APPETITE

by Kathyrn, Lorraine

  "Hey! Charlie!" Becky said, hurrying to her friend and throwing her arms around her.

  "Oh my god, I missed you!" Charlie said, hugging her friend back hard. "I'm so glad you came."

  The two women broke the hug and stepped apart, hands linked and looking at each other. They smiled and began talking at the same time, asking questions and answering, talking over each other but still somehow managing to be heard.

  "I can't believe how relaxed you..."

  "It feels like years instead of weeks..."

  "You are positively glowing..."

  "You wouldn't believe what has been..."

  Oblivious to everyone around them, including the tall, dark man with the small smile across his lips. Too busy laughing and squealing in delight to pay attention to anything or anyone else.

  "I want you to meet Damien," Charlie said at last, looking over her friend's shoulder and smiling at her mate. Damien moved to Charlie's side and smiled at Becky, offering his hand.

  "Nice to meet you, Becky. I've heard a lot about you," he said.

  Becky shook his hand, eyeing him up and down, her expression almost wary. "Nice to meet you," she said as she dropped his hand, stepping back and cocking her head as she took the two of them in. Damien glanced at Charlie, uncertain in the face of such open scrutiny, but she just looked back at him with an amused smile on her face and shook her head.

  "I wouldn't ever have put you two together," Becky said at last. "Never in a million years. But...it's so obvious you two belong together."

  "Is that so?" Charlie said, cocking an eyebrow at her friend.

  "Anyone with eyes can see it, Char. It's in the way you look at each other," Becky said, heading towards the baggage carousel as the luggage from her flight began to appear. "It's as if you two are talking telepathically."

  "Is it?" Damien asked with a laugh as Charlie hurried to catch up to her friend. She looked at him over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out, making him laugh a little louder.

  "What's so funny?" Becky said as Charlie reached her.

  "It's...it's complicated," Charlie said. "But I'll tell you all about it on the way home," she added, beaming at her friend.

  "Yes, I know you vill...," Becky said twirling an invisible moustache and wagging her brows. "I haff vays of making you talk."

  "God I missed you," Charlie said, laughing and hugging her friend again.

  Damien stood to the side, watching the friends. He smiled as Charlie laughed, watching her face light up as she and Becky caught up on the latest news and gossip. It was almost as if they spoke their own language, using silly catch phrases and pop culture references and making each other giggle as they wrangled two enormous suitcases off the carousel. The love between them, the bond between them, was almost palpable.

  He took the bags out of the women's hands before following them out to the truck. Becky glanced back at him as she linked her arm through Charlie's and bent her head towards her friend's ear.

  "Jeezus, Char," Becky said under her breath. She sent a fleeting glance back at Damien again before continuing. "He's is a big hunk of man, isn't he?"

  "You don't know the half of it," Charlie said, giggling.

  "Mmmhmmm...Big strapping guy like that, sweet little gal like you...I think I can figure it out." She gave her friend an elaborate and lewd wink. "I bet he makes you dirty. I bet he takes that asexual persona of yours, pins it down and makes you beg for it."

  "Becky!" Charlie hissed. She could feel herself getting aroused as she pictured Damien pinning her to the forest floor and teasing her until she begged.

  "What?" Becky whispered. "Tell me he doesn't." She knew that – regardless of how quiet her friend was being – Damien could hear every word.

  "Just....not now, okay?" Charlie laughed. She looked back at Damien to find he was watching her. He wagged his eyebrows at her as he deliberately scented the air, grinning.

  "So, Mr. Dimeo," Becky said, releasing her friend to walk with Damien, "tell me, other than impeccable taste in women and jewelry, what makes you worthy of my friend?" Damien barked a laugh at that.

  "For fuck's sake...really?" Charlie said, falling back to walk on the other side of Damien. "Worthy? Really?"

  "I'm not," he said, shaking his head and smiling broadly at Becky. "I'm just really, really lucky she doesn't know it yet."

  "Good answer," Becky said as they reached the truck. "And likely the only one I would have accepted."

  "So glad I passed the test," Damien said as he lifted her suitcases into the bed of his truck.

  "It ain't over yet," Becky said, her eyes narrowing at the ease with which he handled her luggage.

  "Yes it is," Charlie said, poking her friend in the arm.

  "Owwww! Quit it." Becky rubbed her arm. "Dammit, Char, you still have the hardest damn fingers."

  "Stop the inquisition, Beck," Charlie said, laughing at her friend's dramatics.

  "Okay, okay." She turned to look at Damien as he opened the doors for them. "Truce?" she asked, holding out her hand.

  "Truce," Damien said, accepting the offered handshake. He closed their doors behind them and winked at Charlie as he moved to the driver's side. She smiled back and gave a little laugh.

  "Are you hungry?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at her friend.

  "Starving."

  "Can we stop for a burger or something?" she asked as Damien started them out of the airport parking lot.

  "Absolutely."

  "That sounds fab," Becky said, kicking off her pumps.

  "We can hit the Five Guys over the river," Damien said as he merged onto the highway. "Will that work?" he asked, glancing at Becky in the rearview mirror.

  "You bet," she said, looking out the window at the traffic.

  "How was your flight?" Charlie asked.

  "Good," Becky said, smiling distractedly.

  "Beck...what's wrong?" Charlie said, noting the crease in her friend's brow.

  "I was just thinking...I hope I brought something nice enough to wear. I thought for some reason it would be really muggy here, you know? So everything I brought is lightweight."

  "Yeah, well...I'm sure whatever you brought will be fine, Beck," Charlie said. She smiled and glanced at Damien.

  "What?" Becky said, catching the look that passed between them.

  "Well...you know what? Let's get some food first, then we'll talk about the ceremony, okay?"

  "That bad, eh?"

  "What? No. Not at all," Charlie said, beaming at her friend. "It's just a bit much to go in to at the moment. Let's get something to eat, then...I'll tell you everything you want to know. Okay?"

  "Aaaalllright...," Becky said with a shrug. She was intensely curious, and knew there was something big Charlie had to tell her, but she also knew that pushing her friend would do no good.

  They chatted about everything and nothing on the way to the restaurant. Charlie relaxed a lot when she saw Becky and Damien both making an effort to get to know each other on more than a superficial level. She contributed a bit here and there, but mostly sat back and let them talk with each other. She looked out the window at the scenery whizzing by, smiling to herself a bit as she listened to Becky question Damien on his family and her mind wandered to the upcoming ceremony. While she was still nervous about it, she was also anxious for it to happen. She looked back at Damien as he laughed at something Becky said and smiled, amazed that she had found him, amazed that she got to have him.

  "Geez, Char, moon much?" Becky teased.

  "What?" Charlie asked, turning in her seat to look at her friend as Damien pulled in to Five Guys.

  "You were just staring at Damien with a goofy, shit-eating grin on your face."

  "No I wasn't," Charlie laughed.

  "Yeah, you were," Becky said as she unbuckled and opened her door. As Charlie got out Becky faced her, mocking her friend with her own dreamy smile. "Just like that," she said, pointing up at her own face.

  "Not even," Charlie said with a giggle,
linking her fingers with Damien's as the trio made their way inside.

  They stood and looked at the menu, discussing the options. The polite "I'll pay" "No I will" "No really, let me" contest ensued between Damien and Becky until Charlie stepped up to the register to place the order and pay. She turned to look at the two most important people in her life and sighed with a little shake of her head.

  "Amateurs," she mumbled with a smile, holding out their drink cups to them.

  "Why'd you get it to go? Is the ranch far from here?" Becky asked, taking her cup and heading for the soda fountain.

  "Not far," Charlie said, following her friend. "We just have a lot to discuss, and it would be easier to do that in a more private setting."

  "I see," Becky said, looking back at Damien.

  "Relax, Beck. It's nothing bad."

  "It's not that." she said, looking back at her friend. "I'm just still a little wary for you."

  "I don't blame you," Damien said, placing a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "In fact, I am grateful of it. But I can assure you, I could never hurt Charlie, and would gladly die protecting her from harm."

  "I believe you," Becky said, putting a lid on her Coke. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna worry, tho."

  "'Course not," Charlie said, smiling at the chance to tease her friend a little. "You're more likely to stop breathing before that happens."

  "Oh ha ha," Becky said, rolling her eyes.

  They made idle chit-chat while waiting for their food to be ready. Becky was too busy wondering what could be so private about the wedding, Charlie was too busy worrying about how to tell Becky about the pack, and Damien was too preoccupied with watching the expressions and moods cross Charlie's face to make anything beyond small talk. When their order was called, Damien grabbed the bags and they head back to his truck in silence.

  They drove east on the highway for about 15 minutes, as the more densely populated areas of Vancouver receded behind them. Damien pulled onto the shoulder and turned to Charlie.

  "Where?"

  She glanced around and shrugged her shoulders. "Somewhere off the main road? Is there a back road or something?"

  "I can find one," Damien said as he pulled back on to the highway. Another ten minutes brought them to a logging road, and Damien turned the truck down it. They stopped at a clearing about two miles off the highway, and got out. Damien spread a horse blanket out on the ground for them to sit on while they ate. They doled out the food and began to dine, a tense silence around them.

  Charlie nibbled a little at her burger, watching Becky. Her friend never lifted her eyes from the sandwich in her hands. Charlie gave a nervous little cough and glanced at Damien. He smiled at her and cupped her face in his hand for a brief moment before nodding at her to start.

  "So," Charlie began, her voice sounding choked. She cleared her throat and smiled when Damien gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "So, umm, Damien is not like most people, Beck."

  "So I gathered," the blonde said coolly. She put her burger down and leaned back on her hands, her legs out in front and crossed at the ankles.

  "Actually...his whole family is different."

  "Are they?"

  "Yeah. Well...here's the thing...the thing is...it's like this...you ever think of something that would be really cool if it existed, but it doesn't – or you think it doesn't – but it does."

  "What?"

  "Like...20 years ago, right? You'd watch a sci-fi movie and they'd be controlling doors and lights and whatnot with tiny computers, right? But it was all make-believe. Like...that stuff just wasn't possible?"

  "Okay...but - " Becky began, but Charlie cut her off.

  "But it was possible, right? It is possible. We just didn't know at the time that it was, right?"

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "Well, it's kinda like that."

  Becky looked at her friend for a long moment before glancing at Damien. "He's an android?"

  "No! Oh no – not at all!" Charlie said, laughing. "He's a werewolf."

  "Oh. Phew. For a minute there I....wait. He's a WHAT?" Becky said, looking at her friend hard.

  "A werewolf."

  "Impossible."

  "No – really," Charlie said, smiling at her friend. "Show her, cowboy." Damien took off his shoes and socks and stood up. He lifted his t-shirt over his head and folded it haphazardly before dropping it on top off his shoes.

  "What's with the striptease?" Becky asked. She fidgeted, moving next to Charlie and sitting back on her heels.

  "My clothing will rip off of me if I don't take them off," Damien said. He could smell the fear and confusion coming off the blonde, and he tried to speak in a soothing, calming tone for her.

  "It's alright, Beck," Charlie said, taking her friend's hand. "Go on, Damien."

  Damien undid the fly of his jeans and pushed them down in one smooth movement, stepping out of them to stand nude in front of the women. He had his hands on his hips, totally unembarrassed, as Charlie looked at him with appreciation and Becky rolled her eyes.

  "I'm so not impressed, dude," she said.

  "Wait," Charlie giggled. "I think you will be." She nodded at Damien.

  He smiled and, with a last glance at Becky, shifted into his wolf.

  "But....but...," Becky stammered, her eyes huge. She was squeezing Charlie's hand hard enough to bruise as her mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing. "That can't...no."

  "It is, Beck." Charlie watched her friend for a moment – Becky's eyes were glued to the huge black wolf in front of her – before using her free hand to turn her friend's face towards herself. "Becky – listen to me, okay?" Becky nodded, but her eyes kept cutting to the side, looking at the huge animal that just couldn't, shouldn't be there.

  "Damien is a werewolf. His whole family are werewolves. In fact, just about everyone you are going to meet will be a werewolf. It's real. It's really real. Okay?"

  "He's a...they're all..."

  "Becky. Look at me." Her friend finally managed to maintain eye contact and Charlie smiled. "They're just people, Beck. They live and they love and they hurt and they die and they mourn. They're people, like you and me. Just with something a little different about them, okay?"

  "People...," Becky repeated. "Just...people. People that turn in to giant wolves."

  "Well...yeah." Charlie looked over at Damien and nodded again. "Ibrido?" she asked. Damien seemed to shimmer in front of the women as he changed forms again. Charlie looked at Becky and noticed she looked a bit less freaked out.

  "People," she said quietly.

  Charlie let go of her friend and went to stand beside her mate. "This is still Damien, Becky. Still the same amazing, smart, funny, kind, stubborn, sweet, warm, wonderful, sexy man I just...just cannot live without." Damien looked down at Charlie as she glanced up at him, giving him that dazzling smile he fell in love with when he first met her. She moved back to sit next to her friend. "Remember, Beck – he was this when I fell for him, so why should it matter."

  "Nice, Char," Becky said, her eyes on the ibrido in front of her. "I had no idea you meant this," she said, flapping her hand towards Damien. "I mean, had I kno- holy shit! That is a giant penis," Becky said, openly staring at Damien's cock.

  "Becky!" Charlie said, blushing.

  "Seriously. Does that thing have its own zip code or what?"

  "Becky!"

  "Good luck with that, Char. I don't know how – wait....are...are you a werewolf?" Becky asked, looking at her friend closely.

  "No. I'm not," she glanced at Damien and nodded. "But...I will become one."

  Becky was quiet for a bit, her eyes moving back and forth from her friend to the wolfman. "That's what all your questions were about," Becky said, thinking back on their phone conversations.

  "Yeah."

  Becky turned to look at Damien – human again - as he dressed. "Wild wolves mate for life, don't they?"

  "They do, yes," Damien said, pulling his t-shirt on and sitting on the other side of Becky. "We do
, as well. We have one mate, one partner we are gifted with, and once we are joined, we are joined forever."

  Becky again fell quiet for a bit, thinking over everything she had seen and heard. Charlie and Damien sat silently, letting her get her mind around everything.

  "So your wedding, umm, will be a little outside the average wedding then, huh?" she asked after a while.