FSE

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Sorry this took so long everyone. Moving to college threw off my writing habits. I'll try to be more consistant in the future. Hope I haven't been gone long enough for you all to forget about me...heh.

Chapter 16

It didn't matter that Tylan had tied his paws together when he had been taken out of the wagon. Even without them, Aden was running the fastest he had ever run before. The initial joy he had felt when he saw his Alpha had completely disappeared now. The blood...it made his stomach turn. He hated blood. It reminded him of all the times his abusers would leave him on some bed, or in some corner, bruised and bleeding. There was nothing good about bleeding. He had never found a single instance where its presence meant something good had happened.

Back with his old master, if he wasn't bleeding personally, than it was going to come later. The pits...if he hadn't already been shivering, he would have. The one time he was safe from rape was the time he had to fight for his life. Usually once a week he was pushed into an arena dug into the ground, hidden in the basement of the master's mansion. He was given a weapon and told who he was going to fight. It was part of the reason he had chosen the dagger when his Alpha had offered. It was the only weapon he had been taught to use, and one of the only weapons allowed in the pit.

He could still hear the roars and jeers of the crowd in his ears as he rushed through the forest, bushing low hanging branches out of his way, muzzle whipping to the side as one scratched him. The gate would close behind him, and he'd be left facing someone, usually another slave like himself, across a hundred feet of sand contained within the ten foot walls. Guards were scattered across the top of that wall, interspersed with the crowd to make sure that neither of them tried to climb out. They never had time to really size each other up before the fight began, because as soon as the gates closed behind them, the fight was on. The next few minutes would be filled with flashing steel and whirling fur, interspersed with cries and grunts of pain as wounds were dealt. Once in a while, his opponent wouldn't be a slave, but some patron who thought it'd be fun to try out. Those fights were the worst. He always knew when they were coming, he never got a real dagger for those fights. They didn't really want to give him a chance, only the semblance of one. Eventually, despite his speed, he would be caught, and the winner would claim his reward.

His tail, in front of hundreds of others.

It was the only way others could get their paws on him with his master's approval. All the other times, all the other rape-filled days...those were done without his master's permission. His master had gotten off on his degradation, so even though he didn't condone the actions, he didn't forbid them either. This led to the consequences being more of a slap on the wrist than actual punishment, and then it was only administered if the perpetrator was caught in the act. The guards got off scot-free most of the time, the master liked the idea of them roughing him up in the barracks.

Often, as the predestined 'winner' of their fight slaked his lust on Aden's body, their fur would become wet with his blood. Many of the patron-challengers liked to fight with whips, it gave them a feeling of superiority. If they had any skill, the would land a few lashes before they brought him down. Many of these would break his skin, making the ensuing bodily contact immensely painful.

The only redeeming feature of the pits was what came right after. The infirmary was a safe place, for the most part, and the lady there tended to his wounds with care. He never did learn her name, or ever heard her voice, as conversation between them was prohibited, but nevertheless, she became his favorite person in the entire mansion.

The ground slamming into his muzzle brought Aden back to the present. Quickly he pushed himself up, glad his paws were bound in front of him. A rustling in the forest behind him had him off and running again, barely sparing a moment to glance behind him. He couldn't see anyone, but his ears didn't lie. There was someone back there. The trees seemed to close in about him, pressing in on all sides. They restricted his movement, slowing him down. Suddenly, the ground dropped out from below him, and Aden yelped as he plummeted, smacking into the water below.

It closed over his head, silencing the noise from above. Aden's eyes snapped open as he began to claw at the suffocating blanket. His footpaws found the bottom of the river and he kick off, reaching for the light that streamed down from above. His head broke the surface, and he clawed at it, trying to find something solid. Just as his head began to slip under again, his paws touched sand. Scrambling to get his feet under him, he stood up on the submerged sandbar in the midst of the river. Breathing hard, he gathered his thoughts. He knew how to swim, he had just learned from the Prince and Alpha. He could get off this sandbar if he chose. However, neither of them were here to catch him in he failed. Aden whimpered and hugged himself. What should he do?

A howl from the shore he had left answered the question. It rose, long and keening, filling him with terror. Throwing himself away from the sound, he jumped off the sandbar and began swimming towards the opposite side. At the sound of his splashing, the howl paused for a moment, before starting up again, this time with a different note. A trumpeting call, it announced that prey was sighted and the hunt was on!

Aden made it to the other side, pulling himself out of the water and up the bank. Glancing back, he felt his heart sink. He was growing tired, and yet the wolf chasing him was already at the sandbank he had landed on, crossing it in a single bound to splash into the water on the other side. Turning to the forest, Aden forced himself on, fear lending him reserves of strength he didn't know he had.

Gradually he became aware of a throbbing in his mind, pulsing as he ran. Moments later the voices he had heard when he fought his Alpha detached themselves from the pulse, weaving a melody as the pulse kept it anchored. It was similar to the first song, but some elements were different. Nevertheless, it drove him on, spurring him faster. The voices were telling him to run like never before, urging him on with their ever-quickening beat. The pulse stayed the same, but the melody doubled it, tripled it. For the space of an hour it drove him on. Then when Aden was halfway through a clearing in the woods, they vanished. He stumbled, not realizing how much he had been relying on their tempo until now. Aden made it to the edge of the clearing before his strength gave out and he was forced to support himself with a tree.

Leaning against it, he faced back in the direction he had come. He was spent, and he knew it. He had given up. After experiencing what he had with Alpha Cedric, he didn't feel like he could start all over again anyways. Locking his legs to brace himself against the rough bark of the tree, he waited.

It didn't take long.

Aden had heard his Alpha drawing steadily closer for the last mile or so now. Shortly after he surrendered to exhaustion, the larger wolf stepped into the clearing. Still using all four legs, he stalked across the clearing, stiff-legged. Even now, as he waited to die, Aden couldn't help but admire his alpha's masculine grace. His own fur was soaked with sweat, which had long since overtaken the water from the river. Leaves a twigs were tangled in the longer areas of fur, and he was sure his tail was a mess. His ears laid back, and the only thing that kept him from falling was his legs, locked straight to support him against the tree. In contrast, his alpha was beautiful. The river had washed away the blood from his muzzle, leaving his fur clean and his fangs a bright white. His ears were cocked forward as he advanced, standing tall on all four paws, tail raised behind him like a war banner.

He was halfway across the clearing now, and Aden could clearly see his huge paws as they settled into the leaves, spreading as they distributed the enormous weight above them. Claws dug into the soil, leaving small gashes as his alpha stepped forward again. He seemed to be free from dirt and leaves as well, at least for the most part. Some had still accumulated on his paws and the hem of his pants, but otherwise he was clean. For the first time, Aden became conscious of his own nakedness. He couldn't remember losing his pants, so Tylan must've taken them off him when he was unshackled. His paws twitched forward in an attempt to cover himself, but they fell back halfway up. What was the point, anyway? He was about to die, why should he concern himself with whether or not his alpha could see what was between his legs?

That's all anyone ever wanted to see anyways, he thought bitterly. All the males in his life, any kindness they had ever shown him, it was all an attempt to get into his pants. Even Alpha, apparently. His other alpha had said that's what he wanted, and his scent had said that he was telling the truth. Scent didn't lie, ever.

A new scent drifted past his nose. It was the scent that he had always thought he could rely on, take shelter in, the one that promised to protect him from anything...Now it held the sharp tang of aroused aggression and dominance. Aden raised his eyes slowly from where they had drifted to the ground. First, they reached the footpaws. Just two of them now. Alpha must be standing then. They started slowly traveling up those strong, thick legs, but they never reached much farther than the knees.

Aden's world shook, and he yelped as the rough bark of the tree behind him dug into his back. Those strong, dominant paws grabbed his upper arms tightly, pressing him back against the tree. His head had raised with his yelp, and as he tried to look down again, his Alpha's muzzle darted down and pressed against his neck. Aden's entire world suddenly narrowed down to the one spot on his neck, just above the collarbone, where his Alpha's muzzle pressed against him. His entire body was stiff with anticipation, waiting for the lunge and bite that would end him. He couldn't help himself as a low whine escaped him. He felt his Alpha's lips draw away from his fangs, and his mind measured every bit they opened as if it were a mile.

Then they closed, and the head dipped, tugging gently at the skin around his neck. The teeth were replaced with tongue as his Alpha licked at his throat. The muzzle drew away and Aden brought his muzzle down, eyes wide with shock. He opened his muzzle to speak, but Cedric beat him to it. Aden felt his breath leave him as their muzzles connected and his Alpha's tongue quickly pushed past his lips, diving into the depths of his muzzle. Aden found himself submissively lapping at it as it explored every inch of his muzzle, caressing every facet of every tooth. Feeling short of breath, he pushed against his Alpha's chest, trying to get a breath. His fingers slid deep into the thick fur of the wolf's chest, vibrating as a deep growl rumbled up from there, rattling his fangs where they connected with their larger counterparts.

Aden felt his knees go weak, slumping down as they gave out. Large paws caught him, pulling him into a warm embrace. He hardly moved as he was held against his Alpha, back to chest. He shivered as fangs nibbled at the back of his neck and ears, tingles of pleasure running down and up his spine. Still unsure of his place, his ears laid back and his tail tucked between his legs as he whined softly. "A-Alpha?"

Cedric pressed him closer with a firmer grip, the wolf's larger frame wrapping around him. When he spoke, his voice was a low rumble, vibrating against Aden's back much like the growls had. "I thought you drowned in the river. I'm sorry for scaring you so much."

"Alpha? W-What are..."

Cedric cut him off. "You may not accept it, Aden, but you are my Mate. No matter what happens, I will always find you. I will always protect you. I will always love you."

Aden bit his lip, he had promised Ayala he would tell Cedric, but...he quickly closed off that thought. He had to speak now, before his mounting anxiety became too much. "I...I love you too, A-Alpha." He felt the wolf tense behind him, and tensed as well. Maybe he didn't mean love as a mate anymore? Maybe he had moved? Frantic to correct his mistake, he hurried on. "B-But if you don't want me as your mate anymore, Alpha, I understand. It's not...not like I was a good match anyway...Anyone you see walking down the street is better than me." He whimpered. "He was right, I'm worthless. I'm not even good enough to clean stalls..." Aden cringed. "Please, Alpha, make an exception for me? Don't send me away, please? Maybe you can make an exception for me? Let me clean the stalls?" Aden couldn't bring himself to look into his Alpha's eyes. He could feel them staring into the back of his head. With a start, he realized that, if he was unfit to even clean the stables, what was he doing lying next to his Alpha? Starting, he began to pull away, only to be pulled back again.

"Pup, what are you talking about? There's no way I'd have you clean the stables. Your place is at my side, the only spot worthy of you." He rumbled softly in Aden's ear. "Relax, my Mate, you are always safe in my arms. Nothing will ever hurt you while I am here." Aden complied, curling up inside the larger circle of his Alpha's body. Tilting his head up, he found his gaze locked with his Alpha's as the both stared at one another, one looking down, the other looking up. After what seemed like an eternity, Cedric bumped their muzzles together. "What did I do to scare you this morning?" He asked.

Aden blushed, but found that he couldn't look away. "I...I didn't....It had always hurt before, and I didn't know why you wanted to do that to me when it hurt so much, but then Ayala said that it wasn't supposed to hurt, and that those who had done it before were doing it all wrong, so I was going to tell you, but then the ferret hit me with..." He whimpered. "I lost the dagger you gave me, Alpha. I told you I would keep it safe, but I lost it..."

Cedric bumped their muzzles together again as he began to get off track. "Slow down Aden, I'm not keeping up. What had always hurt?"

His tail tucked tighter against him. "M-Mating."

"Mating always hurt?"

Aden whimpered and nodded.

"And Ayala told you that it wasn't supposed to?"

More nodding.

"And you were going to tell me what?"

Aden felt blood rush to his cheeks, although he doubted that it could be seen through his black fur. "I was going to...going to tell you...that I loved you...and wanted to say yes when you asked me to be your mate, but..." He finished in a whisper.

Cedric dipped his head and nuzzled Aden. "I can guess the rest." The smaller wolf whined softly and pressed softly against the underside of Cedric's chin. He found himself letting out another growl as the action stroked his dominant instincts.

Aden sighed and laid his head against Cedric's chest, his muzzle just reaching the larger wolf's shoulder. "You're not mad at me? Alpha?"

"No, why?" Cedric asked, wrapping his tail around to lay over Aden's hindquarters as he waited for an answer.

"He...he said that you'd be angry with me when you learned that I wasn't marked as yours anymore." Aden tensed, expecting retribution now that a reason for the expected anger was voiced. Cedric shifted behind him, and he whined, pressing against his Alpha submissively, trying to appease him.

"That wolf didn't understand."

Aden's ears perked. Hesitantly, he looked up. "What didn't he understand, Alpha?" He jerked back as the wolf's lips pressed against his own. Whimpering, he closed his eyes as Cedric's tongue brushed across his lips. As soon as they parted, the tongue dove in, once again claiming his mouth. Then Cedric pulled back, leaving Aden gasping as he tried to reorient himself.

"I love you." Cedric said. "I know we've been going around in circles, but you need to understand. Whatever you do, I'll always be there for you because I love you. As long as you reach out to me, I'll be there for you." Looking at the confusion on Aden's muzzle, he sighed. "You'll understand in time. Right now, we should probably get back to the road. Aylmer and his guard are probably out looking for us."

It took Aden a moment to answer, still caught up in trying to understand what his Alpha meant. He only focused again when Cedric got up, still holding him. The big wolf set him on his footpaws, holding him for a moment to make sure he was steady. Then, placing a paw on his shoulder, he turned them both. "Let's go."

Aden complied. He wasn't sure what his Alpha meant, but it was better than what the other wolf had planned for him.

"I still don't see why I can't go looking for them!" Ayala complained.

Aylmer growled. "Because," he gritted his teeth, "that fox is still out there." He sighed. "The rest of my guard is out searching for them. One more person isn't going to make that big of a difference."

Ayala scoffed. "I know a bit about math, Prince. You only have six people out there looking. One more could cover could cover a substantial amount of ground. If you had fifty, then I'd agree with you, but until then, I say we should be looking for them."

The wolf's paws clenched. "Why so much interest in Cedric all of a sudden? Do I have competition now?" He glared at the forest. "Might I remind you that he's chosen who he wants to love? You don't stand a chance now. Should've gotten here a bit earlier."

Ayala spun around, eyes blazing. "So now I'm the one in the way of our relationship? You must be training to be a jester, only a fool would make that argument. You're the one that has a mate all nice and picked out for you, with a dowry to match her position, if weddings, or whatever you call them here, are similar to the ones back home." She stood in front of him, pushing a finger into his chest. "The only reason I haven't booked passage back home is the possibility of you picking me over whatever your contract said. You told me I had a chance, and I've been holding on to that promise for a few days now. I've been sleeping in a inn, for divine's sake! I could be back home, with people waiting on me hand and foot, but I'm stuck here, hoping, praying, that you'll notice be enough that I won't have to go back to the way life used to be." She turned away. "'Go see the world,' my father said. 'You might gain something.' he said. Ha! Not a chance." Her voice broke.

"Ayala...I'm sorry." Aylmer sighed. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm as nervous as you about their welfare, and I guess it just brought my own insecurities to the front finally. I...I didn't know you were giving up so much while I was delaying my own decision." He held out his paw to her. "If you'll still have me, I'll take you to my father as soon as we find Cedric and Aden to tell him of my decision. Of our decision."

She turned towards him, wiping tears from her eyes. "What happened to needing to see the contract first?"

"It does not matter." Aylmer pointed at the edge of the clearing. "See, I told you they'd be found. Cedric! It's been hours! How far did you two run?"

Led by the guards, the two wolves stepped into the clearing. Aden was pressed up against Cedric's side, eyes locked on his face. Cedric would glance down every now and then to give his mate a lick or a short kiss, but for the most part he served for their eyes.

"I'm not sure. Nine miles? Ten? I'm not sure how long we've been gone, exactly, but that might be a pretty good estimate." He growled playfully as Aden licked his side. "Watch it, Pup, or we'll never get home." The smaller wolf whined apologetically, opening his mouth to speak, only to be muffled by Cedric's lips as he met him in a kiss.

Aylmer chuckled. "So, everything's all worked out between the two of you as well?"

Cedric broke the kiss, Aden nuzzling up against him as he turned to speak. The pup's eyes looked at him with adoration. Cedric gave his nosetip a quick lick before answering, eyes still locked with Aden's. "Not completely, but we've come quite a ways. I was planning on going home, taking a nice warm bath with my mate, and then teach the pup some of the pleasures of having a mate." Aden scuffed a footpaw against the ground as he blushed. Cedric chuckled, "Come, there's no reason to be ashamed, we're mates now."

Aden whined, "But you didn't need to tell them!"

Cedric nuzzled his ears, "You're right. I didn't need to tell them, I got to tell them. I got to tell them that the cutest wolf in the entire kingdom is my mate."

Aylmer chuckled. "Well, I don't need to compete with that. I have the most beautiful human, in this kingdom or any other, as my mate. But now we need to tell my father. Thankfully, the horse survived the battle, so we don't need to go back to the port to get our horses. I don't feel like running into your parents, Cedric." Turning, he glanced over his guard. "Ok, everyone's here. Becan, why don't you sit up front with Rorc while he drives?"

The young wolf yipped in excitement as he rushed over and clambered up onto the seat. Grabbing the reins, he yelled. "Git'yup!" The horse started forward, causing him to yelp. Turning, he shouted back at them. "Hurry up, horse's leaving!" The guard all darted for the wagon, nearly doubled over with laughter. Aylmer swept Ayala off her feet and ran over to the wagon, placing her gently in it before swinging inside himself. Turning around, he waved. "We'll come back for a visit soon!"

Aden's eyes met with Ayala's, the woman cocking her head in question. He glanced up at his Alpha, his Mate, and smiled. Looking back at her, he shook his head. He wouldn't need her to come check on him anymore.