FSE

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"Damn it, Anubis! I'm tryin' not to like ya!"

Jack's cry had rung through the hamlet near daily whenever he discovered something done only a god could do. It was what he had woken to after another sleepless night with nothing else to do but stack the crumbling stone fence with the mathematical precision his people were known for.

Besides his regular nightmares, it didn't help that most of the last week the only thing he could smell were the whiffs of Nova's heat in the air. Hardly had he seen her except at dinner when she'd run in to get food and didn't even look at him before escaping to solitude in the den or her mother's cabin. Based on things he heard from other pack mates, it was not her usual behavior. Rather than sitting around and smelling that sweet perfume every time the wind shifted, he had instead spent his free time following Denver or Silver around, learning about the water and wind mills that powered their hamlet, how they created biofuel from the seeping oils in their grass crop, or trying to find useful things to do after his job during the day.

After having been given a few days to rest and heal, he had been set on the simplest of the jobs available that would not require his hand. Guarding their livestock was more boring than being one of their livestock, but it was a lovely scenery. It would be nice to paint, he thought, gazing about.

The knoll overlooked a lush field of thick grass, flowing like ripples on a lake in the breeze. The woolly creatures that grazed without concern cawed to one another, lazy in their occasional glances simply out of instinct rather than need or fear. The little hamlet was out of sight here. There wasn't much else to look at but blue sky and waving pasture.

Sitting under one of the few trees, Anubis stared at his splinted hand and sighed. He had been very lucky, indeed. Only the metacarpal of his two smallest fingers had been cracked, so they had elongated, but the muscle structure changes had pulled the bones loose, snapping them at their fractures and causing the muscle to be too short. Back home, he would have been crippled and shunned by the pack, never to paint again. Here, the care he had received was a level of sophistication and knowledge none in his pack had possessed, or rather, cared to possess. He had to remember to correct himself now, considering that there had been a life time for any one of them to learn from these Aroogar. He had certainly tried to learn from the slaves, but those conversations had never been nearly as enlightening as conversing briefly with Berry, Cloud's eldest daughter and the pack's medic and herbalist, every time she checked on his injuries. She had gone to a school to learn her trade, and the pack had given up a great deal to send her. Considering the care she had given him (assuring him repeatedly that there would be hardly a trace of this injury by the end), he could imagine Jun had likely done the same; a memory she had never been allowed to divulge.

A high pitched buzzing had his attention in an instant. On his feet, he peered about, ears alert. It was coming closer. It didn't sound natural. Then he saw it. A small device zipped past him in the air. A flying drone. He had seen similar technology before as part of the M.A.S. he had been trained to use. It circled him, then swayed back and forth in front of him, playfully flipping a few times before losing control and driving itself into the ground at his feet.

Tilting his head curiously, he bent down to pick it up, blowing off the dirt. "Where did you get this?"

"How'd ye know it was me?"

He gave Nova a sidelong look with a raised brow as she popped up out of the grass some distance away. "Lucky guess," he teased with a roll of his eyes.

Giggling, she picked up a basket and came to stand beside him, beaming proudly. "I made it!"

He glanced at her perplexed. "You? You built this?"

"Uh, yeah," she replied with sass. "I build all kinds o' li'l gadgets!" Taking it from him, she adjusted the blades. "I finally finished this one! Grinder gives me spare parts, sometimes, if he's in a good mood. I usually save some of my grass for 'im. Hopefully he's in a really good mood tomorrow!" Finished fiddling, she returned it to his hand, using him as a platform to send the thing buzzing off across the pasture. "I asked Fern if I could go with 'im to town since he's gotta do some tradin'. As usual, he decided to be a tease 'bout it. He can be such a dick, sometimes."

One of the little woolly creatures panicked as she hovered the drone near it. Hopping about madly, it smacked the drone and sent it careening off into the tall grass.

"Aww!" Nova whined in frustration. "I gotta go find it!"

With a fond little smile, Anubis watched her bound off. His amusement grew when he saw the grass rustle closer and closer to her. From his vantage spot, he could see a tuft of brown fur stalking towards her. He didn't need to be able to sniff the wind, which was blowing the wrong way anyhow, to know it was Fletcher who pounced out of hiding with a fierce snarl, causing Nova to shriek convincingly enough.

"Hey!" she cried with a pout. "That was scary! I thought ye'd eat me!"

Beaming with satisfaction, he giggled. "I'm huntin'!" Lifting his leg with the missing foot, he hopped about as he tried to show Nova a thick wooden prosthetic that was vaguely sanded to a paw shape at the end over the grass almost as tall as he was. "I got a new foot! Now I kin stalk, an' I'm fast!"

She put her hands on her hips and watched him prove it in circles around her with a grin. "Well, look at that! Then ye can be the one feedin' the pack tonight. Hope ye catch somethin' big!"

Both of them yowled when a great, dark predator rose from the deep grass with a sinister chuckle. Locked in Anubis' iron grip, Fletcher snarled boldly and swiped his claws, barely ruffling the Dire's fur. Snickering, he released the boy. Freed, Fletcher bounced around him with youthful vigor, snapping his teeth with the most menacing growls he could manage. "I ain't afraid o' ye! I'll bite'cha!"

"He will, too!" Nova confirmed with a giggle while she continued searching for her lost toy.

Grinning just to show off his fangs, Anubis shook his head. "I've no doubt of it! You must be part Wogtal to be so fierce."

Puffing up his chest, he returned the toothy smile confidently. "Yeah, that's right! I ain't 'fraid o' nothin'!"

"Ah, Fearless Fletcher," Anubis chuckled. "You remind me of a friend I had as a pup. He feared nothing, too."

Grinning with a small strut, he perked when he heard other voices calling his name. The pack of pups standing on the crest of an opposing knoll were impatiently waving to him and disappearing out of sight before returning to check if he was coming. Wagging his tail, he ducked under the grass and started away with his path obvious through the stalks.

Before he got far, he was stopped by a tug on his tail that had him jumping with a yip and a growl. His ears laid back nervously, but he bared his teeth at Anubis' grand grin in front of his face. "Hey! I'm stalkin!"

"Oh? I couldn't tell. Seems you were leaving a trail for me to follow. Anyone could see you coming." Chuckling at his little scrunched up face of irritation, Anubis got down low with him, tucking well under the grass. "If you want to catch them by surprise, you must plan your path. Each step must be deliberate, calculated to make the least noise, the least visible, even if it takes extra time. Taking a spare moment to line up a step that doesn't give away your position saves you more time than having to find another prey that's unaware of you. Move with the elements. Step where the wind bends the stalks. Pause if the path needs to sway again to hide you. Patience will get you much closer than cover alone."

The pups peeked back over the top of the hill, calling out again and disappearing to the other side. A devious little grin stretched ear to ear, and Fletcher was gone.

Instead of watching him stalk away, Anubis turned to watch Nova continue searching for her toy. After a few moments, she let out an exclamation of excitement and bent over with her tail wagging in the air. He had a lecherous smirk for her when she turned that made her breath catch. Quickly occupying herself with her drone, she turned away, biting her lip.

There was a chorus of shrieks and yelps over the hillside and one very maniacal cackle.

"Oh, no!" Nova burst out laughing. "Ye've taught 'im a terrible thing!"

Struggling with his grin, Anubis started back to his vantage point. "I have no idea what you're talking about. My attention has been on you the whole time."

"Oh, so ye were teachin' me to stalk! Uh huh, sure." Giggling with a wag, she started to follow after him, but he stopped and turned to give her a stern glare.

"Are you even supposed to be out here?"

Her ears shot back, and she stammered a moment. "O-Oh, w-well, I mean, uh, kinda. I, uh, asked if there were anything else I could do, an' omma said I could ask around. So, I asked Denver what he were up to an' he said he was gonna bring ye lunch." Slipping past him, she presented him with the large, handwoven basket she had brought with her. "I asked if I could go grab my drone to show ya an' he said he had somethin' else to do for a moment an' he'd be along."

One side of his forehead furrowed as he slowly raised his brow. "Am I suppose to believe that out of the entire pack, you didn't pick Denver for a reason?"

She blushed with a little smile. "W-Well, m-maybe a li'l. Are ye complainin', though?"

Taking the basket from her, he shook his head, though there was no anger. "No, but I distinctly recall Cloud stating only where others can see us, and you decide the chaperon ought to be Denver? I torment the poor boy enough simply by existing near him."

Nova erupted into giggles, her tail wagging. "He does talk about ye all the time. Even more than I do!"

Rolling his eyes, he returned to his spot and sat on the soft grass. "Perhaps you should go find him so we don't get into any trouble."

Glancing over her shoulder, she instead sat down beside him. "He said he were just finishin' another chore an' he'd be along. I, uh, I haven't seen ye in a while. Guess ye, uh, f-figured out I'm... not havin' pups."

Pausing as he opened the basket, he let out a small sigh. "I'm neither surprised nor disappointed."

Her ears perked. "R-Really? I, uh, thought ye'd be upset."

Now his sigh was as big as he was. "It never happened before. I tried often enough, but it never happened. Honestly, I'm glad for that now. I was trying to find reasons to make that place bearable, but I don't think the pups would've helped as much as I was hoping."

Wiggling a little closer, she leaned up against him with a flirty little smile. "Well, I, uh, I were thinkin' 'bout ye the whole time. Omma were watchin me real close, though."

Though he smiled smugly, he shook his head. "Perhaps that's for the best. You are entirely too tempting, my incorrigible pet."

With a coquettish giggle, she practically oozed into his lap. Unable to resist her, he let her draw him down into a kiss. His ears swiveled with worry, but he could not stop himself from holding her close. Smiling down at her snuggled in his embrace, he shook his head slowly. "We're going to get into trouble if Denver doesn't get here before someone else."

Sighing with exasperation, she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I dunno what could be takin' 'im so long."

"Now, I were gonna ask ye 'bout that."

Even Anubis startled when Fern popped out of the grass only a few paces from them. He had a most self-satisfied grin at their stunned expressions. Giving them a moment to separate, he chuckled at the hunter. "Ye look so surprised. Never been hunted 'fore? Or maybe ye think we don't got no skills cuz we ain't wild?" He didn't give Anubis the chance to think of an answer. "I been stalkin' these hills long 'fore either one o' ye was born! Bet I could teach ya some lessons myself. Make you real dangerous." Jabbing his finger at Anubis, he waggled his brows, and they knew he'd been watching them at least that long.

Slowly strutting towards Nova, he chuckled again, but there was something mildly sinister in it that made Nova shrink. "Now, see, I'm here cuz Denver were havin' some... hmm, hesitations 'bout comin' out here alone with the two o' ye. An', well, I just happened to find that a bit strange considerin' how big a crush he's got on this godly hunk here, an', well, I completely understand that sentiment. So, I were wonderin' to myself, why would he be passin' a chance to be spendin' time with 'im?"

His arm hooked around her shoulders before she could get any further, pulling her tight against his side. "Huh. Then, by logical deduction, perhaps it were somethin' my sweet, troublesome sister done? Somethin' to do with Denver 'cleanin' out the stalls early?'" She shrank in his grasp, but he held her a little tighter so she couldn't escape. "Maybe even somethin' to do with 'im keepin' secrets from me?"

"I-I were a good girl durin' my heat! W-We weren't gonna do nothin'... Ow!" She yipped when he flicked her across the front of her nose, though his tone remained mostly affable.

"Ah, I weren't meanin' just now, silly sister, but ye knew that. Naw, see, I know my good boy, an' this be somethin' he been holdin' in for a bit. Now, I could insist... well, ha, let's face it, wouldn't take much insistin' for 'im to cave, but I rather admire his dedication to this so I ain't gonna press 'im. But, that puts the poor boy in such a... a tough spot, an' he can't hide his jitters to save his life. So, here I be, makin' sure ye remember the rules so Denver don't need to keep no new secrets.

"Now, I know ye were gone, an' Wild River passed on so things changed real fast. Yer still used to doin' what ye like, an' that's understandable. But Jack's the Alpha now an' Omegas...?" He placed his free hand behind his ear expectantly.

Swallowing hard, Nova whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper. "O-Only mate with the Alpha."

Smiling with satisfaction at having pulled the confession from her, he ruffled her between the ears. "Glad to see ye remember yer rules. Now, if ye want to play by different rules," spinning her around to face back towards the hamlet, he leaned over to talk by her ear, "then ye gotta go find somethin' useful to do." Digging a claw between her shoulder blades, he gave her a push that made her start with the sharp pain. Reaching over her shoulder to scratch at it, she glared back at him and opened her mouth, but he waggled his finger. "Ye wanna go with me into town, tomorrow, right? I won't take ya if ye got chores left to do."

She glanced at Anubis, who kept his eyes on the ground, before grumbling to herself as she gathered her drone and headed back.

Fern watched her go, slowly shaking his head. "Ye can't let 'er push ya 'round like that."

Taken aback, Anubis shifted awkwardly. "Uh, I... tried to send her away."

Raising a brow, Fern peer at him sidelong with a smirk. "Oh yeah, I heard ye 'send 'er away.' Real resolute. 'bout as tough as a stack o' pancakes. Figured ye could use some rescuin'."

Turning, he plopped cross-legged next to the basket and pulled out a steam bun, helping himself. "Ye call 'er a pet, but it sure don't look that way from out here. Big lovesick pup. Hopeless romantic. It's a wonder ye don't write 'er poetry."

Unable to repress his amusement, Anubis snickered, shaking his head. "Ah, Terra used to say the same thing. I always told her I prefer to paint, but, uh...." He pointed to his hand.

"That were yer sister, right?"

Figuring that if he was in trouble, he would have been told so by now, Anubis sat beside him. "Yes. She's... like you. Uh, at least, she was."

Fern peered at him curiously. "What'cha mean?"

"Uh, she died in the war," he muttered quickly.

"No, no, Nova told us that," Fern waved his hand dismissively. "How was she like me?"

"Oh, uh, she... preferred other females the way you prefer males."

Fern grinned ear to ear. "I knew there were a reason I liked ya the moment I saw ya."

With a small smile, Anubis shook his head. "It wasn't really allowed, so we had to keep it hidden. I've never spoken openly about it to anyone else. Always had to keep it such a secret. Not like here."

"That's a real shame." Fern shook his head sadly. "Can't imagine how she managed. I can't imagine havin' to hide it like that. This whole prairie knows. I even put up an ad to find 'nother like me. Never found one. Not another wolf, anyway."

Tearing another bite, Fern shook his head. "We ain't here to stop anyone from lovin' who they love. We ain't got that sort o' time in our lives to control everybody like that. Too busy fuckin' an' fuckin' 'round! Maybe other packs, the ones who ain't got neighbors an' gotta live like animals, but not 'round here. Neighbors don't stand for that shit. What goes on in a pack is the pack's business, but if neighbors start runnin' over askin' for protection, there gets to be a lot o' blood shed, an' well, who's got time for that? Reputation means everythin' among us. Get known for a big mess like that an' even the towns might not do business with ya no more.

"Oh, speakin' o' town, I were wonderin' if ye feel up to some, hmm, moderate liftin'? Goin' into town tomorrow an' even with one hand ye can lift more than me."

"Of course," Anubis agreed eagerly. "I was afraid I'd be stuck on this guard duty forever."

Fern smirked at him with a waggle of his brows. "Ha, yeah, an' a whole day with Nova ain't a bad perk either."

Anubis struggled with his giddy smile, doing his best not to give it away, but whatever the expression was on his face had Fern cackling madly, pointing at him. "Fuckin' hopeless! I'mma find ye some poetry to read 'er!"

Rolling his eyes with a little smile, Anubis shook his head slowly. "There was a time I wasn't so obvious." He sighed somberly. "I was a lot more sure of everything. Didn't have as many doubts."

He was not expecting Fern to be grinning like that. "Oh? Were lettin' yer namesake go to yer head, eh? Now yer confused, just like all the rest o' us? Whew, that's a relief. Now ye can relate with us mere mortals."

Shaking his head again, Anubis had to chuckle softly at it all. "Can I... tell you something that, uh, might make you upset?"

Fern perked and peered at him. "Well, now that ye said it, yeah. I'll try not to be upset, though."

"Well, when I was growing up, I always knew what to expect. The slaves were all the same. There were no surprises. Their fur was different, their smells were different, but they all acted the same. Always terrified, no matter how I tried to soothe them. I didn't know anything else about your people. I wasn't even allowed to learn. I was only allowed to read what my pack found acceptable. Even when I was a soldier, all the Aroogar were afraid of me. It was just confirmation of what I had always been taught. So, when I saw Nova run into the woods, I thought it would be so easy." He paused a moment before sighing. "And I have not been sure of anything since that moment. She surprised the hell out of me by the end of the first day, and it hasn't stopped since. Not just with her, but all of you. Nothing happens even remotely how I think it will. At least, how it would have in my pack."

Deciding to help himself to another steam bun as he listened, Fern took a contemplative breath before shaking his head. "I won't lie to ye, Anubis. It pisses me off ye did that to 'er. She ain't the same. I can tell. More tame, even scared, like ye said. Screwed 'er up a bit.

"But, what I been hearin' is that ye were indoctrinated into a cult of depravity. Nova said ye got bit just for tryin' to stop 'em from beatin' the slaves. Ye got screwed up a lot. It ain't fair to judge ye when that were all ye knew. Ye still tried when others didn't. Reputation means everythin' to us, an' that's yer reputation. It's no surprise why she loves ye. An' it don't surprise me none that ye love her. An' that ain't a problem. So long as ye keep yer dick in yer kilt, ye can kiss 'er all ye want. I just hate seein' Denver chewin' his nails in trepidation cuz he thinks he's in trouble for holdin' such a secret."

Anubis hung his head a bit. "I never meant to traumatize the boy."

The snicker was once again not what he expected. "Ha! That boy'd be traumatized if his shadow came 'round the corner too quick! This weren't somethin' ye did... well, other than lettin' Nova pull yer strings. Naw, he's just torn between bein' a good friend an' a good boy. It ain't yer fault for bein' so hot he can hardly contain 'imself half the time."

Smirking, Anubis shook his head. "Back home, I... never had the opportunity to even consider another male would be so attracted to me... or that I might find some attraction in one myself."

Now Fern's ears stood straighter than the tree they sat under, peering at him with wide eyes. It made Anubis feel nervous for a second until he grinned so big it ached and guffawed loud enough to make some of the animals glance over and caw. "I knew it! I could smell it on ye! That boy's gonna melt when ye tell 'im!"

Chuckling along with him, Anubis shook his head. "I thought you'd be all over me for admitting that."

Laughing, Fern leaned a little closer to him. "I like ye, Anubis, an' I think yer 'bout as sexy as they come, but ye an' me're the same. We're both tops an' that'd just make for some real aggressive sex cuz someone's gotta be the taker an' it ain't me an' I'm sure it ain't you. But, I don't own Denver, an' I don't mind sharin'. If he helps ye learn 'bout yer own sexuality, then I envy 'im an' I'll be eager to hear all the details when he comes home. Just be gentle with 'im. The details might get me riled up!" He winked playfully.

Shaking his head with a roll of his eyes, Anubis opened his mouth to reply when something caught his eye in the distance. "Who's that?"

Fern squinted, noticing a figure far in the distance. He sniffed the wind and stood to try and see better before shrugging. "Dunno, but he's on the road so not our concern."

Once again, Anubis was surprised. "Not even when it passes through your territory?"

Raising a brow, Fern peered down at him. "The roads don't belong to any pack. A pack'll maintain the road that goes by their land to show off their status to the other packs, but no one owns the roads. Everyone's gotta use 'em. So long as ye travel by road, yer not considered 'in the territory.' Otherwise, no one could go nowhere! Can't even toll the roads lest ye like a angry mob after ya." Squinting again, he pursed his lips thoughtfully. "By the strut, might be Grr'siv. Ha, probably headin' home after tail huntin' up the road. He'd be sire-kin to me an' White Toe. Some asshole Banished they called 'The Dark Walker' who were said to only travel at night. Didn't stick 'round long 'nough for anyone to neuter his ass."

Shaking his head, he smirked and glanced at Anubis again. "I gotta head back. I won't say nothin' to Denver. Think the surprise might lend a little flavor when the moment's right." With a wink, a devilish cackle followed him home.

***

After breakfast, Nova rushed to clean up all the dishes, practically shooing stragglers off their plates so she could get her chores done in time. Fern had left her with the distinct impression that he would leave her behind because he only needed Anubis, daring her to call his bluff before sauntering away to get his own business handled.

Watching her slop water all over in a near panic, Anubis peered around, noticing a broom leaned in a corner. He had never had to do any sort of cleaning in his life. In fact, the slaves had gotten very anxious when he had tried to imitate them as a young pup. He hadn't known it then, but they were the ones punished if any adult had seen him cleaning, even in play, and yet, they had not been allowed to reprimand him for anything.

When Nova came back, her fur soaked, she glanced around in astonishment. She wasn't entirely sure, but she could have sworn she saw a black tail vanish out the door from the corner of her eye, but Anubis was nowhere to be seen when she glanced around outside.

Meeting with Fern by the truck, Anubis had just begun rolling the barrels filled with biofuel up a wood plank ramp when Nova went running by, yelling to Fern to not even consider leaving without her. Perking, he sniffed the air and glanced about in confusion.

"Now, I swear I coulda heard somethin'? Almost sounded like the echo o' someone left behind in the distance?"

"Must've been a breeze," Anubis agreed when Fern glanced at him.

Finished with the barrels, he began lifting the crates of hundreds of prerolled smokes, stacking them up perfectly. Spying Nova running to another task, he smirked and complained that his rib was giving him a bit of trouble. Fern's brow raised slowly, his mouth screwing tight as he struggled with the amusement that gleamed in his eyes.

"Big godly beast like yerself brought low by some boxes o' grass? What'll the legends say? What'll the bards sing o' ye? 'Big ol' pup were he, Anubis o' the prairie!'"

Blinking, Anubis put his hand on his chest and blushed. "Why, Fern. Would that be love poetry you're reciting me?"

A creeping, hungry grin bared Fern's very sharp teeth, and it caused sensations in his body that Anubis was not accustomed to. "Oh, I got feelin's for you, hot stuff, but I wouldn't call 'em love."

With three crates to spare, Nova ran up to them, her tongue practically dragging the ground. Leaning against the truck, she could only glare and growl breathlessly between pants as Fern and Anubis pretended they had no idea she was there.

Finally ready, Anubis and Nova sat in the back while Iron Gale sat in the front with Fern. Hanging over the edge, Nova let her tongue waggle in the wind as they bumped along the well maintained road at a decent pace. It made Anubis laugh. When she looked back at him over her shoulder, the predator she had always seen in his gaze was gone. He watched her with a gentle fondness, his idle smile still difficult to discern even in the bright daylight. Blushing, she giggled and sat facing him.

"Oh! Yer gonna love Mother Meadow!"

"Who?" he tilted his head.

"Mother Meadow! She's the oldest wolf in all the prairie! She had a whole lot o' litters, so most of us are related to 'er. She's even got great great great grand pups! She runs the library when she's not teachin' school. Ye'll love 'er!"

"If you say so," he muttered.

As they came to a stand of trees between two packs, they noticed a log in the road. Fern leaned over to Iron Gale before calling back, "both o' ye hunker down back there."

Rolling to a stop, the two Betas peered about with suspicion. The engine growled and shuddered as they deliberated whether this was a natural break from one of the trees that hung over the road or something done on purpose.

Glaring around again, Fern opened the door. Sure enough, they had suspected correctly. At the click of the latch, five wolves appeared from the brush, two on one side and three on the other. They were thin, almost scrawny, but they had a rough look to them with hardly an intact ear or unmarred muzzle. One was missing an eye while another had only half a tail. A feature they all shared was an ugly, puckered scar in the shape of an X on some part of their faces, and none carried a societal braid.

They approached cautiously, trying to peek into the truck bed before they got too close. Fern immediately wrinkled his snout, but carefully kept his teeth covered. "Well, if it ain't Red Paw an' his lackeys. Looked like something ye'd do."

"Ah, g'day, Fern, old boy," drawled one of the men cheerfully, a tan and gray. He grinned with disingenuous affability while his friends continued to spread out around the truck. "Lovely day to be out 'n' 'bout. How ye been?"

"Sure were a lovely day, 'fore ye showed yer ugly face," Fern growled, his eyes darting about. Iron Gale was growling at the two on his side. "Ye lot're like the clouds. When ye disappear, it's a nicer day."

"Tsk, tsk," Red Paw clicked his tongue with feigned disappointment, shaking his head. "Rude. Here I were bein' pleasant 'n' ye actin' like a ass. What're ya'll takin' into town wit' ya?"

"Nothin' that's yer business," Fern retorted with disdain.

"Oh hey, it's Nova!"

One of the wolves on Iron Gale's side spotted her curled up in the bed against the wall. Her heart leapt in her throat, but before she could respond, Red Paw's face was looking down at her.

"Well, hey, Nova! Why ye hidin'? I ain't seen ye in a long while. Why don't ye hop on out 'n' let's... catch up?"

Whimpering, she tucked her tail between her legs and curled up tighter, shaking her head just as Fern snarled and snapped his jaws at the bright red hand and arm that was touching his truck.

"Ye can fuck right off!" he snarled, standing out of the vehicle, bristling.

Red Paw backed away with a dry chuckle, holding up his hands as his friends eagerly surrounded Fern. The ones on the other side rushed to the door to prevent Iron Gale from getting out, baring their teeth at him through the window.

"Hey, hey! No need fer blood on such a fine day! She ain't in heat. Just a bit o' fun 'n' ye guys kin be on yer way."

"Over my dead body!" Fern snapped his teeth dangerously at the one nearest him, his back against the truck.

Again Red Paw chuckled, waving his hand dismissively while the others edged closer, teeth bared in cruel grins. "Now, now, let's not get to that! Why should we fight when we could be fuckin'?"

"Because she doesn't want to fuck you!"

None of the Banished had expected to hear the roll of thunder coming from the back. So intent had they been on Nova that they hadn't taken notice of the immense void that had melded so well with the shadow of the tailgate and the crates. Standing up tall first, Anubis leaned over, causing the truck to rock heavily on its shocks, nearly nose to nose with Red Paw over Fern's shoulder, and bared his brilliant teeth in a sinister grin. "But I do!"

Startling, tripping all over themselves, all 5 backed away before Red Paw tried to save some face and growled, pointing at him. "Hey, he-he's not supposed to threaten us! There were rules! I read 'em in the paper!"

Fern's face changed, his snarl replaced by dramatic astonishment. "Threaten ye? Who's threatenin' ye?" He glanced about. "I see no one threatenin' ye." Placing his hand on his chest, he looked up at the sky. "But, I must admit, sure feels like the presence of a god watchin' over us, don't it, Iron Gale?"

Iron Gale's snarl twisted up into a dispassionate grin. "Like plot armor," he agreed.

His own grin growing more dreadful, Anubis stood tall again and pulled down his kilt to show off his sheath and balls. The bright pink tip protruding from the top was shiny and vivid against the lustrous black background. "Which of you would like to be first?" His predatory gaze focused on Red Paw. "Because I know which one I want first...."

Ears laid down, the men took off. Fern and Iron Gale burst into laughter. "Damn, Anubis! Didn't think yer dick could be quite so useful, but suppose the cock of a god would have to come in handy some how!"

Smirking, Anubis tucked himself back in and hopped out to help move the large branch from the road. Once they started up again, Nova smiled slyly and leaned forward, her tail wagging. "I'll go first."

Anubis had to struggle to sour the lecherous grin on his face. It was a difficult battle, especially when she squirmed over to snuggle up against him. He could have sat that way the whole day, despite the bumps that made his rump hurt.

Once they reached town, everything looked very different. From lazy farmland and soft curves of the earth to dusty roads and rigid structures. Some parts of the town were orderly and neat while others seemed to be placed haphazardly, but the great lodge was hard to miss. Nova told Anubis the enormous building where all the roads led to was meant to house as many wolves as possible along with enough food and supplies to survive a harsh winter. It was built so all the packs in the area had a place to combine and share what they could so everyone could survive if things ever got that thin. It hadn't been used for that purpose for as long as she had been alive, or even anyone she knew. When it wasn't a shelter, it was a place of commerce and socializing.

Pulling alongside several other vehicles, Fern had Anubis unload the barrels and crates onto different flat carts. Within heart beats, most eyes had turned to him. Some were curious, some were aroused, but many were prejudice and spiteful. He was intimately aware of the attention he was receiving, hearing many a whisper of his size and what his family had done. Some questioned why the brutish butcher was allowed to walk among them, at all. Hunched over to be as small as he could, he realized that his coming along might have been a poor decision. A crowd was forming while Iron Gale left with the crates towards the great lodge, and Fern was chatting with the mechanic. Nova gulped, her head lowering as she also noticed all the eyes that stared in their direction.

A sharp whistle caused the crowd to startle. "Oi! The lot of ye! What'cha all starin' at? No one here seen a wolf before?"

Quickly dispersing, the only one left standing after the crowd was a sleek, powerful stag. His antlers were currently fuzzy but would soon be grand. Splotchy with red, white and black, his clothes were much finer than the wolves that scurried away. He was taller than most of them, as well, with no hint of a slouch.

"Rude lot!" Snorting indignantly after them, his face softened immediately into a friendly smile. "Nova!"

"Baxter!" Rushing to him, her tail wagged while they embraced. "I'm so happy to see ye! What're ye doin' in town?"

"Gosh, Nova, it's so good to see ya!" Baxter stroked her between the ears affectionately. "I was so worried for ya. Poor Fern was a bit of a wreck. Never seen 'im so dysphoric. But, here ya are!" He hugged her tight again. "Funny I'd run into ya today. I wasn't even suppose to be here, but my brother told me he needed my help with the shop. Lots of orders for the denim lately. Hey, speakin' of brothers, if yer here, that must mean.... Eeeoww!"

Jumping with a yowl, Baxter spun on a hoof as Fern bounded away with a tuft of his white tail fur between his fingers, cackling madly. "I survived! I'll live another day!"

"Son of a bitch!" Baxter bellowed, lowering his head to charge after him. "I'll chop ya up an' make wolf stew!"

"Never gonna eat me!" Fern cackled as he danced around several other wolves who snickered with delight, probably having seen this happen before. Baxter continued chasing after him with more threats of eating him.

Anubis tilted his head first one way, then the other, confused as to what he was watching, though it was amusing. Nova was laughing, encouraging the stag to wear her brother as a pelt for his misdeeds against her earlier in the day. Hearing of her mistreatment, Baxter got more personal with his threats, and Fern took off down the street with renewed vigor.

Having to gather herself, Nova shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "Those two're gonna go find someplace to play together." Glancing up at Anubis, she tittered at his befuddled expression. "When Fern were my age, he told me Baxter stole a tuft o' his fur cuz that's how the deer folk gain their rank. Gotta go out an' survive gettin' a piece of a predator. Fern caught 'im an' threatened to eat 'im, but they figured out they were both gay an' now Fern always tries sneakin' up on 'im to steal his fur!"

Iron Gale was rolling the cart full of crates with various supplies back towards them, glancing around. "Where'd Fern go?"

"I'll boil yer testicles in oil, pretty boy!"

"Oh." Iron Gale paused at the yell several streets over, then shook his head. "Dunno why I asked."

Giggling, Nova gasped and rushed over to her uncle. "Can we go see Grinder? Please?"

Rolling his eyes, he gave them permission to go a street over towards a strange, crooked little building with too many wires running to it from the power grid. Pausing to look it over with wonder at how the place didn't burn down, Anubis' curiosity followed after her.

The place was a mess. Strewn all about on every surface were various bits and types of technology. A walkway almost too small for him was the only clear space. He even had to duck under objects that hung from the ceiling. It wasn't until he heard Nova speak that he glanced down the aisle and noticed a surly otter pop his head out of a back room where there had been bright flashes a moment ago. Pulling up the dark goggles, his black, shiny eyes narrowed at her.

"Nova," he drawled, making a wet sound under all the thick whiskers that covered his mouth.

"Hi, Grinder!" She gave him the sweetest smile she could muster, wagging her tail, and swaying herself in coy innocence. "How ye been?"

Slithering to the counter, he glared up at her. The brutality of his youth long ago was etched all over his face. "Make yer offer quick, bitch. I got a lotta work ta git back ta."

"Aww, Grinder. No time to catch up?" She leaned against the counter with a flirty little smile. "Is grass all I am to ye?"

The otter barked a laugh cold enough to pop out ice cubes. "Better have enough to tempt me, bitch. Maybe I don't got parts this time."

Pursing her lips, she reached in the front pocket of her coveralls and pulled out two thick rolls to present him. "I know ye've gotta have somethin' back there."

Raising a brow, the otter again made a wet noise, wrinkling his nose. "My spares box been real empty lately."

Pulling a third roll out, she gave him round, sweet puppy eyes with a whine. "Tell me it's not true, Grinder! I used up the last parts I had. If ye got nothin' for me, then I might have to do chores!"

The otter nearly smiled, eyeing her pocket eagerly. "Perhaps it be so, 'less I kin recall 'nother box I might've stashed."

After a moment of trying to budge him with her cuteness, she let out a defeated sigh and presented him with a fourth roll. "That were a whole week o' rations, dick."

Baring his small, sharp teeth with a triumphant grin, Grinder snatched the rolls from her hand before she could try to take them back. Slipping away, there was much chaos in the back room before he returned with a small box heaping with parts and wires. Nova's eyes lit up, glancing through the stuff on the top. The fond little smile the otter had watching her expression quickly soured when she looked back at him.

"Thanks, Grinder!" she exclaimed with excitement, hugging the box to her as though it were a treasure chest, beaming with joy.

"Bah!" The old otter waved his webbed hand dismissively, lighting up a roll, but smirked fondly as he watched her hurry away. He only then noticed Anubis' dark mass at the doorway, but he was already walking outside with her to better see what she had gotten.

Giddy about her acquisition, her tail wagged all the way back to the truck so she could stash her prize while they waited for Fern to get back.

"Oh! I bet ye'll love this!" She smiled at Anubis then turned to Iron Gale. "Can we go to the library?"

Glancing at the truck that now had boxes of tools and other valuables, he shook his head. "Well, I can't go with ye. Bring me somethin' to eat an' ye can go on yer own."

Doing just that, and getting some for themselves, Nova enthusiastically led Anubis to another large, long building off the side of the great lodge. Along the way, he kept his eyes down as much as he could, not caring for the hate he saw in the eyes of those who gave them a wide berth.

Once they entered the library, Anubis was able to sigh in relief. Dark, cool and quiet, the building smelled of old books. Even better, there were only a few others inside, who whispered to each other with rude glares and quickly left.

Nova hurried off to the manuals to find another gadget she could try. Losing himself in the aisles, he had trouble reading some of the old spines, having to open a few to find out what they were.

"So yer the reason it got empty in 'ere."

Perking at the elderly female voice, he turned to find a tiny silver Aroogar hunched over a cane, squinting up at him with a sharp glint to her foggy gaze.

Slouching over further, he glanced about nervously. "I'm... sorry?"

"Eh? Sorry? Sorry fer what? Fer bein' so black I walked past ye 3 times? Kin't help that anymore than the prejudice o' idiots." Before he could respond, she smacked his shoulder with her cane. "Stand up straight, boy! Yer a Dire, ain't cha? Supposed to be big! Towerin', even! Oh, see, there ya are. Now that's better. Bet yer spine'll thank ya."

"Uh, I was trying not to scare anyone," he muttered softly, peering at her curiously with a cocked head.

Raising a brow, she scoffed. "Boy, don't ye worry 'bout that! People gonna be 'fraid o' what they don't know whether ye break yer back or not, so don't!"

Smirking, he glanced around. They were alone. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

With a snort and a cackle, she waved her hand without concern. "If ye were invadin', ye'd be burnin' down the buildin', not lookin' at books! Yer a Radkial, ain't cha? I kin smell 'em on ye!"

Taken aback, he had to think for a second before nodding slowly. "I suppose."

"Yeah, then I ain't got a reason ta be scared. Best damn pack in the prairie, if I do say so myself, an' not jist cuz I birthed most o' em!" Looking him up and down, she sniffed the air again, and gave him a lecherous, mostly toothless grin. "Fine addition ta the pack. Gonna make lots o' strong pups. 'tween ye an' Jack, my pack'll be mighty."

"Uhhh," was all he could muster, feeling his ears lower in a hot blush.

"Mother Meadow! There ye are!"

The old woman turned in time to be nearly toppled over when Nova threw her arms around her, holding her tight, tail wagging with such gusto that her entire body wiggled with the motion. Sniffing quickly, the old woman smiled and her tail waggled. "Oh, my sweet Nova! How wonderful it is ta see ye. I didn't think my heart could take the sadness when I heard ye were lost, an' now yer home!" Rubbing noses affectionately, Meadow glanced over at Anubis then back at Nova with a knowing little smirk. "An' brought yerself back a prize, eh?"

With a few bewildered blinks as she processed the jest, Nova blushed hotly with a sheepish little smile. "Uh, well, it... it didn't quite... happen that way."

The old woman chuckled softly at her. "Course it did! I read every article! I heard the entire radio broadcast! I heard what ye said ta Khade'grr. I were so proud o' ye, standin' up there an' talkin' ta the council. But ye kin't convince me there weren't a reason in yer head fer 'im ta be here now. Yer too much like me. I know better."

G-Granommy!" Nova gasped, her ears not sure if they were blushing or folding back.

She cackled with delight at both of their discomfort. Just then, the front door opened and a crowd of boisterous pups came piling in, shattering the quiet.

"Oh! Must be time fer lessons!" Hobbling away much faster than one would expect, the old woman stopped and glanced back at Anubis, thrusting her head with invitation. "C'mon, handsome."

Glancing at Nova with a puzzled tilt of his head, he followed after her, but hesitated in the shadows of the aisle. Nearly 2 dozen pups of various ages were excitedly looking through the many bright picture books, chattering loudly and unabashedly. They were so cute, their tails wagging without fear or worry. They were all over Mother Meadow as soon as the first pup noticed her. The older pups held the smaller ones back so they did not knock the elder over in their enthusiasm, but that was a hopeless battle once she had planted herself in the small throne next to the fireplace. Despite the racket, it wasn't difficult for the old woman to calm the pups, getting them to settle in front of her in a little group.

"I got a li'l surprise fer all o' ye!" She grinned, tittering to herself. "Well, mayhaps a big surprise!" The pups eagerly wagged their tails with a chorus of questions. "Hold on, hold on, now! I were gonna teach ye 'bout the deer folk taday, but I got a live specimen o' our cousins from the mountains."

The moment the pups turned to see what Mother Meadow was pointing at, their ears all laid back, eyes wide. The smaller ones whimpered, hiding against the older pups.

The scent of fear had been a constant stench Anubis had learned to ignore through most of his life. Swallowing hard, it had never made him feel so much like retching as it did just now. It filled the air, reminding him of all the pups he had looked down on before the other soldiers had ended their lives, knowing they had every reason to be that scared. He took a step back, holding his stance only because he felt Nova's hand slip into his, noticing his tension. Thankfully, the old woman's voice helped bring him back from the panic building in his chest.

"Now, now, settle down, pups! Settle down. Ain't nothin' scary 'bout this one," she soothed, patting the children that snuggled against her. "Listen here, my pups, listen here. All eyes, lookin' here now. Listen. What's the most important thin' to the prairie wolves?"

Glancing at each other, the pups all spoke together discordantly. "Reputation?"

"That's right! An' it's rude ta judge someone on the reputation o' their people er their family. People only pick what they do, not what others do. If ye don't know their reputation, then it starts fresh fer ye, an' that's how ye treat 'em! This one's already got a reputation fer bein' friendly, though. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here. So, we gonna treat 'im like a really big wolf, a'ight, pups?"

Glancing back at him nervously, one of the older boys glared at Meadow. "They took meh sister in the war, Mother Meadow! They ain't like us. They're animals!"

Nova opened her mouth to reply, but the old woman waved her hand. "Now, now, Wagner, my boy. It's been a sad business, this whole war. There been lots o' folk who been lost an' hurt on all sides. My heart aches for Summer, an' I hope she didn't suffer. But, we don't judge folks by what their people done. This wolf ye see now, he ain't no different than ye er me. Do he look any different other than bein' big? He been made big that way by the Nature we worship, jist like us.

"After all, our books tell us we weren't always Aroogar or Wogtal. We all came from the same stock as other wolf shif'ers, though most of 'em look a bit different from us now. But, we all came from the same planet.

"Eons ago, more generations than kin be recalled, we were all humans. Monkey people! Naked, furless, no senses. Hardly got a nose! I know I shown ya'll pictures.

"Well, our books say a great comet hit the planet an' some poor wolf got infected with the monoshif'er virus an' went mad, bitin' a human cuz it needs two strands o' DNA ta thrive. An' that were the first werewolf. For centuries after, our folk had to be scared, hidin' from the other humans, even if they were in control.

"Then, along came the Kara-Karu, big ol' catlike folk. I'll have ta find a picture fur ye pups sometime. Landed on Earth an' made the humans awfully nervous. There were a big war an' the humans lost. Good thin' it were fer 'em that the Kara-Karu don't take slaves, an' they ain't interested in conquest. They got a real strong code o' honor. Makes 'em real mean ta be enemies, but real friendly when the humans gave up. Brought humans ta a new enlightenment an' gave 'em the ability ta go ta other worlds.

"The monoshif'er folk thought it were finally safe ta show 'emselves, but that jist made the humans even more nervous, knowin' all these animals were livin' 'mong 'em. So, all the shif'ers o' every type decided ta go find their own worlds. They all went off with different ideas on how ta live, an' what laws ta follow.

"The wolves who came here, ta Planet Farkash, we came here with one simple tenant ta guide us on our new home. Say it with me, pups. 'In order ta not upset Nature, we must sometimes upset ourselves.' Very good, pups! What it means is we sometimes gotta accept heart ache, even when there may've been a way to change it. The way ta change it might upset the delicate balance that came long 'fore us an' clearly knows better than we do considerin' how many civilizations fell tryin' ta conquer Nature. Mother Nature'll always win, an' as they say, ta the victor go the spoils. An' that's Nature's reputation, so best 'member!

"But, that one rule's brought us ta this moment in time. Led ta the creation o' the Wogtal, the Fa'val an' Cha'huo, an' even the Angar'rai! We're all what's ta show fer lettin' Nature take its course an' shape us ta suit 'erself rather than change Nature ta suit us. Is that what ye learned, too, Dire?"

Blinking, Anubis felt a little ashamed to shake his head. "Not... exactly. But, I think you're probably more correct than what I was taught. At least the tenant is the same. We believe that, too. We just... well, I guess it got interpreted differently."

Mother Meadow nodded. "Yeah, course. An' that's why yer near 4 times my size! But ye see, pups, even the Wogtal live by the same rule. We ain't all that different, jist got a different way o' thinkin. Maybe, if ya'll keep open minds, we kin all learn somethin' new from each other. Ye pups got any questions?"

Every little hand shot up and waved eagerly in the air. Nova had to gently encourage him to pick one to start with.

Though the lesson time was several hours long, it seemed to fly by, and the pups weren't the only ones disappointed that their time had come to an end. Plucking the pups off his lap and setting them to their paws, he waved as they left reluctantly. The youngest ones whimpered with pouts, glancing back several times and asking when they could come back to ride his shoulders again.

"That weren't so bad, was it?"

Standing from his cross legged position on the floor, he thought a moment, then smiled down at Nova, relishing the warm shudder he sent through her. "Oh, I enjoyed the encounter immensely. In fact, I'm more eager than before for that kappa rank."

With even more disappointment, they had to say farewell to Mother Meadow and return to the truck. They found Iron Gale deeply engrossed in a newspaper, his brow furrowed. He glanced up when he sensed someone near him.

"Oh, finally. Hey, Anubis, this'll interest ye. Look here. Khade'grr's goin' after the Angar'rai! It's full on war! Humans're involved an' everythin'!"

Nearly snatching the paper from his hands, Anubis read the article carefully. Nova hopped up and down, trying to read it as well. "What's it say? What's it say?"

"Well," Iron Gale indulged her, "turns out the humans had no idea the Angar'rai were usin' slaves for their mines, an' slave labor's against the human contract. Said they had no reason to check cuz wolves never done 'em that dirty on other worlds, an' they didn't even know we ain't all the same kind o' wolves here cuz we're the only ones like that. Khade'grr called 'em up in orbit. Took a bit o' figurin out what they was sayin' but once he told 'em what the Angar'rai done, the humans set up a blockade so they can't do business with their other partners. That's what all those lights've been in the skies at night! There's been a fire fight goin' on over our heads!

"Says the humans dropped Khade'grr a whole new shipment o' weapons an' supplies an' vehicles. Armed 'im to the teeth. So, now, he's marchin through the mountains an' he's gonna take the fight to those sand lickers! He's callin' for more bodies, but he's already got a bigger Wogtal army than yer pack did! Said he won't stop 'til he's brought justice to every last one o' our peoples lost to this whole affair, an' the Angar'rai are too scared to ever fuck with us again!"

Nova's enthusiasm changed. Death was nothing to be enthusiastic about. Even just hearing the name of those Devils made her feel cold inside.

Hearing Anubis suck in an audible breath, they both looked up at him. "All the pups we sent," he murmured. "We sent them the pups we made with the slaves because they didn't fight back the way the male Aroogar did when they grew up, but they needed the strength for the mines."

Eyes wide, Iron Gale shook his head slowly. "That.... What the fuck were wrong with yer bitch mother?"

With a despondent sigh, Anubis also shook his head. "If I had ever known, I don't think things would've ended up this way."

A dark figure caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Fern was staggering back. Normally better groomed than the rest of the pack, he was entirely disheveled and dazed, the buttons on his shirt not lining up, the collar flipped up on one side, and his fur in total disarray. Iron Gale raised a brow, looking him over before reaching out to pluck a vivid red strand of fur from his shirt.

"Hey!" Snatching it back, Fern pressed it to the fur on his chest. "I need that to prove I survived!"

Iron Gale grinned and snickered, barely containing himself. "Oh, that so? Think ye just standin' here were proof 'nough."

Stroking himself idly, Fern had a starry-eyed, unfocused expression and swayed on his paws. "Are ye sure? I dunno. Think I left some o' me back there."

Iron Gale could hold it in no longer and guffawed. The others couldn't hold back after that. "Yeah, ye sure left somethin' back there!"

"Ye need a nap, Fern?" Nova teased.

His dreamy little smirk made Iron Gale roll his eyes and groan, but there was no anger in the shaking of his head. "Just get in the fuckin' truck, Fern.

Sleep was exactly what he did on the trip back, leaned up against the door. Thankfully, the return trip was less eventful than the morning, only passing another truck. Iron Gale paused a moment to catch up with the neighbor and let them know to keep their eyes open for the Banished.

Their return prompted a small celebration, but Anubis noticed Fern and Denver were nowhere to be seen before they were even done unloading. Once he was finally laying in bed, the flood of thoughts about the day could not stop his eyes from closing, and for the first time in weeks, Anubis had no nightmares.