by Pixie Unger
“Would the phrase ‘make them cum’ be more acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Fine, you make them cum -”
“Nope. It’s the way you say it.” Mac interrupted.
Craig ignored him, “- and ignore the sound of their hip bones dislocating -”
“Wait, what?”
Craig stopped and looked at Marv. “Ulfurinn change shape when they cum too, just like us. I don’t know if they can learn to control it, but when they cum, their… hips crack and their insides move out of the way and their smell gets even better. Then they can take the whole length without bleeding out afterwards. Don’t try to fit in her cunt otherwise. It won’t work.”
Marv groaned.
“Look,” Craig said reasonably, “you would never fuck one of us without prep. This is just like that. If you aren’t sure you can, then just plan on sticking to fingers and mouths until you know how to get her off.”
November 3rd
“Can someone PLEASE tell me where the goddamn tylenol is?”
The pack looked up from their respective jobs in the garage and stared at Sarah. Sean said, “We don’t have any. Not safe for us.”
Craig slowly put down his wrench and walked towards her. “Come on. I’ll make you some tea. You are taking the day off.”
“I don’t need a day off.” Sarah snapped.
“Yeah, you do. No one is going to be upset if you take some time off to feel better. Come on. I’ll make tea and find something that will help.”
“Craig.” Marv snapped.
“It’s OK, boss, I got this. We’ll be fine.” And with that, Craig herded Sarah out of the shop and up the street to the house. Once they were out of sight of the garage, he put his hand on the small of her back and said quietly. “It takes a while to make tea. You go have a hot shower. I’ll knock before I come in.”
“I can make tea. Go back to work.”
Craig snorted. “God, I’m glad you waited until Marv couldn’t hear to say that. He has a fucked up understanding of taking orders from Ulfurinn. You don’t feel good. Let me help you feel better. This is a pack thing. Human models don’t apply, understand?”
“Craig, I’m pretty damn sure that PMS is a human thing. I can handle this.”
“Humans do a piss poor job of handling it these days. And, with respect, you are wrong. The last Ulfurinn I knew only bled four times a year. This is going to be different than before you turned. Let me help. Please.”
“Ugh. Fine.”
The hot shower did help. Sarah put on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt and decided to head down to the kitchen to check on the tea. Craig was coming up the stairs with a breakfast tray holding a teapot and some cups. She held the door for him.
“Get in bed. I’ll pour the tea and rub your feet while we come up with a plan.”
Besides the peppermint tea, there was a bowl full of chocolate balls, the good kind, and a plate full of strawberries. Sarah groaned and unwrapped a milk chocolate ball, she bit it in half then took a bite of strawberry while the creamy filling was still coating her tongue. At the end of her first chocolate and second strawberry, she took a sip of tea and said, “Ok, you are definitely better at this.”
Craig laughed softly. “Lupers can’t eat chocolate. Ulfurinn can. I had to get advice at the grocery store on which chocolate to buy.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
Craig hesitated, “Just so we are clear, this isn’t me pressuring you into anything. Marv has some strong ideas about that, but that only works if you know what to ask for. This is just me explaining the options. It’s up to you to decide if you want to take any of them.”
Sarah gave him a curious look, “O...kay.”
“I also want you to know, we weren’t all bastards before the Black Treaty. My original alpha was not civilized by modern standards, but he was better than what you would expect back then. He treated us all the same, including the Ulfurinn. Part of that was keeping us whole. Including her. When she was hurting, we tended to her.”
“And what did that look like?”
“Letting her rest. Making sure she had food. Licking her clean. Keeping her warm. The usual.”
“Uh…” Sarah stared at him. Then in a sing-song voice she said, “One of these things is not like the others.”
Craig looked at her mildly. “Stop thinking like a humie. If you want to call Nicole to confirm, I can wait.”
Sarah thought about that. “I’m going to finish my tea and you are going to finish your explanation first. I get the feeling I’m going to have more fact checking than just that by the time we are done.”
Craig took a deep breath. This next bit was going to be difficult. “It is shameful to us that you would rather play with yourself than ask one of us for help. It shows we are not taking good enough care of you.” Sarah blushed bright red and looked away, Craig continued quickly before she could tell him to stop. “But have you noticed that your body changes when you, uh -”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. And Nicole warned me about that. I don’t grow hair and fangs, but… things definitely change.”
“OK. So, if you stay this shape the whole time, you will bleed for a few days, like a humie. If you change, well, aside from just enjoying yourself, your body will gush faster and it will be over faster.”
Sarah took a deep breath and blew it out. “So, put down a drop cloth and break out the good porn?”
Craig shrugged. “Or let us help you.”
“I can’t ask -”
“You aren’t.” Craig interrupted. “I am risking being kicked out of the pack to offer. I promise, you will feel good, you will taste good and I will be more than happy to help.” Sarah closed her eyes and didn’t say anything. “Time to call Nicole now?” Craig asked.
“Maybe. Anything else I need to know first?”
“You are going to need a lot more sleep. You are going to feel agitated and anxious. It is a good time to bond with your pack. It will be comforting to have us here, as will skin to skin contact.”
Sarah always started out the night in her own bed. If it got really cold at night, she would generally sneak into the parlour at some point in the night. What with one thing and another, they had never gotten around to getting her a space heater.
“You make it sound like I’m going into heat.”
Craig snorted. “That’s a myth. It’s part of the whole ‘Sex Pollen made me do it’ bullshit. You are perfectly capable of handling this on your own, whether you want to just tough it out or ‘put down a drop cloth.’ That isn’t the point. The point is that you shouldn’t have to. It’s a big deal to be allowed to help an Ulfurinn. Hell, these days it’s a big deal to be allowed to touch an Ulfurinn. But when Jonathan Black wrote his treaty, I don’t think he fully understood the consequences of making Ulfurinn untouchable. That never works out well.”
Sarah nodded.
“You should also talk to Nicole about pack nudity. We are wearing a lot more clothing these days because the rest of the pack has some strange ideas about you seeing us naked.”
“She warned me about that, and co-sleeping. Then I got here and everyone is always fully dressed and Marv made arrangements to exclude me from the nest.”
“He doesn’t see it that way. He’s thinking like a humie. He sees it as giving you a choice. He’s trying to give you space. That’s where all that making a point of seating you specially at the table bull shit comes in. It was how rich lady’s were seated at formal dinners when he was young. Now it’s just a way of making you different from the pack. One rule for us and another for you. It is...”
“Ostracizing?”
Craig shrugged. “Well intentioned. But, you know what they say about the road to hell.”
Sarah considered the now empty plate of strawberries. “This was an audition, huh?”
“Yes,” Craig replied simply.
Sarah sighed and scrubbed her face. “And
here I thought you were pushing me at Marv.”
“I was. We ran out of time. I don’t think you should have to do this alone. I didn’t think you knew there were other options. You can ask any of us for help. The difference is that none of the others have ever had an Ulfurinn in the pack. You will be learning together. I just already know how to help.”
“Can I think about it and get back to you?”
“Oh course! And you should call Nicole. She might have other advice that could help.”
Chapter 14
1994 - Infection of Nicole Schnerr
On an authorized visit, Jonathan realizes David appears to have gone feral. As the only one of his kind, there is no history for why this would happen. There is still debate about whether it was his nature, being conceived with tainted seed or if it was a side effect of growing up in an uncompassionate foster care system. He is increasingly possessive of Nicole. He complains to his father that the warden is abusive and the children are being used for medical experimentation. David fears for Nicole’s life. Three days after Mr. Black’s visit, Nicole is attacked by what appears to be a stray dog during an early morning run. The bite is extensive, breaking both bones in her right forearm. She receives the best care available, including internal fixation and attempts to minimize the signs of surgery, but the scarring is noticeable.
“Feeling better?” Marv asked when Sarah came down for dinner.
“No. But I talked to Nicole today.”
“What did she have to say?”
Sarah sighed. “That I should let Craig take care of me for a couple of days and that if I couldn’t, I was going to need a space heater and room service because the bathtub works better than a drop cloth.” Marv frowned, clearly having no idea what she was talking about. Sarah closed her eyes and asked, “Can I have Craig for a couple of days?”
“You don’t need Craig, any of us can help with whatever you need.”
She still wasn’t looking at him, but she stank like pain and embarrassment. “He’s the only one who tried this afternoon.”
“What he say to you?”
Now Sarah looked at him, “He told me he understands what I’m going through.”
“Yeah? And what’s that?”
Sarah stared at Marv, then noticed Mac and Sean watching her in horror. She looked around the table in surprise, then snorted and made a little hiccuping laugh/cry sound. “I’m completely crabby and have really bad PMS! And so far Craig is the only one of you that has offered and practical suggestions for how to deal with that. So, if there is anything any of you would like to suggest or any offers of help you would like to make, now is the time to say.”
They all stared at her in shock.
Sarah shook her head, “I’m sorry. That was rude. May I be excused?”
Marv, thinking she meant the outburst, said, “Of course! It’s fine.” Then was surprised when she jumped up and fled.
Craig gritted his teeth. “Marv, I’ve known you for a century, how did I never notice you are absolute shit with women.”
Gus laughed, “Pot, meet kettle.”
“What were your practical suggestions?” Mac asked.
Craig shook his head. “The intent of the Treaty was to make Ulfurinn feel loved and worshipped and cared for. I just offered her those things.”
Gus looked at Craig. “With all respect, Marv, I know what he means and I think it might be better if you let us handle this.”
“So enlighten me,” Marv demanded.
Gus shrugged. “Ulfurinn need Lupers to keep them comfortable, warm, fed and safe. Four times a year, clean is added to that list.”
Sean and Mac stared at Gus in shock. Marv just wasn’t getting it. It was Sean who actually checked for confirmation. “You’re talking about eating the Kansas Tomato, aren’t you?”
Now Gus and Marv looked confused.
Craig rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Gus. “You have to negotiate that on your own. I’m not going to speak for her.”
“Right!” Gus stood up. Craig cleared his throat.
“An offering of food is a good idea.”
Gus nodded and picked up Sarah’s plate and headed out. Craig just shook his head.
“What is going on?” Marv demanded.
“Sarah’s gonna start bleeding. Probably tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I noticed that.”
Craig’s eyes glittered, he was suddenly, dangerously angry with his alpha. He forced himself to relax.
“And you didn’t think to offer to help?”
“What am I supposed to do about it? Just one of those things that happen. What, you want me to tell her to stay home? Fine. I will.”
Craig shook his head. “She is gonna be in pain and we don’t have drugs for this.”
“And?”
“And try to think about things you could do to make her feel better, Marv.”
Marv just glared at him.
Craig ignored him and went back to eating. Sean and Mac looked uncertainly at their alpha. Mac hesitantly suggested, “I think he’s talking about licking her cunt, boss.”
“WHAT?!” Marv roared, standing up so fast the chair slid back.
Craig looked at him. “My Ulfurinn and I negotiated a plan. As alpha, you can, of course, force a veto. But she asked for ME.”
Marv sagged. His head bowed, he asked, “That’s what she needs?”
“Maybe. She needs someone to be there. I don’t know if she is going to ask for that. But I can do it without flinching if she does. You can’t say that, boss. You are squeamish about even touching her.”
“I ain’t.”
“Yeah, you are.”
Marv looked at Mac and Sean at the far end of the table. Sean shrugged. Mac nodded.
“She thought we were all gay, boss.” Mac said quietly. “Thought we didn’t want her and Nicole just had stuck her with ‘gay werewolves’ so she would be safe until she figured things out.”
Marv felt shocked. Sean nodded slowly. “He’s right, boss.”
“The thing is, Marv, this is the perfect time to bond with her. Rub her back, rub her feet, bring her treats.” Craig hesitated before going with, “Help her cum. Spend a couple of days making her feel good. But she is already going to be nervy. If you are too, it will drive her away.”
Marv hesitated.
Craig continued, “Just let me handle it.” He thought for a moment, “And Gus, if he can negotiate his own arrangements.”
Marv nodded slowly.
----
After dinner, Marv turned to Craig and asked, “Sarah asked for room service, what does that look like?”
Craig shrugged. “Food, the often mentioned space heater. Her room is fucking cold, Marv. We should have done something about that sooner.”
Marv nodded. “I thought she would be sleepin’ downstairs with us regular by now.”
Craig shrugged, “She thinks the whole point of giving her a room was to exclude her from the nest.”
Marv felt a little sick at that. He left Mac and Sean on dish duty and got into the truck that the girl still wouldn’t drive. He headed out into the snow towards the nearest town with a Walmart. It was about an hour away. He used the time to try to call Nicole. The call was rerouted to her second, Nathan.
Nathan made Marv viscerally uncomfortable for a number of reasons. He recognized that they weren’t good reasons so he always did his best to ignore them. Nathan was a weedy little guy. Still tall, mind, but where every other Luper was a big fit man who had survived a werewolf attack, Nathan had been turned by accident when he received a bone marrow transplant from Nicole. This had caused a flurry of new research and ultimately, the understanding that had allowed them to turn Sarah.
Aside from that, Nathan was gay before he turned and was still happily so. Marv could see where that would be incredibly useful, but it was still weird having someone flirt with him. Which, of course, was why Nathan did it.
Nathan was also rich. Marv was doing ok, having been continuously em
ployed as a blue collar labourer for the last hundred years. But Nathan was only forty and had a tech company, several university degrees and more money than he knew what to do with.
Nicole was the alpha, Nathan was her second and Marv just felt old because he had no idea how that would work.
So when the call was answered with Nathan saying, “Hey gorgeous, what can I do for you?” Marv took a moment to get his head in the game before he answered.
“Let me speak to Nicole.”
“Nicole is riding the PMS roller coaster just now, so you get me or you get to wait.”
“So is Sarah and I don’t know what to do.”
All of the irritating, flirty smoldering tone vanished as Nathan hit full problem solving mode. “Has anyone in your pack ever dealt with that?”
“Just Craig, before he sighed the Treaty.”
“Fuck. You need me to come and help? You know I won’t try anything.”
“Just tell me what to do.”
“She will need Midol and chocolate and lots of fussing. Warm blankets, back rubs, you will need to grow a thick skin because manners are not going to be her strong suit. The more times you can get her to change, the faster it will be over.”
“Ulfurinn don’t change.” Then he stopped and remembered what Craig had said. “Do they?” he asked.
There was a long silence on the line. “Oh! You poor baby! I didn’t know you were still a virgin! Wait, she’s been there more than a month, why don’t you know?”
“Cut to the chase.”
“OK. So, if Lupers can full shift or half shift, then what Ulfurinn do is maybe a quarter shift. Their insides rearrange but they still look the same on the outside. Just like us, it happens when they O. She won’t be able to speak english, but she will still be able to Speak. How’s her Speaking language coming along?”
“We’re working on it. She seems to understand just fine, but doesn’t actually Speak much.”
Nathan was actually quite helpful. He gave Marv a shopping list for stuff he would need right now and promised to send a box of other things via amazon prime that should be there shortly.
He bought a space heater and made a note to get the fireplace in her room converted to gas.
