Wren padded through the forests of Vale. She was by the southern border, examining the new herbs that have been growing ever since the spring had turned into the summer. The spring flowers were largely being replaced by lush green leaves, although many blooms still graced the forest floor. She stepped delicately to avoid crushing the fragile blossoms, humming quietly to herself as she moved about the forest.

Her mind was peaceful. The weather was good, the pack was safe, and the wolf who had been terrorizing her had not shown himself in a good while. Although she caught his ghost of his scent in the breeze occasionally, and sometimes thought she saw a shadow shift from the corner of her eye… but she always shrugged it off, assuming he had gotten bored with her, and moved on to another territory, and perhaps now she would be able to serve her pack without fear of whatever his threats meant.

But half of her was still wondering… he was so… strange. He was scary and mean and huge and just… insane. And yet, something about him during their last meeting felt different. He had shown himself a different wolf than she had first thought, even if there had been hints of that wolf in their meetings previous. He didn’t seem to be the evil killing machine she had once believed him to be. And he seemed to care about her. He listened to her with respect and empathy when she had spoken of her past, and he seemed genuinely regretful when he had realized how much the fire had upset her. She told herself in hindsight that it was a trick of some sort, and he was nothing but a brute who held no real care for her. But still, somehow, deep in the dark curious back of her mind, she almost wanted to see him again… if the wolf she had seen was his true self, she wanted to know more.



He had told himself he would stay away, that he needed to occupy his time elsewhere. But perhaps he was not strong enough to escape that pull, the strange force he could not explain that that conjured memories of green eyes against pale fur. Green, like Melanie’s eyes…and green like Hexa’s. He was always haunted by green eyes.

He had resisted for several days, fighting urges he scarcely had control over. He didn’t want to claim her. He wanted her to be free of him. He knew he could not offer her what she deserved: a happy life, with a home and a family. He could offer her safety from others but she could never truly be safe from him.

But Ren was a weak wolf, and so he had trailed her. Perhaps she did not know he was there. He clung to the shadows where he was merely an observer, but he was always haunting her steps. He wanted to know she was safe, but he also wanted to keep her from other wolves who might win her affections. He was several yards away from her now, watching her carefully. He studied her delicate movements, entranced by the subtle details. He had always found great beauty in what others had failed to see; the sunlight falling on the tops of Wren’s whiskers, the color of the foxgloves bringing out the green tones in her eyes. Ren was too mesmerized he forgot his focus for a second, and that was all it took. His paw landed in a puddle, and before Ren could retract it a loud splash echoed through the woods. Ren’s body went rigid and he craned to see if Wren and heard the noise, but she had disappeared from her place in the flowers. He shook the water from his paw angrily and hesitantly took a step forward, scanning the foliage for her.



As Wren was walking a large splash echoed through the forest and the dusty she-wolf instinctively jolted away slightly, turning as she did and crouching to investigate. She was still, waiting for another sound, but none came. She narrowed her sage green eyes, raising herself slowly to peer into the sunny forest floor. No more birds chirped in the trees. It was silent, indicating that she may not be alone. Something frightening was nearby... She let out a shaking breath and backtracked a bit, her ears cupped forward and her eyes sharp.

And then she saw him, the massive bulky shape that was becoming more and more familiar. She felt a thrill of anxiety and excitement as her earthy green eyes met those fiery amber ones. Complete opposites, it seemed to her. But they willed her forward this time. She padded closer.

”You cannot very well hide that bulk, even with the foliage so thick, can you?” She said with a dry smile. Her voice was not scathing or angry as it usually was. It was more teasing than anything else.

She stopped a good distance away from him, her smile fading as she asked. ”What is it now? Another forest burning down?” As she began to get more comfortable with Ren she became bolder, and she began to feel the need to portray herself as lofty and resilient, in a way, to stop him from pushing her around. He was a powerful wolf, and she needed to show him that she was powerful too. Perhaps not physically, but she had a sharp mind, and a sharp tongue. Even if she was forced to be the victim in the past, she vowed that things would change.



Ren flinched as the female someone managed to apparate beside him, he expected her to shoot him with threats but instead she seemed quite amused at his presence. Ren was taken aback in surprise, he almost didn’t know how to react to her not entirely fearing him. Not a week ago she would have turned from him in fear, but here she was, begin the first to approach him. Yes, he had been stalking her for several days now, but she didn’t need to know the details. He wasn’t sure how to react with her being so bold. He was the one accustomed to teasing her, but now she stood gazing at him with a spark in her eyes.

Ren frowned at her, he was a prideful creature but he had to admit he did find some amusement in her playful words. “Nonsense! I was simply after your attention, Wren. Seems I’ve won it,” He smiled, leaning into her though not as closely as he would have liked to. “You’ll pay for that,” He challenged in response to her teasing and gained on her, head low and eyes wide like he was zeroing on his prey. He acted as if he was going to pounce, working his back legs into the dirt to steady himself and bringing his chest down to the forest floor. Then, just before he was going to pounce, Ren flicked his soaking paw upwards, splashing water onto Wren’s tawny coat. He gave her a smug smile and sat back on his haunches, satisfied with her punishment. Though much to his dismay she was even more beautiful with damp fur. His instincts could always win where she was concerned. He furrowed his brows, staring at her seriously for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should say what he needed to next.

“Wren-“ He started but a heavy noise in the brush interrupted him. Immediately he transformed into a hunter, bringing his body low testing the humid air for unfamiliar scents. “Stay here,” He urged Wren and took a step out from their place in the foliage.  



She gave him a sly smile as he challenged her, his voice amused. But her playfulness was gone as he crouched low with eyes wide, about to pounce, and she stepped back uncertainly. He certainly was a scary wolf, with the dark ashy black pelt, its dark gray-scale colors only adding to the menace that was held in his bright amber eyes. No, no he wasn’t going to attack her! He was just playing. He had promised that he would never harm her. And you believe him with a smile like that? a voice hissed in Wren’s ear as her eyes watched that murderous smile, studded with those two huge fangs. She hesitated, but before she could react further Ren’s massive paw shot forward, sending water all over her dusty brown fur. Wren staggered back with a yelp of shock at the sudden unexpected assault. She looked completely outraged as she shook the water off, glaring up at him angrily as he looked very pleased with himself. But soon his expression faded into a very serious one. He was going to tell her something important. Wren’s outrage faded as her green eyes looked up at him, ready to listen. Ren was not a wolf she particularly trusted, but for some reason when that fearsome smirk was off his face, like it was when they were in Brisbane those several days ago, she felt as if she almost did. When he spoke seriously it was like he spoke true, a wolf with much knowledge and wisdom and even empathy. Without that smirk, it was much easier for her to believe.

Wren’s ears perked in alarm as a loud sound echoed nearby them, a crashing sound through the undergrowth. Ren was immediately on hunting mode, ready to face whatever was nearby and protect her from it, as he had protected her from that cougar. Wren felt considerably less afraid than she would have been if she were alone and such a sound had come from the nearby forest. And this was because Ren was here. Never had she met a force quite so formidable as he. She trusted he would quickly be able to handle the situation. And if he couldn’t, well, then he’d die. And that possibility certainly had some perks as well.

Wren peered from behind Ren as he approached where the sound had come from, but suddenly a small motion caught the corner of Wren’s eye and she turned to look beside them. The breath left her body as she saw a huge boar emerging from the undergrowth. Wren did not even have the words to warn Ren as the large animal hurtled toward them in a massive brown blur, crashing noisily through the undergrowth.

Wren’s first instinct was to run. But something kept her glued to the spot. She was between Ren and the boar. What if she moved and Ren was not quick enough to respond in time? Those huge razor sharp tusks would drive into the large loner’s belly, that head would hit him with the force of a falling tree. Of course thinking about the troublesome brute dying was okay, but now that it was a possibility Wren found herself fiercely ready to prevent it.

She knew that waiting for the boar to ram her, when he reached his full speed, would most likely wound her seriously. So she charged, snarling as she faced the animal. Before their bodies collided Wren leaped, landing so her jaws got a grip on the back of its neck, her body covering its huge narrow face. Her back claws scrambled at the ground and at the creature's muzzle as she struggled to keep her body elevated from its face and avoid the sharp tusks. The creature wailed wildly, thrusting its head up and down as it tried to dislodge her and gore her. Wren tightened her grip, her jaw sinking into its rough skin. Now that she had successfully stopped its charge she now focused mainly on not getting killed.



Ren did not have time to react before a thunderous roar hit his ears, sending an unsettling vibration throughout his body. Instinctually he turned to shield Wren, but instead of crouching behind him she leapt toward the massive beast, blocking its pathway to Ren. He pivoted in panic only to watch her leap atop the giant, hooking her jaws around his neck. The creature began charging wildly, ferociously whipping it’s head around in an attempt to dislodge Wren from his pelt. But the wolf had fastened her claws deep into his hide, a menacing growl emanating from her throat.

“WREN!” A panic set in and Ren bounded for the boar, digging his fangs into it’s jugular and thrashing his head to the side. He could feel the skin beneath his jaws tear apart and the reassuring metallic tang of blood meet his tongue, but still the boar battered, resilient even under the weight of the two wolves. Ren dug in farther, stretching his maw over the left as far as he could then working his teeth deeper into the flesh. The swine rose to it’s hinds and began pounding Ren in the stomach with it’s razor sharp hooves. Ren took a heavy blow to his chest which sent him barreling to the mud. He struggled to his paws as a searing ache spread through his body. An unnerving amount of blood seeped from a large gash in his chest and Ren’s vision began to falter.

For the first time in a long time he felt the agony of true terror, but not for himself, for the fearless, tawny wolf who was doing everything in her power to defend him, who he himself was helpless to guard in the moment. He was suddenly racked with torment. What would happen it he lost her?“Wren!” He fought through the pain, forcing himself forward. His voice was pleading, horrified, desperate for her to listen to him,“Damn it Wren, let go!” He wanted her a thousands miles from here.

Suddenly he was seething with anger and he bombarded the boar, ignoring the spots he was beginning to see in his vision. This time instead of aiming for it’s throat he went straight for it’s massive, red eye. His jaws locked on the slippery round orb before hearing a pop and feeling a rush of liquid and membrane meet his tongue. A horrible, shrill screech emanated from the animal and it’s body stilled, stunned in confusion for an instant. Ren leapt back, spitting the foul fluid from his mouth and staring back up at Wren. She too seemed to sense this was their opportunity for escape. Quickly, he mouthed, so as not to disturb the boar from its daze.



The heaving animal struggled to flip the she-wolf off, and Wren found her strength waning. Any jerk or toss she knew that her soft abdomen could be gored by those long horns. That certainly was not something Wren wanted to happen. She needed to get off its face. Through the thunderous rush of blood to her ears as she tried to gain her bearings she could hear Ren roaring out her name. The boar’s thrashing ceased slightly as a flash of dark fur dove for its throat, digging into its jugular and dragging it toward the ground. Wren’s back legs scrabbled its huge face as it was momentarily restrained, and she soon gained purchase enough to heave herself onto its back, her claws grasping at its thick pelt and her jaws closing around its ear.

Wren’s green eyes widened as she saw the beast rise above Ren with a tremendous heave, its hooves, hard a stone, pummeling into Ren’s belly, scoring great gouges on the dark wolf’s pelt. Her mind was in a whirl of panic and her breathing became rapid as her lungs stopped working in her fear, ”Ren! No! No, stop!” She cried to no one in particular, and drove her teeth into the back of the boar’s neck, biting down as hard as she could, pulling at its hide, doing everything and anything to get it off the dark loner. With a final strike Ren was sent rolling into the mud, blood pooling from a long gash in his chest. Wren released the boar, her eyes glued on the huge motionless heap in the mud, unable to believe that the wolf she saw as infallible had fallen. ”Ren!” Wren shrieked, her voice high with fear and cracking in desperation, but he did not move. But she could not give up yet. The huge beast was now fully focused on her, bucking and rearing and doing anything to get the dusty brown she-wolf off its back. Wren scrabbled frantically at its pelt, letting out little cries at each powerful kick, but at least it was focused on her.

‘Wren! Damn it Wren, let go!’ Wren looked up in shock. He was okay! She felt relief crash over her like a waterfall, making her limbs feel weak. ”Ren!” She cried in joy. The boar reared to avoid Ren’s leap and Wren felt her heart stop again in fear. Ren had gotten away once, what if he was not so lucky this time? Wren’s jaw dropped in horror as she heard the terrible scream of the animal and realized what the dark loner had done. But she had only a moment to comprehend before she realized that this was their chance.

Wren leaped, landing in the grass beside him and bounding toward the cover of trees. She stopped to look back at Ren, her heart aching as she saw the crimson blood staining his thick chest fur. Her eyes lifted to study his face. Was he okay? But the beast was already beginning to recover from its daze, and it was not going to be happy. With Ren at her side Wren plunged forward through the trees, panting and exhausted but her adrenaline kept her limbs pumping. ”Ren… Ren what do we do?” She panted, her mind racing as she tried to think of an escape plan. It would surely follow them in rage! ”What about the bog? The bog… it’s heavy… it will sink deeper in the mud than we will…. maybe even… get stuck…” she huffed, his voice high with desperation. She threw a glance at Ren nearly every moment, portraying her concern for his well being. She was not going to leave him behind. All his past wrongs to her were forgotten. All Wren could remember is the wolf who had showed her that not everything was as it seemed, the wolf who had defended her from the cougar, and the wolf who was currently suffering great pain and risking his life to save her yet again.



Ren…Ren, What do we do? Ren’s brain spun, he was losing blood, too much of it, and fast. Wren could keep her pace, but he couldn’t. Still, he wasn’t going to burden Wren with this, he’d vowed always to protect her and he wasn’t going to let some overgrown swine lay one hoof on her. Ren skimmed through their options. If they kept running, the boar would catch them. They needed to get to higher ground, a place where the boar could not leap to, or- Ren’s gaze drew to the bog that Wren had pointed to. It was not an ideal option, for Ren wasn’t sure he could manage to tread water long with his wound, but it was the safest escape he could see.

“In you go,” he nudged her rump her with his nose and followed Wren into the thick water. The liquid seeped slowly around him, swallowing his body. The end of his tail touched something slimy and Ren thought he’d gag. He pinned his eyes on Wren, ”Quick thinking,” he grinned, then ducked down low as the boar caught up with them.

The creature came to a roaring halt, squealing at them in anger. Her plan had worked, the boar refused to taint its fur in the water. Eventually after several minutes of huffing, the swine trotted on back through the woods. The wolves remained in the bog for a while longer, just to be sure it didn’t have a plan of catching them unaware again. Ren felt himself weaken and he knew he needed to get out before he lost his strength. There was a pool of red water beside him, the pressure from the run and now beating the water and caused more blood to seep from his gash at his chest. He paddled to shore and sat down, observing the cut. “It appears I’m in need of a healer’s touch”, he smiled at Wren as she too drew herself up to the shore. Even drenched in sooty liquid Ren couldn’t keep his eyes off her. “Damp fur suits you, Tigress.”



Wren watched as the droplets of blood ran through Ren’s dark pelt, crimson against the rippling dark gray fur. She bit back a whine. He was not okay… but they could not stop now. If they stopped now, with the boar roaring after them, they would both die.

Soon they reached the bog and Ren nudged the Medic into the mucky water as she hesitated suddenly. It was so… sticky. But with his prodding she quickly trudged into the water. She felt mud squishing around her paws and the filthy water splashing over her back as she pushed off from the bottom, swimming into the deeper pools of the bog. She waded beside Ren, his green eyes fixed on the growing pool of red beside his huge figure. She gave him a half smile as he gave her the compliment, but her ears were flattened and her worried green eyes would not be consoled.

The plan worked and the boar, after much angry pawing by the shore, eventually let them go. She followed Ren to shore, dragging herself out of the water. Her dusty brown fur was heavy with the thick, muddy water, making her look much darker brown. She shook off her fur, muddy droplets flying about and leaving her muddy fur damp and sticking up in all directions. She looked at her huge companion. He was giving her that look again… but Ren looked different when he was all wet too. She had hoped that he may look a little more pathetic with this magnificent thick fur slicked down with water, but for some reason that was not the case at all. Covered in water, she could clearly see the lines of solid muscle that laced his entire body, particularly his shoulders and legs. She could see how truly huge he was, and how formidable. In fact, never had she laid eyes on such a well-sculpted creature. The one thing about him that was out of place was the large gash on his chest. But even wet and wounded his sinister smile was unchanged. Yet it was looking less sinister to her eyes with every passing moment.

She whipped her tail toward his face, sending a little spray of muddy water on his muzzle. ”It suits you too,” she said with a smile, and then she moved in closer to him, peering closely at the the wound. Now her expression was serious. She gave it a sniff, ”This is deep, Ren… and you have lost a lot of blood already.” Wren began to think hard about where the herbs were nearby. She silently thanked her mother for teaching her to find where herbs were located in the territory instead of just taking them to her Medic den, because she certainly could not take Ren to the main den site. ”There is a clump of goldenseal near here… that’s my favorite herb to use on open wounds. It isn’t far, and you can lean on me if you need to.” Wren was in Medic mode now, speaking to him like a patient. But no one could deny the genuine concern bright in her sage green eyes.



Ren frowned, golden-what? but he trusted Wren. He had stalked her long enough to know that she knew what she was talking about. If anyone could fix him, it would be her. He wasn’t going to pass up a chance to touch, either. “Lead the way”, he nodded forward with his nose, allowing Wren to bare some of his weight. He was too heavy for her, and worried about crushing her frame. He could feel the heat of her body against his and he let it soothe him. He’d been missing the touch of another, and he immersed himself in the sensation while he could.

They reached a little patch of green growth underneath the shade of a tree. Ren would have paid it no mind if he had been alone. He watched Wren set to work, gathering bunches of the plant. He cocked his head. It was a strange, almost unnatural process, but he could not help but admire the passion behind her movements. She was careful, and well practiced, it was a sort of art form for the female. “Who taught you?” Ren asked, biting back the pain in his chest. He looked down, the wound had stopped bleeding but it was coated with the parasitic bog water. Typically he would clean his wounds as well as he could manage and deal with the messy pain that came from infection. This time, however, he was certain Wren could use her knowledge to help him. His eyes ran over her face as she stepped toward him to examine the wound closely. She was all business, consumed in her task, but there was something gnawing at Ren, far more traumatic than the fire he felt in his chest. “You could have run, Wren. You should have. You put yourself in danger. Your life is worth an infinite amount of mine. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”



Wren gathered her herbs, placing the bunch of them at Ren’s side as he settled down. ”My mother,” Wren answered. Normally she would leave it at that with the big male, but she felt different about him now… and other than that, she liked talking to patients as she worked. It kept their mind off their pain. ”She was a gifted healer in my old pack… well, it wasn’t much of a pack, just my mother, father, brother, and my parents’ second litter… well, not my father.” It was clear that Wren still had daddy issues by the cool tone of voice adopted when she took back her words placing him within her old family. She had never vocalized her past before, other than briefly to Ren during their trip to Brisbane, and now she found it difficult to say the specifics. So she said no more as she continued her work. She leaned in close to his wound, breathing in the musty scents of the bog. It needed to be cleaned. She never hesitated to lick the wounds of her patients. It was the best way to clean it, but she hesitated when it came to Ren. She remembered how disgusted she had been to clean the wound given to him by the cougar. But somehow she saw him as a completely different wolf now than she had thought of him then, so she leaned in, her tongue working carefully and gently  as it removed the muddy water from within the large gash. She moved up from the wound, licking his chest fur gently to clean the fur around the wound too, so it would not drip onto it.

She paused from her work as he growled out his scolding, leaning back to look at him more evenly, although even as she did she gathered her herbs in her paws as she prepared to apply them to the wound. Goldenseal, resin, and some leaves. ”I didn’t want to run.” she said simply. She leaned back into his wound, licking him again, as if to make sure it was really clean enough. “Maybe I feel like I owe you for saving my life against that cougar.” She mused, pulling back again, ”And I don’t know how you go off, saying I am worth more than you are, why would you think such a thing?” Honestly, despite her words Wren once would have certainly agreed with him. As far as she could tell Ren was just a rogue loner looking to cause trouble for her beloved Vale, while she was a Gamma Medic, the only Medic in the pack, and thus a reasonably important member just due to that. But Ren was changing her mind at a rapid pace, and it seemed each time they met Wren gained more and more respect, and more and more curiosity, for this magnificent male. She was beginning to wonder if Ren was really at all the wolf she had once believed him to be, just a lustful violent brute, or if he was something completely different, and something completely incredible. His modesty, placing her above himself, furthered her suspicions.

She chewed up the goldenseal in her mouth, careful not to swallow, and then she spat them out on her paws and pressed them against his wound. ”This’ll sting, but I am sure you have suffered worse.” Wren said softly as she held the herbs in place.



Ren tried to let her elegant voice sooth him. The way she spoke was lyrical, she was weaving a story for him of her past, and he felt fortunate that she would deem him worthy of her history. He liked hearing her perspective of the world. Her words touched ‘father’ and the regret she felt lingered over them. “What happened?” Ren asked quickly, before he could stop to register that he’d been lucky to hear little, and should bite his tongue rather than pressing her for more information. But that was hardly of concern to him. If there was something that troubled her, Ren wanted to know. He wanted to right all the wrongs. Wren was good. One of the only true wolves he had ever met. But more than that she had a fighter’s spirit. It was a combination Ren could not help but be drawn to… She was too much like her. Ren trained his eyes of the ground. She wasn’t Melanie.

When he gazed back up she was pressing forward, lowering her head to the wounds on his chest.“Wren, what are you”- Ren’s voice cut out as he felt her soft tongue, just as delicate and smooth as her voice, begin to clear away the mess on his chest. Ren lifted his head, reveling in the intoxicating feeling of her so near, her scent drowning his nose and her touch near his heart. He felt several emotions he could scarcely detect trickle down his spine, those of endearment, lament, desire, and exasperation. He wanted her closer. He wanted her far away from him. Suddenly the overwhelming mix of sensations thundered through him and he pivoted from her, causing her to rock back from him as he jerked away.

“Stop,” he growled, his voice thick with warning. He couldn’t control himself with her. She needed to keep her distance for her own safety. His strength would only keep up for so long. Eventually his impulse to be with her, to call her his mate, would consume him. What could he offer her? Not the life she deserved. Not the days filled with laughter. Ren knew only destruction. It was what he was born and bred to do. Hexa had created him in her image. He was a killing machine. He could not let Wren fall, to become nothing more than another victim of one of his violent schemes. Never had he wanted more to be a wolf she could love; someone equal to her, worthy of her and capable of good. But it wasn’t possible. Ren would never be that. He could only offer her pain. He had to let her go.

He was silent as she returned to her craft, carefully working down the goldenseal and applying it gently to the cleaned wound at his chest. Ren bared his teeth at the pain but let her complete her duty uninterrupted. When she was finished Ren inspected her careful work. The wounds at his chest flared and angry, but with Wren’s touch it was now clean and medicated. Eventually it would scar over, but it would not be ugly to Ren. It would be a reminder of the day a wolf he cared for saved his life.

“Thank you,” his words were gruff yet quiet, his mind thoughtful. “Thank you for everything, Wren.” His burning gaze traced over her feminine features; her pointed nose and her spring-green eyes. Let her go, his mind echoed, and he took the first step away while he still had the strength. Let her go.




Wren was silent at his question for a moment, ”He, ah… he was an adulterer.” Wren said finally, keeping her answer short, for she had never been particularly open about what had happened to her. That was good enough for Ren, right? But there was more to it than just a simple emotional betrayal. Such things happened, and they were often scarring and difficult for those involved, yes, but there was more to it that made it unbearable to the Medic, even all the years after. His adultery was more than just a betrayal. His disloyalty to his true family had caused the death of Wren’s mother, and her young siblings, and she assumed her brother as well. And a terrible death engulfed in flames, at that. Wren had watched it.

Wren drew back as he turned quickly from her reach, Wren looked up at Ren, ”What is it?” Wren asked, her voice shocked and even a tinge of exasperation. He wanted her to touch him, he always wanted her to. And now he got what he wanted, she finally felt he had earned her friendship and trust, and he turned away from her? He did not offer up an answer, but turned back for Wren to continue her treatment with the goldenseal.

Ren thanked her, his voice gruff and quiet. Wren smiled softly in return, taking a step forward as Ren stepped back, ”Of course. It’s the least I can do.” Ren was making her nervous now. Wren had been the one to give him the chase, but now it seemed that she could be making him uncomfortable. Was he one of those wolves who was obsessed with the chase, moving on once the challenge was no longer there? Ren had never acted so… restrained. It confused the dusty brown she-wolf. ”Are you… alright?” Wren hated to be the fool, and how stupid she would feel if he turned out to be disingenuous. But for some reason she trusted Ren. She wanted them to be friends.



Her voice begged him for an answer and Ren froze, his body stiffening. Half of him wanted to turn back to her, to console her and reassure her that she was important to him. More than important, she was his foremost concern. Even when she wasn’t near, she was on his mind. He wanted to pacify the need he’d been feeling ever since that night in Brisbane, the desire to see her. He didn’t need to touch, or hear, or even smell her, but just to see her smile, even at a distance. Ren didn’t chance turning around. He knew if he saw her face that that would be it, and he wouldn’t be able to leave her.

Ren’s voice was cool and even, but still the warmth he felt for her seeped between his teeth. “I only wish for your happiness. Please understand, we cannot see each other.” I cannot give you what you deserve. He wanted to be selfish, more than anything he wished he could shirk his fears for her and make her his. He was not a wolf who restrained himself. He always took what he wanted. But it wasn’t that way with her, it would never be like that with Wren. He’d sacrifice himself before ruining her world.

He inhaled deeply, and on the exhale spoke their name, “Goodbye, Wren.” He trudged forward, almost running from her while he kept up the nerve to walk away.



Wren tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in dismay as he turned away. It was painful for him to leave her, it was clear even to the dusty brown Vale wolf. But I don’t understand, Wren thought, but felt like a child for the inward question despite its truth. He knew something that she didn’t. As far as Wren could see, there was nothing wrong here. Associating so closely with a Vandr was forbidden, yes, but this was different. Ren was so formidable, surely he would be welcomed into Vale if he would just swear his loyalty to Faust.  How hard was it to become a pack wolf, after all? She had not found it difficult at all. Surely Ren could too… right? Wren’s mind played tricks on her. Of course, Wren knew very well that would never happen. Not ever. Ren hated Vale, that much was clear. But she was blinded by her desires, strong desires that perhaps this did not need to be goodbye. In her mind, there was a solution, the other just needed to be more agreeable and see it too.

Wren whimpered softly. ”Wait… Ren, wait.” she said, her voice coming out more clear on her second command. She took a few steps closer to him, ”I want to know you.” Her words were echoed of his own, spoken among the ashy dead trees of Brisbane. She stopped, waiting, her ears laid back and her head leaned forward after him, willing him to turn around so she could look into those eyes, ablaze with the brilliant orange-red fire of a thousand sunsets.



Ren paused as she reiterated his own words, only now they were for him. There was genuine curiosity and concern tainting her voice, and Ren wished he hadn’t detected it. He raised his head and gazed between the trees, knowing a stronger wolf would have darted through them. Instead he stayed, her words anchoring his paws to the ground. He hung his head in defeat, arching his strong neck.

“You want to know what kind of wolf I am?” His voice was quiet at first, but with each word it grew stronger, each syllable more announced, until he was turning around, pressing Wren backward, his nose inches from her face. His words came out in a heavy stream accompanied by a frustrated growl, “I’m a stalker, and a torturer, and a killer.” Ren’s breath fell from his lungs, his eyes ablaze as he pinned Wren down with his unnerving stare. “I’ve slaughtered so many that I’ve lost count.” Ren didn’t know their names, but he could see their faces still haunting him. He’d never forget a single one. He thought he had just been doing what was right for his pack. But Hexa had played him, her own son, and he had to live with the memories.

Ren pulled his head back then, raising himself so he was much higher than Wren, his figure dark and daunting, his ears pointing straight up into the sky like a pair of horns. “I can only bring you death.”



Wren held her ground, her paws planted as he turned to her, his voice venomously quiet as he began. She held his gaze with her own even pale green eyes. He prowled toward her, volume increasing as he drew ever nearer. Very near… his gaze sparkling with emotion and his teeth bared as he growled. He was staring at her, pinning her to the spot with his piercing fire-ball gaze that gleamed from his thin ebony face. She was forced a step back as his huge form towered over her, but she kept her head raised as she listened to him, her ears flat and her green eyes narrowed as he told her the truth.

But that didn’t make sense. A stalker, yes… yes he was. But a torturer and a killer? Was he being truthful? It was shaking to the female to the core to hear that... Wren’s tail curled beneath her as he pulled back, his head at its grand height and his striking features ever the more obvious in the sunlight streaming through the canopy and shining off his mud-stained gray-brown fur.

But Wren didn’t want to give up yet. No, Ren had proven to her that he was not a mere killer, a shell of a wolf consumed by hate and pain. That was not who he was. ”I don’t know what you did, Ren. But I can see what you are. And you are wrong.” She asserted, gazing up at him defiantly. He certainly looked like what he claimed to be, especially now as he towered over her, the very essence of intimidation and power. But his behavior in Brisbane, and what he had done for her today… he was not an evil, cold hearted killer. He was more than that. Much more.



Wren stood before him, open and eager, willing to accept him, even for all his flaws, and despite his torturous past. She didn’t care. She wanted to overlook it. He had never found her more beautiful then. strength radiated from her pelt and Ren knew that he would forever be a serf to her. He felt a gentle warmth spread through his chest as this realization poured over him. But it only made the guilt sting worse. How could a creature of perfection be drawn to such evil?

“Wren…please. I don’t know how it happened…but I care for you… More than care for you…I can’t keep away from you.” He took a step forward and raised his head from the earth, letting his eyes traipse gently over her, as if wanting to memorize every curve and every edge. He fell to his paws then, laying at her feet and admiring her beauty from his lower vantage point. He let his head rest against the soft fur on her chest, feeling the even beat of her heart, wishing she would stay and leave at the same time. The conflicting emotions tangled inside him but externally he was very still.

His voice had fallen to no more of a whisper. Still, the weight of it was bold and commanding, tinged with pain. “I can only destroy you. Don’t put that on me, please.”  His head rocked slowly through her fur, as if the movement could repel the poisonous thoughts pooling in his mind. “Please.” He begged her, desperate for her word. A simple, ‘stop’ or ‘no’, any whisper that would send him away forever. Yet, at the same time, he feared it, because he knew he was too deep into this now to let her go.



Wren pinned him with her pale green gaze, and he faltered. Wren’s heart swelled as he admitted that he cared for her. She could not help but drop his gaze for a moment with a smile, her eyes narrowing sadly. ”Then don’t.” she answered him softly. Before she knew it, the dark wolf was on his belly, his huge head pushing deep into her fluffy chest fur. Wren drew her head up sharply, shock in her face, but it took only a moment for her to relax into his touch. She lowered her head to nuzzle into his thick ruff, taking a deep breath as one of her front paws moved forward to embrace him.

His voice was a whisper, but not at all feeble, as he begged. Wren was silent, opening her gray-green eyes slightly. She didn’t know what to say. Somehow, he made it sound like a kindness for her to send him away. But she didn’t want to… and his words, they made no sense to her. Wren did not understand him, she did not know what he had been through, or what he had seen, or what he had done. She saw him as he was now. A bit rough around the edges, that is true… but a heart as strong as any she had ever known. He was better than he believed, she knew he was. And the truth of the matter was, she cared about him too… how tortured he looked, how desperately he pleaded… how tormented his soul must be. She needed to help him. She needed to help him see. She shook her head slowly, relishing the movement as her muzzle slid over his smooth, course fur. ”You have done nothing but save me, and you have showed me nothing but wisdom and courage. I trust you, Ren. ” Wren murmured.



Ren knew that he had lost then. He had waged battle with himself, the controversy that constantly stormed inside his mind had come to close. It was Wren who had pulled him from the throws at the front line, who had cleaned his fur and tended to his wounds. She had strived so hard to make him right. She hadn’t judged him for his past, but saw him for who he was. She thought that he had saved her, but she was wrong. She had saved him. Ren knew from this moment onward, whatever the future brought, Wren would be there, his constant in the storm. He could no longer be parted from her. He let his full weight slide against her, feeling safe in her gentle embrace, lost in the delicate movements of her snout against his temple. He slowly inhaled, feeling his body relax in a moment that was just theirs.

He raised his head up so he could once against lose himself in the forest that was her eyes, and without a word beckoned her to lie down beside him. As she knelt, Ren enfolded her body in the arch of his thick neck, feeling suddenly more protective of her now. He brushed the fur behind her ear with the gentle stroke of his tongue. She was safe in his paws. She would always be safe. The thought soothed him.

“Wren,” He whispered into her fur, his body stiffening. He was still and quiet. He didn’t understand it, or how it happened so quickly, but he knew what he felt for Wren. He couldn’t stand to be parted from her. She was his addiction. He admired her, and wanted to be a better wolf for her. When he closed his eyes, it was her face he would see. It could only be one thing.

“...I love you.”



Wren felt him give in, melting into her fur and engulfing her in his huge bulk. She breathed in his scent, a scent that once sparked fear but now only excitement and even comfort. Ren was silent, but Wren could tell that he had relented. Wren closed her eyes again. She had traveled far and wide on this earth, but never had she felt like this before. And so suddenly… she was so foolish. She was an adult! An adult who knew better than to let such feelings overwhelm her. Especially when it seemed only days ago she was disgusted with his very existence. How can her opinions just change after a few fleeting moments? It was certainly against her better judgement. But… years and years she had gone without feeling a particular attraction to another wolf, an attraction that was strong and pure and even reciprocated it appeared. How could she give this up? She couldn’t! Ren was not like other wolves she knew. Other wolves were exactly what they were. They were noble, or they were just, or they were courageous, or they were kind. Ren was none of these yet all of these as well. He was a secret, an enigma, a puzzle to be solved, a treasure within a labyrinth that sat empty and waiting for someone to crack the code. And only that someone would access the riches within. He was a challenge, he was a mystery, leaving her dazzled and confused at every turn, and he was exactly what she had been waiting for…

Ren stirred, raising his head and looking at her. Feeling the heat of his fiery eyes meeting the cool pale green of her own. Ren’s gaze seemed the embodiment of fire, an element she had once feared so fiercely, but the way the burned today was different than ever before. A way she had not seen in any gaze for her entire life. Such a gentle, booming, powerful gaze that took her breath away as if she were standing atop the highest mountain in the world. She knew not what to say, or do, so she did as was told, lowering herself carefully into the grass as his huge chest pressed against her again, embracing her with his long, dark mane. His slender muzzle brushed her ears as he licked her tenderly and whispered her name. She knew that she had won him. He was not the wolf he thought he was, and now she would help it be so. Whatever terrors he thought he would do, she would help him come clean, and be the wolf that she saw in him, instead of the wolf his cruel life had forced him to become.

He next words were what truly sent butterflies and flower petals fluttering rapidly in her belly. Her chest tightened until she could scarcely breath. Her eyes were wide as she tried to comprehend. He… loves me She was silent, repeating the words over and over in her head. No wolf had ever said that to her, not since her family had been destroyed… despite his vulnerability in the moment, Wren was the one who felt the thick, hardened exterior build up from years on her own tear savagely away, leaving her bare and exposed. With his words, she felt like nothing more than a helpless pup beside this mighty male’s gentle touch. Her mind was a muddled mess. What would she say? What of her pack? She drew her head away from Ren so she could look into his handsome face, tears stuck in her pale green eyes for reasons she did not even understand. ”I… want to see you again.” Wren replied softly. A stupid smile broke across her muzzle and she leaned in again, burying her head within his thick fur, “Will you stay? We can meet at the borders… I can visit every day.” Wren murmured. She found herself a bit flustered, and sounding not unlike a babbling pup speaking to someone they greatly respected and admired. But even if his love for her was not yet reciprocated, Wren cared about him… she could feel her affection growing. She wasn’t ready yet, but… she had yet to feel for another wolf in this way, and never had she come so close… and she would help him turn his life around. She could not give him up. He needed her. And she needed him.



Ren curved his neck around her back. He wanted her more than that, he wanted her with him always. It was hard enough keeping to the shadows, much less leaving her alone. She was a constant worry when she wasn’t with him. He needed to know what she was doing, who she was speaking to, if she were safe. He didn’t like her belonging to a strange pack. Especially not the band of thieves who had stripped him of his territory. But he knew she had obligations to her pack…for now.

His voice came out gruffly, “I’ll come to you, every morning, and every evening.” He whispered into the fur at her neck. Then he pulled back so he could look at her again. It was like taking a new breath each time their eyes met. She was here, beside him. It was a thought that constantly surprised him.

He wasn’t ready to depart, he wasn’t going to let her go. “But for now, lay with me,” he whispered, laying his large head across her paws, offering her a place to rest her own head if she chose. He inhaled, the sides of his large body rising and falling with each heavy the breath.

“Stay with me.”



Every morning, and every evening… Yes, she could search for herbs at dawn and dusk. She often did that anyway, no one would even miss her. It was perfect! -but… wait… this was not right. She was breaking so many rules...the Medic felt a pang of guilt within her. How wrong this was… her pack depended on her, her pack… and Faust… he had given her everything. What would he do if he knew she was betraying him? The thought sent shame jolting through her spine, enough to make her tail bristle and her legs shake.

She was not too deep into it, she could break off ties with Ren. She could turn around and run away right now! Her ears fell against her head as her mind sorted through her options. She recalled her original motive for going with him on all their adventures. He had threatened Vale. What would he do now if she left him? Did the threat still hold? No… Wren was sure it would not. Ren was different now… right? But… it never hurt to be sure, right? Perhaps that alone was a good enough reason to continue seeing him.

Her logic disgusted her even as she thought of it. If she was going to continue this relationship, she would have to be honest with herself. She wanted to be with Ren. There was no way to justify it. She was betraying her pack. It was as simple as that. She drew back as he did, looking into his gaze of embers. She felt such a wave of longing, and found herself a new rectification. There was a way. A single way. She would change him. She would convince him that Vale was good, and he could live in the pack with her. Yes, he was a wild sort of wolf now, but perhaps, if she could find a way to convince Ren that Faust is a great leader, he would agree to join. And how could Faust resist a wolf so strong in his ranks? And a wolf who Wren knows is trustworthy and good. Yes, that is what she would do. The fear and confusion left her eyes and she smiled at him, a new resolve within her, comforting her. It would take time, and perhaps she was breaking the rules in the mean time, but it would all be okay in the end, when Ren was a loyal Valerian with her. That was the only way, and as long as it was possible, she would make it happen.

Wren let out a content sigh as he placed his head on her paws and she rested her head atop his. Her tail thumped the ground gently at her side and she shifted her weight into his broad side. Never had Wren felt so safe or so comfortable as she felt in this moment. She felt the air filling him up and leaving him, and the warm blood that pumped through his veins. It made her own blood flow faster than ever before.

”I will, always.”