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So, here it is. Part four of my wolf world and a crack at first person narrative. Sorry it's been so long for this series. Yes I am writing it and yes I have a storyboard mapped out, sorta. I know the direction is probably not what a lot of people would expect but hey, I'm having fun writing it. =) Once again, all characters are copyright to me, Tiberius Rings. Enjoy!

What was going on with me? I had spent so many days wondering how to get close to Arch and now that I was, I was afraid? How could I manage to meet his gaze again? It was hard enough dealing with my crush; now I had to deal with Arch directly. It was so hard to not get distracted by his appearance, his physical being, and his warmth. I was under the impression initially that I had been a minor diversion, but now it seemed that Arch had other thoughts about me. I liked it, but it also worried me.

Back then, when I was really the age to match my body, I was so naive. I had never had a real relationship before I found I was attracted to Arch. I was a kid attracted to someone older, wiser, stronger, and better looking. It was so cliché it hurt and I didn't know how to deal with it. I had no friends to turn to who could really provide insight, my parents were gone and if I had brought it up with anyone they would laugh, balk and just tease. How could a Strider become close to the Alpha and maintain it? It was hard to swallow and I believed it.

Arch was always there recently, gentle and kind. When we talked in meetings his hand would wind up on my shoulder, or on my back, or just touching me in a friendly way. We had slept together, and I had taken a big risk inside the council chambers, but I didn't care at the time. Now; I wondered what Arch thought of me. I liked him, and I knew he physically liked me, but what did he really think of me?

Did he see me as someone easy, who was more than eager and willing to drop to all fours, open his muzzle and lift his tail? I was past the age where I wanted a purely physical relationship, though those had been very fun, I knew I was not getting younger and needed to start looking for someone who I could spend my days with until the sun finally set on my life. It just happened that I was paying too much attention to what my instincts told me and went for the one person who probably was the most desired and least obtainable. I was such a fool.

The felines were due to arrive any day now; we got reports from the Scouts that the cat's had officially entered our territory and were now under our protection. Arch had sent out some warriors to act as an official escort, even if our borders were well protected, nothing was left to chance. Arch and Apollo together would be something interesting to see, but already I felt a pang of jealousy. I knew Arch really liked Apollo, but again was it something more or just purely physical?

One thing I don't think I ever explained about Arch was he was not that old. He may be a big man with broad shoulders and muscles, but he is still young. He became Alpha younger than anyone ever did in our pack and has maintained the position very well. A lot of people seem to forget his age and that he is still a young man who has a lot of desires.

I guess I'm making an excuse for him, so that he could sleep with anyone he wanted. And most, if not all the wolves, were willing to please him. Arch is our Alpha, he is the man who protects us and keeps us as a unified force, as well as reminds us of our instincts as wolves and must obey the pack chain of command. He is such a focal point of our lives that many of us live our lives out and not realizing it. The position of Alpha is as much a symbol as the man who fills it.

History has recorded people who could utilize the position to its maximum potential and make life living under the Alpha a very wonderful and pleasing thing. Arch was doing it with little to no effort and we all loved him in some way for it. I know if you asked a gallant warrior back then if he loved Arch he would deny it, but they would all agree, Arch was a part of everyone's family even if you only saw the man once a week.

That day, I was doing my most favorite lazy thing in the world; laying on my rock. Yes, I have a rock. My rock was set near the temple on one of the ruined rises that most wolves didn't climb up due to the loose rocks and pillars from some civilization long past. The sun beamed down on that section of the temple for hours in the morning and lingered in the afternoon. By the time the sun switched directions and began to bleach the west in the warm glow of the day, the rock was very much warm and pleasing to lay upon well into the evening.

I had made it clear, the moment I became Strider-Alpha, that I would take that as my personal office. What I really wanted was a place all my own that I could go to where no-one would really be able to touch without asking me. My tent was fine, but this was personal, private, and very much a luxury I relished. I did not use it often since then it hardly becomes a luxury or a treat, but the days I used it I was very happy with my choice. The only other man who would even come up to it was Arch, or another wolf if it was an emergency and they needed me.

The rock in question was a huge semi circle on a section of the temple, laying flat on the smooth, white stone bricks of the temple. Rubble of downed pillars lay all over, but the semi circle was clear of debris. I forget when I had done it, but one day I had brought up a thin, softly sun bleached blanket of leather. It made the rock more comfortable to lounge upon but kept the stones heat pounding up through it.

I was stretched out upon the slab, yawning quietly. I had removed my loincloth, tossing it to the side to have it fall across a rock, the material flapping through the warm, sweet air of the forest as I laid there. I was stretched out on my front, my legs extended out across the leather and rock, my arms brought up close to my head with my hands folded up close to rest under my chin, my eyes closed with my head leaning softly to the side as the sun beamed down while the rock warmed me from the other side. I really enjoyed the heat of the rock and thought it was the one thing I would miss if I ever had to leave the temple for the rest of my life.

I was almost asleep, breathing deep and slow as the warmth pierced flesh and fur, absorbing into my muscles and making them slacken from their usually tight and knotted condition, making them feel very relaxed. I had come up here initially to brood but now I found the position and placement of the rock to be very, very enjoyable. I was still fighting off slumber when I heard someone approaching. The only way for someone to approach the slab was by a few select boulders, and the sound of the rocks moving made me look up at the very instant the intruder appeared over the edge of the stones.

Who I saw coming over the edges of the rock was no strider, was no messenger, but Arch himself. He vaulted himself up off the last boulder and soared into the air, or at least he looked like he did. I saw him pull his knees in and then come crashing down against the stone ground, landing in a crouch. The impact of his heavy, magic filled body made the whole floor shudder, the rock I was laying on vibrated and even a few small pebbles bounced.

I knew Arch had used magic to make his landing far more dramatic, but I didn't care. I remained in the position that I was in, but I shifted to lean up against my forearms, my back arching a bit. I was hiding my naked groin from the alpha by keeping my pelvic bone pressed into the soft leather.

"Morning, Alpha," I said softly, smiling to the man. In all the times I had been using the rock as my personal lounge, Arch had never come up.

"Morning, Slayn. How are you feeling today?" The alpha rose to his feet, flicking his black tail a bit. The man wore a red loincloth around his hips, the pattern embroidered upon it was plain; a simple weave of gold around the hem and trim. The band around his waist was a golden cord, probably cotton dyed gold. Not the easiest color to make, but by no means the hardest.

"I'm doing well," I said in my calmest voice. I was nervous. Why was Arch here? "Is there something I can do for you, Alpha?"

"Well," Arch began, looking to the side. He shook his head. The alpha smiled and just shrugged his shoulders, "No, I just wanted to check on you. I... I just wanted to remind you that I needed those reports on my desk an hour ago. But, it's no rush. We have a lot of Scouts moving about and I don't want a logistical nightmare with more striders in the field. Just try to get them to me by the end of the day."

"Okay..." I said, surprised. I watched as Arch's head vanished below the line of rocks. A few moments later I heard the sound of his feet jumping from stone to stone, moving down along the safe path to the ground. That had me thinking.

"Why did Arch seem odd..?" I spoke out loud. Yes, I spoke out loud. I do that a lot.

I sat up from my stone and reached over, picking up the loincloth I had taken off hours ago and slipped it around my waist. I tied the knot securely, stood up and stretched. I wondered if I should go find Arch, or go and talk to some people. Was Arch bothered by something? The cats were coming of course. Arch did have something going on with Apollo, but they had just been friends. That couldn't have been changing Arch's mood. There was the always constant pressure from his advisors and the females of the tribe for Arch to pick a permanent mate and consummate his Alpha position by siring a child. He kept putting that off. Something about the day itself was odd. Was Arch avoiding me in general? I know Arch had taken a bit more of a shine to me, but was my constant bid for attention putting him off? I decided that I couldn't figure out the matter on my own.

I leapt down the length of the stones and landed in a crouch on the ground. Most wolves could not handle a fall like that, but being a strider we are more designed to handle blows to our legs. Of course the moment I stood up my knees ached and the balls of my feet reminded me exactly why I shouldn't jump from high places. I rubbed my thigh with a palm and then headed from the temple into the town.

As I walked along the simple dirt roads that had been pounded down with uncountable steps of foot traffic, I couldn't help but noticing some of the people milling about giving me odd glances. I saw some Warrior females, the strong women more apt to carrying the children of the warriors due to their larger stature and blood line, turn and whisper to one another while their eyes followed my moments. What was going on?

I walked up to a booth where some fruit was set up and smiled to the girl sitting behind the counter. She was about my age, slender, lithe, a scout by birth from the way her shoulders were more broadly placed but still quick on her feet should she have been given the chance. She was doing her civic duty by taking a few shifts in the clan and working a booth.

"Hello," I said with a smile, moving a hand to the small pouch I wore along the waistband of my loincloth. A few tugs of the simple leather thong that held it closed and the pouch opened up. I fished out a bronze coin and then put it on the wooden table in front of her. "Could I have a bowl of fruit, please?"

The girl behind the counter smiled and looked me over from head to toe. My eyes widened as I realized she was not just admiring my fur, she was admiring my body. I watched her eyes travel up along my long and slender legs, travelling along my hips to my stomach and then up over my naked chest. I actually blushed, never having felt more naked. I was hardly a virgin and Arch was far from my first but no one had looked me over like that so delicately. I knew, if I had posed the question to her, she would have gone to my tent and bedded down with me until she passed out. I felt a rush of blood to my sheath then and just stammered. "Ummm... N-now?"

She smiled and held back a giggle, I could tell she thought it was funny how I was asking and handed me the bowl of fruit. I took it quickly and then quickly headed away from the booth, popping about five grapes into my muzzle at once to try and muffle any sound that should come out of my throat. Someone had looked at me in such an erotic way, and, to top it all off, it had got me to press out of my sheath!

I paced along the road, eating my fruit to relax. I could feel the tip of my member actually slide back inside its warm home and then the sheath itself relax, calming down as the draw of blood returned to various other parts of my body. I sighed quietly and just continued to eat, finishing the bowl quicker than I would have liked. I now had an upset stomach and a hyper active mind, not a good combination.

I figured I needed to just cool off and relax, so I decided to head to my tent and lay down for a bit. All the while as I walked along the path I saw people give me odd looks, though mostly gazes that absorbed my stride, the way I swayed my tail or the way I rubbed my muzzle when I yawned. People just seemed to stare and whisper, and I was growing more and more curious as to why. I knew that it was probably linked to what I was doing with Arch but still, this hadn't happened to Arch's usual flings; why was it happening to me? Perhaps it was because I never looked at the others who Arch seemed to fancy too closely. Was it just common for this?

I reached my tent and began to move the flaps aside when I felt some fingers touch my shoulder. My ears perked and I turned around. "Yes?" I began, and it was the fruit stand girl from earlier. She smiled seductively and moved her arms around my narrow shoulders, pulling me close at the same instant she pressed forward. She let out a soft laugh.

"Hello there," she said into my ear and pressed the last few remaining inches closer to my body. I could feel her breasts against my chest, her hips against mine, and her sweet scent laced with something far more delicate than I was used to smelling. I spent most of my company around males; the female striders were few and far between in terms of having free time to work as a strider. Women from the other sects tended to also just pass me by with little care; that was how the genes stayed within the various sub-units of the pack.

The girl who still remained nameless to me had moved her muzzle to press against mine and let me taste the sweet honey that she wore on her lips. The flavor excited my tastebuds as we kissed, feeling her hands rub along my back and then down along my waist, brushing through my thicker outer coat with her narrow fingers. She managed to get my lips parted, and I felt the gentle probing of another tongue brush into my muzzle. I felt her tongue slip along the roof of my textured mouth, brush along my clean teeth and then slide against my soft tongue. She got me to moan as our tongues simply coiled around one another.

I was not used to pushy girls, but this was very different. Something about this felt right. I found myself pushed into my tent, my home. The air was cool and the light dimmed due to the thick leather. She softly giggled as we kissed, edging me backwards against my table, knocking off the few dishes I had used that morning for a meal. She pushed my back down against the wood with a small shove and laid against me, my legs spread a bit.

By now I was growing aroused, not used to having a female just force herself onto me like that. Her lips were so sweet and her touch a soft caress of warmth. I managed to open my eyes to catch her reach around and undo the tabard she wore across her breasts. I felt my sheath thicken even more and my shaft swell as her breasts came into view. She was not a huge woman by any degree but she was young, fresh, and perky.

I stared at those petal pink nipples resting against the cresting curves of her chest, her narrow stomach with the curving hips that played deep into a lustful desire. She looked fertile and instinctively a good potential mother. After all, everyone is attracted by certain body types so make sure the species survived. I guess wolves were no different.

I watched as she reached down and undid her loincloth from her waist, letting it fall away with her tabard. She was naked now, save for the small jeweled necklace she wore tight against her neck. Her scent was far more intoxicating without the constricting clothing around her body. I could tell instantly she was in heat, probably her first one as an adult woman. I shivered at the scent, my erection slipping more out of my sheath, brushing against the flap of my loincloth which I had on. She was after one thing, and my body was more than eager to give it to her.

She took one of my hands and guided it to rub along her breasts. My other hand decided to join in, moving to cup her mounds of flesh. Their softness surprised me. I had laid with more men than woman and most of the males in the pack were very fit. Hard pectoral muscles were what I was used to. Still, the way those breasts felt in my hands were amazing.

I brushed my fingers down along their curves, finding those pert nipples hidden against her shorter fur. The moment my fingers found those hardened nubs she moaned, breaking the kiss to do so. She was murring sweetly, licking along my long muzzle and flattening down the fur on my face, exciting me even more than I already was. Soon I was fully hard and ready, the last thing she could do to me, besides making me climax, was force my knot to appear.

She stepped back and edged me further onto my table, sending the few remaining items tumbling off it onto the floor. As an aroused male wolf who was not thinking with my head, well my bigger head, I did as she requested. I found myself laying down almost completely on my table, and with the unnamed girl on top of me, kissing my chest between my own pectorals. She reached down with one of her hands to curl her fingers into the waistband of my loincloth and pulled it off me with a flick of her wrist. She tossed it aside, plunging us both into total nakedness. I was eager, willing, and oh so ready to plunge into her, and she was ready, too.

Usually there would have been more foreplay, but she was in heat and her scent did wild things to the males around her. If she remained in heat she would come back for me and only me until her passion was quenched. I watched her, hands still rubbing her breasts as she pushed up onto her knees and straddle my hips. She smiled down at me as she just put her hands above mine, and lowered herself down.

I felt the head of my erection press against her burning hot wet mound of flesh. She pushed down harder, the folds spreading and parting around my head. I could feel her hot juices trickle from her moist folds and pour down along my eagerly awaiting shaft, the ripples of her natural lubrication coating my length with only my head buried into her. My precum began to ejaculate upwards, spurting into her flowing fluids and down along my wolfhood, wetting the fur along my groin. She moaned softly and sunk down even more, making my length spear through her body, forcing her to open further and take my eagerly awaiting shaft. I felt more of my cock delve into her, my tip not meeting a hymen wall. She was not a virgin, but then neither was I.

Finally, she pressed her hips down against my own groin, my sheath pushed down against those drooling lips. I could feel her tight body just coiled around my erection, molding against my penis in ways a male could not. That was one of the benefits of sleeping with a woman; she was softer and wetter than a male could ever be. I rolled my head back and moaned, my thumbs rested on her nipples, rolling them in slow circles.

It only took her a few thrusts along my shaft, the suction of her body along my own. I gasped at her spasming grip on my member as she hit her orgasm. She cried out in pleasure as more of her essence poured down along my reddened, vein covered penis, soaking the fur along my belly and then down over my testicles. I moaned at the heat washing over my groin as she moved her hands off my own, pushing her hands against my firm and flat stomach. She began to ride my shaft with a passion only a woman in heat could do.

I bucked my hips up into her, squeezing her breasts firmly, moving one of my hands down along her chest and around her narrow waist to her rounded rear, raking my claws through the thin fur along her rear end. I groaned loudly when my hand on her rear end made her walls flex even more against my penis, the pressure along my erection causing me to spray more of my precum into her already seeping flow. I looked up at her; her head rolled back with her long hair down along her shoulder blades. I watched her breasts bounce as she slid up and down along my length, trying to claim her prize, the seed of a male the Alpha liked. I was trembling in pleasure, my palms were sweaty and the beads of perspiration began to form on my brow and my chest. My legs flexed and unflexed, and our combined cries of ecstacy were not confined to my tent; people could hear us from far away. I did not realize it but she had managed to fill my knot with her burning hot sex. She was going to have me tie her; there was no question to that.

The female wolf lifted herself up and dropped onto my cock quicker, faster, and full of zeal. I heard her gasp and groan, rocking her body just so eagerly and passionately than I could ever have expected. The wetness of her body was so hard to resist! My muzzle had opened and my tongue lolled out of the corner of my lips, a thin trail of saliva falling down from it and onto the wooden table below me. She gasped as her body was close and knew that was the time.

With a firm grip to the damp fur on my chest she plowed herself downwards right onto my rod. I moaned loudly, making my back arch and buck my hips upwards. The thick length that was my penis pushed harder than ever against her drooling labia and my knot popped into her body. I saw stars and stripes across my vision as I tied with her. I didn't get to do it often and even today I still don't. To me, tying someone is still as pleasurable as the first time ever having sex. My knot swelled inside of her and locked us together, her muscles and bone structure meeting my own, preventing any fluids from leaking out. I roared in pleasure at the same time my knot swelled and my penis flared. I shuddered and felt my shaft throb and twitch, giving up the one thing she desired, my seed. My penis sprayed up into her my white semen; spurt after spurt of thick cream flowing into her wet, hot, fertile womb. She bounced until she made sure I gave up every last drop of I had and then, finally, she rolled a bit, falling off me.

She laid on her side, my penis locked deep inside her as I still trickled. She laid on her side as she panted, closing her eyes and pressing up close against my body. She laid her head against my chest. Still tied, I tried to open my mouth to ask her a question but found she had passed out, murring deeply in her sleep. I was panting hard and did the only thing I could think of; I curled my arm tightly around her and pressed close, letting sleep claim me too.

I woke up several hours later with an aching back. I groaned and lifted a hand to rub along my face. I could feel the stiff bits of fur around the lips on my muzzle, the firm bristles of once damp fur clumping together from our kissing and saliva. My hand moved up along my face, feeling the fur on my brow equally stiff and matted in an uncomfortable position that reflected my physical exertion during sex. I shifted my weight and found I was laying on my table quite alone.

I looked all over my room, noticing my few dishes scattered about on the floor in a haphazard configuration that resulted from leaping onto it. It also reminded me I should clean up more before I left. I stood up on my feet and looked down along my torso, examining the matted fur around my groin and sheath, my knotted penis having long since slipped back into my sheath. My testicles ached and I couldn't help but move my hand down to them, giving them a gentle tug and a massage to try and make the clenched feeling go away. It helped and I looked around for the girl whom I had slept with. I still had not learned her name.

A quick check into the partitioned room of my tent revealed she was not in my home. She was gone. I sighed and rubbed the top of my head and crouched down. I began to pick up the various items that had fallen off my table, putting them in the wicker basket for cleaning later. It wasn't until I finished picking up my dishes that I noticed the floor was bare of clothing. I blinked my eyes and looked on the four chairs around my table, on my shelf and on my desk. Nothing. She had come and gone and taken my loincloth with her! That was my favorite one. I sighed and just went to the wash basin in the corner of my tent.

I dipped a rag into the water and began to wring it up, rubbing my body with it. It wouldn't be as good as a dip in the river but that would have to wait; I still had to talk to Arch and figure out a lot about my life. I also had to manage the reports of my striders and work on the paperwork that came along with my title. I sighed and looked into the rippling water as I dunked my rag in again and wrung it out in the dirty bucket I used for used water when I did my dishes and cleaned up. I wondered if this was what life under Arch was like. I had never slept with someone I didn't know and the idea she was gone when I woke bothered me, but there was nothing I could do about it now. The act was quite nice during it and she got what she wanted. If her heat wasn't over I would be seeing her again and again until it was; or if it was, she would probably go back to the border and I'd not see her for weeks, perhaps months.

Once I was clean enough that I didn't look like an obvious participant in wet sloppy sex, I went to my room and grabbed a new loincloth from my trunk. This one was green with a darker green weave flowing along the flap of material, creating an intricate pattern on it. I tied it around my waist securely and slipped my knife belt around my waist loosely. The loose belt caused it to hang slightly down on my right hip at an angle due to the weight of the knife. Once clothed and cleaned I headed outside.

It was still day. I hadn't slept into the night as I had worried. I looked up into the sky and saw that the sun was still hovering above the horizon barely, which cast the normally blue sky various shades of red and gold blazing from the mountains in the far distance. Sunset. Twilight. I had only a few hours to find Arch before he retired to his quarters with some new partner or something, and then there would be no talking to him until morning. I always assumed the worst; so far trying to find Arch had led me to getting sex from a complete stranger and delaying me. Quite the double edged sword.

I looked around and headed for the warrior's enclave where I figured Arch would be if he was still out of the temple. Arch always considered the warrior wolves kin and related to them far more than the other sects in the pack. I rarely went there but this was not a time to worry about their heckles. The warriors were like modern college frat-boys; somewhat smart individually but as a group they were dumb when out of combat or not training. They were also loud, obnoxious, and if someone didn't make them bathe often they could smell quite bad. They did clean up well though.

The enclave was in the distance once I turned the corner; it as a large domed building, remnant from the temple's original structure. It was made of white stone that had been blackened by the sun over the various ages. The rain had made small dimples along the curved surface and made it look quite worn. People suspected that the dome structure the warriors used as their home was actually older than the temple itself, but without information or evidence to back the claim up people tended to forget it. Most didn't care as long as the ceiling lasted and kept their heads dry when it rained.

I moved around the outside of the building, avoiding the two wolves that would stand guard at all times outside the entrance to the enclave. While I had access to the building with my rank they would let me know I wasn't entirely welcome and alert the men inside that a strider had come, probably to talk shop with Chance. I didn't want to be seen or heard, I wanted to be hidden. I could smell Arch inside the building and knew I could talk to him, if only I could find a way inside...

I walked around the outside of the building and looked around. There were actually three offices inside, one of which was Chance's private chambers when he was spending a lot of time with his men. He was getting old, and while he wasn't by any means out of his prime he did not bounce back the way I would from a fight. He sometimes, especially after longer and more intense sessions of training or judging or policy making, liked to lay down and relax for an hour or two. It was his right as Beta Male anyway, and no one questioned it. Hell, Arch was known to take DAYS off from his management of the pack and hide away in his room, never coming out.

I found a window that was opened and was about to pull myself up it when I heard people talking from he other side. I froze in mid-crouch, tail freezing in its movement as I instinctively went silent. My breathing ended and my eyes shifted without the need to crane or tilt my head. My heart pounded deep within my chest and I just kept myself steady and waiting, ready for the next moment when I was sure someone would find me.

When no one did, I relaxed enough to stand up a bit more and focus on the voices coming from the other side of the window. What I heard surprised me.

"Chance, I simply don't know!" came one of the voices. It was firm and commanding, with a touch of pride. Was it Arch?

"You will have to make a decision soon, Archie." said Chance. Archie. The nickname that everyone called Arch when he was a boy and a teenager. The one only Chance could get away with calling him. Rey of the Mages could do it too but only in the way a grandmother could get away giving a hand knitted sweater. Everyone just let her do it because of her age.

"I don't want to have to pick, no one has made me PICK in the past!" The voice growled from Arch, making my ears fold back against my skull in a bit of hesitation and worry. What were they talking about?

"Well, you never had someone pursue you like this," Chance said with another calming, objective tone. "Usually the females pursue you, you make sure they are not in heat, give them what they want and you don't see them for awhile. Slayn keeps coming back to you."

"And I give him what he wants!"

"Yes," Chance began with a sigh. "But he continues to come even after you have given him the "honor" of laying in your bed." Chance snickered but before Arch could continue he spoke up again. "He is actively, if not consciously, pursuing you as his mate. You feel it too, I'm sure. The instinctual nature to simply bond with someone for protection and trust. No Alpha can rule alone forever, Archie."

"I am not ready for a mate!" Arch growled. I felt a pang of sadness but then a wash of heat. Arch's element flared and filled the room. Apparently the magic seeped over the edge of the window and closed in around me, choking me with its power. Arch could use fire in a way that no one really understands today. He could suffocate you by heating the air around you, making you miss breathing and the coolness. It was usually a voluntary method of control of his powers but when he was emotional, such as now, it seeped out from the locks he kept up on his powers. I felt the crushing blow of it and it drew me to my knees, my hands holding my neck as I tried to breathe. Arch had never done this to me but I had seen it done various times in the past to many a man who tried to usurp Arch's dominance.

Chance had let out a groan but he growled. I heard the sound of something hitting another thing, and then the heat faded. I could feel the cool air filling my lungs and expanding my chest, cooling my system and allowing me the right to live again. I suppressed the urge to cough by holding my breath and keeping my throat flexed. If I gave away I was here Arch would be put on the spot and maybe make a choice he would regret.

"Well," Chance said with a sigh. "It seems like he is doing something to you if he is having this effect on you. Usually you are in control of your elemental magic but you flared up without even noticing."

"Shut up," Arch said with a growl. I could picture Arch pacing around the warrior's secondary home, brooding like the big male that he was and could get away with being.

"I'm your friend, Arch. But you need to either accept Slayn for who and what he is and draw him in as your mate, or you can cut him off and sever this bond you keep fueling by sleeping with him. This way you both can go on and hopefully find people you want to live with. Slayn is your submissive and won't be looking for another mate until you give him a yes or a no. He will pursue of his own accord forever!"

There was a loud rumbling and I could tell Arch was growling. I wasn't sure what to make of it and I heard Arch stop, probably leaning over the window I was crouched under, my back pressed against the cold side of the stone. Thankfully there was a breeze and it was moving away from the window. Arch would hopefully not pick up my scent.

"What do you think of Slayn, Chance?"

"I think he suits you." Chance said, coming up to the window. I could tell because his voice got louder. "He is a young, handsome man who is not a woman. Which means you and your carnal side can be as expressive as you want and he won't get pregnant. I know you like to think you're THAT virile, but no. He is also the body type you so admire."

"True..." Arch said, sighing.

"I think that you should at least court him. Show him what life is like as an Alpha's potential mate. If it doesn't work out you can still break the bond and you will both get over it."

Chance was a world of wisdom and a star in the night of a turbulent skies. I would regard him in later years as one of the best men that ever served Arch. I miss him even today. Part of me knows I will never meet a man quite like Chance again.

Just when I thought Arch was going to be fine, there was a knocking sound. Someone was knocking on Chance's door inside the enclave. Brave man to bother the Alpha and Beta who were talking privately about relationships. I listened closely, not sure what I was going to hear.

I heard the door open and then the sound of someone new. I focused and closed my eyes as I tried to place the voice. It was a Scout. The Beta-Scout. His name was Rujul. Everyone just called him Ruj since he never was a fan of his full name. He was a good man with a large family. One of the better Scouts Arch had at his disposal.

"Ruj, What can I do for you?" It was Chance speaking.

"I wanted to talk to the Alpha about a big problem." Ruj was always to the point. Cut and dry, he never beat around the bush when he could avoid it. "I heard he was here with you."

"What is it?" That from Arch. Arch had moved away from the open window. I knew this because his voice had grown much softer.

"My daughter, Reyna..." The man said, speaking so gently that I had to strain my ears forward to listen.

"What of her? She is your youngest, right? They say she is nearly as fast on her feet as a strider."

"Yes..." Ruj said. I could hear the sound of a troubled man trying to find a way to say something. "She has not been on the borders because it is her time of year, where she is looking for mates. I had her in the market working on our fruit stands and not doing any running for fear she could smell a neighboring wolf or a scout and get carried away..."

"And?" Arch said. He sounded fairly annoyed now.

"And now I found out she slept with someone earlier today! The male's scent was all over her and she even brought back one of his cloths."

"Ruj," Chance said with a sigh, rubbing his head. "Everyone has sex. It's part of the process of growing up."

"It's not that!" Ruj said loudly. I was holding my breath. "It's that she's pregnant now!"

Oh God...

To be continued...