March Winds
by Hentai Jane
CHAPTER 8
Cool blades of grass tickled my nose. They swayed in the warm morning breeze, waking me from the most restful sleep I have ever had.
Green eyes watched me with much amusement as my nude form rolled over, bits of dirt and dead grass clinging to my skin.
"Good morning." Ayame whispered, her eyes roaming over my exposed flesh. "Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I have in a long time." I traced the delicate line of her jaw with one gentle finger, all the way down to her bare breasts.
She giggled, swatting my hand away from the sensitive areola. "We should get dressed, surely the pack is looking for us by now."
I sighed, not wanting to move from our spot, but she's right, if we don't get back soon, they will come looking for us. I picked up Ayame, cradling her in my arms, our bare skin pressed together. We went to the creek, quickly bathing and dressing the best we could before hiking back to our home. I held her hand, curling our fingers together. The warmth and frailty of her little fingers, her small form so gracefully walking beside me, made me want to guard over my mate even more, never allowing her out of my sight. Her words came back to me, she needed independence, space of her own. I can, and will respect her wishes.
"What are you thinking Kouga?"
I smiled at her, feeling a rush of joy, "How much I love you." I stopped, gripping her shoulders, pulling her in for a sultry kiss. Her moist tongue came forth to shyly taste my lips, meeting instead my hungry passion. My mouth claimed hers possessively, letting her know exactly who she belonged to and whose heart she held in the palm of her hand.
"There you two are! Shit, it's about time you came back. I thought we needed to send out a search party!"
Reluctantly, I pulled away from my woman's lips, "Hello Eito." I said with an exasperated tone. Eito wasn't alone. With him were two other wolves as well as some wild brown wolves who stayed with my pack.
"Did you hear what happened?" he asked.
"How the hell would I have heard about anything when I haven't been home?" my tone was sharp and highly annoyed. The scent of anxiety swam around us as I watched his hands grip the carved edge of his spear.
"Nagaharu escaped in the early dawn hours." Eito stated.
"How?" I asked feeling bewildered, "I gave orders for the warriors to guard him until I decided his punishment. There's no way he could have escaped on his own...." my voice caught as my brain suddenly whirled with an explanation. I looked at Eito, "...he wasn't alone, was he?"
"No Kouga.....I'm afraid not. Other warriors from the original northern pack have sided with him. We didn't know there was such a rift about your taking over until this happened." Eito had dark circles under his eyes.
"Have you slept at all?" I asked my friend.
Eito shook his head, "No...I was too worried about you and Ayame being out in the forest, alone, unguarded. The pack knows you two needed time alone, so we tried to handle this situation on our own. I'm afraid Nagaharu and his followers caught us off guard."
I nodded, fully agreeing with him. "There's something else Kouga.......something you need to see." Eito added.
Ayame clutched my arm, her trepidation flooding my senses, "Lead the way."
We followed our fellow ookami youkai to the small den Nagaharu once inhabited. It was like any other private den belonging to a male; barren, only a futon, a few candles and dishes scattered about.
What caught my eye was the black writing on the wall, "Keep close to you what is most precious Kouga. You never know what may be taken from you. Be assured, I will be the taker." I read out loud. "Is that asshole trying to threaten me? To threaten my pack?"
Ayame clung to me, a small shiver quaking her body. "Nagaharu is dangerous Kouga. Once he takes a dislike to someone, he doesn't just forgive and forget. I'd venture to say that you're on the top of his list."
"Don't worry about me or our pack Ayame." I looked to the other members, "What we need to do is strengthen our borders. Every wolf, including myself will take longer guard shifts, doubling the amount of patrols at each sight. This way, if those traitors do try to infiltrate our territory, they'll have a fight on their hands." My gaze locked with my mates's worried eyes, "The worst thing ANY of us can do is run from this bully or show any fear. Bastards like him thrive off of intimidating others, but I won't give him that satisfaction. We'll safeguard our lands to avoid problems, but our lives will go on and this pack will be happy and secure." I kissed her, not caring who was watching.
"What are you all waiting for?" I snapped, "Go tell the others to double up on guard duty!"
I took Ayame back to our den, my arm tucked around her slender waist. "You're really not worried about Nagaharu?" she asked, looking at me with those big emerald green eyes.
"I worry about the actions of a power hungry, impulsive lunatic with a force behind him. Especially since some of his backing is from your original tribe. What I don't worry about are threats and situations I know I can either avoid or control." I tipped her chin up so our eyes met. "Stop being so afraid Ayame. Do you think I'm incapable of taking care of this asshole? This isn't the first time my tribe has been threatened." A confident smirk tilted the edge of my mouth. She liked that look; it gave her a sense of assurance which relaxed her tense muscles.
"It would kill me if anything were to happen to you Kouga." her voice was low, her words catching as she choked back tears.
I hugged Ayame tightly against me, stroking her ruby length of silky hair, "Nothing will EVER happen to me mate." I reassured, "I am going to be with you until we are both old grey haired grandparents, hobbling around with canes just like the elder. And if you die first, I'll follow you into the afterlife."
"No Kouga!" she pushed me with a surprising amount of strength, "Please don't say that, take it back right now!" Her eyes were misty, filled to the brim with tears, "If I die, you'll need to hold this pack together. I expect you to be strong, like you always are, and I want you to find another mate."
"Ayame...." I reached for her, but she pulled away further here mate." I extended my hand to her. She folder her arms over her chest, looking defiant.
"Not until you take it back."
I sighed, keeping my hand out to her, "I couldn't possibly find happiness with another woman Ayame; you know that. Who else could argue with me and make me crazy me the way you do?"
She looked at me, noticing the teasing grin I was wearing. "This is not a time for joking!" She tried to keep a straight face as my grin turned into a wide smile, flashing pearly white fangs at my woman. "If you don't stop smiling like that Kouga, I'm going to slap you silly!"
"Bring it on......woman." I beckoned her to come at me.
Ayame accepted my invitation, taking a wide swing at my head. As her fist whizzed past my face, I ducked and sprang forward, knocking her backward with my weight, carefully landing on top of her. I pinned her beneath me, loving the way her face turned red with anger and determination as she struggled for freedom.
I sat poised over her, holding her wrists against the floor, and shifted my thighs to keep her legs confined in a position where she couldn't kick me in the nuts. Ayame loves me, but when she is pissed I wouldn't put a little ball kicking past her.
To further piss her off, I smiled down at her, showing no signs of effort when it came to her struggles, "Stop fighting me Ayame. You know you can't win. I am the big strong male after all. You are the sweet, but weak, little female who needs my strength to keep her safe and protected." I added the 'weak' part in quickly, just to annoy her further, all the time keeping that same arrogant grin.
"Weak?!" She bared her fangs this time, "I'll show you weak Kouga!"
Somehow, my cunning woman flipped me over, landing on top of chest, her thighs straddling my hips. "Owww! You crazy bitch! Ya didn't have to crack my head off the HARD CAVE FLOOR!!"
"Serves you right smart ass!" she glared down at me, growling when I attempted to sit up, "I'll knock some sense into you one way or the other!"
"Get off me woman." I commanded.
"Why the fuck should I? You never learn Kouga! I am not weak! I can take control of situations just as good as you can. I AM NOT A WEAK WOMAN!!!" She screamed.
Her top was pulled up, showing the smooth skin of her stomach. Even the way she breathed was erotic, making her breasts rise and fall as she drew the air deep into her lungs. Her upper body was flushed with anger, it's rouge matching the color of her hair. Warmth radiated from her bare womanhood crushed against my mid section. Ayame was saying something else, not that I could tell you what it was. I was far too busy looking at the angry, demanding beauty perched on top of me.
Slowly, my hands traced her strong tanned thighs. "Are you listening to me Kouga? Or do you need another whack on the head?"
It took me a moment to answer, "You are so damn sexy." I pushed my manhood against her body.
"And you are impossible Kouga. Only you would think of sex during an important discussion!" she scolded.
"I can't help it when I am with you." Her lips parted as I pulled her into a scorching kiss. She stayed on top in the dominant position. That's fine with me. I want her to always feel proud and confident, strong and smart, sexy and seductive.
She started a slow rhythm pushing her warm sex against my covered flesh. I slid my hand between us, freeing my cock, allowing it to pass along her wet lips. Ayame rocked her hips against me, taking in my full length with one elegant motion. Her eyes closed, her full lips parted as she grasped my hands. She rolled her hips back, bringing her soft ass to rest on top of my balls before coming forward to repeat the pleasant action.
I laid beneath her lifting my hips to meet her until we started a frantic rhythm, fucking wildly like two animals. Her full tits rocked back and forth as she rode me hard. I watched her pouty mouth twist as she took me deeper, faster. She threw her head back, bringing her dripping core down hard on my long shaft and screamed her release. The fiery pulsating waves brought on my own explosive orgasm. She stilled over me, her hazy emerald gaze roaming over my face. My hot seed gushed forth, filling her with warmth. Her hips started moving in a lazy rhythm as my cock twitched inside of her. " I was joking when I said you were weak. But if I get this kind of response every time I insult you, then it's worth keeping you mad." I winked at her, thoroughly enjoying the way our bodies were still locked together.
Ayame broke our link, pulling her soothing warmth away from my still semi erect manhood. She stretched out beside me on the cool rock floor, curled up to my side, fully sated from our love making.
We laid there, listening to the sounds drifting through our doorway, scenting the spring winds. They carried the fragrance of blooming flowers and near by apple trees, fresh crisp water teeming with life from the many streams crisscrossing our valley, and the bustling members of our tribe.
"I love that smell." she mumbled against my shoulder.
"Let me guess....." I said, once again scenting the wind, "....it's the flowers. Am I right?"
She shifted, her chin resting on the armor covering my chest, "You're wrong Kouga. I love our combined scent, the salty trace of your seed, the musky male spice you leave on my skin. It smells better than any flower."
Her eyes held me captive. Ayame unknowingly stroked my ego, causing my cock to twitch with need. "Don't look at me that way woman." I tapped the tip of her nose, "Or else I'll flip you over and go for a second round."
She grinned mischievously, "Sounds good."
I laughed at her, appreciating her eagerness for intimacy, but I had a lot to do before the sun settled on the valley.
"Any other time, I'd be more than happy to stick around and dominate your sweet ass, but right now, I need to go talk to elder and the other males."
I straightened my loin covering, not bothering to wash off the traces of our sex, "I'll be back soon mate." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Stick around, okay? Please, no matter how much you enjoy defying me, please do not go anywhere alone until this mess is fixed."
"Alright Kouga. I'll stay here and play the role of the defenseless female." she huffed, sitting down by the door.
"Good girl." I patted her head, earning a harsh growl as I left.
At the elders small den, the males already started to gather. They sniffed the air as I approached, no doubt detecting the scent of sex, both new and old. I felt proud that they knew of mine and my woman's frequent sessions. It only further helped to assert my leadership abilities.
"Kouga." elder nodded his greeting in my direction. I bowed, showing respect for the former leader before taking a seat beside him. "I read Nagaharu's message to you. What do you think about his promise?"
"Don't you mean threat?" I asked.
Elder cocked an eyebrow at me, "No, it was definitely a promise for revenge. There is a rift between you two and he plans on solving it."
"Why the hell is everyone so afraid of this bastard? You all make him seem like he's invincible or something?" their cowardice was disgusting! I've neverfeared any ookami and I sure as hell don't plan on starting now.
"Don't mistaken caution for fear young wolf." Elder scolded, "You do not know your opponent the way we do. Nagaharu grew up in this pack. He has made quite a negative reputation for himself."
"Then tell me what the big bad wolf did so I can kick his ass and end this mess." I leaned back against the wall, waiting to hear their tales of the traitorous ookami.
"He is a bully, full of revenge and jealousy." A deep voice of Hiro form the back of the room called out, the tone flat, lacking any signs of intimidation as he spoke of the wolf, "None of our younger males want to spar with him. As you have seen, he gets very angry if he feels anyone has bested him. And it doesn't matter what the activity is." The other ookami warriors nodded in agreement, a small murmur going through the crowd.
"That's right, " Eito added, "hunting with Nagaharu is like taking your life in your own hands. He wants to lead constantly and if you dare defy him, you'll pay the price. We had an incident a few years ago when he and another male, Jiyuu, went out hunting and the young male never returned."
"Did you ever find his body?" I asked.
"Not a single trace. We still don't know what happened to him." Hiro responded.
"Yeah." Eito sighed. "He was a good man, always willing to help his fellow pack members. His mate was a beautiful female named Kanayo. She too was young when they became mates, but they loved each other whole heartedly. Those two were inseparable. She sat at their den entrance, watching the tree line for his return, and cried for weeks after he disappeared. One day, she went into the forest to look for him and we never saw her again."
Silence filled the room, making my gut clench, "Why was she allowed to leave by herself?" I asked.
"She snuck off when no one was watching her Kouga." Eito answered defensively.
"Then how do you know she went into the forest?"
"We found a clump of her bloody hair tangled in a thorn bush." Eito's voice wavered, clearly telling me and every other male in the room of his distress. "Kanayo and Namiyo were good friends, just like Jiyuu and I were."
"What about scents? Were there any incrementing scents or clues about who could have taken her?" I thought there had to have been something, some small detail they missed.
"The area is filled with scents Kouga. None of them were stronger than the other. The strange thing is that there was no trail of her scent anywhere. After bleeding there should have been at least a faint trail for us to follow, but it was as if she simply vanished from that spot."
"Was Nagaharu's scent found in the area?"
"Faintly." Young Ren replied. He was the youngest of the warriors, but more than capable of taking care of the pack. He was tall and somewhat lanky with long brown hair and sharp green eyes. I instantly liked this kid; he had integrity and plenty of backbone. "The area she vanished in was used often for hunting. Rabbits heavily populated that area because of the low lying greenery and briar bushes. All the males passed through that area at one time or the other, including Nagaharu and even myself just days earlier. We couldn't accuse him of anything for certain."
"Then why do you suspect him of their deaths?" I pointedly asked Ren, looking him straight in the eye.
His eyes never wavered, instead, he held my gaze, "Because Nagaharu had a thing for Ren's woman. Like Eito said, Kanayo was beautiful. She was nice to everyone, even Nagaharu. He mistook her kindness for desire and constantly harassed her. The council spoke to him about his behavior, which was pointless. All he did was blow up and threaten us. He said if this female wanted to fuck him that we had no right to get between them. It didn't matter to him that at the time Jiyuu was openly courting her, and it mattered even less when they were mated. He pursued her constantly, making lewd comments about what he wanted to do with her."
"But that still doesn't make him a killer." I said, feeling somewhat doubtful of this arrogant bastards involvement.
"He openly threatened Jiyuu in front of the pack." Ren hissed between clenched teeth. "Nagaharu had been after poor Kanayo the entire day. Jiyuu got between them the way a male should, protecting his mate, standing up to that tyrant, defending her honor. Nagaharu merely smiled at him and told him not to worry about his precious little woman. When something happened to him he would take care of her." Ren stepped closer, "Did you hear me Kouga? He said when, not if! Nagaharu backed off Kanayo, giving tempers time to cool off and the confrontation a chance to move itself to the back of the packs minds. He told Jiyuu that he wanted the fight between them to end. But that was a lie. Nagaharu is like a coiled snake waiting for his chance to strike. And he did strike, the day they went hunting together."
Ren was shaking with rage. Another shorter ookami stepped forward, his larger frame pushing against the younger wolf, encouraging Ren to sit down. Futoshi had small streaks of grey in his hair. His eyes were weary as he started to speak, "He is not angry with you Kouga." Futoshi said while motioning toward Ren. "He is angry at himself, like the rest of us for trusting Nagaharu. If we had not allowed Jiyuu to leave with him that day, then both he and his mate would still be alive. There deaths stained all of our hands." He placed a comforting hand on his comrades shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. The opening of old wounds is always painful. I hated to ask these brave males to relive such a tragic event, but I needed to know all I could about Nagaharu.
"What happened that day?" I asked in a low sympathetic voice.
The old warrior shut his eyes, slightly shaking his head. "It was early afternoon. The males were choosing who would go on the hunt for the evening meal, when Nagaharu stepped up, volunteering to join the group. Jiyuu was one of the males assigned to go. As you can probably guess, Nagarahu said he would go with Jiyuu. That scheming bastard smiled at Jiyuu, patting him on the back as they all discussed the areas of most promise. Nagaharu suggested they go to the far northern borders where the deer were most plentiful. It sounded logical enough to everyone, so no one thought to disagree or question his intentions." Futoshi gave long deep sigh, his large hands passing over her his aged face, "Later that day, Nagaharu returned alone with a large buck slung over his shoulder. We asked him where Jiyuu was. He tried to look surprised even though we could all see the dancing, sadistic glee in his eyes. Nagaharu told us that he and Jiyuu split up once they reached the border. They had each scented an adult deer and wanted to bag two instead of just one. Supposedly, they had agreed to meet back at the mountain once they got their prey. Jiyuu never came home."
"Now I understand why you are all so adamant about his guilt. Hunters never split up. We've been trained from the time we were pups to always hunt in packs. Hell, it's part of our very nature." I clenched my fists, anger coursing through my system. "What about Kanayo?"
"She was beside herself with worry." Hiro spoke up, "She said when Nagaharu walked past her, he shifted the deer's body so the rest of us couldn't see his face. He smiled and licked his lips at her. She rushed him, screaming and yelling. Her fists pounded his back in a fit of anger. I pulled her away from him. Nagaharu was calm, not caring that a female openly attacked him. Normally he would have slapped her, but he just grinned at us and walked away."
"How long did you search for them?" Hiro's face was etched with worry. I swear he aged right before my eyes.
"Months. We combed the entire country side, past our borders, along the streams, every valley, cave and gorge, even heavily populated human territories, but there was no trace of the Jiyuu or his mate." Hiro looked far away, deep in thought.
"I am sorry for the loss of Jiyuu and Kanayo." I didn't know what else to say. My heart went out to them.
"At least now you have an idea of what you are dealing with." Elder stated. His voice was strained, making him sound older. "Nagaharu is a cruel man Kouga. He delights is beating, torturing and intimidating any living thing he comes in contact with. Dd you know he likes beating on pups?"
I shook my head, anger taking a strong hold on my throat. "He thinks it big of him to hit a helpless pup. He slapped a little female one time for no reason and broke her collar bone. We should have banished him right then, but he swore it was an accident. In all honesty, I think we are all a little afraid of him. He is not the type to accept a sentence of punishment."
"But he inured a helpless pup?! What kind of male hits pups!?" My voice rose in anger. "He should have been killed!"
The elder nodded in agreement, "That is true, but sometimes the repercussions are worse than the crime. Nagaharu would never have left quietly. Even at that time, our ranks were thinning out. We only wanted to avoid a fight."
"What about the girl? Is she alright?"
He smiled at me, the lines around his mouth deepening, "She is fine. That is an admirable trait Kouga; your care for pups and concern for others. Those are qualities all leaders need to have." He paused for a second, "Eito said he took some of the northern tribe with him, all strong, capable unattached warriors. Do you think he is going to find females ad start his own pack?"
I shook my head, "He only left with five other men. There's no way for him to start a pack with so few ookami. No, I think Nagaharu knew exactly what he was doing and this fight between us might or might not have been planned."
The elder leaned over to me, capturing my attention, "What are you suggesting Kouga?"
"He's up to something bigger than just betraying our clan and taking off to start a new one. There's no way they could have stole supplies from the pack without someone seeing, and there aren't any caves around here big enough for six males to inhabit and hide in for a long amount of time. Eventually, we would find them or another tribe would come across them." My eyes scanned the edgy males sitting around us, "I'd bet my life that he and the other traitors joined the grey wolves."
"They are our enemy!" Eito exclaimed, "Why would they join such a mangy pack?"
"Simple, the grey wolves most likely promised him leadership of that pack if he could bring down this one. It's a sweet deal. All he has to do is help destroy all of us, or chase us off, take this mountain and surrounding land and he becomes the all mighty leader that has always wanted to be. He'll probably take as many of our females as possible and kill the pups." I was deep in thought. There were pieces missing to this puzzle, but for the life of me, I just couldn't put them together.
"But how can they fight us? Our pack out numbers theirs by at least 150 males." Hiro stated.
"Not really," I answered, "We do have around 150 men, but that's only if you count the young male pups and adolescent males, as well as the elderly who can't fight. That brings us down to approximately 120 males. And don't forget, it's not always how many wolves you have in a pack, but how cunning they are."
"Very true." Elder agreed. "The brown wolves, though few in number, are a smart group."
"I still have many concerns, but for now, we need to stay on our guard. We will hunt in groups of fours and not beyond 3 miles from the mountain base. If we have to live off squirrels and rabbits then so be it. When we need a bigger kill, groups of ten will go and half of you will hang back in the tall weeds so the animal won't notice our presence."
The warriors agreed, voicing their opinions and additional concerns. By the time our meeting ended, the sun had moved past the noon mark, signaling we were close to evening.
I stepped out of the den. Life continued around me, the pack females and older pups doing their usual chores.
I looked up to my den where my beautiful mate would hopefully still be. The mid noon sun was bright and warm. As I approached the cave entrance, an unfamiliar scent hit me.
Ayame was inside, thankfully, with dozens of tiny jars and paint brushes. She had a slender brush held gracefully between her fingers. She didn't notice me and I didn't want her to.
Her mind was focused on what she was doing. My eyes watched each movement of her hand, making exact lines and beautiful angles. She was drawing a nature scene on our largest, flattest wall just inside the sitting room. Actually, the longer I watched her the more I recognized what she was drawing. I glanced over my shoulder and then back to her drawing. She was painting the view from our door.
She suddenly looked over to where I was standing, jumping a little as if I frightened her. "Hi! When did you get back?" She asked, giving me a radiant smile.
"A few minutes ago. I didn't know you could draw Ayame. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
She giggled turning her back to me. Her small hand led the paint brush from the bottom of the wall nearly to the top, "You never asked." she replied while sketching in thick branches and the delicate shapes of leaves.
"Well, it certainly is amazing. Your picture looks exactly like the surrounding countryside."
She smiled back at me, giving me that heart stopping grin that made me want to scoop her up and throw her on our futon.
I looked out our den entrance. Far below our tribe was teeming with life, buzzing around like a swarm of bees busy carrying out their everyday tasks. My eyes returned to Ayame. My mate, the love of my life and, one day, the mother of my many pups.
My heart thudded hard in my chest, forcing my hand to the spot it occupied beneath my ribs. 'Keep close to you what is most precious...'. Nagaharu's words suddenly came to life in my mind. I drew in a deep breath, trying to steady my heart and panic stricken surge of blood pumping through out my body, as all the pieces of the puzzle came together.
"Kouga?" Ayame put down the paint brush and rushed to my side. "What's wrong?!" Her hands caressed my cheeks in an attempt to soothe me.
"Bastard." I growled, my gaze frantically shifting between my mate and my pack.
"Kouga! Please talk to me!" Ayame begged, becoming frantic at the change in my demeanor.
"What is most precious......" I repeated. My mind felt like it was spinning out of control.
My mate pulled me down to her, hugging me fiercely, clinging to my larger frame. "Talk to me Kouga, please. I love you so much."
Right now, Ayame is my anchor to sanity. She and the responsibility I have to this pack of ookami youkai are the only things that stop me from completely snapping and hunting down Nagaharu. I want to tear him apart, taste his blood in my mouth, watch his entrails slide out of his body, savor his each and every scream of pain.
I gripped Ayame's arms, pulling her away from me so I could look at her frightened green orbs, "What is most precious......" I repeated again, "Don't you see what that fucking bastard is trying to do Ayame?" She shook her head, looking like a frightened child in my arms, "He can't beat me in a fight, so instead he's trying to threaten everything I love. Any ookami who read that wall will know what his challenge means, but what complicates things, what really makes this incredibly fucked up is that he knows I love you with all my heart! Now do you see what he is trying to do?" I leaned my head down, dropping my lips to the soft shell of my mates ear, "He is going to make me choose."
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