“Y’know, I’m technically pure too…” William mused as he stared out the window. The insults those wolves gave him weren’t even accurate, but they didn't have to be to rile him up anyways.

“Yeah, if being a pure German shepherd counts.” Oakley scoffed playfully.

“You Siberian Huskies, and your wolf percentage.” Will teased as he pointedly stared between Eve and Oakley.

“What? We’re fluffy, it’s pretty fun.” Eve smiled smugly. “What about you, Noah?” Eve turned to her, bringing her into the conversation.

“I was made for cuddles, being a Finnish Laphound and all.” She puffed her chest proudly. “So that’s why you like hugs so much.” Oakley teased.

“That, and I’m lonely, come closer and I can fix that.” She flattered, sneaking up on Oakley and pouncing. But just before she could connect with his body, she grabs air as he pulls away too soon.

“That reminds me of something I read,” Eve muttered slightly under her breath. Seemed to look focused on the ceiling before dropping her head back down to eye level again. “Right, it was about bonds.” She spoke out loud.

“What about them?” Will asked, curious, if Eve had an idea it was probably interesting. Noah and Oakley nodded when Will spoke what they’d been thinking.

“Well, with everything that’s happened, I think it would be a good Idea for us to Bond.” She asserted, holding up her pointer finger as she went about her point.

Oakley made an affirmative sound, Noah nodded as she looked to be thinking about it, likely finding it a logical conclusion. William wasn’t against it either; it wasn’t a bad idea at all to form a connection, one on an even finer level between each other.

One that wouldn’t be easily broken and would deepen whatever they already have. William thinks that with or without it, he’s glad to be their friend. But with it, they could keep each other safer.

There are laws protecting people who are bonded together, and things bonded people can do that regular wolves and wolfdogs can’t.

Things like Telepathy, Location tracking, Mood sharing, and a couple of others.

The only downside to bonding is that breaking them is hard, but not impossible. It’s like breaking up with someone or cutting off a friend.

It hurts, it hurts so much for everyone involved. However, it’s not impossible. Not that Will would ever try to do that himself. If he could help it.

“That’s a good Idea, Eve. It would benefit us to be able to talk without texting.” Oakley affirmed further.

“Sounds great for awkward teacher talks, SOS signals and all.” Noah chimed in. “Would that be abusing comms if you just got detention?” Will joked.

“Comms? Please don’t refer to bond telepathy as comms.” Oakley sighed and knitted his eyebrows together, palming his face with one hand.

“Okay, all seems in favor, so let’s bond.” Eve hops off her chair and goes to walk out the heavy library doors. The Library in question had been empty for their entire time in it. “Wait, we’re doing it now?” Will gave a slightly confused look.

“Yeah, if no one has any objections, I would like to know when one of you gets hurt,” Eve said in a totally normal and totally not overprotective way. “No objections, I second that sentiment.” Oakley had risen from his chair and pushed it back into where he found it.

“I feel targeted, but I have no objections either.” Will rolled his eyes, but followed after Oakley and Eve. Noah walked up last.

“I always wondered if we would, no objections.” She skipped after, as everyone filed out of the library, following a determined-looking Eveline.

“So, how do we do this?” Oakley asked, scooting forward in his crisscross position on Eve and Will’s floor.

“Well, we all have to be in our other forms for it to work, then we have to nuzzle each other's necks, like when Noah finds a cat and rubs her chin all over it.” Eve uses Noah as an example.

“The kitties are so fluffy…” Noah mutters to herself and no one at the same time.

“Okay… is that all?” He looks confused. “No, then you have to clean each other’s fur, and hold each other’s mouths in your muzzle,” Eve said like she was marking off a list.

“That seems really easy to do, other than the grooming bit.” Noah poked her tongue out playfully in fake disgust.

“It’s not that bad. Moms usually do it with their children. It’s a perfectly familial thing,” Eve reasoned to them, almost not realizing that other than her, Will’s mom goes on 5 flights a month, Noah’s mom is dead, and Will’s mom is in a Hospice facility.

“Just think of it like brushing each other's hair,” Eve added on at the end to soften whatever blow she might have made.

“That does sound nice,” Oakley whispered in a slightly curious tone. “Okay, let’s get to it.” Eve stood up, her ears swishing at the motion. Will tracked her body for a second at around eye level, before the next moment, she was no longer in sight.

As he lowered his gaze, he spotted a fluffy, fully black Siberian husky sitting daintily on its back legs. He waved before shifting himself, finding himself in the body of a fluffy, dark brown and black marbled German Shepherd, his ears two large A’s with fur decorating the sides, his coat and tail as thick and fluffy as they always have been.

He turns his head to see Oakley, a Black based Siberian Husky with white and grey markings and dustings over his face, chest, and body. Will gave him a yip and a head roll, his tongue falling out of his mouth.

The damned thing couldn’t stay in. He was happy to see everyone's other forms. Usually, they stayed in their human forms.

He turned his head the other way and saw Noah, a brownish-ginger and beige Finnish Laphound, just as fluffy as she had described. Looking just as happy as he probably looked.

You’d be surprised how, but their species mix ends up with Will being the tallest. Then Oakley, then Eve, then Noah. He’s not sure how, and he doubts Oakley cares, but Will is amused for as long as he’s in this form.

He doesn’t get to think on it for very long, however, as Eveline sets a paw forward, making a sort of thwacking clack noise under the impact of her claws. He’s not sure how, when she’s not speaking, but he can sort of tell she’s telling them to begin bonding.

So he, with a little apprehension, nose first, walks over to Eveline. Promptly freezing in place, as Noah bounds over to him, skidding to a halt before crashing into his –still hurting, thanks a lot, dumb wolves– ribs.

Promptly nosing his paws to get him to bend down, he acquiesces and leans his head down, taking the energetic pushing of Noah’s head and neck against his. His gentle graze of her tiny mouth over his muzzle, and the rough texture of her tiny tongue gliding over the middle of his furry head, a fluffy tuft sticking up before being patted down by his paw.

Gently, he put his mouth around her muzzle. Licking over her fluffy shoulder, as he rubbed his head and neck gently against the same spot.

She wiggled a little, somewhere in him he could hear her giggle something about it tickling. He chuffed, blowing hot air in her face. Then scooted backwards until he bumped into Oakley’s fluffy rump.

About to turn around to greet him, Will moves his paws against the floor. Before he could, he knew Oakley rolled his eyes, and with a confused thought, he felt a wet and rough couple of licks over the back of his neck. Then pressure as Oakley rubs his fluffy-eared head over it.

Appearing at his side, and nipping at his muzzle, before wrapping his canined mouth over it, the teeth barely indenting before he removes his mouth. He seems to chuckle as he saunters off to Noah.

Huffing in surprise, Will walks after him, almost bounding over as he does. Half being silly and half actually appreciative, he lay nuzzles over Oakley’s side and neck, licking as he goes. Gently holding Oakley’s muzzle in his mouth, as Oakley sat down in front of Noah.

William let his tongue roll out, sticking it out at Oakley as he walked off again. Will turned to Eve, her own fur sticking up around her neck, fluff pointing in diffirent directions from what is likely Noah’s saliva.

She gives him a pointed look, her head tilting slightly, and he can feel her pointing out his own tuft of hair, almost saying ‘They got you too?’ as she scoots closer as well. She places her paw over one of his as she licks his cheek fur. The spot elicited a sort of soft feeling in him as he did the same to her.

Bashful, at what he doesn’t know, he nips at her muzzle to get her to stop when she continues to lick for what feels like a while.

When she protests, he can feel himself blush, but he just lets her continue, finding a different spot to lick on her.

When she finally ceases, she gently gnaws at his muzzle with her’s and rubs her head over his neck and her chin over his head. Feeling thoroughly bonded, whatever that is, he sits down in one corner, placing his chin over his paws, lying sideways on the floor as he waits for everyone else.

He doesn’t wait for very long, as everyone scoots or pads over to his spot on the floor a couple of feet from him. Oakley taps his nose.

“We’re not even 5 feet away. Why are you lying down?” Oakley tilted his head to the left and wiggled his nose at him. Looks like the bond worked because he can hear his voice clearly in his head.

“Ion know, felt like waiting for you guys. So I just kinda laid down.” He kicked one leg around on the floor like it was a hand tapping on a windowsill or table.

“I just kinda trusted you guys to get me when you need me.” Will sat up, tucking his tail under one of his hind legs. He doesn’t know why either. Will can feel His fluffy forelegs shrug.

“Must be a bond thing, we’re good now, everyone has to get everyone except themself once.” Eve detailed again, likely having researched this beforehand.

“That’s probably why I can hear each of you in my head,” Noah muttered. “That would be why.” Eve nodded.

“What now?” Will asked, already sort of knowing the answer. “Well, we just live, but with a couple more benefits than usual.” Eve supplied, nosing at Noah’s head softly.

“Cool.”

Will’s tail wags behind him, preening at the amount of physical touch he’s gotten recently.

Some of it was more for wound care than his own benefit, but he’ll take it regardless. Will gets the feeling they can feel his happiness, security, aching, and bruises, all personified in feelings floating around, but they don’t say anything. The other feelings felt between them were overpowering.

Strong trust and satisfaction come from Noah, backed by a small feeling of loneliness, appeased. Protection and the same satisfaction around Eve, a deeply buried rage, fizzling away slowly, but lurking behind it.

Comfortable safety radiates off of Oakley, moonlit with a similar aching and bruising, whether the comfort is for himself or other’s he’s not sure, but it feels nice. He could stay in this moment forever, and if no one else wants to leave, he won’t either.

The four of them climbed onto Will and Eve’s couch, piling on top and curling into each other. Will lay out with Noah curled onto his neck area.

Oakley curls up behind him, his head lying on Will’s back, his paws ghosting softly over his ribs. Eveline lay half leaning her back against his front, her head in her legs as her tail was wrapped under her chin. Gently tucked in on all sides, he found it difficult to breathe in, both from the weight and his bruised ribs.

Either way, he couldn’t breathe without the ache, so he let it be. The comfort was well worth it. Dozing softly with his friends.

Kicking a stray pebble down the sidewalk, Will huffed quietly to himself. The breeze passed him by as he trudged down the concrete. “Who misses the bus anymore? I barely slept in!” He complained to himself and the air in mock annoyance.

Jogging to a halt as he waits for the light to go green, the red mocking him as he watches cars zoom by. When the light seems to take forever to turn, he’s about to choose another path.

He turns around, just as a black masked figure grabs his wrist in a vice grip. Almost broke it before he could get the chance to thrash and get away.

“Help!” He screams to no one, apparently, but he doesn’t get the chance to check for notice before the hand pulls Will’s back to the masked figure's front.

Another hand, holding a cloth under his chin comes into view. The newly introduced second keeps him close, bracketing him so he can’t move too much.

He tries to turn his head away as he struggles, mind going blank in panic, ‘what can I do to escape this?’ plastered over every inch of his brain.

Alarm bells are blaring and sending distress signals wherever they can.

Time moves in slow motion, as the cloth finds his face. Struggling becomes meaningless as a black void drags him under, kicking and screaming.

His body goes limp and heavy as he passes out. His senses and newly formed bond kicked into overdrive, then completely dead to the world in a mere matter of seconds.