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Chapter 9: A Wet Snare

After being saved by Alea, Zaldon gained a grudging respect for her, much to the amusement of his mother. They continued on their way to the moon village, and it was all Zaldon could do to walk upright: his ribs hurt very badly after the brutal kicking, and he was covered in cuts, scratches, and bites. Joli and Alea glanced at him anxiously every now and then, but they knew better than to offer Zaldon help walking home: he had already been emasculated enough that night. And walking at her son's side, Joli felt a pang of guilt: another secret for Zaldon to keep. Of course, he would never tell a living soul that he had been rescued by a female, and one so small and thin as Alea.

They passed through the moon village, and the beautiful blue wolves crowded the streets to marvel at the towering height of the strangers from across the sea. Their slow, melodious tongue filled Zaldon's ears, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye how proud Alea was to be leading the two to her home: Joli was like a celebrity after all.

When they arrived at last at Alea's big hut, her father came out to greet them. TayeLok was a big and bulging blue wolf, his long mane pulled back in a braid, his fierce eyes always alight with a smile, and a big grin always on his face. He was slightly fat and as ugly in the face as his daughter, but he also seemed as fond of Zaldon without even knowing him. His eyes landed with horror on Zaldon's hunched and bloody form, and ignoring Zaldon's protests, he helped him into the hut. TayeLok's yelled orders for bandages were the last thing Zaldon heard before he passed out.

When Zaldon later awoke, he was in a dark and shadowy room where moon flowers glowed bright and blue against the gloom. The flowers were draped over the doors of a closet and wooden screen, and were laced very prettily around a window. His big body was spread out on a bed, and the scent of doused fire, of roasted meat and wine was on the air. He pricked his ears forward. He could hear wolves in the busy street beyond, the laughter of little pups running through the mud, and within the hut, the unmistakable shriek of Alea's girlish laughter. Oh, god. He was in Alea's room, in Alea's bed! He could hear her approaching up the hall, and before he could pretend to sleep, she burst into the room.

"Well, well, well," she said, batting her lashes at him. "I thought I heard you groaning and moaning in here." She was holding a tray of steaming food, candles on it, her long nails clicking on the wooden tray's carved designs as she did a little turn on the spot. She waved her tail. Did she really think she was appealing to him? "Remember me?" she teased.

"Who could forget you?" Zaldon answered unhappily and dragged a heavy paw across his forehead.

Alea laughed and moved into the room. She set the tray down over Zaldon's lap, and he was annoyed when she climbed into bed with him. The food smelled wonderful, and suddenly starving, Zaldon tucked in. He glanced every now and then at Alea, who was watching him with the same glowing admiration she'd been giving him since day one. It exasperated him. He was a little unnerved when her bright eyes traced over his body from his neck to his lap -- which, thankfully, was covered by the tray. He wondered miserably if she hadn't molested him while he'd been asleep.

"Where's my mother?" Zaldon asked, wishing he spoke the moon wolves' language better. He knew he'd said something wrong when Alea giggled at him. He reflected and realized that he hadn't said the moon wolf word for "mother" but "father."

"Your mother is out buying herbs and medicines, then she said she would pray to our ancestors at the temple. She's been so distraught this week."

Zaldon paused, spoon in paw. He stared at Alea. "This week?"

Alea giggled again, and he suddenly felt so annoyed that he wanted to shove her away by the face. She was sitting so close to him that her chin was almost on his shoulder. Her pointy little tits kept brushing him too. He knew she was doing it on purpose.

"Zaldon! You've been passed out for two weeks, cutie," she said, tweaking his chin.

"What?!" He dropped his spoon, staring into space.

"That's right," giggled Alea. "You came and went, but you were mostly in a daze. You're so big and yet so delicate! It's cute. My dad carried you in himself. He admires you a lot for trying to protect us that night. You took a beating for me, and he said he'd never forget it!"

Zaldon blushed and couldn't look at Alea. His discomfort increased when Alea slid her paw across the sheets and tangled her fingers with his own.

"And," she whispered, dropping her cheek against Zaldon's shoulder, "he wishes for you to . . . that is . . . he wants us to . . . get married."

"What?!" Zaldon struggled to get up, and as a result, sent the tray flying across the room. The bruises on his sides stung badly, and with a wince, he sank again to the sheets.

"You mustn't get too excited," scolded Alea, pressing him down. She tucked him in and added with a twisted smile, "Not out of bed, anyway." Looking down at Zaldon, she smoothed her paw over his chest and something softened in her eyes.

Gazing up at her, Zaldon realized for the first time that Alea . . . Alea was in love with him! He felt a pang of guilt: he had been so mean to her before. But even still, he wished more than anything that he could escape this bed, this hut, this village! TayeLok was talking marriage? Was he insane? Zaldon would rather throw himself in the sea than be tied to this giggling, annoying, ugly little . . . Glancing at Alea's happy eyes, he stopped those thoughts at once. Her feelings were suddenly paramount to him. He must gently explain to her why they couldn't be together, then hope to god that she didn't cut his throat immediately after.

". . . was so happy that I finally found a mate," Alea was saying dreamily. "He thought I'd never get married. I mean, it's untraditional here, a female being a warrior. But I hope to one day change that." She smiled bashfully at Zaldon. "Your mother thinks it's wonderful that I love you," she went on meekly. "She wants us to be together as much as my father . . . TayeLok, remember? His name means 'he who smiles.' He said if you married me, you would inherit everything, his title, our stock, our hut, our land, even his favor with the chief . . ."

As Alea happily continued her chatter, Zaldon silently realized how grand an opportunity this must have seemed to his mother: Zaldon would not only be settled down with a good mate, but he would have riches as well. Perhaps Joli thought her son would fall in love with Alea and live quietly here in the wealthy and vast moon village, away from the suffering he knew when in Kel's presence. Zaldon closed his eyes. But that just couldn't be.

". . . and I've been waiting so long to be a good wife," Alea was saying.

Zaldon smirked. She was what? Fourteen?

"And a good mother."

Zaldon's eyes about popped from his head. He grabbed Alea's arm to make her look at him. He wished desperately that she would get that happy, glowing look off her face. "Look, Alea, I know you think that you love me --"

"I do, Zaldon, I do!" Alea vowed.

"-- but what you're talking about, it can't -- it's not going to --"

Before Zaldon could even finish stammering, Alea leaned down and kissed him. He melted into the kiss, thinking at once of Kel -- Kel, who he missed so desperately! Alea gave a little cry of delight when she felt Zaldon stiffen against her. He protested weakly and begged her not to, but she pulled the covers back, and smacking away his feeble paws, she smiled at what she deemed his "bashfulness" and slowly lowered her pussy down onto his cock. Zaldon melted into the sheets with a long moan. Oh, god. Was this what he'd been depriving himself of? He thought of Kel's tight, hot little ass closed around him, and it was suddenly the easiest thing in the world, letting Alea move her hips in deep circles against him.

"Oh, Zaldon," she moaned, her eyes closed. Her little paws braced against his chest and she moved her hips in deeper circles, her pussy walls sucking at him, hot and wet and so deliciously tight. She leaned down and kissed him again, and not knowing what to do with his paws, Zaldon placed them on her back and pretended that this was Kel's back, tight with muscles and flexing as they moved together.

"Well," giggled Alea, "you're well enough to fuck me!"

Zaldon blushed, then winced immediately after. Pushing his hips against Alea had caused a shooting pain in his side. Alea called him "poor baby" and would have stopped, but suddenly too wrapped up in his delicious fantasy of Kel, Zaldon grabbed her and begged her not to. She smiled at his earnest and kissed him again, further deepening the circles of her wiggling hips. Zaldon was in ecstasy. He held Alea close and whispered over her shoulder, "Oh, god, yes . . ." She was laying down on top of him now, slowly bringing her pussy up and down, and he closed his big paws on her buttocks and helped her.

"You like that, baby?" Alea said in Zaldon's ear, and she kissed his cheek with such tender affection that he felt a pang of guilt: she was in love with him, and here he was pretending she was Kel!

"Look, Alea . . ." Zaldon began, but she started moving her hips against him so fast, he was soon breathless and panting.

They panted together, their open mouths close as Alea jerked her hips quickly against Zaldon. She moved her hips hard and hissed for him to play with her tits. Zaldon was fumbling and blushing, and instead of doing what she had asked, he held her close to his chest: he hated the very thought of sucking a tit. Alea laughed at him: she still thought he was just shy! Good grief, didn't she ever think for one moment that it was because he liked cock?

They moved fast together, panting and moaning, and when Alea's head fell back and her shrill little cries became rapid yelps, he realized she was coming! He felt her pussy walls clench and release their juices, and thinking of Kel's cum spilling over his paw, he grabbed her hips and pressed himself hard against her. His cum squirted inside, hot and blasting as it filled her, and they sagged together in the sheets.

Alea lay happily on top of Zaldon, humming breathlessly to herself as she played in his white mane. Zaldon held her to his chest in one arm and felt like a piece of shit. What had he just allowed to happen here? But, shit, she had practically raped him! There had been no consent whatsoever in that physical contact --

"Zaldon," Alea whispered happily, "I love you!"

Zaldon groaned miserably. "Alea . . . how can I make you understand? I don't like females! I like --"

"Cock? So do a lot of males around here. Doesn't stop them from marrying a female."

"No, no, it's not like that. I don't like females. At all."

Alea pulled back, and looking down at Zaldon, it suddenly became clear to her: Zaldon's fumbling embarrassment, his cluelessness: he hadn't even looked at her tits, let alone sucked them! Her face was ugly, certainly, but her tits were perfect! Many a male had expressed his desire to suck them and fuck them and more. It was obvious now: Zaldon was a tail chaser. Her lips trembled and she scrambled back. Zaldon watched miserably as she touched herself uncertainly, first pushing back her mane, then rubbing her arm. She couldn't even look at him. She blinked at the wall instead, blinked furiously as if she was trying to hold back tears.

"Alea . . ."

"Is it because I'm ugly?" she demanded at last, her voice a pitiful sob.

"God, no!" vowed Zaldon, reaching out a paw.

"Then what then?" Alea demanded. She bit her lip to stop the trembling and glared at Zaldon. "There are a thousand males, tail chaser or straight, who would leap at this opportunity --!"

"I'm in love!" Zaldon blurted.

Alea swallowed thickly in the silence that followed. "With some male," she said angrily, "who you pretended I was while I fucked you!" she accused, and to Zaldon's dismay, she smacked her fists against his chest.

These blows would have been nothing had Zaldon been well, but he wasn't well, and as a result, Alea's sharp little fists hurt very badly on those dark bruises. He caught her to him, apologizing again and again but reasoning to her that she hadn't given him a chance to explain.

"How could you fall in love with me anyway?" Zaldon gently scolded and stroked down Alea's mane. "And so fast?"

Alea melted in Zaldon's big arms, drinking in his smell. God, he smelled so good and he was so strong and handsome and sweet and . . . How could she fall in love with him? Did he really have to ask?! She squeezed her eyes shut, vowing to herself that this time, she would not cry. Zaldon was not the first male to sleep with her and reject her love and, she told herself, would probably not be the last. There was no point beating herself up, killing herself over a male who did not want her . . . Her father had taught her to bear these rejections with dignity, that one day there would come a male who would love and care for her. She had thought that male was Zaldon. After waiting so long, she had thought that finally . . . Unable to stop herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and broke down sobbing. She wished her mother was alive to hold her!

"Oh, god, don't cry," Zaldon begged and held Alea tight.

"I j-just wanted you to want me back!"

"You sound like me," said Zaldon with a miserable laugh.

Alea pulled back and sniffed up at Zaldon, incredulous.

"The male I love," Zaldon told her. "He doesn't even know that I love him. And if he found out . . . he'd probably just laugh."

Alea's eyes filled with sympathy. "Oh, Zaldy," she said, cupping his face. "Don't you see? You should stay here with me! This male --"

"Kel," Zaldon told her.

"-- this Kel, he will never love you like I can!"

"Alea . . ." Zaldon said miserably. "I can't stay here -- I have to go back to him!"

Alea didn't argue, but as Zaldon and his mother continued their visit in the moon village, she also didn't stop her advances. She took every opportunity to corner Zaldon. Anytime their parents were out and Zaldon made the mistake of still being ill, she would slip into the bedroom, and after kissing and touching him in a frenzy, she would ride his cock, rolling her hips around, her tail flashing, her breasts shivering as she forced moans and cries of delight from her lover. Zaldon, still weak and bruised, gave in to these playful rapes and even somewhat enjoyed them: over time, Alea became a good friend to him, and it was not an uncommon thing for his mother to come home only to find the two in bed asleep together, happily cuddling.

"Do you think they will wed?" TayeLok wondered as he and Joli smiled on their cuddling pups. "I do so like Zaldon: a better male my Alea could never find!"

Joli beamed under the compliment but secretly worried: Zaldon would never consent to marrying Alea, but if she were to become pregnant, he would have no choice.

It turned out that was just what Alea was hoping for. Some months later, after Zaldon's bruised ribs had healed up and he was able to walk somewhat feebly around the hut, Alea revealed herself to be pregnant. Zaldon, never suspecting that his friend had purposely trapped him in a snare, agreed dismally to do the right thing and marry her. Everyone was overjoyed. Except Zaldon.

"I tried to keep Alea out of the hut while I was away," Joli apologetically told her son. "I sent her on what errands I could and took her with me every chance I got. But she would always slip away from me at market. I had a bad feeling she was trying in some way to keep you. She wants you very badly, Zaldy."

"No kidding," said Zaldon miserably. "But you didn't try as hard as you could have, did you, Mother?" he accused.

Joli set down her cup. "What's that supposed to mean!"

It was late in the evening, almost dusk, and Zaldon and Joli were in TayeLok's hut, seated around the fire in the front room. Zaldon glared at the flames, brooding that he'd been forced into parenthood a whole year before his first mating season. Melgo had already told Zaldon to take the females under their tails when the mating season came: then he would not have to worry about impregnating a female and thus being forced into a marriage, while he would also keep up the charade that he liked females as much as his friends. Hence, he could have avoided disaster. And yet, thought Zaldon in defeat, all of Melgo's lectures seemed to have been in vain now.

"Mom," said Zaldon, glaring sideways at Joli, "don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! You always wanted me to marry Alea! You love her like a daughter now, and you think by doing this I'll be happy, that I'll forget Kel --"

"Fine! You're right!" Joli snapped. "But is it such a crime to want to see my son happy? Zaldon, if you came back to the summer village with me, you would pine for Kel the rest of your days, lonely and depressed, and knowing you, you'd die that way. I don't want that for you!"

Zaldon bowed his head, and after a long pause, Joli was surprised when he said, "You're right, Mom."

Joli's ears pricked forward. "What?"

Zaldon lifted his head. "You're right," he said, shaking his head miserably at the fire. "If I go back to the summer village, I'll just go on lovin' him. And . . . it'll never end. Why should I suffer anymore? Alea loves me and she makes me happy, and even if she isn't a male . . . she's still someone to hold at night. She's -- she's the best friend I ever had!" Zaldon said as it dawned on him. It was true: he had never allowed himself to get close to Kel or any of Kel's friends for obvious reasons, and back in the winter village -- well, those friends had shown their true colors when Eno spread the truth about him. When he really thought about, before meeting Alea, Lynny was the only wolf he could really call a true friend.

Joli sighed, and Zaldon laughed to see just how relieved she looked: she had truly been scared for him! He pulled her close under his arm and she laughed mistily, laying her head on his shoulder.

"It seems just yesterday you were my little pups, you and Lynny," she said sadly. "And now, Zaldon, you're as big and bulky as your daddy -- well, almost."

Zaldon saw her lashes flutter when she laughed. He gazed thoughtfully at the fire, reflecting that Lynny was thirteen years old by now! He must've been as huge as Zaldon, a regular brute around the village. Lynny, like their father, had always been rough and commanding and too powerful for his own good. Zaldon wondered if his brother already had a girl in mind for his first mating season. Too bad Lynny hadn't met Alea, for he probably would've liked her: they were both so commanding, so ready to turn a blind eye to anything except what they wanted, and once they had that desire in focus, they took it without asking.

As tradition decreed, Zaldon did not marry Alea right away. As if he had claimed her at the mating season, he waited until the pup was born to make sure it was his. Nine months later, Zaldon was almost sixteen when his daughter, Ettore, was born. She was a bright white pup with Zaldon's black eyes, but she had Alea's narrow, ugly face. She was a plump, darling little bundle that giggled and cooed in her father's arms. The first time Zaldon looked at her, he forgot anyone or anything else existed. All that mattered now was taking care of his daughter -- and Alea, who had given him this precious gift.

"The village elder gave his blessing!" Alea happily informed Zaldon some days after their child was born. She all but bounced into the room, her bright eyes glowing. "We can be married tomorrow! Oh, Zaldon! I never thought I could be this happy!"

Zaldon, who was standing over Ettore's crib with his back to Alea, didn't say a word. Alea halted. What was the matter? He had been so happy only hours before, a doting father! A cold feeling crept over her when she realized for the first time how quiet the room was. She couldn't hear her daughter breathing, no infant coos or sighs came from the crib. Her heart hammering in a sudden panic, Alea flew into the room, her belly almost slamming into the crib. Her heart stopped: Ettore was laying in the blankets, her little lips slightly parted, her body motionless and pale, as if the life had been sucked from her, taking with it color and essence and the giggly girl-child they had fallen so helplessly in love with. She had been dead for at least half an hour.

Zaldon's ears went flat on his head and the tears came afresh when Alea threw her head back, and tearing at her mane, she howled long and wretched to the ceiling.