So just some random idea I got one day, one that WOULD NOT LEAVE ME ALONE until I wrote it down. Seriously I couldn't sleep last night, it was a pain.

Anyway, A Merwaine fic, because I am suddenly obsessed with Merlin and love the pairing. One thing you do need to know about this story is that the characters are all wolves, it is somewhat inspired by another fic I've read where the characters can change into humans for whatever reason they like, this is like that. There aren't any parts where they do so but just go in with the idea that the characters can change, this isn't bestiality.

So disclaimer: I own nothing. Seriously, if I did own it Merwaine would be canon. Enjoy

Gwaine was curious about how the Camelot pack came to be. It didn't function like normal wolf packs, the fact that there was a same sex pair alone was enough to make it abnormal, but the lack of a strict hierarchy was just plain strange.

The pack did have an official Alpha of course, Arthur was a white gold colored male of slightly below averaged size but strong built. Despite being one of the youngest wolves in the pack he was rather serious and put the pack first, as it was inherited from his sire.

Gwen, or Gwendolen as he name actually was, was Arthur's mate and therefore Alpha female though she rarely acted on her position. She was a slim curvy female with a dark brown coat and the sole female in the pack. Gwaine liked her a fair amount, if only because she dealt with his teasing with gentle rebuttals and kind words, unlike her mate who would chase him off if the Alpha caught him joking with the female.

There also wasn't any separation in the treatment of females, Gwen was cared for more closely only because Arthur cared so much for her, not because they thought her inferior. The pack respected their Alpha female's ability to defend herself and treated her like royalty.

Elyan was an average sized wolf with a dark brown, almost black coat. As Gwen's littermate he looked a fair amount like her, just larger and stronger.

Percival was the largest wolf in the pack, big boned and muscular with a tan coat. He was very gentle for his sizeable bulk and was much like a large pup, bounding around looking to help, but more than capable in a fight. He made up half of the only same sex pairing in the pack, mated to Elyan.

Leon was the oldest in the pack but not yet past his prime, he had been a member of the pack under Arthur's sire and was just as loyal to Arthur as he had been to the previous Alpha of the Camelot pack. He was averaged size, a light brown almost ginger colored wolf with a fair number of battle scars from his experiences over the years.

Lancelot was a slightly above average sized wolf of a lovely russet color, the reds and browns of his pelt mixing to make up a very handsome male. Even new as Gwaine was he could tell there was some jealousy of Arthur for his mate, there must have been some difficulties in the past between those three.

Gwaine himself was a smallish brown wolf with darker and lighter browns mixed in and a white chest. he was the smallest wolf in the group but muscled, roguishly handsome was a way he often described himself to others, and he considered that being modest. He was typically a traveling lone wolf, more content being on his own, but something about the Camelot pack had intrigued him.

He wasn't sure if it was the lack of a strict hierarchy system, the lax response to same sex pairings, or the fact the presence of the last wolf in the pack, the mysterious and elusive Merlin.

Gwaine had literally ran into Merlin on one of his wanderings, clearly not paying attention, and the other wolf had snarled at him first in surprise and some anger, then had all but dragged him back to his pack to meet Arthur before disappearing. Arthur had listened to Gwaine's story and had insisted on Gwaine staying, to at least get the feeling of what having a pack felt like, especially since they were so relaxed on the typical pack structures. Gwaine agreed to try it out and had never really left, he told himself it was because he was too comfortable to leave but a voice in his head told him it was because he was curious. Curious about Merlin.

And Merlin was curious, clearly attractive enough to entice one of the free males into mating with his sleek black fur, long limbs, and sparkling blue eyes but for some reason he didn't. He actually seemed to be the pack Omega, acting as if the rest of the pack was superior to him, despite the lack of true pack ranking. He was playful and puppyish, almost tormenting Arthur, especially if he was in one of his moods, as if Merlin was trying to deflect the Alpha's anger onto himself. He was incredibly close to Gwen but it was clear it was only in friendship, and he seemed to get along with the rest of the pack well yet Gwaine couldn't help but feel there was something more to Merlin.

He confirmed his suspicions when he followed the dark wolf when Merlin was sent hunting for the pack, alone, which never happened, wolves always hunted in groups, yet Merlin was sent off alone for some reason. Gwaine followed from a safe distance, downwind so the larger wolf couldn't smell him and out of sight, as he watched Merlin in action.

He was stunned, Merlin was a force of strength and grace, easily more powerful than Arthur and maybe even Percival with the fluidity of a seasoned dancer. He easily tracked and took down a large buck that might have given several of the others trouble alone with efficiency and ease that spoke of years of work.

He also noticed, when Gwaine turned in his direction as he twisted his jaws in the buck's neck, that Merlin's eyes changed color. They went from a playful, harmless cobalt blue to a feral shimmering gold. Gwaine felt his hackles rise unconsciously at the power in the black wolf's gaze, he had never seen anything like it before, and he wanted to see more.

Gwaine wrenched his thoughts away from the piercing golden gaze when the bearer of said striking eyes threw back his head and howled his victory before starting on the meal, obviously trying to get his fill before the others arrived and pushed him away from the kill that was rightfully his.

Gwaine ducked back a ways before joining the rest of the pack, watching as Arthur immediately growled at Merlin to leave the deer and the other obey and had to smother a growl of irritation at the leader. He still joined in the meal, actually given a foreleg to himself as welcome to the pack which caused another smother of irritation for it was not Arthur's kill to give away. He accepted the leg, not wanting to anger the Alpha, and dragged it off to eat in some privacy.

He did notice Merlin, lying full out several feet from the kill and staring at it avidly, he obviously hadn't eaten enough to fill his stomach Gwaine let out a low whine, gaining Merlin's attention and gestured to the leg, offering to share, it was far too much for him alone and Merlin was a far amount larger than him and needed more food. Deep blue eyes weighed him carefully before the taller wolf slunk over to Gwaine with periodic glanced at Arthur to see if he would interfere. The Alpha paused when he noticed the two sharing but went back to his meal without another look, after which Merlin dug in heartily.

Gwaine felt rather pleased with himself for getting the quiet wolf's attention and yipped happily at the other when the meal was done, asking what he thought. His companion only looked at him sideways before licking him once on the muzzle and disappearing into the trees.

A bit confused but not dissuaded by the brush off, Gwaine decided to keep trying to get the black wolf to open up, to let him see more of that powerful feral Merlin he had seen hunt. He continued in his attempts to get the lean wolf's attention, striking up conversations that dropped flat when the other refused to reply, curious questions about meaningless things that were flat out ignored, and invitations for stories of pasts was given a withering look before the producer left. Gwaine didn't know what to do, he tried to get the other wolf to talk to him, even to hunt with him, only to be brushed off and told that "he hunted alone." Gwaine was actually proud of himself for the last one, it was the first time in the month he'd been a part of the Camelot pack he's gotten Merlin to speak.

He followed Merlin when the other wandered away from the pack's home clearing, seemingly for no reason, only to get rounded on once they were well out of earshot.

Within seconds he was on his side pinned to the forest floor, the sleek and powerful form of Merlin looming over him, "What do you want from me? What do you want?"

Gwaine felt a light shudder through his fur at the low, wild voice of the larger wolf before he found his reply, "Want? I don't want anything, why would you think I would?"

Merlin didn't seem to hear his question, "Everyone wants something. Why were you bothering me then? Isn't there something better you could be doing with your time than pestering the Omega?"

He winced at how the last word was practically snarled, the displeasure heavy in Merlin's voice, "I was just trying to get to know you, I like you, you're interesting." Gwaine figured honesty was probably his best bet right now, it never did any good to piss off a larger wolf when you were in a weak position.

"Interested?" Merlin's brows furrowed slightly before realization flitted across his features quickly followed by anger, "So you're interested huh? You think I'm just going to submit to you because you're the only one who shows any interest? Well you're sorely mistaken, I don't turn my tail up for anyone, not even the Alpha."

Gwaine was nodding without even thinking about it, "Of course, why would you submit when you're an Alpha?"

Merlin didn't say anything, his shock written across his face.

"Give me a little credit, you obviously aren't an Omega. You're clearly stronger than Arthur, I bet if you wanted you could beat him out as Alpha of the pack, Arthur wouldn't stand a chance. I don't know why everyone else thinks you're weak, maybe because you let them push you around, I don't know."

"Wouldn't take over," Merlin muttered, "Need to take care of the pack. It's my job, make sure Arthur knows what he's doing and that the pack is protected. Makes it easier if I'm underestimated." Merlin pulled back, allowing Gwaine to get to his feet once more, this time facing him.

"Well the others are idiots then, I have no idea how they haven't figured it out by now. Haven't you been here longer than Lancelot?"

"Yeah, I joined the pack before Lance, Elyan, and Percival. Yet they're all 'Knights' and I'm not. Arthur's an idiot, can't see an inch in front of his nose when it's not related to fighting. Clot pole." Merlin snickered, lips pulling back in a sharp smile.

"Morons, the lot of them," Gwaine grinned with Merlin, liking that he finally managed to make the other talk to him.

"You are too," Gwaine throws him a confused look, "For thinking you can dominate me, even when you know I'm an Alpha."

"I didn't say that, I sai-" But before Gwaine could finish he was down on the ground again, this time with the larger wolf's teeth in his scruff. He froze and shifted his body so that he was lying on his back, belly up in an instinctual submissive pose. "I said I was interested, not that I wanted to dominate you. Besides I'm a submissive anyway, no idea how you missed that."

Gwaine allowed himself to grin once more when Merlin blinked before taking a deep breath, only to let out a deep growl as his eyes went gold, "I see…" Another shudder went down Gwaine's spine at how deep the larger wolf's voice went in only two words and he felt the black jaws release him only to run a rough tongue up his throat before nosing into his pulse point and inhaling, rumbling out another feral growl from Merlin's deep chest.

I think I might stick around after all, things are too interesting to leave.

So yeah, I'm rather pleased with this fic. I am somewhat intending on leaving it as a oneshot, but if I get enough requests or I feel up to it I might write a M rated ending with sexy times, you know, Merlin exerting his dominance, because I really do like Merlin topping, I don't know why I just do. Review please? I liked it overall but I like feedback.