Of Doms & Subs

SQUIRREL!

I grasped the steering wheel so tightly I half expected it to crumple under my grip. All I could glimpse was flashes of white flesh from the corner of my eye, a pair of well-formed legs, strong from an active lifestyle even before the Change. It took all of my not inconsiderable willpower to resist reaching across to stroke the curve of her thigh, brush my fingers along the arch of her neck, tangle my hands in her thick hair. I shifted to hide the effect she had on me and prayed she hadn't yet learned to scent more sensual cues.

My feverish imagination provided images of the night before when I checked on her after she'd retired for the evening still on four paws. She had shifted back at some point in her exhausted sleep and lay curled into a ball on top of the covers, naked as a jaybird. I wanted to nip at her flawless skin gleaming like a beacon in the dim light, wrap myself around her. Instead, I covered her with a quilt and shut the door firmly on my way out.

As she shifted, the urge slid to a less carnal one. I wanted to pull over and stand guard over her as she changed. I even wanted to drive Shane away from her while she was vulnerable. As much as I wanted to protect her against all other males, she still wasn't completely at ease while alone with anyone other than Mickayla or Alan. Thus, why I insisted on Shane riding with us.

Ellie finished by the time we reached the trailhead. The trails here were ribbons of mud after the rains and were largely deserted, leaving off-trail areas and game trails free for us without needing to consider humans.

The speckled grey wolf flowed gracefully out of the vehicle behind me and pressed close to my leg, unaware of the signals she was sending. She was small in her wolf form, too. I doubted that her weight even doubled. Shane smiled at my silver shadow until I bared my teeth at him. She only left when I began to disrobe, but not wandering far, as though she could sense my need to keep her in sight.

The loam of the forest floor was springy under my paws as they dug through the layers of pine needles and underbrush. I wanted to stay close to my Alpha's side, to run and play with him through the trees. Since it was my first hunt with the pack, I trailed behind to observe and learn their tactics. I wasn't fast enough to keep up with his longer legs, anyway.

The myriad of aromas was overwhelming. I caught a rabbit! More fur than anything. It was surprisingly fast. I was faster. The blood was hot and sweet on my tongue. Another smell tugged at my nose. Something small and furry. And probably tasty.

We swiftly brought down a four-point black-tailed deer without any injuries worth mentioning. After its final death throes, I paused to ensure that the newest member got a portion. The speckled female was conspicuously absent from the roiling mass of feasting wolves. No scent, meaning she had split off some time ago. Since she was not yet bonded, I had no means of knowing what had happened. If she was running again, doubling back to the vehicles while the Pack hunted was a clever and effective method.

I met the golden-brown gaze of the chocolate coloured male who was my second before slipping away. He would mind the Pack while I retrieved my wayward wolf.

My nose led me on a merry run, following the intricate layers of scents left by the inhabitants of the forest. Panting, I stopped to drink from a wide, shallow stream that tumbled down a short ridge a little way downstream. The water was cold and pure like a glacier on my tongue.

The pool at the base of the waterfall looked perfect for playing in. Maybe my Alpha would enjoy it, too. I hadn't heard or smelled the Pack since they brought down their prey, yet they weren't far. Turning to climb back up the steep bank, a rust coloured wolf with black socks on his forelegs blocked the path.

I picked up her scent quickly, entwined with that of a squirrel. I soon discovered the carcass. From there, I barely needed to track to the stream I heard in the distance to which she had beelined after her kill.

The smell that ghosted her steps lifted my upper lip in a snarl. A strange male with a sour undertone that seemed to coat my mouth with its taint. My hackles rose higher and higher as I silently raced to the river.

Bursting through the treeline, I only paused long enough to see that the male had backed the small female into the deepest part. She was obviously tiring from fighting the current and dodging her assailant. Hurtling down the embankment, I leapt between the rocks that broke the surface here and there. He met my spring attack with bared fangs.