In the Enemy's Territory 11

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#11 of In The Enemy's Territory

Well, most of the heavy content is out of the way now. Ahem, most. There's bound to be one last one, then it's all uphill from there. For now, here's a little sprinkling of it all for your troubles. I even tried something new. Never done m/m. Might work on it bit more later. Anyway, here's a bit about their pack structure because that actually becomes important.

A "Queen" refers to a female alpha that will not mate with the male alpha. Often times this happens if they are related or if the previous alpha dies and is replaced, such as in this case. Cloud's nearly 50 and that tips over into Elder status, while Jack is 32, about right for a new alpha. There can even be more than one male alpha, if the pack is large enough. Among the Aroogar, the alpha is not the strongest, but the one best able to handle difficult situations, the one who makes the best choices for the betterment of the pack. In areas with healthy packs, the alpha male is a Head Beta in his own pack and gets voted into a pack where he has the least related females to mate with. Their rank system has 3 tiers, low, mid, high, and each tier has 3 ranks Low ranks are Omega, Sigma, Omicron, mid ranks are Kappa, Theta, Gamma, and high ranks are Delta, Beta and Alpha. The thing about the Omega's is that they do not get to chose who they mate with, but they are allowed to refuse. In strict packs, only the Alpha gets to mate with the Omegas. It is expected that by the time his daughters have grown up and reached the age to breed, he will have already died and been replaced. In healthy packs with several unrelated individuals, this is much more laxed. Every Alpha chooses a Head Beta, for males it's often the eldest of the previous Alpha's sons, or some other permanent male member who knows about the finer details of what's going on in the pack. Very occasionally is it brother that they might share breeding rights with. In this case, it's Fern, because, well, goddammit Fern! Stop fuckin around and... oh, all the shit's done already. Okay, go back to fuckin around. For the females, it's usually a sister or daughter. Females don't travel as often as the males. And yes, their whole society finds it perfectly normal for older males to impregnate basically teenagers. Because they are half wolf and half human, their life spans are not as long, 90 for them is like 110 for us, it's mind boggling. They live fast and die young and age is really hot to them. Their Rite of Rank happens at 14. Before that, they are considered children.

And as I don't know where I'd put this info into the story, Fern and White Toe were sired by a traveler known as The Dark Walker. He would find the bitches that were mindlessly wandering in the fields in a heat daze and left a trail of pups from one end of the continent to the other. No one ever actually saw him, but they were sure he was black or dark grey. There may be a reason Cloud doesn't want to like Anubis....


The sun struck his aching eyes with a piercing fury. Sitting up slowly, weary to the soul, he squinted at the beam that aligned perfectly to assault his vision. His nose quivered with a myriad of other animals that were already eating and milling about. The barn doors were wide open and there was activity outside.

The face of a teenage boy suddenly popped into view around the corner. "Oh! Uh, hi! G-Good- good morning. Uh, m-my name is D-Denver. Uh, ha, I-I know Jack told me to wake ye up first thing but, um, ya know, I-I-I kinda, kinda have thi-this thing where I figure I shouldn't poke s-sleeping monsters, and, uh-uh, ha-ha, I have to say i-i-it's a philosophy that's served me really well, so, uh, I-I-I hope you feel really rested cuz I finished allll my o-other chores first so, hope that was enough!" He held up a hesitant two thumbs up. Anubis peered at him curiously and tilted his head.

"Uh, oh! R-Right! Breakfast! Um, s-sorry that it might be cold now, s-since ye slept in... uh, a bit." The wiry boy, a plain brown and white with no outstanding features and an omega's braid, set down a large bowl of savory porridge with several eggs and a side of meat before backing away nervously. "O-Oh, uh, right. The muzzle. Um, I guess I could, uh, help with that. J-Just don't, um, just don't eat me, okay?"

Anubis frowned deeply, giving the boy a "really?" glare that was enough to cause his hackles to rise all the way up his shoulders. Stuttering unintelligibly for a moment, he fiddled helplessly with the thick buckle.

"Denver! Are ya done yet? Oh...." A long grey face with a snaggletoothed scowl peeked around the corner. His eyes grew wide as he took in just how big Anubis was. The braid that swayed in the doorway was only a sigma, the rank above omega.

"Uh, c-could use some help, m-m-may-maybe?"

Approaching cautiously, he helped with the buckle. They both backed away nervously once it was released, letting him eat. It was surprisingly good considering it was made from a plant. As he licked the bowl clean, he heard a familiar voice from when he had arrived.

"Long Fang! Denver! What's takin' so long? Ye two're supposed to have 'im out two hours ago!"

Both boys stuttered with varying degrees of severity before Fern cut them off, coming around the corner. "Well, yeah, he's really big, but he's a slaver, not a cannibal, he's not gonna eat ya, okay? Isn't that right, big fella?" He thrust his thumb over his shoulder. "C'mon, hot stuff. Time to get saddled up. Jack'll ride Denver's ass for not gettin' ya awake on time and that's my job." The boy's ears laid to the sides in a deep, hot blush, his tail wagging a little. Fern smirked at his reaction and ruffled him affectionately between the ears. "Who's my good boy?"

Denver all but melted. "I am, F-F-Fern, sir!"

Long Fang rolled his eyes. "Right here?"

Also rolling his eyes, Fern slipped the muzzle back on Anubis. "Jack says this has to stay. Yer mouth looks like it could suck dick really well, but also rip all our throats out and that's the part we'd like to avoid. Never know, be a good dog, we might leave it off.

"Now, I'll help ye two get that harness on 'im 'n' get 'im out to the patch field. If we get it all planted today, we might get lucky with a late frost, an' I don't think I need to tell ya winter's gonna be lean without it."

He was led to the animal supply barn. The once yellow paint above the ground had faded and peeled away, leaving weathered wood exposed. As the three debated how to get the oxen harness on him, a crowd of pups gathered to gawk at him. One little boy, missing a foot, used his crutch like a sword and swiped it in his direction, hopping about on his good foot with his teeth bared. The other kids laughed, drawing the attention of Cloud. Storming over, she shooed them off, glaring at Anubis with bared teeth. All the while, he stared at the hard packed ground beneath his paws until they were done.

With the sun shining brilliantly in his eyes, he was made to pull a large hoe up and down a field of dark, loamy soil that smelled rich with decay, uprooting the many natural plants that had grown up over the spring. As they went, some low ranking females and some older children walked along far behind them, tossing handfuls of seeds.

By the time the sun had reached its zenith and the men called for a break, Anubis could feel his skin chafing where the thick leather harness rubbed him. His legs up to his belly were covered in filth. The men dusted off their overalls and cheered as the women came through the fields with platters stacked high with some sort of steaming leaf covered food. Anubis watched them peel the large leaves off to reveal a bread and meat mixture.

It surprised him when one of the women hesitantly approached him, offering him food before hurriedly retreating. Slaves at home were fed at most once a day from whatever scraps were left from the meals of the Dires. It was certainly not like that here he would come to discover.

While he ate, he watched the pack interact around him. Several pairs were not exactly subtle as to why they were wandering off to find a semi private corner. Some... didn't even bother.

Fern was bounding down a street of the haphazard hamlet singing loud enough to echo "ye'll never touch this ass!" while White Toe chased after him covered in bubbles, yelling threats of vengeance to be wrought upon his ass. In a far field, Jack was also watching the affair from atop the large mismatched tractor and shaking his head.

The pups of varied ages played games that did not involve battles for dominance but instead favored the younger and the slower. The boy with the missing foot hurried to keep up as best he could, but the rest never got too far ahead, always slowing down or circling back to ensure he could keep up with their game.

His nose quivered. A whiff of the familiar. Squinting, he saw Nova pushing Veka in her chair over the bumpy road towards another building that had been painted with a mural of blooming flowers, a campfire creating smoke that flowed into running wolves, and the full moon as an eye.

Fern went streaking by, now naked with hay sticking out of his fur. "Hi, Nova! Glad yer back, Nova!" he yelled as he fled around another building with White Toe still in pursuit with threats of neutering.

After losing sight of them, he peered around when he heard the rattle of an old engine. Down the road some distance bumped a rusted old truck. It was heading to the gate of the property and soon had Jack's attention when several warning howls echoed through the fields. Anubis did not get to know what it was about as the truck vanished behind some buildings, and so did the Alpha.

The sun was not yet down when he was released from his harness and again fed from the same warm, fresh meal the rest of the pack ate from. Again, it was mostly vegetables with freshly baked bread, but it tasted pretty good. While the pack ate in the great hall, he could hear them laughing and shouting guesses at some game, but he was simply too exhausted to be curious.

He was dozing, in that hazy phase just before the depth of slumber, when he was brought back by many voices joining together, lifting into a wild song that filled the night. Instincts tickled his throat, but he let them out in a long sigh and listened. Far in the distance was a response, more voices rising to answer. There were more responses further in other directions, until it seemed the entire prairie hummed with it. In the resonance of so many howls, there was one small, hesitant yip. With another somber sigh, he curled up a little tighter on his bed of hay and fell into a fitful sleep.

It only took 2 days for Denver and Long Fang to feel a little more relaxed around Anubis. He did nothing he was not told to do, spending any free time just standing and waiting for them to tell him to do something, staring at the ground. They had commented on finding it strange to command him, but were told that it should make them feel empowered that someone was below them in rank. It really didn't.

While he worked, Denver helpfully pointed out all 61 other members of the pack, including the pups that constantly came near, only to be shooed away by a higher ranking member, giving him a cautious glare as they hurried off.

He learned Iron Gale, younger brother to the old Alpha, was Denver's father while Winterlace, Cloud's youngest sister, was his mother, and they were a dedicated pair. Not a rare occurrence but unusual enough. Through the many conversations he heard, he learned the old Alpha had been beloved by them all, even by the neighboring packs. The pack had prospered under him, but his waning years, the drought, the tractor breaking down, and the war had all taken their toll, dwindling their power in the area rapidly. With 7 other packs sharing their borders, it was a struggle to keep them out of the fields, which could change hands quite suddenly if there was not enough push back, and the pack just didn't have enough resources to chance a fight with the larger neighbors.

He found that he didn't mind the muzzle that was attached to his thick leather collar. It allowed him to pant in the heat that they told him wasn't so bad, and stick his snout into the water barrels and drink. It was even padded where it pressed his face. The muzzles at home had been designed for torture. This muzzle was just so they felt safe enough to be around him, and he didn't blame them. He was, indeed, as big as the ox that would have been latched in this harness, but it didn't fit quite right.

At least the food was delicious. Though, despite the fact that they fed him a larger portion than they would eat, it was never near enough, but it wasn't his place to expect much less request seconds.

Early in the morning, as he waited outside for his harness, Jack strode over to watch. He was covered in grease with a large wrench in his hand. Leaning against the corner of the barn, he crossed his arms and just quietly observed. Silver, a middle aged delta who had been adopted from a far away pack and was often left in charge of the lower ranks, tugged the buckle over a sore spot and Anubis involuntarily winced. "Oh, sorry, big guy," he murmured, running his hand under the leather to smooth down his fur.

Jack rolled his eyes and growled under his breath. "None o' this feels like justice. It feels like corruption." Striding over, hardly a head taller than the Dire in his feral form, he reached his fingers through the cage of the muzzle and forced Anubis to look at him. "Ya know, slaver, we ain't like yer kind. We don't find pleasure in the pain o' others. Ain't that lucky fur ye?" Anubis scowled back at him, and Jack's eyes narrowed. "Nova and Veka keep talkin' 'bout ya like ye were some sort o' hero. But it don't make ye a hero to refrain from hurtin' people who're helpless to ye."

When Anubis turned his eyes down in deference, Jack nodded knowingly. "Yeah, that's what ya thought o' yerself, ain't it? Some kind o' savior? Well, maybe there, maybe ye seemed that way to those women surrounded by all that torture. But, let me tell ya exactly what ye are here, in this pack. Yer a blight. Ye corrupt what we are. We don't even treat our food the way ye treated those women, and we sure as hell ain't gonna start treatin' anything like that. Not even a slaver.

"Go find somethin' to pad the harness. I gotta get back to work."

Honestly, even if he had a rebuttal, Anubis was just too tired to argue, and his feral form did not allow him to speak. Once the last shackle was bolted, he began his task of clearing the irrigation troughs, ignoring the sores that still rubbed even under the extra padding. After all, if the countless women his people had forced to wear such harnesses could suffer so silently, it was only fair that he suffer in silence as well.

When midday rolled by, Anubis was left sitting out on the edge of a field full of tall, waving stalks of some pungent plant, while Denver was plucking at weeds, waiting for the rest of the group to come back with food. Anubis had discovered early on that his stutter was constant and sometimes made it difficult to stay focused on what he was trying to say, but no one ever showed him any impatience, at least not about that. Such a boy would have been torn apart among the Wogtal, but Anubis found it endearing, sometimes. It could be a bit frustrating when it took the boy nearly a minute just to give him permission to go relieve himself.

Squatting unceremoniously by some rocks out of sight, he heard Denver gasp excitedly. "Oh! A shark beetle! I love these guys. Th-Th-They're so helpful. They eat the aphids!"

"Oh, kind of like the way yer cousin eats yer ass?"

Startled, Denver let out a yip. He attempted to stutter out that the owner of the voice wasn't supposed to be there, but he was interrupted. "And what'd'ya even gonna do about it? Ye can't even finish a s-s-s-sentence!" Several other boys chuckled maliciously near him.

"I'll bet it's cuz his cousin fucked his mouth so hard, his brain got soft."

"Nah, he's been smooth brained from birth. Gotta be to be a nut nibbler."

The boys snickered at that, repeating him with cruel cackles. Again, Denver nervously attempted to tell them he would call for help but there was a scuffle and a muffled yelp.

"Ye won't be sayin' nothin' 'round my dick, sausage sucker."

"Yeah, cuz fuckin yer ass would be just like fuckin a bitch."

Denver whimpered in a pleading panic, trapped under a chubby sigma that had his muzzle in one hand and a wrist pinned down with the other while 3 others stood over them. None of the teenagers noticed the predatory abyss that stalked up behind them. It even took them a couple heart beats to realize it wasn't thunder in the distance they were hearing, but a deep rumbling much closer. Anubis almost laughed when all 4 boys practically leapt out of their pelts upon noticing him looming beside them, an amused grin baring a glittering line from ear to ear. Tripping over themselves to escape, they scrambled back over the crumbling stone wall and disappeared into the woods, caterwauling the whole way.

Getting to his feet, Denver clutched at his chest and panted as he watched them flee. "W-W-Wow, A-Anubis! Thanks! I-I was really sc-scared."

"The hell was that?" A group of his pack came out of the vegetation, peering around cautiously.

More of the stalks rustled and parted as Fern burst into view. "The fuck just happened? Denver! Are ya alright?"

Lowering himself, the boy swallowed hard. Rather than answering directly, he asked if he could go lie down. Brow furrowed deeply with concern, Fern glanced from him to Anubis and back before gently dismissing him.

Though Anubis was put back to work with Fern taking Denver's place, it wasn't a full two hours before they were summoned by howl and led to the receiving building at the entrance of town. He was no fool. Glancing around, he knew a trial when he saw one. Both alphas and several betas stood around, quieting when he came around the corner with Fern. Facing them was a much older, muddy brown alpha, an eye permanently sealed shut with scar tissue. His head beta stood beside him, clearly a brother and closer to Iron Gale's age. In front of them were two of the boys from earlier.

"Oh, good. Fern. I was just tellin' Stone Paw and Mountain that I hadn't been told of any kind of attack earlier today. Wasn't anyone there with 'im?"

Fern's muzzle wrinkled deeply, and he stalked through the crowd with murderous intent in his eyes straight at the boys, his tail stiff. Tucking their tails, they backed away, but Fern snagged the front of the nearest boy's coveralls and jerked him close. "Were ye harassin' Denver?" he demanded. The boy tried denying any wrongdoing, but shut his mouth and cringed at the beta's bare tooth snarl. "Were-- you-- harassin'-- Denver?" he growled each word slowly.

Whimpering, the omega glanced around as if hoping someone would rescue him before lowering himself in defeat. "We was only messin'! We weren't gonna hurt 'im! Honest!"

With a final growl, Fern shoved the boy back at his alpha. "You take yer little shits home. With all due respect, Alpha, but if I see 'em again, it won't be the dog they'll be cryin' about." Turning on his paw pad, he fumed away.

The alpha glanced at Jack, who shrugged nonchalantly, arms crossed. "Well, yer welcome to send that letter to Khade'grr, but the man strikes me as awfully intelligent. Ye'll need to pick yer words real careful."

Glancing at each other, they scowled at the boys in unison, giving their respects before departing in their truck. Rolling his eyes as the rest dispersed, Jack turned to glare at Anubis. Scratching behind his ear, he seemed to struggle with what to say while Anubis stared bitterly at the ground. After a few false starts, he let out an aggravated sigh.

"Look. I ain't gonna chastise ye over defendin' anyone in this pack. But, ye put me in a real weird spot. This whole 'slave' thing. It might make sense to you, but I've just gotta wing it. So, ye ever threaten anyone, ye better be damned sure it's worth it. I can't afford to sour relations with our neighbors." Pausing, he pursed his lips and rubbed his temple. "I knew ye were gonna be trouble, but I didn't think like this. Alright, well, ye've spent too much time standing around, off with ya."

After storming away, Fern slipped quietly into the small cabin he shared with Denver. He could hear Denver's sniffles before he even pushed the door open. Curled up on the bed and facing the wall, he softly whined to himself until Fern gently tapped on the wall. With a quick sniff, it took him longer than usual to mutter he was fine. Kneeling beside the bed, Fern gently nuzzled his shoulder, slowly making his way along the curve of his neck to behind his ear. It made Denver shudder, his fur fluffing up with the bumps on his skin.

"Yer not foolin' me with that tough guy act," he murmured lovingly. "But I'll bet ya had those boys on the run with that attitude."

"N-No, th-that was Anubis." He suddenly turned to look up at him with wide eyes. "Did he tell you?"

Fern shook his head. "No. Don't worry how I found out. They're not gonna bother ye no more."

Sniffling, he wiped at his nose and squirmed closer to the wall. "I'mmm a mess."

Oozing up on to the bed with him, Fern slipped his arm around him. "Well, I was a bit of a mess earlier myself, it just looked different."

Snuggling against him, Denver wiped at his eyes. "Y-Ye always mmmmake me feel special."

Squeezing him a little tighter, he nuzzled over his shoulder. "Good. I want ye to feel 'bout yerself the way I feel 'bout ya."

"Oh, Fern, sir," he whimpered, wagging his tail between them. "I love you."

Smiling, Fern licked his cheek, and slipped his hand into the side of his coveralls, causing him to gasp. Fern knew just how to rub him to draw him from his sheath and easily had him hard and throbbing in his hand. Stroking him firmly, he nuzzled the moaning boy's ear. "Who's my good boy?"

"I-I-I am!" he panted hotly, his hips squirming so he could rub his rump against Fern's hardening rod.

"That's right," Fern agreed gruffly, drawing him into a kiss while his strokes became tortuously slow. It caused Denver to thrust in desperation, whimpering lustfully. Fern smiled, drawing away. "Now hold on. I think today..." Denver's breath shuddered as Fern slipped his coveralls over his shoulders and watched in surprise as he oozed down his body with a lecherous grin, "I'll be yer good boy."

Blushing and whining with excitement, Denver's tail wiggled madly under them. Fern's tongue was hot and wet, starting from his balls, up his sheath, and all the way to the tapered tip of his pulsing rod. He lapped at the steady stream of precum coursing over the side. While looking up at him with carnal intentions, he glided down Denver's cock until his nose was buried in his belly fur.

Gripping the sheets, poor Denver couldn't last when Fern's thumb played with his tail hole, pressing in to the knuckle and pumping him a few times in sync with his head bobs. Moaning loudly, he shot his hot load across Fern's muzzle and his own belly.

Licking at the line of cum, Fern laid next to him, stroking his neck and chest as he panted. Nuzzling him as he recovered, he murmured, "was I a good boy?"

Giggling breathlessly, Denver nodded, confirming him before asking if they could stay in bed the rest of the day. Smiling, Fern agreed that it sounded like a great idea.

The morning was crisp and eerie, a chill fog rolling through. Despite shivering in his leather jacket, Denver's cheer was as bright as the sun that was destined to show. Stretching leisurely, Anubis shook with great plumes of fluff floating about, peering at his new best friend curiously for it could not possibly be that cold.

The nervous omega was glued to him like a shadow. By mid morning, he had told the story of "Anubis' rescue" a dozen times over. Each time, Anubis longed to correct him, but instead endured the worship with many eye rolls and sighs. By the time he was brought back to the barn to switch equipment and have food, most of the low ranks had heard of his deed and found the courage to get close enough to touch him.

He heard them speak of Nova and Veka. Nova was now Veka's permanent ward, and Veka's only job was to sit with the baby pups, the ones not old enough to join the pack outside. So that was why he had not seen either since the first day. A rumor he also heard muttered in the fields was that the higher ranks feared he held some sort of spell over them and insisted they stay away from him. He couldn't blame them. A spell was what it felt like, and if distance was what it took to break the magic, well, that was fine.

Standing quietly as Denver, Long Fang, and Silver debated about how to hook up a piece of equipment, Anubis perked when he heard Jack's voice coming around a corner. "Don't give me bad news, Iron Gale! I don't have the space in my day for that!"

"Oh, well, I mean, it's sorta good, I guess. Depending on how ya look at it."

Stopping in the middle of the road, he threw up his arms and exclaimed loud enough to gain attention."I don't want to be lookin' at it at all! Just spit it out!"

"Okay. Spear Fin said he'll trade us a whole new engine, built it brand new, guaranteed by the bevy for a century."

"But?"

"But... we ain't got nothin' valuable enough to trade with. They don't want our grass, or food, or even tools. The quarry's dry of iron. We got nothin', and he'll sell it to the first pack that does."

Taking an angry, contemplative breath, Jack's gaze slowly swept around until it locked on Anubis. He quickly turned down his eyes, and for a moment, reminisced on all the young women that had been sold off for material things.

"What about jewels?"

"Well, yeah, them otters love the shiny things. But where'd we get jewels?"

Iron Gale followed Jack's gaze and stared in wonder at Anubis. More specifically, the societal braid that still carried his many heirloom gems. It had surprised him that they hadn't already cut it off, or even spoken of it, but it made sense that the symbols of his rank among his own pack meant nothing to them, being simply beautiful carvings in their eyes. It was all he had left of his past. Jack strode over to him. It was a great rope in his hand. Anubis turned his head away.

Taking a spiteful breath, Jack tugged the braid. "Any o' these particularly important to ye?" he asked flatly. With a sigh, Anubis shook his head slowly. "Good. We're probably gonna need all of 'em for this engine, but, I think this oughta be enough. And unlike you, slaver, we don't remove anythin' we don't have to. Hey, Silver. Get his braid brushed out today. Bring all these to Iron Gale by dinner time. I'd like ye on the road 'fore the dawn. We're not gettin' another chance like this." Smirking, he patted Anubis between the ears. "Who's a good boy?"

After the higher ranks quickly moved on, Silver casually stated he didn't feel like spending anymore time in the fields, a sentiment heartily echoed by the others in the rising heat.

Spying Nova's twin litter-sisters, Silver grinned lecherously, wagging his tail. Barking, he called them over to help with the brushing. Glancing at each other, they hesitantly obeyed the higher rank, ears back and tails down in protest. Denver didn't hesitate to tell them all about what Anubis had done the previous day, tacking on yet one more colorful detail about the size of his teeth. He sighed as he had to listen to the exaggerated tale once again.

With care, his great braid was unraveled and the many beads and rings were worked out. In his mind, he recalled the moment he had gained each one. Ill gotten goods stolen from places he had never seen and people he did not know. Never had he considered how many lives had been lost for his people to carry such trinkets, but now each one removed felt like a burden lifted from his past.

His nose quivered and his ear swiveled, his heart skipping a beat. In the doorway of the barn leaned Nova. "Hey. I heard ye guys were brushin' 'im and... I wanted to come help."

Denver gasped and glanced around while Luna and Moon half heartedly chastised her. She waved her hand. "Ye guys aren't gonna tell on me, are ya?" Lowering her ears, her eyes grew round and sweet.

"Well, I mean...." Silver started hesitantly. She turned that puppy gaze to him and his mouth snapped shut. "Dammit, Nova, don't do that unless ye intend to suck my dick," he growled fondly.

"Why'd ye even want to be around 'im?" Moon questioned, looking Anubis over then back at her. "Aren't ya afraid of 'im? Didn't he hurt ye?"

Nova shook her head. "No! Well, I mean... don't tell omma any o' this, okay, but I was afraid, at first. It was... terrifying. It was the scariest, most depressin' 2 weeks of my whole life and... I didn't know how much longer I could take it." She laid back her ears, looking at the ground. "I... I jerk awake at night, thinkin' I'm... still there. Then I look next to me and... Veka's just... lookin' at me cuz she hasn't even slept. She's afraid she's dreamin' when her eyes are open and doesn't want it to end."

Anubis swallowed hard while the others whined softly.

"And, yeah, when I... didn't really know 'im... when he thought I were his property, that was really scary, too. But, knowin' 'im as I do now, I think he's really glad that all of that's over, and I... I know he'd never hurt me, not then and definitely not now."

Picking up a brush, she stepped close enough to touch him. He watched her from the corner of his eye, barely breathing. Looking him over with a frown, she plucked an entire handful of fluff off his shoulder where the harness rubbed like it was a fur fruit.

She sucked in a slow, long breath. "I learned a lot of things while I was a captive. Now that I'm home, I've had the chance to think about it. The Wogtal spent so much time brushin' cuz they got thicker coats, they mat up faster. It's really cold in those mountains, even in the summer. It's also easier for 'em to get dirty with all that fur, and they can't afford any scratches gettin' infected." Meeting his sidelong gaze, a wry little smile crept up her mouth, recalling one of their conversations and casually hinted, "Jack said he can't change out o' this form, so he can't brush 'imself. If he gets matted an' sick, not only would we be out a work wolf, but he could get the rest of us sick."

Frowning, the others glanced at each other. Anubis stared at her a moment longer with uncertainty.

"Well, I don't m-mind brushin' 'im out," Denver was first to pipe eagerly. "His fur's so soft! His hair's like silk!"

"Oh yes," Moon agreed wholeheartedly, "I love how big his muscles are underneath," she purred, stroking his shoulder. "Like boulders."

Luna snorted and cackled, pointedly looking under him at his testicles. "Yeah, yeah, they sure are!"

Denver's ears shot off to the sides, and he grinned sheepishly. "W-W-Well, I-I wasn't gon-gonna say it."

Moon looked over at her sister knowingly. "That's cuz she's 'bout to go into heat an' dick's all she can think 'bout right now."

"Well he knows what that's like," Luna countered cheekily. "He only ever thinks about dick, too!"

"Well, I think about dick, too, ya know," Silver interjected as Denver blushed. "Specifically my dick, in pussy." Anubis grinned from ear to ear, panting great hot breaths with his irrepressible amusement, and Silver snickered with him. "You, too, eh?"

"Well, I don't know about ye guys, but I like the idea of a bath," Luna offered. Then her tail wagged with a sly little smile. "Do I get to wash his underside?"

"Only if I get to wash the other side," Moon giggled. "There's enough of 'im to share."

"Speakin of enough to share...." From the pocket of her jagged jean shorts, Nova drew a pipe and a small jar. "I've a whole month of grass rations...."

"And she brings bribes," Silver muttered, playfully glaring at her. "I'm getting demoted for this."

She grinned at him as she packed the bowl very deliberately. "Are ye sayin' it's not worth it?" He continued to glare at her until she was done and had pulled a lighter from her shirt pocket, inching towards the bowl.

"Will ye suck my dick?" he asked bluntly.

"I'll suck yer dick if it makes it my turn faster!" Luna offered unabashedly, wagging her tail with her eyes on the pipe.

A self-satisfied grin stretched across his muzzle. "Worth it."

Before long, the pungent smoke was tickling Anubis' nose. This was the reason his people called them grassers. At first, he peered among them with dilemma. After all, he had been told it was their grass that helped make them so weak and easy to conquer. By the time the pipe made it to Denver and started fresh around the other way, he had decided that it had to be a lie considering where he was at the moment and the events that had led to it. The pleasant tingle that came over him in the thick haze probably helped with his decision.

It was all he could do to hold himself together while they brushed him and continued their blunt and colorful comments about every aspect of his size. After pulling a whole other Wogtal from his coat, they led him outside to a concrete pad behind the barn and emptied a half barrel of soap, deciding there was no way to wash him without joining.

Stripping without a hint of modesty, they giggled together and played games with the bubbles, eventually attempting to see if there was any way to make Anubis hidden. Shrugging, he decided to play along.

It wasn't long before Luna started panting hotly. It was a heavy scent that was just as effective as nature intended.

"Oh, Luna, right now?" Moon complained. "Ye ought to go lie down 'fore ya attract a crowd."

"Nope!" Silver growled, grabbing her by the arm and pushing her against the wall, grinning down at her. "Ye promised me a dick suckin', but I'm down for a fuckin' instead."

Whimpering submissively, she didn't resist his probing, looking down at the thick rod he lubed between her thighs. Slipping his arms under her knees and planting his hands firmly against the building, he found what he sought and sank easily into her spread and welcoming spade. Her moaning was hot and heavy while he pumped her deep and hard.

Moon was busy watching her sister getting plowed, forgetting about the hose. "Oh, guys," she whined lustfully, "yer gonna make my heat start. That's not fair."

"I ain't got nothin' to do but the both o' you," Silver responded, not missing a stroke. Leaning back a bit further to get deeper, he smirked as Luna's moans grew urgent, her passage tightening around him.

Denver was also watching, panting heavily with ears to the sides, but he had a far off look in his eyes, seeing an entirely different scenario going on. The tip of his member peeked from his sheath, his knot already swelling inside the skin.

A familiar shudder rode Nova's spine, and she turned to see Anubis' hungry gaze upon her. The predatory attention made her shiver, swallowing hard. The inferno that flared in her belly traveled straight downward, and she had to bite her lip and whimper. Her submission caused his mouth to curl smugly.

While Nova tried to hold herself together, Luna was losing herself, pleading desperately for a knot. Silver was happy to oblige, growling when he swelled and pumped his load into her. He panted to clear his head, looking down at her quivering spade, trapped with his virile seed. He grinned to himself, nuzzling her ear. "Maybe this time one of yer pups'll be mine."

"NOVA!"

All ears shot back in terror. Like a storm, Cloud stomped over to them, her teeth bared and eyes ablaze. Her glare turned to Anubis, and he was certain that he was probably going to be beheaded by the end of this. Gulping, he laid flat on the ground before her, tilting his head so that some of his throat was exposed submissively. When that didn't seem enough to quell her fury, he twisted his body, exposing part of his belly upon which his tail was firmly glued.

Snorting, Cloud placed her fists on her plump hips and turned her ire to her daughter. "At least he's got the brains to know he's in trouble."

"Ommy, please..." she started.

"I know what I saw!" Cloud interjected with her teeth bared. "Over here cowerin' while he eyes ye like a hungry animal. That's exactly why I didn't want ye 'round him."

"Ah, that-that's my fault," Silver admitted apologetically, having lost his knot in his panic. "Got, uh, got a bit... distracted."

Her snarl made him lower himself. "Ye fucked up long 'fore ye started fuckin'. Havin' that kind of temptation next to this monster!"

"Omma, he wasn't gonna do anything...."

She glared back at her daughter. "And how can ye be so sure?"

Nova's brow furrowed and she glanced at Anubis, then back at her mother. "Seriously? I mean, just look at 'im. Ye insist he wear that muzzle, ignorin' the fact that he could just... sit on ya. He's not chained, he could hurt any one of us and be 2 packs over 'fore we got organized enough to go after 'im. But instead, he lays there, ready to let ye tear his throat out, even if the muzzle weren't on. Don't that count for somethin'?"

While she eyed him critically, he gulped again. No argument had ever sated his mother's rage until blood had been spilled.

Her lips a hard set line, she turned back to Nova. "He might not do anything, but he clearly didn't need to to have ye cowerin'."

"O-Oh," Nova breathed, glancing around with her ears low before fidgeting with the fluff at the end of her tail. "I-I, uh, I wasn't cowering, exactly. I, uh... I might need to... go back to my room."

Glancing around, Cloud let out a sigh and shook her head. "Fine. Ye three go on. Yer gonna stop all the work in the area. Ye two," she pointed at Silver and Denver, "finish with him."

"Right away, Alpha!" they agreed in unison.

After they quickly hosed off, Cloud followed her daughters, but paused and glared back at Anubis. With a wet thud, he flopped back into his exposed position, staring off into the distance. Satisfied that he knew his place, she moved on.

Growling, Silver shook his head. "I could've had first dibs with all three. Well, let's get this over with. I might still have my chance if we hurry."

Flipping to his paws, Anubis shook, spraying water all the way to the neighboring building. Padding over, he nudged the delta in the direction the women had gone. It was like being moved by a mountain, nearly shoving him off his feet. Silver smiled but shook his head. "Ah, my wing wolf! I appreciate it, but I don't feel like pissin' her off."

"Yeah," Denver nodded. "E-E-Ev-Ever since Wild River died, she's been mad 'bout everything."

"Well, can't blame her, but, but yeah, it's been a drag," Silver agreed. "She's just worried we might go hungry this winter, but I gotta say, those fields were gonna go to the weeds if ye hadn't come along Anubis. We already lost splinter field to the DaVill Pack cuz we just didn't have the resources to fight over it. All the extra we had went to the antibiotics when Fletcher lost his foot. That boy'll either get 'imself killed or become a young alpha. Either way, let's get ye dried up so I can get back to makin' some future alphas."