What More Could He Ask For?

Chapter 4

A week's time had past and the wolves all had the joy of witnessing the first snow fall. It wasn't much, just a few inches, but the pups liked it nonetheless. And Sonic had to admit that he liked it himself.

Shadow actually seemed like an overgrown puppy with some issues as Sonic got to know him further. He liked to play in the snow just as much as pups did.

And Shadow got to see that Sonic was very caring and patient with the pups, even going so far as to letting them climb on his back, pull on his fur, and nip at his ears. He'd be a great mother someday....

Shadow was actually watching the pups clamber over Sonics body.

Sonic simply lay down in the snow, enjoying the fact that all the wolf mothers deemed him safe enough to watch their pups while they went off to bathe in the hot springs. There were a total of 9 pups-- 6 boys and 3 girls. They were a hyper little bunch; if they're yips, barks, and bouncing were anything to go by. And he didn't mind at all when they tugged on his ears; he just let them have their way. He then noticed that one of the pups, a little grey wolf, was sitting all alone, looking sad and left out. The blue uke blinked before gently standing, letting the pups slid off his back and into the awaiting snow, much to their joy. He then made his way over to the saddened pup and sat down beside him, wondering what was wrong.

Shadow stepped in and lay where Sonic had been letting the remaining pups climb on him.

"Hey..." he said, his voice soft and kind as he looked down at the pup, "What's wrong?"

The little guy sniffled, his trail of tears easily seen, as he mumbled, "The others won't let me play..."

Sonic raised a brow at that, so he lay down on his belly so that he would be down on the pups level, "And why is that?"

"They say I'm too slow and that I get in the way....I'm always left out..." he sniffled again with his ears pinned to his head, meaning he was highly upset. Sonic felt sorry for the pup and smiled kindly at him before saying, "Can I play with you?"

The grey wolf pup looked up at him with big watery ice blue eyes.

"You wanna play with me?"

Sonic nodded with a kind smile.

The pup instantly cheered up, hopping to his feet with his tail wagging happily, "Okay!!"

Shadow laughed as the pups clambered all over him, pulling back his ears with their teeth and such.

Sonic then stood before lowering his front, his tail wagging happily in the air as he pounced and ran around with the little pup. He made sure to run a slow so that the little guy could keep up. The little grey wolf was beside himself with joy. He barked, yipped, laughed, and giggled as he and the fun babysitter played in the snow.

Shadow then stood shaking the pups off of him and began to watch Sonic run. A little female wolf suddenly asked, "Alpha...do you love Sonic?"

Shadow blinked in shock at the question. Okay, sure, they'd spent a lot of time together, but was there need for such a question?! "No, of course not!"

"Well, the whole pack think he's gonna be your mate." This information angered Shadow as well as shocked him-how dare they gossip about such a thing?!

Then all the pups began to sing a song about Shadow and Sonic with certain implications, teasing the Alpha.

Sonic then blinked at hearing the pups singing something, but he was too far away to hear. And the flustered look on Shadow's face gave the hint that the song had something to do with him. So chuckling, he lay down in the snow once again, this time with his new playmate curled up happily on his front legs, and called the others over, telling them to leave the Alpha alone for now. The pups giggled happily and ran over, even playing with the grey wolf pup now, and Sonic was once again on babysitting duty letting his ears get nipped and having his fur pulled on.

The same white pup told Sonic, "All we asked Alpha is if he loved you...he seemed really upset about it, but everyone thinks he does love you."

It was Sonic's turn to blink in shock and he blushed like crazy.

"W-why would everyone think that?" he stammered, since his voice decided to take a vacation.

"Well...he does spend a lot of time around you, and he's always watching over you and he only ever smiles around you..." a black male puppy said.

Sonic was even more shocked now.

"He...he only smiles around me? Really?" Sonic then shook his head of all his hopeful thoughts, before sighing and saying with a slight hint of disappointment, "Kids, Shadow is just being a good friend. He doesn't love me..."

"Oh, but he's never been this happy before. There has to be some reason...and everyone except for Beta Mephiles and Beta Silver thinks he loves you." A gold pup said.

"But..." Sonic frowned slightly in confusion. "Why don't they think so?"

"Beta Mephiles thinks he just finally found someone alike in personality to his other mate Maria-" all the pups said, "May her soul rest in a deep beautiful sleep." Before the pup continued, "And Beta Silver just agrees with his mate..."

Sonic's eyes widened slightly before his ears folded down in disappointment, "Oh, I...I see..."

"Do you love Alpha? And can you not lie about it like Alpha did?" The white pup asked.

Sonic paused, he didn't know what to say.

"I..." he started, "I don't know..."

"If Alpha loved you...would you love him back...?"

Sonic swallowed thickly before replying, "If he did love me, if he truly loved me, then...yes I would love him back..."

A chorus of "Awwwww's" came from the girl pups while the guy pups just rolled their eyes.

"That's so sweet, Sonic," the gold female pup said.

Sonic just blushed and hoped that their mothers would come back.

And soon their mothers did return and took all their pups back, thanking Sonic happily.

Shadow on the other hand was completely conflicted. He had told everyone to leave him alone and he swam alone in the heated pools on the mountainside.

And Sonic decided to spend sometime near the edge of their 'camping grounds', his own mind conflicted with confusing thoughts.

"Gah!! Damn my own pack! How dare they think I love that...that charity case?!" He snarled to himself, pacing in the shallow part of the pool.

Sonic was starting to get really uncomfortable with everything that was going on around here. Shadow didn't love him, he couldn't have.

'Besides,' he thought sadly, 'He'd only see Maria in me anyways...'

Finally deciding that this was all too much and that he couldn't take anymore heartache, Sonic looked back at the pack that he'd call home for the past two months and with a heavy sigh, he stood and made his way into the woods.

His destination: the mountain range. And little did the small uke know was that the worst blizzard of the year was underway.

Shadow sniffed the air. Having lived in the mountains his whole life he knew how to smell the bad weather coming. So he heaved himself out of the water and howled out loudly to warn his pack of the danger.

And unfortunately for Sonic, he was already too far away to hear...

Shadow then ran home. Everyone had already gotten piled into their own dens before Shadow went to Mephiles, "Everyone here?" He asked.

"Everyone important..." Mephiles responded curtly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Shadow snapped.

"Sonic is gone." Shadows whole body filled with drear. Sonic was going to die if he didn't do something. He could feel the wind picking up already. And before Mephiles could stop him he ran off to find Sonic.

Sonic, having walked for nearly two hours now and had at last come upon the base of the mountain range that held his new life on the other side. Not looking back, he was about to take his first step up the mountain when a distant howl stopped him in his tracks. His ears perked and he raised a brow, turning back towards where he'd heard the call since the howl seemed highly familiar.

''Shadow?" He said surprised before he hesitantly sent a responding call back, hoping that it wasn't any rival wolf's call that he was answering.

Shadows ears perked and he had to force his body to cooperate and run up towards where he heard the howl. He soon howled back with renewed energy. God...he hoped Sonic wouldn't leave now—he might die!

Sonic shivered heavily as the wind seemed to beat down on his now with much more force, making it seem as though he had no fur at all!!

'I gotta get out of this weather,' he shuddered, sending yet another howl to whoever it was that was contacting him before he desperately looked around for shelter, his cobalt fur now carrying a thick coat of snow on his back.

'Please let it be Shadow,' he thought.

Shadow managed to use his mass to force his way through the piles of snow. He heard another howl that sounded so close...so very close. It took him a while, but he could finally spot Sonic, "SONIC!!!!" He yelled, not angrily though...just concerned as he bounded towards him.

Sonic was shivering uncontrollably by now, all feeling lost in his paws and legs from the cold, making him whimper with each passing step. Yet, he still tried to force his way through the constant piling snow with his small frame, the action alone quickly tiring him out. He was so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep, sleep and never wake up. His eyes grew heavy, as he finally couldn't walk any further, slumping down into the deep snow. The wind howled and roared and yet through it all, he was barely able to make out a long awaited voice.

"S-S-Shadow?" he weakly called out, his own voice now shaking from the mind-numbing cold as he was only able to see the blanketing white of the snow piling all around him.

When Shadow reached Sonic he dug away all the snow. He saw how cold the poor uke was and knew he wouldn't be able to walk through the snow. He finally made his decision and lay on top of Sonic, not crushing him, but managing to cover his body and warm him. He felt the snow pile up on his back until they were both encased in the snow. Yet he remained over Sonic trying desperately to warm him.

The harsh, violent storm only seemed to grow worse before it finally came to a stop, and when it did, it was nearly two hours later with only a few late snowflakes making their slow descent to the ground.

Shadow shook slightly with cold, still keeping Sonic warm with his shaggy coat. He knew Sonic would have died without him there. "S-Sonic?" He asked quietly knowing with full mind the storm was over, "You okay?"

He could feel Sonic move slightly beneath him and soon heard his small voice say, "I...I'm okay..."

"Alright...that's good. Now...the storm is over and I need to dig us out through the top. Can you move out from under me?" Shadow asked, looking down at Sonic.

Sonic, with his ears submissively down, nodded his head before slowly standing to move no matter how much his stiff and cold limbs screamed at him to stop.

As soon as Sonic was out from under him, Shadow gave him a lick to the cheek, "Never ever run off again. Next time you might die...I thought you were going to die and I'd never see you again." And before Sonic could answer Shadows legs gave out having had at least a foot of snow over his body. He shook and shuddered before forcing himself back up and pushing against the rest of the snow that hadn't come lose when he fell.

Sonic, once he'd gotten over the shock that Shadow had just 'kissed' him (somewhat lol), gasped when he saw Shadow go under and quickly began to dig the snow from around the ebony male.

"Shadow, I don't understand. You could have died out here yourself... Why did you come looking for me?" he asked as he tried to dig him out as best he could despite his own weakened limbs.

"Because it matters to me what happens to you." Shadow answered before standing on shaky legs as the snow was cleared from around his body and made an exit for them to reach the surface. First he helped Sonic out before leaping out himself. He landed down on his side, shaking slightly. He was so tired....

Sonic immediately lay down on top of Shadow this time, returning the favor at keeping him somewhat warm.

"Shadow, please, I'm begging you. Don't fall asleep on me, alright?" he asked, gently nuzzling him to keep him awake, knowing that there was a possibility that he wouldn't wake if he did sleep. Sonic didn't want to leave him, he truly didn't, but if he didn't find shelter for them both soon, both could still die from hypothermia alone. So, with a sinking feeling he asked quietly, "Do...do you think I should go look for shelter?"

"No...no." Shadow mumbled nudging Sonic off of him and standing, "I'm going back. Even if we found shelter we'd die in this cold...we need Amy's help right now...." Shadow stated before stretching his sore limbs, wincing once or twice.


"But, Shadow, it's a long way back...will you make it?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.


"Yeah, I'll make it." Shadow grumbled before trudging forward.

Sonic nodded and slowly followed behind, not once taking his eyes off Shadow.

Shadow tripped several times before tripping and just laying there. He didn't want to move ever again...

"Shadow?" Sonic said with worry as he trotted over to him and nudged him gently, "Shadow, come on, you have to get up..."

"I know...but I don't want to..." Shadow mumbled. He knew he had two options-lay there and die or get to camp. Dying looked like a good option right then...

"Shadow..." Sonic said, looking extremely worried and helpless, near at tears, "Shadow, please get up. I'll never forgive myself if you died on me now. If you died, I..."

He sighed heavily as he slumped beside the ebony male, nuzzling his fur as all his guilt finally set in, "If you died, I'd be very likely to follow you..."

"Nah...if I died you'd be free to go off to do whatever you please instead of being trapped with me in my stupid pack..." Shadow mumbled.

"But... that's just it, I don't want to leave, Shadow. I've grown to love your pack, more than my own," he then looked away slightly, "there are just some members that would be happy to see me leave...that's why I'd left in the first place..."

"If you're speaking of my brother that's because he hardly knows you..." Shadow responded.

"Still doesn't make the words hurt less..." he mumbled, once again trying to push the heavy male back up and onto his feet, "Now, please, get up. You know I can't carry you..."

Shadow smiled slightly, "I wish you could..." He said simply before heaving himself up again.

Sonic smiled slightly as well, "It would be the least that I could do if I was capable..."

He then decided to walk closer to Shadow, letting him lean some of his weight on him just in case he stumbled again.

Shadow showed no fear in expressing his gratitude as he licked Sonic's cheek again, a broad smile forming on his muzzle.

Sonic's smile grew even more at the gentle 'kiss' and he hesitated for only a second before giving Shadow a small lick to the cheek in return, blushing the entire time...

"I'm happy that I saved you, Sonic. You're very much important to me..." Shadow murmured softly.

"And you're important to me too..." came the uke's content yet quiet sigh as he leaned in, nuzzling the Alpha affectionately as a soft and gentle purr-like growl could be heard from the azure male.

Shadow made a similar noise as he prodded Sonics neck with his nose and snuggled against Sonics neck slightly. They had completely stopped yet again.

Both males stayed like that for a total of three minutes, simply caught up in showing the other some gratitude and affection. Sonic was the first to snap out of it though.

"We should seriously be getting back," he said with a small giggle, "Camp shouldn't be too far ahead, right?"

"Yeah. If I'm correct it should be near by." And Shadow was right. As soon as they had walked for a while longer they met up with Amy who shoved different herbs in both their mouths raging all the while before ordering them back out the hot springs.

Both Sonic and Shadow looked near scared to death of the raging female.

Shadow even looked grateful that Amy ordered them out to the hot springs, "God, Amy scares me sometimes..." he said when they were fairly far from camp and at the steaming pool.

"Is she always that loud when she's angry?" Sonic asked curiously as he slowly stepped into the warm water, sighing with relief.

Shadow slid with happiness into the pool, "Yeah...and she's always mad at me." He murmured in too much pleasure due to the warmth of the pool.

Sonic smiled with content as he simply floated, letting the warm springs soothe his aching limbs.

Shadow purred with pleasure in the water. He sank as deep as he could without submerging his head. His sore and cold body no longer ached.

And Sonic felt better already. He then glanced over at Shadow and smiled, happy that he was happy...and happy that he was alive.

"Shadow?" he then asked.

Shadow looked over at Sonic, "Yes, Sonic?" He answered. He felt so much better now. Happy...happy everything was better.

"I never did thank you for coming to save me," he smiled shyly, "So thank you...it means a lot to me..."

"Oh Sonic...I could never just leave you to die out there. I want you to stay...will you?" Shadow asked.

Sonic blushed slightly before managing to reply, saying, "If you wish for me to stay, then I will..."

After all, ukes were supposed to obey their Alpha's every command and want of course. So, why would Shadow be any different?

Shadow smiled softly and again lightly licked Sonics cheek before nuzzling him.
Sonic smiled happily and returned the gesture, placing his head under the Alpha's chin as his ears folded, showing his complete submission to the stronger male.

Shadow sighed contently. Being around Sonic just made him all around happy...even if he didn't show it. He closed his eyes perfectly relaxed.

And Sonic simply breathed in Shadow's scent, branding it into his memory. Shadow smelled like a raging fire, if that was any way to describe him. A rather happy purr left the azure's throat, simply enjoying the moment...

Shadow had long ago memorized the sweet smell of what reminded him of flowers Sonic carried on him. It was always mixed with something else...something he could never place. Like he cared though. He wanted to yell it out to Sonic...just to tell him all his emotions, problems, everything! But he couldn't do that...that would either scare Sonic away or confuse him.

Both males stayed in the spring, simply letting the warmth of the water and the warmth within their hearts keep them there.