I only I could.

There was also a gregin who ate all their livestock and was prowling around at night. Well, I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping, nightmares and such, so I took care of that. It was the best these bitches had eaten in months. They say it's the nicest pelt they've ever had, too, not counting my own! Ha!

There's so much more I wish I could tell you. I can't wait to hear back from you. I've missed you more now than when you had been away during the war. When I can't sleep, I like to sit outside and stare at the sky, wondering how our world can be so small in the vastness, and yet we are still so far apart. How are Nova and Veka? What is your pack like? My imagination tells me you're already the Alpha! I must know! Write to me as soon as you're able to, and start at the beginning!

Your brother and Slave-King of the Lyall pack,

Caesar

Letting out his breath, Anubis turned the last page over just in case there was even one more sentence before reading it through again, hoping perhaps he had missed a word or two, anything to make it like new again, just for another moment.

He hardly noticed he had spent most of the night reading the letter again and again, practically committing it to memory about the time the sky was growing gray with dawn. Eyes bloodshot and having trouble focusing, he relented at last and folded the letter neatly with the fur tuft and put it back in the envelope.

Carefully tucking the letter under his pillow where the smell could be in his nose, he smiled to himself. He could have hardly hoped for better for his brother. Though every fiber of his being wished to immediately start a reply, his eyes could stay open no longer, and his nap was more restful than he'd had in a while.

It was after lunch by the time he blinked back awake, looking around in a bit of a daze as he recalled that his old life was over. Groaning, he rolled to his feet, barely brushed down his fur, and staggered outside. Much to his relief, the sky was dark with clouds and the air thick with moisture, but no rain fell yet.

His ears perked to the sounds of the pack. Peering about, he spied Fern chopping logs with a big axe by the wood barn. The straps of his coveralls were tied around his waist to keep the pants up, showing off the delicate pattern of gray fur that stretched from his left hip to his shoulder blade on the same side that resembled a mature fern frond. It was the most striking feature on his mostly black pelt.

Pausing, Fern glanced up at the sound of flirty giggles near him. Smirking at the group of women who eyed him eagerly, he playfully bulged the muscles of his arms and chest. "That's right, ladies, ye can look all ye like."

One of them pouted. "Yeah, but can't touch!"

"It's too bad yer gay, Fern" another remarked seductively, flicking her tail. The others agreed with cheeky giggles.

"Ah, well, sorry ladies. I'm just as thirsty for dick as the lot o' ya, too! Should any o' ye grow one, be sure ta let me know!"

His added wink was too much for them. Bursting into laughter, they continued on their way, making suggestions as to what they could use to try and fool him into thinking they had grown such an appendage.

Chuckling to himself, he turned to finish his work and spied White Toe, Jack and Silver all shaking their heads at him. His brow knitted together. "What?"

"It's a good thing yer gay, Fern," White Toe replied as though he had said it many times before, "or we'd never get laid."

The other two nodded in silent agreement. Fern grinned at them. "Well, if ye were gay, too, ye'd get laid plenty! There's still time."

Jack and Silver looked at each other.

"Are ye tempted?" Silver inquired with all due seriousness.

Tapping his chin, Jack thought a moment before responding in kind. "Am I tempted? Why, yeah, actually! Tempted to follow those bitches."

Silver had to hang off his shoulder, bent over with laughter while Jack grinned smugly. White Toe was also having to lean against the wall of the barn to make sure he didn't fall over. "Best idea of the day!" he cried before guffawing again.

"Ah, damn!" Fern growled. "I thought I had ye this time!"

Jack gave him an innocent look and shrugged. "I'm just really thirsty for the pussy. Though, if ye happen ta grow one, be sure ta let me know."

At his charming wink, Fern joined them in the mirth.

Their moment was shattered at the fur bristling shrieks coming from over the nearest knoll. All heads snapped to the sound, seeing several pups running with all their haste towards the hamlet. One of them tripped, tumbling down the side of the hill and smacking against a rocky outcropping.

It took no more than the pointed ears of the predator to peek over the grass before Anubis was on all fours and sailing across the land in full strides that were more like soaring than running. As fast as he was, the predator was closer and lunged for its winded prey.

As fearless as ever, Fletcher leapt in front of the skaowl, baring his teeth just as those jaws snapped shut on him. Shaking the boy like a toy, his wooden foot flew up into the air and knocked it on the snout, causing it to stop and notice the murderous blur snarling towards it. The beast's mouth popped open in terror, letting the body fall to the ground before it took off towards the woods, faster than Anubis no matter the strength his rage gave him.

Realizing he could not catch up, Anubis snarled and paced at the tree line, every fiber of his being filled with the urge to kill. After a moment of fuming, he threw back his head and howled a warning to the creature before turning around and using the same haste to return to the pack.

He passed the spot the event had happened, but he could see that the men had already run for the medical building, a trail of blood behind them. White Toe was sprinting through the hamlet with Berry in tow and vanished into the building with Cloud running after before Anubis skidded in the dirt, coming to a stop before the door. Jack and Fern were already trying to stop the bleeding, while Silver was finding any supplies they had left that they could use for this. Between all their bodies, Anubis could see the boy's eyes wide open, panting for air in shallow gasps.

More of the pack was gathering, peering in, asking what had happened. Canyon pushed past, having had some medical training of his own and years of experience. The small room got crowded fast and Jack, Fern, Silver and White Toe were expelled to make space.

"Where is he!? Where's my boy!?"

Jack perked and rushed to block Iron Gale's march. The fur on his hands where wet with blood. "Wait, wait, Iron Gale!" he exclaimed, trying not to touch him. "Stay out here. Just stay out here."

Iron Gale snarled and snapped at him. "Git outta my way!"

Despite outranking him, Jack lowered his ears and stayed calm. "Ye can't help, Iron Gale."

Winter Lace came around the corner, her eyes wide in her panic and wailed, "My pup! What happened to my pup?"

While Jack and the others were trying to console them, Denver and Long Fang came to stand by Anubis. He had changed back to his towering self, feeling lost and helpless as he watched the event unfold, just as he had when he could not save the slaves.

"W-What happened to 'im?" Denver asked desperately.

Anubis growled, gritting his teeth as he had to contain his rage. "The skaowl, that's what. I couldn't catch it. I tried, but it got away. I don't know what else I can do."

Standing between the two groups, Silver perked and looked over at him. Stepping a bit closer, he shook his head slowly. "There ain't nothin' to do now but wait."