The Lycanthrope Tails. Chapter Eight.
The Lycanthrope Stories
Chapter Eight
By Roofles
It was mid afternoon when Jared groggily woke up. There was a damp cloth over his eyes and a blanket had been draped up over his body. He could feel the bed underneath him and knew it was his own. He was back in his room and he smiled at that. He could actually hear himself laugh a bit before coughing; his throat felt like a desert, his tongue just as dry and scratchy.
As if sensing this, water was offered to him. Jared gladly took hold of the cup. The man holding it slowly tipped it into his mouth and he drank half the cup before he let up. Still Jared coughed a few times, trying to sit up.
A strong hand kept him from moving, placing it's palm on his chest and roughly forcing him back down.
"Easy, pup." Dakota said down to him. The wolf had returned to his human form, hoping it'd be less taxing on the poor man's heart still resting in bed. "You passed out. Need to make sure you're ok." Dakota was shirtless but had the mind to snag a pair of jeans, not needing underwear, from a cloths line on the way back to Jared's home.
"Thanks." Jared sighed, resting back down and took a few moments taking slow even breaths. "Dakota?" Jared asked wearily, not wanting to get an answer in return. Wanting to believe this all had been a dream, a nightmare and nothing more. Even if he knew otherwise, it was nice to daydream such pleasant thoughts.
"I'm here, pup." Dakota just whispered down to him. He sniffed at the man, checking to see if he was really alright. Smoke inhalation can cause far worse than just knocking someone out. Thankfully, it appeared Jared suffered from only that. Still Dakota didn't let him sit up anymore than need be, propping up a few more pillows behind him.
It had been ages since Dakota had been within a human city for this long, let alone within a home itself. It was only at Frostbite's suggestion that Dakota chose to return to this house. Otherwise the Red Fang would prefer the safety and sanctuary of the woods.
"It'll be easier on the boy." Frostbite had said, limping after him. "Don't stress him out any further than he already is." The silver fur wolf went on when they had gotten to the house, seeking shelter within it's walls. Dakota had forgotten to close the door and made sure to check the house thrice to make sure everything was clear for Jared to come in. Still he kept one ear up, listening to any and every sound.
"Take a shower." Dakota waved at the bathroom as he carried Jared inside. "You reek." And that was the last thing the russet fur wolf had said to his pack mate for the next several hours as the sun rose high into the sky.
Frostbite had done as he was ordered too, getting a warm meal and fresh water after. Binging out and emptying the whole fridge. Clean, freshened up and with something in his stomach he moved over towards the corner and curled up for the rest of the day. Such pleasures went far for the dismal wolf's spirits. Still he found himself watching the far bedroom door, waiting for that wolf to come out and finish the job Frostbite was sure he was called to do.
"The pack doesn't know anything about this." Dakota had told him. "If you tell anyone, I'll rip your throat out." And the threat was genuine Frostbite knew. That worried him. If the pack wasn't aware of the Fang's actions, then what was going on in the pack? What of the Alpha? It worried him greatly. Almost as much as Dakota worried him.
There was only one man in this whole known world that Frostbite was afraid of, and he was right in front of him.
"Out of the frying pan, an into the fire." Frostbite just groaned loudly resting his head down on his legs. "Stupid pup," he continued to grumble. "Got me into this mess."
Hours had gone by and nightmares plagued Frostbite as he attempted to sleep, making him twitch and whine in a restless slumber as he tried to run away from each nightmare and finding himself unable too. Trapped by a chain one second, then nailed to the ground. And finally trapped within a cage that grew ever smaller, only able to see the pearly white teeth of that wicked smile. Haunting him as a dagger appeared, lifting up into the sky before thrusting downwards.
Just then the door to the bedroom opened and Frostbite's eyes jumped open. He lifted his large head enough to see Jared come out, Dakota behind. The russet fur wolf had shaped into a human form, that alone was unnerving to see. Dakota still smelled the same and Frostbite's ears laid back on his head as he growled at the man. Frostbite wasn't even sure a Fang could shape into a human form. Seeing him now only deepened the pit in his stomach.
"Easy," Jared muttered raising a hand up at the growling wolf, unaware it was the man behind him Frostbite was growling at. "I just want to make sure you're ok." Jared looked back at Dakota however. "Just to make sure he's ok." He replied to the man. Dakota had disapproved with Jared getting up or moving around for that matter. Jared could be rather persuasive and forceful. The second Dakota faltered the man was up and out of the room.
Dakota didn't reply, already in a sour mood, just crossed his arms and rested against the hallway wall looking down at the ground as Jared moved over to inspect the silver fur wolf's wounds.
"Just want to make sure things haven't gotten worse." Jared chuckled a bit but Frostbite only frowned at him, wiping the smile off his face. "I'm just glad you made it out alive." Jared said truthfully moving down next to the wolf and lifting one of his large paws to inspect. There was a deep scar on the front and back of his paw where a metal stake had been nailed through it. The paw was healing now but the flesh was still tender and fur hadn't grown back, Jared wasn't sure if it ever would. Then again werewolves seemed to be even able to survive torture.
"Man, they really banged you up something bad." Jared muttered aloud, just speaking his thoughts as he checked the three lacerated cuts on his back. Oddly, the flesh was taking far longer to heal there than it had on the paws or anywhere else.
"His own fault." Dakota sneered now, looking over and giving a throaty chuckle. He disapproved giving such help to the weak. "Getting caught like that. How pathetic." And the fact Jared was seemingly fawning over the other wolf.
Frostbite snarled back at him, meeting his challenge. "At least I didn't abandon the pack and run away with my tail between my legs."
That got a noticeable response from the red wolf who took a step forward, baring his teeth Jared notice had turned into fangs. "Watch it." Dakota warned in a tone that would make even a mobster back off. "Watch your fucking tone, before I rip your throat out." He raised one hand up and already the flesh had peeled back to reveal the fur underneath it, claws extending from his finger nails. The sight of flesh ripping like wet tissue paper and human nails cracking open made Jared go white in the face.
"D-dakota!" He said, already having backed away from Frostbite. His voice was slightly higher pitch than he meant too. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Shit." He said loudly and Dakota backed down, still shooting daggers at the injured wolf. "For fuck sake, he's injured as it is! Aren't you guys suppose to be like... like friends or something?"
The two laughed at that. The one thing they seemed to have in common.
"Like I could be friends with such a weakling." Dakota just answered turning his back and letting out a long breath through his nostrils, controlling his rage and forcing his hand to return to that of a human. It hurt like a bitch when he lost control and the inner beast got out, like putting your hand into a fire while someone ripped your skin off.
Out in the wild Dakota would've gladly taken that challenge, putting Frostbite in his place. Here was a different story and the same rules didn't exactly apply. That and the fact Jared was in the room didn't help matters either.
"A Fang doesn't even know what a friend is." Frostbite spat out, sounding more like a warning as he turned towards Jared. "Only who to kill and who not too. Their empty. Nothing more than instinct. They might as well be feral." Frostbite was the one to sneer now, looking down at the other wolf.
Dakota kept his back on the wolf. Hearing every word and feeling his eyes turn into that golden bronze as if they were on fire. A fist went through the wall silencing Frostbite's taunts and making Jared jaw drop.
"I'm going out." Dakota just said stuffing both hands into his jeans and heading for the door.
"Ok..." Jared just muttered watching the man walk by and out the front door. They exchanged a look and Jared found himself flushing a bit before looking away. The door slammed behind Dakota. "Shit what was that about." He muttered looking at the hole in the wall. That was going to be hard to explain to Tess.
"Anger." Frostbite grumbled resting back down. He was breathing heavily now and shaking a bit. Jared pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and laid it over the silver fur wolf. Those amber eyes looked up at him in thanks. "A Fang doesn't know much else."
"So you said." Jared replied getting up and ignoring the mess in the kitchen, he could deal with that later. He came back two seconds later with a medical kit from the garage and popped it open. "Here, let me see one of your hands again."
Frostbite offered his paw and watched as this human cleaned the wound, looking over it before pulling out a few bandages.
"It'll be fine." Frostbite grumbled a bit. "Such a wound heals in a matter of days."
"You had a nail hammered through your foot." Jared shook his head, still applying the bandages how his sister had taught him too. "I don't care what your pride has to say on the matter, this isn't something I'm going to ignore. Where did Dakota go anyways?" The man asked if only to change the subject so the wolf would let him work.
"Patrolling most likely." Was all he got in a reply.
Frostbite watched him worked, wiggling his toes after it was done. It wasn't restraining, though it felt odd having something on his paws. He kept trying to shake the bandages off. "You really are an annoying human." Frostbite finally spoke watching him work on his other paw now.
"Yeah." Jared chuckled a bit at that, smiling softly. "I get that a lot. I'm as stubborn as a mule. Or a republican." He laughed at that. Frostbite just tilted his head in confusion, so the man just rolled his eyes. Jared worked in silence until both the front paws had been wrapped up. He looked over his work. "Thank you," he finally said moving back a bit to give the wolf some breathing space.
Frostbite just lifted an eyebrow not replying.
"If you weren't there, in the cage with me..." Jared sighed, shaking his head. "I was afraid. Scared shitless." And he laughed a bit if only to try and calm his nerves. "If had just been me? Well... I don't know what I could have done. It was only because there was someone else there, someone that needed me to do something that I could." Jared adjusted the blanket over the wolf, letting one of his hind paws hang out so he could work on it. "Not like you meant too, I know." Jared said replying to what Frostbite was about to say. "Still, thank you."
"You're kind of an idiot, aren't you?" Frostbite frowned now watching him work on his hind paws. His frown only deepened as Jared bandaged one of his thighs, the one that had been broken so he couldn't escape in the beginning. Jared made sure not to look at the groin practically in his face, frowning at the fact of how much bigger Frostbite was than himself.
Frostbite winced, growling softly which Jared ignored for the most part. The man sped up his work before moving back and away to inspect his work on the injured thigh.
"I get that a lot too." Jared shrugged committing on the "idiot" part and not at the growl, though that was becoming far more common. He just took a seat, resting back and out of the wolf's reach in case Frostbite would like to return the favor of pain. "You look a lot better now." He pointed out. "I take it you took a shower?"
Frostbite looked away at that. "This shower of yours is too small for me." Jared didn't ask how the silver fur wolf dried himself off, knowing that he'd already have to clean both the kitchen and bathroom. He had seen how bad the kitchen had been made into a mess. Jared could only imagine what the bathroom was like.
"Next time I'll fill up the big metal tub in the garage and give you a yard bath." Jared laughed at the notion. The metal tin he spoke of had been used countless time to do the very thing for strays his sister had picked up. Tess had a bad habit of taking any injured animal in. Which wasn't so bad, except she had a horrible habit as well of leaving them in the care of Jared and just leaving.
"Next time, huh?" Frostbite looked at him and Jared blushed a bit at the idea. Jared wasn't sure if he was joking, teasing him or threatening. Frostbite had a very cold manor that left his tone as empty as the Northern tundra.
"Sorry, I was just joking is all." And the man lifted his hands up in peace taking the safe route of assuming he might've insulted the wolf and needed to make amends before Frostbite did with his teeth. Jared pulled back as that large nose bumped into one of his palms. It sniffed at him.
"You have a nice scent." Was all Frostbite said as he rested back down. Jared was unsure if that was a gesture of thanks for what he had done for the wolf, or what it had been. "I'll make sure not to hunt you in the future." Frostbite chuckled making Jared feel even more uncomfortable. So he got up and began to clean up the kitchen the best he could. Just needing something to distract him from the fact a huge wolf was resting in his living room. Even on all fours, Frostbite was nearly as tall as Jared was. A rather frightening notion seeing as how Frostbite's paw was bigger than Jared's face.
The kitchen was a mess. And the fridge had gotten the brute force of it all. Food had been pulled down out of it and thrown over the floor. Several of the drawers had been knocked down and one of the vegetable drawers on the bottom had been all but ignored. The one above it, where they kept junk food, was actually dented in where Frostbite had tried to get into it. Milk had spilled onto the ground and the fridge hadn't even been closed. Jared wondered how much he would be paying in his electric bill this month.
Jared snagged a beer from the fridge door and a bowl from the cabinet. He filled it up and headed over to the wolf, making sure to shut the door and pick up the milk carton and dump it into the sink before hand. "Could you not have made such a large mess in my house?" Jared made sure to keep his tone friendly as he set the bowl in from of the wolf, who sniffed at it and wrinkled his nose in return. "Hey, I did promise you a beer."
"Right." Frostbite took a lick at it. He gagged at the taste, shaking his head. Then kept it up. "I've had better." Was all he said after draining more than half the bowl.
"Of course." Jared kept his distance as he took a seat, looking away unsure what to say. "I'm sure you had better stuff when you were human."
Frostbite looked up at that, licking his lips. "Been many moons since I was last human."
Jared nodded at that. "Makes sense. Sort of." He added the last part more for his own benefit. "It's fine, you know." Jared said gesturing to the wolf. "To stay in... whatever form your most comfortable with."
"I planned too." Frostbite just replied dipping his muzzle down and licking the bowl clean. "Not as if I could shift in the state I'm in anyways." He grumbled resting his head back down and going back to his self-pitying state.
"Your alive." Jared said. "That's all that matters, right now."
"Unfortunately." Frostbite replied. He had told Dakota too only for the fact in his human form, Frostbite might have a small sliver of a chance in fighting him. Or escaping if the wolf finally decided to finish the job. It was like having a guillotine above his head. All he was waiting for was it to fall.
His whole body felt stiff being trapped in that cage for so long. If he could, he'd gladly run laps around the whole city. "My whole body feels like concrete."
"Understandable." Jared nodded and got up. Frostbite watched him as he headed over. "You mind?" He asked before taking a seat and offering his hand. Frostbite took a moment on that before offering his arm. "Your muscles have atrophied from being locked up for so long. I'm kind of surprised your not covered in bed sores or anything."
Jared kneaded his lower arms before working up and massaging over it and up to his shoulder. Rocking it back and forth. "When we used to take in strays in, we'd have to bandage their legs to the point they couldn't use them. Afterward, when the bandages came off, the muscles were really weak and we'd have to do different types of physical therapy. It's the same principle here." Jared admired the thick coat of fur, wondering what it was like in its prime and during the winter seasons when it'd be thickest, while he worked. It was soft. Not like silk but smooth and flowed through his fingers. It felt more like a thick rug unsurprisingly.
"Why would you care?" Frostbite asked again though showed no attempt at stopping him. It did help his sore muscles.
"I'm stupid, remember?" Jared chuckled a bit. "Ever since I was young me and my sister could never not help someone, or something. Even spiders and other creepy crawlers. We've always tried to not kill anything and let them outside." He mused a bit after that, thinking what his sister would say about all of this. If the two didn't act up, or speak, he was sure Tess wouldn't mind. Just be like having large, feral, blood thirsty dogs in the house...
"Funny then," Frostbite spoke slowly still watching him work. "How the Red Fang seems attached to you." And those amber eyes turned to look up at him. "A saint and a killing machine."
"Sounds like a bad sitcom." Jared joked working on Frostbite's stiff neck. He could feel the knots in it and had to work his palm in almost every part of it. "He's not that bad of a guy." Jared shrug talking about Dakota. "He's only been friendly since I've known him. The day I've known him." Jared offered with another shrug.
"So far." Frostbite just said with a frown. "You don't know him as I do. A Fang is nothing more than the teeth of the pack. All they do is for the good of it. Ripping out it's own throat if need be. Any that threaten the pack, must die..." Frostbite sat up a bit.
"Intense." Jared said not taking everything in for word value. Frostbite seemed to have a bone to pick with Dakota and Jared was more than happy not to get between the two. That wouldn't be a pretty sight.
"They have the authority to kill who they feel is necessary." Frostbite continued to press however. He was growling now, looking away and thinking of other things. "Anyone that threatens. Even members of the pack." Frostbite fell silent after that.
"Like a license to kill, huh?" Jared nodded at that, moving down a bit to work on his hind legs. Sitting up as he was, Frostbite was putting unneeded pressure on it. Jared didn't point this out however/
Frostbite yelped at the pressure Jared had used against the hip, still knew to all of this, and growled down at him. Jared apologized quickly and backed up a bit.
"Something like that..." The silver fur wolf continued to growl a bit. He sat up some more, stretching his legs out when Jared stopped and moved away. They did feel better, which annoyed Frostbite more having to rely on a human so. "Just need to get the blood flowing, is all." Frostbite said before the human could protest about him moving around.
In the pack words were hardly used or needed. Actions spoke louder than flimsy words. If you couldn't back them up, then there was no need to say them. You'd only be put in your place. That was the way of the wild.
Frostbite hadn't spoken so much in the past months than he had now. Every now and then he struggled with words trying to recall which ones to use properly.
"Look," Frostbite said taking a seat next to the couch Jared had seated himself on. He huffed, puffed and finally managed to work his way up onto the creaking sofa that sunk in from the wolf's weight. "Just keep an eye on him." And he nudged his head towards the door Dakota had left. "Even while sleeping."
Jared chose to get up and give the wolf some space, just in time as Frostbite collapsed over and laid down on the couch. A second later that had would've fallen in his lap.
"He's no friend to anybody..." Frostbite finished with, closing his eyes and soon falling asleep.
Jared frowned at the silver fur wolf, deciding he'd check out the rest of his wounds another time and just laid the blanket he had used before over him. He stopped himself from petting the wolf's head, forcing himself to understand the fact that this was a wolf. Not some stray dog. And needed to show him that kind of respect in turn. Or things would get ugly.
It was easy to make the mistake. Kids grew up with fluffy animals and pet dogs. When they grew up some still had the notion that wild animals were friendly. Such as a raccoon that would later on maul your face.
So Jared rested back in the large chair next to the couch, a circular thing that dipped in at the bottom forming around one like a bean bag chair. He crossed his legs and pulled the spare blanket underneath him, over himself. A massive pillow, like a dog bed, had been shoved into the back of the chair serving as a cushion. Smaller pillows filled up the empty spaces in the corner as well. It was comfortable despite the way it looked. And Jared soon found himself feeling far more exhausted than he thought after his whole "being kidnap fiasco."
Still, he wondered where Dakota had run off too.
Outside Dakota had taken off after the one spying on the three as they made their way through the city. He knew they were being tailed after they left the steel mill, from who? He couldn't be sure. It had followed them even though he had tried to lose their trail all the way back to Jared home. And once they found that, they had to die.
It was his own mistake, he should have taken care of the threat sooner. He had gotten wrapped up with making sure Jared was ok he forgot the greater threats out there. And the whole time Dakota was mentally hitting himself for his stupidity.
Dakota took the pants with him as he bolted on all fours between the trees. Running with a fire in his step. It wasn't long before he had caught up with the shadow that had tailed him and Dakota curved around, running parallel with the stalker before breaking through the trees and pouncing on top of them.
He hit the body hard, rolling over on top of it. Pressing a massive paw down on the other wolf's throat, Dakota looked down into the startled face of Raith, the pale blue fur wolf he had met at the meeting. Dakota frowned, only now being able to smell him. This wolf was good at hiding his trail.
"What. Do you want?" Dakota snarled now his teeth barely inches away from the other wolf's face. A thick tendril of drool splattered on Raith's cheek. His wide eye looked at it and up at the red wolf.
"E-easy, friend. Easy." Raith began. "Can't... breathe..." He choked a bit and Dakota relented, if only a bit. "I came on. The Alpha. Command." Raith choked out moving out from under Dakota's paw, and rubbing at his neck with one of his own. "Could've killed me."
"If I wanted to kill you," Dakota just said. "I would have." And the cold look he gave Raith told him how true those words were. "What does he want?" Dakota spat out. "And for that matter if you were here on his command, why did you run?"
"Obvious," Raith said but frowned at the fact Dakota didn't get it. "I can't let the humans find out about us. I was leading us back to the pack before you... you jumped me!" Raith got up, moving away but kept his head down low and looking up at him. A gesture of a lower member of the pack would give in respect. "I meant no harm."
"You followed me." Dakota said in a low growl.
"It is my job too, yes." Raith bowed his head. "I am the Alpha's shadow, I go where he wishes me too."
"And what about the hunters?" Dakota glared daggers.
"You handle them as I knew you would. I smelled gunpowder however, and chose to keep my distance." Raith bowed his head in shame. "I am not one to fight. I am but a shadow. A whisper. And nothing more."
"The watchdog of the pack." Dakota chuckled at that showing his lack of respect for such a role. "What does the Alpha want?"
"The Alpha commands for you to return. He will be wanting to hear news of this. How you dealt with the threat and even rescued Frostbite!" Raith stood up a bit, wagging his tail. "You will be welcome back with open arms." And he turned his head, ears up and panting happily. "A celebration is in order! We have a member of our pack back, alive! There should be elk around here, maybe even a moose. It'll be a feast."
Dakota watched the pale fur wolf dance in his joy at the idea before shattering it the next second. "I'm not going."
"Not...not going?" Raith turned to look back at him, wide eyed. Then he chuckled. "Stop joking, Red Fang. The Alpha has called. You have answered once already."
"And it was a mistake too." Dakota just said.
"What is the meaning of this?" Raith growled now. "Your job is to protect the pack! You are the Fang." And he said the word as he had when referring to himself as the Shadow. "What is a pack without it's fang?"
"Not my concern." Dakota just said getting up. "Do not bother me again. Or I will rip your throat out." And he bared his teeth. His favorite threat for more reasons than one.
Raith took a step back, cowering away. "The Alpha will hear of this."
"Of course." Dakota just said moving his head away from the wolf and dismissing him as nothing more than the very dirt beneath his feet. Even that, the dirt, had more use than this wolf did for Dakota.
"Is it about that boy?" Raith asked only after Dakota had moved away. The pale wolf's cowardice all but gone as he stood up, smirking at Dakota's back.
Dakota snarled deeply at that and Raith had already moved back and away, into the trees out of range. Out of view.
"It is, isn't it?" Raith barked a laugh. The sound echoing around Dakota and he only then realized why he had been led to this corridor of the forest. The very dome shape of it made their voices bounce around them and it was impossible to pin point Raith's position before he moved again. "A human no less! Oh, if they heard about this. They'd laugh and laugh. What to do, what to do?"
"And what?" Dakota just growled back.
"Well?" Raith appeared above him, standing on the side of a rock. He laid down on the edge of it, looking down at Dakota. "I'm sure the Alpha will order his death, of course." And he gave a toothy grin at that.
Dakota spun around glaring up at him. Raith laughed once more, moving into the shadows of the tress and disappearing as he had before.
"Easy, friend. Easy." Raith teased appearing from behind and walking into the open, if only a step. "Or should I call you, Red Fang?" And he bowed his head, looking up and his eyes were even laughing. The coward he had been before all but gone showing his true colors now. "Surely, the Red Fang can do something about this. The Red Fang can do anything!" Raith kept saying his name, mocking him and his title. Dakota took a step forward and even before he finished taking it Raith had moved back and disappeared like smoke in the air.
"What is that boy to you?" Raith inquired now, taking a seat up on the rock as if he had never left it and inspecting one of his dark gray nails. "I've never heard of a Fang turning on his pack before, abandoning them in their time of need?" He shook his head side to side. "Tsk, tsk. What is the world coming too?"
"I am protecting my pack," Dakota almost said but that'd be revealing his hand and he knew that was what Raith wanted him to say. Get confirmation on what he already knew. Dakota let out a heavy breath, not about to play into his game. "What do you want?"
"What any wolf wants." And Raith rolled onto his back at that showing his belly but up high Dakota couldn't see it. Raith scratched his chest with a paw and left it at that though as if Dakota was suppose to know the answer to what he had said.
"If you're going to just weasel off to rat my ass out, then what are you still doing around here?" Dakota found himself far more talkative than he'd been in the past year. A simple grunt, a nod a bark even would suffice. After meeting Jared, he'd been working on it. Somewhat.
Raith seemed to notice this too. "That boy you were with, you plan on turning him? Torturing him? Eating him? Or just having fun with him before you get rid of. The. Evidence." Raith teased at the end flopping over onto his belly and looking down at him once more. Dakota didn't answer or respond. "You asked about turning during the pack meeting. I can only assume that is what your after here."
Dakota looked up at him, appearing as if he was paying attention. Mentally he was mapping out the easiest, quickest route up onto the rock that would allow him to get his teeth around Raith's neck.
"Relax." Raith got to his feet. "I have no plans to tell the Alpha. He will find out eventually. And all I was wondering is." And he tilted his head to one side looking down at the wolf. "How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to sacrifice? For a human. This human." He corrected himself.
"Sacrifice?" Dakota mused the word aloud, rolling it in his mouth like bile before spitting it out in amusement. "If I had something to sacrifice, maybe." And it was Raith's turn to wonder what he meant by those words.
And it left the other wolf open.
And in that split second Dakota moved quickly, bolting across the grass and bounding up onto the side of a tree and high up onto the rock Raith was on. His front paws came crashing down with a thundering force. Raith was caught off guard but knew his way around a fight and practically flipped backwards out of the way of those paws, kicking off against a tree and pouncing onto Dakota back. His smaller size had always worked well against larger beasts. Prey or enemy alike, getting into their blind spot with lighting speed.
The pale fur wolf wasn't aware that was exactly what Dakota wanted, getting him into range of his fangs. Dakota was already twisting his body as Raith was in mid air, waiting to accept his invitation.
Blood flew through the air as Dakota tore at Raith's shoulder blade. Howling pain soon followed the blood as Raith was tossed off Dakota's side and back onto the forest floor where Dakota had been before. Dakota putting the wolf in his place, beneath him. The russet fur wolf didn't give time for Raith to get back up and jumped down, landing so hard the earth shook. Dakota delicately reached a paw out and crushed Raith's wind pipe with it, slamming his head hard against the ground hard enough for stars to dance in front of Raith's eyes.
"I really should rip your throat out." Dakota chuckled darkly bending his head low, showing his teeth to the other wolf once more. Letting them know what pure fear is, able to taste it in the air. The perfect aphrodisiac. Raith's eyes were wide as he looked at him. "Do you know why they call me the Red Fang?" Dakota whispered into his ear. "It's because I love to drink the blood of those I kill. Staining my teeth in a bloody smile."
Dakota kept his weight on Raith's throat and the pale fur wolf couldn't even reply.
Dakota rolled his head back, sighing deeply. "It's been so long since I've tasted the thickness of wolf blood." And in his delight he eased up on Raith who managed to worm out under his paw and away several feet. Dakota let him, looking back down to watch him squirm, enjoying himself too much to care that he had escaped.
Raith laughed, rubbing his throat a bit. His voice crackled. "Heh, you really are a monster, aren't you?"
"Always with the questions." Dakota replied giving him a toothy smile and showing off his bloody fangs.
"Never had the pleasure of tasting wolf blood." Raith moved back some more, slinking over the ground backwards. "Human on the other hand." And Raith was the one to show his sharp fangs.
Dakota stopped smiling and looked over at the wolf. He sighed, shaking his head. "And here I was hoping I could let you live." And he stood up, walking over to him on all fours cracking his neck side to side as he went and with every step he seemed to grow larger, more powerful as his fur rose on end. "You just had to go and say that, didn't you?" And he snarled, eyes glazing over with blood lust and rage so deep that his claws dug into the very ground.
Raith smiled at that. Seeing the look in his eyes and knowing something Dakota didn't. Instead Raith moved back and with each step he seemed to blur, fading into the very shadows even in the mid-afternoon light. Dakota had only seen that once and he was sure he wasn't hallucinating this time around.
"The Alpha will come for your boys head." Raith warned now his tone not one of amusement nor fear. Such games were over.
"He won't come." Dakota said, his bloodlust dying down leaving him with a bad itch he couldn't scratch. He licked his lips. "He'll send someone else to do his dirty work."
"I know." Raith replied and silence fell. "Watch yourself." Raith voice echoed around in the dome shape place Dakota found himself in. "They will come for your weakness. The hole in your armor."
The russet red fur wolf waited, listened and sniffed the very air to make sure the coast was clear and a trap hadn't been sprung. Raith knew Dakota wouldn't kill him. He brought him to this place to have a home field advantage. Dakota was three times as strong as the other wolf, so Raith had set up a situation that favored a small agile creature as he was. That pale fur wolf was more sly than any fox Dakota had ever met. He was dangerous. Even now his trail was gone and Dakota couldn't sniff him out. Raith was dangerous, and Dakota knew that now.
Dakota's large paws stopped at that. Not this threat but something knew. Something he had never felt before. "Home." He spoke the word aloud. He hadn't known that word until now. A place to call his own. Somewhere that was waiting for him to return too.
And with that thought Dakota headed back to town.
To make sure he didn't draw any suspicion he washed himself in a stream, caught a few plump rabbits even he himself was impressed with, put on his pants and headed back to Jared's. He didn't care what people had to say as he walked shirtless, shoeless and carrying three dead rabbits in hand down the sidewalk. Dakota still snarled at an old woman who got in his way. Unsure why humans kept their old and weak around.
A burly man that looked like he had just come down from the mountains drew the eye of nearly everyone around. Not that he cared. Dakota's body alone made nearly every guy envious and every woman want. Hair covered his chest and arms and down below where the pants dipped in the front, showing he wasn't even wearing anything under those jeans. Even his walk made lesser men shy away. A powerful stride that showed his dominance over them all. It was all in the attitude, Dakota knew.
Yet that was why he was struggling as he stopped in front of the door. Should he knock? Or just...
He shook his head with a bit of a growl at his won hesitation. Dakota opened the door and walked straight in as if he owned the place.
His foot steps fell heavy on the carpet. And they stayed there as he looked at the man sleeping in the circular chair, propped up on spindly wooden legs. They reminded Dakota of spider legs and he wondered how they even kept the chair up. Dakota shut the door softly. Walking silently over to the man, past him without even breaking stride and dumped the rabbits, the food he had brought home, onto the counter.
Dakota frowned at that. Somehow he was expecting something... more than this. As if he would be welcome home for bringing home food. The wolf wasn't sure what to do with them now.
Normally he'd eat them fresh, taste that warm blood in his jaws. Or bury them underground, where the earth was cool so they wouldn't spoil so quickly. He didn't sleep in the caves, back in their Northern Territory, with the others. Instead he'd lay under the stars just staring at the night sky without a thought in his head. Letting that empty void sink in.
It wasn't so empty anymore as he walked over to the man, stripped his jeans off as he went and letting them lay on the floor where they fell.
Dakota stopped in front of the chair, not even seeming to notice he was naked and Jared's face was at crotch height. Instead he moved the blanket over a bit and tried to wedge his rather large, muscular body into the chair with the other man. The wooden legs creaked under his weight. Protesting ever louder as he tossed a leg over Jared's rousing the man as he wrapped an arm behind his back and did his best to find a comfortable spot.
The legs snapped under the several hundreds of pounds in the chair and the two hit the ground, rolling with the chair as it curved onto it's back. A naked Dakota still sitting on top of Jared.
"Dakota?" Jared said sleepily looking at the man's face and his brain slowly catching up to him until finally he screamed realizing he was naked, again. They really needed to stop meeting like this.
Frostbite looked over, having woken up the second Dakota came home. The silver fur wolf rested his head on his front paws and frowned at the two. Then at Dakota. "You're an idiot." Was all he said before closing his eyes and trying to go back to sleep.