Alpha and Omega

Chapter 39

Gwen returned from the stream without a trace of blood on her. She sat by the fire and slipped her flannel shirt back on, glad it had been kept safe from getting blood on it. "Here's some of that deer. It fries up good with beans." Bucky told her when she was back.

She nodded and found a skillet in their supplies and started frying up the venison and beans. "I've never had cooked venison," she admitted while she worked. She always ate deer raw when she ate it.

Bucky was stringing some small pieces over the fire, higher, to cook slower. "This will become the jerky. Dehydrating it and cooking it tonight. We can provide some for a couple of days." She looked interested, not knowing before how jerky was made. He fished out some other supplies. Then checked her skillet. "Time to turn it over, then another few minutes, to be medium. Or 10 minutes to be medium well done," he explained to her. He wasn't mean or mansplaining, just helping out.

She nodded and flipped the contents of the skillet with her spatula. She was so adorable as she set on her task. "Which do you prefer? I'm not picky," she reminded him that she could eat meat no matter its doneness.

Bucky chuckled. "A little pink is okay."

She continued cooking and portioned out the meal onto plates when it was done. She handed one to him with a fork and a can of rootbeer from their supplies and sat next to him with her own plate, tail waving happily.

"You did great, in all accounts of the first day out," he told her

She raised an eyebrow. "You doubted I would?" She was a werewolf after all

"No, I'm just complimenting you."

"The deer should last even us a little while," she teased. They both had high metabolisms.

"Yes, that's why the jerky, it can last for a while. It'll be good when we go hiking tomorrow. And put the rest of the cut meat into the freezer in the cabin."

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan," she said and laid her head on his shoulder with a sound like a purr. He cuddled her tight.

They sat that way chatting next to the fire. When the sun went down there was a wolf song from nearby. Gwen lifted her head and howled a reply even from her human throat.

"What was that conversation?" Bucky asked her curiously when her howl ended.

"There's wolves nearby, real wolves. They're up and hunting for the night and it would be incredibly rude for me not to warn them there's another wolf in the area. One who's stronger than all of them"

"I hope you mean yourself."

She nodded with a giggle. "I do. Werewolves are stronger, faster, and outrank normal wolves. I outrank even an alpha of a normal wolf pack," she explained

Bucky considered that. "I had no idea that mattered. What do they say back?"

Gwen giggled. "They want me to hunt with them. They don't understand the distinction between a real wolf and a werewolf except to know that I'm stronger and told them I was friendly,"

He nudged her. "Go on, play leader. Help them catch a buck or two."

She gave him a look. She really wanted to play with the wolves, but didn't want to leave Bucky out. "But I'm spending time with you," she insisted.

"You can the next 3 days. Go on. I see it in your eyes. I want you to play with other wolves," he told her warmly.

Gwen hesitated. She didn't want to leave him alone on their weekend out. "If they didn't have puppies to feed..." she said apologetically and stood, stripping off her clothes. "I'll make it up to you," she promised with a seductive smirk as she stood there in nothing but her skin, letting him take in the sight of her, before she changed forms and bounded into the woods.

Bucky could not at all deny that he had appreciated the view immensely. And would be proving that to her much more intimately that evening.