Otter Creek You would have to be half mad to dream me up

Ursus was a uniquely unaffectionate pack. That was how Aventus experienced it. His mother was one of very few tactile wolves among their number. Now that she was gone, there was something forbidden and almost a little hostile about the thought of touching any of his packmates. He certainly could not touch his father right now, nor would he want to attempt to touch Avicus in any way.

Yet inside the privacy of his own mind, Aventus was like his mother. Touch was an important part of interaction for him, no matter how much he suppressed it. So when Arielle moved closer and seemed amenable to the idea, he leaned into her side and reached to drag his teeth gently through the fur at the back of her neck with a soft rumble. Nothing too instense, he thought. Just combing his scent into hers. Duty.

So why did it feel so nice to do it?