Like An Animal, Part Four

Brynn walked down the usual morning path to his personal space. In his mouth he carried the meat of a dead mouse. It was all he could gather up for a late-morning breakfast. After all, Teyna was not around to accompany him on the morning hunts. She was always ready to search out with him for food after the night of a full moon. She was always definitely hungry after a strenuous transformation, so every morning after a change, she and Brynn stalked the forest for a live deer or another big animal that would feed her hunger. But this morning, Brynn had to settle for a small, dead mouse.
The fact that it was small and that it might not serve as a full meal did not bother him at all. What bothered him, obviously, was that Teyna was missing for this long. She had always returned to the same spot in the forest every morning right before she turned back into a wolf. Perhaps something was wrong. Maybe she lost track of time. Maybe she ran into some trouble into town. But whatever the reason, Brynn would not dare enter the town of humans. He didn't bother them and they didn't bother him. It was a simple philosophy, and besides, why should he search out for Teyna? She hardly gave him the time of day anyways. She was a big wolf, after all. She could take care of herself.
What was he thinking? Teyna's...a delicate wolf! She's such a beautiful and fragile flower, Brynn would die if anything happened to her! But, no, he could not do it, he could not go into town. The two-leggers would probably hunt him. Besides, he doesn't know that Teyna is hurt. She could just be a little late.
Coward, Brynn thought to himself. Out of frustration, he closed his jaw, biting into the mouse. Blood gushed out of the dead animal, leaving a trail as Brynn walked along.
"Hey there, Brynn," a voice called out from behind a set of trees.
Brynn dropped his food, recognizing the voice but still searching out for a figure, "Lupa?"
From his left, Lupa appeared to him. For a female, she was a large wolf. Almost six feet long at such an early age, she powered over the smaller female wolves to establish her position among the pack. And now, she was inching towards Brynn. She had that look in her eye. She had that step in her walk. And she was giving off a powerful musk. "Boy, I'm glad to see you here," she said.
Brynn shook, a chill going down his body and leaving through his tail, "M-M-Me? What f-f-for?"
Lupa trotted around Brynn, her tail waving furiously in the air, "Isn't it obvious, Brynn? It does get lonely around these parts."
"Gee, L-Lupa...you smell good today." Brynn could barely resist that scent. It was strong and penetrating.
Lupa flashed her teeth, "Do you like it?"
"Uh, Lupa...you're in heat, aren't you?"
Her look of seduction changed to a hint of nervousness. "S-S-Sorry," Lupa apologized, "It's mating season."
Brynn looked away, "Don't I know it."
"I want young, Brynn, and I need a companion," Lupa said as she tried to brush her muzzle on Brynn's cheek.
Her scent was intoxicating at this close a distance. No wolf could resist Lupa's charms, especially during mating season. Brynn remembers what happened LAST season. But Brynn was, of course, a male, and his organ was heavy in its sheath, with bits of flesh starting to peek out from under.
But he had to resist, "Um, Lupa?"
Lupa talked while continuing to tease Brynn, "Come on, Brynn. Right now. I need it really bad."
"Sorry, Lupa, I have problems with that 'mating for life' thing. And didn't you promise yourself to Kayn?"
She broke away, realizing that she was doing it again, "Kayn's...not around. He went hunting for food with the other males," she returned to her seductive glance again, growing ever more impatient, "But I need fresh meat now, Brynn..."
He backed away, "N-N-No, Lupa. I'm sorry, but I swore myself to Teyna a long time ago."
That did it. Lupa tilted her head. Her eyes now filled with rage. The sudden mood swings were also part of her mating season. "That...that human-smelling bitch? That two-legged freak!?"
"How dare you say that!" Brynn reacted, "She is just like you and me, and she is also your friend!"
"Ha! Most of her friends are probably two-leggers anyways! Teyna probably mates with one of them too!"
"Now you've gone too far!" Brynn said, and instinctively he leapt at Lupa, tackling her to the ground. They wrestled on the grass for a moment, tumbling around trying to get a shot each other. But for a female, Lupa was more powerful than the other females. Powerful, but not as strong as him. After a while, she gave in to his strength as Brynn pinned her to the ground.
"Brynn?" Lupa asked innocently, as if her rage had completely disappeared.
Brynn looked at her, realizing what he was doing. He let go of her. She tumbled back onto her feet before saying, "Sorry."
"It's OK. I probably don't even know Teyna as much as I thought anymore."
"She's the perfect mate for you, Brynn."
"Yeah?"
"Well, except on those nights when...you know."
"I know. Why don't you go check if the rest of the pack has returned."
"OK," Lupa said as she started on her way, but not before saying, "Are you sure you don't want to--"
"Lupa," Brynn interjected.
"Oh," she reacted, "Sorry." And she disappeared into the vicinity, leaving Brynn behind. Lupa's scent remained long after she left, long after he stopped to consume the rest of his small meal. But all Brynn could think about was Teyna. What happened to her? Where was she?


Tina glanced in the full-length mirror, running her hands down the tight-fitting clothes she took off the rack in the clothing store. It showed her curves and also some skin. And she liked the glow of it, too. The color blue, people called it. For a human garment, it looked attractive. Tina didn't care much for clothes; she only wore them for three nights a month, and only to keep her from getting cold. And for the longest time she wore the same set of clothes: a plain loose-fitting t-shirt with denim jeans and some worn-out shoes, all from some place in town people told her was "The Salvation Army." But Tina liked what she saw, not to mention that her boyfriend was paying for it. She made a habit not to take advantage of the humans she befriended, but she usually had no choice. Tina didn't have - oh, what did they call it - money to spend and wouldn't know where to get it. And Jeff wanted to pay for it anyways, he said time and time again. It was, after all, their four-month anniversary.

Jeff waited patiently outside of the fitting room. He was glad to see that his girlfriend would be trying on some new clothes. Jeff was not stuck-up, but money was surely not an object. For people in a small town, his parents were very wealthy. They traveled a lot back and forth from town to New York City, where they took part in investments and made lots of money out of it. They set aside two accounts, one for his sister and one for him. Each week they would put their allowances into their account, away for personal use if they should ever need or want it. To date, Jeff had put aside a handsome amount of money for a day when he would use it for whatever he wanted to do with it. Today was no exception. He was willing to spend a good deal of money on Tina. He was not sure if this was love - heaven knows he was always clumsy at it - but he knew for sure he felt a lot for her. Her beauty was one thing, but Tina was more than that. The mystery, the charm, and always full of surprises. Like that time she appeared at his house one night, from his bedroom window...three floors off the ground. Yes, Tina is an amazing girl, he thought. So many unknowns surrounding her. But Jeff could always read a person. She rarely talked about her past, where she grew up, who her parents were, that sort of thing. And whenever she was intimate about her past, she talked about herself, never of anyone else. Tina was a loner, that's for sure. But so was he, which was good. Perhaps they could be a perfect match?

"So," Tina said as she came out of the fitting room, after twirling around to show her new look in front of Jeff, "How does it look?"
She was stunning, he thought with a look of delight on his face. "It's beautiful," he said.


It had been another one of those dates around town, this time under a blue sky and a hot sun. Jeff kept that in the back of his mind but did not think too much of it. Hey, a myth about her dispelled, right? So, they had ventured around, and especially visited the fair that was in the park that weekend. It was especially funny when Tina won a goldfish from playing one of the games.
"How can you eat such a small fish?" she asked when she took the bag of water with the fish inside.
The man behind the counter gave a curious and amused look, "Excuse me, miss?"

Then there was the trip to pet store. Perhaps Tina would help Jeff find a playmate for his other cat. It was there that several dogs, confined in their cages, reacted violently to their presence. Even a few puppies in the store window almost jumped out of their play area.

Of course, the scene at the music shop was amusing, too. Jeff was checking out the latest releases when he heard Tina arguing with a store clerk that the CD called "The Sounds of Nature" was completely false. Even the manager was brought to debate with her. Eventually, they were ejected from the store without a second thought from the management.


Day quickly turned to night, like all days when you are enjoying yourself. Tina was especially out of touch when night came and the moon rose. Several times throughout the day she had felt that she was changing back involuntarily, and all it took was a mere thought to reverse those changes. But now, with the full moon in the sky, she found she could not change at all, not even at will. No surprise, she thought, this was her usual time.
They went back home a few hours after sunset. With Jeff was a movie from the video place. They sat on the floor in front of the television set. All throughout the movie Tina was commenting on the scenes.
"She's so rebellious," she said.
Jeff replied, "Why do you say that?"
"I mean, she hardly listens to her father."
"It's hardly unusual," he said, "At least nowadays."
"What do you mean?"
Jeff leaned back on the floor with his hands, "Well...like take me for a minute. Just last week me and my dad had an argument about college. He wants me to go to law school after college, but I prefer taking up writing when I grow up. I argued with him for almost a half-hour on the subject."
"What happened?"
"Well, let's see...later, we agreed that we'd think about it later, plenty of time before I have to decide. But he said that ultimately it was up to me to figure out what I wanted to be."
Tina was intrigued, "That's incredible."
"I don't think so. See, parents...they're there to guide you and all, but I always believed that in the end, it's whatever I choose that counts."
A bold theory about families, Tina thought. Her perspective, and especially her father's perspective, was completely the opposite about the entire subject.


"But father!" Teyna cried.
"No 'buts,'" her father commanded, "During the next full moon you will stay here."
"Father, I don't belong here! You know what the rest of the pack thinks about me, and I couldn't defend myself during the full moon if they tried anything!"
"I understand, but I must teach you a lesson. Do you even know WHY you are grounded?"
She sighed, "Because I attacked Brynn."
"That's right. You are a strong wolf, but you must never let your strength overcome you. Especially if it involves someone I have promised you to."
"Father, I don't think of him as a mate! Perhaps as a friend, but..."
Father was getting very frustrated, "Where did you pick up this attitude, daughter? From the two-leggers, I suppose!"
"They are humans, father. And we have plenty to learn from them."
"Humans are a barbaric species. They hunt us and other kinds for sport, they even kill their own. Having you mingle with them is bad enough, but you have let your own beliefs get distorted by these...creatures!"
Teyna was puzzled, "What are you saying?"
Father let out a deep breath, "Daughter...Teyna. I don't know about the world of humans, but in this pack, we have traditions. And one of them involves that the father of a female must give his daughter away to a worthy--"
"I know all about our 'traditions,' father. I have not forgotten them."
"I am only saying that...you must abide my decision. Brynn is a more than worthy mate. You could have many young with him."
"What about me? Don't I have anything to say over who I choose as a mate?"
"It is hard for you to understand now, Teyna, but someday you will respect my decision."


Tina had no choice but to accept her father's decision for the time being. She was grounded for the three nights of the full moon, if she argued with him more then she probably could have faced more trouble. Without a doubt, Tina had not enjoyed the freedoms that Jeff grew up with, only the freedom she was granted when the moon was full and bright.
Sure, she loved her natural form, she loved being a wolf. It had many advantages that her human form did not. As a wolf, Tina could not trip over her own feet, have to bathe whenever people found her scent unpleasant, or worry about cumbersome clothing. But when it came down to everyday life as a wolf, it was a different story. And it wasn't that the pack stayed away from her on the days leading up to the full moon. It was, in fact, about the damn traditions her father and countless others within the pack laid down in front of her. These past few years, as she grew accustomed to interacting with other humans, Tina began to loathe tradition. Those same rituals and customs were suffocating her. She did not like having a certain time of day to hunt for food. She did not like having to be taken away from her friends because it was very late at night. And she certainly did not like having her mate chosen for her.
Straying from consciousness with each thought, Tina weighed all of this at once. Her mind was a whirlwind. But some things were certain: as a human, she liked the sound of Jeff's "freedoms," and liked the implications that it presented her. Perhaps that was why she remained human, Tina thought.

When Tina broke out of her trance, she caught herself with her head on the floor. She had fallen asleep during the movie. She looked around, scanning the living room, but Jeff was nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, Tina had a guess at where he was. Her ears caught the sound of water hitting a surface. Most likely Jeff was in the bathroom, taking a shower. She picked herself off the floor and walked down the hall. The door to the bathroom was open slightly, with light from inside spilling out through the crack of the door.
Tina pushed the door aside, making creaking noises as the hinges swung in one direction. Slowly, she tiptoed towards the shower where Jeff, hiding behind a curtain, was bathing. She had a big grin on her face, growing bigger as she inched closer to an unsuspecting Jeff. Suddenly and with one quick jerk, she took the bathroom curtain and pulled it open.
"Ah!" yelped a frightened Jeff.
"Scared ya?" Tina asked, already knowing the answer. She looked at Jeff. She looked down. His organ was growing stiff. "You ARE glad to see me, aren't you?"
Jeff grinned as droplets of water splashed against his bare skin. "Absolutely," he replied. Tina turned around, facing the mirror, as she slowly undid her dress. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Tina said boldly, "You have room in there?"
He didn't need to answer. After a moment, all of Tina's clothes laid on the bathroom counter. An eager Tina stepped into the shower with Jeff and pulled the shower curtain closed. She felt the water beat down on her dry skin, enjoying the sensation as she laid her eyes on Jeff. Facing each other, they pulled closer and kissed, leaving their hands to run up and down each other's bodies. With their bodies heating each other, Jeff was already inside Tina. She laughed out of excitement, she was enjoying this as much as he was. As Jeff's hand gripped her body, Jeff placed his mouth on her neck and kissed it several times, eventually his mouth ending up on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Tina was playing with his wet hair, massaging his scalp as he tasted her skin. Jeff then took his hands and placed it on her cheeks, his fingers eventually moving to her pointed ears, then down again to her back to pull her closer to him, Tina's breasts now rubbing up against his chest.
Tina pulled her head back and let out a yelp, just before she laid her mouth on his neck. It was now her turn to do the kissing. And then she acted out of instinct. Her teeth brushed against the small hairs on his skin, making contact with the outer layer each time her lips touched his shoulder. Tina's kisses on Jeff's neck, and then on his shoulder, were light at first, but grew more forceful each time Tina wanted another taste of his skin. Jeff was busy caressing her back, not paying attention when Tina's teeth teased his shoulder. Tina was now starting to make marks on his shoulder, the last kiss now leaving noticeable marks though not piercing his skin. She could do it, Tina thought. She could give him the curse. She wanted to. She wanted him to see what she really was, and what it was like to be a wolf. She had been thinking about it for some time and now had the opportunity. With her canines - sharp as they were for a human, she leaned closer one more time, hoping to break skin.
Suddenly, Tina pulled away. A thought - an image - had invaded her mind. Brynn. Brynn! All today she had forgotten all about him! She was simply having too much fun with Jeff. But the image of Brynn stuck in her mind. And with that image came feelings of guilt. She could not tell him about Jeff, but she couldn't lie to him. He was too good a friend to be lied to.
Tina quickly broke away from Jeff. "Ohmyohmyohmy," she mumbled while getting out of the shower.
Jeff was concerned, "What's wrong?"
She had to make up some kind of story as she took a towel off the rack to wipe the water off her skin, "I...I lost track of time! My parents are gonna kill me!"
He shut off the shower valve, stepped out of the shower and took the other towel off the rack. "I guess I have kept you here for too long," he said.


Tina scrambled to get her old clothes back on. Her new clothes were placed in a bag just a foot away from her. She had to leave.
"Have I done something?" Jeff asked curiously.
Tina replied, slipping one of her shoes on, "Huh? Oh, no! It's just that...my parents, they're probably wondering where I've been. I have to go back."
"Oh, well, that's fair. But you'll be here tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, sure! Wouldn't miss it!" Tina exclaimed as the rest of her clothes were put back on. She scrambled for the bag and headed for the door, but not before kissing Jeff and saying, "I love you."


Tina turned the corner before stopping dead in her tracks. She couldn't go back. At least not for tonight. She was certain she loved Jeff. But she couldn't ignore Brynn either. For the third time today, she was definitely confused, but this time it was not about her changes. It was about something more important. Tina could reason out her abilities, but she found it harder to reason her feelings. So she stopped trying. She walked on; it was a long night ahead, a long time before the moon was set and she could be allowed to turn back into a wolf again.

End of Part Four.
Click here to go to Part Five.


Please direct all comments to Direwolf. Please tell him what you think!