Chapter V: Home

“...aven. Raven.” Luna’s soft calls woke me from my slumber. “We’re home.” Placing me and the blanket gently on the floor, Luna moved to the back of the den to place the sack and started unpacking it, first carrying my dress and boots over to me before returning to the sack.

Stretching out my limbs and paws, I let out a long yawn before moving over to the dress, pawing at it in minor annoyance. “Sorry for leaving everything to you,” I said as I transformed back into human form, hastily putting on my dress before Luna turned around again.

“And after I was so gentle putting those boots on for you, maybe I need to train some manners into that bunny brain of yours as well,” Luna said mockingly, but with a hint of genuine disappointment.

“I’m s-sorry, I just w-wanted…” I stammered, only to be cut off.

“You don’t need to apologise. Seeing you happy was more than enough to assuage my annoyance. Besides, seeing you all curled up in the blanket like that, I could barely contain myself. I just wanted to eat you up…” Turning to me, she had been joking, but seeing my eyebrow raise prompted a quick clarification. “Not literally, of course. I meant it in a more…” She trailed off, her face glowing red.

“More…?” I goaded, as Luna returned to the sack to hide her face.

“Here,” Luna said with hurry, throwing a few more blankets in my direction. “They're old and may need some fixes, but I thought you might want some more.” She explained.

“Why?” I asked, looking at her through a hole in one of the blankets, as I held it up before me.

“Well… rabbits like making burrows, don’t they? Since you can’t exactly dig in here, I thought I could get you some blankets and things for you to build your own.” Even though she’d changed the subject to get away from further embarrassment, her face had gotten even redder than before.

Dropping the blanket, I looked over at Luna’s blanket next to the fire where I had been eating before, and then stared back at Luna, my face singing with excitement. “Can I!?” I almost shouted.

“Of course,” Luna smiled back warmly before walking over to me and wrapping her arms around me. “This is our home now. It is your den and my burrow. Now, please, do as you please.”

I wanted to cry, but holding it in, I wrapped my arms around Luna, giving her a tight squeeze before letting her go again. Returning to the sack and organising her other storage, I got to making a small burrow not only for me but for Luna as well.

“Have you finished?” Luna startled me as she bent over me, peering down at my handiwork.

I had increased the sleeping area's footprint by at least double and layered two blankets on top of each other for the base. Around them, I had rolled and scrunched a number of them to create a soft wall around the perimeter, pushing everything against the den wall to give the burrow some support. With a couple of the remaining blankets, I left them at the side, intending to use them as covers should we ever need them.

“I think so. What do you think?” I asked, searching for approval.

“It looks very cosy, I’ll give you that. Why don’t you give it a try?” Luna suggested, pressing lightly on my back.

Transforming, after shaking off the dress that had fallen around me, I hopped into the burrow. As soon as my paws hit the soft woollen floor, a sudden snug safety enveloped me, so much so that I started sprinting from one end of the burrow to the other, proud of myself. Stopping in the middle, however, I looked up at Luna, wondering if she would even like this. Maybe she prefers things simpler and harsher. I thought before Luna transformed into her wolf form and joined me in the burrow.

Moving in circles, Luna tested all areas of the burrow before settling down in one of the corners with her back against the wall of the rolled-up blankets and her head resting on some others. Watching her get comfy gave me some newfound confidence, so as she rested her eyes, I approached, always watching her eyes, still a little frightened by our size difference. As I got to know Luna over the past day or so, my heart softened, and in that moment my fright was not born of fear; it was hope.

Snuggling up close to Luna’s body with her four muscular legs surrounding me, I flopped into her soft, thick fur, wriggling around a little before closing my eyes, with a blank, silent mind. Feeling Luna move around me, I opened one eye to see what she was doing, only to find her moving her head and body to wrap me up in her body, safeguarding me from the cold and the world. Her head now lay ahead of me; opening one eye for herself, she gazed at me, some sort of a smile appearing on her hunter's mouth, as her tail swished next to me. Closing our eyes together, we had a short nap.

Waking with the sun now low and amber in the sky, I wondered how long we had been asleep. Flopping over, I found the space behind me empty; Luna had already gotten up. Rising to my hind paws, I stood tall enough to look over the wall of blankets to find Luna washing her face in a bucket of water beside the fire.

“Did you have another good sleep?” Luna asked, in between splashing her face with water.

Transforming on the spot, I knelt on the blankets with my legs spread to either side of me. “Ye…” I started, but a loud yawn cut me off.

“Haha, already tired again?” Luna giggled as she walked to the entrance of the den, bucket in hand. Reaching the entrance, she tossed the bucket's contents out into the wild. Watching it fly, a reddish hue in the water’s clear complexion.

“Did you go hunting again?” I asked.

“Yeah, I thought it was best to go while you were still sleeping.” Her voice was low and caring as she peeked back at me. However, my expression stayed solemn and detached. I did not know how I felt about being left alone, even if I had been asleep, or possibly even because I was asleep. “Would you have preferred I waited until you woke up?” Luna added, noting my conflict.

I did not know how to answer that. Part of me said I was being too selfish and needy; another called out for her help, and another cried that if I kept going like this, Luna would come to hate me. “I don’t know,” I said at last. “I just don’t know. I feel like such a mess. Since I woke up this morning, I’ve been having constant thoughts that I shouldn’t be here, that it’s too dangerous, that I’m only causing issues for you and pain for everyone else. But then I’ve looked at y-you,” Pausing again, I caught my breath and the heartache with it. “A-and I just feel safe again. I feel like I never want to leave your side. I don’t understand what’s going on. I know in the next few minutes I’ll be scared again and want to vanish from the world. But I also know if you’re there I might just about feel h-happy again.” Finishing, I had been looking down at my hands, playing with them, scared of what Luna’s face might look like. Still, as something covered the sun’s deep orange rays, casting me in long shadows, my curiosity got the better of me. Looking up, I found Luna crouching down and wrapping her arms around me, one hand on the back of my head, bringing it in close to rest my forehead on her shoulder.

“Whenever you’re scared, I’ll be right here for you. Even if I am out hunting, I’ll never be too far away. And the moment I sense danger or fear, I’ll be right back here by your side before you even know it. Remember, I have the senses of a predator; they may be designed for hunting and killing, but I can just as easily use them to keep you safe. How else do you think I found you that night? It wasn’t coincidence or fate; I sensed you, your fear, your sorrow, your anger.” Holding me tight, Luna finished with a tone of confidence, almost masked beneath her sincerity and her feelings.

“So you did consider me prey,” I replied, removing my face from Luna’s shoulder to look up at her with an irked pout.

Looking flustered, Luna looked like she was about to defend herself before giving in with a sigh. “Yes. Yes, I did. But as soon as I saw your human form, and those beautiful black eyes of yours, I realised my mistake.” Sounding desperate, I continued to pout at her, hoping for her to grow flustered and desperate, but after only a few more moments, my laughter burst from me.

Laughing happily to myself, I once again buried my face in Luna’s chest, hugging her closer as I did. “You think I’m beautiful?” I asked directly to Luna’s heart. But Luna did not respond; instead, we continued to hold each other close, sharing in each other’s comfort and safety.

As the temperature dropped with the fading sun, Luna pressed me closer, not wanting the moment to end.

A smile formed at the corners of my lips, a deep, cosy smile. However, as I went to squeeze Luna in return, something soft and large brushed up against my back.

Confused, I gaped around to find a grey, bushy tail wrapping itself around my back, protecting me from the cold winter air.

“I thought you might want something to warm you up.” She whispered warmly in my ear, her confidence soothing me.

“I suppose we are both naked again,” I replied with a sheepish feigned confidence of my own.

Luna pressed her forehead against my neck and shoulder. In appreciation and gratitude, I reached up to her head with tentative care and petted her hair. But as her tail had surprised me, I found something else on her head to take my attention away.

Sitting upon her head, nestled within her thick grey hair, were two fluffy wolf ears. They were drooping down to her sides at the moment, in a show of embarrassment.

Moving past my hesitation, I began to stroke her head, being careful to miss her ears.

“I’ve never shown anyone else this form. Not that I had any chances anyway. But this is how I feel most comfortable.” Luna said, her voice soft, almost lonely, but with a weathered, lived-in air that still left her sounding self-assured. “You can stroke my ears as well… If you’d like.” She added that assured tone, replaced with a pleading, vulnerable desire.

Moving my hand to caress and gently play with her ears, Luna’s whole body relaxed as she shifted more of her weight onto me. Yet she held me tighter still.

“I’m going to fall,” I whispered, moving my head to one of her ears, watching it twitch as I spoke.

In response, she pressed me harder.

“Hey!”

We fell into a heap on the scratchy woollen floor of the burrow.

Facing each other, Luna, with a warm smile, covered my body with her tail. It was strong; she pushed me, goading me to move closer. And so I did. Blushing, almost trying to look anywhere but directly in Luna’s eyes, I found myself looking at all her scratches and scars, even those on her face, around her cheeks, one across her left eye, and another on her forehead.

“Where did you get all these?” I asked, desperate to change the subject, but still with real concern, as my hand reached out to stroke the scar on her cheek. Luna backed away for a moment, as if wincing. “Sorry, I hope that didn’t hurt or anything,” I said, retracting my hand.

“No, it's fine. They’re just sensitive.” She responded, gripping my hand and bringing it back to her cheek. “Some of them I got from wolves, others from prey; this one on my forehead I got from a badger of all things.” She said, her finger pointing at it, her tone turning vengeful.

“Pfft.” I giggled.

But Luna stayed serious. “And others I got from humans.”

I opened my mouth to pry further, only to pull back as Luna’s eyes turned downcast, as did her ears, in thought, in memory.

“It’s okay,” I said.

Luna looked back at me, her eyes glassy.

Pausing, I realised I had backed myself into a bit of a corner, but looking at Luna’s downtrodden expression, I continued. “I-I may not be able to protect you. But whenever it gets hard, I can help you; whenever you’re hurting, I can treat you. I can…” Averting my eyes, none of this sounded as unquestionable as I had hoped. “I guess what I am trying to say is that I am here for you, despite the rabbit in me shouting at me to run from you, telling me that I’m your prey. I can also feel my heart crying out that we’re also the same. That we’re…” I trailed off again, eyeing Luna for a longing reprieve from my scattered mind.

But instead, I found her staring back at me, her expression soft and lulling. Her eyes were fixated on my face, my eyes, my nose, my cheeks, my lips. Like she was calculating, waiting for a certain moment to arrive.

“Raven?” Luna asked, her voice low and breathy.

“Yeah?” Watching her with strange wonder, my heart began to throb, but this time it was not out of fear.

“Please forgive me for this.” She begged.

“Forgive you for wha…”

Using her tail to draw me closer, she reached across with both hands, placing my chin between the thumb and index finger of one, and the other on my cheek, holding me with lustful but gentle care and pulling my face close to hers. Realising what was going on, my fear rose momentarily before, with a quiet whimper, my whole body relaxed as I closed my eyes.

Our lips embraced. I did not know what I had been expecting, but the soft pillowiness and warmth of Luna’s lips genuinely surprised me. As their warmth spread throughout my body, all that remained was a strange concoction of desire and fear, but for once that was not fear for me, but instead it was a fear of us. Deep within my heart, the warmth that had been growing all through me since I had met Luna, since I had been reunited with Emi, since I had become free of who I had been. Now it cocooned me.

Kissing back, my mind grew lighter as my confused, anxious, unnerving, and fearful thoughts slowly evaporated, leaving me to fall into blissful contentment.

Pulling away, Luna let out a warm, satisfied but trembling breath.

Opening my eyes, I found her staring at me. She wore an impish grin, satisfied with herself, but her drooping ears made it clear she was searching for some form of approval or forgiveness.

My cheeks grew hot as the reality hit me. I brought my hands to my face, covering my mouth and nose. But it was not out of dissatisfaction or even surprise at what we had done. It was because I liked it so much. I… I do love her.

“So what did you think?” Luna asked, her own cheeks now a little red even as she giggled at me, watching me squirm.

Collecting my thoughts, I gazed up at her, removing my hands from my face slowly before speaking. “Ummm. I… Can we do it again?” I stumbled out at last.

With a slight shock, Luna’s eyes widened before fading into joyful, predatory glee, as if she had caught a delicious snack. “Of course we can!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me, kissing me again as she rolled us around on the floor—both her strength and delight overpowering me.

The sun had now disappeared behind the trees; we sat next to each other, holding hands, enjoying one another’s company. My eyes started to wander, falling on Luna’s wolf ears.

“Can you teach me how to do that? You said you would, right?” I asked, still a little dazed and mindless. Looking down, I lifted her short hair and noticed her human ears had vanished, replaced by shorter, thicker hair much closer to the fur of her wolf form in both look and feel.

“My ears and tail, you mean?” She asked, letting her puzzlement be known, as she held her tail tightly in one hand and slowly pulled it through, combing all the fur down to a point before moving it toward me.

“Yes, how do you only half transform?” I asked, watching Luna’s tail sway back and forth before me, hypnotised by its movements.

“How does transforming feel to you?” Luna asked after a long pause. Prompting me now to think deeply. “It’s like moving your limbs or breathing, right?” Luna posited while looking at my thoughtful face.

“I guess so.” I agreed, though I did not fully understand what she meant.

“When you want to move your arm, your brain sends a signal to the arm you wish to move. You don’t think about it; you just do it; it's the same for transforming.” Luna explained.

“Hmmm.” I thought again.

“Treat it like this. If fully transforming is equivalent to moving your arm, then a partial transformation is the same as wiggling your fingers.” Luna attempted to clarify, seeing my scepticism.

Still thinking, I started moving my free arm, then my fingers, trying to feel the difference.

“Just try it!” Luna exclaimed, watching me struggle. Letting go of my hand and moving away to get a fuller view of me.

Kneeling before each other now, I looked to Luna both with confusion and for reassurance.

Luna watched with a patient, excited smile.

How do I do this? I asked no one.

Taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes and imagined myself with only my rabbit ears and tail.

My body changed.

I had gone too far.

Opening my eyes, I saw Luna staring down at me. Her smile had turned teasing, though as she gestured with her hands and played with her tail, I could tell she was egging me on to keep trying.

So I did.

Again and again.

Each time, getting nowhere.

“Raaah!” I growled after a seventh failed attempt. Moving back over to Luna, I rested my head on her shoulder. “I can’t do it.”

“Yes, you can.” She warmed while stroking my cheek. “Just try one more time. For me.”

“You're just going to laugh at me again.” I sulked while nuzzling my face in her hand.

“I won’t, I promise.”

Looking up at her, unconvinced, I squinted before moving back where I had been.

“Okay,” I said aloud, taking a deep breath in and out. Here goes.

I closed my eyes and tried again.

Opening my eyes, I knew what awaited me.

Small and defenceless, with Luna towering above me, I started thumping the ground in anger.

Thump. Thump.

Softly, they echoed off the den walls.

“Aww, no, don’t get angry. It’s okay, come here.” Luna cooed with outstretched arms.

Thumping a couple more times, I hopped over to her angrily, then jumped high into her arms, transforming back into human form as I did.

Caught in Luna’s arms, I wrapped mine around hers. However, when something soft flopped onto my face that was not hair and had an odd, familiar warmth, I opened my eyes with a start.

What is th… “...AT!?!” I screamed as something gripped my tail with playful intent.

Wait… My tail!?

Confused, I checked again at whatever it was that had landed on my face, the penny finally dropping as Luna’s warm, domineering voice whispered into my now-rabbit ear.

“Well done. You’re such a good bunny.” Luna lulled in my ear, sending a shiver of pleasure all through my body that left me relaxed, with a content smile on my lips.

Lifting her hand to stroke my ears, she also began to play with my short black ball tail again, squeezing it lightly and stroking it. It lived as Luna’s did, at the bottom of my lower back, and sat atop my butt.

I wonder…

As good as Luna playing with my tail made me feel, I caught myself wondering what it might feel like if she started playing a little lower. Shaking my head, I cast that thought aside with haste.

“Do you want me to stop?” Luna asked with concern.

Shaking my head again, I buried my shameful expression in her shoulder.

With a smile plastered on my face, I stroked my new ears; my heart fluttered and sang with a calming joy I was desperate never to feel end.

Continuing to hold me close, Luna stroked my hair, ears and tail with a firm care. Shivering with further pleasure, I wrapped my arms under her arms, holding onto her shoulders. Biting my lip, I began to rub my head into Luna’s shoulder and chest.

“Awww, you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed. I could play with you forever.” Luna giggled confidently. “Hey! Look at me.” She ordered in a soft tone. Looking up, I found her smile down at me. “Awww, your face is so precious. You’re so red,” Luna said before leaning in, stroking my hair from my face and kissing me on the forehead. “And you’re all mine.” As soon as the words left her mouth, I held her even tighter, smiled all the wider, and blushed all the deeper. I did not know what about this declaration of ownership brought me such comfort and pleasure, but I could not deny it. Maybe love was blinding my judgment; maybe, for once, I did not feel controlled. But regardless of the reason, I wanted to indulge in this feeling.

“I love you,” I muffled into Luna’s chest. Words I had spoken for years only out of obligation, to assuage any thoughts of dissent or vitriol from my parents about my feelings. But now, after so long, those three words rang true once again. They were no longer a shield, a defence; they were the declaration I had always wanted them to be.

There was a short pause; Luna moved her head towards my ear, smiling in anticipation I waited, squirming in excitment.

“I love you too,” she whispered directly into my ear.

Reaching up, I grabbed both ears, holding them to my face and over my mouth as I moved back and looked at Luna, a giddy smile now hidden behind my ears but still more than visible in my eyes and my flushed cheeks.

Smiling at me, Luna quickly glanced out at the cooling night sky before looking back at me with a smirk. Reaching around me and getting to her feet, all in one swift motion, I was in Luna’s arms once again as she bounded out of the den and down the hill into the forest.

“Where are we going?” I asked, panicked but content in her safety.

“It's been a long day. I thought we could both use a bath.” Luna replied, grinning as she focused on navigating through the trees and brush.