by Chandler Dee
“Isn’t it difficult for a Lycan to have children?” Sanda asked to find the answer to her question in a more round about way.
“Yes,” Mouse said, “Most females can’t carry a child to term. Now that I’m more certain of Cami’s pregnancy, I’ll need to let Jurisa know about her status.”
Mouse tamped down the fire as she spoke. It was obvious that she was getting ready to head out, so Sanda drained her cup of tea and placed it by Mouse’s empty tea cup on the kitchen countertop. She knew when to get out of the way.
“I meant to ask, before Cami dropped by,” Mouse said, “Are you apprenticing with anyone?”
Sanda shook her head. She still didn’t know what kind of punishment she’d receive for her venture into Ekras.
“I could use someone,” Mouse whispered. “If you are willing.” She looked at the floor, showing Sanda that shy, withdrawn creature she had a reputation of being in the community. Seeing the woman with her patients, it was easy to forget.
“Oh,” Sanda said, “I’ve never had any training with medicine.” She shifted uncomfortably. The idea had never occurred to her. What Mouse could do, what she did was certainly valuable to the community though. Sanda had to admit, it was also interesting in a way.
“You have the makings of a good healer.”
“Me?”
Mouse laughed a little, “Yes.”
“I’m not really, really,” Sanda said.
“You’re caring, patient, practical,” Mouse said, listing off characteristics like they were part and parcel of Sanda’s personality, “You can even stand up to an Alpha if you need too. I’ve seen it.”
Sanda shook her head again. She couldn’t think of what to say. Mouse seemed to have made up her mind about Sanda, and she wasn’t even that sure of Mouse at the moment.
“Think about it,” Mouse said.
That was all Sanda could do. She and Mouse pulled on their cloaks and left the hut, walking through the light falling of snow. Sanda left Mouse at the Alpha’s cottage and turned off towards her home to while away the hours. The cottage was cold when she arrived, and Sanda quickly brought the fireplace back into full flame, going out back to bring in more firewood for the rest of the night. Her evening was spent tidying, cooking dinner, and waiting.
When Beryx came in from the cold, he was sore, tired, and happy to have his position back in the community. She listened to him go on about the work Jurisa set him too, and they go to bed together. The next day Beryx got up early and didn’t come back until late. Things quickly became routine, as Beryx was needed to help deal with the humans in Ekras and the political ramifications of Cami’s pregnancy. In the mornings, he headed out way too soon, and returned way too late in the day. She didn’t begrudge it of him though. Seeing Beryx so happy and animated during their shared evenings was a joy. It did leave Sanda with a lot of empty time to think about her upcoming punishment and the next full moon. Mouse’s offer of an apprenticeship started to look appealing as a way of being busy again.
Finally, Sanda decided to head out. She didn’t feel comfortable visiting Mouse, lest she be asked about the apprenticeship again. The last she’d seen of Garrett was when she encountered him chopping down that tree in the woods. Sanda would take some food over to him, if only to see his newest sculpture.
She packed up a loaf of pine nut bread, some cheese, and a few thick slices of deer meat, and headed over to Garrett’s cottage on the edge of the village. He invited her in easily enough and thanked her for the food, offering to share it with her, but he was obviously troubled. His face was haggard, redness rimmed his eyes, and he’d let his beard go.
They spread out the meal on a table in a living area more like a workroom than a home. As they ate, he continually glanced over at a wooden sculpture of a lean, mountain deer that stared back at them through polished black eyes.
“Is that what you’ve been working on?” She couldn’t help but ask him. The piece was so slender and delicate, but the deer conveyed a sense of strength, of self assurance that made it seem almost alive.
Garrett nodded at it, “Yes, worked non-stop on it,” he said, tearing a piece of bread off the loaf. “Couldn’t get the image of the deer out of my head.”
“It’s beautiful,” Sanda said, “I feel like it’s really watching me.”
Garrett popped the bread into his mouth, nodding again. When he didn’t say anything more, Sanda was compelled to return to her meal. They finished in silence.
“Do you need help getting it down the mountain?”
“No,” he said.
“It’s no trouble, I’ve needed something to do,” she said.
“I’ve already taken it down to Ekras,” Garrett interrupted. “He rejected it.”
“Oh,” Sanda said.
“He doesn’t want to see me again. Threatened to tell the council about me if I came back.”
“He probably doesn’t mean that. Give him some time, eventually he’ll realize how rash his response has been.”
Garrett replied, “I’m not giving up on him. It’s,” he stopped. Garrett threw the remainder of his food back onto the plate, and rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes. “Building trust again is so frustrating.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ve already had that discussion,” Garrett snapped. He let his hands fall to his lap, paying attention once more to the deer.
“It‘s in the past. You couldn‘t control the circumstances of your first change anymore,” Garrett stopped again. He pondered his unfinished sentence, then flapped his arms once. “Anymore than I can fly.”
Sanda giggled and was relieved to see Garrett laughing with her over the mental image of Garrett flapping his arms in an attempt to take flight.
“You’re right,” Sanda said. She needed to let go and move forward as Garrett had. He didn’t blame her for the incident in Ekras, though he could have and she would understand. He remained true to his mate, even in rejection. He wasn’t going to give up on the man. He didn’t care about the past. He only wanted to move on to something better. Sanda had seen that in Beryx. From the very first moment, he’d wanted to show her what he found wonderful about their new existence and she kept pushing him away.
Sanda needed to talk to Beryx.
She helped Garrett clean up and offered once more to help him when needed, then slipped out of the cottage to head home again. She’d drop off her basket and go find her mate, his work for the Alpha could wait until the next day.
She got to the cottage only to be met by her mate’s scent at the door. He was already home. Steeling her nerves, Sanda went inside. The fire crackled cozily. Beryx’s scent filled the air around her. His cloak hung by the door, but he was nowhere to be seen. Sanda hung her cloak, put the basket on the table, and checked the bedroom they shared only to find it empty. Sanda stopped using her eyes and focused again on her mate’s scent, following her instincts she headed out the backdoor.
He stood in front of the stacks of wood piled up by the cottage wiping his brow with a forearm. He’d rolled up his sleeves for the work of shifting the wood stacks to expose still green wood to the open air. Cool mountain sunlight struck him at an angle, highlighting the lean V of his chest and stomach. Sanda was caught off guard by the sight.
She emitted a soft squeak of surprise. Sanda thought she’d gotten used to his masculine form; a taught mix of strength and pure sex appeal. Sanda was lucky to find someone like him, patient, sweet, and very, very male.
“You still need to practice those sneak attacks,” Beryx turned his head to the side to speak to her, a smirk plain to see.
Sanda cleared her throat, feeling a flush rise on her cheeks. “I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.”
“No,” Beryx turned completely from his work and came to her. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he swooped in for a soft closed mouthed kiss in greeting. The kiss was entirely too short for Sanda’s liking, but she reined in her libido. It was time to clear up a few things with her
mate.
“What were you doing?”
“I came out to find you,” Sanda said. She allowed herself the opportunity of wrapping arms around his waist. She would never tire of feeling those firm back muscles tense and relax under her hands.
“Now you have me.”
“Yes,” she murmured. Sanda pressed her face against his chest, reveling in the presence of her mate. His arms slid down her back, hands stroking down her spine with skillfully controlled fingertips. The world faded away. Beryx made her feel so secure, so safe. She sighed. She couldn’t stay there and hide forever.
“Beryx,” Sanda said, pushing away slightly so that she could look into his warm eyes. “You’ve been so wonderful to me these past few months. I don’t think I could have adjusted without you.”
“That isn’t true,” Beryx started to say.
“If you hadn’t been the one to meet me at the clearing,” Sanda interrupted, “I would have died trying to get away from the dangerous werewolves. I thought I was strong,” she said.
“You were.”
“I was frightened. Beryx, you helped me through that fear, showed me that Lycans weren’t the bloodthirsty monsters of legend.”
“My motives weren’t that honorable,” Beryx muttered, looking at the ground. “I wanted you, Sanda, more than anything I’ve ever wanted.”
“I see that,” Sanda said, “I don‘t want anything but you, Beryx.”
They kissed, quickly moving from lips to teeth and tongue swirling around one another. Beryx tried to keep the kiss soft, but Sanda pulled him close, using her body to show how much she loved him, how much she wanted him too. Intense pleasure hummed between them. Sanda felt at once completely happy, unhindered by fear of the unknown. She’d faced death and loss and found she could handle both with Beryx. With his help, she’d face the unknown too.
“Beryx, show me that place on the mountain top,” Sanda broke of the kiss to whisper in his ear. “Where you can see the stars.”
He stepped back to look at her. His eyes wide as dinner plates, pleasure and hope showing in them. “Really?” He asked, as if he’d heard her wrong and wanted to double check his own hearing.
Sanda simply nodded.
“We’ll need to change.”
“I know.”
Beryx kissed her. They quickly undressed, setting clothes on the stacked firewood. The chilly night air goosepimpled Sanda’s skin. She pressed close to Beryx to capture some of his warmth.
“Chilly?”
She nodded, feeling tongue tied. It felt strangely exhilarating to be naked here behind the cottage where they lived, right in the center of their small community. Nudity was an accepted thing, but she still felt the lingering pull of growing up with the taboo.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait, I, I,” Sanda stopped him. Even if she wanted to go with Beryx, Sanda had a little issue with her plan. Beryx took her hand in his, turning it up to rub the center of her palm. She remembered the way he calmed her when she first woke in his bed by massaging her hands. “I’m not sure how.”
“Oh.” He laughed, then pulled her close again. “How did you feel during your first change?” Sanda groaned tucking her head into his shoulder. She didn’t want to think about her past actions.
“Come on,” He said, squeezing her to himself briefly. “How did it feel?”
“Horrifying.”
Beryx grimaced. “After that.”
“Um.”
“Don’t think about how you feel now. What was it like then?”
“Is this really necessary?”
“It is.”
Sanda took a deep breath, staring out at the woods behind their cottage. The tall pine trees still carried their thick, green needles, flaunting them in the face of winter.
“It was powerful, freeing.”
“Good,” Beryx said, sounding a little relieved. He pressed his mouth to the top of her hair. “Think about that. Focus on how you felt.”
“Very well.”
“Are you thinking about it?”
“Yes,” Sanda said.
“Keep it firmly in your mind.” Beryx let go of her, moving a few feet away. “Don’t let that feeling go.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now follow me.” Beryx took off, racing into the woods, transforming before her eyes into his Lycan form.
Instinct told Sanda to go after him. She tore into the trees after him, pumping her legs as fast as she could, sucking in clear, crisp air, but he far outstretched her. She couldn’t go fast enough. Sanda needed to move faster.
She fell forward on all fours jumping forward with great leaps, feeling her legs lengthen and grow with each bound. The air whistled over her furred skin and down the length of her tail. She had a tail. Sanda barked with glee.
The distance between herself and her mate wasn’t so great now. He slowed down, allowing her to catch up. Sanda was running up the mountain with her werewolf lover. Nothing blocked their path. The world quickly fell behind them. She wondered how she could ever have been afraid of this feeling, this experience. Sanda bumped into Beryx playfully only to have him turn and chase her through the underbrush. When he tackled her along the bank of the river, he licked underneath her chin, nuzzling her before taking off, with a yip, across the water to the woods on the other side of the bank.
They chased each other through the woods. Sanda catching up to Beryx only to turn tail and run from him, only to double back and crowd him as he led her gradually up the mountainside where she’d never been before. They reached the tree line as the sun started to set in the west, its dying rays a magnificent backdrop for their play.
Rocks and large boulders became their road. Sanda could see why the way was only traversable in Lycan form. They grew less focused on chase and more intent on the effort of climbing the mountain, jumping up tall cliffs and over gaps that would have left her human form quaking in fear. As a Lycan, they were much less threatening.
Still Sanda was panting heavily by the time they reached a wide plateau. She collapsed next to Beryx, slipping into human form. It was comfortable to lean against him while he rested, threading her fingers through his golden fur. He looked up at her with large golden eyes.
After getting her breath back, Sanda rolled over onto the ground to look up at the darkening sky. She scanned it for the first star of the night, eyes landing on a weak twinkle to the North. Beside her Beryx changed into human form, throwing an arm over her. She cuddled close to him.
“Was it good for you?”
She laughed, pushing at his shoulder. Beryx grabbed her hand, palm covered with dirt from their run up the mountain. He brushed his lips over the knuckles, sending a trail of heat straight to the pit of her belly.
“Better than I ever imagined.” Sanda whispered. It was natural to lean into him for a kiss, claiming his lips for her own.
Beryx covered her with his body, warm skin blocking out the cold mountain air. Sanda shifted closer to her mate, sliding a leg over his hips. Already his arousal jutted against her pelvis with throbbing heat. Beryx cupped one of her breasts and they kissed. They ground body against body while their tongues and hands drifted over one another. Sanda wrapped her legs around Beryx’s lean hips to urge him closer. She was excited. Her body slicked with wetness for him.
Beryx shifted up onto his forearms caging her between them. His pupils were dilated. His mouth parted. Sanda wanted to kiss him again, but she wanted him inside of her more. She reached down to guide his sex along the crevice of her buttocks into her entrance. He came into her with one long, slow thrust that had Sanda clenching around him possessively. Beryx set the rhythm of their mating, dragging his sex into and out of her with slow, firm thrusts. She stared up into his face, never breaking eye contact, pushing her hips up to meet each thrust with anticipation. She clamped onto him each time, doing her best to keep him locked inside of her, fighting the backwards pull of his retreat only to have him invade again.
The pace increased as
the tension inside their bodies built up. Thrusts grew short. Their bodies moved with frantic speed. Sanda clung to him. She refused to break eye contact. Sanda wanted to see his release. The pleasure became almost unbearable. Her body clamped around Beryx with fierce tenacity. Their gasping cries mingled with the wind as Sanda felt Beryx pulse and studder inside of her body. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever felt. Something like agony lit up her lover’s face before he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in her neck. Sanda came after him, convulsing around his still hard sex until it hurt. It felt too wonderful to fight. She allowed it to happen, letting her body carry her over a wave of intense release.
Their sweat quickly evaporated at the higher altitude. Sanda and Beryx remained wrapped around each other for warmth.
