HOWLING HALLOW

Chapter Six

The Doctor took the pelt and asked the TARDIS to move the entrance to the wardrobe room to the park room. He ducked into the wardrobe room first and then the TARDIS took Rachel to the living room where everyone except Max was watching TV. While the Doctor was dressing, he felt the TARDIS trying to tell him about Max sulking in the console room and he sighed through his nose.

"I know, girl, but as long as he doesn't muck with anything, let him be," he said. "If he wants to be angry and sulk, he has that right."

He finished dressing and turned when he heard Rose's voice. She came upstairs with the other members of the pack. The Doctor looked for Max but noticed he wasn't there. He noticed everyone's excitement and he figured Rachel told them about what happened.

"Doctor, bring another change of clothes," Rose said. "We're going to take a change as well. They want to do something for us. Oh, and bring the pelt, that's essential."

Wondering what was going on, the Doctor took the pelt and waited while the TARDIS gave everyone an extra set of clothes. Rose asked the TARDIS to move the entrance to the park room to them as they went down the stairs and they went back inside. The moment they walked under the moon, they began to change. The Doctor knelt beside Rose but she urged him to put the belt on and join them. The Doctor stood up, put the belt on and began to change with them. When everyone was finished, the pack gathered around Rose and the Doctor and nuzzled them. Rachel came up to them while the others fell back.

I told them what happened and all of us came to a decision, she thought to everyone. You and Rose have been accepted into the pack but we decided to take it a bit further and make you litter mates.

Litter mates? The Doctor thought. And that would be…

Well, a pack consists of members who are brought together as a group, John said, coming up to them. But for those of us who were natural born and had multiple brothers and sisters, we were raised in a litter the way wolf or dog pups are. To call you a litter mate is to call you our brother and sister rather than just a member of the group. So, if you like, we'd like to think of you as our litter mates and invite you to become our brother and sister.

The Doctor wagged his tail at that and everyone came forward to nuzzle them. The Doctor and Rose nuzzled them in return and then Ian let out a yip of joy and raced off across the field. Everyone else yipped and followed him and they all ran together as a group, feeling the exhilaration of each member of the group as it infected all of them. They ran until they reached a small group of trees and then The Doctor and Rose watched while the others began to play with one another much the same way puppies do. They nipped at each other's ears and playfully pushed each other over and rolled around. The Doctor glanced at Rose with a gleam in his eye and they joined in the fun. The Doctor barked out laughter while Rachel gave him a playful shove with her paw and he rolled over on the grass. Ian nipped at his ear, careful not to break the skin and Rose gently put her mouth on his neck and shook him playfully. The Doctor got up and gave a playful snap at her tail before Rose turned and pushed him down. The Doctor was enjoying himself completely and realized why puppies were so happy playing with each other when they were young. He was glad the pelt worked so he could be a part of the group without actually becoming a werewolf full time.

They played for a bit and then everyone snuggled up and rested. Their bodies intertwined like a litter of pups. The Doctor lay with his head on his paw while Rachel had her head on his back and Rose lay beside him. Ian was curled up on his other side and the Doctor closed his eyes, feeling a primal contentment and peace he hadn't felt in years. He never had much love growing up and certainly never experienced closeness like this. He felt warm and safe with the other warm bodies around him and he flicked his tail lazily while he savored the moment and relaxed. In this moment of love and contentment, he looked at Rose who was resting beside him and felt a wave of love for her. He lifted his head and gave a quick lick to her snout before he quickly put his head back on his paws and snuffled out laughter when she raised her head and looked at him. Then his brow ridge rose when Rose licked his snout and kept on licking, grooming the fur on his nose. The feel of her tongue on his snout filled him with an even deeper contentment and he smiled while he flicked his tail. She then moved to the top of his head and the Doctor opened his eyes slightly, loving the feel of her tongue. While she licked the top of his head, he turned his head and flicked his tongue on her paw, tasting a bit of grass residue on her fur. Rose stopped licking him and put her head down next to his. The Doctor winked at her and she put her cheek against his, rubbing it back and forth. The Doctor lifted his head and did the same. Then he used his snout to guide Rose's head onto his paws. Once her head was resting on his paws, he laid his head across her neck and flicked his tail again.

Then he had a thought and wondered if he could say Rose's name with his actual voice. He tried to form the word with his teeth and tongue. But it came out sounded like "Ra-oo" Rose slid her head out from under his when he lifted it and watched with confusion while he tried again.

"Ra-oo," he said before shaking his head. "Ra-oh…Raw-ohz."

He brightened when he heard something that sounded similar to her name. He looked at her and said, "Raw-ohz!"

What are you doing? Rose thought to him.

I'm saying your name to you, isn't that obvious? He thought back.

The others snuffled out laughter when he said, "Raw-ohz" again and gave a satisfied flick of his tail.

Then Rose snuffled out laughter when he tried saying his own name, except it came out like "Rah-oh."

Blimey, this is hard, the Doctor thought.

That's why you have telepathy, brother, Rachel thought.

Sod telepathy, I want to talk and be a talented lycan.

They snuffled out laughter when he said "Raw-ohz," several times. Then he threw back his head and howled, "ROOOOOO-OOOHZ!"

When he did it again, the others joined in a group howl. When they finished, the Doctor looked at Rose and said something vocally but to her it sounded like, "Raw-ohz, rawh ra oh oo raw rawz."

What? Rose thought to him while the others yipped out laughter.

I said, Rose, I can speak to you now, the Doctor thought.

Uh, no, you can't, Rose said.

The Doctor nuzzled her cheek. Everyone lay back down and rested. But the Doctor was thinking to himself about the events of the past few days. He had his head on his paws but he gave a sideways glance to Rose who had her own head on her paw and had her eyes closed, resting while their bodies were side by side. The Doctor admired her beauty for a moment before he decided on something. He telepathically asked Rachel to take her head off her back and when she did, he got up on all fours and urged Rose to stand up. The others lifted their heads, telepathically asking if anything was wrong. He telepathically told him that he and Rose were going to take a short walk and everyone lowered their heads onto their paws. The Doctor and Rose carefully stepped out of the group, turning around once they were clear. The Doctor started walking and Rose followed beside him. While they walked, the Doctor asked the TARDIS to create a pond in front of them and he smiled when a large pond appeared on the landscape. The Doctor walked up to it and he and Rose stood and stared at their reflections. The Doctor turned his head from side to side, looking at his head.

Not bad, not bad at all, he thought to Rose. I look brilliant this way.

Oh no, here goes, the ego has come back, Rose thought. So, was that why you wanted us to come over here, so I could watch you admire yourself?

No, the Doctor said, sitting on his haunches, I was thinking things over.

Oh, what about?

Well, I was thinking about what Max said about being the alpha male and you the alpha female.

Yeah?

Well, I'm a lycan now and I was thinking that I would like you to be my alpha female.

Rose was stunned. The Doctor studied her for a reaction.

You're not the alpha male though, Rose finally thought to him.

I'm the alpha male inside the TARDIS and if you're going to be here with me, it stands to reason that you should be the alpha female, yeah?

Rose nodded and the Doctor got up on all fours, walked to her and rubbed up against her. Rose returned it and the Doctor walked around her to the other side.

You see, I know Max fancies you but I got here first and by all rights, you are my alpha female, not his, he thought. Although I suppose I could also think of you as my queen. Because in many ways, you're the queen of my hearts.

Rose felt a lump come to her throat. The Doctor began to groom her neck and Rose closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his tongue on her body. She opened her eyes when she heard the Doctor whisper inside her mind.

Mine, he thought to her. No other can have you, my alpha female. You belong with me.

Rose's eyes misted over and she turned her head to lick his snout. The Doctor smiled and licked her nose and Rose lowered her head slightly while he groomed her face.

What about the misses though, Rose thought teasingly when he finished grooming her.

Eh, she'll get over me, the Doctor thought with a wink. Besides she's my sister now. So the whole marriage thing is off.

Rose snuffled out laughter and nuzzled her cheek against his. The Doctor licked her affectionately and they gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before they turned around and walked back towards their litter mates.

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