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Chapter 16: Devotion There were no strange dreams to plague the human, a luxury he would always be thankful for in recent days. However, the true blessing of that morning lay elsewhere—snuggled all around him with that ever-comforting fur and the weight behind it. The human yawned, stretching into the morning rays before nuzzling his face back into his Master's chest. The scent of his wolf made for a calm start to the first day in his new home. His leg and ab muscles felt strangely tired, a dull ache that was more relaxing than painful as he nestled against his Master's bulk. A large hand came to rest atop his head, the claws scritching the tiniest circles through his hair, coaxing a content sigh from the human. He lifted his eyes, finding Master Hatchet's gentle stare waiting for his own. The human quickly raised his right hand to his mouth, dropping it while moving his left towards his elbow. He partially lifted his right hand again to complete the new sign. “Good morning.” The Master just nodded, trying his best to replicate the sign, but not quite getting the roll of the motion. With a little bit of correction from the human, his wolf had it down by the third repetition, so he repeated it a final time, adding “Master Hatchet”, to the end. The wolf's smile slipped as his head tilted some. The human raised a brow. The wolf pointed to himself, signing “Master Hatchet,” before pointing to the human and lifting his own brow. ‘He wants to know my name?’ The human lowered his gaze. ‘How can I tell him I don't remember? How can I ask for a new one?’ He finally just looked back to his wolf and shook his head. Master Hatchet stared for a little bit, seemingly deep in thought before patting the human twice in quick succession and swinging his paws from the pile of pelts to stand into a stretch. The human sat up too, feeling a little disappointed at not giving his Master an answer, however, the wolf's hand wrapping around his leash stole him from that thought. He looked up, realizing he was being asked to stand. After nearly tripping in his hurry to comply, the human was up and eagerly awaiting whatever direction his Master had to give. The wolf leaned in, offering a tiny lick on the cheek before pulling away and scanning the traces of last night that still lingered on them. He finished with a familiar sign; an up and down motion of a fist over his chest. The human nodded, always happy to bathe with his Master. With delicate direction on his lead, the human followed his wolf out of the bedroom and towards the other end of the home, stepping briefly outside and into a stand-alone room mostly made of wood. A large oval basin sat in the center of this room, a pump poised on one side of the tub with a table built flush around the other. There were strange carvings on the metal, piquing the human's interest. He was led to the table and lifted up to sit on it. The Master turned to the pump and held a finger to one of the odd symbols on top. Water began flooding out, filling the tub at rapid speed. The water spewing from the tap was freezing, even the tiniest splashes against the human's skin making him look forward to this bath less and less. When the tub was nearly full, the wolf straightened back up, looking at the human with a flash of fangs. He pointed two fingers towards his own eyes and back to the human, his intent clear—and his guess for the sign surprisingly accurate. “Watch.” The human nodded. The Master leaned over, dragging his claws clockwise over the center marking on the tub, causing the runes marking it to alight. Master Hatchet made a few passes with his claws before the human noticed steam rising from the tub. With a touch of amazement, the human lowered one of his feet, dipping it into the water, finding it really had warmed considerably. ‘Guess magic fills in for the science yet to be discovered in this world.’ After three more passes, the Master stopped and raised a brow towards the human, his unspoken question clear. “Warm enough?” The human thought for a moment then raised his hand, pointing upwards. The wolf nodded, making two more passes before reaching beside the table, lifting up a wooden box, and rising to his paws. He turned towards the human and raised a hand to his collar, removing the leash to set it aside. He straightened up, scooped the human up in his arms, and stepped into the tub, easing them both down into the soothing warmth of the steaming water. The wolf tossed his right arm over the side of the tub and wrapped the left around the human's waist, urging him to lean back against the burly chest and relax into the water. The human was eager to oblige, handing full control over to his wolf and settling into the steamy bath and embrace with a happy sigh. The wolf gave two quick pats on the human's belly before pulling his left arm free and lifting it to snatch the first thing from the box, a sweet-scented bottle of oil. The Master popped the small cork with his thumb and poured a half-circle around them, setting it aside only to grab another tincture in its place. This one had a strong smell to the human, something close to eucalyptus. The wolf only added a small splash of that vial, but a quick swish of his arm through the water left an impressive array of foamy bubbles swirling around them both. The wolf reached for another item, a small satchet wound tightly across the top with a rope. He held it before the human's nose, letting him get a smell. The contents were quite fragrant, the scents familiar, but just slightly off—like most things in this world seemed to be. Lavender. Rosemary. Mint… and clove? The human was a little surprised by the mix. His Master didn't exactly seem the kind for stuff like this. Even more surprising to the human, however, was that the Master didn't open this satchet at all. Instead, he simply dipped it into the water and returned it to the human's chest. A heavy lather quickly built over his skin from the strange contents of the makeshift sponge. It wasn't like any bath he'd ever really had, but he was certainly happy to be pampered a little more after surviving so long in such filth. He preened as his wolf scrubbed all over his chest, shoulders, and on to each of his arms. The rougher pads on the Master's palm made for the perfect scrubber as the wolf's right hand joined his efforts, trailing behind every pass of the soapy satchel. The wolf's hands dipped beneath the surface, caressing dutifully down the human's frame as they made their way towards his inner thigh. The moment the Master's hand passed over that more sensitive skin, the human's arousal sprang to full attention—the bath water suddenly feeling a little hotter. The Master just nuzzled him lovingly, giving his cock a quick squeeze and a pass of the soap before moving on with his task. By the time the Master had finished scrubbing the human's feet—which the wolf seemed pleased to discover were faintly ticklish—he returned the satchet to the human's groin, rubbing it thoroughly over his balls before dipping lower, between his crack. As the wolf very gently brushed at the entrance, he passed a test swipe of his finger across. The Master's chest compressed with a deep sigh of evident relief. Everything had healed just fine. The human found the concern quite endearing… but found his intrusive thought a little louder at the moment. He pressed back, tempting the Master's finger to dive deeper as a smug smile forcefully crept across his face. The master swirled his finger around the hole twice, being extra careful with his claw as he traced those familiar circles on the human's more vulnerable skin. Ripples filled the tub, chasing the shiver running up the human's spine when the Master feigned penetration for a moment, calling the bluff. The wolf flashed those fangs the human so adored, dragging purposely across his hole one last time before withdrawing his hands and setting the satchet aside. The Master motioned for the human to dunk himself, scooping up a bit of the earlier bubbles and plopping them atop his hair after. With smooth and stimulating repetitions, the wolf passed a brush over the lather, eliciting the best chills as bristles tickled the human's scalp. Master Hatchet spent quite a while there, brushing away. The human suspected the Master was only still going for one reason; the wolf knew the human was enjoying himself—and while the human appreciated that, it was only fair the Master be just as pampered. The human dunked below the surface again, rinsing the suds from his hair and rising back up, thankful the tub seemed plenty big enough for them both. He passed a hand over his head—smoothing away the excess water—the bubbles a better shampoo than he expected of this world. After basking under the Master's gaze of approval for a moment, the human slowly lifted his hand, asking to take the brush from the wolf. The Master gave it a quick toss in his palm, flipping it to catch the bristly end as he offered the handle to the human. Bending his knees, the wolf let himself slide further into the tub, briefly submerging himself before rising back up; a light shake sending the extra droplets flying. The human held his hands up, vainly attempting to block the watery assault, the biggest smile on his face at the Master's playful motion. The wolf just beamed right back, quite clearly proud of himself. They stared at each other for a moment longer, the human lost in the sight of his soggy hero. ‘I've never been this happy… I've never been so lucky.’ They met in the middle of the small space between them, both swooping in for a kiss at the same time. So naturally, they just awkwardly kind of headbutted each other, leaving the pair with even stupider smiles after. The wolf leaned in to touch his snout against the human's nose, nudging him softly before lazing back, resting both arms on the ledge of the tub to present himself for the brushing. ‘Seems Master is a bit fond of worship. Guess I'll have to step things up.’ The human scooped up some of the bubbles, mimicking the wolf's methods as he smeared a few handfuls over the Master's chest and arms; dutiful fingers working it into the thick fur with diligence. He grabbed the satchet, squeezing a few fresh suds from the strange sponge and swiping it across his Master's heavy fluff. When he'd coated his wolf with a decent mix of both soaps, he set aside the satchet. Moving from between the wolf's legs, the human slid forward, choosing to straddle his Master yet again. The human had leaned forward before his wolf could react, bringing both hands up to the shapely pecs—the true build of his wolf unveiled by the wet fur clinging closer to the skin. He smoothed his hands slowly down his Master's front, reveling in every curve and divot of the springy muscles. The human dug his fingers in, scrubbing dutifully as he did his best for Master Hatchet, hoping his wolf would be pleased. Before soaping up his Master's underarms, the human couldn't help but to close his eyes and lean in for a fading whiff of that magnificent stink. Reluctantly, he smoothed soap on the pits after, much preferring the prior scent. ‘It's fine… I'll just have to earn some more sweat from him later.’ The human opened his eyes and leaned back, returning to his task. He paused briefly, the Master was staring. But like the good human he would always be for Master Hatchet, he didn't stare for long. He had a job to do, and that fur wasn't going to brush itself. = = = Hatchet had been admired for a long time. There had been countless offers he'd passed on and countless partners he'd taken, but they all had one thing in common; each had ended up a disappointment. There was something always lacking, something the human quelled with every purposeful pass of his hand. Devotion. It was something Hatchet had never seen demonstrated so fully, but it felt as though the human had already dedicated his entire life to serving Hatchet. It was like being worshipped by someone who was a god in their own right—validating in the best and worst ways. Those committed hands stroked his ego and soothed his doubts with every pass, like the human would be eager and content to simply stay there tending to Hatchet until he was told to stop. ‘But he will stop if I tell him to.’ Obedience. His human followed every command without question. To do so willingly; to submit to any order Hatchet gave—to bear pride in that submission… Joy, even. Such subservience was humbling to Hatchet, but it was something he never knew he needed. Hatchet wouldn't risk losing his mate. His decisions had to be absolute, for that was an assured way to keep his summoned safe. If Hatchet was to be the leader his human wanted him to be, it had to be this way. It was on Hatchet to ensure he didn't abuse that. ‘He's counting on me not to abuse that.’ Trust. At the core of it all, there was trust between them Hatchet had never held with another. His human wore that trust like a leash, eager for Hatchet to lead so he could follow. That kind of faith was nothing to dismiss; nothing Hatchet ever wanted to lose. With his human believing in him—relying on him—Hatchet found himself looking forward for the first time in many years. ‘What will our future hold? Will he be happy here? I know he'll be happy with me, but is this place enough? The world he came from must've offered a lot that this one can't. Will he ever be comfortable?’ As if to confirm that thought, the human leaned in, resting his brow on Hatchet's shoulder for a moment before sliding back to tend to the wolf's lower half. ‘Guess he's happy enough. Guess we both are if he's got me worrying about all of this. This life can't be worse than what he endured before…’ Restless thoughts shifted to memories that felt like a lifetime ago—kicking up a storm of conflicting rage, gratitude, and sorrow. Hatchet remembered their first bath, that revolting stench and that matted hair. Hatchet stared at his human, recalling how still he was back then—how afraid; how all traces of being a person were locked so deep inside that scarred, malnourished shell, Hatchet was uncertain if they'd ever come back out. ‘But look at him now. Thriving. Healthy. Smiling. He looks at me now—signs to me. He can eat as much as he hungers for; go as far as he wants to. He can be whoever he wants now, but he still chooses to be mine.’ Hatchet cast a flash of fangs for his human, those dark eyes melting in response. ‘He can devote his life to me. I'll just devote mine right back. He wants to tend to me? Please me? Stay with me? Then we have the same desires. I need him as much as he needs me. Guess it doesn't really matter which of us leads if we're walking the same direction.’ The human had scrubbed and caressed nearly every inch of Hatchet as the wolf tumbled through his thoughts. Gentle hands moved to massaging Hatchet's larger paws after. Hatchet grunted as a tight tendon rolled beneath the efforts, curling his toes and tensing. The summoned flashed a look of panic at first, but after a quick reassurance from Hatchet, he continued, kneading deeper into the pads. Laying his head back against the tub, Hatchet sucked in a sharp breath, his ears twitching. ‘Fuck… he's good at that. He's good at everything.’ Another taught muscle worked loose; another flex of toes sending a shiver up his spine. It would be painful were it not so pleasurable. ‘Pleasurable?’ Hatchet swallowed, peering down at the human's face only inches from his paw. He was staring intently with those dark eyes, working the paw over relentlessly in his ever-steady mission to please. Noticing Hatchet's reaction, the human smiled, leaning closer to the paw even bigger than his face was as he worked it over with twice the vigor. Hatchet could only stare as the human pressed his face forward and buried his snout between the pads, nosing into the crease and sniffing with purpose. Those tentative hands never stopped kneading. Hatchet half-whined and half-moaned, relaxing his head and closing his eyes to combat the swarm of jittery butterflies jostling his stomach. ‘Well… didn't know he was into that. Didn't know I was either.’ The summoned never stopped finding ways to make Hatchet feel new highs of adoration. The reason why such a powerful being would cling to a simple mercenary was something the wolf would never truly understand, but gods, was he thankful they'd ended up together. He never thought he'd be proud to collar another, yet here he was; melting a little more with every thud his heart made. A tiny kiss on his soapy pad brought him back from his doting. Hatchet creaked open an eye as the human lowered his leg gently back beneath the water and switched to tending the other paw. ‘Seriously. I don't deserve this. But I'll be sure to spoil him in return at least. Just wish it was easier to praise him.’ Hatchet adjusted his submerged paw, sliding it between his human's thighs. The summoned only spread them in response, submitting as beautifully as ever to the wolf's instruction. Hatchet couldn't help but smirk as his pads pressed into that sensitive dick; the blush in his human's face was simply too adorable not to. Hatchet nudged the growing arousal, shifting his toes around the girth to tease his mate a little more. The human amplified his efforts, tending to the paw in his hands as the one against his crotch urged him on. Occasionally, he'd suck a short breath in, squirming from flesh trapped between slippery toes. Despite Hatchet's best efforts to distract him, the summoned never stopped rubbing; not even when his stomach suddenly gurgled in protest and neglect. ‘So focused. He deserves a reward. Guess I should make breakfast.’ Hatchet pulled his paw from the plump cock, giving his human mercy before withdrawing the other from his hold. The wolf leaned back, submerging himself a final time before surfacing with a shake of his coat and a flash of his fangs. Taking his human by the hands, Hatchet stood, coaxing him to stand as well. He snagged some towels and set about drying the summoned. When his human was taken care of, Hatchet started patting himself down after. Pulling a final item from the wash box, Hatchet turned to his human, opening a jar of powdered conditioner and holding it towards the short snout. Hatchet mumbled to himself, “Don't usually use this stuff. Hope you like it?” The human closed his eyes and leaned in, taking another measured sniff of what Hatchet offered. The smile that crossed his mate's face was answer enough, but the softness in that gaze gave Hatchet's the true reassurance he sought. Grabbing a pinch of the powder and sprinkling it on the human's fur, Hatchet took the brush from the tub, shook off the excess water, and started making pass after pass through the fine strands. ‘So soft. Delicate in comparison to our own. Like dark silk that grows faster than you’d expect.’ Despite his musing, Hatchet was pleased to find the conditioner working just as well for a human's fur as it did on a wolf's. He kept stroking, careful not to snag, but working to spread it out evenly. The human was leaning into the brushing, clearly enjoying his pampering. After making a final stroke of the brush, Hatchet set it aside, and took up the leash. The human was presenting his collar before Hatchet could even turn back around. The wolf chuckled, “Good… human?” He latched the lead. “No, that doesn't sound quite right,” he groaned, continuing his conversation with himself. “Really need to find you a new name.” The human simply stood there, completely unaware of Hatchet's dilemma; unabashedly doting as he waited for direction—and quite possibly breakfast. Hatchet scoffed, “Yeah. Guess you'll want me to decide on that, too?” The human—obviously—didn't reply. Hatchet closed his eyes and held a hand to his chin. ‘Do I simply name him the same as a wolf? Like a pup coming into their own?’ A tender touch at his abdomen made Hatchet reopen his eyes, seeing his human looking up with concern. Hatchet smiled, taking hold of the leash and drawing his human into a calming kiss. When Hatchet broke away, he brought his free hand to his stomach, signing, “Food?” And then the human's smile grew even larger than Hatchet's. The rest of the tour would simply have to wait. *** Howdy. Sorry it's been a second. Retail. Holidays. Need I say more? Know the plot seems a hair aimless atm, but it's just transition chapters setting the stage and leading up to the next arc, so hopefully you enjoy these cozy parts for a bit… but also, these 2 keep trying to fuck everytime I start a new paragraph, so expect a lot of degenerate smut sprinkled in that coming cozy. Sorry for short chapter. This one was more a recap/reflection, so tried not to drag it out for too long. (Do hope you enjoyed some of the teasers though.) As always, appreciate the time, patience, and the read. Always open to hear feedback or thoughts if comfortable leaving them. Until next time ~Bayou