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The Song of the Iberian Wolf

Chapter 1

Will stared at the glowing green crystal rock. His paw reached out, touched the stone, and he sighed. "I miss you, husbands. Old Bear, I don't do well without you in my life. And you, Wolf; I barely got to know you. I can't remember the taste of you, and I remember everything. You've both been away too long."

The Iberian wolf sat down beside the stone and he wrapped his arms around its thinnest side. "Please come back. I remember I promised to be patient, but damn it, this has gone on too long. It's been thirty-five years. Sarah and Paul are both dead. We buried them on the island and you weren't there. They tried so hard to wait for your return, but human bodies don't last forever.

"They wanted you to know that they had such a remarkable life. Derrick and I were walking with them once after a Thanksgiving day dinner. Paul told us how thankful he was that in our entire life together, we only had one blow-up fight, and never once around a holiday dinner table. He was proud to say that when we fought, it was over how to protect our family. Our mistake wasn't that urge, it was that we didn't trust each other enough to let our kids choose their own path. And then he stopped, wrapped his arms around Derrick, and kissed him. He said, 'Thank you, Derrick, for being my son's father. I can't think of a better man to watch over him when I'm gone.' I lost it, Old Bear. Our pup, the best father for the job, and Paul taking comfort in that fact. Sometimes I can't blame getting something in my eyes for the tears.

"Max and JP are so much in love with Chet. Your son has two of the most amazing husbands, Old Bear, and that's saying something, considering how amazing he is. I still think those two bears are bouncing around this universe doing things we don't realize they're doing. But whenever they are with us, they're just a happy couple with their mate. They never bring up what they did to save this world or the sacrifices they made trying to be kids growing up.

"Kristopher, Jenny, and their two youngest kids moved off the island years ago. I told you about them, right? They're helping Kabelo and his pack in Africa. They're doing habitat restoration. You would think Billy would be the farm animal expert, what with all the time he and Diego spent behind the barn. Nope, it's his brother, Kristopher, helping the South African government put Kruger National Park back on the map. He works with some amazing South African ecologists. They're using hoofed animal migrations to restore grasslands. There is a huge volunteer group that helps with replanting trees and so much more. And the pack watches over them all and keeps them safe.

"The elephant herds are thriving, and one of these years, I bet they can even take the black rhino off the endangered species list. It's remarkable how they found a small herd of them where no one thought they existed. They say it's a miracle the rangers ever found them." Will laughed knowingly. "Chipo is such an extraordinary guardian over his rhinos. Can you believe it? Our whole family is so involved in turning this world around. No more standing on the sidelines, hoping the humans can make it on their own.

"Their eldest daughter, Isabella, is somewhere in the Southwest... Texas, the last I heard. She's helping with the desert reclamation project. They've restored grasslands to thousands of acres of arid ground. The grass is cooling the ground and the surrounding air. It's not exactly global cooling, but the changes are at least ones that are stabilizing the climate from all the damage of the last century. The polar ice caps may never return to the way they once were, but at least what's left isn't melting anymore."

The old wolf stretched and readjusted his legs. "She comes up to Montana every month to make sure we stay on task. She can be pretty demanding, but we love her. There are cottonwood trees down by the old wash now. The creek runs for four months out of the year. It's kind of amazing. It reminds me of the way it used to look four hundred years ago. Maybe better. But it's missing the polar bear that made it the home I always returned to. You could come home, Old Bear. You too, Wolf. The place looks better with both of you there.

"Their oldest son, Kurt, is in the Amazon with local crews. I guess he's quite the renowned botanist. Who would believe that a two-year-old kid who used to eat grass would grow up to create drought-resistant crops? They're helping wipe out the last pockets of hunger on this planet. Of course, that's not why he's down in the Amazon. He's working with the Brazilian government to restore the forest. It had a rough go between the last war and all the logging, but it's turning around. I don't want to say Kurt isn't amazing. He is. But in part, I think we have him down there, so the humans can point to someone for everything Gaia is doing to help."

Will rubbed the stone lovingly. "He's married, you know. Kurt married Simon Kellogg. No relation to the cereal, by the way. You never had a chance to meet him. He's a wonderful guy. He absolutely refuses to become a beast, but that sure doesn't stop him from acting like one every chance he gets. Simon's the first human to run with us. Every full moon, he's right there beside his husband when Kurt comes home. I'm glad they have each other. Although long-distance relationships are tough, to say the least. You should get that. You've been away long enough."

In the cavern's quiet, Will continued his daily ramble. "Kendal seems to be doing well. Steve's death has been so hard for him. We always think we'll live forever. We forget that life catches up with us, sooner or later. It would have been nice for those two if it had been later rather than sooner. Steve was such a good man; such an amazing werewolf. Werewolves should live hundreds of years together, not only for a few years. We all deserve that, don't we?"

Will choked back a sob. For a time, only the labored breathing of a wolf crying filled the cavern. In time, the old wolf raised his head, wiped his eyes, and continued. "Steve saved so many lives. He's a hero buried next to all the memorials of our fallen heroes. But at such a cost to Kendal. It never really heals, Old Bear. It never heals. We find a way to make peace with it. We move on. But it lingers there, never quite going away." The old wolf grew quiet, and his head dropped again.

When Will looked back up, he forced a smile and rubbed the crystal again. "But Kendal loves his home on the island, and he keeps things working around the lighthouse. He'll be fine. It's not even been a year. We all take care of him, and I'm sure one day he will find himself a way through it all. He might even find himself another mate. But you understand how it is when you lose someone you've loved so deeply. It's hard to see beyond the loss."

"Greg was that way when Trevor died. He threw himself into his work." Will paused in thought. "The island has so many buildings on it now. They look great. It's like walking through history. So many people come to see the memorials. But Greg was so broken. Even his daughters and their families couldn't get him past that hurt. And then one day he bumps into Michael." Will shook his head. "Yeah, go figure. Two werewolves named Michael on the island. We call him Mike, trying to avoid the confusion, but it was bound to happen one day."

"Not that I'm complaining. I'm so happy for them both. When I say they bumped into each other, I mean they slammed into each other. It was pouring rain, and they were running from opposite sides of the island trying to get out of it." Will's hands went up and waved above his head. "WHAM! One enormous ball of fur trying to sort itself out on the ground. By the time they had sorted out their arms, they were wrapped around each other and kissing. Mike is a wonder that way. He doesn't hold back. He drags Greg into life the way Trevor did. They are so good for each other.

"Milo called last week. He wanted to point out that the fiftieth anniversary of Bear Paws Enterprises buying their town is this June. You said you would be there to turn the deed back over to the town, Old Bear. You know how I hate showing up to those things without you. It's going to be huge. They're going to have a key to the city and... and..."

Will took a deep breath. "You've heard this all before, haven't you? I ramble on so much when I'm with you. All I want to do is touch you, so I never know what to say. I need to feel your fur up against mine. I need you inside me, Old Bear. Wolf, you can have me any way you want me. I don't care. Just come back, you two. Please come back."

The wolf's ears perked up as he heard the quiet footfall of another werewolf and a lumbering bear. He stood up and kicked the stone. "There, you bastards. That's for taking so long to come back." He turned, and Derrick smiled at him. Oliver rested on Kris's shoulders. The Kodiak dipped his head, pulled the badger off his shoulders, and placed him on the ground.

"You don't need to hide the way you're feeling from me, Husband," Derrick said as he wrapped his arms around the gray wolf.

"I'm not," Will said, wiping his eyes with the back of his paw. "This cave is dusty. I get stuff in my eyes."

"Me too," the black wolf said, staring at the glowing rock. "They're called memories. Those two make me tear up every time I visit. They've been away too long."

"Well, I can kick those two bastards every time without shedding no tears," Oliver said as he waddled up and kicked the rock. "They's making my husbands sad, and it don't do my butt no good to see them two locked up inside a rock." The badger looked at the rock and kicked it again. "Wake the fuck up, Changelings. You gots beasts here who misses you, damn it."

Will laughed. "I love you, Oliver," he said as he grabbed the little mammal into a tight hug. Kris walked over to the stone. His hand reached out and touched the glowing rock as he closed his eyes and sang in a quiet voice.

"I misses them both, Old Wolf," the badger said. "I knows it ain't easy for us, but it ain't easy for them neither. We gots to hold on to their memories a bit longer. They's coming back as quick as they can."

"And we will be here when they return," Derrick said with a smile as he took the badger from the old wolf and squeezed him.

"Well, I guess you gots to be there when your husbands come back," Oliver said, trying to sound upbeat. "But I misses you both something fierce when I'se on the island."

"You have Martin and Nathaniel, Oliver," Will said. "Surely those two handsome husbands can tide you over until you come to visit us here."

"Just cause I gots food, don't mean I'm okay living without water. My husbands is like food and water for me. I needs both in my life. Ain't one gonna do me right without the other."

Derrick gave Oliver another tight squeeze and then put him back on the ground. "And you, Husband, are like the air we breathe. We can't stay away long from you, either. Still, we wait here as we always do for their return. Sometimes our duties pull us away, but we always leave one behind to watch. One day, you will do the same for Nathaniel."

"I knows. Ain't sure who he's gonna merge with, but I knows it will happen one day. You's teaching me right proper how to be a good husband to a Changeling." Oliver looked up at Will and grinned. "So, I gots something for you, Old Wolf."

"I was wondering why we had this unexpected visit," Will said.

"Not that we don't intend to take full advantage of you being here, Badger," Derrick added quickly.

Oliver giggled. "I likes the way you takes advantage of me, Pup."

"So, what is this something you have for me?" the old wolf asked.

Oliver looked back toward the antechamber of the cave. "Bring it in, boys. Puts it on the desk."

Will glowered. "Oliver, NO."

"Can'ts help it, Old Wolf. You knowed it was coming."

"Ohhh, Oliver, this isn't fair."

"You is the best at what you does. Them board members with all them lawyers and accountants can take care of things for a time. But it's been two years, and things are getting ragged around the edges. They's demanding you comes back. And Jean Pierre is your alpha. You can't go saying no to him. He says it's time for you to come back."

"So, you want me to return to being the CEO of a multinational conglomerate with annual revenues greater than most countries. You want me to manage the properties again, decide how to move the finances around, AND wait for my husbands while living in a cave?"

"Pretty much nailed it, Old Wolf."

"So, they sent you to ask me because I can't say no to you?"

Oliver grinned. "You sees? You don'ts even need the Sight to figure this family out."

"Well, this sucks. First, all my husbands can't be next to me in bed, and now I can't even pretend that this is a vacation from work."

"That's, why I'se here, Old Wolf," the badger said. "I'se a bribe. You can'ts has all your husbands in bed, but you can has one more. And that would means that at least they is all here on the highland with you."

Will's smile was so wide his back teeth showed. "For real, Oliver? Not a simple few days' visit? This time you stay?"

"I stays with you three. My other husbands will come to visit me every weekend instead of the other way around. We does it every few years anyway, we is just bumping up the timeline so you will say yes to coming back to work. And this time I'se staying 'till them two come back."

Kris looked up from the stone. "Well, that's a pleasant surprise. I always appreciate a shake-up in my lunches."

Oliver giggled again. "You's silly, Bear. Nothin' never stops you from eating me every time I visits."

"Yeah, but now it's going to be like finding a wonderful snack in the fridge anytime I want," The Kodiak replied. He paused. "Unless, of course, that's not what you want, Husband."

Oliver looked at the bear as if he had said the most stupid thing in the world. "You thinks I'se ever going to say no to you, Bear? The Sight sure never wore off on you."

The bulky brown bear jumped over the green crystal and fell right before Oliver. "Take me, Badger. Take me before those wolves occupy your next three days, and I'm left here on my own."

Derrick laughed. "You know that won't happen, Bear. We wouldn't exclude you."

"Hush, Pup," the Kodiak commanded. "The badger and I are in negotiations. Don't let facts get in the way."

Oliver looked at Will. "You's the negotiator, Old Wolf. What does I say?"

"You say yes, Oliver," Will said with a wave of his hand. "Changelings always get their way, so you say yes to whatever it is they suggest. Fucking Changelings."

Oliver looked at the bear. "Fucking Changeling?"

"Oh, yeah, Badger. A whole lot of fucking Changeling today."

Oliver turned and looked at the wolves. "I apparently has ended my negotiations and the Bear and I will..."

There was a roar as a running ball of russet fur swooped the little badger up into a tight hug, and the bear raced out toward the mouth of the cave. Will laughed out loud. "Well, that sucks even worse than before. I get bribed by an offer to have one of my favorite play toys come live with us. But as soon as I say I'll come back to the business, he runs off with another of my favorite toys."

Derrick nodded his head. "Yep, that sucks," he replied. "But then so do I."

"As do we, Old Wolf," Damien said as he poked his head into the room. "Give us a few minutes and we'll finish the computer's installation. Old style flat screen, the same as you insist on at home."

"Thanks, boys."

"You don't realize how hard they are to find nowadays, Old Wolf," Darius said. He held up a handful of wires. "Cables, Old Wolf... cables. Do you know what it takes to find these? They don't even have 3-D printer programs for these things. We had to build this entire system from the ground up. But we want you to be happy." He looked at the Iberian wolf looking at him and frowned. "Well, at least as happy as you can be with a job instead of a vacation, and two husbands that are a rock."

Damien turned back toward the antechamber. "Oh, before I forget; Marcus Sarraf said that if you're going to return to work, he expects to get a call from you. Seems he believes letting you take a sabbatical for a year is excusable, but this is going on two, and he wants to hear your voice."

Will smiled. "Marcus? How is he?"

"New Home is fine. He said if you want to know how he is doing, you need to call him."

Derrick smiled. "Marcus, as in 'the human you had phone sex with', Marcus?"

Will looked at Derrick with a frown. "You make it sound so tawdry. I never had enough time to make it as tawdry as I had hoped. Humans. They have no stamina. Three orgasms into a call, and he was already telling me he couldn't go on."

Derrick laughed. "Well, apparently, he misses your voice. I can understand that. But if you two want to play again, I believe your husbands have a viable claim to it being put on speaker."

Will leaned over and kissed the black wolf. "Let me chat with him first. If I need to lay out ground rules for future calls, I will."

"No ground rules, Husband. If he finds pleasure in your company, we're not complaining."

"That's the part that fascinates me about Marcus. We've only talked over the ComLink. In all these years of him calling for New Home, I have yet to meet him."

"Really? Never?"

"He is one of their best representatives, but he works entirely via voice. He never even turns on the video side of the ComLink."

"Ah... a man of mystery."

"I suppose he has what he thinks are legitimate reasons. Still, he sits alone behind the scenes and does his magic. He has placed so many kids and raised so much money for their care."

"You should invite him up here one day. You know, finally put a face to the voice."

"He's human, Pup."

"Oh, and we know how well that's gone when we let humans up on the highland. Max and Martin sure turned out to be disappointments."

Will laughed. "Okay, point taken."

Derrick rubbed the old wolf's shoulder. "You do what you think is right. Personally, I'd like to meet the guy. He sounds intriguing." The young wolf pulled on the older toward the front of the cave. "Shall we go see how the twins are doing putting together that computer of yours?"

"Yeah, and after that, we can go for a walk. Wolves like to go for walks in the woods."

"Not so much," Tuff yelled from the other room, his keen hearing picking up the conversation as the two walked away from the glowing stone. "But there are a lot of other things to do in the woods that we like."

Damien poked his head back around the main hall's entrance. "Come on, Old Wolf; time to take a gander at the new command center of Bear Paws Enterprises."

Will took Derrick's hand and walked into the cave's antechamber. "I've already seen what my bribe is to take back the job. Time to see what the twin twins brought as my benefits package."

Tuff smiled. "Oh, you're going to like what we've got waiting for you, Old Wolf." Minutes later, six wolves sped across the glade, headed toward the forest and the rest of the Montana pack

Chapter 2

Will leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "So, what has you calling so late at night, Marcus? I thought we were all caught up on business."

"I'm sorry, William. This was more of a social call. I hope I'm not out of line. I thought you were a night owl."

"You can call anytime you like, Marcus. I think we're secure enough in who we are to make that a given. And yes, I like the night, but I wouldn't say I'm an owl."

"That's true. I see you as something more feral. A tomcat maybe," the voice said. "No, not a tomcat. A wolf. A wolf on the prowl for a mate."

"I have a mate, Marcus."

The quiet that followed was palpable. "Oh? I guess I hadn't thought about that. Was this before or after we jacked off together on one of these calls?"

"I've been married for quite a few years," the wolf answered. Will could almost hear the wheels turning inside Marcus' head. "And no, it's not complicated. I love them, they love me. We all have individuals outside of our relationship with whom we are intimate."

"And me? That's how you see me?"

"I would like to think so. It's kind of sad if our jacking off was nothing more than the two of us being horny."

"I've always felt that way. But if I'm honest, horniness does have sway in the way I feel when I call you."

"That's okay, Marcus. You bring out those same feelings in me."

"I love hearing your voice. I love hearing the stories you tell."

"And I love you calling, Marcus. I'm glad you call when it's not business hours. We don't get this time together very often."

"It's okay, then? Your husband won't get upset?"

"Husbands, Marcus."

There was another period of quiet where Will could hear the breathing on the other side of the line. "Plural. I thought I didn't hear it correctly the first time."

"You heard it right, Marcus. I have five husbands. In order of my mating with them, there's Derrick, Kris, Eric, Oliver, and Donovan."

Marcus took a deep breath. "Wow."

"That's what I say every time I see them," Will said with a laugh.

Will let the silence go unchallenged. Eventually, Marcus spoke again. "Why me then, William? Why would you let our conversations head into this territory instead of keeping it strictly business?"

Will thought for a moment. "Do you regret our choices, Marcus?"

"No, not at all," was the immediate response. And then, "Well, maybe. I guess I had thought it might have been leading to something else."

"I never said I'm opposed to that."

Marcus laughed out loud. "What, you want an even half dozen?"

"Friendships are important to me. Where they go has always been a bit of a mystery. I didn't go into any of my relationships thinking I was going to marry them. Well, except Oliver. He's the only one I ever proposed to flat out. The others had to help me along the way."

"You're telling me that four men asked you to marry them?"

"More or less."

"Four men who knew you were already married asked you to tie the knot with them?"

"Well, Derrick asked me when we were both single. He's the first husband on my list. But yeah, three asked me or we all came to the same conclusion. But I had to ask Oliver twice because the first time he sort of bailed on the idea."

"This sounds like one of your stories, William; only without all the werewolves and werebears."

"Hey, you're the Furry. Don't blame me if I toss in a bit of what I know you like into the storyline."

"William?"

"Yes, Marcus?"

"Those stories. The one about the werewolf who was in love with a polar bear and another werewolf."

"Hot stuff, huh?"

"Oh my, yes. I needed a towel three times that night," Marcus said, laughing. "But... but..." There was a pause. "Derrick. When did he ask you to marry him?"

"A long time ago."

"No, I mean before or after you met the polar bear?"

"It was only a story, Marcus."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, but the characters. Have you been telling me the story of your life?"

"Well, storytellers usually ground the best stories in some sort of truth," Will replied. "I'm not much of a storyteller, Marcus. I know how to get a man off. That's an instinct in me. But making up stories, I'm not that good at that."

Marcus laughed. "Tell that to my dick and my right hand."

"Hmmm..." Will said thoughtfully. "Another piece to the puzzle. I now know you're right-handed."

"So, how much do you think you know about me? We've never even met face to face."

"That's true, but I know a bit about you."

"Really? Let's see what you've got."

"Well, I know you're employed by New Home. You're one of the top fundraisers in Canada for orphaned children. You've helped place scores of them yourself, although the final paperwork and logistics have always fallen to someone else. Your only interest is in finding them the right home."

"So far, you're talking about things that you could have found out in your due diligence before contributing to New Home."

"I know you haven't got much of a social life outside of the office; which is in your apartment. You work from home. You're possibly agoraphobic, but I sense it's more that you see no reason to leave your apartment. If you had a reason, I doubt you would have a problem walking out the door. You're shy. Painfully so, unless you're on the other side of a ComLink. That's when you blossom. You're not fettered by who you are or what others might think when they see you."

"Ouch," the voice on the other side said. "But you're right on all accounts. That's why I call you. You're the closest thing I have to a social life. How did you know?"

"I'm married to a Furry, Marcus. Derrick and you are kindred spirits. I can hear it in your voice. Almost every Furry I've ever met has been a shy one who dons their fursona to break free from the bonds that their life and their human body have forced on them. To a person, they've been friendly folks. I have to admit, that surprised me."

"Too weird for you to see a person walking around in a fursuit?"

"No. I'm pretty comfortable with furry guys running around wagging their tails. What surprised me was how many humans feel at odds with who they are. There are so many out there, Furries and non-Furries alike, who wish they were anything other than human." Will paused. "I hope that's changing. Humankind seems headed in a different direction of late. Maybe there's hope for us yet."

"That's the first time I've heard you lump yourself in with humans, William."

"I've always been one, Marcus," Will replied. "But I'm a bit like you and Derrick. I've never felt like I was a part of what I saw out there."

"It's getting better, William. We have to have faith."

"I agree. There are some wonderful humans out there. Present company included."

Will heard the laugh on the other side. "Well, I try to be good. So, what else do you think you know about the disembodied voice on the other side of this call?"

"Well, I know I would like the body of the disembodied voice."

"And thank you for playing, Sir. That's the first mistake you've made, and you lose the grand prize."

"Oh, you think so?"

"Trust me on this one."

"You're first generation Canadian. Your parents fled the Middle East days before Gulf War Five. My guess is that they knew their little boy was gay. They couldn't stand the thought of their child growing up in a country where the government might imprison or kill you for loving another man."

There was total silence as Will continued. "You're forty-eight, about two hundred and sixty pounds, and you're a shade over five feet, which you feel is much too short. However, you're taller than one of my husbands. So, I'm going to write that concern off as a bit of social stigma you've let creep into your life instead of ignoring it. You are losing your hair and are bald on top. But on the flip side, you've got a killer beard and more than enough hair covering your body to make up for the difference. Middle Eastern phenotypes are apt to be delightfully hairy.

"You've got quite the handful of cock. While you realize it's not the biggest thing in the world, it's thick. You're pretty comfortable with the idea that it won't disappoint any guy that you share it with. You are, of course, circumcised, which you wish was not the case. But, because your parents were exemplary Muslims before the fundamentalists came into power again... snip, snip."

Will took a breath and continued his speculating. "You, unlike your parents, are not religious. You're more of a humanist. The belief that we have to do right because it's the right thing to do is fundamental to your core. But not because any religious leader or any god told you to. You're ruled by logic and facts. Nothing you do is out of fear that some unseen deity will disapprove. And you don't do it because you hope those gods will reward you after you die. You do it because it's the right thing to do right now. Which, of course, means I find you sexy beyond belief. Not only because that body description is utterly hot. But because a man who does right because he has looked at all the facts and follows his heart is positively irresistible."

Will paused and listened to Marcus' breathing. "So, how did I do?"

"You think a short, fat guy with back hair that you can knit into a sweater is sexy?"

Will laughed. "One day I will introduce you to Oliver."

"I would like that. I am completely intrigued by a family of six husbands." Marcus paused. "William, you were right about one thing. I don't get out much. I've never found a reason to go beyond the little world I have here. But I'm questioning that safety bubble I put around myself."

"Sounds like an idea whose time has come."

"Would you like to get coffee or something? I can get over to Partridge Island without too much of a problem. It's not that many hours from Montreal by bus. Even faster if I fly into St. John Airport."

"I'm not on Partridge Island right now."

"Oh? Do they have coffee houses in Montana?"

Will laughed. "I'm not there, either. I'm in British Columbia."

"How many homes do you have, William?"

"Only one, Marcus. That home is always beside my husbands. Right now, Eric and Donovan are wrapped up in a project they can't break away from, so we are here."

"All of you? All six?"

"As of last week, yes, all six," Will said, the happiness unmistakable in his voice. "Oliver's other husbands said we could have him on permanent loan until Eric and Donovan are back."

"Oliver has other husbands?"

"Yes. Two others. He's married to Nathaniel and Martin."

"That would make them the short-faced bear and the Megatherium, right?"

Will laughed. "Don't be absurd, Marcus. We don't have any Megatheriums in our family."

Marcus was quiet for a moment. "I probably should run from your family. You sound like some gay Mormon cult. But I am so intrigued."

"I have an offer. I'll put it on the table, and you can take me up on it anytime you would like."

"I'm listening."

"Bear Paws Enterprises is a rather large company."

"You're an empire, William. Your annual report takes longer to read than War and Peace."

Will laughed. "A company of that size requires frequent travel options. We have a hypersonic aircraft that can get you from Montreal to here in about half an hour, including loading and unloading."

"How? I thought only the U.S. and Chinese military had hypersonic aircraft."

"We sometimes ignore the rules if we find them either inconvenient or morally outrageous."

"Okay, ignoring that the military would shoot you out of the sky the moment your plane showed up on radar. Are you offering me a ride out to British Columbia?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"I'm going to say yes; you know that, don't you?"

"Of course. I've aroused your curiosity too much for you to pass it up. In the worst-case scenario, the two of us are nothing like we think we are and you go home having lost a few days of vacation time. On the plus side, I'll make sure you're well-fed."

"And best case scenario?"

"You have a new friend who won't object to you touching him. They still call them friends with benefits, right? There are so many directions our lives can go from there."

Marcus was quiet again. Finally, he spoke. "I've not exactly had a life where I can offer you much experience."

"I don't see that as a problem," Will said, unconcerned. "Will it upset you to find out mine is rather extensive?"

Marcus chuckled nervously. "No. But if we choose to do anything, will you please be gentle?"

"What do you think experience teaches a man, Marcus? It teaches us to read the ones we love and try to match their needs with our gifts."

"You're calling sex a gift?"

Will gave a low laugh. "It is if you're doing it right."

Marcus's breathing was all Will heard for minutes. Finally, Marcus' struggles found words. "Will. I haven't been totally honest with you."

"Sure you have. Omitting something isn't necessarily lying. I haven't told you everything about myself. That doesn't make me dishonest. Nor you." Will took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "You're blind. I'm okay with that."

"How... how?"

"Elementary, my dear Marcus," Will replied. "I listen to you. I hear things you do that you never give a second thought. When we talk business, I can hear you reading Braille.

"No one can hear that, William. It's just my fingers on the screen."

"I have very good hearing, Marcus. The screen uses vibration to form the Braille under your fingers. I can hear it. It's almost like Morse code if you listen carefully enough."

"You're right. Sometimes it's easier to hear the words than feel them," Marcus said in agreement. "Once you understand the rhythm, it's easy. But how? How do you know that?"

"It's the same way I know you're part of a first-generation Middle Eastern family living in Canada. I hear your parent's accent in your voice, but it's tempered by schooling in Montreal where they taught you English and French. I've heard you speak seven different languages. That tells me you are incredibly bright, but also that you spend a great deal of time studying. But most of your studies are from the desk you're sitting behind because you have access to the world through that computer in front of you."

"And my body shape and size? How did you guess that?"

"You need to get out and exercise more, Marcus. I can hear your labored breathing. It's throaty, resonating in a windpipe covered by a pretty thick neck. Your fingers are pudgy. I can hear them when you type." Will paused. "Oh, have I mentioned I think pudgy fingers are sexy?"

Marcus laughed. "No... no, you haven't."

"Well, I do," Will confirmed. "And by the way, the size of your cock, that has to do with your fingers as well. There's something about the sound of a man with thick hands whacking off that is unmistakable. I told you I have experience."

"You did that," Marcus said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"And you're about six and a half inches. I don't round up like most guys do. We should appreciate cocks for exactly what they are. Never for what we wish they were."

"Okay, how?"

"The timing between your hand slapping up against your belly as you go for your orgasm. Taking your body configuration into consideration gives me your arm's length, provided you're not a gorilla. The size of your fingers, the pace of your stroke, the number of times you're smacking into your belly in a minute..." Will's voice trailed off, and he groaned. "Fuck, Marcus, I've got a hard-on now thinking about this. Anyway, I do the math. You're six and a half inches and thick."

"You're hard?"

"Yes, I'm hard."

"That's amazing."

"Really? I did on-the-fly computations about the man I jack off with that requires algebraic theory and geometry.. and pppffft, but the fact I get a boner thinking about you is amazing?"

"It is to me."

"Well, you've had one thinking about me for the better part of this conversation."

"H... h... how?" Marcus stammered.

"I can hear you playing with it," the old wolf said. "I like the sound of you playing with yourself. That's why I didn't mention it. I knew the minute I told you I could hear you stroking, you'd stop. Which, by the way, I was right about as well. You stopped."

"Damn it, William," Marcus said, the frustration resonating in his voice. "I can't even touch myself without you knowing. Do you realize how embarrassing that is? I might never jack myself again for fear that you'll hear my fat hand slapping up against my fat belly."

"Sounds hot," the sultry wolf's voice replied. "Don't stop, Marcus. You know where you are going is where you wanted to be all night. It's where I wanted you to go from the moment I answered your call. I can join you if that would help. Two men sharing their hard-ons. You, rubbing yours, me rubbing mine. Are you thinking about how good it would feel to reach out and touch mine? I'm uncut, you know. Just the way you hoped I would be. And I like it tugged, Marcus. You can do whatever you want with it, and it will only make me smile all the more."

There was only labored breathing on the other side of the ComLink.

"And then there are my needs, Marcus. I'm a man of particular appetites, and your girth is what I need inside me. But first, I need to make sure you're fully erect. You won't deny me my pleasures before you take me, will you? Me lowering my head and taking you in my mouth. You thrust your hips into me, cramming that cock of yours into my face. I'll wait until I can feel you're hard enough, and then I'll pull off. You know what I need, Marcus."

Marcus's breath came more quickly, but he didn't say a word.

"That's it, Marcus. No shame between us. No judgment. Only pleasure. The pleasure of men being men together. My cock and yours, straining to be free. Stroke it for me, Marcus. Let me hear it. You know what hearing you jack-off does for me." The wolf's breath came quicker and deeper.

"That's it, Marcus. I can practically feel you. Damn, I want to taste you. Let me taste you, Marcus. I can suck you right to the edge and then back off just enough so that all you can think about is shoving your cock into me. Don't stop stroking. I can hear you getting close. I can hear that pre-cum of yours lubing up that cock until it's as slick as I need it to be to slip into my ass. Marcus, think about it. Think about standing over me, my legs spread apart in a sling. Think about shoving it in deep. Come on, Marcus, you know you've wanted to since the first night we did this. And you know I've wanted you from the first moment you said hello."

There was a quiet whimper from the other side of the ComLink, and Will smiled. "Don't hold back. Come on, Marcus. Tell me what you want. Tell me, and I'll make it happen."

"I want to come," Marcus yelled. "I want to shove my cock up inside you and shoot my load. I want to... to... Oh, fuck, William, I'm going to come..." There was a guttural noise from Marcus that pushed Will over the edge.

The two listened to the labored breathing of the other for a time before Marcus spoke. "Did you growl, William?"

"I might have. When I come, I don't always know what noises I make. I sort of get lost in the moment."

"But you came?"

"Of course, I came. I hear you come, I come too. It's like a chain reaction... a very sticky chain reaction." Will gave out a disappointed sigh. "Ah, Marcus, don't wipe it up with a towel. Come on, spread it over that beautiful belly of yours. Lick your fingers. Tell me what you taste like. What does it feel like to have your cum dry on all that fur? Tell me, so I know what to expect when we're together for our first time."

"You really want me to come and visit?"

"How long will it take you to pack?"

"Give me a week to rearrange my schedule."

"Are you going to make it that long without a call?"

Marcus laughed. "I think so, William."

"That's probably for the best."

"Why do you say that?" Marcus asked.

"Because my husbands, Kris and Derrick, want you on speaker next time."

"I couldn't do that. I would be too embarrassed."

"Really? You wouldn't want to listen to three other men telling you how much they want you? How good it would feel to hold you? You don't want to know what they would do to you; what they would let you do to them?"

Marcus groaned. "Stop it, William. I'm still hard as a rock, and that's not helping any."

"I like you hard, Marcus. I like you thinking about what my husbands will do with you. You tell us what you want to do. We're good listeners. Have you ever had a man working your nipples while another rimmed your ass, and the third sucked your cock? Have you ever done that, Marcus?"

"No, but that sounds so wonderful."

"It is, Marcus. All you have to do is tell me you want to come again. All you have to do is ask them to open their ComLinks, and we'll take you there. Come on, Marcus. Join us."

Marcus looked down at the cum slowly drying on his belly where the towel had missed. Squeezing his cock, he watched the last of the ejaculate spill out. He wiped his finger up along the thick drip and shoved it into his mouth. His eyes closed and realized he had no choice. He tapped his ComLink. "Open all incoming channel requests," he said as he leaned back, stroking the still-firm cock.

Chapter 3

The shining metal wings of the Gray Wolf appeared in the distance as the airship approached the highland. It slowed as it neared the landing rock. The thrusters shifted. The airship rocked for a bit and touched down lightly. Two Hokkaido wolves waved from the cockpit and then disappeared as the rear cargo door opened, forming a long, wide ramp. The first wolf guided the human to the ramp. "You have a ramp in front of you. It's not all that steep, but if you want any help navigating it, we're here. It's going to be twenty-two steps if you have an average gate for a man your size."

Marcus laughed. "You sound like William."

"We're Japanese. We are raised on math. William is quite amazing, though. He is self-taught."

"Really, I was sure he would have some sort of scholastic pedigree."

"He has a pedigree, but not from colleges," one wolf said with a laugh. "And not for math. His pedigree is more like a family tree."

"Ah," Marcus said thoughtfully. "So he comes from a long line of academics."

"Something like that," the other wolf said, the amusement clear in his voice. "Will is an open book, but it takes a lot of reading to gain an understanding of him."

Marcus nodded. "I will agree with you there." He put one foot out. "So, you said twenty-two steps?"

"Yes, we can help you if you'd like."

"No, that's quite all right. I will be fine," Marcus replied as extended his cane and tapped the metal surface of the ramp. "Sounds different."

"Good ear, Marcus. It's a metal alloy especially created for our airships. It's lightweight, but stronger than titanium."

"I didn't know such a thing existed."

"Not many people do. It's sort of been a family secret."

"And you have a family waiting for you, Marcus," the human heard a familiar voice from below say.

Marcus adjusted his glasses. "Thank you, men," he said to the wolves on either side of him. "It's been a pleasure."

"We hope to see you again one day soon, Marcus," one wolf said.

Will walked up the landing site steps. "You're not going to stay, Takeo?"

"Sorry, Will," the wolf apologized. "You have to know we're busy if you see us instead of the Red Wolf."

"Where are my boys?"

"Somewhere over the Netherlands."

"How's it going?"

"Pretty well. It was a big storm, but they're getting back on their feet again. Most of the support is being done by the Black Rhino. You know... temporary housing, supplies, food, clothing."

"And the Red Wolf?"

"Doctors Without Borders. Diego and Billy are heading up the team. That green glowing gorilla doctor and his mate seem to be in the middle of so many crises. Sometimes I think that bear is trying to make up for his childhood, and Diego is never one to say no to his husband. They brought in a contingent of the special unit rescue forces. There are still some folks dealing with lowland flooding."

"Give all of them my love when you see them next."

"Will do."

"Be safe, Takeo, Daisuki."

"We will do our best," Daisuki said with a wave. "Now if you two will get off this rock, we have places to be."

Will laughed and took Marcus's arm. He put his hand in the human's. "If you'll allow me?"

"If I get to hold hands with you, Will, I'll pretend I'm helpless."

"I know you're not helpless. I'm just trying to be friendly."

Marcus nodded his understanding. "It was a joke, William. I'm on level ground. I can figure out the terrain, but it's always nice to have a friend helping." Marcus rubbed the werewolf's paw. "It's good to finally meet you."

"It's good to see you, Marcus." He leaned over and kissed the human's cheek. "Stairs ahead. They're rock, just in case that cane of yours is trying to tell you otherwise."

"It's saying rock, but you, William... you, it's struggling with." Marcus stepped down off the landing site and onto the stairs.

"Well, I'm a complex man. As are my husbands, so you might not want to go listening to that cane of yours about them."

"I can turn the glasses and the cane off if it would make you feel more comfortable."

"I'm fine with whatever you want to do, but we're old school. We thought you were going to feel our faces and all that fun stuff."

Marcus laughed. "Really? I haven't tried that come-on since I was a teenager."

"Did it work back then?"

"Of course not," Marcus said, pushing the old wolf playfully.

"It will today," Will said as they stepped off the rock and onto the glade.

"Really?"

"Wouldn't work for me," the badger said as the two grew close to the three animals standing out in the grass. "I'se surly. Means I'se crabby and I don't likes humans."

Marcus's face lit up with a happy realization. "You're Oliver, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me," Oliver said, confused.

"William has told me so much about you," Marcus gushed. "Well, not you, but a badger that he patterned after you."

Oliver scowled at Will. "Bastard wolf," he grumbled.

"He wanted stories. You know me. I don't know any stories."

"Oh, please don't be mad at him, Oliver," Marcus begged. "He's crazy in love with you. You two always find your way back to each other in the stories."

Oliver's right foot twisted in a little circle. "Yeah, we always does. I loves the old wolf forever," Oliver thought for a moment. "I mean, I loves Will forever. I just sez old wolf 'cause that's my pet name for him."

"And as pets go, he has me on a very tight leash," Will said as he knelt and hugged the badger. "It's wrapped around my heart and all he has to do is tug and I'm there." The two's lips pressed together, and Oliver's foot made the circle once more.

When the kiss ended, Will stood up. "Well, you met Oliver. Derrick is to your left, and Kris is to the right."

Marcus nodded slightly toward the two. "So you're the ones who would let me feel your face?"

Derrick laughed. "I'm not sure. I might wait until I see how it turns out for Will."

"This is the first time I've ever met William outside our phone calls. I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to ask to feel anyone's face unless they offered. I know we have a certain level of intimacy from our ComLink calls that most don't. But somehow it doesn't translate to meeting you in person. I hope that makes sense."

"Of course it does," Will replied. "Still, you can feel my face anytime you want. Although I have other body parts to feel that would be way more fun."

Marcus tapped his cane on the grass. The red light at the tip flickered and fed back information on multiple levels through his hand, glasses, and earpiece. "Really?"

"Feel away," Will said. "Go for any part you want."

Marcus held out his cane toward Derrick. "Could I get you to hold this for a moment, Derrick?"

"Sure," the black wolf said as he took the cane in his hand.

Marcus's hand reached out to where he thought Will's face would be, pushing into the chest of the werewolf. "You didn't wear a shirt today, Will?"

Will's eyes widened. There was a sudden shifting of bodies as all realized what was happening. Marcus's hand dropped as he clung to the chest of a werewolf becoming human.

Marcus rubbed the chest. His head cocked to the side. "What just happened?"

"Nothing, Marcus. I just changed positions."

"You changed more than positions. You all did. I heard it. Like someone cracking their knuckles, only muffled."

"Ain't none of my knuckles cracked," the badger said, looking at the human.

"No, yours didn't, Oliver. But these three's did," Marcus said, waving one hand toward the rest of the group. He reached out and rubbed Will's human chest. "And as nice as this chest feels, it's not what I touched a moment ago. Will, what's going on?"

"Nothin' out of the normal," Oliver said matter-of-factly. "The old wolf is just fucking-up everything with a human he loves the way he always does. If you goes and asks him to turn you, don'ts forget I warned you."

Marcus squatted, realizing Oliver's voice came from even lower than his own small stature. "Oliver, I know you said you don't like being touched by humans, and I won't ask to feel your face, but would you shake my hand?"

"Makes no nevermind to me." Oliver stuck out his paw and put it into Marcus's hand.

"Oliver," Marcus said with a look of confusion on his face. "You're a badger."

"No, I'se a fucking wolverine," Oliver said, exasperated. "Of course I'se a badger. What? You didn't believe my husband when he tolds you so?"

"I'm afraid not," Marcus said, shaking his head. "I thought it was a story."

"It were a story, Human," Oliver said flatly. "It were the story of a wolf who loved a human who became a badger. And a badger who run from the one he loved. I don'ts run from nothing no more. Especially not visiting humans."

"I'm glad you don't, Oliver. Don't let anyone ever convince you to do otherwise."

"You don't seem particularly upset that you's talking to a badger."

"No..." Marcus said, thinking it through. "No, I don't. But it's like I've known you forever. Will made you come alive for me. And just like Will, I can't imagine not loving you from the first time we met."

Oliver's foot twisted out a small circle. "That's right kind of you to say. But I'se pretty much a bastard. You mights want to reconsider who you loves, Human."

"So, if I understand correctly, you don't kiss humans, but you let humans kiss you?"

"I'se kissed humans before. Don't fancy kissing females, but I'se got female family, so I works through it."

"Would you let this human kiss you hello?"

"You gonna use tongue?"

"I'm gay. I just might if we hit it off."

"Okay, then. But mind my teeth. They can be kind of in the way. Ain't all that sharp, though. They just looks like it." Oliver's paws reached up, and he guided the human to his mouth. When the kiss ended, Oliver smiled. "Not bad for a human. You's gonna be right fun when you's a beast."

"OLIVER!" Kris said correctively.

"What? You don'ts need the Sight to see that them two loves each other."

"What's he talking about?" Marcus added.

"Oliver has a way of pushing people into situations where he feels they should go," Will responded. "But sometimes he's a bit too pushy." The old wolf looked at the badger. "Please, Husband. Let this unfold in its own time."

Oliver looked away shyly. "I'se sorry, Old Wolf. I was trying to help. I was out of line." The badger looked up at Marcus, who still sat squat before him. "He's a good man, Marcus. He's an ever better wolf. But you knows at least that much on your own."

Marcus smiled. "I do. I didn't want to believe it when I felt his chest change from wolf to human, but I knew it the moment I felt your paws." Marcus looked up. "Derrick, you're the black wolf, and Kris, you're the Kodiak bear who looks like Santa when he's a human."

"That would be me," Kris said. "Generally, humans aren't supposed to see us as we are."

"Not unless they love you," Marcus said, standing up. "I know the story. All the times William would tell me about you. All I could think of was how much I would love it if the stories were true. I fell in love with the wolf who told me the stories, and I fell in love with the men he loved. You have no idea how much he loves you three; how much he loves Eric and Donovan, wherever they are."

Derrick smiled. "We do have an idea how much he loves us, Marcus. That's why we're married to him. What he may not have told you is how much we love him."

Marcus turned his head to the voice. "So what I heard? The knuckles..."

"Our bones, actually," Kris replied. "We shifted to our human forms when we realized you might be able to feel who we were as beasts."

"You're Santa right now?"

"Yes."

"And you're naked?"

"Yes."

"Oh god," Marcus sighed. "I've had fantasies like this since I was a kid where I sat in your lap."

The bearded elf laughed the laugh Marcus knew he would. "I suspect we can arrange that," Kris replied.

"But you're normally a bear?"

"That is my preference."

"And you, Derrick?"

"I prefer being a wolf over my human body, but I'm comfortable with whatever makes you most comfortable."

Marcus waved his hands. "Please, please, don't let me keep you from being who you prefer to be." He heard the muffled sound of bones shifting. He turned to Will who remained human. "And you William?"

"Remember the part of the story where sex with the werewolf changes the human?"

Marcus thought a bit. "Oh yeah, that's right."

"I'm human now, Marcus. Anything we do won't change you. And I have promises to keep." Marcus felt the warm hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes, not knowing why, and leaned into Will's hand, guiding him to a kiss.

When at last they separated, Will began unbuttoning Marcus's shirt. "I told you that the day we met I wanted to taste you, and now I have." He tugged the shirt off and reached for Marcus's belt. "And you said you wanted to come inside me. I took that as a promise to do so."

"But your husbands..."

"They're gone. Today is ours, Marcus. Later tonight, you get to sit on Santa's lap."

Marcus smiled and helped Will free him from his clothes. "I would love to feel your face now, William."

"Feel free," Will said as he guided Marcus's hands to the full beard. "And when you're done with that, let me show you those other body parts I was telling you about." With a gentle tug, Will pulled the human's pants down and pulled him to the grass. As he helped Marcus off with his shoes and pants, the two began exploring each other's bodies for the first time.

"Oh, my," Marcus said when he finally found the courage to wrap his hand around Will's cock. "That could make just about anyone else feel woefully inadequate."

"Don't you dare go there, Marcus," Will corrected. "This isn't a contest. And it isn't about making anyone feel less because one has more. It's about sharing who we are with each other."

"I'm sorry, William," Marcus said. "I told you I haven't had much experience. What's there between your legs is impressive."

"I'm fine with you saying that," Will said as he shook the human playfully. "I just don't want you telling me it makes others feel bad."

"Understood. I'll get better at this the more times we do it, you know," Marcus said with a smile.

"Yeah, we will. Now about that 'coming inside me' part of the day."

"You okay with a neophyte?"

Will smiled. "I love neophytes. They're so open to suggestions."

"Like what?"

"Well, when I'm screaming 'HARDER' in a few minutes, that would mean I want you to fuck me harder."

Marcus laughed. "Oh, I should be able to figure out those kinds of suggestions."

Will's hand came up and rubbed along the blind man's beard. "Tell me how much help you need with this, Marcus. I'm more than willing to let you take me all on your own. You're far from a clumsy lover, but I know we're entering unfamiliar territory for you."

"I think I can find most of the things I need to. I'll tell you a secret. Despite our differences in size, we seem to have all our body parts in the same place. And I'm pretty adept at finding and playing with my own."

Will laughed and hugged the human. "Take me, Marcus. Have your way with me. Fuck me senseless, and then do me all over again."

"So, you're a bottom, I take it?" Marcus said, laughing.

"Those stories I told you didn't teach you anything?"

"Yes, they did," Marcus said. "They taught me how easily men fall in love with you." The two were quiet for a time. "How easily I've fallen in love with you."

"It's shared, Marcus."

"But five husbands..."

"You're going to lose your hard-on if you fixate on that too much."

Marcus snickered. "I don't think so, William. Half of me is struggling with the idea of where I might fit into your life, and the other half is thinking that later tonight I'm going to be naked sitting in your husband's lap. It's very confusing, but all pretty much too arousing to lose this hard-on."

"Stay here in the moment with me, Marcus. Push the other thoughts away and be here, getting ready to fuck someone you love and who loves you in return. Nothing else matters in this moment. Just you and me. Just two men doing what we have both wanted to do for so long."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Fucking someone you love is easy, Marcus," Will said. The mountain man's hands reached down and pulled Marcus's hips into his. "I'm going to put my legs on your shoulders now. And after that, it's up to you to figure out what to do."

Marcus felt the warmth of the legs pushing beside him and then over his shoulders. "Oh," Will said, almost as an afterthought. "I brought lube. Just squeeze my cock."

Marcus laughed and did as he was told. He felt the thick liquid spilling out of Will's dick and shook his head. "Did you already come?"

"No. You'll know when I come. Pretty much everyone on the highland will know when I come."

"But there's so much."

"Just enough for you to fuck me with," Will teased. "Unless you take so long, it all dries on your hands."

Marcus pulled himself back into the moment. "Sorry, William. This is all so new."

"But fun, right?"

"Oh yeah, it's fun." The human replied as he took his slick hand and rubbed it across his erection. He let out an audible sigh at how good it felt. Taking the same hand, he traced back across the balls of the man below and slipped further south. When he felt the tight pucker of another man's ass, he smiled and let his finger slip inside.

"That feels nice, Marcus," Will said with a sigh. "It's going to feel even better when you're in me."

"You will help me with this, won't you?"

"I'm a very vocal man," Will said. He put his hand on Marcus's cheek and Marcus pushed into the palm, kissing it. "You'll be fine, Marcus. I love you, and I'm with you every moment. It will surprise you how much easier it is because of that." The hand of the mountain man below slipped away. "Go on, Marcus. Take me. I want you to. Fast or slow, I don't care. Just promise me you won't be shy about this."

Marcus chuckled. "I love you, William," he said as he took his cock in one hand and found the tight hole with his other. He guided the cock into the hole, and when he heard Will breathe out and groan happily, he abandoned himself to go where both men wanted to go.

By the time Marcus had come for the second time, the whole of the highland knew both men had come and the beasts in the cave leaned back from their Scrabble game with cheerful grins on their faces for their growing family.

Marcus lifted the legs off his shoulders. For the better part of ten minutes, he had used them to support his body as he leaned into Will after his orgasm. "Oh dear, that was incredible," he said, still panting. He rolled out onto the grass and felt the coolness on his back. Will rolled over on top of the human and kissed him. Marcus smiled. "I guess it's my turn, isn't it?"

"Have you done this before, Marcus?"

"Not in years, but I have some pretty strange-looking toys that have seen my insides more often than I care to admit."

"Any of them a size remotely like my cock?"

Marcus shook his head no. "Until you, I didn't think that toys that size were anything I'd stumble across in the real world."

Will laughed. "We have both come twice. I'm pretty sure your limit is three times, and I want to save some of you for my husbands. What say we wait?"

"But I want you that way, William. I want to feel you inside me."

"And I'm willing, but not at the cost of you limping around for the next three days."

"I have a week off. I could heal."

"You would miss out on Santa's lap."

Marcus thought quietly for a moment. He shook his head. "I can't believe I'm thinking about that. I have a man who I love laying on top of me, and I'm thinking of letting his husband fuck me instead."

"That's 'cause you's one fucked up human," Oliver said as he approached. "Ain't no reason you can't love the old wolf and still gets fucked by the bear. Neither of them is gonna complain."

"OLIVER!" Will scolded disbelievingly.

"Sorry, Old Wolf," Oliver said. "He's gots a nice butt for a human, and you really shoulds stay to play with it, but you gots a call from Hong Kong.

"Really? the Compton merger?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell them I was busy?"

"Yeah, they said they talks with you or they walks."

Will leaned in and kissed the human. "I'm am sorry," he sighed.

"Go, take care of business," Marcus said, giving the tall, stout man a gentle shove.

"That group needs to learn that my personal time is sacrosanct. Business hours ended two hours ago. I am not on their clock, they're on mine. They are going to lose another two million off my asking price for this. One for each hour they ignored."

Marcus laughed. "I'm not worth that much."

"I disagree, but a donation by them to New Home of two million will give me no end of pleasure."

"Did I tell you already that I love you?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah, well, you keep that thought. I will be back." Marcus felt the large man stand up beside him. "And you, Oliver; try to behave."

"What's the fun in that?" Oliver said. "Gives me a kiss, Old Wolf, and I promises not to turn your human before you comes back."

"I appreciate that," Will said as he kissed Oliver. He took a few steps toward the cliff face of the highland. He turned back. "Although, if you keep him hard while I'm gone, that wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Marcus heard the shifting of bone and the sound of Will falling onto all fours before he disappeared almost as silently as Oliver had appeared. Marcus sat quietly for a bit. "Are you still here, Oliver?"

"Yeah, I'se here," Oliver said. "You's kind of cute naked. Hope you don't mind me staring at you a bit."

"Really?" Marcus asked skeptically.

"Yeah. You gots a nice butt, and your chest is right pretty. But I likes me fuzzy butts and hairy chests."

"You have an amazing family, Oliver," Marcus said, smiling as he rubbed his chest. "You make me feel almost beautiful."

"Well, I don'ts know about beautiful," Oliver said with a chuckle. "You's handsome, no doubt about that, but waterfalls and flowers is beautiful. The black wolf, he's beautiful. We bulky ones is way too much of what we is to be beautiful. You just gots to be content that you ain't ugly by a long shot."

"One day I'd like to feel that way," Marcus said wistfully. "What about Will? Is he beautiful?"

"He's a handsome one as a human. And as a beast, he's gorgeous. But he ain't beautiful the way most people thinks of beautiful. But that word means something different to all of us. When I thinks of beautiful, I sort of thinks of something that looks frail but you knows is strong. Beautiful is like snowfall, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

"Handsome is things you knows is strong, and even though you knows you should run from them, you can'ts, because they keeps you wanting to be near them. Bears, tigers, mountains... them's handsome. Will is handsome. He's one of the most handsome men I'se ever known. And as a wolf..." the badger took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "You looks into them yellow eyes of his and you knows you's gonna wind up in mischief that will leave you scarred, but you dives into his arms anyway."

Marcus felt the fur of the badger rub up against him as the little mammal sat down. "But if you asks if he's beautiful to me, I'se always gonna say yes. You probably can understand that more than most. I don'ts just see the old wolf with my eyes. I sees him with my heart. And when I looks at him that way, there ain't nothin' more beautiful."

"He's beautiful to me, Oliver."

"Then you is lucky, Human. We's both lucky that way."

"Oliver, do you really have precognition?"

"Don't like fancy words, Human."

"I'm sorry. Do you see things in the future?"

"Yeah. We calls it the Sight. Changelings gave it to me. They's always fucking-up something when it comes to humans. I don't likes it, but it protects my family, so I'se willing to live with it."

"Do you see any future for William and me?"

"You asking as a curiosity? 'Cause it ain't no parlor trick."

"No," Marcus said. "I'm asking because I don't want to come out of this with a broken heart."

There was a quiet that made Marcus uncomfortable. Finally, Oliver spoke. "He won't break your heart, Human." Marcus felt the badger's hand rub up against his leg. "You's gonna break your own heart, and then you's gonna break his."

Marcus grabbed the small paw and squeezed it. "No, Oliver, I promise I would never--"

"I never thought I woulds ever break the old wolf's heart, not the way I loved him, but I did. Sometimes what we tries not to do is exactly what we does."

"Tell me how to avoid it, Oliver. Please tell me how."

"I wish I could, Human, but I can'ts. The old wolf and I are bound by ties that run deep. I feel his heart beating next to mine. I can feel things he feels. But I can'ts see the path he's walking all that clear. You two is walking a path that you has to walk. I can'ts tell you where it's going to go. You two is gonna need to figure that out together."

Oliver rubbed Marcus's arm. "The old wolf loves you, and one day, he is going to lose you. That much I can see. There ain't nothing you two can do to change it. The best you can do is make peace with it."

Marcus felt comforted by the paw resting on his arm. "But he has the Sight too, Oliver. Why would he let me break his heart? Why would he live with that pain when he can just walk away from it before it happens?"

"You gots a lot to learn about the old wolf, Human. He's had his heart broken so many times, I don't think he counts no more. Sometimes because of what he done. Sometimes because of what others done to him. But he always heals. You and me, we gots scars on our hearts. We has things we never quite heals from. They's sensitive spots that keep us guarding our hearts for fear they's gonna get hurt again and we won't be able to fix them."

Oliver adjusted himself closer to the human. "Will... Will is different. I don't think his heart's got no scars. He's learned what we all needs to learn one day. He dives into life and he don't hold nothin' back. And when life smacks him down, he gets right back up and he goes at it again." The badger paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "When it comes to love, he is fearless."

"I don't think I could be that."

"And that's why you's with him, Human. To learn how to be like the man you love. You's here to learn how to love, and lose, and love again without its ever scarring you."

"That's why I'm here?"

"Well, that and to get fucked by Santa, but that seems shallow with all this talk about deep thinkin' stuff."

Marcus's laugh bellowed as he leaned backward, shaking his head. "You are a wonder, Oliver."

Oliver rubbed the top of Marcus's hand. "He's gonna be fine, Human. He's got family to get him through a broken heart. You don'ts let that stop you from loving him, you don'ts run away from him like I done. You stay here and you love him. And you lets him love you. You learn to live in this moment and if you does, your life will be the most amazing thing."

"Are you always so... so cryptic?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah, that's me. I'se downright enigmatic. What did I tell you about fancy words, Human? Badgers are obtuse, and we prefers it that way."

Marcus laughed again. "You know, I think I'm really going to like you."

"Well, that's fine by me," Oliver said as grabbed Marcus's hand. "Let me gets your clothes and cane, Human. It's time we goes for a walk."

"Oh, do you have more to tell me?"

"I suppose. There's a bear I loves back at the cave. He's staying human just so you can gets fucked by Santa. I figure it's time I takes you there. Better n' sittin' out here in the wet grass."

"That's very kind of you."

"Ain't all that kind. The sooner you's fucked, the sooner I gets my bear back,"

Marcus laughed. "I'm okay with that as well."

Oliver stood up. "Do you needs my hand?"

Marcus slipped on his glasses and grabbed his cane. "Not to see where I'm going, Oliver. But I would still like to hold your hand."

"Guess that'd be okay, Human. Not opposed to holding yours for fun, neither." The human reached down and the badger reached up. Somewhere in the middle, the two hands met and locked. "We's walking here, Human," Oliver said with a gentle tug that began their journey toward the cliff. "Oh, since you can't see, I should tell you that the pup... I means Derrick... is pretty much a Santa when he's human, too."

"But he's a young man, right?"

"Not no more. He's over two hundred years old. But his human body is still thirty-two. He ain't never going to age on the outside. Takes my advice, Human; if you wants to get fucked tonight, let Derrick have you first. He's the smallest of us when he's a human."

"I thought you were the smallest both as a werebeast and as a human."

"No, I mean small, as in it ain't gonna hurt as bad going in. I mean, it ain't tiny or nothin'. You's gonna know it's in you, but it ain't as big as Kris's or Will's. Plus, he's probably the gentlest critter you will ever know, no matter which critter he is."

"So, even before I sit in Kris's lap?"

"You likes yourself Santas, right?"

"Right."

"Well, you's blind, so you can't see Derrick's hair color. Other than that, he's as much a Santa as Kris. They's both big boys. Both of them got thick beards and bald heads with hair on the side. Kris has got a longer beard and a braid down his back. But I seen all sorts of Santas, and when it comes down to hot Santas, I'd let either one of them come down my chimney on Christmas Eve.

"Think of Derrick as a younger version of Kris, and you won't be far off the mark. Let the pup take you, and then lets Kris do the same. Derrick will make you so happy you is a man. That boy has got the Sight in special ways. But mostly, because he's Pup. Pup was born special. He's got him a heart like no one else, and it turns his lovemaking into something that can make you cry for the beauty of it. Kris is special, too. He can heals what he's going to do to you."

"Heal me? Exactly what is he going to do?" Marcus said, stopping in his tracks.

"He's big, Marcus. That body of his were made to please the wolves. He's got one of the biggest peckers you will ever find because he knowed the wolves would love him that way. And the bear ain't got much experience with humans. He forgets sometimes how frail you is."

"Am I making a mistake wanting to be with him?" Marcus asked.

"No, you ain't got nothin' to worry about," Oliver answered. "He's got ways to make you feel good even when you'se doing things a body ain't meant to do. And after he has done you just the way you dreamed of being done, he can fix you so you don't hurt the next day."

"That's quite the talent, Oliver."

"He's a talented bear," the badger replied as he pulled on Marcus's hand and began walking again.

"He's not a bear, or a Santa, is he, though?"

"Nope. He's a Changeling."

"What's a Changeling?" Marcus asked.

"Some critter from outer space that can change his shape."

"And he chose Santa and a Kodiak bear?"

"Didn't Will tell you the story?"

"Not all of it. I think there are parts of it he left out. Darker parts. Parts a human might not want to know."

"There ain't nothin' we's gonna hide from you, Marcus. But Will might have been right not to tell you everything. Some of that story is sacred to the Were Nation. Will's gonna tread lightly on that which humans don't needs to know. We sings of them stories together to remind us of all we has lost, and we has lost so much at the hands of humans. But we sings of all that we has found, too. And sometimes in them stories, a human like Max comes along and we realize that we can't turn our back on the humans. We hopes that one day they'll be family too."

"Will I ever hear those songs, Oliver?"

"I hopes one day you sings them with us, Marcus. They is our history. They is who we are and what we believes in."

"And what happens when I learn the complete story of the Were Nation and the Changelings?"

"You's just gonna love them all the more, Marcus."

"Then I hope one day to hear those songs."

"Best let the bear fuck you first. Don't want you to be all googly-eyed in love with him 'cause of what he done. Better to think of him as just a hot Santa with that big candy cane you wanted since you was a kid." Oliver stopped for a moment. "Oh, and ask him to teach you how to rim. 'Cause that man can send you places with his tongue you didn't know you could goes. And remind him to go slow if'n he starts getting eager-like. He's an excitable one."

"Thanks for the tips, Oliver."

"Just trying to help. Don't want you waddling around here hurting." Oliver gently pulled on the human's hand. "You can't see it, Human, but they's got the lights on for us to come home."

"I haven't had a family that leaves the lights on for me in years, Oliver."

"Well, you does now."

"It will take a bit of getting used to."

"Nah, Human, it's easy. Just let it be. You's changing. Change is harder when you fights it. Takes it from one who knows."

"I'll try to remember that, Oliver."

"Oh, and one other thing you gots to remember."

"What's that Oliver?"

"You gots to use lots and lots of lube."

Marcus squeezed the hand of the little badger and smiled.

Chapter 4

Marcus dangled his feet over the cliff, listening to the waterfall as it spilled over the far side of the highland. He heard the footsteps of an upright wolf. "Hello, William," he said, looking backward.

"Good morning, Marcus," the werewolf replied. "I tried to make enough noise, so I didn't scare you. You realize the drop over that cliff is substantial, right?"

"Forty-six point seven meters to the bottom. That would be one hundred fifty-three feet, two inches for you. There's a ledge at about twenty-five feet down and a few others along the way. If I slip, I'm pretty sure I'll bounce off the cliff face at least four times before I hit the bottom."

Marcus scooted himself back along the rock face until his legs were back on the highland. "If you want to know how many gallons of water are going over the side per minute, I can tell you that."

"Pretty snazzy cane and glasses," Will said with a laugh. "Are your shoes involved in all that tech?"

"Yeah, and the shirt. It's sort of a total package."

Will sat down beside the human. "You're not frightened by heights?"

"Not really. Most of that is a visual thing."

"How did you go blind, Marcus?"

"Oh, that was in Marrakesh. I was transporting the crown jewels back to the royal family when ninjas attacked me."

"Oh, I see. Ninjas with what... acetone in Super Soakers?"

Marcus laughed. "I was trying to be funny, William. Genetic defects are pretty boring."

Marcus felt the hand of the burly wolf take hold of his. "Not to me," Will replied.

"Tay-Sachs disease. On the plus side, it's not terminal anymore. I am pretty lucky, to tell the truth. The damage could have been a lot more extensive than it was. I'm blind. I'm shorter than most, but considering the normal outcomes, not so bad. All my faculties seem to be in order if I'm not having a delusional fantasy going on in my head right now."

"No, this is real. You're talking to a werewolf."

"I'm glad to hear that," Marcus replied. "Although if I had totally lost it, that's what you would say, you know."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He hugged the human and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

"Oh my, yes. Your family is amazing." Marcus was silent for a moment. "Oliver never joined in. Do I upset him?"

"No, not at all. He's quite taken with you, actually. Poor guy sat in the corner watching us most of the evening. I'm pretty sure that's why Derrick and he went outside to sleep under the stars."

"They didn't sleep?"

"No, but they tried so hard to be quiet while they played. They fail at it so miserably when dealing with werebeasts and our hearing. Oliver is hopelessly loud, even when he's trying not to be. I'm grateful the temple dogs came and got them or they would have kept me up all night."

"The temple dogs came and got them? There are dogs on the highland?"

"Yeah. They live on the far side of the highland near the airship landing site. Think of the Foo Dog statues they sell at the import stores. Or a Tibetan mastiff that's twelve feet tall standing up; only way furrier and golden blonde."

"I don't know that I've ever seen a Tibetan mastiff."

"How about a St. Bernard?"

"Oh sure, I've seen those."

"Kind of like them with tons more fur and that whole twelve-foot tall thing thrown in on top."

"They sound beautiful."

"They are," Will agreed. "They are one of the most beautiful creatures you will ever meet. But Changelings having sex arouses them, so more than likely you won't meet them until Kris has convinced himself to stop playing with you."

"Oh? I thought that was a one-time event last night."

"In the Were Nation, anything that is enjoyable and brings us together is generally something we look forward to repeating. Besides, you benefit from spending time with Santa."

"Oh? Other than the obvious fun of it all, what's involved?"

"Kris is a Changeling. All Changelings give off pheromones that often make them irresistible to other beasts, and to an even greater extent humans. That is why he was so careful to ask you multiple times while you were having sex if you were okay with it. They always worry that you're being influenced by their hormones rather than your desire."

"No," Marcus said with a laugh. "That was definitely my desire last night."

"And ours as well. When you were with Kris, those pheromones of his went off the charts. It helped you ease into all the sexual activity that you've not done in years, including me mounting you. So, as you might guess, I'm grateful to have a Changeling husband."

"Three actually, right?"

"Right, but you haven't met my other husbands yet," Will said casually. "At any rate, the temple dogs were being driven crazy by what we were doing last night, and poor Oliver was so horny after watching us... well, one thing led to another. So, last night, the aroused temple dogs came out and confiscated my husbands to take care of the whole family's mutual needs.

"That's why you haven't seen Oliver and Derrick this morning. The five of them are sleeping together now; all sated and happy. They really are the cutest things when they're all curled up together. I'd say we should go wake them, but the temple dogs have no human persona, and morning always finds them aroused. It's a kindness to them, and a safety precaution for you not to visit with them until later this afternoon."

Marcus shook his head. "I have stumbled down the rabbit hole, haven't I?"

"Remember when you visited New Orleans for the first time? You stepped out of your hotel room into that humid air and walked along Bourbon Street. There were all those sounds, that music, and the hooves of the horses as they moved along the streets. And then there were all those wonderful odors... all that food simmering on the stoves... aromas, tastes, and pleasures that you had never experienced before."

"Oh, yeah, I remember. I was just out of graduate school and going for a job interview. It was all so new, so different, even a bit scary and intimidating, but so unbelievably exciting. I remember William. I didn't know you did."

"You mentioned you visited once. I remember my first visit, too. Only Canal Street was the real hub when I visited. New Orleans was the largest city in the south. I visited for a while back in eighteen fifty-seven. Never got around to getting back there, but I remember it well. The marketplace, the Francophone community, the shipping docks with all those lonely sailors... oh..." Will's voice trailed off in memory. "... all those lonely sailors."

Will shook his head and came back to his thought. "We're like that city, Marcus. When you first visit, there's excitement in so many new experiences. It's thrilling and scary at the same time. But you're drawn to it, all the while wondering if there isn't some darkness in the alleyways that will lead to your doom."

Will paused. "But if you stay. If you live with the people, over time you find a simple comfort overtakes you. You never lose your excitement or love of the place, but you find yourself at ease in that crazy world of sensations and pleasures. You realize it's as much a home as anywhere you can go. Home isn't a place, Marcus. It's where your people are. We're still new to you. But give us a chance. One day you'll realize that when you stepped off the Red Wolf, you had come back to a home you never even knew you had."

"You should have used Montreal as the city, William. That I know is home to me."

"No, Marcus. Montreal is safe. You're not afraid in Montreal, but it's not home. When you find home, it will challenge you, it will force you to grow, and it will be your sanctuary all at the same time."

"And you think you and your family are home for me?"

"Maybe not yet, Marcus. I'm saying we're your first step toward home. We're the excitement you've always wanted to feel. We're the experiences that are challenging you even now. One day when the world seems so different from what you thought it was; this is where you will find sanctuary. This is where you will find your family waiting to help you grow into who you are meant to be."

"What if I'm content to be a guy who helps orphaned kids find homes in my little one-bedroom apartment?"

"I hope you never lose touch with that guy, Marcus. It's a part of who you are. But if he was all you are, if you were really content, would you be here?"

Marcus thought for a moment. "Maybe I could be a bit more content."

"Then let's leave it at that," Will said, wrapping his furred arm around the human. "We have breakfast to make for the family. Derrick is about the world's pickiest eater, so let's get working on it together."

"I put containers into a smart oven, William. I don't cook."

Will made sure Marcus could hear his sigh. "Another one. Derrick doesn't even know when to flip a pancake. We've been together for how many centuries, and he still can't cook anything but bacon, eggs, and toast."

Marcus laughed. "He's doing better than me, William."

"All right," Will said, wrapping his arm around Marcus's, "we're off to make breakfast and before today is done, either you or the pup is learning to flip pancakes."

Marcus bent his elbow and locked Will's arm into place. "You have a deal."

"Then you have breakfast," Will said happily. "Bear heading toward us at two o'clock."

"Good morning, Kris," Marcus called out.

"Good morning, Marcus. I've come to bring you two home. Oliver is cooking breakfast."

Will smiled. "You're off the hook, Marcus. Another member of our family that knows how to cook is at work."

Marcus smiled. "That sounds wonderful." He waited until he felt the thick-furred arms wrap around him in a hug. "Thank you for last night, Kris. I had a wonderful time."

"I did too. As a bear, I sometimes forget that I have a lap. It's nice that my human does."

Marcus laughed. "You have a wonderful lap, and I have something taken off my bucket list that I never thought would be possible. And by two separate Santas, no less."

"Well, I'm glad you had fun. I hope you're not too sore today. I really am sorry about that."

Marcus laughed. "I still can't believe everything William told me about your pheromones. The jury has always seemed to be deadlocked on whether they exist for humans."

"I choose to have little control over mine. We make considerable use of them in the Unity, but more as identifiers. We didn't realize the effect they have on other species. But in my defense, I have also never been with a human before. I never knew just how sexually fragile you are."

"Well, that just did my ego a world of good," Marcus said, shaking his head in disbelief. "First Oliver, and now you call me fragile."

"I mean no offense, Marcus. I will never lie to you," the bear said to the human. "None of us will ever lie to you. This is our life. Humans have lived beside us for centuries, but we seem to take a physical toll on you that is overlooked. We love you. We would never intentionally hurt you. But, no human mated to a Changeling or werewolf has ever lived past the age of eighty-one."

"Eighty-one? That is pretty young, isn't it?"

"Candles burning at both ends... and all that," the bear said quietly.

"I had you at both ends last night," Marcus said with a snicker. "I think I can understand why the other humans made the choice they did to stay, regardless of those statistics. Even without all your raging pheromones, sleeping next to you was amazing. Sleeping with my arm around Will..." Marcus paused. "Kris, I'm new to this idea of a family that shares so much of each other with a total stranger."

"You're not a stranger, Marcus."

"I feel as if I should be."

"It's not in our nature."

"It seems to be in Oliver's. He wouldn't touch me last night."

"No, but not because he doesn't like you. I think you know he cares a great deal for you."

"I do. William told me as much this morning. So, what is it? He just doesn't like humans in general?"

"No, he loves most humans once he gets to know them. What he doesn't love is becoming human. He tries to make peace with that side of himself, but it's an ongoing struggle."

"The red wolves?"

"He can't let that day go. He wants so hard to be forgiven. No one alive holds him responsible for the other's actions, and he knows that."

"But those who died..."

"Exactly. He will never know for sure. And in that tiny doubt lives a grief that never quite heals."

"Maybe Oliver doesn't want it to ever totally heal. Maybe that hurt makes him the man he is today."

"I never thought of it that way," Kris said thoughtfully.

"Me either," Will said. "Maybe I'm too protective. I never wanted Oliver to be hurt over his past."

"You both told me that's not in your nature. When you see someone suffering; you try to help it stop."

"I love him, Marcus," Will said. "I will always feel that way. But maybe he wears his internal scars the way the temple dogs were theirs on their bodies. Maybe they're reminders."

"Only the temple dogs' scars remind them of the cost of playing with you, Old Wolf" Kris said with a laugh. "They have no genuine regrets."

Marcus nodded. "I think Oliver's memories remind him to never turn away in fear when he knows what's right."

"So which degree teaches you to be so perceptive? Psychology or philosophy?" Will asked.

"You're doing it again, William," Marcus said, shaking his head. "I know you can't tell that from the way I talk."

Will laughed as he leaned back into a morning stretch. "Actually, I can. You sound like two of my favorite people. Li Wei is a philosopher. Kong is a psychiatrist. Often they come at things from different worlds, but they find the same truth."

"I doubt that I have their experience."

"But you have instincts, Marcus. And you hone them through your studies," Will said. He put his hand into Marcus's. "How many languages do you speak?"

"Seven. You said so yourself," Marcus said.

"Marcus, always tell the truth to those you love," Will said sternly.

"Fluently, or enough to order at a restaurant and ask where the bathroom is?"

Will shrugged. "Both."

"Twenty-eight fluently. Sixty-two enough to get by."

"How many to get yourself in trouble by asking a guy all the right questions?" Kris inquired as Marcus felt the bear's heavy body push up against his side.

Marcus laughed. "One. You're the only men I've ever asked the right questions of."

"I could teach you a few words in Changeling that will get you into all sorts of trouble," Kris said as he took Marcus's free hand in his paw.

Marcus pushed into the bear. "I'll stick with English for the time being."

"So, do you have a photographic memory?" Will asked as they began their walk back to the cave.

"That's what they say. Although we know that's a misnomer. No one has ever actually had a photographic memory. Some stuff slips by; some stuff I forget."

"How did you hold on to that with Tay-Sachs disease?" the old wolf asked. "Doesn't it wipe out brain cells pretty aggressively?"

"Yeah," Marcus answered. "I won't ask how you know that. No one I know has even heard of it. It's treated now with stem cell intervention and hexosaminidase replacement therapy. I'm like a diabetic before they found the cure. I get hexosaminidase injections. Actually, it's all very cool. They couldn't have done any of this fifty years ago."

"Then I'm glad you were born when you could take advantage of an available treatment," the brown bear said, squeezing the human's hand.

"Me too. I was lucky enough to have it as late-onset juvenile Tay-Sachs. I would already be dead if it manifested when I was born."

"Very lucky indeed," Will said calmly. "And to be bright enough to recognize the symptoms so quickly."

"Not fast enough to keep me from going blind."

"Fast enough to save your life," the wolf said. "I'm rather fond of that life, so I'm grateful for your ability to self-diagnose a disease so rare."

"It's just the way I see the world, William," Marcus replied, letting go of the two paws holding his hands. He raised them in front of himself. He moved his hands like he was working on a computer screen. "It's all data. It just sorts itself out in my mind. I'm like a computer that just happens to be in love with a guy who turns into a wolf."

"No, you're a human who just happens to be in love with a werewolf who occasionally turns into a human."

"So when do I see less of the human and more of the werewolf?"

"The day I turn you."

"Old Wolf," Kris said with a slight corrective air.

"He asked, Husband," Will said. "I told him the truth."

"That's okay, Kris," Marcus said. "I sort of expected that answer." Marcus put his hand back into the wolf's paw. "And when is that day?"

"The day you ask me to, Marcus. You have a family waiting for the day, and a man who would prefer not to be human in your presence when we share a bed."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "How, William? You've known me for only a day. A few years at best if you count our conversations over the ComLink. How can you entrust someone with so much without even knowing them?"

"I know you, Marcus. I've known you since the first day you called to ask for a donation."

"And that... that... How did I get through to you? You have a battery of assistants, lawyers, and accountants to run interference for you. How did I get you when I made that call?"

Will leaned over and kissed the cheek of the human. "Because I have the Sight, remember?"

"At first I thought that was just a part of your stories, but Oliver mentioned it as well. Do you really know who I am just by talking to me? It's not just some sort of hyper-sensitivity to others that makes cold reading me easy?"

"Would being a con artist lead me to answer the ComLink myself instead of letting someone else pick up?"

"I guess not."

"Would I have been able to cold read your body, your desires, your talents, and more importantly, what a decent man you are?"

"I guess there's no benefit in it for you, even if you could. Cold readers are grifters, like you said. You're the CEO of the largest corporation in the world. I doubt you have any interest in the kind of money I make, so I'm pretty much a waste of time if you were a con man trying to make a buck."

"Is that what you worry I might be?" Will asked.

"No, William. I think you're exactly what you say you are. You're a werewolf in love with me."

"And that scares you?"

"Shouldn't it?"

"No."

"You have no idea how much you're asking me to change my world to be with you."

"I do. I am not discounting that in the least. You asked me if you should be afraid of me loving you. The answer to that is no. There is the fear of the unknown, the fear of change; all that is normal. It's probably even a good sign that you are afraid. It tells me you're exactly the man I think you are."

"A guy two steps from agoraphobia with commitment issues?"

Will laughed as he shook his head. "A man who thinks everything through. Who uses every bit of knowledge and wisdom he has to make a choice. And in the face of a totally alien world, he leads with his heart."

Marcus snorted a laugh as he shook his head. "I wish I was that man, William."

"You are, Marcus. Trust me on this one. I have a few years on you. I'm good at seeing what you overlook because of your personal insecurity."

"How old are you, William?" Marcus asked, turning to the wolf walking beside him.

"Not as old as Kris, and we don't talk about age in his company. It makes him testy," Will said with a laugh.

"We stopped counting when he reached five hundred," Kris said. "It got to a point where the candles weighed more than the cake and it was a very big cake."

"Besides, wolves slobber when they try to blow out candles," Will added. "While it means I get the cake to myself, even I find it a bit off-putting."

"And you're asking me to become like you?"

"No," Will said. "I'm asking you to become who it is you were meant to be."

"I don't want to be a Chow or a badger if that's what you're saying."

"We have bears and wolves. There are a few cats. There are temple dogs, wild dogs, and so many other beasts. We even have the most handsome rhino you could ever hope to meet. And two bears with wings married to an angel who you will love."

"A bear with wings? Is there really such a thing?"

"Yep. They're adorable," Kris answered. "So is their husband."

"And they would be a part of my family?"

"Actually, yes. More so than most in the Were Nation," Will said. "We all think of ourselves as family, but they're more our immediate family. And if you choose to be a wolf, you will also have a pack willing to initiate you should you so choose."

"Like the black wolf in the story?"

"Yeah, I might have toned it down a bit for you because you were getting excited so quickly, but yeah, it would help if you like to bottom."

"I'm finding it more pleasant than I thought it would be. You are all so... so accommodating."

Kris laughed. "We try. Look, Marcus, despite Will and Oliver trying to convince you otherwise, you don't have to move on this. If you want, spend some time with us. Meet our family. There is a life out there that we are asking you to share with us, but we don't ask you to accept it on blind faith."

"That's the strange part of it, Kris," Marcus replied. "I already know what you're asking me to share. Will has told me what to expect in so many stories. I know who I will meet on Partridge Island. I know the wolves that run in Montana. The winged bears and angel are new to me, as is the rhino, but I have a feeling that I will love them the same way I love you."

"I hear a 'but' somewhere in this conversation," Will sighed.

"But I'm still not sure that I want what you're offering. I know I want your friendship, but living forever as someone who crosses between human and animal..." Marcus paused and breathed out a sigh. "I'm not sure that I'm that person."

"Then until you are sure, let's not worry about it," Kris said.

Marcus shook his head. "It's that easy for you? I just snubbed what I know you see as a sacred offer, and you're telling me not to worry about it?"

Will leaned over and kissed the human. "That's exactly what we're saying. Kris told you to take your time. I want you to be comfortable with whatever choice you make as well. We all do."

"Even if it's not the choice you want?"

"Especially if it's not the choice we want," Will replied. "You need to know without a doubt that we will support your choice, Marcus."

"What if what I want today is to just hold on to the man I've fallen in love with?"

"Then I say forget about breakfast, and let's go walking," the old wolf answered.

"Is this walk going to involve sex?"

"Undoubtedly."

Marcus felt the wolf's hand in his become human. He smiled and nodded. "I'm ready for that walk."

"No," Will said bluntly. "I'm ready for the walk. I'm naked. You're not."

Marcus squeezed the paw of the bear he was walking with. "Can I impose upon you to take my things back to the cave, Kris?"

"For the privilege of seeing you naked again, that is a small price to pay," Kris said, agreeing to the request.

Marcus laughed. "Then, give me a moment, Will, and I will join you on your walk. But without my gear, you're going to have to go slowly and give me proper warnings."

"You'll teach me, right?"

"Sure," Marcus said as he pulled off his shirt and handed it to where he knew Kris was. "When I scream 'harder', it means I want you to fuck me harder."

Marcus felt the warm lips of the human press up against him and for a moment he wondered what the lips of the wolf would feel like on his. With a push of his foot, he removed one shoe and then the other. In the back of his mind, he already knew that one day he would know what it felt like to not only kiss a wolf, but to be a wolf that kissed back.

Chapter 5

The warm summer sun felt good on his skin after so much time inside the cool of the forest. Marcus held the badger's hand as he walked through a clearing in the forest canopy. "Sorry to pull Will away from you again, Human," Oliver said. "I think they sends me to get him 'cause I'se small and you two won't be as mad at me."

Marcus laughed. "He's back in the CEO seat, Oliver. I know he's going to be called away. Besides, I like being with you."

"I likes being with you, too, Human," Oliver said. The tiny mammal paused for a bit. "You gots a nice pecker when it's hard, you know."

Marcus laughed again. "Why thank you, Oliver. I don't think anyone has told me that before."

"Sure they has," Oliver said correctively. "I knows the old wolf told you that. He ain't never gonna see a pecker like that and not say something about it."

Marcus paused a moment in thought. "I guess you're right. He has complimented it multiple times."

"There you goes," Oliver said with a laugh. "One hundred percent of beasts you know thinks your pecker is fine."

"But you won't play with it."

"Sure I will. Just as soon as you's a beast."

"But then it won't be a human pecker."

"We can play as humans. Don't matter to me. It takes me some time before I'se comfortable showing my human to another, but I likes it when I'se with someone I love. Don't care for it much when I is alone, though. Only dark memories come then, and that ain't easy."

"I'm sorry about that, Oliver," Marcus said. He stopped and squeezed the badger's paw. "You said someone you love..."

"Yeah, I did that. I thinks I'll stand by them words."

"You love me?"

"Yeah, gots to love family."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "How can you love so easily? You don't even know me, but you extend to me the title of family without a second thought."

"Watch your step, Human," Oliver said. "About three meters, there's gonna be..." He paused. "Never mind. Apparently, Gaia thinks you's family, too."

"Excuse me?"

"Did Will tell you about her?"

"I think I heard the name in passing. Originally, William just told me stories to get me aroused. Now, when we talk, he seems to be filling in the gaps. Some stories are more difficult for him than others. Sometimes there are gaps where I know there are stories untold."

"Seems as if the old wolf is telling the good without necessarily telling the bad," Oliver said.

"I think he wants me to know the truth, Oliver. It just seems parts of the story are too difficult for him. He told me about the Night of Blinding," Marcus said. "I still don't know how Kris could be so forgiving to the ones who attacked his family so violently."

Oliver nodded. "I coulds never be the beast that bear is. I tries as hard as I can, but he's something special. What else does you know?"

"Kris and Eric had a son from the same kind of joining that Eric and Donovan seem to be in now. Their son was a very horny bear who loved a human aviator from the War of the Continents." Marcus slowed his walking as he tried to remember the story. "The bear had left the highland to learn about life and the world beyond his family. He met the human back on the highland and they were married. It sounded so beautiful, Oliver. I actually cried when he told me the bear was wearing a tuxedo and had his wedding band carved into his claw. I guess I'm a softy about such things."

"Weren't a dry eye in the house that day. You ain't alone being a softy around them two. They was special."

"Was, Oliver? What happened? William told me about you meeting the human. It sounded like you were in love with him. I thought when he told me over the ComLink that you were married to Nathaniel and Martin, that maybe somehow... But it can't be. Not if the three of you were living in the late twenty-first century. The years don't add up."

Marcus stopped and thought for a moment. "I think William still leaves out parts of the story that are difficult for him to tell. He told me that the bear and the human came to Partridge Island and met you. I know about the Megatherium, but I don't know where he fits into the story other than he's your mate. I thought maybe you turned the human... but William stopped telling me the story two years ago when he stepped down from Bear Paws Enterprises. He's never revisited it in our conversations until I came here to the highland."

"He needed to take a break from work," Oliver said. "All them peoples clamoring to get to him, and his husbands being gone for more than thirty years were too much. We didn't know about you, or we would have let you two be together. He asked about you from time to time, but we was working with your coworkers. Didn't know he had something special with you. I'se really sorry about that. We fucked up big time for our not knowing."

"It's easy to slip through the cracks when you take as much time as I do to stay hidden, Oliver," Marcus consoled. "You didn't do anything wrong. It was me who should have at least wished him well when I read he stepped down."

"You tried to find him when we forced him back into working. That's a good thing."

"Yeah, it's been a great thing, Oliver. I can't believe how glad I am that he called me back." Marcus paused. "But what happened, Oliver? What happened to you and the bear and the human? Did the human become the Megatherium?" He squeezed Oliver's paw. "I'm glad you're married. I know about Nathaniel and the human, but he only called the human Pilot." Marcus paused again thinking. "But I'm doing the math here. That was over a century ago. What happened to the human? Are the pilot and Martin the same person? Where do your other husbands fit into your family's story?"

Oliver was quiet for a time. "Max were the human. He died. He were Nathaniel's first husband. Nathaniel is my bear husband. He's the cub of Eric and Kris you were told about. Max married Nathaniel and they moved to Partridge Island. That's where I met them both. Max and me was best friends, but we never gots the time we needed to be mated. We was too afraid of what others might think to speak the words that we should have. Maybe that's why I pushes people now to do what their hearts tells them to do instead of holding back because of fear. Nothin' hurts like knowing you should have done something, not even findin' out it was wrong after you tried."

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I didn't know."

"There's lots to the story the old wolf ain't told you yet. I'se married to Nathaniel and Martin. Martin was the Megatherium, but the beast died and his human got turned again. He's a saber-toothed cat now."

"It would appear I have a lot of catching up to do before this isn't totally confusing."

"Yep. We's one fucked up family. But we loves each other, and the knowing is worth the effort, Human."

"And Gaia is a part of that story?"

"Yeah, she is. She was Bear's spaceship."

"The companion?"

"Yeah, she likes being called Gaia now."

"William told me that the spaceship was alive, but even after finding out he was a werewolf, I sort of figured that was too fantastical to be true."

"The old wolf only told you the truth, Human," Oliver replied. "If you knows about it, it's true."

"So what about Gaia makes you think I'm family to her?"

"I was gonna tell you about a root in the path, but it's gone now." Oliver tugged at Marcus's hand and they began walking again out onto the glade. "You ain't got nothin' to worry about here, Marcus," Oliver continued. "Gaia don't put no rocks or nothin' out here in the glade, 'cepting the time when the old wolf fucked up her pagoda by playing with the temple dogs. Then she got pissed and throwed up all sorts of stuff everywhere he stepped. But she forgave him a long time ago, so it's always safe."

Marcus laughed. "There are so many stories I don't know; aren't there, Oliver?"

"We gots a long history, Marcus. Our oldest brother, Chet, is over ten thousand years old. The Changelings are even older."

"Do you ever get tired of life, Oliver?"

"I used to. Back when I first became a beast. Not no more. I'se got family. Ain't good to be a werebeast alone. But if you gots family, life ain't so bad."

"I'm struggling with William's offer to become a part of your family."

"Yeah, I know you is," Oliver said with a nod. "That's why I'se trying to help you by staying a beast."

Marcus stopped in his tracks and looked down at the badger he couldn't see. "Oliver, are you telling me that you're dangling sex with you like a carrot to get me to change?"

"Is it workin'?"

"It might be."

"Then yes. And I gots a nice pecker to dangle. It's more fun to eat than a carrot."

Marcus laughed. "I'm sure you do." The human was quiet for a time as they walked through the grass. "Oliver, why?"

"'Cause I sees you, Marcus. I sees you as a wolf and I knows you ain't never gonna be happy until you risk it all and let the old wolf turn you."

"Be honest, Oliver. What else do you see?"

"I sees you is something special. Something none of us is ever gonna understand, but someone we is always gonna love."

"Any details or is that as good as it gets?"

"I sees you takes a liking to badger dick if that's any help."

Marcus reached down and picked up the little mammal. "Prepare to be kissed, Oliver," Marcus said as he pushed his face into the badger's.

When the kiss ended, the badger sighed. "You knows I can play with you a bit as a badger and not turn you, right?"

"No, I didn't know that."

"You would of if the old wolf had told you about Nathaniel and Max."

"There's so much I don't know," Marcus said. He shook the badger's paw. "So, are you saying that even as a werebeast, you can play with me?"

"I'se pretty good at sucking dick, Human."

Marcus dropped to his knees and freed Oliver, who instantly pushed him down onto the grassy field. "Oliver," Marcus whispered, "don't do this if you don't want to."

"I wants to, Human," Oliver responded. "I wouldn'ts offer if I didn't. Is you okay with a badger having you?"

Marcus reached toward the badger's voice and found his shoulder. "I'm okay with this," he answered.

The badger lowered his head onto the already erect cock and slid his jaws over the hardened flesh. Marcus groaned happily as he reached down to rub the top of the badger's head. "Oliver... there aren't any teeth."

Oliver laughed happily, never letting the cock slip from his mouth. "We's figured out a long time ago that we can shift most any part of us a bit. I just retracts them when I'se giving head," the badger mumbled through his fellatio.

Marcus pushed himself up and grabbed Oliver, turning the badger's body until it rested on his belly. The badger never slowed in what he was doing. Marcus rubbed the rump of the badger, feeling his tail, his rounded butt cheeks, and then the sack of furred balls that led to the cock pressing into his chest. Marcus tugged the badger's rear legs as he leaned back onto the grass. "Please, Badger," he begged, "let the human come out to play."

There was a shift, and Marcus felt the weight of the human on top of him. He turned their bodies onto their sides as he felt the hairy back that matched his own. With a bit of negotiating from both the humans, they found themselves with each other's cocks in their mouths. Heads bobbing, and their mouths full of hard flesh, no one heard their muffled sounds of ecstasy when they both came. But inside the cave, the old wolf's nostrils flared, and he looked up. "Thank you, Oliver," he said with a smile. "Bring him home."

Will tapped the ComLink in his ear. "Sorry for the delay, gentlemen," he said. "I just got some very unexpected good news." He pivoted on his chair to see his two husbands smiling at him in the doorway, their noses twitching at the smell of sex on the glade. "Some excellent news for my whole family. Now, about this contract. I think you'll find we're in total agreement with one small exception about the wages of the workers. Let's make sure everyone profits from this venture, shall we?"

Outside in the field, the two humans wrapped their arms around each other. "Thank you, Oliver," Marcus said, the emotion in his voice clear. He leaned in and kissed the human, and felt the kiss change as the badger returned. Marcus didn't turn away from the change. He embraced it and realized the one that he was kissing now was the one he wanted to kiss.

"Let the old wolf turn you, Human," Oliver whispered. "Become what you was meant to be."

"I'm afraid to," Marcus replied.

"And that's why you lets him turn you, Human. He is fearless in love. He's strong enough for both of you until you's brave enough to stand on your own."

Marcus took a deep breath. "He's going to need to be awfully brave."

"As is you, Human," the badger said. "But I has faith in my family. They has never let me down yet. You ain't going to neither."

"Promise me it will all work out, Oliver."

"Ain't no way to promise that, Human. What I can promise is we will be there even if you can'ts see us."

"Again, with the... the..." Marcus struggled to find the words.

"You's meaning to say, 'again with the cryptic pronouncements,' but them's just too many fancy words not to piss me off," Oliver said as he nudged the human.

Marcus smiled. "Yeah, that's what I was going to say." He let his hands feel the face of the badger moving across the cheeks and down the neck. "I love you, Oliver," Marcus said. "I love you all."

"And we loves you, Human." Oliver moved closer to Marcus. "Come on, Human, let's give you your first lesson on how to cuddle with a badger after sex." Marcus smiled and entered the embrace.

Chapter 6

Will found Marcus with his feet dangling over the cliff again. "You seem to like it on the edge, Marcus," he said as he sat down next to the man, his wolfen legs slipping over the side.

"No," Marcus corrected. "Actually, I don't. This is more of an object lesson for me. What I have to lose by diving into the unknown."

"So, three months with us still leaves you with doubts?"

"I'm so conflicted, William. In my mind, I had this idea of what my life was going to be like. One day, I would find a nice, quiet man. We'd settle down in a two-bedroom apartment. We'd have two pugs that we called our babies, and it would all be so calm and proper."

"Well, Derrick and I aren't pugs, but you have two canines in your life and lots more if you want them. Plus, we're already housebroken."

"You're anything but quiet."

"That's true. We're a noisy family."

"And a family that keeps encouraging me to join them."

"It will save you a bundle not having to have a fursuit made."

"This is important to me, William," Marcus scolded.

"It's important to me too, Marcus. I don't mean to make light of your frustration, but I keep waiting for you to tell me what it is we can help you with. It's as if you're content to let a part of you lie dormant."

Marcus pushed back from the cliff. "I think that's exactly it. I am so content here. There are four men here that I love being with. I still have my work. At night you tell me the stories of the world you offer me, and I still have such strong doubts that I belong in that world."

Marcus felt the arm of the wolf wrap around him and pull him close. "And why is that, Marcus?"

"Because you're not just a family of werebeasts. You're amazing. You've saved the entire planet, William. When each day ends, I can lie down with you and forget all of what and who you really are. I can pretend that you and I are just two men who love each other and that there is nothing beyond that world. But when I feel the wolf wrap his arms around me, I look at what you and your family have done, and I'm not sure I'm capable of standing beside you."

"But, Marcus, you're an amazing man," Will rebutted. "Look at all those children whose lives you've changed for the better. They're growing up and their lives are affecting others for the good. You're already doing what intimidates you most. This world is changing because of you. You're making this world a better place."

"It's all about scale, William."

"Want to know the truth about the Were Nation, Marcus? Most of us live a very long time. It changes our perspective. What we do, we do because it needs doing, but that's all of us. There's a werewolf back on Partridge Island. His name is Kyle. He has a beautiful husband, and he is content to be the groundskeeper of the south side." Will paused. "He plants flowers and trees, Marcus. He makes sure the forests are healthy and that beautiful things are growing down by the graves and memorials. That's pretty much what he does. But he does it knowing that someone is going to walk by those flowers one day and smile. He knows a child is going to laugh when she sneaks one of those blossoms and gives it to her mom. And he knows his family will find shade in those forests on a hot summer day when they sneak off to be together."

Will pulled Marcus in tighter. "And you know what's amazing about Kyle?"

"He was part of saving the world?"

"Yeah... yeah, he was. Because on that day, every one of us walked by the flowers he planted, and we smiled. We saw those trees and knew Partridge Island was our home. We knew we belonged there, and we knew we had to fight for what we loved. He gave us confidence in what we were doing. He took a bit of his world and shared it with us, and we knew that world was worth saving.

"This is who we are, Marcus. We don't have a caste system in our world. I'm not better than any of my brothers because of how much I earn or the job I have. Kyle is no less important to me because of what he does. He is a part of my world, and I never question that what he is doing is exactly what he should be doing. Because he believes that. And that makes all the difference in the world."

"So, you're telling me that I'm the one struggling with where I belong in the big picture that you don't even care about?"

"Pretty much. We're trying to show you that, for the most part, there is no big picture in our lives, Marcus. It's just you and me right now. And later, if I'm not mistaken, it's going to be you and Kris, because he is really enjoying his Santa body of late."

Marcus laughed. "That whole 'be in the moment' thing the temple dogs keep trying to pound into my head?"

"Yep. We all learn eventually that we make our world out of tiny moments strung together. Look at the big picture too often and it all gets confusing, it gets scary, and intimidating. But if we stay here together, and if we realize that moment to moment we're just where we're supposed to be... then that... that is doable."

"I guess I never thought about it, but I've done that all my life, until the day I stepped onto this highland."

Will leaned back onto the ground, pulling Marcus with him. "Exactly. I know that you've had a lot to learn about in the last few months. But we're not asking you to be anything that you aren't already. What you might do, what you might become, that's all for moments in the future. We trust you to stay true to the man we love right now. It doesn't matter if you're a human or a beast. The Marcus we love is so much more than that outward shell you're so fixated on."

"So if my body is no big deal, why do you keep asking me to change it?"

"Because you, my handsome friend, are a big deal. The body gives you time to figure that out."

"William, I don't want to be a disappointment to you."

"You're not, Marcus."

"But if I turn, I might be."

"So, you're willing to stay where you are, even though you dream of what we offer you because you're afraid of disappointing the ones you love?"

Marcus closed his eyes. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, that's disappointing," Will said as he nudged the human next to him.

Marcus nudged back. "That's just cruel."

Marcus felt the human slip up over the top of him. With a shake, he felt the weight shift and the flesh pushing against him turn to fur. He tried not to, but his body shook when he felt what he had tried to imagine for the last three months. The lips of the wolf slowly pressed against his. It was nothing like he expected, and yet everything he knew it would be. He leaned into the kiss. When the kiss finally ended; he put his hands on the neck of the wolf and moved up to his jowls. "If I knew I would be the same person as I am now regardless of what else you offer, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"You will be the same person. All the strengths, all the weaknesses, just more fur. And you'll have your sight back. And that whole leaping tall buildings in a single bound stuff."

Marcus laughed, but he grew serious quickly. "William, give me the reason that will convince me."

"Because Oliver said to."

Marcus paused. "Not because you say to? You're not convinced?"

Will sighed. "Marcus, if it had been entirely up to me, I probably would have taken you back to your apartment three months ago. I know you're an incredible person. You would make an incredible werebeast. But for all my knowledge of that, some people will never get to that place where they're able to make that change. And I don't blame them. This isn't just becoming a werewolf and howling at the moon a couple of times a month. This is embracing a fundamental change and an entirely new family."

Marcus was quiet for a time, knowing that the old wolf would not pressure him to speak. Finally, he spoke. "And you don't think I'm that man?"

"I'm too close to you to know, Marcus," Will replied. "I can't always see clearly when I love someone. Oliver totally blindsided me when I turned him. I never saw his past or what he wanted from the turning. All I knew was that I loved him. And in loving him, I failed to see the truth."

"He turned out all right."

"Not because of me, Marcus. I couldn't see the Oliver who was struggling with life, because I was in love with the Oliver who was happy by my side. Oliver is strong, incredibly strong, but even he needed someone to guide him to who he is today. Nathaniel and Max started the journey back for him. Martin, bless his heart, he dug down and found the Oliver I love lost inside that badger body, and he pulled him back. And when he had done that, Martin pushed me back into Oliver's arms." Marcus felt the paw of the wolf in his hand. "I'm too much in love with you to know whether turning you is the right thing to do anymore. I thought I knew, but I have my doubts now."

"But Oliver doesn't?"

"He has never altered his opinion since the first day you stepped off the Red Wolf." The silence lingered while Marcus thought about what he had just heard. Will squeezed his hand tighter. "And I trust Oliver. I trust him with my life. And I trust him with yours."

The two lay in the grass for the better part of an hour before Will felt Marcus's hand squeeze back. "Turn me, Will. I trust Oliver, too."

"We should go get our family."

"They're not all going to want to do me the way Derrick got done by the pack, are they?"

"Well, Oliver has waited a very long time, you know."

Marcus shook his head and laughed. "They're all going to have me once I turn?"

"Is that going to be a problem?"

Marcus didn't have to think about it long. "No. Actually, no, that won't be a problem. I've wanted to be with them as beasts ever since they told me that was their preference. I guess it's about time I stepped up and accommodated them for a change."

"The change is hard, Marcus. It will help to have family by your side to get you through it."

"How difficult?"

"Incredibly difficult the first time. It gets easier, but having your family with you will help. Both to help you through the change and to distract you later as you settle into your new body."

"How do we call them? I'm kind of happy being right here in the field with you. You let me up and who knows what I'm going to do? I'm the first to admit I have commitment issues."

Will reached up to his ear and tapped his ComLink. "Gentlemen, I have a human who says he's ready to turn. Let's make this as easy as we can for him, shall we? I could use your help." The wolf paused in thought. "Oh, and dogs... could we please wait until he can stand upright before you try to take him to the trees?"

"You are wise, Old Wolf," he heard Noboru say in response.

"Trees?" Marcus asked hesitantly.

"Gaia won't let us build another pagoda."

"Oh? I am going to be so sore tomorrow, aren't I?"

Will leaned over and kissed Marcus. "Oh yeah, but on the plus side, you'll heal quickly."

Marcus laughed. "Make me a part of your family, William," he begged.

Will lifted the human's legs. "It would be my honor," he said with a smile.

Marcus winced as he felt the cock of the wolf slip into him. He relaxed into the moment and closed his eyes. He soon felt a warm paw alongside his left arm. "Is that you, Wolfy?" he asked between his panting.

"It's me, Marcus. Just relax and enjoy this part. It's kind of the calm before the storm."

"He's kind of huge," Marcus said, still panting as he tried to relax past the pain.

"Hi, Marcus," the human heard the voice of the bear say. "I'm going to kiss you. Just breathe deep and it will help ease the wolf into you."

Marcus felt the warm furriness of Kris's muzzle push against his lips. He realized that without thinking, the bear's tongue and his were playing. Soon, he realized the bear was right. The wolf's nut sack was slapping up against him, and all he felt was pleasure. "I really have to admit I'm glad for your pheromones today, Kris."

The bear kissed the human again and when they separated, he said, "Relax, Marcus. When you feel the wolf come, feel free to become whatever it is you dream. Wolf... bear... badger..." the bear paused, "... or all the other choices available to you; it really doesn't matter. Become whatever is in your heart."

By the time the temple dogs had taken their place, Marcus realized that being penetrated by a wolf surrounded by other animals somehow felt not only natural, but comforting. "Where's Oliver?" Marcus asked as the wolf's continued humping left only pleasure in the wake of the initial pain.

"I'se right here," he heard the voice from behind his head. The small hands of the badger pressed against his temples. "I'se gonna hold your head in place when you turns."

"Is it going to hurt that bad, Oliver?"

"Oh hell, yeah. You ain't never felt nothin' so painful."

Marcus sighed. "Sometimes I wish you would lie to me, Family," he said.

"But if we lied about that, how would you know we was telling you the truth when we tells you getting fucked by temple dogs is just about the best thing ever?"

Marcus laughed. "So, what's the best thing ever?"

"Probably fucking me," Oliver answered, "but then they sez I'se biased."

"You are, Oliver," Will said as he continued his thrusting. He looked down at the human below him. "Marcus. You tell me when you want to turn. I can keep this pace up all day, but when you're ready, so am I."

Marcus smiled and reached up with his free hand to rub the wolf's chest as it pushed up and down along the human's palm. "I could do this into nightfall and be happy. But I believe I have obligations to my family to not drag this on too long."

"So, let's say we do it for another ten minutes and call it good?"

"That... would... be... very... very... nice," Marcus said between thrusts.

When the wolf howled, the family grew close and grabbed the human's limbs as the first wave of bone transformation began. Pinned to the grass, he writhed in pain. The family watched as the grass grew up around the human and locked him in place. So tightly bound to the field, the tortured jerking of the beast being born would hurt neither the once human beast nor his family struggling to keep him safe. Gaia had stepped in to do her part to ease Marcus into his new life.

The fur grew from every limb and across his chest as Marcus gasped for breath. "Hurts... hurts so bad..."

"Hang in there, Marcus," Will said. "The first time is always the hardest. You know that. I've told you the stories. Use that photographic memory of yours. Watch every bone and where it shifts. See what grows. See what shrinks. Think about the beast you want to become and help your body ease into that new form. Memorize it all so that the next time your body knows exactly what it needs to do to make the change. You learn that now, and this will never hurt as bad again."

"Trying," Marcus growled as his muzzle began elongating. The features were unmistakable as the claws pushed out through the once human fingers, now turning into paws.

"Don't talk now, Wolf," the bear ordered. "Hold your tongue so that you don't bite it off. Bear down on that jaw. Keep thinking about your beast and help give birth to him."

Marcus did as he was told and followed the guidance of his family all the way through the transformation. In time, the transformation was complete. Marcus did his best to speak past the growling wolf he had become. He listened to the family's advice as he tried to gain control of his new body. He was especially happy to follow all the commands and suggestions they offered as he learned what it was like to be taken by beasts so many times he lost count.

The newborn wolf even followed the orders of the temple dogs as they guided his first trip into the trees. As the moon completed its arc across the sky, Marcus looked up into the golden dogs' faces and saw the moonlight creating blurry shapes that his brain struggled to interpret. The dogs had left his chest and belly puddled with his own cum. The old wolf insisted he not wipe it off. Nestled in the arms of the Noboru and Katashi, the newborn wolf hung between two trees in a hammock created by the bodies of two temple dogs. The third, dangling from an unseen branch overhead, gently lapped at the ejaculate. Marcus realized why the old wolf had made his command. The sensation of the warm tongue of the dog across his body was like nothing he had ever felt before.

"That feels so nice," Marcus said sleepily. "Oliver was right. I wouldn't have believed how good it feels to be with you dogs."

The dog over his chest pulled up on his prehensile tail and put his finger up to the wolf's lips. "Hush," Zhuang said. "Now is not the time for talk." There in the darkness, Marcus obeyed his last command of the night. "Close your eyes, Little One. Rest," Noboru said as the two dogs rocked the newborn wolf gently to sleep.

Chapter 7

Marcus had seen twenty-three nights turn into morning. This morning found him waking squeezed between the four husbands. He remained clueless about what transpired in the night to leave him lodged between them all. The last thing he remembered clearly was going to visit the temple dogs for lunch. Shortly afterward, he recalled his cock swinging in and out of the mouth of one of the temple dogs high above the ground. But for now, he felt warm and content where he was.

The newly born wolf could feel the massive erection of the bear pushing up along his back. Marcus's arm draped over the old wolf, and somehow Oliver was resting on top of him, occasionally laughing in his sleep. He smiled, wondering what the badger was dreaming about when he felt the old wolf stir. Something inside shifted, and he felt a stab of pain. He tried to figure out what had happened when the old wolf rolled over and kissed him good morning.

Will looked into Marcus's face. "I see wheels turning inside there, Marcus. What are you thinking?"

Marcus gave a halfhearted smile. "I'm still wondering if I did the right thing. Everyone seems to think the transition becomes easier once the turning is over, but there are still parts of me I can tell are changing. It's not over, William. I'm like a half-baked cake. I might look like a cake on top, but underneath, everything is a mess."

Will's concern was obvious. Oliver, roused by the conversation, was equally concerned. "Does it hurt?" the badger asked.

"Sometimes... Not always... it's mostly disconcerting. The closest thing I can think of is puberty. Remember when suddenly your body was something different every day?"

"It's been five centuries, Marcus. I can't say as I remember it all that well," Will responded.

"Changelings don't have puberty, so I'm at a loss, too," Kris said as he pulled the newborn wolf closer to him.

"Every day I look into the mirror and there are changes. And they're always changes that stem from who I was holding the night before. At least the external ones. The rumbling inside me is, for the most part, a constant."

Oliver looked at Marcus. "You does sort of look more like Kris today. Your fur is mostly brown. Yesterday, it was mostly black."

"Exactly," Marcus said, pointing to his nose and then to Oliver. "That's what I'm talking about. Last night it was Kris holding me; the night before, it was Derrick."

"Well, this might be a bad time to bring this up," Kris said, "but I might have an explanation for that. There is a reason that we're known as Changelings on this planet."

Marcus looked at Kris. "What do you mean?"

Kris sat up in bed. "Okay, husbands and newly minted family member; try not to be too upset by this." Kris shook and was suddenly a wolf. He shook again and was a polar bear. Another shake and a kangaroo appeared, then a seal, a three-toed sloth, a capybara, a tiger, and at last the Kodiak bear they all recognized returned. "We're kind of malleable that way," he said shyly.

"Fancy words," Oliver said, frowning at the bear.

"We're shapeshifters. The real kind, Oliver. We can be whatever we choose to be."

"Can't be a squid," Oliver said defiantly. A large squid sat on the bed, tentacles writhing and beak snapping for a moment, and then it became a bear once more. "Fuck," Oliver said. "I don'ts ever want to see that again, Husband. Promise me you won'ts never do that no more."

Kris smiled. "I promise, Husband. Come, hug me."

"You gots any squid slime on you?"

"No, but I can't say the blanket fared as well."

"Then I'll pass on that hug. I'll takes a bath with you later down by the creek, though. If you's sitting in slime, your balls is gonna need extra working to get clean."

Kris laughed. "Fair enough, Badger." He turned to Marcus. "So, as you can see, there is a marked difference between ourselves and our human turnings, or their turnings, as well."

Derrick looked at Kris. "Then why haven't you changed in all these years? Why would Eric be a polar bear for over twenty thousand years?"

"Because we live on a planet where we are the only ones who truly shapeshift. Even the Were Nation doesn't shift except between their human and avatar forms with a sort of sliding scale werebeast in between. It was our goal to be recognizable to you. We didn't want you to wake up to a new mate every day, wondering what we might be next. We allowed the world to choose our avatar, and we became that beast. Or in Nathaniel's case, and most of the Changelings left behind, they became human as avatars to their beast. It made sense to us. Since you don't change all that much, we became like you."

Marcus looked confused. "Are you saying that's what's happening to me? Am I closer to you than I am to William?"

"Well, not nearly as dramatic, Marcus; but perhaps a bit. You seem to adapt to the one you're closest to. It doesn't appear that extreme. You're still a wolf today, but your color takes on a different hue based on who you're with. Even then, only after a night next to him. It's not like your fur is changing, even though Oliver is touching you."

Oliver waved his tiny paw. "He's right. I'se got my whole body on you and you ain't developin' stripes."

Marcus smiled at Oliver. "That is true. Although I love your stripes, so that might be fun."

"You could stay inside me all night. That might get you to turn all stripey," Oliver said with a wiggle on top of the wolf.

Marcus rolled onto his back as he picked the badger up and kissed him. "I would like that, Oliver. But what would the family say?"

"We'd demand equal time," Derrick said with a laugh. "Can't have you playing favorites."

"But you already know I have a favorite," Marcus said with an air of seriousness.

Derrick nodded. "And rightfully so, Marcus. Will is your first and the wolf that turned you. He will always be special."

"And the one who gets to sleep with him inside me first, if I have any say about it," the old wolf grinned.

"T'were my idea, bastard wolf."

"Then what if Marcus stays in me and I stay in you?" Will said, leering at the badger.

"Okay, that works," Oliver said, returning a grin.

Marcus laughed. "I love this family so much. But it doesn't solve the problem. How long is this going to go on?"

Kris shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't know. I'm not even sure why it is happening. But I can guarantee it's our biology in play, not yours."

"So you think I'm going to be okay? The turning isn't somehow defective because of my Tay-Sachs disease?"

Kris grabbed the brown wolf and hugged him tightly. "No, Son. This is Changeling DNA in you, not the Tay-Sachs. The moment you changed, your body began healing. Like every other werewolf, you are a unique creation. You're changing, but one day you'll stop. One day, you'll find who you are. Don't be afraid of this. Every human who has ever become a beast has a path to follow. Be willing to let time help you find yours. Don't rush what appears to be a much slower change than the others."

Marcus hugged back. "I will try, Kris." The brown wolf looked out at the others. "I am so going to miss you all."

Will jumped off the bed and turned around. "What?"

"I know this sounds strange, William, but I'm taking a lead from your son, the bear."

"What has Nathaniel done now?" Will asked.

"It's what he did. He left the very ones he loved the most to find out who he was. I have been here three weeks since my turning, and I think it's time I return to my work and my world to figure out who it is I've become."

"Nathaniel had the advantage of being billions of years old the day he was born, Marcus. You're new to the Were Nation. I'm not sure this is such a wise idea," the old wolf said.

"But it is my idea, William. I need to do this for myself. Maybe away from this highland, my body will settle into what it is meant to be. I'm not sure that my affinity for you isn't complicating matters."

Oliver looked at Derrick. "Did he just say that his shifting all crazy like is 'cause he likes us?"

Derrick nodded. "That's what he said."

Oliver looked at the newborn wolf. "You knows that's totally fucked up, right, Marcus?"

The newborn wolf looked at Oliver. "You called me Marcus."

"Of course I dids. That's your name."

"Not Human."

"You ain't human no more, Marcus. You's you." Oliver took a deep breath and sighed. "And I guess that's what you's saying. You can't become you if you stay here beside us becoming us every night."

"That's my guess."

"Damn it," Will said. "Why does that have to make sense somehow?"

"I have a ComLink, the same as Nathaniel did. If I get into trouble or need your help, I'll call."

Will looked at Marcus. "You are coming back, aren't you?"

"Of course, William," Marcus said. "This is where my family is. I promise I will return."

"When?"

"How long was Nathaniel gone?"

"Four years."

"Then how about four years?"

"But no longer; this is a walkabout, not a walk away," Will said with a note of finality to his voice.

"I will come back, William." Marcus paused. He turned to the others in the room. "Gentlemen, would you mind if I took your husband for a walk? I promise he will return by tomorrow."

The three nodded. "Give us one last hug before you go, Marcus," Derrick said, extending his arms. One by one, the brown wolf hugged the three.

Will and Marcus walked out of the master bedroom and into the antechamber of the cave. Marcus looked toward the main hall with its warm green glow. "I should tell them goodbye."

"I'll be here waiting," Will said with a smile.

Marcus walked into the hall and stared at the chrysalis. His hand reached out and touched the glowing green rock. "I wish I could stay to see you return. There's so much about you two I wish I understood. I will be back in four years. Oliver told me not to walk away. You would tell me to stay. I know I should. But I'm not ready to be this," Marcus said, waving his free paw over his wolfen chest. "I only said yes, because one day I hope I will be. I knew if I walked away from the highland as a human, that opportunity would never come again.

"I hope they'll all forgive me for leaving. I hope you'll all forgive me. That path they all seem to think I'm on seems so unclear. Please, if you can hear me, tell William I love him. Tell him I'm sorry." Marcus pulled his hand away from the stone and stared at the faint green glow he saw radiating from his paw. He shook his paw and it disappeared. He turned and walked back to the waiting wolf. "All ready, William. I believe we have a walk to take, and today I've even dressed appropriately for it."

Will smiled. "Indeed, you did." The two left the cave and began walking across the glade toward the cave home of the temple dogs. Ten hours later, the wolves gave goodbye hugs to the temple dogs and a promise from the newborn to return one day.

As they two watched the sun setting over the coast range, they reached the edge of the forest and Will stopped. Will looked at the brown wolf and his hand reached out to grab the other's paw. "Lose the ComLink, Marcus."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm me. If you say you're strong enough to make it on your own, then I have to let you prove that to yourself. I can hack that tech like a six-year-old plays holo-games. I already miss you. You give me a way to track you down, and I will. I'm sorry. That's who I am."

Marcus smiled as he pulled the Iberian wolf into a hug. "I wouldn't have you any other way." The brown wolf pulled the bud from his ear and took off the ComLink on his chest and handed it to Will. "Here, you keep it for me. I'll be back in four years to pick it up."

"Don't give up your work, Marcus."

"I won't. We're alike, you and I. I can do my work anywhere around the world. All I need is a quantum link, a burner ComLink, and I'm good to go."

"I'd need a flat screen," the old wolf said, rubbing up against the chest of the brown wolf.

Marcus laughed. "Yeah, well, that will be our undoing one day, won't it? You with your flat screen and me with my keyboard. We are dinosaurs, William."

"I'm a dinosaur that loves you, Marcus," Will whispered. "Please be careful."

"I promise I will be," the brown wolf answered. Marcus knelt down and rubbed the sheath of the wolf before him. It took no encouragement for the cock to spring from the fur and swell to its full size. "You have such a beautiful cock," Marcus said, smiling as he lowered his head onto the shaft.

After a few minutes, Marcus pushed the Iberian wolf forcefully, and Will, taking the hint, fell backward. He expected to feel his legs lifted over the shoulders of the brown wolf, but instead, the wolf straddled him. Slowly, Marcus impaled himself on Will's cock. Will shut his eyes in complete bliss. "No, Old Wolf," Marcus said. "Eyes open tonight. Let me see the eyes I will not see for another four years. Let me burn them into my memory. Leave me knowing after this night, I am creating my one great regret."

"You can stay."

"No, I can't. We both know that."

"Oliver is right. I fucking hate the Sight."

"But I love the wolf with the Sight," Marcus said as he lifted himself up and then fell back onto the old wolf's cock once more.

Will groaned happily. "And the wolf with the Sight loves you." His paws reached up and grabbed the brown wolf's hips and guided him into the motion that drove them both toward their inevitable orgasm.

Hours later, the two wolves were still joined. Their positions had changed multiple times, but now the old wolf lifted the legs of the brown wolf off his shoulders. "No, William, please stay inside me."

"How long?"

"Well, you told Oliver you could stay inside him all night."

"That's true, I did."

"Dawn can't be more than a few hours away. Stay inside me until morning light?"

Will smiled. "Okay to spoon? I know you said to look in your eyes, but it would be nice to lie here in the grass together."

"I would like that, William."

Without pulling out, Will turned the wolf below him on his side as he lifted the legs off his shoulders and rolled them across his chest. Once the brown wolf was on the ground, Will slipped up beside him and whispered, "I love you, Marcus."

Marcus sighed contentedly. "I love you, William."

"Get some rest, Marcus."

"Could I feel you coming inside me one more time?"

"After all we've done? You want one more time?"

"Well, you could do it twice if you'd like," the brown wolf said with a childish giggle.

"I am going to be so sore by morning."

"Yeah, me too," Marcus said, snickering again. "Ain't love grand?" He felt the wolf behind him push his cock deeper into his tight hole. He closed his eyes as the waves of pleasure ebbed and flowed with each push.

Inside the cave on the other side of the highland, the three husbands lay cuddled up in bed. Oliver pushed back against the black wolf. "He's gonna get his heart broke, Pup."

"I know, Oliver."

Kris rearranged his girth, trying to get closer to the two. "Are you both so sure?"

"Oh, yeah," Derrick responded. "I'm not very good with the Sight, but even I can see this one coming."

"Will he be okay?" Kris asked, the concern in his voice clear.

"He's got us, Bear," Oliver said. "And he's got a heart that don't never quit even after it's broke."

"I don't want any of my husbands to deal with a broken heart."

"But here we is, Bear. We's all had one. And we is still smiling 'cause we gots each other."

The big arm of the bear reached over and pulled both the badger and wolf close to him. "And that will always be the case, Husband." The bear sighed. "My god, those two are going at it again. Don't they have any mercy? Changelings can't deal well with that much sex floating around in the air."

"I know one Changeling who could as easily be a part of that sex floating on the air instead of talking about it," the black wolf said with a grin.

"Really, Pup?" the happy bear asked. "I'm I bottom or top?"

"You'se both, Bear," Oliver said as he wiggled out from under the thick paw and jumped on the bear. With a shake, he became the werebadger. "Dibs on whatever bunk the pup don't grab first," he yelled.

The bear leaned over and bit the black wolf's neck. "Pups on bottom tonight," he said as he flipped the wolf and penetrated him.

"Then moves your butt, bear, 'cause I ain't big enough to hump it with you on your knees."

"Doesn't matter, Badger," Kris said, grinning. "I'm getting me some badger dick while I'm doing the pup." The bear reached behind him. In one smooth move, he pulled the badger off his back and shoved the werebadger's cock into his mouth. "Now, this is where I've wanted to be all night," he said, mumbling past the swollen flesh.

The three had scarcely been together more than a few moments when they heard a light rapping on the outside of the rocky entrance to their bedroom. The three looked up. "Come in, dogs," the three said in chorus.

Noboru was the first to enter. "We're extremely sorry for this late visit, but the two wolves in the glade are most disturbing. We thought we could make it through the night, but Ancient One, you know you have no control over your pheromones or what they do to us."

Kris looked up from his fellating of the badger. "I have control, Noboru. I choose never to use it. Come join me. I have been told by the badger that he cannot mount me while I am inside the black wolf."

Katashi stared at the round rump of the bear, and his tongue licked across his wide mouth. "We could help the badger by mounting you in his stead."

Oliver laughed. "Go for it, dogs. I loves watching my bear pounded by temple dogs."

Zhuang bowed. "With your permission then, Badger," he said. With one great leap, he was on the back of the bear and pushing himself deep inside the bear's willing ass. The two other dogs rocked anxiously and, seeing only the badger not impaled, moved toward him.

Oliver's eyes widened. "Bear, do something!" he yelled. "They's got that look in their eyes. And they's looking at me."

Kris looked up and backed off the black wolf. "Husband, which of us goes?"

Derrick laughed. "I'll make the sacrifice, Bear," he said, giggling the whole time. "Roll over, Katashi," he commanded. "Tonight we go for double penetration of the wolf."

Katashi obediently rolled over onto the floor of the cave, his cock flipping up into the air. The wolf pounced on the cock, shoving his ass onto it with one quick motion. He barked happily as the temple dog pulled him forward and the other temple dog came up from behind and penetrated him.

Kris looked at the badger. "I have a cock that needs you, Badger."

Oliver shook his head no. "You gots a ton of beast on your back and you ain't no lightweight yourself. You's gonna crush me flatter than a pancake."

The bear rolled back, slamming Zhuang back onto the floor, the dog's cock still deep inside the bear. "You have any problems riding me from below?" the bear asked the temple dog.

Zhuang pushed up into the bear. "None at all, Ancient One. I will see to your satisfaction in whatever position you put me."

Kris reached out and pulled the werebadger close. "Change, Oliver."

"Bear, you's gonna cover me in cum," Oliver protested.

"Change, Oliver. You know we both love it."

The grin that spread across Oliver's face told the bear all he needed to know as the little badger returned. "Takes me, Bear. You knows I can't say no to you."

The bear kissed the badger. Then, placing him between his paws, Kris began using the badger's furry belly like a jack-off sleeve on the front of his oversized cock. As the bear rubbed the badger up and down over his swollen flesh, Oliver laughed hysterically. The little mammal briskly rubbed the bear's frenulum with his paws as his belly pushed up against the shaft. "Augh, Bear," Oliver screamed. "It tickles."

"Oh god, Badger," the bear yelled out. "Please don't make me stop."

"Is you crazy, Bear?" Oliver laughed. "You's gonna make me cum. Don't stop nothin'. You goes on ticklin' me."

The bear looked over at his husband and smiled as the black wolf took both temple dogs. Derrick played with their willing bodies like a puppeteer guiding his marionettes. The bear felt the swelling of his cock and with the temple dog pounding at his prostate; he let the dog and badger push him to exactly where he wanted to go.

With a loud roar, the Kodiak's cum shot out and upward. The first volleys of the white liquid were uncontrolled, splattering up against the ceiling and across the room. Then the hands of the little badger lifted and channeled the cum down the swollen flesh and across the belly of the badger.

"Don'ts stop, Bear," Oliver yelled. "I'se almost there." The bear never hesitated, shoving the badger up and down along his cock as the badger's cum soaked body became thoroughly lubed. Oliver's eyes rolled into the back of his head. He closed his eyes as his own erect flesh slid back and forth across the bear's.

With so much cum still spilling out of the bear, it was hard to tell exactly when the badger came. Only the happy whimper escaping his lips instead of his usual scream told the others what had happened. The low guttural growls of the temple dogs heralded their orgasms, and the black wolf soon followed.

The merry group remained intertwined for the better part of an hour after their collective orgasms. They fondled and kissed each other's bodies in a relaxed but playful mood. For now, their togetherness was enough to help them remain sated, despite what was happening with the two wolves out on the glade. Kris looked up from where he lay beside the youngest of the temple dogs. Oliver lay quietly snoring. His tiny body rose and fell with each breath of the bear's chest. "What say we call it a night?" Kris whispered to the rest. "We can clean up tomorrow. I don't have the heart to wake the badger."

Noboru looked up from kissing the black wolf. "It might be for the best. As much as I enjoy the pup's gentleness, it is beginning to arouse me again."

Derrick smiled. "Same here, Husband. We either cuddle up together and sleep, or we go at it again. Tonight, I think Oliver has the right idea."

"I love you all," Kris said. "I will see you all tomorrow morning."

"Nots too early," the little badger said sleepily. "Them wolves gots to say their goodbyes."

"And that, they have to do alone together," Derrick added.

"His heart will break," Noboru said sadly.

"It's already broke, Dog," Oliver said with a sigh. "He just ain't letting Marcus see that."

"And it will break again before this all plays out. It will be our job to help him pick up the pieces so that he can put them back together," Derrick said compassionately.

"Is there nothing we can do to help him avoid the pain?" Zhuang asked.

"Not without asking the old wolf to stop loving," Noboru said.

"And we cannot ask of the old wolf that which he cannot do," Katashi added. "We can only be there to ask him what he needs of us when the time comes."

"Sleep well, gentlemen," Kris said. "May your dreams be as pleasant as this evening has been for me."

The group nodded in agreement. Pushing against each other, they closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 8

The morning sun was lightening the dark blue sky with shades of pink when Will sensed Marcus stirring. "You're still inside me," Marcus said happily.

"It was still hard. It had to go somewhere," Will said with a smile. "You're the best place I could think to keep it."

Marcus sighed. "I'm happy with it there. Thank you for last night, William."

"And thank you. I will miss you, Marcus. But I will have my memory of last night with you until you return. It won't be enough, but it will have to do." The Iberian wolf reached around, grabbed Marcus's erect cock, and played with it gently. Will's eyes opened with an arch of his eyebrow. He drew his hand along the girth of the cock, squeezing it like a shopper trying to determine the ripeness of a tomato.

Marcus laughed. "What? You didn't think I'd have a hard-on? I'm the same as you, William."

Will rubbed the cock again and then stared at the head in front of him. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. It might be embarrassing to admit this, but I've jacked off enough over the last half millennium to have a pretty good idea of what my cock feels like." He stared at the gray fur intermixed between the black, white, and brown fur, noticing the familiar pattern. "And well... your cock doesn't feel like yours did last night. It feels like mine."

Marcus bolted up and looked at himself. "Fuck!" he cried out.

Will looked up from his reclining position at the gray wolf facing away from him. Marcus was rubbing his paws over himself. "You never say fuck, Marcus."

"I do today," the gray wolf said, turning around and looking at Will.

Will looked at the wolf. His stare was obvious as his eyes ran up and down the length of the werewolf in front of him. "Fuck," Will said, shaking his head.

"I'm you, William!" the confused wolf said.

"Yeah, you are."

"Maybe only the fur."

"And the cock."

Marcus looked down. "Okay, can't say that will bother me all that much. I'm rather fond of your cock. But just how alike are we?"

Will pulled back the fur on his forehead that formed the shaggy cowlick always seen on both the wolf and the human. "What's under your hair, Marcus?" the old wolf asked, showing the long scar across his forehead.

Marcus hesitated a moment and pulled the hair back, exposing the same scar. He felt the line across his flesh. "It's there, isn't it?"

Will nodded. "It's there."

Marcus dropped to his knees and shook his head. "No, this can't be happening."

Will knelt beside him and put his arm around the newborn Iberian wolf's shoulders. "It's okay, Marcus. If I had known it would happen, I would have insisted Derrick stay inside you all night long because, let's face it, that boy is hot. But being a gray wolf isn't all that bad. There are quite a few of us out there, and we do all right for ourselves. There aren't many Iberian grays, but you'll blend in, trust me."

Marcus looked up. "I look like the man I love. Not just sort of look like him. I'm his twin."

Will smiled. "That's between you and me, Marcus. Why don't we go get cleaned up down at the pond? You can leave before the others get up. No one but the two of us need ever know."

"I'm like the ultimate stalker. I meet the man of my dreams and I become him. It's disturbing."

"It's flattering."

Marcus looked up at Will. "What?"

"I'm okay with it, Marcus. I love you. If I need to stare into a mirror to be with you, I don't care. I can live with that. Now, all we need to find out is if you can."

"You don't mind?"

"I don't mind."

Marcus rubbed his chest. "I guess I'm okay with it. You're aware that I think you're beautiful, right?"

"There's no accounting for taste, but yes, I'm aware. And I'm glad you think so."

"You're the one who's going to be forced to make love to his twin if we ever do it again," a disappointed Marcus huffed.

"We will do it again. I will never say no to you, Marcus," the old wolf said with a smile. "Are we good?"

Marcus shook his head. "I guess we are for the time being."

"Want to go take a bath together? I'd like to make sure you're sent off with your fur all nice and clean."

"Does this involve sex?"

Will grinned. "Undoubtedly."

"Then yes, I would like to go take a bath with you."

"So if I said no, you would turn the bath down?"

"No, I wanted to make sure I wasn't reading the offer wrong. I can't say I've had enough experience reading what others say to understand exactly what they're offering. My opportunities to read other's emotions inside that apartment of mine are almost nil."

Marcus helped Will up and the old wolf put his arm around his twin's shoulder as they walked toward the creek. "Marcus, there's one thing you need to learn about me. If I am with you, there will never be a time when I don't want to have sex with you. Sometimes things will stand in our way. Occasionally, societal constraints and work obligations will cockblock us. I won't ask you to hump my ass in the middle of a grocery store, for example."

"Okay, I'm good with that."

"But the only time I won't want to play with you is whenever you tell me no."

"I can't think of a time when I would do that," Marcus said with a laugh.

The old wolf stood by the pond and jumped in. He turned to his twin and extended his arms. "Come on in, Wolf. The water is brisk. It will make your nipples hard, and I'm pretty sure you like them that way. I know I do."

Marcus dove into the water and headed straight for Will's legs. He pushed through them and rose, tossing the old wolf into the air and into his arms as he fell back to earth. He leaned in and kissed his double. When their hands began scrubbing the other, he released the kiss. "I will miss you, William."

"And I will miss you, Marcus."

"Will you be here when I come back?"

"I will be here."

"Will you still love me?"

Will smiled at his doppelgänger. "I will always love you, Marcus. Never take a step in your life without knowing that truth. Find your way back to me, no matter how long it takes. I will be waiting."

"I'm doing the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life, aren't I?"

Will laughed out loud. "Oh hell, no, Marcus. You're young. You're going to do a lot of things dumber than today before you're even two hundred."

Marcus grabbed Will and kissed him again. "You're so comforting."

Will grinned. "You know what's comforting? A warm cock up my ass."

Marcus laughed. "And I have the perfect cock for you."

"You better. It's mine, after all."

Marcus smiled as he turned the wolf around and penetrated him. He leaned in and gently bit Will's shoulder. "We're going to make this work, right, William?"

"Yeah, Marcus. We're going to make this work. Now work it in a bit deeper, will you?" The wolf made a happy growl as Marcus gave him exactly what he craved.

Hours later, the two stood watching the water cascade over the top of the waterfall. "That drop was easier to deal with this when I was blind," Marcus said.

"I can help you down the mountain if there's a need," Will said. "I can even show you the place where Eric and Derrick made love along the path on their way here for the first time."

Marcus shook his head no. "I know the path, William. Down the cliff over there, a switchback, then behind the waterfall, another switchback past the ledge where the two made love. From there, I just follow the path out onto the plains."

"Seems you got more than my good looks," Will said with a smile.

"I am trying not to hold on to the memories, William. They're yours. I will find a way to let them go."

"What do you see?"

"The last three or four hundred years; mostly from your time with the Old Bear until now. Before that, it's dark, almost like a night fog. You have not had a peaceful life, William. There is so much sadness."

Will rubbed the wolf's shoulders and looked into the yellow eyes that matched his. "Find the happiness, Marcus. If you let it, it will soften the sadness. It helps put the hard times into perspective. It's those moments of sheer bliss that make my life worth living. Let that be the last lesson I teach you before you leave this mountain."

"I would prefer to let it all slip from my mind."

"I'll only tell them to you as stories when you come back. They're yours. I give them to you willingly."

"What is it Oliver once said? 'We's the most fucked up family in the universe.' I'm beginning to think I fit right in."

Will smiled, nodding his head. "He said that. He also said, 'let's be fucked up together', and that's about as good as any advice I've ever heard when it comes to this family."

Marcus pulled his mirror image in for one last hug. "You and me, fucked up buddies forever?"

"You know it, Marcus. Now go. You have a lot of distance to cover before nightfall." With a last kiss, the newborn Iberian wolf turned and began his descent down the mountain. Before he reached the waterfall, he was gone from Will's sight.

Will turned and began walking back toward the cave. As he neared the edge of the forest, he saw the three temple dogs standing behind the bear, the wolf, and the badger. He smiled. "Family," he whispered, wiping his paw across his eyes. He walked into their embrace, never once trying to fight back his tears in their company.

Chapter 9

"Noble Prime Minister, members of Parliament, I think we can all agree that our land has laid neglected for too many years." Li Wei waved his hand toward the map behind him. "The War of the Continents was over sixty years ago, and still, many of the dead of that war remain unburied or lie in unmarked graves. The land is desolate from the bombings. Those brave enough to traverse the passages through the mountains avoid the ruins of the temple as haunted."

The council before Li Wei stood quietly listening to the words spoken in an ancient Tibetan dialect. "We are a nation of refugees returning to our homes," the temple dog continued. "A war not of our choosing tore from us our ancestral home. Our losses were great. The lives of so many innocents lie on all our backs, and we cannot turn away from this any longer."

Derrick turned to Kris. "What's he saying, Bear?"

Kris put his thick, furred finger up against his lips. "Shhh... Pup," he commanded. "Use your ComLink." He tapped it and said, 'Tibetan; translate'. The black wolf listened as the dog's speech in his ear turned to English.

The black wolf looked at his mate sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot," he whispered. The Kodiak bear squeezed his hand. Love. Even when silent together in a room, Pup felt it surround him.

"I understand your desires, Master Li Wei, and I sympathize with your losses," the prime minister said. "But we are a poor nation with few resources that aren't already stretched to the breaking point. One day, the natural resources we have beneath our feet will rebuild our economy, but that day is not today."

"We understand that, Noble One," Li Wei said with a bow. "Let this be our gift back to the people we have lived with for so many centuries. My fellow monks wish to come home. We wish to rebuild our temples and our monastery. We wish to tend to the suffering and the lost as we have since before there was a Tibet."

The Iberian wolf stood up and, in the same Tibetan dialect as the dog, added, "I will see to the financing of the monk's proposal, your Excellency. For generations, my family has benefited from the care of the monks. I have spent many memorable years under their watchful care. I am grateful for what they offer to us, not only to my family but to the world at large. Since the War of the Continents, they have lived by our side, and we are grateful for that time. But they have a home, and that home is here in Tibet. Many of you in this room remember what it feels like to live in exile. Your parents or grandparents have told you the stories of what it felt like to return to their birthplace after such a devastating war.

"We ask nothing of the Tibetan people save to restore to the monks that which is theirs by right. Let them return to their lands and bury the dead. Let them restore the mountain passes and create a new home where their old one once stood. In return, they will provide sanctuary for the lost and the ill as they have always done. They will create a place where the pilgrim can find solace and peace."

The parliamentarians began talking among themselves. Finally, one spoke. "So what is it you are asking of us?"

Li Wei and his brothers bowed deferentially toward the dais filled with officials. The Tibetan parliament saw four old men with shaved heads and loose-fitting robes. "We ask that you acknowledge our right to our lands; that you allow us to return and rebuild."

"And," Will added, "We ask that you allow us to traverse your airspace while we rebuild the temples and monastery. We will restore the passes, we will bury the dead and create memorials for them, and we will return to that forsaken area a place of beauty and tranquility."

"Our people could use the work," the prime minister said as he threw out his first bargaining chip.

"And we will be happy to employ them," the wolf responded. "We have architects and construction supervisors on staff. They understand the needs of the monks and the sacred nature of their buildings. They will oversee the construction and ensure the rebuilding honors those codes and practices. But in all other phases, we will have your people by our side."

"You make an offer that is quite appealing, Mister... Mister..." The prime minister looked down at his paperwork, mumbling as he tried to find a name.

"Gentry. William Gentry."

"The CEO of Bear Paws Enterprises?"

"The same. I did not come here today without considerable backing to my words and promises." The wolf stepped forward around the desk for visitors. "But please call me Will. If this venture is to succeed, we will need to be friends more than business partners."

The prime minister smiled. "Agreed. Let's get our legal counsel to meet with yours and have the proper documents drawn up. We will deed the lands you request once more to your monks, Master Li Wei. We wish you well in this venture. The north needs all the healing it can find."

"We are grateful, Noble One," Li Wei said with another bow. "May good fortune smile on all our efforts."

The first day of the site's overview was a celebratory one for the temple dogs. Preliminary appraisals of the work ahead were far from a return to their home. Even so, to see the land, to feel their feet on the soil where they shared so much of their life, was a comfort they had long hoped for. The three temple dogs and their werewolf construction crew moved up the hill toward the temple. Will and Oliver joked with Greg about what it would take to add a few modern conveniences to the reconstruction as they crested the hill.

"Wow," Greg said, taking a deep breath. "They didn't leave much behind, did they?" Everywhere the rubble of the once great monastery lay scattered about the ground, covered in a layer of snow. The few walls remaining upright stood riddled with bullet holes and ordnance damage.

"We were in the middle of a land the warring tribes were fighting for," Zhuang replied. "From all points of the compass, they considered this land a line in the sand that no one could cross. We became a land that all nations would destroy rather than give it up to another country."

Noboru sighed. "Now you know why this land has been deserted since the War of the Continents. The thousands of dead whose bodies lay on the surface so long that they melded back into the earth without burial are incalculable. The flood from the breaking dams devastated these lands. Returning to the desolation was difficult. This land is too remote. There is such a struggle for anything to survive. The plants and soil washed away in the flood. All that remains is ice, rock, and lifeless dirt."

Katashi nodded his head. "The damage from the war within the major cities of China occupied every resource to save those that remained. For all these years afterward, no one returned to a land devoid of life. If you want to know why there was no real dispute to our claim for this place, you have only to look and see a wasteland no human can face."

Will stepped forward, walking into the debris. "I'm sorry, Dogs," he said as he picked up a broken piece of the Mountain Gate Hall's arch and tossed it onto a pile of clay bricks. "This should never have happened."

Noboru smiled. "We have fixed worse from the five of us playing, Old Wolf. We will rebuild. It is time to restore this sacred place and lay the souls who died here to rest."

Will nodded. "I suppose so. We have our work cut out for us, that's for sure," he said, looking out at the destruction. He noticed a staff jutting from the debris as he walked forward. "There's one of your khakkharas," he said as he pushed his way past the half-standing arch of the Mountain Gate. He reached for the staff. As he gave it a tug, he felt the wire wrapped around it grow taut. He turned back to the crowd. "EVERYONE DOWN!" he yelled as the landmine exploded in a flash of light.

The badger screamed as the explosion enveloped the old wolf, tearing his left arm off and hurtling it toward the group. The milliseconds the landmine took to do its damage stretched into an eternity as the little mammal struggled to cross the debris field toward Will.

"BADGER, NO!" Greg yelled. "There may be more."

"I don't care," Oliver yelled as he rushed toward his fallen mate. He dropped to the wolf's side, watching the blood gush from where his arm once was. His leg had fared no better. It was a shredded mess of bone and flesh that clung to his hip. The left side of the wolf had borne the brunt of the explosion as he turned away from it. "No, Old Wolf," Oliver cried out. "You don'ts go out this way."

Greg stood up in the middle of the crowd. "Everyone, find your footsteps in the snow. Carefully step back through them and watch yourselves."

"But Will," Noboru objected as he pointed to the werewolf in the badger's arms.

"I'm afraid that's out of our hands now," Greg answered. "We have to make sure those mines don't injure anyone else today." He helped one of the crew stand up. "Now, everyone move." Greg looked back at the two at the epicenter of the blast. He tapped his ComLink. "Tiff, Tuff," he said. "There's been a horrible accident. We need an air rescue extraction team, stat, and you better fire up the Gray Wolf and get an ordnance team onboard. There is a booby-trapped monastery here with landmines buried for over half a century. We're on top of some very old, very testy explosives."

"We're on our way," Greg heard the response.

"Oliver," Greg yelled. "We have help on the way. Stay where you are. We will come for both of you."

The badger looked up, his eyes blazing white. "They ain'ts gonna make it in time for him. I can'ts let my husband die." Oliver looked at his bloody paw as it pushed against the brachial artery. "Damn you, Old Wolf. Don'ts you never look with your Sight no more? You goes trusting them humans, but you forgets we gots to live with who they was."

The wolf didn't respond as the blood continued to spill from the wound. Oliver looked at the bloody face of the canid and he stroked the cheek. "My life before yours, Old Wolf," he said, and he leaned in and kissed the lips of the old wolf. The badger's body fluoresced to a brilliant white.

Radiating from Oliver, the white light became a bubble of intense energy that spun and whirled like a hive of angry hornets. The glowing light expanded outward. With it, all heard one explosion after another as landmines detonated in the white light. Their explosions would begin advancing outward in red flame and then suddenly implode into an invisible void. From the outside, the crowd watched the bubble spreading past them and off into the distance. All the while, the explosions continued in places where only moments ago they had walked.

The wolf's body shifted as Oliver clutched him tightly. First, the blood ceased oozing from the old wolf's missing limbs, and then the huge lacerations and cuts that covered his body pulled together. As the others looked on, they could see the white light drain from the badger into Will as the wolf's life returned.

For what seemed an eternity to those watching, the white light of the badger flowed into the unmoving body of the wolf. Then, with a violent lurch of his body, the old wolf's eyes opened. He looked at Oliver and tried to push him away with an arm that was no longer there. "No, Oliver," he protested.

"Shut up, Old Wolf," Oliver commanded. "You gots no say in this."

Oliver shut his eyes and glowed even brighter as the bubble moved further outward. And then, with a blinding flash, it was gone. There was a deathly silence as the band of werebeasts looked toward where Oliver and Will once were.

"Where did they go?" one of the construction crew asked.

"They are still there," Katashi said, looking over the werewolf's head. "They have fallen on the ground. You can't see them because of the rubble, but they are unmoved from where they were. The badger is most certainly dead. I can't say what the old wolf's status is."

Static came over Greg's ComLink. "We're two minutes out," Tiff said.

"There's been a casualty," Greg said sadly. "Oliver is dead."

There was a silence on the other side of the ComLink. Greg heard only the sound of a choking sob.

"I did not say Oliver is dead," Katashi corrected. "I said the badger is dead. The human might still be alive."

Within moments, the Red Wolf hovered over the two bodies that lay in the debris field of the monastery. Two werewolves in flak jackets and body armor rappelled down ropes. Alongside them was a wide stretcher with screens and flashing lights.

The soldiers went about their work carefully. They placed a stretcher close to the two bodies, and the soldiers whispered into their ComLinks. The soldiers stepped back, and the stretcher moved toward the body of the human that had once been a badger. It lifted itself up and rolled over the body, trailing a bright cloth over the top of the motionless man. When it completed the circle, the fabric shrank to fit his body tightly. The stretcher rotated the body into the rigid shell. No hands ever touched Oliver, but the stretcher itself kept the body immobile and safe as it rose quickly up into the cargo bay of the Red Wolf. A second stretcher came down and repeated the actions for the old wolf. The two werewolves grabbed the carabineers on their harnesses and released them to return inside the Red Wolf. Within seconds, the aircraft was gone.

Both the werewolf soldiers looked around, assessing the situation. One was holding a device that reflected the screen light back onto his face, but the group could not tell what he was viewing. They stood silent for a moment. "The area appears to be clear," the one holding the device said in confusion as the two walked toward the group. "But that's not to say it was a few minutes ago. There is a great deal of residue here from what appears to be over eighty bomb blasts in a ten-kilometer radius." The werewolf shook his head. "But only one explosive crater over there where the two were. What happened here?"

"Oliver took charge of things," Greg said sadly. "He wasn't about to let the mines do to us what they did to his husband."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the other soldier said. "Of course it's Oliver, so I expect nothing less." He looked about. "Morbid question, but is there a wolf's arm around here somewhere?"

Noboru walked over to a pile of brick and lifted the remnant of the old wolf out from under the dirt. He extended it toward the soldier werewolf. It was mostly bone, with a few parts of flesh and fur still clinging to it. What remained was nothing one would call an arm anymore.

The soldier reached out and took the remnant of the arm. "Thanks. I doubt there's anything we can do to put it back, but you never know. Templeton Memorial Hospital has done some pretty amazing stuff in the past."

"Oliver?" Greg asked.

"He's alive, but beyond that, I can't say."

"The badger?"

"He wouldn't have been human if the badger survived. We all know that."

There was a low hum overhead, and all looked upward. The great ship rocked as it rotated into landing position. The wings shadowed its slate gray wolf head insignias. As the ship steadied, the blue thrusters pointed downward. "Gray Wolf is here, gentlemen. Let's say we get you all onboard and sort everything else out back at Templeton Memorial."

The geared-up werewolf tapped his ComLink. "Let's get our people out of here," he ordered. He paused. "Yeah, we'll leave them behind. We can double back and pick them up in a few days. We're going to want to make sure this area is clear before the temple dogs return. But for now, let's get everyone to Paris."

The soldier wolf paused, listening carefully. "Yeah, clear it with the Tibetan parliament, but I'm sure they'll allow a full contingent of bomb disposal wolves into the area. Remind them the safety of their future homesteaders should be as paramount to them as the safety of our people is to us." He paused again. "No less than six hundred kilometers. I'm not taking any chances." He listened again as he nodded. "Yeah, tell them we'll sweep the passes, too. Let's keep the humans safe should they ever make pilgrimages to the temple."

The cargo ramp of the Gray Wolf lowered. The soldier werewolf extended his hand toward the opening. "Gentlemen, please." As the group walked up the ramp, seven werewolves strapped with gear walked past them in the other direction. They nodded and reached out gently to touch each of their brothers as they passed.

With a collective sigh and unsure of every step they took, the group boarded the aircraft and took their seats. The lead soldier secured the temple dogs upright to the side of the aircraft with the webbing used for cargo. He made apologies for such awkward arrangements and found himself a seat beside the others. The flight to Paris and the hospital was a quiet one. Everyone struggled for words that would somehow express their feelings. But nothing could break the silence of complete confusion over the morning's events.

When the Gray Wolf set down on the helipad of Templeton Memorial, the Red Wolf was nowhere to be seen. There was a contingent of white coats standing by to greet the group inside the hospital. The crowd expected and listened to apologies they could not follow the patients into the ER. Ushered to the emergency waiting room; they tried to prepare for news.

Only minutes later, they saw the red-headed doctor run past them toward the operating theater. Greg shook his head. "Nathaniel has seen his loves die too many times."

"They're not dead," Noboru corrected. "He will not let that happen."

Greg nodded. "I'm sorry, you're right. It's been a hell of a day."

"Indeed, it has," Noboru said as he put his arm around the werewolf and pulled him in close.

Chapter 10

Oliver's eyes opened to a green haze. He blinked a few times, trying to clear it, and then saw the fuzzy image of a bear's paw hovering over him. "Turn off the damn light, Bear," he mumbled.

"You need it for the time being, so just shut up and deal with it," came the short-faced bear's brusque reply.

"You never orders me to do nothin', Bear," the human said, stirring uncomfortably. "Is I that fucked up?"

The immense face of the bear came toward Oliver and kissed him. "You are that fucked up, Oliver. Now please let me do what I can to help."

Oliver was quiet for a moment. "You should be with the old wolf. I don't care how fucked up I am. He's gots to be more fucked up than me."

Nathaniel nodded in agreement. "Ivan and Dad are with him, Oliver. We're doing all we can."

"Is them two gonna be enough?"

"We're all pretty weak. Our powers haven't regenerated all that quickly since the day you returned them to us, but between the three of us, we will find a way out of this."

"Damn old bear should have woke up. He could have used the old wolf as an excuse to drain out all his powers again. He'd know there ain't nothin' I can do to fix him this time."

"That's my papa you're talking about, Oliver."

The human sighed. "I knows... I knows. But he'd give it all up for the old wolf."

The human felt the bear kiss his cheek again. "We all would, Husband. But that willingness to give up all we have extends to you as well. Let us do what we can to take care of the one who's already given up too much to save his family."

"Family is hard to come by for a badger," Oliver said. He paused for a moment. In a room full of beeping machines and noisy ventilators, he could hear the tears falling from the bear's eyes. He listened to labored breathing, his beating heart, and the silence of the words he couldn't speak. "It's okay, Bear," he said. "I knows the badger died. We agreed it was the right thing to do."

"One day when you and Will are both better, he can turn you again," Nathaniel said, trying to smile. "You can become whatever your heart desires, Oliver."

The human smiled. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"It would be wonderful."

"So, is the old wolf all burnt up like the sloth was?"

"No. The explosion was an anti-personnel mine. They're meant to inflict close-quarter physical damage. He's still a werewolf, and that's helping him heal."

"He gots no arm, Bear. I saw it flying by me when I was running to him."

"No, it's gone. Werewolf bodies are too complex to simply attach a bit of bone and watch it grow back."

"He can get a new one, right? Like Max."

"We're already working on it. We have technologies that are far more advanced than what we are using with Will, but Martin insisted we use some rather old-fashioned prosthetic devices."

"More than one?" Oliver asked.

"An arm, a leg, an eye, and a partial jaw reconstruction. The landmine did what it was meant to do. Only you and his werewolf's superhuman strength kept him alive." Nathaniel paused, thinking. "Well, that and his quick reflexes. He turned into the remaining bit of the Mountain Gate wall and it blocked much of the blast."

"Can I goes and see him?"

"He's in what we call a medically induced coma, Oliver. He won't be able to talk to you."

"That's okay. I can talks to him. He never listens to me anyway... bastard wolf."

The bear leaned in and kissed the human. Oliver remembered a day when the touch of the bear's fur was a pleasure he craved. But today it was as if small pins were pushing into his skin. "Fur kinda hurts, Bear," he whispered. There was a shift, and he felt the smoothness of the red-headed human pressing up against him. He still hurt all over, but at least that pain wasn't from the touch of his lover. "I guess I'se gonna have to get used to the human you for a time."

"Only for a time, Oliver. It will take you longer to heal as a human, but you will get better."

"Yeah, but untils I'se a beast again, ain't no way I'm letting that bear near my ass."

Nathaniel laughed as he let the hug go. "Fair enough."

"But the human... he best be ready soon, 'cause I ain'ts given up playing with my husbands."

"I will be there for you, Oliver. And you like playing with Martin and Derrick's human bodies."

"I likes Kris's too. I likes playing with all my husbands' ape suits." Oliver said as his head drooped slightly. "Would it be okay with you if I falls asleep? I'm kinda tired."

"That would be fine, Hon," Nathaniel answered as his paw lifted, glowing green. "Think of it as a nightlight."

Oliver smiled. "I loves you, Bear. Nows and forever."

"Now and forever," the bear repeated.

Chapter 11

"Oliver, Dad, Papa Wolfy, He's coming around," Nathaniel said.

The old wolf's eyes flickered open, glowing bright yellow. He saw the face of the short-faced bear looking at him with an ophthalmoscope. "Turn off the damn light, Son," the wolf mumbled.

"That's what I told him," he heard Oliver say. "Damn bear loves shining lights in people's eyes.

"Well, Oliver," Will said with a pained expression, "it's not exactly my eye." He looked up at Nathaniel. "Is it?"

"Not really. It's a close approximation."

"It's kind of weird, but it's workable. Seeing some interesting colors I've never seen before."

"Those will disappear as your body gets used to the new way data is being transmitted. Brains like to return things to normal, so it will make adjustments."

The wolf's prosthetic arm came up and rubbed the muzzle of the bear. "Damn... pretty good reflexes. A hell of a lot better than Max's old arm."

"They have made a few improvements over the years, but Martin told us not to install any grafting prosthetics. You, of course, can override his insistence on that."

"Martin said to do this?" The wolf asked, waving the arm in front of his face. It was a flat black metal. The various methods of articulation wove through the arm in different spots. Even a few servo drives and cables lay visibly buried inside the prosthetic elbow. "Kind of very nineteen-nineties Terminator, don't you think? I like it."

"If it sounds good to you, you can have one that grows your own skin and fur over it, Old Wolf," Derrick said, trying to be helpful.

The old wolf pushed up. He stared at the black wolf, the Kodiak bear, and the little man standing between them. "Well, look at you, Oliver. What have you done with my badger?"

"He's dead, Old Wolf. I'se sorry, but he ain't no more."

Will frowned and held out his arms to the human. "I am too, Oliver. Come on, give me a hug. Let me get used to hugging you with clothes again."

Oliver threw his leg up onto the bed and scooted close to the wolf. "We can get rid of these damn clothes if you likes. I'se just trying not to scare the humans in the hospital."

Will hugged the human. "I'm good with this for the time being, Oliver. But when we get home, the clothes go off in Montana and anytime we're away from the human family on the island. Let the werebeasts deal with it. I like my husbands naked."

Oliver laughed. "You has a deal, Husband. You sure you don't wants that furry arm Derrick was talking about?"

"Martin said this is what I need to have," the old wolf said, waving the arm. " Do you want to question him about that?"

Derrick shook his head. "I know I wouldn't." The young wolf leaned over and kissed the older.

"Not me," Kris said as he leaned over and repeated the kiss.

Will looked at the group. "How long have I been out?"

"A little over a month, Father," Nathaniel answered. "We had to keep you in a coma until your body could heal itself enough to bring you back."

"Well, that was nice of you to wait."

The short-faced bear nodded. "We always wait, Father. It's what we do for our family. But if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my responsibilities on Partridge Island."

"I understand, Son. Say hi to the cat for me."

"We'll both be back to visit you tomorrow, Father."

Will smiled. "That would be nice. For now, I have three beautiful husbands to enjoy." Will looked at the short, rotund human on his bed. "So, Oliver, are you going to have any problems with me keeping these artificial limbs?"

Oliver thought for a moment. "No, I guesses not. If Martin says you wear that arm and leg, then I agrees with the husbands; you best wear them. That cat has got the Sight in peculiar ways." Oliver looked up at Nathaniel. "Does he know why the old wolf's got to wear them old-fashioned things?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "He hasn't got a clue. He only said that one day Father will understand."

Will smiled and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly and then said, "It sounds sort of optimistic to me."

"To me too, Old Wolf," Oliver said happily. "You gets all better. You gots a human to turn."

Will pushed up from the bed. "No, Oliver. Let Nathaniel or Martin do that. You know how I fuck-up turnings. Besides, they're your first husbands."

"You's the one who turned me, Old Wolf. I ain't changing horses mid-stream. Besides, one of them other horses is hung like an overgrown bear."

Will laughed. "It will be awhile before that day if you wait for me, Oliver. Go ahead, let them turn you. I'll love you no matter what you choose to become. Besides, you know me; I like surprises."

Oliver frowned. "I'se waiting, Old Wolf. End of discussion. You gots your own pecker there still, so as long as it ain't metal, you's turning me."

"And with that, I'll say goodbye again, Father," Nathaniel interrupted, cutting the discussion short. "I can rely on the staff here to take care of you, and your husbands to make sure you stay happy." The short-faced bear leaned over and kissed the wolf. "I'll see you tomorrow." With a spin, the short-faced bear in a lab coat kissed the other three in the room, turned, and walked out the door.

The room was quiet while the four waited for the door to close. Will put his hand out to Oliver. "Well, one thing is for sure. I'm not turning you here in this damn hospital. I hate hospitals. And Pup isn't too fond of them, either." Derrick shook his head no. Will rubbed the short man's thick beard. "Where do you want to turn?"

Oliver reached into his pocket and held up a picture. "Here," the grizzled man replied.

Will looked at the small, reddish-brown photo in a dilapidated paper folder. Two overweight, bearded men stood with their arms around each other in front of a saloon. One towered over the other, but their wide grins spoke of their friendship. The tin-type had not fared well over the years. Will could see the thousands of miles and hundreds of years it had traveled inside the trail bags of a scout whose life forever changed the night he became a badger.

Will smiled. "That's us in Deadwood. My god, Oliver, I didn't realize you kept that tin-type."

"It's all I hads of you, Old Wolf. How coulds I ever let it go?"

Will grabbed the human and pulled him into a tight hug. Oliver pushed back and pulled his T-shirt over his head. "Looks, Old Wolf," the human said with a wide grin. "I'se even gots the same outfit I wore the night you turned me."

Will pulled the human back into a hug, and with a sharp tug, pulled the sweats off of the human and threw them on the floor. "Funny thing that, Oliver. I'm wearing the same outfit the night I turned you as well. What are the odds of that happening?" Will looked up at the black wolf and Kodiak, who stood watching the two. "Husbands, on a normal day, I would ask you to join us, but could we have this moment together?"

"Of course, Husband," Kris said. "But a few details you haven't thought through yet. As one of your attending physicians, I have to point them out."

Will's eyebrow rose. "Oh? What's that, Doctor?"

"They create prosthetic devices for a unique individual. Things like eye color and size, jawline, arm length, and leg configuration. They measure that stuff down to the millimeter and create them for one individual. So, if that individual is a seven-foot werewolf wanting to turn into a six-foot-four human so he can have sex with another human without turning him..."

"Fuck," Oliver groused.

"I'm sorry, Oliver," Will said, disheartened.

"As your doctor, I had to point that out."

"Understood, Bear," Will sighed sadly.

"As your husband, and one who has had some time to enjoy Oliver's human side while you recouped, I will mention that he has a very tasty cock."

Will smiled. "He does that." He looked at Oliver. "I know it's not what you would like. We can't even sixty-nine... but... well, it's a start, right?"

Oliver smiled. "Kiss me, Old Wolf. I'se already gots a boner and if you don't take it, one of them husbands behinds me's getting it, cause I ain't walking around with blue balls until you's better."

The wolf growled and pulled the human into a kiss. The two other husbands quietly stepped out into the hall and watched the glass door close. "Door... lock... open only on my order or the order of Dr. Nathaniel Templeton, William Gentry, or Oliver Templeton." Kris smiled and kissed the black wolf. "I love watching young love blossoming."

"They are beautiful, aren't they?"

"We married well."

"And Oliver was right about one thing," the young wolf said.

"What's that?"

"Well, I've got a boner from watching them, and if you don't take it, I'm going to find me a bear who will. I know Max and JP are out there in the waiting room with Chet. They all like black wolf dick."

Kris laughed. "I saw a vacant room on the way in, Husband." The two turned and walked down the hallway. Kris stopped in front of a wide door and pushed it open.

Derrick stared inside. "It's bigger than I thought it would be."

"They built this hospital for beasts of all sizes, Pup," the brown bear explained. "This is a large mammal room. Water buffalo, Elephants, beasts like those. They put it in years ago when they found out about Chipo. After all, accidents happen, and Templeton Memorial is much closer to Africa than Partridge Island."

Derrick stared at the bed that covered the space of three. Kris nudged the wolf. "So, Chet and the boys are out in the waiting room?"

"Yep, they had the weekend off and thought they'd come to visit."

"The weekend, huh?"

"Seems almost rude to make them sit out there waiting to visit our husbands when we know they're preoccupied," the wolf said.

Kris smiled. "You turn down the sheets, Mr. Wolf with a boner that seems to keep growing the more you think about them. I'll go get Chet and the boys, and we can tend to your needs."

Derrick smiled shyly. "That would be really nice."

Without another word, Kris lumbered down the hall toward the waiting room.

Chapter 12

Two months later, Oliver and Will were having their picture taken at Deadwood's Wild West Old-Tyme Photoshop. The short, overweight human wearing buckskins stood proudly in front of the camera. His arm wrapped around a seven-foot werewolf dressed in cowboy gear fitted around his body and tied at the back. Even with the cheat of the photographer's costumes, the outfit strained to fit his stature.

The photographer went about his business, never once noticing the werewolf in his midst. "We're quite proud of our little shop here," the white-haired gentleman said. "This town used to be something special before the war. Who would have thought they'd drop a bomb on it? But then again, there were those rumors of silos out there," he said, shaking his head. "But we came back and rebuilt. We used photos from as far back as we could find to recreate the buildings. Our family has been in this shop for three generations. I think we've done a remarkable job of recreating Deadwood."

"You did a good job, Mister," Oliver said. "Looks almost like it used to back when we visited. Quite a bit cleaner and not so muddy, but them buildings look right fine."

"Oh, my," the old man said enthusiastically. "You two were here before the war?"

"Before quite a few of them," Will replied.

The human handed the two their 8x10 photograph in a fancy cardboard frame. "There you go. I hope you like it."

Will took off the shirt and vest that were sewn together and tied in the back. He handed them to the proprietor and took the photo. "It looks wonderful... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name," Will apologized.

"Franklin, Ben Franklin. And before you go making any jokes, my folks were big fans of his, and I am too."

Will smiled. "For a heavy-set gent, he had quite the way with the ladies," the wolf said with a laugh. "None of us is perfect, and he was a man of his times. But there were moments when he rose above those times. They named you after one of the good ones, so you'll hear no jokes from me."

The white-haired man looked at Oliver. "Your buckskins are beautiful, by the way. I've never seen such craftsmanship. Hand tooled and sewn, right?"

"Yeah, they's a might old, but I'se always taken good care of them."

"Well, it was a thrill to see them. I think you're the first person who ever wore his own costume into the store."

Oliver looked down at his clothes. "Never thoughts of them as a costume. They's just what I wore on the day the old wolf turned me."

"Excuse me?"

Will laughed. "It's a long story, and we have friends waiting outside. Thank you again." He handed the shopkeeper a hundred-dollar bill. "It seems fitting, with your namesake and all. Keep the change. Thanks for keeping the dream alive," Will said, dragging the human in buckskins out the door with him.

Outside, Will and Oliver found their husbands with ice cream cones, trying their best to stay one lick ahead of the dripping treats. "We found the candy shop," Derrick said with a smile. He held out a small white bag. "Whip licorice. I thought it might add some kink to your turning, Oliver."

Oliver laughed. "I wants to thank you for coming. I knows it's silly of me, but this time, I wants witnesses to my turning and the wolf taking me as his mate. This place has haunted me all my life. Time to put them ghosts to rest. I wants this place to be where I always remembers I was reborn by the wolf I love."

"We're honored, Oliver," Kris said as he licked the flow of melting chocolate over his hand. He licked his tongue over his mustache but abandoned himself to the fact nothing was going to keep his beard from becoming a sticky mess. "But how are we going to find you a place to turn and mate? It's not like it was in the old days. They developed the land around Deadwood. Most of it is private, and you sure can't be fornicating out on national parkland."

"I guess I hadn't thought about that, Bear," Oliver said. "I just wanted us to be where we was before."

"Well, what have we here?" the group heard a voice say from behind them. The sheriff stepped out of his cruiser with the lights flashing.

"Only a little family gathering, officer," Kris said calmly.

"We don't get many out-of-towners that look like a gang."

"You have got to be kidding me, officer," Derrick said, shaking his ice cream cone. "How many gang members have you seen in the last forty years, let alone overweight ones cruising with ice cream cones?"

"I have been at this job a long time, and I know men up to mischief when I see them," the sheriff countered. He paused and let the nervousness of the group grow a bit. "And none says mischief more than that Iberian wolf there." The smile broadened on the human, and his eyes flashed yellow. "Hello, Will. It's been too long."

"Hi Henry, when was the last time, nineteen sixty-two?" Will asked as he extended his arms. "You were in Sturgis as part of the Black Hills Run. A bit of overtime security, as I recall."

"And you were doing overtime with the bikers, as I recall," the sheriff said with a laugh as he hugged the wolf and slapped his back. He looked at the group. "This wolf was amazing. By my count alone, at least sixty bikers went home from that rally elated thanks to that revolving door he called his hotel room. It may have been the summer of love in San Francisco that year, but it was smoking hot in Sturgis."

"And the judge ordered never me to return," the wolf remembered.

"You fell out of the hotel window naked."

"There were three other guys who fell out of the window at the same time."

"Yes, but two of them were city council members, and the other was my husband."

"So, they all got off?" Will asked.

"They may have gotten off with you, but with the judge? Oh hell, no. They banned my husband the same as you," Henry answered. "I couldn't tell anyone he was my mate. It was the sixties, remember? But oh, you made two beasts so very happy that year." He grabbed the Iberian wolf and hugged him again. "I'd turn, but this is my best outfit, Old Wolf." The officer sighed. "God, I've missed you. What brings you here?"

"Do you remember Oliver?" Will asked.

Henry looked at Oliver, and a spark of recognition came to him. "You two... outside the saloon... you had that tin-type made. How are you, Oliver?" he said, grabbing the human and hugging him.

"I'se good, Sheriff," Oliver said, confused.

"Henry, please, Oliver. You probably don't remember. But you two looked so happy. I about outed myself wanting to congratulate you on what a handsome couple you made. But those were different times, and I held my tongue. I didn't know Will was going to turn you that night."

"It's not the best of stories, that's for sure," Oliver said, shaking his head.

The Sheriff knelt down before Oliver. "Nonsense. You two are the benchmark by which many of us look at our lives. You fought the odds, and you won. It doesn't matter how long it took. You're together."

"We is that," Oliver said proudly.

"Although not altogether, all together, it would seem. New arm and leg, Old Wolf?"

"Bit of an accident."

"I'm sorry to hear it."

"And Oliver can't shift. He's human. We came back here to change that. Oliver wants to turn where he turned the first time."

"Gots to have traditions," Oliver said matter-of-factly.

"Do not make me arrest you two trying to bare your butts at Bear Butte State Park."

"We's gonna mate again," Oliver said. "Gonna be right-hard to not bare some ass at some point."

The sheriff looked at the white-haired Santa impersonator. "You're the Changeling," he said, bowing. "I still find it hard to realize the old wolf moves in such circles. We sing the stories, but he's still Will to us. He's our friend, not some Were Nation legend."

"I understand," Kris replied. "We don't think about it all that often either. He's our husband. The five of us don't see him as a legend anywhere beyond the bedroom."

"I think of him as a legend up against the kitchen counter and almost anywhere outdoors," Derrick said with a snicker.

"Yeah, I hear you there, Wolf," the sheriff said, seeing past the corpulent man trying to keep up with the melting ice cream cone. "But hold on a minute; the old wolf has five husbands? I heard he had more than one. I know about the black wolf and the Kodiak bear." He looked at the younger, chubby man. "You're Derrick, right? The black wolf with the blue eyes." Derrick nodded. The sheriff looked back at Santa's twin. "And you're Kris, right? The one who saved the wolves on the Night of Blinding?"

"That would be me," Kris said, smiling. "We have two other husbands who couldn't make this trip."

The sheriff smiled. "Damn, Old Wolf, this complicates things no end."

"Tell me about it, Henry," Will replied. "We're going to have some serious rutting going on once our mating has ended and we invite them to our welcoming."

"Well, I am probably going to regret this," the sheriff said, reaching into his pocket. "Who's the driver today?" Kris raised his hand. "Okay then," Henry said, tossing a key fob with a single key on it toward the man wearing the red plaid flannel shirt with white cuffs.

"Open your ComLink," the sheriff said.

Kris did as ordered, and the sheriff rattled off an address. He smiled at the ancient elf. "That's the address to our ranch. I'll call my husband and tell him you're coming. If he can get away from work, he'll meet you there, but if not, the key will open the front gate. There are thirty acres of forest out back for our family when they come to visit. It should be a good place for your family as well. There's even a fire pit in the backyard where you can wait for Will and Oliver before they call you." He looked at the Iberian wolf. "Try not to break any of the trees, Old Wolf. Some of them are older than you, and that's ooollllld," he said with a smile.

Will smiled back. "I will be careful, Henry. I promise." Will motioned to the brown bear. "About the Changeling and your husband."

Henry sighed. "Oh, I hadn't thought about that... pheromones. Can you men hold off until eight when I get home?"

"Sure," Oliver said. "We didn't do nothin' until the night the first time."

"Then if you have no objections, my husband and I will join you. That would solve any conflicts I see arising."

Will smiled. "Try not to break any trees, Henry."

"We'll see," the sheriff said with a laugh. He hugged and kissed his way through the group and got back into his cruiser. With a wave, he was off down the street.

The family watched as the oversized car moved away, its flashing blue and red lights turning off as it rounded the corner. "We should call Nathaniel and Martin," Will said casually.

"Why is that, Old Wolf?" Derrick asked.

"Henry's husband, Dennis; he's a puma."

"A mountain lion?" Derrick asked with a grin.

"Henry's got a soft spot for cats."

Kris tapped his ComLink. "Display recent address," he said. There was a brief pause. "Okay, there we go... call Henry Longfellow." Following a short, expected pause, the wolves and badger's keen ears picked up both sides of the conversation. Within moments, the Deadwood sheriff had happily agreed to as large a gathering as Will's family wanted. Without a word about the saber-toothed cat, Kris tapped the ComLink and disconnected the call.

Kris tapped the ComLink again. "Nathaniel," he said. The group waited quietly. "Hi son, are you busy tonight?" there was a pause. "Could we invite you and Martin to a mating?" Kris was quiet for a bit and then laughed. "All you had to do was ask. We didn't want to impose." Kris nodded at the response. "Okay, get a hold of Tiff and Tuff and see about getting out here in the next hour or two. You know, you might as well tell the twins to bring along their husbands. Can't have them sitting around the Rapid City airport doing crosswords. We'll meet you at Deadwood Dick's Saloon. We can get our tourist on while we wait for you." There was quiet again. "I love you too, Son."

Kris tapped the ComLink, ending the call. He looked at the group. "Well, that's done. We can explain things to Martin when he gets here."

When two large vans pulled up to the metal gate, the werecat was waiting to open it. He waved them on in. When Santa stuck his head out the lead van window, the puma smiled. "Over behind the house, you'll find parking on the gravel. Anywhere is fine. Make yourselves comfortable and get out of those ape suits."

Dennis ran ahead, pivoting at the end of the driveway, where he waited for the vans to park. He watched as each one of the group climbed out from the back of the van, removed their clothes, and shifted into their animal avatars. When the twin twins shifted into red wolves, the cat took a deep breath. "Oh, my," he said. "I am so sorry that I'm going to be staring at you four all night long."

The four red wolves laughed. However, it was when Martin stepped out from the truck and shifted that the puma's repeated, "Oh, my," had a new intensity. "My husband is going to be very distracted tonight," he said with a purr. His paw extended toward the saber-toothed cat. "You must be Martin. Your reputation precedes you."

Martin smiled and shook the puma's paw. "I don't think of myself as having a reputation. The old wolf, now he has a reputation."

Dennis smiled. "We sing your stories at our evening gatherings. Out here, we have no pack, but we gather as best we can. It's a small family, but a tightly knit one." The puma put out his hand and rubbed along Martin's fur. "You are more beautiful than I imagined."

Martin turned his head slightly. "I am flattered. You are the first puma I have ever met."

"And the only one, I suspect," Dennis said, smiling. "My husband has been a friend of Will's for centuries and knows his history of turning beasts. The day Henry turned me; he told me that if Will could let a man become whatever he desired, he could do the same for me."

"And you became a puma?"

"No mystical reason behind it, Martin," the mountain lion said. "Henry is a cat person. I picked what I knew he would always be happy to see."

"Love is the best mystical reason of them all," Martin said with a smile. He reached out and hugged the cougar. When the hug ended, Martin pointed to the short-faced bear. "This is my husband, Nathaniel."

The puma bowed. "Your visit honors us, Ancient One."

Nathaniel bowed back. "And we're grateful to be here." He pointed to the Kodiak. "This is my dad, Kris."

"Ancient One," the cougar said, bowing once more.

Kris laughed. "You know what we're going to be doing in a few hours, don't you, Dennis?"

"Yes sir," the puma replied.

"Would you rather be doing that with ancient ones or with friends?"

"Friends, Sir."

"Then let's try this again." Kris reached out and pulled the cougar in close. "Hi, Dennis. My name is Kris. Do you prefer handshaking or kissing?"

"Kissing."

"Well, aren't you the luckiest cougar in these Black Hills? You've stumbled onto a whole zoo full of men that love to kiss." The Kodiak leaned in and kissed the puma.

When the two finally separated, the cougar let out a long breath. "You're right, Ancient..." he paused, catching himself, "...Kris. I am one very lucky lion." He fidgeted, trying to adjust his already erect cock. "It might better serve me if the zoo was kind enough to keep those kisses a bit shorter until my husband gets home. I'm afraid I am one easily distracted cat."

"We promise to keep the laser pointers in our pockets, Dennis," Will chuckled.

"That's mean, Old Wolf," Dennis said with a laugh. "And one word about that day and you will find my claws haven't dulled in all these years."

Will leaned in and kissed the puma. The kiss lasted even longer than Kris's, but Dennis never backed away from the intimacy. When at last the kiss ended, the cougar smiled. "Damn, Old Wolf, I have missed you. Now, introduce me to your other husbands and the red wolves. I would like to meet these men as something other than legends."

Will smiled. "Dennis," he said, pointing to his husbands, "I would like you to meet two whose skills you will swear are legendary by the end of this gathering. This is my husband Derrick, and my husband Oliver. These two wolves are my sons, Tiff and Tuff, and their mates, Damien and Darius."

Damien cleared his throat. Will looked at him and smiled. "Who are also my sons. I'm not forgetting that, Damien. I'm only trying to get our interpersonal relationships straight for Dennis."

"I'll be confused most of the night, but it's a pleasure to meet you all," the puma said. He adjusted himself, trying to move his swollen cock to the middle rather than the way it hung off to the left. "Let's go, men. I'm not going down anytime soon. I might as well enjoy it." He extended his arms toward the black wolf and hugged him.

When the black wolf's kiss ended, the cougar looked at the human. "And you, Oliver. I know of your history, but on such a special night, may I be the first to welcome you back home to the Were Nation? It is an honor to be here at your turning. And even more so, because we get to share in the renewal of your mating with the Old Wolf. We will have songs to sing forever before this night is done. The man who became a badger, who became a man, who became a..."

"Ain't told them yet," Oliver said.

"He hasn't told any of us," Derrick said. "He wants it to be a surprise."

Oliver looked at the black wolf. "That's because the old wolf likes surprises. I wants tonight to be special for him. He's gonna get to see what I finally dreamed of becoming after all these years."

The cougar smiled and hugged Oliver. "I'm sure whatever you have chosen will be beautiful. As I said, it's an honor."

Oliver smiled, drawing a small circle in the Black Hills sand. "It's an honor to be with so nice a family." He smiled. "But you can kisses me until I gets a boner like yours and I sure ain't gonna complain." The cougar smiled and obliged Oliver's request.

The cougar extended his arms to the red wolves. "Obviously, I have a thing for wolves. I married one. But that said, you four are incredible. I will do my best to end our greeting with a kiss."

The four smiled. "And we will do our best to do the same," Tuff said as he extended his arms and the puma entered his embrace.

Chapter 13

By the time nine o'clock had come, the cougar and wolf had set out dinner and lit the campfire. "You men eat up," the puma said, placing a plate of hamburgers down in front of the family. "You have a long night ahead, and we don't want you to think our hospitality isn't up to sustaining you."

Will smiled. "You don't have to worry about us, Dennis. We don't stand on ceremony. Tonight, don't either of you dare to. I realize you're in the company of men who might seem intimidating because of their history. But you have never met more loving and friendly people in your life."

"And they gets right horny, too," Oliver said as he reached for a hamburger. "If you's gonna try to be polite, they will eat you alive."

"Oliver," Kris said disapprovingly.

Oliver looked up at the bear. "Did I lie?"

The Kodiak looked at Oliver and shrugged. "No." He looked back at the wolf and his puma mate. "We can be overzealous in our affections," he said to the two.

"Are we talking broken bones or sore muscles here?" the cougar asked with a worried frown.

"Sore muscles," Nathaniel replied as he took his hamburger in one bite. "We will hold back tonight for the sake of all concerned."

The cougar shook his head, "No, please, that won't be..."

"It's necessary," Will interrupted. "Trust me on this one, Cat. You and Henry will be much happier in the long run if you defer to them on this. The Changelings' size and strength make them formidable lovers even when they are gentle. Let them be gentle tonight. I promise you that you will still wake tomorrow with sore muscles you didn't even know you had."

Dennis laughed. "That is true of you, Old Wolf."

"True, but I'm never gentle with you two," the wolf said, leering.

"Then if we can get your promise to be who you have always been, Old Wolf, we will defer to your family's desire to be gentle with us," Henry said. He leaned back and scratched his balls. "So, as my husband said, eat up."

Oliver stared at the Great Plains wolf's balls as the paw slipped away. He smiled. "I intends to, Wolf. Just as soon as I makes this wolf next to me my mate forever."

All the mated pairs walked into the woods. When they entered the clearing, Henry pointed out the carefully mowed grassy area. "We know that it's not much. Our soil is hard here, our grasslands are often more rock than grass, but we've done our best to make it comfortable."

Kris put his arms around the wolf and pulled him in close. "It's beautiful. It reminds me a great deal of our home in Montana."

"Or Partridge Island," Nathaniel said with a big smile. "Our family is used to grass that has had to wait for years to get a foothold."

The cougar had a look of relief from what he heard. "And how about for the two of you?" he asked Will and Oliver.

"This is about the most beautiful place I has ever seen, Cat," Oliver replied. "But then I is here to be turned and mate with the man I has loved for hundreds of years. Nothing could keep it from being beautiful."

"Then we will leave you two and await your call to be by your side when you have mated," Henry said. He put his arm around Dennis and kissed him. With a simple shake, the two were no longer werebeasts but a puma and wolf racing out of the forest back toward their home.

Nathaniel and Martin each leaned down and kissed their human husband. "We will wait for you as well, Husband," Nathaniel said. "I once thought I would never see a creature as amazing as the Megatherium. But then I met a saber-toothed cat, and I realized it didn't matter to me what beast my husband became. I was in love with the soul of that man, and that never changes no matter what beast I see."

Oliver caressed the bear's face with his paw. Nathaniel stroked the paw on his face as he spoke. "You have the chance to become all that you dreamed of so many years ago or follow your desires of today. I don't care, Oliver. The man I love is standing before me. Nothing will change when I see him next. Now and forever, Badger."

"And I will always love you, Bear," Oliver said.

"Well, I guess that is my cue," Derrick said. He squatted and looked into the human's eyes. "I'll see you soon, Oliver. I can't wait to see what I've married. You be gentle on our husband when you mate, okay?"

Oliver snorted. "Hell, no. He's gonna know that we's mated forever by the time this night is done."

Derrick laughed. "That's what I was hoping you would say."

"And we hoped the same," the twin twins said as they reached down and pulled the human up into a group hug. "Be advised we intend to plow the butt of whatever you become, Oliver," Tiff said with a wide grin.

Oliver laughed. "You's saying that because you knows I expect something all polite and fancy from you, ain't you?"

"No, not really," Damien responded as they put him down from the hug. "But we think it's polite to warn you."

"I'se properly warned, Wolves," Oliver said with a smile. "I loves you forever."

"And you, Cat," the human said, turning to Martin. "I will always loves you forever too. You taughts me to be brave enough to become what I wants to be. To be what my family needs me to be."

Martin knelt down and gave the human a hug. "You have always been what your family has needed you to be, Oliver." The cat looked up at Will. "Old Wolf, know that your husband's choice is final. If I hear one bitch from you the way I have had to listen to you at every transformation I've made, these claws will find their way into your hide." The saber-tooth cat's claws flashed out, shining in the moonlight.

Will smiled. "I have learned the mistake of judging too soon what I see before me, Cat. You have taught me that. Whatever Oliver chooses tonight, he will always be my husband. I will love whatever he becomes."

"Then this has been a very productive conversation," the cat said with a smile as his claws retracted. Martin looked back into the eyes of the human. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Oliver, but when you're turned, your powers are going to return. You don't get a choice in the matter. Your powers aren't like those of the Changelings. You can't use them all up. The universe chose you, and while it may have given you a break to heal, it will see your turning as a sign that your healing is complete."

"I knows that, Cat," Oliver said. "the Sight never left me, so I saw what I was trading to be a beast with my family. It ain't a poor trade. I loves you all too much not to be a beast again."

"Then I'm happy for you, Husband. I'm happy for you on so many levels. Become who you were meant to be," the saber-toothed cat said with one last hug.

Left alone with the two, Kris leaned in and kissed the human. "Time for me to join the family," he said. "Be happy, Oliver. Become whatever you dreamed of becoming and know that we will always love you."

"I will, Bear," Oliver said with a smile as he hugged the Kodiak.

Kris turned, fell on all fours, and began lumbering out of the forest. "Oh, Oliver, before I forget," he said without slowing or turning back, "that whole thing about the wolves plowing your butt. I have to agree with them. Whatever you become, Husband, I will look forward to plowing your butt as well."

"What about me, Husband?" Will said with a laugh.

"Oh, your ass will know that I've been in it before we're done, Old Wolf," Kris said. "You are my husband, and I will not shirk my responsibilities."

"Okay, just so we're clear," Will yelled as the brown bear disappeared into the darkness.

Oliver's hand reached out and grabbed Will's paw. "We has got the best family ever, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do," the old wolf said, staring into the darkness. He reached back and took off the backpack he had on his shoulder. Reaching in, he pulled out a saddle blanket. "It's not the original one, Oliver. That one has long since turned to dust. But I remember when we put it on the ground and lay down together. We had made love so many times along our travels, but that night was special. That was the night you were going to turn, and we were going to mate."

Oliver looked at the wolf that towered over him. "I'se so sorry, Old Wolf. I never meant to break your heart. I never meant to hurt you at all."

The wolf's paw reached down and rubbed the small man's beard. "Lay with me now. Tonight can be our first time together if we let it be. Let me convince you all over again to turn. Let me be with you tonight, the way I dreamed it would be that night."

"The way we both dreamed it would be before I let fear in," Oliver said as he took the hand that rested on his cheek and kissed it. "Take me, Will. Make me a beast and then bites my neck. Make me your beast forever."

Will smiled. "I will, but if it's okay with you, can we lay here awhile, you and me, alone, like it was in the old days?"

Oliver pulled the wolf down to the ground with him. "I would like that, too." He grinned. "You knows I'se gonna eventually top you, right?"

"Oh yeah, Oliver," Will said, grinning. "We're bringing back all of the old times."

Oliver leaned in and kissed the gray wolf. "I knows you can't turn to human, Will, but I remember your touch. I remember everything we ever done in our naked times. So, tonight, I'se gonna do you just like the old times. The way we did it all them years ago." Oliver pulled at his boots. "Nathaniel says I can fucks you like we used to do in the old days if you concentrates on not changing me."

Will laughed. "I'll try, Oliver, but you know me. Concentrating on anything but you fucking me was more or less out the window once you were inside me. Are you good if the change comes because of what we do before I fuck you?"

"I'se okay with that," Oliver said. "I wants tonight to be as close as we can get to that night." Oliver grabbed Will, and they kissed for a time. Suddenly, Oliver pulled his buckskins to his ankles, pushed Will over onto his stomach, and crawled on top of the wolf that was two feet taller than him. "I weren't no good at foreplay at all until I met Nathaniel. So this is like the old times, Will," Oliver said as he shoved his cock deep into the man below.

Will yelled. "Oh fuck, Oliver."

"Your forgots, didn't you, Old Wolf?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," the wolf said, grimacing.

"I didn'ts. But I remembers what happens next."

Will felt his body ease into the rapid thrusting of the man above him. He relaxed even more as he felt Oliver's copious pre-cum lubing his ass. "Okay, I'm remembering this part," he said happily. "You were actually fantastic at this."

"And I still is."

"Oliver, I love you."

"Nope, can't say that yet, Old Wolf. You didn't say that until the moment before you turnt into a beast and asked me to be your mate."

Will stretched to look back at the man that had mounted him. "You remember all that?"

"Yeah, you know what you said when we fucked as humans?"

Will groaned. "I don't care, Oliver. Just keep fucking me."

"Yep, that's exactly what you said," Oliver snickered as his pounding became more forceful.

When at last the little human had climaxed and slipped to the side of the wolf, the two lay on the blanket, looking up into the starry sky. Oliver pulled off his boots and buckskins and felt the warm Dakota night breeze across his skin. He lay back down, letting his hand slip into Will's, and he whispered, "Does you remember what you said when we was laying in the night like this?"

"Oliver, there are worlds out there that most men never even know exist. Some men become wolves and some bears become men. I know one of those bears, and you know one of those men."

"What is you saying, Will?" Oliver said, repeating the conversation of so many centuries ago.

"That I'm a werewolf. I'm the same as the beasts that you have been defending on your own for so many years."

"I knows that."

"You can become one of us, Oliver. You can become one of the beasts you defend."

"You is able to do that to me?"

"I can," Will replied. He shook his body the way his human side had done so many years before under the light of the full moon. The bones did not shift, but Oliver understood the imagery and smiled, remembering the first time he saw Will as a werewolf. "You can become like me, like all the wolves and bears..." Will grew suddenly quiet. He squeezed Oliver's hand tightly. "The bear... After I turned you, I told you I couldn't wait to introduce you to the bear I loved... to my closest friend, who was a white bear."

Oliver squeezed Will's hand back. "I needed you to remember, Will. There were a reason I run away from you, and I needed you to know why. I knowed the white bear. I could never face him because I were a badger, a coward, I weren't nothin' that bear could ever see and not kill for what I done to his family."

"Oliver, you know that's not true."

"I does now, but I didn't then. I only knowed I became something small and weak. A badger weren't of no use to you, and no use to the bear you loved. I weren't of no use to nobody. I ran away 'cause I couldn't stands the thought of your life fallin' apart when you showed me to the bear."

"Oliver, I'm so sorry," Will said as he pushed up and leaned over the little man. "I never knew."

"And now you does. And if you sez you still loves me, I will know that I can become a beast again, a different beast, a better and stronger beast than I become that night."

The wolf looked at the human, and his face softened. Oliver looked into the yellow eyes and saw the same feelings he had known for centuries. Will shook his head and smiled. "Silly man. I have loved you since I first met you. Through centuries of good and bad, I have loved you. I have been by your side when you helped save the world. There is no beast stronger or better than you, Oliver. And there is no man I love more in this world."

"And you will mates with me all over, knowing all the truth now?"

"I will mate with you all over again."

Oliver rolled over and pulled his long hair to the side. "Turn me, Old Wolf. And then bites my neck. Make me your mate."

"I love you, Oliver. Now and forever."

Oliver sighed. "Yeah, this is when you said it."

"And I will say it again when we are one."

Oliver choked slightly. "Are you crying, Oliver?" Will asked.

"Yeah, Old Wolf, I is crying."

"Are they happy tears?"

"Just about the happiest ever."

The little human felt the wolf push up against him, and when the muzzle pushed up against his neck, he felt the wetness of the wolf's tears. "Ain't we the most fucked up two that ever lived?" the human asked.

The Iberian wolf laughed. "Yeah, we are, Oliver. I wouldn't have it any other way." The wolf's cock pushed past the hairy cheeks of the human and plunged deep inside. The human muffled a scream as he endured the pain. "I'll be quick, Oliver. Stay with me. I'll be here for you."

"I knows, Old Wolf. I knows," Oliver said, gritting his teeth. "Make me a beast. Let me feel you come inside me."

Will rode the ass of the man below him, doing his best to be gentle, and when he felt the orgasm overtaking him, he whispered to Oliver, "I'm going to come. And then I'll pull out so I can help you through the turning."

"You stays inside me, Old Wolf," Oliver ordered. "You pins me to this blanket with that pecker of yours and you helps me through the turning by staying in me."

Oliver couldn't see the nod of the werewolf above him; but when the cock pushed even deeper, he knew the wolf had agreed to his demand. He closed his eyes and when he felt the warmth of the ejaculation pulsing into him; he thought of his beast.

As the family sat around the fire pit, there was an amazing calm for a night of mating. When they heard the howl of the wolf, they smiled at each other. "He's turning," Martin said. And then he smiled. "Son of a gun. An unusual choice, Oliver."

"Oh, that is not fair, Cat," Kris said.

"Those two are fucking. Oliver's guard is down and they're pushing into my head the way they always do. We're sitting here talking while I see every move they're making and you tell me it's not fair? I agree, Bear. It's not fair," the cat said, thumping his erection. "It's not fair to me."

"What is he?" Kris asked.

"You'll have to wait. It's his surprise," Martin replied. "I will tell you he's happy. He's happier with what he became more than he has ever been in his life."

The wait for the call took hours longer than the family expected. Whatever beasts were in the forest, their growling layered over each other as they mated. But what all could tell was the mating was far from traditional. It wasn't hurried; it wasn't even heated. They were making love in the way Will and Oliver had done for centuries. Playful and unforced, the biting and energetic copulating of the two was very much a part of what was happening in the forest. And yet, the setting of the teeth into each other's necks never quite materialized.

After four hours, Martin groaned. "Oh god, you two," he sighed. "Give it a rest already. Bite your necks and be done with it. That's the third time for both of you."

Nathaniel laughed and pulled his husband in close. "Should I take you, now, Husband?" he asked.

"I think you might have to," Martin whimpered.

Nathaniel grabbed the saber-toothed cat's paw and pulled him up from his seat. "Come on, Cat; follow me." The bear led him to the edge of the forest and, turning, smiled at the gawking group. "Well, there's nothing that says we have to wait for those two, and I know for a fact my fathers rarely do."

The puma and his mate looked at each other and then back to the Kodiak Changeling. "You don't wait?"

Kris looked down shyly. "Not usually. We're there for them when they call for us, but we find it frustrating to wait."

"Like we don't?" an anxious Great Plains wolf asked.

"We could play until they call us if you wanted to," Kris said.

"We can do that?" the mountain lion asked. "That doesn't break some sacred code or tradition?"

"Not that we can find," Derrick said, rocking slightly.

The puma looked at the Great Plains wolf. "Honey, you grab the cat. I'll run interference with the bear." The two leapt off their chairs and raced into the woods after Nathaniel and Martin.

Kris looked at the two as they disappeared into the darkness. "They make a very attractive couple, don't they?" he said calmly.

"Yeah, they do," Derrick replied. "And if someone doesn't mount me right now, I am going in after them."

The brown bear looked up from across the fire pit. He stood up with his thick hard-on flopping back and forth in the firelight. "Thank goodness, Pup, I thought you would never ask." He reached out and grabbed the black wolf and dragged him toward the forest. Within moments, the night hid them from view.

The four wolves looked at each other and laughed. "Seems we're alone, husbands," Tiff said.

"And next to the embers of a very pleasant fire," his husband Darius added.

Damien nodded. "I say we do each other here and avoid all that traffic in the woods."

Two wolves jumped over the fire pit and onto their mates, pushing them to the ground. They kissed each other as their paws began exploring. Damien's head raised, and the howl that reverberated through the valley turned everyone's head except for Oliver and Will's. Oliver's bulky head was biting deep into the neck of the werewolf below him. The wolf was more than happy to let the newly born beast take him for the fourth time.

Chapter 14

It wasn't until morning had crept over the hills that Will and Oliver called for the family to join the newly mated. As the family raced toward the center of the forest clearing, they pulled up short to find the old wolf leaning up against a large ponderosa pine. "Where's Oliver?" Derrick asked.

"I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a great reveal," Will said, smiling. "Gentlemen, family," Will said as he stepped away from the tree. "I give you my husband, Oliver Templeton-Gentry. And I swear if I ever hear that hyphenated last name again, I will make you suffer. Oliver thinks it's cute, but I think it's silly. After all, if we hyphenate everyone's names, it will take us half a day just to introduce ourselves." Will stood straight-faced and then smiled. "So..." he said with a wave of his paw toward the tree, "what you've been waiting for. The beast I love, Oliver."

The little mammal stepped around from behind the tree. "OLIVER!" his family yelled happily.

Kris was the first to race to the badger and grab him up into his arms. "Look at you!" he gushed. "You're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"Does you like it?" Oliver asked. "I'se a foot taller and my werebeast is bigger, too. I figured it would makes it easier on me, what with my big husbands and all."

Derrick laughed as Kris passed the badger to him. "But why, Oliver? Why a badger? I thought you hated being a badger."

"I did," Oliver said, nodding his head. "Until last night when Will told me there weren't no beast better or stronger than me. And I knowed that the beast I was born was the beast I was meant to be. Will has always made beasts that were meant to be what they is. Only he never knowed it because he was thinking we was all supposed to be wolves." Oliver kissed the black wolf. "You's his only wolf, Pup. Because you was the only one of us meant to be a wolf."

Will sighed. "Well, there is Marcus, but we're waiting to find out what comes of him."

"He'll come back, Husband," Derrick said as he handed the badger off to the twins. "We always come home. Sometimes we get lost along the way."

Will smiled a forced grin. "I realize that, Pup, but I wish he was here. Still, you're all here, so let's not let this moment slip away from us. I believe there is a family we need to welcome into our lives."

Henry and Dennis smiled. "This is where I guess we should head back to the house," the cougar said. "But we wanted to congratulate you two."

The crowd turned and looked at them. "No! This is where you stay," Kris commanded.

The two leaned back at the comment. "But we're not family. We're Were Nation, but not family."

Derrick leaned over and pulled the cougar in close. "Over the years, we learned to define our family by something greater than shared genes or shared genealogy. Shared hearts make us family. There's no reason to walk away from this gathering when the entire family wants you by our side."

"Really?" the Great Plains wolf asked.

Will reached out and hugged the wolf. "Really, Henry. After all these years, you need to ask?" He kissed the wolf, and the wolf returned the embrace.

"We could bites your necks," Oliver said as Tuff passed him to another red wolf. "But that part of the family is getting' confusing. So, if you takes it on faith that you'se family, it will make things easier."

Dennis rubbed the tear from his eye. "We always dreamed of having a big family, but well... this is South Dakota. That pretty much says it all."

Kris walked over to the cougar and hugged the cat. "Then this is the day your dreams come true," Kris said as he leaned in and kissed the puma. "Your husband is about to take the old wolf, Cat. We Changelings can smell it. So, what are your desires?"

"I like the red wolves," the mountain lion replied.

Kris stepped away from the puma. "There are four of us still unoccupied at the moment," Damien said as put down the badger. "Do you have a preference?"

"All four?" the puma said, as much a request as a question. He put his arms around Damien and looked back at the other three red wolves.

Damien looked toward his husband. "Well, Hon?"

Tuff smiled and leapt toward the two, locking the three into an embrace that toppled them to the ground. In a matter of moments, all five found the positions they would be in for hours to come.

Martin reached out and pulled Will into his chest. "Well, Old Wolf, if we're grabbing what we want, I want you." He smiled at the wolf, flashing his two long teeth.

"Ahh... the burdens of the newly mated," Will said with a grin. "I will do my best to provide you with what you want."

The saber-toothed cat's enormous paw reached out and grabbed Henry. "And you, Wolf. I want you too." The tongue of the Megatherium slipped out of the cat's mouth and down along the Great Plains wolf's chest. It found a nipple and wrapped around the surrounding tip, tugging gently.

The wolf groaned happily. "Oh hell yes, Cat. Take me any way you want me."

Nathaniel laughed. "Okay, you three, that looks like fun. Make room for a bear." He pushed the cat and the wolves and they fell down onto the grass. They braced themselves for the impact of the bear falling onto them and were soon moving toward the body parts that interested them the most.

"Well, Badger," Kris said, "It looks as if there are two husbands you need to satisfy per the traditions of the Were Nation."

Oliver looked at the black wolf and the Kodiak. "Ain't nothing in them traditions about that. Says we gots to share our loves with our family. Don't say who's gots to satisfy who. Could be I'se looking for you two to satisfy me."

Derrick grinned as he grabbed the badger. "Is that so, Oliver? You want to go in that direction?"

"Is it gonna leave me with a sore ass and regretting ever saying them words?"

The badger felt the Kodiak push up behind him. "Oh, yeah, Badger."

Oliver grinned. "Then, yeah, I'se going in that direction." With a shake, he became a seven-foot badger with a Cheshire cat grin. "Takes me, husbands. Remind me of what I'se been missing not being a beast." The two husbands pushed Oliver between them and began his reeducation.

Two days later, the family lay on the grass. Their heads rested on the belly of another beast, forming a great mishmash of relaxed bodies. Henry finally spoke after hours of contented quiet. "Thank you, men, for allowing us to renew our vows to each other in the middle of your family's celebration for Oliver and Will. You reminded us both how long it has been since we have publicly shown our commitment to each other."

"It's obvious how committed you are to each other in every move you make, Henry," Derrick said. "I've learned a lot from watching you two together. I hope one day I can show my husbands how much I love them as gracefully as you two do." He paused. "And passion. That cat still amazes me."

The puma would have blushed if he could. "Thank you, Derrick. My husband brings out a side of me that I rarely get to share. But these will be days we remember for all time."

Nathaniel leaned in and kissed the Great Plains wolf. "Partridge Island is not so far away with the Red Wolf in the air. Don't be strangers. This is a beautiful country, but isolated as well. You two need to spend more time with your family."

Henry laughed. "We work in a tourist town. Do you think you could get the word out that the Were Nation could come here and visit now and then? They won't even need to book a hotel room. Our house is open to all."

Nathaniel grinned. "Of course."

Will pulled Henry into a hug. "You make a good point there, Wolf. There is a database for every werebeast ever located out there. Many live in relative solitude, and that's not good. We could set up a visitation program. Some sort of cultural exchange program."

"But those beasts speak so many languages. How are we going to negotiate all that?" Henry asked.

"Did you ever meet a beast that couldn't say hello to another beast without saying a word?" Will responded.

Derrick laughed. "Well, that is true, and there are the ComLink translators, so it's not that much of a stumbling block. You just need to wear them at all times."

"My brother and I would be happy to facilitate this idea," Damien said.

"Yeah," Darius agreed. "We love the challenge of getting our extended families together."

The puma reached out and held the red wolf. "Tell me this will not be the last time we will get our extended family together."

Darius kissed Dennis. "We will return. And don't forget that open invitation to visit. Montana is even closer to you than Partridge Island. And we have ranch hands... lots of friendly ranch hands."

Dennis smiled as he put his head against the chest of the red wolf and purred. "We won't forget. We both have vacation days coming. It's time we used them. Maybe we could bring along our family if you're agreeable to that. They would so love to meet you all."

"We'll start planning for a meeting as soon as we get home," Damien said. He scrawled something into his little book and placed it in the pocket of the pants next to him.

"Well, Gentlemen, it's time we get back to Rapid City and head home," Kris said with a sigh of regret. "The highland is calling."

"That's my husband; always on task," Will said.

The Kodiak grinned. "Four temple dogs are waiting for us on the highland to see you and your new husband today."

Oliver looked up. "All four of them dogs is gonna be in the same place?"

"And the scent of a newborn, that's also newly mated, is all over you, Oliver."

Oliver smiled. "'Bout time them beasts gots some scars from something other than a wolf."

Kris laughed. "And the pack is already there watching over our husbands. Jean Pierre handed off operations to Eldon and Aengus the day you two went into the hospital. He's been there with Jason and Lothair for the three months you were out of commission, but now the entire pack is gathering to welcome you home."

"And the winged family," Derrick said, smiling. "Chet promised they would be there to celebrate the union. He said something about the old wolf and his new husband being too distracted to attend properly to their other husbands." Derrick flashed a wicked glance at Will and Oliver. "Just saying he might be right. My guess is they started flying to the highland the day before yesterday."

The puma looked at the black wolf. "The winged bears fly?"

Derrick nodded. "They're surprisingly graceful for such heavy beasts."

The cougar looked at the Great Plains wolf. "Honey?"

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking," the wolf replied. He looked at the group. "Could you fit another two in the back of a van?"

Martin laughed. "Of course, we can."

"I think I'm coming down with an acute case of the forty-eight-hour flu," Henry said with a grin.

"Me too," Dennis said. "Let us make a few calls, and we'll join you. It's time we met a few of our new family."

Will wrapped his arm around the mountain lion's shoulder. "Better make that the seventy-two-hour flu. There are temple dogs involved in this little get-together. They don't recognize the meaning of the word sated with a newly mated family."

The wolf and puma's eyes widened and smiles crept over their face. The two made their calls, and the group crowded into the vans and headed out to the highway and Rapid City.

Chapter 15

Will felt himself go deeper into the black wolf's ass as he stretched out. "Pup," he sighed, "you are without a doubt the best break from this job I ever had."

"That's what personal assistants are for, Old Wolf," Derrick said with a grin. "I love sitting on your lap and taking your big, manly dictation." He leaned over and kissed the Iberian wolf. "But that said, I also brought a couple of warm, wet towels in my attaché to clean us up."

"Do I need to, Pup?" Will asked with a pout. "I like the smell of your spunk on my fur."

"And on any other day, I would say leave it there, but you heading off to a meeting with Chet out in the field. I can't have you going there smelling of sex. The two of you will distract each other too much to get his report done. And we don't have time for a shower, because... well... showers and the two of us never end quickly."

"He'll still sense it. Washing off a bit of cum won't change that."

"Probably, but we should make the effort," the young wolf said, turning to grab the attaché. Never leaving the lap of the Iberian wolf, Derrick opened the latches on the case. Grabbing the towels, he smiled as he rubbed one over the face and chest of the old wolf.

Will sighed. "You do realize, if you want to clean off my cock, it will have to come out of you first."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," Derrick said, the disappointment obvious in his voice. "The sacrifices I make for the good of our family business."

Will pushed up into Derrick, and the black wolf groaned. "This is our family business, Pup," the old wolf said as he thrust once more into his mate. "We do all this," he said, his paw waving out to the room, "so that we can take care of our family business unfettered."

Derrick smiled. "Sorry, Old Wolf. Sometimes I forgot what's important. If you want to go visit with Chet all gooey, you go right ahead. He has as much a right to be a part of the family business as we do."

Will laughed, standing up while he held the black wolf still impaled on his cock. With a few last thrusts, he pulled the pup off and lowered him back to the ground. "I'll clean up, Pup," Will said. "Chet and I are developing a relationship that doesn't seem to need a dripping cock to set each other off."

Derrick began wiping the old wolf's slick cock. "I'm glad to hear it. He is a good man."

"Well, of course. He's an angel. It's part of the job description," Will said with a laugh.

"One day we should spend some time with him together... that is if you would like to."

"I've only been waiting for the two of you to ask," Will replied as he turned and fumbled for some papers on his desk.

"I'm asking," Derrick said, hugging the old wolf from behind. "Find out how he feels about it today. Oh, and I guess we should include his husbands in this. We've both played with all of them enough in one configuration or another."

"We're getting quite the crowd here, Pup," Will said as he pulled on the black arms wrapped around him. "You keep expanding, and we'll be doing a run with the whole family by dinnertime."

Derrick laughed. "I guess so. Ask Chet, please. I would like the three of us to feel that we can share the love we have for each other without it always being separate."

"Done," Will said as he shoved the papers into a backpack. "It's on my agenda." He paused. "Damn... I have a hidden gay agenda. I didn't think those things actually existed." The old wolf shook and became human. He stared down at his completely dry human body. "Oh, I forgot about that way to get rid of cum," he said with a laugh. "Are the trucks all charged up?"

"Yeah, only a few are out today. Most of the hands still prefer horses."

"Well, I'll take one out to talk with Chet. I want to make sure we're on top of things and that he doesn't need our help in any new way. After that, we can hightail it back to the highland."

Derrick smiled as he sorted the papers on the desk. "Give him my love," he said.

"Will do," the naked human said. "Do you think I should put on some clothes?"

"No, that would only be a bother. You'd need to take them off before you shift, and you're going to shift as soon as you get there."

"True. Maybe I should give myself longer digits on my paws and drive out there."

"You're seven-foot-three, Old Wolf. Do you really want to ride out there all cramped over? Your six-foot-four human is awkward enough trying to cram yourself into a vehicle."

"Okay, Pup. No clothes it is," Will said. He walked back and kissed the black wolf one more time before heading out the wide double doors of the study.

An hour later, two lone men stood looking out over the plain toward the butte; one a wolf, the other a winged angel.

"I never grow tired of this place," Will said, looking out on the expanse.

"Neither do I," Chet said with a smile. He pushed up and kissed the wolf. "Nor the family that brought me to this place."

"We are the lucky ones, aren't we?" Will said.

"We are, but there is still a sadness in you, Old Wolf."

"Oh? I thought I did a better job of hiding it than I must be doing. It's a little thing, Chet."

"Marcus isn't a little thing, Old Wolf."

"Are you catching the Sight from your husbands?" Will said, turning toward the angel.

"No, I recognize longing when I see it in another. That bittersweet look of a man who wonders if he did right by the ones he loves; I have seen it in the mirror for thousands of years."

"Oliver is finally happy with who he is, but I seem to have created another beast wandering this planet alone. We can't find him, Chet. I even tried using that genetic locator gizmo of Dr. Kennedy's. We used some fur of his from a brush."

"He brushed his fur?"

Will shook his head. "No, I did. I enjoy brushing wolves' fur."

Chet laughed. "Good lord, Old Wolf. How did you get the reputation of being a curmudgeon? Everything you do is the act of a hopeless romantic." The hawk-man paused. "Not that it's a bad thing. I am fond of hopeless romantics. I might even take up brushing your fur one day, Old Wolf."

Will laughed. "Well, I have a brush you can use. The fur didn't help me locate him. Seems the only match on the planet belongs to the man your arm is around."

Chet looked at him. "That is intriguing. Are you saying that his changing created an exact duplicate?"

"I'm not saying that: that damn machine is," Will replied. "Dr. Kennedy thinks the reason we can't find Marcus is that he's been with another beast; that his genetics changed yet again to mimic the new beast. We can't find him because he's not the same beast anymore."

"That has to be difficult," Chet said.

"I shouldn't have told him I could track him down, Chet," Will said. "I gave him a warning and when he chose to go it alone, he understood exactly how to cover his tracks."

The angel pulled the old wolf in close. "His tracks will find their way back to you, Old Wolf. He knows what life with his family feels like. One day, he will return to embrace it. You need to give him time."

Will nodded. "I'm trying. This world can be a very large and lonely place. I don't want him hurting, Chet. I want him to come home."

"One day, Old Wolf. One day."

Will smiled. "And until that day, I have a family that needs my attention and a business that claws at my door every day."

"You do that," Chet said with a nod. "And what of my reports and proposal?"

"They certainly seem in order," Will said as he pushed them into his backpack. "I'll get accounting and legal to give them the once over to make sure the proposal has all the I's dotted and the T's crossed. I'm betting that Congress will authorize opening up some of their lands to let our herds of buffalo move onto it. We've got the proof of how we can use them to restore grasslands."

Will paused for a moment in thought. "I guess I'm going to need to beg Kris to open up the human's eyes to the ranch. We can't exactly ask to graze on land next to us if they can't even see where we are."

"Can he do that?" Chet asked.

"We'll find out when we ask him. He seems to possess gifts he holds back until needed. I only need to remind him this is a step in the right direction to bring the Were Nation and the humans back together."

Chet smiled. "That would be good. I would like to bring our herds and the national park herds back together. Preferably without a conflict between us and the government oversight committees."

Will nodded. "If we need to, you might be called to testify on the bison's behalf. You understand more about their husbandry than any man alive. I have the best guardian for their care that I could ever ask for."

"They are my babies," Chet said with a chuckle. "Some folks have dogs or cats. I have bison."

"You do what wolves have done for centuries, Chet. You keep the herd strong."

"And you, Old Wolf. You keep our family strong."

Will smiled. "I try my best, Chet. But I'm lucky. My family is strong to start with. You get me through my toughest days." The wolf rested his head on the shoulders of the hawk man. "Thanks for being here for me today, Chet."

The quiet lingered between the two as they watched the herd of bison move slowly across the plain. Chet rubbed his hand on Will's neck. "How do you do it, Will? How can you make peace with loss so many times and still be who you are?"

The old wolf looked at the angel. "I'm a bastard, Chet. It's easy to be a bastard, no matter what happens."

Chet smiled. "You can lie to your family all you want, but you shouldn't lie to an angel."

"You're not an angel, Chet. There are scars on my leg from your talons to prove it."

Chet's eyes widened. "You do? Old Wolf, you should have let those heal years ago."

"I like them. They remind me of happy times. You know; the good old days."

"That wasn't so long ago. My husbands were flying when that happened."

"Yeah. You should see the scars they left."

"You realize that we swore off ever having sex in midair with one who cannot fly because of that debacle?"

Will looked at the angel, crestfallen. "No, that's not fair. Sure, it got a bit out of hand, but that was my fault. Derrick would be fine, and you know how much he loves you three. Take him in the air; he would love it."

"He hates to cross bridges because they are too high."

"No, he hates to cross bridges because he thinks they're going to collapse. I'm sure if you stay low, he would be okay with it."

"If he ever asks, we will consider it, but for now our sex life in midair with others is not on the table."

Will smiled. "We could do it on the table if you like." He raised his prosthetic arm. "I think I've almost convinced Nathaniel to let me add attachments to this thing. You know... silicone toys..."

"God, Old Wolf, you're insane," Chet said with a laugh. He rubbed the wolf's neck again. "I still want to know how you push through so much."

"I'm pragmatic, Chet. I figure out pretty soon where things are going to head. What needs changing that I can change, I do. And what I can't change, I try to make peace with as quickly as I can. Anything else is just spinning my wheels."

"I don't know if I can do that. I tend to push back and fight the change."

"It doesn't always work for me, either. Sometimes I look at what's in front of me and I can't stand the thought of what I have lost. So, I try to remember what the temple dogs taught me about living in the moment. And I remember how the Changelings taught us to sing our songs as a family. First, we sing of all that we have lost, and then of all that we have found. There's wisdom in that, Chet. I mourn my loss as I take in a deep breath, and as I exhale, I let it go, coming back to a world full of possibility."

"And it works?"

"Sometimes I'm heavy breathing for days," Will said with a chuckle.

"I'll try it the next time I am frustrated by this world."

Will stroked the angel's wing. "I hope you are never frustrated again, Chet. Your family has given enough to this world. I'd like to think you can rest now."

"Do you really think that's going to happen?"

Will took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly. "I can hope. But for now, the sun is shining, and the air is warm. It's summer in Montana. There is a beautiful man beside me. Surely, we can think of something else to do besides talk."

The wings of the angel wrapped around the old wolf and pushed him to the ground. "Did you know I'm the best cocksucker in the family?"

"I hadn't been keeping track of such things. You are aware that there are some very gifted cocksuckers in our family, right?"

Chet leaned in and kissed the wolf. As the kisses slowly moved across his neck, down his chest, and across his belly, the wolf sighed. "But research is always a good thing." He felt the warm mouth wrap around his cock and slip down the veined shaft. "A very good thing."

Will began slipping into a euphoric state that he often did when in Chet's company. Yet, ever aware of his promise, he slowed the angel's fellatio. "Derrick wanted to know if our relationships have evolved to a place where the two of us might spend time with you together."

Chet pulled off the cock and smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

Chet grinned wildly. "Hold that thought." With a flurry of spinning wings, Will watched the red-tailed hawk speed off toward the ranch house. Moments later, he saw the angel's wings flapping quickly, with a black wolf clutched below him.

When Chet gently lowered Derrick to the ground, the black wolf trembled a bit and then shook himself like a dog in the rain. "Okay, Chet, I'm going to accept that you two are excited by this idea and cut you some slack. But that's the last time we do that, understood?"

"You hated flying," Chet said dejectedly.

"But I love the man I flew with, so all is forgiven."

"Husband," Will said, "if you don't fly, you'll never experience what it's like to make love to him in midair."

Derrick looked at Will. "Oh, you get me up high enough, and Chet and I will still never experience what it's like to make love in midair. I will claw my way back to earth out of sheer terror."

Chet smiled. "My husbands could join us to make sure you remain safe."

The black wolf leaned in to kiss the angel. "I have seen the scars, Chet. I know what talon marks look like on an Iberian wolf. They won't look all that different on me."

"But that's because of what the old wolf was doing. We would be so much more gentle with you."

"Nope. Not feeling the love here," Derrick said. He paused and then smiled. "No, I do feel the love here on terra firma, but I will never feel it up there," he said, pointing toward the sky.

Chet frowned. "I understand. But if you should change your mind a few centuries down the line..."

"You will be the first I tell."

Chet's frown turned into a smile. "Hope is a good thing."

"And so is research," Will said, stroking his still-firm cock. "Chet and I were discussing who in the family gives the best blow jobs. He was trying to convince me it was him."

"Well, that remains to be seen," the black wolf said as he jumped onto the old wolf, pushing him to the ground. He shoved his mouth over the top of Will's cock.

Will groaned happily as the angel stared at the black wolf's butt raised in the air. He stepped between the black-furred legs and moved the tail to one side with his hands. Derrick gave a happy yip when the angel slid inside him.

Will closed his eyes and extended his hands. "I LOVE RESEARCH!" he yelled so loud it echoed back from the butte.

Max looked up from planting a ponderosa pine seedling. He looked over and smiled at JP, whose grin was growing wider by the moment. They both took the seedling bags off their shoulders. "I'll race you there, JP. I bet we can find them in no time. You can already smell the scent of their musth."

JP's wings sprung out, and with two bounding leaps, he was airborne. Max crouched down, and as his wings spread, he bolted into the sky. The young bears had already learned that family business always took precedence.