Elliere Braim

3.3 Games

If Elliere were in human form at the moment he'd be smirking down at his very human mate cradled in his furred arms. Her beautiful hazel eyes were wide, her silky hair wild and wind swept while her whole body was tense and clinging to him. She was so afraid he'd drop her. She wasn't afraid of the beast he was, the literal monster that people made movies out of. Oh, no. She was afraid that he'd drop her.

When they had been leaving to travel, Elliere remembered Mercy watching in awe of not just him shifting, but the whole pack changing into their primal forms. When he had completed the shift, she'd raced over to him and began inspecting him with wide, curious eyes. She had looked almost childlike, but it had been the first time she had seen Elliere fully in his wolfish form.

He snorted now at her fearful reaction, but Mercy only scowled at him. As if he'd even think about hurting a hair on her head or letting anyone else close enough to do so, especially now that she was entirely his. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck with his muzzle, feeling her shiver and relax slightly. He, too, felt the tingles of their bond even in this form. He struggled to reign in the desire to shift back and kiss her thoroughly on her plump lips.

The scent of lake water was steadily increasing and the pack in front of him was becoming more and more restless. They jumped around, tails wagging while yips and yaps of excitement began to echo through the forest. Elliere's own tail swished back and forth at the thought of a relaxing day with his mate, he even didn't mind being with Rori and Roman's pack. All that mattered to him was Mercy's safety and he was sure with the whole pack around he would have it.

Mercy's gasp, followed by the joyous howls of the pack wolves drags him out of his thoughts to gaze up at the beautiful scene around him. A rippling, clear lake with a gushing waterfall is what first captures his sole attention, but soon he's taking notice of the gorgeous flowers ringing the lake with butterflies floating all about. The sight is one that brings him peace and what has him slowly setting an excited Mercy on her feet.

The minute his mate's shoes touch the plush looking grass, the pack wolves leader, Yorik, lets out an excited bark and the pack answers immediately. The whole pack surges forward, many fly into the glittering lake making the lake water rain down everywhere. Other Lupus lay down and begin rolling in the soft grass while some begin to chase the fluttering butterflies. The waves of happiness from the pack ease Elliere's nerves further and he nudges his watching mate, feeling her need to rush out into the awaiting scene.

Mercy doesn't need to be told twice as she bounces off. Elliere wishes he could shift back to human form to join her and he could, he just feels Mercy might find it awkward with him nude while she's clothed. He watches with adoring eyes as she plucks a wildflower and delicately sniffs it, a content looking spreading over her face.

Elliere leans against a tree, watching serenely as Aster and Muraco, in their human forms as they can't shift yet, bound up to his mate. They grin at her and tug gently on her shirt, gaining Mercy's attention. She smiles happily and that smile only grows as they ask her to play tag with them. They race around the lake, their giggles attracting the attention of the older Lupus whose tails begin to wag excitedly.

Soon they've got the whole pack joining in a huge game of tag and Elliere watches as Lupus race around now, feigning to be slower than they are for the younger ones and even Mercy sometimes. The sight has his heart lifting in happiness. It also makes him feel bittersweet as this could've been his pack she lived with, he lived with. It could've been his family he had been introducing her to and having a good time with, but it wasn't.

In some ways it's probably best...

Tingles spreading along his furred body jolting him back out of his thoughts yet again. He seemed to be slipping into them a lot lately. Elliere shakes his head and inhales lightly, noting the scent of his mate around him. He gazes down to see her looking up at him with a small grin on her beautiful face. Immediately all his negative thoughts wipe away and he lifts a pawed hand to gingerly cup her face.

She backs away though, sending a pain of hurt through him at first. But the words out of her mouth, have a wolfy grin spreading over his Lupus face.

"You're it!" Mercy squeals and races away.

He waits for five seconds, allowing her some distance, but he can wait no more than that as the thought of chasing his mate and capturing her excites his primal side immensely. He growls lowly as he begins to lightly jog, following her floral scent. Her giggles are the sweetest sound to Elliere's ears and he notes with a smile that the Lupus around him have stopped playing the game and are merely watching the happy interaction between the two with awe.

He supposes it's a rare sight, one that will surely become a regular scene with years to come as before he was just stoic and scary to the Lupus within the pack who didn't know him the way Rori and Roman did. Now he's seen as one who adoringly loves his mate, playful even.

Mercy's giggles have suddenly stopped and he slows for a second to make sure that his ears aren't playing tricks on him. The Lupus around him have all stopped with their playfulness and are extremely tense. Elliere sniffs the air, catching Mercy's familiar scent mixed in now with one that screams of danger.

He lunges forward frantically, searching for her and the source of the other scent. It's one he remembers vaguely, one that he used to track down and kill the owner of the scent. It was just a job at one point, a means to an end. He had turned his back on it years ago and he didn't think they'd come back...come to seek revenge.

A scream echoes into the clearing, completely destroying the peaceful lake atmosphere and has Elliere's heart shattering.

No, anything but Mercy...