Page 33 of The Feisty Omega

Mutely, I nodded. And shifted. Moments later, paws thudding over the dry ground, I headed off with the last of the pack into the shadowy depths of the forest.

Once among the trees, the silvery light of the moon landed on our coats in dappled patches that seemed to seethe and writhe as our muscles flexed beneath our coats. It was magical and despite myself, I began to enjoy this new experience.

Clearly, the young adults had purposely chosen to start late. Now, in the thrill of catching up, they streaked through the forest, gait smooth and even, nose to tail, noses extended, tails flat out behind them. I tried to keep up, the speed and night air making my eyes water, the forest blurring as we raced past. I concentrated on the tail immediately in front of me, disregarding the others, forcing my legs to move faster.

My paws and heart beat in a steady tattoo, the cool of the forest floor on my pads contrasting with the heat of my blood. The drumming of paws over the ground repeated in my head, over and over and over, as we relentlessly raced on. Breaths becoming more labored, sides beginning to heave, we caught up to the stragglers of the main pack, and the group began to disperse as we wove our way amongst the other wolves.

On and on we went, some of the wolves falling behind, the younger pups yipping as they were turned back by their parents, only the older and stronger ones continuing on. I lost sight of my friends, strange wolves I didn't recognize running with me now. On and on we went.

Dark shadows interspersed with patches of light as the moonlight trickled through the canopy. The occasional twig snapped underfoot. My tongue lolled, saliva dripping, and my sides heaved as I ran on, keeping pace with the wolves around me.

The group spread out more as we went deeper into the forest, until I was running on my own track, the shapes of other

wolves running parallel, disappearing and reappearing behind the tree trunks as they ran alongside but further away.

The night dulled as a wisp of cloud drifted across the moon, and for a moment it was as if I were alone, then my eyes adjusted and I saw the dark shapes of wolves moving though the forest around me.

We kept going; deeper, further, higher. The moon sailed free of the cloud and the leaves were silver and black again. Step after step after step, paws light over the ground. The moment I noticed the trees grew sparser at this elevation, was the instant when I realized there were scarcely any wolves around me. Then another cloud blanketed the moon and the forest fell into profound darkness.

My muzzle felt hot. The harsh raspy breaths pounded in my ears, blending with the thrumming of my blood in a confusing jumble. But itwasn'tmy breath. It was the exhale of a large alpha wolf which had appeared at my shoulder. Without slowing, I glanced sideways and... shock! Feral, bloodshot eyes glared back at me, and a hard bump on my shoulder nudged me off track, pushing me in a different direction.

Marius!I recognized him by his scent. But it was not the Marius I knew... he was different. His wolf had possession of him, and I sensed there was more beast than man.

I tried to swing back on track, but his musclebound shoulder blocked me, forcing me further and further upwards. He was separating me from the pack! A small frisson of fear ran through me, the hairs on my neck and back rising.

He bumped me again, and I had no choice but to go, looking around for help, but he'd already separated us from the group. I spun and tried to double back, but with a snarl, the alpha lunged in front of me, cutting off my escape.

We faced off. The snarling alpha prowled forward menacingly. The scent of his arousal was heavy. I edged backwards. Fear skittered along my veins. He was so much larger than I, and feral with his lust. This wasn't Marius anymore, his wolf had full control of him, and it seemed the adrenaline and excitement of the run had pushed him into a rut. He couldn't make a permanent union with me, because of my age, but... he could do other things.

I snarled, lips curling. I wasn't going to let him. He'd have to kill me first.

I backed up until I felt the cold, rough bark of a tree behind me.I hunched in on myself, apparently giving up. The alpha advanced on me, nostrils flaring, mucosae red. His cock had emerged from its sheath.

I pressed my hind paws into the trunk, and exploded into his neck, grabbing for his throat. I got a mouthful of fur instead, and he barely staggered, but his eyes went wide with surprise. I could run... or I could... I launched myself at him again, driving him backwards more from confusion than anything else. I didn't have enough body weight for a real chance of beating him. But he hadn't expected me to fight back. I was an omega. But I wasn't just any omega. I wasn't going to lay down and give up. I threw myself at him again, snapping and snarling.

He shook his head and I saw the moment the ripple went through his hind quarters. I tensed, readying myself to withstand the attack...

...he staggered sideways as a black wolf barreled into his flank, knocking him off his feet. It was Darius. He pressed his attack and ground Marius' wolf into the dirt, standing menacingly over him, jaws near his throat but not biting. A low growl rumbled from his throat.

The other wolf didn't move. He lay there snarling softly. Then he quietened. He seemed to shrink a little, and I realized the moment had passed. Marius was back in control of his wolf.

Darius seemed to recognize this too. He let go and backed away cautiously, eyes steady on the other wolf, muscles quivering, ready to explode if necessary.

Marius' wolf stood up and shook himself, tale slapping against his flanks. He looked embarrassed, if a wolf could look that way, bowed his head, and turning, disappeared amongst the trees.

Darius' wolf watched him go, and then with a flick of his muzzle indicated we should rejoin the pack. We stayed close together as he threaded his way though the trees. The scent of the pack was enough to guide us and when we found them, they were milling around in an open area high up on the mountain. Therun had finished. As the last stragglers arrived, we lifted our muzzles to the moon, the howls echoing eerily around the mountains.

A few couples slunk off into the night, but the remainder of the pack headed back down the mountain together. When we'd shifted and dressed, and I was enjoying the feast along with my friends, I stepped up close to Darius. "Thanks, Darius."

He nodded. "You're welcome. These things happen. Runs sometimes get out of hand. You shouldn't have been left on your own."

I thought about the time Talius had inadvertently shifted, and realized it was true. Sometimes the wolf biology took over. Adolescent alphas could be dangerous, but my brother from the pack had taken care of things. Another reason to appreciate a pack - you were never truly alone.

"What happened?" asked Lucius, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing," I replied. It wasn't really Marius' fault, and I didn't want him to be blamed. He already had enough trouble getting respect from his future pack.

The guys let it go when they saw I didn't want to talk about it. Darius might have filled them in later, but I wasn't going to be the one to do it.

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