Chapter Thirty Five

Castus was the figure of calm at my side as we waited patiently for everyone to get ready and shift, he had a possessive arm slung around my side and I could see from the corner of my eye the curious looks we were getting.

I'd never felt as well rested as I did then in my entire life, it was like I'd been awake for days, so long that my mind and my eyes and my bones were exhausted to the point of collapsing and then I slept, slept like the king I felt I truly was, and all that illness and headache was swept away.

Without all of those troubles I felt liberated but to say that that was what made me so happy would be a lie because more than anything it felt like I'd lost a limb, a third arm, but it didn't really make me happy.

What made me feel so weightlessly euphoric was the proud figure of the alpha standing next to me with my mark on his neck.

I thought if I gave in and let him claim me he would have the chance to make me suffer, and this time worse than the first time. I can't imagine the pain he would have put me through if he changed his mind after he marked me, no doubt I would die.

However I had marked him, with my mark on him he would put himself at equal risk doing something like that.

I know for absolute certain that even if times get bad he will stick by me because my bite is an silent oath that he made to me, he will never move from my side. The devilishly handsome man at my side was mine.

When the two girls we were missing came down and shifted I finally felt some of that anticipation twist in my stomach.

I couldn't wait to finally be back in my wolf skin I missed feeling so free and consequence-less. I wanted to feel my paws on the ground, I wanted to run and run and never stop and feel the wind in my fur and the ground disappear behind me.

The sun glared down on us as we left the wide open door, it was hard to believe all this land belonged to Castus, there was a goddamn forest in it, I had to wonder where he got the money.

Great big fern trees towered over us and the grass eventually grew longer and more wild and unmaintained. The sun threw itself down on the leaves and the beamed with colour. Our path into the woods was chosen at random, we followed Castus unquestioningly, the dark shadows would curl and twist their crooked stick fingers over the natural debris that blanketed the floor.

I loved the feel of the leaves crunching under paw, stopping occasionally just to pounce on a small rodent or growling at the birds just for fun.

When finally Castus came to a halt he barked for our attention.

Just to be clear on this right away we don't bark like dogs who naturally would be our comparisons as we are their animal ancestors, our bark is more of a bark-howl type of thing and it normally means another wolf is trying to warn us.

I brushed up against him as I caught up.

You should be walking by my side.

It was very strange to hear a human voice in my head in my wolf form. Well, no, it was weird to hear any voices in your head that didn't belong to you.

I observed the way his tail was high and his body as tall as it could be, the picture of a dominant wolf.

Technically as a wolf I should be a dominant wolf, despite my sexist upbringing wolves are known for not having a dominant gender, as a wolf the two leaders of the pack are the dominant wolves whether they are male or female doesn't come into play.

But unlike complete wolves we don't follow a lot of their customs, most you can guess, some are simpler like emotions. Even in wolf form our mind needs to adjust before it can fully extract itself from human emotions so our actions just end up being a lot less predictable.

I'd never once in my wolf form wished for the second I was in my human form just so I could sink my fingers into that fur.

We're splitting up, you come with me.

I nudged him in the chin as I heard the others wander off in their separate directions.

I jumped playfully and bit teasingly at his neck.

Castus growled, Let's go Sven.

I grinned in my head and somehow Castus caught onto it.

What are you up to?

He watched, his wolf eyes peering down at me dangerously promising me trouble if I didn't obey. Occasionally I jumped and tried to bite at his fur and he would snap his jaws back at me.

He moved forwards and I nudged into his side, once then again, turning to the other side of him and nudging again I jumped up and placed my forepaws on his neck. He turned and I crouched as though I were going to pounce.

He looked down on me, his height significantly differing form mine in wolf form, and our eyes met. I tried to keep the atmosphere playful despite how difficult I found it not to sink into those cold beautiful eyes.

He growled lowly and bared his teeth, I grinned and growled in return, he stepped closer and his nose pressed against mine just slightly. To any other wolf we would have looked like we were about to have an argument.

Then our heads snapped to our right as we smelled prey approaching roughly ten yards away.

Deer. I hadn't caught anything so big in ages, the woods I lived in were small and damp and encircled by roads, any animals that I found were either small like rabbits or rodents. The nicest thing I ever got was ducks migrating.

My mouth watered and then I took off leaving Castus in the dust.

You cheating little twerp that sucker is mine.

I grinned and pushed my paws forward, I felt like a cheetah as I whooshed through the air, the world tipping sideways sending me flying ahead I could barely feel my feet touch the ground anymore.

I heard a growl come from close behind only to see from the corner of my eye that Castus was indeed right on my tail and I hadn't thought it possible but he was catching up with me, my tail thudded slightly against his face making me realize just how close he was.

Still he was just about too far behind when the deer was finally properly in our sight.

Deer are very precocious animals, they are herbivores so their food is mainly stuff like acorns and twigs and grass, that kind of thing, they don't hunt like we do so their speed is full focused on running away.

The moment they see a predator coming they are whoosh 'Billy the Whizz' gone (or for all you confused Americans 'the Flash').

They are fast fuckers but we are still faster.

And both Castus and I chased the fleeing deer for a good fifteen minutes before I managed the jump and pull it to the ground, sinking my teeth into its neck, the deer was dead before it even knew it. I felt a rush of pride swell in me as I looked at the hefty prey I'd taken down, it might have been little of a fighter but it was big and it was fast.

I got the prey. I grinned.

He snarled and I yelped as he bit down on my tail.

I got your tail.

I escaped from him and got about two feet away before he was able to pick me up by the neck like a cub and bring me up against the tree growling away. I whined and turned to show my belly my forepaws pressing into the fur on his neck. If I moved he would growl loudly exerting his dominance over me and I would move bad just occasionally testing whether it was okay to turn back as his paws nudged me and tested my submission.

We both shifted in unison somehow sensing it from each other.

"Sly little wolf," He growled, his body pushing mine up against the rough bark.

I laughed, my legs climbing around his waist.

"That was my kill," He complained, his mouth entirely too close to my neck.

"Nope," I breathed, "I'm faster than you."

He tutted, "I could have bit on your tail any time I wanted and overtaken you."

"That would be cheating."

"You had a head start, that isn't cheating?"

I growled and his growl was ferocious in return and I pushed my chest instinctively outwards. His eyes flickered downwards and with my legs wrapped around him I could immediately tell something was happening down there. I felt a kind of heat flush through my body.

He looked up and grinned.

I groaned, "We can't do that here!"

His eyes were dark, "Oh can't we?"

"Yes, we can't."

His hand cloaking my cock took my completely off guard and my legs fell to the ground and I slipped out of his grip.

Apparently Castus took that as me trying to get away and pushed me back up against the wood with my hands pinned above my head.

I rolled my eyes, "Not again, goddammit let my hands go!"

Castus's grin was devilish, "Can't risk my prey escaping now can I?"

His strokes were teasing and I could feel his humongous thing brush up against me. My face was red. His fingers tiptoed around the rim, I was circumcised to the fact that sensitive area was so available caused this throbbing sensation every time he went round. It was weird and it incredibly erotic at the time time. I moaned. I could have begged for release.

His eyes had a glint in them like he was having the time of his life. I couldn't help but want to wrap my arms around him and feel that impenetrable wall of muscle that was holding me secure against the bark.

"For fucks sake at least let me touch you!" I growled.

He laughed, "I think I can let that happen." He got close to my ear, "No touching yourself, he ordered," And I felt my cock swell just at that.

His back was a canvas of strength and you didn't need to look at it when you cool feel it, with his arm moving up and down I felt every muscle twist and move. His broad shouldered chest cloaking me, hiding me.

I dropped a hand down and caught his cock in my hand, stroking gently, the moan of surprise I got enthused me to continue and I did so quicker each time. He pressed his forehead against mine.

He stood stock still for a second then his growl pierced into me, for just the briefest second I thought I'd done something wrong but I realized pretty quickly why. He spun me around and spat on his fingers. With a finger inside me he prepared and stretched me.

Unfocused I pulled away when the burn got too strong, we didn't have lube after all, and Castus pinned me back against the oak, whispering words I couldn't understand or remember and soothing me.

Finally the burn subsided and I could enjoy it, his wide fingers filling me, two then three and then I felt his cock resting against my hole his entrance made all the air in my lungs escape and my world shake on it's feet. He remained still for a while, thank god, and his hand was still firmly planted on my cock trying to distract me from the beginning pains.

Eventually he started moving and even before his cock was half way in I was wrapped in a cocoon of pleasure, I was writhing and moaning as he pressed deeper and deeper trying to embed himself in me, trying to hide in my skin.

He licked at the mark on my neck and left gentle stinging bites all over my neck. I shivered hard each time trying desperately not to just cum right there on the spot.

Again the throbbing of his heartbeat was erotically dancing in my neck and each time it throbbed my cock drooled onto the forest floor. I was getting frantic for a release, if I left it any longer I would go flying when I came.

Still he continued and when I tried to warn him he ignored me, instead letting my cock go, much to my dismay. Still tinkering on the edge he pounded into my relentlessly until I could feel his pubic hair tickling me. I could have cried I was that desperate to come.

Finally his hand returned to my cock, come, his permission echoed through my head and I came almost immediately, my vision turning spotty as I came harder than I'd ever come before, even when I stopped shooting I still had to just lay there, only vertical from the ground because of his arm wrapped around my waist, I was still shivering in pleasure trying regain control of my shaky legs and my uneven breathing.

"You're mine," He whispered in my ear.

"Yes," I murmured, dazedly.

"You're never gonna be anyone else's you know that?"

"Mhm," I sighed.

"I'm gonna love you till we're wrinkly and grey."

I chuckled, "Then you stop hmm? Is that how it's going to be?"

He nuzzled my neck and bit down punishingly and the thud that followed caused my sensitive cock to lurch, "Cheeky, you know what I mean."

I just sighed.

He slowly and clearly unwillingly removed himself from my channel, my face still had room to burn some more as I felt his cum travel down my legs.

Still we didn't move, his body cloaked mine so I just enjoyed the breeze and soaked up the ever-present heat Castus emitted. A rush of air took with it a flurry of leaves and they rustled as they hit the ground. My blurry eyes witnessed the word with something akin to proper appreciation.

"Are you okay to move?" He asked after a while.

I nodded shakily.

He started moving with his arm around my side but when I tried to take a step forwards I got the jelly-legs and almost fell to the floor.

He grinned proudly at me and I pinched that smug face.

"You can piggyback ride me."

"The deer?"

He transformed back into his wolf form and I was pretty shocked at just how big he was, I thought I would tower over him but if I were on all fours he'd be taller, by roughly a head.

Castus howled for his pack to meet there and I sank my hands into his fur just because I had the opportunity to, then shifted so no one could see what a ravaged mess I was.

Our packmates came almost immediately, most dragging their own prey with them. A rat for Toby, a very large animal I'd never seen before came from Adam and two others who I didn't yet know the name of, Zack was actually dragging a hair out and that was pretty unexpected, Denis followed close behind him, no one else had caught anything except three of the ladies who's name I also didn't know, they had clearly caught and devoured something.

No one was obligated to share so it wasn't bad manners or anything, dragging things back is a chore anyway.

Weirdly some of the wolves were circling me when they came, I wasn't sure what that was about but Castus barked a little just as a warning.

Emlyn finally followed, she shifted almost immediately to complain something about how they'd stolen her prey. I was surprised to hear that, Emlyn was a very good hunter.

Zack was watching me even as Castus commanded attention from the wolves and a male wolf I didn't know nudged me from the side, sniffing.

Castus growled a low and threatening growl that sent my heart racing and the wolf left me alone.

He transformed and told everyone we would be going ahead and to bring the carcasses back to the house.

He then picked me up by the scruff of my neck (not in a punishing way) and pulled me into his arms.

"Dammit we don't do that again around the others in their wolf form."

I just peered at him curiously not quite understanding him.

I shifted in his arms feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"Do you want to take a nap?" I asked lazily, rubbing my stomach which had a splinter.

He hummed, "Alright then, a short one."

We both shifted back and I lay down under a tree with almost cartoonish brilliancy but didn't really shade us from the sun. Castus lay down by my side so his head touched mine, I licked his muzzle and rested my head over his neck.

I was all warm, all cosy, dry leaves at my side as the sun glared down on us and the forest is a pallet of bold colour. I am hot but the warm fur under my chin feels good, feels safe by his side, nothing can hurt me out here. Nothing will ever hurt me anymore. There is no blood on my paws, no ache in my teeth, no itch in my fur. I am safe with him, he guards me, guides me, loves me, and I do the same for him.



The end.