Part 3 of 3
Chapter 6
Ragen's First Rut
Xanatos answered it. Their conversation was brief and he hung up. "That was Owen."
"What did he say?" Fox asked.
"Apparently, Ragen is in pre-rut. That's why he was marking everything. His suppressants aren't strong enough to stop his rut, only make it easier." He told us.
"Then why did he attack us?" Goliath asked.
"Owen said he'd explain in more detail when they get back, but Ragen was anxious to get home." Xanatos said.
"I see." Goliath hummed, irritated.
"Why don't you have dinner with us while we're waiting?" Fox asked.
"Very well." He agreed.
They got more chairs for the clan and we sat down to eat. The chefs went to go make food for the gargoyles. We had hamburgers and fries. There were vegetables on the side. More food was brought out. We ate. It was mostly quiet. I was drinking my milk when the door opened. Owen was in front. Renee was holding Ragen by the collar. She prodded him.
"I am sorry I bit and scratched you." Ragen apologized to the clan.
"We accept you apology. We did not mean to upset you." Goliath told him.
Ragen then came to me and marked me. He whimpered as I petted his ears. His scent became calmer. He sniffed my neck and licked it. I pushed him away. He nuzzled me again. Once Ragen was settled enough, he went to his seat. He ate his burger hungrily.
"So, what's the news?" Lexington asked.
"Ragen is an adolescent Pet. Ruts are the last stage of puberty for Alphas. Instincts are hard to ignore during this time. He will be in pre-rut for a few more days." Owen announced.
"What are we supposed to do?" Fox wondered.
"Ragen will want to be by himself for the most part. He will come to you if he wants attention. We will have to keep an eye on him to make sure he is eating properly. I will get him some rut supplies tomorrow." Owen said.
"Why was Ragen so upset when we came across him?" Angela asked.
"He has not been around your scent enough to recognize it as family. Part of it is due to your stone sleep. You are only wake at night and go on patrol most nights. The other part is that a majority of the clan is male. Ragen doesn't want to spend time with people he thinks of as competition." Owen explained.
"How do we rectify this situation?" Goliath asked him.
"We must get him used to your scent. If he gets used to your scent, he will want to be with the clan of his own volition. I suggest keeping something on you to soak your scent in and then leaving out for him. Zara may want some too." He thought aloud.
"Simple enough." Broadway said.
"Is Ragen's rut why there are so many nests around the castle? Omegas do that." Katana brought up.
"My nest!" Zara barked.
"Shh, it's ok, Zara. You're fine." Sanuye petted her.
"Zara is a Beta. The nests were made before Ragen's pheromones changed noticeably. She wanted a space away from Ragen. Pets in large homes sometimes feel the need to make more nests." Owen said.
"So, it has nothing to do with Ragen's rut?" Xanatos asked.
"Ragen will only go into a nest if Zara allows him. If you see him following her around, that is normal mating behavior. It should be discouraged if they are underfoot." Owen looked at me. "Ragen is not allowed in your room for the duration of his rut."
"No! Not fair!" Ragen snarled.
"I will punish you if you don't behave." Owen said sternly.
They glared at each other. I saw Puck just behind Owen's eyes. Their magic was starting to build. The room was tense. Dad won. The magic dissipated. Ragen pouted as he ate his French fries. Everyone relaxed a bit. I finished off my burger.
"Is there anything else we need to know?" Alex asked.
"Ragen's pheromones have a bit of magic in them. Just enough so that potential mates know it's there. He won't be able to do any magic until it is over." Owen seemed relieved as he spoke.
We finished dinner. I had cookies for dessert. The clan got some blankets and things and started on the scent plan. Alex and David went off to do something. I had my lesson with Puck. We practiced a restraining spell. After that, he reminded me that I was sensitive to the Pets' pheromones. I had a feeling Puck was more worried than he let on.
It was scramble to everything ready. Owen got the rut supplies and some air fresheners for us. Pet foxes were stinky during mating. David had gotten Pet proof locks for his lab. Ragen's and Zara's moms would stay until it was over. Zara was happy about that. Ragen initially rejected the scented items, but seeing Zara take them made him curious. He would want to mark and cuddle, but he didn't want to play. The shift from pre-rut to rut was slow, but on Saturday, it finally hit.
I finished my morning lessons and was going to get a snack when I saw Ragen. He was laying on his belly. I went in the room. Zara was in a nest, chewing on her toy bone. She stopped and shifted. Ragen's ears perked up. She noticed me.
"Mistress!" She ran to me.
"Hey, Zara." I smiled.
Ragen started to come near us when Zara barked at him. He whined. Zara ignored him. I gave her pets and scratchies. She was happy and her scent reflected that. Zara rolled on her back for tummy rubs. Ragen's scent spiked. I was hit with a rush of spicy, sweet honey.
"Ragen, go use your rut toys." I told him.
"No toy." Ragen inched closer to her.
"Ragen." I frowned.
"No mate! Want pets." Zara yelled at him.
Ragen stayed still, waiting to see if she changed her mind. I bent to give Zara tummy rubs. Ragen's scent grew stronger. I blushed as my body grew warm. His nostrils flared. He started to shift his weight.
"No, Ragen, no jumping!" I shouted.
Alex caught Ragen. He barked and kicked, but Alex had a good hold on him. "Leave the girls alone. Go use your rut toys."
"When'd you get here?" I asked.
"It was my turn to check on Ragen." Alex set him outside the door. "Go on, get!"
Ragen looked at me and whined. I motioned for him to leave. He begrudgingly did. Zara nipped my hand. I petted her belly. She made happy noises. After a bit, she rolled over. She sniffed my front and started tugging on my pants.
"No, Zara!" I cried.
"Gimme!" Zara tugged a bit harder.
"Zara goes upise now." Alex picked her up.
"I wants it!" She grabbed at me.
"Tai is sensitive to your scents. It wasn't on purpose." Alex explained.
"Want pants." She pouted.
"I know, Zara. Maybe if you ask, she might let you have them." He said.
"Can I has them?" She asked me. I knew Zara would try to get them even if I said no. I took off my pants. "I want tiny pants."
"My underwear?" I asked.
"Yes, tiny pants." She nodded.
"I forget you lived in the wild." Alex said.
"Fine, you may have the tiny pants." I sighed.
Alex turned around. Zara watched me. Alex covered her eyes. I gave her my underwear and put my pants on. Her tail wagged.
"Come on, Zara. Let's go to put that in your nest." Alex carried her out.
"Bye bye, Mistress!" She waved.
I went to the kitchen and got myself a snack. It was oatmeal. Then I went to my room. Owen was waiting for me in the hall. Adri was there.
"Adri!" I hugged her.
"Your dad said you missed me." She told me.
"Have fun, children." Owen left.
We went in my room. Adri sat on my bed. I sat next to her. She pulled me onto her lap. I repositioned myself so I faced her. Then we kissed. It started out softly but it grew heated quickly. I grinded against her.
"Already?" She smiled and laughed.
"Adri…" I whimpered.
We got undressed. I kneaded her breasts. Adri played with my nub and nibbled my neck. My magic enhanced the sensation. I fingered her. She rolled her hips. I didn't stop until Adri orgasmed. We laid on the bed and went a few more rounds.
"I love you, Tai." She yawned.
"I love you, too." I snuggled up to her.
We woke up in time for lunch. We took a quick shower and got dressed again. Then we went to the dining room. The Xanatoses weren't surprised to see Adri. Zara was excited and kept asking for pets. Adri petted her ears. I scanned the room.
"Where's Ragen?" I asked.
"Ragen will join us when he is ready. I have told him it is lunchtime. His appetite is smaller during rut." Owen explained.
"Ok." I nodded.
We sat down and were given our lunch. It was hamburger soup. I was telling Adri about my day when Ragen came in. He was a bit sweaty and his hair was messed up. He sat at his chair and Renee gave him a small bowl.
"How are you feeling, Ragen?" She asked.
"Want mark." He said.
"Eat your lunch first." Renee gestured.
He lifted up his spoon and ate the bite of soup. His mood improved slowly. Everyone continued eating. We had ice cream for dessert. Ragen went to Renee and started to mark her. They got up and went to the door. Ragen turned around.
"'mega come?" He asked.
"He means you, Talia." Owen got up.
"Can I?" I looked at him.
"Yes, you can. Rut isn't always sexual. There is downtime too." He deliberated after a moment.
"Ok." I followed them. Adri came too.
We went to the living room. It had a large enough couch for all of us. We sat down. Ragen jumped onto the couch. He whined loudly as he marked his mom. When he got to me, his scent was calm. I wasn't too affected by it. Ragen gave us kisses too. We petted him. His tail wagged. He laid on my lap when he was done.
"Pet tummy!" Ragen barked.
"No tummy rubs." Renee told him.
"Zara get tummy rubs." He argued.
"Zara isn't in rut." She pointed out.
"But Mama…" He whimpered.
"No tummy rubs." Renee repeated.
I petted his side. He was happy with that. I stopped after a bit. Ragen waited for more. Renee petted his ears. Adri started to get up. Ragen nipped her.
"No nipping!" Adri scolded.
"Adri cuddle!" He said stubbornly.
"Be nice." She warned him as she stroked his hair.
"Am good boy." He yawned.
He fell asleep soon after that. We went our separate ways. Fox wanted to do something with Adri. I had my afternoon lessons. Then Zara found me. She demanded cuddles. We had marking time. I rubbed her scent glands. She cooed and nuzzled me more. She wanted to play after she had marked me. We played tug-o-war and fetch for a while.
I walked back to my room. The door was open. I looked inside. My bed was all messed up and the sheets were gone. I took a deep breath. Ragen was in here. He must have smelled my sheets. I got new ones and put them on my bed. Then I took a nap.
When I woke up, I heard a commotion. I went to see what it was. Owen was arguing with Ragen. They were fighting over something. Ragen was upset. Owen had my sheets in his hand.
"You can't take Talia's sheets." Owen said.
"Mine!" He insisted.
"These need to be washed." He told him.
"No!" Ragen tugged harder.
I moved closer. Ragen's nose twitched. He abandoned the sheets and ran in circles around me. Owen tried to pull him back.
"'mega want mate? Omega mate?!" He asked excitedly.
"Uh?" I looked at him.
Zara poked her head out of her room. She quickly came over to see what was going on. Ragen stopped running around me. Zara scooted forward. Ragen's scent was building. I tried not to breathe too deeply. But it tickled my nose, and along with Zara's scent, I wanted to give in.
"'mega mate?" He asked again.
I gently shook my head, afraid to get a mouthful of pheromones if I tried to speak. Ragen didn't seem too put off by my rejection. That might have been because Zara was interested in mating for the moment.
Owen scooped me up and took me to the dining room. I was set on the chair. He talked with David. Something about my magic. I couldn't keep up with it. Adri came in soon after. I whined at her. She held my hand. The rest of the family came in and dinner was served.
We had spaghetti and garlic toast. I felt better as dinner went on. My desire smoothed out and I didn't feel as clingy anymore. I was hungry. I ate another plate of spaghetti. Ragen and Zara came in. They were satisfied. Zara immediately scarfed down her meal. Ragen got a little more food too. We had cookies for dessert.
Then we went to go see the gargoyles. I played with Bronx and Fu-dog. They chased after the ball. Adri and Angela were talking. So were Alex and Goliath. Zara chewed on her squeaky bone.
"Zara want mate?" Ragen asked.
"No more mate." She said.
"… Zara mate?" He asked again.
"Want pets." She went to Elisa. Elisa petted her tummy. Ragen whined. His scent soured a bit.
"Maybe she'll be more receptive later. Don't bug her at bedtime though." Renee said.
"Ok, Mama." He said.
"Good boy." She scratched his chin.
"Talia, you ready for your lesson?" Puck appeared in a flash of sparkles.
"Yeah." I said.
We went to the classroom. The projection screen was down. I sat the desk. Puck cleared his throat. A crude drawing of Ragen and me were on the screen.
"So, this evening you encountered Ragen when he had come out of his room. He was about to start rutting again. Ragen was affected by your scent immediately. You were not affected by his pheromones until they actively started to pump out." Puck drew an arrow pointing to me and another pointing to Ragen. Then he drew Zara."When Zara came, that started the cycle again. What this means that your magic is affecting them somehow. This ability is a part of you. We just need to figure what it is."
"How do we do that?" I asked.
"Blood test, gimme your arm." He pulled out a needle.
"Gah, no! Isn't there another way?" I jumped.
"This is faster than spitting in a tube." He said.
I pursed my lips. "Fine."
I felt a poke in the inner part of my elbow. Puck withdrew the needle and it vanished. He bandaged my arm.
"There we go, wasn't that easy?" He smiled.
"I want my lollipop." I pouted.
"You may a piece of candy." He gave me an apple flavored candy.
I stuck in my mouth. "So what do we do about the pheromones?"
"The candles and air fresheners are working, but they're stationary. The problem is when you come across each other. However, I've got a solution." He pulled out a box.
I dug through it. "Masks? Vaseline? Body wash? Hey, this is for Omegas."
"We don't have time to find another one. This works. You just shower in the morning and wear the other stuff throughout the day." He explained.
"What about Ragen?" I asked.
"We just dab a bit of this on his scent glands and it'll be fine." He took out a tube of the scent suppressing cream from the box.
"Hey, Dad?" I started.
"Yes?" He hummed.
"Are Ragen and Zara mates now?" I wondered.
"No, not yet. He hasn't courted her. She's his rut partner. Like, uh, a friend with benefits." He snapped.
"Ok." I nodded.
"Now, let's practice some spells." He turned off the projector.
I had my lesson and then got ready for bed. Adri was there, waiting for me. I gave her a kiss. We laid down. I snuggled Adri. She fell asleep before I did. I laid in my bed, thinking. The problem wasn't that I reacted strongly to both of their pheromones; I knew I was sensitive to it. It was that I wasn't sure if this had awoken something within me. Both Ragen and Zara were cute in their own ways. I nuzzled Adri's shoulder. This would require some thought.
