Wolf RPG

Diane was flying, her winged feet carrying her desperately towards the border of the Ridge. She had been on her way back, but now it was pertinent that she make it home— that she surround herself with those she was familiar with— and that the attention her body craved was achieved. It was her first heat, and so she was entirely unfamiliar with the energy and emotion coursing through her, but it had been culminating for a while now, exploding now in an array of jarring scents and secretions. Her body vibrated, making her charge all the faster in the direction of home.

Above her sat the high moon, curved and poised in inexpressive elegance, with purple-gray clouds coiled about it like a veil. Her heart raced, Aztec eyes twinkling as she glanced breathlessly up at the night's silver pendant, her tongue lolling as she continued to run without losing an ounce of her energy. She couldn't fathom where it all came from, but once she realized/learned that this was the fated Heat, she would no longer be confused as to the lightning streaking through her veins or why it had been named so.

When she crossed the borders into Ridge territory, she treated it as if she'd crossed a finish line. Glancing over her shoulder, as if to see what place the other racers had come in, the she-wolf slowed and began to revel in the incredibly safe and triumphant feeling she was left with in that moment. Not an arrogant wolf by any means, Diane didn't understand why she felt so superior and so sure of her hormonal body. Her tail was wagging, fanning, and she began a slower pace in search of the newest stream. She would slate her ballooning thirst for company after she slated her thirst for water.

The black wolf loped slowly through his territory, his thoughts once again turbulent, and the weight of a perceived failure once again on his shoulders. He was tired, and it showed in the sluggishness of his gait, as he had yet to truly rest after his stint at guarding. For all his natural leadership, his first go at alphaship had not been going smoothly, but he reasoned that such growing pains could not be avoided, for both him and the pack. So it was with more resolve and confidence that he would move forward, and not with the great amount of uncertainty that had arrived in the wake of the last trouble.

Downwind, he did not know that the next trial for him and the pack was ahead, as he trailed a stream and spotted Diane coming toward it. He waved his tail as he woofed to her, happy and relieved to see a familiar face, and a wolf he considered a companion. He wrongly thought she would be a welcome distraction from the problems he was chewing over in his mind.

Diane turned her head, ears pricking at Taggarik's greeting noise. Seeing him was more welcome than she anticipated, her ears falling to clasp her skull as her tail began a naturally erratic flinging from side to side. She committed to a short gallop to reach him, her mood intensely giddy for reasons beyond her present understanding, and bounded to a halt in front of him, beaming brightly as her tail continued its breakneck waving. "Sir Tagg," she greeted him breathlessly, excitedly. "I've just run  all the way home! I have no idea how far I ran, or... or why I was running really," she paused, thinking about her strange story and what event had caused her to flee for Ridge territory, but she shook away the confusion. "But it felt like I was flying, and— and it was so wonderful!" she blustered, her face flush with a blooming happiness.

She nudged him, her muzzle smiling and enthused as she buried her face into his broad, dark chest. "Oh, please come. Come run with me!" she exclaimed, spinning from him and darting towards the river. She paused briefly, turning a brimming, youthful gaze towards him, tail tick-tocking and mind wondering if he would follow.

She was... not herself. The black wolf quirked a brow, immediately picking up on her odd, but charming, mannerisms. But he did not need to question them for long. There was no mistaking the change in her scent with her suddenly so near. She nudged him and pressed against his chest before darting off toward the water, beckoning him to run with her. But his paws were rooted, and he did not chase.

He swallowed. His nose was completely dominated by her, and he felt that all too familiar stirring in his loins. It was all the more distracting after spending a frustrating week in the company of a receptive female whom he refused to breed despite his body's demands. He could not help but think, here we go again.

"Diane," he said softly. "You need to stay with me." He took a step toward her, intent that she would spend the next week in his company, and hoping that she would understand better than the pale she-wolf had.

"Taggarik?" Diane whispered, uncertain. She was thrown by his resolute mood, his unwillingness to engage sending her wildly off-kilter. The girl turned slowly to face him, her ears falling and her tail tucking as came nearer— appearing and feeling scolded. "Did, did I do something wrong?" she asked when she had come near enough for him to hear her receding voice. Her confidence was shot, and she was becoming more and more aware of how strange she'd been acting. What had she been running for? ...she couldn't remember. She'd never had a reason.

Confusedly, she continued to close the space between them. Diane could feel her skin tingling, her heart fluttering in her chest like a wild bird in a cage. Seeking comfort, seeking contact, she sniffed at his chest tentatively, her eyes peering up at him: gold glass orbs, wide and imploring. She couldn't articulate how she felt, or what she wanted from the Alpha's presence. "Why don't you want to run with me?"

His ears fell. It was apparent to him that she did not understand what was happening, and he could only assume this was her first time experiencing estrus. Still, he did not want her to feel ashamed for it, and he was not upset at her for coming of age.

She drew near again, reaching forward to sniff at his chest, and he had to steady his breath as it started to waver. The pale delta had been tempting enough, but after spending a week with his senses tantalized and his body lusting, being exposed to such allure again so soon made it that much more difficult. But his resolve was steel, and he shook his head, reluctantly stepping back from back after a quick lick to the top of her head. One he had not intended but had been unable to stop.  

"No no," he said. "You've done nothing wrong. You're just..." he shifted his mouth. He never had to talk to anyone about this sort of thing before. So his suave composure made room for awkwardness. "You're in heat." There, he said it. "I can't run with you because..." His voice fell into a quiet murmur, matched with a shifting expression that was trying desperately to restrain a sheepish chuckle. "I might get too excited."

Diane had been stunned into silence. Bewilderment was her most prevalent expression, until a slow understanding crept upon her face and she was forced to swallow a large, dry lump in her throat. As if realizing she had been gaping, staring at him, Diane snatched her muzzle away, tucking her ears and tail shame. She was embarrassed mostly, but there was also a stinging sensation in her chest, and she recognized it immediately as the feeling of rejection. She hadn't been explicitly aware of her attraction to Taggarik until that very moment, and she was unexpectedly hurt by the verbal confirmation of something she'd already been aware of.

She took in a sharp breath, and stepped back, turning as she searched for an escape route. "I cannot be around you," she confessed breathlessly, starting a quick trot for the icy creek, eager to moisten her drying mouth and stave off the tears pricking inexplicably in the corners of her eyes.

She had a similar reaction to the white she wolf — that was, to want nothing to do with him once she knew he would not mate her. Unfortunately, it was not an option, and Taggarik immediately bristled to think he would have another stubborn female on his hands who would run off and probably be impregnated by one of the pack's males. There had always been an aggressive undertow to his dominant nature, but it bubbled closer to the surface now, and he had to force his lips back over his fangs and quell the growl in his throat as he pursued his companion.

"You have no choice," he said, rounding in front of her to block her path and fix her with an unwavering stare to match the firmness of his words. "I will not allow you to mate with one of the other males." His tail arched over his back, his ears pinned forward and his shoulders lifted to his full height, demanding a subordinate's obedience to their alpha. He wished to speak to her as one friend to another, but he would not have a repeat of what happened last time.

"You will stay with me until your heat has passed. Do you understand?"

Her scampering was tampered by Taggarik's approach. He rounded on her, driving his posture and weight forward in a clear blockade of her actions. Instinctively, Diane shrunk back, crouching as if he had lashed her. But the Alpha was not seeking to harm her— only make her stay. Her faced opened up with surprise at the mention of her mating with other males, which she supposed her body desired, but the thought had been absent in her head and she was offended by the suggestion of it. Her skin burned, hot with embarrassment and resentment for everything around her; mainly the fact that she wanted everything to do with him and he was refusing her of not only that, but of her eventual dream to have a family.

"W-Why?" she balked suddenly, the sting of rejection and the fire of her season making her infallible savior an enemy in that instant. Her eyes stung, and it was a sincere effort on her part to keep the pricking tears from falling. "If I cannot have you then.. then, why would you make me stay? It's torture!" Every girlish attraction about him that she had kept buried deep was boiling over now. The urge, her want of him was tenfold, and he expected her to linger platonically by him— unsoothed and unsatisfied.

"You— You think I want to feel this way? I just want to crawl up and, and never be seen again now that I know!" Know that she would never be allowed her own children here with the Porcupines. This was a dream she could ignore any other time, but not while in heat. Not while the only thing her body sought was to be fertilized.

He was silent at length as he searched for something to say that would not upset her further. He thought little of her admission that she wanted him; in this state, he believed she would have wanted any male. He would also deny the the lurid thought that briefly entered his mind, and blame it on the allure of her scent. Nothing could happen here. He was promised to the alpha female, and fully intent on siring pups with her and her alone.

"I know it's hard. It will pass," he said, and taking a chance, he lowered himself to his haunches, casting away the stern alpha posturing and attempting to root himself to the spot, less he be coaxed into acting on the intense demand of nature. "I cannot allow you to breed right now, but perhaps later, when you find yourself a mate and after my own offspring have been born. I would see no reason to deny my beta female a family of her own then," he offered, lifting his brows as his mouth quirked into a small, impish smile.

She did not ease out of her quivering crouch when Taggarik sat. Her body was momentarily rooted, shaking in rising agitation. His words made things worse, because while Diane heard what he said, she didn't immediately understand it, and her fur flared indignantly as she suddenly thought he was bringing up Jhala in this pertinent moment. Too upset to have heard him properly or understand the meaning behind his knowing smirk. She thought he was making fun of her! The fact that she wasn't ambitious enough to take the title. Her gold eyes flashed angrily, though the sea wolf couldn't exactly presume to appear any sort of threatening, especially when she appeared more like an appalled teddy bear than anything. "What does that have anything to do with me?!" she cried irately, suddenly streaking away towards the stream once more, choking back a sob.

Missing his offer of a promotion completely, she was off and running again. The black wolf launched after her, putting all his power and effort into long, ground-eating strides until he was abreast of her. This time, he did not cut her off, and sought to halt her mad dash with a more clear statement.

"Jhala's gone. I want you to be our new beta female."

But so long as she ran, he would keep pace with her. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps he could cool her off with a dunk in the stream, but he was certain the appalled teddy bear would probably go raging grizzly on him if he did such a thing.

She could hear Taggarik thundering behind her, having to encompass his longer stride when attempting to keep pace with the fleet sea wolf. She turned her face out over the stream, searching for the thinnest opportunity to jump across, but the alpha on her right clarified his earlier statement, and it threw Diane completely out of her fleeing mood. The girl— well, adult now— skidded to a halt, her feet digging into the loamy soil on the bank as she swung her face towards the dark male. If a wolf could ever look so incredibly surprised, it was Diane.

"Jhala's... gone?" she echoed, thinking back to the last time she had seen her; the two of them had played by The Hole, an unexpectedly light-hearted moment for the troubled she-wolf. Jhala wouldn't have just left, so something had to have happened to her. She wanted to ask, but her thoughts had turned to what Taggarik had further stated, and after a moment it connected to what he had been saying before. "You want me to take her place?" she squeaked, a task that suddenly seemed lightyears beyond her— too big a concept to draw her mind around.

Diane reeled. There was joy and excitement, a great deal of it, but it couldn't surmount the fear she had for being a position that had power and genuine responsibility. What if she failed, and disappointed him and Capriccio? What if the power went to her head and she became a tyrant? These worries, both rational and not (and everything in between) flooded through her thoughts in that moment, and she was frozen for some time, staring blankly at a spot around Tagg's shoulder. "You... you think I'm good enough? For this?" she asked quietly, golden eyes shifting to his face, though nothing else about her moved.

Jhala had been a great disappointment to him. She had been appointed by what he now thought of as a greatly flawed system, and despite the promise he had seen in her, she could not have failed in more ways than she had. She had failed to uphold her trade as a mercenary, had failed to defend the pack as its beta, and had failed to be any sort of respectable packmate or wolf at all by ditching everyone without a word. Taggarik was eager to replace her with a wolf worth their salt, someone who could break the curse of the beta female position.

The black wolf drew to a halt with Diane, stepping ahead so that they may speak face to face once more. But he did not bar her path. "She left without a word," he informed, his mouth forming a hard line and his ear giving an irritable twitch. "She will not be welcome back. I want you to be the beta she never was and never will be, the beta this pack deserves. I believe in you. You're a good wolf with a sensible mind." He had been wrong before (ok, these days it seemed he was wrong all the time) but he hoped he would not be this time.

He stepped toward her, his tail drifting side to side in a light wag, his expression soft, hopeful. "So will you be my beta female? I mean, you can wait and decide later when you're not so horny," he teased, understanding that he had threw a pretty big offer in front of her while she was battling her loins and all the conflict that came with one's heat.