Finally, the story has come to the end. Heads up for the marking scene one-third way through the chapter. Who shall dominate, read more to find out.

Chapter 44

"This way." I say, leading him to the clearing where we meet a second time. Both of us carrying our God Arc in tow.

One final time I address him, giving him the chance to back out.

"At this time we're going to fight over the right to dominate over the other. The aftermath of the battle will seal the fate of our relationship..."

"Got it."

"Due to the fact my fate is on the line, I will fight with everything I have to secure my choice of declining or dominating... This is your last warning Soma. Do you want this?"

"For the past month I feared I might have lost you forever. I'll never let you go again, and I'll go through with this to make sure of that."

"Then, I'll give this fight my all. Please don't hold back, okay?" I said, putting my mask on.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

With the challenge accepted, we rushed each other. Our God Arcs clashing as we meet each other halfway. Putting our weight into our combined blades we pushed back from each other.

Using my spear to my advantage I circled him, trying to get as many opening hits as I can. But he would force me back before I could make contact with one powerful horizontal slice of his sword each time. The light weight of my blade gave me the advantage of agility, but he still was the one with the most strength in this battle.

Seeing the folly of continuing my actions, I used a tree near by to gain momentum to strike at him from above. Not having enough time to pull out his shield, he blocked my blade with his, using the hand that wasn't gripping his God Arc to hold the upper part of his blade to strengthen the block. He grunted as I struck, the force of the blow bringing him down to one knee. The strike was a fail. Pulling his blade back to him a little he pushed back against me, throwing me back to the tree and rising back to his feet.

Once up, he released a crushing blow on the tree cutting it in half as shatters of splinters flew in all directions. The tree came tumbling down, me along with it. I would have been turned on by the sheer display of brute force but the seriousness of the situation kept me focused. He was truly giving me his all so I would do no less than to give him mine.

Running down the trunk of the falling tree I pulled out my spear and swung at him. He merely pulled back from the tree dodging me as I made contact to the ground. Without break I constantly thrusts my spear at him, pushing him back as he moved from side to side, dodging my point.

For the last strike he didn't pull back, simply moving to his side and grabbing the rod of my spear. I was unable to pull my spear out of his strong grip as he pulled me toward him. Using his strength against him, I let him pull me toward him at the last second releasing my grip of my spear and using the resisting force I gained when pulling my knife out of its handle to slice at him.

The release of the force I was acting on him when he was pulling my spear caused him to fall, making my knife strike only graze his right cheek. It lightly bleed as he threw away my spear out of the equation. I was in shock as he charged at me. He had a fire in his eyes that screamed 'I won't lose.'

He kept hitting me with crushing blows, tiring me out. If I was not mistaken he strikes were the same level of strength as the one he used to destroy the tree. The only mercy he showed me, if he did show any, was giving me a moment to catch my breath as he pushed me back to my knees. This was not good, my body was sore, I couldn't put as much power into my swings anymore. He was out of breath too but in better shape than me.

I had only one last chance before my body gave up on me. Tightening my grip on my knife I lunged at him. But he merely grabbed the wrist of the knife hand, lifting it over my head as he knocked me to the ground with him hovering over me. The shock of his action caused me to let go of my God Arc as I fell with him gripping my wrists.

He squeezed tighter, making me release my grip on my knife. I tried to break through his hold but he would not budge. Even trying to break through the weak points by the thumbs did nothing. And his body was too high up my hips for me to try and kick him. He stared down at me as I wildly thrashed around. Exhausting myself, I conceited.

"I give up, victory is yours... I submit." I said looking up at him with heavy breaths.

He studied me for a second before finally releasing the wrist that had held my God Arc. There was no need for him to be cautious, he had won, there would be no more fight from me.

Slowly he reached his free hand up to gently remove my mask and placed it on the ground next to me. His eyes had an animalistic glee as he cupped my cheek, like a predator basking in the glory of his prize. Must be his inner Aragami going on instinct.

"My life is in your hands now." I say to Soma exposing my neck to him. "Do with me as you will."

For a second he didn't move, just letting my words wash over him. Then he lightly trace my neck with his index finger sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. Slowly he moved closer toward my neck, not breaking eye contact with me until our eyes could no longer meet.

His nose rubbed against my neck until he took a good whiff of my scent. Then he huskily spoke into my skin, making me feel like the world was on fire.

"Mine."

"Ahh," I couldn't help myself as that amazing tongue of his did one long lick along my neck. Soon after he bit into the flesh.

"Ahhh!" I moaned out as pain and pleasure simultaneously washed over me. A low growl from him sent a vibration over my body enhancing the pleasure.

"So...ma." I say as the bite slowly turns to a kiss. He licks the mark one last time as he pulls away, cooling the now stinging sensation with air.

"Now I've mark you. No one else can have you."

"That's right, we're mates now. Forever bound together until the earth takes us." I say as I reached my hands down to pull off my shirt, both of his hands are on me instantly stopping my progress.

"What are you doing?!" He may have sported a deep blush but I could see his eyes starting to glaze over with lust. I looked at him, curious at his actions.

"You won the right as the dominating mate. Claim your prize." I blushed as the lust clouded his eyes. I thought he would have proceeded but he began to fight himself.

"No." He said, tightening his grip on my wrists as he closed his eyes turning away from me. The blush leaving his face.

"Why? Don't you want me Soma?" He squeezed tighter at the dejected sound in my voice and looked back at me.

"I have expressed my affections for you your way, now we'll express our affection in my way."

"What are you-"

"I will not take you until we are bonded together in marriage." His eyes slightly diverted as the blush returned to his cheeks.

"But why... I'm already yours."

"I want us to experience our union in each of our worlds... yours and mine."

"Soma... thank you... That is beyond sweet, you masochist of a gentleman." I say, compelling to his wishes by letting go of my grip over my shirt. Which he in turn released my wrists, finding it more comfortable to rest his hands on each side of my head. I leaned up to hug him, pecking his lips before falling back to the ground out of tiredness. "I take it we won't 'physically mate' until this so called 'honeymoon'... When will that be?"

He practically spoke the words on my lips as he needingly bombarded my lips with his. "Not until I get a damn ring on your finger."

"W-wait Soma... I thought... you said... we wouldn't mate... yet." I said out of breath between the breaks his lips gave me. His body was now pressing on mine.

"We aren't." He growled into my lips, causing another shiver in me as he took dominance. "But I am a man. I need at least this much."

"When will... this marriage take place?" I ask shakily as his lips left mine to slowly trail toward my neck.

"Soon. I don't think I'll be able to hold back for long." He was maneuvering his way across my neck toward my heart.

"So... will you stay by my side?" He kissed the area where my heart was.

"Yes."

"Will you visit my herd with me, from time to time?"

"Sure." He rested his ear over my heart, listening to its repeated beat. His eyes relaxed as I began to brush my hand through his hair, while the other rested on his back.

"Soma."

"What is it?"

"You do realize Kage and Shiro are going to kill you for this?"

"I just got to second base and am guaranteed a home-run, I am in way too much of a good to let that get me down. They'll just have to get use to me being their brother-in-law." I blushed at his implication and that cocky grin on his face.

"W-we should head back now. Before the others start searching for us."

"Yeah..." Soma says reluctantly getting off me and onto his feet.

"Soma." I addressed him as he helped pull me up.

"What?"

"I lov-" He cut me off with his lips. The kiss saying so much more than just shutting me up.

"Don't ruin the moment by making it sappy. Actions speak louder than words, you know that better than anyone."

Surprised at his words at first I recovered myself and giggled.

"Right. Anyway, you were amazing back there. I've never seen you let loose like that before."

"The Aragami inside me didn't hold back knowing with victory you would be mine."

"And you were calling me sappy."

"Shut up, will you... Anyway, what would have happened if I had lost?"

"You would still be on the floor as I dominated you. Riding you until the break of dawn."

"... I'm starting to regret winning that fight."

"Hey, can invite the herd to the wedding?"

"... We'll see..."

****** The Closure ******

And so the wedding took place no more than a month later, in the plains beyond the Sunken Gird. Most of the Den took up the groom's side while the bride's herd and a brave few members of the Den, Gen and Gina among them, sat on the brides side.

All the God Eaters were dressed up and armed with their God Arcs. Not because of the Ogretails but just in case some other unwanted guess decided to crash the party. No priest or official of the state was brave enough to come out to the Plains, so Dr. Sakaki had to certify the wedding.

Eric sat in the second row of the groom's side with his family while Ren was on the bride's side.

At long last Lindow's conscious was strong enough to release Ren from the confinement of his arm to actively move about again. No one questioned the empty seat, just accepting what Okami and Lindow could only see.

On the bride's side Akai laid down next to the two empty seats in the front reserved for Kage and Shiro. Looking at the empty seats broke Soma into a cold sweat, remembering the trouble of breaking the news to the Aragami brothers.

"Okami where have you been? We were about to-" Kage cut off, taking a sniff of the air, shocked came over him at what he smelt and turned to Soma. "My God, Soma you didn't?!"

"He did! You bastard, I'll kill you! You bastard!" Shiro yelled jumping at Soma, punching him along the way. "You deflowered my Sister! I told you to keep your balls away from her! I should have ripped them off when I had the chance!"

The commotion was drawing everyone's attention. With Lindow, Sakuya, Kota, and Gina leering at him was not helping the situation. While everyone else looked shocked, Alisa appalled.

"Idiot! We didn't do anything!" Soma said sporting a burning blush. At that Kage jumped into the fray with a punch of his own.

"Don't lie to us, Soma! We smell the change in her scent. You marked her!" Kage said more angered at the thought that Soma would dare lie to them.

At first Okami couldn't do anything out of sheer embarrassment, but recovering soon after she came to the aid of her mate. Grabbing them by the collar of their clothes she pulled her brothers off of Soma, gently bringing their heads into her embrace.

"He's not lying guys. All he did was mark me, nothing more."

"Then... he left the mating challenge incomplete?" Shiro questioned.

"Regardless, Shiro. She lost the challenge, she is bound to him now." Kage said slowly accepting his sister's fate. "I guess, we'll have to accept him as our... brother."

"Eww, that sounds so wrong on the tongue. But at least there's one good thing that'll come out of this." As if thinking the same thing the twin brothers turned to Soma simultaneously saying.

"Bare us strong nieces and nephews."

"Idiots, that's not going to happen for a looong time after the marriage!"

"Marriage?"

"That's right." Okami said, rubbing their heads drawing their attention as she looked down at her brothers. "You guys are walking me down the aisle, right?"

"Walk you down?" Shiro questioned.

"She means the human ritual of giving the bride away to the groom. In a way, it's a symbol of the brides family approving of the groom."

"... Well, she could have chosen worse. Alright, if he makes you happy we'll support your partnership."

"Shiro... Kage, thank you." Okami said bringing them into a tighter embrace.

"Okay enough with the family mushy stuff. Do you all know what this means?" Kota said drawing our attention. "We get to throw another bachelor party!"

"And you can't get out of it Soma," Lindow says tapping my shoulder.

"You guys suck."

"We suck, you hear that Kota." Lindow says looking at Kota who low-fives him.

"We suck."

"We suck. Alright, we suck! Let's take this sucker to the party of his life."

The wedding couldn't come any sooner. Soma was a gentleman, but his will was weakening. Kage and Shiro were always there to block him each time he had a relapse, God Arcs in all. One time he got so bad that he actually fought them and by the time he broke through their defenses to get to Okami he was too tired to do anything except fall asleep on her room floor while Akai sniffed him than made him into his new doggie bed.

The keyboard began playing the bridal march drawing him out of his thoughts as he payed attention to the aisle where his bride would be coming.

And there she was. Kage and Shiro on each side of her in costume made suits for them, walking her down the aisle. She wore a long pure white form fitting dress, sleeveless with one strap. She had a triangle opening on her right side to show a little bit of her tone stomach and her belly button And an opening on her left side, making it easy for her to walk. Her face was covered with a vial which made him want to run to her and yank it off so he could see her beautiful green eyes.

He didn't even hear what the Doc said or notice that he said 'I do.' But hearing it from her made him feel like he was flying with wings. He didn't even wait a second after Doc said 'you may kiss the bride' before he had the vial off her face and those delicious lips on his.

The applause of their guest and the bombardment of rice forced them to break their kiss. He couldn't contain his excitement as he lifted his bride bridal style, like the first time he brought her back to the Den, to walk down the aisle with her. She held onto him, burying her face between his shoulder and neck. Both of them giddy and sporting a blush.

She thought it would be funny, so she released one arm from his neck to throw her bouquet behind her. All they could hear were girls squealing and fighting for it only to hear the victorious voice of Alisa.

"I can't believe it, I caught it!"

Well two could play at that game, he balanced her on one arm were she was holding onto his neck and sitting on his arm like a chair. As he threw her garter behind him, grinning at her for not noticing when he took it off her. He could see they were going to have loads of fun that night.

"No!" He heard Shiro yell, drawing him from his dirty thoughts. "Like hell if I'm going to let anyone have something that came from my sister's body."

He adjusted her back into a bridal style hold as they looked behind them at the commotion. Only to see Shiro jumping in the air, grabbing the garter before it could even come into hands reach of the other guys. In all honesty, Soma felt better with it in her brother's hands than in the hands of another male.

Shiro hid it from view in his coat pocket. "What are you doing throwing things like this Soma?!"

"Don't worry sis! You'll get it back when you return!" Kage said, waving goodbye.

"Bye boys, we'll be back soon!" Okami said waving to her brothers over Soma's shoulder.

"Have fun sis! Later... brother." Kage and Shiro said with a struggle.

"Later guys. You'll be good little brothers and take care of Akai and our missions while we're gone right?

"Yeah, sure."

"Be gentle with our precious flower."

"Shiro!"

"I'll be gentle, at first." Soma whispered into her ear. "But I can't make any promises after that." The blush she sported brought out his inner hunger.

"S-so where to now Soma?"

"To our honeymoon. And our future."

"Together?" She said embracing him tighter.

"Together," he tightened his grip on her. Letting her know that he was never letting go.

****** The End ******

A wolf strength does not come from fighting alone but from the pact it forms and the bonds it shares.