.37.
I prowl around my giggling toddler, watching the panting wolves closely as they shakily rise to their feet, huffing at the effort it took. I felt mild surprise that they wanted to keep going after their numerous failed attempts, each of their tries going from smooth, carefully planned manoeuvres to sloppy ambushes, trying to overpower me with their superior numbers and combined strength. Some of their first tries almost worked a few times, not that I'd tell them that, too bad they got frustrated and just threw themselves at me, hoping at least one of them would break past me while I was busy with the other two.
"Just give up! I can see your legs trembling from here." Shouts Markus from his spot gently rocking on the porch swing.
The wolves grumble and shake their heads, eyes narrowing as I playfully canter closer to Caspar, nudging his cheek with my own and swiping my tongue across his nose, chuffing as he giggles and clings to my fur, snuggling his face close to mine. Frowning when I hear his belly rumbling, I cast my eyes up and start a little at how high the sun sat in the sky, we must have played longer than I thought.
Deciding to end the game, I carefully dislodge myself from Caspar's clinging grasp and quickly rush towards the shocked wolves, Seth and Perry, backing up a step at my sudden attack.
I make quick work of downing the unaturally lean, thin-haired, upright wolf that was Perry, pressing my nose to his throat to show I won, feeling him go limp beneath me in surrender, before dodging Seth as he pounces at me, twisting my self around to get out of the way, pinning the light brown wolf. Seth yipped excitedly and snapped his teeth to grab hold of my fur, tugging to try and move me from him, his tooth accidentally catching my lip in his efforts. I growl playfully and use my mouth to hold his neck, being careful not to add anymore pressure as to pierce his skin.
Seth stills and I hear the creeping steps of the remaining wolf behind me.
I allow Paul to tackle me, using our momentum to roll us so that I land on top, pushing him firmly down to the ground and holding him there. He tried to struggle out of the pin but I mearly hold him still, a wolffish grin coming to my face as he glares at me before going lax beneath me in defeat.
Practically puring I lean down and rub my cheek against his with mine to sooth his wounded ego.
"Alright kids lets go inside, everyone's got to be hungry by now, I'm cooking." Markus calls from the porch. Perry, still in his more wolfish form, picks Caspar up, cradling him comfortably in his long arms, rocking him with his motion, making the toddler giggle softly. Seth quickly picks his shorts up in his jaws then trots into the house after the others, leaving Paul and I alone on the grass.
Paul shifts beneath me, grinning up at me. "You know, I never knew I'd find it so hot to be tossed around by my girl." He leers at me, knowing that if I was in my human form I'd be blushing up to the tips of my ears from his words. Grumbling at the smirking man I suddenly get an idea to wipe the smugness from his face. I draw away from him with a huff as he laughs and rises to his feet, grabbing his denim cut-offs and quickly slipping them on. Just as he buttons them up I lunge forward and grab him, hauling him up over my shoulder and rising on my legs to my full height, causing him to startle with a shout.
"Moth! Put me down." He tries to wriggle out of my hold so I tease him by loosening my grip and letting fall slightly over my shoulder, the same way I'd tease Caspar when I played with him like this. "Woah! Careful! Don't drop me!" Chuckling I saunter into the house with him grumbling and clinging to me the whole way.
"Ouch!" Perry hisses as I press the bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel against the bump on his head.
"Sorry. I went overboard." I apologise, rubbing circles against his back.
"It's o-okay, w-we all got a little t-too into the game, It'll be g-gone in a few h-h-hours. H-How's your l-lip?" Perry looks up at me, takinging hold of the icy package, keeping it presses to his forehead as I move away from him.
"Just a cut, nothing major." I shrug, swiping my tongue across small split in my lower lip.
"Sorry about that Moth." Seth calls from across the table as I take a seat between Caspar and Paul, who immediately rests his hand on my thigh. "You have to teach me that pin! I couldn't even budge and inch!" Seth says excitedly.
"I'll show you another time." I promise.
"And the way you got Perry off your back and blocked Paul was crazy, it was like a movie fight!" Seth carried on, causing me to fidget uncomfortably under his bright eyed praise. "And you're strong, you didn't even seem to feel any strain from Paul's bulk."
"I'm going to get you back for that." Paul murmurs in my ear, kissing my neck over my quickening pulse as my face heats up in embarrassment.
Glaring at the smug expression on his face I nudge his shoulder with mine.
"How come you aren't healing though Perry?" Seth turns to look at the Beta, who looks away from where he was looking at the picture Caspar was showing him from one of his books.
Perry merely shrugs. "It's how I-I was m-made."
"It's a trait of the facility wolves. They're never quite right." Markus says nonchalantly from his seat at the end of the table, wincing when he realises how that sounds. "I mean, they are never unaffected by how they are made. Like the Betas that have mental disabilities and illnesses, some look inhuman, some have physical dissabilities and some can't heal. Moths the closest they have gotten to their ideal but she's not perfect. That's what Cass was for."
"So Perry can't heal like us?" Seth asks.
"Not as fast as you. Faster than humans and faster than me. I'm one of the slowest healers, still faster than humans but far from what they wanted. That's why they trained me so hard, I have to minimalise injuries as much as possible." I explain. "There'll be no sign of the bump by morning and he wouldn't scar if he was cut." Paul's thumb brushes against the mark on my thigh at the mention of scars and picks my hand up with his other, kissing my knuckles and turning it over to kiss the scars on my wrist.
"Enough of that please." Markus scold from across the table.
Paul sighs and rolls his eyes, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on my lips before he leans back, cocking an eyebrow at Markus who grunts and shakes his head.
"Are you free tonight?" I ask Paul. "I'm taking Perry and Caspar to stargaze. Perry got a book from Sue about astronomy so I though we could take a look."
"I can't tonight, got some stuff I need to do. You shouldn't go tonight anyway, it's going to be cloudy, you won't see anything." Paul say, eyes averting from mine.
"Oh. Okay, another time then." Watching the evasive look in his eyes, I start feeling suspicious. "What have you got to do? I can help if you want."
"No thanks babe, it's just some pack stuff." He shrugs, dropping my hand to pick up his glass and take a drink.
"If you're sure."
"Don't worry Moth, we're just training. Hey you should come too! I bet you'd be a real help for the up coming batt-"
"Shut up Seth." Paul growls interrupting the younger teen.
"What? what did I say?"
"Just shut up. She's not coming." Paul grits out.
"But she could teach us loads of things! She beat all three of us like we were nothing. She can help!" Seth argues, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"She's not coming tonight." Paul repeats.
"Whats going on?" Markus asks, looking from my confused frown to the glaring pack mates..
"Nothing." Paul growls, getting up and grabbing Seth's arm dragging him with him as he walks towards the door.
"Wait, why are you leaving? What's wrong?" I get up and follow them.
Paul sighs and turns back, pushing Seth out of the door before he bends and quickly kisses me. "Nothings wrong, we just have pack stuff to deal with, I'll speak to you tomorrow. Don't go out tonight." He kisses me one more time then turns and leaves, shutting the door heavily behind him.
Dazed, I turn to look at Markus who looks just as confused as I am.
"What just happened?"