Bonding and Bite Marks

Guardian of the Forest

John coughed and choked, spluttering as water poured from his throat. His breath hitched and wretched as he rasped in a breath and pushed himself to his sodden knees. He shivered and shuddered in the dirt along the bank, blue eyes widening as he looked around in the semidarkness. Where? What? He crawled a little further from the cold, lapping water before a low, rumbling growl sounded behind him. Turning his head, he saw a large black shape hidden in the shadows. It may not have been pitch black yet, but with no form of light, it was hard to make out what it was. His heart pounded fearfully as the lumbering creature continued to snarl.

"H-hello?" He could barely get the fearful words out. His voice was dry and rasping from the water that had been forced from his lungs. He heard the growl retreat a little before coming closer. John doubled over and coughed again, chest aching as he retched even more water. When he looked up, he came nose to snout with an animal. He pushed himself up and stumbled back into the water in surprise, kicking his legs and scooting across the dirt. The animal also retreated, whining slightly and panting from further up the bank. As John pushed himself up again, he realised what the creature was. It was a dog. A large dog, but still a dog. "Oh..." Dog or not, it was clearly unhappy about him being there, and it had large teeth.

There were few reasons John could think of for a dog to be out in the wilds. Either his owners were hiking or he was a stray. Judging from his reaction to his appearance and the state of his thick fur, John guessed the latter. He clearly wasn't used to humans, or had a strong dislike of them. Despite that, he sensed the dog had had something to do with his rescue. The last thing he remembered was plummeting into the freezing water. The shock and fear had made him pass out in seconds. It had been too similar to what happened to Gene, too terrifying. He vaguely remembered trying to kick to the surface, but blacked out soon after. The dog continued padding closer and then padding away, almost testing him for a reaction.

"D-did you help me?" John asked hesitantly as he slowly reached out, holding his hand palm up. His fingers shook a little, both from nerves and the lingering cold. It may have been hot during the day, but he felt cold now that the sun had set, and he was still kneeling in the icy water. He remained low and submissive, sensing the dog's dominant nature. It was a male, large and well built. He could almost mistake it for a black wolf, and it had the most intense dark eyes when it got close enough to see. "Thank you." He couldn't help his omega pheromones seeping out, signalling his fear and submission. The dog was cautious as it stepped closer, black nose lightly sniffing the proffered hand.

John whimpered pathetically, clutching the chest of his soaked shirt as his senses were flooded with an urgent sense of relief and grief. Wherever he was, Lin had been suffering. He could feel hot tears pouring down his own cheeks as he sensed his mate's mixture of relief, joy, fear, and confusion. John was uncertain himself, but he desperately wanted to feel Lin's touch. He reached out through their bond, feeling Lin's emotions caress his own. He was worried, clearly able to feel his fear and vulnerability, as well as the cold.

Unfortunately, he had no idea where he was. It was dark, and as he pulled it out of his pocket, he realised his phone hadn't survived the fall, or the water. He had little choice but to find somewhere to wait out the night and hope Lin managed to track him down in the morning. He looked up as something wet and cold touched his cheek. Sensing his distress, the dog had padded closer, and was now nudging his cheek with its wet nose. It was almost affectionate, though cautious.

"I need to find shelter..." John murmured as he pushed himself up on heavy legs. His muscles were stiff, and his clothes were wet and heavy as he started heading up the bank towards what seemed to be a forest of sorts. He was a little anxious. It wasn't that he thought there were monsters or dangerous animals inside, but it was dark and he couldn't help the way his chest clenched at the thought of being alone in the trees.

The dog gave a small grunt as it appeared at his side, black fur still damp from the water. John felt a little reassured. Despite its wary nature, it seemed the dog had decided to take him as a companion of sorts. He allowed the dog to head in first, watching as it stopped and looked back, waiting for him to follow. John did so quietly, trying not to stumble in the darkness as he stepped over tree roots, the ground uneven beneath his booted feet. He really needed to find somewhere he could dry off and remove his boots. His feet were so cold he could barely feel his toes as he stumbled along. There was a high chance of him getting sick if he stayed as he was.

The dog led him to a small clearing, and what seemed to be a disused campsite. It was a small clearing, but there were three logs and a black scorched circle on the ground. John sighed in relief. He'd done survival training and camped at home in Australia, so he knew how to build a fire. The dog followed and watched with interest as he gathered fallen branches and sticks and piled them in the circle. It had been a long time since he'd had to start a fire using only sticks, but after a few minutes of rubbing, he managed.

"Did someone leave you here?" he asked curiously as the dog settled down beside one of the logs and watched the slowly growing fire. The dog let out a harsh growl, making him draw back a little. "Sorry I asked." Since he was alone with little risk of being seen, he got to his feet and started to strip. He couldn't keep his wet clothes on. The dog watched almost curiously as his pale skin was bared, dark gaze following him as he laid his clothes out on a log near the fire. It was close enough that the heat would dry them off in a while, but far enough that embers wouldn't catch the material. He set his boots and socks in front of the log, close enough to feel the heat.

John crossed his legs and sat on the dry ground by the fire, bare skin uncomfortable on the firm earth. He shivered a little, despite the burning heat against his legs, chest and face. The cold of the lake had set in deep, and he was probably in shock. It would take time for the fire to warm him through. He flinched as he felt long, rough fur caress his lower back. Looking to the side, he found the large dog had padded over and slowly curled around his back. Its large head rested on its paws beside his knee, while its long, fluffy tail brushed his opposite thigh. The presence was warm and reassuring. John was hesitant as he reached out and laid a gentle on the fluffy head.

"Thank you for keeping me warm," he murmured as he stroked the big, pointed ears, feeling the fluffed tail bump his bare skin as it wagged. It seemed the dog had accepted him on some level. John smiled warmly as he increased the firmness of his touch, feeling the bumps on his thigh increase. The dog may have been big, but it wasn't so scary anymore. In fact, it reminded him of the old guard dogs his parents kept on the farm in Australia. Huge, intimidating beasts that would see any poachers off their land, but soft and affectionate to those in their family. "I think I'll call you Kou," he decided quietly as he looked into the deep chocolate eyes that reminded him so much of Lin. The large dog made a small noise in response, content to close its eyes in his presence. John had no idea why the dog had saved him, or why it was there, but he was grateful.

After a while, he moved to check on his clothes, finding they were mostly dry. His boots were still damp on the inside, so he returned those and left them where they were. It was truly dark as night set in, and cold. The trees blocked most of the breeze, but a chill still bit his bones as he redressed. As he returned, he settled on the ground a little way from the fire, where he could still feel its warmth without having to worry about sparks. He wouldn't want to fall asleep and have his clothes catch fire. Kou padded over to join him, settling down behind his stretched out body to protect him from the chilly evening air. John closed his eyes, not really expecting to fall asleep, but it seemed the day had taken a toll on his body. A sleepy hum slipped out as Kou nuzzled his dry hair and snuffled against his scalp.