Pale rays of sunlight filtered in through the windows, bouncing slightly off the hard concrete floor and starting the long process of warming the metal fences that kept all the canines separated and contained. There was always one poor soul who would bark or howl through the night, making it agony for the rest of those who wanted to actually sleep. Volunteers would bustle back and forth, handing out treats and pets to those who wanted it before they cleaned up any messes and refilled food and water bowls.

There was one dog, however, who was not the same as all the rest. He was tucked away in one of the corner kennels, trying to squeak in a little extra sleep before he was shoved outside to ‘interact’ with the other pups. He was still young, only barely a year and a half but still small for… whatever he was. He was label ‘wolf mix’ on his papers and the vet couldn't really decide what breed he was; fondly earned the nickname of ‘pup.’ Or mutt, he answered to either. He was rather fond of his nicknames, but unlike the other dogs, he enjoyed staying in his kennel, hugging the stuffed bear that they had given him when he was just a puppy and staring at the people who passed by.

People rarely took him out anymore, his standoffish demeanor rather off-putting to a young boy or girl looking for a rambunctious little thing to show off to their friends or to a young married couple looking for a dog in the hopes it would give them parenthood classes; the dog being child number one before the real deal. He kept to himself most days, the four corners of his kennel familiar to him as he could remember little else.

He came to the shelter when he was very young, the police officer who had found him handing him off to one of the managers saying that he was found on the side of the road or something close to that. He always felt a little estranged from the others, not being able to really interpret what they were saying and when he tried to talk to them they would just yelp and scurry away quickly; terrified of him.

This year was different, he could feel something stirring inside of him and it made him restless, although he didn’t know why. The first family of the day came in, children excited and parents slightly apprehensive as they scanned the kennels for a potential match. They took a happy Labrador out into the outside play areas, Pup could hear the dog’s eager pants and its nails clicking on the pathway leading to the play areas.

He got up and stretched, back shivering slightly as his legs flexed and showed off the lithe muscles he had, ears pinning back for a moment when he let out a big yawn. He settled back down onto his bed with a small groan, ear twitching to ward off a passing fly as his eyes closed and he tried to fall back to sleep. Footsteps were approaching, the sharp ‘click-click, click-click’ on the concrete more purposeful than most, almost as if the footsteps were calculated and precise. They were different enough to catch Pup’s attention, his eyes opening again and traveling to the doorway. It was a man, dressed in a nice button-up and jeans as his converse tapped on the concrete.

Pup’s nose wrinkled, a foreign smell drifting up to his nose and making his eyes dilate.

The word MINE floated through his head and he stood up, whimpering slightly to catch the man’s attention, huffing out a breath and yipping a couple of times. The man stilled, his intake of breath sharp as he turned and zeroed in on Pup. He was over to his kennel in seconds, hand reaching up to curl around the metal fence separating them and Pup backed into the corner, lip lifting as he growled lowly; a little scared of the man looking at him so intently.

He felt something tickle in his mind, like someone was poking at his brain until a hushed voice whispered into his head. “Sweetheart? Can you understand me?” Don’t ask him how he knew, but somehow Pup knew that the voice belonged to the man and he whined and shook his head around, pawing at his fuzzy head to try and get the voice out.

The man gasped in astonishment, crouching down and hushing Pup to show that he wasn’t a threat, crooning sweet words at him and trying to coax him to come closer to the front of the cage. Pup couldn’t resist, seeming to not have control of his body as he padded over and stuck his nose through one of the metal links, huffing out a breath and trying to inhale more of the man’s lovely scent.
--

Pup didn’t know what happened.

One moment he was sniffing the man’s gentle hand and then the next he was sitting in the passenger side of a noisy moving metal… thing! He could vaguely remember being taken out of his kennel, those lovely hands stroking softly down his back as he preened at the attention and then he was signed over for adoption. He couldn’t really remember any of the details except for this man. Why was he so fond of him already? He hadn’t even seen him before.

This kennel reeked of the man, and Pup had to fight the urge to roll all over it to mix their scents together, not really understanding the reason why he wanted to mix them together in the first place.
--

He was set on the couch, the man plopping across from him as he smiled kindly and patted his leg. Somehow Pup understood and laid down, pushing his head onto the man’s lap and closing his eyes contentedly when fingers started carding through his fur.

“Pup?”

Came that voice again, tender and gentle in his head as he whined in misunderstanding. He didn’t know what it was. Why he kept hearing voices.

“Can you shift, baby?”

Shift?

His mind asked, the word somehow familiar but foreign to him at the same time.

“Think of how I am. Think of my fingers touching you.” The fingers pulled a tuft of hair of his back, drawing Pup’s attention to the way they moved. “Think of how my legs feel.” The legs underneath him twitched unconsciously, making Pup think of all the things the voice was putting into his head. Without him even knowing his body started to change, bones forming and cracking as he started his first shift.

He yelped, half human half wolf and he whined through the pain.

“You’re doing so well, sweetheart, just a little more.”

He panted and collapsed once he had finished, forehead bashing against the man’s leg again as he whimpered from the air hitting his bare skin for the first time in eighteen years.

“That’s it, love. Good job!” The voice wasn’t in his head anymore praised, and Pup turned his head so he could watch the words form from the man’s mouth, his one blue and one green eye blinking as he felt his own mouth try to copy the movement.
--

Six months ago Pup was adopted by his mate, as he now understood and he was properly adjusting to being both human and wolf. His shifts were still a bit clumsy, but he didn’t growl every time they got into the car and he finally understood that he had to use cutlery to eat; although Daniel found it adorable when his pup would look up at him guiltily when he found him using his hands.

Daniel had renamed Pup ‘Tavi’ when he had asked him if he wanted to keep being called ‘Pup’ or pick his own name. Tavi had said that he wanted a new name to mark his new life and had asked Daviel to pick it. Tavi had just seemed fitting for the adorable little were, and he couldn’t thank the stars enough that he had felt the mating pull as he walked by the animal shelter. Daniel had deduced that it had been Tavi’s eighteenth birthday all those months ago, so that’s why Daniel or Tavi had never felt the pull before. The reason why Tavi was stuck at the shelter for so long was still a mystery to both of them, but Tavi didn’t care where he came from, telling Daniel that it didn’t matter because he was there with him.

Daniel had kissed him for the first time after Tavi had said that, making Tavi blush and squeak slightly as he experienced his first kiss. Tavi demanded kisses frequently after that, which Daniel was more than happy to provide.

It was Christmas time now, and Daniel was trying to explain what it was to Tavi.

“It’s the time of year when people who are very fond of another person go and give gifts to those they love. Something that’s personal and special. Do you understand a little?”

Tavi had nodded, mind already flipping itself over in the search for a perfect present for Daniel.

He came up with it on Christmas Eve, when he and Daniel were both in bed and Tavi was trying to get Daniel to show him what ‘mating’ was. He had read about it, searched it online and he didn’t understand why Daniel wouldn’t let them mate. They were mates after all so he didn’t understand why. He knew that Daniel found him attractive, caught him staring a few times when they would shower together and he knew that they both enjoyed touching each other. They had brought each other to what Daniel had called an ‘orgasm’ many times before. It had been much like the situation of the kisses, once they did it the first time Tavi had demanded that it happen frequently.

It was a perfect idea, after researching a bit more and blushing profusely when he had accidentally clicked one link to many and wandered onto a porn site Tavi was absolutely sure what to give Daniel for his Christmas present. He would give him the opportunity to mark him, to make him his and bond them together for life.

He loved Daniel, loved him for showing him what he really was and loved him for showering him with kisses and love every day. But most of all, he loved him because he was his. Daniel told him as much every day but this time Tavi wanted Daniel to know that he also belonged to him.
--

“T-Tavi, sweetheart, w-what are you doing?” Daniel’s voice shook as Tavi straddled him on the couch, head dipping so he could lick his tongue over the seam of Daniel’s lips before he kissed and sucked his way across his jaw and neck.

“I need to give you my Christmas present,” He whispered lewdly against his skin, placing one last open-mouth kiss there before he wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck and smiled at him.

“I want you to mark me. I want forever with you Daniel, and if what you tell me every day is true then I know you want that too.”

He rubbed his nose against Daniel and ground down on his hips, feeling the bulge that was pressing against his cheeks and practically purring as Daniel moaned low in his throat. “There’s nothing that would make me happier, sweetheart. Thank you.”

When he had garnered Daniel’s consent, Tavi leaned back and opened his pants, pulling out Daniel’s erect shaft and tugging on it just the way he liked it, making Daniel groan and grip tightly on Tavi’s hips. Tavi licked his lips at the delicious sight and pulled his underwear down, rubbing his hole against the hot shaft twitching underneath him before he leaned up and sunk down on that magnificent rod.

“Wait Tavi-” Daniel hissed as he slid into Tavi’s tight heat, his brain overloading with pleasure as Tavi mewled on top of him. Tavi was so wet and hot that Daniel couldn’t think, wanting to warm Tavi that it would hurt, gosh they needed to stretch him or at least get some lube before they even started. And yet here they were, Tavi’s hole clenching around him every time he would bounce up and make him pull out a little, then his nails would dig into his shoulder every time he would slide back into him.

“T-Tavi did you prepare y-youself?” Daniel asked with a gasp, eyes glued to the way his shaft would appear and disappear in and out of Tavi’s tight -but surprisingly open- hole. Tavi purred above him, leaning forward to suck on Daniel’s ear as he nodded and whispered an ‘only for you’ in his ear.

That made Daniel growl possessively, grip tightening around his hips as he gave a hard thrust up, making Tavi whine out as his toes curled in pleasure.

“Damn right only for me.” He ground out, readjusting his grip so that he had one of Tavi’s supple cheeks in each hand and he used it to slide him off his length, another helpless mewl escaping from Tavi’s parted lips as he left only the tip in before he slammed back into him.

“Daniel!” Tavi screamed, sweat beading on his forehead as his words were lost, hole clenching so tight around Daniel that he felt like he might pass out. Their combined pleasure and lust filled the room, air hot and heavy as their bodies moved together as they were made too.

“I-I’m gonna- D-Daniel ple-please!” Tavi begged, head falling to the side as he desperately bared his neck to his mate. He could feel the hot shaft inside him pulsing, so ready to release and absolutely fill him up. He wanted it.

Daniel’s hips pumped faster and his essence shot into Tavi, his teeth breaking the skin on his neck as he marked him and Tavi yelled, hands pulling at Daniel’s hair as he felt himself being filled up and falling off the edge into ecstasy. The pleasure didn’t stop, making him cry and plead and whine as it shook his body mercilessly.

“You’re mine now,” Daniel whispered happily, withdrawing his teeth and licking at the wound with his tongue to heal it. Tavi shuddered when Daniel licked it, causing his hole to clench at the pleasure it cased and making Daniel moan in sensitivity.

He felt so connected to Daniel that a wave of peace settled in his chest. He pulled his head up from where it had settled against Daniel’s neck, kissing him on the lips before he pulled away.

“Thank you for the best Christmas present, sweetheart,” Daniel whispered, lips brushing against Tavi’s as he spoke.

“Thank you for giving me forever.”