The Bitten.

Creature Comforts.

"Trust me. I'll be as gentle as I can, and I'll just get enough to get the idea across. I'll clean you up, and it will only be a small scar." 

"I'm going to trust you, but there's going to be snot and tears. I'm a coward-" I was not down for a wound that could scar. My body jolted away from his, but he followed it.

"You fought me, a male wolf, in that body before you ever had wolf blood in you. You aren't a coward."

"What's wrong with this body?"

"It was weak. I almost ate you." He grabbed me under my arms, still laying, and tossed me to the other side of him. He was lighter now, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And had been set immediately on to mine. I didn't get to be jovial and carefree, not when I had this blood extraction thing looming over my head.

"Stop throwing me. I'm going to roll off." He snatched me again, but this time he held me up over himself and used his feet to support my legs.

"I wouldn't let you get away."

He released me, and rolled so fast that I landed in his spot on the mattress. I no sooner landed than he jumped over my back. None of his weight was on me, but I could feel the heat of his body. I strained to look back at him, but he maneuvered his head to the other side and bit my neck. It didn't hurt, but I yelped anyways. He softly bit and growled at me as I tried to get away. He caught my feet and prevented my escape. Then he fell flat over me and I thought for sure I'd suffocate under his weight.

I pushed my body up and couldn't believe myself. I could raise him! Wow.  He was still heavy, and I couldn't necessarily move him far, but I could crawl with his dead weight over my back. I couldn't believe myself. I reared up and slowly tipped us back, trying to be weary of noise or breaking anything. I spun around on him after we landed, relishing my small victory.

"You win. With practice, you'll be good. You'll be strong."

"I'll be toast. You let me win." I scoffed. He laughed, his wide smile reaching his eyes this time. His eyes caught the overhead lights, and they glowed like moody orbs of honey. He was strangely beautiful when he was happy. He almost didn't look like the same being that stood outside my door that night.

We laid there for a while. Aamon had placed his head on my chest, and a leg across mine. I could feel his heart beating against my side in a steady rhythm. He had a slow rumble in his chest, almost a distorted pur, as he rested his eyes. He was comfortable, and  maybe he felt lighter having gotten some things off his chest earlier.

He ran his jaw along my neck and face. He was up on fours, tracing my outline with his head, getting his scent back on me. Then he decided to slobber. I looked at the ceiling and worked math problems in my mind as he licked his way across my face and neck. Down my arms and hands. Across exposed skin on my belly. I squirmed, and he nipped, teeth catching the bottom hem of my shirt.

"Be still. It's just a bath. You have your ways of baths, and I have mine."

"It tickles. I'm scared, I'll kick you."

"You're going to have to get used to it. Eventually, I expect to be groomed too." I pulled a face.

He rose from the bed and stood. "You need to show me what you want to take to our house."

That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I didn't have the most, but I was sad to have to choose what to take or leave behind. I knew I couldn't take a large amount, it'd be tough for us to travel so far with too much. How many trips would it take? How much would be appropriate to leave, so it wouldn't seem suspicious? How would I eat? I could take food, but how long would it last me before I had to eat animal carcasses? I had done it already, and are raw meat too, but the idea bothered me so much. I wasn't cut out for this. Shredding animals, eating them raw, bathing in cold creeks and sleeping on the fur of said animals just made my head spin. I thought I'd have more time to prepare. It was hard to picture me surviving a night there, let alone...well, nevermind.