I upped the rating to Mature.
Rated Mature due to vague/implied mating, and fairly intense violence.
This chapter is more brutal and serious than the last one. Some of it's more brutal than I envision, some of it isn't.
Warning: Possibly brutal/disturbing description. Fairly humanized animals.
Blue's time within the pack was so different from what she remembered pack life with her sisters.
This pack was so much different.
It made her miss her sisters.
And Rust's hierarchy as alpha made her miss her human alpha.
Blue wondered if things would have been different if she chose to stay with Owen?
Would things be better, stuck in a cage that was so tiny and confining?
She would be safe in a cage.
Safe with her alpha.
At least, she would be safe from harm under her old alpha.
Her new alpha?
Not so much.
The whole pack changed whenever Rust was around.
Everything was tense.
Everyone was on edge.
Because no one knew when they could be the rustic male's next target.
Blue learned swiftly to be small, and quiet.
To avoid detection.
To slip under the large male's gaze, and let his piercing eyes fall to another victim.
Thus, the pack was quiet.
But only when they needed to be.
The quietness of the pack was broken as Bravo rose from his position from the ground. While his leg largely healed from Blue's claws, his snout was not. His sinuses were permanently crushed on one side, giving him a deformed, broken snout.
The green scaled male with golden accents craned his neck to look at Rust. The male was busy sleeping, scaled lips peeled back in a snarl.
Even whilst sleeping, he appeared to be nasty.
At least he was distracted for the time being.
Good.
Bravo's gaze fell from Rust, to Blue.
The male then released a quiet, yet nasally trill.
A beckon for her to come.
To follow.
To join.
Blue's head rose from being flush to the cold earth, neck craning to look upon the other male, golden eyes narrowing and focusing upon Bravo. Her neck twisted to face her head away from Bravo, to the other pack members.
Rust was in a torpor.
Winter and Storm were asleep as well, brother and sister curled up in a small ball upon each other.
Blue then refocused her attention to Bravo, the male standing, awaiting an answer to his beckon.
A series of soft clicks in curiosity escaped Blue, her head warbling in thought, tail flicking and toes flowering, scraping into the dirt.
The blue striped sister then decided being away from Rust was better than simply being near him, even whilst he was sleeping.
Thus, Blue rose from her laying position, and pattered off to join Bravo.
She was curious as to where they were going.
Were they going to hunt?
Bravo produced a series of clicks in please at the female joining him. Satisfied, the male then twisted opposite of Blue, and moved off away from the pack's nesting site.
Blue chittered, and followed the male, pattering up beside him.
Blue expected them to hunt under the light of the moon and stars.
She didn't expect them to enter a field that was flickering with gentle yellow lights of dancing fireflies within the tall grasses.
Blue's eyes widened, the golden coloration of her irises only seeming to sparkle and fleck, reflecting the soft glow of the firelights. The grey sister turned her head towards the green male beside her, head warbling ever so slightly. A quiet chitter escaped her, which was followed by the soft clicks of her tongue.
Bravo turned his head from the dazzling sight, to the blue striped female, a nasally bark escaping him. His head suddenly craned forward, and gave a playful boop of the snout in response, the male swiftly retracting.
Blue blinked, and flinched, a squawk of surprise escaping her. She expected to feel some sort of pain from the ambush. But found that the action was more friendly and playful that her paranoia anticipated.
It was a simple poke-but also an invitation to play.
Blue decided, for once, for perhaps the first time since her sisters were gone, to indulge herself.
The blue striped sister twisted her neck, and unleashed a swift poke with the brunt of her snout in retaliation. Bravo craned his neck downward to avoid the boop, a trill in chortle escaping him. His head tilted on an incline, and he rose to poke the new female in her jaw.
Blue released a hooting noise in play, scaled head shaking slightly and jaws snapping in mock combat. A clawed hand rose, and pawed the green male's snout away.
It was then Blue did something she hadn't done in a long time.
She ran.
But she didn't run in chase of prey.
Nor to escape a larger predator.
She ran because she could.
She ran because she wanted to play.
Bravo produced a surprised squawk as Blue suddenly bolted off into the tall grasses, her footfalls heavy against the ground, grasses bending to her charge. Wherever Blue went in her running, a wave of flickering, softly glowing lights fluttered into the night sky. Bravo looked upon the sight, scales and eyes reflecting the illumination of firelight.
The green male accented with golden scales then shook his head, and refocused. Bravo then gave chase with an excited bark, and was lost within the tall fields in only three strides.
He may not have known where Blue went, lost within the grasses, but he could follow the slowly fluttering path of fleeing insects in her wake, illuminating the night sky.
The field became a swirl of two entities of gently flowing lantern lights, flickering and dotting a dull glow against the blackness of the night.
For the first time, in a long time, Blue remembered what it felt like to run and play just for the sake of it.
Blue ran until she could no longer, her chest heaving as she breathed in strained, ragged breathes. Her heart fluttered away, and she could feel her blood course through her body.
Bravo was opposite to her, panting and tongue lulling from his gaping maw, heated breath fluttering in wisps against the night.
The lazy trickling of a creek could be heard, the water rolling between them.
Blue was swift to quench her thirst, head lowering and hips raised, tail flicking. The flow of the cold crick felt so refreshing against her parched mouth.
Bravo lowered his scaled lips beneath the water's surface, serrated teeth jutting out of the flow. The green male cocked his head to the side, eyes flicking and pupils narrowing to better look upon Blue.
The female resumed to drink, briefly raising her head and giving a single shake, flicking the trickling water from her scaled maw. A quiet chitter escaped her before she lowered herself to lap at the water once more.
Bravo then took advantage of the female's vulnerable position. The male sunk his snout deep into the water, and exhaled harshly from his nares.
The angry flaring of bubbling water startled Blue, and the female craned her neck backwards in haste, a squawk escaping her in start. The bubbling ceased as Bravo raised his head to look at Blue, a series of playful, almost chortling clicks and chitters escaping him.
It was as if he was laughing at her.
Blue released a confused chirp, and cocked her head to the side. She watched as Bravo lowered his snout below the lazily flowing stream, and blew from his nares. The water danced and bubbled around him, and Blue released another squawk in surprise and awe.
How did he do that?
She wanted to try!
The grey scaled female then lowered her snout below the water, and blew forcefully from her nostrils. The water bubbled and swelled around her snout-and the feeling tickled!
Blue released a trill in chortle and excitement.
She was doing it!
She was making water dance!
Bravo released a nasally bark, tail swaying slightly before he, too, lowered his head, and blew into the water.
For the third time, he made the water dance and bubble.
For the second time, she made the water dance and bubble.
Once more, Bravo cocked his head to the side, eyes flicking upward and pupils focusing upon Blue.
In a sudden movement of his head, water spritzed and splattered upon Blue, causing the female to pull back and rasp.
The grey female moved back slightly, and attempted to shake herself free of the wet cold.
The green male released another nasally chortle.
Bravo flinched when Blue slashed her clawed foot into the stream, and splashed him.
It was her turn to chortle.
The tension within the pack was so thick, it could almost be cut with a knife.
The cause of this tension was a simple, primal one.
Winter was in season.
And the white female was showing it.
Blue watched from her small bedding of dead leaves as the other female rose from her normal resting place, and cantered slowly towards Bravo.
Winter neared the green scaled male, the produced a low, husky croon as she rubbed the side of her head against the male's shoulder, then her whole body. Slowly, softly, tenderly brushing her warm and smooth scales against Bravo.
Hoping to entice him.
Hoping he could sate her aching core swiftly-desperately-urgently-before Rust got wind of her heat.
Bravo produced a quiet chitter of uncertainty, and once more the white female spun around, showcasing herself, before rubbing her body against his once more. Her scaled lips gently preened his scaled jaw, and a moist tongue slathered his throat in a single lick.
Bravo's breath hitched, and his nares flared.
Blue could see his breathing increase as his chest expanded with greater force, the male's muscular legs shifting uncomfortably in his lying position.
Blue's golden eyes were locked upon the pair, pupils dilating. Her clawed fingers began to rake at the ground, and disturb her bedding. Her breath became deeper, hotter.
She was jealous.
Winter shouldn't be going after her closest companion!
It wasn't fair!
Bravo was the only pack member thus far to bother to bond with her. To care for her. To spend time with her.
He was her closest companion!
Ever since her sisters!
And now Winter was trying to mate him!?
That wasn't fair!
He was Blue's closest friend!
Blue couldn't be his closest friend if he mated!
Then their bond wouldn't be special!
Blue couldn't be his special closest friend!
Winter would be his special closest friend ever!
And also his mate.
And Winter would be special to Bravo, and Blue wouldn't!
Envy, and jealousy was heavy within Blue's chest. So much so that her grey scaled lips peeled back, and her teeth were exposed in a jaded snarl.
Blue wasn't used to this kind of feeling. These kinds of feelings. She never had any males in her previous pack. Only her sisters.
And her Alpha...
Blue wondered once again if things would have been different with Owen.
Different with-
A series of hisses from an angry Storm took Blue out of her ruminations.
The blue striped female wasn't the only one upset about Winter flaunting herself about. Storm was not happy Bravo was near his sister, and the grey male was showing his anger by harassing the pair-by attempting to get between them, and snapping at Bravo. Winter did not like that, and her throat puffed in irritation, a forceful hiss escaping her. She then exploded in rage, snapping and chasing her brother away-Storm fleeing and frightened by the raw surge in aggression and violence his sister was displaying towards him.
When Winter returned to Bravo, Storm did not bother to get between the pair again.
He just stared in a piercing glare, scaled lips peeled back in a pissy snarl.
Winter resumed her crooning and purring, nuzzling and rubbing against the green male.
Attempting to rouse him.
Attempting to entice him.
Blue couldn't help it.
The female produced a trill of a call-a call to bring attention. A desperate call, a pleading call to get Bravo's notice.
To make him think of her again.
Her, and not Winter.
The noise did garner Bravo's attention, the male craning his neck to look at Blue with a quiet chitter-though a hitch of breath escaped him, and he shuttered at Winter's nuzzling of his throat.
Winter's eyes briefly flicked to Blue.
A knowing look.
A challenging look.
A daring look.
A mocking look.
Her eyes said it all.
No new female was going to get between her and her rutting partners. Partner.
Bravo was the only decent male here.
If only because Storm was her brother, and Rust was a dick.
Blue's snarl only twisted and gnarled further, her nares flaring in heated rage, killing claws stabbing into the ground.
She cried out once more.
Bravo had to hear.
Surely he had to hear.
But he was too mesmerized-tantalized-by the intoxicating scent of the white raptor, her hips swaying as she showcased herself.
Attempting to urge the male to mount her.
To rut her.
To fill her womb with his seed.
To sate her primal desire, and give her pleasure.
Bravo stared, eyes glazed in a haze, pupils dilated and saliva welling within his maw, lazily dribbling down his scaled jaw. His clawed fingers trembled, and his muscled legs tensed, shifting in discomfort.
Winter looked towards Bravo, a low growl escaping her throat. The white raptor then turned, and pattered off towards more dense foliage. Towards shadows. Towards privacy. Towards shelter. Winter ceased in her trot to twist her neck, and flick her gaze upon Bravo through half lidded eyes. Through knowing eyes. Through jaded eyes. Through lustful eyes.
She did not call to him.
She just looked at him through milky, half lidded eyes.
And then she slipped between the shadows.
Bravo didn't move, not at first.
His body trembled, and his breath shook, uneven and unsteady.
Blue produced a chitter of worry, before calling to Bravo, hoping to get his attention.
To get him to remember her.
To pay attention to her.
Because Bravo was her special companion.
If he left, that meant Blue wasn't special to him.
Winter was. She would be his special companion, and his mate.
The green scaled male looked to Blue, if every briefly. A quiet noise escaped him, before his neck twisted and his head turned in the direction Winter scurried off to. Bravo then rose, and source of his discomfort was made known.
An erection hung between the male's legs, red and raging, pulsing with the anger of his pounding heart. Fluid lazily dribbled from the head, eager and angry.
Blue found that she couldn't breathe, cold terror creeping into her chest.
Cold dread, and jealously.
Her golden eyes became fixed upon the erection between Bravo's legs, her nares flaring, chest expanding as she inhaled his musk.
It was a foreign scent, but an attractive one.
Blue didn't entirely understand what was happening-she knew the point was to mate, but...Her only experience with mating wasn't necessarily a comfortable, or pleasurable one.
It hurt.
It hurt the whole time she was bred by Rust.
Even afterwards, it hurt.
And Blue didn't think about Bravo being a potential mate to her until now.
And her chance at having a mate-a potentially good mate-was slipping away.
Because Winter did something to Bravo that Blue couldn't do.
She enticed him, and made Bravo completely forget about Blue.
Gone was the male that went out of his way to share his food, play games and socialize with her.
To Blue, it felt like a betrayal.
Because she was terrified Bravo's behavior towards her would change afterwards.
He would no longer be her only companion that seemed to actually care.
Care about her like her sisters did.
Care about her like her human alpha did.
And her fears only seemed to be made manifest as Bravo walked in the direction Winter went, head swiveling and movements cautious. Skulking quietly, wary for when Rust would return.
Their tryst would need to be well protected, and swift.
Bravo did not look back.
He did not look at Blue as he slipped into the shadows.
It was odd to hear noises of pleasure-quiet barks and trills growing as the trysting raptors delved further within the pleasures of their arduous union.
Their calls and breaths and pants, however, soon changed.
Their cries of pleasure turned into cries of terror and panic that was overshadowed by a vengeful scream.
Rust found them.
Squeals akin to butchered pigs pierced through the air, and in an explosion of foliage, three scaled bodies tumbled forth in a hazardous pile, limbs flailing and spasming.
A horrendous, fearful squeal ripped from Winter's throat, crushed and twisted by the two males-which was only interrupted by feral snorts and rasps. She squirmed and panicked, struggling to escape from being harmed and crushed by the green and rustic hued males. Rust was upon both, biting and clawing upon Bravo-the green male desperately attempting to twist around and defend himself-to flee, to escape the alpha's wrath.
But he couldn't.
His and Winter's hips were still joined and interlocked, stuck together as both attempted to unlock and escape.
The explosive energy within the pack went off like bomb.
Storm then shot up, a hoarse scream of rage rupturing from his scaled throat, which swelled and puffed in heated wrath. The grey male approached, though did not have enough bravado to challenge his alpha, nor add to the further pile of scales. Thus Storm only hopped and skittered nervously, anxiously, fearfully, around the trio, barking and hissing and spitting, desperate to try and aid his screaming sibling.
Storm was little more than a hindrance, but his antics were enough to rouse the ire of his alpha.
The grey male shrieked in terror upon seeing Rust turn his gaze upon him, and spun around to flee.
The alpha was upon him faster than Storm could react, Rust fueled by raging adrenaline.
Storm was helpless against his alpha's explosive power, the larger male easily pinning his pack member. Storm didn't even try to fight back, to struggle. He was too terrified by the sight of the alpha's killing claw upon his head, threatening and menacing. Storm was so terrified, he forgot how to call for help.
With the large male distracted, Bravo and Winter redoubled their efforts to part. Upon being unlocked and free, Bravo was swift to skitter off and flee, shrieking in panic. It was a noise that drew Rust's attention, and like an enraged bull, the alpha charged towards his limping target.
Before Bravo knew it, the green male was toppled over, and a pair of iron jaws clamped upon his exposed pelvis.
A horrid scream of agony tore through Bravo's throat-which was only interjected by his own hitching breath, the downed male attempting to kick Rust off. But he was in the most vulnerable position possible. Upon his side, and his hips twisted upward and exposed. Bravo attempted to get his legs to work, but the pain was too much. His muscles twitched and spasmed haplessly.
The male attempted to call for help, to cry for help, but the only thing that could escape him were pathetic squeaks and high pitched chitters of agony.
Rust did not let go, and rather, claimed down upon the green male's groin with more force-then once more, then twice, then thrice.
It was with so much force, and so painful, Bravo was afraid his pelvis would snap, and his aching and swollen sex would be ripped out if his alpha dared to tug with just enough force.
Tears involuntarily welled within the green raptor's eyes, jaw agape in a silent scream as he weakly writhed and squirmed, ribcage expanding harshly in sharp intakes of jagged breath.
Blue started on at the horror before her.
Never had she seen such savagery from her own kind before.
Blue was too terrified to move.
Blue was too terrified she'd be the next target.
Rust refused to let go of Bravo, though eventually did with a rough shake, causing a breathless rasp of pain to escape the downed male.
Blood staining his serrated teeth and scaled lips, Rust turned away, and began to focus his attention back on Winter, approaching the white raptor.
Bravo did not move. He did not blink. He just stared, wide eyed and breathing harshly. The green raptor with gold accents may as well have been dead he was in such a catatonic state from the sheer agony and brutality of the attack.
The vulnerable scales of his pelvis were pierced and bleeding quite heavily, crimson smearing upon his scaled inner thighs and groin. Bravo was quite lucky Rust did not target his erection specifically. While Bravo's member was still swollen-it was not out of lust or desire. His erection was swollen due to damage, the length bruised as blood seeped from the tip.
Rust could have killed him.
But he didn't.
After all, the harm was meant to wound.
To maim.
To scare.
To keep alive.
To deliver a harsh reminder, and lesson.
That no one mated with any females except Rust himself.
That no one chuckolded the alpha.
Because the only one that was allowed to have chicks, was Rust.
Whether the females liked it or not.
Thus, Winter's cries were less like that of a raptor, and more akin to a squealing swine as Rust approached, and mounted the injured female.
Storm released a distressing cry, hopping and skittering about in fear, in nervousness, in stress, wanting to do something to help his sister, but unsure what. If he attacked Rust, he might harm his sister. And if he tried to antagonize Rust, the alpha may take his rage out on Winter, and harm her even more. And Storm didn't want to be like Bravo.
But he didn't want his sister to get hurt and abused!
Storm was desperate to aid his sibling, though unsure of what to do, began to rake and claw at his own snout in stress, drawing blood from his self made wounds.
Storm didn't know what to do!
But he had to do something!
Anything!
But what?
The grey raptor wasn't assertive.
He was timid.
He was nothing without his sister.
He was nothing when alone.
And now when his sister needed him, he was too scared to help.
Too weak to help.
Winter may not have been his mate, but she was his everything.
His only family.
Storm looked towards Blue, and released a desperate call for help.
A pleading call.
A begging call.
Blue didn't answer, nor respond to Storm's plea.
Blue was too scared to move.
Too terrified that she would be next, once Rust was finished with Winter.
That she would be forced to breed with Rust again, and have to go through all that pain.
But when Blue heard the second plea, her head turned towards Storm, her actions wooden and ridged.
The call was quivering, weak and desperate.
It sounded like Storm's heart was breaking.
Fear fled, and gave way to fury.
Blue was no longer afraid.
She was livid.
While Blue didn't socialize with Storm much-if at all-she knew his pain.
The pain of being helpless to protect and save siblings.
Blue could remember Charlie.
Her sister being torn apart by fire in a spray of blood and innards.
Blue could remember Delta.
Her sister burned almost beyond recognition. Blue could barely smell Delta's scent over the fumes of burning flesh and gas.
Blue could remember Echo.
Her sister crushed and broken by the White One's jaws.
Blue knew how Storm felt.
And she didn't want Storm to feel how she felt now, with her sisters gone.
After all, what if Charlie was in Winter's place?
Or Delta?
Or Echo?
No.
Blue would not allow that.
Blue rose to her feet in an explosive surge of power, an enraged scream ripping from her throat, scaled lips peeled back in a snarl and clawed fingers poised.
The noise appeared to startle Rust, for the male squawked in surprise, and was quite swift to dismount Winter to defend himself. The earthen-red male released a serpentine hiss in warning, and stepped towards Blue with a slash of his killing claws, attempting to intimidate her with his size and strength, bloodied jaws snapping shut.
The grey and blue striped female produced a shrill shriek, and spat at the large alpha in retaliation with a hiss. Blue's golden eyes were fixed upon Rust, looking upon the male as if he were prey, her pupils narrowed and sharpened into twin knives.
Rust would have charged upon Blue, moved to overwhelm her with his larger form and put the newcomer in her place, had Storm not charged forth from the side, and knocked the alpha to the ground. The grey scaled male produced a hiss in anger, eyes flushing red and saliva frothing into a thick, viscous foam around his scaled lips.
For the first time, in a long time, Rust felt fear.
The tides were turning, and they were no longer in his favor.
He never saw the most timid member of his pack so wild in fervor.
For the first time, in a long time, Rust realized he was not in control.
He was in danger.
When Storm pounced upon the larger male, that was when Rust rolled out of the way, and bolted.
Rust fled in terror, releasing a panicked cry.
Storm gave chase, and Blue was not far behind, the pair nipping, snapping and barking at the large male, giving chase as if hunting dogs to quarry.
They did not stop until Rust was far from their injured pack members.
And they did not let Rust get away unscathed, for blood stained their claws and maws when they returned.
Storm looked upon his injured sister, before turning his attention to Blue. A quiet chitter escaped the grey male, and a nuzzle, followed by a soft lick of the tongue graced Blue's jaw in thanks. Storm then pattered off, and moved to inspect and tend to Winter.
Blue looked to the siblings, before turning her attention to Bravo, who was nursing his wounds.
He would not be able to hunt, or mate, for a long time.
For once, a calm began to fall over the pack.
Everything was steady, and quiet, and calm.
It has only been two days since Rust was chased off, and there was no sign of him.
The pack was at peace, if still healing.
Storm was intent on giving Blue small morsels of prey as gifts of thanks.
Winter was more amiable towards the last living sister, and the females would often preen each other.
Blue and Storm became the providers for the pack, if only due to their pack mates being injured.
Storm would always ensure food was brought back to Winter.
Blue would ensure food was brought back to Bravo.
If only because Bravo once did the same to her when he did not have to.
Blue was still quite wary, and jealous of what happened-if only because it meant Bravo had less attention to focus upon Blue, herself.
She was unsure of the future of her companionship with the green male-potential mate or no.
A part of Blue was just glad Bravo was not able to mate, if only because he couldn't mate with Winter.
Perhaps Blue could try and get Bravo to be interested in mating with her, too?
Like he was with Winter?
But she was unsure if she even wanted a mate.
Mating wasn't very fun when she was bred, but based on the chortles and trills she heard?
Ugh.
Blue missed her sisters.
Things were less stressful when her whole pack was female.
I think this will be the most intense chapter for quite some time. I assume the rest involving the pack will be more interrelations, and exploring the relationships between the various members.
I mainly want to explore Blue/Winter, Blue/Storm, Winter/Bravo, Storm/Bravo. Because I feel each pack member will have different layers and levels of friendliness/rivalry, ect. Like Blue and Winter may be romantic rivals, but are rather amiable towards each other when males aren't involved.
It feels like a high school drama.
I expect the next chapter to be E and the Indoraptor, since it seems to switch every chapter. I don't have much of a plan for E and the Indoraptor, other than them waking up and being hung over (for the sake of stupidity), or maybe running into an exiled Rust? Who knows?
I do plan for fairly explicit mating scenes to occur, rather than vague ones, if it's good enough for character development, but I'm not sure when, or with who (because everything seems up in the air regarding the pack members, but if I'd have to wager, it's either Blue and Bravo, or E and the Indoraptor).
Now, reviews! :)
Huntincwackheads: Thank you! I'm glad you like my writing, spelling errors and grammar aside. I hope this chapter pleases you because drama! :D
Cat Lover: Glad you liked the drunk raptors stupidity! I find it's always good to alternate between serious/tragic and lighthearted/fluffy things in order to keep readers interested, and to prevent them from being burned out and overloaded on a certain type of theme. I also want to experiment with more E/Indoraptor fluff/moments. I assume the Indoraptor has trust issues, so he'd be pretty slow to accept physical advances. Except when drunk , of course :D
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