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Sephiroth nuzzled his nose deeper into his mate’s luxurious fur pelt. Kuja let out a gentle chuff of contentment as they shifted closer to Sephiroth’s warm bulk. It was times like this that they were grateful for their wolf forms – during the coldest parts of winter it was far nicer to bed down in a den lined with blankets in your own fur than in human skin, even with clothing. Snow had been falling in the valley that the Council Rock pack called home for the better part of the previous afternoon and all through the night. The adults were content to hunker down and wait out the storm, nestled up in their dens. It was certainly a time for sleep and… other… activities as one saw fit. But for the pups? Well…
Three smaller forms bounced into their parent’s den, all awake and alert and ready for adventure. Kadaj, the youngest at only three, was the least respectful of his parents’ personal space and immediately climbed on top of Sephioth’s back, lightly pawing at his ears.
Papa! Play! Outside! Kadaj yipped as he tried to get Sephiroth’s attention onto him. Yazoo and Loz, six and ten respectively, had learned proper manners over the years and thus while they did not bounce right into their parent’s den or onto their resting forms, they certainly entered with their tails wagging. Yazoo immediately went to Kuja’s side, lightly nuzzling against them and licking at their jawline. Kuja softly huffed their frustration but lifted their head to look at the little omega, gently licking Yazoo’s muzzle to acknowledge them.
Sephiroth, on the other hand, had no remorse as he lifted up his head, rolled Kadaj off of his back, and then flattened the youngster with a paw, forcing him to stay still on the ground, even as he yipped in protest and tried to squirm free.
No play. Rest, Sephiroth huffed.
There was a collective noise of disappointment from all three pups.
Sunup… new day. Pretty outside, Yazoo stated as they looked up at their parents with pleading eyes. Kuja looked over at Sephiroth, nuzzling against his muzzle – they would handle this.
Get Riku up. Go play. Kuja stated. While Riku was an alpha of eighteen, he was still their eldest brother and could be counted on to entertain his younger siblings in a pinch. He was also young enough that snow held novelty for him…
Loz and Yazoo let out happy barks of contentment as they scrambled to leave their parent’s den. Kadaj let out a Wait for me! protest as Sephiroth still had him flattened tight against the ground. The silver alpha held his youngest in place for a few moments more before Kuja gently nipped him, getting him to release their child and allow him to scramble to catch up with his siblings.
Cruel. Kuja chuffed softly, admonishing their mate. Sephiroth just let out a snort of amusement, nuzzling Kuja once again.
Good parenting. Sephiroth countered. There was a smirk about his muzzle as he nipped and nuzzled at Kuja’s neck. Kuja huffed softly, turning around to curl up again. Sephiroth let out a yawn, jaws opening wide to show off his fangs before he nestled up against Kuja again to fall back into a doze.
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Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj skittered through the earthen halls of Council Rock. The tunnels that the pack called home had been hollowed out in a well-insulated rock formation, some of the dens were even technically underground, which helped keep them warm with the help of a few well-placed firepits.
Riku had only just recently moved into a den of his own, seeing as he was of-age now. And while he couldn’t yet officially court his chosen mate, Sora – who was only six months younger than the silvery alpha – no one really batted an eye if they decided to hunker down together and share warmth. So, that was how his three younger siblings found him, hunkered down in his den with Sora curled up against him. Sora’s wolf form was a gorgeous chocolate-brown color that contrasted nicely to Riku’s silver.
Riku! Sora! Play! Kadaj yipped, having no more respect for his elder brother and favorite babysitter than for his parents.
Riku let out a chuff of annoyance at his youngest brother, lifting up his head as Kadaj attempted to nuzzle up under his chin and get between him and Sora. Loz and Yazoo maintained a little more respectful distance. Riku was their elder brother, and while Sora was practically Riku’s mate he was the grandpup of the High Alpha and thus commanded a little more respect than the average shifter.
It wasn’t until Sora looked over at them and gave a small bark of invitation that the pair moved into the den and lightly snuggled up against Sora’s form, much to Riku’a annoyance. Kadaj, not wanting to miss out on a Sora snuggle-pile, wiggled his way over to the chocolate colored shifter and nestled himself up under Sora’s chin.
Why play? Too cold. Riku chuffed softly, burying his nose into Sora’s neck ruff.
Snow fun. Loz whined softly. At the whine, Sora looked down at the pups then over at Riku, lightly nudging him with his nose.
Snow fun. Sora confirmed. Riku glanced up at the omega he planned to one day call his mate, giving off a small whine of protest. Snow fun. Was all Riku got in reply as Sora moved to stand up and shake himself fully awake. The happy yips of the three younger pups resounded through the small den, causing Riku to chuff softly in annoyance.
Snow… fun. Riku finally admitted. If his future mate was going to take his younger siblings out to play in the snow, then the least he could do was escort them all…
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The snow cover was fresh and untouched as Riku and Sora escorted the pups to one of the exits. The two near adults lifted their noses to sniff the air carefully for any sign of trouble before letting the three youngsters run out into the new snow.
SNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW! Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo howled as they took off like shots into the powdery substance, ruining the pristine look of the field outside of the caves.
Sora’s eyes crinkled lightly in delight as he watched the three pups for a moment, looking to Riku and nudging him playfully before running out into the cold as well. Riku heaved a heavy chuff, shaking himself before trotting out. The three pups very nearly disappeared into the snow drifts, bouncing and yipping in delight. Sora too was bounding around as if he was still a youngster playing in the snow for the first time, chasing Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj around as well as letting them chase him. The joy was rather infectious as Riku quickly found himself joining in the games, despite his previous complaints.
There was something to be said for letting himself get caught up in the games of his three younger siblings. Now that he was of-age, Riku was taking on more responsibility in the pack. As a young alpha, it was part of his duty to hunt and defend the pack - tasks that he took very seriously. Sora was starting to step into his own role as a young omega, which had long included baby-sitting for other pack members, but also included more domestic tasks around the pack den. It wouldn’t be very long before Loz was being included in traditional alpha activities, which did sometimes give Riku pause. In his mind, all of his siblings were still tiny pups that needed protection and more cuddles than they could handle…
A few hours of frolicking in the snow was all it took to wear the three bundles of energy out, their breaths coming in heavy pants as they trudged back towards the den, Kadaj actually having to be picked up by the scruff of his neck to keep him from lagging behind.
Am big boy! Kadaj protested lightly when Sora moved to scruff him. Sora said nothing in response, just picking the youngster up and trotting inside, Yazoo and Loz following him with Riku bringing up the rear incase something decided now was a good time to strike…
Kuja met them as they returned to the family den where the pups typically slept. Sora set Kadaj down at Kuja’s feet, who moved to snuffle their youngest pup, encouraging him to shake off any last remaining snow. Kadaj yipped happily, licking underneath their mother’s chin, trying to steal all of their attention.
Good pups? Kuja asked, looking to Riku and Sora.
Good pups. Sora confirmed with a nod. Kuja hummed happily, nuzzling Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz in turn as they moved to take them into their den. They would be fed and put down for a long, long nap…
Riku took the opportunity to nudge Sora, nodding towards their own den. Sora gave Riku’s muzzle a gentle lick as they trotted off together. As soon as they got to their own den, Riku decided to shift into his human form, which encouraged Sora to do the same. Sora shivered lightly before Riku moved to grab one of the furs from their nest, wrapping it around Sora’s shoulders.
“They’re growing up too fast…” Riku stated with a sigh. Sora just smiled, leaning into kiss Riku’s cheek.
“That’s why you need to enjoy all the moments with them that you can… even if it’s a cold day in the snow,” Sora said, ever the voice of wisdom. Riku moved to lightly ruffle Sora’s spiky hair, chuckling.
“Yeah, yeah…” Riku said, moving to fetch a clay kettle so that he could go warm up water for tea.
“Besides Riku… it’s good practice for when we have our pups,” Sora stated, somehow both completely innocent and scandalous at the same time. It caused Riku to pause as he was about to leave the den, glancing back at Sora who had moved to cuddle up in their nest, blinking innocently at Riku.
“Sora… you’re going to get me killed one of these days…” Riku stated, smirking as he abandoned his initial idea of how to warm them back up to move back to their nest of blankets and furs, kissing Sora silly.
Sora laughed softly, pulling Riku down into the furs and pillows, nuzzling against him and returning each kiss. What Ventus and Vanitas didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them…
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