Here's the next chapter. A little brake from Relena ^_^
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The Night Hunt
Fast padded feet drummed the valley. Heero had to get to the pack he had heard about. Perhaps they would accept him. None other had because he was not a true-blooded. It was true he was more wolf than man but he hoped this pack would look over that.
Others had told him that the Princess of this pack was going to choose a mate this night. If so he had to hurry. Perhaps she would choose him. Unlikely but there was that slim chance.
Heero urged his feet to move faster. He had to get there.
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Relena padded down the row of eight males. Eight? Was that right? She looked again. There were the five she knew; Quatre, Abdul, Wufei, Duo, Trowa, Ralfè, and Axill, but the eighth was a new comer. Had her father approved of him? No outsider was aloud to join the pack without her father's consent.
Relena padded over to the stranger.
He was stark black. No trace of grays in his fur at all. His eyes were strange. They were topaz like a true wolf, but he like the other males were much larger than any ordinary wolf. Why was it he had those topaz eyes? None of their kind had such colors. The other males had lighter fur and their eyes betrayed them as not true wolves for they were blues and greens.
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Heero had made it finally. He padded to the inn and howled.
A man came out quickly and glared at Heero. "Do not spook my guests, wolf. Go, be gone with you," said the man, his eyes blazing blue.
Heero barked at the man playfully.
The blue eyed one smiled and motioned for the wolf to enter.
Heero did and was lead quickly into the kitchen. He sat on his haunches and waited.
The man tossed some clothes to Heero's paws. "If you are what I think, then you will need these."
He closed his eyes. Human, he willed himself. Heero willed his back to straighten and hind legs to lengthen. Slowly his muzzle shrank back. His fur receded and he stood as a man. Quickly he grabbed up the clothes and donned them on.
"My name is Ratol," the man said as Heero dressed. "I am this pack's leader." He paused a moment to look into Heero's brown eyes. "Tell me, why have you come?"
"I come in search of a pack to join. No other has accepted me. Hope you shall," he answered. This man held all his hopes in his hands.
"Your eyes are that of a wolf's, not my people," he commented.
"Yes," Heero replied looking away. "I am but half wolf and half your kind, Sir." He knew Ratol would send him away.
'Your fur blends in very well with the night," he said. 'If you will be my daughter's watchdog, then you may join our pack."
Heero's heart leapt. Finally he could be a member of a pack. He would no longer have to be alone. 'A member of the pack,' the words rolled over in his mind. "Th-thank you, sir," he stammered.
"Don't call me 'sir.' My name is Ratol. Use it," he laughed.
Heero nodded.
"There's a good boy," he said patting him on the back.
"Am I still allowed to be a part of The Choosing? I heard your daughter was to choose a mate tonight."
"Yes, yes, by all means. If she chooses you then all the better. You can protect her more efficiently that way,' Ratol beamed.
"Thank you, Sir."
Ratol laughed. "You are welcome, my boy. Now, let's go to The Choosing."
The two men left the inn and went a ways into the wood that surrounded it. They stripped themselves of their clothing and let their pelt grow.
Wolf, Heero willed himself as his shaggy hair turned black and spread to the rest of his body. His jaw lengthened and teeth grew sharp. His tail grew and he howled to the moon. He rejoiced in being a wolf.
