Vulfu (Primal #2)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I hunched over on the forest floor, my hands gripping clumps of grass as another cramp wrenched my insides. Hiding amongst the shrubs with Mowha close at my slide, rubbing my back in soothing circles, I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth and did my best to keep quiet. For three days I’d been suffering the worst period cramps I’d had in ages. I woke up early one morning clutching my stomach as the pain hit, waking my stand-in mother in the process. She’d been concerned at first, looking me over and feeling my forehead when she noticed the sheen of perspiration there. But when we both noticed the blood on the inside of my thighs, her response shifted completely from puzzled concern to trepidation and understanding. Bundling me up in her arms, she carried me out of our home in the early morning hours before anyone else had woken up and brought me out to the creek where she helped me get clean.

Since then, she’s been helping by slipping this special herb into my water, which kept the pain somewhat subdued, and fashioned a sort of thicker padding which she wrapped around my lower half, almost like a diaper. Mowha kept the whole thing quiet by sneaking me away into the shrubs when my cramping got bad or moving us apart from the others when I needed to clean up. I got the feeling she didn’t want anyone else to know. Why, I hadn’t the foggiest. I know that Krahu got hers the other day, being the younger of the women in her late thirties to early forties, and from what I could tell, her bleeding didn’t faze anyone. But for me, she was incredibly discreet, quickly washing my padding downriver on her own, and arranging it in the shrubs apart from where we normally hung furs and skins to dry.

I didn’t argue, because I was having a hard enough time dealing with this without modern comforts, like painkillers, hot water bottles, and my favourite rosette chocolates that I normally stocked up on whenever I was on my time of the month.

The girls and I had arranged this whole trip around our periods because the last thing we wanted was to worry about this crap while we were in the wilderness. Jen and Lisa had theirs right before we left, while Kate and I were due around the same time but had planned to already be home by the time they hit. Now here I was, moaning in pain, hiding in the bushes as my primitive mother did her best to help me get through this. I reached for her hand, squeezing it tight in appreciation. I don’t know what I would have done without her help. Though her herbal mixture didn’t work as well as the pills I took at home, it at least was enough that I could sit without wincing and cringing in pain. Today, however, I’d taken it too late, and my cramps had accelerated beyond management.

“Ugh!” I moaned into the grass, doing my best to keep it down. Beyond the thick shrubbery we were hiding in, the family was lounging in the sun, and I could hear Kray and Dow nearby, heckling Veshy and Krahu. Their shouts and teasing calls echoed before a rumble of footfalls preceded them, signalling they’d been chased off.

Vulfu and Dahkha had gone out each day, hunting, trying to replenish the stores that had been stolen from us, while the women foraged nearby. But there wasn’t much to choose from. Yesterday, everyone had gone out together to harvest farther from our home, but Mowha had insisted on staying behind and gestured to me, pointing at my eyes, as though my blindness was the perfect excuse to keep me from having to hike with my cramps. I appreciated her discretion on the subject, but the guilt ate away at me when they came back late that evening, having worked hard all day to gather as much edible florae as possible, while I sat on my ass like a lazy lump, moaning and groaning through my agonizing cramping. The moment they’d returned, and I saw all they’d done, Mowha had quickly put me away into our little burrow, hiding the fact that I was in pain.

“Stevvy, whaap,” Mowha gave me a little shake now and when I lifted my head, she had a skyn ready for me… water. I gratefully took a drink and tasted the bitter bits of the herbs she’d put in.

“Thank you, Mowha,” I whispered between sips. She stroked my thick dark hair, brushing it back from my face, and I leaned into her, so grateful for all she’d done for me. I wondered if she ever had children of her own and they’d just grown up at this point, or if she was childless, but not from lack of trying? If not, then that was a shame, because she was an amazing mother.

“Bip! Bip!”

The call came from the south of us on the other side of the creek and I knew it was the two elder men returning from their hunt. I moaned again, preparing for the fact that I’d have to put on an act in front of them while they were around. But because I’d taken the herbal mixture so late, the cramps felt worse this time than they had any other. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to.

Mowha gave my back an encouraging pat, humming deep in her chest in a soothing, reassuring sort of way. She sympathized. Sucking in a long, drawn-out breath between my teeth, I sat up, doing my best to ignore the ache in my lower back and belly, and wiped the slight perspiration off my brow. I got to my feet as the sounds of escalating excitement filled the clearing beyond the brush of our hiding spot. The hunt must have been successful because I could make out Kray and Dow’s loud celebratory whooping. Giving Mowha’s hand one final squeeze, and a nod, we stepped out from our hiding place to join the others.

Vulfu and Dahkha had gotten themselves a stag, even though they were limited with their weaponry, but I wasn’t going to question our good luck. As Mowha and I emerged and stepped into the clearing, Vulfu’s sharp gaze immediately sought me out. While my gaze moved over their kill, I could see him in the corner of my eye straighten a little, standing a little taller than his usual crouch, puffing out his chest all while holding his stony, fierce expression. I got the feeling he was showing off a little like he hoped I was impressed. I made a big show of smiling wide (while keeping my teeth hidden) and joining the others in celebration of this hard work and good luck. The skin would help replace one of the pelts that had been stolen, the stomach fashioned into a new water skyn; every part would be used in some way or another.

When I joined the others as they swooped in, getting ready to drag the carcass off to where they usually cleaned and skinned their food, I positioned myself close to Vulfu, though I carefully kept my focus pointed away. I could feel him watching me, searching for approval and admiration. He barely acknowledged the others, and as they finally began to tug it away, leaving me alone with him, I allowed myself to peer up at him to catch his heated stare.

It wasn’t fair for one man to be so beautiful and frightening all at once. His hardened muscles were tensed, covered in a sheen of sweat and dirt from his excursion. He wore nothing but a pair of animal hide pants, tied at his waist, which showed off the lined muscles leading down to his pelvis, hidden under the cloth. His wounds were slowly healing, but they only seemed to add to his overall animalistic beauty. His curling grey peppered black, hair hung in a mess about his face and shoulders, while his light, narrowed grey-green eyes watched me closely. He wasn’t angry, it was just the usual, sharp expression he always wore. It was intimidating and sensual all at once.

He lifted one of his roughened, tanned hands and brushed a thick lock of my hair behind my ear before letting his fingers graze along my jaw, pausing to cup my cheek before murmuring, “Stevvy gwuhk?”

I smiled up at him, touched by his concern when he asked me if I was okay, especially since he was the one who took down a huge buck with nothing but sticks and stones. I reached up and gripped his wrist as he continued to tenderly cradle my cheek like I needed to hold onto him to keep from floating away. The look he was giving me made it feel like a balloon was inflating in my stomach.

“Stevvy gwuhk,” I nodded, noting how the corners of his mouth twitched, like hearing I was okay made him happy. He’d been concerned the past few days as I slept most of the time, and though he had tried to see me, Mowha had been adamant about the others leaving me be. He’d obviously noticed that something was wrong, as I always felt like Vulfu was always very aware of where I was and what I was doing. But he hadn’t pushed it. Now that we had a moment alone, he seemed relieved to see me standing upright, out in the sun with the others. I lifted my brows a little as I asked, “Vulfu gwuhk?”

Hearing me becoming more comfortable using their simple language seemed to please him even more as he inched just a little closer until he was nearly brushing my front with his muscled stomach. Lowering his head to my ear, he murmured softly, “Yahv.”

For a brief moment, I thought I felt his tongue lick the shell of my ear with a featherlight touch, but before I could allow myself to get lost in the moment, Mowha’s call echoed across the clearing from where the buck’s carcass had been dragged to. I felt a flicker of irritation at my adopted mother for her interruption, but at the same time, I’d been seriously slacking since Aunt Flo decided to give me a hard time. Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from his and looked over to see Mowha’s silvery head poke out from around the massive, hollowed boulder that was our home. She narrowed her gaze at Vulfu, as though suspicious of his intentions.

I sighed heavily and lowered my head, stepping back before making my way around him, giving a wider berth than necessary, as though it would be easier for me to keep some physical distance between us. But before I could take more than a few steps, I felt a tug against the back of my animal skin dress and spun around to see him standing there, holding onto the hem to keep me from venturing too far. Wordlessly, he reached for the pouch tied to his waist and pulled it free, placing it carefully into my hands. Curiously, I tugged at the drawstring and peered inside. The makeshift pouch was filled with ripe raspberries, nuts, and other edible roots I favoured. I was speechless at the gesture. Not only had Vulfu hunted down an animal to feed his family, but he also went foraging to make sure I had the things I preferred.

Gaping, I lifted my head to stare up at him, my heart thudding heavily at the touching revelation. I was about to thank him when he pulled another gift he’d tucked into the top of his pants, this one much smaller and more curious than anything. He took my other hand and carefully placed a single acorn into my palm. I stared at it in confusion, wondering what he meant by giving me this. When I glanced up at him for some sort of explanation, however, all I was met with was the most heated stare I think he’d ever given me. My cheeks flushed at the look, his upturned gaze fixated solely on mine as his fingers gently closed mine over the little nut, like it was a precious gift.

Without waiting for any sort of word or thank you from me, he simply turned and meandered away, moving towards the creek for some water. I watched him go, feeling my respect for him only grow.

“Stevvy!” Mowha called once more.

“Coming, coming…” I called back, knowing full well she wouldn’t understand. I carefully tied the pouch to the lacings on the side of my dress, tucked the acorn under a fold at my cleavage, and hurried over, determined to help the family now, since I was useless pretty much everywhere else. Even though the sight of a dead animal wasn’t something I would have normally been able to stomach, I sucked it up, breathing through my mouth so as not to catch a whiff of the blood.

It took a couple of hours, but eventually, we got the skin removed, cut up the meat, and rolled it in this strange natural salt mixture they collected from rock faces, and wrapped it in large, green leaves to store. Everyone cleaned up at the river, and as the sun began to set, we feasted. I had only a few small bites of the meat, as I couldn’t stomach much more of the raw, chewy rations. So, I settled by the creek on the soft moss with my pouch of goodies Vulfu had specifically gathered for me, and munched away, enjoying myself as the others milled around.

Krahu was grooming Dahkha, combing out his hair with her fingers while he relaxed after a busy day. Mowha was at the waterside, cleaning up and humming softly as though they were singing together. Veshy, meanwhile, was being harassed by Kray and Dow, who were sneaking up on her from behind only to do something like tug one of her ties free, or to throw a clump of moss onto her head. Kray, at one point, even managed to get close enough that, when Veshy yawned, he took a dandelion fluff he’d found and shoved it into her mouth, causing her to cough and spit the seeds out before she turned and took off after him with surprising speed for someone of her age.

The birds were singing as the golden light filled the space with the setting sun, the sound of the trickling of the creek accompanying the beautiful melody from the canopy, along with the boisterous laughter of the two young boys as they climbed high out of Veshy’s reach.

Vulfu, meanwhile, was sitting on the top of the incline by the creek, watching the woods with utmost vigilance, every sound and movement catching his eye. But there was no threat. Just our family enjoying the last warm rays of the setting sun before nighttime, our stomachs full, and a sense of renewed hope for our group now spurring to life as we began to replenish our stores.

However, the only real blip in my feeling of complacency was the fact that I didn’t belong here. As the others enjoyed themselves, there was still that niggling thought at the back of my head, wondering when a search party would come. If they would come. We’d gone the wrong way, thanks to Jen (I winced at the memory of her). Most likely any Search and Rescue teams would be looking in the wrong place. How long would it be before they came here? If they did, that is.

Then there were the comforts that I missed. Simple things I never thought twice about until now, like heat and electricity, a stove, all the food I loved, hot baths, my favourite show, M*A*S*H, listening to music at the simple click of my radio… above all else, my parents, my mother in particular.

As these worrisome thoughts ate away at the back of my mind, I munched away on my berries, trying not to let my anxiety ruin the peace of the evening. When I was more or less full, I pulled the acorn free, looking at it closely, rubbing it with my thumb like a worry stone as I lounged like a lazy cat, wondering what Vulfu had meant by giving me this simple little seed. Over the ridge, Vulfu would scan the surroundings, then look back to me, survey again, back to me, look to the others, before checking me again . It was continuous, and I felt like I would crack under his watchful gaze. I’ve never liked being the center of one’s attention, and with all the stress, and my emotions being completely haywire thanks to my time of the month, I was even more on edge than normal.

Unable to bear it any longer, and thanks to the heavy cramping I was now feeling, I excused myself to go to the makeshift “washroom facilities”, tucking the acorn back into my dress, and started wandering over to the crevice so I could be alone and check my padding. Mowha’s concerned gaze flickered to me the moment I got to my feet, but seeing my path was heading into that discreet location, she relaxed and turned back to the creek.

I easily made my way up the short incline, but when I was about halfway across the clearing, I felt a horrible abdominal ache that had me moaning in pain as I hunched over slightly and hugged my stomach. The moment I did, I felt a wave and a trickle down my leg.

God no…

There was an explosion of activity behind me. Shouts and calls followed by the heavy thudding of footsteps as I was joined first by one, then several others. I looked up to see Vulfu had reached me first, his expression gravely alarmed as he took in the sight of me in pain. His bright gaze roamed over my hunched figure before he noticed the trail of blood running down the inside of my thigh. For a moment, he froze, his brow furrowed in alarm, before suddenly clearing as though in understanding, just as Mowha and Veshy joined us.

But my eyes were on Vulfu, for his expression was morphing into one I recognized, but didn’t understand. His concern and then a sense of clarity was shifting again, only to one of almost… triumph? Victory? It was strange, almost smug. His smile was slow and daunting, his brows pulling together over his eyes, which seemed to glow in the golden light of the afternoon. Beside us, Mowha let out a small gasp, and at the corner of my eye, I saw her reach for me, but Vulfu was faster.

Before I could even take a breath, I found myself snatched up in a vice-like grip, the world becoming a blur as the air swirled around me, only to find myself suddenly up on top of the massive boulder that was our home, held tightly in Vulfu’s arms as he stared down at the others, the rest of the family now curiously coming over to investigate. Mowha was glaring up at us, but Veshy had a hand on her shoulder, as though encouraging her to remain in place, while the rest of the family stared back and forth between them and Vulfu and me, like they were trying to piece together what had just gone down. For it was clear something had happened, something significant that involved me… I just didn’t know what .

What made the whole thing even more confusing and, on my part, terrifying, was how he held me under my breasts, my legs dangling over the edge of the rock like he was about to drop me. I clung to his muscled forearm and tried to squirm back, but he didn’t budge his stance, nor offer any reassurance that I was safe. Was this it? Was he finally done with my mooching off his family and was ready to sacrifice me in some way?

“Vulfu, bring me back from the ledge! Please !” I begged, practically digging my dirty nails into his skin as I tried to kick away from the edge, but he ignored me.

“Stevvy mmuh gweebruh. Stevvy jugra Vulfu.” And to my horror, he shifted a little to the side and lifted my leg, revealing the trail of blood on my inner thigh for all to see.

“What the hell !” I screeched and flailed in his arms, forgetting that I was suspended high in the air as I tried to hide the red mess. My cheeks burned in humiliation, and I felt tears sting my eyes at being so exposed. However, no one below seemed at all fazed by it. Even Kray and Dow were simply staring from Vulfu to Mowha, and back again, their expressions serious for once as they watched the scene unfold.

“Mowha!” Vulfu raised his voice to be heard over my frightened cries, his tone authoritative as he addressed her. “Mowha khuhgwo Stevvy, mmuh. Vulfu khuhgwo Stevvy, yahv.”

I stared at my “foster mother”, my mouth hanging open in shock at the look of absolute devastation on her face. She looked quite dejected like she’d just lost something dear to her heart. Her shoulders slumped, her brows pulled tight over her dark eyes, and slowly, almost reluctantly, she lowered her gaze to the forest floor and nodded at Vulfu’s words.

God, I just wanted to hug her.

But the moment she seemingly accepted his speech, Vulfu retracted his arms, bringing me back to safety away from the ledge, and turned me to face him. Shaken and confused, I stared up at him with wide eyes, only to see a self-satisfied smirk radiating back from his beautiful face. Without preamble, Vulfu tilted my chin back, swooped down, and ran his tongue up the curve of my neck for all to see. My face burned as I yelped in surprise at his very public display of affection and tried to push away by pressing my hands to his chest. Wrong move. All he did was release a rather formidable growl from deep in his throat, lock his arms around the small of my waist, to hold me in place, and ran another long lick up the other side of my neck. Below, the others began to whoop and cheer, as though this moment was something to be celebrated, which only confused me more.

What the fuck just happened here?

Change happened immediately. All of a sudden, I was no longer Mowha’s ward. I became Vulfu’s. And if I thought that suddenly being under his care wouldn’t be all that different, I was wrong. I thought Mowha was a bit much when she carried me in and out of the home, accompanied me outside, or when she helped detangle my hair each morning. But Vulfu was on another level. The moment he licked my neck like I was a catnip lollipop and he was a lion catching its first whiff, he refused to even put me down. Even when I motioned again to the blood smeared on the inside of my thigh, he carefully carried me to the ground, but wouldn’t even allow me to walk. He carried me bridal style to the creek and settled me on the soft moss by the trickling water before taking a seat directly behind me, his front pressed against my backside.

His body pressed to the back of mine was warm and hard. I found myself blushing at the rather intimate way he settled around me. But before I could take a moment to get used to it, he reached around me for the spare washing cloths the others had been cleaning, grabbed one, soaked it in the water, and lifted my leg up into the air.

“Vulfu!” I squealed, lurching back, forgetting that there was a wall of muscle there caging me in. He didn’t react, even when I tried to kick free of his hold on my leg. What made it worse was when he started cleaning me in front of everyone. The others had all congregated close by, going back to their routines like nothing was at all different, except Mowha, who was watching Vulfu and I closely with shining, sad eyes. Even with my shitty eyesight, I could still make out the glimmer from here.

When I continued to struggle, he let out a sharp, irritated-sounding breath through his nose, and gave the side of my leg a little slap, which caught me off guard. My body stilled in surprise at the warning, and he took the opportunity to continue wiping me down.

But by the end of the hour, both of us were soaked as I hadn’t given in to allowing him to clean the rest of me as he had made clear was his intention. I’d completely freaked and ended up in a short but chaotic battle with him where we were literally wrestling each other… with me trying to get away, and him trying to get a better hold. It ended with us falling back into the creek bed, much to Kray and Dow’s delight, and Vulfu furiously chastising me in growly grumbles as he finally managed to get a tight hold around my waist, lift me into the air, and finish what he’d started, ignoring my cries and protests the entire time.

Even from where she sat, Mowha began chuffing a little, like she was amused with his lack of control over her errant child. But she didn’t bother intervening or chastising him for his methods.

Finally done, both of us dripping with water, panting from the fight, I slumped on the moss, wondering what the hell that had been all about and how mortified I’d been to have him insist on cleaning up after my period. Why he wanted to, I didn’t understand. But I was so done.

I started to clamber to my hands and knees, moving towards where Mowha sat with Veshy down the bank, when a hand wrapped around my ankle and dragged me back. I glared over my shoulder at the primitive man, small droplets of water still dripping from the ends of his dark hair as his glowing eyes narrowed at me.

For some reason, seeing him being angry with me in this situation, when I had no clue what the heck was going on, sparked an old flame in my heart that I thought had long since been snuffed out. I could feel it flicker a little like a part of me was rearing her head and longing to fight back. But Vulfu was huge. They all were. These people were another breed, more animal than anything, and any physical altercation I might have with them would inevitably end with me losing.

Instead of fighting him, I simply crossed my arms over my chest and pouted my bottom lip, letting my brows pull down over my eyes as I glared up at him from where he stood in a half crouch over my tiny frame. If I couldn’t verbally communicate my irritation with him, then I’d show it!

His bright eyes moved over my face, noting the change, but he kept his hold on my leg, his expression unchanging.

“Stevvy want Mowha!” I snapped at him and pointed over my shoulder to where the others were. Everyone else went silent, and I knew they were watching me challenge their leader.

The metal of the flagpole was hot, and it seared into the bare skin of my arms as I found myself tied to it, the sleeves of my sweater having slid up as I slouched where I stood, trying to look as small as possible. I could feel the circulation to my arms being cut off by how tightly they had bound me, and no amount of tugging or pulling could break the bonds.

“Miss Mousy Fields was listening in on a private conversation between me and my friends!” Cece Perkins announced to the students. The football team arranged themselves in a semi-circle, hiding us from the view of the school. “This loser just won’t leave us alone… first you had to sleep with my boyfriend,” she glanced at Marcus who, despite everything he’s put me through, actually looked a little chagrined, especially when I summoned the strength to look at him with pleading eyes. I’m sobbing behind my glasses, praying that he’ll put a stop to this. He’d done so much damage already. Didn’t he feel the least bit responsible? Didn’t he feel bad at all? Out of the three boys he had at least been something of a friend before… before…

But when Marcus caught me looking, he shook his head, turned, and walked away. He left me here, defenseless, friendless, alone.

Several others joined him, but most kids stayed to watch the scene unfold. Some were already holding packets of ketchup, mustard, and relish from the cafeteria, waiting for Cece to give the all-clear.

“You sleep with Marcus like a little slut. You also gave Pete a BJ in Mrs. Clarkson’s class last month, hoping he’d protect you from all of this. Exchanging sexual favours like a prostitute…”

I could hear Pete Dufont guffaw like a goon, and I felt icky all over.

“Pete… Pete…” I sobbed, shaking my head, trying to get my words out between my gasping breaths, “Pete said that–”

“Pete said you came to him begging, promising sexual acts for him to protect you. Who does that?” Cece shrieks with laughter and is quickly joined by the others.

I shake my head. “N-no! No! I didn’t–”

“And Harris says you bent yourself over Mr. Maskin’s table in workshop so he could fuck you from behind like a dog,” she goes on, listing another guy from the football team, and I felt my cheeks flush in humiliation as she names off one name after another. “That you moaned like a whore when he took you, because that’s what you are, aren’t you Mousy Fields? Just a dirty slut. Is that why you dress this way? To try to hide it?” She waves a hand at my outfit, my sweater, huge and oversized despite the heat.

I never used to try to hide like this. I used to be more confident, more open, more… normal. I only started hiding after the night Marcus…

Again, I look in the direction he’s disappeared to but I can see nothing past the wall of letterman jackets. The moment Cece realizes I’m trying to find him, the first ketchup packet is thrown, and it explodes against my cheek.

Everyone watched. They just watched.

The entire family was watching.

Vulfu stared me down while I glared up at him. It took me a minute to realize that I was crying. Hot, angry tears were sliding down my cheeks. I was sucking in quick, little gasps of air, and my body trembled as I was rocked by the memory triggered by this moment. But his fierce demeanor shifted as he watched a tear slide down my cheek and fall off the edge of my jaw. He slid his hand along the side of my throat, cupping it, his authoritative manner dropping and instead, he softened. Carefully, he leaned way down until his face was inches from mine, and he gently touched his forehead to my own. Without another word to me, he glanced over my shoulder and gestured with his head for someone to approach.

Seconds later, Mowha gathered me in her arms like a protective mother and I hugged her tight before I broke down and started bawling my eyes out.

I wasn’t crying because of Vulfu, though I was still very confused. But that triggered memory, the torment and humiliation I’d endured was something I suffered with in silence for so long. My real mother had known I was going through a hard time at school, but I never told her the details. I never told her what the boys had done to me, or why it had all started. Marcus had become a close friend, or at least I thought he had. In art we sat at the same table and for months we joked around, flirted a little, and I watched as his tumultuous relationship with Cece escalated to a point where I knew he was terribly unhappy.

Then one night, after I’d suffered once again at the hands of Cece Perkins, he invited me over to his house to copy his notes. She’d ruined mine, scrawling all over my notebook, and with exams around the corner, I desperately needed them. I thought he was truly my friend, that he cared. He had said Cece was just a bitch and that he understood. I was wrong. I was so wrong.

He ruined everything that night and the following Monday, I was confronted in the cafeteria by Cece and her friends, and the accusations began. He told her that I’d gotten drunk and seduced him, not caring that he was in a committed relationship with the most beautiful and popular girl in school. The bullying I endured after this had been horrible as it was, but the betrayal by him had hurt so much more.

And then there were the others…

I shook away any thoughts of them as Mowha mumbled something to Vulfu over my head. He grunted in response, and I found myself being carried by her back to our home, the sun setting through the trees in the distance. Mowha ran her fingers through my hair and hummed deep in her chest like she was singing me a song of sorts. I hugged her back, needing her familiarity right now, but I could sense Vulfu close at our sides as the entire family retired for the day. Whatever change had happened, though he was giving me this leeway, I could tell it was only temporary.