Hunted: Chapter 11
#11 of Hunted
Ok everyone! If you are paying attention to the tags, you will notice that there is a sexual scene in this chapter. This is my first sexual scene that is not a flashback. Please comment and tell me how to improve this, I would really like feedback on it. Enjoy!
Chapter 11
Cedric sighed softly as he opened his eyes, gripping the wolf in his arms tighter. He could remember their nuzzling in the bed before falling asleep, both of them taking comfort in the other, reassuring themselves that the other wasn't mad at them. The sun was a blaze of color through the curtain, telling him that they had slept the entire evening and night. He knew he would be hungry soon, but at the moment he was content to hold Aden in his arms. He thought he knew now how Aden felt when he was around him, the desire to be closer to the other running through his muscles like an inferno. As he thought about it, he tightened his grip reflexively, causing Aden to grunt softly in his sleep. He looked down at the smaller wolf's face, noting his still puppy-like features. He didn't understand, how could anyone hurt such a cute pup? Growling possessively, he wrapped his tail over Aden, enveloping him even more. He had lain awake long after Aden had fallen asleep, thinking over the day. It was a little fast to decide to take the pup as his mate, but would that declaration be so different from the one that he had already made? He had promised the pup that to always keep him by his side, and that was tantamount to naming him his mate. And he couldn't call the pup anything other than cute. The way he snuggled up to him as they walked, pressing their bodies together, bumping tails...he was surprised that he hadn't noticed the unconscious advances before. The way the pup whimpered when scared made him want to hold him close and shield him from all that could harm him. Even before, in the bathhouse, the terrified look in his eyes had made him want to hold him tightly, at least until he had realized that that gaze was directed at him.
Cedric whined softly, liking the back of Aden's ears for reassurance. Aden had forgiven him, and he resolved to believe him and accept the forgiveness. There was no need to drag this out longer than needed.
He found himself taking longer, slower licks of the outer shell of Aden's ear, breathing over the tip when he reached it. He longed to stop and nibble on those delicious tips. Aden yipped softly in his sleep, his tail suddenly wagging. Cedric tensed as sparks of pleasure exploded through his body. Barely restraining himself from bucking, he realized to his horror that not only was he unclothed, he was fully hard. He hadn't noticed before because he was so deep in thought, but now that his attention was drawn to it, he could feel the teasing brushes of Aden's fur as his tail wagged.
Unsure of how to react, Cedric only knew that he had to get out of this situation before his resolve snapped. Wiggling backwards, he put some distance between his chest and Aden's back before attempting to pull his arms out from around the wolf. Maybe he could get to the showers and take care of his problem before Aden woke up. Then the wolf wouldn't have a reason to feel uncomfortable.
Just as he was almost free, Aden woke up with a soft groan, stretching his slender frame. He turned and looked at Cedric, the sleep clearing from his eyes quickly at the nervous look on his muzzle. Laying his ears back, he whined softly. "What's the matter Alpha?" Aden glanced away from his face, looking further down the bed. "I thought we had forgiven each other for what happened last night. Did I do something..." Cedric could feel the smaller wolf's eyes fasten on something further down the bed. "Oh..."
Cedric looked down, horrified to find that he was making a very obvious bulge underneath the sheets. "Hey pup, er, Aden, I...I'm sorry, it's just that it's the morning and, er..."
"Do you want me to help you with that, Alpha?"
Cedric froze and glanced over at Aden, who was leaning half-forward, paw outstretched uncertainly. He could smell the pup's fear, but it seemed that he was doing his best to try to hide it.
Placing his paw on Aden's, he pushed it back. "No, I can take care of it myself. I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything like that for me, and in any case, you aren't ready for something like that."
Aden sat back, ears pinned against his head in disappointment, but the scent of fear was quickly fading. Cedric marveled at how he could seem so eager in some respects, but so afraid in others. It made it hard to tell if it would be best to go along with what he said, or with what he felt. In the end, he decided it was best to go along with the wolf's subconscious. A traumatized subconscious could cause much more damage between them than a disappointed mind.
Sliding to the edge of the bed, he swung his legs over, turning his back to Aden. Standing up, he found himself immensely thankful that the door to the bathroom was on his side of the room, it would be too embarrassing to have to walk around to the other side. As he walked through the bathroom door, he heard Aden let out a soft whine behind him. Not sure if it was from fear or something else, he glanced back. The look on the pup's muzzle revealed that it was a mixture of both, and the resulting expression made his hard-on throb, a spurt of precum wetting his paw. Quickly closing the door, he called through it. "Don't worry Aden, I won't be long. Just stay there." The thought of the pup, naked and waiting for him, sprawled on the bed, looking with longing eyes at the bathroom door, made another spurt of precum hit his paw. Now it was thoroughly soaked. Gliding his paw down his maleness, he shuddered.
No, this shouldn't take long at all.
Standing over the toilet, he continued his strokes, strands of pre covering the dowel below. Normally when he ended up relieving his tension in here, he didn't think of anything. He didn't have anyone to think about. It he met someone he liked, they were only a question away from coming home with him, and he had never had anyone over. He hadn't felt about anyone in this way before.
As he sank deeper into pleasure, his mind began to wander. How would Aden look if it was him the precum was landing on, and not the toilet? A near orgasmic shock ran through his body, causing his tail to stiffen and sway behind him in a dominant manner. Too cute, that was the answer. That youmg, black-furred muzzle soaked with his pre before being accented by the white stripes of his cum...Cedric nearly howled. He was normally very vocal while pawing off, much to his embarrassment when he met Cook later and she told him exactly where she was when he finished, but he couldn't help it. Now he was nearly biting through his lower lip in an effort not to lit Aden know what was going on.
His mind recreated Aden with almost perfect accuracy. He didn't know that he had been checking the pup out so much, but there he was, every last strand of fur in place, down to the white star on his chest. Those silver-grey eyes stared up at him, full of longing as he leaned forward, ears splayed back submissively as his muzzle slowly opened. Aden growled slightly as he reached forward in his waking dream to place a paw on the back of Aden's head. Pressing forward gently but firmly, he fed the long, thick inches of his cock into the smaller wolf's waiting throat. Halfway in, his tip bumped up against the back of Aden's throat, and he moaned as he shot a spurt of pre. A tongue wrapped around him, desperate for as taste of his pre. Reaching down with his other paw, he gripped his knot, bucking firmly as he came. Howling, Cedric snapped back to reality as his cum painted the stone bowl of the toilet a different color than it's rosy granite. Shuddering, he tried to hold his aim as his cock spasmed and jerked.
Sighing as his orgasm slowed and stopped, he pulled a towel off a nearby rack and cleaned himself off, as well as the seat and the floor where he was accidentally shot in his fantasy. Pulling a lever on the wall, he watched as rainwater from a collection bin on the roof washed away the results of his activities. His need sated, his cock retreated into his sheath, the blood draining from it and allowing it to sway slowly as he walked to the door. Reaching for the door, he paused with his paw on the handle, horrified. Did he...gods, he had. He had howled. It wasn't like he had woken Aden up, but there was no way he could deny what he had been doing anymore. It shouldn't have mattered, they both knew what he was going to do, but for some reason it did. Gulping, he turned the handle.
Aden was standing across the room, his nose buried in one of the drawers of the dresser. His tail was wagging furiously, and Cedric was sure there was a huge grin on his muzzle. At the sound of the door opening, the wolf turned around. Cedric noticed that he was dressed in a pair of new brown pants, trimmed with a red thread, a series of swirling designs down the outside of the right leg.
"Alpha! I found these on top of the dresser. At first I thought they were yours, but then I picked them up and looked at them, and they were way to small for you, so I decided to try them on. They fit perfectly! Then I saw that one of the draws were kinda messy, so I decided to clean it up while I waited for you to come back, to keep my mind off you being gone, and when I got this drawer, there was a bunch of pants in here the same size as the ones I have on. Did you make them for me? How did you guess how big to make them?" The torrent of words paused, and Aden looked down. "I hope you don't mind. You told me to stay here, but I figured you meant in the room, not specifically on the bed."
Cedric could feel his ears heating up. In his lust-filled hind, he had meant to stay on the bed, but he wasn't going to let that admission pass his lips. "Do you like them? I had to guess as to your size, but I think the tailor did a good job. Those are the first batch, the rest are coming later in the week." He sat down on the bed. "What happened to being all quiet? You've said more words in the bast few minutes than the last two days."
Aden spun around. "More? When will I ever wear them? I've only had two for the last five years of my life, and there's already five in here! When will I have to wear the others?" Cedric smirked, amused at his outburst. Blushing, Aden looked down sheepishly, his tail wrapping around his right leg. "Sorry, Alpha. I shouldn't question what you want."
Cedric just chuckled. "Pup, if you're going to go and meet with the higher circles of society, you need some better clothes than what you had."
Aden suddenly seemed to shrink in on himself. "Y-you mean you're gonna take me to noble's houses? I-I'm fine with staying back, I'll be fine."
Confused, Cedric looked his pup over. Could that be where Aden was running from? "Pup, did one of the nobles hurt you?"
Aden whined and covered his eyes, knees buckling as he fell to the ground, scooting back into the gap between the dresser and the adjacent wall. Concerned, Cedric stood up, walking around the bed and crouching in front of the opening. Reaching out, he beckoned to Aden. "Come on, pup, I won't let anyone hurt you."
Aden shrank even further in on himself. "He'll hurt you to get at me." He shuddered, coughing as he inhaled saliva. "I'm sorry Alpha, I'm a fool. I let you take my lifebond when I knew it would end up getting you killed."
"Come here, Aden." Cedric said softly.
Aden refused, shaking his head and shrinking back further against the wall. Sighing, Cedric stood up. Noticing his pants from yesterday hanging over the back of a nearby chair, his eyes caught a piece of paper sticking out of one of the pockets. With a start, he remembered the posting he head been given yesterday. Growling, he realized that he couldn't remember the husky's name. He had only been hired a few days ago, and that had been his first shift, so he supposed his forgetfulness could be excused.
Pulling it out, he unfolded it, his eyes scanning the page. Eyes widening, he walked back to the gap that Aden was hiding in, sitting down in front of it. Waving the paper slowly, he locked his eyes on Aden's.
"Seems like I don't need to ask you anymore, pup. The answer is right here." Shifting away from the Aden's line of sight, he leaned back against the door of the cabinet. Settling in, he began to read aloud. "Wanted: An escaped wolf slave. Black-furred, with a white patch on his chest, just below the collarbone. He had silver-grey eyes. A reward of fifty thousand gold pieces will be given to the one who brings him back alive. If dead, ten thousand. Lord Baldric."
In the middle of reading the ad, Cedric heard Aden shift and begin creeping out of hiding. Ignoring him, he concentrated more on the paper. As he finished, he felt a wet tongue lapping at his footpaws. Freezing, he glanced down over the paper. Aden was groveling at his footpaws, lapping at them while he ground his muzzle into the floor.
"Don't take me back there, Alpha, please! I-I'm sorry if I've ever done anything to disappoint you or embarrass you, or gone against any of your orders. I'll do whatever you want from me, even if you want me to throw myself off the roof, just don't take me back there!" Tears were streaming down his muzzle now as he collapsed, exhausted and sobbing.
Cedric felt tears rising in his own eyes, Aden could act so innocent at times, it made him forget how much he had gone through. Grabbing the wolf gently by the scruff, he pulled him up and held him close. "Pup..." He breathed lightly over the triangular shells of Aden's ears. "Don't you realize by now? You're mine, and no one else's. I'm not gonna let anyone take you away from me."
"Hey Aden..." Cedric gulped, he was taking a gamble. His next few words would either push Aden away, or convince him that he would never again be alone. "I thought a long time last night...about what we said in the bathhouse. I promised never to leave you, to always keep you by my side..." He paused, ironing out his thoughts before continuing. "So I was wondering...would you be my mate? You're very attractive...cute and...er..." Gods, he could feel the heat creeping into his cheeks. He wasn't ready for this, neither was Aden, he could feel the wolf tensing in his arms. Why was he embarrassed? He was never embarrassed.
Whining, he stroked Aden's fur. "Sorry...I shouldn't have asked so soon, especially after yesterday. Let's get dressed, and we can go into the Port to do the errands that we planned yesterday." He hugged the wolf tighter. "Pup, I'm going to keep you by me, no matter what your answer is. I just ask that before you refuse me, please think on it?"
Aden pulled away slowly, nodding. Cedric let him go. It would only stress the pup out to hold on to him. Walking over to the window, he opened it, trying to get a feel for the day. He sighed as the wind blew through his fur. The wind also blew through other places, and he realized with a start that he still hadn't gotten dressed after his pawing session in the bathroom. Grabbing the pair he had worn yesterday from its place on the chair, he pulled them on quickly, trying not to look at Aden. The thought of the pup made him curse himself. What had possessed him to approach Aden like that? He knew what prolonged abuse did to a person's subconscious. He had been working with Maurel for weeks now, and the mouse had only recently gotten over his fear of others. For the longest time, he had been the only one who could get close to the mouse without him backing away in fear, and that was only after telling the mouse that he was going to approach.
Sighing, he reached out a paw to Aden, wincing mentally at the hesitant fashion in which it was received. "Come on Aden, let's go find my cousin."
Aden could feel the tears rising in his eyes as he berated himself. Why did his mind need to do this to him? His Alpha, Alpha, had offered him a spot as his mate, the spot of utmost honor, and he hadn't accepted. And it wasn't like he didn't like his Alpha, no, he could barely keep back the whines of desire that rose in his throat as the wolf paraded himself around the room, but he hadn't been able to manage a 'Yes'. A simple three-letter word, and his mouth had been frozen as soon as the question had been asked. Already he wanted to ask the wolf to take him as his mate, but every time he opened his mouth, the words stuck in his throat.
Ashamed, he put some distance between himself and the wolf. He could see his Alpha's disappointment in the way he held himself as he walked, with his long, beautiful tail nearly dirtying itself on the floor; those strong, handsome features downcast. What a mockery it would be if he were to walk next to him as if nothing had ever happened! Ears and tail drooping, he dropped back further, now walking a few steps behind Cedric. He might get past the block in his mind eventually, and then he could only hope that his Alpha would accept his apology and that the offer would still be open.
They entered the kitchen, finking Aylmer and his guards sitting at the table, a board lying open in front of them, different color pegs dotting it. Cedric took one look at the board and shook his head. "Aylmer, they're beating you. You better not have a bet on this game, you only have three Holds left."
Aden looked at the board curiously. He could see that each of the players had a pawful of cards, but he had no clue what they were for. He turned to ask Cedric what they were for, but paused as he caught a whiff of his Alpha's scent. Being immersed in it for the past couple days, he knew it pretty well, but now there was a slight change. He took a deep sniff trying to figure it out. It held a tinge of a scent he had smelled many times, mostly from himself. Pain. His Alpha was in pain. This confused him. He had been with his Alpha for the past few days, when had he gotten hurt? Why was it only appearing now? What had...oh. Aden's ears dropped back, and he turned away, pretending to study the doorway as he fought back tears. The smell was different because it wasn't a pain of the body. He had hurt his Alpha emotionally, and despite the big wolf's attempts, it was still showing through. He looked down at the ground, ignoring the laughter behind him as the males discussed their game. He could feel tears running down his muzzle, and he didn't want his Alpha to see. Glancing up, his ears folded back as his eyes made contact with the bight greens of the golden retriever cook. She beckoned to him and without a word, Aden walked over to her, slipping inside the kitchen.
As Cook closed the door behind him, Aden felt a sudden rush of fear. He had only come over here because of the pain in his Alpha's scent. If he hadn't been the one to cause it, he would've been running to the wolf, trying to find out if he could do anything to ease it. But since he was the one who inflicted it? No...how could he try to heal the pain he had caused, when he couldn't give his Alpha the thing he knew would take that pain away?
"Do you love him?"
Aden started, his eyes snapping to the retriever, who was still looking at him. "What do you mean?"
She cocked her head, eyes searching. "Do you actually love him, or is you attraction just because he saved you?"
"I..." Aden bit his bottom lip. Maybe Cook was right. Maybe his attraction to Cedric was just because the wolf was his stronghold now. He closed his eyes, trying to keep tears away as he thought.
"Love is not something that is automatically given. That is attraction, or lust. Love is something that grows as two people come to understand one another. It is the thing that keeps mates together when the lust is absent."
Aden glanced up at Cook, surprised. Why would she be asking if his love was real or not, and then tell him that love grows over time? But the dog was the same as before, staring at him with questioning, slightly hostile eyes. If she hadn't spoken, than who had? It was a female's voice, of that he was sure. A memory, perhaps? It was possible, but if that were true than it was not recently. He had rarely been around females until recently, when his Alpha had taken him in. Maybe...Maybe it was a memory from his puppy days, before he had been taken as a slave. Aden smiled softly. Perhaps at one point he had had a mother who cared for him. Whoever it was, their advice was good enough for him.
He looked up at cook. "It might just be an attraction now, but I'm not leaving, and I can turn it into love." If Alpha is wiling to do the same...
How do you know Cedric loves you? His attraction might fade in time. Young males like him are prone to holding on to someone they can relieve their passions on, only to leave when another comes that catches their attention."
Aden eyes hardened. "I'm not letting him bed me anytime soon."
"He may force you. I've known males to lose control of their instincts many times."
"He won't if he loves me."
Cook turned to her food preparations. "I've warned you, my obligations are finished. I can hear Cedric calling you, now get out there."
Startled, Aden listened. Sure enough, he could hear Cedric in the background, calling his name. His alpha's voice held a tinge of panic in it, and Aden felt slightly gratified that the big wolf cared so much about knowing where he was. Almost immediately, his ears dropped in shame. He was causing his Alpha pain yet again, and this time he was happy about it. What kind of mate could he make? Twisting open the door, he stepped through, paws crossed in front of him. Cedric was making his way towards the door they had originally entered, his ears back and shoulders tense. Letting out a soft whine, he caused Cedric to stop, a paw on the doorframe.
"I-I'm sorry, Alpha. I was in the kitchen, I thought you wouldn't mind. I didn't think to tell you..." He dropped his ears and tail submissively, nearly rolling on his back to ask for forgiveness. If Cedric so much as snarled, he knew that's exactly what he was going to do. The thud of his Alpha's hindpaws made him tremble, uncertain of the reception he was going to receive. Just as his knees buckled, he was pulled in close to his alpha's chest. Burying his nose in Cedric's chestfur, he felt his muscles relax.
"Don't do that, Pup! You scared me, I thought you had run off after..." The wolf paused, and Aden could almost feel the eyes of the others in the room rest on them. Cedric coughed and continued. "After this morning. I didn't mean to scare you, don't leave, please?" Aden nodded slowly. "Oh..I was going to give this to you, but when I turned around you had left."
Aden pulled back, looking up curiously as Cedric pressed something into his paw. Looking down, he gasped. "Alpha...I-I don't know." His ears flattened. "I-I mean yes, of course I'll keep it until you want it back, Alpha! I'll make sure no one else lays a paw on it."
Cedric chuckled, curling the smaller wolf's fingers around the sheath of the long dagger in his paw. "No Aden, I'm giving it to you. It is yours to do what you want with. Keep yourself safe with it, okay?"
Aden laid his ears back. "But you'll protect me, Alpha."
A pained look came into Cedric eyes. "I can't be everywhere at once, pup. My job is dangerous, and if you want to come with me, you'll have to have a weapon with which to hold your own until I can rescue you."
Aden examined the dagger in his paw. It was the one he had trained with yesterday. His mind was reeling. Never before had he been allowed to carry a weapon outside of training or in the pit, and never, ever, had he had a weapon that was his own. It had always been stressed that the weapon he was using in training was not his, it was his master's and should be used the way his master wanted it used, even if that was on himself. Almost reverently, he buckled the belt around his waist, feeling the unfamiliar weight of the long dagger settle across is hip. He took off the belt again, and bade a few quick adjustments to the sheath, not sure exactly what he was doing. When he felt he had finished, he put the belt on again, finding that the dagger rested comfortably against the small of his back, just above his tail. One of the guards at the table, a ferret, raised his eyebrow in question, but shrugged and tuned to the Prince.
"M'lord, we sent Amur to tell Rorc and Dylan that we would meet them for lunch at Matron's Tavern. We will be cutting it close already, and you shouldn't disappoint Becan. The pup will be eager to see you."
Aylmer nodded. "Very well. Cedric, will you still be coming as well?"
"Yes." Cedric nodded.