"N-no…p-please I-I.." A sharp bark stopped the strangers advances and made Toboe freeze up, in fear or relief she was not sure.

"K-Kiba?" Toboe yelped in embarrassment. Sure the alpha of the pack could easily scare the creep away, but what would he do about her? As the thuggish stranger measured Kiba up, he decided it wasn't worth it and fled, but not without looking back at her and licking is jowls in longing. Toboe rushed to the waters edge to get out and get some distance between her and her alpha. She knew this wasn't going to go well. Kiba was known for having a little bit of a temper and with the additional hormone's, Toboe feared punishment.

"Tobo-"

" I'm sorry! Okay! I'm Sorry! I know this is weird but I had an incident when I was little that required me to do this! I understand if you wanna rip my head off but-

"be more careful when you bathe."

It hit Toboe like cold water. "Y-you knew? The whole time?"

"Not really, Chezca told me before the season started, she seemed happy about it, so I figured it had it's reasons." Kiba gave her one of his rare smiles. If there was one thing Toboe loved about Chezca, it was her power over Kiba!

Then the awkwardness came, " Um….. Kiba?"

"Yeah"

"Could you… kinda keep this to yourself, and maybe not have Chezca tell the others. Blue knows so that's O.K but Hige and…. Well…"

Kiba completely understood who she was referring to without saying it. Things were awkward in the pack with Tsume going off to who knows where. Especially when Chezca told him the , as she put it , good news. It hurt Kiba's pride to be tricked so easily, but seeing how happy it made Chezca put his mind at ease. Now that he and Blue knew, he could make Chezca even more happy. Chezca told him, "Now everyone has a flower and everyone has a thorn." he understood the females to be the flowers and the males were the thorns, but the problem as getting the flower to get with a thorn that Kiba felt was, no pun intended, a prick.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." with that he went off, leaving a startled and shaking on the verge of fainting Toboe. Quick to avoid any more slip ups, Toboe met Blue a little ways away to help get dressed and back to camp.

What neither expected was for poor Toboe to be attacked by Hige. With a yelp the two wolves tumbled on the ground. Kiba barked for them to stop, staying close to Chezca to keep her from crying, while Blue tried nipping at Hige while he was on top of Toboe, trying to get past the lanky legs keeping him from the neck or belly. In between snarls and yaps, Hige yelled,

"Trying to … steal my… girl huh? I'll… teach… you!"

"NO, Please Hige I'm not, it's all a big misunderstanding! Ow! Pleeeeaase!" the last please came in a cry of pain and hiccups that almost released Toboe's feminine voice.

Hige! You Ass! I told you before I have no interest in Toboe! Stop thinking with your dick and listen!"

All of a sudden a flash of grey pushed Hige to the ground, where he nearly pissed himself in fear. Tsume had his throat in between his teeth and with every struggle, tightened his grip, until Hige got the point and stopped, tail between his legs to show submissiveness.

"T-Tsume… it's okay. He didn't hurt me really! Just let him go! Please?" Not moving his head, their eyes connected, and he let go. Something wasn't right…. Why was he listening to her?

" If ever you attack the kid like that again, your dead." Hige nodded quickly and side stepped to let Tsume pass. Toboe did as well, but not before freezing with shock. Tsume smelled of a female. Another female. It wasn't of sex, but they had to have been close enough to leave a scent.

N-No!