Run

Posted on Wed Jul 13th, 2022 @ 4:51am by Dominique LaFramboise & Jarrod Lask
Edited on on Tue Jul 19th, 2022 @ 3:54am

Mission: Prequel - Or How We Met
Location: Bay City, MI - Nicki’s house

Nicki stared at Pete. What was he thinking? She didn’t know if she could contain a vote right now. And if she couldn’t, he would have to as her second. And she wasn’t entirely confident in his ability to control it, either.

“Is that really necessary?” she asked.

He nodded solemnly. “I can’t keep leading without one,” he pointed out. “The vote is what gives us power. If we don’t-“

“I know, I know!” Nicki interrupted. Whoever the Leesh chose needed as many votes as possible in order to build the power necessary to lead and protect them. Pete really couldn’t continue to lead without a vote and even though she was sure Pete intended that she win, she also needed the votes to regain the power she had lost over the past several months.

She glanced around at the Leesh. They all looked hopeful and excited. She tried to avoid meeting Jarrod’s eye, but couldn’t. He looked excited, too, but also stressed. She knew why. The whole Leesh knew why. He probably didn’t realize how obvious he was, but everybody knew about his feelings for Nicki. She wondered if everybody knew about her feelings for him.

“All right,” she sighed finally, and Juan jumped up to pass out pens and little slips of paper.

The Hounds wrote down their choices quickly and added them to Jaime’s ball cap, which had been immeadiately offered for the occation. Both Nicki and Pete obstained as they were the ones running. She knew how the vote was going to go. Perhaps if she had failed to keep the pack together while breaking up the skirmish between the vultures and the hyenas, Pete would have had a chance. But, the Leesh loved her- Pete included. She had no doubt that he would have voted for her if he were allowed to vote.

Once all the votes had been collected, she and Pete read the votes together.

“The first vote,” announced Pete, sounding much happier than he had a right to sound, “goes to Nicki!”

The Leesh cheered.

And so it went, on and on, drawn out, just the way the hounds loved it. The last three votes- they counted every one of them, even if the vote was already decided- pushed Nicki to her limits to keep them under control.

“The final vote,” announced Pete, opening the last slip of paper, “makes it unanimous! Nicki is our Alpha!”

Everyone cheered and pressed forward to congratulate Nicki, Pete included, and Nicki struggled to keep it from turning into an orgy. But, she was confident that only those who really wanted to would take someone home with them tonight.

The celebration was short lived, as it always was after a vote. Everybody was anxious to get to other activities now. Soon, all that was left were Jarrod, Penny, and Jaime. Penny and Jaime had been making eyes at one another all night and Nicki had no doubt where they would be tonight. But, as she walked outside with the three to see them off, she threw caution to the wind.

“Jarrod,” she said.

All three turned back towards her. Damn. That’s what she’s been afraid of. Oh well, the entire Leesh would find out the next time they all met anyway; they would be able to smell Nicki and Jarrod’s scents all over both of them.

“Run with me,” she finished, avoiding looking at Jaime and Penny.

He just stared back at her for a moment, before blinking once and replying, “okay.”

Of course Jaime and Penny knew the implications of those three words. In fact, she had no doubt they would be running together in a few seconds.

In their human form, Jarrod was the better runner, but as hounds, Nicki was fast! She had to slow down quite a bit to allow Jarrod to keep up. He nipped playfully at her as they ran and she pretended to be annoyed, growling in his direction, but with ears up and tail wagging to make clear that she was teasing.

After several minutes of running, they finally made it back to Nicki’s house. She had never had post voting sex with another hound before, so maybe it was the anticipation of the unknown or maybe it was just how long she had thought about this exact moment, but whatever it was, it made the actual act extremely… satisfying? Was that the word she wanted to use? Perhaps. Whatever word she chose would have been an understatement, though.

Laying there tangled up with Jarrod was almost as much fun as making love to him. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way with Ryan, and instantly felt guilty for thinking that. It felt like a betrayal, no matter what anybody said to the contrary. Ryan was gone. He couldn’t come back. He didn’t want her mourning him forever and she had every right to move on with her life.

Something must have changed in her smell or body language, because Jarrod took notice. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she answered, but then thought better of it. “Typical widow stuff. I’m sure most girls feel a little guilty when they move on.”

“Probably,” he agreed simply.

“I can’t keep living in the past,” she continued, more for herself than for him. “And I know that. I can move on. I need to move on.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “About that…” he said.

Uh oh. “What?” she asked.

He was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “I… I can’t… no, that’s not what I mean,” he said, irritated. “I’m sure you know how I feel about you, Nicks. I think everybody does. And this- this was amazing. But I don’t want to be just the guy you heal with. I don’t want to be just some guy who helps you get your groove back. I want more.”

“Jarrod,” she said, shifting to prop herself on one elbow and look him the eye- not difficult for hounds even given how dark it was. “Do you think that’s all you are to me?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again quickly. “How about if you tell me before I stick my foot in my mouth?” he suggested.

She grinned. “Fair enough,” she said. “I was attracted to you when we first met. But I always hesitated because I’m the alpha. The Perra Una, in Juan’s words. I thought it would be awkward. And the longer it went on, the more attracted to you I was. And then Ryan came along and… I made the choice that I thought was sensible. But… and here’s why I feel guilty. I think I made the wrong choice. And it cost Ryan his life.”

“That was not your fault!” Jarrod insisted. “You know he’d have found his way to the hospital even without you. He had a huge heart and a protector’s spirit. He’d have made a great hound, if he’d ever taken you up on it. But, he made his own choices. You are not to blame!”

“I know” she assured him. “But that doesn’t stop me from feeling like it’s my fault. Anyway, thats a discussion for another time. As I was saying, most of the reason I was so inconsolable is because I had been questioning the decision to marry him and trying to assure myself that it had been a good choice. Because even though I loved him, I still had some very strong feelings for you. And that made me feel even more guilty after he died.” She paused for a moment. “But, Jarrod, I love you,” she finally finished.

He blinked at her. “You- you do?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” she told him. “And I know now that running to Ryan was my way of running away from something incredibly frightening with you. Because I don’t think I’ve ever loved anybody before in my life. Well, except mum and daddy, but that’s different.”

He chuckled. “I should hope so,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It very unhelpfully sprang right back out, making him chuckle again. “I love you, too.”

She hadn’t expected the wave of emotion upon hearing him actually say that. And she couldn’t help kissing him again. “You can say that a million times a day and I would never get sick of hearing it,” she told him.

“I love you,” he said again.

“I love you, too,” she replied.

And then they were lost in each other’s bodies again.

---

Jarrod woke first the next morning. He was disoriented at first, but then the memories came back to him and he remembered that he was in Nicki’s bed. And that was Nicki curled up next to him.

Nicki!

Part of him was still afraid that he would wake up and it will all have been a dream. Another part refused to believe that this had even happened in the first place. Sure, he knew Nicki had feelings for him. But he had long ago resigned himself to never having her. And after Ryan had died, she had been so inconsolable, he had been sure she would never have anyone else.

But then she had seemed to get better. But she had avoided him. It was over, he thought. Long past over. Perhaps she had gotten over her feelings for him.

And then Pete had pushed the vote.

And here they were.

His arms instinctively tightened around her and she stirred. Carefully, he loosened his grip so as not to wake her. He simply wanted to hold her in his arms for a bit while she slept.

He knew it sounded borderline creepy, but what man could honestly say he didn’t want to hold the woman he loved while she slept? There couldn’t be many.

But of course it wouldn’t last. Soon Nicki woke up, too. With a sigh and a stretch, she started slightly before snuggling next to him. “I almost forgot,” she told him apologetically.

He chuckled in response. “Don’t feel bad, Nicks,” he replied softly. “I did, too.”

They just lay there for a few moments, Jarrod absently stroking Nicki’s hair. He hated to break the mood, but he had questions. So many questions. And now that they weren’t otherwise occupied, he could ask them. “Nicks,” he said.

“Hm?”

“Last night,” he started, “you said you were running away from something frightening. What was so frightening? Was it me?”

He could almost hear her grin. “Not in the slightest,” she answered. “No, what frightened me was how strongly I felt about you.”


That made him grin. “Yeah?” he prompted.

“Yes,” she replied. “I- still find it frightening, to tell the truth. It feels wreckless and… uncontrollable. But, I guess that’s the same thing.”

“I suppose so,” he replied. “What made you change you mind?”

“The skirmish,” she replied. “I had trouble keeping the Leesh safe. I hadn’t realized how fragmented we’d become and it sort of snapped me out of it. I realized I couldn’t keep living in the past. And then Pete pushed the vote and… well, you know what that does to us. I don’t think I’d have slept with you otherwise. I mean, no that’s not true,” she added quickly. “I’d be lying if I said it was. I’d have probably done that even without the vote.”

“Good,” he replied, giving her a little squeeze. “I’d hate to think you regretted anything.”

“I could never regret anything with you,” she said. “Oh, good grief, that was cheesy.”

“No, it wasn’t!”

“Oh, come on!”

He chuckled again. “Okay, it was,” he said. “But it was also sweet. Especially if it was true.”

“I already told you,” she replied. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean.”

“You said you didn’t think you’d have slept with me a minute ago,” he pointed out teasingly.

“Yes, but that’s because I thought it was true,” she defended. “I amended it right away.”

“All right, all right,” he relented. “But, why did you think you wouldn’t have slept with me?”

“Because I usually like to take things slow,” she replied. “Do you know how long I dated Ryan before we slept together?”

“How would I possibly know that?” he laughed.

“Touché,” she replied. “Almost a year. I’ve dived in before and regretted it, so I like to make sure I won’t regret it now. But I’ve known you for a long time. It’s different when you’re friends. Easier. You know each other so much better. Or so I assume. You’re the only friend who’s made it out of the friend zone.”

“I’m so privileged,” he replied, almost jokingly.

She just giggled. “I suppose we should get up,” she said after a moment.

“Why?” he asked. “I don’t have to be at the station until tomorrow and you don’t have anywhere to be.”

“True story,” she replied. “Retired at 35 feels pretty good.”

“Some girls have all the luck,” he said.

“I feel lucky,” she said sincerely. “Especially with you lying next to me. Man, I’m full of the cheesy one-liners today.”

“I don’t mind them,” he assured her. “Not from you.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” she chuckled. “So shall we just stay in bed all day?”

“I can think of worse ways to spend a day,” he pointed out, nuzzling the back of her neck.

She sighed happily and words escaped them for awhile.