Flames are licking the charred skin off the animals that are being pulled off the roasting spits.

I'm starving.

Except it's the Savage skin, I'm looking at.

He's wearing a loincloth.

When he got out of the shower, his skin shined as if he rubbed oil into it. Starting from the top of his neck sliding my finger down over the bones of his spine, until they touched the crease of his ass.

His chin dropped to his chest.

Pulling away realizing that it wasn't oil he used - recognizing the scent of him is now thickening up, causing his skin to glaze like a sweat that can be licked.

I almost licked him at that moment before stepping away with horror.

Warmth spreads inside...

Orva smiles and waves to me holding her sleeping pup.

Waving back the bells chime my movement out.

The Savage looks where I'm looking he nods his head to her slightly. No wave.

Fires are crackling, chasing the chill of the late afternoon away.

Pups are running around until the first Female comes with a dish in her hand. Her hair is gone, along with her mate's. Her neck is marked, so is his.

They place the dish down; she walks right up to Orva. Chin up, shoulders back. Eyes are traveling around, stalking everyone up and down.

This was the Female that came from the East. One of Orva's friends.

More Females come.

The pack bristles.

Eyes are mauling into anyone's that dare to open their mouths.

This is going to be a celebration, not a stoning.

Both males and females have no hair left. All gone. Some are marked, some hold no mate marks, yet.

Drums, music starts, and the Wolves mingle. Introductions to families, I watch it all. Making sure these new members are treated civilly.

They come to us, introducing each female to their Alpha and Luna.

Cheek against cheek.

The Savage greets the females as well and it riles up the Wild.

"I can smell them all over your skin." Saying this once the last one is done being introduced to us.

The Savage leans into me, curving my spine back. Curling his fingers into the fleshiest part of my waist.

...and.

He touches his cheek to mine. Letting it slide against the skin, slow. The side of his mouth making contact with mine before he pulls himself away.

The Wild is happy with his tone of apology.

Leading the pack in the line of food. Luki is behind us, taking his hefty share.

"Luki can you get me some more-"

"What do you want, Bessa." The Savage growls towards his brother, making him back away from us.

"I wanted more buns." The Savage picks up the bun basket, tucks it under his arms while balancing his overstuffed plate in his hand. We walk to a table that's been set out. Sitting, he places the bun basket between the both of us.

"I didn't mean the whole basket." Looking at the buns that can feed the rest of the pack.

"I'm hungry too." He says as he opens one up, still warm with steaming vapor.

Luki tries to sit but is shuffled away when his brother slides his teeth out. The tone of the Alpha grumbles around the surrounding.

"Why are you so jealous of your brother?"

Silence...

"He's not you. He seems to have respect for his brother's mate." Biting into another bun.

"You should trust him." Taking the Savage's plate that he's just pushed away. Eating what's left on it.

I feel stuffed but not full.

Getting up, we watch the dancing.

Males, females most with smiles on their faces, dance, and dance.

"Would you like to dance?" His lips are to close to my ear.

Stepping away.

The silver chain stretches between us. I can't seem to let the line slack. I can't seem to let the links not groan with the strain they are under as I try to stay as far away from him as possible.

He doesn't ask me again.

Orva and her friend from the East are talking together I can hear them. A little jealousy shifts the spine when I see how close they are. How easily they laugh together.

I want that.

Morvared comes to stand beside me. I pay the lover of crow no attention. She should have been burned a long time ago.

"Victoria is surviving." The Female from the East says, low but low enough for me to hear.

Looking towards the Savage, he's in a conversation with Crayson. His mate is beside him, no hair on either of them.

"How many are with her?" Orva leans in with a look of concentration.

"Most of the young females are on her side now." Orva nods her head.

"Is she still getting beaten?" Orva pauses her breath. Mine pauses too.

Waiting for the answer. I can't help leaning my ear in. I don't want to miss any of this.

"Yes," Both females look into the other's eyes.

"He's using a healer on her too."

"What do you mean?" Orva's looking confused.

"This healer is being used to keep her weak. We've tried to kill it, but we can't get close enough, she's protected." The Female from the East says.

Morvared leans into my other ear, the non-listening one. "That healer is of the Moon, not a lover of crow. The Moon is full of lies, Bessa. A War is coming, I hope you pick the right side to fight on." Morvared walks away, slowly. She's placing her hand on pregnant females bellies.

Cheek against cheek greeting to everyone she comes across.

"We found out that her father wants to start to breed her."

"What," Orva leans into her friend, gripping her arm. She looks to be in pain.

"Finian, what does he say?" Orva seems desperate. The Eastern female spits on the ground.

"Finian is a piece of shit," grunting her words out.

"I've never wanted to kill something so bad in my life. You should see what he does to her. Sends females back to the East once he's filled them up with himself. Victoria doesn't say anything in front of us. But we hear her crying after. Her father rubs her nose in it, laughing at her. The whole pack laughs at her when those females come back." The Female from the East is crying now, so is Orva.

"Finian came to the territory line. Victoria was there. They saw each other. You should have seen her face when she saw him. She was full of hope, Orva. He saw her fucking hope, then her face. Her father punished her for something, it was bad, she still had the bruises a few days later. He saw how she walked. He didn't do anything. He laughed at her, the packs laughed at her." Her shoulders curl inward.

"I wish I was still there. My fucking father sent me to the Exchange I had no choice." Her face morphs her rage.

A hand goes to her head, she leans into it looking up into the eyes of her mate.

"It's time to go, it's getting dark." He takes her hand and she waves goodbye to Orva.

Victoria, the first female Alpha to live and it seems that she's not living a good life.

The feast is winding down, everyone is going home after cleaning up.

When we enter the house, it's shadowed in the rising darkness.

Candles start to dance flames around the room.

A hunger rises.

I'm fucking starving again.

We both look at each other.

"My heat started." The Silk on my body is heavy, clingy, scratchy.

"I can tell." He shifts his left shoulder one way to stretch out his torso. His loincloth lowers on his waist. He shifts his shoulder the other way, pulling the muscles tight.

"Well, I guess we can fuck now." Turning around walking away leaving my bedroom door open.

He follows me inside.

"If we're lucky my heat will stop with only doing this once." Not looking behind. I can hear his controlled breath while mine stops, dreading this.

Resting my elbows on the bed, legs spread. All he has to do is lift the Silk up and put it in me.

I wait.

The door closes to my room and he's no longer inside. 

He's not in the house when I wake in the morning but he's left a big breakfast.

I'm feeling heavy, my nipples hurt when they rub against the Silk. Part of me wants to walk around here naked.

Just in the house. No one would know.

The morning drags on, I've made an outfit for Borson. A loose pair of pants he should wear inside the house now instead of that loincloth.

"Bessa, come out here. I need your help." Going out the back door, the Savage is dragging a huge animal behind him. It has horns, a thick coat.

"What is that?" Looking at the beast.

"It's a Bison. You need to help me butcher it." He has a knife in his hand already, slicing down its belly. Opening it up.

"I want you to make a fire outside. A big fire Bessa. Start with those dry sticks then build it up with those logs." He points a bloody hand where he wants me to build the fire.

Looking down at my Silk. I can't wear it doing that so I change into my shirt and pants. My sensitive nipples scrape relentless against the material with my movement.

It takes a while to build it up where the Savage burns the stuff he can't use.

He's full of blood, his entire body splattered with the life of an animal he's killed for us.

Pausing, he looks Savage, feral, in his element. He's a born hunter. 

Getting closer to him, not knowing what to do next.

"Take the ax and cut off the leg." Already the hide has been stripped away from the body.

The ax comes down on the leg.

A smile from the Savage.

"Let me show you," He stands behind me. Gripping the handle over top my hands, his mouth against my ear.

"Like this, swing clean, one movement, come down right here, on the joint. It will be easier to slice through than solid bone." Our swing comes down, the bones come apart at the joint, nothing holding it together anymore.

From the top of my spine, lightly, so lightly his finger trails down to the waist of my pants. The tip of his finger finding the space between my shirt and pants.

Touching bare flesh.

"Are you going to touch me again like the way she showed you?" Turning around wanting to see his eyes.

Bracing for his truth.

"I'm going to touch you the way I want to touch you, Bessa." Firm words devour the space around us.

The tone of him makes my body feel starved.

He mimics the Wild now. Dropping down on all fours.

His teeth shine out, gleaming in the sun of the day.

Sharp hungry eyes devour into mine.

He lifts a hand, mimicking a paw. His art of mastery is beyond comprehension. He is Skin but he can become a Wild without the effort to crack the cocoon the fur is housed in.

The habit to breathe is lost again.

Closer, one hand at a time he draws himself closer. Stalking me as if he's a Wild and I am what his eyes have locked onto.

I can smell the male of him, above the blood and gore.

Blood pumps deep into my sex. The weight of it is felt against the fabric of the pants I wear.

Closing my eyes, longer than a blink.

His nose is pressed to my thigh, inhaling deep.

Exhaling harder...

He rubs his cheek into my leg, into my hip before pulling away.

The beat of his heart is taken away while I can't control the rhythm of mine.

Hmmm...

I'm starving.

"You shouldn't do that." The recovery of my voice is held at bay with what just happened.

"Do what? Touch you like I want to touch you." The ax in his hand swings down on a joint, a clean break. Another swing has the animal parting with its limbs. He makes it look easy.

Blood splatters the scene. I'm bathed in the blood of an animal that he killed for us to live on.

I can't stop watching him. Even getting close when he's kneeling down, inside the carcass. Pulling something out.

"Come here, Bessa." His hands dripping blood, holding a heart in them.

He bites into it.

Blood drips from his chin.

Holding it out to me, "take a bite." I have to drop on my knees to do it. He doesn't hold it up.

Smelling the flesh, its warm.

Opening my mouth, tearing into the muscle. It's swallowed down, relishing the texture. Another bite, then another.

Getting closer to him, until the both of us share it together until nothing is left. Licking his fingers clean, he watches me.

I'm shaking without any control.

Getting closer to me, his mimic is back. The Wild is portrayed outward hovering over me. Until my back meets grass.

A hand lifts up, touching my shoulder. His other hand lifts up as if it were a paw. Pinning my upper body, his head turns from side to side. Nose scenting. A deep base sound rushes out of his throat into the hollow of my neck.

His hips lower to mine, forcing my legs apart, letting him settle in.

The pressure...

A gasp rides the edge of my sound.

His tongue licks at my chin, cleaning my face. Down my neck, arching my throat so no spot is left without his touch.

I'm shaking, full body shakes.

Gripping his shoulders trying to pull him on top of me.

He remains only pressed to my hips. Grinding, moving, rubbing.

I can smell myself now.

His eyes change, darkening. Pupils gorging on the greens.

A long moan comes out as his back dips up and down.

Pressing against me.

Mouth can't close, little rasping breaths are all that's heard.

A low growl from his throat.

"I'm going to touch you the way I want to, Bessa. Not the way you think I will, not the way you want me to." Once said he lets his hips roll over my covered weeping sex one last time before getting off the ground. Helping me up, I'm dizzy. The blood doesn't want to come back to my head.

Looking down at the fabric of his loincloth. 

Hard.

Full

Engorged.

"You can fuck me now. We can just get it over with." A shaky breath. He smiles nicely at me but shakes his head no.

"You have training." The only effect that I seem to have on him is how his loincloth bulges with the package underneath it. 

Going inside, showering fast. Changing into another shirt, a pair of pants. My last outfit and I feel as if I should make myself more of those things. But I don't want to stop wearing my the Silks of my Lineage.

His nose goes into the crook of my neck as soon as I step out of the room. Locking my wrist to the chain.

The Savage doesn't shower instead he brings a knife and the side of the animal he's butching.

"I'm going to give it out instead of a dish." He speaks low so I have to lean into his words.

The chain between us slacks because he makes me carry half of the carcass.

Undoing my lock, we are outside again.

Thirty new females with no hair look anxious around the rest of the females gathered.

The teachers stand shoulder to shoulder. Orva is there standing against the pack taking the point. Tight braids in her hair.

"Luna Bessa, welcome. So glad you could make it." The oldest teacher says in a mock welcome.

Borson leans into me, grabbing my wrist.

"Teach that female why she should crouch when she hears your name. Break her neck."

The slide of his teeth leaks out of a wide grinning smile.

Walking towards Orva, placing my lips to her ears, "I'm going to break a neck today." She throws her head back and laughs. Before she stops laughing I've reached the oldest teacher. Orva takes a fist to save my face.

Fists, fight to break ribs. The heel of my foot crushes the teacher's big toes, both sides. She hobbles off her balance. Her gait is leaning to all sides without the stability of her structure.

Hands pulling me off of the teacher but it's too late, I have my legs wrapped around her waist. An arm around her neck, pulling it to the side as if I could rip it off.

Orva takes the beatings of the three so I can be alone with this female. Placing my mouth to her ear, "Thank you for the warm welcome in front of my pack. If I didn't know better I would think you were undermining my place as Luna to the Far North." Placing my hand underneath my elbow that suffocating her breathing. I twist my arm, a snap heard, a body goes limp.

Looking at the Savage he rushes to me. Swooping me up in his arms, throwing me in the air to catch me easily in his arms. Sliding me down the length of his body.

"My Luna." He says it so loud so every female can hear. Teeth graze skin before he pulls himself away.

I'm left wobbly and smiling stupidly. I can't stop smiling, I can't stop my mouth from its upward course.

The rest of the Far North females split in half. The ones born here are behind an imaginary line. The ones that are fairly new or just arrived are behind their line.

The two females are standing point now.

My father's words whispering in my ear.

Keep your weapons close.

Walking to the front. I still can't keep my smile hidden.

Two females from the East now stand shoulder to shoulder and attack as one body without regard for the pain of others.

A path is cut directly to Orva's sister in law. Both females now take her on. Each fighting a side of the female. Until both pull her down. Beating her without the mercy she has never shown to Orva.

I have to pull those two females off of her sister in law because I'm afraid they will kill her. The female from the East that has no hair turns as if she's done but a hard foot stomps on the females face, crushing her jaw sideways.

"Bitch," the female from the East says to Orva's sister in law with a smile full of sharp teeth.

Everyone stops to look at the horrific injury.

Even the Savage is taken back by the ferocity of her.

She turns herself around mauling her eyes into everyone else. Chin up, shoulders back begging for someone to say something. That is how to introduce yourself to a pack. All will be leary of this one.

This weapon needs to be close at all times, thinking to myself.

Author's Note.

A snippet from the soon to be released book, Elska. 

"Don't you walk away from me, Elska. You stay where you're at and listen to me for once." Shamus blocks the door out. 

His heartbeat seems to come through his throat. 

"We need to talk about this." 

My stomach hurts now. Clenching the deep pain that settles itself low between my hips. 

"I don't feel the need to talk about anything with you."