He smelled blood. The wounds on his back had already healed but the blood remained. It was scent of his blood. He looked down at his unconscious mate and gradually stopped moving upon a realization. Albeit faint, he smelled blood from him too.
Slowly, he slid out, making Laris grunt in his sleep, the tears from his eyes falling from his lashes. His mate's face a mess, but it wasn't just his face that was a mess. A sticky substance flowed out; a mixture of white and red. He spotted the trickle of blood and felt distressed. He sucked is finger and coated it with a lot of his saliva. Carefully, he lifted his mate by the waist and inserted it inside.
The saliva of a Wendigo had healing properties. Besides their fast regeneration, this was probably where the myth of the Wendigo-kind devouring the Healer-kind had come from. Whether the myth was false or true, it couldn't really be proved. After all, the Healer-kind exchange bodily fluids to relieve themselves of corruption. It was totally different from how the Wendigo-kind healed themselves and others.
The Wendigo licked Laris' wounds and cleaned him up with melted snow. Laris' body shivered, and for the first time, the Wendigo realized the fragileness of this person. He thought that since this was his mate, although he'd be a little weaker than him, he wouldn't be that far in terms of strength. He really believed it, however, his mate wasn't like him at all.
Noticing the red welts on his mate's ankle, he stared at his open hand. Did he do that? Was this because of him? Because he had gripped him a little bit harder to prevent him from running away? If he knew his mate was this fragile, he wouldn't have done that!
Feeling extremely guilty and sad, he dejectedly licked Laris' ankles as well as the scratches in his body that he should've gotten when Laris was dragged by him. But his saliva could only so much for the swollen ankle. It worked best for healing lacerations, but he didn't have the opportunity to try it at an injury like this. He didn't know whether it would even heal at all. Nevertheless, he tried until Laris' whole foot was soaking wet.
Proud of himself, the Wendigo put the foot down gently and sniffed Laris again. His mate was enveloped by his smell. No other male would surely come near now. He has been marked by him! He felt prouder.
Then Laris shivered, and curled in his sleep. He felt down and guilty again, using his hands to keep Laris warm. Should he wrap himself around him to keep him warm? Abruptly, he remembered something!
Laris didn't have any clothes and he had been washed with melted snow. Even if he had a high tolerance for cold things even in his human form, this was still too much for his tired, beaten body. If he was any other person of a weaker race, they would have probably had multiple fractures, dislocated joints, countless scratches and bruises, as well as a high fever after having been torn, and having his foot swollen so much.
While Laris was asleep, at the corner of the cave, the Wendigo pulled out a small boulder than hid his belongings in a cave wall compartment. It was high enough that other people or animals could not reach it, but not too high for his height.
He had learned to skin the fur of the beats he hunted from his late mother. He didn't like the feel of fur on his skin, but whenever the coldness of some winters were too much to bear, he'd take them out and lay them on his nest. Then, he'd bury himself inside them and sleep cozily. At least he knew to do the basics of things—that much he was taught! For the other things he didn't know, they were self-taught after having observed the other beasts in the forest.
He had seen other bipedal beings as well before, but he never really had an interest for them except for the first time he saw them. Those creatures always ran away in fear, even being becoming stinky with the smell of sweat or piss after seeing him in his wolf form. He grew bored of seeing such useless weaklings, and overtime, the number of bipedal beings stopped passing through his part of the forest.
The Wendigo-kind had always been an independent race that was scarce and liked solitude. Although they are capable of learning, their violent tendencies and strength were feared so much that they were always excluded and avoided. Even if one day, one of them wanted to learn, would anybody really be willing to teach a monster that could kill you just because they were in a bad mood?
What if they go in heat too? Would they just abduct the nearest person and rape them without remorse? Would a Wendigo even understand the concept of remorse? The general majority of the human race could never understand the Wendigo-kind. They were simply feared. If you met a Wendigo-kind on your journey, then it was simply your bad luck.
Fortunately, this Wendigo didn't care about any of that. He only cared about his mate. He was important and very dear to him.
Over the years, the little Wendigo had collected a lot of fur from the big beasts it had hunted. Fortunately, if push comes to shove, he could last a week without eating. Also, the forest was vast enough that it did not need to worry about food depleting in his area. Otherwise, he would've needed to move.
He was reluctant to move or change lairs, as this was the place his mother had took nest in and gave birth to him. This was where she died because of an injury—a sliced stomach caused by a dying feline beast during a hunt. His mother hadn't been able to heal at all from that, burning from high fever until she closed her eyes. On the day she died, her body was buried by her own son nearby; in a place that few animals come to, for fear of having her corpse dug out and eaten by them. He felt he'd be angry if that happened, and yet couldn't accurately explain why.
He was much reluctant to move now that he had found his mate near his lair. He felt that this was indeed a good place that brought him fortune. He just needed to wait and unexpectedly, his mate arrived! What other things would come if he just stayed here? Surely, there would be more!
Taking the softest and cleanest fur, the Wendigo piled them over Laris as if afraid he'll catch sickness and die like his late mother. He crept and burrowed in the furry sheets beside Laris, staring at his mate's face as of to commit to memory every single curve and outline of his face and body.
"Mine", the Wendigo muttered as he hugged the warm person and slept.
By late morning, Laris groggily woke up. It has been years since he slept like the dead. It was even late morning, and yet he couldn't care about damn etiquette.
Who cares that a gentleman always wakes up early and is always prompt and proper?! Surely, that gentleman has never been catapulted to the sky, injured when falling, thrash-dragged all over the woods, and tossed about in bed roughly?
Laris took a moment to let his anger subside after remembering the contents of yesterday's happenings. He felt his limbs one by one. His body was extremely sore, but it wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be. Although he did feel itchy in some places.
He looked around the cave that barely let the stream of sunlight in. Belatedly, he felt the soft breathing of the person beside him. He turned his neck and was startled at seeing the Wendigo steadily staring at him without even blinking. Laris felt like a deer in front of headlights.
He waited for a while, but the other person didn't move. Instead, he simply watched at Laris as if he was the only thing there was in the world. This gave Laris a bit of courage. Slowly, Laris moved to sit up only to realize that there was an arm around his waist. He glanced at the Wendigo who also sat up to stare at him again, eye to eye.
Laris politely smiled, trying to show a non-aggressive action. Upon seeing this, the Wendigo finally perked up and bit Laris' jaw, trying to push him down the bed again. On the other hand, Laris, who sharply sensed his predicament, quickly withdrew his smile.
It seems like he should stop smiling for a while. How troublesome.
He had grown accustomed to smiling so much that he smiled even when he was angry, sad, hungry, desperate, or simply when he didn't realize it. It had become a habit by now, as well as polished social weapon for both defense and offense. But it was useless in front of this person. He had to show his real emotions on his face if he really wanted the Wendigo to know what he was feeling. Otherwise, he would really be tossed to death at this rate.
The Wendigo wanted to push Laris back to the bed to rest more. It was warmer under the furry sheets too, but his mate looked as if he didn't want to. Dissatisfied but not wanting to force his mate, the Wendigo bit Laris' face.
Getting bitten, Laris thought that the Wendigo wanted to mess in between the sheets again. Slightly annoyed by the Wendigo's libido, Laris bit back the Wendigo on the same face.
"!!!" The Wendigo froze on the spot, eyes wide.
Watching this unfold, Laris was amused. So it was possible for a Wendigo to have such a cute and clumsy side? Ah! No, he couldn't have thought that! This 'cute' and 'clumsy' thing is a monster in bed!
Laris felt his injured foot. He knew that he's currently unable to run away. He needed to inform his little brother and his companion of what happened. Besides, they might not be able to trek safely back to Barred Forest in the middle of winter. It would be safer to head south, where it would be warmer, but that would mean eventually reaching the fort of Sorcerer's Nation.
There were a lot more things to do back at the main camp—he couldn't stay here for long. His responsibilities as an Alpha and a leader won't allow him to stay.