But, first, this gods' forsaken hunt would have to end.
The deer were not too far from the settlement for them to safely travel in the snow. Alec had decided to head to the river that cut through the forest to the seashore in the south. Big prey often came to the river to try and catch fish. He was sure there would be some boar down there, and as they approached, he'd caught sight of six near the water. If they timed it right, they could take down at least two. If they missed out on this, he'd have to send a second hunting party out in the opposite direction and hope that they brought something substantial back.
Nahele crept out of line, and Alec growled softly, yanking at Nahele's tail. It made his heart ache, thinking of all the times he'd yanked that strong, agile tail in the heat of passion. He missed those intimate moments with Nahele. Instead, he'd been losing himself in the warmth and heat of one of the dominant females, proving himself to her so that, when the fertile cycles came, she would be happy to bear him a litter. But, it didn't compare. There was no emotional attachment to her like he had to Nahele, and now Nahele was doing everything possible to not only break that emotional tie, but to smash it irreparably.
"I said to stay," he hissed at Nahele. "We need this kill, and I will not have you fuck this up."
Nahele's tail flicked and struggled in his grip, but he refused to let go. "Me? Trouble?" Nahele feigned innocence, but there was that cruel spark in his eyes again, and Alec tightened his fist. If Nahele jerked forward now, he'd risk a break in his own tail. They both knew it, and Nahele's expression went from teasing to severe. He said nothing more but scooted back with a soft growl.
Alec only relinquished his hold on Nahele's tail when he was certain Nahele wouldn't lunge forward. He looked back over his shoulder at the two groups of feral-Maith waiting for his orders. He couldn't risk enough volume to speak loudly to them, so he made a series of gestures with his hands, ears, and tail. Most had been hunting for long enough to understand just with those signals. The younger hunters that just stared and blinked at him were swiftly pulled down by the others and instructed.
The best way to get to the boar would be to run down the cliffside and use a couple of the trees to hem them in against the water. They would have to move quickly, and that meant the mountain cats and tree-hunters would be the swiftest. The rest could follow after that, but the first strike was their only chance at surprising the boar and taking at least one of them down.
They skirted the ridge, getting into a better position. It took a bit longer than he would have liked, with some of the hunters always glancing in Nahele's direction, but they were lucky that no one misstepped or spoke too loudly. Alec was just giving a last bit of advice to one of the group leaders and returning to his own position when the sound of falling rocks made his pulse jump.
His eyes locked onto Nahele just as the white tuft of the cat's tail disappeared over the edge of the ravine. He only had a split second to react. "Now!" he hissed to the others, signaling. Even if they weren't ready, this was their only chance. Nahele had jumped the gun, but Alec wasn't going to let this hunt fail, dammit!
Rage twisted his stomach as he dug his claws into the rock and sprinted down over the edge. The stones along the steep incline were slippery from the snow. He had been warning the others of just that danger. There were too many places his eyes needed to be at once. The jagged rocks he sprang down, the paths of the others, the boar as the sound of their attack finally reached them over the rush of the river. His heart pounded, and he jumped down to the left, the right, another right.
Alec glanced up for a split second. Kymble and Nemrys had overtaken Nahele, their white and grey spotted coats making them barely a blur against the rocks. Their large tails helped them navigate the cliffs effortlessly, and they sped down to cut off the escaping boar. Thank the gods for Altiyan cats.
He was about halfway down the cliff with the other cats when a sharp crack made him look up. He nearly lost his footing, his long tail saving him from a painful fall. He scanned for the sound, his eyes spotting Nahele just as another sharp crack echoed up to him. A startled cry, and Nahele was in the river.
"Nahele!" His own cry was echoed by Hyrad's. A surge of panicked heat raced through him, and he sped his way down the cliffside. The water was freezing. Even an Altiyan cat would have trouble swimming in there. But Nahele's feral side flourished in summer, not winter. They had to reach Nahele before the cold made swimming impossible.
"Secure the boar!" he yelled to the group. "Talsa, you're with me!" The wide-eyed cat immediately turned in her panic and followed him as he reached the rocky shore of the river. Nahele's golden fur made him easy to find in the river, but they had to sprint along the water's edge to catch up and combat the current.
"The trees," he panted to Talsa, pointing to the trees a short distance away that leaned far over the river. "Try to grab him." Talsa wasn't the best hunter in the world, but she had the speed in rocky terrain that Nahele had in the grassy fields. She sprinted ahead of Alec, and Alec turned to find Nahele, relieved to see that he had just passed Nahele in the river. "Reach up, Nahele! Catch her hand!"
Talsa sped up into the tree and out the longer branches. She dug in her claws and reached down over where Nahele would pass. Nahele flailed in the water, but he couldn't combat the current and reach at the same time. His arms were choppy, uncoordinated, and Alec cursed sharply when Talsa reached and missed.
Alec's legs burned, but he pushed, running past Talsa's tree and toward another one. The branches were a little higher above the water, but it was his only chance. The next trees were too far down the shore. By the time they reached those, Nahele wouldn't be able to swim or reach or even breathe past the shock.
He scrambled up the tree, ducking branches and ignoring the way some scratched harshly at his face and arms. There was no time to think. No time to do anything but react. Nahele passed beneath the branch, and Alec flung his upper body down, snatching Nahele's arm with both hands. Nahele's pupils were wide, his face far too pale. Alec cried out, digging his claws into Nahele's arm when Nahele couldn't grip back.
Alec's feet couldn't hold him to the branch much longer, not with the current making Nahele weigh three times more than normal. "I won't let go, damn you!" he growled at Nahele. His grip on the branch was slipping, and he nearly cried out as his claws slipped. Instinct coursed through him, and his thick tail darted out, wrapping firmly around the branch, anchoring him in a way he'd never been able to manage in the past.
Alec's heart leaped in his chest, and he roared as he pulled with all his might, lifting Nahele from the freezing water. They dangled there for an instant, but it was enough.
"Alec!" Talsa's voice made him look up. Her outstretched hand had to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in that moment. She grabbed hold of Nahele, and Alec scrambled back up onto the branch. Together, they pulled Nahele up. The tree groaned at their combined weight, and they quickly manhandled Nahele from the tree to the rocky shore.
Nahele was shivering uncontrollably. Alec looked around him, pleased to see a boar being gutted in the snow. He looked at Talsa. "Get Hyrad. The two of you, along with Kimbly and Hehter, need to get Nahele back to his den as soon as possible. Clean him up. Check for broken bones. Get him warm." He slowly got to his feet, panting, covered in cold water, snow, and Nahele's blood. "I'll fucking deal with him when we're done here."
Talsa nodded, her face so very pale, and the other feral-Maith surrounded Nahele. As they set about fulfilling his orders, he turned his attention to the hunt. One boar. They'd had six there, and only one would return with them. Fury boiled inside him. One gods' damned boar when he had three-hundred-and-fifty feral-Maith to feed. Nahele had made this hunt a disaster, and Alec would have to send out the second hunting party.
"Kymble!" The cat looked up from his position near the boar, and Alec waved him closer. "I'm taking Jes and Ferd with me up river. I'm going to see if we can't find something else to bring home with the
boar."
Kymble nodded. "Yes, Alpha. We will prepare the boar for the return to the settlement."
Alec turned away and motioned for Jes and Ferd to follow him. Come hell or high water, he'd bring home more than one lousy boar today.
Alec walked through the settlement with his tail swishing behind him. He was pissed. The fury he'd felt following Nahele's idiotic stunt hadn't abated as the night had dragged on. As dawn neared, Alec couldn't remain still any longer. He stalked from his den to Nahele's, shoving aside the flap of hide covering the opening and storming inside.
Nahele's den was hot, the fire blazing brightly in the small hearth. Nahele himself was buried under layers of furs, his eyes not nearly as bright or defiant as they usually were. Tellu had informed him Nahele had broken two ribs, sprained an ankle, and had dozens of cuts and gashes. She had said Nahele was lucky. Alec doubted Nahele appreciated that innate luck. He crossed his arms and glared, daring Nahele to say a single word. After a few moments, Alec reached down and yanked the furs off Nahele. His eyes raked over the bruised, broken, and swollen body.
"Pleased with yourself?" he snapped. "Did you accomplish what you wanted?"
Nahele closed his eyes for a moment, going almost white as he sat up in the nest of furs. "Alec--"
"No!" Alec's tail flicked back and forth. "No, Nahele. How could you? You risked me, Talsa, and the rest of the hunting party with that stunt!"
"I had... to test you," Nahele panted.
"No, you had to challenge me at every turn because your fucking pride wouldn't let you lose gracefully! What were you thinking? That you might disgrace me enough to take the title of Alpha back? If you wanted it that badly, you could have outright challenged me. Instead, you've left the clan divided. Your actions put everyone in danger, and everyone knows it. You didn't do it to test me; you did it to prove yourself." Alec growled. "All you've proven is that your pride was more important than your duty to this clan. I've had enough!"
Nahele's eyes sparked with anger. "You've had enough? You think I care how much you've had when you're nothing but a traitor? Happy to hop into my nest for a thorough fucking all while plotting to take the clan from me!"
"I warned you," Alec growled. "I warned you, over and over. I told you that you weren't thinking of the clan, that you were too complacent. You had your opportunity to prove to me you deserved the position of Alpha, but you didn't. You were once a great leader, but now, your time is over!"
"You took my clan from me!" Nahele shouted.
"I took what you so easily threw away today! You lost in the challenge field, and because of that, you're making the clan pay the price! Every time you sabotage me, you divide the clan. We won't survive the winter if we're divided, Nahele. You're hurting everyone when you could be helping, and I won't tolerate it." Alec clenched his fists, forcing the next words past his lips. "I don't want to see you go. I don't want to see you killed because you're damn arrogance can't be overcome. But I won't let the clan fall apart because you would rather destroy everything than let me take over."
Nahele growled. "You don't deserve to take over."
Alec's stomach twisted with anger and hurt. "I bested you. I deserve to be Alpha," he said, voice low with warning. If Nahele kept this up, he'd be forced to prove himself, and he wasn't sure he was prepared to go to that extreme.
"If you hadn't gone into the trees, I would have won!"
"If you'd won, then I would have challenged you again. And again if necessary! If you hadn't finally listened to me and done something about the problems I've seen you ignore, then I would have challenged you as many times as it took. You've known me my entire life, Nahele." His eyes narrowed, his hands trembling. "If you don't know me well enough to know I can rise to the occasion as Alpha... If you don't believe I can best you, then I'll prove it, here and now."
Nahele's whole body went still at those words. "As soon as I recover, I will take Alpha from you."
"No, you won't." Alec stalked to the nest of furs and crouched down, his hand sinking into Nahele's hair and yanking his head back. He was stronger now, stronger when he needed to be, and it was high time Nahele saw that. "You're foolish. You would destroy our friendship, turn the love we feel for one another into something bitter and ugly, and risk the safety and well-being of the whole clan." He snarled. "You are not fit to be Alpha." He reared back and struck, sinking his teeth into Nahele's exposed throat.
Nahele cried out, the sound sharp with pain and shock. Alec was ready for a fight and pushed Nahele down against the bed the moment he started struggling. Two broken ribs, and Nahele still had a good amount of fight in him, flipping Alec over and pinning him for a moment. It was a weak hold that Alec broke without even pulling away from Nahele's throat. He tightened his teeth, ground them a little, and Nahele whined, his instincts kicking in. All cats went still under that sort of dangerous pressure at their throats, and Nahele was no exception.
Alec couldn't count how many times Nahele had used the technique to get him to stay still or submit, and he tried to use it now. Nahele's struggles were weak, but they still rolled about the bed, neither doing much harm to the other, even as they growled. It reminded Alec of all the nights that had begun like this, their friendly grappling becoming something much more heated and passionate.
But this wasn't about passion. Not this time. This was a primal, feral dance of dominance, and Alec knew he had to come out on top. He had allowed Nahele plenty of time to adjust, given him a great amount of leeway with regards to his pride, but this was it. If he didn't best Nahele, didn't push for his submission, there would be only one end to the situation, and Alec didn't want to lose Nahele. Love still raged in his heart, fierce and loyal, for Nahele, and he would rather wound Nahele's pride a final time than end his life.
He used all his anger and frustration, pinning Nahele face down on the furs, their bodies pressed tightly. Nahele had never let him take this position, his cock rubbing against Nahele's ass, and it didn't take much before he began to harden. Even with the fury pumping through him, his body remembered the pleasure he'd felt not too long ago at Nahele's hands. Tonight wasn't all about pleasure, though. Alec would prove himself in the only way he could now.
His teeth bore down into the back of Nahele's neck this time, one hand pressed flat between Nahele's shoulders, and the other wrapping around Nahele, forcing him up onto his hands and knees. It would be swift, and he wouldn't apologize, not for taking the only road left for him to take. In the back of his mind, he remembered only a handful of times Nahele himself had utilized this more brutal dominance, and never lightly, and he hoped his friend understood. Maybe not in this moment, but when they were done... when it was over...
There was no time to find oil and prepare Nahele. There was no room for such gentleness. When Nahele tried to shift out of position, Alec tightened his teeth and claws, nudging Nahele's tail out of the way. The tip of his cock nudged Nahele, and he growled until he found the right angle and thrust brutally forward, shoving his slender cock inside Nahele's body.
The pained, angry roar that the thrust ripped from Nahele's throat tore at Alec's resolve. The friction without oil was painful, the tightness overwhelming. He had to squeeze his eyes shut and grind his teeth into Nahele's neck just to keep his own sounds to a growl. He couldn't stop, couldn't give Nahele time to adjust. If he did, he wouldn't be able to continue. Instead, he snapped his hips forward and back, digging his claws into Nahele's fur to keep him still.
Nahele struggled. Alec hadn't expected anything less. He closed his eyes, thinking back on a particularly wonderful night when Nahele had not only fucked him senseless, but had brought him to new heights of pleasure when he'd slid his hand inside Alec's body. He'd come so hard, he swore the world had dimmed to nothingness for a short time. Alec replayed that night over and over in his head, how pleased Nahele had looked, how sated they'd both been, and it was only then that he was able to thrust a final time and spend himself within Nahele.
He made two more thrusts, spreading his scent thoroughly, before he finally released Nahele's neck and pulled out.
Alec sat back on his heels, panting, tears stinging his eyes, and stared at Nahele's prone body. His tail was limp, and it took everything Alec had in him not to lean down and groom it, try to tease it back to life. Throat dry and voice rough, Alec murmured, "I'll do it again and again, Nahele, until you realize that I am Alpha. I bested you in the challenge field. I took you in your den. Your pride means nothing to me. The clan means everything." Nahele was silent, and Alec's voice turned sharp, demanding. "Say you understand!"
Nahele's ears twitched back at him, and Alec watched as Nahele slowly bowed his head in defeat. "I understand." Nahele slumped against the bed. "You have bested me. You... are Alpha."
Alec wasn't sure which emotion was more powerful, his sadness or his relief. He exhaled harshly, fighting back that stinging behind his eyes. "You will never endanger this clan again. You can question my orders, make suggestions for improvement like anyone else, but you will never undermine my authority. Is that clear?"
"Yes," came the defeated answer as Nahele carefully lowered himself onto his side, his eyes averted as he exposed his front to Alec.
Alec clenched his teeth for a moment, looking anywhere but at Nahele. It took him a few minutes before he could speak again, though his voice was decidedly uneven. "You would never tolerate that sort of behavior. You even cast two of us out of the clan when they did only a fraction of what you have done. If Hyrad had countered you in any of the ways you've countered me--" Alec swallowed and looked back at Nahele. "Do you think I am so incapable? Do you have no respect for me as an alpha in this clan? By lying beneath you, have I somehow lost your respect, your trust?"
Wild Passions Page 12
