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Joxter made his way through the forest eagerly, almost dancing along.
Mymble had promised that her now-mobile house would be stopped at a spot they both know, one with landmarks Joxter recognized, and she would wait for him there as winter came to an end and they woke from hibernation, so they could all travel to Moomin Valley together.
By his reckoning, they should have been awake for a day or two now.
On the one hand, sleeping for months on end sounded pretty good to Joxter, and the idea of cuddling up against Mymblemamma like that? Oh, bliss!
But he wasn't sure he was physically capable of actually hibernating. And waking up during winter, alone, trapped in the house while everyone else slept?
No thanks.
Joxter called out as he came near, the call dying as he heard something strange.
Going quiet, he dropped what he was carrying, the pack sliding off silently as he made his way toward the house.
And froze, staring in disbelief and fear.
There was a pack of wolves, ranging from cubs to nearly full grown adults, clustered around a carcass of some kind, ripping it apart, right outside the door to Mymblemamma's house.
He could see Snufkin and some of the younger children in the windows of the house, watching.
Paws landed on his shoulders, and Joxter jumped.
His head twisted and he stared up at Mymblemamma, who had snuck up behind him, looming over him now, her face hidden in the shadows.
“Oh thank the booble, Mymblemamma, the kids, we have to do something, they're in danger,” he said in a rush.
“They're fine,” Mymblemamma said, her paws squeezing his shoulders. “Look.”
Joxter turned and found the rest of the Horde staring back at them, where the wolves had been a moment ago. There was blood on their faces and their eyes were frightened and hostile.
“They were...Mymble? You're all...?”
“Joxter?” Mymblemamma bent down, her head close to his ear. “Run.”
She shoved him, and Joxter stumbled forward. He turned to her, confused, ears low with fear, and she snarled before he could say anything. “ Run!”
Still he hesitated. How could he hesitate? They were covered in blood, Mymblemamma could feel how she was half changed already, and he had to know what they could do to him, what they should do now that he knew.
His eyes traveled over her, over the kids, over the ones staring from the windows, and back to her.
Then his eyes lit up, and he bit his lip before turning and running.
Mymblemamma slid into her wolf form and took after him.
---XXX---
Joxter tore through the woods, and to Mymblemamma it almost seemed as if he were leaving her a trail.
But he couldn't be.
Joxter scrambled up into the trees, and he could have escaped her that way, except he landed again on the ground a few trees away, gaining ground on her, and took off again.
Mymblemamma could smell him, could smell his fear, his excitement, and it was confusing...and exciting.
This was a hunt like she hadn't had in years, with Joxter slipping away from her again and again, keeping just ahead of her.
Both of them were panting, muscles straining as they raced through the forest.
Joxter was staying just far enough ahead that Mymblemamma couldn't catch him, but she kept getting glances of his tail, almost as if he were teasing her.
And she wasn't sure yet what she would do when she caught him.
Joxter backtracked, laid false trails, doubled back to watch her from the trees.
Mymblemamma nearly lost him three times, and was torn between her excitement and frustration.
---XXX---
Joxter perched in a tree, listening for Mymblemamma. He was panting, trembling in every limb from the exertion of the chase, not sure how much longer he could keep going.
He wasn't entirely sure what was happening. He thought maybe...and yet, the way the children had looked at him...
But this was Mymblemamma. She wouldn't...would she?
...she might. But this wasn't that sort of chase...was it? It seemed like one, but something was off...
The bushes rustled, and Joxter caught Mymblemamma's scent and took off. No matter what sort of chase it was, he had no intention of getting caught unless he was sure.
Besides, the chase was only supposed to be the first part of the fun, and he intended to enjoy it. He'd never thought he'd get one at all!
---XXX---
Mymblemamma could smell his exhaustion, and yet his laughter echoed back to her as he ran, almost as if he were enjoying this.
She was beginning to think she would be chasing Joxter forever, that letting him run had been the dangerous choice.
Which was when a rock slipped out from under his foot, his leg twisting under him, and he fell with a cry of pain, clutching at his leg, usual grace gone in his trembling exhaustion.
And Joxter went tumbling, end over end down the small slope the rock had fallen down.
Mymblemamma leapt after him, before he could regain his feet and scramble away.
She landed atop him, her paws pinning his shoulders down, claws pricking the skin through his smock as she snarled, knocking the breath out of him.
And the laughter died from his face.
“...Mymble?” he said softly, finally afraid, as Mymble growled. “Sunshine?”
Mymble hesitated, unsure what she should do now. She could see the blood pulsing in his throat, smell his sweat, smell the fear finally starting to fill him as she pinned him down, feel the way he trembled under her, her fangs so close to his throat, and she was torn.
Bite him , said one voice. He's your Mate. He Belongs to you. Make him yours!
He saw, said the other. The nastier, more cynical, frightened voice. He saw us all. He'll get hunters, and come after us. Kill him now!
She didn't want to listen to the second voice, and this was Joxter, he wouldn't, would he? And yet...why tell him to run, why chase him down, if not for this?
...because she hadn't been thinking and had the idea that she might have chosen by the time she caught him.
“...this wasn't a courtship chase, was it?” Joxter said, pain and disappointment mixing with the growing fear. “Mymble? Please say this was a courtship chase and you weren't actually trying to kill me?”
Mymblemamma tilted her head, suddenly thrown. What did he mean? Courtship chase? What was he talking about?
Above, she heard yips, and the majority of her Pack, the children old enough to keep up, to understand what was happening, appeared on the path overhead, watching, crowding and pressing against each other.
“Mymble? You're hurting me,” Joxter said pleadingly, and struggled weakly, and she pressed him down harder “....Mymble?”
He was bleeding. He claws had drawn blood. She could smell it, and the urge to bite him grew. Mine. She licked a path alone his throat, and Joxter stiffened, clearly feeling her hot breath on his throat, how easily she could hurt him in an instant should she choose, keenly aware of how vulnerable he was in that moment.
“I, uh, thought you guessed? Why I'd be happy you were...? Which is silly since I didn't guess this but...” Joxter almost babbled, looking up at her with eyes gone huge and sad. Mymblemamma snarled softly, demanding he explain. “It's just...with the chasing and all...”
Joxter took a deep breath and his body seemed to shimmer, body going liquid just as hers seemed to when she changed, growing and changing..
And a few seconds later, a big cat, a panther, looked up at her with Joxter's eyes, paws folded on his chest, sprawled on his back under her.
All Mymblemamma could do was stare for a long moment.
Suddenly aware that, as a cat, Joxter had claws on his hind paws that could disembowel her vulnerable stomach as she straddled him, she leapt to the side, head low as she stared.
Joxter pushed himself to his feet, shaking himself off. He sat, his tail curling around himself, the tight way it curled telegraphing his worry.
He was scruffy even as a full cat, Mymblemamma noticed, but he still smelled of Joxter, looked at her with his eyes, as much cat as she was wolf.
Mymblemamma changed back to her everyday form, and Joxter did the same, watching her warily.
“You...” she said, at a loss. Of all the ways for this chase to end, she somehow hadn't pictured this one. “Um. That explains a lot, I suppose.”
“I could say the same,” he said, tilting his head to look up at her. His eyes softened, glancing up at the children. “Bad experience?”
“A hunter who got close to Mymbles, looking for wolves,” Mymblemamma said shortly. “Quite a lot of us are.”
Joxter nodded, gesturing towards himself. “Hunters that get close to mumriks, looking for kittens to catch and train as pets,” he said, his own explanation for playing it close. His ears drooped, tail curling close, where he could grip it in both paws. “Wait, you really thought I might...?”
He had no right to look that hurt, Mymbemamma thought...except maybe he does. “I don't know what I thought. You caught us, and I reacted.” She paused, looking at Joxter carefully, licking her lips. “You thought it was a...courting run? What's that?”
Joxter blushed. “Um, well, you tell the person you want to court to run, and if they do, and you catch them, then you're courting. And, well, you...and I really wanted to...”
“So that's why it felt like you were leaving a trail...” Mymblemamma mused. “It felt like you wanted me to follow, but...”
“Well I didn't want to make it easy on you but I...well...” Joxter blushed again, looking up at her, cheeks going pink. “Making it easy would mean I didn't respect you, but I...well...did want you to catch me,” he mumbled the last shyly, biting his lip as he glanced up at Mymblemamma.
The children looked between her and Joxter, and Mymblemamma looked up at them, a question in her eyes.
They yipped in excitement.
“What about the children?” Mymblemamma asked. “You do realize...”
“Most of them are, right?” Joxter said, looking up at them. “I thought that usually came out on top when one of us mated with someone who wasn't...what about Snufkin, though?”
“That's going to be fun to find out,” Mymblemamma laughed. “What...was supposed to happen when I caught you, if this were to start a courtship, by the way?”
“Oh, ah, it's been a long time since I was around other mumriks to know exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was kissing? And, well, given what we've done, um, well, you'd have caught me, so...”
The grin he gave Mymblemamma was more than a little naughty, and Mymblemamma felt another fission of the excitement she'd felt during the chase.
The children yipped encouragement again, and Mymblemamma leaned in close to Joxter, sniffing at him delicately. “How's your leg? You hurt it, didn't you? And your shoulders?”
“Oh, shifting healed that,” Joxter said easily. “I'm fine, now. Just need to sit a minute after all that running.”
“Good. I'm so sorry I scared you, Joxter. I should have known I could trust you.”
He shrugged, though she had a feeling he wasn't as over it as he acted. “I scared you too, though really, someone should have been standing sentry so I couldn't sneak up on you like that. I don't mind you taking secondaries, really, but a few of them, well...”
Mymblemamma smiled fondly. “Hm, having two shifters around will be helpful. If you're staying, even after this?”
“You still want me? I mean, now that you know I'm a cat, and we've scared each other, and...”
Mymblemamma leaned over and kissed him gently, which always stopped Joxter mid-thought. They took a moment to nuzzle at each other, reassurance and promises of forgiveness.
“I do want you, so much. I nearly claimed you, I want you so much. Now, kitten? This time, I know exactly what I'm saying when I tell you this.” She leaned in close to his ear and whispered. “Joxter? Run for me.”