Huff Huff this, this isn't fun anymore...

~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~

Trying not to wince at his beat up face I tenderly place my lips on his cracked bleeding lips. This is not a kiss, more like a peck filled with a taste of iron, yet the male appears like he was floating in dopamine. Radu, knowing that the winning male would need herbs, quietly passes me the ones grandpa Liam prepared for us while the male is seen to be in la la land.

Holding the herbs behind me, I call him, "Adan."Softly placing my free hand on his dark toffee blonde hair, "morph for me." His steel blue eyes instantly changes to his wolf beasts larger expecting eyes. Smiling up at his light brown wolf beast form, I command, "good, now come lay at our campfire." Nodding his head, he begins to limp toward our place, but before he could pass me, I quickly place my hand with the herbs to the side of his face.

He freezes and soon wrinkles his nose at the incoming smell. Hehehe I got you! Males don't like this smell and would prefer to wallow in their injured body than to have this on. Wrinkling my own nose, I can understand, it kind of makes you want to burry your nose in anything to get away from this smell. Anyway, taking this opportune time, my hand filled with the goo of the medical herbs was soon poured all over the cuts and bruises found on his face. His nose wrinkles once more and begins to slightly whine. "Ugh ugh, I know this smells really bad but it's almost done" I say as I give him an angelic smile. The wolf beast lips go down in a pout. Poof, too cute! Smiling, I give him a kiss on the nose. "There, done, now Leo will help you with the rest."

Behind me Leo is holding on one hand a bowl filled with the goo placed far away from his own face, while his other hand is covering his nose. Radu, who's farther away from him, tries not to smirk.

Adan gently licks the herbs off my hand and since I gave him an additional peck to the nose, he is now limping happily to the leopard beastmen.

However, as soon as Adan left my side, I can now fully see the sorrowfull bear beastmen. Radu walks over to me. "Mercy?" he asks as he holds a piece of meat. In this situation the female would have two choices. Nod her head at the defeated male and go on her way or acknowledge him further by giving him a piece of meat. The latter does not mean that the defeated male is allowed to be in the female's family. It does however mean, that the female is aware of him and will allow for him to court her.

Radu and I now have two males to our family, both are double mark beastmens. Depending on how far they are in their training, one of these males could develop an additional mark after he and I formally form our bond. My face heats up thinking the many ways my body will bear their love bites and mark.

Glancing back at the two mark bear beastmen, I internally sigh as I remember that my family should be strong. But on another hand, I don't know how Radu will take it to having another male courting me. It's only been a week a half since we first had our den and now we're a family of four. Glancing behind me I can see Leo scowling as he blindingly places the goo on Adan's side. Adan, meanwhile is trying not to wince at the other males touch.

Looking back at Radu's gaze, I feel as if I can't get a reading. Radu, seeing my lost stare closes his distance to me and lowers his face to my ear. "I'm okay Suki" he whispers then pauses, "we need to protect our family, we need to protect you." He nuzzles his cheek to mine as he passes the meat to my hand. Nodding back I walk toward the crouched male.

The male's round ear twitches at hearing foot steps heading his way. The sound stops in front of him. "Male, what is your name?" Looking up in bafflement, the male's jade green eyes widen at seeing the bear female standing so close to him. Despite his body's protest, he quickly gets up and now he is towering over the smiling female. Noticing how close they were, he quickly steps back and kneels, "my name is Wyatt." A soft giggle is heard, "take this" the female says as her olive hands hold a piece of meat in front of him. The male quickly lifts his head in surprise and happily, yet slowly, takes the meat into his own hand. Sneakily, he also brushes his thick fingers against her small hand while telling himself that he had to do it in order to get the offered meat. Glancing up to see if the female would protest, he was able to watch as she lifts an eyebrow yet she keeps on smiling. The female then nods her head, pushes a strand of her black hair behind her ear, and walks back to her campfire. By this time Wyatt is standing up and is bringing his hand that was holding the meat close to his nose.

Trying not to think about Vick and instead living in the present, my lips form into a smile at my family. Adan's wolf beast form lies at the other side of the campfire, pittifully munching on a piece of bone. Needless to say, he's lying down hill from us. Leo is sitting on my other side rapidly licking all traces of the smelly herb off his skin. Radu, who's on my right is smiling happily at me as he continues to feed me pieces of meat.

Our peaceful moment ends when a familiar scent flows in the air. He's here! Sitting up straighter, my head slowly looks toward the trees in anticipation. I knew he would come! Happily I sniff the air to make sure he's not hurt, but I soon begin to realize that he's not alone. My eyes unconsciously glow at this unusual scent. This scent.. I never smelled this peculiar smell here, but I can tell. This scent belongs to a female.

Breathing in a quick whisp of air, my throat uncontrollably let's out a quiet whine. My heart. Lifting a hand to my chest I begin to try to sooth it. It's hurting? Maybe, I try to rationalize, maybe he's just guiding this female to our tribe. Radu noticing the pain in my eyes, quickly hugs me tightly as Leo and Adan become baffled and worried. Rapidly blinking my eyes, I try to control my breathing and watery eyes while leaning my head in Radu's chest. During this time Radu repeatedly whispers, "it's okay Suki, we don't know anything yet." Feeling a better control of my feelings, I lift my head up and glance toward the woods. I can now see Vick's tall muscular body steadily walking to us, no, to the village. And he's carrying in his strong arms a gorgeous petite female.