The moon was waxing in the sky. Getting closer to full. Now I know people like to say the moon brings out the lunatic in people. Some think it's just some crazy talk. I think the people who go a little weird around a full moon are just a little more in touch with their animal side.
The full moon makes us more aggressive. That and the fact that for the three nights of the full, we have to be wolves. We've got no choice in the matter, even if it's an inconvenience sometimes. There's thing you can take, I've heard, to stop or at least delay the change. I've never wanted to. Not even when my own growing agrees ion could just get me in trouble. It'd be denying part of me.
So the full moon approached, and I grew belligerent. It was nothing compared to Grey. His dominance came through stronger than any alpha I'd ever seen, more than my own father. It was in the way he moved, stalked, glared. It was in the way he came up to me and nudged me aside, harder than necessary. It was in the challenge in his eyes.
Any other time of the month, I'd have backed down, given him his space. He was spoiling for a fight, and there was no one else to take out his aggression on. I was his beta. It was my duty. Not to mention the part of me that only ever got strong enough to challenge an alpha during the full moon wouldn't allow me to refuse.
I accepted his challenge and with a flash of teeth and fur, the fight began.
I was going to lose. I knew it before we even began. He was stronger, a better fighter and hunter, and was fully healed. My own skill would be enough to keep me from getting too badly hurt, but there was no way I could win. I fought him anyway.
The first growl Grey gave terrified the sheep and sent them running from us. I saw his lunge and twisted away. I was leaner, maybe a bit faster for my smaller size, and so I managed to get mostly out of the way of that first bite. He still caught my shoulder, but his fangs didn't tear as deeply as they could. I doubled around and bit him back. It was one of few hits I'd land.
His howl turned into a snarl mid-sound and he batted at me with what suddenly seemed like a massive paw. Then his teeth sunk in and he flung me off as though I were a pup. I couldn't help the yelp at the fangs sinking into flesh, and by the gleam I caught in his eyes, the sounds thrilled him. I could barely remember the last time I fought. It ad had been vicious, I remember, and I almost didn't survive. But then, that fight hadn't been for sport.
I lunged again, and caught him once more, but it was only seconds before that powerful muzzle latched on and flung me again. This time, before I could haul myself up, Grey was there, pinning me down. Do you yield? His eyes were intense, compelling.
I yield. There was no way to free myself to continue the fight. I had to yield. That answer seemed to satisfy Grey though, because he released me, triumph in his face, and most of his undirected aggression gone. He moved just enough to let me up, but didn't stray. Instead, he nosed at my wounds, and with the single-minded intensity of an alpha caring for his beta, he started to lick them clean.
I didn't move. The sting of the injuries were slowly melting away under his ministrations, and I just submitted, watching him intently.
You fight well. Grey's compliment was unexpected and I'm sure I showed my surprise.
Not as well as you, was all I could come back with. It was a simple truth, one Grey acknowledged with a huff of breath. But his words struck me. They'd never been said to me before.
He lay down next to me, both of us amused as the sheep slowly came to realize the snarling, growling wolves were not planning to attack. They returned to their grazing, and we rested where we were.
Until my ears picked up a low rumble of sound. It wasn't thunder. There was a truck coming up the hill, a truck I knew had to belong to Jacob. For the first time since I'd found Grey, we were about to have company, and I had no idea how to explain Grey to the owner of the ranch.
The full moon makes us more aggressive. That and the fact that for the three nights of the full, we have to be wolves. We've got no choice in the matter, even if it's an inconvenience sometimes. There's thing you can take, I've heard, to stop or at least delay the change. I've never wanted to. Not even when my own growing agrees ion could just get me in trouble. It'd be denying part of me.
So the full moon approached, and I grew belligerent. It was nothing compared to Grey. His dominance came through stronger than any alpha I'd ever seen, more than my own father. It was in the way he moved, stalked, glared. It was in the way he came up to me and nudged me aside, harder than necessary. It was in the challenge in his eyes.
Any other time of the month, I'd have backed down, given him his space. He was spoiling for a fight, and there was no one else to take out his aggression on. I was his beta. It was my duty. Not to mention the part of me that only ever got strong enough to challenge an alpha during the full moon wouldn't allow me to refuse.
I accepted his challenge and with a flash of teeth and fur, the fight began.
I was going to lose. I knew it before we even began. He was stronger, a better fighter and hunter, and was fully healed. My own skill would be enough to keep me from getting too badly hurt, but there was no way I could win. I fought him anyway.
The first growl Grey gave terrified the sheep and sent them running from us. I saw his lunge and twisted away. I was leaner, maybe a bit faster for my smaller size, and so I managed to get mostly out of the way of that first bite. He still caught my shoulder, but his fangs didn't tear as deeply as they could. I doubled around and bit him back. It was one of few hits I'd land.
His howl turned into a snarl mid-sound and he batted at me with what suddenly seemed like a massive paw. Then his teeth sunk in and he flung me off as though I were a pup. I couldn't help the yelp at the fangs sinking into flesh, and by the gleam I caught in his eyes, the sounds thrilled him. I could barely remember the last time I fought. It ad had been vicious, I remember, and I almost didn't survive. But then, that fight hadn't been for sport.
I lunged again, and caught him once more, but it was only seconds before that powerful muzzle latched on and flung me again. This time, before I could haul myself up, Grey was there, pinning me down. Do you yield? His eyes were intense, compelling.
I yield. There was no way to free myself to continue the fight. I had to yield. That answer seemed to satisfy Grey though, because he released me, triumph in his face, and most of his undirected aggression gone. He moved just enough to let me up, but didn't stray. Instead, he nosed at my wounds, and with the single-minded intensity of an alpha caring for his beta, he started to lick them clean.
I didn't move. The sting of the injuries were slowly melting away under his ministrations, and I just submitted, watching him intently.
You fight well. Grey's compliment was unexpected and I'm sure I showed my surprise.
Not as well as you, was all I could come back with. It was a simple truth, one Grey acknowledged with a huff of breath. But his words struck me. They'd never been said to me before.
He lay down next to me, both of us amused as the sheep slowly came to realize the snarling, growling wolves were not planning to attack. They returned to their grazing, and we rested where we were.
Until my ears picked up a low rumble of sound. It wasn't thunder. There was a truck coming up the hill, a truck I knew had to belong to Jacob. For the first time since I'd found Grey, we were about to have company, and I had no idea how to explain Grey to the owner of the ranch.