Perfect Strangers

by Jan Stryvant

"I'd swear that you're just trying to get me pregnant," Daelyn sighed.

  Sean laughed, "I think I have to bite you first for that. Hey, can dwarves become lycans?"

  Daelyn leaned her head forward to rest it on his shoulder, against the crook of his neck.

  "No, and no," she replied.

  "Huh?" Sean said, confused.

  "Dwarves can't become lycans. And you don't have to turn me into one just to get me pregnant."

  Sean took a step back from the wall, sliding one hand up Daelyn's sweaty back to keep her close, not that he suspected she was going anywhere with the grip she had on him.

  "I can get you pregnant?"

  "Ummhmm," she almost laughed at the surprise in his voice. Obviously there were still things he was learning. "Though you don't have to worry about it just yet."

  "But," Sean looked down at her confused, while the sight of her clinging to him definitely did things for his ego, and other parts as well.

  "But I thought lycans could only breed lycans?"

  "Didn't my mother mention to you that lions are the exception to the rules?"

  "Well, yeah, but I didn't realize she meant," Sean stopped a moment, "So I can get Jo pregnant?"

  "You can get damn near any female pregnant." Daelyn yawned, "Now, how about bed?"

  Sean nodded and started for the stairs, he suspected that by the time he got to the bottom of them, he'd ready for another round. If Daelyn didn't fall asleep on him at least. But this was definitely something to think about.

  "So, you'd have little werelions?"

  "No, I'd have dwarves. A lion's offspring are whatever the mother's race is."

  "Huh."

  "MmmHmm. Now bed. I want something warm and soft under me this time."

  "We'll wake the others," Sean warned.

  "That's your problem," Daelyn giggled, "cause I'm sure I'll be long asleep before you're done with them.

  The Shot Heard Around the World

  Sean sat in the van as they pulled up to the coven house for the Council of Ascendance. This was the last one on the list that they'd spent all day Monday going over. All of the major councils got a visit, but after talking it over with Chad they decided not to antagonize the ones that had so far been not been hostile. Erudito, Sapientia, and Vestibulum had each gotten a card left in the middle of their circle, telling them that their world was about to change, and that their help would make it a peaceful and orderly transition.

  Sean had signed each of those cards.

  Totis Viribus, and The Tall Men, who had been involved in the storm as well as attacks on Sean, had their circles destroyed, the only calling card had been a single lion's footprint, that Sean had made, using a stamp they'd found in a store.

  At the coven house for the council of Gradatim, which they'd just left, Sean had also left the same mark, after they'd destroyed their circle.

  At the Sorceress's guild, Chad had suggested that they leave a sympathy card for those who had died from Totis's treachery, one telling them that if they didn't take sides, they'd be left alone.

  Sean hadn't been sure that that was a great idea, but Chad said the unspoken point was those opposing Sean were not to be trusted and their allies would be betrayed.

  "Last one," Sean sighed, looking around. Daelyn had spent yesterday putting a huge vinyl stickers on both sides of the van that proclaimed them to be exterminators. Sean hadn't asked where she'd gotten them from, as he really didn't want to know. She'd finished with the van on Monday, they'd then spent Tuesday driving around checking their targets and going over just how to destroy a circle as quickly as possible.

  Climbing out of the van in their white paper coveralls with the logo of the exterminating company on the back, they walked up to the door, and while Roxy kept watch, Sean quickly sprung it using a flat bar.

  Stepping inside, they both shifted and using their enhanced senses, listened carefully.

  "All clear," Roxy said, and Sean nodded.

  Making their way into the building they started a quick search, circles had to be in contact with the ground, either drawn in dirt, or on rock, or even concrete set into the ground, if it was prepared properly. The building they were in was on a foundation, so either there was a room that stepped down, or a basement. In either case, they started looking for it immediately.

  What they found was the same as the others, a large room in the center of the building with no windows, other than a circular skylight above. The only difference was the flooring. Ascendance had a floor made of poured concrete; the others had used either mortared stone, or in the case of Gradatim, brick.

  Moving to opposite sides of the circle, Sean took out a hammer and his flat bar and started to chisel though one of the lines of the crucible as Roxy did the same on the other side. It took a little longer than he thought it would, the concrete was fairly tough, but a minute later and he was done. Putting his tools away he reached for his stamp when someone kicked in the door and started shooting.

  The second shot hit Roxy, who screamed and jumped up in the air, shocking the hell out of Sean. Without even thinking he dashed forward at the man with the gun who was now shooting at him.

  As Sean closed the distance he suddenly realized that he recognized the man, and that he only had one arm!

  "I'll kill you just like I killed your friend!" The guy screamed at Sean, still pulling the trigger one more time as Sean finally grabbed the man's hand, crushing it around the pistol.

  Roxy was keening now behind him; he could see her lying on the floor in a heap out of the corner of his eye as he pulled the man closer and grabbed him by the throat.

  "Why aren't you dying! Those bullets..." were the last words the man got out as Sean sunk his claws into the man's neck and ripped out his throat, blood spraying everywhere.

  Letting go of him, Sean turned and ran back to Roxy, and sweeping her up into his arms he ran out of the building. Two other people were between him and the door, and both were armed. Wrapping his arms around Roxy, he shifted her to the side and twisted his body, leading with his left shoulder as they shot at him to keep her out of the line of fire.

  Sean could feel the shield taking in energy, they were using silver bullets!

  Smashing into the first one, they went flying into a wall and slid down it in a shocked daze as the second one's pistol ran out of bullets. They just stared at Sean in shock as Sean plowed past them next, using his tail to knock them over as he just smashed into the door and ran through it.

  Jolene had the side door to the van open and Sean just dove into the back of the van as Daelyn took off like a shot, Jolene slamming the door closed behind them.

  "What happened?" Jolene asked, looking down at Sean who was covered in blood, and Roxy who was gasping and keening softly.

  "Silver bullets," Sean growled and ripping off Roxy's coverall he found the wound, she'd been shot in the gut, and the bullet hadn't come out the other side.

  "What do I do?" Sean asked, looking up at Jolene, whose face had gone ash white.

  "The... there's nothing, nothing you can do," Jolene gasped.

  Roxy grabbed onto Sean's arm, squeezing it tightly as she keened loudly in obvious pain.

  "What do you mean there's nothing we can do?" Sean growled loudly as the van plowed around a corner, throwing them all against the side and making Roxy keen louder.

  "It's silver; it's gotta be in her blood by now! Maybe if the bullet had gone clean through, but it didn't, it's slowly killing her, an inch at a time. It's like a poison, there's no way you can get it all out now."

  Sean looked down at her. Roxy, his Roxy! He wanted to scream, he wanted to roar, and right now he wanted to go back there and kill them all.

  "Are you alright?"

  "Huh?" Sean looked up at Jolene, she was yelling at him.

  "Are you alright? Did they shoot you too?"

  Sean nodded slowly, "Yeah, I'm alright, the pendant worked. It turned the silver into something else, they couldn't ..."

  Sean
grabbed the pendant on his collar and pulled on it, with a 'click' it came free.

  "What are you doing?" Jolene asked.

  "Hoping for a miracle," Sean said and put the tag to the tiger-eye Roxy's collar. Nothing happened.

  "Shit! Why won't it attach?"

  "Maybe she needs to do it?" Jolene yelled.

  "But she's barely conscious," Sean growled.

  "Use her fingers to hold it, then try."

  Sean nodded and peeling Roxy's fingers off of his arm, he put the tag between her fingers, and squeezing her hand closed with his, he moved the tag end over to the tiger-eye. There was a loud click as it attached.

  "I..." Sean started, but Roxy suddenly screamed out loud, arching her back as her eyes came wide open.

  "What's happening?" Daelyn yelled form the front seat.

  "I don't know!" Sean growled back and grabbing Roxy's shoulders he tried to use his monitoring program on her.

  "Jolene, what's wrong?"

  "She's out of magic! Her regeneration used it all up fighting the silver and now it's trying to use her life force to heal her!"

  "Well feed her power!"

  "I'm trying!"

  Grabbing Roxy, Sean pulled her close and kissed her, hard, trying to will his energy into her, as her arms grabbed at him, her claws sinking into him. What to do! He couldn't think of what to do! He'd stopped the silver, but she was still dying on him!"

  "Can't you heal her?" He heard Daelyn yell from the front seat.

  "I'm trying to power her regeneration!" Jolene yelled back.

  "Damn, I'm a fool!" Sean muttered and with a gesture he brought up his healing framework and started casting healing spells into Roxy. He went through every spell he had, ones to cure major wounds, ones to repair internal organs, one to restore blood, one to stop poisons, another one for major wounds. His mana level was high, he'd barely cast anything, but right now he was casting everything and anything at all he could think of.

  Suddenly Roxy shuddered and went limp in his arms.

  "Is, is she...?" Sean gasped looking down at Roxy's now limp body.

  "I don't think," Jolene stopped and put her hand on Roxy's chest. "She's alive, she's unconscious, but she's alive."

  Sean flopped back against the inside wall of the van, "Thank god," he sighed, suddenly feeling quite drained himself.

  "Well, at least we know that the amulet works," Daelyn said shutting off the van.

  "We safe?" Sean asked.

  "Yeah, I lost the one person who tried to follow us pretty quickly. But the gunshots had drawn the police, so that took a little longer to deal with.

  "Great, now the cops are after us!"

  "Actually, they're after an exterminator's van. Once I peel off the vinyl and do a little painting, they won't recognize us at all."

  Sean nodded, leaning forward he took Jolene's head between his paws and kissed her slowly.

  "Thank you for saving Roxy, I love you."

  Jolene blushed, "Well, I love her too, and yeah, I even love you, Sean. Just, please don't do this to me or her, or any of us, again?"

  Sean sighed, "I wish I could promise that." Turning to look at Daelyn he smiled, "And thank you for getting us out of there, and yes, I love you too."

  "Will Roxy be okay?" Daelyn asked in a worried voice.

  "I hope so," Sean said, equally worried. He looked up at Jolene, "Jo?"

  Jolene sighed, "I don't know. Lycans and silver isn't my strong suit. I could see that the spells you were casting were helping, they helped a lot! And I was able to feed enough power into her that her regeneration stopped trying to feed on her life force. I think she'll recover, but what we really need is a healer, an experienced one. Who can look at her and fix anything that we may have missed."

  Sean nodded and looked at Daelyn. "Know anybody?"

  Daelyn shook her head, "Maybe, but I'm sure my uncle does. I'll need to make some phone calls."

  Sean nodded and turning he opened the door, the getting out carefully, he reached back inside and picking up Roxy, he carried her downstairs and put her in their bed.

  "I think you're still bleeding," Jolene observed as he put Roxy gently down. He had thought about taking her to the bathroom first and washing all of the blood off, but he worried that she might not be up for being moved around that much.

  "Really?" Sean stopped and stepping back he peeled out of the jumpsuit, which due to the collar was extra large now, seeing as he was still in his hybrid form. Looking down at himself, there was a hole in his leg, which was slowly oozing blood.

  "I used all of my magic on Roxy," Sean sighed. "I guess I better bandage this up until I gain enough back for my regeneration to work." Sean stopped for a moment, "How come my regeneration isn't trying to suck up my life force?"

  Jolene came over and put her hands on him, and closed her eyes a moment.

  "You're actually pretty close to it," she told him, "but you're still just barely on the positive side, so your body is healing at the rate that your magic is restoring. I guess it doesn't become an issue until you use up all of your natural magic?"

  Sean shrugged, "I don't know. You should clean up, you look like a butcher."

  "You first," Jolene laughed nervously, "you look like an axe murderer!"

  Nodding, Sean took a last look at Roxy and then went into the shower and quickly got all of the blood and gore out of his fur and his mane. By the time he had finished, the wound in his thigh had healed.

  Spelling Jolene at Roxy's side, he just held her hand and sat there, until Daelyn came back, almost dragging a much shorter and much much older female dwarf with her.

  "Daelyn tells me your mate there was shot with silver?"

  Sean nodded.

  "And that you got rid of all the silver, is that right?"

  Sean nodded again.

  "Huh, ain't never heard of that before. Usually a lycan gets shot with silver, that's it, they're dead. So what happened next?"

  "I used all of my magic healing her, and my other wife pumped her full of energy. Her regeneration was trying to heal her using her life force."

  "Huh, well let me take a look at her," The older dwarf turned to Daelyn, "I'm gonna need a hose, a funnel, and you need to find all the high fat and protein food you got and grind it up into a paste. Thin it with beer. You got beer, right?"

  "Yes grandmother!" Daelyn took off like a shot.

  "You know what's wrong with her?" Sean said, eyes wide with hope.

  "I suspect, now move over and let me take a look. Ya' see, you lycans use a lot of energy, and you get most of it from food. You eat like us dwarves do, part of why yer always welcome at our tables, ya got you some regular appetites."

  Sean watched as she took out a number of things that he didn't recognize, and several that he did, like a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and an electronic thermometer.

  "Anyways, her body is probably kinda deadlocked right now, can't heal anymore cause she needs food, but isn't hurt so badly that it's eating itself.

  "Course, if that's the case, it won't last. Which is why we need to start getting food into her."

  Sean just nodded and watched as she examined Roxy. Daelyn came in with a plastic tube attached to a blue funnel that Sean suspected she used for changing oil, but it was clean, so he didn't say anything. She also left a pitcher of beer and disappeared again.

  "Yup, just as I thought," the old dwarf said. "How'd you get the silver out?"

  "My father's device, the one they killed him for," Sean said. "It works."

  "Well glory to the earth and stone for that! Now come over here and hold her muzzle open for me, Son, while I get this tube down into her stomach."

  Sean nodded and did as he was told, watching as the old woman exhibited a fair amount of skill getting the tube all the way down Roxy's throat until only the blue funnel was in her muzzle.

  "How do you know it's not in her lungs?" he asked.

  "No air coming out of it," she chuckled. "Now, let's start off with some
beer, make sure that I got this right."

  Sean watched as she slowly poured a little bit of beer down the funnel, then stopped and checked Roxy's breathing. Then a bit more, again and again, until it was all gone.

  "Get me some more beer and light a fire under my granddaughter, will ya?"

  Sean ran out of the room and found Daelyn using a pair of knives as she was dicing up everything she could find he guessed.

  "Sweep that up into a pitcher and let's go," Sean told her as he filled the one he had back up.

  Daelyn nodded and started doing just that as he returned.

  The old dwarf had her hand on Roxy's stomach, kneading it slowly.

  "What are you doing?" Sean asked, curious.

  "Making sure that what's in her stomach doesn't stay there, we got a lot more stuff to put in it." Just then Daelyn came in and handed a pitcher that looked almost like mud to her.

  "Ah, good!" She said and started to slowly pour that into the funnel.

  "What's in that?" Sean said, wrinkling his nose at the scent.

  "Protein bars, raw meet, sugar, chocolate, cream cheese, lard. Whatever I could grab."

  Just then Jolene came into the room, munching on a protein bar as well, and handed another one to Sean whose own stomach was growling.

  "How long will this take, Grandmother Robin?" Daelyn asked.

  "Until her stomach is full. Or she wakes up. Don't go too far, Son. If she comes too suddenly, she ain't gonna be too pleased with having this here funnel and tube down her throat."

  Sean nodded and looked longingly at Jolene's protein bar.

  "I'll go get you some food," Jolene said with a smile and left.

  Thirty minutes later, Grandmother Robin pronounced Roxy 'full' and removed the funnel and tube.

  "When will she come to?" Sean asked, quietly.

  "Not really sure, Son. She's sleeping now; her body is pretty much concentrated on digesting everything we gave her. Plus she went through a pretty traumatic experience. Silver has a pretty nasty effect on lycans. She may wake up in an hour, may not until tomorrow."

  Sean nodded, "Thank you. I owe you a lot for your help."

  Grandmother Robin chuckled, "Ya married my granddaughter, which makes you family. Think nothin' of it."