FSE

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Chapter 9

In a small circular clearing to the southeast of Howling Grove, two female werewolves stood. Above them, the mid-morning sun cast its life-nurturing rays over the vast forest of Lanea. Both lycca-vanni were sitting at the border of the clearing, under the shade of a tree.

“...But, yeah, that was my story. That's how I met my soma-bonded lycca mate and took his Offering of the Fangs, Elise," casually said the jet-black one with the bandaged arm. “So... any questions?"

“I've got one," quickly responded the grayish brown one with a Moon Pendant hanging from her neck. “Rose, why won't you just admit that I guessed it right? I mean, what other 'three simple words' could possibly—"

“I'm sorry, let me rephrase," interrupted Rose, holding up her hand: “Any questions that don't involve revealing intimate secrets that belong only to Daggerclaw and I?"

“Fiiiine..." sighed Elise. “Intimate secrets, huh? You know, it's kind of funny. You had no qualms with telling me all about your matings with Daggerclaw in excruciating detail, but admitting that you told him 'I love you' is a step too far?"

“Hah! You call that 'excruciating detail'? Oh, come on! I didn't even say 'cock' once!" laughed the huntress, completely ignoring the last part of Elise's question.

“N-neither did Margie, and you still chastised her yesterday for telling us about her first time with Fleetpaw in more detail than was necessary. Had she been here today, I wonder what she would have said to you just gushing non-stop about how incredibly amazing Daggerclaw is in bed..."

“I chastised Marjorie? Nah, not even close. I was just teasing her. We do this all the time, you know? It's all good, trust me. Also, I'll have you know that my Daggerclaw is incredibly amazing in general, not just in bed. But I'm not the only one here who thinks that of their own lycca, am I? I mean, I'm pretty sure you could say the exact same thing about Fang. Or am I mistaken?"

“T-that's besides the point!" said Elise as her cheeks burned red under her facial fur. “I... I guess I'm just not used to everyone here being so open about... y-you know..."

“Sex. You meant to say 'about sex.' It's just a word, Elise. If you can say 'mating,' you can say 'sex' just fine. It isn't that difficult."

“That's easy for you to say because you... B-because you're Rose," said the fidgeting she-werewolf. “We're very different. You're strong, outspoken, brave, and you've seen a lot of the world, while I... Well, I never really left my village until the day I met Fang."

“Yeah, I know what you're saying. I'm a woman too. We've all been taught that 'sex' is this nasty forbidden word we must never speak. Apparently, only a woman who lives in sin would dare utter something so abominable and vulgar. Good, god-fearing girls like you or me couldn't so much as picture that word in our minds, lest we went straight to hell, because sex is supposedly something only men are allowed to talk about and enjoy. Unlike them, we have to remain innocent and pure until marriage, or we face an afterlife of eternal damnation in fire and brimstone... Or at least that's what we had been made to believe anyway."

“So it was the same for you..." said Elise, surprised. “How, then, did you become so... so..."

“Shameless?" offered Rose, grinning. “Heh. That's what living in Howling Grove as a liberated lycca-vanni does to you. Over time, you just shed all that useless baggage. It's part of the absolute freedom our wonderful werewolf mates have blessed us with, you know? I mean, you must have seen it yourself. At any given moment, there's a lycca couple mating in the open somewhere in the grove, and no one bats an eye. Eventually, you just come to realize that sex is a very natural thing, and that there's nothing wrong in enjoying it, or even talking about it, whether you have a dick hanging between your legs or not."

“Huh... I've just now realized something," said the brownish she-werewolf as she toyed idly with her pendant. “I don't know if I should be worried, but... I had been having so much fun here, hanging out with you girls — and of course losing myself in Fang's arms whenever we are alone — that it hadn't even occurred to me that we might all be... living in sin."

“Oh?"

“Yeah... All of this goes contrary to what the church preaches, doesn't it? So, tell me, Rose: do you think we're going to hell?"

“What for? Is it a sin to be happy? Are we not allowed to enjoy the warmth and company of the noble werebeasts who had sworn eternal love to us? Is our happiness even hurting anyone?" asked the jet-black huntress.

“N-no, but... y-you can't deny that we are having s— I mean, we're sleeping with our lycca even though we aren't married to them, so..."

Rose exploded into laughter.

“Oh, God, how can you still be so naive?" she said, almost gasping for air. “What do you think a soma bond is? Elise, you've been married to Fang ever since the very first time he stuck his tongue in your mouth!"

“Really? I... I thought it was more of a spiritual thing, and—"

“And it is! It's both things! Remember: like regular wolves, lycca remain stalwartly loyal to their mates for life. How is that any different from marriage?"

“O...okay. I see your point," conceded Elise. “But... I still don't think we can say we're completely free of sin. I mean, we do steal from the villagers, don't we?"

“Eh, like there's anyone in this world who's completely free of sin," said Rose, waving a claw dismissively in the air. “Also, we don't steal. We just, uh... collect 'surprise donations.' In fact, you could say we are simply helping them share without them knowing, and sharing is caring, right?"

“Uh-huh..."

“If it gives you some peace of mind, we usually take from people like Mordrick or those good-for-nothing bullies who used to terrorize Marjorie; never from the poor. And you've seen that it's mostly just clothes and supplies, and maybe some food items from the general store every now and then. I'm fairly certain that they can afford misplacing a couple sacks of rice a month or whatever."

“Alright..." finally said the younger, less experienced she-werewolf. “I mean, I'm not entirely convinced that this is correct, but I don't think I'm going to lose much sleep over those horrible people getting at least a tiny little bit of comeuppance."

“Exactly! It's all about restoring balance to the world one bag of loot at a time, isn't it?" exclaimed Rose, laughing in her typical boisterous way.

“I suppose. Though there's one more thing we're forgetting: lycanthropy," observed Elise. “The church condemns it as heinous, remember? They say just the act of transforming into a werewolf is a sin."

“The church condemns many things they either don't understand or don't want to understand. It's what they do. I say, just leave them be. As long as you have a clear conscience, what does it matter what those senile old men think? I mean, do you remember those bestiaries I told you about?"

“Yeah..."

“And remember when you first entered these woods as a virginal maiden and met Fang? Remember how he brutally ravished you for hours, then tore you to pieces and ate your bloodied entrails?"

“I... can't even imagine him doing something like that."

“Exactly. He would rather die than hurt a vanni, as would everyone else in the pack. But no one in the world outside the forest knows that. Everyone believes that werewolves are blood-thirsty demons — and don't even try to tell me you didn't believe that yourself before meeting Fang."

“Y-yeah..." reluctantly admitted Elise, scratching the back of her head. “They were murderous monsters in my storybooks; always dead set on devouring the protagonists or some such thing. A-and I'm ashamed to say that I was terrified when Fang first transformed before me. I really thought he was going to kill me like the werewolves in the books... But I know better now!"

“Yes, you do; and so do I, as well as everyone else in Howling Grove. The rest of the world, though? Not so much," said Rose, looking up to the sky. “I don't know why werewolves are seen as monsters everywhere, but with that reputation, is it any surprise that the church declared lycanthropy a sin?"

“I guess you're right," said the brownish lycca-vanni, holding her pendant and gazing into it. “And I suppose it just doesn't matter. Either way, I'm not giving up Fang for anything in the world. Even if our love was an affront to God Himself, I would still remain by his side. He's my lycca and I'm his vanni. Nothing else matters."

Rose smiled proudly.

“Heh, I liked that."

“Huh?"

“The fire in your voice when you said you aren't giving up Fang. I liked it," she elaborated. “It reminded me of how I felt about Daggerclaw when I stood before the ivory gate with my glowing Moon Pendant."

“Oh. That was... five years ago, right?" asked Elise, flicking her lupine ears.

“Yep. And I was pretty scared. But when that gate opened, I swore to myself that I wouldn't let anyone or anything take my Daggerclaw away from me, not even that so-called Grand Alpha and his silly tests. Then I crossed the gate, holding onto that oath as though my life depended on it," wistfully said the black-coated huntress. “Heh, I suppose it worked, or I wouldn't be here today, right?"

Now it was Elise's turn to smile.

“You're a good person, Rose," she said. “I mean, you're crass, rebellious, somewhat violent, and even just plain mean at times, but you really care about your friends and your mate. I'm... glad I got to meet someone like you."

“Hahahah! Buttering me up won't save you from my drills, Elise! And you haven't even seen a tenth of just how mean I can be!" she boastfully exclaimed, laughing.

“Aww, you've got me!" Elise jokingly responded, also laughing, although not as loudly. “Oh, well. It was worth a try!"

After a few moments, the black she-werewolf stood up, gave her arms a stretch and said: “Alright! Let's get back to Howling Grove and check up on our studly werecanine husbands, shall we? I don't know about you, but after all this talk I just can't wait to throw myself into my Daggerclaw's arms and let him have his way with me!"

“What, no chains this time?"

“Nope! Not this time!"

“Actually, that reminds me," added Elise as she stood up herself. “There are two things I had been wondering; you know, about Daggerclaw and you..."

“Hm? This isn't about those words I whispered to him again, right? Because that's still a secret!"

“No, it isn't that. It's, uh... Well, I noticed how Daggerclaw only ever calls you his 'fireblood-vanni,' and I couldn't help but wonder... Did you not give him permission to speak your name?"

“Oh, of course I did! He just prefers to call me that. And, to be honest, I don't mind it one bit! In fact, I rather like how it sounds. It just has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you agree?"

“Ah, okay, I see," nodded the brownish she-werewolf. “And the other thing is: what happened with that silver dagger?"

“Oh, that. Well, both Daggerclaw and I agreed that we couldn't bring something so dangerous into Howling Grove, despite what it meant to us. So, a couple days later, I took it to a smithy and had it melted along with other silver items I had, uh, procured. And that's how I got those nice silver chains!"

“Ah, I was wondering about that too!" exclaimed Elise. “Heh, well, I think that about covers it all. Thanks for sharing something as personal as your story with me, Rose. I feel I understand you a little better now."

“Eh, it was nothing. Besides, I had a lot of fun reminiscing all that stuff, and you got to learn a bunch of new things as well. Like, new life philosophies and experiences to expand your mind with, which is always a good thing, right? But enough of that. It's time to head back to Howling Grove!"

~*~

Later, at Fang's den...

“Welcome back, Elise, my princess. I trust your training session went well?" pleasantly said the male werewolf, happy to see his mate back.

“I think so! Rose says I'm doing fine so far, so that's got to count for something, right?" cheerfully answered the female one, stepping into the den. “What about you? How was your morning?"

“It was... exhausting, I would say," sighed Fang. “Darkhowl, Daggerclaw, Fleetpaw, Marjorie-vanni and I gathered together and competed in a race from one end of the forest to the other."

“Oh, a race? That sounds very exciting! Who won?"

“Fleetpaw did, by a considerable margin. He might be smaller than the rest of us, but what he may lack in raw physical strength and ferocity, he more than makes up for in sheer speed and stamina. Daggerclaw and I tied for the third place, and Marjorie-vanni was last, right behind us."

“Oh," exclaimed Elise, sitting next to her werewolf mate. “So, I take it that Darkhowl came in second place?"

“Indeed. He is a very fast, very strong male; truly an alpha among alphas. Then again, he has thirty-four years' worth of experience on his shoulders. It is no surprise that he would dominate the competition... except for Fleetpaw, I suppose, but that speedy little lycca was born with wings on his paws."

“Ah, I see. But at least you had fun, right?"

“Oh, yes. We all did. And regardless of who wins or loses, that kind of physical exertion helps us all to stay strong and fit for our vanni. After all, our princesses deserve the best, would you not agree?"

“Heh, you boys really take all that stuff about being our knights and protectors very seriously, don't you?"

“Of course! You vanni are the reason we even exist. Without you, we would be nothing. That is why we must be strong; so that we may protect our beloved mates as they rightfully deserve."

“Ah, yes. That was... core rule number four, right?" asked Elise, leaning on Fang's shoulder. “Rose told me about them last night."

“Indeed. Those are the rules imprinted on us by the original vanni, Mother Moon; she who protects us all with her silver radiance."

“Well, I can't deny that the masculine strength and vigor your lyccan body radiates make me feel safe and secure... loved, protected... like I could forever curl into the warm, cozy haven of your embrace and just forget about everything else. I wonder if that primal allure is part of what makes you so incredibly irresistible to me. Besides our soma bond, that is," suggestively cooed Elise, stroking Fang's bulging biceps. “Even I have to admit that I quite like a man who can literally sweep me off my feet. There certainly is something magical about being gently held by strong, muscular arms such as yours, you know?"

The male werebeast smiled.

“Does my fair princess hunger for her big bad wolf?" he quietly whispered into her ear.

“Oh, what gave that away?" she jokingly replied, stroking his furred cheek.

“Your scent, for one. I am afraid there is no hiding the sweet scent of your arousal from my nose!"

“Ah, I'm sorry," bashfully said the werewolf girl. “Rose told me the whole story of how she met Daggerclaw, and, well... She wasn't exactly reserved when it came to describing the first time he kissed and mated her. I, uh... I just couldn't help but picture you with me the entire time in my head."

“As if there ever is a time when Rose-vanni is reserved!" said Fang with a chuckle. “Well, then! May this big bad wolf claim his naughty little vanni?" he asked as he gazed lovingly into her heavenly blue eyes, tenderly caressing her furry cheek.

“Y-yes! Please, claim me!" she practically begged; her face flush with a furiously bright tone of red. “Do with me anything you want, Fang! I'm your helpless, defenseless prey!"

“Ah, those are dangerous words you speak, Elise. You should not tempt a lycca so. What if I succumbed to the temptation of consuming your precious youthful flesh? Is that not what the wolf in your storybooks did to that poor girl in the woods?"

“But my flesh is yours, Fang. It's yours to devour, if so you crave. I am that poor, helpless girl in the woods, and you are my big bad wolf," she cooed, sensually playing with the fur on his chest.

The big werewolf chuckled softly:

“Well, you do not look all that helpless with those sharp lyccan claws and teeth, now do you?" he said.

“Oh!" exclaimed Elise, jostled from the impromptu character she was playing. “I... forgot I was still in my werewolf form! Hahah, I'm sorry! I'll change back now."

“No, wait," he quickly said. “Don't change just yet."

“Hm? Why not?"

“It is... hard to explain. But I will try," he sincerely spoke, trying to find the correct words to express what he wanted to ask of her. “Before you allow me to behold you as you have come into this world again, I... would like to see you once more in that beautiful dress you wore for me last night."

“Oh, you mean that blue nightgown?" she said, giving him an amused smile. “Hahah, you really liked it, didn't you?"

“I must admit I did, very much so," he confessed. “I just found that there is something very arousing in the simple act of undressing you, Elise. For some reason, slowly baring your skin one bow at a time felt... marvelously rewarding, in ways I find difficult to put into words."

“Heh, like unwrapping a sexy Christmas present, right?" she playfully offered, giving him a little wink. “Alright. What my wolfie wants, my wolfie gets. Now, turn away for a few moments, will you? Let me put on that nightgown so that you can take it off me, as you wish."

Thus, Fang turned away while Elise proceeded to change back into her human form and put on the aforementioned article of clothing, plus a couple extras to give him more to take off her.

“Okay, I'm ready. You can look now," she eventually said.

“Ooohhh..." quietly exclaimed the male werewolf as he beheld his young human mate clad in her blue nightgown.

“Well? How do I look?"

“Like a vanni-goddess descended from the stars," he said, taking a hesitant step toward her. “You truly are an angel robed in a holy piece of the sky, Elise. I feel like I am unworthy of beholding such heavenly beauty."

“You flatterer," she chuckled. “Come. Unwrap your present, Fang. I'm all yours."

And so, the tall, burly werebeast stood before his beloved vanni, gazing admiringly upon her delicate robed figure. As she was in her human form, Elise had to look up in order to meet Fang's gaze. The difference in size between them was quite apparent when she wasn't in her lycca form. Indeed, she looked decidedly small and fragile next to the hulking frame of the werewolf. And yet she couldn't possibly feel safer.

Gingerly, he began to untie the bow holding the chest part of the gown together.

“You say 'I'm all yours,' and yet it is me who is hopelessly enthralled by the bewitching allure of your concealed skin," he said, moving onto the next bow down the front of the gown. “Ah, the anticipation of slowly unveiling that which the fabric rightfully keeps from my greedy eyes... The sinful thrill of indulging in such forbidden pleasures..."

“Wow. You're really into this, aren't you?" said Elise, amused at how deeply engrossed Fang was in the act of meticulously undoing each and every bow in succession. “Heh, it's like you've never seen me naked before!"

“Perhaps I have, but this allows me to relive what I felt when I disrobed you for the very first time, Elise. And just like that time, as I undo each bow, I envision all the ways in which I shall touch you once your body is free from the garments that hide it from me."

“Ah, you're already making sweet love to me in your mind, aren't you?" said the young woman, already yearning for the surprisingly gentle touch of Fang's otherwise rough werewolf hands.

“Of course I am. And soon it will not just be in my mind..." he promised.

At last, the final bow was undone. The big male then slowly pulled the two sides of the nightgown apart, starting from the top.

“There is the vanni skin that captivates me so," he said, letting his eyes — but only his eyes — feast on the sight of Elise's enticing cleavage coming to light. “Oh. I see you also put on a... I am sorry; what was it called again?"

“A brassiere. It's a type of shield designed for keeping big bad wolves from seeing too much skin."

“Ah, well. It can stay on for now, I suppose," he said, continuing to part the rest of the gown, exposing the girl's delightful navel, and... “Hmm. I see you have a similar 'shield' guarding your sacred womanly shrine, Elise. Oh, and two more for each of your legs as well?"

“Like I said, we can't have you seeing too much skin all at once now, can we?" she remarked with a little giggle. “After all, a proper princess does not easily part with her modesty, right?"

“Right you are. It has to be peeled away bit by bit, with the utmost care and respect. After all, beholding your exposed body is a divine privilege unto itself, and must be treated as such."

“Well, that privilege is entirely yours, and only yours, so feel free to behold me to your heart's content, Fang," she told him as the blue nightgown finally slipped off her body, landing softly around her feet.

So there was Elise's lean, svelte and very desirable body; the whole of her fair feminine skin exposed to the male werewolf's hungry eyes, except for the coveted parts still kept hidden by the white undergarments. Of course, the form-fitting fabric only served to accentuate the tantalizing curves of her soft, youthful anatomy, leaving little to the imagination. And as for Fang, his inflamed senses appeared to be dangerously close to their boiling point now.

“Ah, I can hardly wait to worship your body with my hands, Elise. You have no idea how badly I desire to touch you. Ev...every inch of your skin is calling out to the wild wolf in me. Soon, I will not be able to control myself any longer... I— I can already feel the urge to rip off those white garments mounting..."

“No. No ripping off anything, Fang. You'll have me soon, but not before you finish undressing me properly. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

“Y...yes... It is... what I wanted..."

With trembling hands, he carefully unhooked the brassiere, exposing the womanly mounds of perky flesh hiding underneath. Fang was positively salivating at this point, but he somehow resisted the temptation to simply dive in and help himself to them. Afterwards, he knelt down and leaned closer to the young woman's covered nether regions. Her intoxicating scent promptly invaded his lupine nostrils in full force, and he almost caved to his animal impulses right then and there...

It took all of his willpower to complete the torturous task he had set for himself without succumbing to temptation. He even had to close his eyes shut and stop breathing for a few moments, but he did it. Except for her socks and the ever-present Moon Pendant, Elise was completely exposed now. Fang stood up and took a step back to admire his handiwork. His breathing was ragged, strands of saliva hanging from his hungry panting mouth, his tense muscles rippling with the thrill of anticipation, and the gleam of his barely contained wolfish lust glowing forebodingly through his amber eyes. Of course, something other than Elise's skin was exposed as well, and furiously so.

“Well then..." she began, eyeing Fang's impressive arousal with half-lidded eyes and a smile upon her lips. “Do you like what you see?"

Fang didn't answer the question. Instead, he lunged forward and quite literally swept Elise off her feet. When the surprised girl opened her eyes, she found herself in his mighty manly arms. The big werewolf was, in fact, holding her as a groom would his bride on their honeymoon.

“I am sorry, Elise," he said, his voice gravelly and dripping with lust. “I cannot wait a second longer. Your scent is overpowering my will. I must have you now, or I will lose my mind."

And so, he carefully deposited her atop their bedding. And again, he took a moment to behold her naked form lying on the sheets invitingly. So small... So fragile and vulnerable... Pant, pant, pant — his lustful tongue was lolling out of his mouth. That scrumptiously petite body was right there, and it was his to take.

“So, do I look helpless enough for my big bad wolf now?" she sultrily asked.

“Yes. Delightfully so," he said, climbing on the bedding and lifting one of her legs. “My morsel-vanni, know that my lycca tongue hungers for the taste of your soft womanly flesh. I... am afraid you might have awakened a monster..."

“Oh, no!" she exclaimed, doing her best impression of a stereotypical damsel in distress. “Please, don't gobble up this poor, defenseless and very, very tasty human girl, my wolfie!"

“It is too late for that. If you are mine, as you said you were, then so is this most appetizing limb of yours," he affirmed as he took the sock off the leg in his clutches. “Ah, just look at this nice, shapely calf, Elise. So lean and fleshy, and it is all mine to devour..."

“Aaaah-hahahahah-iiieee!" she laughed-cried as Fang opened his toothy mouth and closed his jaws around the girl's leg. “Help! I'm being devoured!"

The beastly male chewed the trapped leg softly, making pleased humming noises as he covered it all in his copious drool. “Hmmnnhhh... Such delectable vanni calf... Its soft, buttery flavor simply melts in my mouth," he said in between 'bites.'

“I sure hope you don't get your fill with just my leg, wolfie," she said seductively. “After all, there's still so much more of me for you to devour."

“Oh, this is but an appetizer. Rest assured, the main course is yet to come. In fact..."

Putting a claw on each of her knees, Fang slowly parted Elise's thighs, revealing the tantalizing treasure hidden in between them. His eyes seemed to light up, and he lustfully licked his lips as he beheld the very moist object of his desire.

“Ah, yes. There it is; the only meal that could possibly sate this big bad wolf's voracious appetite," he said as he slowly made his way up the inner side of her thighs with his hungry lupine tongue. “Prepare yourself to be thoroughly devoured, my most deliciously scrumptious vanni. I shall hold back nothing..."

“Oh, F-Fang..." she gasped needily, involuntarily breaking character as she felt the werewolf's big muzzle getting closer and closer to her most intimate zone with each slow, deliberate lick. Any moment now, that broad tongue of his would reach her quivering entrance, and she couldn't wait. The anticipation was killing her!

At last, he opened his big canine mouth and sealed his lips around her whole mons veneris, enclosing it between his parted jaws and eliciting a deep gasp from the unbearably hot and bothered young woman. Not wasting a single second, Fang initiated a relentless assault on the very sensitive flesh of her imprisoned mound with his laborious tongue, quickly coating her pink folds with his saliva and greedily lapping up all of her overflowing womanly juices.

“Ah, sweet ambrosia; nectar of the gods," exclaimed the werewolf as he stopped briefly to truly appreciate the flavor of her femininity. “Elise, the scent and taste of your sacred honey are setting my bloodstream ablaze. I crave more. Please let me drink it all!"

Eagerly he dove back in, this time invading her intimate tunnel with his forceful and very wolfish tongue, leaving no wall unattended. Elise threw her head back, eyes shut, and let out a series of increasingly louder moans and gasps. Truly, Fang's gifted tongue was working miracles on her very flush lady bits. Soon, she couldn't help but to grab his head and hold onto it for dear life as he gave her one of the most earth-shattering orgasms she had experienced yet.

“Oh, my God, Fang... That... was incredible..." she blissfully said once she had regained the ability to speak.

“Oh, we are not done yet. Not by a long shot," he affirmed as fact while he positioned himself above her. And so, when she opened her eyes, the fur of his broad, muscular chest became her entire world. That sight — the sight of Fang being on top of her, filling her whole field of view with his imposing presence — always triggered her innermost desires.

Oh, how she enjoyed being under that masculine mountain of male lyccan muscle. It simply felt right, like she belonged there. After all, for her, that was the safest place in the universe. Down there, under the protection of his all-encompassing might, lay her new home in life, and she loved it. Thus, with only just the right amount of thrilling trepidation, she wrapped her slender, delicate arms around his large torso and fully entrusted herself to him.

“Take me, Fang. Make me yours," she quietly whispered to her looming werewolf mate.

And so he did. He rammed his slick, engorged malehood inside her warm, welcoming tunnel, claiming her once more. The lovemaking that followed was intense and vigorous. Animalistic, even. Each and every thrust rocked her world to the core. It was almost as though he wanted to reach the innermost depths of her body with every slam of his mighty werecanine hips. Soon, Elise's mind had dissolved into a pool of sparkling pink bliss. He had made her emphatically his, as was her wish, and she couldn't be happier for it.

“Elise..." said Fang with a rumbling growl as he enveloped her petite body tightly in his burly furred arms. Then, with a fierce final thrust, he pumped rope after rope of plentiful wolf seed deep inside her womanly shrine. She could feel him throbbing mightily in her, filling her inner sanctum with the liquid warmth of his passion, and she reflexively tightened her grip on him as she rode her own explosive release.

'All is wolf, and wolf is all,' she briefly thought to herself.

A quiet, tender calm followed. Large lyccan hands fondly caressed the arms of the vanni; arms which hugged the big, gentle werebeast with loving devotion. On their faces, contented smiles bloomed. No words needed to be spoken, for their warm togetherness spoke louder and clearer than any words possibly could. Their very image represented the truth of the world; that vanni and lycca were made for each other, and that only together they could truly be free.

Elise and Fang mated five more times that day, stopping at one point for lunch, and again later for taking a well-deserved nap. Indeed, once physical exhaustion had made any more matings unfeasible, Elise nestled herself into Fang's protective embrace as two spoons would. Then, slowly, they both closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~*~

Later that day, in the early evening...

“A sleepover at Anabelle-vanni's den, you say?"

“Yep," confirmed Elise, in her werewolf form. “I never did something like this before, so it should be fun, I think."

“Might I assume Rose-vanni and Marjorie-vanni will also partake in this event?"

“You might! In fact, it was Margie's idea. She said Anabelle likes that kind of thing. I suppose it makes sense, considering she is nineteen — the youngest of us four."

“And what is the occasion, if I may ask?" said Fang.

“Well... Rose and Margie are going to tell me Anabelle's story on behalf of her."

“Oh, I see," hummed the male werewolf, nodding solemnly. “From what I heard, that poor vanni did not have a very pleasant childhood."

“You know her story, Fang?" asked Elise, somewhat surprised.

“I only heard parts of it. Would you like me to tell you what little I know?"

The werewolf girl considered his offer for a few moments, but then she just shook her head:

“I think she wants to be present when I learn the story of how she met Darkhowl. After all, and even though she can't tell it to me herself, it still is her story."

“That is very quite fair," agreed Fang. “All right, then. Since the four of you will be gathered at her den for the rest of the night, I believe I will spend that time doing some extra rounds in the woods with Daggerclaw and the others, whom I assume will also be free."

At that moment, Rose showed up at the entrance to Elise and Fang's den. The bandage on her arm was gone, and not even the faintest trace of the wound she had sustained earlier that day remained.

“You ready, Elise? Marjorie asked me to pick you up, so let's go," she said, skipping the small talk.

“Y-yes, I'm coming!" answered the werewolf girl wearing the Moon Pendant. “Okay, Fang, see you tomorrow!"

“Do have fun, my fair princess!" he replied with a warm smile.

And so, Rose and Elise started on their way to Anabelle's den.

“Heheheh..." began the jet-black she-werewolf with a knowing grin. “I can smell Fang's scent all over you, Elise. He really went to town on you today, didn't he? Heh, I wonder how many times he made you come..."

“R-Rose!" exclaimed the brownish one, flustered.

“Ah, I'm just messing with you! I mean, I was very busy with my Daggerclaw as well, you know? He made me come like ten times this afternoon! I guess we were both very inspired, hahahah!" laughed Rose, not feeling even an ounce of shame for what she was sharing. “Heh, I've got to say, I can't even remember what it was like not having amazing sex every day... Not that I miss those days, mind you! Then again, who would miss them, right? Hahahah!"

“So, uh..." said an embarrassed Elise, trying to change the subject. “Should I take it that Margie is already at Anabelle's den?"

“Yeah, they're waiting for us," confirmed the black-coated huntress, swishing her bushy tail. “Ah, that reminds me... In just a few hours you'll learn all about Anabelle's tragic past. I simply wanted to ask you not to pity her, okay? She doesn't want that. Nobody wants that. So, y'know, keep it in mind, I guess."

“Is it... that bad?" cautiously wondered the younger she-werewolf aloud. “I mean... Margie, you and I... We all endured pain and suffering before meeting our lycca, didn't we? You lost your parents to a monster attack, Margie was cruelly shamed for being overweight, and a horrible man almost violated me."

“Trust me; all of that pales in comparison to what she had to go through. In fact, it's a miracle she didn't take her own life just to end it all."

“Oh, wow..." quietly whispered Elise, shocked into silence.

“Yeah, you have no idea... But she pulled through all that horrid shit and became the strong lycca-vanni she is today, which is a testament to the admirable strength of her character. Though it came at a price..."

“A... price?"

Rose nodded.

“You never wondered why she doesn't talk?"

“W-well, I used to think she was mute... But Margie did say yesterday that that wasn't the case, so..."

“Yep. Anabelle could talk just fine... until she took the Grand Alpha's test, that is. She hasn't spoken again ever since; and neither has her soma-bonded mate, Darkhowl, for that matter."

Elise blinked, surprised.

“But... but, why?" she asked, completely at a loss.

“In Darkhowl's case, we believe it's out of a sense of solidarity towards his vanni-mate. As for Anabelle herself, well... It seems that, rather than severing her soma bond and banishing her from Howling Grove, the Grand Alpha had her take a vow of silence as penance for her sins instead."

“W-wait, what?? Penance? What for?"

Rose stopped and looked the other she-werewolf in the eye.

“Elise..." she said very, very seriously. “About one year ago, on the same day she accepted Darkhowl's Offering of the Fangs, Anabelle knowingly broke one of the core rules of the pack. Because of that, as you'd imagine, she wasn't able to pass the Grand Alpha's challenge."

The younger she-werewolf gasped in shock.

“That's right," continued the huntress. “Anabelle failed the Oneness Test."

To be continued...