realized
she'd been feeling as cooped up as a hothouse flower.
A huge yellow moon reflected
brightly off the rolling snow and she could see for quite a distance. Off to
her left were a couple of sheds, one of which looked like it held wood. Beyond
were several structures that she couldn't quite make out, and even further out,
the landscape seemed to stretch endlessly. To her right, and circling around
until it met the never-ending meadow, was the thick forest.
She wasn't certain which way led to
the bottom. By the position of the moon, she judged the meadow to be somewhere
to the west. But which way led to her four-by-four?
With a shake of her head, she
scooped snow off the top step leading from the porch. She wouldn't be getting
any definite answers in the dark of night, so she might as well head for the
sheds and bring in some wood. At least she was free for a while.
* *
*
Morgan plowed through the churning
snow, his four powerful legs barely touching down before he leaped again. To
one side was the icy crest of Ebony Canyon. To the other, the golden rectangles
of his cabin windows were becoming near.
He halted and licked away the last
remains of blood from his mouth, then similarly cleansed his paws. How he hated
this humiliating task. Almost as much as the impulse that drove him to run at
night, every night, seeking a victim to satisfy his lust.
When he finished washing, he
alchemized from wolf to werewolf shape. Soon he'd be behind the cabin, where he
would pick up his clothes and shift to human form. Had he not brought the
female to his den, he would have gone to stand in front of the warming fire
before shedding his werewolf form.
Why had he brought her here? His
common sense told him she wasn't the one. To find her at the base of the
mountain, so close to the time of the Shadow of Venus was simply too coincidental.
And she'd be nothing but trouble. The others would come, try to take her from
him.
He felt a sudden stiffening of his
guard hairs. Were they here now? Turning, he sniffed. Seconds later, something
black streaked across the snow. A pale blur of white-on-white followed. Soon he
heard a soft thud behind him, and he turned.
An unusually large wolf, made all
the more remarkable by its pure white coat, was regarding him with the open
curiosity of a family pet. He recognized the feigned friendliness, knew it
concealed a menace made even more deadly because it was hidden.
"I told you to back off,"
he growled in warning, lifting his eyes to include a darker wolf slinking at
the white one's flanks.
The larger wolf shook its great
head, then crouched. Its muzzle shrank, its body and legs elongated. Soon, a
womanly form stood before him. But this was no ordinary woman. Her curving body
was covered in silver-white hair and her long, nimble hands bore claws.
"Give us the human female,
Morgan." She spoke the Lupine language in a throaty rumble and bared her
sharp fangs.
"Stay away from her,
Lily," Morgan replied, also speaking Lupinese.
"Are you headed to romp with
those cur you keep?" She reached out a long hand and drew her claws across
his furred throat. Her dark eyes narrowed.
Those claws could open his throat
in seconds, but Morgan felt no fear. She was strong and deadly, but he knew she
wouldn't hurt him. He grasped her wrist, allowing his own claws to dig into the
tender pads of her palm. She gave no sign she felt any pain and repeated her
demand.
"Give her to us."
At her words, the darker wolf
darted forward and stood at her side.
"The woman's mine."
Morgan bared his teeth. He hadn't planned to say those words, but now he'd
taken a stand. To back down would show weakness, something a lone wolf couldn't
afford to do.
"Jorje is hungry." Lily
gazed sympathetically at her companion "He hasn't had a human kill in
days."
Emboldened, the creature looked up
at Morgan and growled. A small lift of Morgan's lips sent it cowering back.
"He doesn't yet have your
courage." Lily bent and gave the wolfling a
she'd been feeling as cooped up as a hothouse flower.
A huge yellow moon reflected
brightly off the rolling snow and she could see for quite a distance. Off to
her left were a couple of sheds, one of which looked like it held wood. Beyond
were several structures that she couldn't quite make out, and even further out,
the landscape seemed to stretch endlessly. To her right, and circling around
until it met the never-ending meadow, was the thick forest.
She wasn't certain which way led to
the bottom. By the position of the moon, she judged the meadow to be somewhere
to the west. But which way led to her four-by-four?
With a shake of her head, she
scooped snow off the top step leading from the porch. She wouldn't be getting
any definite answers in the dark of night, so she might as well head for the
sheds and bring in some wood. At least she was free for a while.
* *
*
Morgan plowed through the churning
snow, his four powerful legs barely touching down before he leaped again. To
one side was the icy crest of Ebony Canyon. To the other, the golden rectangles
of his cabin windows were becoming near.
He halted and licked away the last
remains of blood from his mouth, then similarly cleansed his paws. How he hated
this humiliating task. Almost as much as the impulse that drove him to run at
night, every night, seeking a victim to satisfy his lust.
When he finished washing, he
alchemized from wolf to werewolf shape. Soon he'd be behind the cabin, where he
would pick up his clothes and shift to human form. Had he not brought the
female to his den, he would have gone to stand in front of the warming fire
before shedding his werewolf form.
Why had he brought her here? His
common sense told him she wasn't the one. To find her at the base of the
mountain, so close to the time of the Shadow of Venus was simply too coincidental.
And she'd be nothing but trouble. The others would come, try to take her from
him.
He felt a sudden stiffening of his
guard hairs. Were they here now? Turning, he sniffed. Seconds later, something
black streaked across the snow. A pale blur of white-on-white followed. Soon he
heard a soft thud behind him, and he turned.
An unusually large wolf, made all
the more remarkable by its pure white coat, was regarding him with the open
curiosity of a family pet. He recognized the feigned friendliness, knew it
concealed a menace made even more deadly because it was hidden.
"I told you to back off,"
he growled in warning, lifting his eyes to include a darker wolf slinking at
the white one's flanks.
The larger wolf shook its great
head, then crouched. Its muzzle shrank, its body and legs elongated. Soon, a
womanly form stood before him. But this was no ordinary woman. Her curving body
was covered in silver-white hair and her long, nimble hands bore claws.
"Give us the human female,
Morgan." She spoke the Lupine language in a throaty rumble and bared her
sharp fangs.
"Stay away from her,
Lily," Morgan replied, also speaking Lupinese.
"Are you headed to romp with
those cur you keep?" She reached out a long hand and drew her claws across
his furred throat. Her dark eyes narrowed.
Those claws could open his throat
in seconds, but Morgan felt no fear. She was strong and deadly, but he knew she
wouldn't hurt him. He grasped her wrist, allowing his own claws to dig into the
tender pads of her palm. She gave no sign she felt any pain and repeated her
demand.
"Give her to us."
At her words, the darker wolf
darted forward and stood at her side.
"The woman's mine."
Morgan bared his teeth. He hadn't planned to say those words, but now he'd
taken a stand. To back down would show weakness, something a lone wolf couldn't
afford to do.
"Jorje is hungry." Lily
gazed sympathetically at her companion "He hasn't had a human kill in
days."
Emboldened, the creature looked up
at Morgan and growled. A small lift of Morgan's lips sent it cowering back.
"He doesn't yet have your
courage." Lily bent and gave the wolfling a
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