Chapter Text
The wind was bitterly cold as Orion pushed into the harness across his chest. But his double fur coat kept him warm and toasty. Their line was ten strong, at the head of it were his carrier and sire. Minimus Ambus and Ultra Magnus. The rest of the line was made up of his siblings. Behind them and their handler was Optimus Prime with his friend Ratchet. Orion had heard tell that he had traded half his fortune away for Ultra Magnus. While the Prime lead the planet many of the local baronies had their own leaders and Ultra Magnus was a prized husky mech from the south pole. While their own Minimus Ambus was the result of a thousand generations of careful breeding. So much so there was little northern husky packs that he did not have some lineage with, hence buying in Ultra Magnus.
Orion’s family was forty strong with ten traded back to the one who had owned Ultra Magnus. For the health of both northern and southern packs. His own litter had four pups, himself, Elita, Prowl and Bulkhead. He ran behind Prowl with Bulkhead beside him, they were the youngest and smallest of the pack so they were closet to the sled where the Prime could keep an eye on them. The last ten of his siblings ran alongside them or fanned out to search for threats.
For they were deep in the wilds. Not even the Decepticons called this territory their own. The terrain was a boulder field that made them move slowly and in the far distance the tree line came back into view which marked the edge of the Decepticon territory. From what stories Orion understood Decepticonism was an old religion from an era gone past. Back when Cybertron had been a place of high technology before the star rains came and destroyed that old world. Now they lived as travelling bands, wild wolves or settled tribes.
Their High King was a wolf mech named Megatron. The stories said he won the position through right of arms, that he called a great Moot and demanded that the Decepticon’s unify once again and that a great games was held, of strength, guile and speed. The attributes of the greatest hunter and their god Onyx Prime. Whoever won these games would be named High King. Of course he did not select the games himself. Instead each, tribe, band or pack sire, made a game of their own and added it to the pool. Playing all of these games had lasted a year and eventually someone had thought to invite the Prime to witness them. While the Prime was the Matrix Bearer and voice of Primus, the God Onyx Prime was one of Primus’ children so he was still welcome.
With that an informal tradition had started. At least once a year the Prime would tack up his huskies and travel north. After the rain of stars the planet was to destroyed for the mystical vehicle alt mods. The great Prime had one, something with six wheels that Orion did not know the word for but only in the last few years had the Well of the Allspark started to birth vehicle bots. So they were a rare thing, that kept to the cities and did whatever job their alt mod suited best.
Orion had never seen one beyond his Prime and his two favourite guards. With his youth he didn’t get to leave the kennel and he only ever got to leave when the Prime needed to travel north, thus needed his huskies. Thankfully that was fairly often.
With a huff they reached the end of the bolder field and the Prime called out for more speed. Orion took his head from his muses, he liked to learn about history. Even if he couldn’t read a damn glyph, not for lack of trying to learn. He raised his head to focus and heaved with all his might with the rest of his family.
Great black storm clouds were chasing them from the south and the Prime wanted to be within the treeline before they arrived. It was only sensible, the trees would help break up the wind. They pulled and pulled but the storm was fast and licking at their heels. They just managed to breach the treeline when the first snow started to fall and with it the great darkness closed in around them.
Orion could just barely make out the Prime curse as he called for a stop. They had left his bodyguards long ago, they were a few of the vehicle bots. Heavily armed but useless for driving on snow, so they travelled more slowly. Hopefully they had already bedded down.
With haste their Prime undid their tackle then set up his own tent before he handed out thick gelled slabs of energon to the pack. As the youngest Orion got to eat last but the Prime knelt as he came back and stroked over his head while he gave him his piece to make sure a sibling didn’t steal it.
“Good boy Orion, you did well today.”
Orion preened at the praise and licked the Primes hand which earned him a chuckle and one last pet before he headed inside. He quickly chewed his way through his serving. Ultra Magnus and Minimus Ambus had already finished eating and curled up into balls side by side. The snow had started to gather on their pelts. Everyone was exhausted and after eating gathered around their parents and curled up in the same manner.
As per usual Orion ended up on the edge of the huddle. He wasn’t cold though, he had the warmth from his siblings and the snow to further insulate him. For a few hours he slept peacefully.
He woke in the dead of night to the first nasty stirrings of the heat in his valve. He almost whined, oh why oh why had Primus decided that he was a carrier mech. Why couldn’t he have been a sire mech? Orion had only had one heat before and the caregiver had just pulled him away from all the other huskies and let him live in his home till it was over.
Orion stood and cautiously stepped away from his family. He only shook his pelt free of the snow when he was far enough away he was sure no one would hear it fall. The snow still fell thickly but the wind had calmed and it was still pitch black with the clouds a thick dark blanket in the sky.
He knew these heats meant he could leave his family, break off and start his own pack. For there was only one mating pair to any pack but such a thing was not allowed. He was a husky after all, born under the care of other mechs. Someday maybe a handler or the Prime himself would pick out a mate for him, but it wouldn’t be soon for there were so many others older than him.
His stomach growled, damn heats made him hungrier too. Given his life he knew very little about hunting, but he wandered away from the pack all the same. Maybe some small animal would be out.
Orion walked for an hour before coming upon a strange sight. It was sorta like a dog, but it’s shape was low to the ground and bulky, it’s pelt was brown and black and even thicker then Orion’s own. It looked up at him and let out an awful snarl and charged.
Orion panicked! His yelp was juvenile as he attempted to hop through the thick drifts of snow to run away. The thing burrowed through the snow and pounced on him. He attempted to claw and bite at it but it got him far worse then he managed to do to it.
Then with a crack everything stopped.
The thing was heaved off of him and above him stood the biggest wolf Orion had ever seen. His pelt was an onyx black with dark ruby red undertones. The wolf turned from him and chewed on the neck of the thing till it stopped twitching.
With difficulty Orion rolled over, his pelt protected him from the worst of the damage but he still had a gash on his chest and the outside of his back legs were sliced into not enough to do deep damage but enough to make him limp.
The wolf tore into the belly off the thing and ripped it open, greedily consuming many kilograms of alloy flesh with each bite. Orion couldn’t help but stare. He had only ever had processed energon, the smell of hot bleeding alloy made his mouth water. Still this great wolf had to be important so Orion didn’t dare approach the carcass. A pang of heat went through his valve and he wished he could hide his face in the snow as even he could pick out the difference in his scent.
As if on cue the wolf stopped his gorging and turned to look at Orion. His muzzle streaked with energon blood. His ears flicked forward then back, he turned to the body and ripped out a new chunk of flesh and brought it over to Orion.
It thumped in the snow before him and instinct had him sniffing it then he dropped to grab it with his front paws and chew on it. It tasted fantastic. So many different flavours overlapping, sweetness of energon, tanginess of alloy that was utterly new to him. The first bite made him all the hungrier and he finished his helping quickly.
By then the wolf was a third of the way through the carcass but was also slowing. So he turned his attention back to Orion. Orion stayed perfectly still as the wolf licked his muzzle clean, he thought that must be okay so Orion did the same for the wolf. Gosh he was just so much larger.
Orion held his ground when the big wolf began to sniff all over him. No doubt he could smell his heat, was the wolf a sire type? Just the thought sent a bolt of arousal through him and Orion barely noticed when he flagged with his tail moving it to the side and out of the way.
The big wolf stopped for a moment only to pull away and walk around to Orion’s rear. Orion barely had a chance to look over his shoulder before the wolf was above him, their rear ends pressed together. Orion jolted but mastered himself. Yes, yes this would make the heat go away.
Gently the wolf nibbled at his hackles and Orion couldn’t help but take deep breaths. The air was cold but the wolf above him lowered himself enough to share his body heat but not crush him.
He felt the tapered tip of spike poke his valve. Orion couldn’t help but let out a little shocked yip. The big black wolf let out a comforting rumble and pressed his hips tighter to him. Orion could feel the spike find a home within him. The stretch already ached a little. Then all at once the spike pressurize into his valve, thin and narrow it filled him the wolf above him jerked a little as Orion’s seal gave way readily to him.
Orion was a little surprised when the wolf eased back a bit began to lather his ears and neck with licks. Orion sagged into the kisses, slowly the spike within him began to expand again. This time in girth bit by bit stretching his valve gently till it was so thick that Orion was trying not to pant at the sensation, his valve walls stretched almost painfully tight.
Only then did the big mech press inward again. Orion did pant then, felt as the now broad spike tip eased it’s way gently into his forge. Properly mounted now, all Orion could feel was the heavy weight of the mech above him and inside of him. He whined as his valve fluttered and clenched around the big spike.
Finally the wolf begin short deep thrusts. Rutting into him with single minded determination. In spite of their differences in species and size the wolf mech was gentle with him. Charge filled his systems and bloomed through his valve. Orion did his best to keep his calls of pleasure quiet, as alerting a family member would be horrible. They’d gang up and drive the wolf away.
Overload as a foreign but blissful sensation. He felt the wolf’s hips shudder in surprise but then they stopped pressed tight, arrays flush together. Orion quivered with another muted pleased sound as the wolf’s knot inflated and locked them together. Transfluid rushed into his forge and the heat ache vanished. It was so hot and it came and came till Orion was sure he’d be bloated with it all. Another minor overload made him feel weak in his limbs as he settled into the snow to wait for the knot to pass.
The massive wolf above him did the same, settled his weight more onto Orion and his own forepaws. Orion found his eyes slowly shutting, the weight of the big wolf was utterly comforting to be under. He felt safe and warm. Was this what having a mate was like? To feel protected and treasured?
Eventually the knot eased and the wolf pulled out of him. The mess thankfully was minimal. Treading back through his own paw prints the wolf walked around the carcass and stopped to look back at Orion.
Orion wondered if the mech was waiting for him to come along. The idea of such an adventure made butterflies flutter in Orion’s stomach but... he couldn’t help but think of his family. They’d be distraught if he just disappeared on them, they’d search for him, waste the precious time of the Prime. So with a drooping tail Orion shook his head and walked back the way he had come. The wolf watched him go the whole time but didn’t stop him.
With aching back legs and slowly bleeding chest Orion walked back to the camp. All his family were just as they let him, with the tip of his nose he pushed up the door to the tent and slinked in. A fire was lazily burning in the middle of the round space. The Prime was sleeping on his side under several heavy pelts while his doctor was readying a book by the firelight.
“Orion?” Ratchet asked and sat up sharply. “What happened to you? Get over here.”
Orion did as he was told and let doctor push the matted fur of his chest apart to study the gouges.
“Had a run in with a wolverine I see,” Ratchet said. He opened an ancient metal medical kit, a relic from before the star fall.
Optimus startled awake at the clicking. “Ratchet? Orion? Did something happen?” he sat up quickly.
“Orion had a run in with a wolverine. He’s lucky to be alive,” Ratchet said and dabbed a cloth in a bowl of steaming water by the fire. He set about cleaning the chest wounds and fur.
“Oh poor thing,” Optimus Prime said and shifted over. He began to rub behind Orion’s ears.
Ohh ear rubs those were good. Orion’s eyes slid partly shut as the petting continued. It made the pain of Ratchet cleaning up and stitching his wounds shut much more bearable.
“Do you think he’ll transform soon?” Optimus asked.
“He’s the right age. But don’t forget some animal type bots go their whole lives without transforming and speaking. Especially given that we are going into Con territory.” Ratchet said, “alight done your front.”
“I remember old friend.”
Orion turned to give Ratchet his behind to stitch up his legs and put his head in Optimus’ lap. The ear and head petting resumed and he sagged down happily.
Ratchet hummed with a frown as he studied the cuts. “He’ll have to stay with us for the rest of the trip. The wolverine got him good here and I’m not comfortable making him run, much less pull, we don’t want to lame him.”
“Oh no, you’ll have a husky to help you stay warm for the rest of the trip. However shall you survive?” Optimus said cheekily.
“Oh hush you,” Ratchet said and tended to Orion’s cuts.
When there were all cleaned, stitched and dressed the elder mechs went back to bed and Orion snuggled himself against Ratchet’s thighs and knees. He was an old mech after all and needed protecting.
It was still utterly dark when morning came and Optimus woke first. Orion watched from his defensive position as the big mech prepared warmed energon for himself and Ratchet, had his serving then, patted Orion’s head and said he was good boy for protecting Ratchet. Then he headed out to tend to the pack.
Having the Prime call him a good boy was always the best thing ever. It made him not want to ever transform. If he did then he went from ‘dog’ to ‘person’ and then no one would call him a good boy anymore. He rested his head on Ratchet’s knees, on the other hand if he did transform then he could speak and ask all the questions he had about history and the world. Maybe he could even get someone to teach him how to read properly. Orion glanced over and by Ratchet’s head his book was still open.
Orion cautiously stood, all his wounds ached and it was hard to move with how stiff he was. He waddled over to the book and stared at the glyphs. They almost swam over the page and he couldn’t help but let out an irritated chuff.
Ratchet startled awake, then blinked to clear the frost from his eyes. “Orion? Something wrong?” he asked and reached out and put a hand on Orion’s shoulders.
Orion noised the booked and whined.
“Ah, you want more stories?” Ratchet asked.
Orion nodded as Ratchet sat up and arranged the pelts to stay over his shoulders.
“Maybe tonight we can have stories,” Ratchet said and picked up his bowl of steaming energon. “It’s not safe to talk while riding.”
Orion supposed he could live with that. The Prime returned and gave him his portion of energon, then they broke camp. Instead of pulling Orion sat in Ratchet’s lap in the sleigh under a pile of pelts and blankets. It was toasty warm and by how Ratchet frequently thread his old fingers through Orion’s coat he was sure the doctor was happily to have a living heater too. And every night he told short stories at bedtime with Orion attempting to read along by following Ratchet's finger as it moved from word to word for him.
Travel was slow with the black sky, snow and forest so it took them another two weeks to arrive at the High King’s house. By then Orion's chest was mostly healed but his back legs were still weak.
It was at the base of a mountain with the back half of it built into the mountain itself. The village was the same, half out in the forest, half in the mountain. What bots were out greeted the Prime jovially with waves and smiles.
The long house itself was a simple basic design, slopped roof to get the snow off and simple straight walls. This time when the Prime removed the tackle from his huskies, some transformed. Orion’s parents being first among them. In the end about half of his siblings changed their shape. The chatter was instant, comments on things they had seen on the trip, congratulations on a good drive up.
Those who did not transformed followed their parents to the kennel to be fed and bedded down. Usually that was what Orion preferred after a long run. Now though he sat obediently at Ratchet’s heel as the doctor shouldered his ancient medical kit from the sleigh.
From behind them a bot called out.
“Hail High King Megatron!”
Orion turned his head to look over his shoulder and his spark dropped into his stomach.
The same huge black and red wolf as before walked into town. That very same mech who had filled his forge with puppies. Orion’s jaw dropped slightly, he never expected to meet him again.
Megatron transformed in a beautiful fluid motion. His wire fur pelt was thickest over his shoulders and back in a mantle while the rest of his plating was smooth and curving. His helm was round and came to two points under his jawline. He was all fluid curves, black and red armour and mesh.
Optimus Prime chuckled and clasped hands with the High King. They bowed to each another and finished the greeting with a touch of foreheads.
“Hello old friend, protecting my travels once again?” Optimus asked.
Megatron smiled his amber optics warm like the sun. “Someone has too, it would fall upon me if anything happened to you in my territory.”
They paired walked over and Megatron copied the greeting with Ratchet. “And you doctor? I am surprised to see you made the trip once again. How are your joints holding up?” he asked.
“Poorly. I take it you’ve any injured in the main hall?” Ratchet asked grumpily.
“As always,” Megatron looked down at Orion. “And this young mech? What happened to him?”
“Run in with a wolverine I think,” Ratchet said and made for the grand double doors.
“I did kill a wolverine a couple weeks ago,” Megatron said as the three mechs walked for the house with Orion at Ratchet’s side. “Nasty large one, much larger then your little husky here. He is lucky to be alive.”
Orion was so happy he couldn’t blush, as it was it was taking focus to not tuck his tail. Would Megatron say something? That he had been a bad mech and sneaked away from the pack, let a big stranger wolf put puppies in his forge.
“Thank you for your help,” Optimus said. “Orion is a good boy, a bit over curious at times but good.”
Megatron opened the doors into the air lock. “Oh I get the feeling he has a rebellious streak in him.”
Optimus shut the outer doors behind him to seal the building before Megatron opened the inner ones.
Orion walked straight into a wall of warm air. The hall was a kilometre long and half of one wide. A long great fireplace ran almost the entire length of it. Throughout it were groups of bots tending to tasks. Or sleeping against a wall, there was even a section for those with medical needs.
Ratchet marched straight for that and Orion set off to follow him only for Megatron to set a hand on his shoulders.
“I would like to speak with this one,” Megatron said to Optimus.
“Orion has not transformed yet,” Optimus replied. “But I can speak for him if you wish.”
“Mhm, the matter does involve you. Come,” Megatron ordered and walked down the length of the hall.
Here it came, he was in trouble he had been bad and now Megatron was going to tell the Prime, who would tell his parents and then who knows what would happen. Megatron’s throne was a magnificent thing made out of steel wood and covered in heavy pelts. It was wide enough for three mechs to sit side by side in it. Instead of stopping there Megatron took them up a set of stairs behind it and to the left.
The quarters were humble. A bed of steel wood, thick mattress, covered in blankets and pelts. There was a writing desk and bookshelf covered in books and the ancient data pads. To have wood under his paws was a bit strange. Most of Iacon was old buildings salvaged from before the rain of stars.
A bear pelt dominated the floor and Orion didn’t waste a moment wandering over it till he found a particularly comfy spot to curl up on.
Megatron shut the door as Optimus sat on a chest at the end of the bed. “What’s this about Megatron? It’s not like you to jump to private business.”
Megatron walked over to Orion and knelt to balance on his toes. “Ratchet was correct, I found this one being mauled by a wolverine and rescued him-”
“Thank you-”
“Did you know he was in heat?” Megatron asked.
Optimus’ jaw dropped slightly as he blushed. “I err, no.”
“Pretty little thing was going to get himself killed. I fed him, made sure he was well and guess what he did?”
“Flagged.”
“Yes. I considered turning down the offer but well...” Megatron trailed off and hummed before he added. “It had been a while. Little did I know he was sealed too, given that he is no longer in heat I felt the need to say something.”
Optimus sat in silence for a long moment. “Minimus Ambus and Ultra Magnus will be furious. Orion is one of their youngest and their family handler and myself had no plans to pick out a mate for him. Not to mention that given you are not a husky it uh...”
“Makes the puppies useless to the breeding lines?” Megatron offered. “I have no mate. Should he agree, he is welcome to stay and be mine.”
“I will have to speak with his parents and himself,” Optimus said. “May I have the room for a moment?”
“Of course,” Megatron departed with a bow of his head and shut the door behind him.
Optimus sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Minimus Ambus and Ultra Magnus are going to kill me and then you, you know that right?”
Orion curled into an even tighter ball and hid his face in his tail.
After sigh filled the room and Optimus walked over. Orion could feel his stride through the ground then sat cross-legged before Orion. He reached out and pet over Orion’s head. “I’m not angry with you. What you did is completely natural, as is wanting to start your own pack. Your choice does make it a little more difficult, you are only a husky and he is a wolf and his people are wild. Megatron for all his many faults is a good mech, who will treat you well. I have no concerns on that front. My question is, do you want me to try and smooth things over with your parents? Or do you want to go it alone? Or take Megatron up on his offer? I am sure he will give you many pups and adore you and each and every one of them. But he is a wild wolf, a life with him will be different from what you are used too. Come now little one, transform.”
Orion couldn’t help but start to shiver. Oh he had been so bad, now he was making his Prime worry about him, the hand was gentle but the words were so full of scary things. He didn’t have the first idea of what he wanted. Orion yipped softly as Optimus scooped him off the floor and hugged him against his chest.
He kept petting as he said, “there there, shhh. You’re a good boy Orion, I’m not angry at all. Shh it’s okay. I just need you to transform so you can speak and say what you want. It feels good to transform, like stretching in a way you didn’t know was possible.”
The husky whined and shook his head. He didn’t want that, he didn’t want at all, he just wanted his own pack, a belly full of puppies to call his own. Transforming was scary, transforming meant being a part of the great society and not just a husky.
“I know it’s a scary thought, but you’ll always be my good boy Orion. I just want what’s best for you and that’s not letting the pack drive you off to get eating by a wolverine. You’ll be so much safer pack or no pack, once you transform. You can stay with me if you want or Ratchet. Ratchet loves sparklings and it’s always so cold on Cybertron now. I’m sure he’d love the company whether he admits it or not. You have many options, you just need to start speaking.”
Orion felt the change and how Optimus shifted his grip to hold him differently. His mesh felt different on Optimus’ neck, his nuzzle no longer up in the air. He cuddled down, following the instinct to make himself smaller and Optimus cradled him gently.
“There you go, that’s my good boy.” Optimus pressed a kiss to Orion’s helmless head. “See that wasn’t so bad. Five fingers and toes just like a husky, no tail to sit on so you got lucky there but I am sure you could learn to have it out if you wanted. Your armour is cute, grey silver and gold. I take it, you have no idea what you want? You were just following a biological urge in the moment?”
The little husky mech nodded against his Prime’s neck.
“That’s okay. I am in no rush to go home, you can take as much time as you need,” Optimus said. “Do you want to try standing?”
Orion rapidly shook his head. No he did not, he wanted to be a husky again and hide under the nearest bed.
Optimus sighed, “you huskies are always so dramatic. It will be fine, you are not the first carrier bot to sneak off from their family and find a nice big mate and you will not be the last. If anything, I shall enjoy playing chaperone it’s not every day I get to see Megatron on the back foot.”
The husky mech mumbled against Optimus’ heck. “You’ll protect me from my parents?”
“As much as necessary and if you let him. Megatron will too,” Optimus said and pet down his back.
“Okay,” Orion said. He felt so strange as he sat back out of Optimus’ lap. He looked down at his lean limbs, he seemed so little against his Prime. His legs had stayed the same basic shape as before just stretched out. He looked down at his hands to find the lack of toe pads completely strange.
Optimus tood up and once again lifted him up but his chest under his arms and set him down on his new feet. Orion instantly wobbled and grabbed his Prime by his chest. His head came up to just under the other mech’s windshields. He looked in one and stared. His eyes were the same but the rest of his features he could only describe as delicate. Straight nose, little lips, high jaw with high but round cheek bones and a gently sloped forehead. His head was still covered with fur and his ears had moved to the sides of his head.
Altogether he was a little but pretty carrier mech.
Optimus kept a gentle but firm hold on him as he shifted his weight from one paw to the other. Then the big mech dropped a hand to shift to stand more beside Orion but held the other hand out reach to catch him. “Small steps now.”
Orion tried a step and instantly fell into Optimus’ waiting hand. It was so different than having four paws.
“Good try, but your centre of balance is in your hips now.”
It took Orion ten steps to figure out how to walk again. Then he hid behind his Prime as he opened the door, Optimus held him gently by the waist as they walked down the stairs oh so carefully.
Megatron was at the base and he smiled widely upon see them. “What a handsome little carrier.”
Ultra Magnus promptly punched him, but lightly in the gut.
“Orion?” Minimus Ambus exclaimed in shock. Then looked over to Megatron, then back to Orion. His cheeks heated with energon as he glared at the King. “You did not.”
Megatron grinned ear to ear.
Optimus sighed as the brawl began and waded in to separate creators from proud sire. Orion hugged himself as several of his siblings stared at him. Elita-1 was the closest. “How could you?” she asked. “You’re the youngest. What about the rest of us?”
Orion inched away from her and sat on a staircase to watch as Optimus and Megatron teamed up in an attempt to win the battle.