Hey guys!
Safari scared me for a second there. What do you mean the server isn't responding?
I'm going to speed up the story a bit. I've skipped about two days in terms of time so we can get to the main conflict before next year. Does that sound good? Some of you said the slow pace was killing you, and I have every intention on teasing you with slow-fast-slow-fast. :)
Big thanks to reviewers yucie, Amychama248, misssbehavin, Otaku4ever731, The 0bservanc3, Flame Dragon Hime, nanashitomboy, KkMarie9005, meiliani (x2), Helenezahl, Mira.S, and Guest! Even greater thanks to those that keep reviewing!
This chapter I like. Well, more like I'm not beating myself up over it. Hope you like it as much as I do!
~BrennaCoris~
The woods around them were a collection of shadows. Everything had taken on a shade of grey as Lucy's sight, better than that of regular wolves, fought to pick out obstacles in the absolute darkness. She knew there would be a few crooked streetlights when they reached the towers, but the forest belonged to the packs. It was raw, wild, and unspoiled. The shifters didn't need the lights at night, so they never bothered to build any.
She didn't like the dark. Her father's men had ambushed her in the dark once and she had been blinded by their harsh flashlights. The chances of anyone attacking the Concourse were slim, she knew that, but being surrounded by open black made her tense and nervous. It wasn't something she was proud of. Living alone for years before and after the ambush did nothing to lessen the discomfort. She refused to think of it as fear, because fear could nibble away at stability.
Natsu ran beside her, a looming reddish shadow that drew her attention like a massive magnet. Powerful muscles rippled under his fur with each stride. His paws were soundless, his breathing steady. The closer their group drew to the Concourse, the more dominating he became. She knew he was expecting trouble – they all were – but she was willing to bet he was anticipating a challenge. Her mother had told her when she was little: powerful males want powerful females. The Concourse was a gathering of leaders. Juvia and Levy had both warned her that there would most definitely be shifters interested in courting her. She was expecting a dance of lies and embellishments for the next day and two nights. It was better to come prepared.
The alpha and beta led the group chosen for the Concourse along the river bank. Water rushed by in an uncoordinated jumble, promising to sweep away any stupid enough to wander in. She guessed it to be near ten feet in width. Darker shadows of rocks stuck out from the swirling river, framed by occasional droplets of spray. When giving her a tour of the territory, Natsu had told her how the river had claimed lives. She thought the name "rapids" was a slight understatement.
"How far does the river go?" she asked, lifting her head to look at her... What was he? A potential mate? A friend? An overly possessive, stubborn idiot?
"It's a pretty clean cut through the forest, and it keeps going past Sabertooth's borders. All the packs' territories touch the rapids," he said.
"And why are we going this way?" She knew for a fact that going down to the river wasn't necessary to reach the buildings.
"Sabertooth has to cross our territory to get to the Concourse, and the agreement is that they stay by the rapids. Gramps always follows their scent trail to make sure they didn't touch what's ours."
She would never admit it, but his presence was reassuring, past the natural attraction of the mating bond. He was a solid, unshakable rock while the rest of her world somersaulted around her. He provided a feeling of safety, something she had longed for since the death of her mother. The very same feeling was one she didn't want, because it ruined her attempts to remain distant. It was just her luck, finding a male with whom she had a fully fledged mating bond. She was steadily losing her fight for independence and she couldn't really bring herself to mind.
The woods thinned out, spitting their group out into the open. Three towers rose to loom over the ground, darker shapes in a dark night. The moon was a mere sliver of white in the sky. It offered enough light to make the towers appear menacing. Seven plain boxes dotted the barren site, surrounded by piles of boulders and a few left-behind materials. The entire abandoned construction site reminded her of a ghost town.
Their pace increased as they crossed the open ground. She could tell that the shifters didn't like being so exposed, and while her younger years in the human world wore down some of her wolf instincts, she was still slightly uncomfortable. Levy ran slightly ahead of her, her blue-grey fur made darker by the night. The female was too small to obstruct her view and she could clearly make out Wendy between Freed and Bickslow. The alpha, beta, and Jellal were further front while Nab and Wakaba brought up the back. Their group was small, small enough to show they were confident in their power. She was aware that the majority of the pack's power remained at camp, but the other packs wouldn't know. Their Concourse groups would be as small.
Levy slowed down, dropping back to run beside her. "Each pack chooses one of the smaller buildings as a base of sorts for the Concourse. If it rains, we can sleep inside, but most prefer to stay outside," she said.
"Who's the closest?" she asked. A year and a half spent wandering through the abandoned site had cemented the layout into her mind. She knew the seven building were grouped in semi-circles, four flanking the towers from the east and three from the west. The eastern tower, surrounded by a prickly thicket, was directly in front of them.
"So you're familiar with the place?" Levy sounded surprised. "We always take one of the eastern buildings on the edge. Sabertooth will probably be our neighbor again, and either Blue Pegasus or Mermaid Heel. They don't get along at all, probably because Ichiya and the Trimens keep flirting with the Mermaid Heel females, so every Concourse they split up."
"I have no idea who you're talking about," she said. Natsu growled softly. He had become edgier during Levy's description of the pack rivalry. It was obvious that the presense of Ichiya and the Trimens, whoever they were, didn't appeal to him in the slightest.
"You'll meet them soon enough. If a male tells you something about your parfum and is followed by three hopeless flirts, that's them."
She shot another glance at the glowering male beside her. "I take it Natsu doesn't like them?"
"Freakin' perverts," he muttered.
"Figures. They hit on all the girls they see," Levy added. Strong trails of foreign scent led towards the buildings. She slowed, struggling to sort through the layers. Natsu noticed her discomfort and paused with her, drawing closer until the mating bond helped her relax.
"That's Sabertooth," he said, taking a deep sniff to check the scents, "Dammit."
"What?"
"Huh. Both commanders are at the meeting," Levy noted.
"Are you expecting one of them to challenge you?" Lucy asked. Natsu gave a curt nod, his eyes slightly unfocused. She figured he was working on reining in the desire to possess and dominate.
"If Sting, the first commander, finds out you're here before the leaders' meeting tomorrow, he'll probably have Rogue go in his place," Levy muttered, "They planned for this."
"But Mira said Sting was interested in some female... Yukino?" Lucy said. Her confusion was mounting with each turn of the conversation.
"Oh, Yukino Agria? Sabertooth's healer?" Levy took another sniff. "She isn't here today, I don't think."
"She's not," Natsu confirmed.
"Well, Sting doesn't necessarily have to claim you. That would be his basis for a challenge, but the real treat is to beat Natsu when he's fighting for a mate. It would be the ultimate victory," Levy explained. The alpha sped up and they lengthened their stride to avoid falling behind. They ran across the plain separating the woods from the site and followed the alpha to a corner building by the eastern tower. One by one, the Concourse group slipped inside. Natsu entered last and Lucy didn't miss the hard stare he sent into the dark, towards the neighboring building, as she waited for him by the arch that was once a door.
Makarov leapt up on a small stack of rubble. "I trust you all have the scent?"
They all nodded. "Good," he said, "Make sure to watch your back and keep an eye out for the scent. Also, expect a challenge for Natsu, most likely from Sabertooth but any pack could step up to the plate. I want at least one wolf with Lucy at all times." He gave Lucy a silencing glance when she tried to protest. "I'm fully aware that you can take care of yourself, but a three on one battle isn't in your favor, is it?"
"No, alpha," Lucy muttered. Natsu pressed against her flank and growled softly, issuing a quiet claim. Nab and Bickslow, standing closest to her, moved away with their ears pressed back.
"Spread out and set up camp. Freed, Bickslow, and Wakaba – you are on guard duty. Decide the shifts between yourselves. We'll all go hunting tomorrow to save time," Erza cut in, taking charge. Makarov slipped outside, quickly followed by the rest of their group. Natsu seemed stuck between letting Lucy out to find bedding or keeping her inside the building.
"If you dare try to keep me here, I will not go hunting with you tomorrow," she hissed. He grumbled something unintelligible and she narrowed her eyes until he backed down. She moved past him and out into the dark, casting a teasing glance over her shoulder.
"I bet I can get more bedding than you," she said. His eyes darkened and a large grin showed his teeth.
"Challenge accepted."
XXXXXXXXXX
The morning brought with it the definite signs of a long and especially harsh winter. Frost coated the grounds in a thick layer of white, turning patches of grass a shade of grey and creeping up trees in prickly strands. There were no clouds, but the air was heavy and cold, pressing down on Lucy's fur until it reached her skin.
"Another bad one is coming up," Natsu said. He didn't seem bothered by the cold as much, but the amount of body heat he radiated with simply abnormal. Lucy moved closed to him to take advantage of the warmth, not missing the smirk that flashed across his face.
"Probably. In human months, it's only October. The snows shouldn't be coming until mid-November, but I wouldn't be surprised if we got snowed in tomorrow," she said. The wind shifted and picked up, bringing with it the scent of living prey. She stilled, moving only her eyes towards the origin of the scent.
A group of deer picked at the grass growing by a small pile of boulders, all five of them mature. The stag was obvious, his crown of antlers standing out as he kept watch over the does. None showed any signs of extra tension. Lucy shifted her position to watch the deer. The stag was large and looking healthy, muscles rippling under a glossy coat. Regardless of the females' states, he would not be the one she and Natsu hunted.
"The doe pressed up against the rocks. You see her?" Natsu muttered. She picked out the deer a gave a tiny nod in reply. "There's something wrong with her shoulder. She's limping and exhausted.
"Doesn't look like she has much time left," Lucy noted. The doe was skinnier than the rest, her injured leg hanging useless. She was tearing at the grass with greed.
"If we take her, the rest should be better off," Natsu said.
Lucy frowned, "I could drive her into the woods. Can you run around fast enough?"
"Yeah. Start moving after me. Herd her towards the two pines."
Lucy didn't reply, choosing to trace possible routes for the hunt. Natsu crouched and shot off. The frost crunched under his feet, loud enough for the deer to hear, but Natsu swung around wide enough to stay hidden by scattered construction materials. Lucy moved forward at an easy walk. The deer shied away and broke into a trot. The injured doe struggled to keep up on three legs. Lucy increased her pace and the group broke up, leaving the doe behind as the healthy deer raced to outrun the danger. Lucy changed course, driving the doe towards Natsu's presumed location. She entered the woods after her and immediately spotted the russet shadow flanking the doe from the left. The wind brought Natsu's scent with it and the doe panicked, picking up desperate speed in a last ditch attempt at survival.
Lucy slowed to a walk as Natsu jumped onto the deer, sending them both rolling until Natsu ended on top. He ripped through the throat with a single bite and the deer jerked twice before falling still. The hunt was over.
"That was nice, at the end there? Most shifters seem attracted to the feet," she said.
"Yeah, well, I've been kicked in the face before. Break a jaw a few times and the feet don't look so nice." Natsu spat out a bloody chunk of the deer's throat. Lucy padded over and prodded the doe's injured shoulder, hearing splintered bone shift under the skin.
"Something had been slammed into the deer. The shoulder's a complete mess," she said. Natsu nodded.
"Must've been a hell of a blow. We'll have to thank the hunter for an easy meal."
"Assuming it tastes good."
"If you don't count the shoulder, the doe was healthy."
"Also exhausted and slightly malnourished," Lucy pointed out. Natsu growled in frustration. "What? I'm following Juvia's advice."
"So you're just going to criticize everything?" he snarled. She could see him fighting his instincts, the steady shaking of his frame betraying his struggle. With the possible challenge hanging over his head, one claw out of line could set him off, and she would lose in a physical battle for dominance against his raw desire. Her best option was to back off.
"No, it's a good catch. I'm sorry," she said, softening her voice to help him calm down. She took a large bite of the stomach, pleased to find the meat still warm. Natsu sat behind her, alert for any unwelcome shifters. She knew he would wait for her to eat her fill before taking any himself. Normally she would butt heads with him about it, saying she didn't need to be provided for and that she could take care of herself, but she didn't want to be claimed by force. That would be too humiliating for a dominant wolf like her and he most likely wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
When she was full, they switched and Natsu tore into the meat like he hadn't eaten for days. His large appetite was also slightly unusual, even for a shifter, but she found herself less and less surprised with every new quirk she learned about. His fur had natural streaks of pink, his teeth were too sharp, and he wasn't afraid of fire - something Gray had explained in great detail and with much scorn. If she included how warm he was, he made up the strangest shifter she had ever met. The pack was full of weird individuals, from females that could drink past what should be possible to males who were certain they were mated with a broom. If the other packs were similar, she wasn't sure her sanity would remain intact for much longer.
Natsu backed away from the deer and snarled, "It's been shot."
"Where?" she asked. Terrifying memories of unseen bullets ripping through flesh and bone rose up and she fought to keep them away. She was sure she would be able to handle looking at the bullets. Natsu scraped away a bloody string of muscle to expose three steel bullets lodged in the shattered shoulder. They weren't silver, they didn't hurt nearly as much, but they looked too similar. A quiet whimper escaped her throat and she backed away from the carcass, her ears flattening and tail tucking in between her hind legs. The bullets stared at her from the deer's body and she could almost feel them burrowing into her side.
"Luce? What's wrong?" Natsu asked, clearly worried, and nuzzled her neck in an attempt to offer comfort. It would've been easier in human form, but there were no clothes nearby and she didn't want to be naked around him. Not yet, anyways. She was glad he took that into account.
She forced her voice to work. "They attacked me at night. I was... I was shot. It hurt," she whispered. He snarled and pressed against her side.
"They aren't here, and I won't let them hurt you," he growled. The amount of hate loaded into the word 'they' was enough to submerge Fairy Tail's camp.
"I know. I know, but I can't forget it," she said. Natsu applied more pressure and steered her away from the carcass, leading her out of the woods. A commanding howl echoed around the construction site.
"We need to head back. Can you handle being with the others?" Natsu asked. She nodded and made herself straighten out. An idea came to mind, a dangerous play, but one that could help her regain stability.
"Natsu, can you chase me?"
He stopped and twisted to look at her in confusion. "Huh?"
"I need you to chase me." She didn't wait for a reply. Her strides lengthened until she was running and he took off after her, moving fast enough to stay close but not overtake her. She pushed herself to run faster until the exhilaration of flying over the ground mixed with the pleasure of being followed by her bonded mate. The fear slowly faded away, replaced by the heat in her stomach and the burn of her muscles as they worked to keep up her sprint. For once, she was grateful for the mating bond.
The feeling didn't leave when they slowed to a trot as they neared the rest of the shifters. Erza tossed them sets of clothes and they used the pack's building to shift and change. She had gotten a light blue shirt that fell just past mid-stomach, a pair of worn grey sweats, and a grey sweater. Natsu was in a pair of baggy pants that ended at the knees and a black vest. His red pack mark seemed brighter against the dark fabric.
When she joined Levy and Wendy outside, she didn't miss the blonde male staring at her with interest. The male, who's scent she managed to identify as Sabertooth, reminded her of Natsu, but while her bonded mate, to her, looked like power compressed into a single body, the blonde seemed to be far more relaxed. If he was human, she would've written him off as an arrogant playboy. Natsu noticed the male as well, and the daring glares exchanged between them told her the challenge was expected from the blonde. The heat in her stomach coiled tighter and she took an involuntary step towards Natsu. The blonde frowned at the action.
She was not prepared for Natsu to cup his hand under her chin and thread his fingers through her hair. When he landed a soft kiss on her lips, the heat sparked and flooded her body, overloading her nerves with pleasure. Her eyes slid shut as she drank in the kiss, enjoying every second. She found her arms wrapping around his neck, nails digging into his back in an attempt to get closer. Natsu pulled away and she nearly let out a whine at the loss until she saw his darkened eyes laced with a silent apology. He moved to follow the other leaders into the central tower, throwing a smug grin at the blonde male.
She knew she should've been angry, furious even. Natsu had kissed her to make a claim - the apology told her that much. But the kiss, while being very short, had cut off all reasoning. She had completely forgotten that they had a large audience, that they were in the midst of the Concourse, and that she had been trying to maintain her distance. She had wanted to get as close as possible, to become his and stay that close forever.
Levy called her name and she shook her head to clear away the intruding thoughts. The kiss had been only a claim, nothing more. She couldn't get as close as she wanted. If she let her guard slip, she would have to stay with him and her father would find her. Her father would kill him to break her, to render her helpless as she drowned in grief. No, she had to forget about the kiss and the feelings it had created. She had to stay away.
I'll consider myself lucky if I have any nails left after this. SO NERVE WRACKING, even though I'm the writer.
Reviewer's Corner:
Mira.S - Sweet gestures? I hope I delivered!
Helenezahl - Thanks! I spent lots of time reading up on how wolves fight and crossbreeding that with human tendencies, so I'm really glad you like it!
meiliani - Imagine me squealing in delight... and you'll hit a bullseye.
Flame Dragon Hime - Hunting scenes are terribly hard to write, but when I'm done, it's like a breath of fresh air. I can't have them live on rabbits, can I now?
The 0bservanc3 - Are you sure that you aren't a fortuneteller? Or an empath? :)
Otaku4ever731 - Laxus... is a hard creature to tackle. I'm still deciding.
misssbehavin - The nose knows.
Cheers! 'Till next week, assuming I survive reading Macbeth!