Silvertip Mountain I never smelled a smelt that smelled like that smelt smelled

The past few days had been eventful, with Solemn's death and the events that followed immediately afterward involving the immediate family. Steady had no idea what to think of that, other than that starvation was driving them to desperate measures. The newly-appointed Alpha couldn't fault Zaria for wanting to keep her three other pups alive, but Steady was not yet to the point of resorting to cannibalism. 

Trying to keep his mind off of the worst, Steady had gone fishing. He wasn't that great at it, and it took him try after try after try, but eventually he got his jaws around a mediocre fish. It seemed even they were going through their own famine, since the bugs they would usually grab off the surface of the water weren't there anymore. But, something was better than nothing. He had dropped it off at the den for @Odette, @Adeline, and @Stoic, then continued on with his duties. 

He walked through the forest, his nose searching out any smells that might be of interest. So far, nothing beyond the pack wolves. Steady was happy with the wolves that had joined Silvertip. As far as he knew, they were all getting along, and he always made sure they were doing their part. None had shown any signs of laziness, and once the large prey animals returned, he promised himself he would do something to reward them.

Tagging for visibility

Niita had found herself in a horrible predicament. The returning plant life had led her to hope for ways of helping the plants. That inkling of an idea led her to a larger one, one where she now found herself tangled in spiny brambles.

Niita had hoped that by climbing into the brambles she would snag some seeds on her coat that could be planted. Things had escalated to the point that she was now stuck, only a foot away from being free of the painful branches. 

With a whine, the pale girl yanked herself from the brambles, tiny cuts covering her skin and tufts of white fur being pulled from her follicles. Branches stuck up from her fur but, Niita noted with a triumphant grin, seeds were stuck to her fur as she had planned.

It was quiet, save for the crickets and a few birds here and there. It was one of things Steady enjoyed most about the night. Most everything was asleep and the world seemed almost peaceful. Had they all not been struggling in the middle of a famine with their youngest wolves starving to death, he might of allowed himself a moment of tranquility. 

A whine brought him back from his thoughts, and his brow furrowed as he headed in the direction of the struggling noise. Steady was silent, thinking maybe it was an opportunity for meal. As he got closer however, his eyes took in the form of Niita. 

Her white coat easily showed the blood from the cuts she got from the thorns. He approached her, chuffing to let her know he was here. What happened? he asked. Had she been hunting? His nose sought out her scratches, and his tongue searched to clean her wounds, if she let him. He also attempted to pull the branches from her fur, not knowing she would want the seeds.

Niita glanced up, blue eyes finding Steady. Was she supposed to submit to him now that he was Alpha? Apparently not for Steady made no attempt to exude dominance, treating her the same as ever for which she was glad. Her tail wagged as he licked the cuts, cleaning away the blood and soothing the sting. 

Niita turned her head, gathering the branches carefully from her fur. "Careful, they have seeds on them. I was trying to find some so I could plant them." Niita explained, shaking each branch so that some seeds fell from them. They varied in type, having been blown there by the wind and caught in the brambles as she had. "I'd say it was a success." 

Steady's demeanor hadn't really changed since his promotion. While he expected respect, and would force it if it wasn't given, in most situations, he could easily keep his head higher than everyone else's since he was taller than most. He had a good group of wolves following him, so it wasn't on the top of the list of things that he worried about. 

Even if it was, Niita held a special place for him, and unless she tried to dominate him, he probably wouldn't demand she submit to him. As he pulled the branches from her fur, she explained she needed the seeds from them. As she did, he shook the seeds from his branches, then looked to the ground at them. They didn't look like anything special to him, but she knew more about plants than he probably ever would. Yeah, there's quite a bit of them, he agreed. How are you going to transport them? They were tiny round things, and it wasn't like they could be picked up easily by mouth, unless she figured out a way to.

It wasn't a problem Niita had anticipated. Glancing at the seeds and her paws, she tried to scoop them up in her paw without much success, tongue poking out in concentration. Eventually she gave up, pushing the seeds back into a small pile.

"I don't know. I guess I'll just plant them here and hope for the best unless you have any ideas?" Niita asked, already digging some small holes to put the seeds into if Steady didn't have any thoughts.

He thought for a few moments, his eyes scanning the area around them as he tried to figure out a way to move seeds. Generally he would suggest leaves, but they hadn't grown back yet, so that wasn't an option. His eyes settled on a tree, and his brain began to go through options. What about bark? he asked, walking to the tree. He got his canines underneath the surface of the bark and ripped off a portion before taking it back to Niita.

He placed it down next to the seeds. I mean, if you're careful, you'd be able to hold the bark in your jaws without spilling the seeds. At least that's the plan that was going through his head. Or you can bury them, like you said. If that's what she wanted to do, he wouldn't be offended if she didn't use his bark idea.

Niita smiled, wondering why she hadn't thought of that earlier. Carefully brushing the seeds onto it with her paw, a bit of dirt getting mixed in, Niita turned to him to answer. "I don't know what kind they are. I didn't want to plant them all in the same place in case they aren't compatible or if they all end up being trees or something." 

Picking up the bark carefully in her teeth, Niita began to pad through the territory with the intent of planting the seeds evenly throughout. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Steady was coming or going off somewhere else.

He returned her smile, glad that she had liked his idea. She explained she really wanted to plant them separately, and his nodded. How are you going to keep track of where they're planted? He watched as she carefully brushed the seeds, along with some soil, on to the bark before picking it up and trotting off. He hadn't been invited to follow her, but that didn't stop him from doing just that.

He matched his pace with hers, his tail waving high above his back, happy to be hanging out with Niita. He had no idea of Makui's interest in her, and that was probably a good thing right now. He had already made a butt of himself with the Phocion fiasco, and he didn't want to repeat that. How are you doing? he asked, maybe a little out of blue, but he hadn't gotten a chance recently to make sure she was settling in well here.

"I goo' " Niita mumbled around the bark, stopping every now and then to bury them. Once they were all buried, the pale girl stopped and sat the bark aside. Turning to Steady, she smiled at him. "Thank you for asking. How are you faring? You have a lot of responsibility now I suppose, being Alpha and all."

Niita pondered leadership quietly. Technically speaking she had been destined for it, what with Finn passing but Niita had given it up. "What's it like? Being an Alpha? I imagine it's hard." Niita glanced hesitantly at him, wondering if he would dig deeper were she to mention her past. "I was supposed to be Alpha of Asmundr at one time. I stepped down though." 

He chuckled, I'm sorry, I should wait until your mouth is clear to ask you questions. He hadn't even considered the fact she couldn't answer with the bark in her mouth. His brain seemed to leave him when he was around her. 

He shrugged when she asked about him being Alpha. I'm doing okay, I suppose. I think I've been in the position longer than I have officially. Zaria has been taking care of the pups, and hasn't had much time for the pack, and Mason has gone missing since June's passing. He still feared something had happened to his nephew, but he had no proof. He couldn't even find his most recent scent trail to try and follow it. It just sort of... happened that I'm Alpha, he admitted. It was supposed to Mason. But, would he give it up now that he had it? Probably not.

He looked a little surprised when Niita expressed she was supposed to be Alpha. Why did you step down? he asked, interested. He didn't know really anything of her past pack, other than the name. For some reason, he hadn't expected that she was Alpha, but didn't take it.

"Good point. It is understandable though given the circumstances." Niita had been smart enough to connect the dots. Fitz had been Zaria's mate who was now dead, and father to the pups. With her mate gone, a famine upon them, and children to raise it seemed too much for any woman. Who would have time to be Alpha when all of that was going on?

Niita hadn't gotten to meet Mason but seeing as he was another family member of Silvertip that had lost in some way, Niita felt bad for Steady. Hoping to distract him from his losses, Niita told him some about her past.

"My parents were the leaders and with everyone else in my family dead, I was supposed to take over. By the time I actually made it back to the pack land, I was only a year old. Kainan had been ruling, he was the oldest and we all looked to him. I wasn't experienced enough and I had no desire to take it from him. I was content to be Beta instead." The Anreis had never been ambitious, she had looked upon Kainan as a brother who was fit to rule while she was not.

He nodded his agreement, though stayed quiet otherwise. He worried what would happen if Mason came back, or Zaria got her health back. Zaria had a naturally dominant personality, and he knew Mason thought he deserved to he Alpha. He was next in line, after all. But, Steady was beginning to see that he was a natural leader, and he was taking to the position comfortably. He didn't think he could just hand over the title.

He listened intently as she told him of her past. He nodded again, this time in understanding. I would have followed Fitz forever as his Beta, the dark male responded. His feelings were so conflicted. He wouldn't give up Alpha now, but if his brother were alive, he would have never risen to the position, and still been completely happy. He trusted his brother, and knew he would never steer the pack wrong.

But, he was gone, and so was Mason. It was no longer a reality that Steady remain second in command. He was first. His mind now played with the idea of having someone by his side, even though he may not be ready to share the position quite yet. Would you ever want to be Alpha? he questioned casually. He and Niita weren't quite an item, and he would never force her to rise to his side if she didn't feel like it, but he wanted to know, even if it didn't have a bearing on their might-be relationship.

"Now that I'm older, I think I could be a good leader. If I had been older I would've stepped up at the time. It's not as if I have to worry about it. Asmundr is hundreds of miles away and I don't plan on leaving Silvertip." Niita felt at home here, far more than she had at Asmundr.

The thought that by being with Steady might someday lead to her being Alpha didn't even cross her mind. Niita wasn't sure what they were but she had feelings for him. Maybe not love yet but strong like then, it didn't seem to click that one day she might be dating the pack's Alpha. To her, he was just Steady.

He couldn't help but smile when she confessed she had no intentions of leaving Silvertip. I won't lie- it makes me happy to hear that, he replied. He felt like it validated him and his position that the wolves of the pack were happy. He would feel at fault if they weren't. While he knew he and Niita had said nothing of being together, he did have feelings for her, and he had every intention of seeing where things went with her. He did get the vibe she was feeling the same.

He extended his neck towards her own, nudging her playfully, his tail wagging. It seemed like he always felt lighthearted around her, like he was a puppy again and all he wanted to do was play.

Niita turned to him, hopping up and placing her paws on his shoulders. He was much bigger than she, the girl's frame was more compact to preserve heat up north. Leaning in as if she might kiss him again, she instead bypassed his mouth completely to whisper in his ear. 

"You're..it!" She whisper-yelled, giving him a good shove and running away as fast as her small white paws could carry her.

He grinned when Niita put her paws on his shoulders and leaned in. His heart began to race at the thought that she might kiss him. Steady had laid off a little, knowing Niita wasn't very experienced, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. But, if she made the first move, that would be a different matter. 

 But, instead of a kiss, he got a rude awakening as she whispered that he was it before she shoved him and ran away. He shuffled sideways at the push, narrowing his eyes at her retreating form. The game was on for sure. Steady pushed off with this back legs, the dark wolf chasing the light. Niita's frame was lithe, and she was fast. Steady had to work at catching up with her, his sides heaving with exertion as he sucked in air. Finally, he was close enough that he could attempt to nip at her flank, but he wasn't out to really stop her. It was a pretty nice view, after all.

I'm so mean to my characters lol. I left it open for you to decide what happens :P sorry if it seems confusing

Steady nipped her flank, meaning he was no longer the tagger but the wolf to be tagged. Niita spun around with an excited yip, planning to tag him before he could move away. Unfortunately for her, a small rock happened to be in the way that she managed to catch her foot on. It sent her sprawling into him before she could herself.

Niita didn't think she was big enough to knock him over but perhaps she was. If the pale girl managed to knock him over it would be an awkward position with her lying on top of him. If she didn't it would still send her knocking into his chest.

The large wolf hadn't realize he had tagged Niita by nipping her flank. Suddenly, she spun around, and he came to a screeching halt, his claws digging in to the earth beneath him. In his effort to stop, he wasn't able to prepare when she came barreling towards him, knocking him over as she landed on top.

His gaze cleared, settling on her as the situation became apparent. Steady grinned, not minding the current position they were in. I like this game, he said, only half joking. He knew it didn't usually end up like this, but he'd play it more with her if it did. His tail wagged, brushing the dirt on the ground as he made no move to get up.

They clashed together; large and small, male and female, ebony and ivory. The two were a tangle as they crashed to the ground, limbs intertwined and Niita atop his larger frame. Her forelegs were stretched out on either side of his head and her back legs had slumped so that she was resting solely against him, face mere inches from his. 

For a moment, she was stunned into staring at him, her lips parting to utter an apology but nothing came out. Instead her breathing sped up the tiniest bit, hitching in her throat when she realized just how close they were. Something told her to get up and apologize but a different part, a more predominant part, told her to stay exactly where she was.

Steady made some joke, something about him liking the game, but Niita was immobilized to laugh. A warmth was overtaking her as she stared down at him, feeling a tingle of excitement, maybe adrenaline, as her instincts told her to close the distance between their lips. Now that she knew what a kiss was, Niita refrained from doing such things for she didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

The girl wasn't sure what her status was with Steady but it didn't matter. Leaning down hesitantly, her muzzle stopped centimeters shy of his before she closed her eyes and pressed it to Steady's, tongue brushing against it in the lightest of kisses. 

It was purposeful and Niita meant it with every fiber of her being.

I may have rambled lol

No worries! I love Nitta, she's so cute!

When he seen the expression on her face, his went serious, his gaze searching hers. He didn't move a muscle, afraid that if he did so, it might make her move. They were touching in intimate places and he didn't dare shift in case she didn't realize it. His heart pounded in his chest, and he wanted more than anything to kiss her. But, he didn't. She needed to make this move of her own accord, of her own decision. 

The blood coursed through his veins, and his head pounded as he tried to keep his reactions in check. Finally, she moved her head towards his, pressing her muzzle against his own. Her kiss was light, almost as if she was testing the waters, but he couldn't keep it that way. Steady moved to deepen it, his tongue outstretched as he returned his kiss with fervent, as if all of his emotions and feelings could be passed to her in this sensual moment.

She was half afraid that he wouldn't return her affections, a silly notion given he had admitted to having feelings for her, a small thread of self doubt that disappeared as he kissed her back. 

Niita's movements were obviously unsure, a bit fumbling as she kissed him. It wasn't as if she had been in this situation before but she prided herself on picking it up rather quickly, brushing her tongue against his muzzle in a wolfish version of kissing. When she pulled back, her breathing was quicker than normal and her face felt warm beneath her white pelt. Shyly, she pecked his cheek once more before slipping to the side and off of him.

The pale girl didn't go very far, resting her head against his shoulder as she had atop the mountain ledge. Niita curled into him with a small sigh of contentment, happy to be beside him. 

thanks! ^·^

He was lost in the kiss, not noticing if she fumbled. He was elated that she was returning his affections, and for the first time since coming to Silvertip, he felt like he might really get to start the family he so desperately wanted. He knew he needed to make sure he didn't push Niita beyond what she was comfortable with, however. 

So, when she pulled away and slid off of him, it was all he could do to refrain from grabbing her up again. He righted himself, but stayed on his stomach, his front legs stretched out before him. He smiled when, instead of going away, she stayed next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He turned his head, his intent to lick the top of her head a few times before settling in to this spot, happy to stay as long as she wanted to. He couldn't help but like that anyone who came in contact with her in the next several hours would notice she smelled of him. 

Niita closed her eyes as he licked the top of her head, basking in the warm afterglow of kissing Steady. It was different now that she knew it's meaning, now that it had a depth to it as something only she and Steady did with each other. Perhaps Niita too had a possessive side, she quite liked that Steady only kissed her. 

A thought seemed to hit her then, one that made a small frown cross her features. What if Steady does kiss other girls? Maybe Niita wasn't his only conquest, did males do that here? It was entirely possible that things were different in Asmundr, given the circumstances of their first kiss. 

"Hey, Steady?" Niita turned her head to look at him. "You uh..you don't kiss other girls, do you? That's only me, right?" Niita looked away, nervously fidgeting with her paws. She didn't like the jealous, painful throb at the thought of other females kissing on Steady like she did.

He was content to snooze as they were, his eyes slowly closing. They popped back open when Niita's voice came through, and he turned his gaze on her. He could make a joke, lighten the mood, but he sensed that wasn't the best way to respond to her question. Steady understood from experience what jealously did to a wolf, and it wouldn't be nice of him to make a joke out of that. I may nudge them in a pack mate/family kind of way, he admitted. But, no, I don't kiss them, he added quickly. His expression was soft, but serious. 

It was interesting to him that she would ask such a question. He had been so green when he thought Phocion was making a move on Niita, and he hadn't hidden it. Why would he be so jealous of other males around Niita if he was kissing other females? He wasn't quite sure where her thought process was on that, but he hoped he put it to rest. If not, he had no qualms about proving it to her.