by D. Brumbley
Have you ever tried it like this? As a wolf?
That chased away his jovial emotions fairly quickly, but he tried to keep it from being too obvious in his voice. Just once. It’s better as humans, but still…very enjoyable like this.
I’m sorry. Candra apologized as she licked him again. Sometimes I’m too curious.
Curiosity kills cats, not wolves. He said as he returned the kiss. Be as curious as you want.
I’d rather find out by doing it. She nuzzled his fur. Books can’t help me here, I don’t think.
No, they really can’t. He looked up to the window again, and they could both feel the Fulness slowly lift from their bodies. It was like a weight left him by degrees, and as soon as it was gone, he shifted back to human form, still lying behind her with one arm beneath her head and his other arm in her fur.
Candra licked the side of his face before she shifted back into her human form as well, grinning as she did. “Did I get slobber on you?”
“If you did, do you really think I care?” He brushed her hair away from the back of her neck and kissed her as his free arm wrapped around her waist to hold her back against him. His arm that was pinned down took her hand.
Candra felt extremely nervous and still a bit frightened, but she liked feeling so close to him. She wanted more, and that desire overruled every other emotion. Slowly she turned around in his embrace to face him, and she pressed her forehead to his. “I love you.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” He smiled as he kissed her, his hands holding her gently, promising that he wouldn’t hurt her.
She kissed him several times as her hands ran gently up and down his back. Every part of her touch gave him a jolt of energy, even after spending all night as a wolf. He knew he should feel exhausted, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but almost hyperactive at her presence. Every kiss that passed between them held more power than he’d ever had in a week on his own. As he saw the sky turn blue outside the one window spilling light into the house, he knew it was going to be a very, very long day for the both of them.
VIII
After an exhausting Fulness but with no ease of tension in sight for Zara or Nick, they jumped immediately back into Nick’s work of leading a pack that still needed some very influential friends. They waited to resume in full force until after the other curious packs arrived, since they had more or less already accepted the Earthborn pack from Sweden. The Earthborn themselves were waiting to see who else came before they fully committed themselves, though, and so they stood back and watched, haughtily, as two separate Stoneborn packs presented themselves before Nick. One was from Germany, and the other didn’t like to claim a particular place as home, so they called themselves wanderers.
By the time the Stoneborn decided they were ready to make their appearance, Nick’s pack had taken the time to clean up the compound from the chaos the Fulness had left behind. On one side of the growing town, there was a huge monument built of all manner of metal, contributed by the members of the pack who grieved for his parents. Beneath the monument his parents’ bodies were encased in pure stainless steel, etched and shaped by the elder members of the pack to look like silvered statues of their former leaders.
At a distance from the monument, the Guard shaped a large courtyard from the patchwork sheet metal that was in abundance all around the compound. They formed a kind of throne at one end for Nick and benches all around for those who wanted to attend and hear the proceedings of the pack for the day. Nick looked uneasy on his iron throne, despite the fact that the chair was the most comfortable he’d ever had. He was doing his best to seem more confident than he actually felt as he watched the two Stoneborn Alphas and their retinues approach.
They looked down at the metal platform that covered the ground with disdain as they stepped onto it, but Nick knew the appropriate message was sent by the decor. They were on his ground now, and if they said or did anything he didn’t like, they would be held to account for it. “Welcome, Alpha Metzger and Alpha Sedovin, to our home. I hope the moon was good to you and your people this past Fulness on the road.”
Both the Alphas were matched on either side by their mates, and while the females seemed to be just as fierce as the males, they said nothing during the audience. Alpha Metzger was an older wolf, in the prime of his power but in the last century of his life. Everything about him spoke volumes about his strength. Alpha Sedovin was young and his mate even younger, but they had greater numbers behind them than the wolves who had followed Metzger from Germany.
Metzger was the first to speak, though, since he certainly believed that he had a right to speak first. “The moon has been good to me for many, many years, young Alpha Nickel.”
“Since before my father became the Alpha of this pack before me, yes, I know.” Nick said respectfully, but didn’t move to get up. “We’re glad to see that you’ve come. I believe you know several of my cousins, those that have found their way into your pack over the years. I hope they’ve served you well.”
Metzger looked back beyond the Ironborn guards to his people that had followed with him on the journey. There were mostly males, but some females scattered among them. Not all were fighters, but all were useful. “Yes. We took all of your pack’s Stoneborn pups for a number of years. Even made a few of our own with your kin. We’re family. Your cause is our cause.”
Nick nodded at Metzger and looked to the side as he leaned forward on his seat, bowing slightly without getting up. “Alpha Sedovin, it’s a pleasure to meet you after having heard so very much. I see at least the initial rumors were true.” He said with an open smile, more than his people had seen from him in some time, just because Sedovin’s appearance elicited no other reaction.
The smaller Stoneborn was a contradiction in clothing, and would have looked almost laughable if he’d been in a human setting. He was wearing a large ring, sometimes two, on every finger, and all of them were studded with precious stones so large and intricate they would have made any human jeweler’s head spin. His mate beside him was even more heavily ornamented, if that was possible, but his appearance was not the clean-cut and powerful presence of Metzger beside him. Even so, his bearing was no less lethal. “Happy to meet a fellow rebel any day, Alpha Nickel.” He reached into his pocket and took out a small object, flicking it through the air between them toward Nick.
William, an Ironborn Guardsman, stepped forward and caught the object before it got anywhere near Nick, as a few of the other Guard flinched protectively. After a moment’s examination, William handed it to Nick, and Sedovin nodded an apology for being so carefree. It was an American nickel shaped from a pure emerald. “A gift between friends.”
Zara was standing behind Nick’s throne, watching carefully the exchange between the two Alphas standing in front of Nick. Her glance flicked back to the people that came with the Alphas, examining them as well. The people always said quite a lot about the Alphas themselves; what kind of rulers they were, what kind of example they were. She didn’t make herself known, she just tried her best to blend in with the guards that completely surrounded Nick’s throne.
Slowly and quietly, Zara put her hand on the back of the iron seat, since she knew that touching and connecting with his metal, especially while he was nearby or touching it, she was connected with him. Before he could really be prepared for it, her power amplified in his mind through her connection and oath to him. The thoughts of the Alphas in front of him opened up clearly the longer he spoke with them.
Metzger spoke again, since he didn’t really care about things like being jovial and familiar with someone that he was trying to connect to for strategic matters. His pack had always benefited from being loosely connected to the Ironborn pack, and that was what brought him there that day. Keeping their loyalties fresh was what mattered. “We need no further consideration, Nickel. We’d be honored to join your fight. Our power is yours. You knew this before you even asked us to come.”
“We did.” Nick agreed wit
h a nod, and stood up from his throne to stand with the other two men, reaching into their minds through Zara’s power, thanking her silently for her assistance. “But we’re glad of your friendship nonetheless.” He looked over at the Earthborn Alpha Osvald and his mate sitting nearby just off the metal audience platform, then back at Metzger and Sedovin, feeling the differences between the two men and no cordiality whatsoever. “Our intentions are to work together against the Council. If the two of you have difficulties between yourselves, now is the time to solve them.”
“No, no problem.” Sedovin broke in with the same casual tone. “Least, I don’t have one if he doesn’t have one. So what if we’ve had some territory problems in the last few decades? After we carve up the Council, we can start talking about real estate. Til then, I’ll play nice if he will.” The way Sedovin was glaring at Metzger while smiling at the same time spoke volumes about his feelings towards the other Stoneborn, but he put out a bejeweled hand by way of truce anyway.
Metzger looked down at Sedovin’s hand as if it were laced with poison, but then finally submitted to placing his hand out and coming to some kind of truce. As their hands connected, Nick could hear Metzger’s disgust with the other Stoneborn Alpha, and he could hear that while Metzger was outwardly agreeing to a truce, he was inwardly looking forward to destroying every single wolf of Sedovin’s pack. Especially the ones that had jumped from his own pack to Sedovin’s, simply because they wished for a more luxurious and carefree lifestyle. That was not, according to Metzger, the way of a true Stoneborn.
It wasn’t believable in the slightest that they would be able to cooperate, from what Nick could hear through Zara’s power. In fact, Metzger had always been an ambitious wolf, and while he had taken all of the Stoneborn pups from Nick’s family in particular and given them homes and kept them safe…it had been for purposes like the one before them. It had been simply strategy. Waiting. Metzger had been waiting for Nick’s father’s plan to fall through because he lacked any faith whatsoever in Ironborn power, and now he was taking his chance.
Nick watched the handshake and Sedovin’s easy smile, but didn’t step away, though the look on his own face darkened. “I’m not concerned with real estate.” He said firmly, and though he was the smallest of the three of them, the platform they were standing on shook with his words as he spoke. “If we are going to remake this world, we are going to remake it as equals.”
Both the Alphas before them looked at Nick and they nodded, as well as the Earthborn Alpha nearby. Metzger dropped the handshake as quickly as he could and then responded in slight confusion to Nick’s somewhat violent reaction. “That is why we are here, isn’t it? To fight as equals?”
Zara’s power was amplified as the discussions continued, and Nick heard or to die as equals that followed quickly after Metzger’s statement. The Earthborn were sincere in their pledge, as was Sedovin’s pack. The more Metzger spoke, the more Nick realized that he wasn’t sincere about anything that would be helpful to Nick and their cause.
“That is why we are here.” Nick emphasized the ‘we’ as he spoke, glaring up at Metzger without looking away. “But as much as we have always respected your people over the years, Alpha Metzger, that is not why you came. I wish it was.”
At Nick’s words, Sedovin’s face darkened a little, and he took a step backward away from Metzger to stand next to his mate, as several of Nick’s guards moved up closer to him, feeling the building animosity in that single statement.
Metzger was only confused for a moment longer before anger filled him completely. “Are you suggesting that I am a liar, young pup?”
“I’m suggesting nothing. I’m pointing out that you came here because it was convenient for you to fight with us for the time being. But you have never been one for cooperation, Alpha Metzger.” Nick’s voice was still respectful, in contrast to the older wolf’s tone and stance in front of him. “If you were accepted among us, you would turn on us as soon as the Council’s own forces are destroyed. As you did on Sedovin’s own uncle when he angered you.” He was getting his information from Zara, but he could see the truth confirmed on Metzger’s face and Sedovin’s as he spoke. “As you have on everyone who you ever felt was a threat. I respect your strength, Alpha Metzger, but strength alone is not what we require. We require leaders who will do away with the tyranny of the Council. Not transmute it in a different form.”
Metzger didn’t know how Nickel knew about what he did to Sedovin’s uncle, but it only took a glance away from Nick’s face to see the violet eyes standing behind the throne. It took the work of a Heartborn to get details like that, since he knew Nick’s father wouldn’t have cared enough about details of a Stoneborn quarrel to tell his young son. “Sedovin’s uncle,” Metzger flicked a snarl in Sedovin’s direction, “betrayed our pack. You should not speak of matters that you know nothing of, Nickel.” He took several steps back, and his mate followed with him. “It would do you well to find some older, wiser wolves, Pup. And it would do you even better if you found them without the whisper of a whore in your thoughts.”
“Call me a liar when I tell you that you did not come in search of peace between us.” Nick said with a challenge in his voice for all to hear.
“I did not come searching for something we already had, Nickel.” Metzger said with a shake of his head, his anger fizzling into almost pity for the young Alpha. He looked over at the Heartborn and then back at Nick and sighed. “You were better off with the girl your father chose for you. At least she wouldn’t have led you to your own destruction.” With that Metzger turned quickly and started walking through the crowd that had gathered, back to his own people so that they could leave. There was nothing left to say.
“So that’s what happened to uncle Ruska.” Sedovin said matter-of-factly as he watched Metzger walk off. “We wondered about that for a long time.” He turned back to Nick and nodded slightly. “Our thanks for that.” He stepped a little closer and looked back at Zara with a smile. “As for your witch, I kinda like her. What’s she saying about me?” Sedovin smiled almost brightly, as though to purposefully dispel the grim seriousness of Metzger’s abrupt leave.
Zara didn’t smile or really respond in any way with an expression or emotions, since Sedovin wasn’t the one she served. “I didn’t say anything about you, Alpha Sedovin.” She looked back at Nick. “Thoughts speak for themselves.”
Sedovin actually laughed at that. “Oh yeah, we’re gonna love it here.” He put up a hand for Nick to take with a wide smile. “I came to kill some Councilmen and pave the roads of this continent for my people to walk on. Sound like a plan to you?”
Nick knew Sedovin was much older than himself, rather than the young man he seemed to be, but he appreciated the man’s open nature. They had very little of it in the pack at the moment. He took the offered hand and nodded. “It’s a start.”
Once Sedovin agreed to join them, the Earthborn needed no further time to think about their position and joined as well. It was a victory for them they desperately needed, and once everyone had scattered after the meeting, Zara walked with Nick as he took a moment to clear his head from the day’s events. “Are you alright?” She asked softly, since she didn’t want anyone to have the opportunity to think Nick was weak, even for a moment, because she knew he wasn’t. He was just a little overwhelmed.
“I had hoped for Metzger’s help. His pack was always hard to get along with, but they never threatened us.” He replied honestly, and even with a little vulnerability.
“They won’t threaten you. Especially not now.” She reached out for his hand, even though she wasn’t sure how he would react to it. “You’ve got two strong packs that have pledged themselves. This is fantastic.”
“It’s nowhere near enough.” He sighed as he stated the obvious. “And Sedovin came looking for a fight just as much as Metzger did. Just not with us. I can’t trust him any further than that. Osvald at least seems to be genuinely interested in making something new for all of us.”
“It’s not enough, you’re right. But now it’s not just one pack.” Zara stopped walking and tugged him to a halt so that she could stand in front of him and look into his eyes. “So what if this isn’t a perfect plan? It’s working. That’s all that matters.”
He sighed and leaned against the wall of the building they stood next to. “Who else is coming?” He asked, since such news always seemed to get to her before it got to him.
“I don’t know yet. I heard something about some Oceanborn that were trying to make it out here. They don’t like to come on land for long, though, as you know.” Zara only heard whispers, but she always tried to give him as much information as she could.
“Well, if they come, we’ll accommodate them. There’s a stream nearby, and I’m sure Osvald and Sedovin’s people can do something about diverting it into a home for them if they choose to join us. And we know we have other Oceanborn allies when the time comes for us to need them.”
Zara hadn’t been surprised when Nick told her about his council allies, since she knew about all the discontent while she was working with them. It was nice to know, though, so all the cracks could easily be revealed when it came time to face the council. They would need all the help they could get to destroy what was left of their enemy. Zara leaned into the wall and hugged herself to him. “Metzger looked like he almost wanted to kill me there, for a moment. When he noticed me standing there.”
“I would think you’d be used to that reaction by now.” He said teasingly.
She sighed and stood on her toes so she could kiss the side of his neck before she hugged him even tighter. “I’m just glad you don’t want to kill me. Anymore.”
“I don’t think I ever wanted to kill you.” He held onto her gently, more tired than anything else, and worried because the day hadn’t gone as he had hoped it would. “Wanted you to shut up a few times, maybe, but I don’t think I ever actually wanted you dead.”
