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"Are you just going to be taking care of him the whole time? As one cares for a frail young pup?"

The wolf's eyes narrowed and he looked back at his lupine companion sitting further behind him. As the alpha of their pack branch, his tent was the largest of them all, but it still didn't leave that much space for the three occupants it currently had.

"He is not as we are," Raakk said towards the other wolf. His beta.

Sgen just snorted. "That is exactly what I have been telling you ever since his kind appeared many moon cycles ago!"

Raakk shook his head. "As always, you overreact. It has not been that long."

"It might as well have been! They are strange. They get in the way of our duties. And now, this."

Raakk let out a huff of his own. His tail swished behind him in tandem with his frown of annoyance over his beta's attitude. Instead, he ignored the other wolf and turned back to the main focus of his attention. Sleeping between his own pelts was the strangest wolf their tribe as a whole had ever seen.

While Raakk himself had a typical gray-and-white coloring and Sgen, the annoying wolf behind him, had a slightly less common pure black coat of fur, this wolf had a bright orange pelt over his head and back with a lighter, cream-colored belly and underside. The alpha still wondered how someone like that would get any hunting done at all in the white of their snow-covered lands.

Not only that, but the strange wolf was also considerably smaller than even the shortest runt of any wolf litter Raakk had ever seen. His ears were larger than average and his tail unnecessarily thick and fluffy. Right over his muzzle, the 'little red wolf', as they had come to call him, had little stains of black right beneath his whiskers that were actually not dirt nor body paint. 'Scrawny' was also a word that defined the strange wolf, for unlike Raakk, Sgen or pretty much any other male wolf they knew, this stranger did not have the body of a hunter. No muscles, no battle scars to show off, nothing. While the little red wolf had given them what Raakk had interpreted as being his name, 'Al- l- den' or something of that sort, the sound was so impractical, requiring such strange twists of the tongue to say it that the wolf avoided using it.

Raakk put a paw over the little red wolf's chest. He still slept soundly. The alpha's paw moved up to feel his muzzle with some worry, ears and even pried the sleeping wolf's muzzle open to feel his tongue. His body still felt somewhat cold, but it was warmer than before. Chances were he was going to recover. Raakk felt some relief in that knowledge. The sight of that small wolf lying there between the pelts, unconscious yet trembling from the chills brought the alpha memories that instilled pain from within his heart. Things he had rather not remember. Even though this one, unlike last time, was someone he or his tribe barely knew, the sight of him weakened, struggling to survive, it still...

"I say we drive him and his kind out and take this back to the Prime Alpha in the mainland," the black wolf insisted again, interrupting Raakk's thoughts.

This time, the alpha growled at him with impatience. "We have had this discussion many times before. These strangers bring us new things that we do not know. They can help."

The other wolf growled right back at him.

"Help? With his strange language? Carrying pelts over his shoulders to cover his lack of fur? With his tools that make little sense? Or with his complete lack of manners or instincts? You know that if he was as smart as you think he is he wouldn't hav-"

"Enough!" Raakk snarled back at the black wolf. Sgen's ears folded back in a sign of submission for just a small moment before the other wolf recomposed himself, but he did stop talking. His eyes trailed down in obedience even if his gritting teeth, curled tail, and heavy frown betrayed his frustration.

"I am the alpha of this part of the pack. I have decided that we will welcome him and his kind and that is what we will do. They are not like us, but they are not beasts either." With his tail up and head held high, Raakk's look towards Sgen pretty much challenged him to disagree. A challenge that his beta did not take on that time. Albeit with a light disgruntled growl of his own, Sgen turned his head away and just laid down on his elbow instead of further arguing.

The gray wolf was finally able to focus on the stranger again. Raakk pulled the three sets of heavy pelts he had over the little red wolf up to his neck and felt his temperature again. Sgen had one thing right. The little red wolf had been a fool.

Usually when they came to visit from lands far to the sound, according to what the alpha managed to understand, the little red wolf was accompanied by others that also looked like him and smelled just as strange. The others had left a few suns ago, but not this one. He had decided to stay. The little red wolf's interest in him and his wolves was different from that of the others that came with him. He was always curious, always following them around and always attempting to talk to them even if they could not fully understand each other.

That curiosity had led him nowhere, however. The little red wolf still hadn't heeded Raakk's warning when he tried to leave that day. The snows of winter were coming harder each night and would continue to do so for some time now that the season has caught up to them. Hunting would be harder and traveling great distances almost impossible. The alpha was, unfortunately, proven right when one of his hunters found the little red wolf almost buried in snow during the morning hunt.

They had brought him back and Raakk had put him in his own tent. The sun slowly moved across the skies as time passed and the little red wolf did not wake up despite the wolves' attempts at bringing him back to consciousness. At first, the alpha wasn't sure if the outsider hadn't gone too far into the cold, but as he sat there by his side waiting, he could see the soft puffs of air coming from the little red wolf's muzzle. He had good chances, they judged.

Yet still, it wasn't until late in the afternoon that Raakk first saw the little red wolf stir. He approached him with eagerness and curiosity, going as far as shaking him softly. Behind him, he could hear the beta sitting up to watch as well. Back then all that time ago, Raakk had waited and waited for him to stir as well, but he never did. This one, though, was moving again. He was alive!

"Wake up. Wake up! You need to fight back the sleep or the spirits might claim you before your time," the wolf said right against the little red wolf's muzzle. He continued to shake him lightly until his drowsiness gave way to consciousness and he opened his strange green eyes.

The little red wolf mumbled a few words in his unknown language. That was enough to make the alpha smile, let go of him and retreat. He glanced back at his beta still watching everything with attention, ears perked up, and then focused his attention on the little red wolf until he recovered enough to really focus on him.

There was more talking in his language, but unlike some of his other wolves that had spent more time with the little red wolf, the alpha hadn't taken to learning almost any words from the little red wolf's people. They were all so hard to say. The alpha let him speak at first and just stared at him. After the little red wolf had spoken a few words, the wolf shook his head and reached forward to grab the little red wolf's muzzle so that he would be quiet.

"Enough. You are sick. The cold hasn't left you entirely yet." The wolf used his rougher, more commanding tone. The same one he usually used to talk with his hunters. As always, the little red wolf just let all of his reactions bare to the world. His expression softened, his ears doubled down over his head and, if the wolf could see his tail, he was sure it'd be curling around his waist or between his legs. Sgen wasn't all that wrong in how much the beta wolf always said his kind looked like pups.

In response, even if with his ears still lowered, he spoke weird words again. The little red wolf pushed the pelts down and moved to sit up. He looked distressed saying more things Raakk couldn't understand.

As the pelts were pushed down, Raakk looked down at the little red wolf's bare chest, his fur so strangely colored with tones of red. It was rare to get to glimpse his fur bare, for the little red wolf had a very strange habit of wearing other pelts over his own all the time. They had another strange word for that. 'Cloth-thes'. From what the Alpha had gathered, the place where the outsider and his peers came from was somehow not as cold as the tundra the wolves lived in. Raakk had trouble picturing such a place, but he could understand how dealing with the cold could be difficult for someone not used to feeling it.

It was another thing the alpha or any of the other wolves failed to understand. The little red wolf always looked bothered by the fact that the wolves only wore loincloths around their waist. Why would they wear pelts as the little red wolf did? Their fur was thick enough to handle the cold and pelts like that would limit their movement during hunts. No. The loincloths the wolves wore were a strand of sinew with cloth on the front just to hide the modesty of their sheaths. The rest was left bare, free and unimpaired.

The alpha placed both paws over the little red wolf's shoulders and forced him to lie down again.

"You are still cold. You need to rest," he declared. Then, the gray wolf pried a finger into the little red wolf's maw to feel his tongue again. He managed to do so for a second, then the little red wolf pulled away looking bothered and embarrassed by the action. Very puppyish.

"So his foolishness costs us the food of winter while he just lays there and rests?" the beta said from the back. Raakk looked back and growled at the other wolf again.

His beta had a point, though.

Raakk stopped to study the sick wolf. It was clear that he was still cold. The shivers wouldn't leave him for a while unless he remained warm and going back into the snow, especially with a fur as light as the little red wolf's was, wouldn't do him any good. Even with his strange body-fitted pelts, it wouldn't be enough. No, the little red wolf would have to rest, but even after he recovered he wouldn't be able to return home until the blizzards receded and that would take a while.

There weren't many options left. If he sent the little red wolf back through the snowed in paths and constant bad weather, chances were he was going to get lost and collapse in the snow again. Yet, if the outsider remained within their tribe he'd be one extra muzzle to feed. The gray wolf took a deep breath... then Raakk made a decision.

"He will join our hunters," the alpha declared, looking at the little red wolf who just stared back at him.

"What?!" the black wolf said from behind. A growl erupted along with it, but Raakk didn't even need to turn back to look.

"Yes. We will teach him to hunt. If he is able, he will join our hunters and work for the food just as we all do. Then he will be one of us, as is the right of every male wolf."

That seemed to enrage his beta even further. "He does not have that right! He is a stranger! He is small, weak and puny! There is no way he will be able to help us hunt!"

Raakk all but ignored the black wolf's whining. Instead, he placed a paw over the little red wolf's chest as he lay there under the pelts. That paw slowly trailed up to the little red wolf's neck, directing his muzzle towards himself so he could look right into the little red wolf's eyes.

"You need to join us. Hunt with us. Provide, as every wolf does. You are different, but you are still a wolf. Do you understand?"

It was hopeless, really. The little red wolf just stared at him and said some words he didn't understand either, just as the stranger couldn't understand him.

"He cannot even say yes or no! This is ridiculous, alpha!" Sgen argued again.

Raakk ignored what the little red wolf was saying or how he was reacting to his paw still lingering on his shoulder. Instead, he turned back to growl at the beta. His voice grew loud and his snarling grew rough.

"Enough with you! You have challenged my authority enough for one day. You will remember your place and abide by my decisions!"

Sgen growled back at him, both wolves showing teeth towards each other. Raakk got to see how the black wolf's hackles raised up behind his neck in challenge. For several moments, both wolves just stared at each other's eyes in a contest of silent dominance. No real words were needed as they stared at each other, each imposing their own will and opinion through their growling alone. Raakk was prepared to wrestle Sgen into submission once again if he had to. All the worry about the outsider's condition was piled up within him and he would welcome a fight to let all the anger out. His growling reflected that, for it grew in tone, and Raakk considered pouncing on Sgen himself, but then the black wolf backed out first.

A faltering on his ears was the sign of submission Raakk needed. He threatened to stand up and advance upon Sgen to build up on that momentum of dominance and the black wolf played into it. His ears fell further back and his growling faltered. With Sgen's unspoken defeat, Raakk's own growling diminished as well. His defeat in that argument was a mutual understanding, proven by the way Sgen's eyes looked away from his.

"Leave," Raakk said, still growling softly. "I don't need any more help to take care of him." He continued to observe the black wolf and, as he expected, there was some level of outrage still clear there.

"What? Where am I supposed to sleep, then?"

Raakk huffed and looked away. He was still irritated with the beta's stubbornness. "You have your own tent."

"But every night you and I always-"

"Enough. Go."

The alpha didn't need to look at the black wolf anymore. The snarling was enough indication of his outrage, but the black wolf still shuffled, got up and then the flap of his tent let a rush of cold from the falling night in as the angry wolf stomped out towards the snow.

The gray wolf sighed. Sgen was his beta and he trusted the wolf with his life, just as he trusted every other member of their branch of the pack, but at the same time... The effort to keep his leadership position as alpha had been taking more and more out of him. Sgen was determined and powerful, he had alpha qualities, and he was a threat. Raakk had no desire to lose his position to that stubborn wolf no matter how close they were. Still, he shook his head and drove those thoughts away for the time being.

Now he could finally properly focus on the little red wolf.

"Tomorrow you will rest. After that, we will see. If you are eager and willing, we will teach you our ways. Make you one of us," the wolf said even if the little red wolf couldn't understand him.

He said some things back, but the wolf could swear he also saw the little red wolf nod. Maybe he had understood some of it? The alpha didn't know how much of their language the stranger had managed to pick up in his prying. He could only hope it would be enough.

The alpha then slipped his paw under the pelts to feel the fur of the little red wolf's chest. The wolf's paw went up to his neck, then around his muzzle. There was some coldness and he could see how the red wolf still shivered and curled under the pelts despite the tent's temperature being mild. He would definitely need to warm up more. The gray wolf ignored his foreign speaking or how flustered the little red wolf looked again. Whichever puppyish customs he had didn't matter. What mattered was his recovery.

The sun was almost gone. That was plain to see because the inside of the tent itself grew darker as the light left the skies. The shine of the moon would be weak that night with the weather turning, Raakk knew, so he turned away from the little red wolf and stood up. The little red wolf tried to sit up again, but the alpha used a foot paw to push him back down so he was lying again.

"Stay. You need to stay warm," the alpha ordered, then he slowly removed his foot paw. When he saw that the little red wolf wasn't going to try to sit up again, he turned away. The alpha still glanced back at the sick wolf before leaving his tent to tend to his nocturnal duties.

Raakk made sure all the wolves were settled in their tents. There wasn't going to be any bonfires up that night because more snow was coming so everyone turned in early. The alpha didn't want to leave the little red wolf alone for too long, so it wasn't long before he made his way back to his tent to turn in for the day as well.

He found the little red wolf still resting. Good. He looked asleep, which, now knowing that his consciousness had not left him for good, was a good thing. He'd need rest and warmth. Plenty of both. The gray wolf settled his things down, untied his loincloth from his waist and let it fall down. Then, Raakk simply kneeled down next to the little red wolf and lifted the pelts. They were heavy and thick, but the gray wolf had no problem slipping under them right beside the little red wolf.

As he expected, the stranger woke up and started speaking again. His ears fell back and he seemed agitated for some reason. Maybe it was the cold? Raakk just ignored it, settling down under the pelts until their bodies were pressed tightly together. Then, he embraced the little red wolf and pulled him close. With how thin the stranger's fur was he was sure that his thicker pelt and body warmth would do well to warm him up through the cold night. At first, the little red wolf squirmed a little, but Raakk just grunted and pulled him close firmly until he stood still.

Then, the alpha sighed and relaxed. He kept the little red wolf's muzzle against his neck so that the rest of their bodies could fit together better. Raakk was used to sleeping with other wolves for warmth, so he didn't mind how much the little red wolf kept moving and shuffling in his embrace. He had such an unfamiliar scent. Raakk still sniffed the top of the smaller wolf's head once or twice before he closed his eyes to rest.

That night, Raakk dreamed of the old days. Of when he slept with him in the same way on another night so long ago. Back then, Raakk himself was smaller and thinner as well, but the sensations were the same. Enveloped within his arms, warm to the touch, yet not warm enough despite the weight of the pelts above them. Just the two of them. Along with the agitated dream, Raakk felt the worry again, the dread that he would not wake up again, and the weight of it when he didn't. The wolf hadn't dreamed of that for such a long time...

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The next day, Raakk woke up with the rise of the sun as he always did. Despite his own restless night, he was happy to see that the little red wolf slept soundly with steady breathing next to him. At some point during the night, perhaps even during his sleep, the smaller male had gotten over that nonsensical notion of not pressing their bodies together and now the little red wolf's arm was actually wrapped around his broad chest. Raakk smiled at the sight but untangled himself from the smaller male's clutches so that he could stand up, stretch and don his loincloth around his waist to get ready for the day. The wolf still took a feeling of the little red wolf's temperature, to which the smaller male thankfully did not wake up to, and found improvement. Pleased with this to the point where his tail swished back and forth behind him, Raakk left his tent.

The camp was just starting to wake up. Sgen was already outside and, when Raakk passed by, the black wolf gave him a lingering look of distaste that was akin to a pup holding a grudge. He would get over it. Feeling energized, Raakk joined his hunters in the briefer morning hunt that yielded three small rabbits.

For some reason, the wolf found his thoughts lingering on the little red wolf back in his tent. As soon as he returned, Raakk walked past the tent to peek inside and was pleased to see the little red wolf up and about. He had found the sack with his possessions that the hunters had retrieved when they found him and was, as always, hunched over one of those strange things of his that were white inside allowing him to draw pictures and symbols with ease.

Raakk silently snorted at the little red wolf's lack of tact. Any wolf would be able to detect his presence by smell alone even from outside the tent. The stranger, however, was so absorbed in his musings that he didn't, so Raakk left his presence unannounced and joined the other wolves by the fire for the day's first meal instead.

As was to be expected of the pack, curiosity filled them as the alpha sat by the fire appeased by the pleasant smell of the three rabbits cooking.

"So he lives, then? Will he make it?" Dhen, the hunter that had found the little red wolf buried in the snow, asked.

"The cold takes hold of him, but its grip softens quickly. He should be fine in one or two days at best," Raakk answered. He leaned forward to sniff at the cooking food and licked his lips with hunger.

Sgen approached from the side. The black wolf took a seat on the snow near the fire as well. "As expected, the stranger acts as a pup would, lying there and expecting us to care for him for days and days."

Raakk frowned at the black wolf, growling his lack of appreciation over the comment.

"Sgen brings up a fair point," another wolf said. Jotke, who was actually the pack's omega, lowered his ears to speak as he often did. "The hunts grow harder as the snow approaches. We must soon start measuring the food with more care." There was mumbling from some of the other wolves around him, some of them in agreement.

"We care for him as we would care for a wounded brother," Raakk declared, his tone of voice imposing with his tail raised and a hint of teeth still showing. All to make it clear his statement was final. Most of the wolves around him folded their ears back which was enough for him to know he had them in agreement.

"Yet his wounds are self-inflicted by his own foolishness. Calling him a brother is nothing short of mockery." Raakk turned to glare towards Sgen. He saw that the black wolf had his ears up and some teeth showing. A clear challenge. The alpha saw some of the wolves around him relinquishing their own signs of submission in agreement with the beta.

"He will be up and about soon enough. Tomorrow. Then he will learn to help in providing as is his duty." Raakk declared. Though his orders were clear, he could see the doubt Sgen had seeded in the other hunters' hearts plain as day in their expressions and movements. Raakk's claim was more of a gamble. He could only hope that the little red wolf was sturdy enough to be recovered by the next day, but he needed to show the others that the stranger could stand on his own.

"He is to hunt with us?" another one of his hunters asked. The doubt in his voice this time was well-founded for Raakk himself had had trouble picturing the little red wolf hunting not two suns ago, but the alpha still turned his soft growl towards the wolf.

"Yes. He will be trained as a brother and join the hunt when he is ready. We cannot send him back to his people until the snow passes and we all know that is going to take many suns."

Raakk's declaration brought more murmurs among the wolves. This time they didn't need Sgen to put more doubt into their minds. The black wolf, in fact, looked rather pleased by the reaction which only angered Raakk a little further.

"If he performs better than you, Jotke, maybe you will be omega to the red pup as well," one of the hunters said, thankfully shifting the subject to mockery of the omega which was something common. Laughter erupted from most of the wolves around them and Jotke, instead of standing up for himself, lowered his ears in embarrassment. Raakk rolled his eyes. That was why he was the omega.

Leaving the wolves to their banter, Raakk used his privilege as alpha to pull one of the rabbits from the fire so that he could rip one of their legs. He sank his teeth into the juicy meat, scarfing it down quickly enough, then pulled the other one off and put it into a bowl. The alpha left his wolves behind to go back to his own tent with food in hand.

It did not surprise him that he found the little red wolf sitting half-under the pelts but drawing on his 'book' thing. Raakk approached, crouched down and thankfully needed no words to offer the bowl of meat to him. He took it and said something Raakk couldn't understand, as always.

The alpha sat down on the pelts next to the little red wolf and crossed his legs, watching him eat. It pleased him to see that hunger had already returned to the other male, for he scarfed down the food as a true wolf would. Raakk crawled closer to the little red wolf to sit by his side and, while waiting for him to eat, picked up the strange thing the little red wolf seemed to like so much to look at it. Raakk sniffed it, but it only smelled heavily of the stranger as most of his tent now did.

The wolf opened it the same way he saw the little red wolf always doing and looked at the myriad of strange symbols with curiosity. The little red wolf had filled most of the white space with so many of them.

It felt so frail between even his dull claws. Raakk handled it slowly for the thing felt like it might fall apart in his paws at any moment. How had the little red wolf managed to produce something so thin as the white things this 'book' had so many of? It filled Raakk with curiosity.

The little red wolf might have sensed his interest, for he spoke something as if in explanation. Raakk, of course, did not understand what he meant but let out a soft smile in appreciation. The little red wolf leaned up against him to join him in his musing.

Raakk kept going until he found a drawing made on the blank space that looked remarkably like one of his wolves. The alpha gasped when he saw it, blinking and staring at it with renewed interest. It was as if his wolf was actually there inside the little red wolf's 'book'! The alpha placed his paw over it and felt it, then traced his dull claw over it. Raakk looked at the little red wolf and made an effort to remember what little he knew of his strange language.

He did his best to mouth the word the little red wolf had for his kind. This excited the little red wolf greatly. He pointed at the picture, then pointed at Raakk and repeated the word with remarkable ease.

The wolf nodded. He repeated the word, trying to make it stick to memory, but grunted.

"It is so hard to speak like that," he said in his own language while lowering his own ears to the difficulty. The growling rumble of his throat as he spoke as he was used to was refreshing when opposed to the twists and turns of tongue that were required of the little red wolf's language.

Raakk repeated the word the outsider had for his kind again and pointed at himself The alpha found a good opportunity given that they were understanding each other to try to show the little red wolf that he was to be one of them. He pointed right at the little red wolf's chest and repeated the word again.

The outsider said a different word instead. Another very weird word that was exceedingly hard to say. At first, Raakk had thought that was the little red wolf's name, but others of his kind used the same word as well so he discarded it. A word for his kind, it must be, but to that Raakk shook his head right away.

"No. You must be one of us," the alpha said with an insisting little growl. He tapped him on the chest again and repeated the first word.

The little red wolf sulked, but he seemed to surrender to the notion. He said a few words, then made the poorest attempt at repeating his title as 'little red wolf' in Raakk's own language. The alpha couldn't help but break into laughter, but he gave the smaller male a pat on the shoulder in approval.

"You have a long way to go before you learn our language, red wolf. We will need to mold you. Make you growl more. Growl is good, it shows others you are serious, unlike these little puppyish sounds you make. Those are more akin to whines," Raakk said with a chuckle. "If I took you back to the mainland the Prime Alpha and the other wolves would laugh at your whining language too."

Raakk knew the little red wolf couldn't understand him, but perhaps that was a small part of why talking to him felt so... refreshing. Light. Effortless. Unlike any other male wolf, the little red wolf did not care if he lowered his ears or went light on the growling when he spoke. There was no need to show teeth or use his tail to communicate, either, for the little red wolf seemed to fail to take perception of any of that. There was no need to keep his dominant attitude or to be careful not to let too much of what he felt show. It felt nice.

Still smiling, Raakk used his claws to delicately turn another page, but before he could look at it the little red wolf pounced on him to grab at his artifact, close it and take it back. Raakk blinked, wondering for a moment if he had done something wrong. The little red wolf spoke in a louder tone that made it look as he had. The alpha tilted his head towards the other male, but he seemed content to just cling to his 'book'. From his body language, it was plain to see that the little red wolf was embarrassed, though Raakk could not for the life of him figure out why.

One of the little red wolf's many strange behaviors. In the end, Raakk just shrugged. He glanced at the tent's entrance considering if he should join his wolves for the meal as he always did, but just this once he decided against it. Instead, he let himself fall back to lay down on his pelts next to the little red wolf and closed his eyes to rest for a little bit. The wolf found himself comfortable. His tent felt warmer than usual. Sleep's embrace was quick to envelop him for a refreshing nap.

By the time he woke up the little red wolf had curled down to sleep beside him again. Quietly, Raakk left the tent to join in the afternoon hunt. The rest of the day, thankfully, was uneventful. The hunt yielded no large game but did yield more rabbits. The wolves did light the bonfire at night, but after making plans for the next day's events, Raakk decided to turn in early to join the little red wolf in sleep back in his tent. He could only hope that the small male, as delicate as he looked sleeping soundly, would be able to go through everything that was coming to him.

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The next day, Raakk was again up with the sun. With his wolves outside, he took care of the preparations and when the alpha returned to his tent, he found his own ears strangely folded and his tail swishing around in distress. It was the little red wolf that would have to go through the trials and learning process, yet it was Raakk himself who felt anxious about it. Bothered by that,

Raakk kneeled next to the pelts the red wolf was buried in.

He shook the little red wolf a few times. Sleeping past sunrise wasn't something a dignified wolf would do, so losing his patience when the little red wolf didn't wake up right away, Raakk simply used his claws to pinch the little red wolf's nose shut.

It worked. The small male stirred with distress for a little while in his sleep, then his eyes shot open saying something in his whiny language. Raakk kept his look of disapproval regarding his habit of oversleeping plain in his face and body language, but let go of the little red wolf's nose. He looked agitated, but with much energy, which was good. Raakk put a paw on the little red wolf's scalp and ruffled his fur a little bit. It pleased him to see that the cold's grip seemed to indeed be mostly gone already.

To make sure, Raakk took hold of the little red wolf's head and leaned forward to sniff at him. He felt him with his nose and, even as the red wolf flinched, the alpha smiled pleased with himself.

"You are better. We need to go. The wolves await outside," Raakk said, but watching the little red wolf's usual look of confusion he realized he didn't have time for guesswork. It took a little thought and effort for the alpha to try to mouth one of the few words he knew of the little red wolf's language.

To that, the little red wolf perked up right away. He asked a question and tilted his read. Oh, the little red wolf's kind surely wasn't blessed with all that much in terms of wits. Raakk pointed at the little red wolf's chest as if it was obvious. "Little red wolf, of course!"

With a small pleased laugh, Raakk stood up and took the little red wolf's wrist to pull him up as well. The time for puppish games was over. He dragged the little red wolf towards the tent's entrance, but was forced to stop when the red wolf stomped the ground and pulled back against him.

Raakk stopped to look at him and frown. He said something in his strange language, but this time the alpha didn't need to understand it to know what he meant. Raakk let out a soft growl and swatted the little red wolf's paw covering his naked sheath away.

"We will get you a loincloth outside," the alpha said, pointing at the little red wolf's bare sheath. He made a motion to grab it. "There is no shame in showing your maleh-"

Much to Raakk's surprise, however, it was the little red wolf that swatted his paw away with a yelp before the alpha could touch him. The alpha's ears folded back against his head for the unexpected display of assertiveness. With a small whine to recognize that the little red wolf had finally imposed his will as a wolf should, Raakk let him have it. The big wolf nodded and retreated back to leave the tent and allow the little red wolf to cover himself then. He had earned it.

Outside, Raakk adjusted his own loincloth around his waist as he walked up to his hunters to meet them. They were waiting as he had instructed them to.

"So? Is he still too weak for his learning test after all? Does he need a few more suns lying in the warmth while we hunt for him?"

Raakk let out an immediate growl of annoyance. It was Sgen, of course, who took the first step to taunt him. His beta had his arms crossed amidst the other wolves and, much to Raakk's further annoyance, some of them chuckled at the black wolf's comment.

"No. He has recovered well and will be here soon." To further ascertain his dominance, Raakk took hold of Sgen's scruff when he walked by the black wolf and dragged him stumbling to the center of the semi-circle of wolves. His beta growled and tried to twist away from his hold, but Raakk didn't relent until the beta was standing by the center with him. That brought more chuckles from the other wolves to help undermine Sgen's sway of them a little bit.

"You will be the prey on the test," Raakk announced when he finally let Sgen stand upright again. The black wolf growled at him with outrage, but Raakk showed his teeth and growled back.

"What? Pick Jotke! Let the red pup sniff and chase the omega!"

Jotke, the gray wolf, lowered his ears at that. Raakk, however, just growled louder at Sgen's face. The black wolf did lower his ears a little. Good.

"It will be you! The little red wolf will be a brother and you are the one who needs to learn companionship towards him the most." Raakk's tone was harsh. He actually expected Sgen to argue further and, for a moment, it looked like the wolf might. His eyes trailed downward and his ears folded further back unusually fast for Sgen, however, giving Raakk the non-verbal agreement to his will that he needed. The alpha extended his paw towards the black wolf and waited.

He knew what to do. Sulking, Sgen untied his leather loincloth from his waist and handed it to the alpha. Sgen stood there with his sheath out in the open amidst the others and waited. It didn't take long until the little red wolf emerged from the alpha's tent.

All of the wolves went silent. Raakk's frown deepened seeing the little red wolf enveloped in his pelts again to cover his body and keep him warm. The alpha motioned him to come closer, but he wasn't the only one that noticed how the little wolf looked at Sgen's naked form and felt embarrassment made plain and clear by the form of his ears and tail. This and everything else brought small chuckles from some of the hunters as the little red wolf walked past them.

To make matters even worse, the little red wolf decided to lower his head towards Raakk and Sgen when he reached the two wolves in the center. The black wolf snorted with a growl at the submissive move, but Raakk's own growl suppressed it. He had so much to teach the stranger. Worry that the little red wolf was definitely not ready for this, which was already present within Raakk's chest, swelled greatly. The alpha left such emotions away from his body language, however, keeping his tail and ears as straight as his expression.

There would be no use for words the stranger wouldn't understand. Therefore, Raakk simply brought Sgen's loincloth that had been in his paw up and pressed it against the little red wolf's nose so that he could take in the scent. He already expected the little red wolf to whine, speak something in his language and try to pull away, so Raakk brought his other paw to the back of the stranger's head and held his nose against it so that he could take the scent.

The struggle to pull away receded, as Raakk expected, but he kept the loincloth pressed against the little red wolf's nose. The alpha didn't know what to expect when the little red wolf, lowering his ears in submission, brought his own paws up to take the strings of the loincloth and... the alpha let go of the loincloth unable to leave the surprise and confusion out of his expression. He no longer needed to hold it against the little red wolf's nose because he himself tied the loincloth around the back of his head, wearing it over his muzzle in a ridiculous way even if looking very displeased about it.

The pack around him broke into heavy laughter at the display, Sgen included. Everyone but Raakk laughed at the sight of the little red wolf with the beta's loincloth that had been over his sheath draped over his nose apparently thinking that's what he was supposed to do. The stranger looked confused by this, going as far as tucking his tail between his legs in a very, very disappointing display of weakness.

Cutting the fun short, Raakk let out a loud growl that surpassed even the laughter and tore the loincloth away from the little red wolf's muzzle. He gave the pack an angry glare that made the laughter start diminishing fast, then gave Sgen the same look and nodded towards the tundra's forest line far behind them. The black wolf still looked pleased with the events, but turned around and left towards the forest as he was supposed to. Then, the alpha directed his frustrated scowl towards the little red wolf.

"Alden!" Raakk called out plain and loud, making the effort to use the little red wolf's name and get his attention right away. The alpha shoved the beta's loincloth on the little red wolf's own paw and pointed at the black wolf that was growing distant. "Sgen!"

The little red wolf looked up at him, but tilting his head with confusion still plain in his eyes. Raakk sighed, then pointed at the loincloth in his paws, then at the point at the woods where the black wolf had already vanished to.

"Sgen! Sgen!" Raakk repeated.

The small red male said a few things in his tongue with a meek tone.

"He's not smart enough to even understand the trial," one the wolf hunters said with a bark by the side.

"Omega material," another one commented with a short growl. Raakk only glared at them for a moment, then decided to take more extreme measures to show the little red wolf what the hell he was supposed to do.

The alpha dropped down on all fours on the snow. The big wolf pressed his nose against the ground and sniffed loudly, crawling back and forth then glancing up at the little red wolf.

He said something in his strange tongue again. Raakk got back up on his feet and pointed towards the woods again.

"Use your damn nose to track him down! You have to find Sgen!"

The little red wolf started speaking with that same meek tone, which had Raakk starting to growl in frustration again, but then... then he actually sniffed the air. The alpha stopped to watch, then smiled softly not only at him, but at the hunters again. The little red wolf asked some kind of reluctant question. Raakk tilted his head for a moment with no understanding of what he was saying, but he quickly nodded.

"Yes! Find him! Use your nose as a hunter would and find him!" The alpha grabbed the little red wolf by his scruff and pushed him to take a few steps towards the woods. Sgen would already be relatively far by then, but Raakk was pretty sure his beta would honor the agreement and stay within considerable range.

After stumbling through the first few steps towards the woods, the little red wolf finally gulped and looked determined, even if also anxious. Watching him dart towards the woods, Raakk sighed. He'd have to try to teach the damn fool to keep his emotions to himself somehow if he was ever going to be a respected wolf. Raakk let himself fall back sitting on the soft snow and, following his lead, some of the hunters moved to sit down as well. Trying to guide the stranger was more tiresome than hunting.

After the red wolf disappeared past the treeline all they could do was wait. With the beginning of the trial already witnessed, Raakk sent the other hunters back to their morning duties. Raakk himself went back to the tribe to grab a bone knife and start working on properly trimming the skinned pelts of the rabbits they had eaten, but he found both his eyes and mind wandering back to the woods far too often.

Would the little red wolf be able to find Sgen? What if he got lost again? What if he wasn't fully recovered? The sun moved in the sky ever so slowly as time passed but the alpha had a hard time focusing on his tasks. There was no sign of Sgen or the little red wolf. Though Raakk knew that the tracking of the inexperienced stranger might take longer than usual, he decided to play it safe. The alpha put everything away and made his way towards the woods as well.

Being so familiar with the little red wolf's scent after spending the last few nights with him, it was exceedingly easy for Raakk to pick up his scent and follow it. Traces of Sgen's scent were present in the path as well and, with no one around to see it, Raakk went as far as letting his tail wag in satisfaction over seeing that the little red wolf might be succeeding after all. The alpha still had to walk and track them for a good while, however, until he finally heard some noise. Raakk froze, standing still and perking his ears up. There was the unmistakable sound of growling and then, words.

"... -ace! Y... k... ... MINE!"

The alpha's ears twitched. He needed but one more whiff of the air to realize what was happening. Sgen. Raakk frowned heavily. A loud whine, presumably from the little red wolf, followed and after that, the alpha started running towards them.

Growling himself, Raakk heard the faint sound of a few more words exchanged that he couldn't make out through his running. When he got close enough, Raakk slowed down with hurry giving way to stealth as he took the last few steps with the silent grace of a hunter so that he could see what was happening.

The black wolf, still naked, was sitting atop the little red wolf who was pinned down on his back under the much bigger beta. Raakk could see that Sgen had him held down with ease. Sgen had his teeth bared at the little red wolf right above the other male's muzzle, which was clamped shut and held firmly by the black wolf's own paw. The little red wolf, on the other hand, was squirming under the black wolf and looked absolutely terrified with every possible sign of submission plain in his body language.

"Everything would be easier if you had NEVER come here!" Sgen said with an overly aggressive tone. The little red wolf's fear only grew.

"SGEN!" With a powerful growl of his own, Raakk burst through the foliage. The eyes of both darted towards him with surprise with Sgen quickly letting go of the little red wolf's muzzle and pulling away from the smaller male even if still keeping him pinned down. The way the black wolf's ears folded back, even if just a little, showed Raakk that the damn wolf knew he was doing something wrong.

"I send you here to help form companionship with the stranger and I find you threatening him?!" Raakk growled, approaching the pair.

"It wasn't a threat!" Sgen growled back at him. "It was a lesson. Look at him! He's weak! He was taken down with more ease than it wo-"

"I don't care!" Raakk growled loud enough to interrupt the beta's lame excuses. The alpha bared his own teeth towards the black wolf. "Get off of him."

To his aggressive stance, Sgen folded. The black wolf's eyes diverted and his ears went down all the way. Sgen might be rebellious and prone to challenging him, but the black wolf definitely knew he was dishonoring their agreement with his behavior.

Reluctantly, Sgen obeyed, getting off from the little red wolf, standing up, and then even picking the stunned-looking stranger by his scruff to 'help' him stand up as well. When the little red wolf was back on his feet, he took a few steps back from both wolves still looking shaken. He mumbled a few words there, but given that he looked unscathed, Raakk just shifted his focus back towards Sgen. The black wolf must've taken his loincloth back from the fox at some point during their interaction because he started wrapping it around his waist again.

"I grow tired of your attitude towards him. Have you forgotten the vows of companionship we all have towards our brothers?" Raakk growled, stepping forward until he was standing muzzle to muzzle with Sgen.

"If he were a brother I'd-"

"WOULD you?" Raakk interrupted again, baring his teeth and snarling right to Sgen's face. The black wolf flinched back in submission for a moment even if he growled back with his ears downed. The display of aggressiveness back from his beta was expected, but the form of his tail and position of his ears spoke to his reluctant agreement of what the alpha was saying without the need of proper words exchanged between them. Raakk could see Sgen's stubborn dissatisfaction there as well. On the way, the wolf's eyes shot down, on the tone of his growl that had more anger and frustration behind it rather than just a display of strength.

After a few moments of both wolves face to face it was Raakk who broke out of it. Still growling and keeping an eye on the black wolf, he turned around to head towards the little red wolf and grab his arm. Not in a mood for it, Raakk ignored the stranger's unintelligible babbling when he did and instead the alpha just pulled the little red wolf by the arm so that they could head back to camp.

"You are leaving with him again?" Sgen asked from behind. Raakk saw that the black wolf had started to follow them, which prompted the alpha to stop and give him a warning growl. Sgen stopped in his tracks as well.

"He found you, did he not? He passed the first test. He has the nose of a hunter."

Raakk moved on, but Sgen didn't move to follow him anymore. Instead, the black wolf simply snorted.

"He has none of the things a hunter needs to have," the black wolf growled with his voice growing distant.

The alpha was fully aware that if he kept that discussion going he and Sgen would end up wrestling, which was perfectly fine by him since he had half a mind to sink his teeth into the black wolf's neck to remind him of his place again, but Raakk wanted to take the little red wolf back first. There'd be time for that later. Huffing, Raakk was barely listening to what the little red wolf tried to say as he pulled him back to the camp with him.

____________________________________________________________________________

Thankfully, the next days were easier for Raakk. The alpha had some merit in it, of course, opting to leave the beta wolf far away from any activities involving the newcomer. Even without Sgen there were still those who voiced their doubts about him, which were justified, but none dared openly defy Raakk like damn Sgen liked to do. At least not yet.

The little red wolf's improvement also made the alpha feel better. The cold had all but left his body after a few days of taking care of himself. Every morning Raakk put the outsider through the same scent tracking trial, each time with a different wolf, and so far the little red wolf had succeeded in all of them now that he understood what he was supposed to do, proving without a doubt that he did have the nose of a hunter. Soon enough Raakk would have to test the red wolf's mettle in other things, but that was a problem for later.

It pleased Raakk to see that the stranger's curiosity had returned too. He seemed to have understood that he could not leave the tribe due to the snow that fell almost every day and night now. The little red wolf was always scurrying here and there with his 'book' seeing what his hunters were doing, asking questions no one could understand and drawing things. To the alpha, that seemed a little puppyish, but some of his hunters actually seemed to be warming up to his presence and that was a good thing. At night in the alpha's tent, the 'talks' he had with the little red wolf were nice too. He had a pleasant scent to himself.

On the night of the sixth day since the little red wolf had awakened in their care, they were blessed by the spirits. The sky was covered by its usual veil of shadow, but the moon shone brightly in the sky, full and enlarged. It was absolutely beautiful. Though the air was so cold it could bite, no snow fell on that beautiful night. Game had been plenty on the last few days as the animals ventured closer to their territory for food, so, to thank the spirits and properly celebrate their kindness, Raakk had ordered a feast.

Not one, but three bonfires burned high and bright between the myriad of tents that made the wolf camp. The fire warmed everything around them up so the wolves had logs placed around them so that they all could sit around it and enjoy it. The pleasant smell of cooked meat filled the camp, but it was the loud sound of wolves enjoying themselves that made the festivities feel alive. These events not only served to appease the spirits, but also lift the morale of the hunters in general. Given the recent turmoils and the always worrying prospect of winter, reinforcing his position as alpha by keeping the hunters happy was something Raakk was glad to be able to get.

The alpha wandered around the camp. Some hunters cooked the meat looking a little too eager to eat it, others wrestled amidst the fires in a circle of cheering, jeering and playful displays of strength in its most natural form. Even Sgen, who had kept his sulky attitude towards the new changes, seemed to be enjoying himself as he tackled another hunter so that they could roll in the snow snarling and trying to pin each other down in playful ways.

It wasn't long until Raakk found the little red wolf. Now that he was no longer recovering from the cold it was common to see him up and about even at night time. As always, the stranger was huddled in the pelts he wore over his body, but he sat alone on one of the logs close to one of the big fires. The little red wolf seemed very entertained by the way the wolves wrestled and, coming to no surprise to Raakk, was drawing things that he saw again.

The alpha came at him from behind and the distracted stranger didn't seem to notice his presence until the big wolf sat right by his side. Only then did he take his eyes away from his thing to look at him and say something Raakk, of course, couldn't understand.

"Do you like the fighting?" Raakk asked. The alpha chuckled imagining the stranger caught in a wrestle for a moment. He wondered if the little red wolf had spent his days of youth throwing himself at other pups as the wolves did.

The outsider said something in return. After all that time, Raakk was somewhat used to not understanding him. He found it almost... soothing? The little red wolf would speak, then Raakk would look at him and gauge his emotions from his lack of subtlety. He has his ears half-folded and his tail agitated. A little embarrassed, perhaps? Anxious? But he did look happy, too. A new thought occurred to the alpha. Raakk put his hand on the red wolf's leg to get his attention. The alpha actually let his tail wag with some level of excitement.

"There is something else I can teach you tonight. Watch." With the little red wolf's eyes on him, the alpha pointed at the other wolves. Then, Raakk took a deep breath, pointed his muzzle up to the moon and let out a powerful, long howl.

One by one, all of his wolves joined in. Even the ones on the ground wrestling froze their match so that they could point their muzzles up and howl up at the sky. There was a distinct, indescribable satisfaction in letting it all out in a howl that every wolf appreciated and as their chorus reached the sky, it echoed through the snowy plains and woods in a way that certainly appeased the spirits.

When Raakk was done with his howl, he looked at the little red wolf who seemed filled with curiosity and wonder. The alpha put a claw right to the smaller male's chest.

"You do it. Howl!" the alpha urged. The little red wolf looked at him with confusion. In a good mood, Raakk just laughed at his lack of understanding. Using his big paws, he grabbed the red wolf's muzzle ignoring the little squirm that always came with it and pointed it up. Then, the alpha made a very small howling sound and pointed at his chest again. "You howl!"

Raakk could recognize understanding in the little red wolf's expression when he saw it. He said something in his foreign language again that felt like insecurity, perhaps, but Raakk shook his head.

"Howl!" Raakk poked at the little red wolf's side and turned his muzzle up to let another loud howl out. Not all of the wolves joined on the second time, but a large enough number of them had the pleasure of doing so and it still made for an impressive sound. The alpha cut his own howl off early to poke at the little red wolf's side once more. "Howl!"

Looking flustered, the outsider finally put his muzzle up and... howled. Or tried to. It was almost like a howl, at least. It sure was loud, but it sounded much more like a drawn-out whine than a howl. The wolves around when then went silent to listen to the rather unique sound and, as soon as it was over, they all broke into laughter, Raakk included. The little red wolf looked around and lowered his ears, but the wolf put his paw on his back and gave it a few pats while still coming down from his humorous bout of laughter.

"You have much to learn! Much to learn indeed, but we will get a good howl out of you yet!" Some of the other wolves laughed at that comment as well, but they soon returned to their own things leaving the alpha and the newcomer to their little measure of privacy by the fire.

Raakk's arm went over the outsider's shoulder to pull him close. He was so small! The wolf pressed him against his furry side and leaned in to sniff at his head. A pleasant scent indeed. It was different from that of any wolf he had ever smelled but how exactly he couldn't describe. It was unique, of course, as every smell was, but... It was the same, but different.

The little red wolf said more words. Raakk didn't pay them much mind, but when he looked at him he looked embarrassed again. His unnaturally large ears lowered. Raakk followed his gaze to see that his own loincloth had gotten askew leaving his sheath bare. When the air was hot as it was because of the fire it was hard to even take notice of such things.

The alpha chuckled. The hunting branch of the pack under his care was all males anyway since the females stayed behind in the mainland. They were all together, all part of the same pack and they were all the same in their anatomy, so he failed to see what bothered the little red wolf so much, yet he still fixed his loincloth which seemed to put the stranger a little more at ease. Curiously, though, Raakk prodded at the pelts he was wearing.

"It is so warm here. What do you even need this for?" Raakk started pulling at the strange pelt to take it off, but the little red wolf tugged them back in place while saying something again. The alpha just smiled. Raakk stood up, stepped to the front of the little red wolf and crouched down so that they were at eye level again, their muzzles almost touching. From the front, the wolf tried again, this time with a firmer touch, to push the pelts out of the little red wolf's shoulder. They were the strangest things, made with holes which seemed measured for the little red wolf's arms to go through so that they'd stay in place. It was clever.

The little red wolf seemed a little bothered, but allowed Raakk to help him take the larger pelt off. Raakk still sniffed at it before setting it aside with care. When his thin layer of fur was exposed, the little red wolf did look a little chilly, but he looked so much better like that with his chest bare. Like a true wolf!

Raakk then placed a paw on his chest. He ignored how the little red wolf's ears folded back again. The wolf felt it up with a firm touch, trailing his paw over the fur of his chest. It felt bone-y. There was some muscle there, but not nearly enough. How had the little red wolf grown to be like that? His kind was so strange! Raakk's paw trailed down filled with curiosity. The little red wolf was far from bare as he still wore that other pelt that only went up to his waist, so there was only so much Raakk could explore. It was nothing he hadn't seen in their nights together in his tent while they kept each other warm, of course, but the wolf had never taken the time to truly... appreciate how different the little red wolf really looked.

Finally, the stranger moved as well. His paw came to grab the wolf's and, while it did push the wolf's paw away, the little red wolf held it on his own. He said something again that the wolf had no hope of understanding, but Raakk himself, as he crouched there in front of the stranger with his paw held, felt a small urge to take in more of his scent.

Just as any good wolf, Raakk indulged in it, leaning forward to shove his nose against the little red wolf's neck and inhale deeply. The scent was stronger. The stranger let out a small whine that might have been of either surprise or embarrassment? He couldn't tell, but he didn't care. The way the little red wolf's paws came to his chest with a small effort to push him back made the wolf just smile. Raakk let his tail wag as he chuckled, having fun with the act.

The pushing started to get a little harder and, because he had his nose pressed against the little red wolf's fur and his talking and whining were right above his ears, Raakk failed to notice his surroundings until the sudden voice spoke up.

"Alpha."

Raakk recognized it right away. He pulled back from the little red wolf still smiling and stood up properly to face Sgen.

"I need to speak with you. Just us." The black wolf folded his arms. Raakk didn't fail to notice the small glare he gave the little red wolf and he suspected that the stranger noticed it just as well. With a last glance towards the outsider, Raakk shrugged.

"Fine. But it better not be about him again, Sgen." Raakk nodded towards the little red wolf behind him. The black wolf did growl softly, but shook his head.

"I will be back," Raakk still said towards their guest even knowing he wouldn't understand it. He left the small male behind to follow the beta through the fires, the wolves making a ruckus with their wrestling and even the food. The beta led them through the tents and only stopped behind the ones at the edge of the camp where only the light of the moon illuminated the darkness and the night air grew cold against their fur without the fire to warm it.

Though Raakk waited for Sgen to speak up, the black wolf did not, at least not right away. He read his beta's body language and found his ears slightly out of place, his tail moving in a display of unease, though Raakk could not quite guess why.

"So? What do you need?" Raakk asked, pushing things forward. He had been in a satisfying position with the little red wolf before the black wolf interrupted them and he was eager to return to it.

"All the wolves are wrestling and enjoying themselves. You and I haven't done that in a while, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to do so," Sgen said. Straight to the point, as the beta usually was. Raakk lifted an eyebrow, but his own tail swished back and forth once, then twice in annoyance.

"I was having a good time. I suspect you just saw who I was having it with and did not like it." The white wolf responded to Sgen's direct approach with blunt honesty of his own. He saw the black wolf frown and hint of white teeth appearing from the side of his muzzle in a half-snarl, which proved the veracity of his statement.

"You've been with him every night since he almost got himself foolishly killed. Surely the alpha can spare some time for his own tribe too, yeah? It is your duty, after all."

Raakk himself frowned in response as well. Sgen took a slightly more aggressive stance. The white wolf could see the hackles behind the black wolf's neck rise and his spiked up in response. There was a soft growl coming from the other wolf's throat and his tail was raised in an imposing way. The alpha's own body language took a more prepared stance instinctively.

"None of my duties as Alpha have been forsaken," Raakk said with a defensive growl. To his surprise, a smile appeared at the side of Sgen's muzzle despite the growling.

"They have not, that much is true, yet the others can see what you are doing. You care for him as if he were a pup. You protect him. No true wolf should ever need to be protected."

Raakk's growl grew more aggressive, taking in a louder note. "I do not protect him! I merely teach!"

Sgen's smile did not fade. The wolf started moving, circling Raakk, but neither of their eyes left each other as if they both expected the other wolf to suddenly jump on them.

"Perhaps. I'm being your friend here and, as a beta, I'm telling you that that is not the impression you are giving. It looks like you care for him more than you should. It makes you both look weaker. Keep that up, Raakk, and even your position as this branch's alpha might be endangered..."

Raakk made a point to show his teeth towards Sgen to show his displeasure. He followed the black wolf with his eyes, slowly circling him, and fought the urge to tackle the bastard and wrestle him into submission. They both knew he could. The alpha could see little hints of a defensive and careful position in Sgen's movements. Those paws were ready to jump back the moment the grey wolf advanced on him, he was sure.

"We are far from that, I assure you, and even if we were not, I would deal with it. This is not your problem, Sgen," Raakk warned.

Sgen finally stopped and raised his hands, paws uncurled, a sign of peace. "Fine. I only meant to warn you. If you agreed with me to get rid of the outsider things would be easier for you, but if you are not willing to d-"

"No," Raakk said, cutting him off with a glare, "I am not."

"Very well," Sgen said with a shrug. He took a few steps forward towards Raakk and the alpha did not back down, staring the black wolf down eye to eye.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Raakk asked, still feeling a little bit of anger swirling inside him. Sgen's body language shifted. It grew less aggressive, yet the black wolf still made a formidable sight with all of his musculature on sight and nothing but his loincloth for cover. The alpha saw Sgen lick his lips, which made Raakk's own ears twitch.

"No. I also thought that, since it has been a while since you and I shared a tent, I could show you how a real wolf feels like." The black wolf smirked. Raakk raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"I don't think that this is the time and place for that." The alpha relaxed his own stance just a little bit now that Sgen no longer showed aggressiveness.

"I disagree. Come on. Let's do it like we used to."

Without waiting for any further response from the alpha, the black wolf advanced upon him. Raakk's hackles raised behind his neck over the sudden movement and his fighting instincts had the alpha's paws against the black wolf's stomach before Sgen even got to him, but in the end, there was no need to fight back, for Sgen's advance was not with an intention of taking him down.

The warmth of the black wolf's tongue coming to his neck spoke of different intentions. Raakk was surprised, but nevertheless, he let his neck be exposed for the black wolf to lick it again. It was a very pleasant feeling, and one Sgen knew that Raakk particularly liked, so that tongue coming to slowly caress his neck helped in easing the alpha as the black wolf enveloped him with his arms. Raakk was reluctant, but he hugged him back, feeling the warmth of Sgen's exposed body and fur as a little bit of respite against the cold of the night, just as they had done so many times before...

It was a very intimate thing for a wolf to let someone else lick their neck. It was, after all, their most vulnerable spot. Sgen's long, sharp teeth were an inch away from his throat, yet Raakk had always trusted the black wolf, just as Sgen trusted him. They had plenty of differences, but trust was still a requirement from members of the same pack. There was no real worry in the alpha wolf's mind, just the pleasure of the act. When Sgen moved up to give his muzzle a few licks, Raakk responded in kind, licking the black wolf's as well with affection. His smell felt familiar, a very wolfish musk that was just... Sgen.

"I pulled you here because I want to be with you," the black wolf said with a tone full of desire. In tandem with his words, Raakk felt the wolf's paw coming under his loincloth to simply grab at his sheath, groping it, then caressing it. Remnants of the stiffness the alpha had been feeling when he was still with the little red wolf still lingered and the hardness was quick to return under the black wolf's skilled paw. Sgen knew just how to pull his sheath back, then exactly how to lightly caress the member hidden within in an enticing way to convince it to spring to life.

"Hmmmgh..." Raakk groaned. Though all of his time with the little red wolf had been very nice, at that moment his body was quick to remind him that he himself had not been with another wolf for many suns. The alpha considered it in his head for a moment. He still wanted to go back to the little red wolf, but with him he wasn't sure if he was even going to...

Well, that and, at the moment, Raakk was pretty sure he could go twice that night if things ended up working the way he wanted with everyone.

Because of that, Raakk's response was to advance towards Sgen's neck to lick it as well. The black wolf exposed it just as he had, letting the alpha lick and nip at the fur there with growing passion. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sgen's tail wagging while his paw continued to massage the alpha's sheath.

They stayed enveloped and close like that for a few moments, Raakk tending to Sgen's neck with his tongue and the beta playing with his sheath with his paw. As the alpha pressed himself against his beta, he could feel the hint of hardness growing behind Sgen's own loincloth. The very subtle scent of his musk permeated through the air and Raakk's nose dwelled in it. It indeed brought back many pleasant memories of cold nights they had spent together. He and Sgen, sleeping under the pelts, the black wolf's body and thick fur warming not only him but also his knot. Though Sgen's scent was very prominent there, Raakk's mental image slowly started shifting. He still felt the same arousal he was feeling, but he saw himself in the embrace he had woken up in the most recent mornings. The shorter fur against his chest, the smaller stature that fit so well within his arms and the red color of that pelt...

Suddenly, Raakk felt himself getting pushed back. Sgen's foot paw was there to trip him and, therefore, the alpha's entire world suddenly spun as he was taken down for a hard fall in the snow with the black wolf above him. Raakk recovered and growled right away and Sgen growled back... playfully. The wolves showed teeth towards each other, yet both of their tails wagged back and forth behind them. Sgen immediately tried to pin him down, but Raakk knew that move all too well. He nipped at the black wolf's shoulder to make him flinch, then threw his weight on the black wolf's weak side to spin with him over the snow and turn it around so that Raakk would be on top.

Sgen did the same thing, managing to use his own momentum against him to come out on top again. The black wolf tried to go for his neck with his teeth, but Raakk snapped his against that black muzzle. Both wolves continued to growl at each other and, as their bodies remained pressed together, they both could feel each other's excitement and arousal over the thrilling play for dominance. They knew how it would end when one of them ended up on top.

They wrestled a little bit with Raakk below, paws pounding playfully against each other's fur and teeth snapping at each other trying to reach their throats. The arousal built up as well with both of them knowing what was coming soon. The gray wolf managed to twist around from under the black wolf to turn the tides again, putting his muscles to good use to heave up and then shove Sgen down against the snow on his back instead. The gray wolf was on top of him right away with his own growling and snarling, his member halfway out of his sheath and pushing his loincloth aside just as Sgen's was beneath him. Raakk used his paw to pin the black wolf down by the shoulder and was about to make a new attempt on his neck when his ears twitched.

A cheer came from the camp. Some kind of ruckus. The gray wolf looked in its direction, but behind the far side tents as they were, of course, he couldn't see anything.

"What's that?" Raakk asked, his mind taken out of their contest for a moment, but Sgen was quick to use that opportunity to swipe his paw and roll back on top of him with a triumphant smirk.

"They are celebrating! Just as we are. Forget about them." The black wolf's urge came with a new attempt on the alpha's own neck, which Raakk stopped with a paw. Though the alpha halted the black wolf's advance before his teeth could reach his neck, Sgen still extended his tongue out to lick at it. It felt pleasant and, slowly, Raakk allowed it, letting the black wolf lick him from above in the same pleasant way from before.

Their wrestling naturally gave way to intimacy. Raakk didn't really mind that he was on the bottom side, for when the black wolf came closer to lick him with more vehemence, the gray wolf growled softly and licked at his muzzle in return. His arousal returned and he could feel Sgen's over his stomach as the wolf sat above him. Feel and smell it as their musk started growing more prominent...

A wave of loud laughter came from the camp. Raakk stopped his licking with his ears pointing up right away. Sgen didn't stop, though. Even with Raakk's paw came to softly push the black wolf back, his muzzle fought back, insisting on continuing to lick his neck.

"Sgen, wait," Raakk said, but the black wolf still didn't stop. The beta's paw came down to his body, trailing down to reach for the alpha's exposed member. The warm grip on his cock made Raakk let out a soft groan, the black wolf starting to tease it right away, but more of the laughter could still be heard...

Worry won over lust. The alpha growled and pushed Sgen aside with more vehemence causing the black wolf to fall to the snow on his side and allowing Raakk to sit up properly. His ears twitched, listening to the voices and cheers of wolves in the distance. He sniffed instinctively, but he was too far to detect anything...

"What is it?" Sgen asked, visibly annoyed. "Can't we just enjoy ourselves even during a bonfire?"

"Something is happening." Raakk moved to stand up properly, adjusting his loincloth over his semi-hard member that was already retreating back to his sheath. Sgen growled softly from his side with frustration, but Raakk ignored it. "I will go check it just to make sure."

"There is no need for that," Sgen insisted. The black wolf came upon him from behind, arms enveloping his chest in a loving embrace. "Stay here. I'll let you take me this time..."

The words were meant to entice. The black wolf's warm breath was felt upon Raakk's neck. Sgen made a point to grind his hips against the gray wolf's side just to show him how aroused he still was. For a second there, the suggestion felt tempting with Raakk's member even pulsing with renewed life for a second, but something in his gut made his hackles raise up with more worry. He pulled away from Sgen.

"I will check to make sure everything is fine and come back," the alpha reassured him, then he started taking hurried steps back towards the bonfires.

When Raakk approached the bonfires he saw that many of the wolves had gathered around a single wrestling circle. They were cheering, sneering and laughing at what was happening inside, but the alpha couldn't see it at first. He started running towards it, circling around to the side towards an opening in the circle where he could see what was happening inside as he approached.

What he saw made Raakk's fur spike up in a burst of anger he hadn't felt in a long time. The growl that came from his throat came out by its own volition. He bared his fangs and grit his teeth together with an impulse to bite. His fast-paced walk became a full-fledged run, then he dropped down to all fours to close the distance even faster, charging, and the closer he got, the more he could see.

He was there, at the center of the circle. The little red wolf. He was bare, completely naked amidst all the other wolves being rowdy around him. The little red wolf was, however, pinned down to the ground, face pressed against the snow as Jotke, the pack's omega, stood above him holding him down. That wasn't all of it, though. Jotke held the little red wolf by the tail, raising his rear up so that the omega's bright red length that was pointed straight at it could...

Raakk growled with all of his might. As the wolves near the ring spotted him then hurried out of his way, their ears and tails lowering in submission right away, and following their eyes Jotke, the wolf pinning the little red wolf down, spotted him as well. The omega's expression was one of clear fear, but Raakk didn't slow down at all. When he was close enough, the alpha jumped, tackling the omega with a hard hit, sending them both rolling through the snow.

The mass of gray and brown fur on the snow ended with gray on top. Raakk didn't hold back, pinning the whimpering omega down and biting down on his neck below having to restrain himself hard to keep his teeth from breaking the skin there. As he held Jotke down, growling and snarling with anger, it was the tiny little taste of blood that brought the alpha back to his senses. One of his fangs might have prickled Jotke's neck, but that was when he felt the weaker wolf's paw tapping his belly in submission alongside his whimpers. Raakk let go of the wolf's neck, though still snarling so fiercely down at the omega in reprimand that little droplets of saliva sprinkled his muzzle. All of the signs of submission were clear in the omega, at least, but it was barely enough to quench Raakk's anger.

The alpha stood up still snarling, hackles raised, tail up and teeth bared towards all the other wolves that had been watching that happen. All of them, hunters or workers, showed submission towards the angry alpha, lowering their ears, tucking their tails and looking away as the Raakk's eyes went through them. All of them except one.

Raakk spotted Sgen standing outside the ring. His black fur blending in with the night behind him. The black wolf's arousal was gone as well, yet Sgen stood there with his arms folded. The only wolf that didn't look terrified of Raakk's anger. The alpha saw how Sgen's eyes trailed down to the little red wolf who was still lying there in the snow, curled up, looking rattled and cold.

"Looks like you cannot stay away from the pup for a second without him getting himself in trouble," Sgen said loud and clear for all to hear.

Raakk snarled up at him. "This is not the time for this, Sgen!"

The black wolf scoffed and looked away. "I am merely pointing out, again, that no wolf should ever need another's protection."

Some of the wolves around them shared looks between each other, but Raakk returned Sgen's words with a growl with such anger behind it that none dared even raise their ears back up to say anything.

"I said ENOUGH! Be quiet, beta, or you are going to be the next one whining in submission on the snow!" Raakk gave a slight nod towards Jotke who hadn't dared stand up yet. The anger he put behind his words brought a flicker of Sgen's ears. The black wolf didn't say anything else, but he still dared stare back at Raakk, meeting his gaze in open defiance for a few moments... and then he finally looked away. Sgen scoffed but remained quiet indeed.

Raakk's attention turned towards the little red wolf. His angry growling still rumbled in his throat, but the moment he met the outsider's terrified eyes, a wave of worry came over the alpha. His growling relented and instead, he rushed towards him to help him sit up. He nuzzled the little red wolf's muzzle.

"I am sorry about this," Raakk whined in a low voice. He looked at the little red wolf who still looked shaken, but well enough to say something in his own language. Raakk didn't understand that, but the little tent signal he formed with his paws was something they had been practicing and that he understood. The alpha nodded right away.

Without hesitating, he put his arms under the little red wolf to lift and pick him up. The little red wolf squirmed a little bit, but he was so light and small that the alpha had no trouble carrying him in his arms. Raakk's eyes remained focused on him and him alone as he carried the little red wolf back to their tent in a rush. The alpha sniffed towards him, smelling Jotke all over him, but as his worried eyes scanned his body from up close he thankfully found no wounds.

As they walked past Sgen outside the circle, the black wolf spat towards the ground. Raakk did spare a look at the black wolf, who held nothing but disdain in his eyes.

"A completely helpless pup..." Sgen said with a growl between his teeth.

"Don't make this worse than it already is," Raakk said with a clear growl of warning.

"You should put more thought on how your actions make you look, Raakk," the black wolf still said angrily from behind him, but the alpha just kept walking, ignoring his beta for the time being.

When the warmth of Raakk's tent enveloped them, the white wolf carefully placed the little red wolf over their sleeping pelts. The little red wolf's fur was cold, so Raakk, with his ears slightly lowered, pulled all the pelts he had and placed them over the outsider, going as far as leaning in and making sure he was well tucked in there. He said nothing, but when the little red wolf moved under the pelts, Raakk still made sure that they were firm and comfortable over him.

When the little red wolf tried to speak and get out, the wolf had to insist, forcing him back down to lie there in the warmth. Perhaps he was wanting those custom fit pelts of his, perhaps he was trying to say something else, but when Raakk looked down at the little red wolf the image of Jotke above him, red member ready to be used to claim him, made the alpha apply perhaps a little more force than necessary to make sure he was covered and tuckered in between his pelts.

A need to be with the little red wolf overcame him. He could still smell Jotke there, albeit faintly, and that bothered him way more than he thought it would. Raakk held back from growling, not wanting to give out the wrong impression, but the large alpha then moved to slip under the pelts alongside the little red wolf. He pressed himself against him, making sure that it was his scent that would cling to the newcomer's fur, and buried his muzzle against the back of the little red wolf's neck out of sheer necessity to feel his untainted scent.

Much to his disappointment, however, that act made the little red wolf quickly squirm and roll away from him instead, curling up and facing away from the larger wolf. Raakk's ears fell back. He didn't know exactly what Jotke had done to him nor what else had happened. Raakk had never wished so hard before that they could communicate so that he could ask what had transpired. He would ask the other wolves later, but he knew their view of it would be different.

He stared at the little red wolf curled up and away from him for a little while, hesitating. Then, as a means of apology, he carefully leaned in and gave the side of the little red wolf a tentative lick. Then another, and another. Raakk let out a small whine, which to any wolf would be enough of an apology. The big wolf slowly embraced the little red wolf from behind again. The closeness was important, after all. When the little red wolf didn't pull away, he pressed his chest against his back and let his larger body and warm fur envelop him the same way they slept most nights.

His smell was there. So unique, so good. Raakk gave his fur some subtle sniffs and dwelled in it. The little red wolf felt so warm, so soft, and fit so well within his embrace. The same thoughts from earlier started invading Raakk's thoughts. Of the things he wanted to do, of the desires he had. The alpha pulled the outsider close to him, basked in his embrace, and kept lapping at him a few more times before he rested his snout up right against the smaller male's own muzzle. He let out another apologizing whine.

"I will do better towards you," Raakk whispered to the little red wolf. He knew he wouldn't understand it, but it made him feel better to promise that. "I know it doesn't look good towards the other wolves, but... I will find a way to make it work."

The little red wolf still didn't respond, but that was alright. At least he wasn't pulling away.

The closeness combined with everything that had happened earlier made the lust inside Raakk grow again. It felt so good to just lay there close to him, to his smell, and let himself bask in his presence. The wolf could feel his own arousal, but he had no desire to do more than enjoy the little red wolf and be close to him that night. He just pulled the smaller male closer to him and let himself rest.

He was so different from Sgen in every way. He was not fierce and he was not strong, but the little red wolf had other things that were unlike anything another wolf could ever provide.

And he smelled so good. It sparked up more of Raakk's memories. The little red wolf was not him, no one was, and yet it felt as if...

It was with that smell and those thoughts, holding him close, that sleep took over the wolf. Whatever consequences might come, Raakk would deal with them the next day. For that night, all he wanted was to indulge in the outsider's presence and pretend he didn't have to keep any appearances.