Fur and Fang [BXB]

Eleven

Fenn stood in front of a full length mirror taking in his new outfit. He was surprised by how well each of the pieces fit, considering he had not tried on anything prior to purchasing them. He had chosen a light wash jean jacket which he thought brought out the blue in his eyes quite nicely. Underneath that, he wore a thin white hoodie. He had also donned a pair of black, straight legged jeans and a pair of Converse sneakers.

He had owned a pair of Converse back in his early teenagedom and he really liked the way they looked. His feet, however, quickly remembered how uncomfortable they were.

Walking back into the bathroom, Fenn splashed a little water on his hands and ran his fingers through his messy hair, willing it to do something a little less chaotic. He quickly gave up, however, when the curls merely mocked him for the attempt.

He wasn't yet used to seeing his own face in the mirror. The gauntness had subsided significantly from when he had first arrived. Another week and he figured he'd be back at a healthy weight. Still, the man in the mirror was a stranger to him.

He wondered whether that was because he had truly changed since he was a teen, or because he had just forgotten what it looked like to see a happy, healthy reflection of himself in the mirror.

Sighing, Fenn figured this was as good as it was going to get and decided to head out to the living room to meet up with Atlas.

The man was dressed casually in a tight black t-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of dark brown leather boots. His eyes latched onto Atlas's bare biceps and a moment of concern overtook him.

"Won't you be cold?" the question slipped out of Fenn's mouth before he gave it permission to. Blushing, he looked away, realizing it was a stupid question. Werewolves were known for having high body temperatures, especially when they were in as good of shape as Atlas was. The man could probably sleep in a snow drift and be fine, even out of wolf form.

"I don't think it'll be too bad today. The sun is out, so that should be enough to chase any lingering winter air out of the day."

Fenn nodded. They were a good bit into spring now, so the weather would be warming.

His arms subconsciously wrapped around himself. Unfortunately, he felt a bit guilty about feeling cold in such a climate. Had his wolf been awake, he'd be as comfortable as Atlas was, but instead he needed layers of extra clothing just to feel normal.

"Shall we?" Atlas asked. Fenn looked up to see Atlas extending his elbow toward him. With a weak smile, Fenn placed his hand in the crook of the Alpha's arm.

"Where are we going?" Fenn asked as Atlas led him out of the Alpha suite and down to the main floor of the pack house. He tried not to let his anxiety show, but Atlas seemed to sense it anyway.

"We won't be going far," he assured. "I arranged a small picnic for us just inside the treeline. It's still well within the pack border and I requested my pack members steer clear of the area for the next few hours."

Fenn's heartbeat quickened at the thought of being alone with the man. Something in the back of his brain reminded him that he'd been alone with him in the Alpha suite for days, but somehow this felt different. This was a date after all. What if Atlas tried to kiss him? Or what if he had requested privacy from his pack for other reasons?

Fenn shook his head, trying to get rid of the anxious thoughts. Atlas wouldn't do anything he wasn't comfortable with, he was sure of it.

"Fenn?"

Fenn looked up at Atlas only to realize he'd completely missed something he'd said.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "What did you say?"

"I just asked if that sounded okay to you," Atlas said, not seeming angry. "We can do something else if you'd rather."

"No, it's fine," he assured. "Thank you for planning this."

Atlas beamed, leading his mate out of the pack house and into the trees.

^°^°^°^

A proud sandy wolf trotted on the edge of Everridge's pack territory with practiced efficiency. It was a path he had traversed many times, along with other members of patrol. While his wolf remained alert and attentive, ready to identify potential threats, Tomin knew the daily patrols served another purpose.

By routinely running the pack border, the pack scouts solidified its boundaries. Their paws carved a visual path in the ground while their scents mingled to create a potent wall of wolf musk that distinguished the claimed territory from the unclaimed. It would be clear to any outsider wolf that this land belonged to a pack.

It was rare that the scouts found anything of concern while out on the border. That kid had been the first real excitement in a long time. That's why when an unfamiliar scent drifted to him on the breeze, Tomin's heart skipped a beat.

His wolf burst into a sprint, desperate to reach the source. He was terrified it might be another injured child, and even more terrified that it might be the person responsible for it all.

As he got closer, he realized there were multiple unfamiliar scents, which ultimately caused him to slow down and approach the situation with caution.

Eventually, he saw them. Three men were standing on the edge of the border, peering into the pack patiently, as if they were waiting for someone to show up. Tomin sent out a mental alert to nearby pack members just in case things got hairy and approached the strangers.

He stayed in wolf form, but made himself known, muscles taut and head low, ready to strike if need be. They didn't appear to be rogues, which was some comfort, but Tomin was still wary.

"Hello," the leader greeted. His aura screamed authority. "I'm Alpha Hadeon of the Grimwood Pack. I seek an urgent audience with your Alpha."

Tomin tilted his wolf head, asking for more information without using a single word.

"I'm looking for my mate," he elaborated. "He's an Omega, you see, and he was stolen from me some time ago. I've been trying to find him and got a lead that he might be here in this pack. I've brought a Delta and Zeta with me to search for him."

Tomin's mind immediately snapped to the newcomer. He'd presumed he was still a child due to his size, but if he was an Omega then there was definitely a chance that he was actually old enough to have a mate. He'd been in rough shape when he was found too, which supported the claim that he had been taken from his mate.

Still, Tomin felt an instinctual sense of protectiveness over the boy and was wary of the strange Alpha who claimed to be looking for him. He reached for the tether that connected his mind to his Alpha's but found that Atlas had blocked all communication.

Frustrated, Tomin shifted back into his human form to address the strangers.

"My Alpha is engaged in another pressing matter at the moment, but you are welcome to wait for him in the reception hall. He will meet with you as soon as he becomes available."

^°^°^°^
A/N

Tell me about a new hobby you've picked up lately!

I recently learned to crochet from a Woobles kit! I now have an adorable little penguin friend!

I hope you're doing well,
-Mora Montgomery