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To Escape

Written By: Spudz

The fresh powdery snow crinkled under her paws as she knelt at the crest of the hill. The air filled her lungs--crisp, cold and invigorating. A slight breeze rustled her fur, but that worked in the husky's favor.

Araki surveyed her surroundings carefully, only just letting her gaze crest the brim of the snowy ridge. In the valley that opened up below, a herd of caribou milled about doing its best to forage for the few meager shoots of grass that defied the harsh cold. She felt excitement creeping up. The energy of the moment held a tangible edge.

The husky was not alone.

Doko crouched at her side, along with a good number of the pack. They were motionless; a casual glance might have passed the wolves by as part of the landscape.

Nukenvu headed up the formation with his typical regal poise, leaving little doubt as to who was leading this hunt today. Occasionally the alphas bestowed the leading role on a high-ranking member of the pack. As such, today's hunt fell to their eldest son as a test of his abilities.

They all had the utmost confidence in the beta's skill. So far his careful direction had maneuvered the pack into the perfect position, downwind and uphill of the unsuspecting herd. The caribou, even with their heightened senses, had no idea of the danger that lurked like a creeping shadow just over the nearby rise, ready to sweep down upon them. Everything hinged on the element of surprise.

As Araki and the others waited, Nukenvu crept forward. His crouching form dug a furrow in the snow as he slithered up to get a better vantage. His ears remained perked and alert, and his eyes keenly surveyed the prey; the beta was every bit the composed and confident leader.

No verbal sounds betrayed the wolves' presence save for their puffing breath in the chill morning air. None of the pack members so much as moved. The bond they shared kept each wolf in tune with one another. All had their roles to play in the coming chase. All waited for Nukenvu's signal.

<Disperse.>

The pack stirred into unified action at his command. Doko slinked away down the side of the hill. He was followed by Nolasa--one of the mid-ranking females--and Araki herself. Together the three broke off from the others, sweeping down into a furrow pocked with heavy foliage.

The herd loomed off to the side just out of sight. In front of Araki, Doko and Nolasa ghosted through the trees, skillfully weaving through the underbrush without a wasted movement. No stirring of branches or heavy footfalls marked their passing. The husky did her best to follow, relying on a spellweave to float herself atop the thick snow.

Hunting protocol held strict guidelines; normally no spellweaves of any sort could be used. Aside from the pack's latent bond and mindspeak, all otherworldly mana workings were expressly forbidden. For lupine kind, nothing mattered more than preserving the delicate equilibrium of predator and prey. If a kill could not be made through physical prowess alone--as their ancestors had done since the advent of time--then said equilibrium was preserved through the sportsmanship of the hunt. Nature had its checks and balances, and the wolves dared not circumvent this established order for fear of depleting the region's bounty of potential prey. They took only the sickly and weak too slow to outrun their pursuers, leaving the strong to live on and pass down their genes to the next generation. A strong and healthy prey population benefited all.

Only by the reluctant grace of the alphas was Araki allowed to use the simple floating spell, and only that. The rest was left up to her physical conditioning. The husky knew her presence on the hunt added little benefit to the pack. Anthros were not designed for the long-distance marathon and subsequent test of strength that was required to bring down a kill, so the alphas had stated and she had found out. Let the wolves think that though. She'd show them how useful a husky could be, even if her past attempts had been met with nothing but failure.

Araki could feel the others in her mind as she ran. They moved with her, each wolf sticking to their position in the formation. Even out of sight of one another, the dispersed pack flowed together through the trees with perfect coordinated ease.

Nolasa took the lead from Doko, picking her way quicker through the trees. Soon her tawny fur was lost to Araki's sight, but not her perception over the pack's bond. They formed a line, stretching out with the husky bringing up the rear and Doko situated in the middle. On cue, all three turned toward the unsuspecting herd.

The forest peeled away, and Araki stopped just short of the clearing. Her bare white fur, unhindered by clothing, afforded some level of camouflage.

Doko crouched next to a bush a few yards away. His black form became motionless. Nolasa was somewhere further on. They'd reached their designated position. The rest of the pack had as well, surrounding the caribou herd on three sides.

Nukenvu's will suddenly flared brightly in her mind's perception, washing out all the other auras of the pack. <Begin!>

The hunt was on!

The entire herd before her started at once, all heads coming up to look off in the same direction. The prey were focused on the edge of the trees, where two wolves sprang forth from their concealed positions in a dead sprint. They bounded through the deep snow, angling right for the startled herd. The entire clearing erupted into chaos.

All the caribou bolted as one, instinctively fleeing away from the looming predators. In unison, Araki, Doko, and Nolasa leapt from their concealment to join the chase. They paralleled the prey, creating a perimeter that was mirrored by several other wolves on the other flank. Now came what the pack truly excelled at: a contest of endurance.

The herd was forced to run, hemmed in on both sides by the pursuing predators. Araki paced herself. She watched the giant animals, feeling the others doing the same. She could sense the wolves' collective hearts pounding as they ran; perceive the excitement that caught them all up in the thrill of the hunt.

Nukenvu ran with the other flankers. He scanned the herd, watching each individual caribou closely. The next phase of the chase fell to him, but he had to be patient and pick his target carefully. She could feel the beta sizing up potential targets one by one.

Her paws chewed up the snow as she ran. Without the spellweave it would've been impossible for the husky to maintain her position in the flanking screen. Her body responded fluidly to the effort. After two months of pack life, she could run for miles and miles without flagging.

Behind her the two pursuing wolves plowed a deep furrow through the snowpack as they bounded after the caribou, leaping effortlessly through what would've been a nearly impassable obstacle for Araki. Their purpose was not to take down the prey, but to drive it. The pack needed the herd to run.

They pressed on for nearly five minutes, weaving through various natural obstructions. The flanking wolves closed and expanded the perimeter rhythmically, allowing the fleeing herd to spread out and then contract inward. They had to flush out a weakness for Nukenvu to hone in on. Careful practiced coordination was essential to keep the herd surrounded, demanding patience above all else.

A frozen stream suddenly loomed; Araki hurdled it gracefully, landing on the far bank in stride. Ahead of her Doko made a feint toward a group of caribou attempting to break away from the rest, a snap of his jaw convincing the animals to think otherwise.

Another stream, and another practiced leap. They were entering a larger valley, heavily wooded. A perimeter was going to be harder to maintain here. Nukenvu knew this. He would have to commit soon or risk spoiling the hunt.

A new urgency took hold. The beta's concentration resonated clearly to her perception. She could almost see through his eyes in a strange double vision, so prominent was his aura.

There!

A single male. The caribou had stumbled over a small outcrop. It was separated now from the others, starting to lag behind.

_<Target!>_Nukenvu's voice boomed in her head.

The pack shifted in an instant. The leading flankers on either side doubled back and in toward one another. They let the rest of the herd slip through, closing the circle around the hapless target.

The prey was now alone, and suddenly found itself surrounded on all sides by voracious predators. The caribou's pace quickened as it darted wildly about. The wolves worked to keep the animal contained in a moving trap, drawing the noose tighter and tighter. Nukenvu charged in for the kill.

Araki felt her hackles rise; the beta had tunnel vision on his victim. His heart pounded in her chest, his labored breath stung her lungs. He closed right on the heels of the caribou, leaping with claws bared to snare his target.

The animal shifted at the last possible second, leaving the black wolf to land awkwardly in a plume of snow without the satisfaction of catching his prey.

Nukenvu bared his teeth in frustration, determined to make the kill. He pivoted on his paws, churning up a deep spray of white fluff in his wake. He was not one to be denied!

To Araki's horror, the caribou chose that moment to angle right for her. The husky froze in its path; she couldn't move out of the way! If the animal got by her, the hunt would almost certainly fail.

It didn't even see her until the last possible moment. The prey started, spooked as it finally realized the threat was both behind and in front. That brief hesitation gave her the only opening she would have. The husky took it, lunging for the charging animal.

Somehow she avoided the thrashing antlers, and wrapped herself around the exposed neck. The massive animal stumbled. Its legs folded like broken twigs, throwing them both to the ground.

Araki landed hard. The breath was forced from her lungs. Pain, numbing pain, shot through her whole body. Yet she held on with claws and teeth, sinking her fangs into the prey's tough hide with a feral snarl as she was pinned beneath its bulk. The drive to complete the hunt consumed her.

Doko was there in the next instant, biting down on the caribou's flailing legs to protect her. Nukenvu and the others were not far behind.

The killing blow soon came with quick and brutal finality, quelling the caribou's thrashing into a quiet stillness.

Araki released her hold of the now dead animal and fell back into the snow, panting to catch her breath. She found herself pinned beneath the carcass by the legs. Blood smeared her fur, and for a terrified moment she thought it was her own.

Doko moved to try and push the beast off of her with his head. <Help me!>

The others joined in the effort, using teeth, claws, and eventually a spellweave to levitate the massive bulk of the caribou off her. She crawled out from underneath the animal, holding back a grimace as her body protesting her foolishness for taking a five hundred pound beast head-on like that.

Doko was soon at her side as she lay in the snow, licking her whiskers with concern. A quick flick of his mind dispersed the caribou blood from her fur. <You ok, Araki?>

She sat up and winced as a lance of hot pain shot up her legs. It took a moment for her to speak. "Could be better." She gave him her best smile. "I didn't think I had it in me."

<Let me help.> His consciousness wrapped around her aura, enveloping her awareness with his own. She felt most of the pain dissipate, shared with the black wolf as he nosed her cheek. His empathic abilities offered her a welcomed respite, although it meant he would feel the discomfort himself. <You were amazing.>

Nukenvu joined his brother at her side in typical stoic calm.<I must agree. Well done, omega. You've won a great meal for the pack.> His mindspeak did not carry the beta's typical superiority. He was genuinely praising her. <I had my concerns, but you've proven that you are as much an asset to the hunt as any member of the pack. This kill is yours to claim.>

Araki blinked, dumbfounded. "Thanks. That... means a lot."

The beta nodded and turned an eye to his brother. <Can you get her back to the den?> At Doko's adamant nod he ducked his head and left the two of them to prepare the kill for transport. Nukenvu may not have been the one to perform the takedown. But a kill was a kill, even by a lowly omega, and would look good for him in the eyes of his parents when they returned with their bounty.

Doko gave her muzzle another lick, bringing her back from her thoughts. <Can you stand?>

"Ah, let me..." she tried to gain her footing and fell back with a curse. One of her legs was in bad shape. "I suppose I can't. Some superior hunter I am."

<It happens to the best of us. Here.> He moved and presented his flank to her. <Grab on. Let's get you back to get that mended.>

She felt another one of his spellweaves envelope her as he wove it. The husky smiled sheepishly. "You don't have to do that."

<Of course I do.>

"Of course," she echoed with a wan smile, knowing this was an unwinnable argument. The husky reached out and hooked an arm over his shoulder. His weave cradled her so that it required no effort to pull herself up onto his back. Once situated properly atop him, she nuzzled into the soft black fur of his nape and wrapped her arms around his chest, letting his threads bear the brunt of her weight. His empathy continued to numb the pain, but she didn't let him take on too much of her anguish. "Always my dependable omega."

He gave her a sidelong glance over the shoulder. <Omegas gotta look out for one another, no?>

She just smiled in response, and held on as Doko padded over to where the rest of the pack patiently waited by the kill. One of the other wolves crafted the teleportation weave this time, and in a mere instant they were back safely within the protective confines of the den.

Several of the hunting party immediately carried the kill off to be cleaned and stored while Doko made his way toward the main clearing.

The lush green foliage was a welcomed change from the brutal winter beyond the transparent veil. Summer was eternal here, something always appreciated whenever Araki returned. She quietly watched the trees pass her by, marveling at how she could feel Doko's body churn beneath her as he walked. He was quite strong and probably could've carried her even without the spell's help. "I could let you carry me like this all day long."

The wolf beneath her just sniffed in what was a gesture of amusement for lupines.

Her hand wrapped around his chest gave a few teasing scratches. "I really do appreciate it, Doko. I mean it. You've been there for me since my world was turned outside down." She nuzzled him again, simply loving how soft his fur was. "I don't know what would've become of me if it were not for you."

His ears splayed. <You shouldn't think about that, Araki. I was only looking out for a fellow member of the pack.>

"Oh Doko..." She shook her head, smiling. Always the coy and modest wolf. Sure, _s_he shared a strong connection with every member of this pack. But something more existed between her and him, something deeper. Stronger. He had to sense it too. "You hold a special place in my heart. Thank you. For everything."

He actually paused mid stride to turn and gaze back over his shoulder, ears perked in surprise. <Araki...>

"I mean it," she spoke, smiling as her arms squeezed around him to emphasize her words. His bafflement was rather amusing to witness. What she said next left him in stunned silence. "I love you, Doko."

His muzzle opened and closed several times. She took the opportunity to lean up and plant a kiss on his forehead, jarring him out of his inaction. <Oh, Araki. I don't know what to say.>

"You don't need to say anything, silly." She could sense his welling emotions radiating freely through the bond, amplified by his empathic spell weave. They mingled with her own to build a heady flutter in her chest, a flutter that he shared.

His delighted shiver coursed from his head to the tip of his bushy tail. <I love you too, Araki.> The lupine's emotions were so heightened, she could clearly perceive his overwhelming urge to pin her to the grass and bathe her muzzle and cheeks in excited licks right there and then. But her injured state on his back prevented such things.

She reached up instead to give him a gentle pet between his splayed ears. "I'll let you show me that wonderful affection of yours later, after we have Koov tend to me."

He sighed, forcing some of the excited tension from his body.<Of course.> He started walking again with a bounce in his step. <You don't know how happy this makes me! I could just... burst with all my excitement!>

Said excitement was contagious. She chuckled above him, momentarily forgetting all about her injured state. "You'll always be my wolf, Doko." Ever since the day they met, he had filled a void somehow. Something that had always been missing. She didn't know how to explain it. "Just the thought of being without you..." She trailed off.

His tail started to wag as he walked. <I'll never leave your side, Araki. No matter what.>

Just those words, so simply said. "And I'll never leave yours either." After a beat. "Us omegas gotta stick together," she grinned.

His body shook with his huffing lupine laugh. <Two is stronger than one.>

"There's quite a lot that the two of us can do too." The thinly veiled suggestion brought Doko's pointed ears to full attention. Nothing more had to be said about that. First things first though: Araki's leg needed some attention.

They found Tolum and Lynua lounging lazily next to the den's stream in the central clearing. Neither alpha sat up or so much as opened an eye as Doko brought Araki to the edge of the bank... at least not at first.

<A successful hunt, I take it?> Tolum's pointed ear flicked as the only indication he was aware of their presence.

Doko gently knelt down so that Araki could slide herself off to sit in the grass. <Araki subdued the prey, herself.>

The alpha male peeled an eye open. <Did she? Well, well. Her first takedown. I am impressed.> He sat up, blinking with another flick of his ears at seeing her injured state. <Is she ok?>

"A little worse for wear," the husky admitted, trying not to move too much. She couldn't forget about the pain forever. "Pulled the beast down on top of my dumb self."

The grey wolf gave an amused huff. She took his expression for a grin. <Now I can see that. A novice mistake. A good lesson learned though?>

"I suppose so. Where's Koov?" She could use some of his medicinal touch right about now.

<He is entertaining the young ones,> Lynua mindspoke. She sat up next to her mate and yawned away the sleep from her eyes. <He should be circling back this way shortly.>

The alpha male stood and took a long moment to stretch out, back arching with tail held high. <I feel your discomfort over the bond, little one. I will help.>

Araki made a conscious effort to rein in her thoughts. Even with Doko's empathy shouldering part of the discomfort, strong emotions and sensations like pain tended to radiate out across the pack's bond more readily. The others would all be experiencing an echo of her discomfort; something she wanted to avoid.

All of that no longer mattered when Tolum joined his son at her side, cradling his own aura around her to melt away what pain remained of her injury. The elder wolf exhaled slowly, his ears folding back as he closed his eyes and melded his consciousness into her own. _<Ah, your thoughts are quite telling. A successful hunt and a good, albeit clumsy, kill.>_The alpha male's empathy was second to none. Araki had seen him perform incredible feats with his mind like no spellweaver she'd ever met before, feats far and above simply melding with another consciousness like he was doing now. Only Doko--still training under his father's tutelage--had the potential to match and even exceed the alpha's prowess.

Tolum's influence put her at ease in a strange sort of way, gently coaxing and stoking positive emotions. She knew his influence had sway over her and took comfort in his attention just as she did with Doko. A good alpha always looked after every member of his pack.

<Will Koov be able to mend your leg?> Doko asked, plopping down on his haunches to study her injured state.

"This is nothing serious. Feels like a simple fracture or ligament tear." When he canted his head in that one cute way he always did as of show of not understanding, she patted him on the head to splay his ears. "Don't worry yourself. Koov's the best healer I've ever known. He's fixed me up too many times to count by now."

The husky reached out for the dog in question, and felt his familiar aura respond to her touch. She likened the action to a tap on the shoulder to get someone's attention. His emotions were heightened, echoing back to her. He was moving actually, coming straight toward the clearing.

Sure enough, just as her extra perception had predicted, the malinois emerged through the trees in a light sprint. He caught sight of the omega and alpha pairs and angled toward them.

Not a step behind, Oos and Fayna emerged hot on his heels. The young pups were trying their best to keep up, tiny legs moving with real determined purpose.

Koov--ever the caring uncle he always was--kept it a sporting challenge. He circled around the clearing once, letting them stay hot on his tail, and finally ended up sliding to a stop on his knees next to Araki. Of course the pups never faltered in their pursuit, leading to the inevitable conclusion.

Two balls of fur barreled into the kneeling shepherd, knocking him back with surprising force. They practically smothered him in excited licks and yipping barks, forcing his surrender. "Ok, ok... I yield. The master hunters have captured their prey."

"A brutal takedown," Araki agreed, watching the scene unfold with no attempt made to hide her smile. "You stood no chance."

Koov fought his way upright. He warded off the pups' onslaught with gentle bats of his hands. "They'll make great hunters one day." Of course Oos and Fayna didn't understand him, young as they were and a few months shy of mastering mindspeak. Now that the game of chase was done they dashed off toward their waiting mother on the other side of the clearing; the malinois was forgotten. "That took a while. I was expecting the pack to return empty-handed. Judging by how excited everyone is, the hunt was successful?" Araki nodded. "A caribou is a fine take indeed. And if the wisps of thoughts I'm sensing are correct, you had a major part to play in it."

"No more than the rest of the pack," Araki offered. He gave her a look that could only be described as fatherly. She wilted, ears pinning slightly. He had a way of prying information from her. "I did... manage to take down the prey."

"Bloody hellfires! Are you serious?" She nodded again, reluctantly this time. "Gods, Araki. Those things are massive. How did you do it?"

"Not very brilliantly." She motioned to her legs. Next would come his typical ranting about how she never looked out for her own safety.

<Our young omega still has much to learn of the hunt,> Tolum agreed. <Still, she did quite well today.>

Koov shook his head with a sigh. "Well that is something at least. Why am I not surprised you'd end up like this, though?"

And there it is. "I was hoping to receive some tender care from a certain malinois," Araki deflected, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

He shook his head at her attempt for sympathy and gave the husky's limbs a quick pass of his hand. "Nothing too bad, although still a fairly serious injury. How did you manage this? Did you take down the prey, or did it take you down?" Her silence and sheepish smile gave rise to his reproachful look. "Next time, try to be more careful? One of these times I won't be able to put you back together."

"One of these times I'll start listening to your advice," she teased, before sighing as his numbing weave wrapped around her thigh. "I gotta earn my keep, ya know."

Tolum's influence faded away from her awareness as he padded back to his mate. <Since you seem to have this under control, I'll leave her care to you, Koov.>

The shepherd nodded as Doko also withdrew from her to give Koov room to tend to his patient. He quickly knelt at her side and started working his magic, his eyes closing as he wove the complex patterns around her injury to begin the accelerated healing process while the three wolves watched in curious silence. "You don't have to join the hunts. The alphas excused you just like me. We're not as useful."

<Not without that fancy bow of yours,> Doko chimed in as he sat on his haunches, his muzzle parting in a knowing lupine grin.

Lynua snorted her agreement. <Silly thing, that contraption is. You anthros and your technology.>

Koov's stature had dropped at Doko's barb, and it shrank even more with his mother's added teasing. The weapon was a point of contention that the alphas had fervently opposed for hunting. Lupine pride was a thing not to be trifled with, and that meant no such tools could be used to gain advantage over the prey. His longbow and quiver now rested in a storage burrow alongside Araki's katana, in addition to both their armor sets: relics of a past life that seemed so long ago.

Of course, lupine pride had not forced them to do away with just their armor and weapons either. With Koov kneeling over her, his lack of clothing threw the male's bareness into sharp relief. Ever since they had met, she had come to regard him like her adopted father. Those first few days after joining the pack had been rather awkward to say the least. It had taken a little while for both of them to grow comfortable with one another. The pack's promiscuity added another wrinkle to things, in that social mating between all members was the accepted norm, but only when breeding was not possible of course. The idea of mating with Koov had seemed outlandish... at first. Now? Well...

She cast the thought aside and came back to the here and now. "I want to be useful though," the husky spoke, trying and failing to avert her gaze from him. "I need to be useful. You know how I am."

The faintest hint of a smile graced the corners of his muzzle. "I know." His medicinal weaves made quick work of her injury. Some minutes later the shepherd sat back and gave a confident nod. "Good as new."

Araki tested the mended leg with a few careful motions. Good as new indeed. Koov was a master when it came to the healing arts. She leaned up to lick his whiskers, a show of appreciation that was decidedly lupine in nature. "Thanks. Don't know what I'd do without you."

His ears twitched at her friendly lick. "You do love doing that, don't you?"

"Of course!" Her curled tail thumped against the soft plush grass as she sat up fully, supporting herself with her hands outstretched behind her. Seeing his opening Doko seized the opportunity to pad over and plop down in her lap as best he could. He wasted no time bathing her muzzle in loving laps of his broad tongue. "I learn... ooof, from the best."

The black wolf's eagerness pushed her back down onto the grass, his weight and intimacy pinning her beneath him. She suffered his overbearing affection with a chuckle, before parting her maw and canting her head to invite him into an impassioned kiss.

There were some things the wolves had learned from their anthro kin, and kissing was one such pleasure. Doko melted into her embrace as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He tilted his head the other way--maw parting eagerly--locking muzzles with her, tongue wrestling with her own.

Her body stirred as he explored her maw hungrily, her ears splaying back with a heady murr welling in her throat. For a wolf who had not understood the concept when she first suggested it a month ago, he was godsdamn good at it.

His body pressed into hers, his inviting warmth permeating her fur. She could feel his heavy tail wagging, getting tangled with hers. The distinct bulge between his hind legs rubbed enticingly between her legs as he straddled the husky.

A polite cough came from next to Araki then. With a start she broke the kiss, leaving a trail of saliva to hang between her muzzle and Doko's a brief moment.

Koov's amused expression appeared hovering over the black wolf's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt. But perhaps that could wait until later?"

Doko's ears splayed. <Sorry. I guess I got...>

Araki stopped him with a finger pressed to his forehead. "Don't be." She touched her nose to his, making his eyes cross briefly. "Later." He reluctantly removed himself from atop her to let the husky sit up once more. Before he could move off though, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled the hundred pound lupine into her lap. "I didn't say you could go anywhere though."

His ears perked in surprise and then folded back as he nuzzled into her thigh. <Well, if you insist.> It only took a few rubs of his ears and a gentle stroke of her hand across his fur to turn the giant wolf into a contented lapdog.

_<We can't let them have all the fun now, can we?>_Before Tolum could reply to his mate's mindspeak, Lynua made her presence known as she blindsided him with a tackle, sending the grey wolf reeling with a surprised snarl. The two of them rolled about on the grass in a show of fangs and claws, snarling at one another. The alphas' actions might have looked vicious, but Araki knew they were just playing.

A decisive thump soon announced the conclusion of the wrestling match. Lynua had her mate pinned on his back with her nose pressed against his. <You're mine.>

<You know I always let you win,> Tolum teased.

She clicked her teeth. <Keep telling yourself that.> The wolf rubbed her haunches between his spread legs, and got a heady groan from the alpha male in response. <Watching my son just now got me all riled up.> The black fur of her hindquarters humped against the grey fur of her mate's thick swelling sheath, letting Araki catch a glimpse of pink from the male. <Let's take this somewhere more private.> The last of her mindspeak carried with it a sultry air that left no question what she wanted.

The alpha female removed herself from atop her mate and sauntered off. The way she rolled her hips and shot him a seductive look over the shoulder was all the convincing Tolum needed to get up and follow. The two of them disappeared into a stand of trees, leaving Araki, Koov and Doko sitting dumbly next to the stream.

Koov just shook his head. "Wolves..."

"What can ya say?" Araki shrugged, ruffling Doko's fur between his ears. "They have that certain charm about 'em."

"I guess you could call it that." The malinois shuffled himself over to the edge of the stream and took possession of a rock. Araki sensed his mirth melt away into something more serious. His paws dangled into the gentle flow of the water, and for a time he watched his reflection in contemplative silence. "Anything on the beacon? I'm hesitant to check myself."

Araki felt her ears fall back. "Let me see." She pursed her lips and reached out with her mind. After a brief pause she connected with the den's leystone, a gateway out into the vast sea of woven patterns that made up the lupine leyline.

A wealth of thoughts and information immediately flooded forth, all available right at her mind's proverbial fingertips. She pushed her awareness pass all of it, searching and quickly finding the one thread she sought.

The beacon pulsed brightly to her mind's gaze, a special weave of the Rajo Order. A distress signal. The leystone of the den transmitted the pattern as far as it could carry over the air, blanketing as much of the land as possible. Only sages would be able to detect the beacon, and--the hope was--track it back toward the source. They had no way of knowing how far the spellweave could reach across the Kaowyn... former Kaowyn realm.

Araki pinged the beacon's threads with her awareness and listened to the response. Not one echo of an acknowledgment had reached the leystone. If anyone had heard their distress call, they had not responded. Her slow shake of the head was all the answer Koov needed.

"It's been over two months now. I shouldn't really hold out hope." He sighed, and then slowly slid himself into the cool water of the flowing stream.

Araki watched with ears pinned as his head disappeared under the surface. Koov had taken the loss of the war hard since that fateful night. He tried to keep it all bottled up, but the hurt and anguish still showed through. The sages, the kingdom, the very land he had grown up on: all of it was gone, wiped out. They both knew what was happening to the good folk of the Kaowyn realm. Their new Tukor masters, nasty vile dogs with totalitarian ambitions, were anything but merciful.

Araki didn't like thinking about it. She couldn't identify with the people of Kaowyn. Never could, really, if the husky was to admit it. Ever since becoming a sage, there had always been that detachment born from her upbringing outside the kingdom's borders. She's been an outcast of sorts, even amongst her peers. And now the few friends she had managed to grow close to were long since dead, save for Koov. All the death and destruction. She had grown numb to the pain, wanting to forget. Nothing left...

Doko's lick on her whiskers brought the husky back. <Your thoughts are troubled. Are you ok?>

She reassured him by resuming her pets between his ears. "It's ok. I was just letting my thoughts dwell on the past." She did have something: this wolf pack. Doko. In such an adverse time, she had him to depend on. Here at his side, the husky could forget about the troubles of the world. "Don't worry that head of yours."

He smiled up to her, murring softly at her gentle caress. Ever the cute and cuddly lapdog of a wolf. <I just worry about you.>

_"_I know you do." She gave the base of his ear a good rub. "What I love 'bout ya."

Koov resurfaced at that moment, paddling over to the bank to rest his elbows and muzzle on the soft grass. His body and heavy tail floated freely in the gentle stream behind him. The brief dip underwater had served as a means for him to mentally reset.

"How's the water today?" Araki asked, trying to distract both of them from their troubles.

His ears, always a sure tell of his emotional state, could not quite figure out what position they wanted to be in. "Nice and cool as always."

The husky decided to join him, carefully removing Doko from her lap. She sensed the wolf's brief disappointment at the action, before he comprehended her reasoning. Her former colleague and friend needed her companionship right now.

The water matted down her silky white fur first, before she felt the cooling chill permeate down to her skin in the odd two-fold sensation that came with getting wet. Koov watched her with a raised eyebrow as she sunk her way fully into the stream and shifted around to join him with elbows on the bank, body floating freely behind her. Her subsequent reassuring lick to his muzzle made his ears finally decide they wanted to be perked.

"You didn't have to get in with me," he protested, watching her with furrowed brow.

"I did, actually." The soft white sand beneath her was unnaturally soft, yielding easily to her weight almost like the pillowy down of a plush bed. The wolves took great pride in their artistic ability to shape and mold the natural world, the steam's construction being one such aesthetic wonder. The water held a perfect crystal clarity--pleasantly cool, pure and untainted as it flowed from the rocky outcrop that overlooked the den's central clearing.

He chuckled softly in that typical fatherly way of his as she nuzzled his cheek. "Araki..."

"Oh, shush you." They were side by side floating in the water, father and his adopted daughter. The quiet stretched on for almost a minute until she turned to him. "I'm sure they'll come. The Order is not finished. There'll be survivors, just like you and me."

His soft eyes found hers. "It's fun to hope. Always is. But we need to start thinking ahead, Araki." He sunk back into the deeper water, leaving only his head above the surface. "These wolves have taken us into their care. Made us part of the pack. But what..." He trailed off, having two false starts before continuing. "What does it mean for our future?"

The husky blinked, having heard the question asked by him many times before, almost rhetorically at this point. She still had no real answer.

Araki knew what her duties to the Rajo Order called for: establish a rebellion against the Tukor occupation and fight to her last dying breath for a cause that was surely lost at this point. It all felt so futile. And yet, duty and responsibility stubbornly persisted. She'd taken an oath as a sage to protect the people of Kaowyn. That very oath had seen her through hell, only to end with the loss of the war.

Now here the husky sat, having removed herself from the troubles of the world to run with these wolves. With each passing day, her failures as a sage burdened her down more. It had been easy to ignore in the beginning. She'd been selfish and knew it. No matter what happened though, she could never go back now. Her bond with Doko and the pack would never allow it. She could not give that up.

Koov had to know by now where her conflicted ambitions lay. Hell, he wouldn't be a sage if he didn't at least have the powers of observation to read her. The real question was the shepherd's own allegiances. She had no way of knowing how his newfound role in the pack clashed with his bonds as a sage. And, to be honest, she was sure that Koov himself didn't know either.

"We figure things out day by day," she finally spoke, trying and failing to meet his soft brown eyes. The words rang hollow in her ears.

"Of course..." He dropped down in the water to the tip of his nose, eyes closing. Thinking. Mulling things over. He remained that way for a pregnant pause before coming back up, steadying himself with a long exhalation. "We can't strike out on our own with winter in full swing like this. Northpoint is off limits and the next nearest village is days, if not weeks, away on foot. The alphas won't let us take Doko along. And why should they? Course this isn't a problem that wolves need to get involved in."

Araki floated over to place a hand on his shoulder. "They didn't exactly say no to your request either, Koov. Give it some time and try asking again."

Doko's ears had perked at the mention of his name. <I don't... necessarily need their permission. If you need me to take you, I will.>

Koov shook his head. "No, I can't ask you to go against the wishes of your parents. It wouldn't be right. There's no telling what sort of nasty traps the Tukor have waiting out there." He gestured vaguely in the direction of Northpoint and the civilized world beyond. "They can use all manner of nasty spellweaves to snare a teleporter. It's not worth the risk to you my friend. But I do appreciate your offer."

The black wolf ducked his head. <I am sorry you find yourself in this position. I wish there was more I could do to help.>

"You don't need to be," Araki piped up from next to Koov. "You've done far more than enough for us already. We couldn't possibly ask more of you in all fairness."

The shepherd at her side nodded his agreement. "It's tough. But we'll manage. The Three Peaks pack has offered us a home, and we're both very grateful. I just hope that in time we can somehow repay the favor."

Koov seemed to be in better spirits, which was good to see. He had his moments where the darkness of the past crept up on him. Araki did too, if she was honest, although less and less frequently with Doko's empathic healing sessions. She made a mental note to start pushing the malinois to undertake the same, perhaps even with Tolum. Having a bent ear to let the dog talk through his troubles would certainly do wonders for him, even if he didn't think so himself.

"Araki, you don't need to feel concern for me. I know that look of yours." Koov's smile was genuine. His hand emerged from the water to gently hold the underside of her chin. "A pretty young face like that should not worry so much." His thumb caressed the side of her muzzle, making her ears fold as he held her. "I see how happy you are here. With these wolves. I know what your true feelings are, and I respect them. Truth of it is, I've let myself be taken up in all this as well. It's time that I start accepting the fact that my life will never be the same again. And, that we have to take things one day at a time, as you said. Living here among these wolves has been, well, quite a pleasant time for me. Relaxing."

Hearing him admit this... she blinked as he let his hand fall from her chin, leaving her at a loss for words. "I... it's..."

He silenced her with a gentle tug of her ear. "I said you shouldn't worry, little Araki."

She recoiled a little. He hadn't called her that since she was but a pup freshly inducted into the academy.

"Let's look upon the day and smile at what we have," the shepherd went on, letting go of her ear. He still wore that genuine smile. It was infectious. "And be thankful for our luck and the pack's hospitality. Without them, we'd have nowhere to go." He chuckled at that. "Gods' graces, and has that hospitality been quite... hospitable indeed."

Araki had to share his laugh. The females of the pack could never get enough of him: the exotic anthro and all his unique charm.

Doko had perked his ears at Koov's statement. <I don't quite understand what you mean.>

"He means..." Araki had to pause and smile to herself at the lupine's confusion. "He means that the pack has been very," she struggled for the right word, "amicable."

The black wolf canted his head to a comical degree, not quite making the connection. <Oh?>

"You know." She exchanged awkward glances with Koov. "Amicable?" At his confused flick of the ears she brought a hand up to hold her head with a chuckle; sometimes you had to be blunt with wolves. "We've learned how promiscuous you lot can be."

His ears twitched. <Oh.>_A pause and then another twitch. _<Oh! I understand now.>

Both anthros laughed at the hapless wolf. Araki shook her head.

<What?>

She chuckled again and favored him with an amused smile. Something about the wolf always made her smile.

His countenance took on an animated air, heavy tail thumping against the grass a few times. <You brought up a good idea. Did you want to mate?>

"Right now?" She exchanged glances with Koov again as they both continued floating in the water. Sometimes Doko could be quite blunt as well_._ "It's kind of early for that, don't you think?"

He licked his lips thoughtfully. <Mating serves as a good release of troubled emotions and tension, both physically and mentally.>

"That's true."

<It is a good means of therapeutic cleansing. It strengthens our bond as a pack and brings mind and body into harmony.>

"Is that so?"

<Besides, I want to show my appreciation for making the kill today.>

"By mounting me and showing me what a stud of a wolf you are?"

His head ducked sheepishly. <Well... yes. When you put it that way...>

Araki wasn't sure if it was just coincidence, or the vibes that they were giving off over the pack's bond. Nolasa chose that moment to come barreling in out of nowhere, leaping into the cool waters of the stream with quite the splash. When the chaos of the wolf's entrance settled Araki found her floating up against Koov, the lupine's tawny fur closely matching her two-legged shepherd counterpart.

The wolf's mindspeak oozed seductive charm. <Hi there Koov!> Her thick wintery coat almost made a puddle of fur on the surface of the water as she nuzzled against his side.

He smiled down to the mid-ranking wolf, his arm reaching up to stroke fingers through her matted head fur. "That was quite an entrance. What..."

He didn't get a chance to finish. The stream around him swirled in a whirlpool, lifting the shepherd up in an unnatural column of water into the air. He laughed with amusement as Nolasa's spellweave carried the both of them over to the soft grass of the river bank.

<How about we dry off,> Nolasa teased, dispersing her weave to let gravity reclaim the column of water she had quite literally lifted straight out of the stream.

Doko was not pleased as the wave of dispersing water washed over him where he lay. His annoyed growl fell on deaf ears.

Nolasa was a wolf on a mission, always to the point when she was in the mood. She straddled Koov as he propped himself up on his elbows, her muzzle curling up in what was a decidedly predatory grin. Her tail wagged excitedly to fan water and her excited scent about. <I want me some tail right here and now!>

"It looks like I have no room to argue otherwise," Koov observed with a cocked eyebrow. Araki could see the moment of conflict as the shepherd weighted his options. In the end, he shrugged and decided that Doko's suggestion was worth taking. He didn't have much of a choice.

Araki had to shake her head at herself; she knew it was selfish, pushing the troubles of the world away like this. But what was the harm in a little fun for all of them? The husky was never one to go against Doko's wise advice. It certainly would help relieve some pent up energy from the earlier hunt.

With his attention on the action, Araki removed herself from the water and surprised the omega when she pulled him partially into her lap. His ears perked initially at her presence, and then splayed as he leaned up to lick her whiskers. Her wetness only matted down his fur more, but he didn't care when she was the cause. The excitement over the bond grew tangible--in a new and invigorating way unlike the thrill of the earlier hunt--stirring up both omegas as they watched the show start to unfold before them.

A new side of Koov came to light, one that Araki had never seen prior to his induction into the pack. He licked his chops, inhaling deeply to draw in Nolasa's flowery scent. His head tilted and his hands wrapped around her head, drawing her down to lock muzzles in the throes of a sloppy kiss. The worries of earlier were suddenly all but forgotten.

Nolasa's quick spellweave dispersed the water from both of their fur before she illustrated how much she had taken to the anthro show of affection, pushing the shepherd back as she canted her head the other way and shot her tongue into his maw, letting everyone know who was in charge here. Koov had other ideas.

His hands started trekking down her mottled fur, tracing her spine with dull meandering claws. Araki sensed his spellweave taking shape around Nolasa as he wove it and smirked a knowing smirk. Having a medicinal affinity had more benefits than most realized.

The way Nolasa's back arched and her kiss faltered told the tale. The wolf's emotions seeped readily into the bond; Araki could feel the prickly points of pleasure that followed his trekking fingers across that soft fur, sense the welling arousal within the lupine that was stoked into a smoldering ember by his medicinal spellweave, savor the muffled murr that Nolasa gave into Koov's muzzle. He knew how to tease a girl proper--always full of surprises.

Doko shuddered in Araki's lap, no doubt feeding off the same pulsing energy. A distant part of herself always had to marvel at how promiscuous these wolves were. Sex played such a strong role in the daily social life of a wolf pack. With the bond that each member shared, she found herself hard pressed to resist the urges that flooded forth, just like now. Not only that, preconceived notions of modesty simply went by the wayside as deeper carnal needs won out. This was not a concern for the wolves. But for Araki and Koov... it also wasn't a concern.

The shepherd's sheath swelled with his arousal, letting a bit of pink poke forth as he kept his muzzle pressed to Nolasa and continued to trace his roving claws across her arching back. He cared not for the show he was giving Araki. She didn't either. Quite the opposite. His scent started to hang heavy in the cool air to mingle with the wolf above him. Araki's own excitement added to the mix along with Doko's heightening arousal, the mélange of heady smells tickling her nose in all the right ways.

This. This right here--that instant when she let herself surrender to her instincts--the primitive thrill of it all stoked a fire in her loins like the flaring of a blacksmith's furnace. The passion of the moment had all of them caught up in its powerful influence. No escaping now.

<Oh!> Doko's exclamation of surprise was accompanied by his wide eyes as Araki forcefully rolled him off her lap onto his back. She was immediately greeted with the tantalizing sight of his hardening length partially swollen out of his sheath between splayed hind legs. The wolf's thick tapered cock beckoned to her, throbbing with his quickening heartbeat that filled her awareness like the rising beat of a drum. She licked her lips, meeting his eyes.

He gave her that look: ears pinned back, eyes big and beady, forepaws bent against his chest. A soft little woof came from his muzzle.

"Aren't you the adorable little wolf? My adorable wolf."

He licked his lips and growled playfully. His emotions swelled in her mind, combining with her own intoxicated excitement. The wolf's empathy brought all of their thoughts and feelings together--a sensual one-two punch that added pointed emphasis to every touch and act.

A sultry lupine murr drew Araki's gaze over to Nolasa. Her tail was raised and flagged to the side, and Koov's muzzle was buried firmly beneath the fluffy appendage. With the wolf straddling his lap in reverse, he busied himself eating her out eagerly, his shepherd arousal on full display beneath the shuddering female at his tongue's mercy. Their combined heightened emotions settled into a stirring backdrop.

Not to be outdone, Araki shifted down to plant her muzzle squarely between Doko's spread legs and nuzzle his heavy fuzzy balls. The wolf's hitching breath tickled her ears, the sensual pang of exhilaration that jolted him echoing back to stoke that glowing fire in her own loins.

With him looking expectantly up to Araki, her muzzle parted and the husky's pliant canine tongue found its way to the slick inviting flesh of his exposed length. He groaned, his whole body trembling as his senses reeled. The resulting sensual wave of pleasure caressed her own perception to drive her on, just as a high pitched whine from Nolasa nearby added pointed punctuation to it all.

She went down on Doko, wrapping her broad tongue around that succulent wolf meat of his, her hand reaching up to stroke the bulge of his knot that adorned the lupine's sheath, pulling down to coax more of his crimson flesh free for her to suck on hungrily.

His paws grabbed at the air, haunches twitching uncontrollably. Each voluptuous wave of pleasure washing over the wolf inundated her own senses. His empathic link with her reached a new high, driving her wild with the need to suck him off.

His half-inflated knot finally popped free, and she wasted no time taking his sizeable wolf cock into her maw, deep-throating him eagerly. Fervently. She could only just take in his impressive girth.

The bodily need grew in her loins, hotter and hotter by the second. With her muzzle full of Doko's cock, she reached a hand down to start fingering herself, surprised just how wet she already was. Neither of them were going to last long.

Other wolves gathered to watch the show, perching themselves on the nearby rock formation and surrounding grass. The air hung heavy with the scent of arousal, the wet slurps and sucking of the two anthros' efforts, and the enraptured vocalizations of their lupine partners.

A sudden motion drew Araki's gaze over toward Koov. The shepherd had abandoned his oral assault on Nolasa's tight vulva. He stood on his knees, hands rubbing through the soft tawny fur of her haunches. His rock hard cock worked up under her flagged tail as he rocked his hips. They both panted, eyes locked on one another.

The last shred of willpower left Araki--the husky let Doko's throbbing maleness slip from her muzzle and moved to stand on all fours. He looked up to her, a pitiful whimper welling in his throat. But it cut off, as she raised her tail for him and showed off her hot and ready pussy to the panting omega. Her words dripped with sultry desire. "You know what I want."

He sucked in a heavy breath and grinned up to her, his throbbing length spurting a dribble of pre onto his black belly fur. <Of course I do.> The wolf stood and sauntered over to nuzzle at her flank before sneaking his muzzle up under her tail for a long lick of his wonderfully tongue against her hot sopping husky cunt.

Araki laid her ears back and shook her hips teasingly. A thought occurred to her, and she padded over toward Koov on all fours, Doko right on her rump nipping playfully at her waving tail.

She came to stand on hands and knees right next to Nolasa. The wolf looked to her, eyes clouded over in her lust crazed state, and smirked weakly.

Doko made his presence known again with another long lick under her still flagged tail, eliciting a shudder and moan from the husky. She spread her legs apart more, instincts guiding her. Distantly she knew she was giving Koov a tantalizing view; they could deal with the awkwardness later.

The shepherd chose that moment to surprise her yet again. His medicine weave branched out, wrapping itself around Doko and Araki. Her breath caught.

A new flood of emotions flowed forth, consuming her. The burning need in her loins flared into a roaring inferno, spreading throughout her whole body like liquid fire. Raw. All-consuming. Every nerve ending felt as if aflame. Every muscle in her body went rigidly stiff.

Doko's own stirred emotions assaulted her in that moment, adding fuel to the already raging flames. This was more than the bodily craving of heat. Much more. Her breath came in fitful pants, ears splaying and twitching as she struggled against the overwhelming surge of feelings and desires, feral in nature: the need to be bred like a needy bitch.

"Oh, gods above. Fuck!" She drew a breath, trembling uncontrollably. "Doko, take me! Make me yours!"

The omega mounted her roughly, his possessive growl deep, commanding, and uncharacteristic. Koov's spellweave had them both fully ensnared.

Strong paws wrapped around her waist, and the slick scalding heat of his tapered cock rubbed against her sodden pussy. He bit down on the scruff of her neck, growling louder, positioning himself to take his omega bitch.

His bite held her fast as she whimpered, overcome with the spellweave's power and her bodily need. She spread her legs further apart, fully submitting to his will. Show me what you got.

Koov mounted Nolasa next to her, his own dominating growl joining Doko's. In one fluid motion he thrusted, burying his thick shephard cock to the hilt in the wolf bitch.

Nolasa's moan was joined by Araki's sharp bark as Doko found his mark and lunged forward, filling the reeling husky with every thick inch of his tapered length. His haunches slammed against her rump and held him there, grinding against her. <Mine!>

His desirous mindspeak was met by her submissive whimper beneath him. She was all his for the black wolf to rut in passionate fervor. Nothing less could quench the carnal drive that consumed her. Nothing less could quench his own fiery longing to breed his bitch.

Doko withdrew to thrust urgently against her again, his heavy balls slapping her sensitive clit. The wolf's rhythm built quickly, hastily. Araki clenched her teeth, screwing her eyes shut. _So good. So fucking good!_The roaring fire grew impossibly hotter and hotter, feeding off their combined pleasure as the male mated his bitch like a feral animal.

His haunches smacked lewdly against her, echoed by Koov's near frenzied thrusts against Nolasa's quivering haunches. The husky let a euphoric moan escape her muzzle, canting her head back as Doko held his commanding grip on her scruff.

Each thrust of his cock sent a surge of pleasure straight up her spine, coupling with the wolf's heady delight from the sensual pleasure of her cunt wrapping tight slick warmth around his pistoning length. She reveled in the two-pronged assault on her senses, stoked into white-hot ecstasy by the spellweave that enveloped her.

The firestorm built to a head. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back, feeling that wondrous peak already approaching. Already so close!

Nolasa tilted her head back and howled, her whole body going rigid in the throes of her climax. Koov never relented in his passionate rutting, groaning above the wolf as she rode out her release. Her rapturous bliss flooded across the pack's bond, pushing Araki right to the edge of the cliff.

The husky gave in, biting her lip and pinning her ears fully back. She barked and arched her back as the building pleasure spilled over into a powerful orgasm, taking her up in the surging pulses of exhilarating release.

Doko grunted above her as her tight pussy clenched rhythmically around his thrusting cock, adding to the already intense barrage of pleasure that washed over her awareness. He never relented, his hips pounding against her in a blur, burying himself ever deeper into his husky bitch as she reeled from her peak. He hadn't even knotted her yet!

The thought drove the wolf above her to a new impassioned intensity. His hips met her haunches harder still, slamming that wondrous cock of his into her clenching sex, drawing out the husky's climax, stoking the bodily pleasure in unrelenting crescendo.

Her hands grasped at the grass beneath her; she held on for dear life, crying out like the whimpering doggy bitch she was. The peak ebbed, receding back. But the longing remained. Persistent. Building once more. She wasn't the only one overcome.

Nolasa whined, her ears folded back as she lowered her head and flexed her paws against the grass. Each surge of Koov's hips pulsed through her body like a rolling wave, eliciting a sharp breath from the wolf after each perfect hilting of the shepherd's cock. He gripped her haunches purposefully, matching Doko's zealous tempo to add to the heated passion of the moment.

Araki peeled her muzzle back in a silent snarl, feeling the wolf's knot starting to swell. The thick bulge entered her with a lewd slurp, grinding against her wet lips with greater difficulty. Each motion drew a hitching breath from her, the husky's tongue lulling in her fitful pants. The fire flared up again, threatening to engulf her in another powerful release.

The tie loomed, the sensual conclusive peak that both omegas sought hungrily. Doko's paws around her waist drew tighter as he shifted, bringing more forceful potency to bear behind each near-frenzied thrust of his haunches.

He growled with the effort, his knot slamming rudely against her, popping into her heated pussy with a wet squelch. Closer that edged loomed over an even higher cliff. "Rah! Fuck Doko. Do it! Knot me!"

She barked, cutting off any further words, tensing as he answered her plea with a savage thrust, lifting her legs off the ground. His heady snarl carried an edge of tension: he was close, poised right on the cusp! She could feel it through his empathic link, how his balls drew tight and his loins burned.

Another savage thrust slammed his swelling bulge against her one last forceful time--his knot popped inside her tortured husky cunt, sending her careening over the edge into a second potent orgasm. The world dropped away, replaced with nothing but the awesome white-hot bliss. She cried out, head falling back as Doko bit down on her scruff again.

He humped against her, a wolf possessed, his climax building to that perfect precipice until... one last wanton surge of his hips buried his tapered cock to the very limit, pushing the tip past her cervix. He snarled into her scruff, his balls jerking to shoot the first thick spurt of wolf cum into her unprotected womb.

His muffled growl joined her coarse whine as he never relented in his thrusts, shooting jet after jet of seed deep into her womb, heavy balls jerking with each spurt.

She reveled in it all: the sensual waves of ecstasy coursing through her veins, the wolf's own pulsing carnal pleasure as he emptied himself into his bitch, the sensual two-pronged high mingling into one euphoric pinnacle.

It lasted for a long breathless moment as he drained his balls completely, filling her to the brim. His thrusts never faltered... he kept on, still pounding his haunches against her rump with newfound energy.

<Araki! I can't... it's not enough!>

The fire was still there, burning as hot as ever. She shuddered, overcome with the need to still be bred. Koov's spellweave!

The sensual high of release retreated, only to build again, pushing her back toward the cliff once more. Doko's knotted cock spread her to the breaking point, his thrusts against her rump coming quick and fast as only a tied canid could manage.

She hissed through clenched teeth, fighting it, losing to her baser instincts. The husky pushed back against him, whimpering like a good little dog, meeting his every lunge urgently. That knot, that wonderful fucking knot! She couldn't hold out against the wolf's swollen bulge, how his senses reeled and flooded her own from the hypersensitive stimulus of her tortured pussy enveloping his tender flesh in wet succulent heat.

It was too much. She cried out again, overcome once more in a sensual release. Her tight folds clamped down harshly around the wolf's length, throwing him over the edge to join her as he hilted in her dripping folds.

Doko leaned back as if to howl, only managing a weak whimper as he came--hard--into his bitch once more. Shot after shot of thick wolf cum painted her already coated womb, filling her even more, adding to the already potent rush of her third climax.

They both reveled in it, ignoring the exhaustion. Koov and Nolasa were all but forgotten. There was only the bodily hunger that consumed her, and the potency of the wolf mounted and knotted to her, emptying another load of his seed into her.

The high relented, rushed forth again, wrapped her up and carried her toward another peak. Doko had not yielded. His hips pumped in a frenzied blur. His strained grunts and growls into her scruff grew coarser, more feral.

His lust to breed her couldn't be quenched. <Araki! Oh, I can't stop!>

Another climax seized her, white blazing hot and more powerful than the last. She couldn't take it any longer and howled, joining Doko as he released her scruff and canted his head back to cry out.

The lupine's ball twitched again, pumping strong, potent spurts of thick seed into his bitch, another peak that thundered right through her.

Their combined howls pierced the still of the den, quickly joined by Nolasa and Koov at their side.

Gods! Still cumming! Doko never wavered, his fervor surging through her body. His cock twitched continuously, filling her more and more with wolfy seed. His knot swelled even larger, adding more sensual punctuation.

She howled again, cumming once more, milking his tapered cock for every endless spurt of seed the wolf could offer. The highs and lows blended into a steady continuous climax. Her vision began to blur; the edges of her sight tunneled inward.

Her arms gave out as she collapsed forward, dropping her cheek onto the soft grass. The husky's tongue spilled out the side of her muzzle as her eyes rolled up into her head. Everything started to grey out, leaving only the wolf rutting her endlessly and his euphoric emotions growing fuzzier to her spent mind.

Time stretched onward, bringing her closer to blacking out from the sensual overload of it all. And then...

Everything stopped, finally letting her unrelenting climax fade away in a slow gradual ebb, culminating with her long relieved sigh.

The burning hunger evaporated into a pure sense of unadulterated satisfaction, just as Doko mashed his haunches against her one final time, holding himself against her. They remained frozen there, both caught up in the sudden pleasant radiance of afterglow unlike anything either had experienced before, basking in the combined heady euphoria together.

Araki panted against the grass, her haunches wavering with exhaustion. She was spent, well and truly spent. But the bodily satisfaction that washed over her... Gods, so incredible.

Doko shared her intoxicated delight. He worked his hips against her rump, giving her a few last weak jets of his seed. He couldn't form words and settled for showing his love by leaning down to lick affectionately at her splayed ears and scruff, matting down her white fur.

The husky's exhaustion finally won out, and she slowly collapsed down onto her side, taking the wolf with her. They landed awkwardly on their sides, Doko curled up against her backside.

It wasn't until Nolasa crumpled onto the grass at the husky's side that she remembered the others. All four of them panted breathlessly in a heap of tangled limbs, basking in the collective glow of their passionate mating.

Araki felt along her stomach, almost expecting a bulge to be there from the copious amount of wolf cum. Already a dribble of Doko's seed had leaked out of her sated cunt to trickle down her leg, even with his ample knot damming her.

Through breathless pants she could only manage an exhausted 'wow.'

Never before had the husky experienced a mating like that; Doko's empathy always made the experience something to remember. But adding Koov's medicinal prowess to the mix... simply no words.

"I'm sorry," the shepherd in question managed weakly. When she looked over, she found him wrapped around Nolasa's form from behind, his chest rising and falling with his fitful pants. His knotted cock made sure he wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. "I let that go... a little... too long."

Araki tried to give him a grin and came up short. "S'ok. That was... gods Koov."

"I got a little carried away."

<You ok Araki?>_Doko's question carried the same satisfied fatigue she felt. _<I can't believe... how much...>

She tried to open her muzzle to reply, but couldn't. The husky settled for mindspeak instead. <You filled me up good, wolfy. Godsdamned, did you ever.>

Koov had somewhat managed to recover himself. "I can't do that very often." A pause to catch his breath. "Puts a strain on the body." Another pause. "Can only hold the spell for so long."

<You gotta do that more often,> Nolasa chimed in, her own exhaustion quite clear in the wolf's mindspeak. <Gotta... teach the others how to do that too.> She closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling in a deep sigh.

Araki reached back to give Doko a pat on his side, still reveling in the perfect feel of his swollen knot holding them together in the tie. < You are... something special.>

His reply was cut off by the appearance of Nukenvu. The beta stood alongside the clump of four tied canids, his arousal on clear display hanging partially out of his sheath. <Quite the show you put on. The others enjoyed it.>

His words drew Araki's gaze to her surroundings. A good number of the pack stood by, all of their excitement clearly palpable over the pack's bond now that she broadened her mind's gaze. Some had paired off and were currently engaged in their own carnal pursuits, having fed off the energy of the moment.

Nukenvu turned his attention to Araki. His expression held a roguish air to it. <I was planning on having you to myself, to show my appreciation for the successful kill.>_His head canted to the side as he looked down his nose at her playfully, a gesture that was unbecoming of the beta's typical haughtiness. _<But I see you've become occupied in the meantime. My brother is quite lucky.>

Still panting, Doko lowered his ears and said nothing. She could tell he was losing the battle with his exhaustion.

Before Araki could say anything, the beta turned to leave, favoring her with one last lupine smirk. <I'll leave you two be. You're on watch tonight, so get plenty of rest. I'll have my fun with you later.>

Koov had already succumbed to his exhaustion when she turned to look. He joined Nolasa in pleasant repose, cuddled up against her rear, still tied with the wolf. Araki had to smile to herself at the sight. She worried about the shepherd, but today had shown her that he was coming to terms with himself. Today had also shown her that he could be quite the kinky dog when he wanted to be. So much for the straight and narrow mentor I've always known.

She stopped fighting her tired body and curled up on the grass. Doko snored softly with his own slumber, still pressed up against her rump. With the wolf tied to her, and the heady afterglow of release cradling the husky in its comforting embrace, she let herself drift off into pleasant dreams. This is the life...

***************

"Now reach out toward the pattern. Slowly. Don't force the bridging. Let the weaves make that final leap." Doko was a study of concentration in Araki's lap. His eyes were closed, and his ears laid back. Every muscle in his body was as taut as a coiled spring. "Relax, silly. If you strain too hard, it will never work."

The black wolf drew a breath at that, and the tension mostly left his body. <This is... quite different than the othersight I am used to.>

Araki would've laughed were she not holding her hands in a focus seal. At that moment, the wolf's mind was bridged with hers, letting him see through her perception to the deeper level of mana threads that only weatherweavers could sense.

It had started off as nothing more than an experiment. No anthro weaver Araki had ever known retained the ability to see this deeper plane of othersight like she could. No anthro other than her former master. The exceptionally rare gift only manifested in a small number of spellweavers. Even fewer still, usually one or two for a given generation in the known _civilized_world, could actually manipulate these weather patterns as well.

Any attempts to meld minds and let another work weather patterns through Araki had been met with disastrous results, to the point that one bold master had been sent to the infirmary after the mana threads of his weave explosively unraveled. No one else had tried after that close call.

But these wolves--their understanding of the magical arts went far and above anything the sages had ever conceived as possible. Doko, in particular, had displayed a natural ability to seamlessly meld his consciousness with Araki; they were effectively one being right at that moment, two bodies of the same mind and soul almost--a feat previously not thought possible.

The almost-double-vision that this caused her had been hard to stomach at first. She could feel his every thought and sensation. His heart beat in tune to her own; his breath rose and fell in the same slow and steady rhythm as hers. Now though, after a little practice, this state of being came naturally to both of them. They could link and share their thoughts readily now, almost effortlessly.

Joined like this in mind and spirit, she had discovered--much to her continued amazement--that Doko could actually reach out and sense the otherworldly weather patterns. Where previous attempts had failed in grand fashion, the black wolf made the act look mundane. Really, why was she even surprised anymore? Even after months spent with the pack, new revelations still made themselves known to her on a daily basis.

<It's easy to link with you,> he mindspoke, the strain of concentration seeping into his words. <In tune with each other.>

Araki felt her ears twitch. Even with the concentration she was using to maintain her watch over him, the corners of her muzzle turned upward in a smile. "Made for one another--ah, there! The patterns have responded to you. Reach out and grasp the threads gently." He did, and nothing went violently wrong as she had half expected. The husky kept her hands clasped in the focus seal, watching his actions carefully. "Good. Now, you have the immediate region's patterns in your control."

The giddiness was plain in his mindspeak. <What do I do now?>

Araki looked up. It was a heavy overcast, typical for a late winter day. "How about we clear things up to catch the last rays of sunlight before night." She altered her focus seal to the piercing crest, changing focus to give Doko more dynamic control over the patterns. "You can see the moisture in the air. The way that the patterns sag and droop." He gave her a mental nod, drawing on her memories to fill in the blanks. "Take hold of the patterns above us, like you would reach out to grasp something with a hand... errr, paw." He did, seizing the threads with his mind to hold on tightly. "You're pretty much a natural at this."

<I have you to thank for that.>

After a moment's consideration, Araki changed her focus seal to the whirling banner. The resulting shift of focus broadened Doko's perspective to cover more than just the nearby mountains and valley below. "We need to disperse the moisture in these weaves to the south where there is a lack of cloud cover and humidity. To do that, we need to bridge a link between the local patterns and the ones to the south."

<Like this?> As Araki watched, Doko reached out and wove a connection between the two regions, drawing the two massive patterns together like one would almost tie a knot. Once the bridge was established, moisture started to funnel away. The result was the gradual dissipation of cloud cover above them, until shafts of sunlight began to pierce down onto the mountains and valley.

"Yes... just like that. I'm impressed."

<It's quite easy. Your memories are helpful to draw on.> In only a few minute's time, all of the cloud cover had dissolved away, leaving the late evening light to paint the valley in brilliant hues of red and gold.

Doko relaxed his hold. His consciousness slowly faded away from her perspective, until only the familiar warm glow of his aura remained just outside her awareness. She followed his lead, dropping her hands to rest them on his soft black fur as he looked up to her.

The days were starting to get long again, the first hint of the coming spring thaw. Winter always held on stubbornly, but the cycle of the seasons never faltered. The husky could sense the subtle ebbs in the weather patterns that told of the coming change, when the warmer days would finally melt away the thick choking blanket of snow and let the foliage of spring bloom forth.

Araki stretched her back and immediately regretted the motion; the earlier activities had certainly taken its toll, but in a good _satisfying_way. Definitely not a repeatable feat though. At least for a little while.

Doko made himself known again with a curl of his tongue in a lingering yawn. His warmth in her lap was welcoming, steeling her from the cold of the rocky outcrop. <Dwelling on earlier?> His voice had a mirthful tinge to it. <That was quite a fun romp.>

She reached up to start slowly stroking wandering fingertips across his perked ears, causing them to twitch with each motion. "I do love it when you rut me like that.. I'm actually sore this time."

He leaned up to lick her whiskers and provoke a giggle from the husky. She could sense his exhaustion seeping into the bond as well. They'd both had quite a time. <But in a good way, yes?>

"In a good way." She ruffled his fur and settled back against the rock behind to get comfortable. With the fluffy lupine in her lap, and the gorgeous mountain scenery laid out before her like a decorative painting, she settled in for a long watch of the border.

The lights of Northpoint could only just be seen in the lengthening darkness down in the valley below. An intricately woven ward stood guard on what the lupine domain considered its border with the anthro world, so masterfully veiled that Araki had not even detected its existence that first fateful time she'd ventured into the woods. Doko had used the spell to detect and hone in on her presence. The rest was history.

Her hand kept idling petting him, giving rise to his soft murr of delight. "That empathy of yours is something else." She motioned with her free hand to the clear evening sky above them. "Look at this beautiful scene you painted for us."

<It's quite a sight,> he agreed, his muzzle curling up in a lupine smile. The wolf's tail smacked against her leg a few times as he rolled over in her lap, presenting his belly to her.

She knew what he wanted and obliged, shifting her hand down to give long gentle strokes of her finger tips up and down his soft downy fur, pausing a moment to tickle that one spot just below his ribs. "This is exciting. It makes me want to try something more daring." His ears perked up with a 'what's that' look. "I want to try weaving spells together. I think..." She trailed off with a contemplative bite of her lip. "I think that we can work together to weave spells. Bigger spells. Spells far more powerful than either of us could ever hope to work alone."

<Joint weaving?> He licked his lips as a show of mulling the idea over. <It might be possible. There have been instances of wolves managing this in the past. Though few and far between.>

"An exceptionally rare ability," Araki agreed. She could only think of two such pairings in recent history. Multiple spellweavers working together to build generic patterns could be accomplished fairly easily. But the act of actually working threads together on a singular level--playing to the affinities of the weavers--held far greater implications. The way this amplified a spell's potency had limitless untested potential without the need for complicated links between multiple weavers.

Doko shifted a bit in her lap, drawing a tired sigh. <I would love to try, Araki. I enjoy working patterns with you. It's soothing. I love spending time with you.>

"I do too." She leaned down and met him halfway in a brief passionate kiss, breaking it with a playful lick of his nose. Her roving hand on his belly picked that time to trek south, caressing across his ample sheath that she had become quite intimate with earlier in the day. "I love you."

<I love you too.> He batted a forepaw at her. <I'm afraid I don't have the energy for that though.>

"Neither do I." A firm squeeze of the fuzzy covering accompanied her words. "But that doesn't mean I can't tease my omega stud."

He let out an involuntary groan at that. <You're being evil.>

Her hand went back to applying gentle belly rubs, much to his relief. "Sorry. It's just too easy with you showing off like this."

They lapsed into silence for a time, both watching the sun as it slowly slid beneath the mountain peaks to the west. With darkness taking hold, the lights of Northpoint became clearer to her eyes. It almost seemed like they were brighter tonight, more numerous.

She had to wonder how the tiny town was fairing since that fateful night. So much destruction and death had been wrought with the coming of those bloodtails. Several of the villagers had been killed in the onslaught, including the village head. Of course, the bloodtails had met their own untimely demise as well. Now it seemed like things were returning to something resembling normal for the inhabitants.

Recent scrying by the pack had revealed that the townsfolk were going about their lives as best they could. The mines on the east and west slopes of the valley worked with the same usual activity. Shishu's inn had been fully reconstructed, and all the burned-down buildings had foundations laid in preparation for new construction. Life moved on for the hardy folk of Northpoint.

It looked like no more bloodtails had followed in the wake of the first lot too. The scrying would've revealed their presence had any more been stalking through the town and surrounding forest. This boded as good news for Araki and Koov. The last thing either of them needed was more hostile spellweavers sniffing their tails. Just in case, constant vigil was maintained by the Three Peaks pack day in and day out.

Araki sighed as her scritching fingers worked their way up Doko's broad chest and back down, nails leaving grooves in his thick black fur. "So what do you want to do tonight while we stand watch?"

<Perhaps another story?> His mindspeak had the upward inflection of a hopeful query. The wolf had taken a fancy to the tales she told from memory, both from her earlier years and what she remembered of books she'd read in the academy.

"Hmm, 'fraid I don't have any I can think of right now. I've exhausted my recollection." She tustled his chest fur. "I'm always up for a game. How 'bout some juggling?"

The game itself was quite simple. One person picked up an object with a levitation weave, usually a small rock or something of the like, and tossed it to the other. The other then cradled the thrown object with their own spellweave and tossed it back to the first, or another participant if more than two were playing. The goal was to see how many objects could be juggled back and forth in this fashion, before a loss of focus caused one to be dropped. The difficulty could also be ramped up further when larger objects were introduced.

Both omegas enjoyed the simple, yet practical, game. After some initial fumbling, they had become proficient enough to keep up the juggling until large boulders were introduced into the fray.

Doko eyed her with ears folded back. He gave her his best puppy eyes. <But that would mean I'd have to get up and no more belly rubs. I like belly rubs. Especially from you.>

"Well, then I'll keep giving you all the belly rubs you want," she chuckled. "Until you tell me to stop."

His ear twitched. <Promise?>

She moved her hand lower across his flank, bringing her other up to stroke across his other side. "Promise."

<Ok. But then I get to return the favor!> That favor, she knew, would be him pinning her to the ground to give her muzzle and cheeks lots of affectionate licks. She always loved when he did that.

Araki shifted herself, bringing the wolf's haunches and wagging tail fully into her lap so that his hind legs dangled to her either side. Her hands worked through his fur in slow deliberate motions, her gentle scritching turning into a proper massage now. His appreciative sigh was like music to her ears.

She couldn't resist the temptation, and moved lower to stroke teasingly across his swelling sheath. Maybe they both weren't so exhausted after all...

Everything came to a crashing halt.

Both Araki and Doko froze.

The ward. Something had triggered the alarm.

Doko hastily removed himself from her lap as Araki reached out, bridging her mind with the spellweave that guarded the southern border of the pack's territory, the border with Northpoint.

Anything that was not native to the forest would trigger such an alarm. "You felt that too, right?"

<Yes. Someone has penetrated the ward. From Northpoint.>

She could see them now--two individuals represented by two distinct glows in her othersight. They trudged through the snow with great difficulty, seemingly without a clear course of direction. "Something's wrong. It's way too late for anyone to be scouting out mining locations. No reason for anyone to be out this late. No... this isn't right."

<The pack is mobilizing,> Doko mindspoke, concern clear in his words. <More of those... bloodtails, you think?>

"No. Not beating like spellweavers." She had her eyes closed, focusing intently on trying to clear up her mind's perception. Times like this the husky cursed her weakness with scrying and othersight. "These are familiar. They're from the town." A pause. Not canid. Both are felines. "It's Shishu and her son Rehato. What are they doing out this late? And away from the town no less?" She frowned and stood. "I don't like this. Come on. Let's port down there and find out."

Doko, to his credit, didn't hesitate. In a matter of moments, his teleportation weave snapped into place, casting a bright illumination on the rocky outcropping. In the next instant, both omegas vanished.