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All Eddie could do was run. As long as he could, as hard as he could. It was the difference between life and death.

“We’re coming for you, faggot, you can’t run forever!”

No, he couldn’t, but if he could just outlast them...he swerved off the road and headed for the woods, hoping that he could lose them in the trees. Chancing a look over his shoulder, his stomach lurched; there were at least six of them, more than he thought there had been. And that was just what he could see, there might have been more...he was a dead man unless he got away from them.

He tore through the trees as quickly as possible. Branches whipped into his face and arms, leaving tears in his already highly ragged clothing; he barely noticed the pain, as the gang had already worked him over badly. Bruises all over his body, a black eye, bloody lip, aches in his limbs and joints...he’d seen better days, but at this point he’d be lucky to see any more days at all.

The lack of a good trail was a help and a hindrance; it slowed him down probably just as much as the gang. He was stumbling over roots and stepping awkwardly on uneven ground, making him stumble and almost fall several times. The pain of his injuries and the fatigue from the exertion was starting to take its toll, he felt himself becoming more and more sluggish, and the gang wasn’t out of sight...they could see him, they could come for him.

A trip over something, and he went to the ground land, landing on his ribs and winding himself even more. He tried to rise, but his body failed on him, not letting him get to his feet...he heard the gang closing in, heard their jovial, evil voices threaten him, cheer themselves over hunting down the “deviant.” Tears formed in his eyes, he was so scared of what was going to happen to him...this wasn’t how it was supposed to end, the bad guys weren’t supposed to win…

“Easy pickings, boys. They’ll probably cheer us on back home...don’t go easy on him, he deserves to suffer.” The voice was too close. He needed to get up, to try to run a little further...but what good would it do, they could outlast him even if a second wind. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the end.

The next thing he heard was a loud, piercing howl, slicing through the air and ringing in his ears. Immediately the footsteps towards him stopped; it hadn’t been his imagination, they’d heard it too. Moments later, several other howls rang out, he couldn’t tell how many but there were several of them all overlapping...they were quieter, but still felt close by, and their quality was unmistakable.

Wolves.

“Shit! Wolves! They’ll tear us apart!”

“Does anyone have a gun?!”

“No, no guns! Get out of here, fast! Don’t let them find you!”

“Just get away, leave the fag to them!”

Eddie managed to flip himself over and get himself into a sitting position, watching in disbelief as the men hightailed it. He shouldn’t have been alive...they had been so close to murdering him, it was only chance that left him alive. But his reprieve wasn’t going to be long...the wolves had to be close by, and he still didn’t have much energy. The tears in his eyes weren’t stopping as panic gripped him. Maybe...if I stay still...they won’t see me?

He stayed as still as possible, trying not to reveal himself...but he could see huge figures looming around him, closing in on him slowly, their eyes glowing in the darkness. They were looking right at him...either they could smell him, or he wasn’t staying very hidden. Either way, he was probably dead.

One of them was especially big, and it was approaching him directly...Eddie trembled, trying not to sob out loud as the creature narrowed the distance between them. In the darkness he looked like a monster out of his nightmares, big and imposing. He prayed that the beast would leave him alone, that he wouldn’t tear his throat out like some unfortunate deer…

And then the last thing he could have expected happened. Without warning, the creature reared up onto two legs, standing upright like a man. If it had looked big before, now he was towering over Eddie, leaving the human utterly terrorized. His gleaming eyes looked down at the human, and he spoke. “The others are gone now...we came in time for you. Are you injured?”

It wasn’t the most threatening thing that could’ve been said, but in the state Eddie was in he might as well have been telling Eddie that he was about to skewer him, and the powerful deep voice didn’t help. With an almighty terrified yell, he scrambled to his feet and took off, tearing through the trees at breakneck speed, thinking of nothing other than escaping the beasts that he thought were after his blood. He heard something behind him, some kind of words from the beast, but they didn’t register in his brain, nothing did except the primal instinct to escape.

He didn’t attend to where he was going at all, and it cost him. Suddenly his foot hit air, and he felt himself falling off a short cliff, crashing through tree branches and hitting the ground hard. He had only a brief, extreme burst of pain before it was lights out.

---

“Eddie! What on earth is this...this filth?!”

“Mom! Dad! What...I thought you...you weren’t supposed to be back until Sunday!”

“Is that...oh, heavenly Father, get that SMUT off of the screen!”

“That’s...dear lord! Those are...animal things? They’re-! My god, those are males! Eddie, how could you?!”

“I...M-mom, Dad...I’m just…”

“This is an abomination! How could you, Eddie, how could you be so sinful and perverted? Does the word of the Lord mean nothing to you?”

“Please, Dad-OW!”

“This is for your own good! Your soul needs to be saved!”

“You...you hit me! What the fuck, Dad?! OW!”

“Don’t you dare say such filth to me! I’m only giving you one chance! Renounce this evil immediately! Turn away from Satan and come back to God’s graces, or there is no place for you here!”

“I...I can’t...I can’t change it…”

“Eddie! How could you...if you won’t accept God, we can’t accept you.”

“Sinners like you will burn in hell, I won’t allow the taint of your sin on MY house! Get out, right now! If I ever see you again, I’ll smite you myself in the name of the Lord!”

“No! Dad! Mom! Please! Don’t...don’t abandon me! Please...please!”

---

“...p...please…” Eddie’s voice was quiet, but just loud enough to make him aware that he was speaking. He could feel his head pounding, black hair crusted with blood in places, the pain rapidly becoming hard to deal with as he came to more and more. In fact, it wasn’t just his head, his whole body was sore...head, body, limbs, there was pretty much nothing that didn’t hurt. Yet, he was alive...after everything that had happened, he supposed he could be thankful for that.

His eyes opened slowly. He was in a dark place...it must’ve been a cave of some sort, as rocky as it looked. There was some light, provided by torches given the crackling sounds from nearby. Slowly he pushed himself up a bit on his elbows, trying to look around.

The moment he did, his breath caught in his throat.

Wolves.

All around him.

There were about a half-dozen that he could see, lounging around, either asleep or resting. They were all huge...and based on the way they looked, they were the kind that he’d seen before, able to rise up on two legs. Panic gripped him as the memory of the terrifying wolf from before flashed though his mind, and he let out a yelp, scrambling back against the wall.

“He’s awake!” One of the wolves rose on hearing him, and a couple others followed suit. “Get the Alpha! Hey, are you all right?”

“G-get away! D-don’t hurt me!” Everything Eddie could do to get distance, he did...he was soon flush against the wall, tearing up as his fearful eyes darted between the three wolves approaching him. He shrank down as much as he could, body compressing against the rock, amplifying the ache he was feeling. “D-don’t eat m-me! Please!”

“Eat you? Why would we do something like that?” replied a growling voice. “Ugh, humans, so stupid.”

“Hush, you’re scaring him!”

“Me? You’re the one looming over him!”

“Both of you, shut up!” The third wolf tried to reach out to Eddie, making him scream out a bit and scramble back, banging his head against the rock. “Whoa, hey, easy! You’re going to hurt yourself!”

“S-stay...away! Away!” Eddie’s head pounded more and more with the new impact, but it was nothing compared to the terror he was feeling. He felt like he might have a heart attack, and the bickering among the wolves wasn’t helping, they were sounding angrier and he was more and more convinced they were going to tear him apart.

That was, until a sharp voice barked out from the cave entryway. “Enough! Quiet down and back away! Can’t you see he’s terrified?”

The three wolves hastened away from Eddie, bowing towards the new wolf that had entered. “Sorry, Alpha! It won’t happen again!”

“See that it doesn’t.” This one...for some reason, Eddie felt the terror start to subside. That voice, it was deep and powerful, but also calming...it had this resonance that flooded his body, easing the stress that he was feeling. His heart rate was going back down, though the pain was returning with a vengeance…

The alpha wolf stepped up to him and knelt in front of him, offering his hand. “Take ease, young human. None of us mean you any harm...we wanted to keep you from an unfortunate fate, and we will protect you as long as is necessary. My name is Orion...what is yours?”

“It’s...it’s Eddie. Um...thank you...Orion…” Tranquility brought with it a feeling of stupidity...of course they weren’t going to hurt him, if the had any such intention he wouldn’t have woken up in the first place. Guilt welled up in him as he realized how insulting he must have seemed to the people who had saved him. “I’m...sorry for the way I reacted...it’s...it’s been a...well, a hard time…”

“It’s all right,” Orion responded without judgment. “Humans often don’t know what to make of us, and fear is a natural response to an unknown, especially one with a...predatory countenance. How are you feeling?”

“Um...sore. All over...but at least I’m alive. I wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t acted up there. I...owe you my life.”

“Think nothing of it,” one of the other wolves said. “Hunting one’s own kind is the worst kind of crime, we couldn’t just let that stand.” There was a general murmur of agreement among the wolves, and Eddie felt himself warming to them rapidly. They seemed like very nice folk...a lot nicer than the ones he’d been running from.

“Thanks...I wish they’d felt the same way.”

“What were they trying to do to you?” Orion asked. “I can’t understand, you don’t seem like a criminal, you don’t have the scent of bloodlust on you. Surely you can’t have done anything so wrong as to bring such harshness on you?”

Eddie let out a long sigh. “You wouldn’t think so...it’s...a long story.”

“Please, do tell it...such stories can provide relief.”

“I don’t know that this one will. But...okay.” He took a deep breath. “I...well, the town...it’s not a friendly place to certain people. It’s...there’s a lot of...religious folk there.” He wasn’t sure exactly what the wolves knew about humans and what they didn’t, it was hard not to try to explain in deep detail what he was talking about.

“The preacher types, right?” another wolf asked. “Going on about God this and Hell that?”

“Yeah. And their religion, it has some rules...like what you’re supposed to do and be, things that a lot of people won’t like if you don’t follow them. I...uh, there’s this rule I didn’t really follow...they don’t like it if you’re gay, and I am.”

“Gay?”

“It’s, uh…” Eddie started to sweat; what if they thought badly of that as well? But if he didn’t explain, they wouldn’t understand… “When a guy...wants to, uh...lay with another guy…”

“Oh, that. Wait...they have a rule that you can’t do that? That’s crazy!”

Blessed relief washed through him. “Y-yeah...that’s a rule they have. I’m gay, I’ve known it for a while, but I didn’t tell anyone, because I didn’t want them to know...it wasn’t safe. So...I hid it, and I didn’t talk about it with anyone. But my parents came home early from a trip a few days ago...they, uh…caught me looking at pictures of...well, people being gay. And, other stuff...I think being a furry was part of what got them so upset, too…”

“Furry?” Orion cocked his head. “You don’t look furry.”

“Oh, uh...it’s...a term for someone who...um, a human who likes looking at pictures of...er, human-like...animals. In...that way.”

That seemed to catch Orion’s interest, though Eddie wasn’t sure why. “Is that another rule they have? That you can’t do that either?”

“It’s...well, not exactly a rule, but...they kind of don’t like anything that they don’t explicitly approve of...and that’s not something they approve of. But...either way...my parents kicked me out of the house, and I had to be on the streets. I...I didn’t have any money or anything, and it’s not...it’s not a place that’s friendly to homeless people. And worse, people found out why I was kicked out...they turned me away. I had to...god, I had to actually...steal to get anything to eat or drink...I was horrible at it, I...I don’t like stealing, it makes me feel so awful, but I felt like I was gonna die…”

“Appalling,” Orion growled. “To cast out a pack member like that, for something so stupid…”

“Y-yeah...and then...yesterday, I think it was yesterday, when you found me...I...those guys, they ganged up on me...wanted to, um, teach me a lesson...not about stealing, but about being gay...they were gonna beat me up, I think they would’ve killed me without a second thought...I...I don’t know how I got away, there was...I was panicking, and I think I just...slipped out where they weren’t guarding...and I ran, trying to get away…they kept chasing, until you showed up...and...and saved me...”

“Goodness...you’ve suffered so much, Eddie, and for nothing…” Orion’s voice was tinged with sorrow. “You don’t deserve that kind of fate, not for things that shouldn’t matter at all.” He rose up, casting his gaze back to his pack. “We’re going to protect him and keep him safe, with us. You will treat him like an honored guest, and ensure that no harm comes to him from you, humans, or anyone else. I trust there are no objections?”

“Are...are you sure?” Eddie felt hope and guilt mixed together. To be accepted into a pack like this was an honor, but...he wasn’t used to the wild, he couldn’t hunt or do much of anything. “I...I don’t know that I can...I mean, I won’t...I’ll be a burden…”

“The alpha has the final say, and he’s willing to keep you here,” said one of the wolves, though he sounded a bit resigned rather than eager. “We will guard you as long as we need to to get you to safety.”

“And you’ve nowhere else to go, staying with us would be the best way for you to survive,” another wolf agreed, sounding significantly brighter about the prospect. “We couldn’t turn you away after all you’ve been through. If the humans won’t take care of you, we will."

“You have our support,” Orion said with an air of finality. “I would have you join us, and I hope you won’t refuse. All I’d ask is that you listen to me like any of my pack would, but I won’t put anything too much on you.”

“I...okay…” Eddie nodded; it wasn’t like he had many other options, but this was the best possible outcome he could imagine. “I...I accept...thank you so much...I promise I’ll do my best not to be a burden on you.”

Orion nodded solemnly. “I have no doubts, Eddie.” He turned back to the rest of the pack. “Come, we must hunt, and bring back food to help aid his recovery. Kel, Raieru, I want you two to stay back and tend to Eddie, help ease his pain and make sure he doesn’t fall into worse health.”

Eddie watched as the wolves started to scatter, only two of them remaining in the cave. Orion was last to leave, after one last look at Eddie, giving him a warm smile, the first he’d seen in a long time. His eyes lingered on the wolf as he left...drifting down to the swaying tail, accenting the taut rump unmasked by any clothing…

Ugh, Eddie, this is not the time for that, he chastised himself mentally. His proclivities may have been accepted here but there was no way that was appropriate, especially not for the alpha of the pack. He chalked his lack of control up to the fatigue and pain being a distraction, and closed his eyes to try to get some sleep. I have to make it up to them...somehow…

---

Eddie’s first week among the wolves required a lot of adjustments on his part. He was not experienced in roughing it, living without modern amenities or conveniences, and keeping his mouth shut about it was tricky. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, certainly...it was just that he wasn’t used to this kind of life.

He wasn’t able to do much to start with, as most of his time was spent recuperating from his injuries. It was lucky for him that nothing was broken, otherwise his healing could’ve been a lot more troublesome; as it was, he needed to get several treatments to prevent infection, and the treatments the wolves had weren’t pleasant - they stung and burned, and he wasn’t totally sure they were working. But he wasn’t about to refuse them, they seemed to know what they were doing and at this point anything that might help was welcome.

Most of what he could do was observing the pack at work and play. Eight males and four females, two and one juvenile, made up the pack, and they were exactly the opposite of Eddie in the wild - they were experienced, self-sufficient, extremely capable, it seemed like any one of them could fill just about any role. Eddie couldn’t help but admire them, how strong and tough they were, how at ease they were with this lifestyle...maybe there was a touch of jealousy in there, too. He’d figured out pretty fast that their four-legged approach when he’d first seen them wasn’t typical; they usually walked upright unless they needed to move especially quickly. It made him a bit more comfortable with them, they were less like animals and more like just a different tribe of people.

His comfort wasn’t entirely reciprocated, it seemed. The females and young wolves, and of course Orion, all seemed to be at ease with his presence, but the adult males were varying levels of standoffish towards him, following their orders but not speaking much with him, giving him dirty looks every now and then. From what he learned from the others, it was mostly that they considered him dead weight, a liability that slowed the pack down and put them at risk from other humans who might come after him. Truthfully, Eddie couldn’t blame them, because both those things were true...and he felt bad about not being able to do much about it early on. He did his best to be endlessly respectful of them, and not do anything to tread on any toes, which at least prevented any outbursts his way.

There was one thing about the pack that was a bit tricky to navigate, though: not a single one of them wore a stitch of clothing. It wasn’t hard to know why, their coats were nice and thick and provided ample warmth, and they seemed to move more easily without, especially when going on all fours. But it wasn’t easy to get used to seeing sheathes and sacks hanging out so freely, or to avoid staring at them when they caught his eye. And it wasn’t prudishness that drove this...the male wolves were quite handsome, Orion especially, and it was tough to hide his arousal when his thoughts turned rather dirty. He didn’t tell any of them, but their noses were better than his, he sure wasn’t confident that they couldn’t smell it on him. Perhaps he’d get used to it after a while, once the novelty of it wore off...though, he wasn’t sure that was what he wanted.

Before the week was out, his state of dress was no different from theirs. His clothes had been through the wringer - torn up from the beating, the run through the woods, and the fall off the cliff through the trees, stained with lots of blood and dirt, and quickly getting an unpleasant scent. An attempt to wash them didn’t really do much to get them clean, and soon he was forced to accept that there was no saving them. At the very least, he did get a deep-hide blanket for the cooler nights, but that was all he got to use and all he cared to use after a bit. Being naked around the wolves was still more disconcerting than seeing them naked - for one thing, he was revealing more, and for another, it put into stark contrast how skinny and unfit his body was compared to theirs. He could swear the other males were snickering at them when they looked at him...well, maybe that wasn’t that out of bounds, compared to them he felt like next to nothing.

Orion was doing a good job of making him feel better, though. The big alpha wolf spent time every night talking with him, trying to learn about his life and his past, and giving him the story of his own life and his rise to alpha of the pack. Some of his stories were incredible, like the time he’d taken down a moose all by himself, almost getting himself killed in the process. There was his share of sorrows as well, in the form of a deceased brother who he long regretted never getting along with. Eddie would hang on his tales endlessly, not just because of his life but also because of Orion’s wonderful voice, deep and even and so soothing, it made him feel like everything would be all right. Even if he wasn’t in his element at all, Orion made it better.

In turn, Eddie slowly opened up about his own self. How he enjoyed exploring new places, especially natural places. How he felt so weak around other people, including the pack now. How he’d felt so awful sometimes, having to hide his desires from everyone. How he’d never really been outside his town and didn’t really know anyone out there, and wasn’t sure where he was going to go. And Orion would listen, offer his condolences or support, and make him feel better about himself. It was small wonder he was the alpha, it wasn’t just that he commanded respect but he gave it in spades as well.

A week of recovery saw him back on his feet and in good enough health to start pulling his own weight. He wasn’t a hunter, physical activity wasn’t going to be where he could contribute, but he started by helping with the cooking, cleaning, and other small chores. And Raieru, a young male wolf who’d taken an instant liking to him, started giving him some training on defending himself, showing him some moves he could do with his body and with sticks, with promises of educating him on a spear once he was ready. Eddie was fully impressed with their spears, they had some wooden ones with stone heads but also some metal ones as well, taken from scraps that had been found here and there. It wasn’t their only weapon, but it was clearly the favored one for the hunts. He didn’t expect to get to use one, but he could marvel at them from afar, at least. The other juvenile male, by the name of Ganshi, also was spending more time with him, helping him learn about the different plants around and which would be useful to gather and which should be avoided. He was good at his education, and Eddie was catching on fairly quickly, making him feel like he was starting to be useful in some way.

It was about two weeks after he’d been rescued by the wolves that Orion approached him with an offer. “I know you said you enjoyed exploring new places...would you like to accompany me around the forest a bit?”

“I...yeah, I’d love to…” Eddie felt himself turning a bit crimson at the idea of being alone with the Alpha. Sure, their talks had been...kind of alone, but not really, the pack was right nearby. He trusted Orion completely, but still, the wolf incited feelings that he wasn’t sure he could hide. But he certainly didn’t want to be rude, and he did want to go exploring; it was a brand new area, and he wanted to see what there was before they moved on. So he followed Orion out into the woods, trying not to pay attention to the looks he was getting from the other wolves.

Once they were away from the pack and out into the wild, though, Eddie got a lot more animated. He got a lot more relaxed, and a lot more in his element; he might not have been a wild guy, but he loved walking in the wild at least. If Orion hadn’t been there, he might’ve been more worried about the dangers of the area, especially knowing how far away he was from town now...but with Orion, he felt a lot less concerned about that, and he could enjoy it a lot more. The wolf seemed pleased with his upbeat mood, as well, smiling warmly at him.

“You like this, don’t you?”

“I do...I really do! It’s so amazing seeing new places...especially natural places like this, I’ve always wanted to go to a real natural forest, not one that’s like a park or something. But my parents never wanted to do anything like that...I had to explore on my own, and there was only so much I could do.”

“They missed out...I feel that humans would be better off if they were more interested and connected to the world around them. I’ve met a couple of humans who were respectful and kind to us, and they were ones that knew their way around a forest. The ones that didn’t take so kindly to us...well, they weren’t so eager to be in our world in the first place.”

“Have you run into a lot of those?”

“More than I would care to remember. Thankfully, we’re able to drive them off before they can do too much damage, but it’s left a sour impression on my pack. Some of them are wary of you...not because of you, but because they fear who might come after you.”

Eddie nodded sadly. “I heard that might be the case...but, I don’t think anyone cares about me enough to either hunt me down or try to get me back. You guys are the only ones who seem to care that I’m even around…”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve told them that they shouldn’t be so concerned...they will come around. Especially as several already have...I see you have a good rapport with Raieru and Ganshi.”

“Yeah, I do...they’re really nice, they don’t seem bothered by me at all.”

“The young ones are wiser, not so quick to judge and more willing to trust. And they have a strong sense of pack devotion...when they see a pack cast one of their own out, it inflames them like nothing else. I’m proud of them...though, I am rather obligated towards pride for Ganshi, seeing as he’s my own.”

“He’s your son? No wonder he’s so kind, he has a good role model.”

“Hah, I thank you for that, Eddie. You’re too kind.”

“Ah, it’s you who’s too kind...saving my life, taking me in like this, helping me to live among you, I feel as if it’s more than I deserve. But I’m deeply thankful for it in every way...if there’s a way I can make it up to you, please...let me know.”

Orion was quiet for a moment. “I certainly shall, if something comes to mind.” There was a tone in his voice that was unusual, but Eddie didn’t want to probe, lest he accidentally cross a line he wasn’t aware of. So he contented himself with more marveling at the scenery, enjoying all he could before they had to head back. The rest of the day passed as normal, but he couldn’t help but notice that the wolves that had been rather frosty towards him were acting a bit warmer...perhaps starting to believe that he wasn’t a magnet for unsavory characters. The alpha having such confidence had to be meaningful...maybe he’d be welcome after all.

---

Over the next few days, Orion took him out on sojourns like clockwork. Every day they headed in a different direction, traveling for an hour or two and seeing the forest all over. There was a purpose to it - now that he was healthy, the pack was on the move, traveling a bit more every day away from Eddie’s hometown. They were nomadic, never settling in one place, always shifting around…the idea of ‘territory’ was less important than surviving and avoiding discovery by people who might do them harm. He wondered if they’d move to an entirely different forest at some point, but that was something he couldn’t focus on at the current time.

The conversations between him and Orion were at their deepest during these times. The alpha wolf’s questions were getting a bit more personal - he’d started asking Eddie about his life, his thoughts and ideas, his participation in the human world, and a few questions about his tastes. They were things he’d always kept hidden, but he felt safer telling Orion about them...if not always perfectly comfortable. Orion was good about shifting away from anything that seemed to bother Eddie, but that tended to make him feel a bit guilty.

On their fifth trip, the conversation took the turn he had been a bit nervous about. It had started with him, though, and finally breaching the question he’d been curious about for a while but hadn’t been ready to ask: “How did you guys ever come about?”

Orion chuckled quietly. “I was wondering when you would get around to asking that. It seemed to be on your tongue quite a while ago, I’m surprised it took you so long to actually come out with it.”

“I...uh, wasn’t sure...if it was going to have a bad story or something behind it.”

“Understandable. But there’s no tragic backstory that I know of. Truthfully, I don’t know what the story is...I was always told that our kind were humans that, ages ago, pledged themselves to be servants and defenders of the natural world. To separate them from the humans, they were given forms that reflected animals.” The wolf shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that’s the only explanation I’ve ever been given. I know that we’ve been around for a very long time, so it’s not something new that happened within my lifetime.”

“Oh...that’s not what I expected. I thought...I figured that if you’d been around for so long, people would’ve heard of you by now.”

“Only the rare few that come across us, as far as I know. I think many tend to believe that they didn’t see what they thought they saw...and those that are friendly with us keep us secret as well, knowing that we need that secrecy to continue our lives. And perhaps the world itself protects us to some degree as well.”

Eddie nodded contemplatively. “So...there are more of you out there, too?”

“Indeed. Several packs exist...I myself was from a different pack before branching out with some young wolves from a couple of them. Our numbers are nowhere near the humans, but there are enough of us to sustain ourselves.”

“Are there only wolves?”

“No, our kind number many forms. We tend to be in packs, while most others are more scattered and solitary, so they stay hidden from the world much more easily. I haven’t personally met any other than wolves, but my life is still young.”

“Wow...there’s so much I didn’t know…”

Orion grinned at him. “That’s true of all of us. You seem very interested...our kind of existence, you’ve had an interest for a long time, haven’t you? Did you not mention an interest in peoples like ours in our first conversation? Human-like animals, you said?”

Eddie flushed deeply; he knew he’d have to talk about it at some point, but that didn’t make it any easier. “I...I did, yes...it’s just...they always looked more...I dunno, interesting to me. I’ve always liked them, in...various ways.”

“Interesting...a few of the humans we’ve come across have hinted at similar things, but you may be the first who’s actually been an example. Tell me...what draws you to our forms, rather than those more like your own? I’m curious…”

“Well...it’s...I guess, there’s a lot more...uniqueness to it. You look so different, so strong and yet so beautiful, a natural beauty...like you were designed to fit in both worlds, able to mingle in ours yet so tightly connected to nature. Capable...self-sufficient, not like humans who need to build all sorts of things to fit in the world…”

It seemed very pleasing to the wolf, hearing praise like that. “But that is a talent of humans, is it not? You don’t have any attraction to that?”

“I guess...I’ve seen too much of the bad side of humans to properly appreciate them. This is like...a refuge for me, even without the fact that I was chased away.”

“Well, I can’t claim we’re perfect...but I hope that we prove ourselves better than the ones you’re so unhappy with. If we aren’t, you can tell me what we’re doing wrong...I would appreciate anything that would keep us from falling into the pitfalls of humanity…” Suddenly Orion stopped dead in his tracks, and a huge paw quickly reached out and gripped Eddie’s shoulder. “I heard something...don’t move until I know what and where it is.”

A cold terror ran through Eddie’s body as he obeyed; the seriousness in the alpha wolf’s voice gave him an instant sense of alarm. He hadn’t seen anything, the conversation had been getting him too engaged...what could it be? His gaze slowly traveled over the woods, trying to find whatever might have set Orion off…

There. His eyes widened and his heart went triple-time as he saw it. Off in the trees, not nearly far enough away for comfort, was a large, dark creature. A black bear. And it was big, bigger than most black bears were...he’d heard horror stories about attacks around his town, and there had been a couple news stories about how the bears were unusually large and aggressive around the area. He didn’t know why, he’d always tuned it out because he’d never thought he’d get a chance to run across them anyway...new he wished he knew more.

All hopes of a quiet escape were dashed when the bear roared and charged at them. Quick as a flash, Orion pushed Eddie behind him, the human falling on his butt hard with a thud, a pain shooting up his spine. But the pain was hard to pay attention to when his eyes were on the fierce battle rising just in front of him - Orion was growling and snarling, clawing at the bear and trying to push it back, while the bear was trying to bite and claw at the wolf in return. It had the size advantage, but Orion never relented, unleashing the fury hidden beneath his calm surface to protect Eddie.

Fur and blood were getting tossed everywhere; a streak of it landed on Eddie’s leg, he wasn’t sure if it was the bear’s or Orion’s. Hopefully the former, but it was clear Orion wasn’t getting away unscathed, roars of pain were coming from both of them and he could see wounds on parts of the wolf’s body. The bear was trying to pin him down, get him on the ground and go for the throat, and it looked for a moment like he might succeed as he bore down his weight on Orion...then a quick claw came flying up to the bear’s face, leaving furrows around his eye. That seemed to be the last straw for the bear, who loped off quickly, perhaps in search of less vicious prey.

With the danger receding, Eddie scrambled back to his feet. “Orion!”

“Haah...urgh...are you...all right, Eddie?” Orion was huffing and heaving, in clear pain through trying not to show it too much. As he turned, Eddie let out a frightened squeak; there were several cuts along his arms and chest, blood dripping from them down through his fur. His steps were a little unsteady, his right leg was being used very gingerly despite no clear outward damage.

“Me? You’re the one who faced the bear! Are you...do you need help?”

“Mmf...I’ll live...I’ve had worse.” He limped over towards Eddie, grimacing a bit and holding his side. “Not that this isn’t bad, I guess...can you...help me back to the camp?”

“Y-yes, of course!” Eddie raced over as fast as he could, getting under Orion’s arm and providing him something to put his weight on other than his injured leg. It was a lot of weight, not an easy thing for Eddie to endure, but adrenaline was helping given him the drive he needed to provide a least a little help for the wolf who’d just saved his life again.

Slowly, the two of them made their way back to the pack. There was no conversation despite the long trip; Eddie was too worried to say much of anything, and Orion was in enough pain that speaking would’ve just made it worse. It wasn’t an easy trek, and Eddie kept looking up at him uncertainly, like he was afraid the alpha would keel over at any moment...but he never did, he stayed strong enough to get by, and Eddie’s assistance was enough to make sure he got back safely.

They’d barely reached the pack when they were set upon by several wolves; the scent of their alpha’s blood had preceded them, and they were ready with the proper aid. Hide bandages treated with special plants to stem bleeding and reduce the odds of infection, wraps to stabilize his leg and ribs, fluids to help his body restore his lost blood...Eddie had remembered them from his own treatments, and he hoped they’d meet with the same success with Orion.

He barely realized his own state, until he was hit with a sudden spate of dizziness. A paw on his shoulder, an indistinct voice asking him something, but he couldn’t make it out...without any further warning, he passed out, unconscious before he hit the ground.

---

“Can’t believe I fainted…”

“You were exhausted...carrying the alpha around like that isn’t easy. I’m glad you did it, though.” Raieru was sitting next to him, making sure he wasn’t going to have another spell. It was probably unlikely, Eddie had just been through a rather enormous physical and mental strain and it had added up to too much for him, and now that he was resting it wasn’t likely to happen again, but he was still being cautious.

“We really have to get away from this place. Those bears...they’re just nuts.” Ganshi pounded the ground with a fist. “Third time we’ve had to fend them off...at least the other two times it was the whole pack and we had weapons at hand. Bears aren’t supposed to be like this!”

“After this, I think it’s inevitable,” Raieru replied. “Next time we might lose a member of the pack...it’s too risky, there’s better places to be.”

“He’ll be okay, right?” Eddie asked anxiously. “He...I don’t want him to…”

“He’s fine, he’s recovering. Nothing too bad...the cuts looked worse than they were, and he didn’t lose too much blood since you got him back fast enough. He’s got a sprained ankle but it should be back to normal after a little bit.”

With relief, the human nodded and laid back a bit. “Thank goodness...hope he recovers really quickly. I feel awful about this…”

“It’s not your fault. The bears are just a menace. You might’ve got some flack from the pack if it had been humans, but they aren’t going to blame bears on you.”

“Yeah...but still, he wouldn’t have been attacked if he hadn’t been taking me out all over the place...I really loved when he did that, but if it’s going to put him in danger…”

Ganshi chuckled quietly. “You still don’t get why he’s doing that, do you? You’re not being a burden, it’s not all just for you...he enjoys it, too.”

“He does?”

“Yeah, he’s been talking about it a lot lately. He didn’t get a lot of chances to go out on his own before you came along, you gave him a good excuse to get out for a bit, get refreshed, get his mind in order...it’s not easy being a pack alpha, it’s a lot of responsibility, especially because he’s a fairly young alpha and still feels like he has to be an active leader in everything. Some wolves, they couldn’t handle that stress.”

“Doesn’t seem to have bugged you at all,” Raieru cracked.

“Nope. I’m still gonna be an alpha someday. I can handle it! Heck, if I can put up with you being around all the time…”

“Hey! Don’t make me come after you with a spear again!”

Eddie felt himself smiling a bit; Ganshi and Raieru didn’t seem too worried about Orion’s state, and that gave him confidence that it wasn’t too much of a danger for him. “You think it’ll be all right for me to go see him?”

“Yeah, sure. Kel won’t keep you out unless he’s asleep. Don’t worry too much, he’s the toughest among us, and this won’t keep him down. Just...are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I think so...I’m not feeling dizzy or anything anymore. And if I do feel it there, Kel’s there, she’ll notice.” Eddie stood up and walked off towards sheltered spot where Orion was resting. Raieru and Ganshi watched him until he was no longer in sight.

“Hm...you gonna tell him the real reason Alpha spends so much time with him?” Raieru asked coyly.

“No, and you’re not going to either,” Ganshi shot back, his tone very serious. “If Dad’s courting him, that’s his business, and we’re not gonna scare him off before he can say anything.”

“Scare him off? C’mon, you heard what he said got him kicked out. It’s like a match made in heaven.”

“He’s still nervous around us, so yes, we could still scare him off. But he’s not nervous around Dad, so if he says it...look, just let it lie for now. Dad’ll bring it up to him when he’s feeling better, and then we’ll know what will happen.”

“Fine, fine...but if he doesn’t, I’ve got dibs.”

“You and your dibs.” Ganshi shook his head. “Whatever, I doubt he’ll go with any of us if not with Dad, but you’re free to try if it comes to that.”

---

It took a few days, but Orion was finally back on his feet. Apart from a bit of carefulness with his ankle, he seemed more or less back to normal, his wounds mostly healed over and no longer needing covering. It was perhaps a bit of a rush back to action, but no one had any plans to try to hold him back - it was clear that he was getting bored, and a bored alpha was an irritable alpha.

Eddie’s mood had picked up every day that Orion got closer to recovery. It was such a relief seeing the alpha wolf get better, and he spent a lot of time helping Orion pass the time and learning how to properly treat him from Kel. It was a lot to learn, but it was another way he could help pay back the pack for all it had done for him, and the more he learned the more he felt better about what he could do in a critical situation. Best case scenario, he wouldn’t have to use the knowledge on his own, but he tried to steel himself for that possibility.

As good as it was to see Orion getting back to normal, it was still a shock when he asked Eddie if he wanted to go for another private walk. “A-are you sure? I don’t want to impose on you, if you’re not feeling like you’re ready for it yet…”

“Thank you, Eddie, but I think I’m fine...and I’d rather enjoy getting out and doing something more physical. We won’t go as far though, and we’ll turn back if we see any bears...I think I’ve fought enough of those for the time being.”

“Well...y-yeah, okay, if you’re sure.” He might’ve been a little worried, but Eddie was hardly going to refuse the idea. And if Orion was going to go out, it was probably better that he had someone else with him to make sure he didn’t have any issues. If something did happen, it wasn’t likely to be too serious, and he could put what he learned to the test.

He could hear some mutters behind them as they headed out; they didn’t sound angry or anything, in fact he could’ve sworn there was some laughter in there. He didn’t know what was supposed to be funny, but it was better than the cursing him out or something...it wasn’t long before he was able to put it out of his head, though, and simply focus on Orion. The big wolf was as handsome as ever, a few wound marks did nothing to dampen that, and he had to struggle to keep from showing a rather embarrassing display.

Orion’s gait seemed to get steadier as they trekked, his ankle bothering him less or him getting through it more, one of the two. There was a distinct feeling of happiness in Eddie’s mind, seeing him up and about, none the worse for wear after the harrowing encounter. The thought of Orion getting himself killed or permanently disabled saving him...he hardly wanted to consider the prospect. For now, it didn’t seem like he had to.

After a while, they stopped at a spot in the trees where the grass was pretty soft and free of debris like branches or rocks. Orion leaned back against a tree, his eyes wandering over Eddie. “I’m glad to see you’re all right, Eddie...I was worried that that run-in might leave you with some kind of deeper fear, that would keep you from venturing out with me.”

“It’s...a bit scarier than it was before, but I’m okay. I guess I knew that we’d have to have some kind of danger sometime…it’s not all safe out here.”

“Indeed. And you’re learning how to deal with them...I’m quite happy with how you’ve been getting along with the pack. Everyone seems to be accepting you now.”

“I suppose so.” Something was up...Orion definitely had something on his mind, there was an odd formality to the way he was bringing these things up. And Eddie was curious as to where it was going. “I guess they’re starting to trust me and not worried that I’m going to bring the wrath of humanity down on them.”

“A very good thing. How do you feel, being out here? Does it bother you?”

“Um...well, I...it’s different. For sure. I think...I think I’m doing okay with it. It’s not what I’m used to, but I feel like...like I can learn to handle it. I guess I wasn’t as attached to all the stuff I had before as I thought…”

Orion nodded thoughtfully. “I see...and...do you know what you’re going to do? Have you thought about your future?”

“My...future? I...I guess...not really, no. It’s been hard to think about that...there’s so much to do, to pay attention to out here...it hasn’t really occurred to me what I should do. I’m out of danger from my parents and the others, but...I don’t really know where I can go or what I can do.”

“I might have a suggestion.” Orion straightened up suddenly and walked over to him...Eddie could only look up at him as he raised a paw and put in on his shoulder. There was something very different about the touch...it felt more sensual, yet at the same time slightly possessive. “You can stay with us. Be part of our pack. And...be my mate.”

“Wh...what? Y-your...your mate?”

“Yes. I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at us...looked at me in particular. I could tell in your eyes that you liked what you were seeing. To be honest, I wasn’t sure at first how much of your story was trying to make it sound like you weren’t scared of us...but it’s become clear that you really are attracted to our kind.” Orion bowed his head a bit. “And in truth, I’ve...long had odd desires of my own. My pack has probably had more contact with humans than most, and that...is largely my doing. I find appeal in their looks as well...the others have joked about it, but I really have desired a human mate.”

“You have? I...wow, I didn’t know…”

“I didn’t want to tell you, and made sure the others knew they weren’t allowed to either...not until I was sure how you’d take the idea. Now that I know, though...you’re the kind of mate I want, Eddie. And if I’m the kind of mate you want...then this would be the perfect opportunity for you. A portrait of your future, the life you’d live...a part of us, a pack that would never abandon you or hunt you down. All you’d need to do...is accept it…”

The weight of that was not obscure to Eddie; he could hear it in Orion’s words, the wolf wanted it as much as he did, if not more. He looked up into those deep eyes, feeling almost lost in them. Living with the pack for good...accepting this beautiful, handsome, sexy-as-all-fuck creature as his mate...after all he’d done for Eddie, and all the human had been through, it seemed like just the right thing to do. It was out of his mouth before he knew it. “Yes...Orion, I would love to be yours.”

Orion’s response was controlled as always, but Eddie could see the shine of joy in his eyes, a sign of the celebration within him. “Thank you...I promise, I will treat you well and make sure you have the best life you can within our pack. The others will not treat you as less just because you’re not a wolf, I will make sure of it…though, I have confidence that they’re better than that.”

“Yeah, I think so...they’re pretty nice, even the other guys have been coming around to me. They’re...probably nicer to me than anyone back in town ever was, and without me having to hide anything from them.” Eddie felt himself getting a bit choked up, and tried to hold back tears; the pain from the past was coming back a bit, but the truth of his new life was helping to extinguish it for good. “I’m...I’m really looking forward to this.”

“As am I. It’ll be very nice having you by my side...and in other places.” His paw caressed Eddie’s face and and chest, the touch making the human shiver. “I have to apologize for one thing...making you wait for so long to have intimate contact with me. You’ve been looking for a long time, haven’t you? All those walks alone with me, I fear I’ve been torturing you without meaning to.”

“Ah...well, I...won’t deny I’ve been...looking quite a bit. Never wanted to say anything because I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with it…” Eddie felt his face starting to heat up. “But I’m...certainly looking forward to...getting to know my alpha that well.”

“That’s good to hear, because I don’t want to wait any longer.” If Orion needed any help making his point, the emerging tip of his shaft, the dark pink rising from his sheath unmistakably, was more than enough. “I do have to warn you, Eddie...I care about you, and I will do nothing to hurt you, but I am an alpha, and I will have the vigor of one. You’ll get to feel my power, and you will get my full size...and I am going to tie you. But I will make sure you love it, and once you’re used to it you’ll know you can take whatever I have to give you.”

The thought of it was getting Eddie’s own dick swelling. It might’ve seemed threatening on the face of it, but Orion’s soothing voice belied that, made it seem more desirable than scary. And why not...that huge furry body was built to give it to him that way, anything less wouldn’t be right. And then there was what he would be getting...the wolfcock was reaching its full size, and what an impressive specimen! So long and thick, looking almost like it shouldn’t be able to fit inside him, and that was without the swelling of his knot to tantalize him. There was a potent scent with it too, one that was making his head spin a bit. “Oh, my alpha...can I taste it first?”

Orion chuckled quietly. “I would never deny you that, love.”

That was all the more Eddie needed - he dropped down in front of Orion, coming head-to-head with that treasured pole. It was too big for him to pleasure too far, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that anyway, but that didn’t matter now; all he wanted was a proper taste, he was too needy to spend a lot of time here. His mouth opened and he started licking all along the shaft, wetting it with his saliva while picking up the taste of his new alpha. It was so strong, potent and musky, a deep and heavy taste of pure, raw male and the wild, getting his heart racing like he was prey. If there had been any doubt remaining about his inclinations towards the male and furry, this erased it completely - the effect it had on him stimulated him beyond anything even his fantasies had achieved.

His tongue found every square inch of that cock, slurping up as much of his taste as he could acquire. By the time he’d covered it all, he could swear it was throbbing, and dollops of salty pre were forming at the tip; he gave it a lick to scoop up that taste before pulling back, panting hard and painfully aroused. He could see the knot starting to swell a bit at the base, making it look even bigger...at this point, he didn’t care if it was the worst pain in the world, he wanted it to take him, claim him properly as the alpha’s mate. “Alpha...Orion...please, give it to me, I need you so much…”

The wolf was moments away from pouncing and rutting him already, only barely holding himself back. He nodded, and motioned for Eddie to turn around. “Take your position...however you want it, however you feel is best.”

It wasn’t much debate in his mind, as the human dropped to all fours, hands and knees resting on the soft grass as his ass was raised in the air. He could swear he saw Orion’s tongue loll out for a moment before he caught himself; clearly he approved. Moments later the huge furry body descended on him, a weight pressing against his back, the sturdy muscle a sharp contrast to his own body. A warm wetness probed at his hole...untested, untried, Orion’s cock would be the first thing it would be fed. Part of him knew that he should probably have been stretched and tested a bit before going this far, but there was no way he was going to make himself or Orion wait any longer. He would be gentle enough for Eddie to get used to it, he was sure.

Orion’s paw gripped his hand tight as he started in, his cock spreading open his human mate’s ass slowly but insistently. The strain was pretty immense, but he went slow enough that it didn’t hurt much...the discomfort was palpable, though, and Eddie’s breathing become a bit more labored as he tried to endure it. Orion could feel the tightness, a slight growl emerging from him and rumbling through Eddie’s body...he didn’t ease up on his entry, though, pressing in deeper until he’d nestled his knot right up against Eddie’s rear. Rough as it was, he figured it was better to get him familiar with it than take it too slowly.

“God, Orion...you’re so huge…” Eddie panted out, his fingers holding the wolf’s tightly as he tried to relax. He was spread so wide it ached, but underneath it was a good feeling, a satisfaction and pleasure that he’d been hoping for...he didn’t want it to stop for anything, and he wasn’t going to let discomfort hold him back from this.

“Mmph, you’re just much smaller and tighter, I think…” Orion licked at the back of his neck, trying to help soothe Eddie and get him ready for more. How desperately he wanted to buck in and take him like a proper alpha...well, he would soon, the first time required a bit more finesse, he’d already learned that lesson personally. He kept himself nice and steady until he felt the tension relax a bit around his cock. “Are you okay now? Are you ready?”

Eddie nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m ready…” He wasn’t totally sure if he was, really, but he didn’t want to wait anymore, or keep Orion waiting...a little movement might help anyway. “Go ahead...please…”

With a slight nod, Orion started pulling out, drawing his cock about halfway out of Eddie’s rear before pushing back in, a bit more vigorously. The thrust brought in a mildly startled but pleasured moan from Eddie as he felt his most sensitive inner spot get properly prodded, sending a thrill shooting through him and mitigating the discomfort of the stretching. His rear clenched down hard on Orion’s shaft, earning him a stuttering growl-moan from the alpha wolf. “Rrrgh…oh, you feel so nice when you get so tight like that.”

“I’m glad...for that…”

The wolf’s movements gradual sped up over the next minute, building up to a steady pace of thrusting into Eddie’s ass. The feeling of being stretched out never fully faded, Orion was large enough that he could feel it every time, but it got slowly easier to deal with, less uncomfortable and more familiar. And the more it did, the better it felt, the pleasure took over for the discomfort and made him want more. He got more and more active, pushing back into Orion and tensing down to make his entries all the more tight and pleasurable for his alpha.

It was getting ever better for Orion, too; nothing he’d ever experienced was as euphoric as the human’s asshole. It was as good as he’d always hoped it would be, satisfying his hunger for a human partner on top of the wonderful tightness. It was getting harder and harder to hold himself back, he wanted to pound Eddie for all he was worth and he was sure it was becoming obvious to him...every ounce of restraint he had was being put to the test, just waiting for the magic words...and finally, he heard them, as Eddie breathlessly moaned out, “H-harder, Alpha…”

Oh, he wanted harder, he would GET harder.

Suddenly Orion bore down on him, his weight pushing down on Eddie’s back as his legs stretched out. That thick shaft was quickly pulled out, almost all the way to the tip, before being slammed in ferociously, a wildly powerful thrust that knocked the wind right out of the shocked human. And there was no time to recover as Orion laid into him like he’d been wanting to from the start, drilling him with a strength and fury that matched his fight with the bear, if not more. “Oh, god, yes!” he managed to get out, just barely with the difficulty holding onto any air; it was ten times harder and felt ten times as good, even with the added ache from the ferocity of the fucking.

Hearing the words of praise from Eddie helped spur Orion on, the knowledge that his mate was accepting and desiring this treatment allayed any fears he had of his ability to handle it. His fingers locked tight into Eddie’s hand, claws digging in just a bit as he drove in harder and faster, his knot smacking against the human’s rear insistently, providing a clue as to what he would be getting in the end. His deep voice was emitting lustful growls and grunts that rang in Eddie’s ears, making him even hotter for the beast.

“Y-yes...Orion...c-claim me! Take me harder!”

“Rrrrr...I’m going to...mark you as mine…”

“Yes! M-mark me! I’m yours, make...everyone know it!”

Heart racing at the thrill, Orion opened wide and clamped down on Eddie’s shoulder, his fangs digging deep into the skin, piercing and drawing blood. The human let out a cry, slightly pained but more aroused than anything, the sensation mingling with the wild pounding in his rear to bring him over the edge. He squirmed under the total grip of his alpha as his cock shot off, fierce jets of seed spraying onto the ground, revealing how pent up he’d been waiting for this. Each burst made him clench down tightly, sending another spark of pleasure each time into Orion and making him buck harder, trying to bury his knot into Eddie. The tightness made it difficult, but both could feel his hole starting to give way under the punishing assault.

Finally, with a mighty pull, Orion pressed in fiercely and finally overcame the tension in Eddie’s ring, the massive bulge of flesh popping in and sticking inside. Eddie yelled out again, a little more pained this time as he was pushed bast his previous limit, but the discomfort was attenuated by his orgasm, keeping the pleasure in the forefront and dimming the pain. His yell came in chorus with Orion’s piercing howl to the sky, ringing out as he started pasting the human’s insides with his cum. Heavy, hot bursts of fluid rushed in, finally feeding his needy ass, soothing the ache and strain from being filled so full of wolf dick. The knot kept it all inside, forcing it deeper and making him feel fuller every second...Orion had a huge load to give from those heavy balls, and he was making sure Eddie got every drop of it.

He felt the wolf’s tongue licking at his sore shoulder, cleaning off some of the blood from where the fangs had marked him. He couldn’t see the marks, but they would probably leave a lasting impression...he hoped they would, so that everyone would know his alpha had claimed him. It was a wonderful honor, being given his love, his dominance, and his scent and seed...it made him feel somehow more worthy of being out there, being among the pack. Maybe they’d see it that way, too…

Gently, Orion wrapped his arms around Eddie and lifted him up, sitting back against a tree with the human against his body, still stuck on his knot. He was still shooting into Eddie, a slower rate but still enough that he could feel it filling him more...and he’d read enough to know that that knot wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, not that he wanted it to. His own orgasm was tapering off, leaving behind a bit more of the ache from the wild ride, but he didn’t care; he’d learn to adjust in time, and he wanted Orion to take him that way even if he didn’t, it felt right and proper for his alpha.

He leaned back into the warm fur, panting hard. “God, Orion...it felt so good...thank you, so, so much…”

“It is my greatest pleasure, Eddie, to give you what you so desired. And thank you, too, for making this alpha’s wishes come true.” He nuzzled Eddie from behind, nose and tongue stroking his neck and face. “I hope you’ll be happy to enjoy a lot of me in the coming days...I’m afraid I may be a bit, ah, frisky, having been around you for two weeks without being able to satisfy myself.”

“Mmm...you only need to say the word, my alpha, and I’ll drop for you.”

“You know just what to say...I’ll be taking you up on that.” His hands stroked Eddie’s body, simply enjoying the wait for his knot with his mate in his arms. It was going to be a lot better going forward, now that he had the mate he’d always wanted...he could see a good future for himself, Eddie, and the pack. He would wake each day thanking whatever powers there were for this wonderful blessing...and he hoped very much, and believed as well, that Eddie would be too.