A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 22

She felt warm and so very comfortable. She almost didn't want to get up at all. But she knew that though Tanra was likely still asleep at the moment, she was certain that after a night like she'd had, her big girl was going to need to eat. She raised her head.

Narreth's eyes opened wide in surprise and amazement. They had begun with eight males, all hopeful to spend into Tanra. They lost a few in the sorting out of this before the mating had begun. They'd likely lost the two nosy ones late in the night, but still, ...

Narreth looked around and saw that her dear friend now had what she'd wanted and if what she saw remained that way, it would be on her terms. The large male was still there, and his foreleg now lay over Narreth's ribcage below her breasts. It was heavy, but not overly so. She'd rolled onto her back sometime during the night, and raising her head a little more to see over the foreleg which held her, she found herself staring at the closed eyes of a sleeping male wolf -- another of the remainder -- and his heavy but very warm and comfortable head lay on her belly. That was all that she could see without moving.

"They have made their choices," she heard Tanra in her head, "the nosy one returned later, and he showed that he was sorry for it. That is him on your belly now.

It is never done this way, but I know that from their view, I am to lead them and they accept it. The largest one beside you is to lead among the boys. The one who has his head on you so nicely is his second. None of them know what you are, but you are wanted among them, the two largest seem to think that you are one who needs protection. They know that I need you, and they need me to keep them happy. I have four boys and not only one. I hope that it lasts, for it is very strange."

Narreth was astounded. She turned her head to see Tanra looking at her with what she thought must be a grin, "What are --"

"What I am is very thankful to my dear friend," Tanra thought, "I will never work myself out of my debt to you. What they are, are four happy males, our males."

"Our males?" Narreth asked out loud in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Narreth thought that she could just see a tiny smirk there if that was possible. She still wasn't sure that Tanra could do that.

"Your own words," she heard Tanra say in her mind, "winter-wild and free.

Are you a wild thing where you are from?" she asked as the two males got up carefully and Narreth found herself looking up at a pair of huge males who were quite obviously happy that she seemed to be well. She reached up to touch them.

She couldn't have stopped herself anyway.

"Yes," she grinned, "Only a very few live now, but none of us was ever tamed."

"Good," Tanra's thoughts came to her, "Because what we all are, wild Narreth, is a pack."