#thrcughthewccds [001]

[wulfdreaded]

compared  to  the  youngling,  zeke  had  feasted  today  &  profusely,  too.  the  banquet  had  been  fantastic  &  made  the  travel  through  that  stupid  portal  worth  it.  he'd  do  the  same  thing  again  tomorrow  &  any  other  day  of  the  week  -  either  until  he  was  removed  from  the  palace  or  until  the  festivities  had  ended.  he'd  be  okay  with  both  options.

the  little  wolf,  it  seemed,  wanted  to  feast  too,  but  ...on  him.  he  wouldn't  blame  him  for  acting  on  his  urges  either.  that  was  the  whole  point,  don't  fight  it.  content  to  let  the  young  wolf  take  the  lead,  letting  him  touch  &  kiss  to  his  heart's  content.  sate  the  wolf,  little  one.

kiss  shared,  body  heat  mingling  when  pressed  close,  the  older  wolf  kept  his  hands  mostly  ..to  himself  for  now,  waiting  &  watching.  there's  a  hunger  in  those  kisses  zeke  wondered  about.  could  humans  feel  the  same  hunger?  though  he  did  not  have  much  time  to  debate  on  the  meaning  of  life,  because  rory  came  for  the  kill  &  that  hand  in  his  pants  really  sealed  the  deal.  zeke  huffed  out  a  little  laugh  in  surprise,  followed  by  something  more  along  the  lines  of  a  sigh.  he'd  grown  quite  a  bit  over  the  past  year,  which  made  this  easier  for  sure.

"i've  been  busy."  being  a  prince's  protector,  which..  he  hadn't  exactly  told  anybody  about,  did  take  a  toll  on  his  free  time.  it  was  still  plenty,  most  days,  but  it  did  distract  him  quite  a  bit.  "worked  out,  didn't  it?  you're  he  an'  all's  fine."  zeke  couldn't  complain.  there  was  something  sweet  in  being  the  object  of  someone  else's  desire.  not  that  he'd  tell  the  boy  that.  better  show  me  why  i  shouldn't  stay  away,  little  wolf.

Rory knows they should hunt. He's fucking starving after the long day getting here. But he needs this more. Needed it since he caught the scent and followed it out here in the woods rather than heading straight to the castle.

He presses their bodies close, biting at Zeke's lips and rubbing their groins together. He can feel the heat of their desire running through him.

He pulls away and grabs Zeke's face with one hand while he shoves the other down Zeke's pants.

"You left me alone for longer this time," he growls, eyes flashing gold. "Is that all part of your plan? Make me miss you so much, I have to hunt you down myself?"

He grabs Zeke's cock and squeezes tight.

[wulfdreaded]

if  zeke  was  not  the  monster  that  terrorized  the  forest  of  his  homeland  -  or  whatever  else  the  legends  the  humans  liked  so  much  said,  he  might've  made  a  good  human.  not  that  that  was  something  desirable,  but  ...  still.  if  one  was  to  bring  their  prince  here,  they'd  surely  turn  heads.  not  that  he  cared  about  these  things.

the  plan  was  to  send  him  out  to  hunt,  test  his  predator  skills,  but  it  seemed  like  the  little  wolf  had  something  else  in  mind.  that  ..was  fine  with  him.  when  it  was  just  them  &  the  moon  stood  high  up  in  the  sky  (it  was  almost  time),  zeke  relaxed,  his  heart  &  mind  at  ease,  he  let  the  young  wolf  take  over.

could  he  have  stopped  the  kiss?  probably  not.  although,  maybe.  didn't  matter  now.  it  was  a  good  kiss,  he  couldn't  complain.  once  upon  a  time  he  wouldn't  have  looked  at  the  youngling  twice,  more  ..  for  older  companions  (or  none,  to  be  honest),  but  he'd  snuck  into  his  life  &  zeke  didn't  mind  too  much.  most  of  the  time.

the  kiss  was  met  with  vigor,  fingers  clasping  the  sturdy  fabric  of  the  boy's  shirt  &  below,  big  paw  grabbing  hold  of  his  waist  -  for  leverage.

The blood pumping through Rory's body sings with every step, the leap across, and the praise from Zeke. These are the times he considers that maybe being a wolf wouldn't be so bad.

When they come to a stop, they're both barely breathless. Rory looks around, ears and nose twitching as he searches for any threats or distractions. When he finds none, he turns to Zeke.

"It's perfect."

Then he grabs the front of Zeke's shirt and pulls him in for another longer messy kiss.

[wulfdreaded]

being  what  they  were  was  curse  &  blessing  in  one.  not  that  zeke  often  thought  of  himself  as  cursed  -  in  fact,  he  rarely  did,  but  he  knew  that  it  came  with  ups  &  downs  in  a  way.  that  antsy  feeling  when  sitting  still  for  too  long;  when  urges  were  stronger  than  common  sense,  especially  when  the  moon  hummed  her  sweet  lullaby.

but  that  made  moments  like  these  exponentially  more  ...exhilarating.  earth  underneath  his  feet,  winds  blowing  through  his  curls  &  he  knew  that  nobody  could  stop  him  unless  he  wanted  them  to.  one  big  leap  across  the  river,  soft  growl  bubbling  from  his  chest  when  he  picked  up  a  scent.  taking  a  sharp  right  turn,  he  glanced  behind  him,  pleased  the  little  wolf  did  indeed  manage  to  keep  up.

"c'mon,  little  wolf.  up  we  go."  perks  of  being  an  old  wolf?  he  had  the  innate  ability  to  orient  himself,  keep  track  of  where  he  was  solely  by  scent  &  vision,  so  the  little  clearing  leading  to  a  lake  on  top  of  a  hill  ...  was  easy  to  find  again.  zeke  didn't  make  the  path  up  top  easy  for  the  young  wolf,  but  he  made  it  up  in  once  piece.  almost.  slowing  down  until  he  came  to  a  halt  not  too  far  from  the  lake,  zeke  let  his  eyes  roam  the  area,  no  unusual  scent  in  the  air,  no  sounds  that  didn't  belong.  "should  be  fine  up  here,  don't  you  think?"

The kiss is wet and hungry. Messy, like most things with Zeke. But it still captures Rory's breath and makes him heady with need.

Rory's eyes glow in response to Zeke's, and he scrambles to his feet, chasing after the man. The wolf.

He manages to keep only a step behind Zeke, though he's definitely less graceful in his movements. But that doesn't stop the rush of freedom running through his body. The wind blowing his hair, the chill of the evening biting his cheeks and making them flush, the glow of the sun flashing like a lighthouse between the trees.

[wulfdreaded]

the  old  wolf  couldn't  help  a  low  chuckle;  now  ...  he  didn't  mean  to  laugh,  but  the  shift  from  little  rory  to  ...  hm.  little  wolf  probably  described  it  best  -  yeah.  that  shift  was  amusing  every  time  anew.  he  wondered  if  that  would  become  his  norm  at  some  point.  once  he  embraced  the  beast  within  him,  everything  would  slot  into  place.  he  ...  was  too  soft  as  he  was  to  become  like  him,  but  it  was  worth  a  shot.  for  now,  he  had  nothing  better  to  do  anyway.  a  new  ...little  him  terrorizing  the  woods?  tempting.

"work  on  that,  own  it.  you're  a  wolf."  zeke  shouldn't  have  to  wonder  or  even  ask.  sweep  me  off  my  feet,  little  wolf.  "better."  he  rumbled,  catching  the  younger  wolf's  face  with  his  paw  before  he  could  pull  away,  that  wet  trail  down  his  cheek  partially  impressive.  effort:  check.  with  rory's  face  in  his  hand,  squeezing  it  just  enough  to  ensure  he  understood,  he  pulled  the  other  in  for  a  kiss  -  pushing  against  him  &  pulling  rory  towards  him  at  the  same  time.  when  their  lips  parted  again,  breath  still  shared  between  them,  zeke  rumbled  low  in  his  chest.  "see  if  you  can  keep  up."  zeke  had  a  place  in  mind,  but  ...  first  they'd  work  on  rory's  skills  a  little.

he  let  go  quickly,  with  really  not  a  lot  of  fanfare  &  stood  -  eyes  glowing  dark  golden,  he  shot  the  other  another  quick  glance  before  he  took  off  further  into  the  forest.

Rory's wolf instincts get stronger the longer he's around Zeke. And with Zeke looking at him like that, there's no way Rory isn't giving into him.

"It's an order, you big puppy," he says with a growl. "Now why don't you pick the place I'm going to fuck you tonight."

Rory licks the side of Zeke's face, making his point.

[wulfdreaded]

"this  place  isn't  home."  they  slept  under  their  stars  in  their  forest.  well,  his  forest,  but  still.  zeke  may  not  be  a  blue-blooded  king,  but  he  saw  himself  as  the  emperor  of  the  forest  regardless  of  what  anybody  else  thought.  "but  it's  close  enough,  i  guess."  if  he  didn't  focus  too  hard  on  the  differences,  he  could  make  himself  believe  it.

he  didn't  know  what  the  little  wolf  felt.  it  also  didn't  really  matter  to  him.  did  he  care  for  him  in  some  sick  &  twisted  way?  maybe.  but  would  he  find  himself  with  sleepless  nights  because  of  him?  most  likely  not.  zeke  was  a  lone  wolf  for  a  reason;  a  villain  -  the  nightmare  mothers  &  fathers  warned  their  children  about  &  boy,  did  he  give  them  reason  to.  but,  the  little  wolf  was  cute  &  zeke  had  no  other  plans,  so  he  didn't  see  no  reason  why  he  should  break  his  little  heart  &  send  him  away.

head  lifted  when  a  hand  found  his  cheek,  head  tilted  to  the  side,  "that  a  question  or  an  order,  little  one?"  another  fang-y  grin,  his  own  big  paw  of  a  hand  resting  above  the  other's  &  gripping  it.  "it's  gettin'  dark.  better  stay."

Rory scoffs.

"As if you and I haven't slept out under the stars before."

Those were the moments that really turned Rory's feelings from hate to affection. Both of them tired from sex, laying close together either because they're too tired to move or Rory's cock locked them together. Holding Zeke and experiencing him so intimately, that is what inspires Rory's feelings for him.

He walks over and scoops some water to drink. Then he turns and starts to dry the water from Zeke's face.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asks, attempting to be soft. But there's still a slight gravel in his voice, demanding Zeke to let him stay.

[wulfdreaded]

good  news  for  zeke,  less  so  for  rory,  it  seemed.  not  that  the  older  wolf  cared  all  that  much.  if  everybody  was  like  them,  then  what  would  be  the  appeal,  right?  he's  still  got  a  lot  to  learn,  but  he  was  young  -  he  had  all  the  time  in  the  world.  he  probably  didn't  realize  yet  just  how  long  his  new  life  was  going  to  be.

a  few  sips  out  of  his  open  palm,  water  splashed  onto  his  face  -  the  perfect  refreshment.  leaving  the  castle  had  been  a  good  thing,  he  felt  much  more  calm  out  here.  it  wasn't  quite  the  same  as  home,  but  close  enough  to  make  him  feel  comfortable  in  his  own  skin.

ears  perked  when  the  young  wolf  speaks  up  again,  human  in  shape  right  now,  but  still  twitching  in  some  way.  with  you.  "you  sure  about  that,  lil  one?  don't  got  no  cabin  here,  so  we're  gonna  have  to  improvise."  cave,  probably.  just  like  in  the  old  days.  “c'mon,  it's  good  water.”

Rory's hope falls. No wolves. No one like him or Zeke. He wonders if this bear prince has to change with the moon too or if he's free to be human all he wants?

Rory glances up toward the castle spires rising above the trees. In the light of the setting sun, the walls look red and intimidating. Suddenly, the daunting enormity of his goals here seem too overwhelming. Panic tries to rise up in him.

He turns to where Zeke is drinking from the river and for some inexplicable reason, the sight calms him.

Maybe he can hold off from his plans until morning.

"I could stay the night here," he says tentatively. "With you."

[wulfdreaded]

so  innocent.  it  was  amusing  if  it  wasn't  slightly  annoying,  too,  because  rory  was  not  embracing  his  true  self  as  much  as  he  could,  still  holding  back  &  letting  his  human  side  tell  him  what  his  heart  wanted  was  wrong.  it  wasn't.  he  would  understand  some  day,  maybe.

"not  wolves."  the  smug  little  undertone  in  his  voice  when  he  said  that  ...was  loud  &  clear.  he  always  knew  there  was  nobody  like  him  anywhere,  even  those  he  turned  always  felt  a  little  different,  but  he  assumed  that  was  the  human  influence  he  failed  to  carry  within  him.  "there's  a  bear,  though.  he's  tryin'a  hide  it,  but  he  stinks  up  the  whole  place."  little  shrug,  his  mind  wandering  as  he  tried  to  remember  the  others  he'd  observed  today.  "seems  harmless  though,  he's  tryin'  quite  hard  to  blend  in.  might  be  one  of  them."  them  being  ...  royals.  princes  &  the  like.  spoiled  little  brats  hiding  in  their  castles.

zeke,  for  one,  didn't  care  what  others  thought  of  him.  generally,  he  assumed  everybody  hated  him,  so  when  they  showed  they  did,  he  embraced  it.  same  for  the  little  wolf  fumbling  about  in  front  of  him.  he  could  hate  him  all  he  wanted,  it  didn't  mean  anything  to  him.  it  really  didn't  bother  him...  at  all,  even  if  it  wasn't  justified.

big  paw  of  a  hand  came  to  cup  the  youngling's  cheek,  ruffled  his  hair  with  a  grin  on  his  lips  that  showed  off  fangs  &  then  he  pushed  that  same  hand  back  into  the  vacant  pocket  before  his  shoulders  rolled  back  into  a  shrug.  "y'know  the  world's  yours.  take  it."  he  was  a  wolf.  he  didn't  have  to  crave.  he  could  take  what  he  wanted.  "castle's  offerin'  rooms  to  their  guests."  what  he  made  of  that  was  up  to  him,  though  zeke  was  grinning  mischievously  when  he  spun  around  &  knelt  down  by  the  water  for  a  few  sips.

Rory makes a disgusted face at the thought of eating people. As far as he's aware, he hasn't done so in the years he's been cursed. Thank the moon for that. But Zeke has always been more... wolflish and beastly.

"So you're looking for other werewolves?" Rory's eyebrow quirks up. "Are there others?"

Zeke is the only one like him that he's met. It's... disappointing in a lot of ways.

Then Rory sighs and fights down a blush. He hates Ezekiel. The man lured him in, took his innocence and cursed him to be an uncontrollable beast. But in the years since, he has grown fond of the man. Even if he's the reason Rory suffers this affliction, he's also helped in some ways. allowed Rory to explore himself in this new skin safely.

For as much as he hates Zeke, there's equal affection for him.

"It's been a rough time since you were last there," Rory admits. "It's been harder to satisfy my cravings."

He looks into the man's eyes, gaze filled with heat and what those cravings are and entail.

[wulfdreaded]

little  laugh  huffed  out  at  that,  the  hint  of  a  smile  on  the  wolf's  lips,  the  meaning  of  the  little  wolf's  words  not  lost  to  him.  he  felt  it,  too.  in  control  or  not,  the  moon's  whispers  still  called  to  him,  its  influence  existent,  if  ...  not  overwhelming  enough  to  give  in  to  the  sway.

"royals  make  the  tastiest  snacks."  not  that  he  would  indulge  while  here;  he  wasn't  a  lunatic.  even  though  it  was  tempting,  he  wouldn't  deny  that,  but  truth  be  told  that  hadn't  been  the  reason  he  came  here.  "thought  i'd  check  out  the  competition.  our  home's  connected  to  all  the  other  places  now,  gotta  make  sure  they  know  who  not  to  mess  with."  only  few  knew  the  man  underneath  the  golden  eyes,  the  claws  &  the  fangs.  zeke  wanted  it  like  that.  the  softer  parts  underneath  the  exterior  were  his  &  his  alone.

"started,  huh?"  maybe  he  should  make  himself  scarce  more  often,  ensure  the  little  wolf  didn't  take  his  presence  for  granted.  hands  pushed  into  the  pockets  of  his  trousers,  gaze  cast  upwards  to  meet  the  other's.  he'd  grown  so  much  since  they  first  met.  little  growl  vibrated  in  his  chest  at  that  touch;  not  stopping  him  -  not  at  all,  but  cautious  nonetheless.  they  were  not  on  their  home  turf.  “hm.”  what  a  brave  little  wolf  he  was,  turning  him  had  been  one  of  zeke's  smartest  decisions  in  a  long  time.

"Seems I'm right on time," he says, voice dipping into a husky tone. With the full moon only days away, Rory's wolf urges have been waxing again.

"I just meant big royal celebrations don't really seem like your style."

Rory notices Zeke's shift in posture, and he can't help but smile. Zeke may be a dangerous big bad wolf, but from the moment he'd bitten Rory, the man seems more like a puppy trying to be a big dog.

"It has," he says, stepping even closer. "I actually started to miss you."

He raises a hand to run his fingers up Zeke's shirt, testing the waters. New woods, new rules? Or are they the same rules?

[wulfdreaded]

"so  you're  late."  day  one  was  already  almost  over,  at  least  for  him.  he  assumed  the  others  would  celebrate  through  the  night.  good  for  them.  he'd  spend  the  night  far  away  &  would  be  just  as  happy  -  if  not  happier.  leaping  down  from  the  rock  &  landing  easily  on  his  feet,  head  tilted  to  the  side  as  he  waited  for  rory  to  ...  do  whatever  he  meant  to  when  he  stepped  closer.

"here?  's  the  only  place  i  belong,  don't  ya  think?"  though  zeke  knew  he  meant  this  realm  -  more  so.  why  he  came  here?  he  didn't  know.  "thought  i'd  plunder  the  buffet,  see  what  the  blue  bloods  eat  on  this  side  of  the  portal."  additionally,  with  the  portals  connecting  them  all  now,  he  ...would  be  facing  new  issues,  too.  what  if  his  forest  got  invaded?  better  be  here  &  ensure  people  from  all  around  knew  that  he  was  not  to  be  messed  with. "been a little while. you good?" shifting a little, zeke straightened himself in return.

Rory swallows hard. Usually, he's confident with Zeke, roughing him up so he can bend the older wolf over and give him what he begs for. But these are strange woods, and Rory wasn't expecting to see him.

"I just arrived in town," he explains. "I was heading toward the castle when I caught your scent."

He steps closer to the man, straightening his back. They're close in height, but Rory could make Zeke cower under him.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here."

[wulfdreaded]

the  castle  was  filled  with  familiar  faces  -  some  in  good  graces,  some  ...  not.  well,  difficult  to  say  who  was  on  his  side  &  who  wasn't  anymore  these  days,  but  the  safest  bet  -  he  found,  was  to  assume  everybody  was  against  him.  he  didn't  really  look  for  faces  in  the  crowds,  had  wolfed  down  as  much  food  as  he  could,  met  a  witch  -  learned  some  about  witches  &  how  to  annoy  them  &  eventually  just  snuck  out.  too  many  people.

he  didn't  expect  to  find  himself  in  company  so  soon  -  not  out  here,  though  the  voice  that  met  his  own  brought  a  little  grin  to  his  lips.  "pretty  far  from  home,  little  one."  did  he  come  alone?  was  his  grandfather  at  the  castle,  too?  why  was  he  out  here?  "shouldn't  you  be  celebrating  with  the  other  fancy  pants  at  the  castle?"

Rory had been following the familiar scent through the trees. He was sure he's mistaken, but he'd know that scent anywhere.

And it's only confirmed when the man calls out to him. Rory is downwind, so he's not sure if Ezekiel has recognized it's him yet. He takes a deep breath and steps into the warm light.

"Well, you know me, Zeke," he calls back. "I was never one to follow the path."