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                 Winter

began when it and it alone decided it was time. Humans had long set a date for

this event, as if the season was required to fulfill the commitment they set

for it. The snows came when the air grew chilled and the heavy gray clouds

needed to unburden themselves from their load. It came when it wanted and left

only begrudgingly. Today, there was snow on the ground, and it was only

October.                Arkouda

was watching the fluffy clumps of fairy-forged flakes sink slowly through the

air to accumulate in ever deepening layers on the ground outside his window. He

liked winter, but no more so than he liked Spring, Summer and Autumn. He liked

them each for their uniqueness. There was joy to be found in them all.                Arkouda

lived alone. It was by his design. There were plenty of women in the valley who

would have loved to lay claim to his name, but he had no desire to partner with

any of them. They were all devoted followers of the cult called Christianity.

He had read their book; a large, word filled text of a confusing and

contradictory nature. Oh, it had a lot of good in it, but there seemed to be

much that was useless and obsolete. It didn't help matters that it was largely

written in a land far away with entirely different conditions as the one in

which he presently dwelt. Still he liked some it.                The

main deity was born to human parents of humble means. This appealed to him as

he preferred to live a quiet and humble life. In a few months the people in the

valley would be celebrating the birth of their deity in a festive day called

Christmas. It was the one time they actually acted like they said they were

supposed to. Otherwise, they seemed no different than the red skinned natives

that had inhabited this land for a far greater time than people like him.                He was

a peaceful man, was Arkouda, but he was also a practical man. He loved nature

and all it contained within its many wonders, but he still hunted and fished.

He did not trap; to kill an animal for the sole purpose of stripping its skin

and wasting the rest was abhorrent to him. He killed what he needed and used

everything possible. He had tools created from bone and antler, and clothing

made from deer hide to supplement the few woven items he traded for in the

towns below. He was alone and he was happy that way.                This

morning he pulled on a few warm layers over his naturally luxuriant body hair,

yanked on his boots, grabbed his staff and strode out into the white frosted

forest. The air was clean; it smelled of snow and pine and holly. All at once

the smells soured. There was something else borne upon the wind; death.                That

was hardly unusual. Creatures lived and died all the time. This particular odor

spoke volumes however; it was the smell of wolves. Few things dared attack a

pack of wolves. A bear might, and there might be some still out hunting for

berries and mice and fish before taking their long winter's nap.  Then there were the humans. Humans hated

wolves, though there was no good reason for it. True, a wolf would attack and

kill a human if it could. It was more likely however to go after a sheep or a

horse. Humans valued their domesticated slaves. If there were wolves dead in

the forest, it was likely due to human hunters.                He

sniffed the air, picking out the direction of the scent. He grunted in distaste

at what he would find, but trudged off into the wind. It was nearly an hour

later before he came across the corpses lying in the red splattered snow. He

knelt next to one, feeling the coldness underneath a layer of thick gray fur. A

red encircled patch bore evidence of the passage of a large bore bullet. He

went from one to another, finding the same in each. He nearly missed the last

one. What had caught his eye was the trail in the snow, dotted here and there

with drops of scarlet.                He

found the bitch under a pine. He grabbed her leg and pulled her out, intent on

placing her with her family. He was startled to find her body still pliant, not

stiff like the others. Her foot was cold, but not like the outside air. A

slight rise and fall could be seen in her chest. She was alive! He stood up and

looked around. If he left her, she would die. If he took her home, she would

probably still die. But he had the sudden thought; if he were in this

predicament, he would rather die warm than freezing to death and in pain. He

gently scooped her up and slogged through the deepening snow back to his cabin.                Once

there, he placed her on a rug in front of the fireplace. A few logs later the

fire was blazing brightly. He stripped of his excess clothing and dropped down

beside her body. There was a single bullet hole in her right hip. It didn't

seem to have hit any major artery, but she had obviously bled out quite a bit.

The cold had likely saved her life. And on closer inspection, he found the ball

of lead had fractured her femur. She wouldn't be walking anytime soon, even if

she did manage to survive.                Since

she was still unconscious, he decided to attempt removing the bullet. He had

large hands, but he had the skill of a surgeon. He gently eased the gray

flattened orb out from her tissue, wrapped a rag around the injury, and curled

her up on the rug. There was little else he could do until she awoke. He went

about his business, looking in on her from time to time. That evening, while he

was preparing his supper, he heard a whimper from the other room.                He

stuck his big hairy head through the doorway. Sure enough, the wolf was awake

and trying to move. "Whoa little one!" he called out, "that leg of yours won't

support your weight no how." Her head whipped around. Her eyes grew wide with

fear. He made no move towards her. The last thing he wanted was her breaking

open the wound and bleeding some more. He edged into the room and sat down on a

stump that served as a stool.                "Well

little one, you've had a tough time. You and your friends got ambushed. Dirty

rotten thing that. Every one of them was killed outright, 'cept for you. I

can't say what'll become of you, but you're safe for now while you're under my

roof. When the time comes, you're welcome to stay, or you're free to go. The

choice is entirely up to you."                Her

eyes went from fearful to curious. She sniffed the air a bit. He heard a growl.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Belly's empty is it? I think I could part with a

bit of my supper if you like!" He brought out a poached smoked fish, some

potatoes and some bread. He graciously gave her her own plate from which to

eat. She sniffed the food for merely a second before devouring it all, and then

licking the ceramic clean. He thoughtfully provided a bowl for water, and then

sat back down, not too close, but not too far away either.                She

lapped the clear stream water until it sloshed down her lips. He smiled and

offered her a towel. She looked at him oddly, but didn't flinch when he wiped

her mouth and fur. "You're in a bad spot, little missy. Your pack is dead, and

you're stuck here for the winter with a grumpy old nobody for your only

company. I'd suggest you concentrate on healing so that you can get back to

doing what it is you do."                She

shifted painfully and laid her head on the rug. She watched him with keen eyes;

eyes that not only saw the outside of a person, but straight into their soul as

well. He unabashedly looked right back at her. He was neither afraid nor cowed

by her stare. He had nothing to fear from any animal but his own species. It

was they who were reckless with their treatment of the world around them. It

was probably the fault of that book they clung to. He remembered reading how

their god had given them "dominion over the animals." There was no true dominance

in nature. Even the biggest and strongest of predators eventually died and were

recycled into the earth by the lowliest of the creatures. Everyone had their

place, and everyone served their purpose. That was the end to it.                Their

stare down ended abruptly when she blinked and closed her eyes. It hardly

mattered if she was asleep, or only feigning it. They had apparently

established an understanding that came without words. He returned to his

kitchen and cleaned things up a bit. He would have slept in his own bed that

night, but to keep her warm, he opted to curl up on the floor nearby. From time

to time he poked the fire and added more tinder to keep the room toasty. By

four in the morning he finally succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep. She cracked

open one eye and looked over to where he was. Something akin to a smile came to

her narrow face.                From

that day forward, they settled into a truce of sorts. She tolerated him and his

ministrations, and he did his best not to handle her too roughly. After a week,

the wound healed, but the bone was going to take much longer. Every day he saw

to her needs, from daily meals to carrying her outside several times a day so

that she could go to the bathroom. She learned to stand on three legs, leaving

the lame one to dangle limply out of the way. She startled him one day with a

well placed lick to his face, more specifically, his lips. He nearly dropped

her.                "Now

what was that for, you silly girl? I ain't lookin for no thanks. I'm only doin

what I know to be right." She licked him again. She knew full well that her

life would have been lost had it not been for the big human. She could almost

forgive the others who had nearly ended her life for this chance to be with

someone so special and loving. She had thought she might get lucky with the

pack she had joined, but she had never had a chance to find out. By the time

she learned their hierarchy, guns had finished any chance she had there. Now

there was this one. He seemed to have a heart as big as the forest itself.                Days

passed into weeks, and October became November and November turned to December.

Her leg still gave her fits, and he often helped by gently grabbing her paw and

pulling her leg out, forcing it to stretch. She would bite her tongue, for it

still carried a lot of pain with it. But it helped. Gradually, it became strong

enough to stand on, and then to walk on, and finally to run on. She was happily

doing her own toilet, and from time to time, she managed to run down a rabbit

or a quail, which she proudly brought back to the cabin. He would smile, pat

her on the head, and take her offering for their evening meal.                One

night, just before the day called Christmas, he was sitting by the fire

watching the flames flicker and the smoke rise up the chimney. He heard it; he

knew he heard it but it made no sense on so many levels. "Stay." It was a

pronouncement. The speaker of it said it most matter of factly. The problem

was, there was only himself in the room. Well, himself and a wolf. He eyed her

warily. "What did you say?"                She sat

up. "I said I'd stay. You told me once I would be free to choose between

staying and leaving. I have decided to stay, unless your offer was not

genuine." Now a man may see and hear many things during the course of his life,

but a man who hears a she-wolf speak is a fortunate man indeed. It simply

doesn't happen all the time.                "Stay?

You're welcome to stay on one condition. You need to explain to me how you can

speak." Then he got just a touch annoyed. "And since you can speak, why did you

wait so long?"                She

sniffed diffidently. "I spoke when I had finally made up my mind. Well, my

heart seems to have made it up for me. I went out looking for some greater

meaning to my existence. I started with the pack, but we both know that ended

badly. Then you came along. You're kind, and gentle and caring and..."                "And

what?"                She

shifted uneasily. "And I think I love you. It is not the way of things for us

to be joined as mates however. We shared different forms. While I'm sure we

could couple," he flinched at that word, "we would find our bodies incompatible

in the long run. So I thought perhaps I could stay with you maybe as, what is

the word...as your pet."                Despite

the wonder of her ability to speak, this last bit make him angry. "A PET! A pet

is simply a slave of an animal, one who has lost the ability to rely on its own

senses and abilities to survive. The same goes for any so-called domestic

animal. Even humans seem to have lost the ability to survive as they were

intended to do. I will own no slaves in my house!"                She was

left wondering what to say next. He seemed to have gotten over the shock of her

abrupt dialogue rather quickly. "I am no one's slave. I didn't mean to anger

you with my suggestion.  I thought that

maybe you might love me in return. I'm hardly your equal though."                For

some reason this made him angry too. But he fought down the emotion and spoke

with measured calmness. "A wolf that speaks in human tongue? You're not my

equal, you're far above it. I, in return, cannot speak in wolf-tongue. That

gives you the edge over me. As for love..." He sat silent for a few moments. "I

told myself I'd never fall in love. There are plenty of ladies around who have

tried to get their hooks into me, and I've turned them all down. I love nature.

She is a true mistress. She never hides her emotions, whether it is the rage of

a storm or the happiness of spring flowers. I have felt something akin to this

for you. But you're right; I don't think I could bring myself to lay with a

bitch, even one as lovely as yourself."                "Wisely

and thoughtfully said. I like being a wolf. But I find my heart is now

completely given over to you. Yet you will not lay with me, nor will you lay

with your own kind. It seems the solution is to split the difference."                He

scratched his head in confusion. "Look...uhh, do you have a name?"                She

grinned mischievously. "I do. But if I give you my name, that will give you

control over me. Are you certain you want it?"                He

scratched even harder. "Uh, I guess so. I need to call you something."                She

gurgled with delight. "I come tied to my name. When you take one, you take it

all. I am called Ti-ko."                As she

uttered those two syllables, he felt a wave of warmth flow over his body. It

was as if the fireplace has suddenly been transported into his chest cavity. He

was immediately so warm he felt the need to strip off his clothing. He took the

middle ground and undid his shirt."                Her

grin grew bigger. "I have given you mine. What is yours?"                He

sputtered out. "Mother named me a Christian name. Peter. But she always called

me by another; Arkouda. Father never liked it, but he loved her so much he

rarely complained unless other people were present."                As he

said his second name, her eyes lit up like glowing embers. "Arkouda? You need

to tell me about your mother some time. Was she happy in her life?"                He

thought for a moment. "Yes, she was happy. Father died and left just the two of

us, but she seemed to cope quite well. It was from her that I learned to love

nature."                "She

sounds like a wonderful woman. I would hope that I might be as good as she was,

given enough time."                He

frowned a little. "I understand what you're implying, but there is no way I can

live with a wolf, even one as amazing as you. Please understand that I seem to

have feelings for you, but a man and a wolf; it's just not right!"                She

sighed. "I figured you'd be noble. Only a truly good person would turn down

love in the face of the difficulties that would arise from such a

relationship."                He

gulped. "I'm not turning down love. There is no way love can manifest between

us. I mean, you'd never be able to take me as a lover. I'd tear you up in the

process!"                She

stared at him for a moment before dropping to the floor in convulsive laughter.

"Rip me up? You are wise in many things, my dear Arkouda, but you do not know

everything. A wolf has a knot big enough to lock the amorous couple together

for an hour or more. Sadly, I never got to experience it. But..." she continued,

halting his protest, "I think I have the power to make the necessary

adjustments to allay your fears."                 A

ripple went through her body. Within seconds she was twisting and turning like

a flag in a gale. When the dizzying movement stopped, his jaw hit the floor.

She was standing there, a wolf, yet not a wolf. She was standing on two shapely

legs that ran all the way up to a shapely, uh, pelvis, and that merged with an

hourglass figure topped by top pert and inviting pair of breasts. From toe to

the top of her head was the softest gray fur, flecked with black and red. Her

two keen eyes seemed unchanged, not did her perky ears and luxurious tail.                 She let

out a sigh. "That's hard work, but well worth it I think. You don't like

humans, but you won't make love to a wolf. So I split the difference. I'm now a

wolf in human form, give or take a few details. I can guarantee you this body

will take whatever you can give it. In fact, I'm looking forward to it."                He was

speechless. His only reaction to her new form was the bulge in his trouser. She

swept across the floor to him, running her nimble fingers through his dense

chest hair. "Now Arkouda, do you love me or not? I will understand if you

don't, and you can lie to me if you like. But don't ever lie to yourself." She

naughtily reached down and caressed the growing hardness hidden by his pants.                He

groaned. "I do love you. I guess I've lived alone for so long, I figured I

didn't need anyone in my life. My own kind seem so alien to me, and you, who

should feel alien, are more akin to my desires than anyone I've ever met." He

kissed her passionately. She returned it with equal fierceness.  From that moment on, it was merely a matter

of finishing getting him undressed.                It was

a good thing his old bed was ruggedly constructed. Even so, it swayed and

creaked like an oak in a thunder storm. Neither one had any idea what they were

doing, but they did it none the less. His big finger's easily fond their way to

her crotch. She helped by spreading her legs wide. She was damp and warm. His

wiggled in a finger up to the first joint, then the second and finally nearly

to his knuckle. Her response was to dig her claws into his back.                When

she got her wits about her, she slid one paw down to his crotch, reveling in

the hardness of his cock. She felt him stiffen even more with her touch, so she

slid her fingers along its length, squeezing from time to time.  He pushed into her grasp, forgetting about

what he was doing. She wiggled out from under him and positioned herself under

his cock. She began licking with unrestrained pleasure. He tasted of sweat and

musk. In no time at all, he came with a guttural grunt.                The

fluid sprayed down her throat in great gushes. 

She never once released her suction, eagerly lapping up the stuff as

fast as he produced it. She did have the presence of mind to slip away when his

strength gave out. He collapsed in a heap on the mattress.                She

nudged him onto his back and went to work again. When he was sufficiently hard,

she straddled his hips and lowered herself on top of his cock. It was a little

tougher than she expected. She gritted her teeth and pushed down forcefully.

She bit her lip when the head of his cock finally speared past her opening, spreading

wide her previously unplumbed depths. Blood trickled down both sets of lips.                He

responded by grabbing her butt and pushing her down even harder. She stifled a

whimper. Once she was impaled as far as she could go, he eased up. She could

feel the blood pumping to his cock with each of his heartbeats.                Ti-Ko

bit back the pain. She knew about wolves from her short time with them, but

this man was not a typical human. He looked like he was part bruin. And

incredibly enough, he was equipped with a cock to match his size.  That, and his pressure on her hip reminded her

of the severe injury she had received. It might be healed now, but the damage

had left permanent scars.                She

also recognized that this was a first for both of them. She had spent so much

time as a woodland sprite that using her limited ability to transform had never

been a high priority. As a sprite, her form was ethereal; without true form. She

could inhabit trees, or rocks, or animals. But her transformation to a wolf was

real. And now into this adjusted form, where she continued to learn about the hazards

and frailties associated with living creatures.She felt his big hand brush across her

back. "I'm nt hurting you am I?"She was honest if nothing else. "Yes

you are, but I think that it is the nature of things. I'll get used to it.""But I don't wish to hurt you!""Just because our union is causing

me pain, doesn't mean you are at fault. I am still new to bodies. Maybe I can

still exert some influence over this one." She had just enough power to loose

up her insides to accommodate him, and boost her body's hormone levels.

Suddenly she felt wonderful!"There! I think I've gotten the

hang of it!"He could feel her slightly change,

and while it made no sense to him, he was wise enough to not question it. When

one is confronted with a supernatural phenomenon like this, and the phenomena

wanted to stay with you, you generally acquiesced.  All he knew was that as the seconds ticked

past, he could feel his heart merging with hers. Their bodies already seemed as

one.                He had felt the pleasure of

relief on his own, but never like this. Those people in the valley called it a

sin, but then they called everything a sin. What he was doing right now would

qualify, though many of those ladies would have gladly sinned to get their

hooks in him. And now, he had his hooks, errr, his...well. The fact was he was

feeling incredibly turned on.                Since she

was on top, she did all the work. She had never engaged in anything remotely

sexual, much to her dismay, and she intended to make the best of it.

Disregarding his present satisfaction, she instead concentrated on pleasuring

herself. Now that the fit wasn't so tight, she found that her body had relaxed

to the point that movement without discomfort was possible. In fact, she

quickly learned that changing position could make a load of difference in where

the friction rubbed.                He was

gently holding on to her, afraid that his strength might hurt her. It was hard

not to clench up his fingers as she ground down against his loins. Since those

fingers were strong enough to break her ribs, he had to show restraint. He

finally put them on the floor and dug into the rug. The rug immediately tore.                She had

her hands/paws on his chest and was staring deeply into his eyes. "I think that

this is better than what the wolves do. They only do it for procreation, and

this, I truly believe, I could do anytime!"                He was

holding his tongue. He had never had sex, and so this first time was making

quite the impression on him. He knew that he should be bothered by the fact

that she was half covered in fur, but then his own supply of hair was nearly

supernatural. She was intelligent, compassionate, and at the moment, as sensual

as anything had had ever dared to imagine.                Her movements

began to increase, and her head tilted towards her back. She started working

away with a bit more abandon, eventually dropping any pretext of control and

going at it with wild ferocity. The rug under his fingers came apart. All at

once he felt the pressure inside. He wasn't sure that he should release inside

her, but the thought was moot. In one tremendous crash, the two collided in a

climax of body and soul.                At the

peak of it, she let out a throaty howl that would have frightened every rabbit

and deer within earshot. It was as primal as any real wolf's, and twice as

loud. Her nails dug into his chest, coming away with tufts of hair. He hardly

noticed. When she fell forward on top of him, still in the throes of her

orgasm, even her teeth in his shoulder didn't make an impression on him.                It was

only later that he noticed the sore spots. "Ti-Ko?"                "Yes

Arkouda?"                "Is

this the way it's going to be every time?"                She

licked his face, turning it into a kiss. "I don't know. I can hope so! What

about you?"                "I hope

so too. Thank you for deciding to stay." His voice was quiet.                "Thank

you for deciding to save me that day. Without your help, I would never have

known about love. It feels wonderful!"                He

sighed. "Yes. Yes it does."