Your final test, the handler had informed her. Complete it successfully, and you shall survive. Fail, and die. The last had nearly had her eyes rolling; how many times had she heard that before? Failure was simply not acceptable in the Red Room. Thus far, she'd been the only one to survive so long. And she intended to keep on doing so, regardless of what they threw in her path.
Such as this: she was taken to a restricted part of the facility, given cold-weather outerwear and a wickedly sharp hunting knife in a sheath, and released into the snow. Initial examination proved it to be an enclosure - high concrete walls, security cameras situated around the single entrance, dirty wet slush beneath her feet, fading into a pristine and untouched blanket of white further on. Pines and spruce growing tall throughout.
...and the most enticing scent wafting on a spare breeze, floating past her nostrils. Natalia turned her head to take a deep draught, instantly recognizing that distinctive smell. It was one she'd never, never forget. And it had her eyes narrowing, all senses immediately coming into sharp alert.
He was here. He was waiting. He was her target.
Her first instinct, one she stifled, was to flow into fur and fangs, meet him on his own ground, in his own form, but she refrained, knowing that the wolf seldom yielded to logic and was more prone to instinct; she had to keep her head if she expected to survive. She couldn't count on him remembering her, even though memories of his distinctive scent and burning blue eyes aided her through aching nights when her heats were all but unbearable.
No, she had to keep her wits about her. No matter how appealing was winter's breeze just now.
So she began to move further in, moving as stealthily as might her other form, scarcely stirring a bough or a branch. She'd pulled up the hood of her parka, blending beautifully into the snow-strewn landscape, head held low to hide the steam from her breath. At times she dropped to a light crouch, moving on fingers and toes, easing through the foliage with the grace of one born to it. All the while she watched, listened, scented. Her nostrils weren't as sharp in this form as the other, but his scent was powerful enough to prickle even this flesh, potent as it was.
A rustle arrested her; she froze, a marble statue in the falling snow, but a quick perusal proved it only a foolish squirrel, chittering briefly before vanishing back into its tree. Natalia let her nostrils flare, a fresh touch of that tantalizing smell making her shiver beneath the weight of her garments. She knew he was close; unseen, she gripped the knife down near her thigh.
The door closing with a soft pneumonic hiss was his indication that she had been released into his enclosure, though he didn't lift his head from his paws. He waited, aware that his scent would be moving through the trees and she wasn't so absent as to not pick it up. She didn't change, didn't come to him immediately and that was a point in her favour. Younger than he was, some wolves were so excited to identify the scent of familiarity or even just one of their own that they lost caution and moved for a greeting. Their rarity could be their downfall.
His ears moved to pick up sound, but the winter breeze through the branches masked any noise that she might make. It wasn't until the scolding of a squirrel that he lifted his head and turned his attention to that direction, and then he lifted his head and rolled to his paws in a single smooth motion. He shook out his fur where snow had gathered upon it, seeming casual as he stretched his front paws out in front of him and flexed his back, scenting the air.
He began to walk, leaving the high ground of his den to begin to circle the area with a wide berth to attempt to get in behind her. He hadn't picked up her scent yet, and that would be the angle that he took once he could sniff it out. It wasn't that he wasn't cautious either, but his larger bulk was simply more difficult to hide him as he moved through the trees. He would use what cover that he could, but it was pointless to entirely try to hide.
He smelled her and paused as he found her tracks in the snow, leaning his nose down for closer inspection. It was definitely as he remembered, and she smelled strong and alluring. He lifted his head to look in the direction of her tracks; she had been making her way steadily forward, likely looking for him. She wasn't hiding, cowering in her winter gear as if this were a game of cat-and-mouse.
His approval of her was already growing. Unlike any of the other times, he wasn't about to waste it with a stalking game. What was the point? Hunting each other was not worth the fur between their toes.
No, he lifted his head and issued a seeking howl. It gave away his position, allowed her to come to him. It also gave her permission to be on fours as he was if she wanted to be. This far into the forested area, the cameras couldn't reach them.
The feeling of the air in the enclosure changed. Natalia immediately stilled, then flowed to a tense crouch as the air shifted within the trees. She couldn't yet see, but she could definitely hear and smell, and the teasing breeze tantalized her nose even stronger, now. A dark shadow caught the corner of her eye; she whirled, but it was only that, a shadow as the sun's wan light began to sink towards the western wall.
Then her blood surged as she heard that howl; she felt like ripping off the offending fabrics and sinking into the snow, rolling in it to assail the sudden heat coursing beneath her skin. But she recognized it, pinpointed his location - now behind her, a little to her left. She was here to best him, in whatever way she could. But her lip curled; she was hardly some bitch to immediately capitulate to a stronger will.
She did yank the hood back, as there was little use of hiding anymore, and let scarlet curls tumble over the white jacket, streaks of blood against the snow. Stripping off her gloves, she rolled a bit of snow between her hands, pressing chilled palms against her heated cheeks, then straightened and began moving unerringly towards that inviting call, green eyes narrowed against both the softly falling snow and the inherent danger ahead.
His head tilted just slightly, listening. The squirrel that had once scolded her and was scampering through the tree branches went suddenly very still at his howl. Other little creatures that were trying to forage out a living also went very still and silent, as if holding their breaths on what was about to happen, what he would do and where he would go.
Down wind of her, his nose picked up the change to her scent, how it became stronger and more fragranced. He sniffed and bobbed his head a little, tongue moving against the roof of his mouth, but while he could push through the denser brush, he decided not to. He waited on the small game trail until he caught a flash of red amid the white in front of him, and he would know that hair anywhere.
He wasn't so foolish to think she would come with greetings though. He lowered his head now that he had a visual bead on her location, and he slowly eased to the snow to lay down, waiting for her to come closer, to closer the distance. He watched how she moved, studied the fluid slide of her body through the brush, and his blue eyes blinked slowly as he even lowered his mouth to lick one of his paws. Unconcerned but never taking his eyes off of her.
Patiently, he waited for her to make the first move. An omega as potent as she deserved a certain amount of respect, but he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she wasn't up to a mental standard that had been set in him long ago.
Finally, she saw him. And had she pointed ears, they'd have flattened in sheer instinctive reflex at the immensity of him. Massive, thick, bulked; his dark form loomed so very large in her vision, obscuring all else in her eyes. He was potent, his scent thick and delicious in her nostrils, but she held her ground, meeting those crystalline eyes without hesitation.
Emerging into the small clearing between the trees, Natalia did sheathe the blade, leaving her hands open and free. She wasn't so foolish as to face him head-on, the omega in her refused to offer such a blatant challenge. So she shifted, hip cocked just so, almost daring, perhaps flirtatious were this any other situation, and tipped her chin while giving him her direct gaze. She then gave a saucy toss of her curls, and her upper lip ticked just a fraction, a familiar gesture of stubborn disobedience.
A soft growl purred in her throat, tantalizing, testing. His presence intensified the call of fur and fangs, but she'd not give in so easily. He'd have to earn her submission; she'd never once yielded to him willingly, not in the training ring, and certainly not here, not now.
--regardless of how much the omega in her wanted him to claim his dominance.
They were just outside of striking distance of each other when she slipped into the small clearly which he took up most of. He considered it smart that she would sheathe the blade as such a piddly weapon would do little to him in this form where he healed much faster than if he walked on two legs. Her posturing was amusing, but he was drinking in the scent of her, all the nuisances layered in it. Age, status, how close she was to heat, weakness, strengths. She was in good physical, mental and emotional condition and all else... well, that was for him to simply take a second to enjoy.
He flowed to his paws smoothly and without making a single sound. The top of his shoulder was at her own, and he stepped forward to sniff her right in the middle of her chest directly, waiting for her to strike at him. He knew it would be a dance because it always was with her, steps and countersteps, an ebb and flow of movement. Their stillness meant very little when they began to move after all; it was all just a tease.
And he made the first move in the face of her proposed defiance, moving as if he were going to circle around her, but he used his body to nudge and shove her to see if he could move her from the spot she had taken up. Slow escalations.
She was small, yes, but a coward nor a weakling she definitely wasn't. Her spine tensed the second he moved, but she held her ground, determined to keep her stance as long as she could. Others might have quivered at his approach; Natalia merely held his gaze steadily, assuredly. She was young, impetuous, yes, but strong. Stronger than any who had come before her. Surely, he remembered that.
Bristling as he approached, she remained immobile as he pushed his muzzle into her chest - a gross breach of courtesy among their kind - but the deliberate jostle she simply couldn't allow to pass without a response. His bulk unbalanced her, but she whirled on the balls of her feet, snarling in a whirl of red as she struck pointed fingers directly at that blue eye, dangerously too near.
Human teeth snapped in a lupine warning as she moved, low and quick, her smaller stature giving her amazing dexterity and litheness, which had only been honed every sharper since his brutal lessons years ago.
Pushing her buttons when it came to courtesy - or lack of - was the point. He wanted to see where her lines in the sand were, where he could push her, using his bulk to his own advantage because she would not engage him yet as a wolf. He gave her props for that, resisting the urge while he nudged at her, breached politeness. There was nothing polite about them, not the world where they existed and were used as living weapons to bring about change one way or another. Politeness was for a mark.
When she moved to drive a finger into his eye, he tipped his head aside quickly to avoid being struck there. Instead, he took the blow to the cheek, but he did not respond with teeth. Instead, he continued on his circling of her, his massive body almost able to curl all the way around her. If he wanted to, he could nip his own tail and actually surround her entirely, but that wasn't the point and it struck too close to possessiveness that he wasn't willing.
He nudged her with his hip against her back as he continued on passed her, letting her feel the heavy brush of his tail. Her snapping was a warning, but it wasn't one he gave much thought to.
He ignored her proximity warning, and her first instinct was to dive into his massive bulk, back him off and, if possible, claw him up as much as she possibly could. But somehow, Natalia knew that was exactly what he wanted, the bastard. She wished she could have driven her fingernails into the skin below that eye, damnit, but a missed opportunity was one better forgotten.
The stroke of dark fur against her bare wrists was mesmerizing, however, and she ground her teeth to keep from responding in kind. But she turned to follow his path, always keeping him in her line of sight.
"You're an ass," she growled in the native tongue. "They sent me in here to best you, however I could." But she knew he knew that. A spark of defiance lit her eye, even as her lips tilted in frustrated mirth. "And you toy with me." He strayed too near in his prowling, and Natalia set herself and shoved him right back, a low growl purring in her throat.
"I don't want to kill you." Her body tensed, head low and gaze dark. "But you will not take me so easily, either."
Insults now? The Soldier was immune to them, though a part of him felt a tickle of amusement that she would resort to them so soon. He hummed a low sound in his throat that she offered up part of the parameters of her mission to him, which wasn't regulation but also wasn't particularly dangerous either. They likely both knew what the mission was about, and she wasn't stupid. She would likely know that if she had to best him, killing him was technically on the table, which meant that the opposite held true as well.
At her shove, he paused in his motion, his bulk allowing him to sway like a tree in the wind but not be particularly moved off of his path. He outweighed her quiet significantly in this form after all. And his tail swished back to bat against her side as he turned to present her with his side as he made another walking path around her.
"Are you confident you could kill me?" He didn't normally talk, hadn't really on their training sessions aside from where it was purely educational. His tone was almost... conversational. "You of all the candidates have survived, which means you're a good balance of all the right aspects, but I see they haven't quite stamped out that defiance in you." It was a boon, he thought, how she used it like this, standing opposed, daring but willing to back it all up.
If he'd wanted her dead, she'd be gurgling her own blood by now. The fact that he toyed with her now bespoke much, but nothing she was entirely thrilled about. His scent, however, kept teasing her nose, making her blood softly sing in her veins. Natalia ignored it - but with difficulty, damnit - and glowered at his responses, irritably flicking away the brush of his tail as he circled her still.
"Yes," she sassed right back, no hesitation. Though it would take much skill and cunning on her part, but she was absolutely sure she could, given enough time and provocation. Her lip curled to his observation, and she was pert enough to cock her hip, tapping fingers against it almost impatiently. "You approved my defiance, remember? Said that it would make me formidable, although difficult to control." And how correct had he been, then?
She gave a toss of her curls, a fresh wave of her scent thickening the air between them, and did well to ignore the clench of her loins and the heat of her skin. "Why have you not killed me?" she inquired right back. "You know I am no easy mark, Soldier." A sudden imp of wicked mischief twisted her mouth and green eyes gleamed. "You will have to catch me first."
Natalia abruptly whirled around and sprinted for the trees, shifting into fur as she galloped across the snowy landscape. Not nearly his size, but lean, long, and lithe, her reddish-brown fur gleaming in the coming dusk. Pausing just under a branch heavy with snow, she flicked her tail and gave a lift of her lip, muzzle wrinkling in a lupine smirk, then vanished into the gloom.
Ah, he had said that, hadn't he? Her instructors had not been keen to hear it, and they had argued against letting it stand as well. Control was most important after all, having recall on their agents, but they hadn't understood back then that they could never break her of her defiance unless they killed her. It was so deep seeded that he knew they needed to harness it early, and he wondered how much they had done and how much she had simply been too cunning for them to realize she was hiding it and allowing it to grow in her. She would be remarkable, he decided then.
As she wafted her scent at him, his nostrils flared to drink it in and he was not immune to the twist of his guts in response and the way his eyes zeroed in on her with less casualness than before. "Because you're currently more useful alive," he said before he narrowed his eyes at the mischievous look on her face.
He growled as she took off, quick to move himself even as she moved fluidly from a human form to her wolf one. She made it look easy, like it was all second nature. His footfalls were heavier given his bulk and size, and he by no means hid them as he chased her, his long mane catching on low hanging tree branches.
She was quick on her paws, but he had the advantage of knowing the ins and outs of this territory. As she disappearing into the deepening gloom, he picked up his paws more, set them down more precisely so that the sound of his motions tapered off so that he could move near silently as he left her direct path to move to circle around and drive at where he estimated that would meet up if she continued on her current path. After all, he needed to take a more spaced path to allow his bulk to move without giving away his location and in the dark, his advantages increased.
She'd been the only one to survive the training and his brutal tutelage; she already bore marks from the weight of his hand. But she'd always gotten back to her feet, defiant and ready for another lesson; never had she exposed her neck in submission. The greatest pupil thus far, Natalia knew she'd need all of her wits and skill to bring off this assignment, but as she'd stated, she had no desire to seek the Soldier's death. Quite the opposite, in fact.
But she had to give him a good chase, meet his expectations - and surpass them - therefore she wove her way in and around the slender pines, her slim frame allowing her to skim through tighter spaces much easier than his larger bulk. She was careful not to brush against the foliage as she slipped through the snow, but here and there she did leave a distinct mark of her scent, just to urge him on.
Senses so much keener in this form, Natalia pricked her ears, listening for even the slightest sound in this white landscape; nothing stirred. Even the breeze had died down, leaving the silence loud, stark. She lowered to her belly, just low enough to not disturb the blanket of snow, and crept on elbows and haunches beneath the low bushes, coiling her thick tail around herself as she hunkered and waited. Her muscles tensed, she watched with sharp eyes and a twitching nose, waiting.
His blood awoke as the chase began, her scent swirling in his brain and sending a pleasant warmth through his limbs and pooling in his belly. A part of him was mildly confused how her scent could provoke such an reaction, but he passed it off as the thrill of the hunt. He had already decided that he wouldn't kill her, that she would test him and he her and then he would allow their handlers to make the final decision when they both stumbled from the forest likely bruised and injured but still alive.
He drove through the trees to the outskirts, circling around his den on silent paws and using the closing cover of darkness to his advantage as he moved down wind of where he thought that she was. He eased through the bushes, listening and sniffing the air for her tantalizing scent. He paused but all was silent, and he lifted his head higher to seek out her tawny form amid the snow.
She was good. He eased forward, nostrils continually flared as he made slow progress in search of her. There was soft shush of snow falling from a tree branch, but otherwise all was silent. He continued, taking his time until he came upon her quite by accident, picking out her hiding form in the snow. Down wind as he was, he had the advantage but her spot made it so that he would have to make noise to get to her. He held his breath, inching forward until he could jab out his nose to sniff his way around her hind end. She smelled... better than even minutes ago.
He whined, mildly confused. Was this her manner of being able to best him?
She couldn't yet see him, but she could definitely smell him; his distinctive, delicious scent filled every inch of her nostrils, traveling through the back of her brain right down into her loins, clenching them tight with unfamiliar longing. But Natalia ground sharp teeth instead, refusing to give into the very strong urge to just roll to her back and wave her paws in submission, hike her haunches high and spread her legs wide.
No. She was not his bitch, damnit!
So focused on denying that growing primal instinct was she that she failed to notice the dark movement to her left, and his presence crashed over her like a breaking wave, resulting in her shrill bark, followed by a whirl around, a snap of teeth, and ears flat against her sleek head, ignoring his puzzled whine.
She crouched in the snow, green eyes glowing, then bared her teeth and darted once, twice, swift little snaps as her teeth clicked dangerously close to his flesh. She wasn't actively trying to hurt him, but if he wasn't quick enough to avoid her fangs, then so be it. She wanted a reaction - wanted a scuffle, if she was honest - a chance to prove that she was worthy of both him and the hell-bred organization which had created her.
A mix of frustration and ever-growing lust had her snarling in defiance, and quite suddenly, Natalia dropped her shoulders and rushed at him, endeavoring to use surprise and her swiftness to send him sprawling backwards. She barreled right into him, a flurry of red fur and white snow.
She reacted as a wolf would when their space was invaded, and he threw his head back to avoid the flash and snap of her teeth. He could barrel right into her as his bulk was much more significant, and he figured that with a few bites he could crush her into the snow and pin her down then go for her throat. Instead, he stood watching her, confusion written on his wolfish face even as he slowly moved to extend his nose to sniff her.
He... wanted her? It was such a foreign sensation. Previously, he had seen her core value, the skills she had, the wolf she was, how she could be the first success after a long line of failures. He trained her, wanted her to succeed even as he reduced her to failure time and again as she strengthened up her body while proving to him that her mental level was beyond the other candidates. A part of him had even acknowledged that she was pretty. Right now, she was more than pretty or skilled or successful... she was radiant, and it proved confusing that he warred with his mission and his instinct to be close to her.
Much like her own concentration leaving her open for a poke of his nose, his own internal confusion left him open for her daring stampede into him, throwing him backwards as he crashed onto his back in the snow, even if his limbs rose to kick and beat against her. Instead, if she made the mistake of clambering onto his large body, his limbs would try to wrap around her, hold her close so he could nip playfully at her.
Had she not been so confused with herself as well, Natalia might have snickered at the expressions of complete crogglement etching his darkly-furred face. So rarely were wolves puzzled; they relied on instinct, as most considered logical thought a complete waste of time. But his internal conflict gave her somewhat of an advantage, allowing her to gain that first strike and she was quick to follow it up, teeth gripping for a hold in the thick fur.
But she knew he wasn't to be bested so easily, and she hopped to and fro to avoid kicks from those massive paws. One avoiding leap took her over his large bulk, and Natalia yelped as a well-timed flail brought her crashing down across his belly, and before she could even roll to her feet, she found herself entangled with long dark legs and sharp but surprisingly gentle teeth nipping at her ears, her jaw, and the back of her neck.
The playfulness she hadn't expected, but it set off a needy whine in the back of her throat, and she arched her back out of pure reflex, driving her haunches into his groin without thought. But a snarl simultaneously rippled her lip and she squirmed in effort to get away.
She had first strike indeed, and he registered it easily. However, their tussling wasn't as serious as it could be, especially when he managed to get his limbs around her and hold her close. Her weight was solid and pleasure, rubbing their fur together and instinct was slowly seeping in beyond all the carefully laid out brainwashing that kept him logical and stuck with a human mind even in this wolfish form. Her whine urged him on too, giving him a single opportunity to groom at her dense fur and nuzzle her cheek before a wolfish groan left him at her very heated thrust onto his groin.
With her squirming, he released her quickly and kicked her off of him entirely. He rolled up to his paws and growled, the hair along his spine rising in excitement. Then he jumped forward, driving his paws into the snow and kicking it at her.
Then... he took off through the snow, half running, half prancing, showing off his prowess to her. He dodged between trees, looking for an entirely different kind of chase as he showed off, even shouldered down a sickly tree to let her see how strong he was. He wasn't all brute strength either, as good a showman with a flicked up tail and his long tendrils of dark hair swishing against the snow as he looked for her to chase him instead of the other way around.
The Soldier bucked her off, and Natalia rolled back to her feet, instantly shaking loose snow out of her fur, then switched around ready for another standoff...only to watch in a new level of confusion as her quarry bounded away a few strides, strutting through the broken snow, nearly preening as he went.
She blinked in puzzlement as her gaze followed him, watching him push over a leaning tree, darting aside as it crashed down a little too close for her comfort. His behavior was...strange, but intriguing, and curiosity began to worm its way into the fog of lustful aggression, prompting her to trot cautiously forward, long tongue lolling out slightly as she caught her breath once more.
Her own long tail flicked lightly, and Natalia tilted her head, coy, watching his display with interest. He certainly knew how to present himself; head cocked, tail up, and eyes gleaming as they met hers, smoldering with embers beneath thick warm fur. An imp of mischief struck her, and Natalia slowly arched her neck, ruffled her mane, and approached him on soft paws, delicately extending her snout to just touch her nose to his, a brief but profound nuzzle, followed by a coquettish lap of her tongue along his upper lip.
Then she bounced to one side, hindquarters wagging as she crouched playfully, giving a light, girlish yip of challenge.
She was watching him. If anything, her eyes following him only put him more in the mood to strut about, even dropping his head towards his chest and arching his neck so that it became a strong curving angle. He didn't for a moment stop as she trotted over to him, thinking she might fall in line with him and they could... dance together. He settled down when she came in his range and he read her interest in her coy gestures.
He tipped his nose, sniffing at her as she nuzzled him and licked, and he licked back, surprising himself. His head extended on his neck to follow her as she bounced aside, and he hopped backwards himself, lowering himself in a playbow to accept her 'challenge', though he made a big show of stretching the curve of his back and wagging his tail.
Then he charged her, but his head was held high to give her sight of his throat so she knew it wasn't a serious charge. He skidded in to bowl her over, his mouth wide as he grumbled and growled playfully as he moved to nip and mouth on any part of her anatomy that happened to be available, mostly tugging on fur and occasionally sprinkling in trying to lick at her ears.
A part of him found this so... strange. He'd never done this before, but she smelled... like it was the right thing to do.
It felt like...being a pup again, wanting to play with her classmates but never having the opportunity. Never mind the undercurrant of want heating in her blood, this was far more appealing than snapping and snarling for real.
He sent her tumbling through the snow once again, but Natalia regained her feet quickly enough, barking at him in a high voice. She swung this way and that, giving her own series of nips and mock-bites, tugging gently on one dark pointed ear then leaping out of range only to dart back in for a teasing bite on his left hamstring.
Then she was gone again, scampering around in the snow, pausing to sinuously rub her body against the rough bark of a nearby pine, all the while gazing at her new "playmate", the curve of her neck a blatant invitation. She arched her tail into a perfect curve, giving him her flank simply because her body demanded it. Furred ears flicked, and she huffed a small laugh, tongue curling over her nose.
He couldn't remember what it was like to be a pup or even have others to play with. He was the Soldier and his purpose was strictly violence and tutelage, so this was a very new experience for him, especially being able to engage another wolf like this. Her scent drew him in each time, warming him towards her, and she didn't seem particularly shy herself.
For a wolf of much larger size than her, he could move himself out of the way of her jaws well. He snapped at her and buried his nose into the fur of her neck on more than one occasion, drinking her in. He snapped at her retreating hocks as she darted away, holding his ground and lifting his lip in a wolfish grin. He flicked his tail at her then shook out his coat to remove some of the snow but more to show off how handsome his shaggy mane was. Who could resist?
He pranced over, moving to rub along her body before he used his weight to force her aside as he flopped onto his side and lifted a paw to bat at her. "Is that what this is? You haven't bested me yet."
Natalia did well not to let herself be distracted by his preening display, regardless of how appealing he really was. She'd meant what she'd said, after all. But the bow of his neck and the curve of his flank was tempting, and when he sidled up against her, she simply had to turn her nose into his fur, inhaling his delicious scent as he passed.
She cocked an eyebrow, however, when he flopped over asprawl in the snow, tapping at her with one large paw. Not about to be lulled into a false sense of...well, anything, the smaller wolf stepped a little closer, tense but not rigid, lifting her own forepaw to bat right back.
"No?" She lowered her head to rub against his, leaving her scent thick in his fur. "You are on your back, are you not?" A lupine smirk, and she licked at the seam of his lips, flirtatious. "And your throat is mine, Soldier." Quick as a flash, she opened her mouth on his thick neck, canines pressing but not biting, and she gave a human-sounding moan, lowering her body over his bulk.
They batted paws at each other, and he opened his mouth to serenade her with a little growling coo, perfectly comfortable and secure in his position here on his side. He had size and strength on his size if she decided to make a move against his throat, even if he knew she could do damage to him. "I'm on my side mostly," he pointed out.
He growled in mock injury as she went for his throat, rolling more to his back and letting her settle on him as he wrapped his paws around her shoulders. He wriggled in the snow, his tail sweeping up to bat against her own playfully. He was not concerned. In fact, he hadn't felt this free in a very, very long time, and he let her keep her jaws on his throat even as he swept the sides of his forelegs over her shoulders and back.
"You are... beautiful and fierce. You smell very nice," he said, the last part being added. "I... have a den. It's safer than the trees."
She wasn't naive enough to believe him beaten by simply this, but that he let her have that small power bespoke quite a lot. This time, she didn't dart away when he wrapped paws around her slighter frame, but instead wiggled a little bit more, almost burrowing into his long, thick fur. The sun had disappeared completely behind the high wall, and the night had nearly fallen. It would be bitingly cold very soon.
Natalia tightened her jaws just a bit, giving a little tug at his ruff, but finally lifted her head, bright green eyes gazing at the prone male beneath her, lip curling in their version of a smirk. "Your scent is very potent, as well," she observed, almost clinically. "But it is...mmmm, delicious." She again licked slowly along his jaw, her rough tongue teasing. "And you are such a handsome wolf, my Soldier." Although she figured he knew that.
Hearing the latter, her ears pricked. "A den? Will you show me?" Getting out of the weather would be ideal, and, "Would you keep me warm, then?" Since they weren't going to kill each other, not now.
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maskirovka) wrote2018-04-08 02:44 pm
no subject
Such as this: she was taken to a restricted part of the facility, given cold-weather outerwear and a wickedly sharp hunting knife in a sheath, and released into the snow. Initial examination proved it to be an enclosure - high concrete walls, security cameras situated around the single entrance, dirty wet slush beneath her feet, fading into a pristine and untouched blanket of white further on. Pines and spruce growing tall throughout.
...and the most enticing scent wafting on a spare breeze, floating past her nostrils. Natalia turned her head to take a deep draught, instantly recognizing that distinctive smell. It was one she'd never, never forget. And it had her eyes narrowing, all senses immediately coming into sharp alert.
He was here. He was waiting. He was her target.
Her first instinct, one she stifled, was to flow into fur and fangs, meet him on his own ground, in his own form, but she refrained, knowing that the wolf seldom yielded to logic and was more prone to instinct; she had to keep her head if she expected to survive. She couldn't count on him remembering her, even though memories of his distinctive scent and burning blue eyes aided her through aching nights when her heats were all but unbearable.
No, she had to keep her wits about her. No matter how appealing was winter's breeze just now.
So she began to move further in, moving as stealthily as might her other form, scarcely stirring a bough or a branch. She'd pulled up the hood of her parka, blending beautifully into the snow-strewn landscape, head held low to hide the steam from her breath. At times she dropped to a light crouch, moving on fingers and toes, easing through the foliage with the grace of one born to it. All the while she watched, listened, scented. Her nostrils weren't as sharp in this form as the other, but his scent was powerful enough to prickle even this flesh, potent as it was.
A rustle arrested her; she froze, a marble statue in the falling snow, but a quick perusal proved it only a foolish squirrel, chittering briefly before vanishing back into its tree. Natalia let her nostrils flare, a fresh touch of that tantalizing smell making her shiver beneath the weight of her garments. She knew he was close; unseen, she gripped the knife down near her thigh.
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His ears moved to pick up sound, but the winter breeze through the branches masked any noise that she might make. It wasn't until the scolding of a squirrel that he lifted his head and turned his attention to that direction, and then he lifted his head and rolled to his paws in a single smooth motion. He shook out his fur where snow had gathered upon it, seeming casual as he stretched his front paws out in front of him and flexed his back, scenting the air.
He began to walk, leaving the high ground of his den to begin to circle the area with a wide berth to attempt to get in behind her. He hadn't picked up her scent yet, and that would be the angle that he took once he could sniff it out. It wasn't that he wasn't cautious either, but his larger bulk was simply more difficult to hide him as he moved through the trees. He would use what cover that he could, but it was pointless to entirely try to hide.
He smelled her and paused as he found her tracks in the snow, leaning his nose down for closer inspection. It was definitely as he remembered, and she smelled strong and alluring. He lifted his head to look in the direction of her tracks; she had been making her way steadily forward, likely looking for him. She wasn't hiding, cowering in her winter gear as if this were a game of cat-and-mouse.
His approval of her was already growing. Unlike any of the other times, he wasn't about to waste it with a stalking game. What was the point? Hunting each other was not worth the fur between their toes.
No, he lifted his head and issued a seeking howl. It gave away his position, allowed her to come to him. It also gave her permission to be on fours as he was if she wanted to be. This far into the forested area, the cameras couldn't reach them.
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Then her blood surged as she heard that howl; she felt like ripping off the offending fabrics and sinking into the snow, rolling in it to assail the sudden heat coursing beneath her skin. But she recognized it, pinpointed his location - now behind her, a little to her left. She was here to best him, in whatever way she could. But her lip curled; she was hardly some bitch to immediately capitulate to a stronger will.
She did yank the hood back, as there was little use of hiding anymore, and let scarlet curls tumble over the white jacket, streaks of blood against the snow. Stripping off her gloves, she rolled a bit of snow between her hands, pressing chilled palms against her heated cheeks, then straightened and began moving unerringly towards that inviting call, green eyes narrowed against both the softly falling snow and the inherent danger ahead.
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Down wind of her, his nose picked up the change to her scent, how it became stronger and more fragranced. He sniffed and bobbed his head a little, tongue moving against the roof of his mouth, but while he could push through the denser brush, he decided not to. He waited on the small game trail until he caught a flash of red amid the white in front of him, and he would know that hair anywhere.
He wasn't so foolish to think she would come with greetings though. He lowered his head now that he had a visual bead on her location, and he slowly eased to the snow to lay down, waiting for her to come closer, to closer the distance. He watched how she moved, studied the fluid slide of her body through the brush, and his blue eyes blinked slowly as he even lowered his mouth to lick one of his paws. Unconcerned but never taking his eyes off of her.
Patiently, he waited for her to make the first move. An omega as potent as she deserved a certain amount of respect, but he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she wasn't up to a mental standard that had been set in him long ago.
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Emerging into the small clearing between the trees, Natalia did sheathe the blade, leaving her hands open and free. She wasn't so foolish as to face him head-on, the omega in her refused to offer such a blatant challenge. So she shifted, hip cocked just so, almost daring, perhaps flirtatious were this any other situation, and tipped her chin while giving him her direct gaze. She then gave a saucy toss of her curls, and her upper lip ticked just a fraction, a familiar gesture of stubborn disobedience.
A soft growl purred in her throat, tantalizing, testing. His presence intensified the call of fur and fangs, but she'd not give in so easily. He'd have to earn her submission; she'd never once yielded to him willingly, not in the training ring, and certainly not here, not now.
--regardless of how much the omega in her wanted him to claim his dominance.
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He flowed to his paws smoothly and without making a single sound. The top of his shoulder was at her own, and he stepped forward to sniff her right in the middle of her chest directly, waiting for her to strike at him. He knew it would be a dance because it always was with her, steps and countersteps, an ebb and flow of movement. Their stillness meant very little when they began to move after all; it was all just a tease.
And he made the first move in the face of her proposed defiance, moving as if he were going to circle around her, but he used his body to nudge and shove her to see if he could move her from the spot she had taken up. Slow escalations.
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Bristling as he approached, she remained immobile as he pushed his muzzle into her chest - a gross breach of courtesy among their kind - but the deliberate jostle she simply couldn't allow to pass without a response. His bulk unbalanced her, but she whirled on the balls of her feet, snarling in a whirl of red as she struck pointed fingers directly at that blue eye, dangerously too near.
Human teeth snapped in a lupine warning as she moved, low and quick, her smaller stature giving her amazing dexterity and litheness, which had only been honed every sharper since his brutal lessons years ago.
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When she moved to drive a finger into his eye, he tipped his head aside quickly to avoid being struck there. Instead, he took the blow to the cheek, but he did not respond with teeth. Instead, he continued on his circling of her, his massive body almost able to curl all the way around her. If he wanted to, he could nip his own tail and actually surround her entirely, but that wasn't the point and it struck too close to possessiveness that he wasn't willing.
He nudged her with his hip against her back as he continued on passed her, letting her feel the heavy brush of his tail. Her snapping was a warning, but it wasn't one he gave much thought to.
On some level, maybe he was even playful.
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The stroke of dark fur against her bare wrists was mesmerizing, however, and she ground her teeth to keep from responding in kind. But she turned to follow his path, always keeping him in her line of sight.
"You're an ass," she growled in the native tongue. "They sent me in here to best you, however I could." But she knew he knew that. A spark of defiance lit her eye, even as her lips tilted in frustrated mirth. "And you toy with me." He strayed too near in his prowling, and Natalia set herself and shoved him right back, a low growl purring in her throat.
"I don't want to kill you." Her body tensed, head low and gaze dark. "But you will not take me so easily, either."
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At her shove, he paused in his motion, his bulk allowing him to sway like a tree in the wind but not be particularly moved off of his path. He outweighed her quiet significantly in this form after all. And his tail swished back to bat against her side as he turned to present her with his side as he made another walking path around her.
"Are you confident you could kill me?" He didn't normally talk, hadn't really on their training sessions aside from where it was purely educational. His tone was almost... conversational. "You of all the candidates have survived, which means you're a good balance of all the right aspects, but I see they haven't quite stamped out that defiance in you." It was a boon, he thought, how she used it like this, standing opposed, daring but willing to back it all up.
"How do you plan on besting me?"
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"Yes," she sassed right back, no hesitation. Though it would take much skill and cunning on her part, but she was absolutely sure she could, given enough time and provocation. Her lip curled to his observation, and she was pert enough to cock her hip, tapping fingers against it almost impatiently. "You approved my defiance, remember? Said that it would make me formidable, although difficult to control." And how correct had he been, then?
She gave a toss of her curls, a fresh wave of her scent thickening the air between them, and did well to ignore the clench of her loins and the heat of her skin. "Why have you not killed me?" she inquired right back. "You know I am no easy mark, Soldier." A sudden imp of wicked mischief twisted her mouth and green eyes gleamed. "You will have to catch me first."
Natalia abruptly whirled around and sprinted for the trees, shifting into fur as she galloped across the snowy landscape. Not nearly his size, but lean, long, and lithe, her reddish-brown fur gleaming in the coming dusk. Pausing just under a branch heavy with snow, she flicked her tail and gave a lift of her lip, muzzle wrinkling in a lupine smirk, then vanished into the gloom.
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As she wafted her scent at him, his nostrils flared to drink it in and he was not immune to the twist of his guts in response and the way his eyes zeroed in on her with less casualness than before. "Because you're currently more useful alive," he said before he narrowed his eyes at the mischievous look on her face.
He growled as she took off, quick to move himself even as she moved fluidly from a human form to her wolf one. She made it look easy, like it was all second nature. His footfalls were heavier given his bulk and size, and he by no means hid them as he chased her, his long mane catching on low hanging tree branches.
She was quick on her paws, but he had the advantage of knowing the ins and outs of this territory. As she disappearing into the deepening gloom, he picked up his paws more, set them down more precisely so that the sound of his motions tapered off so that he could move near silently as he left her direct path to move to circle around and drive at where he estimated that would meet up if she continued on her current path. After all, he needed to take a more spaced path to allow his bulk to move without giving away his location and in the dark, his advantages increased.
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But she had to give him a good chase, meet his expectations - and surpass them - therefore she wove her way in and around the slender pines, her slim frame allowing her to skim through tighter spaces much easier than his larger bulk. She was careful not to brush against the foliage as she slipped through the snow, but here and there she did leave a distinct mark of her scent, just to urge him on.
Senses so much keener in this form, Natalia pricked her ears, listening for even the slightest sound in this white landscape; nothing stirred. Even the breeze had died down, leaving the silence loud, stark. She lowered to her belly, just low enough to not disturb the blanket of snow, and crept on elbows and haunches beneath the low bushes, coiling her thick tail around herself as she hunkered and waited. Her muscles tensed, she watched with sharp eyes and a twitching nose, waiting.
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He drove through the trees to the outskirts, circling around his den on silent paws and using the closing cover of darkness to his advantage as he moved down wind of where he thought that she was. He eased through the bushes, listening and sniffing the air for her tantalizing scent. He paused but all was silent, and he lifted his head higher to seek out her tawny form amid the snow.
She was good. He eased forward, nostrils continually flared as he made slow progress in search of her. There was soft shush of snow falling from a tree branch, but otherwise all was silent. He continued, taking his time until he came upon her quite by accident, picking out her hiding form in the snow. Down wind as he was, he had the advantage but her spot made it so that he would have to make noise to get to her. He held his breath, inching forward until he could jab out his nose to sniff his way around her hind end. She smelled... better than even minutes ago.
He whined, mildly confused. Was this her manner of being able to best him?
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No. She was not his bitch, damnit!
So focused on denying that growing primal instinct was she that she failed to notice the dark movement to her left, and his presence crashed over her like a breaking wave, resulting in her shrill bark, followed by a whirl around, a snap of teeth, and ears flat against her sleek head, ignoring his puzzled whine.
She crouched in the snow, green eyes glowing, then bared her teeth and darted once, twice, swift little snaps as her teeth clicked dangerously close to his flesh. She wasn't actively trying to hurt him, but if he wasn't quick enough to avoid her fangs, then so be it. She wanted a reaction - wanted a scuffle, if she was honest - a chance to prove that she was worthy of both him and the hell-bred organization which had created her.
A mix of frustration and ever-growing lust had her snarling in defiance, and quite suddenly, Natalia dropped her shoulders and rushed at him, endeavoring to use surprise and her swiftness to send him sprawling backwards. She barreled right into him, a flurry of red fur and white snow.
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He... wanted her? It was such a foreign sensation. Previously, he had seen her core value, the skills she had, the wolf she was, how she could be the first success after a long line of failures. He trained her, wanted her to succeed even as he reduced her to failure time and again as she strengthened up her body while proving to him that her mental level was beyond the other candidates. A part of him had even acknowledged that she was pretty. Right now, she was more than pretty or skilled or successful... she was radiant, and it proved confusing that he warred with his mission and his instinct to be close to her.
Much like her own concentration leaving her open for a poke of his nose, his own internal confusion left him open for her daring stampede into him, throwing him backwards as he crashed onto his back in the snow, even if his limbs rose to kick and beat against her. Instead, if she made the mistake of clambering onto his large body, his limbs would try to wrap around her, hold her close so he could nip playfully at her.
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But she knew he wasn't to be bested so easily, and she hopped to and fro to avoid kicks from those massive paws. One avoiding leap took her over his large bulk, and Natalia yelped as a well-timed flail brought her crashing down across his belly, and before she could even roll to her feet, she found herself entangled with long dark legs and sharp but surprisingly gentle teeth nipping at her ears, her jaw, and the back of her neck.
The playfulness she hadn't expected, but it set off a needy whine in the back of her throat, and she arched her back out of pure reflex, driving her haunches into his groin without thought. But a snarl simultaneously rippled her lip and she squirmed in effort to get away.
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With her squirming, he released her quickly and kicked her off of him entirely. He rolled up to his paws and growled, the hair along his spine rising in excitement. Then he jumped forward, driving his paws into the snow and kicking it at her.
Then... he took off through the snow, half running, half prancing, showing off his prowess to her. He dodged between trees, looking for an entirely different kind of chase as he showed off, even shouldered down a sickly tree to let her see how strong he was. He wasn't all brute strength either, as good a showman with a flicked up tail and his long tendrils of dark hair swishing against the snow as he looked for her to chase him instead of the other way around.
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She blinked in puzzlement as her gaze followed him, watching him push over a leaning tree, darting aside as it crashed down a little too close for her comfort. His behavior was...strange, but intriguing, and curiosity began to worm its way into the fog of lustful aggression, prompting her to trot cautiously forward, long tongue lolling out slightly as she caught her breath once more.
Her own long tail flicked lightly, and Natalia tilted her head, coy, watching his display with interest. He certainly knew how to present himself; head cocked, tail up, and eyes gleaming as they met hers, smoldering with embers beneath thick warm fur. An imp of mischief struck her, and Natalia slowly arched her neck, ruffled her mane, and approached him on soft paws, delicately extending her snout to just touch her nose to his, a brief but profound nuzzle, followed by a coquettish lap of her tongue along his upper lip.
Then she bounced to one side, hindquarters wagging as she crouched playfully, giving a light, girlish yip of challenge.
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He tipped his nose, sniffing at her as she nuzzled him and licked, and he licked back, surprising himself. His head extended on his neck to follow her as she bounced aside, and he hopped backwards himself, lowering himself in a playbow to accept her 'challenge', though he made a big show of stretching the curve of his back and wagging his tail.
Then he charged her, but his head was held high to give her sight of his throat so she knew it wasn't a serious charge. He skidded in to bowl her over, his mouth wide as he grumbled and growled playfully as he moved to nip and mouth on any part of her anatomy that happened to be available, mostly tugging on fur and occasionally sprinkling in trying to lick at her ears.
A part of him found this so... strange. He'd never done this before, but she smelled... like it was the right thing to do.
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He sent her tumbling through the snow once again, but Natalia regained her feet quickly enough, barking at him in a high voice. She swung this way and that, giving her own series of nips and mock-bites, tugging gently on one dark pointed ear then leaping out of range only to dart back in for a teasing bite on his left hamstring.
Then she was gone again, scampering around in the snow, pausing to sinuously rub her body against the rough bark of a nearby pine, all the while gazing at her new "playmate", the curve of her neck a blatant invitation. She arched her tail into a perfect curve, giving him her flank simply because her body demanded it. Furred ears flicked, and she huffed a small laugh, tongue curling over her nose.
"You wanna play some more?"
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For a wolf of much larger size than her, he could move himself out of the way of her jaws well. He snapped at her and buried his nose into the fur of her neck on more than one occasion, drinking her in. He snapped at her retreating hocks as she darted away, holding his ground and lifting his lip in a wolfish grin. He flicked his tail at her then shook out his coat to remove some of the snow but more to show off how handsome his shaggy mane was. Who could resist?
He pranced over, moving to rub along her body before he used his weight to force her aside as he flopped onto his side and lifted a paw to bat at her. "Is that what this is? You haven't bested me yet."
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She cocked an eyebrow, however, when he flopped over asprawl in the snow, tapping at her with one large paw. Not about to be lulled into a false sense of...well, anything, the smaller wolf stepped a little closer, tense but not rigid, lifting her own forepaw to bat right back.
"No?" She lowered her head to rub against his, leaving her scent thick in his fur. "You are on your back, are you not?" A lupine smirk, and she licked at the seam of his lips, flirtatious. "And your throat is mine, Soldier." Quick as a flash, she opened her mouth on his thick neck, canines pressing but not biting, and she gave a human-sounding moan, lowering her body over his bulk.
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He growled in mock injury as she went for his throat, rolling more to his back and letting her settle on him as he wrapped his paws around her shoulders. He wriggled in the snow, his tail sweeping up to bat against her own playfully. He was not concerned. In fact, he hadn't felt this free in a very, very long time, and he let her keep her jaws on his throat even as he swept the sides of his forelegs over her shoulders and back.
"You are... beautiful and fierce. You smell very nice," he said, the last part being added. "I... have a den. It's safer than the trees."
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Natalia tightened her jaws just a bit, giving a little tug at his ruff, but finally lifted her head, bright green eyes gazing at the prone male beneath her, lip curling in their version of a smirk. "Your scent is very potent, as well," she observed, almost clinically. "But it is...mmmm, delicious." She again licked slowly along his jaw, her rough tongue teasing. "And you are such a handsome wolf, my Soldier." Although she figured he knew that.
Hearing the latter, her ears pricked. "A den? Will you show me?" Getting out of the weather would be ideal, and, "Would you keep me warm, then?" Since they weren't going to kill each other, not now.
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gdi sorry this is so late :<
♥♥♥♥♥ Ditto
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