by Aaron Henley
“Yes dear. Are you on any kind of birth control?”
“Just the pill. Steve mentioned also wearing a condom but I nixed that idea. If I get pregnant, that’s the cards we’re dealt; but, there’s no way in hell I am not feeling every inch of my man when I finally get the chance.”
“I see. I wonder if that’s a dragon thing dear as I said pretty much the exact same thing to your father when we first started having sex.”
“Mom, you’re not on any kind of birth control that I know of so if Daddy isn’t using protection, then why---?”
“Why don’t you have any siblings? Dragons can control their ovulation cycles due to our exceptionally long lifetimes. It wouldn’t be right to live another couple hundred thousand more years and not have children because you spent all your eggs during the last ten thousand. The other reason is that I didn’t have any magic left to erect barriers for a second child. Maybe, if your father wants to---” she shrugged and Becca nodded. “The reason I asked though is that you should have that ability as well but already being on birth control is going to force us to a wait and see approach. When the time comes, we’ll know for sure okay sweetie?”
“Okay Mom.”
“Anything else dear?”
“Oh no! I’m already going to need enough therapy after today as it is.”
“As you wish dear.” Kiera climbed off the bed and began to redress. “If there is anything else you want to talk about, I’m here. I’m going to find that lotion for you dear. If you itch now, just wait till it hits those spots we talked about today. You’re lucky. I couldn’t sit down for a month without rubbing myself against something to relieve it.”
“Um...I hope I just misinterpreted that Mom.”
Kierra just smiled, winked, and headed out the door.
Chapter 26
Ayla finally broke the door open. She was ticked for a number of reasons; first, Kurt could stop being a baby and accept Steve’s decision as the kid seemed to be doing just fine; second, she hated a cold bed; and third, she was just coming off a case of PMS. The elf stormed into Kurt’s office where she found her lover fumbling back to his feet as he kicked an empty keg across the room. After seeing his sorry state, she added a fourth reason to be angry at him.
“You going to come out and join the rest of the world or just continue lying here drunk?”
“Drunk sounds good right about now.” Kurt staggered wobbily to his chair and sat down. “That stupid cub. He doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what he’s doing. Werewolves aren’t supposed to treat our wolves like a separate person. We fuse ourselves to them! They become instincts, gut feelings! It’s insane to talk to it, let alone give it a fucking name! He’s giving up everything he could be just so he has an imaginary friend!”
Ayla’s brown eyes narrowed dangerously. “Is that what you think? I spent the whole day with him watching Michelle do her damnedest to roast his hide and he only got seriously hit once! Not only that but Rex would catch her mistakes and Steve would take advantage of them! Doesn’t sound like a hindrance to me!”
“You don’t get it Ayla. You’re not a wolf!”
She stormed over to his desk. “You’re right. I’m not. I’m just the person in charge of keeping this team alive when the shit hits the fan because all you care about right now is keeping your muzzle inside a keg! You’ve been moping in here long enough! You want proof that he’s going to be fine? Then I’ll give you proof. Meet us out at the practice yard tomorrow morning. That is if you’re sober enough to find it. Now clean yourself up. You smell like shit.”
Kurt nodded without saying a word. Ayla started to head out the doorway but paused and looked back at him. “Don’t even think of coming to my bed tonight. You try it and I’ll break out the girls. They’re pre-loaded with silver.” Her brown eyes told him she was deadly serious.
Kurt nodded again and Ayla stormed off, slamming the broken door behind her.
***
The next morning Steve came to the clearing to find Ayla and Kurt already there. Ayla wasn’t dressed in her normal sweatpants and shirt. She was decked out in black leather armor covered with dark brown and green mottling. She had a oak longbow in her hand and a full quiver of arrows on her back. Her hair was tied back in the same ponytail Steve had first seen her wear.
“What’s going on guys? We expecting an invasion or something?”
“It’s hunting day Steve,” Ayla said in a deathly cold voice. “You’re the prey, I’m the hunter. You’re free to shift any way you want as many times as you want. You are to avoid these,” she pulled out an arrow and showed it to him. “The tips are blunted but there’s a dye pack on them. They hit you five times, you lose. Kurt has a timer and an airhorn. If you manage to evade me for one hour, you win. You tag me at any point, you win. I will give you a ten minute head start then Kurt blows the horn and the clock starts. Clear?”
Steve was already undressing before Ayla finished. “Clear.” He shifted to his full wolf and waited.
“Begin!” He took off into the woods at a dead run.
Five minutes passed when Kurt walked up to her and spoke softly. “There aren’t any dye packs on those and the tips sure as hell aren’t dull.”
“Pain is a good teacher. You know how well it taught me lover.”
Kurt growled softly. “I still feel the taste of his blood on my tongue from time to time. Always brings a smile to my face.”
“Mine too. Now get ready to blow that horn. Let’s see what our cub is made of.”
Kurt looked at the stopwatch and held the horn down for a good five seconds. Ayla was already gone by the time he finished.
“Good luck Cub; you’re going to need it.,” he said to himself.
Kurt sat down and the hunt was on.
***
Steve had used the time he was given well he thought. He’d managed to leave only an intermittent trail which was mostly obscured by the dense foliage of the woods. Just to be safe, he’d ran through a creek for at least a mile letting the water cover any tracks and masking his scent. He didn’t know how good elf noses were compared to wolves’ but he wasn’t taking any chances. He rolled around in the mud of the creekbed after exiting it and found a dense copse of ferns to hide in. Contrary to popular belief, the best way to avoid a hunter wasn’t running but staying as still as possible and moving only when necessary. As soon as he heard the horn faintly in the distance, he fell to his belly and kept his eyes and ears on a full swivel.
Glad to see some of what Pops and Kurt taught you is starting to stick Steve.
Yeah but keep an ear out Rex. I have a feeling we just graduated to the expert class and no one told us.
On it.
For a full fifteen minutes, there were only the normal sounds of the forest. Steve’s heart was pounding in his chest, the adrenaline pumping in his veins. For the first time in his life, Steve felt like a true wolf. A predator trying to outwit an even fiercer one. He caught himself as he started to feel cocky. That wasn’t just dangerous, that was deadly.
Steve! Jump left! Now!
Steve immediately followed Rex’s order as the arrow whistled through the air and impacted the spot he just left. He didn’t even stop to look what direction it came from, trusting Rex to handle that. He just kept running as fast as he could in random directions to try to shake Ayla’s pursuit. He stumbled out of a thick bush and banged his head against a cliffside. He looked around and saw he was cornered on all sides by thick granite walls.
Damn! He shifted to his hybrid and started climbing as fast as his arms and legs could move. He hated being an open target but he had no choice. Pebbles and small rocks tumbled below him as his claws tore into the rockface for purchase. He was just to the edge when a second arrow landed where his foot had been. He flung himself over the top but he wasn’t fast enough. An arrow hit his left shoulder and he roared in pain.
She’s firing real arrows!
No shit Sherlock! Now keep moving! Rex yelled.
As Steve ran along the clifftop, trying to keep the rocks between him and Ayla, he reached behind him and tried to pull out the arrow. The shaft broke in his grip, leaving the arrowhead still lodged deep.
Nothing we can do about that now. Where is she Rex?
I don’t know. I’m trying but she’s damn good. No scent and that armor she’s wearing is damn near perfect camouflage. The only reason I found her in the first place was because I heard the bowstring snap against it. We need to hide. We don’t stand a chance running like this, let alone trying to tag her.
You’re right. Any suggestions?
Soon as I think of one, you’ll be the first to know!
Steve nodded his muzzle and kept running.
***
Ayla grunted as she reached the clifftop. That trick with the mud was impressive. She hadn’t counted on the pup being quite that sneaky. She almost completely passed him by if that fern frond hadn’t blown just enough to reveal that patch of fur. The fact that he had managed to dodge two of her three shots was unbelievable. She was a master with the bow and, whatever she shot at, she hit. No question. Pup’s got skills he doesn’t realize he had. There was no way he could have know I was there with that first shot. I wonder if it was Rex’s doing? She looked down at the stopwatch on her wrist. I lost too much time and ground with the climb. Only a half hour left. This is more fun than I thought it’d be. As Ayla raced across the cliff, a wide grin split her features.
***
Steve had no idea where he was. He was focused on keeping the distance between himself and Ayla while Rex handled his senses. It was almost as exciting as that fighter jet movie he loved watching as a kid.
Talk to me Rex. Anything?
Negative Mav.
Okay, we get through this, movie night tonight!
Wonder if we could get Becca to play Charlie?
Not now Rex!
Sorry. Live now, mate later. Got it!
Steve looked around but there wasn’t any kind of good hiding spot or cover. Just trees as far as he could see. There was a mess of half-rotted logs and trees that a flood had left behind some years back but the gaps were too small for him. He took a deep breath to steady himself and took a closer look. The gaps were too small for him, as he was now.
Goose, I think I’ve got an idea.
***
Where the hell did he go? His trail ended here and there’s nowhere for him to hide. He’s too big to hide in that mess over there. It would be a dead give-away if he shoved things around to make room. There’s no signs he left here so where is he? Ayla went over to the clump of rotting wood and looked for any signs of disturbance. She couldn’t see paw prints or claw marks on the wood, no signs of crushed or snapped branches. It was as if the pup had vanished into thin air. Her bow at the ready, every sense tuned for the slightest sound, she started walking up one of the logs. She hopped over gaps and more trees and logs but still no sign of him. She had just walked over a gap and was bringing her off leg to her when a filthy human hand shot out and grabbed her foot. A muffled voice came out of the hole, “Tag!” The hand let go and Ayla nearly fell back in surprise. She regained her balance as Steve came climbing out of the hole. Leaves, dirt, and God only knew what else fell from his body in massive clumps. He looked over at her, a boyish grin on his face, “I win.”
Ayla looked him over and nodded. “You win Steve. Excellent work. But before we head back, you should rinse off in that creek. You smell like something died.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what was in there and I don’t want to know. Didn’t matter though, you have to do whatever it takes when your life depends on it.”
“Then you’ve learned the most important lesson of all Steve. I’m proud of you. You really did even better than I was hoping.”
He grinned. “Thanks Ayla. That means a lot coming from you.” They climbed back down to the forest floor facing each other. Steve then looked over at his damaged shoulder. “Least the bleeding stopped. Better have Mark take a look at it or Becca’s going to go ballistic when we get home.”
“Yeah. By the way, how did you know I was there with that first shot? It’s been bugging me this whole time.”
“I didn’t. Rex did. In fact, he didn’t even know you were there until you fired. What gave you away was the bowstring hitting your wrist guard.”
Ayla looked thoughtful. “Really? Impressive work Rex.”
Steve’s eyes glowed amber. “Thanks,” Steve said and his eyes returned to his normal hazel color.
“Was that Rex Steve?”
“Yeah. We decided rather than me talking for him, he can come out when he’s directly addressed. We thought it’d make things easier.”
“Good idea. Now’s let go get you cleaned up.”
“Yeah.”
***
Later that night, while Becca, Steve and the rest of the gang were having a movie night, Kurt and Ayla were alone in the garage.
“The Cub actually managed to tag you.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe it.”
“He was a lot craftier than I expected. I never thought he’d shift back to human. If he had, it would have been over in an instant. I got overconfident and he won fair and square.” She leaned against the workbench. “Steve’s come a long way since that night at the depot.”
Kurt nodded in agreement. “Can’t argue with that. Lexi finish with her little surprise yet?”
“Yeah. Bob’s got the other part just about finished. It should be ready in a day or so.”
“Really? That’s not like him.”
“We had to re-order a few things. We ran out faster than we thought.”
Kurt nodded and walked over next to her. “Couple more weeks and I think we’ll be ready to hit that depot again. After we find out where this shipment is coming from, we intercept it, rescue the girls, and backtrack to the origin point to stop it at the source. Permanently.”
“Yeah.” She looked down at the floor. “This is going to get bloody and you know it. Think he’s up to it?”
“Kid blooded himself the night of the attack. He can probably guess that there will be some killing but I’ll talk to him. The world could use a few less bad guys.”
“You’re sure about this? He’s still pretty green.”
“Yep. We’ll spend the time we’ve got to keep refining him but he’s got a lot of the skills down. We’ll start with the combat training then.” He shook his head. “Maybe having that wolf of his as a co-pilot isn’t the worst thing after all. I know there’s no possible way that I could have heard that bowshot. Cub’s operating on a whole other level.”
“Told you so.”
“Well, you are the smart one in this relationship you know.”
“Yep. I’m the brains, you’re the brawn.”
Kurt turned his body to face her, pressing close against her. “I can live with that. By the way, I took that shower you wanted. Got all nice and clean.”
“Oh really,” she murmured. “Glad to know you can take orders.”
“Oh I can take all sorts of orders babe.” He began to nuzzle her neck, lightly running his tongue against her skin. His left hand began stroking her back.
Ayla shivered and began running her hands through his hair. “Here’s one. Keep licking and move that hand lower.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Chapter 27
The next day, Lexi was in the exercise yard watching her orc go through his daily routine. She knew he was showing off for her as he usually never took off his muscle shirt but today was totally topless. As she watched every green muscle flex, glistening with sweat in the sunlight, she sat back and enjoyed the show.
God, did she love that big green hunk of a man. So many people only saw the mostly silent brute but she knew what lay beneath that stone exterior. He was a very intelligent, kind, and compassionate man. He didn’t believe in wasting a single iota of energy, which included speech. Yet, he wasn’t a silent man. If you stopped and took a moment, you’d see the comp
ositions he wrote with a glance, a gesture, a smoldering look.
Bob had fallen into her life when her family was looking for some hired help almost five years ago. He had performed his job well but everyone was still a little frightened of the orc nearly twice their size; but, they couldn’t throw away his impressive strength needlessly. Still, some racial fears and prejudices just cut too deep and couldn’t be overcome no matter how hard you tried. Lexi had been raised on stories of orcs way back in their history wiping out entire gnome villages, feasting on the males, elderly, and infants while violating every woman they could find. She had always been terrified of them as a result.
The whole time Bob had worked for them, she had made sure she was never alone when he was near her. He never spoke to her once. Lexi had looked forward to the end of year when he would be let go and move on. Then, one morning everything Lexi knew about the orc changed.
There had been a small robin who had frequented the feeder that summer that she had fallen in love with. Every morning, she would make sure the feeder was full of the seeds that the bird gorged itself on. She would watch it for hours, sketching countless pictures of it in her notebook. One morning, as she went to fill the feeder, she saw the tiny bird flapping weakly on the ground, one wing broken. Her heart sank as she realized there wasn’t anything they could do to help and would have to put it down to end its suffering. Just before she went to get her father to tell him, she saw Bob walk across the lawn, a small shoebox under his arm.
He opened it and gently picked up the wounded animal, whispering to it. He laid the bird in a bed of straw and walked off. Lexi was too stunned to follow him. She figured the orc had taken the bird so it could be his lunch that day and tried her hardest not to think of her lost friend. She couldn’t have been more wrong. A couple months later, she was sitting on the porch sketching out plans for a new engine for their tractor when she looked up and saw the robin flying over to their feeder.
She froze in disbelief. She watched it feed and then soar off to rest on a nearby tree branch. She shook her head and saw the orc standing on the edge of her vision. She faced him and saw that he was smiling. “Thank you,” was all she said. The orc nodded and walked off. Maybe she was wrong about this particular orc after all.