It's Thursday! Again!
Well, if we're being awfully technical, there's exactly eight minutes until Friday. But it's still Thursday!
Sorry that the updates are coming so late, but life tends to get in the way. I've also developed this obsession with my bed. Getting up is such a pain...
This chapter was not planned. I completely forgot about Evergreen's challenge until the reviews came in, and I don't have the lack of heart to refuse you guys.
Thanks to Otaku4ever731, Stavroula99, FlameDragonHime, KkMarie9005, Nanami B, Phiafairy, Helenezahl for reviewing!
Hope I delivered! See ya'll next week!
~BrennaCoris~
Lucy didn't want to wake up. The moss beneath her was soft, covered in Natsu's scent, and the first commander was a wall of warmth pressed against her flank. Waking up would mean having to leave the warmth of the den for the chill outside and steeling herself for a possible challenge from the brown she-wolf, although a meal would be nice. Natsu burrowed his nose deeper in her neck fur and released a long sigh that had pleasant shivers run the length of her spine. She tried to hate herself for giving in to the mating bond so quickly, but couldn't scrape up enough reasons to. All things considered, Natsu was very likable.
She pushed herself to her paws, shaking off scraps of moss. A few fell on Natsu's face to and he snarled drowsily, shaking his head to get them off. She huffed in amusement, watching him as one eye cracked open to blink up at her, clouded by sleep.
"What's so funny?" he muttered, slightly slurring the words.
"You are." She nudged him with her nose. He let out a soft whine. "Not a morning person, are you?"
"No..." he muttered, letting his head drop back to the moss. She rolled her eyes and nudged him again. After all, there was a tour waiting after the morning meal.
"C'mon, get up. You promised me a tour and if you sleep longer, the second commander will get the best prey."
"But there's food in the clearing."
"Fresh meat tastes better." She moved towards the lichen. "If you aren't getting up, I'll go by myself."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," came the grumbled reply and she allowed herself a small smirk of victory. As his claim wasn't complete, he wouldn't risk other unmated males being near her without him looming nearby. Her smirk fell as she realized she had wanted his company.
She pushed through the lichen and blinked to adjust to the sunlight. The air was crisp and fresh, carrying all the signs of winter, but the weak sunlight was like a last-minute attempt to stave off the snows. Juvia crossed the clearing in her human form, sky-blue hair falling past her shoulders. A blue dress edged with white fur, most likely rabbit, sat neatly on her frame. Her stomach was round with her pregnancy and her hands rested underneath as if supporting the unborn pups. She raised a hand in greeting before pushing through the lichen to enter the healers' den, and Lucy waved her tail in response.
Warmth washed over her from behind, running through her body before coiling in her stomach. She turned to find Natsu in a luxurious stretch that reminded her of a cat, his front legs stretched out in front of him and his tail in the air. His jaws opened in a large yawn, teeth glinting in the sunlight. She noticed that his canines were slightly longer than normal.
"You want to go on a hunt?" he asked, straightening out. Her eyes landed on the prey pile, quickly picking out a appetizing deer, but she wanted time with Natsu. The thought unsettled her.
"Yeah," was all she said. He checked with the glowering beta and led the way once Erza gave the all clear. Lucy followed him through the entrance and into the woods, speeding up to overtake him once they were out of sight.
"You're excited," he noted.
"Too much energy. That was the best I've slept in a long time," she said. He smirked.
"Fight me, then."
She rolled her eyes and lengthened her stride, gaining a bit of distance before he caught on and began to chase after her. "Only if you catch me!"
His playful growl rekindled the heat and she focused on increasing her speed until she was flying over the ground, her paws barely making contact. It felt like she was trying to outrun her problems, but the exhilaration of having Natsu chasing her added a sliver of pleasure.
She didn't know where she was going, the territory completely unfamiliar, but she knew to veer to the side when she neared the border scent marks. Her turn was sharp, her paws skidding as she circled a massive oak. Natsu was closer, slowly catching up. She pushed herself to try and outrun him, knowing he would eventually catch up. He wouldn't let her run away.
The wind brought the scents of at least three wolves to her nose and she tried to give them names. Levy and Gajeel she recognized, but the third scent was unfamiliar. Definitely male, it had been present when she'd first met the pack, but she hadn't met the shifter it belonged to. She flew past them, barely noticing how they bared their teeth in surprise. A short bark sounded only a couple seconds later. Natsu was still gaining and she was beginning to tire. A clearing opened up ahead and he raced ahead, jumping slightly to turn around and face her, his momentum causing him to slide back a bit. She only slowed down enough to regain complete control before rushing at him, teeth bared and snapping at his face. He moved to the side to avoid her attack and slammed his shoulder against her side as she passed, throwing her off-balance. His claws snagged her hip.
She regained her footing quickly and danced out of his reach, panting heavily. He wasn't much better, his tongue hanging out and sides heaving, but she found the sight pleasing. He would have to work if he wanted to keep her and it looked like he was willing.
"You wanted to fight?" she asked, easing into a tense crouch. His eyes darkened slightly and he mirrored her position. "Challenge accepted."
He growled, low and possessive. She responded with a snap of her teeth. He lunged first, jaws aiming for her face while his paw swiped at her front legs. Lifting her paws to avoid his hook, she landed in a crouch and darted forward, clasping her teeth around his neck. He snarled quietly as the skin broke and tried to shake her off, but her bite held. Growling, he reared up, his paws slamming on her shoulders on the way down. Her paws moved to push against his chest as she struggled to withstand the pressure. She held the position for a long moment before her hind legs began to burn from the strain of holding up herself and Natsu, and she slipped out from under him. He landed heavily and she barreled into his side. He staggered and fell, giving her the chance to pin his neck and shoulder. Unfazed, he rolled onto his back and hit her in the stomach with his hind legs, forcing the air out and shoving her off. She yelped as the power behind his push sent her too far back. She landed on her back, winded, and he jumped on top, his legs boxing her in. A hind leg applied pressure to her stomach, preventing her from using his escape tactic, while the opposite front leg rested lightly on her throat. Even shifting wouldn't get her out of the position.
He had won, and the gleam in his eyes told her that he knew that.
"About time, fire freak. You're getting rusty." The second commander's voice caused her to jump a bit. Natsu snorted and leaned down to nuzzled her cheek.
"I win," he whispered. A heated shudder ran the length of her spine. He noticed and his eyes darkened slightly, but a change of wind that carried the second commander's scent with it quickly snapped him out of the daze. His lips curled in an irritated snarl as he stepped away, letting her roll over and stand.
"I'm Gray Fullbuster, second commander. Good work there, making the damn pyro sweat for once," the second commander said, striding closer. Natsu snarled. Gray responded in like. Lucy rolled her eyes and moved to stand between the stubborn idiots.
"Knock it off," she snapped. Her eyes narrowed at Natsu, who let her win and took a step back. She turned to Gray, "It's nice to meet you. Natsu told me about your daily spars. I'm assuming that you're the one who wins?"
"Damn right," Gray smirked.
"And yet you still manage to tie..." she muttered.
"Oi! I beat your ass each time, stripper!" Natsu ducked under Lucy's swipe to have a go at the second commander. A snarl from her was enough for him to back off.
"Not now. Settle your spat later. You came here for a reason?"
"Oh, yeah. Evergreen issued an official challenge. Everyone's waiting at the sand pit," Gray said.
"What are the stakes?" she asked.
"The usual: pride, pack position, et cetera." Gray headed towards the tree line. "You might want to hurry up. She's getting antsy."
"Really bad timing. You're tired." Natsu began pacing. Gray said nothing, choosing to bound into the woods.
"It'll be fine. If I can pin you, I'll pin her in no time. Besides, you just showed me a clever little trick that I'll watch out for in the future," she said, moving to follow Gray. Natsu growled in frustration and trotted after her, matching her pace. She nudged him with her nose.
"Besides, if I can beat Evergreen when I'm tired, it'll send a stronger message. They won't want to see what I can do at full strength," she said.
"I know you'll win. I don't want you to get hurt," he muttered. She blinked in surprise.
"You can't lock me in our human rooms and snarl at everyone who comes too close."
"I can try."
She bared her teeth. "And you won't have a face. Or a throat, for that matter."
"You," Gray twisted to look at her, "are one very violent female."
"Thank you."
"Like Juvia's any better. Didn't she threaten to feed your ears to the pups?" Natsu smirked. Gray snapped his teeth at him.
"Natsu, what can you tell me about Evergreen?" Lucy asked. Gray was immediately ignored.
"She likes to roll, and she almost always ends up on top. You have size advantage, but she's very strong. Most shifters don't expect to be held down by her. She's also pretty fast," he said.
"Isn't this cheating?" Gray asked.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "It's called strategizing. Don't know if you've ever heard of it."
XXXXXXXXXX
Evergreen was waiting in a sandy clearing, surrounded by excited shifters. Three wolves stood protectively behind her. One was a massive yellow furred wolf, easily matching Natsu in size. A scar crossed his right eye. The other two were smaller, one with dark bluish grey fur and the other with fur an odd shade of green, both casting daring glares in Lucy's direction. All three were male. She smirked, reveling in the challenge. Evergreen strode forward with confidence, but cowered slightly when Lucy stared her down in a display of dominance. There would be no games in their fight.
"I, Evergreen of Fairy Tail, challenge Lucy Heartfilia for her position as first commander's mate," Evergreen announced, her voice clear and collected. If she was daunted by the fight, she hid it well.
"I accept. We fight until surrender," Lucy said.
Makarov barked once to get the pack's attention. "You may begin," he said.
Natsu joined Gray and Gajeel in the audience as Lucy began prowling in a circle, forcing Evergreen to move with her. When the she-wolf attacked, Lucy was ready. Evergreen snapped at her face and reared up, her front paws aiming for Lucy's shoulders. Lucy darted forward and slammed into Evergreen's unprotected chest, angling her blow to make the she-wolf topple. Evergreen didn't fall, but landed with her weight pulling her to the side. Lucy clamped her teeth on the loose skin of Evergreen's scruff, pulling the she-wolf towards herself. She had aimed to surprise the she-wolf by pushing her away, just as she'd done with Natsu, but Evergreen seemed to expect that. She pushed against Lucy, driving them both to the floor. Lucy's grip was broken as Evergreen took control of their tumble. Lucy was slammed into the floor, the brown she-wolf on top and pinning her neck. A few barks rang out, no doubt confident of Evergreen's victory. Lucy felt teeth break the skin of her neck as she bunched up her hind legs and shoved the brown wolf off. Evergreen landed harshly and Lucy immediately moved to stand over her, placing a hind leg on Evergreen's stomach and lowering her jaws until they were a hair away from the brown wolf's throat. The pack was silent as Evergreen whined in defeat.
"The battle goes to Lucy," Makarov announced. Lucy stepped back, allowing Evergreen to roll to her feet. The brown wolf shook out her fur and gave a small grin.
"I would never have believed your dad was human unless I'd seen it for myself. You fight like the daughter of two alphas," Evergreen said. Lucy grinned back.
"Being a loner for a few years does have its benefits. You have no idea how many little boys come by, chins up like they own the world," she said.
Evergreen let out a growly chuckle. "So, Natsu's the lucky one? For the sake of the pack, refrain from killing him. We need our first commander whether Gray admits it or not."
"Yes ma'am," Lucy drawled, "but no promises." Evergreen snorted and waved her tail, backing away to join the three males that hovered behind her like shadows. Natsu's warmth swamped Lucy from the side and she turned to greet him. His eyes told her he was proud, causing a slight shock to shoot through her body.
"Did you like that thing at the end there?" she asked, her voice low and teasing. His eyes darkened ever so slightly. Heat pooled in her stomach and she realized that the game she was playing wouldn't end well.
"Very much. I wonder where you got it from?" he murmured. She could feel the growl building in his chest as he pressed against her in a visible claim.
"Lucy! That was amazing!" Levy's eager shout interrupted their moment. Lucy found herself grateful despite the attraction she had for the male. If they had kept going, she would most definitely lose.
"Thanks, Levy," she replied. Levy gave her a friendly nuzzle. Erza passed by them, but paused long enough to give Lucy a nod.
"Looks like you've earned the beta's respect," Juvia said, coming up to join their conversation with a hovering Gray in tow.
"Yeah, well, she fought me and Ever in the same day," Natsu growled. The two females looked up at him in surprise.
"You two fought?" Levy asked incredulously. Lucy nodded slowly, unsure of her new friends' next reaction. As much as she liked being a loner, friends were nice to have.
"Juvia was sure that Lucy was too strong to simply let Natsu claim her without putting up a fight. Looks like Juvia was right." Juvia looked at Natsu, then at Lucy. "Make him work to keep you, otherwise it's no fun."
"Okay?" Lucy replied. Gray choked on something behind his mate and Juvia twisted to smile sweetly at him.
"I think Juvia's been spending too much time with Mira," Natsu muttered. Levy nodded and quietly slunk towards her mate. Juvia didn't notice, too focused on her mate.
Lucy turned to Natsu. "You still owe me a tour," she said. Natsu bared his fangs in a large grin.
"Hunting first. I can hear your stomach from here," he teased. Lucy rolled her eyes, but moved to follow him as he led the way into the deeper wood.
"I believe yours is louder," she muttered. If anything, her stomach was flooded with pleasant heat. If she wanted to maintain her distance, she would have to stop playing with him. But the game was hard to simply abandon because, even with all her denial, she didn't have a good reason to try and resist him.
Reviewer's Corner:
Helenezahl: Not dropping this, I swear!
KkMarie9005: I update every Thursday to keep away from the long-time-no-see thing.
FlameDragonHime: Like a badass she will.
Cheers!