by Geonn Cannon
Ari nodded and fastened her seatbelt.
“You look good,” Dale said once they were on the road. “The hair, I mean. It’s a good look.”
“Oh.” She reached up and touched it. “Yeah, it was a bit shorter, but it’s grown out. I cut it myself the first day we were up at the cabin.”
Dale said, “What was that like?”
“It…” Ari sighed and looked out the window. “It was good. It was what I needed. I was able to bond with Mom, which was fantastic. The wolf was euphoric. All that space to run around. No need to hide. Most of what Mom wanted to teach me was stuff I already knew or that you and I figured out together, but it was still really nice. Getting to know her. Getting comfortable with her again, after everything we went through. We had a lot of really great talks. We talked about you.”
“Oh?”
Ari was quiet for a moment before she continued. “She loves you, Dale. She really does. She thinks you keep me in line.”
Dale chuckled. “So you guys just hung out? Ran around a lot?”
“I was also getting to know the wolf. It was like reconnecting with Mom, you know? All these years, part of me saw the wolf as a source of pain. Every time I let her out, I knew I would be paying for it in a sore back or arms or legs. I’m finally seeing her as an extending of me.”
Dale nodded. “So…”
“My transformations still don’t hurt.”
“Good.” Dale felt the tension seeping out of her. She’d been waiting for that bombshell, afraid to ask. But Ari had moved well at the courthouse, so it wasn’t a surprise that the cure was holding. She was surprised that the confirmation brought tears to her eyes. Ari leaned over and pecked her cheek. She chuckled self-consciously and said, “Sorry. I’ve just been worried.”
Ari reached over and used her thumb to brush the tear from Dale’s cheek. “I should’ve called more. Or, you know, at all. I kept getting your messages and every time I thought about leaving one in return, I couldn’t think of anything to say. There was just so much to tell you that I didn’t know where to start. So I just didn’t say anything.”
“I understand.”
Ari said, “You should be pissed off.”
Dale chuckled. “Wait until check your phone. There’s a new message on there from this morning you probably haven’t heard. I was frustrated about the lack of communication and this whole court thing. It’s not that I minded testifying in your place. It was just the whole situation.” Ari nodded. “So I kind of went off on you.”
“Deservedly so. I look forward to it. I kind of like when you get all riled up.”
Dale growled and snapped her teeth.
Ari laughed. “Stop it, you’ll get me all turned on.”
“Oh, really?”
Ari looked at her. Dale took her eyes off the road long enough to meet Ari’s gaze. Neither of them had to say anything; Dale simply pulled into the next gas station parking lot and turned them around. The office and paperwork could wait. They had more pressing things to take care of. Ari had been gone for three months. Dale was surprised they were both still wearing pants.
As soon as she headed for home, her body began to react to the knowledge she was about to get laid. She’d gone three months without sex before, but not since she started dating Ari. She was suddenly breathless, eager, all too aware of the woman she loved sitting right next to her. Ari seemed just as eager. She was rubbing her hands against her thighs, shifting in her seat, eyes on the road as if she thought looking at Dale would tip her too far over the edge.
She pulled into the driveway they shared with Neka. “Bags?”
“Mom’s house.”
“Good.”
They got out of the car and hurried toward the side yard. They were almost there when the front door opened and Neka came out.
“Ariadne!” She jogged over to them. “You’re back!”
“Yeah,” Ari said. “Just this morning.”
Neka said, “I’m so glad. Dale kept insisting you two weren’t broken up, but you just vanished one day. You two are so great together.”
“Yeah,” Ari said again.
Dale said, “We were just, ah…”
Neka’s eyes widened. “You just got back this morning. After… three months. Oh, shit.” She began retreating. “I’m sorry. You two, uh… I’ll… I was just heading out, so you don’t worry about… oh. Oh, shit. Sorry. Go on. We’ll catch up later.”
Ari said, “Thanks, Neka. It was nice seeing you again. Bye.” She grabbed Dale’s hand and led her around the corner as a red-faced Neka returned to the house. Dale fumbled with the keys and pushed the door open, stepping inside a moment before Ari wrapped her up in another kiss and pressed her against the wall. Now that they weren’t in public they were free to be as passionate as they wanted, and Dale clung to Ari like she was in danger of falling.
“Neka knows we’re having sex now,” Dale said against Ari’s mouth.
“Good. I want all of Seattle to know.” She ran her tongue along Dale’s bottom lip. “I wanted that lawyer bitch to ask me under oath about my plans for the day so I could tell her exactly what I was going to do to you.”
Dale whimpered. Ari started to take off her blazer but Dale stopped her. “Leave it on. Wait… is it your mother’s?”
“No, it’s mine.”
“Good. Leave it on. Take my clothes off and leave yours on.”
Ari smiled and kissed her again. Dale’s suit jacket was draped over the back of the chair, her flats left behind next to the door. Her blouse fell once Ari was able to get her wrists free of the cuffs. Dale put a hand against the wall next to the bedroom door as Ari unzipped her skirt and let it fall. She kicked it away and Ari sank down into a crouch, running her hands over Dale’s stomach and thighs. She spread her fingers over the soft material of Dale’s stockings and closed her eyes before pressing her face against the crotch of Dale’s underwear. She breathed deeply. Her hand curled into claws as a sigh escaped her lips.
“There you are,” Ari whispered.
“Hi,” Dale said.
Ari stood up and led Dale into the bedroom. When she turned on the lights she intended to ignore anything that wasn’t Dale, but something on the bed caught her eye. Her pillow had been pulled to Dale’s side of the bed, and one of her T-shirts was pulled over the slipcover.
“Aw, baby.”
Dale said, “What? It smelled like you.”
Ari turned and wrapped her arms around Dale’s waist. “I had one of your shirts with me, too.”
“The purple Laurelhurst one? God, I’ve been looking for that…”
Ari picked her up and carried her to the bed. “Whoa, puppy…! That’s new.”
“I’m feeling all butch from my time in the woods.” She dropped Dale onto the bed and knelt next to her. Dale scooted forward as Ari peppered her upper thighs and stomach with kisses. Dale reconsidered the “fully-dressed” idea and reached down to take off Ari’s blazer, tossing it aside. Dress shirt and tie was sexy enough for the time being. She lifted her hips so Ari could pull down her stockings and underwear, then took off her own bra. She laid back and closed her eyes as Ari kissed the inside of one thigh, then the other. They were both breathing hard, eager to get right to the main event, but Ari was teasing her in the best and worst ways. She reached down and stroked Ari’s head.
“Sorry…”
“No. Go slow.”
Ari nipped at Dale’s skin. “I’ve just missed you so much. Your taste and your smell. God, Dale, you smell fantastic.” She turned her head and a cry of pleasure nearly choked her trying to get out. She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, the same ceiling she’d stared at so many nights over the past three months. She moved her hands to the mattress, worried she would pull hair or leave marks in the skin if she kept gripping Ari’s head. The time apart hadn’t diminished Ari’s skills or her knowledge of what made Dale tick. Her lips and tongue set the stage before she wet two fingers and went to work for real. One finger in
side and the other teaming up with the tip of her tongue on Dale’s clit.
“Ariadne,” she whispered, closing her eyes and focusing on the sensations. Ari reached up with her free hand and touched Dale’s left breast, her palm flat against the skin so she could feel her heartbeat. Dale covered Ari’s hand with her own and grunted as she moved her hips against Ari’s tongue. She looked down and forced her eyes open, and she saw Ari looking up at her framed by her thighs, lit from behind by the sunlight coming in through the window. It was almost religious, and Dale fell back to the mattress as she climaxed, teeth bared and a red haze drifting down her face to her upper chest.
Ari continued touching her until Dale began to twice and jerk away from her, the sensitive muscles taking it upon themselves to escape the stimulus. Ari slid up Dale’s body and kissed her breasts, her collarbones, her throat. Dale hooked one leg around Ari’s hip and rolled them both onto their sides.
“Why are you still dressed?” Dale asked.
“You said…”
“Take off your clothes.”
Ari grinned and started with her pants. Her shoes hit the floor hollowly, and they were followed by the soft rustle of her pants. As she unbuttoned her blouse, Dale moved to position herself between Ari’s legs. Ari clutched Dale’s back and looked into her eyes as Dale began grinding against her. The curve of Dale’s hip pressed against Ari’s center and she knew just how far to go before sliding back down. Her leg and arm muscles were getting a hell of a workout, but it was worth it to see the look of desperation in Ari’s eyes.
Ari whispered her name and Dale kissed her. There was a moment before Ari’s orgasm when Dale froze, when they were tangled around each other and their bodies were both buzzing with sexual energy. Dale pressed her lips to the corners of Ari’s mouth and moved again, slowly dragging her hip against Ari’s sex. Ari’s eyes closed, her head rolled back, and she dragged her nails up Dale’s back on either side of her spine. Her entire body twitched, a terrible reminder of the seizure four months earlier.
Dale kissed her until Ari became responsive and began kissing her back. Dale allowed herself to be rolled, aware that Ari was still wearing her shirt and tie when she felt the silk of the latter tickling her breasts. Ari sat up, one hand on the mattress on either side of Dale’s head, and Dale reached up to hold the hair out of her face.
“Now I’m better,” Ari said. “The bite, the getaway with Mom, all of that was just part of the cure. But now… now I’m good.”
Dale sat up and kissed Ari. “Welcome back, puppy. Don’t go anywhere.” She wrapped the tie around her hand. “I’ve got a leash now. I’ll just pull you back.”
Ari smiled. “I’m not going anywhere, Dale.”
They snuggled for a bit, neither of them feeling tired but also unwilling to let go of each other. After a few minutes Dale kissed Ari’s forehead.
“Hey… this might be weird after what we just did…”
Ari looked up at her.
“I missed the wolf, too. Do you think… as long as we’re cuddling… since it won’t hurt…”
Ari smiled and kissed Dale’s lips before sitting up. She positioned herself on her hands and knees and Dale watched as Ari’s body went through its transformation. It looked beautiful now. The bones still broke, the skin rippled in a way she felt should turn her stomach, and it was horrifying to see Ari’s face twist and bend to form a snout, but something had shifted in her mind. Now it wasn’t nauseating because she knew Ari wasn’t in pain. She knew whatever aches came with this transformation could be easily soothed with a massage.
The wolf was crouched on the bed next to her. Dale rolled onto her back and Ari stretched out next to her, head on her shoulder and paws stretched across her chest. The wolf was warm, and Dale dug her fingers into the soft, warm fur. She knew eventually they would have to get up, get dressed, and go into the office. But their bedroom had gone far too long without Ariadne Willow in it. They had a lot of lost time to make up for.
Chapter Three
Ari quickly got back into the swing of being in the city. Dale had put a pin in a few cases while Ari was away, and she spent her first week back contacting the clients to see if they still required her services. Some passed, others had moved on to other agencies, but a handful were still interested. Dale had managed well with background checks and scouring public access databases for a crumb of information. So much of private investigation involved sitting at a desk and knowing which server to search, but there were still jobs that required actual legwork. Ari found a stolen guitar after checking with three pawn shops and returned it to the rightful owner. She took pictures of a man playing a game of hockey which would cost him his disability checks.
On her first Friday back in the city, she surprised Dale by taking her out on a date. It wasn’t anything fancy or expensive, just hot dogs and soda at an outdoor restaurant, but it was exactly what Dale needed. They held hands on the walk home and Dale felt their long hiatus fading. Every day without Ari had been a trial, and she’d grown to hate going to bed alone, but that was all in the past. Ari seemed lighter, more at ease, and comfortable in her skin.
As for the sex… Dale had never been a prude, but she blushed when she thought about some of their shenanigans. In the office, in the car, once on the dining room table, which had been more of a hassle than anything. The table really wasn’t designed for that kind of activity, but they’d certainly given it their best shot.
And then there was the wolf. Ari had always been amazing as the wolf. Fast and powerful. She never suffered the transformation pain when she was in wolf form. But now it was as if she’d been supercharged. Ari’s physical issues had been dealt with, so the wolf didn’t have to concern herself with playing it safe. They were a true partnership now, not one entity allowing the other to take control. The wolf had become a true extension of who Ari was.
In the time they’d been working together, even before they were sleeping together, Dale had gotten used to late-night calls to come pick Ari up. She knew what the streets of Seattle looked like in the middle of the night almost as well as she knew them during the day. She knew how to get into the various parks and public areas of the city after hours. She knew where the all-night diners could be found. Ari acted as if it was an imposition, an unacceptable hassle to put Dale through, but Dale loved it. Even though it affected her sleep schedule and there were times when she had been grumpy about dragging herself out of a warm bed to drive off to Seward Park, she loved that Ari could count on her for the rescue. It made her feel like a knight in shining armor, riding off to save her woman.
One night she was woken up by Ari slipping back into their bedroom after a run. She was naked, out of breath, and sweaty. When she passed the bed, Dale smelled grass clippings. The shower turned on and ran for a minute or so, then Ari came back smelling clean. Her skin shined briefly before she turned off the bathroom light and crawled under the covers. Dale rolled over and touched Ari’s hip.
“Did you go for a run?”
“Yeah. Just to the lighthouse and back.”
Dale said, “What lighthouse? Alki Point?”
“Mm-hmm.” Ari was already settled in, cheek against the pillow.
Dale sat up. “Ariadne, that’s over eight miles away. And then another eight miles back. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m just tired.”
“You should’ve called me to come pick you up when you realized how far you’d gone.”
Ari shook her head. “The wolf wanted the run. I wasn’t tired, so I just let her go. I didn’t need you.”
The words hurt more than Ari could have known, more than Dale expected. She thought about waking Ari up to address how upset she was, but Ari had already drifted off. She didn’t want to make an issue out of it when Ari obviously hadn’t meant it the way it sounded. She bent down and kissed the corner of Ari’s mouth, lay back down, and tried to fall back to sleep. Just before she drifted off, Ari shifted across the mattress and spooned her from behi
nd. Dale smiled and stroked Ari’s wrist, soothed enough to shut off her mind.
More nights like that followed, where Dale only knew Ari had gone for a run when she came back in. Ari never again said the dreaded “I didn’t need you,” and Dale decided to just let it drop. If Ari was able to go for runs without disturbing her, she might as well consider it a good thing. She was sleeping well, even if she did occasionally wake up at three o’clock feeling as if she needed to be somewhere. She’d been trained too well.
She wasn’t going to complain. Ari was pain-free for the first time in her adult life. Dale wasn’t about to look for the cloud on that silver lining and simply appreciate her girlfriend’s new situation.
#
Ari was asleep on her stomach, one arm stretched out across Dale’s stomach, when her phone startled her awake. Dale began to stir, but Ari whispered for her to lay back down. She had no idea how many hours of sleep she’d cost Dale over the course of their relationship, but it was far too many. Now that she didn’t need to be picked up after the wolf went running, she was trying to let Dale sleep until morning as often as possible. Just the sight of Dale passed out, cheek flat against the pillow and bottom lip poofed out, made her feel guilty about all the times she called her for a ride at three in the morning.
She made sure Dale was settled, retrieved her still-ringing phone, and padded barefoot into the living room. “This is Ariadne Willow.”
“Wow, professional even in the middle of the night. You’re a class act, Willow.”
She fought the urge to groan. “Wilcox? What the hell do you want?”
“And the professionalism is gone, just like that,” he said.
Ari sat on the arm of the couch and blinked blearily out the window. Clark Wilcox was another private investigator, but Ari was ashamed to consider him a colleague. He cut corners, bribed witnesses, believed entrapment was the same thing as establishing evidence, and was generally inept at anything that required any actual investigation. He also thought women had no place being private investigators because they were too weak, delicate, and emotional. They’d crossed paths a handful of times over the years, and every encounter left Ari feeling in need of a shower and a change of profession.