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Hearts Full of Love/The Dream Fulfilled

Chapter Seven

The following weeks passed faster than their first two days traveling to Ambrosia. Aulus and Akul passed through small towns along the river and frequently roughed through the countryside returning to the south. Adventures were never far away from the wolfess Akul with her canine curiosity, but even she was more eager to return to the great forests and visit her human companion's home.

"Here looks good." Akul pointed at the nice clearing in the woods. The river was almost visible through the undergrowth surrounding them. Aulus set his pack down and started unpacking while Akul gathered sticks for a fire. They had left Kesslering during the early morning and chose to follow the river to Solstershire, Aulus's home. The low flat terrain flooded easily, becoming a shallow inlet between the river itself and the land. Frogs were making their high pitched croaks all around them, a welcoming home sound to the wolf.

"Mm. Let's eat." Recently purchased dried meat and beans along with some bread were pulled out. A fire was quickly started, and the two were eating in little time. "The summer is here." Akul wagged her tail. "That means the village is going to have the next full moon ceremony."

"What's that about?"

"Every season the whole village gathers around the large bonfire. We give thanks to the spirits, sing some chants, and dance."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is!" Her tail wagged. "When I was little, my friends and I would take little branches of pine needles and leaves and tie them to our bodies."

"Why did you do that?"

"We loved dancing with the branches and leaves rustling. Sometimes other villagers would join us. It was so much fun!" The thought of a little Akul dancing with a bunch of sticks tied to her body amused him.

"Wait... If clothes were made of leaves, grass, or sticks then you would wear it?"

"Hm." She thought for a moment. "I think so." Her answer nearly made Aulus fall over.

"This whole time we could've-!" He stopped to sigh. "That would have changed Kesselring, traveling, and everything."

"That would look funny." Akul ruffled the fur in her front. The she wolf stood up from her seat in a short stretch when she finished.

"Going somewhere?"

"I'm going to bathe in the river because it's hot. Do you want to join me?" The wolfess asked.

"I'll be there shortly. I want to set a few things up first."

"Don't take too long." She flicked her tail and left. Aulus watched her disappear through the undergrowth between them and the water. His gaze turned to his pack. He carefully dug out the majority of his newly made fortune. The gold seemed to flow put like a shining metal wave onto the dirty ground, clinking as they stumbled. Aulus counted the gold pieces into a neat little stack and stared at them. He did the same to the silver ones next.

'Look at all of this.' It was more wealth than anyone of his upbringing would see in a lifetime. 'I can buy a town or two. The best villa... and the best service...' The thoughts made his head buzz. He heard a not so distant splash towards the river that snapped him from his money stupor. "I better hurry before she finishes." The human safely tucked the shiny coins into his pack. Aulus disrobed without concern. They were in a secluded area, even for the countryside. He walked to the river and found the she wolf standing in waist deep water, partially facing him. Her fur was soaked and droplets were falling from her body. Akul was oblivious to his presence and jumped into the water. Her limbs flailed before her powerful legs sprung her to a shallower spot.

'Silly wolf.' Aulus chuckled to himself and contently watched her from his safe distance. Akul shook the excess water off her fur and bent down with her hand cupping some water. Aulus couldn't avert his gaze as the wolfess gracefully poured a handful of water over her chest. There was something about the wolfess interacting with nature that fancied his eyes. Then again, everything about her fancied him. Her hands ruffled up her light grey and white front and cupped her breasts. Akul then smoothly traced over her modest feminine chest before slowly traveling down her sides in light circles. Aulus watched her hands and closed his gaping mouth. They reached her waist where they stopped. He looked up and blinked only to lock eyes with her. 'Caught.' He swallowed. The wolfess pointed a finger at Aulus and beckoned him to come forward. The human bashfully stood up and waded into the river where she was. "Sorry for uh-"

"Watching?" She knowingly grinned.

"Mmhm." He nodded with a bit lip.

"Your eyes are supposed to see. Why would they not watch?" Akul stuck her tongue out.

'She's clueless!' He couldn't believe the wolfess. Aulus looked down at the water seeing that nothing had arisen, but his eyes widened anyway. 'It floats in water?!' He immediately crouched an inch lower. "Uh I'm having second thoughts about this Akul." Aulus stopped but a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward.

"Nonsense. I'm right here." The wolfess pulled the hesitant human right into her wet furry arms. Their fronts squelched together as wet fur met skin. Aulus looked up at the she wolf's warming smile.

"Hi." He meekly greeted her.

"Hello." She sweetly replied with the tip of her tongue brushing over his forehead. "How about I get your back?" The wolf rubbed his skin sensuously with a hand.

"Sure." He agreed and turned around for her. 'How can I still be nervous around her when we've been through so much already?' Aulus asked himself while Akul washed his back. The canine took her time going over the human's skin as thoroughly as she wished. The human had no complaints as the supple warm padded hands rubbed over him. She finished all too soon and splashed his skin with water.

"Do you need yours washed?" Aulus in turn offered.

"Yes, please." She readily turned around for him and presented her back. Her long hair shrouded her back. He parted her hair but took a moment to run his hands through her wet strands of grey.

"Your hair is still soft even though it's wet." He admired her canine quality.

"Thank you." Akul smiled and stuck her tongue out, clearly enjoying his touch. She imagined him tending to her hair back at the village as fully fledged mates. 'Maybe beside a creek, or beneath a flowering tree.' The wolfess sighed happily at the thought as he rubbed up and down her back next. The muscles over her back were defined from living a very active tribal lifestyle. Her gracefully athletic form was something that always caught the human's eye. Aulus admired her skillful strength that all tribal soles possessed.

"There. Done." He poured a few handfuls of water down her back for good measure.

"Thank you." The wolf kindly spoke. She peeked over her shoulder and with a swift flick of her wrist, splashed the human's face with a a handful of water. He laughed and splashed back at her. A splash battle ensued that left both dripping wet. "I'll just have to capture you." She grinned and lunged at him.

"No!" He laughed and struck a wave of water at her before swimming aside. The wolf glided through the water like an arrow towards Aulus.

"You won't escape me!" She picked the human up and threw him aside with a splash. Akul waited for Aulus to resurface in the same spot, but he swam underwater. The human sprang up towards her left and bounded to shore. The wolf gladly chased him onto dry land. Aulus ran around a tree where he was quickly cornered. "I'll get you Aulus!" She teased and edged closer. Her hands tried snatching him, but the human narrowly missed and ran around her. He only ran a few steps before a pair of strong arms hugged him. "No more running for you." She nibbled at his neck. He struggled to break free, but she steadfastly held him.

"Stop Akul! No!" He couldn't stop laughing even as she raised him into the air. The taller wolf scooped him up into her arms and threw him back into the river. She grappled with him several times that ended with the human being tossed into the water. Aulus rose up from the water again and again. "I give up!" He panted and tried catching his breath. The wolfess smiled and approached him before grabbing him again. The human expected another toss, but instead she picked him up and walked towards a different spot in the river.

"Now I have you." She sat down in the shallow water and placed him in her lap. A tongue licked his wet face a few times, but the human didn't struggle in the comfortable spot. Akul reclined back onto a boulder as if she was sitting in a rocking chair, and rested her hands in Aulus's lap. He took a deep breath and exhaled, snuggling into her wet embrace. The human relaxed and placed his hands over hers. Even though she was touching him, he trusted her completely and didn't want to leave the perfect spot all day. The calm water reflected the equally calm sky above from its placid surface.

'What a beautiful place.' He gazed at the distant opposite shore. Two kids were yelping as they ran upriver, possibly to home. They reminded him of Akul and himself. The south was always more relaxed than the bustling northern towns and Ambrosia. Time was smooth and fluid where one could take the entire afternoon to sit in the countryside among friends, and talk about whatever came to mind. It amused him how he and Akul grew up in the same area, yet saw the world so differently. He would have fallen asleep had Akul not lifted a hand from the water some time later. He blinked and looked at the clawed furry fingers beside his face. "My pads are starting to wrinkle up. Are you ready to get out?" Her voice hinted at regret.

"Yeah. My skin is starting to do the same." He slipped out of the wolf's lap and waded to shore with her. The human wiped some water from the skin, but Akul chose a simple method of shaking her body. "Hey! Watch it!" He covered his face as she shook her fur free of excess water.

"Sorry about that." She licked her nose. Aulus chuckled at her spiky furred appearance. They laid down side by side in the short grass where the sun shone the brightest. Not much was said between them as the late afternoon clouds lazily rolled across the sky. Nothing needed to be said. The fading evening was too serene to be disturbed. The wolfess slowly ran a hand over her side and watched the drying fur ruffle. She peeked to her left where the human was laying beside her. Akul silently inhaled a deep breath. She could smell his fresh scent, without any musty clothes to cloud her nose. She looked over at the human laying beside her. Even if he was only naked to dry off, it was still a time to value. No moment in life could be more perfect to the tribal wolfess. "Aulus..." Akul rolled onto her side and placed an arm across the human's torso.

"Yes?" He opened an eye at the wolfess looming over him.

"I had a lot fun today." She flashed him a toothy grin.

"I did too." He smiled only for a tongue to wash over his forehead. "Hey! I'm drying off here!" He chuckled and wiped the wet kiss off.

"Should I throw you in the river again?" She licked his face.

"No." He decided to let her "wash" over him. The wolf's tongue was smooth and warm, albeit wet. Each swipe made his heart feel warm and fuzzy. His eyes widened feeling her tongue lap over his lips. The human turned his head to look at the wolf. Her amber eyes gazed at him lovingly.

"What?" She sweetly asked.

"Uh..." He stalled before sitting up. "I think I should get dressed."

"Dressed?" Akul watched him stand up and trailed her hand down his leg. "You'll just take it off when we sleep."

"We're not going to sleep yet. There's still some sun left." He faked an answer. Akul's ears fell back at the bump in the romantic mood. The she wolf watched him dress, wanting to see his uncovered form just a moment longer and possibly something more. A little idea crept into her mind.

"Wanna wrestle before we sleep then?" The she wolf jumped to her paws.

"Wrestle?" Aulus thought he had misheard. "No."

"What?" Her head tilted playfully. "You can't wrestle a wolf?" She challenged him.

"I could, but why would I want to wrestle you?" Aulus chuckled.

"Because I want to." Her tail wagged excitedly as she crouched down.

"You're not going to let me say no, are you?"

"Not in the slightest." She grinned and shook her head. Aulus knelt down and faced the tail wagging canine almost nose to nose. Th wolf's amber eyes stared at him keenly. He suddenly remembered how strong and intimidating she could be. Her arms bore more muscle than her human counterpart, not to mention every other muscle group on her body.

"Maybe this isn't-"

"Go!" A strong bark made him jump as the naked she wolf collided with him. Man and wolf tussled in the dirt. The contest was clearly one sided, even as the canine held back most of her strength. Claws dug in the soft dirt and muscles strained. Arms grappled strenuously.

'Uh oh.' Aulus felt Akul apply a little more pressure. The human backed off and tried stepping around her. Her toothy smile unnerved him.

"You can't escape!" Akul barked and lunged. She went easy on the human, but that proved difficult for him as well. "Ah! My arm doesn't bend that way!" Aulus wailed.

"Grr!" She growled playfully and released him. He breathed a sigh of relief only for a moment as she tackled him to the ground. They rolled around together. Aulus struggled to see through her dense neck fur, but she pinned his back to the ground. The wolfess sat on his lap for good measure and easily pinned him with her superior strength. Aulus tried struggling but it was no use. "I won this bout." The wolfess had him right where she wanted him. "Do you surrender now?" She craned her neck.

"Ok. I surrender to you... again." He caught his breath and smiled. He could feel her tail wagging between his legs triumphantly.

"Good." She laid on top of him. Her long grey hair pooled around them creating a private veil. "Now you can't escape from me." She cupped his cheeks tenderly, lightly massaging his skin with her padded palms. Her soft amber eyed gaze lovingly looked down at him with tenderness. It amazed him how quickly she could return to her normal sweet self. The human's eyes widened as her muzzle and nose edged closer. Aulus grabbed her shoulders, but was unable to hold her up.

"A-Akul." He couldn't back away from her advance.

"Sh." Her voice lulled his worries. "Let me take control." The human's heart started pounding as her furry lips brushed over him. They met in a soft kiss. The she wolf's large tongue nudged past his lips and made love to him.

"Mmph." Aulus moaned and relaxed as the wolf's tongue caressed his own. His soul yearned for her intimacy. The thoughts of immense wealth were pushed aside for love, a much sweeter and meaningful reward. When they finally parted, both were deeply breathing with the other's fresh taste. Akul warmly grinned down at him. Her eyes resembled little flames from the sun.

"Did you like that?" She licked her lips with their noses still touching. Her ears were sweetly pinned back, signaling a little nervousness of her own.

"Uummmm." He nervously stalled. Akul could see the distinct blush across his face. "Yes." The human sheepishly admitted. The warm taste was still on his lips. Her triangular ears instantly popped up.

"Good." Akul gracefully sat up on his lap and picked at his shirt. "Now you should be naked." She teased undoing his shirt buttons. "Like me." That warm smile on her face melted his heart. "There's plenty of things you can do naked besides this." She emphasized her point by quickly undoing the last button. He sat up to discard the shirt, and the wolfess stole a licking kiss from him.

'I'm about to become a man.' Aulus watched her remove his pants next. With a few hasty tugs the human was left naked on the ground just like her. She placed her hands on his chest and sensually rubbed his entire front. Her amber eyes admired his masculine form.

"You're always so reserved, but I know that you want this as much as I do." She quietly spoke wearing that wolffish grin of hers. Aulus watched her hand continue to rub his front, gradually making its way down south. Claw bearing fingers brushed over his curly patch of fur. His skin tingled feeling the dual sensation of padded fingers and claws. Aulus held his breath when she touched his male hood below. He easily hardened in her leathery palmed hand. Akul flashed a toothy smile seeing how much he was enjoying her intimate touch.

"Wait." She stopped feeling a hand grab her wrist. "I... I've never done... this before." He stuttered nervously. The flushed intense look on his face spoke volumes of truth. She released his rigid length.

"Don't worry." Akul whispered and patted his stomach. "Neither have I." The wolfess rose to her knees and shuffled forward. Aulus watched as she gradually descended and helped guide him inside. His tip disappeared into her downy white and grey fur before parting her soft skinned womanhood. His teeth clenched feeling her slick heat envelop his member in a strong vice from tip to base. The downy fur around her groin and thighs touching his skin was a stark contrast. Aulus blew out a nervous sigh and looked up at the she wolf smiling down at him. Her body was as feminine as the strength she possessed.

"You're beautiful." He whispered and drew a hand up the canine's side where her long grey hair was spilled over. Akul brushed his hand aside and leaned forward until she was laying on top of him. Her amber eyes glowed at him in the early night. A pair of hands cupped his face and lightly rubbed his skin as if to smooth away any remaining apprehension. It felt great to love and be loved. The pull was irresistible to the human.

"There." Her husky voice cooed. "Now you will stay warm all night... while we mate." He shuddered feeling his heart thunder in his chest. Taught nipples brushed over his skin as the wolfess rocked back and forth. The human was overwhelmed.

"Oohh! Akul you're hot!" He felt her internal canine heat caress his sensitive length.

"Sh. Don't think about that yet." She stopped and hushed him. "Look at me." The wolfess cooed rubbing her damp nose over his nose to douse the intense flames. He nodded with a grin. "Slow." She whispered. Akul wanted the moment to last, and began a steady rhythm. His hips followed suit and rocked in the same gentle motion as hers.

"This is nice." He stared at her while their bodies made love.

"Mm. It feels good." She simply answered and craned her muzzle towards him. Aulus cupped her furry cheeks and locked lips with the gorgeous wolfess. Canine teeth softly bit into his skin and her tongue was welcomed into his jowls. The long smooth appendage easily outmaneuvered his own, but Akul was gentle and playful. Aulus combed his hands through the fur on her muscular back before trailing up the wolf's sides to her chest. She arched into his touch feeling him caress and pinch. She licked his forehead roughly and growled appreciatively. Their hands caressed each other vigorously, earning many yips and moans. They couldn't get enough of each other. Their eyes were locked together in love while the little slick sounds below we're music to their ears. "Getting close?" She asked between huffs.

"Nngh-! Yeah." He nodded at the muzzle craning closer to him. Her soft fuzzy lips locked with his. Aulus eagerly opened his mouth and invited her dominant tongue inside. The wolfess was as gentle as her methodical grinding hips. The broad tongue lapped softly inside as if to coax more breath and love from his body. The human fully embraced her and parried her tongue inside his mouth. Gods, how he craved her love! Arms grasped her furry back as the internal feelings readied to bloom. His leg jerked, accompanied with a muffled gasp. Her gentle movements down below began building up his pleasure to a peak.

"Ack! Akul!" His voice struggled to be heard but the wolfess covered his lips with her own. A hand cupped his cheek as she tongued him. Akul didn't slow down, but instead increased her grinding humps for his pleasure. Aulus groaned and matched her rhythm, creating slick humping sounds. His body felt ready to burst. He clutched two handfuls of her grey fur and roughly bumped his hips into hers. The wolfess yipped before resealing their lips and strongly kissing him. "Mmmph!" Aulus moaned into the wolf's mouth and held her tightly as he came. Akul felt his body buck and tense below as the first shots were emptied into her. The human suddenly relaxed underneath her, breathing heavily as the final pumps were finished. Akul felt him weakly kiss back and finally parted lips. She rose to her elbows and stared at the human's priceless expression wearing a heartfelt smile.

"Are you enjoying this?" She half chuckled at her question feeling a tingling warmth down below. He breathlessly nodded and rubbed her rear, unable to say thank you. "Ooh!" Her legs and rear tensed feeling another hand circle over the top of her aroused sex. She clutched a handful of moss. Aulus continued rubbing over the canine's clit, making her entire body shudder. Her breathing deepened as her hips hypnotically rode his hand. The she wolf suddenly seized him and whined. Aulus felt her walls ripple around his flaccid length. Akul took a moment and breathed a deep heartfelt sigh before opening her eyes. "Oh..." She gently grabbed his wrist and slowly moved his hand away. "Aulus." A lovely afterglow bloomed within her body like a big lotus.

"Did that feel good?" He grinned and cupped a breast. His fingers rolled and tugged a taught nipple.

"Ohh yes." Akul smiled. Instead of reclining, the she wolf lustily licked her lips and she loomed over the human. Her amber eyes radiantly watched him with great loving pleasure. His length was still inside her, and the wolf didn't seem to be finished quite yet. "Don't tire yourself out." She brushed her damp nose over his forehead. "The night is so young, and we have a lot of love to make."

The close sounds of chickadees pierced the quiet air. Aulus woke up squinting his eyes from the mid-morning sun's golden rays shining down through a gap in the green leafed trees. The human was laying on his back with a wolfess snuggled closely. Her grey furred limbs were loosely wrapped around his body. Even her tail was tucked between his legs! The sensation of fur against his naked skin was overwhelmingly cozy and warm. He took a deep breath and reminisced about the night. The she wolf's musky earthy scent enshrouded them like a thick fog, but his nose craved it. Aulus lifted an arm only to disturb the wolf's slumber. Two bodies lazily shifted together.

"Good morning Akul." The phrase sounded so surreal on his tongue.

"Mmm. Morning." Akul lazily grinned. Her leg drew over Aulus to reclaim his side. The soft fur felt divine against his naked skin. Her arms reconnected across his chest and a tongue slowly licked his cheek. Aulus hummed and rolled onto his back. "Sleep well?" She brushed her muzzle across his face.

"Mmhm." The human blinked and held her side.

"Good. So did I." Akul reaffirmed and licked his chin, prompting him nudge her away.

"Last night was..." He stared into the sky unsure of what word to say. The wolfess chuckled softly.

"Wonderful?"Akul presumed. Aulus nodded. "It was." She agreed and nuzzled his cheek. The human couldn't seem to rid himself of the golden smile on his face. He wondered if he was in heaven. Akul propped herself on an elbow and loomed over him wearing a toothy grin. "I finally came when we were both on all fours." She traced a padded finger down his body. Her amber eyes smiled at the recent memory. "I thought you might have trouble mounting me, but goodness was I wrong." She nuzzled his neck and wrapped her arms around him in another tight embrace. He grinned feeling the short fur and whiskers tease his skin. The fuzzy feelings in his chest fluttered warmly.

"You howl loud."

"I do." Akul gladly admitted. "But you made me." She slyly responded. He couldn't disagree with her there! Aulus gradually sat up and cracked his back.

"The ground is never good to sleep on." He rubbed the wolf's furry leg that remained in his lap. Her paw flexed appreciatively.

"You should've slept on top of me." She smiled and patted his back.

"We were on top of each other all night." They both chuckled at that. "Let's see if I can stand." He grunted and started to rise. The human slowly stood up and winced feeling his thighs and hips pull sorely.

"My legs feel the same way." Akul reached up and rubbed his inner thigh. He stretched and took a few slow steps over the mossy grass.

'She's beautiful.' He looked over his shoulder at the lovely tribal wolfess sitting behind him, tending to her disheveled fur. Aulus looked around the thinly forested riverside. He remembered that they weren't far from Kesselring, and maybe a week from Solstershire. His eyes rested on his backpack. His mind could barely fathom the contents that held a fortune. A fortune! 'But if I stay with her... Then that will be worthless.' He knew the wolfess would never want to live the rest of her life outside of the forest, even if he could give her anything gold could exchange for. Akul sat up and reached for the sky in a long arcing stretch.

"Don't you want to start the morning the same way, or at least promise that every night will be just as fun?" Akul ran her hands through her disheveled long grey hair.

"Huh?" Aulus blinked from his love enchanted stupor.

"You know... Mate a few more times if the country road is quiet enough." The wolfess smiled.

"No more sex." He lightly slapped his own leg as if to wake himself up.

"No more? You're sore, aren't you?" She chided him with a toothy grin. "I think there is a saying about mates that a male must pleasure a female twice as much for the same howl." She stood up on two sore legs of her own.

"Prostitutes do the same thing."

"I don't even know what that means." She wrinkled her brow at the funny word.

"We had sex Akul." He turned back to look at her, wanting to dismiss the funny feelings inside him. "That's all." His words shocked her.

"To a wolf mating is the most intimate thing two in love can experience." The strength in her voice surprised him. He took a step back as she approached him.

"What are you saying?" He took another step back for each the wolfess took until they were mere inches from each other. Akul was nearly a head taller than him and looked down at him. The human couldn't look away from her amber eyes.

"I will tell you." She smiled. "I hugged you close after you fell asleep. You were still inside me. I remembered how you were drawn to me when we first met, and how I was drawn to you... The wonderful feelings of love bloomed from within my chest to yours." She placed her hand over his heart. The heated pads felt good against his skin, and her words made his insides feel fuzzy. "Touching someone you are connected to is normal, and mating is natural for those in love." Her hands brushed past his sides. "Maybe love is different to those outside the forests, but I want you to know that I love you." She stepped forward as her hands connected around his back. Her body snugly pressed to his front. Aulus thought his pounding heart might pound into her chest, but the enveloping fur around his naked body helped soothe his worries. "Do you love me?" She quietly asked resting her jaw on top of his head. Aulus hesitated. They were barely acquaintances when they left the wolf village together but they had grown together since then.

"Akul..." His voice choked. Aulus clearly remembered the moment when he first saw her, and the indescribable feelings that filled his soul. Every day he spent with her since visiting the wolf village was invaluable. He would never deny her love, but what if he affirmed it? He wanted the wealth and he wanted to be with her. However, the human couldn't have both!

"Aulus?" She softly asked. Their noses touched. The canine's warm breath washed over him.

"I... I don't know." He admitted and buried his face in her tuft of white chest fur. She was so irresistibly warm and inviting against his skin, and the earthy feminine scent held him in comfort. To his surprise, the wolfess didn't fight him.

"I guess you will need convincing to say the words." Akul softly grinned rubbing his back. "And a wolf is very patient, like during a hunt." She smiled making him feel better.

"Thanks." He managed to look up at her and grin. A tongue slipped out and licked over his nose.

"I won't give up on you." Her heartfelt answer made his heart ache.

Akul was a very patient wolfess. Over the following days she would show her affection; light nips to his jaw, rubbing his back, brushing her muzzle over his cheek, holding hands, or any little intimate touch. Wolves were very physical and social, as if the desire to sleep snuggled together wasn't enough! Each day Aulus's plight grew along with the heaviness in his heart. He took frequent stops, or traveled down the road for a mere half day before retiring to set up camp. Each step meant one fewer with the lovely wolfess before he reached Solstershire, and he wanted to delay the tough decision that he would eventually have to make. However, they were walking down a dirt road, holding hands, scarcely a mile from the human's hometown.

"I can't imagine better weather for walking." Akul raised their joined hands and pointed at the partly cloudy sky. It was warm, but the heat wasn't uncomfortable with an occasional breeze.

"It's a nice day." He agreed. "I'm sure that you'd be hunting or running around the forest."

"I would." The she wolf nodded. "With a few friends, or by myself, or with you..." Akul lightly bumped his side.

"Yeah, me running around naked with a bunch of wolves in the great forest." He chuckled.

"You'd enjoy it."

"I'm sure that I would." Akul's grey ears perked up. Aulus glanced over and noticed a familiar look in her eyes. The wolfess had an idea. She stopped him in the road.

"Hey, Aulus."

"Yes?" He searched her grin.

"Do you want to walk the rest of the road to your town naked?"

"No!" He exclaimed despite not being surprised by her request.

"Why not? You might want to when we return to my village." She squeezed his hand.

"Oh come on, you never once wore anything while we were traveling. And now you want me to strip down?"

"I wouldn't expect you to discard your clothes if we visited a dozen villages in the great forests." She countered. "Besides, I wear this scarf." She shook a tasseled end at him.

"That's hardly the same. I don't force you to wear clothes or do anything."

"I never force you either Aulus. I'm just asking."

"No way Akul. We're on a road in the open daylight!" He pointed to the trees that were a few meters to either side of the road. "Someone will walk by and see me." Aulus couldn't help but grin at the expression the passerby would have at the sight of a naked man and wolfess.

"Don't worry. We're on a country road. No one will see us for the whole day." The she wolf playfully prodded him.

"I am not walking around in broad daylight naked." He chuckled at the thought.

"But you sleep with me naked." She whined.

"That's different. I'm not naked when someone else may be present."

"But no one else will be here! I can smell or hear them before they see you. Besides, we only passed one person this morning." She pointed to her extra sensory spots to reassure him. Aulus frowned but didn't say anything. The idea was secretly a little exhilarating to the human. "Please? Just for me?" She asked nicely and held his hands. Her eyes bored through his resistance like hot butter.

"Okay." He sighed and started unbuttoning. Her tail was wagging in a fast blur as he reached his final undergarment. 'Gods...' He shucked them off hastily leaving his body completely naked like Akul's.

"There! Don't you feel better?" She asked briskly. He frowned and returned a glare. "Well you look handsome." She looked him over keenly.

"Stop looking at me!" He blushed and covered himself. The wolfess chuckled and pulled his hands away.

"You're a handsome male." She softly spoke and licked his cheek. The intimate gesture warmed the human's core.

"You're so strange." He sheepishly grinned and let her lick him once more. Akul stuck her tongue out at him with a playful smile.

"Let's keep these clothes away." Akul hummed joyfully and stuffed all she could in his pack.

"We are only doing this for a few minutes." He reminded the wolfess.

"I know, I know." Akul hoped to make him indifferent soon enough. "Let's start walking." She grasped the human's hand. Aulus smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. The two walked down the country dirt road, although, a funny sensation plagued the human.

"Can we walk slower? Everything... jiggles." He slowed down. The wolfess agreed. After all, that gave her more time to be with him.

"Jiggles?" She huffed a laugh. "How do you think a female like me feels when she has to jump or bend forward?"

"Your breasts are not that large." He pointed out.

"True, but every male feels what you are feeling." She reassured him. "Besides, anyone with fur will feel the wind differently than you. It's natural."

'Natural, huh?' He looked at the edge of the deciduous tree forest for a moment. Somewhere deep inside was the village that Akul lived in, and they believed nudity was normal. The wolf noticed Aulus walking rigidly with caution beside her.

"Do you want me to tell you a story to help pass the time?" Akul offered with a smile.

"Sure. I'd like that."

"There once was a hungry wolf named Mati sitting on a rotting log one day in a deep part of the forest. His coat was a solid light grey, but it was messy because he never combed it. He had no village, family, or even a hut to sleep in. The forest was his home, but it was lonely and his life was meager. He dug up roots and foraged to eat. Mati looked up from the ground and found a male white and grey wolf standing before him. His fur and long hair were well combed, and his body was strong. Mati didn't know the strange wolf standing before him was a spirit.

'Why are you sitting here instead of hunting or fishing?' The wolf asked. 'I can hear your growling stomach from far away.' Mati told the tall wolf that he didn't know how to hunt or fish, but he would be grateful to learn if he could eat first. So the tall wolf produced a large fish," Akul held her hands out at a distance, "and cooked it for the poor wolf. 'I shall teach you how to fish.' The wolf told Mati. And so the day passed into night as the strange white and grey wolf taught Mati how to fish using a special spear and net. When it was time to sleep Mati laid down on the ground. The white and grey wolf disappeared into the darkness of the forest while the lonely wolf slept. In the morning Mati awoke and found several items where the spirit once stood before him; a net and a fishing spear.

So he gathered the items and went to the river. Mati caught many fish. By the afternoon he was eating his catch and a red she wolf from a nearby village stumbled upon him. She was astonished at all the fish he had caught by himself, and decided to approach him.

'Come to our village and teach us how to fish.' She offered. Mati followed her and taught the villagers how to fish like the spirit taught him. And that's how the tribes learned how to fish." Akul finished telling the tale.

"Do you think that is true?"

"I think so because someone had to learn how to fish."

"That makes sense." Aulus admitted.

"Yep! Have you fished before?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head to the wolf's surprise.

"You haven't?! I'll change that!" She declared. "I'll have you catching fish in your sleep." Aulus laughed. "It's a lot of fun too." Akul's ears perked up as Aulus finished laughing. An Australian Shepherd was approaching them along the road.

"Hello!" They kindly greeted the passerby. The Shepherd dog kindly waved at the pair, but his lingering stare reminded the human of something important.

'Wait!' His eyes widened. "I'm still naked!" Aulus stopped in the road. Akul merely grinned and shrugged. "Where did you put my clothes?"

"Oh... Somewhere..." She stalled and held onto the backpack.

"Wait! This is my hometown! I need to put my clothes back on." He pawed at his pack that she was carrying. With a little more persuasion Akul finally allowed Aulus to put his clothes back on. He relieved to cover himself again, but he did miss the warmth of the sun on his bare skin.

"Walking naked wasn't that bad, now was it?" Akul asked.

"It's... different." He admitted and continued walking with her.

"How is it any different than when we're sleeping?" She teased.

"It just is for a town." He playfully shot back.

"Not for my village."

"I know that!" They spotted a small dwelling of buildings downhill bordering the forest that was roughly the same size as Akul's village.

"Is this your home?" She looked around. The river was a short distance away in a thicket of grasses and rushes.

"Yep. This is Solstershire." He nodded.

"Which house is yours?" She looked around the scattered buildings.

"That one." He directed her to the two story cottage by a stream with a mulberry tree. Solstershire was a modest village. Two dozen or so scattered and randomly grouped buildings with a well to the eastern edge of the village. A few yards up from the well on the other side of the creek and a few trees were more modest farmer's houses. The farmers were tending to the fields full of wheat, rye and barley. There wasn't much else to the patchy grassed village other than a random fence or two. They approached the first house.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Wendell." Aulus waved at an older cougar in his late forties hoeing a patch of ground. His wife a leopardess of similar age was spreading radish seeds. Mrs. Wendell wore a long green tunic that reached her shins, and Mr. Wendell wore a short white tunic with a tight pair of braies, and a grey cap on his head.

"Hello." They waved and resumed working. Akul stopped and stared at the cougar.

"Him?" She sniffed the air intently.

"What's wrong?" Aulus paused.

"I have seen him before..." She murmured.

"You have?" Aulus wondered how that was possible.

"You're Leo the fur trapper!" Akul hit an epiphany.

"How do you know my name?" The cougar's face was more surprised than hers.

"I almost didn't recognize you with your clothes on!" She laughed. That raised everyone's ears.

"What is she talking about Leo?!" His wife angrily demanded.

"Back when I trapped fur in the marshes and forest..." The cougar feverishly started explaining everything to his wife.

"How did you know that Mr. Wendell was a fur trapper?" Aulus could hardly believe what he was hearing. "That was a long time ago."

"I was only nine or ten summers old when he visited our village. We always encourage strangers to nudity and most are too nervous about it, but Leo is the only other person who tried it with us."

"Only other person?"

"It'll be you." She smartly answered wearing a grin. "He went hunting with us for a few days before leaving to finish trapping. That's who I heard my first stories of the outside world from."

"-and that's what happened. I swear by it!" A breathless Leo finished telling his wife what happened. Leo's wife turned to the traveling pair.

"So you're from the tribal village in the forests?" She inquired from the naked wolfess.

"Yes I am. Very few outsiders actually visit my village, but he did." She pointed at the cougar.

"I'm glad that we have everything cleared up!" Leo nervously chuckled. His wife gave a firm nod.

"You should visit the next time your trapping." Akul suggested. "I'd like to see you hunting with us again."

"I'm afraid my trapping days are over Akul, just like you are not a pup anymore." He chuckled. "Have you seen your old man yet, Aulus?"

"We're heading over there right now. It was nice seeing you two!" He and Akul left.

"I never expected to see someone like that ever again!" The she wolf happily smiled.

"Our homes are not that far apart surprisingly." A few clucking chickens scattered from their path. They approached a home with a little grouping of strawberry plants near the door. "I can't believe we're all the way back here." Aulus sighed and knocked on the door before entering.

"It's similar to a hut." Akul was pleased with what she saw and stepped inside after Aulus. The main floor was dirt but covered with some herbs and rushes for a more easing odor and sight. The odd mixture transitioned to brick towards the back where there was another room. A set of steep wooden steps led up to a loft and a door to another room. Plenty of things lined the walls. A hoe, bucket, cloths, empty sacks, various pieces of wood and a little carpenter's table filled up the dimly lit entry room. It was a common home for well-to-do countrymen.

"Hello? I heard someone knocking." An older man walked from another room around the corner only to pause. Aulus' grandfather was in his sixties, and a touch shorter than his grandson. He wore a ruddy smock over a white shirt and trousers, typical of someone from the countryside without a lot of money. The only hair on him that Akul could see was a short white bead. A pleasant smell of honeydew, grass, and earth surrounded him. Two kind blue eyes met his younger counterpart's brown ones. They stared for only a second before rushing to each other's arms.

"Aulus!" They embraced warmly. "My grandson is back!" He joyfully wept.

'Aww!' Akul loved a good heart warming moment.

"It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"It's great to see you too." Aulus beamed a smile.

"Oh. Pardon me. Who is your lady friend?" Nikolai noticed the tall naked she wolf standing behind his grandson.

"This is Akul, grandpa. And this is my grandfather Nikolai, Akul." He introduced them to each other. "She's from the tribal village in the forests."

"That's why you're only wearing your lovely fur coat. You are beautiful." His old blue eyes, so full of life itself, seemed to shine through to her soul. "I can see why my grandson would have an eye for you." Aulus shot the old man a glare.

"Thank you." The wolf kindly smiled.

"Come sit down at the table if you want. I want to hear everything." He beckoned them around the corner to a small kitchen where a low fire crackled quietly inside a hearth. The kettle cooking inside smelled good. Two open shutters provided plenty of light for them to see by. The long wooden table brought everything together with two benches. Akul jumped as she stepped onto the cold brick. "Are you alright Akul?" Nikolai asked.

"The floor is cold!" The wolfess hopped to the bench where she sat down with her legs raised.

"I'll get you a stool... maybe two." He noticed how large her canine paws were.

"Thank you." She propped them up.

"How's everything here been?" Aulus asked as soon as his grandfather joined them.

"Same old, same old." He shrugged. "The farmers farm, I work with wood, and the creek flows. Oh! The creek flooded close to a few homes. We had to fix the little bridge upstream."

"Did anyone get hurt?"

"Thankfully, no. Mathew Viser nearly burned down the mill a week ago." He pointed towards the river.

"How did the jackal manage that?"

"He bought tobacco from a cog docked at a wharf upriver and decided to smoke it."

"Something like that was bound to happen..." Aulus muttered.

"How was the journey?" Nikolai finally asked. "I take it that you wore out your shoes at least once."

"Where to start..." Aulus joked. "We visited so many towns and people before reaching Ambrosia. Runaway kids, a monastery, orchards, shipowners, farmers... We slept outside most nights. Finding an inn that would take us could be difficult."

"Aulus ate a mushroom and got sick."

"Yeah." He admitted. "We tried finding food in the woods for fun and I got a little competitive."

"You know better than to eat just any mushroom Aulus." Nikolai shook his head.

"Recovering for four days at a physician's house helped me learn that."

"Other than that the rest of the journey home was nice." Aulus felt the wolf's hand rest on his leg under the table.

"So how was Ambrosia?"

"Loud." Akul blurted out. Aulus nodded in agreement. "There were so many people that I could hardly believe what I saw was not a dream." The wolfess enthusiastically spoke.

"It was a lot to take in." Aulus agreed. "The city was celebrating an important event and there was a lot of partying one night."

"I can imagine you enjoying it. Did you like it Akul?" He looked at the forest raised canine.

"There was good and bad. People threw me into a dark dungeon for a while." Akul shuddered. Aulus comfortingly held her hand.

"Why were you thrown into a dungeon?"

"Public indecency." Aulus answered.

"What? Why that?"

"She's from the forests and refuses to wear anything, except for that scarf."

"Oh. That would be a tough thing to explain." He grinned.

"On a better note, Akul went into the male side of a bathhouse with me."

"You went into a male bathhouse?!" Nikolai laughed heartily and slapped the table.

"I didn't see a problem." Akul giggled and shrugged.

"I'm sure everyone else did." Aulus added. The wolfess stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"What about the gems? How did selling them go?"

"I made a good exchange." Aulus fished out the heavy sack of gold from within his pack. "A fortune to be exact." He dropped it on the kitchen table with a loud clamor. A few heavy gold coins spilled onto the wooden surface, subtly glowing from their metallic luster.

"Saint Agatha!" The old man could hardly believe the quantity of money in one spot. "Wow. That's a lot of gold and silver."

"Pure silver and gold." Aulus added.

"I don't have much use for wealth at my old age." He chuckled and turned to his grandson. "But you can build a house and live your life with little worries."

"I figured that much... But I don't know entirely what I want to do with it all." Aulus didn't discuss his dilemma about whether to follow Akul back to her village... and stay.

"No worries there. How did you two not get robbed or mugged?" He wondered.

"Akul has a way of deterring crime." Aulus placed an arm around the taller wolf's shoulders. Akul flexed an arm to the old man's amusement.

"Now I see!" He smiled.

"How did you get those gems when they're worth so much?" The she wolf asked Nikolai.

"I was just like Aulus when I was his age. Wealth is hard to come by in the southern countryside and I hungered for it most of my life. I can make a hearty meal while I tell you." His smile brightened. "I'm sure you're both famished."

"Yes! Thank you." Akul panted.

"I was an ironmonger for years and made fences, door hinges, and the like before joining a town militia. We were famous for chasing bandits and robbers out of town-"

"He can tell a long story." Aulus whispered to Akul. The older man rambled on as he cooked, and even while they ate together. Nikolai even lit candles after they finished eating.

"And when Aulus was born I decided to stay put in Solstershire and keep the gems stored here as well. My hope was that he could use them to have a better life than mine." Akul listened attentively, but Aulus was nodding off in the chair beside her. "Aulus!" Nikolai woke his grandson up. "How could you fall asleep during such an interesting story?"

"I've heard it many times before." Aulus stretched and stood up. "Besides, it's getting late and we've been walking all day."

"Oh dear. The time seemed to slip by." He bashfully rubbed his neck. "You two get some needed rest then. I'll clean this up."

"Thank you Nikolai." Akul stood up and Aulus brought the wolfess back into the main room.

"What is behind that door?" Akul glanced at the door to their left.

"My granddad's room. It has wooden floors like upstairs." He led the curious wolfess up the steps to the loft. Only one more door remained to another room above the kitchen and Nikolai's room.

"There are so many doors..." She remarked at the three wooden barriers so close to one another.

"Every house has them." He smiled and showed her to his room.

"This must be your room." She smelled the air that held faint stale traces of the human's scent. There was a large desk near the door. Papers with exchange rates and maps of various areas were scattered across the table with a loosely organized fashion. She could imagine Aulus hard at work drawing a map on the work desk. A bed was against the interior wall and a window gave a beautiful view of the town and countryside from the opposite wall.

"You have a good nose." He started unpacking. 'I can't believe I am back in my bedroom.' The human took a moment to appreciate that he made the long journey back successfully. Akul rubbed her paw over the old, smooth boards.

"We're standing above your grandfather now." She grinned and lifted a paw. The concept of a second story building still intrigued the tribal canine.

"If I make too much noise up here then he'll hit the ceiling down there with a broom." The she wolf laughed. Akul approached the window and looked outside where she could see the edge of her forest. Her nose pressed against the pane of glass and pushed it open. The smell of distant oaks and lines carried to her olfactory. Her ears could imagine the sounds of her friends and family howling into the night sky. "Can't wait to get back home, huh?" Aulus glanced up.

"Yeah. I'm homesick." She softly spoke. 'But I want you to come with me.' The wolfess thought to herself. Her ears perked up feeling a hand take ahold of her.

"You could get some sleep for tomorrow."

"You're right." She glanced out the window for another second before stepping back. "It's late anyway." The wolf approached his bed.

"There's only one bed-"

"Then you're laying down with me." She grinned and pulled the cover back on the bed.

"Hey, I'm just letting you know if you want to sleep separately."

"Since when have I not wanted to sleep with you?" The wolfess teased.

"But it's such a small bed. You're the guest and should have full accommodation-" Akul hugged him from behind. Aulus leaned back into her loving and comforting embrace. He relished the wonderful fur on skin contact.

"I know you don't mean that." The wolf pulled him closer and nudged him onto the bed. Without room for disagreement, Aulus piled into bed with her. It felt great to be in his own bed again.

"I want the best for you." He pet her side.

"The best that money can buy?" She grinned at the funny saying.

"Yeah." He chuckled.

"I know, but sometimes you're stubborn." She rubbed her nose over his nose. The human playfully returned the sweet gesture.

"Stubborn? You're one to talk."

"Hm." She licked his nose. "Maybe... Now let's take these off." Akul dipped a hand underneath the hem of his pants and undergarment before rubbing the skin tenderly.

"How could I forget?" Aulus didn't resist and helped her disrobe himself. His naked skin was quickly welcomed with soft furry warmth.

"Where could you sleep outside of my loving arms?" She whispered. Aulus scrunched an eye shut feeling a wide tongue softly lick over his face. When the canine's tongue finally slipped back into its muzzle, Aulus felt saddened.

"You're doing this on purpose!" He frowned in mild frustration. The wolfess looked over his expression.

"What on purpose?" Her head tilted, utterly confused.

"That!" He bit his lip. "Your-your pretty muzzle, eyes... everything." He stopped feeling his heart ache. The she wolf's arms crossed securely over his back in a hug.

"I'll always be here to hold you in my arms." She soothingly spoke in a soft voice.

"I know." He whispered contently and held her in return. Gods, he never wanted to leave her embrace. Their mingling body heat created a drowsy coziness together. A leg hooked over him, intertwining their legs together.

"Now let's sleep. It's almost dark out." She tucked his face into her fluffy chest fur with a chin. Aulus nodded and ran his hand through her fine grey hair. The strands reminded him of silk. He took a deep breath and relaxed. Their fronts were pressed snugly together without a single gap. His chin rested in her tuft of chest fur between two modest, but very lovely breasts. He buried his face into her neck and relished her wild earthy scent. There was so much of her to love, and he wanted to love all of her. "Sleep well." Akul patted his back.

"Goodnight." His muffled voice replied. Their eyes finally closed. Aulus wished that he could snuggle even closer, never wanting to leave her arms for a second.

Chapter Eight

The sharp sounds of a chirping bird pierced the morning air. A triangular grey ear perked up attentively. The wolfess looked ahead at the window across the rustic room. Despite being inside a building, she felt closer to nature than the towns she visited with Aulus.

"Hm?" The grey she wolf felt something and raised her head. Akul lifted her leg and noticed his erection pressing at her leg through the fur. She peeked down suspiciously. Aulus was sound asleep, unaware of his body. 'All males wake up the same.' She grinned and laid her head back down. It amused her how Aulus feared getting one when in her village it was a natural occurrence, and a sign of good health. The wolf inhaled his scent hoping that he would choose to follow her to the village. Her hand lightly rubbed over his back. 'Having Aulus in my arms every morning is a blessing only the spirits could've provided.' Akul thought to herself. The human in her arms stirred awake.

"Mmmm." Aulus groggily found himself wrapped in a warm furry body. He opened an eye and found a white tuft of fur in front of him. Aulus looked up to a softly smiling muzzle and pair of amber eyes watching him.

"Morning." She hummed and licked the peeking eye. He smiled and hid his face into her tuft of chest fur. Akul giggled at the cute scene. "Come here so I can wash that handsome face of yours." The wolfess pried him out with her nose.

"Okay. Okay." Aulus chuckled as a tongue swept over his face

"There." She dried his skin with the back of her hand. "Much better."

"Do wolves lick each other for a bath?"

"No. We have a little lake in the forest to bathe in. The water has to be warm enough of course."

"Of course." He grinned and picked up her hand. Akul watched him feel over her hand's anatomy, down to the claw. He contently laid in bed with her. His hand rubbed over her womanhood and thighs, reveling in the soft downy fur.

"What's on your mind?" The wolf raised her leg while he caressed her.

"I'd have to shear you to find your womanhood." He retracted his hand. Akul held back a laugh.

"I do have a lot of fur down there." She acknowledged through a few chuckles. "And everywhere else." Her leg rested on him once more. Aulus smiled and remained in bed. He loved laying together with her. "You have a lovely room." Akul spoke. "And a comfy bed." She couldn't help but add.

"Thanks." He watched her hand aimlessly trace over his front. "It hasn't changed in years."

"Neither has my parent's hut."

"Your whole village hasn't changed in years I bet."

"Very little." She agreed.

"You know, it's kind of funny that we lived only a few days travel from each other yet we never met."

"Mm. There were only trees and a road between us, but you could've imagined a mountain instead." She grinned at the analogy and circled over his chest. Aulus relaxed into the wolf's caress. Her leathery pads and fur covered hand felt divine against his skin. It would've lulled him back to a cozy sleep had she not stopped. The she wolf stirred beside him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look out the window." Akul sat up and granted him an eyeful as she elegantly stretched.

"Be my guest." He patted her leg as the wolf crawled over him. Akul slipped out of his bed and sauntered across the floorboards. Aulus watched the beautiful wolfess stretch in front of him. The morning sunlight kissed her furry body in a heavenly glow. 'Just like that morning.' Aulus fondly remembered how they woke up together by the river after an intimate night together. He wanted every morning to begin that way. Akul's tail wagged invitingly at him. Aulus slipped out of bed and approached the canine beauty. Akul smiled feeling an arm hold her waist as the human stood beside her in the sunlit window. "You grew up in a beautiful village." She leaned against him.

"It is a quaint little place." He recalled being raised by his grandfather since the young age of five after his parents died. A lot of his time spent as an adolescent was used to help support his grandfather. What little was left over he saved to make the long journey north after his grandfather gave him the family jewels. "You're so warm in the sun." He leaned against her and placed his cheek on her shoulder. Akul wrapped an arm around his side feeling her heart bloom with love and happiness.

"Warmer than in your bed?" She teased as a breeze blew past.

"Mm. Maybe." Aulus looked up at the mottled grey wolfess. The two stared into each other's eyes. Akul's muzzle craned closer and brushed over his lips. They connected and shared a tender kiss, lost in each other's embrace. Aulus didn't want it to end. "Can't you stay here?" He asked as their lips parted.

"No." She shook her head. "I want to return to the village. You promised that we would."

"I know." He admitted and ran a hand through her fur.

"Mm! Something is cooking." Akul hummed.

"It's probably my grandad cooking something." Aulus relished the feeling of the warm kiss on his lips.

"Let's go eat then." She stepped towards the door.

"I need to dress first." He chuckled. "I can't be naked in front of my grandfather."

"I was never clothed in front of mine."

"This is different."

"If you say so." She smiled and waited for him. Downstairs, they found his grandfather cooking with an iron skillet over the fire.

"You two slept well." Nikolai smiled seeing the young man and she wolf join him for breakfast.

"What are you cooking?" Akul's nose couldn't decipher the appetizing smells from the hearth.

"Eggs, cheese, and some cured ham." Nikolai remarked with an upbeat tone. They eagerly took a seat while he made their plates.

"Mm! A nice hot breakfast..." Aulus hummed happily. After literally eating so many times on the road, a nice homemade meal hit the spot. Akul didn't bother using the utensils but instead used her hands or simply her mouth to eat the meal.

"Goodness!" Nikolai laughed. "I hope you didn't need to eat in front of a lord or abbot." Akul and Aulus merely smiled at each other.

"She definitely catches everyone's eye," he chuckled as a canine tongue swiped over the corner of his mouth, "but not for the same reasons."

'He is truly happy with her.' Nikolai could see their mutual love for one another as plain as daylight. "So what are your plans for today Aulus, and what about you Akul?" Their smiles faded and they composed themselves. "Hm?"

"Well... Akul needs to return to her village." Aulus mustered to say it. "She's been gone for almost two months, and I'm going to accompany her back most of the way..." He wasn't sure if that was true or not.

"You don't need to go so soon when you just came home, do you?"

"Yes." He begrudgingly said. "Akul wants to return to her village." He mustered a smile. The she wolf nodded.

"Oh." Nikolai nodded. "Are you going to accompany her all they way to the wolf village? There's a storm brewing out there."

"Well... I guess so." Aulus failed to answer.

"Ok." He nodded and turned to Akul. "It was wonderful meeting you Akul." The old man hugged the tall wolfess. "Do visit again sometime."

"I would love to. Thank you for the hospitality, and I enjoyed meeting you too."

"We'll be sure to beat the storm grandpa." Aulus reassured Nikolai.

"Okay. Take care you two." He bade them safe travels. Akul and Aulus silently left the house. Grey clouds rolled across the sky from the southwest, shrouding the sun from view. They promised plenty of rain shortly.

"A quick rain shower?" She looked up at the changing sky.

"Yeah." Aulus mumbled but didn't even bother looking up at the grey stormy clouds. Other villagers were returned to their homes to avoid the bad weather while they walked out to the little hill overlooking Solstershire. Akul could sense the heaviness in his plodding footsteps. The human was in turmoil.

'If I go to her village, then I will never want to leave.' But was that a bad thing? 'What did I go to Ambrosia for? Nothing?' He asked himself, knowing that there was more to his dilemma than simply gold. Aulus' heart wrenched at the choices. 'She saved my life! Twice!' He recalled the thugs who would've beaten him, and the mushroom that he foolishly ate. 'I can't just leave her!'

'Will he keep walking with me?' She wondered. 'What if he doesn't?' Akul's heart sank feeling a hand stop her. They turned to face each other. A gust of wind swept by ruffling their hair. Aulus swallowed and looked into the beautiful wolf's amber eyes. "Are you staying here?" Her ears pinned back at the question she feared the most to ask. He held his tongue facing the hardest decision of his life, unable to put it off any further. "Aulus?" Her soft voice whispered. The nervousness, tension, and stress was visible in his eyes. She rubbed his hand hoping to help assuage it all.

"Can you wait for me?" He clutched her hand and begged.

"I'll wait right here." She mustered a grin. Aulus dashed back down the dusty road and into the sleepy village. He passed houses and the small well until reaching his house. If there was any moral guidance he needed, it was from his grandfather.

'What should I do?' Aulus stressed. His heart throbbed with heavy beats. Akul would never stay with him, especially the material riches that he obtained. Sure the wolf might visit, but how often would that be? "I don't want to say goodbye!" He sobbed and started to cry. A sleeve dabbed his eyes preemptively as he opened the front door and quietly entered the house. The soft jingling in his pocket caught his attention. He fished out a gold coin and stared intently at it. He could live in a castle, or in a village with Akul. Aulus could buy an entire brothel, or live with Akul and the tribal wolves. He could purchase anything with value, or stay with Akul. Wealth or love? He sought after wealth so viciously by memorizing values and traveling a treacherous journey; yet love unexpectedly came to him so gently with tender warmth.

The cold gold coin in his hand lifelessly looked back at him. The insignia of the town and smith couldn't laugh, smile, or love. Those were the only items it couldn't buy, the ones Aulus should've cherished the most. "Oh gods!" He covered his face in a sob. The coin dropped with a loud clatter on the floorboards.

"Aulus? You're still here?" A voice called from another room. He quickly ran into the kitchen where his grandfather was sitting by the square table.

"Grandfather... I need to tell you something."

"About what?" The old man turned in the chair.

"About Akul." He said with one big breath feeling the heaviness in his chest.

"You love her, don't you?" Nikolai chuckled with a pleasant grin.

"I lo-hey what? How did you know that? Did she tell you?" He blurted out. The elder slowly shook his head.

"I can see it clearer than the blue sky, and she knows that you love her." Aulus could hardly believe his grandfather's words, but the truth within captivated him. "That's why I know she is standing in the rain waiting for you as we speak." Nikolai smiled knowingly. Aulus looked at the window where rain softly pattered feeling his heart pound.

"It's raining already!" He exclaimed. "I need to go!" He hastily scrambled to the door.

"Please write and send a courier my way!" The old man called out before hearing the wooden door shut. Aulus sprinted through the rain shower. The human followed his heart across the dirt streets and towards the top of the hill overlooking the town. His eyes could make out a figure standing lonely at the top.

"Akul!" He spotted the wet mottled grey wolf standing in the same place. Akul's wet fur clung to her body pitifully, completely soaked.

"Aulus!" She barked seeing him running through the rain towards her. The human stopped in front of her and caught his breath. They stared at each other for a dozen seconds without saying anything. Only panting and heavy rain was to be heard.

"You're wet!" He finally exclaimed at the canine's soggy appearance.

"You are too!" She barked and wagged her tail. He looked at his clothes, now darker with dampness.

"I know!" His voice shook. Aulus wiped a watery eye with a wet sleeve.

"Take them off! You'll catch a cold!" She playfully growled and brushed her wet muzzle, then tongue over his cheek. He grinned letting her wash his wet skin while her hands hastily roamed over his buttons. The wolfess was able to pry his shirt off, but the human stopped her from going any further. He cupped the wolf's wet cheeks and kissed her. The canine's thin fuzzy lips, full of desire, pressed roughly against his own. For the moment their lips were sealed, the pouring rain around them was forgotten. They were together, and that was all that mattered. They panted as they parted from the strong kiss. Their mouths were ajar in goofy smiles.

"Akul! I love you!" He proclaimed in a breathless gasp above the pouring rain. "I love you more than the gold I acquired, the wealth I rolled in, and the luxurious goods put together!" His voice quaked tearfully. His eyes were puffy and red from releasing all of the previously accumulated stress and frustration. "I want to go with you, Akul, to your village." The wolfess was stunned and speechless. She stared back at him and her muzzle gradually parted into an open toothy smile. He finally admitted it! He accepted it! He loved her.

"I love you too Aulus." She held him closely in her arms while the rain poured around them. After all the two had been through together, man and wolf were united.

The tribal forests were quiet. Birds seldom made noise and the only rustling noises of leaves were caused by a pairs of feet and paws. Scattered rays of sunshine reached the forest floor where the trees were thinnest, adding to the isolated mystique. Aulus and Akul were walking along an invisible path through the great southern forest. This time they were holding hands, and wearing warm smiles. Akul had her small buckskin pack with the three items that she brought with her on the long journey, however, Aulus didn't have any possessions on his back. No backpacks, money, or even a hidden knife. The human wasn't wearing a single garment of clothing either like his she wolf companion, and that made Akul's smile beam even brighter.

"Are you nervous?" Akul asked. Aulus hesitated for a moment.

"A little... But not as much as I thought I would be." He admitted.

"Just imagine walking to dozens of villages like this," she elbowed his side teasingly, "who stare at you. That's how I felt for the past few weeks."

"You're a lot braver than me. But you're so hard headed about being naked, and you constantly ask me to try it."

"What? I think it's normal and you should try it."

"Just like it's normal to wear clothes and you should try wearing them?" He poked fun at her. The she wolf giggled.

"But I won't make fun of you, nor will anyone else here of you don't."

"Nudity must be special to the forest villages." Aulus guessed.

"It's kind of a sacred thing." She nodded.

"How can something be 'kind of a sacred thing'?"

"It's something you have to experience to understand." She looked around the forest, a beautiful image of untouched nature just like her naked body. Aulus knew he would have to give up everything, including his clothes to stay with her and live in the village, but it was such a small cost to accommodate.

"I've asked this before, but how much further?" Aulus looked around the never ending forest.

"Just a little further." Akul promised. The human didn't know how much farther they could walk without missing the tribal wolf settlement. Sure enough, after passing through a thicket several huts and wolves suddenly came into view. Akul gave a short, sharp howl alerting the entire village.

"You're back!" A white wolf pup and his dad ran up to the wolfess and human.

"Akul and Aulus are back!" A series of cheerful barks and even a few howls echoed throughout the little village. They were soon surrounded by villagers greeting them back. The whole village must have circled them. Licks, nose bumps, and plenty of hugs were given to the returning pair. The wolves Aulus was once afraid of were his greatest friends.

"How many villages did you visit? There must've been over two dozen!" A brown furred hand patted the human's shoulder.

"I think it was more than that-"

"Are you happy to return to our village again?" An enthusiastic pup asked.

"Yes! I'm very excited." He was nervous too.

"I heard that everyone else outside the forests wears long clothes over their bodies. Is this true?" An expecting mother asked.

"It depends on where you go." Aulus had trouble keeping up with all of the questions in the tight group on canines. The human was glad that no one pointed out he was naked. That helped him overcome most of his apprehension even though everyone was naked. Akul's mother, brother, and father eventually made it to the center of the crowd.

"Mom! Dad! Brother! I'm back with Aulus!" She hugged her family tightly. They touched noses and exchanged congratulatory hugs.

"It's wonderful that you came back Aulus." Nattuk, the brown wolf and chieftain of the Tomasaganti village touched noses with the human.

"Welcome back Aulus. I suppose the spirits have arranged for us to meet again." Nasunoo, Akul's mottled grey brother patted Aulus' back next.

"I want to hear every story that you two have to tell." Ginmei tightly hugged Aulus next and licked his already slick face.

"I just told you that we will!" Akul told her mother.

"Everyone!" Nattuk raised his arms. "Let's gather around the big fire for the evening and listen to their stories until nightfall!" The crowd gradually disbanded and began collecting firewood for the village's big fire pit. A few individuals lingered with Akul, her father, and Aulus.

"How do outside villages shoot arrows?" A female pup asked Aulus.

"No one that I know of uses bows." His answer surprised the preteen canine. "I guess you will have to show me how you use a bow."

"Wow! You can come hunting with me, my mother, and my brother." She enthusiastically hopped.

"Let's go gather some wood for the big fire." A friend of her age tugged her along.

"Everyone's very friendly." Aulus said.

"We care for our family and friends." Akul stood beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. That was very true. Nattuk approached once again when everyone disbanded.

"I am glad to see that you are here without clothes." He quietly spoke. "It's been many years since someone from outside the forests has joined us in the nude."

"Akul uh... persuaded me to try it a few times." He bashfully admitted. The wolfess smiled beside him.

"Is that so?" He chuckled.

"Let me take your things then." Ginmei gathered Akul's leather bag. "I can set up your bed again. The hut was lifeless without you." The mother wolfess disappeared around a hut.

"Do you wish to stay here for a few nights Aulus?" Nattuk inquired. "You can sleep in our hut again if you would like. Ginmei won't mind setting up another bed." Akul turned to the human wearing a beaming smile.

"Yes. I do." He nodded. "Um. I'd like to ask your permission for something."

"Oh? And what might that be?" The chieftain's head titled slightly. Aulus swallowed the knot in his throat feeling Akul grab ahold of his hand.

"I want to become Akul's mate." He confidently spoke. Akul eagerly nodded to her father and wagged her tail in agreement. Nattuk looked at both of them.

"I can see it in both of your eyes." He smiled. "Come. Let's gather at the large fire pit and hear your stories. Then you two can share your first experience together with nature and her spirit's." Nattuk nudged them away.

"What does your dad mean by first experience? Do we have to do anything in front of anyone?" Aulus nervously asked after the she wolf's father disappeared back into his hut.

"All we have to do is sit." She chuckled. "And you will see soon enough." Nearly the entire village was gathered around the fire pit. Food and water was shared by bowls passed around for the time being.

"Please sit here!" Someone offered them a close spot before the fire pit. Everyone else sat down in various rings or clustered together around the fire. Aulus and Akul were treated with any available food, water, and friendly company. The chatter wasn't noisy like a busy town or city, but relaxed and content.

"Hey mom." Akul looked over her shoulder as the saggy chested mother wolf sat behind them.

"Enjoying everything, you two?" She placed her hands on their sides. They nodded. "Your father told me some wonderful news and I wanted to say how happy I am for you both before everyone else knows." Ginmei whispered.

"Thanks." They spoke in unison to her amusement. She patted their sides and sat back. The village chieftain appeared with a strange ceremonial rattle. Feathers, dried berries, and other little objects were attached to the rattle by leather strings. Nattuk was wearing a large number of bright feathers in his long brown hair. A low hanging necklace with an arrowhead and a piece from a spruce tree tied in. Everyone looked around and murmured as their chieftain sat down close to Alul and Aulus.

"It has been many days and nights since we have seen Akul and Aulus." He turned and faced the two. "We would love to hear the journey that was taken over such a long period of time." He expectedly looked at Akul and Aulus. All of the villagers looked at the pair with anticipation.

"Where to start..." Akul thought aloud. "We walked a few days to the closest town, er village called Kesselring. There were big huts," she motioned with her hands to convey their size, "and everyone lives in different kinds..." The villagers listened as Akul and Aulus unraveled the long tale. They were in awe of the fanciful descriptions of the townspeople, their buildings, and strange ways of life. Ambrosia was difficult to comprehend and was met with endless questions about how a giant village of thousands of houses could have giant stone huts and massive ships resembling little mountains. The crowd of wolves laughed at the funny moments Aulus and Akul had shared on their journey together. They gasped and were almost driven to tears when Aulus and Akul nearly separated. The ending was by far their favorite as dusk settled in.

"But even as I stood on the hilltop in the rain, I never gave up on Aulus." Akul clutched her love's hand. "I never felt so happy when I saw him running towards me. We hugged and he told me how deeply he loved me. Then we came here." Everyone barked happily at the romantic ending.

"We actually left my clothes in a tree near the road." Aulus laughed.

"The world is full of many strange things, but it is a good place." Akul closed the story.

"That's a beautiful story you two have shared, and will continue to share." Nattuk hinted at the possibility of a little one in the near future. The chieftain suddenly shook his rattle and everyone quieted. "We can now begin the ritual that will unite two as mates." He walked over and knelt in front of Aulus and Akul. His body appeared like a silhouette in the darkness with the flames behind him. The human's heart pounded excitedly. "Face each other." Nattuk turned the human's head. Akul was already facing him.

"Sorry." He quietly spoke and looked at Akul's smiling face. The mottled grey wolf was gorgeous. A beautiful blend of white along her throat and jaw, tans along her muzzle brow and cheeks, all mixed with varying greys that darkened towards her forehead and pointy ears. The soul of it all was her amber eyes that reflected the fire's glow.

"Aulus." Nattuk's deep voice brought the human from his daydreaming gaze. "Do you accept our tribal way of life, and wish to be a part of our village?"

"Yes."

"Do you also wish to become Akul's mate, love her, and nurture her as nature has to us all?"

"Yes."

"Akul. Do you wish to become Aulus's mate, love him, and nurture him as nature has to us all?" He asked his daughter the same question.

"Yes." She answered. The chief grinned and shook his ceremonial rattle.

"Hold your hands up and join them." He commanded. The human and she wolf did as he requested. Aulus pressed his palm to Akul's. He grinned at the warmth. Her bulky digits managed to fit between his slimmer ones, and cover the back of his hand. Akul's paw resembling hand was larger than her human counterpart. The chieftain revealed a long leather string. Nattuk tied the leather string around their joined hands and created a very loose knot. He started shaking the rattle softly.

"Great forest and her spirits, bless these two mates." He chanted. "Grant them fertility to raise and nurture a family! Have them hunt well and be in good health! May the spirits grant them sweet dreams together. Let their love grow and be as strong as an oak tree!" His voice resounded strongly with a final shake from the ceremonial rattle. "You may embrace." He finally said with a grand smile. The man and wolfess hugged each other tightly, wearing joyful smiles. A chorus of merry howls bloomed and echoed through the village and forest.

In a deeper part of the forest the crickets chirped in a truly rustic melody. In a hidden place, Aulus and Akul were laying down in the leaf covered forest floor. The spot was dark and cozy, hidden from the full moon's gaze high above. The towering oaks were covered with green ivy and bushes created a natural wall around them in an arc. It was a little private haven inside nature. They were staring at the little bits of skylight visible through the gaps in the dense canopy above. The night was warm, but just in case it turned a little cooler Akul could provide the human with warmth. Aulus felt whiskers tease his face as the wolf's nose loomed beside his cheek.

"Are you tired yet?" Akul asked.

"I'm not sleepy yet." The excitement of returning to the village still coursed through his veins.

"Neither am I. Do you want to stay up a little longer?" She suggested, resting a hand over his chest.

"Again?" His question made her chuckle.

"Not to mate again." She grinned. They mated twice for the night, and it was already past midnight. The intimacy was far less rushed than their first time by the river, but no less passionate. Akul stood up and offered Aulus a hand.

"Come on. There's a lake near here." Akul helped him up. Aulus followed the wolfess through the dark forest, guided by her hand and the moonlight above. The sounds of frogs croaking began mingling with crickets and other nightly forest creatures. With a couple more steps they stumbled upon the shore of a lake. The full moon was in clear view and illuminated the entire lakeshore. The water's calm surface shimmered like silver. "This is where we swim and bathe."

"It's very beautiful here." Aulus held her hand close. His mate smiled.

"I want to wake up here." Akul leaned against him. They sat by the shore of a small wooded lake. The moss was cool beneath the human's skin, but the furry body he leaned against was warm and soft. "This lake is called the spirits' journey." Akul told him. "It's believed that spirits can enter our world and their world through this lake only when the moon is visible." It reminded him of a peasant's tale of an abandoned field, but the scenery made it all seem more real.

"Have you ever seen one?" He pet over her hand.

"No. But our shaman has." She brought his hands to her tummy, and then her breasts.

"Hm?" He hummed in question.

"Just rub them." She simply asked. Aulus cupped the small furry mammaries and gently rubbed at her odd request. He generously rubbed her thick nipples. Akul hummed at the intimate touch they could have alone in the forest. The wolfess sighed contently as his hands gradually explored her front.

"I'm pregnant." She spoke quietly and smiled. Aulus halted the tender motion and blinked. The human stared at her tummy bathed in moonlight. Barely a week had passed since that night.

"How do you know?" He managed to ask.

"Mother's instinct." She shrugged and kissed his cheek. Aulus stared at the she wolf's belly in awe.

"That's wonderful." He smiled proudly. She cupped his cheek and leaned closer. Aulus tilted his head into her warm hand and followed suit. Their eyes closed as they kissed under the heavenly gaze of the full moon.

Epilogue:

Two little wolf pups scrounged curiously in a previously unknown wicker basket. The hand made baskets were common around the tribal forest village of a hundred or so individuals. The hut they were in was also fairly standard: a large space containing a dormant fire pit, deerskins as flooring, and a few baskets to hold personal items among other things. A dream catcher hung above a few deer skins that acted as one family bed. It was fairly primitive in most respects, although, a large map of every tribe in the forests hung on the center back wall. It was a modern touch alongside a paisley blue scarf.

"Look at what I found!" A young pair of amber eyes and brown eyes looked intrigued at the find that they stumbled upon.

"What are they?" Hands picked up the strange items.

"They're probably part of a hammock." The first one thought aloud.

"That's not right. Hammocks aren't that small." A grey male, the older of the pair corrected her.

"How would you know?" The question stumped the eldest wolf.

"Let's go ask dad!" The male suggested. The two quickly jumped up, left their hut, and followed the not-so-stale scent of their father through the little village in the forest. The autumn air was crisp and cool, making a scent trail easy to detect and follow.

Varuna was the golden blonde and white she wolf pup, and was barely one month from turning five. Tomakin, the grey male with a dash of white on his chest, was seven. In village tradition and beliefs, both were nude as was every one else in the tribal village. They didn't grow up knowing the shame of being naked, but rather living closer to nature. Hunting, foraging, storytelling around a fire at night, and celebrating the seasons were the village's basic activities. It was a simpler way of life where one didn't have to worry about things that they could or could not have. By no means was the isolated spot in the forest perfect, but for one hundred or so individuals it was the place that they called home. The forest home tightly surrounding the village was gradually changing for the season. Autumn was an important time of year for the village in the forest, and many others as well! The fall equinox celebration was within a week, the air would become even crisper, and the leaves would begin changing colors.

The winter months in the forest only went below freezing during the night, if that even happened. Fur was more than enough on anyone's body to stay warm, pup or elder. A blanket never bothered anyone if needed. Tomakin and Varuna raced around the village huts in search of their father.

"Where are you two going?" An adult male watched the two scurry past him.

"We're looking for our dad, uncle Nasunoo!" They exclaimed but didn't pause to talk, or even ask their uncle if he had seen him.

"Pups swill be pups." The mottled grey wolf chuckled. Varuna and Tomakin reached Huaxeca's hut where they lost their dad's scent. Huaxeca the mottled light brown and grey wolfess was sitting outside, weaving the beginnings to a new basket. She was nude as well. Low hanging breasts, a silver ticked muzzle, thin arms, thinning fur, and a little pouch of fat on the wolf's belly gave away her advanced age.

"What are you two doing?" She kindly asked.

"Have you seen our dad Huaxeca?" The pups quickly asked in unison.

"He was here not too long ago." The older female acknowledged. "What's that?" She spied the garments in the two pups' hands. "A blanket for your father?"

"We don't know." Tomakin surprised her. "We wanted to ask our dad what it was."

"I'm sorry to say that I didn't ask where he was going, but it looks like a blanket." The elder she wolf peered at the balled up fabric in the little pup's hands.

"It's the funniest blanket..." Varuna seemed puzzled by the whole thing.

"If your dad gets too cold tell him he's always welcome to snuggle close to me. That always makes him fluster!" The old wolfess cackled. The two pups chuckled and scurried off back to their home.

"He's always funny about those things!" Varuna laughed.

"Yeah. Dad's cheeks always turn pinkish or red when Huaxeca asks him to snuggle with her for warmth."

'I wish my fur could change colors.' The little wolfess thought to herself, but the idea of red furred cheeks didn't seem right. "How does dad stay warm without fur?" She asked her older brother.

"He has fur on his head, legs, and here." He motioned to his groin.

"Then why does he need a blanket during winter?" Varuna looked up at her brother. The pure grey pup thought for a moment.

"His fur isn't thick enough, so he puts it around his back to help stay warm." He reasoned. "Or he will sleep close with mom and us."

"Oh." Varuna understood. Their paws halted in the dirt. They raised their noses and smelled the crisp air.

"This scent trail is fresh!" Tomakin grinned and followed it. Varuna tagged along and they navigated through the village back to their hut. Inside they heard the soft crackling of a fire, and their noses picked up on a fresh scent. They two peeked inside and saw a figure kneeling by the flames, adding a few sticks. Unlike a wolf he bore little fur, but his skin had tanned somewhat evenly over the years. Long brown hair was kept in a single tail, a common tribal fashion. "Hey dad!" They ran inside and sat beside the human. Aulus hugged his seven year old son and five year old daughter.

"What are you two doing?" He noticed a particular look in their curious eyes.

"Dad, what are these?" The wolf pups held up the thin garments. His eyes widened seeing the garments in their hands.

"Oh, those are my old clothes."

"Clothes?"

"You wore clothes?" The other's ears perked up in surprise.

"Back when I was a merchant I did." Aulus felt the worn fabric under his thumb. The memories practically flooded his mind.

"They look so funny." Tomakin snickered at the sleeve he held up.

"What's a merchant?" Varuna asked.

"Let's see... A merchant sells items for money like an arrow for a coin which can be used to buy something else like food."

"Why do merchants do that? Can't a merchant trade the arrow for food without a coin?"

"Well, they have a dream to accomplish like catching a deer or learning to make a hand drum." He rubbed their heads simultaneously. The pups battered their father's hands away.

"What dreams does a merchant have dad?" Tomakin asked.

"One like you and I, but the merchant's dream isn't to acquire a vast amount of wealth, but to discover who he or she is through acquiring it."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean dad?" Their little canine expressions were fairly confused.

"Yes, what do you mean?" A female voice caught all three's attention. A mottled grey wolfess smiled at them. Her larger breasts gently swayed as she crawled inside, sagging from their own weight. Bare pink areolae kissed the fresh air with prominence. Akul's breasts that were barely the size of a B-cup added a healthy two inches to her bust size since her first and second pregnancies, and they remained so ever since. The rest of her body hadn't changed and retained its gracefully athletic build.

"Mom!" Varuna and Tomakin excitedly jumped up and ran to her.

"Hello you two!" Akul wrapped her arms around the two.

'Too sweet' Aulus chuckled to himself as Varuna and Tomakin licked their mother's muzzle before searching for milk.

"Let me sit down first!" She chuckled at her eager son and daughter. The mother sat down and they sat on each side facing her. Lips quickly encircled the two respective teats. "You'll grow tall and strong with my milk." She chuckled with a heartfelt sigh as they suckled. Suckling her pups was one of the most relaxing things as a mother that Akul could do. She secretly dreaded the day her eldest would wean himself.

"How did your hunt go?" Aulus approached.

"Very well. Takaut and I caught a white tail deer. My mother helped gut it on the spot."

"Why do you like hunting mom?" Tomakin asked with a teat in his mouth.

"Mothers love to hunt." Akul patted their backs. "And love to nurse." She winked at her mate who had helped her on numerous occasions relieve her from fullness. Aulus only smiled and sat down with his family.

"The hut is much warmer when you're here." He brought a hand around Akul's back. Her fuzzy lips touched his bare ones before giving a soft lick. They smiled and shared a quick kiss. It was sweet intimate moments like these with her family that made Akul so happy, and forever glad that she went on that long journey through all those towns with her mate. Aulus was equally proud of his family and loved them very much. They watched their two pups suckle heartily. The eldest held Akul's breast and helped squeeze it to reach the creamier stores.

"Getting empty?" Aulus chuckled.

"They're never empty." Akul grinned. The pup hummed contently in agreement. "Are we going back to Solstershire to bring your dad here for a visit? Winter will be here very soon." She asked her mate. Aulus's father visited every winter for a month or two. Surprisingly the old man eagerly participated in village life nude with little hesitation despite the colder weather. Every wolf graciously offered to keep him warm if a blanket wasn't enough. It always amused Aulus to see his dad snuggled together with Huaxeca.

"Is grandpa Nikolai visiting soon?" Tomakin unlatched and wagged his tail. Aulus smiled. Nikolai was his grandfather, but it was so rare to have a great grandfather that no one used the word.

"He should." Aulus rubbed his son's head fur. "I'll have to nail a letter to the border tree soon." A postman travelled back and forth from Kesselring to Solstershire twice a month, and Aulus struck a deal with the carrier soon after he was mated to Akul to communicate with his dad and arrange visits.

"His health always improves when he visits." Akul added.

"That's because he always has someone here to give him good company and warmth."

"You mean good company and warmth when he's with Huaxeca, the widowed wolfess a few years younger than him, right?" Akul gave a keen grin.

"I wouldn't be surprised if those two became mates during his next visit." Aulus remarked. He certainly liked the thought of his grandfather remaining in the village.

"If they become mates, can grandpa Nikolai stay in the village all year?" Varuna unlatched and asked with a curious tilted head. Both pups moved off their mother's lap.

"I can always talk to Huaxeca." Akul mused as she dried her wet teats. Varuna and Tomakin leapt up excitedly and wagged their tails.

"Calm down you two. If you want to jump around, then do it outside." Aulus didn't need a head to hit the ceiling and cause an injury. Not surprisingly, the pups bolted outside to play.

"Pups will be pups." Akul hummed with a grin.

"Our pups." Aulus held her hand.

"Yes. Our pups." They leaned forward and shared tongues before joining together in a light kiss. This was Aulus's true dream, and he wanted nothing more.

END