FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Rumbling continued, churning the peace of the afternoon. My sharpened gaze flit around the tent. What was going on? I turned my muzzle, trying to see the wolf, still tied within me. His eyes were wide, and he'd gone still. He tried to pull apart from me, but was unable. He did succeed in rubbing my tired prostate and causing my wince from pulling at my pucker. Fighting my own panic, I moved my paws to grip at his arm, still encircling my middle.

"What was I thinking?" Shadow muttered, starting to shake.

"What's going on?" I glanced down at his arm, gripping me erratically. "Are you okay?" I wasn't sure what was more frightening - the unknown rumble or that Shadow was in a near panic.

"I'm sorry," the wolf whimpered. "I'm sorry, Tyler." He shivered harder. "We can't make it somewhere safe like this. Not in time."

I realized he was thinking the distant rumbling was something Curtain related. Chances were, it was. I felt a deep cold. After everything we'd managed to survive, it would end here?

When I cleared my throat, it felt tight with tension. "It's okay, Shadow." I tried to sound more certain than I felt. "It-" I cleared my throat again. "It's probably something else. The Curtain happened already, right?"

His shiver gained a momentary deep shudder behind me.

"Even if it is, it's not your fault, okay?" The world seemed to twist between my growing fears of something happening and the need to reassure Shadow.

"What was I thinking?" he whined, tearing at my heart. He pulled his paw away from my knot and rubbed at his muzzle. "Trying to claim you, tie you in the middle of all this. Somewhere not safe."

The rumbling increased in depth of sound. Wider and louder, a distant roar.

"Look at me. Shadow."

He groaned, his lower paw gripping my middle hard enough to hurt. How much time would we have left? It couldn't end like this.

"Shadow. Look at me," I said in my most firm voice. When his panicked eyes flicked to mine, I held them to me with my will. "We both did this. It's not your fault."

"I don't want you to become one of them," he whimpered, raising up on his elbow, trembling lower paw still trying to grip my middle. His other paw moved from his muzzle to stroke my cheekfur. "I don't want us both to snarl at each other forever." He looked to already be mourning my passing.

I managed a smile from somewhere and pulled at his chin, bringing him in for a kiss. Parting briefly, I said, "Then let the last memories of us be when we're together in the closest way, while kissing and enjoying it."

A pitiful whimper came from his muzzle as I joined us again. I met his gaze over our muzzles, making my eyes relax in a calm I didn't feel. His image wavered in my vision as my eyes filled with tears. Something dropped into my cheekfur, and I realized Shadow was crying above me.

The kiss continued. I wanted to be with this wolf forever, never leaving his side. I would die with him and never regret it. His shaking and whimpering eased. Our kiss continued, each trying for the comfort the other offered but couldn't feel by himself. It became a desperate kiss, punctuated by Shadow grinding himself into me, groaning and trying to delve himself deeper in our last moments.

Moments.

That lasted... longer.

When we parted, breathless and teary, I dared a moment to look around.

The sun didn't shine through the clouds, and it still smelled of rain. Green-tinted light surrounded us, but nothing seemed strange or out of the ordinary. I realized the rumbling sound had since diminished and gone away. Everything seemed... normal. Well, as much as any day since the Curtain had appeared.

"Um," I trailed off, turning to face Shadow again. "So, I guess it's not the end?"

His heavy head dropped to my shoulder as he shuddered and went limp. He allowed my slow pets to his head as he shivered behind me. I tried to lick his ear, but couldn't quite get a good angle. I got the tip of one with every few air-licks.

After a few minutes his shivering subsided. He mumbled, "Gods, Tyler. I thought it was the end."

"Me too," I admitted, feeling another wave of cold.

It might very well have been the end. We could have slipped away in minutes after our days of unexpected survival. I was at least as responsible for the situation, if not more. It had been at my insistence we had moved to the roof.

"So what was that?" Shadow asked in a low voice.

"I don't know, but the sound was terrible. Something big happened, but it must have been far away." I let my head rest down, relief sweeping over me. I could relax again, enjoying the feel of Shadow still within me.

He nodded onto my shoulder. After a quiet minute, he asked, "Any ideas?"

I squeezed his arm. "Um, I think we should try to separate soon. I don't know how long it's been, but I think it's been a while."

He managed a chuckle and gave my nape a little nibble, causing me to close my eyes and whimper. "I meant about the sound. But I think you're right; the FurShopper furs should show up soon."

"I would have thought they'd be here by now." I snickered, "And aren't we FurShopper furs by now too?"

He shrugged. "They're hiding like we should be. We're vulnerable up here. There's no safe place up nearby, the trade-off for being out in the open."

I nodded. "It's far away from a 'safe' place for the Curtain." I sighed. "Maybe it's time to think about moving back inside with the other FurShopper furs."

Shadow gave a neutral grunt. "I'm okay as long as you're with me. I thought you liked it up here."

I sighed. "I love it up here, but the tent is damaged now. We were lucky we didn't get wet in that rain. Um, I think it may also be better to be inside with the others."

"More ears and protection in numbers?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Kind of. I think being separate right now isn't helping us... mix well with the furs, especially the new ones. I had hoped to bring more furs up to the roof, but I don't think it'll happen."

"It would just separate the furs out more," Shadow agreed.

He'd noticed the changes in the groupings too. I was silent a moment, letting my gaze wander to the mesh pocket which held Kaylee's angel kitty, my family photo, and the little jar containing Shadow's removed growths. Things changed with time. I knew it intrinsically, though admitting things changed was always another matter. Change.

"Furs can come together just as much as they can separate," I mused.

Shadow made another neutral grunt behind me and made another unsuccessful test pull at our join.

Hiding another wince, I said, "I think exposure and knowledge of those around you, brings you and others' understanding of each other closer."

"Kind of like eating together, pissing together."

I snickered. "Yeah, Wulf. Just like that. Things you wouldn't do with an enemy unconsciously bring you closer. At least I think it can work that way."

"Who knows."

We lay in the green tent, quiet. I realized I could hardly hear the undead below. Had my hearing been damaged? I hoped not.

I took a deep inhaled breath. "Anyway, I don't think the furs below generally mean us harm. And I know as long as we're together, they can't harm us. We have friends down there now."

"Peter's down there too," he growled.

I brought a paw up to rub my muzzle. "I know, but he was drunk last night. Maybe it won't happen again."

"I'm not taking any more of those drugs. I won't be out when you need me ever again."

"Shadow," I said turning my muzzle to look at him. "You can't blame yourself for something that happened when you were injured."

"All I know is every time I'm 'out' for a bit, you get hurt. It won't happen again." His arm tightened around me.

I smiled and gave him a brief kiss. "Even though you want to, you can't be with me every moment of every day."

"Watch me," he growled with a grin. His tail was visible over our hips, thumping on the sleeping bag below.

I harrumphed, failing to put a serious frown on my muzzle. I felt touched by his dedication, knowing it wasn't feigned. Resolve glowed in those golden yellow eyes.

"Well," I cleared my throat and had to grin back, "I guess I have a wolf-shaped growth on me, huh?"

He grinned and grabbed my ear with his teeth, pulling gently and making playful growls. I tried to bat at him with a paw, but he had far better access to my body than mine to his. He held my paw down with one of his and tickled my side with the paw curled around my middle. I snickered and twitched, almost feeling a resurgence of interest from my drained cock.

When there was a pause in our antics, he gripped my hip and pulled at our join again. "I think I'll come loose this time."

He slipped out of me with a wet plok, and I felt empty and gaping. Um... and very wet. It was flowing out, in a little trickle. But it felt huge. I had been mated and marked by the Wulf I loved. Something had gone right in a world full of wrongs. Shadow sighed in a mix of apparent relief and fascination. He shifted down the sleeping bag and sniffed at my rear, gripping my hip with firm paws.

"Better?" I had to ask, grinning at him.

He gave the widest grin I had ever seen. My victorious wolf, enjoying the view of what was his. I ached, but I knew it was the best ache I could ever feel. The black wolf re-aligned us still gripping my hip with one paw, pulling my muzzle to his with a happy growl. I met his lips with my own, and we enjoyed a long kiss in the afternoon green light.

Shadow snuggled in close behind me, draping his heavy head over mine with a sigh. Time passed, the afternoon quiet in the green tent. Shadow's scent mixed in with the scent of our sex. The wolf had become a familiar part of my life. I could no longer imagine life without him beside me. We luxuriated for a while until my ears twitched.

"I think someone's coming," I said, stroking black cheekfur, thumb caressing the scar on his muzzle. "We should get dressed in a hurry."

Shadow sat up and tossed my shorts to me. "Put them on quick, I think I see the FurShopper furs."

I nodded, managing to wiggle into the shorts. I straightened out some of the bedding, hoping it didn't look too rumpled.

He pulled on his shorts too, leaving his chest bare. Golden wolf eyes peered out through the rip in the tent with a sigh. "We still need to talk about some things."

I nodded, sitting and scratching at my own bared chest. "They'll have to keep for now."

Shadow worked at the tent zipper, opening it and stepping outside. I scooted to the entrance, but didn't trust my legs to support me without wobbling. Through the open tent flap, I saw Howard, Steve, and a few other furs approach. They seemed flighty in wariness.

"What's going on?" called Steve as they approached. "Was that racket you?"

Shadow shook his head, facing them on the wet roof. "Not us, and I have no idea," the wolf grumbled. "We're not dead, so it can't be that bad."

Steve frowned and turned to Howard. They looked around, still wary.

"Any idea which direction the sound came from?" asked Howard in his quiet voice, slipping through gawking furs.

"That way maybe?" Shadow shifted to point, but I couldn't see which way from inside the tent.

"You see anything that direction?" Steve pressed. His rabbit ears twitched, straining for any extra sound.

Shadow shook his head and crossed his arms over his bare chest. He'd said enough.

"You okay in there, Tyler?" asked Steve with a tilt of his head.

"Y-Yeah," I managed. "Just a bit shaken up."

The big rabbit nodded, his ears twitching again. "Burt would have come up to fetch you two, but he has Michelle and a calf on the way."

I raised a paw and shook my head. "I completely understand. He doesn't need to sacrifice his family for me."

Steve nodded his fawn-colored head again. "Burt nearly tore out his horns in worry for you two when we sealed up in the restrooms. Never seen him look so distraught, and I've been partnered with him for years."

"It's okay," my ears dropped in embarrassment. "Really."

"And he was the first to want to come out here. Took a lot of convincing for him to stay."

I gave a half-smile. "Guess he's getting a bit attached."

Steve shook his head. "You have no idea," he sighed. He turned away to talk with Howard, their voices low in the cool afternoon.

Steve and Howard drew out of my line of sight through the damaged tent hole. I watched the other furs move towards the FurShopper facade, and out of my sight. I leaned out the entrance for a better view. Shadow remained just outside the tent, looking like a worried guard. He clearly felt the need to protect me was stronger than any curiosity he had.

"That's strange," Steve said, out of my tent door-narrowed line of sight. "There's hardly any of those nasty creatures down there."

"Drawn to the sound, perhaps," came Howard's quiet voice.

More furs from below gathered and took looks around, while others left. They mixed and matched, some coming back up again to look and enjoy the sun. Furs conjectured and worried to each other. No one seemed to have a clear idea on what had happened. Some furs used the opportunity to return some gossip. A few curious furs watched me and Shadow, but there were other, more interesting things to watch.

Hooves clopped to the tent. Burt. He sighed, and though I couldn't see him, I smiled when I thought of him rubbing a horn. "You okay in there, Tyler?"

"I'm fine," I replied.

"By all that's furry, I thought we'd lose you in that." The black bull moved within view of the tent entrance. He pulled Shadow in for a quick hug, and surprisingly, the wolf allowed it after a moment of clear shock. "You didn't want to take a look like everyone else?" Burt asked, leaning past Shadow to peer into the tent. "I-" his nostrils flared, and his eyes widened.

I knew what he'd smelled, it wasn't as strong as before, but some scents linger. The scent of sex. A furious blush rose, and I felt hot and embarrassed up to my ears. Burt straightened and coughed, casting a glance at Shadow. He turned his back to me, but I could see some tension in his shoulders. Shadow returned the bull's gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"It's all consensual, I'm assuming?" Burt directed his mutter towards Shadow.

Shadow grinned. "Very." For all that he had a big bull examining him for fault, he looked relaxed and confident. It was a good change from the nervous possessiveness he'd shown before.

Burt turned and smirked in my direction, tension leaving him. I managed a smile before I dropped my eyes. All I could do was nod. As much as it was nice Burt was ready to defend me, I just wanted him to go. Some time with Shadow and a quiet dinner were all I wanted of the evening.

Burt cleared his throat. "Can't say I'm surprised. I wish you two were a bit older, but," he sighed, "some things you have to catch while they're in front of you."

"Don't tell, please, Burt?" I begged, my eyes big when I looked up.

Shadow watched close as Burt leaned in to give my head a rub between my ears. The bull was smiling and seemed to have relaxed.

"Don't worry, Tyler." The big bull gave me a wink. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's also not something to push knowledge of. I won't tell. Not a soul, okay?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Burt."

Burt moved off to join Steve, and they lingered, sometimes glancing in the tent at me. I made sure to smile past my own worries whenever they looked. After a while, the two returned to the darkness below. The furs on the roof thinned, more leaving than coming. By the time it was just Shadow and I remaining, the sun was hinting at the approaching evening.

I felt a lot better, having sat in the tent watching furs for what must have been a few hours. While I felt more stable, I was a bit sore, though it wasn't too bad. I crawled out of the tent and stood beside Shadow, gazing into the late afternoon. The sun had come out, shining golden in a clear sky.

"I'm going to miss the sun," Shadow said in a low voice, his expression as distant as his eyes.

"Is it okay that we're moving down below? If you-"

"It's fine," he interrupted, gaze still set somewhere on the horizon. "I may miss the sun, but I'll be okay as long as I have you with me."

I set a paw on his shoulder. "We'll just have to make it a regular thing to come up here. How about every day after dinner?"

He turned to me, a smile finally reaching his muzzle. "I'd like that," he whispered, giving my nose a kiss. His lips drifted down to meet mine.

I returned the warm kiss with a happy whimper, wrapping my arms around him to pull him close. Red fox fur mixed with his black wolf fur as we shared heat and the feeling of life. When he pulled back to gaze into my eyes, I couldn't help my happy grin.

"Well," the wolf grinned back, "you'll just have to be my light if we're moving below."

"Yup," I agreed as I anchored my gaze deep into his golden, yellow eyes. I blinked. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Are your stitches okay after, um, all that?"

He smirked. "I pulled at the one on my hip, but I think it's okay."

My gaze turned worried. "Any blood?"

Shadow shrugged. "It feels fine now. Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"It's okay Tyler." He turned to face me and rested paws on my shoulders. "I know my body well, and I've had many wounds."

"Okay..." I trailed off, worry still clouding my face.

He chuckled. "You worry too much. Here, take a look."

My precious Wulf pushed the waistbands of his shorts and boxers down, exposing the wound. It did look okay. There may have been freshly dried blood, but I wasn't even sure. It looked fine, and clear of infection. My eyes cut up from his hip to catch a grin on his face.

"See?" he asked with a smirk.

I breathed a sigh of relief and straightened. "I just don't want to lose you. If you die from some stupid infection or something, I'll- I'll smack you."

He snickered. "That's the most you'd do, huh? Would you even do that?"

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Like I'd ever want to harm you for any reason."

He pulled me in close and left a slow kiss between my eyes. "And that's just some of what I love about you."

"I- I love you too!" I blurted without thinking.

"I know." He grinned and placed paws on my cheeks, joining our muzzles together for a long kiss in the golden light of late afternoon. He smiled into the kiss when I moaned and raised my own paws to rest low on his back. When he pulled away, his gaze was thoughtful. "Though I can't imagine what you see in a broken wolf like me."

"I see everything to me, Wulfy. Everything." I fixed my gaze to his. "On my end, I can't comprehend what you possibly see in me." I gestured down my body before returning my paw to his back. "I'm undersized with average coloring, furs look down on me because of my pup eyes, and I'll never be a strong, big fox like my dad is... er was."

Shadow frowned, fingers digging into my cheeks. "I hate it when you put yourself down," he grumbled. "You're what makes getting up in the morning worthwhile. Before I met you, I floated along with the tide of events. My past haunted my every moment. Even when I was living with Cade, he couldn't bring me out of my shell like you can every minute by my side. Now I want to do anything to stay with you. You're all I think about anymore."

I gave him a lop-sided grin, aiming a lick at his nose. "If you will do anything to stay with me, who am I to argue? I want the same. And I don't ever want to hear you call yourself broken again. You're not broken when you've faced your fears, when you've grown as much as you have before my eyes."

He blinked, looking doubtful. One paw dropped away from my cheek. "You've seen me... slip away. You know it happens. I don't feel like I've grown at all. But as long as you see me that way...."

I caught his paw with one of mine and raised it back to my head, catching his eyes straight on. "I do. I do see you as strong. And don't you doubt the power of my judgment. I've seen your fear, seen you overcome it. It takes a crazy-strong fur to do that."

He sighed and dropped his eyes. "I don't feel that strong."

"It just takes time, Wulf." I said, returning my paw back to his back. "Now we're together, it's a lot of what we have. Because we will survive this, together."

He grinned, but it faded a moment later. He held my head steady as he gazed at me with worry. "Sometimes I feel like I'll lose you as soon as you find a better fur than me. Could be anyone."

To see his bared insecurities stabbed at my heart. Feeling my throat tighten in worry, I said, "You don't doubt that I love you, do you?"

He shook his head. "I don't, but...." His paws dropped as he turned away and looked out past the FurShopper facade. He sighed, his gaze lost in the horizon. "Feelings change as soon as priorities change. I want to believe you'll stay for me, but..." he trailed off again, seeming unable to continue.

"Is it because of what happened with your parents?"

He hesitated, then shrugged. I waited, hoping he'd give me more of a response to work with. The silent wolf looked at the world away from me, but I could tell he was near tears.

When he didn't answer further, I said, "Your parents had their own lives and issues, separate from who you are now."

He finally turned to look at me, blinking away the wetness of his eyes. A sad smile spread his lips. "I could say the same for yours."

My ears drooped as I felt the truth in the statement. "Yeah." My eyes dropped to the rooftop beneath me, trying to find fault in the white surface.

When I raised my eyes again after a moment, I caught Shadow staring off into the distance, his expression occupied. What was he thinking? Was he counting the days until I left him, inevitable in his mind?

The sunlight was changing to a beautiful golden color as the bright globe dropped. If I could help it, I would never see Shadow's eyes dim and go away. If they turned even brighter, like the beautiful sun, that would be wonderful.

I reached over and pulled his arm to me. He stepped closer, mild surprise on his muzzle. I stretched on tip-toes to more easily kiss him. When I sank back, his muzzle followed me down, longing evident in his gaze.

Raising my free paw to anchor his other arm, I met his gaze. "I don't want you to doubt me, doubt us, Shadow. We're like the sun and the sky. We belong together."

His breath caught and his eyes teared. He sucked in his lips, and I could feel him shiver once as he brought his paws around my back. I moved closer as his paws tightened around me, my own paws moving to his shoulders.

I smiled up at him. "Don't think you'll ever lose me, okay? You were right when you said whatever we do, we stick together. I only feel like a strong, complete fur when I'm with you. I want you to understand that."

He nodded slowly, giving a light sniff.

"And... um..." I dropped a paw to fidget, picking at the hem of my shorts. "I don't want to be with any fur than you. I've never felt so close to anyone." I pulled his hips into mine, feeling his softened sheath within his shorts press against me.

His muzzle regained a bit of his smirk. "Anyone?"

I blushed hard and nodded. How could I tell him that since he'd tied with me, I had felt a surge of even deeper love and affection than before? It was a surge which went beyond us having sex, beyond the tie itself, touching something deep in my soul. Could souls somehow bind together in moments like that? It was outside anything I had realized I could feel.

He dug his nose into my neck and breathed in. "I already want to claim you again, just to make sure I can," he admitted, grinding his hips into mine. "Is that bad?"

I snickered, feeling a tiny bit of growing hardness from him and allowed my paws to caress his back. "No, Wulf. You just want to make sure your mind hasn't been playing tricks this whole time. I'm feeling the same. It's almost surreal."

"I'm going to wait though," he insisted, pulling back to give me a serious gaze. "Your body needs rest, and it's not used to this kind of activity."

"I do feel a bit sore and stiff," I admitted. I stretched in his embrace, paws reaching high and settling to his shoulders. "But I don't regret what we did, not for a single moment."

He looked away. "Except for when that thing happened, whatever it was."

I placed both paws in wolfy cheekfur. "I wanted to be with you, even through death. I had no regrets when the horrible sound came."

"None?" the black wolf frowned, not seeming to believe.

I grinned. "Nope. None."

Shadow sighed and closed his eyes, muzzle moving forward. I met his lips with mine, and he quested for my depths with slow movements. I couldn't help melting into his arms, feeling the breath disappear from my lungs. We parted, both of us breathless and looking a bit shy. We each enjoyed the other's presence and embrace for long minutes.

Standing there as the shadows lengthened, I couldn't help my smile. "You know? Out of all the furs I could have met, how did I get to meet you?"

My Wulf shrugged and grinned, tail waving hard behind him. "Lucky?"

"After that second Curtain, I was wandering, upset. I found you, or maybe you found me. At the time, I didn't care who you were. I just... didn't want to be alone."

"You won't," Shadow growled, holding me tight as his tail still wagged. "Neither of us. Never again."

"But since then, I've come to love you. I don't know how it happened." I gazed at the horizon. I could see Furnon from the FurShopper roof. "I had finally admitted it to myself last night, right before..." my voice failed, feeling choked in my throat.

Shadow's tail stopped wagging. "I'll never let him touch you again." He was growling and clutching me close, my muzzle pressed to his chest.

I let myself settle into his warm arms, feeling his fur against me. I breathed in his scent, my nose buried in his chestfur. I wanted to feel his protection, leave every worry behind. The heavy wolf head rested over mine, and he began a gentle rocking, a slight side-to-side dance of footpaws. We stood together for minutes unmeasured. When my stomach growled, Shadow chuckled, his chest vibrating into my ear.

"Time to eat, Foxy?"

When his arms eased me away a single step, I smiled up at him. "Let's eat."

We began the trek to the hatch, paw-in-paw. He gripped mine, and I glanced over to see his warm smile. I squeezed back, giving him a wink.

"So, you love me?" I prodded with a smile of my own.

"Yup," was his firm answer.

"When did you realize?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Come on, I told you mine. Now you have to tell me yours."

He was silent for a moment as we walked. I was about to tease him again when he said, "It could have been any time. It just crept up on me. If I had to say when," he trailed off for several pawsteps. His voice softly wondered, "In the creek when we had our party? When you had oatmeal on your cheek?" His voice paused, even as we continued to walk. "It could have been the time when you poked that horrid zombie dangler in the car and insisted it was cute. It could have set in when I first saw you or in our first morning together, when you had sun in your fur. Maybe even when I first saw you, and all I could think of were your eyes." He scratched his muzzle scar with his free paw. "Somewhere in there, it just happened."

"So you've known for a while?"

He snickered. "Didn't you? I've known your feelings towards me for a long time."

I hesitated.

"You couldn't admit it to yourself until last night?" Shadow looked deflated.

"I just-" I gulped hard. "I didn't have the confidence." I looked away. "I didn't think you would want me, like you might want another fur. A better fur."

"So you held back?" he let out a long sigh.

I couldn't look at him. It felt I'd admitted something horrible when I should have felt wonderful. I'd told my Wulf I loved him. He pulled us to a stop and turned me to face him. When I still couldn't raise my muzzle, he gently lifted it with a paw.

He waited until I lifted my eyes to meet his before he said, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I want you to understand. I want you to feel confident, if not in anything else, in my love for you. In our bond."

I made a minute nod, my eyes tearing. He was right, of course. I wanted him to be confident in my love for him too; I hoped I hadn't just botched it all.

He nodded. "I honestly don't know what you see in me, but I can see that you're fully committed to me."

"I am!" I insisted, my ears perking forward. He needed to understand at least this, I was firm on.

I watch a slow smile grow on his muzzle. "Okay then. You should have confidence in yourself. You're a good fur."

"So are you!" I wagged my tail hard. "Better than me, Wulf."

"Well, we could argue about that all night or go down to dinner."

"Let's go then," I said, a big smile shining from me.

Shadow looped a heavy, black arm over my shoulders and guided us along towards the hatch. The FurShopper was quiet. Even quieter than usual. As Shadow rooted through racks and passed me a shirt, putting one on himself, I could hear no distant chatter. I made a point to drop by the closet and retrieve the chocolate-covered walnuts, feeling relieved they were still there.

Even Camp seemed subdued when we arrived. We were late to dinner, most furs had finished and were lingering. Furs talked in hushed tones and seemed to keep close to the bathrooms. I understood their concern, but felt it may not matter. Either the Curtain was changing again and it could come at any time, or something else had happened. Whatever it was, I wasn't about to exchange my time with Shadow for hiding in a closet, trembling in fear.

A glance at Shadow showed he was keeping an eye on the scared furs. He shook his head as they startled when a tray clattered to the floor. If Shadow wasn't concerned, I wouldn't be either.

"Tara," I called the young squirrel over from where she'd been grouping with the collie pups.

She approached, looking wary, expecting some sort of scolding, I guessed. I held up the little bag and smiled.

"For me?" she whispered, her eyes fixing on the clear bag.

Tara's eyes glowed when I passed over the promised treats. She grinned and gripped them to her chest.

"I love these. You're the best," she giggled, jumping me for a hug.

I hugged her close, feeling her warmth. It reminded me life still existed, even if subdued and fearful. I grinned and patted her back, encouraging her to scamper off to her collie friends. She bounced away with a little shriek, piercing the quiet. I watched after her, feeling just a little bit fulfilled in life.

"Shadow!" called a nervous gray wolf, approaching us quickly. Helaina. She looked ready to dive into Shadow's arms for comfort, but that was my place.

I stepped in front of Shadow as he frowned. "Hi, Helaina. Everything okay?" I could be civil.

She ignored me, stopping and looking past as if I wasn't there. "Could you help me, Shadow?" she whined, her constant shifting showing her nervousness, feigned or otherwise.

Shadow grunted. "We're here for food. If anything happens tonight, I doubt we'll have warning."

The edges of the beautiful gray wolf's nose paled. "Come with me? Please?" she begged in a whisper.

The black wolf shrugged and stepped past her, pulling me along by my paw. I felt a little bad for Helaina as she gazed after us, seeming near tears.

"You didn't want to at least reassure her?" I mumbled, trying to avoid others hearing.

"She's given you enough trouble, Tyler. Why would you care?"

I glanced back, seeing Helaina looking near tears. "No one deserves to be alone."

"She's not alone. Look again."

I looked, and sure enough, she had joined other furs in Isaac's group. She received pats on the back, and we received a few frowns. I blinked and refocused on Shadow.

He glanced down at me. "She wants to be comforted by me, but she has others to turn to. We, on the other hand, have each other."

"Also Burt, Michelle, Howard, Jenny, Ruby, and Clovis," I listed. "Just off the top of my head."

He gave me a half-smile. "I suppose so."

I froze still at the sight of one fur just exiting the restrooms and heading for the food table. Peter. The world slowed and turned cold. Unresolved fear crept into me. Shadow halted beside me, seeming confused a moment, before he followed my line of sight. He growled loud enough to make furs glance our way.

"Shitbag should be locked up," he gritted between his teeth as I dove behind the shelter of his back. He tugged me to the side, stalking up to Burt, sitting at a table. "What the hell, Burt? Why is that- that ferret loose!?"

Burt turned away from Michelle with a sigh. "It's not like we can lock him up somewhere."

"Why not!" the black wolf growled, standing close and looking up at the big fur. "Think it's fun for Tyler to see his attacker loose?"

Burt winced. He rubbed at a horn with a frown, watching the ferret. "We don't have the resources to have someone completely idle and locked up. We need paws and hooves. I've talked with him, and he seems regretful. Believe me, I'd want him locked up too. We just can't."

"Can't or won't?" Shadow growled.

Burt sighed again. "It's not like we can banish him either. He has the support of many of the new furs."

"And Tyler doesn't," the black wolf spat. I imagined his eyes piercing Burt, who stayed silent.

I continued to cling to the wolf's back, trying not to tremble. I thought I had recovered from Peter. Some deeper response was governing my reactions. Irrational fear. I could almost feel unwelcome paws tracing down my back....

After a moment of Shadow tense, staring down an unhappy bull, he pulled me towards the food table. I whimpered, not ready to face the surfacing fears. He stopped and turned towards me, holding me tight in warm, furry arms.

"Tyler," he turned my muzzle for my eyes to meet his. "Oh, Tyler," he breathed. "I won't have him make you terrified to even be in sight. Take a deep breath. I'm here, and he won't lay a finger on a stray hair of yours ever again." He was growling as he finished, gaze intense.

I took a slow breath, as he'd told me. I pressed the fear down, but it made me feel numb. I nodded when I didn't feel like running.

My Wulf kissed my brow with a smile. "There's my brave Foxy. Now we're going to walk right over there and get some food."

I couldn't help a shudder, but I managed to nod. I could do it.

We approached the food table, and as we got closer, I saw the ferret's forearm was bandaged. When Peter saw us, he frowned and looked uncomfortable. His muzzle tightened in anger. He seemed about to say something, but abruptly took his plate and left the serving table.

I heaved a huge sigh, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. Tension bled out as the ferret stalked away. I managed a small smile to Shadow as he kissed deep into my cheekfur.

"Better?" he asked with a grin.

"Uh-huh." I glanced to the side, but Peter kept going, stopping to sit at an empty table.

"Many furs you're scared of will back down if you show even a bit of backbone."

I looked up at him in confusion. "But you-"

"I've never had the confidence before. You are my confidence. The urge to slip away is far away with you close."

I chuckled and tickled his side, making him squirm. "Let's get some food and sit away from... that fur."

We gathered some of the remaining food and sat down at a table where Jenny had joined Clovis and Ruby, who had woken for the night. I gave a black wolf paw a squeeze under the table, and he leaned over with a smile to swipe his warm, soft tongue along my ear. Shadow and I didn't talk, just enjoyed each other's company as Ruby cheerily held up chatter with Jenny.

There was a crash and a plate spun on the floor. Furs startled at the sound. Shadow and I stood as other furs edged towards the restrooms.

"Michelle!" Burt yelled from the other end of Camp. He clopped up to her, eyes wide in alarm.

Even though we were across the Camp eating area from them, in the hush following, all could clearly hear Michelle groan. "It's coming! My calf is coming!"