I apologize for any spelling and grammar errors. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update this story next, since I'm quite busy.
I wanted to write more for this chapter, but it was sitting in my docs for weeks untouched so I just decided to publish it.
So I apologize for the pathetic chapter length.
But I do like writing Alpha! E.
Once more, like before, the dynamics of the pack shifted.
Shifted and swayed like the ever flowing currents of a river.
Once more, leadership changed.
Once more, E found herself at the epicenter of the pack's daily activities.
However, unlike before, E found herself to be something.
And that something-something-was not just something.
It was an alpha.
The change was slow and gradual as the days and nights seemed long and nigh never ending.
E missed home.
She missed her mate.
But she had to admit-She liked this power.
Just as she found pleasure in the attention she received from her ever competing pack members-and suitors.
A series of purrs riveted form E's white throat in please as a heated, moist tongue glided across her garnet scales and slathered her scarred skin in a glittering film of saliva. The Paladin's golden flesh riddled with minor scars and healing wounds seemed to illuminate in the gentle rays of the sun. The day was warm as the radiant light simmered the skies on a cloudless day. The branches of age old trees swayed to and fro in a welcoming, slow breeze.
The Paladin was caring and tender in his affections, moist tongue preening his alpha's sanguine hued skin, hot breath dancing along E's scales and causing a shiver to run along her spine.
The pair lay together upon soft dirt and grass, bodies pressed firmly against one another to share in the warmth of one another. The only constant to the female's pleased purrs were the gentle trickle of the crick, and the soft chittering of the Usurper and the Emperor at the edge of the stream.
E's blue eyes were closed lightly behind scaled lids, facial muscles lax. She enjoyed feeling the radiating warmth from her current Favorite. The moist breath upon her scales. The soft tongue gliding along her sensitive skin, teeth lightly nipping in the Paladin's preening of his alpha. He was tender in his preening, cleaning and massaging with scaled lips, teeth and tongue along his alpha's back, her shoulders, her chest, her neck, her scalp.
E couldn't imagine that such brutal males could be so caring towards her.
So loving.
So sincere.
And her purrs only grew louder, mind wandering, imagining, dreaming.
That her current Favorite was replaced by the Indoraptor.
The striking, vivid, attractive male with dull scales, brought to life with a gold stripe on each side.
Her powerful, handsome male with burning amber eyes and sharp pupils and erect quills.
Her male, that could easily use his jaws to harm her-gave her pleasure, and comfort instead.
With his tongue.
With his breath.
With his body.
Her powerful, strong alpha-So like her kind, yet so different.
Perhaps there were others of his kind?
Other males, other females.
What if he found a female of his kind, and chose her over E as his mate?
It was a thought E did not enjoy to entertain.
And it was a thought that soured her mood, and quieted her once content purring. It was a deafening quiet that the Paladin noticed, and his attentions slowly ceased, replaced with a brief brush of warm scaled lips against her own. His warm breath danced along her sensitive skin, and a moist tongue gave a soft, gentle lick, as if asking for acceptance-for entrance-to slip into her serrated maw and join with hers.
It was an advance that E denied and refuted with a twist of her head, scaled lips peeling back to expose rows of vicious knives.
It was a warning the Paladin took in earnest; His neck craned back as he pulled away, a chitter in confusion and worry escaping him. The Paladin's head tilted to the right in concern, yet curiosity as his eyes shined with something akin to eager intelligence-a desire to learn his error and correct.
E's pupils narrowed ever so slightly as her nostrils flared in slight irritation.
Slowly, fluidly did her lips fall lax and settle to sheath her teeth. Her facial features softened and her eyes looked upon her current Favorite. The black voids of her pupils drank in his features-the light scars and nics that tattered his sun kissed flesh from hunts and minor squabbles for her favor-the vivid, striking hue of his scales that shined in the warm light of the sun.
The Paladin's scales were vivid, striking and golden.
Attractive.
Head turning.
He reminded her of the Indoraptor.
That was why he was her current Favorite.
The Paladin reminded her of her true mate's attractive and stunning lure.
The bright, shimmering scales that any female would no doubt find eye catching.
Those piercing, predatory amber eyes with pupils as sharp as teeth-intense and hungry.
Calculating.
Daring.
Intelligent.
Wrathful.
They were like her current Favorite's eyes-but so much different.
But at least for now, she could pretend.
E's snout then tenderly, gingerly pressed against the Paladin's own, scaled lips rubbing and gliding against warm flesh and heated breath. Their serpentine tongues tied together tenderly in a dalliance under the warm rays of the cheery day.
The only thing that sounded louder than the trickle of the nearby crick, was the rivetting of their own purrs from content throats.
E could not vocalize like her pack members.
Thus, her method of leadership was quite different.
Orders were not given by rasps and trills and barks.
They were given by teeth, tongue and body.
Jaded eyes flickered to the sun basking pair-then to each other. The Emperor and the Usurper both looked from their female alpha and their more golden hued packmate in brief flickers.
Both males were communicating in quiet chitters and idle chatter.
And both were quite upset at the closeness their comrade was sharing with their alpha.
But they both decided not to make a move-yet.
Their alpha would eventually show them attention when she tired of her current Favorite.
But still-the anticipation-the wait-it was much.
Almost too much.
And just like every pack-there was also a lesser member.
The Emperor was one such male.
The royal hued male, desperate and lonely for female companionship-looked over and denied by his alpha-thrice thus far.
The crimson female's first choice was the Paladin.
Then the Usurper.
Then the Paladin once more.
Each companionship would last for days-and then E would chose another.
Another male to preen and be preened, to spend time with, to bask in the sun with, to pleasure each other.
The knowledge that he was missing out on such opportunities with his alpha was making the Emperor restless, and anxious.
Desperate.
Worried.
The purple hued male was distressed, and quite eager for his alpha's attentions.
Perhaps the only comfort the Emperor could stomach, was that his alpha was quite an advocate of sexual boundaries.
She would not allow a male to fully breed her-not without her consent.
The Emperor knew better to earn the ire of his alpha.
Because the little female was vicious when pressed.
Thus, the Emperor watched, now blocking out the attempts at communication from his black scaled kin. He was staring at her-E, and the Paladin.
Staring for perhaps too long, for he caught himself, and looked away. His eyes flicked to the dark hued male, then towards the ground, back towards the Usurper, then towards the trickling stream.
His attention then fell upon the waters within-or more specifically-the brief, silvery flickers of fish scales caught within the rays of the sun.
Perhaps, just perhaps...He could impress his alpha enough to earn her gaze.
E's approach was felt more than heard as she rubbed up against the length of the Usurper in greeting, warm scales brushing up against warmer. A low croon of a purr escaped her, her smaller body gliding along the black scaled male's own like water.
The Paladin trotted up behind his smaller alpha, eyes watching the display in curiosity and interest.
The Usurper gave a brief rasp before nuzzling his own snout against hers in acknowledgement and greeting.
It was a ritual of greeting that the Emperor was keen to interrupt in his approach, a high pitched chirp ringing from his scaled throat. An attempt to get attention. An attempt to turn the head of his alpha, and have her gaze cast upon him.
A morsel of a minnow was held between his jaws, which was extended in offering.
E looked upon the purple hued male. Her oceanic blue eyes then narrowed upon the minnow. Her scaled lips rose and peeled back into an agitated snarl.
But despite her flashing of teeth, she was quite swift to sheathe them-and extend her neck forward and accept the tribute.
Carefully, tenderly did the Emperor deliver the gift into E's open maw-as if they were moving with an egg more so than simple prey.
His alpha accepted!
She accepted!
The Emperor was quite pleased at that!
He was pleased because it was something.
E knew that she was perhaps quite unfair to the purple hued male.
No, not perhaps-was.
E was quite biased in her selection of Favorites.
In truth, her biases were quite petty, for the alpha chose her current companions based upon their scale colors.
The Usurper-black-and the Paladin-gold.
Black and gold, gold and black.
The colors of her alpha back home, in their aged wooden shelter long abandoned.
E missed the Indoraptor.
Was he safe? Was he injured? What if he ran into danger, or became injured and could no longer hunt?
Was he scared? Worried? Fretting? Stressing? Searching for her?
Was her alpha-her mate-okay?
Okay, and safe, and warm and well fed in their home?
E's killing claws twitched and flicked, her hands grasping and uncurling, nails clacking against one another in nervous fidgeting. She was nervous-anxious-unsteady.
Not calm, not collected, and not in control-despite her new found status.
E's scaled head swiveled from side to side, cerulean eyes wide and pupils large.
She looked to the right-towards the little domain of her pack-then to the left-to the little slope beyond the crick from whence she came.
Should she leave?
Should she go home?
Home, to her alpha and mate?
Would the males allow her to leave?
Would they stay, if she deemed them not to follow?
How much could she order them, until they decided to just not listen?
What if they followed and encountered her mate?
Would they fight, or stand down?
What if her mate got hurt?
Her mate was strong.
Very strong.
He wouldn't be strong if he wasn't big.
But could the Indoraptor handle three males if a fight came to it?
Would E be able to prevent them from fighting?
Could she make them all stand down?
Yet worse-what if the hybrid was currently tracking her down?
No...No. Her mate would be here by now, if he was following her scent.
What if he got attacked by the Brown Monster?
Eaten?
Killed?
It was a thought E swiftly pushed from her mind.
Instead, E began to swivel herself away from the quietly babbling stream and towards her pack. The three males looked upon their alpha from their resting positions upon the ground, their quiet chattering with themselves ceasing.
E was swift to move and snap at their flanks in an order to rise to their feet.
It was time to hunt.
And for the first time, in a long time, E was going to participate in an actual hunt.
E did not lead her pack from the front.
She led from the back of the kettle, snapping and biting her packmates akin to a stallion nipping at the stragglers of a galloping herd.
If E wanted her pack to speed up, she would snap and nip at the crest of their hips.
If E desired a male to veer to the left, she would nudge or pick at their right flank.
And if E wanted to conduct her lesser to turn right, she would target the left flank.
If E desired her pack to cease their advance, she would simply slow her charge, and eventually cease. The three males were swift to halt their advance as well, for their attention was always upon the actions of their alpha.
Always.
Thus, when E ceased on her movements, her pack was swift to follow.
For her flaring nares did not pick up the scent of prey-but the scent of another raptor.
And it was female.
I was originally going to write E's encounter with the new female (which would probably lead to massive E development again), but I'm not sure when I'll be able to work on this story next. I don't think the next chapter will focus on the Blue and the Indoraptor debacle, but who knows?
I do want to write more interactions with E and the Indoraptor, so I might just focus on Beautifully Broken for a bit, or maybe do some kind of one shot series regarding the pair.
I apologize for the delay once again.
Thank you for reading and supporting this story.