Relating

She knew that her strengths made up for his weaknesses, but she was not without weaknesses either. They communicated more, making sounds that meant certain things, forming a new language, a blend of their own while they learned. They were just the very beginning, part of the story, even though the wolfess was grateful that her story of survival had taken a softer twist.

For once, she would not have to go into the longest, coldest time of the year, when there was so much less light for her partner to see by, alone. She would not have to bundle herself up, missing her pack mates, but she would have a companion by her side, her new pack mate, perhaps even more too, though she did not know whether humans took new mates after losing their own, as wolves did not. Without a tie to their old packs, she could not tell. Yet the relationship was there and the bond was too, growing closer and closer, spending evenings sitting with one another, for there was little for them to do outside taking care of their basic needs.

And that time allowed them to bond, the human running his fingers through her fur repeatedly. It reminded the wolfess faintly of a time when her mother had groomed her and lapped over her with a long, soft, pink tongue, though that was so long ago that it was a very faint memory, more of a hint of sensation than anything else. Yet he did not clean her as her mother had, but smoothed her fur down all in the right directions, even taking a carved come to her. The hair on his head had to be teased out of knots in his way of grooming, after all, and it was a kindness that he could give to her to groom her in the same way, combing out her fur softly.

It was easy for the wolfess to relax and lean into it, letting the soft strokes of the comb pour over her, as if she was under flowing water. A ripple and a push, the nature of life around her. Perhaps it was not all that bad, even if she had been through an awful lot in her life, losing her pack. She could not have spoken of whether that was normal for other packs or not, but could only assume, considering the human and the life he had lost too, that perhaps it was a difficult world out there for wolves and humans.

For all the differences, the man not understanding her growls of warning in the beginning, the nature of their sleeping arrangements, and much more too, they had found common ground. More than that -- they had made common ground for themselves too. Where there had been none, they had taught one another, knowing one another perhaps even more intimately than they knew themselves, even if those were not the sort of thoughts that crossed their minds.

No, it was only the softness and sweetness between them, of fishing from the riverbank, the quiet of hunting, spears in hand. It was those moments that they shared, day and night, that made their bond and relationship what it was, a partnership that they could never have known would change the world and their kind to come.

It was not for them to worry about, of course, not as, one night, they sat together on their shared sleeping mat by the fire, the wolfess a little further away than him so that she did not get too warm from the flickering, dancing flames. All was right with their little corner of the world and there were no predators near to concern them. Even going into the time of cold, they trusted that they would be able to get through it together, even managing to follow the lead of the beavers in a way and creating a small dam down the river. That may have meant nothing on its own, of course,

He leaned in close to her, stroking her face, fingers running down the line of her jaw. She leaned into his touch, as if that light pressure was not enough, though pulled back a little when his face came closer and closer to hers. At first, she thought he was playfully nipping her when his lips touched hers, though the warmth was nice and the affection was nice, stirring something inside her.

Their first kiss.

The wolfess started. It was not something that wolves did to show affection and yet...it was nice. It made her feel warm inside, as if she wanted to be closer to him, though his fleshy, pink lips seemed better at the caress than a wolf's black lips, the embrace that meant something else to him than it did to her. And yet they were close enough that they could find themselves on the same path together either way, as she broke the kiss to show him a little of wolf affection too.

He laughed softly, her lightly whiskered muzzle tickling him as she nuzzled his neck, sniffing lightly, taking in his scent as if for the first time. And yet it was just the start of a deeper, more intimate encounter still, the man stilling as she took note of him as something more than a companion, but as a partner too. A mate.

They kissed again, though the human's lips were most certainly better suited to kissing than hers, even if he kissed along her snout too, nuzzling her cheek and neck much the same as she had done to him. They could still learn from each other, of course, but there were many new ways for them to come together and to support one another.

There was little for them to remove, the wolfess sliding the human's animal skin coverings back from his shoulders, though his bare chest was something that she had seen before. All she had to do was to follow her instincts, her breath on his skin, though the light fur that did cover him was thicker on his chest. It was not enough to keep him warm, however, not as they shared another kiss and he laid her back gently, supporting her all the way down to the sleeping space. As if by fate, there were already thick furs laid out there for her to softly mould into, though she would not be by far a passive partner in all that was to come.

Her heart surged. He was her pack. He was her mate. And the time had come for them to bring forth the next generation, softly strengthening and deepening their bond.

It would come, moment by moment, heartbeat by heartbeat, as they laid together with the fire in the background, bodies moving together, slowly at first and then more quickly. Need and passion coursed through them, the love for their mate, but it would bring them closer still.

Through the long, cold time, they would keep each other warm, their partner in a world that was against them, purely as it was designed for the survival of the fittest. And yet they could come together to show that world what the true meaning of a pack was, that they could help one another to make their pack the strongest they could, to bring forth their future family into the world with everything that they could provide to them.

With their bodies curled around one another, sharing life and warmth, they were finally at peace. Together, they related to each other. They didn't consider what may have happened if they had not found one another.

And, so, the wolf and the human stepped forward into their new pack, as mates, together.