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The sun is warm against Varian’s skin as he sits underneath an old oak tree. It’s one of many on Quirin’s property, stretching out far and wide into the hills so the wolves have plenty of space to run. Varian is sitting at the roots of his favorite one; it has a perfect view of the field the wolves like to play in, where he can sit up against the trunk with a book or a CD player and watch his pack run amok.
Hugo is usually out there with them, but today he’s lounging with Varian, sprawled across Varian’s lap like an oversized pillow and rumbling grumpily whenever Varian moves too much and jostles him.
Varian laughs under his breath. “Pain in the ass,” he remarks affectionately. Hugo pays him no mind other than a whuff .
Eugene and Angry are racing through the trees with a speed that makes Rapunzel whine in concern from her place curled up with Catalina. Varian watches in amusement as Eugene darts around a tree that Angry immediately slams into, and then Eugene is rolling in the grass and cackling in wolfy barks as Angry huffs and puffs from her place sprawled upside down against the tree.
Catalina trots over to Angry and licks her cheek in reassurance. The smaller wolf bristles at the coddling, making an irritated noise under her breath.
Hugo groans and stretches, long, thin limbs completely covering Varian and then some as he lays himself out like a blanket. Varian runs his fingers through blond fur and smiles when Hugo makes a contented purring noise in return.
It had been Rapunzel’s idea for everyone to get some rest before the pack run later in the evening. The full moon seems to arrive quicker each time, creeping up on them until the wolves are all restless with pent up energy. That’s why they schedule monthly pack runs—a time for the entire pack, even the humans, to get some fresh air and feel nature’s soothing hands on their skin as they reconnect with the wilderness. The wolves get their monthly dose of chaos and the humans get to shed the weight of everyday life and lose themselves in the comfort of the wild.
Varian is the only human participating in this month’s pack run since Cassandra can’t make it. Rapunzel had been disappointed with the news, but she was quickly comforted with the reminder that no one would be there to keep her from bringing tree branches into the house.
Varian is brought back out of his thoughts by a paw smushing against his face. He huffs and shoves Hugo’s giant paw away, looking down at him with an unimpressed scowl. “What, furball?”
Hugo nudges his nose against Varian’s cheek before he stands and stretches, jostling Varian where he had been laying under Hugo. The blond wolf tilts his head up against the sky, nose pointed toward the setting sun and– oh, it’s getting late.
Varian sighs and stretches out his limbs. “Almost time,” he says with a yawn. Hugo whuff s in response. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll have some coffee, don’t get your tail in a twist.”
His laugh turns into a squeak as Hugo bowls him over, knocking him onto his back on the ground and sending a flock of birds scattering from the tree above them. Varian yelps a complaint as what feels like hundreds of pounds of big, stupid wolf collapses on top of him. “Get off me you mangy mutt!” Varian shouts, words splitting between giggles. Hugo shifts only to lick Varian’s cheek, making him sputter. “No slobber!”
“Are you guys having fun?”
Varian shoves Hugo’s fur away from his face enough to see Eugene, standing over them with hands on his hips and a grin on his face. Varian spits out a mouthful of fur.
“ No, ” he says indignantly. “Get this thing off me.”
“That thing unfortunately doesn’t listen to me.” Eugene glances at Hugo with an eyebrow quirked, to which the blond lets out a deep huff. “Or you. Or anyone, really. Maybe Donella?”
The mention of Donella has Hugo’s ears flattening against his head with a whine. He’s faking it for dramatics, Varian knows, because he can feel Hugo’s tail wagging from where he’s still crushed under him.
Eugene snorts. “Sunshine wanted to know if you guys are ready for the run. We’re going to start at the creek this time, so the kids can cool off when we loop back around. Varian?”
“Sounds good. Nuru loves swimming in the moonlight, so that’s perfect.” Varian finally shoves his furry menace of a boyfriend off him and sits up, blowing the shedded fur away from his face when it sticks to him like a magnet. Hugo needs to take better care of his fur. “When are we starting?”
“Later than usual. Quirin says running at sunset is too dangerous this month, what with the hunter’s village more active for the summer. We need to stay out of sight.”
“There will be traps,” Varian reminds. “Cassandra found a few snares at the North edge a few weeks ago. They’re getting closer every time. Don’t get too distracted.”
“We’ll be careful,” Eugene promises. “Lance has a good nose for the metal, and Cat and Angry are practically experts when it comes to dodging the snares. As long as we don’t stray too close to the village it should be fine.”
“Famous last words.”
Hugo makes a noise of agreement beside him. Eugene opens his mouth to respond, when a loud shriek splitting across the field cuts him off. They all turn to see Nuru being swamped by two smaller wolves, though they still both nearly measure up to her neck in human form.
“Who’s ready to run !” Nuru calls, and Hugo perks up with an eager wag of his tail.
—
Everything goes smoothly at first despite the hovering threat of hunters mere miles away. Angry and Catalina busy themselves with running circles around Eugene and Lance, who are exasperatedly trying to keep tabs on them while Rapunzel and Nuru’s happy yipping echoes throughout the forest. Rapunzel is always the most rambunctious during runs; splashing in water spots and weaving through trees and following the sound of birds scattering in the trees. Eugene stays as close to her as he can while having one eye on the kids at the same time.
They’re almost equally chaotic, Rapunzel and the kids.
Varian hangs back behind the group to enjoy a book in the calm silence of a familiar forest. Hugo circles back to tease him occasionally, nudging Varian with his snout and leaving wolfy kisses against his cheek every time Varian tries to ignore him. He only leaves when Varian threatens to spray him with the hose.
Now, Varian is sitting cross-legged under one of the taller trees near the center of the woods, his book propped open but forgotten in his lap as he stares up at the full moon hovering beautifully over them. Wind cards gently through the tree branches, the soft rustle of leaves and faint sound of animals scampering about under the safe curtain of darkness. It’s peaceful, a tranquil calm that’s hard to get these days or really ever, only granted in the sanctuary of their forest.
Varian hums and leans back against the tree trunk, letting his eyes fall shut for a moment to breathe in the peace. He’s here alone with his book and the trees and a large stick that Hugo had been having him throw (though Hugo would sooner die than admit that to any of the others), but he doesn’t feel lonely. He’s warmed despite the cool air with the presence of his family playing in the distance, running laps around each other and playing freely with no worries, and the reminder that when he’s in the forest, he’s never truly alone.
A fact that might frighten someone else, but brings him comfort. Being human never kept him from embracing the wilderness just like the wolves.
Finally, he stands from his place on the grassy floor and grabs his book, his bag, and the water he brought with him. It’s not for him—Hugo always forgets to stay hydrated during runs, so Varian always brings water that he knows Hugo will inevitably steal, a master plan the blond falls for without fail during every run.
The trek to where the wolves are playing doesn’t take long. Old Corona’s forest is wide and vast, but all of them know it by heart, and Varian knows even before he hears the wolves that they’ve come to this little corner of the woods to play.
It’s closer to the hunter’s village than Varian would like. He frowns when he recognizes the foot-worn path that leads to the treeline and down into the village. Hugo notices his frown and leans down to tuck his nose into Varian’s neck, rumbling quietly when Varian reaches up to card fingers through his fur. “Why are you guys out here? We’re getting too close.”
Hugo huffs and turns to look somewhere behind him. When Varian follows his line of sight, he notices Angry and Catalina locked in a wrestling match, tangled in a pile of limbs and tails and snapping teeth when Angry gets frustrated and tries to bite Catalina’s head off.
They take off in a run before Varian can so much as blink. Varian sighs and leans against Hugo, letting the wolf take the brunt of his weight.
In a split second, a brunet wolf is tearing through the trees after the girls. Eugene somehow manages to look fed up even in wolf form as he darts after Angry and Catalina, ears pinned back against his head. A blonde wolf, colored soft like the summer sun, trots leisurely after him a few moments later. Varian smiles at the sight of a flower tucked into Rapunzel’s fur.
“Rapunzel!” he calls, and her head whips in his direction before her tail immediately starts whipping back and forth in excitement. He snorts good-naturedly when she jogs over to gently headbutt him, towering over him despite her wolf being one of the smaller ones. She’s gotten taller in her human form, but her wolf has stayed lean and petite, perfect for running amok between the trees and chasing after the girls. “Where are Lance and Nuru?”
“Over here!”
Lance’s voice comes from a curtain of vines covering a hollow rock structure, one of Nuru’s favorite places to nap. Rapunzel takes off after Eugene again as Varian follows the sound of rustling leaves and Lance’s muttering. When he breaks through the clearing, he spots Lance and Nuru—Nuru tangled upside down in a thicket of vines, and Lance in human form trying to pry her free.
“How did you manage that?” Varian asks, trying not to laugh. Nuru huffs and wiggles restlessly, only serving to tangle herself further in the mess of vines and leaves.
Lance tugs her ear. “Sit still or we’re never going to get you out.”
There’s a crack of bones shifting, and then Nuru is dangling from the vines in her human form instead. Sharp fangs peek over her lip as she grins at Varian. “Hi, V. I’m stuck.”
Vairan snorts, grinning back at her. “I can see that.”
Lance frowns as he turns back toward where the others disappeared into the thickets of trees. “I can smell Eugene’s distress. Hugo, he might need help. You mind going while I get her out of this?”
Hugo whuff s in confirmation and takes off in the direction they left. Varian watches him go, teeth snagging his bottom lip as he chews on it worriedly. Eugene said they would be fine. Lance can sniff out the bear traps, and the girls have experience avoiding the snares. They’ll be fine, and the others will come back with the girls in tow and everything will be okay.
Even though five members of his family are now on the border of a hunter’s village. Varian takes a breath and turns away, trying not to gnaw his lip bloody.
Lance finally manages to free Nuru from the vines and she hits the ground with a loud oof! Varian helps her to her feet while Lance grabs her shoes from where they’ve fallen—Nuru is one of the few wolves who still prefers something to cover her feet against the unforgiving forest floor, a pair of dainty, black ballet flats in contrast to the loose shirts and knee-length shorts she loves to wear.
“Thanks,” she mutters. She turns to squint in the direction that Varian has been trying very hard not to stare in. “I can hear them, but it doesn’t sound like they’re coming back. Should we go get them?”
“Can we?” Varian asks, the breath whooshing out of him in relief at the question. “I know we should trust them, but it’s so close to the edge, and–”
“Yeah,” Nuru interrupts, squeezing his hand where she’s still holding it with a reassuring smile. “It is. C’mon, let’s go get the dumbasses.”
—
Dread tails him like a second shadow as they hunt down the rest of the wolves. Varian can’t shake the feeling that something is going to happen. They’ve never had the best luck, especially not with hunters, and the girls are playing with fire roughhousing so close to a hunter’s village known for their specialty of trapping wolves.
It would be insanely lucky for them to come out of this unscathed.
Which is why when Nuru’s nostrils flare, eyes widening and brow drawing into a deep scrunch as she stares out into the forest, Varian doesn’t need her to tell him something is wrong. He urges her forward—nodding with a hurried go! when she glances back to ask if he’s sure—and takes off in a sprint after her as her form disappears between the trees.
It’s eerily silent when he breaks past the treeline, which would have been sign enough that something is off if Nuru wasn’t already ahead of him, crouched next to two wolves–
Both with a leg stuck in a bear trap.
“ Shit ,” Varian hisses, sucking in a breath to break into another run. He doesn’t stop this time until he’s sliding to his knees beside dirty-blond fur; Hugo, laying rigid with tension, hind leg ensnared within merciless metal jaws. Beside him, Eugene isn’t faring much better, front paw caught at the ankle bone.
“You two weren’t the ones I was worried about,” Varian mutters as he slings his bag from his shoulders. The wolves have advanced healing, but Varian still hates seeing them hurt, so Rapunzel threw together an ‘emergency kit’ of sorts for when bad things—things like this : traps, roughhousing a little too rough, a rogue hunter with a rifle—happen, they have something to fall back on.
Lance and Rapunzel are already busy freeing Eugene from the bear trap around his paw. That leaves Hugo, who hasn’t made a noise since Varian arrived and is so still Varian has to check multiple times to make sure he’s breathing, to Varian.
A few feet away, Angry and Catalina are sitting curled together, ears pinned against their skulls as they watch the scene with guilty eyes.
“You okay, Hugh?” Varian asks softly. The wolf turns to give him a look . Varian rolls his eyes and amends, “How bad is it?”
Hugo makes a noise and turns away, effectively ignoring Varian’s question. He’s never been a fan of the vulnerability that comes with being in a pack, especially the others being able to smell his pain and distress. Still, Varian combs a hand through his fur and sets on trying to pry the trap from his leg as gently as possible.
Varian knows Eugene is freed by the soft yip of pain that follows the prongs being pulled from his paw. Varian looks up to see Rapunzel hugging his snout to her chest and cooing softly, tears brimming on her lashes when Eugene favors the paw instead of putting pressure on it. It’ll be healed within the hour, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt .
Lance comes over to Varian’s side once Eugene is in the clear. “How is he holding up?’ he asks, and Varian looks up at him with his lips pressed thin, trying not to panic.
“I can’t get the trap open. This one is thicker, I think it–” He grimaces and presses a hand to his mouth when the scent of fresh blood wafts up from Hugo’s wound. “I think it reached the bone. Can you help me?”
Lance is already kneeling down and gently tugging Varian’s hands away from the trap. He grabs Varian’s wrists and gives them a comforting squeeze, offering Varian a weak but genuine smile. “He’ll be fine. I can take over from here, and then we’ll get him fixed up–”
“I can help,” Varian interrupts, shaking his head. “He’s my wolf. I can help.”
Lance searches his face for a moment before nodding. “Alright, alright. Cover your nose and mouth with your shirt, it will help.” Varian tugs his shirt up over his face while Lance straightens the trap (wincing when Hugo makes an aborted noise of pain) and presses his fingers to the springs. “I need you to hold his leg as still as possible. The more he moves, the more it will hurt, but he’s going to flinch on reflex when the jaws loosen. Just keep him still. You ready?”
Varian nods, looking anywhere but at Hugo’s mangled foot. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Together, they manage to free Hugo from the bear trap. He drags himself away from it the second his foot is free, pulling his leg up to curl into a half-ball and glaring at the trap like it’s going to bite him again. Lance hands Varian the trap with a look of distaste.
“I hate these things,” he mutters.
“So do I. That’s why I take them.” Varian tucks the trap into his bag, frowning when he feels the weight of it. “One less trap for them to use.”
“Y’know they just replace them,” comes a voice from behind him, and Varian looks up to see Eugene standing, cradling one of his wrists. It’s wrapped in the shirt he had been wearing. Varian’s gut twists when he sees the blood steadily soaking through the fabric. “How’s Glasses?”
They both turn to look at Hugo, who is curled up at the trunk of a nearby tree. To the others it might look like he’s irritated; ears forward, body stiff and upright as much as he can be while he’s nursing his leg, but Varian knows better.
He’s pouting.
Varian snorts under his breath. “He’ll be fine, he just needs to recuperate for a minute. Do you want some bandages for that? I have some in my bag.”
Eugene blows out a breath of relief. “Hell yeah, man. I’m ruining one of my favorite shirts.”
—
It takes a while, and a lot of coaxing from Varian, but eventually Hugo rejoins the others. He hasn’t shifted back yet—despite the rest of them splashing in the creek in their human forms, Quirin sitting by the fire and watching them play with a small smile—and part of Varian is a little worried he might be seriously hurt.
But the weight of Hugo in his lap is reassuring. Hugo’s injury must still ache, if the microscopic flinches whenever Hugo moves are of any indication, but he’s gotten less and less tense since they came back to the creek. He’s back in his favorite spot: curled up with his head in Varian’s lap, dozing under the night sky with the backdrop of their pack happily yelling and shrieking as they throw water at each other like children.
Hugo’s happy rumble thrums in the cool night air. He’ll never admit it but he loves being doted on like he is now, pressed up against Varian to feel his body heat and one of Varian’s hands running through his fur. He’s spoiled and content, being close to his mate speeding up his already enhanced healing. He’ll be as good as new by the end of the night.
Finally, after what feels like hours , Hugo shifts back.
“Hi,” Varian says softly, grinning down at him. Hugo rolls his eyes, but Varian sees the corners of his mouth twitch in a desperate attempt not to smile back. “How’s your foot?”
“Burns like a bitch,” Hugo says bluntly. Varian snorts. “But it’s almost healed, just an ache. You can stop looking at me like a kicked puppy now, I’m supposed to be the dog.”
“I was worried about you, shithead. Maybe if you didn’t spend the night brooding –”
“I wasn’t brooding ,” Hugo huffs, affronted. “I wasn’t going to bitch and complain like Fitzherbert. I can handle a little pain.”
“You don’t have to. You don’t have to handle anything, ever. You’re surrounded by people who care about you, in case you forgot.” He flicks Hugo in the nose, making him sputter. “Dumbass.”
Hugo rubs his nose and glares at Varian. “Okay, I get it , shut up. Why are you so violent?”
“Aw, poor baby. I flicked the big, scary werewolf and now he’s pouting again.”
“ Again– ”
“You were absolutely pouting. Ears down and everything.”
“I’m going to tell Rapunzel you’re being mean to me.”
“You do that.”
Varian laughs when Hugo grabs him in a headlock, ruffling Varian’s hair with his knuckles until he shrieks. Varian takes care not to disturb Hugo’s injury as they dissolve into an impromptu wrestling match, Hugo cheating like the bastard he is and using his advanced strength so Varian can’t escape even when Hugo is weakened.
“You’re–” Varian yelps as Hugo plants a hand over his face, making the sound come out muffled. “ Such a bastard– ”
“You looooove me~ You chose me and now you’re stuck with me forever ,” Hugo sing-songs. Varian bites his hand and he hisses. “Ow, what the fuck? Are you sure you aren’t a werewolf–”
Their scuffling must attract Nuru’s attention. She climbs out of the creek and shakes herself out like a dog despite being in her human form, and then she’s coming over to nudge Varian with her foot, poking him like she’s found a corpse. “Hey, fuckface. Wanna come play in the water?”
“I’m covered in mutt.”
“Want me to help you throw him in the creek? With as gross and lovey-dovey as you guys are, he’s probably already healed.”
Varian snorts. “Good luck with that. He’s strong when he wants to be.”
“I’m still right here, you know,” Hugo grumbles. “I don’t swim.”
“You can’t swim, you mean,” Nuru says. Hugo glares at her.
“That’s not going to work, pipsqueak.”
In response, Nuru grabs Hugo by his ankle. He yelps in surprise when she pulls to inspect his injured leg, squinting at where the skin had previously been broken and bloody. Then, she unceremoniously drops it back down. “He’s fine, probably a little sore at most. V, come play with me,” she whines. “I’m bored.”
Varian looks at where Eugene is making a running jump to cannonball into the creek, making Angry and Catalina screech when he soaks them with the splash. Rapunzel cackles maniacally from where she’s standing to the side, holding a tree branch twice her size.
Hugo should be healed by now.
Varian stands up, making Hugo grumble when his pillow is taken away from him. “C’mon, Hugh, it’ll make you feel better.”
“I feel fine,” Hugo says flatly.
“Alright, fine.”
Varian watches warily as Nuru stomps back to the creek. It doesn’t take her long to come back; when she does, she’s carrying a bucket full to the brim with creek water, and Varian barely has enough time to duck out of the way before she’s upending the bucket over Hugo’s head.
Hugo sits, frozen still like a statue, for a moment–-
–-and then he’s lurching to his feet to lunge at Nuru, making her scream and drop the bucket as she darts back toward the creek, braids whipping behind her.
Varian watches Hugo chase Nuru into the creek, feeling warm and happy and content as the air fills with the sound of her laughter and Hugo yelling threats. Varian is surrounded by his pack, in his favorite place in the world, watching his family act like children when they so often don’t get the chance to.
It’s not much, but to him, it’s everything.