The Demon Deer

Chapter 11

          Through the trees and brush, Tinley ran, jumping to grab onto a limb, swinging to propel himself forward. He landed with the soft dexterity of a predator, falling into a roll and cutting a sharp left as he gained his feet. Even as fast as he had become, he didn't make it two steps before those powerful arms he had come to know so well wrapped him up and slammed him to the ground. He lay on his back, wrists pinned above his head, with Galavin mounting him, teeth only a fraction of an inch from his face.

          "Dead again little deer."

          Tinley turned his head to the side, cheeks flushing, and mumbled something so low, even Galavin couldn't hear it.

          "What's that?" Galavin asked, leaning close, and Tinley sank teeth that were much to sharp to be that of a deer into his ear. "YEOOWWWW!!!!!"

           "I said, my name is TINLEY," he shouted, drawing back both legs and kicking the wolf full fledged in the chest, rolling to his feet as he did so but  three steps later he found himself face down in the rapidly melting snow, wolf atop of him once again.

          "You are one forest of a fawn.... Tinley," the wolf said softly, almost a whisper, drawing out the name as if he were tasting it.

          Tinley shivered even though his body grew hot, hoping once again, against all instinct, that Galavin would bite him. He wanted to feel the pain of those teeth sinking slowly into his flesh.

          When he twisted, the wolf let him roll on to his back, but didn't get up, it's heavily muscled frame driving him into the mud. The sunlight above them gave Galavin's russet fur, a beautiful golden hue and Tinley had never seen anything more beautiful.

          Tinley reached up, running his fingers through his mane, marveling at how soft it was, finding the tuft of his ear, marked with the impression of teeth and giving it a  a gentle pull. His eyes glowed, bright, golden, and Tinley felt a tickle in the back of his brain, similar to a door being opened, flooding his mind with thought and emotion. They both gasped as what he was sure was the pack link traded every feeling between.

          Without thinking twice about it, he wrapped his fingers in Galavin's hair, pulling him close, and imitating the most powerful form of submission a deer could offer, running his tongue, small and pink, across the wolf's cheek, as he had seen many doe do when accepting a mate. He knew Galavin could see this through their pack link, would know what it meant and exactly what was being offered.
     
          "Tinley..." Galavin growled throatily.

          In a frenzy Galavin's mouth was on his, and they were biting clawing and wrestling for advantage, just like always except somehow much more. The link opened wider, and Tinley could feel everything. He could feel the love that poured from the wolf in waves, could see himself how he was seen and in the process Galavin saw something too.

          Suddenly, without warning, Galavin jerked away, shaking his head forcefully as if to clear it. "No... This... That can't be right.. you wouldn't."

          Tinley flinched from the confusion that ran into his mind through the link, the pain, the anger. "Wha-What's wrong?"

         "You," Galavin said, standing and pulling at his hair. "You... "

          "What!?" Tinley asked, voice shaking, but he already knew. He could feel it.

          Galavin looked at him, so angry... So hurt. "You're no mate! You're nothing more than prey!"

          "That's not true," Tinley said, his eyes hot with tears. "I'm your friend... I love-"

          "SHUT UP!" Galavin screamed. "You're a liar.... I have no friends."

           Tinley tried to stand but his legs were too weak. "You have me!"

          The wolf shook his head in disgust. "I'm not your friend. I'm your side project. You sneak away to see me when you get bored while I sit in that cave all day and night waiting for you!"

          "Don't do this Galavin!"

           "You're leaving," the wolf said, soft, sad. "Were you even going to tell me?"

           "Yes! I swear on the Moon and forest." Tinley promised. "I just didn't want to think of it... I didn't want things to change."

           "And you are expecting me to what? Stay here?" Galavin asked, reaching through the link to touch Tinley's mind. " No.... You wouldn't dare... You expect me to follow behind your herd.. like I'm some kind of pet... That's what you think of me?"

             "No!" Tinley shouted. "I never said that! Galavin I don't have a choice."

             "There you go with that again. As hard as you fight against it, you're still willing to use it as an excuse to be a coward," the wolf spat. "You ALWAYS have a choice. When the wolves came, you made a choice to not be prey."

          "That's not the same!"

          "You made the choice to save me."

          "I-I-"

          "And now you are making the choice to leave me..." Galavin said, his voice quiet now. "So go... Run away little deer... Run away and never ever return."

          Tears poured down Tinley's cheeks. "I'm not! Please... Please come with me..."

          "If you were asking that then I would... No question.. but you are not. You are asking me to follow behind... And that I won't."

         "If they knew then they would kill you."

          It was more than the wolf could handle, his face contorting in rage. He turned and punched through a tree almost as big around as Tinley in an astonishing display of strength no deer could ever hope of obtaining, his voice ringing with such power that it made Tinley tuck his tail. "I would like to see them try! The only time I will ever follow behind you is when I am chasing you down to eat."

          "You don't mean that..." Tinley whispered between sobs.

          He watched Galavin turn, running into the forest and felt the hole in his heart grow with every step. The pack link stretched thin, thinner, and when it broke completely the pain was unlike anything he could have ever imagined, tearing through his mind and separating him from reality, the cry that tore from his chest was one of heartbreak and sorrow.