Fletcher
I was crying like a puny pup but I couldn't bring myself to care because they were tears of joy. Sid remembered everything, she told us she loved us, she was going to give us all a chance to love her back and that all that really mattered right now. Well that and the fact that Sid was still very much in her birthday suit and her bare backside was very distractingly exquisite. "Um, Sid would you like us to get you some clothes?" I called to her as I did my best to dry my eyes, when she turned to meet my eyes, hers were sparkling back at me.
"What's the matter Puppet, don't like the view of all of this?" She taunted playfully as she twirled once and gestured down at herself, Micah growled his approval. "No I very much like it, but your a lot more distracting without the clothes." I stated with a shrug as I forced my eyes to stay on her face, a very difficult feat indeed, especially when she started laughing. "What's so funny, it's the truth?" I pouted back at her, tensing up as she stalked forwards, stopping less than a foot away from me.
"It's not so much funny as it is beautiful, you've changed so much from the first time I met you. When I first met you, you could barely keep your eyes off the ground and you stuttered and blushed over every little thing, but look at you now. You can hold my gaze, you no longer stare at the floor in fear, you joke and tease and scold me as my friend, sure you still have that adorable blush but I am so very proud that you've finally become who you were always meant to be." Her words had my cheeks flaming bright but warmth spread through me at the joy they brought me, until I caught myself on one bit of it. "Saying your proud makes it like your a proud parent or something." I muttered lowly and she snorted.
"I don't think a parent would be doing this..." She hummed as she closed the distance and pulled me down so that when her lips met mine in a breathtaking kiss my heart stopped for a few beats before pounding in my chest as I kissed her back. The kiss was perfect but it didn't last nearly as long as I wanted it to, she pulled back and smiled as she stepped away slowly. "I might view you as a pup every now and then because you're a tad bit younger than me but I've never viewed you as MY pup, you've always been my Puppet. What I mean by proud is that I'm proud to have the chance to know you and proud that I will get the chance to be with you for the rest of eternity." Her words were a whisper but they were the loudest and most amazing thrill she could have ever given me, today would forever be the greatest day of my life.
Colton
"I love you so much Sidney." Fletcher murmured so longingly that I felt a bit embarrassed for him. "I know Puppet, but I'd still guess that I love you just a tiny bit more." She winked back before scanning the rest of us, her eyes caught mine and held. "So about those clothes?" I raised the question curiously, she really was a beautiful distraction that none of us could afford right now if we wanted to be on our vest behavior. "I don't think I'll be needing them right now, it's been forever since I've had a good run it seems, I'm keen to stretch all four legs. Would any of you care to join me for a run?" She hummed in a playful flourish of movement before she was back to all four paws.
"We would love to accompany you, as long as it isn't a problem?" I voiced gently to her wolf form as her ears perked up towards me. "A problem? I mean sure you overprotective, worried for nothing idiots can be a bit annoying sometimes but you're never a problem. I would love for all of you to go running with me if you're all okay with tagging along while I burn off my pent up energy." Her link was so gentle and reassuring that I couldn't help beaming a grin back at her. "Perhaps we could all enjoy a little race or something?" I asked playfully as her tail wagged eagerly behind her at my words. "As long as you don't mind getting beat by moi." She linked back excitedly on a whine as she practically vibrated in her eagerness to run, oh how I loved this crazy little she wolf.
Gavin
"As long as it's you, I never mind." Colton chuckled back as Sid bounced in place and went into a play bow, eager for us to join her. "Alright, alright, we're coming, hold your horses C.G." I huffed as I stripped and shifted as quickly as possible. I was the first one to join her on four legs while the others were storing the clothes away, she bounded forwards to meet me with her tail wagging wildly behind her. I wagged my own tail back at her in friendly greeting as she yipped and nipped at my muzzle, I yelped in surprise at the action and she seemed all the more smug to herself.
"Hey now C.G, watch the face it's one of my best qualities you know." I linked on a bark and she snorted. "If that's your best quality I'd hate to see the worst." She huffed out. "Hey!" I growled back defensively and she was suddenly letting her tongue roll out in a wolfish grin. "Relax Streaks, I was just teasing, besides you started it. I for one believe you have far better qualities than just your looks, like your kind heart and love of animals of all sorts, those are better than any 'face' I know." She linked a rumble through me as she brush her flank against mine and my chest felt full to bursting with joy at her compliment, she really was perfect for us.
Beckett
"But I still look good though right?" Gavin's link was playful and Sid nipped at him once more with a snort of exasperation before trotting over to where I was sitting on the dirt watching them, my tail curled beneath me. "So Sweetness, are you going to do your very best to give me a run for my money, it's not fun racing without a little competition?" She sent the link as she nuzzled my neck and I let a happy and embarrassing croon slip at the action. "I think Daniel might have me beat on the speed but I do have some stamina stored up, I won't let you leave me completely in the dust this time." I growled out in friendly challenge and her tail gave a quick wag of praise at me.
"I look forward to it, ya big oaf." She teased and I growled at her playful insult. "Are you calling me stupid Sweet Cheeks?" I taunted her with a predatory stare. "Nope, but maybe you do lean a little on the uncultured side on occasion." She circled behind me. "Why you little..." I moved to stand and follow when suddenly she darted back in front of me with a sly look in her eyes "But I still love you anyway." She linked as her tongue swiped across my nose and she trotted off towards the treeline, I knew I would follow her anywhere without a doubt.
Micah
I watched as Sid trotted away from a dazed looking Beck and sighed as she stared off into the trees, apparently we were not moving as fast as she wanted us to. I still wasn't entirely sure how I felt about knowing she'd hooked up with other guys before us but I really couldn't judge considering I was far from pure myself. On one hand I was glad that none of us would be her first so that there would be no real fight for it, but on the other I wanted to find out who she'd been with so I could hunt them down and tear them apart, making sure to eliminate the competition.
If she really had been jealous of the two females sparring with us then I was curious to know how she felt about our past love lives, if my reaction was anything similar to hers. I found myself trotting up beside her to nip gently at her flank as she huffed at me and nipped back, I easily dodged back with a chuff. "So if there is a virgin amongst us and it's not you, who would your guess be?" I linked curiously, I just had to know. "Well definitely not you, I think our little phone number collection game proved that easily enough." She snorted back, that night in the bar was a memory I both loved and despised, I had wanted to kill every guy in there that night.
"Does it bother you, knowing that I've got a bit of a sleazy past?" I couldn't help the whine leaving my throat as I linked her the question, she seemed surprised by it. "Why should it? It was the past, we didn't know the other existed and none of us had any real claim to each other. Sure I get irritated if anyone looks a little too much or tries getting a little too handsy but that's now, the past is past for a reason." She murmured softly into my worried thoughts and it felt like a weight had been lifted from me suddenly.
"So you're okay with it?" I sounded like a hopeful fool. "Yes Carrots, as long as you realize that it stays in the past. If any of them pop up again and try to lay a claim I can't guarantee I won't eliminate the competition immediately, but I really don't care that you have a so called 'sleazy past', for the record." She nudged me with her muzzle and I raced quick circles around her before nuzzling her back. She huffed at me, but her eyes were shining with humor, how had we ever gotten so lucky to meet her.
Daniel
"I swear you are all children, are we going to get on this run or not, I was promised a race after all?!" Sid raised through the link as she checked Micah and sent a glance my way. I was geared up for the race and eager to go running with her again, and she seemed eager to race me too. "If this is the start, what route are we taking and where's the finish might be important." I linked slowly and her head bobbed in agreement. "We've tested speed already but how about we test endurance too, make this race of a run a bit longer than usual?" She linked back to all of our agreement, and soon enough the course was set, and a stream running through the territory would be our finish line.
"Well what are we waiting for, race ya!" I linked as I took off darting past Sid into the trees, I heard soft growls and paws hitting the dirt in pursuit. I had barley gone a hundred yards when Sid materialized beside me keeping pace, I lost my stride for a moment and fell back a few steps before leveling up back to her side. "You know this is an endurance race right? Spend all your speed up at the beginning and you'll come dead last in the end." She linked the words effortlessly as she focused on the foliage in front of her. "I could say the same to you, you're going pretty quick yourself." I linked back with a huff.
"This is nothing, remember I've got pent up energy on my side when you've all been training with the Alvalrado's all morning, really it's quite an unfair advantage." She wasn't wrong, she had energy to spare but none of us were total weaklings and even of I was exhausted we all were putting ourselves into this race with her. "Advantage or not we don't give up that easily, not on this race, and not on you." I linked her my thoughts and she sent a glance my way but did not falter. "I've noticed, but you forget, I NEVER give up." She replied happily and I rolled my eyes a bit, she never quit and that was one of the great many things I loved about her.
Tucker
The banter between Sid and Daniel going out through the links was amusing but he couldn't see from the position we could. In a speed run they would have been long out of our sight by now but with endurance added in they were still in easy view of the rest of us lagging behind. From here I could see in Sidney's bunched hindquarters that she was holding back a lot more than she was letting on, her muscles were desperate for speed but she still kept pace with Daniel instead of charging ahead. "This conversation has been lovely but I'm going to let you enjoy your little lead for a bit before I rip it out from under you, back in a bit." Sid let out a link as she slowed her pace slightly until I was the one racing at her side, she was treating it like a leisurely jog.
"You're going easy on us, aren't you?" I linked as I studied her in my peripheral. "Maybe." She chuffed back in a playful tone. "Why?" I couldn't help it, after all we all k we how badly she needed to run out her wolf after not being allowed to shift in a while. "Because if I left all of you in the dust now, I couldn't enjoy your company." She stated it like it was obvious and maybe it was but I didn't want her to feel like we were holding her back. "You can enjoy our company later, we'll have years to do that, don't strain your wolf on our account, let her run." I linked softly back to her and she met my gaze for a moment with a thoughtful expression in her eyes.
"You sure?" She linked uncertainly. "Positive Alpha girl." I crooned back. "Well in that case Goldy Locks, I'll see you boys at the finish line." She nudged me once with her muzzle in thanks, her eyes beaming at me brightly before she took off full speed ahead. I watched as she blasted past Daniel who faltered and tried to pick up his pace but she was already gone from view. I knew we wouldn't catch her, that she would win the race easily, but I was just fine with that because we were hers and she was ours and nothing was going to change that.
Asher
By the time we'd made it to the stream Sid was lapping at the water and wagging her tail towards us in an easy greeting. I panted as I trotted forward and lowered my own head for a drink beside her. "Tired?" She puffed at me playfully. "Not all of us have the speed and stamina of a certain alpha female." I panted back as I plopped down in the shade of a tree, enjoying the feel of the cool dirt on my stomach. "True." I could hear the smirk hidden inside that link as she plopped down beside me. "But that doesn't mean I don't get tired." She sighed as she laid her head out on her paws and met my gaze lazily. "Are you tired?" I quizzed back and she hummed a thoughtful sound.
"Of running, no. Sure I got tired of running from my past, that's been dealt with at least, but I absolutely love to run. One thing I'm tired of is fighting the feelings I've had for all of you long before you admitted yours for me." Her sighed link has me silently studying her. "How long have you had feelings for us then?" I can't help my curiosity over when she knew before or after us. "It's kind of hard to tell, I liked most of you the moment I met you, and others it took a little time, but overall I think I liked all of you for sure the moment you all asked me to go running with you for the first time. I don't know the exact moment when like turned to love, but I had to fight those feeling more than you realize." She hummed to me as she watched Gavin tackle Fletcher into the water, play fighting.
"When did you stop fighting them?" I whispered into her link and her dazzling eyes landed back on mine as she tilted her head at me. "In truth I'm not sure I'll ever stop fighting them completely, after all if I let my beast have her way in expressing them it would be very difficult for any of us to behave ourselves. I guess I just let the place where I was hiding them away grow and fill until it was near bursting with everything, but now that I've accepted it the feelings seem much more peaceful and happy." I couldn't help licking her ear as she hummed happily back at me. "It turned to love for me when you had that talk with me in the kitchen, how I'm a bit of a loner but never really lonely, something like that." I rumbled back at her peaceful croon, I loved her so very much.
Jason
Sid looked half ready to take a nap curled up beside Ash, but she woke right up when I trotted over and shook out my wet fur all over them. Ash looked like he wanted to tear me apart but Sidney's outraged amusement seemed to placate him enough that he only grumbled about me ruining their moment. "I really didn't need my shower yet Jay." She growled at me as she stood and stepped towards me in a crouch. "Hey just sharing the love, can't a guy shower his love onto our girl." I linked on a laugh as I wagged my tail playfully. "Oh, I'll show you a real 'shower' of love." Sid smirked into my thoughts right before she lunged forward, I dodged her with a yelp.
She easily gave chase and it wasn't long before she had me pinned beneath her and was licking and nipping my muzzle and throat as she hovered over me. "Sid, thanks." My link was far more serious than our position and it seemed to puzzle her. "For what?" She tilted that adorable head of hers at me. "For loving us all back, even though we can drive you a little crazy sometimes." I murmured back as I stared lovingly up at her and her eyes softened down at me.
"Isn't that what real love is? In the words of Ricardo Montalban 'True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever-growing process. It develops after you've gone through many ups and downs, when you've suffered together, cried together, laughed together'. In my opinion anyone that doesn't love all of someone including or in spite of your flaws doesn't deserve to say they love you at all." She sent the link through all of us and I almost started crying all over again, she really was the most loving and amazing girl or being I had ever met.
Simon
I watched in awed silence as Sidney let Jason up with a gentle nip at his tail before trotting back to the water for another drink. I decided to join her as she lifted her head to give me a curious and questioning lilt of her head. "So how are you feeling, no aches or pains anywhere right?" I couldn't help asking, I was still worried that perhaps her wounds would worsen again, I certainly couldn't see how her head was doing without x-ray vision. "I'm fine Doc, I feel fine, no headache and no muscle aches either." She snorted at me with the slight shake of her head.
"Oh..." I stared at the dirt with a whimper and suddenly she was nuzzled up under my neck and all my worries were being replaced with a much more pressing desire that I scolded myself into reeling back. "Don't worry too much Simon, I'm back to full health, I can feel it, but if it makes you feel a bit better I could agree to go into that hospital for a few quick tests to prove it." The gentle care in the words directed at me had me nuzzling her right back, she didn't always have to say she loved us, she often showed it in how she cared about our feelings.
"I won't force you back there, we can all see your better I just can't help being all doctor mode sometimes and worrying about you." I took a big whiff with my nose buried in the scruff of her neck, her scent was sweet even if it wasn't strong. "Well thanks for that, I promise to let you know if I start having issues again if you try not to work yourself up into a frenzy of worry and hurt your own health in the process, after all doctors make the worst patients." She let the remark sink in and I groaned back. "Fine I promise to try my best." I nodded firmly with the link, the smile in her eyes was enough to make that promise worth it.
Emmett
I had been running everything that had happened through my thoughts over and over again, but I had to admit my mind seemed to trail back to a few details in particular. One being how great Sid looked naked with us surrounding her in a group hug and the second my painful curiosity of how long it would take for our relationship to take the next step. I knew I would wait for however long she wanted to wait my wolf would make me even if I did get a bit impatient. Knowing she wasn't a virgin by a long shot made it all the more difficult not to image all the things we could do when that time came.
"M&M do you mind trying to get your mind out of the gutter for the time being, I don't think stirring up all our hormones right now would be the wisest idea." I winced as the link came through and Sid stared me down, caught red handed. "Sorry." I whimpered in embarrassment. "It's okay Emmett I just figured it might be better to snap you from your thought before we lost you completely." She hummed back playfully. "Well how do you know I wasn't thinking about Sarah or Rose?" I taunted her teasing as my wolf recoiled at the thought, she snarled dangerously.
"If that was the case they'd be dead before you could stop me, and that really defeats the whole purpose of having saved them." She growled her link daring me to taunt her again and I was quick to back down. "Sorry, it was more about the naked conversation we had this morning, it's hard to behave when you looked so..." I trailed off the thought, not quite sure how to describe it. "Same here, our card game was over the moment you boys strolled outside shirtless." She rumbled lowly and I perked up at the information.
"You were checking us out?" I wasn't the only one listening for her answer. "Hey a girl can admire the view just the same as any guy can. I did get distracted with wanting to hurt Rose and Sarah for admiring MY views, Mads felt the same for her five." She linked and I practically pranced up to brush against her side, nice to know she felt the same way about us as I did about her, even if we weren't acting on those feelings, yet.
Bowen
Seeing the way Emmett was looking at Sid as he brushed his scent against her side and feeling where his thoughts were going I decided to step in before he tried something stupid tgat got us all in the doghouse. "Speaking of the rescued females we're going to have to figure out what to do with them, if they stay here I worry for their safety from outsiders and your temper." I linked out as I stepped forward and Emmett backed off. "They won't be safe with the Alvalrado's either, Mads has the same temper when it comes to her guys too." Sid scoffed out as she curled her tail under her and sat facing me, meeting my gaze head on as always.
"What other options do we have, we could turn them loose and wish them luck, but that's not the safest option either and Ruby can't live that way." I sighed out, I know a particular female who wouldn't let any pup live that way if she had a say in it. "I might have something in mind." Sid linked mysteriously. "Like what?" I challenged slowly. "I've got some connections I know that might help out and take them off our hands." She seemed to be conspiring something in that devious mind of hers. "What kind of connections?" I linked her curious but wary. "The kind that you'll need permission to meet and maybe a passport." She hummed, that left me with even more questions than answers but her tone had been dismissive on the subject.
"I guess I'll just have to trust you on that one for now then." I studied her as she rolled her tongue out with a hum of agreement. "There is one other thing that I wanted to do though, with your acceptance of us I hope you'll accept this too." I sent the link as I lowered my head ever so slightly, bowing to her in question. I watched in silence as she stood and came forward to gently cuff my muzzle with her teeth and accept my full submission of my alpha title to her, it was meant to be hers more than it was mine. I felt the power of the alpha leave me and the connection to her slammed back into place like it had never been broken in the first place. I could feel all her love and devotion to us, it was so much stronger than it had been when she lay fading in that hospital bed, and I loved it all.
"It's good to have you back alpha Sidney Blake." I bowed my head to her with the others and she snorted softly. "Just because the title is mine doesn't give you any reason to call me anything other than my name, I hate formalities." She scolded playfully. "You got it Sid." Fletcher barked out as he bounded up to her happily and they touched muzzles. "And considering your my pack now, there's a very pressing matter that needs to be addressed." I could feel her annoyance in the link but there was a sense of amusement to her tone. I was about to question it when she darted forward and scent marked me into flabbergasted silence, I could only gape at her.
"There, now that should get rid of the flower b****** scent, it's been driving me mad over here." She huffed with a quick shake of her fur and I was barking in laughter as the others begged to be scent marked next. I watched as she went about mixing her scent with theirs and claiming every single one of us. "Well we've got a bit of a run back and my pets are probably getting hungry too, so... let's go home." The warmth and feeling flooding through our link as she declared our house her home made me impossibly happier, we would forever be hers for all of eternity.
*Okay I got a bit teary eyed on this one readers, there's only one real chapter I'm doing after this one but I might make up a few bonus chapters later too. Hope you've enjoyed this crazy ride of a story even if it's almost over.*