Back To the Pack!

 

Nathanial didn’t want to open his eyes just yet.

Having awoken yet felt weird at first, he just laid there, but now…Remembering a bit of what had happened in his latest memories, he didn’t know what to do.

The memories were mostly blurry upon getting poisoned.

He couldn’t even see them properly but, there was a point that was somewhat clear, and he could hardly stop from getting mad at himself.

With his conscious becoming more alert upon being in the water when that had happened, he had somewhat awoken while that woman was on top of him.

 

That woman…Sharlae…Sharlae was her name.

He had been entranced at first, seeing her naked body right before him, thinking that he was dreaming.

With what they were doing becoming more and more real, Nathanial remembered that he could have stopped it if he wanted to. He could have…But…He didn’t.

The way that she had looked at him, telling him that she was there. The way that she was enjoying him and showing such a desirable…He had absolutely no heart to stop their love making.

And by the time he had made that decision, he had let things run it’s course like a complete idiot!

Luckily, he remembers falling into oblivion afterwards, losing conscious once again but…He still remembers her and that time as plain as day!

 

Was it that she had been tempting him for a while? A man can probably only tolerate so much seduction before he gives in…

Was it that she looked so utterly beautiful naked and with the moonlight on her skin? So beautiful that he felt like it really could have been a dream…He knows it isn’t, because he had pinched himself and further found a glorious feeling that was only oh so real!

Yes…Nathanial remembers well…

He had never been with another and…It really was…

Does it happen every time? That creatures can connect so easily!? So quickly?

Not having any idea why his boar had suddenly come out, he had been completely dazed at more then one thing at a time! And that was that of her wings, her on top of him, his own rising feelings and his hair growing.

He remembered feeling excited and happy but…Was that him consenting to letting his boar connect, by feeling that…Open?

It seemed slightly unfair!

As…How could he had said no!?

But…

 

Was it because he had wanted her more then he originally thought?

His creature connecting to hers had astounded him very much but…He couldn’t believe that he had no regrets.

Was he…Using his creature to never forget that time? Was he using his creature as one link that he may be able to use to stay close to her, while he could feel better to shut her out any other way?

…What was he doing!?

Did he even love her? Did he think they had some type of future!?

Why, why had he let it happen!? Why had he not taken her off of him and walked away?

But…Not only does he remember not having much strength then but, he…Well, he didn’t have the strength!

He had…Wanted her…

It really was as simple as that! He, a man that had been seduced, and even felt similarities between them, had given into the temptation…

 

Just for a moment more, he inwardly sighs at what they had done and then breaths deeply as he locks those memories away.

He was a master to the enslaved golden winged serpent. He was also someone that had detested her for killing someone when he had let her go free. She had also killed his parents…

They could not have this type of relationship…However much he liked the idea of it…

Opening his eyes, determined to go back to things as they were before, he blankly looked at the woman before him.

“You’re awake!”

Seeing her so openly excited, Nathanial tried harder to forget.

He let out a noise, not quite yet trusting his voice and tried to sit up.

 

“How are you feeling?”

Suddenly, she was right before him, her hands already on his forehead and Nathanial looked at her, images clinging to his mind.

If she keeps acting like this, he might not be able to forget that time together!

He already wanted to grab her hand and pull her on top of him, to kiss her like they had and…

Swallowing, seeing that she was now away from him, Nathanial took this moment to say, “What’s going on?”

Feeling bad when he saw her being upset for a short moment, she finally said, “You were poisoned.”

 

Watching her look away and get a wet cloth, Nathanial let out another noise, “I know he touched me, my arm started to go red.”

He continued to watch her as she put the cloth on his forehead, noticing that she wasn’t looking at him directly, “I got the antidote and brought you here.”

Nathanial didn’t know that part, he could have only guessed through blurry images but even then, he was sure that he had lost consciousness at some point. “Oh…”

As much as he liked to act like he used to, to which he would take the cloth from her and do it himself, Nathanial stared at her, letting her do it.

 

He knew it then…He knew that he was probably already too late…

As much as she was a killer, someone that didn’t understand what it was like to stand in another’s shoes, he liked her…

Why? Why her?

She was selfish, she was annoying and intolerable…Above all things, she was a monster! She had killed someone within three days of freedom and had cursed the legendary Phoenix! How dare he like her!? Was he insane!?

Yet…

He knew it, she was a very passionate woman. To have liked the Dragon King for so long…She held to her convictions, most likely fighting with everything she had. If she was someone to use her abilities for good, instead of bad, what a woman she would be!

“What? Do you remember…Anything else?”

 

With her question, Nathanial blinked, his mind blank of thoughts but full of images.

He watched as Sharlae sighed and even to him, he thought she pouted, making her look quite adorable to him.

Actually, she has always had a sweet side, she just didn’t show it very often. Most of the time she was working at teasing him and pushing him, never giving that much of a break to show this side of her.

He wasn’t blind, he had seen some things that she did that were a lot more pleasant to see.

In fact, the sweetest she has been was when she was trying to seduce him. She pouted often and stared into nothing, showing faces to show her curiosity or constant confusion.

 

Was it then that he saw that she was passionate? That with whatever she did, she put in a lot of work?

He also remembers some stories of what she had done to previous masters…She had fought. She has been trying…All this time…Trying hard to get away from enslavement, trying hard to get someone to be with her and trying hard to…Seduce him…

Remembering how she danced and played music, Nathanial wondered how he had endured all that time!

Honestly, if he let his feelings of wanting her show, he will be in deep trouble!

Nathanial let out a small chuckle, “It looks like I’ve made things difficult for you.”

 

Sharlae sat better, looking down, “It’s nothing…”

With gentle eyes, and hands that wanted to reach out to her but stayed still, Nathanial already wanted to tell her that he remembered a bit after that.

What would happen if he told her?

Would they have a relationship then?

But…He shouldn’t…He shouldn’t do that…

Yet, why does he want to so badly!?

 

Liking how she had wanted to protect him, he wanted to see it again. Just like how she had been excited upon him waking up, looking after him. Taking him to safety…

All these things she was doing, having never done them in his knowledge, Nathanial felt like he was proud of her.

She was changing…

Then, suddenly, she stood up and sighed, throwing down the cloth to me. “Give the message to me and I’ll deliver it, you still need to rest.”

With the sudden change, Nathanial just looked at her.

“Where is it?” She moved her outstretched fingers, making Nathanial easily get distracted.

He really needed to stop thinking about anything sexual to do with her!

Just those fingers alone and what they had done the previous night had started to set him on fire!

 

“Oh…” Getting out the message, that was his job, Nathanial looked up and she had taken it from him by then.

“I’ll be back.”

With that, she was off.

Now that she was out of sight, Nathanial cringed when he sat up further and sighed.

That poison was…Scary…

Before he had falling unconscious, he remembers that he lost all feeling in his legs…Now, he was only able to move his toes but felt like walking would be too hard.

His arms felt heavy and he was still tired. Unable to do much else, except exert most of his energy to do his personal deeds, by crawling elsewhere, and have a drink, Nathanial then laid back down where he was before…

How did he have so much energy in that pool!? Now he felt like he was dying!

Sadly, since thinking of the pool, his dreams entered the recent past of holding a certain someone close to him.

 

***

 

It had already been nearly a day and Nathanial had not seen Sharlae.

He slept for most of it but upon wakening and finding food, she must have stopped by but just left again.

Not having changed the enslavement, to where she had to be close again, Nathanial wondered if she was on purposely staying away now.

His creature did try to explain things to him, but Nathanial thought best not to listen for the moment. He had yet to get back to normal, like their intimacy hadn’t happened, before he could take on whatever his creature would tell him…

He could probably change the rules again, so that she’d have to come, but he decided against it.

It was probably better that they stay apart, because then…

 

After the first day, Nathanial finally was able to walk, and he started walking back towards what he thought was home but had to stop at frequent intervals.

The poison had done so much damage before the antidote was given to him and he felt so weak that he was starting to get angry.

…But that was all he could do, and so he grudgingly continued…

Yet…With each passing hour, he wondered what she was doing. What Sharlae was doing…

 

Will she stay away now?

What if she never shows herself in front of him again?

He could easily find out through his creature, and he was tempted to do that but…He, seeing himself ask these questions, he still needed this time to get back to normal…

If he didn’t revert back, wouldn’t the Band of coyotes know that something had changed between them?

Thinking of what could happen if a change of relationship is seen by others, Nathanial couldn’t think much beyond that. He didn’t want more teasing, to both he and the serpent…Sharlae…

They had enough troubles as it was!

 

Again, on the next day, she had left some food and water for him, but had not shown herself before him in any other way.

He didn’t want to look like he was complaining but, deep inside, he was…

Nathanial sort of missed that serpent beast.

Looking at her seemed to be something he wanted to do now but now that he knew that, he can’t do it…It was strange…

Even contemplating telling her that he knew what happened between them was thought of, just to get her to come back to him but…He was never awake when she left him food or water! Then, as he thought of ‘missing her’ he had to slap himself to remind himself that he couldn’t act this way! They were master and servant! She was a monster, a killing monster!

It was best if he reverted back into ignoring her again, as though nothing ever happened!

 

 

Finally, upon the fourth day, Nathanial didn’t have that far to go and was feeling a lot better.

Because he had walked so slow and stopped often, he had taken so long to get back, but now, now that his job was nearly done, he felt a strange sense of relief go through him and he nearly fainted then and there.

Suddenly, he remembered his bed, his life, the children and felt like he really could handle everything again…

Perhaps, even if he secretly misses her, things will go back to normal, just because he was back home…

 

***

 

One more night out, Nathanial made it back to the pack the next day, reporting to the Alpha that he had finished his duty, only to be stopped and questioned before he left.

‘Why had it taken you so long?’

‘Why is the serpent beast not right next to you?’

Nathanial stated that he had been poisoned but did not go into detail upon why he was poisoned. Then, he told Alpha Master that since the serpent beast had helped him, he gave her a bit of freedom as a reward…

The Alpha Master looked at him with quizzical eyes but did not go into more detail and let him go.

 

He was told to go back to his normal job the next day and Nathanial felt relief as he entered into his little home.

Too tired to clean himself, he made his way to his bed and flopped down upon it.

He was a little too big for this bed but at this moment, he was very grateful for it!

Having to sleep on the hard ground all this time, Nathanial didn’t take long before he was asleep, even in his uncomfortable state!

 

Within just a minute of soft, relaxed breathing coming from Nathanial, Sharlae appeared beside his bed, sighing.

Picking up his feet and pulling the blanket out from beneath him, she moved him to be completely on the bed.

Taking off his shoes and putting them near the door, she then proceeded to take his clothes off and wipe him down.

She had heard numerous things from her creature, and just as she thought, Nathanial will most likely continue to not accept what was going on between them, even worrying about what the other coyotes might do if they knew…

To her, it was nothing. Who cared if they knew, she would make it so that it didn’t matter…But it seems that it mattered for some reason to Nathanial so…What could she do?

 

After wiping him down, she then wiped herself down too.

Having followed him, keeping an eye on him all this time, she was just as dirty as he was, perhaps more so.

Hunting and cooking weren’t really her specialty these days, but with Nathanial being like he was, Sharlae put her best effort into it, hoping that it was edible for him.

Remembering feeling delighted upon seeing him eat her food, Sharlae smiled.

She smiled a lot lately, just because…Well, because of him.

The stubborn, silly man was really growing on her or perhaps, he had been growing on her for a while now…

 

Seeing him try so hard to get back, seeing him try so hard to keep away his thoughts…

After putting the cloth and bucket away, Sharlae pulled the blanket up and got in herself, hugging him and feeling better than she has since they were last in each other’s arms.

It wasn’t like they couldn’t be apart, it was more like if you weren’t together, there was a feeling of missing something.

It wasn’t painful, it wasn’t a forced type of feeling either, it was more so a desire, like that of a dream to be a dancer or singer.

She desired to be next to him but stayed away so that he can come to terms with things, mainly their relationship.

Feeling his arms wrap around her, Sharlae smiled.

Just like her, he would feel the same, wouldn’t he?

 

***

 

In the next week, things were different but strangely very similar at the same time.

She didn’t pester him upon talking about their relationship but did make sure that he ate, had clean clothes and was warm enough.

That was indeed one difference, again, something they didn’t talk of though.

He simply silently ate what she gave him and said one word of thanks when he realized that she had cleaned his clothes…But…

The fact they had not spoken of their relationship did still weigh on both of their shoulders.

Nathanial, to his utter disbelief, could not bring up her sleeping in the same bed, so that it could stop!

If he brought it up, they would most likely have to talk about their relationship…So…He simply let it be…

 

Waking to find her in his arms was great, he couldn’t deny it! He didn’t want to stop it yet, he really was already falling way too fast!

This wasn’t a game to him at all and he didn’t want to play with his feelings for her but every night she would simply just jump in, whether he glared at her or not!

By the fourth day, Nathanial gave up and took her into his arms and then he could feel it…Their creatures were happy…

Just this small acceptance of letting her sleep in his arms had been joy and made him speechless…

It seems, they will from now on sleep on the same bed…

 

Sharlae did not always accompany Nathanial to his day job, as she would be either cleaning his clothes or taking it easy in a tree nearby.

It seemed, anything to do with Nathanial now was much more seen by her! Whatever the people said, she heard it! Whenever the people looked at Nathanial, whether it be a nasty look or one of complete impatience, or them unable to tolerate just the look of him…She saw them…

She wished to do something about it, about these stupid people that had no idea how brilliant that man was but…Nathanial already knew of the people doing things like this and will continue to ignore them.

And so…Sharlae was thrown into a world where she was stopped from doing whatever she wanted…