Queen of the Desert

[cannibal]

He could honestly say he didn't wait to follow her. He gave a second to watch her walk away, sashaying her hips, before he stood up and followed her, a quickening to his pace. He hadn't to show her how much he really longer for her but he was a male after all. And after so long of her pushing him away, he figured it was time to not worry about the wall he had put between them. This was everything he had worked for and he wasn't about to ruin it. It was a short while to the oasis and he couldn't deny the sigh of relief as soon as he was under the shade of the tall palm trees. Even the sand beneath his paws was cool to the touch. First thing he did was head over to the cool water and crouch down, taking in long gulps of water, his eyes closed as the cool water washed down the sand of his parched and scratchy throat, settling in his full stomach. When he was done drinking, he dipped his head, bringing it back up and shaking, throwing water drops everywhere. But now only the blood was confined to his chest and front legs. His face was brilliant white once more with the usual bright blue markings. He walked over to her, tail curled over his back. He looked quite ridiculous with his head clean and his front half covered in brown dried blood.

As he got closer to Senta, he frowned. She was laying beneath one of the trees and looking much like the nervous young female. He hoped they weren't going to have a serious heart to heart. He wasn't like that. It was a reason he had been a loner for so longer. He kept to himself and kept things to himself. It was how he managed this world. Yeah, they might both be cannibals and have things that they both went through but that didn't mean they needed to discuss it. Most of it was in the past now and he certainty wasn't a romantic, no need to tell her things she only wanted to hear. He knew he was an object to her. She merely owned him and he was honestly okay with that. So no matter what, there was no need to act like they cared for each other.

But he kept this little knowledge to himself and plopped himself in the sand beside her, for once, allowing himself to touch her, his side leaning against her own. "Mmm, much better." he said, acknowledging the shade that bore down on them. Already he had forgotten the heat of the sun. "I think this is the best place to have the pack center." he told her. "It's in the middle of the pack lands and, as far as I could tell, the only water source around and if the rebels decide to invade, they had a shit ton of sand and heat to walk through till they get to here and if we do it right, we can defend this place pretty well so they would all die of dehydration before they even reached Ilahlari." Oh yes, this was the sort of bedside manners he considered were better than speaking love lyrics.

[Senta]

Her ears perked up when he arrived, a gentle smile on her face. Oh how she inwardly detested herself right now. She wasn’t behaving like herself! What was with her today?! Resolving to never act like this again, the she-wolf sighed in contentment he lay down next to her. This was a side of her that she thought she had rid herself of long ago. No one wanted to get close to a cannibal. Especially a female. If she had her way, she would have become a black widow of the lupine world; only keeping the males around as long as they were useful. That made her a little happier with how she was acting. Not that she would ever be able to kill Cannibal in a fair fight. He was so much bigger than her anyways. Shrugging inwardly, the ivory wolf pressed herself a little closer to him. When he started speaking, however, her ears immediately fell back against her skull and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. What the hell was he doing? Ruining the mood, that’s what. She groaned in exasperation and put her head back on her paws. This male was more bipolar than she was!

“Way to kill the mood, dear,” she murmured as she pulled her flank away from him. “Of all the things you could have said, you pick pack business…” Senta was no fool. They weren’t the sort of wolves who needed to whisper sweet nothings in each others ears, but come on. If you want to get lucky, you have to play your cards right. But she was still ready to be officially mated to him, even if he was a buzz kill. Wincing internally, she leaned back over to him and nuzzled his neck. This show of affection had better get her somewhere or she was going to leave him. Moving from his neck she tenderly licked his nose and pulled back. Maybe now he would get the hint that she wasn’t nervous anymore. Rolling back to her paws, Senta stood and walked away, brushing her tail beneath his chin as she padded away. Looking over her shoulder with lustful eyes, the essa sashayed a very short distance forward. Didn’t want him getting disinterested. \

“Come and get me,” she said in a husky voice.

[cannibal]

So yea, he had screwed up. He knew that and clearly, so did Senta. She huffed at him and pulled her ears back. He frowned. He didn't know why it was so hard to charm Senta, to seduce her as he did any other female. He was usually so debonair but for Senta? He found himself spurting pack business. He pulled one ear back and mentally kicked himself. The only reason he didn't do such a thing, he realized, was because the only females he charmed and courted ended up in his stomach. It just didn't feel right when it came to Senta. He wanted her whole and alive. Hell, he wanted her to be mother of his pups! Not dead. And being charming and seductive was one of his methods of killing. But he couldn't control himself. She stood and swung her hips around, taunting him. He stood, his complete attention on her. Who was he kidding? It wouldn't be that hard to resist killing her not with how he wanted her so bad. She had gone out of her own comfort zone to admit she wanted him as well and he could do the same thing. Besides, he was like an animal for her (LAWL ignore the pun). she stood and starting walking away, daring him to stop her and he quickly got to his feet, coming up beside her and nipping at her neck, his body tense and shaking. "Babe, you have no idea what I'm capable of..." His voice was throaty and low, a sensual sound that could lure anyone's attention. He stood beside her, his tail curled over his back and looking a lot larger than he normally was. He looked like the wolf equivalent of a sex God with those blue eyes staring seemingly into her soul and that smile!

He circled her, his body continuously touching her own. "The things I am going to do to you..." he whispered with a husky voice into her ear as he came up behind her from the side. "There were so many times I wanted to just take you without your permission. You have no idea how you make me feel. I'm going to take you as my own and you will submit before me." he growled. Yes, a little harsh but it was meant to turn her on. He had kept it bottled up for so long that it was so hard for him to hold back what he was saying.

[Senta]

His voice. Dear gods above his voice! The words he said were vaguely important, but the tone of it was divine. It sent shivers down her spine and nearly left her breathless. How could someone so asinine be so charming? It was beyond reason; and so was she. Her mind was being torn in two. Part of her wanted to rip him in two for toying with her and the other was ready to just lay there and take whatever he gave her. And the things he promised. Oh sweet lord. She was going crazy. The feel of his fur brushing against hers, the blues and ivories mixing together in a delightful feeling. The nipping gave her pause. She knew that feeling and she nearly jumped in surprise. That was exactly what Venix had done, something she hadn’t told Cannibal about yet. But just like that, the thought was gone. It probably wasn’t important anyways, she reasoned. And then he was talking again. Senta was almost falling over in her eagerness to keep the male close to her.

“Y..you can t..try,” she stuttered. Her usual wit and scathing remarks were gone. The Alphess wanted him and the way he stood next to her came close to sending her over the edge. Venix certainly hadn’t done that to her, but then again she hadn’t attempted to make an emotional connection. That was just something to take the edge off so the essa could tolerate being around Cannibal for longer periods of time. Not that it had worked. After meeting the Alpha, she had only ended up wanting the cobalt and snow brute even more. And that was why she was finally giving in to her desire. But, Senta realized, that she wasn’t the only one who was letting go. Her imminent mating partner was finally letting some of his usual reticence slide. He divulged things she never knew. Did he really feel that way about her? The implications behind his words were enough to make her lean into his movements. Oh how she couldn’t wait to get his started.

“Enough talking, Cannibal,” she said breathlessly. “Show me what you’re made of.”

[cannibal]

He had to admit, this felt good, finally allowing himself to break the dam he had set up against her. The he was watching how she reacted to the way he spoke to her and wondered why he hadn't allowed himself to court her properly. Perhaps this could have happened sooner. He rather enjoyed making her squirm. And as much as he wanted to keep making her squirm, he couldn't deny his need to take her as his own and when she demanded he do so, there was no stopping him.

It was better than he imagined. Her scent filled his nose, sent his head spiraling. For one brief moment, he had dominated her, he was in control, he was the master. She was his and no one could take that away from him. But as soon as he was done, the euphoria that had come with it went away as well and he was left standing in the sand feeling not like a master, but of a partner. He was Alpha of these lands now, no matter what Senta said. And he had just proven that he hadn't simply been sitting around leading her on for no reason. He had a new respect for her but he also knew what he could do to her if he tried hard enough. He had made sure he hadn't hurt her and when he was done he bent his head and purred in her ear. "Do you want to know the good news?" he whispered, a chuckle escaping him. "Now you can have me whenever you want..." he turned and walked away from her, towards the small spring where he bent to get a drink. He certainty need a meal and a good long nap now. But the bond that came with mating didn't allow him to go too far from Senta. Weirdly, he wanted nothing more than to lay down in the cool sand beside her and fall asleep.

[Senta]

If she could be said to be anything during the whole process, other than completely gone, would be happy. She was as happy as any sadistic, cannibalistic, not-quite-sane female could be. The after-glow left her with a giddy grin on her face as she slumped to the ground. Oh gods, she thought. I feel ridiculous. But another part of her was beyond caring. The feeling of him dominating her, while maddening, was amazing. And when he pulled away, she nearly whined in protest. Senta, instead, stood up and shook out her fur before retreating to the shadiest part of the small oasis. The cool sand felt magnificent against her fur and the skin beneath. Stretching herself out, the essa lay down and sighed. Her ears fell back against her skull as she lay there. He was so far away!

Wait, she thought, Why does that matter all of a sudden? He’s… He’s just a male. Nothing more. But she couldn’t shake the fact that he was something more. The anger she once felt towards him was mostly gone. This male was the worst thing to ever happen to her, but also the best. The ideas struggled for dominance in her mind. How could she even begin to be a loving mate to anyone, much less Cannibal? And then he was speaking in her ear again. His voice was still the low tone he used before they mated. The one she couldn’t resist. In spite of herself, the Alphess whined. Her heart started racing again and she leaned into his muzzle before he vanished from her side. How is it that even after mating with him, she still wanted him? And not just wanted him, wanted him desperately? The ivory wolf was confused. All of those emotions were tumbling about in her, making her even more confused that she had been when she first met him.

“Whenever I want?” she whispered. Her azure eyes, though heavy-lidded with exhaustion, brightened at the prospect. This male, though before just an object to toy with, was hers. He was her partner in crime, her mate, her… Well, not quite friend. They were still too antagonistic to go that far. And yet, they were being civil to each other.

“Come lay with me, please,” Senta said as she placed her head upon her paws. “You smell so good.”

[cannibal]

He chuckled at her a look of amusement on his face as he approached her. He was sure he would hate himself in a few days for acting so different around Senta but who was around to judge them? No one. They could act the way they wanted to and there wasn't much more they could hide from each other. The game was over and there was nothing more now then to sit back and take a nap. At least, in his opinion.

He walked over to her and turned in a circle twice beside her before throwing himself down into the sand, his side pressing against her own. It felt oddly strange to be this physical with Senta. Ever since they had first met, they had played this dance of staying just out of paw's reach but continuously antagonizing the other. It had left them with this insatiable need to have each other. And when he had left her in the hopes she would just... give up.... she followed him and the insatiable need to have him forced her to attack him, to show him how pissed off he had left she really was. It had given him an inside glance at how she really felt about him, the side that she had kept hidden around him. That was enough for him to agree to keep her company where ever she went. His excuse? He had nothing better to do and hunting with a partner was a lot easier than doing it alone. But truthfully, he was rather glad she felt the same way about him that he felt about her. At least he didn't think something was wrong with him. How could a cannibal ever like another of his species in such a way when most of the time he simply saw them as food. And now being with her in the way he was now, made him feel normal, made him understand what other wolves felt about their own species.

Without bothering to think about it any longer than he needed to least he decide against it, he laid his head down across her shoulders and back and let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes. A nice long nap couldn't be that bad right now...

[Senta]

The gentle weight of his head pressing on her back and shoulders caused her to tense up a bit at first before she relaxed and sighed happily. Yes, the male laying against and on her irritated her like no other. Yes, she did the same exact thing to him. But they were about as equal as it came in their world. The essa smiled and shifted her head to be against Cannibal’s neck. The amount of comfort she was deriving from the small physical contact was astonishing. Just being close to him made her feel safer. He was a big, strong wolf who was capable of killing full grown wolves with little difficulty. He would defend her, and her unborn pups. Of that Senta was quite certain. Yawning widely, the events of the day finally catching up to her, the Alphess of Brena’he, the Queen of the Desert, snuggled up closer to her mate and fell asleep.

=> Skip into the future

It had been a few weeks since both she and Venix, and she and Cannibal had mated and Senta was pissed. There was no other way to put her emotions. She was hot, her body hurt, and she just wanted to sit in the shade. Not that the shade did much to dispel the heat. The deserts of Brena’he were only cool at night, and it was the middle of the day. Growling in frustration, Senta stood up from the meager shade of the ring of trees at the edge of the oasis. She hadn’t felt like leaving the area after she and Cannibal had sealed their union, since the oasis was the biggest source of shade in their territory. Shaking some of the sand out of her fur, the femme whined as her stomach moved along with it. The steady growth of her stomach had fascinated her at first, but now she was just angry that it made her hurt. Pinning her ears back against her skull, Senta padded towards the small pond in the center. Maybe some water would help cool her off. Crouching down to the water, she began to lap up the water in earnest. It felt so good going down her throat she sighed in visible relief. But she was still hot. Spitting out a curse, the essa returned to the tree that she and Cannibal had fallen asleep under after their mating and curled up. All too soon, however, she stretched herself out and grumbled. It was too hot to sleep curled up! Her anger was growing, and quick. Somewhere out in the desert was her mate, and she hoped to the gods he wasn’t avoiding her. If he was, then he would certainly pay for it when he came back.

Granted, she had been much more bitchy since she mated with him. The initial few days were nice. They were finally affectionate with each other and, though they didn’t say anything, they loved each other as much as either of them could. But once she discovered she was pregnant, everything made her angrier than normal. And there wasn’t much she could do to stop it. There were even things, much to her horror, that made her upset. The femme found herself hoping that Cannibal wouldn’t exploit that part of her after she had the pups. She also hoped that he wouldn’t kill the pups that weren’t his, if there were any. Senta still hadn’t told him that she had mated with someone else before him, not that he would care. But if the pups didn’t turn out to be all his? That was an uncertainty the Alphess wasn’t prepared for. Maybe it was time to bite the proverbial bullet and tell him?

[cannibal]

Cannibal had never been around a pregnant female before. Those he had relations with usually ended up being eaten, or worse. And being a loner his whole life, he had never experienced pack mates having pups. To better protect himself from Senta's new found rage, he had taken to doing long hunts, using that time to cool his temper. Normally, he and Senta would go at it for days with an argument but he better, strangely, than to piss her off more. So to swallow his nasty words and sayings, he would simply stalk off to find more food.

The wolf population was growing and it was becoming increasingly easier to hunt for food. However, it was becoming harder for him to kill his prey as his name was becoming increasingly popular, especially now that he was Brena'he's Alpha. So his hunting had grown longer as he ventured further from pack lands to find food, to find someone who didn't know who he was and run at the first scent of him.

It had taken him almost a day to grab this kill. He was pulling an older male behind him by his back leg, his body broken and dirty, dragging behind him in the sand. The blood trail had long stopped, the blood finally having drained from the body. Which was good because he didn't need scavengers following him home. With the incoming news of pups, his body and instincts had instantly kicked into fatherhood, whether he liked it or not. And part of father hood was finding food for his mate, which turns around and becomes the perfect cover up for his angry outbursts.

"No doubt she's going to bitch about me being away for so long." he grumbled angrily to himself around the dead wolf's foot he had clamped in his mouth. "Can't ever do anything fucking right anymore." If it wasn't for their bond they had created since mating, one he hadn't been able to find a breaking point if need be, he would have left a long time ago. He didn't need her anger or issues. Not with his short fuse.

When the oasis came into view, he hurried his pace till he was beneath the shade once more. He spotted Senta and walked over to her, dropping the dead wolf's foot before speaking. "It's getting harder and harder to find wolves who don't know who I am..." he growled. He wasn't used to this attention. As a cannibal, being solitary and a nomad was the only successful way to hunt. He had never thought that becoming an Alpha with another cannibal would prove to be so hard for finding food.

He walked over to the spring and drenched his thirst, having traversed the whole length of the desert in blaring heat and sun without a drop to drink besides the male's blood but even that had been warm at the time. He had refrained from eating the wolf before Senta had some, knowing she needed far more than he did.

[Senta]

Seeing her mate again nearly had her leaping for joy. In spite of how she had been treating him she did care for him. But the hormones were driving her to say and do things she normally wouldn’t. Or, at least, not with the new amount of venom. Her heart fluttered a bit when Cannibal dropped the body close to her and her tail thumped in the sand before she heaved herself off of the ground. His words, however gave her pause. Had they made a mistake in becoming mates? It was true though. Being the Alpha meant that everyone knew who you were even if you had no clue who they were. Letting her tail stop wagging, the Alphess sat in front of the carcass and sighed. She was truly sorry for whatever she had said before he left on this latest days long hunting trip. Every time he vanished the essa worried that he was leaving her. It was a valid fear, in her opinion. Despite how they felt, it was easier for both of them to keep moving. If no one knew who they were, the hunting was almost too easy. But she wanted a home. And now that she was pregnant, it wasn’t as though she could pack up and leave right then and there. Traveling would be much to difficult for her, and this was her first pregnancy.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, the ivory she-wolf tore into the carcass with a hunger that was borderline insane. The feeling of meat being sliced in her teeth was amazing and to feel her belly fill up was exciting. It was always nice when Cannibal brought her food, even if the silences that stretched between them were stony. Pausing in her feast, much to her stomach’s dismay, Senta looked at her mate and smiled weakly.

“Cannibal,” she murmured. “I..” Damn, the essa thought. This is not even remotely easy to do. She wanted to apologize, but never having done so she was unsure how to go about it. It was always harder to put into practice than to just think it.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

There. Now it was out in the open. She didn’t want to hate him and she most certainly didn’t want him to hate her. Not when their pups were growing inside her. After they were born and could somewhat fend for themselves, then they could go back to hating each other. Senta was worried again, but went back to eating. Her pups needed the nourishment and so did she. Her hunger was back and she tore into it with vigor. Would he say something to that? Her mood swings were still pretty bad, and didn’t show any signs of letting up, but she wanted him to know that a lot of it she didn’t mean. How could she…. And just like that, she stopped eating a second time and walked over to him. Her azure eyes were burning and she just stared at him until he decided to look back at her.

[cannibal]

He laid down with a grunt in the sand not far from Senta, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he succumbed to the heat. The blasted place was just like Hell. If he didn't know better, he'd swear it was getting hotter. He watched her tear into the meat with vigor. No doubt the growing pups inside her were taking too much from her. She had grown rather large in the past few months and he only had to smirk. No doubt she was having a lot. He had always known he would produce large litters and now his thoughts were right. She wanted to help her pack grow? Then this was the best way to do it. With a pack full of his own pups, they certaintly could have a chance of taking over, if that was still what Senta wanted. She might have been bitchier lately and much more willing to argue but he had begun to notice the more feminine, motherly ways in her everyday routine, even if she didn't notice or admit it herself. And he was finding out more and more that he was beginning to enjoy this side of her. It brought out a different part of him that he wasn't used to and he had to admit that he didn't mind the feel of it either.

Since a pup, he had never felt like he belonged in his tiny family. Cannibalism was not something that happened in his family. He became the outcast and was thrown out of his family pack. With his diet, it had become harder and harder for him to connect with another wolf on a much more physical level. Yes, he got what he wanted with the females he chased but after he was done, he found himself slitting their throats and eating them. He had come to the conclusion that he would never find "the one" and never settle down. But with Senta, a wolf who shared his own interests, he found that he could connect with another of his own kind and he could settle down.

But before he could put much more thought into it, she stood up from her kill and approached him, standing before him, faces inches apart and stared at him. He tilted his head in wonderment before a smirk crossed his face. "Something wrong? Or am I just that gorgeous you couldn't resist starting at me." he teased, his tail wagging slightly. Now that he knew how Senta felt about him, he found it came much easier to flirt and charm towards her to get the reaction he so liked from her.

[Senta]

“Damnit Cannibal,” she said in an exasperated tone. “Be serious for once in your miserable existence.” There was so much she wanted to tell him. Some things that needed to be said now and others that could probably stand to wait a little while longer. But what to start with? The fact that not all of the pups, more than likely, were his? No. That one was a little to dangerous at this point. Their relationship while nice at times, was still quite volatile. One little thing could break them apart at any moment.

“I.. I wanted to apologize for how badly I’ve treated you,” Senta said slowly. “I don’t want to snap at you like that. But everything is so much worse now that I’m well…. Pregnant.” Damn. All of this sappy bullshit was going to drive her insane. It was bad enough that she had acted the way she did just before they became an official mated pair, but now? There was just too many sentimental feelings flying around it was making her nauseated. As soon as she birthed this litter, she would go back to her usual snarky, bitchy self. She hoped. Sighing, she pressed her nose to his cheek and smiled gently. It was an unusual feeling for her, this attachment she had for Cannibal. Was it love? Senta wasn’t really certain. But it could probably pass for it.

“You are insufferable at times,” she continued. “But you’ve taken care of me. And I, well, I guess we, appreciate it.”