There she stood, her prey on the other side of the great chasm, as she calculated how exactly to get to it. All she could see was a great pair of horns through the thick wood, which, understandably, she mistook for antlers. It was not very far; she could easily leap across. After all, her hind legs were strong enough to send her over and, if necessary she could use her forelimbs to climb up, but the slightest mistake could send her falling to her inevitable demise.
She had not eaten in days after her pack had forsaken her. So? She had challenged the Alpha's logic, nobody else was going to. Now, after the rest of the pack had decided that the Alpha's decisions were best, she was left to fend for herself. She swore she would do far better than any wolf could dream of accomplishing. First, she needed dinner. Next, a mate...
She moved a few paces back, turned to face the chasm, and ran, her paws pounding the earth, kicking up a trail of dust behind her. As she reached the edge, she jumped, leaping brilliantly over the chasm. In that brief moment as she crossed, she felt amazing, as though she, and not her momentum, was bringing her across. The wind whipped through her fur, which would be sensation that she would never forget. Finally, she landed and did so much less gracefully than she had begun her "flight" as she landed, tumbling into a bush. Hoping that her prey had not gotten scared off by the noise, she froze and listened for fleeing hooves. Upon hearing no such sound, she stood, shook off the landing, and crept toward where she had last spotted the "antlers."
The smell of the forest around her sent shivers through her body. The earth beneath her paws was soft and moist. She could make her den right here, right now, but, she had to keep reminding herself that she needed to eat something before sunset at the latest as she could not afford to go another night without food. Thankfully, she could now see the clearing ahead where the creature possessing the "antlers" would certainly stand.
She could now see that it was most certainly not any mere buck, but an awe-inspiring dragon standing before her facing away, unmistakably male as well. She was ashamed to have been so foolish in thinking he was such a common, weak, and pathetic creature. She could not take such a beast down. Yet, she felt compelled to move closer and find out more. She could not describe the feeling even to herself, but she wanted to touch him, to be held by him, and so much more...
***********
He lay there, watching this small, white wolf in amusement, not afraid, just intrigued. The wolf seemed to not notice that he was aware of her. That amused him even more, since he had been tracking her approach for miles.
He had often seen them, as he flew through the clouds, and had come to appreciate their grace and teamwork. Being a solitary creature by nature, he often wondered what life would be like, having a large family or group to help with the hunt. This little wolf seemed all the smaller without a pack behind it.
How odd for one of your kin to be out alone, has something separated you from your family?
The bemused dragon asked.
The wolf stared up at him with something akin to wonder as he addressed her. The dragon chuckled, A deep rumbling sound, which emanated from somewhere within his chest.
What brings you to this desolate area? Surely not food, I would hope, there haven't been any deer here for months.
Idly the dragon examined his claws, making sure no grime had accumulated, it wouldn't do for such a grand creature to be marred in such a fashion.
I'll tell you what, if you would like, you may stay here with me until I can find your kin, I always have food, and you shan't suffer the cold while in the company of a fire-breather.
The dragon raised a wing, offering what seemed to be a heated cavern fit to house a half dozen wolves.
You are more than welcome to share in my warmth, though I must warn you, I tend to snore.
The dragon chuckled, waiting to see her response.
It gladdened him when she took a few tentative steps forward. He wasn't aware of how lonely he had been until she had made up her mind to stay. The truth was, he admired the wolves for their tight families, something which he never had as a dragon.
The night passed slowly for him as he wondered what had brought this small female to him. Why was she not with her pack? What had driven her so far into this desolate land? He vowed then to help her find her place. It wasn't right for such a creature to be alone.
The next morning brought clouds and wind, not enough to prevent a morning hunt, but enough to warn of greater dangers later in the day. The dragon decided to grab an extra deer, just in case.
Much to his surprise, the wolf lay nearly dead to the world, obviously exhausted from her ordeal.
I suppose I should let her sleep, who knows what she has faced in the past few days
.
The dragon thought.
She will wake up when she is ready.
That day passed as so many others had, the hunt was fun, but over much too quickly, the prey never even knew he was there until it was too late. He had eaten his fill, and had enough to last a couple days if need be.
Upon returning to his roost, he noted the wolf had moved. She had disappeared from the area, though she was not far away. Her scent was still heavy in the air, and something about it seemed to be almost... Intoxicating...
***********
As she walked away from the seemingly kind dragon's clearing, she contemplated exactly what had made her stay with him last night. She had to admit that, try as she might, she would not be able to resist him even as much as she had then. He was brilliant: the way his coppery scales glistened in the light of the moon, his large silvery wings clearly powerful enough to decimate an entire village of humans with a single beat, and his eyes... The thought of them boring into her: wild, black, and gleaming, sent shivers down her spine, filling her with a feeling unmistakably known as lust.
This cannot be.
She thought.
A wolf and a dragon? Impossible. He would never lower himself so. He probably only sees me as a pet, or worse, food.
It was with this thought that she kept moving. She could trust no one. Nothing was safe unless she could destroy it without destroying herself. She could still smell him, though, and felt an almost overwhelming urge to turn back and stay with him, but she knew that it would be foolhardy and wrong. She would now not only have to fight the elements, but herself as well.
She started to run. The only way, in her mind, to keep herself from going back and getting hurt was to run as far and fast as her legs would carry her and hope that nothing would bring her harm along the way. Her heart pounded, her paws striking the ground in spite of her wildest desires, as tears began to stream from her eyes. This was the last thing her heart wanted her to do and she knew it, but her brain was telling her that nothing but pain would issue forth from such a union.
It was at this point in her thoughts that she skidded to a halt in front of a great grizzly bear. The overgrown bitch was too powerful and angered by the young wolf's presence, sending her flying into a tree with one swipe of her paw. The wolf staggered to her feet and ran at the bear, sinking her teeth into its paw, only to be flung away again, tumbling to the ground.
***********
When he first heard the angered grizzly, He was unconcerned. It was not uncommon for some foolish human, wandering in places they did not belong, to run across a female with cubs. He was mildly confused, for he had not heard any of their clumsy, crashing footsteps, but he let it go instantly, knowing how his mind was distracted by thoughts of the wolf who was not long gone from his roost. He could almost hear her low growl from the night before as she was stalking him...
Wait a minute... I CAN HEAR HER GROWLING!
