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Legal Tension

Recess

Slowly opening her eyes, Maria blinked several times before the glass table came into view, the red flickering light of the fireplace still reflecting in the shiny surface. She felt Nathan's breath in her hair and against the back of her head before feeling his lips leave a trail of kisses up to her ears as he hugged her close to his body and whispered. "Are you awake?"

Maria listened to the tired voice as the kisses stopped for a moment. "Yeah." Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "How long have you been awake?" She felt his body tense when she spoke and turned her head, trying to look him in the eyes.

"Oh, you really are awake." Nathan moved his paw and ran his fingers over her stomach. "I've been asking for a while now." As he spoke he raised his head so he could look her in the eyes.

Leaning in Maria kissed his throat and rubbed her nose into his fur. "Let's go to bed, it'll be more comfortable." She ended the sentence with a long and noisy yawn before going back to nuzzling him.

Her actions only made it harder for Nathan to get off the couch. Every time he pulled an arm away, Maria grabbed it and tried to pull it around her again. Her playfulness got the wolf to smile; he kept at it until finally he stood next to the couch smiling down at her. "I'll go turn down the bed. Now stay here and behave." His trip to the bedroom was quick but when he returned he stopped mid-step and took a deep breath as he watched the scene before him.

Maria had rolled onto her back and was running her paws over her body; her fingers playing with her nipples, coaxing soft moans from the back of her throat before slipping further down. Planting her feet firmly on the couch she lifted her hips a little so he could watch in the light of the fireplace. Slender fingers furrowed the fur on her smooth belly and as she traced a line towards her groin. Spreading her legs a little she slipped her paws between them and rubbed the top of her inner thighs, framing the part of her body that was warm, sensitive and still leaking slightly. One paw moved and cupped her sex before running two fingers between her labia, making her grunt loudly as she parted the red, swollen lips. After collecting a good sample of the fluid leaking out of her she held it up to the light and watched how small strings of their fluids stretched between her fingers when she splayed them. Without a moment of hesitation she moved it towards her muzzle, parted her lips and stuck out her slender tongue. She took her time cleaning her fingers and heard a whine coming from the wolf; she grinned wickedly at him. "If you had brought me to bed sooner I wouldn't have to play with myself."

The 'hint' was as subtle as a brick but it didn't even register with Nathan as he strode up to her and knelt down in front of the couch. Wordlessly he slipped his arms under her shoulders and legs before lifting her with barely any effort. Looking down he saw that Maria didn't stop touching herself and was momentarily distracted when she casually waved her paw in front of his nose. "Tease." The male growled as the pure scent of sex made him take a deep breath through his mouth to stay focused on carrying his precious load, though his body was already beginning to rouse to her suggestive behaviour. When he stood at the side of the bed in the light of the bedside lamp, he watched her wet fingers move to his lips and then playfully licked and sucked on them. The mix of their juices spread across his tongue before the fingers were quickly pulled out again only to be replaced by the long canine tongue of his lover as she kissed him passionately.

Lost in lust, Maria held onto Nathan's neck as he lowered her onto the bed and didn't let go. She moved when her body touched the mattress, sliding her body underneath him as she pulled him on top of her, never breaking their kiss.

Pushing his body further onto the large bed, Nathan tried to move her head towards one of the pillows while he fought the primal urge to pounce on his lover. His shifting broke the kiss and they both gazed longingly at each other, panting and clearly tired but still both very much in need of each other.

"Be gentle with me."

Nathan winked and then buried his muzzle into her shoulder and began slowly licking her neck. Letting out a low growl, that send a shiver to the body underneath him, he spread her legs by pushing his knee between them. With one of her legs under him he looped his arm under the other and lifted it up to his shoulder.

Giggling, Maria found herself wide open for the large wolf on top of her and as she held the back of his head with one paw the other slipped between their bodies and lined up the rock hard member with her quivering folds.

Still sensitive, Nathan eased himself carefully into the warm and willing body; groaning once more as her warm folds wrapped tightly around his cock. His instinct was to take her hard and fast, but his body couldn't find the reserves of energy.

Slowly and steadily their bodies moved against each other as they exchanged soft kisses. Nathan's large ears twitched, picking up every throaty whimper and moan from Maria as he pushed himself deep inside her until his balls nestled themselves neatly against her buttocks.

"Oh fuck, Nathan!" Maria cried weakly as he rolled his hips against her. With both paws gripping the fur on his back, she tried to move against him but with the weight of her lover pinned her to the mattress. She felt him start to pull out and it sent shocks through her already agitated nerves; the sensations only grew stronger when he reversed direction.

The leg over his shoulder tensed sharply and her toes curled when Nathan ground his hips against hers again. She began to writhe forcefully against him and moaned her approval when he pulled back; her walls clenched even harder around him, not wanting him to escape but the velvet passage was so sopping wet that it didn't hinder his actions.

She felt his muzzle brush next to her ear as he growled deeply to her. His deep vocals made Maria shiver and moan loudly while she clung weakly to his back. The shepherd tried to speak but only a dry croak emanated from her throat. Maria's hair was dishevelled and her fur was matted with sweat; her exhaustion prevented her from doing anything other than holding on to him even as her grip on his back wavered, every muscle in her body protesting while euphoria flooded through her. A cry of bliss got stuck in her throat when she felt the wolf's knot tap against her pussy that was still throbbing from their previous tying.

Panting hard into her shapely neck, Nathan barely felt the weak tugs on his fur as the only signals his brain responded too came from further south. Once his knot came into play he tried to force his body to put more effort in his love making but in the end he had to content himself with rubbing the fleshy bulb against her warm folds and turning his woman into a sweaty, moaning mess.

Feeling the thick knot grinding against her set her nerves on fire; Maria couldn't stop it even if she wanted to. Her vision blurred as she felt a new climax building inside of her, making her muscles twitch more frequently.

Slipping his paws down Maria's sides, Nathan grabbed her ass and found the strength to actually thrust into her but no where near close to tie his lover. Snorting through his nose and gritting his teeth, he felt himself getting close even without the grip of her tight pussy around his knot.

Seeing nothing but flashes of light, Maria raked her claws down his back hard when her orgasm hit. She felt his cock jerk and throb inside her before his scalding hot cum hit her walls and made her shiver fiercely. Collapsing next to each other, the canine lovers lay with their limbs still tangled and breathing hard in the middle of the bed, neither of them in a hurry to move.

Nathan was the first to get up as his bladder protested. The wolf sat up slowly and looked at his cock as it slipped out of Maria's pussy. Without his knot to seal their fluids inside her a small pool of cum began seeping onto the sheets. Groaning as he stood up, the wolf staggered for a few steps then steadying himself against the wall. A groan from the bed made him look back; he smiled, pleased with his handy work as a thick glob of pearly white liquid oozed from the shepherdess' swollen red lips. Shuffling into the bathroom, Nathan took care of his business then returned to his lover, carrying a soft towel. Standing at the edge of the bed he saw that Maria had rolled herself to the opposite side of the bed and curled up under the covers. When he laid the towel over the mess he was glad that their love making had been at the edge of the bed and he didn't have to lie in the wet patch. He turned off the bedside lamp and slid into bed next to his lover, his leg brushing past one of her feet. Once his eyes had got used to the darkness, Nathan lay staring at the ceiling with a smile of relief across his muzzle, his eyes scanning the empty stretch of plaster above him as if he was looking for something and happy that he couldn't see it. There came a sigh from his side along with the sound of the covers shifting as he felt a paw lazily slide over his chest. The smile only grew wider as Maria pulled herself into his side and laid her head against his shoulder as she nuzzled his throat. Turning his eyes away from the ceiling he looked down into the tangle of black hair before wrapping his arms around her warm body and closing his tired eyes as he listened to her quiet murmurs of happiness.

* * *

Warm sunlight beamed through a crack in the curtains gently warming Maria's face as she rolled onto her back and lazily opened her eyes. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes with the back of her paw, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and smirked to herself, still feeling the dull throb that lingered between her legs. Standing on shaky legs and looking around, blinking against the bright light, she noticed that there was no sign of Nathan and the rest of the apartment seemed quiet. It began to make her worry. "Oh, he had better not..." Nathan usually left without saying a word, but never after only one night. The wolf was at least courteous enough to wait at least a week or two before casually departing without a trace. Putting on a robe she walked out of the bedroom towards the living room. The soft sound of piano music made her halt; she recognized the tune. After a moment the vocalist began to sing about a small town girl. Swaying her tail she listened; a lopsided grin curled one side of her muzzle and she concluded that Nathan was still in the apartment. As she opened the double doors that led into the living room what she saw made her stop in her tracks.

Sliding into view across the laminate flooring, Nathan crossed her vision, holding one of her hair brushes as a mock microphone as he mimed to the words. The wolf struck a pose and made exaggerated bouncing motions with his hips and shoulders, and turned the music up even higher with the remote in his other paw. Maria's jaw dropped as she watched him fool around wearing one of her pink tank tops that was far too small for him, a bright yellow bikini bottom, and a pair of her luminous pink work out socks. She didn't dare ask where he had found those. In a great parody of trying to be sexy, Nathan launched into a highly over the top series of dance moves that wouldn't have been out of place in a nineteen-eighty's music video. Placing a paw on the string that held up the bright yellow bikini bottom up he gave his hips a shake that nearly made him spill out from behind the small patch of stretch cloth.

Bring a paw up to her mouth Maria didn't know what to say or do, then Nathan turned and paraded out onto the balcony; she laughed hard as he shamelessly showed off the backside of the bikini bottoms; the yellow thong disappearing between his cheeks before popping up just under his tail. Her robe fell open as she began clutching her sides from laughter, tears running down her face as his mimed serenade finally broke and he sung with the music, badly, with arms raised to the world. "Don't stop, believing!"

Unable to remain standing on her own, Maria leaned back against the doorframe as she began hiccuping with laughter.

The scene was suddenly disturbed when the doorbell rang as if someone was smashing the button over and over again.

Unable to decide what to do first Maria stood but was rooted to the spot trying to compose herself as Nathan danced passed her towards the door. She had barely started to protest when he opened the door in one quick motion, hardly giving the shepherdess time to close her robe.

Standing outside the door was a stately looking red squirrel that had more grey than red left in his fur. With a finger raised in a patronizing way, he was about to admonish his neighbour when he was greeted by a wolf in drag. Looking the wolf up and down he didn't know what to say as the scantly clad male greeted him with a grin.

Nathan just waved at the stupefied squirrel, then gripped his paw and shook it firmly as he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Nathan. Sorry about the noise, but Maria and I haven't had sex in about four months and when I'm done making her laugh, I'm going screw her brains out for the rest of the morning; apologies in advance for the forthcoming noise. Now if you don't mind, I believe I have work to do."

Maria watched in disbelief as Nathan dismissively closed the door, leaving the squirrel looking like he just had a stroke and the wolf with a huge victorious smile on his face as he sauntered towards her. "You're insane!" She blurted out and began to laugh again, her robe falling open when she tried to steady herself against the wall.

Stepping up to her Nathan wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her against his chest. "I think I handled it quite well. He knows the morning is still young and he can expect more." Teasing her robe to the side he slipped a paw over her breast. "Now, I think I made a promise I had better keep."

Pushing her body against his, Maria bit her lip as she felt his fingers squeeze her chest. "And there is the true, Nathan Fenn; the motor mouth." Letting him have his way with her for a moment she pulled his head towards hers and kissed him deeply. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, she pushed him away and eyed the ensemble he was wearing. "Those are not your size, Babe." She rested her paws on her bare hips and leaned forward a little. "They look better on me anyway."

"I like what you're wearing now though."

Rolling her eyes, Maria saw the hungry look in Nathan's eyes and that the bikini bottoms only seemed to grow tighter. "Sorry to shatter your dreams, lover boy, but I have work today." Still with her paws on her hips and her curves on display she pressed her body against him before giving his ass a swat. "Make me some coffee and a bagel, please." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking back towards the bedroom; her tail slowly waving form left to right.

After completing her morning ablutions, Maria added the last touches to her suit for the day. She looked at her watch and grimaced; she was sure to run into traffic on the way to the office and still wanted to review a more of her case files that she had taken home before she had to face Brutus, knew she was running out of time. When she walked towards her study the smells coming from the kitchen told her that a simple cup of coffee and the bagel had changed into something completely different.

Moving to her desk she saw the top case file was open. The shepherd spun the folder around and glanced over the file; the name 'Reece' was on the header of each page. Closing the folder, she placed it in her briefcase then added several more from the pile, but left the briefcase on her desk. Curious to see what Nathan had prepared for breakfast, she wandered towards the kitchen. The smell of scrambled eggs teased Maria's nostrils and when she walked in she was greeted by the near bare backside of the wolf. Unable to resist, she walked up behind him and pinched his cheek before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Now what part of 'coffee and a bagel' did you have difficulties understanding?"

Brushing his tail against her legs, Nathan deposited the scrambled eggs with mushrooms onto a plate next to two pieces of toast. "Look, I know when you're working on a lot of cases you don't eat right. I'm just trying to make sure you get through the day without relying on coffee and snacks."

"My culinary hero." She kissed his shoulder and let go of him, and then sat at the kitchen table where she was severed with the steaming plate and a glass of orange juice. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a pile of oranges, a knife and juicer; she quickly deduced that it was freshly squeezed. Taking a bite of her food from a fork, she looked at Nathan when he sat down opposite her with just a glass of juice. "Talking about cases, why were you reading the Reece folder on my desk?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Nathan took a sip before answering. "I remember the name from when I was younger. I followed the story on TV about how that young kid lost his parents, then disappeared. I felt sorry for him and it hit home hard because..." The wolf paused and raised his eyes to Maria's to see her looking fascinated as he started to open up about himself. He sighed heavily, "Maybe that's a story for another time." The shepherds look of intrigue was replaced with a grimace that Nathan passed making his usual witty remarks on. "I always kinda hoped the Reece kid would resurface someday with a happy story of his own, but life doesn't dole out happy endings to everyone. I guess I got lucky when I met you though." Maria made a sympathetic glance towards the wolf and placed her paw over his. "Anyway, when I saw the file I just wondered why you were interested in such an old case."

Swallowing a bit of toast and egg, Maria tapped her fork on her plate. "Because it's a mess, always has been and most likely, always will be. They dropped the case about a year after the kid disappeared and couldn't find any evidence linking the chief suspect and just labelled it as an accident. I hear the family's assets were secured by a friend of theirs and that he's still holding them in trust, waiting for the kid to come back. That's all hearsay though; the real issue is that there is so much paperwork to sift through and so many negatives to cross off the list. It was the first research case, Brutus ever gave me; I think he has some personal connection to it." She ate a few more bites and watched how Nathan patiently waited for her to continue. "It's deemed a cold case now, but there could be clues and leads buried somewhere in the paperwork. I tend to give this to my interns to straighten up and review how it was handled. That way the case stays in circulation, it stays on the radar of the cold-case team and they might actually find something one of these days." Piling on some egg on her toast she ate the piece in a few bites. "Rick, my new intern chewed through quite a bit of red-tape in the last few weeks, so I was going to review it," Sitting back she frowned "though with the appeal coming up on that other case, I'll have to put it on the back burner for now." She mused on the day ahead after mentioning the appeal case, then checked her watch again. "Damn it! I'm going to be late." Working herself up into a panic, she wolfed down the rest of her breakfast and rose to collect her things for the day. "Sorry, Honey. I've got to run."

Nathan followed her closely and laid a firm but gentle paw on her shoulder. "Calm down. You'll only be a few minutes late. Look, I made you seconds so you don't have to send someone to that overpriced sandwich place everyone at your office seems to love eating at so much."

Maria took a second to catch her breath, then turned into her lovers embrace and kissed him softly. "You're the best when you're here, Nathan, but I really need to go now. You eat it, please."

Brushing some stray hairs from her brow, he nodded and made a disappointed sigh. "Alright, give me a call when you're coming home and I'll have dinner ready when you get back."

"Thank you." She murmured softly as she lightly scratched his chest. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

The wolf grinned. "You say that like you don't trust me."

"Nathan, I never trust you on your own."

He chuckled and stole one more kiss before handing the shepherdess her briefcase and walking her to the door. "I'll be here."

"You'd better be." She growled affectionately as she left her apartment.

Closing the door, Nathan padded through Maria's home and dressed himself in something more comfortable, then found his backpack that he'd hidden away when he arrived. Reaching into the front pocket, he removed a tablet and unlocked the device from its standby mode. Brining up his email program, he retrieved a message he had been drafting earlier that morning. Attaching several dozen files to the email, he waited patiently while they uploaded and then tapped the subject line and typed: _ The lost file, found! _After sending the message, he sat and waited patiently. After ten minutes a reply came. Opening the message he read it with a sombre look on his face.

'_ How did you get this? Was it your girlfriend? You know she'll kill you if she finds out? Looks complete though. I can't believe Waterstone had the file all this time. I'll have my people take a closer look. Don't do anything else rash to spoil this good fortune.' _

Nathan sighed and typed his reply.

'_ It was just chance. Yes, she was working with the file. It'll be worth it if we can find anything of real use. When did I ever do something without considering all the options first?' _

He only waited a few short minutes for another reply.

'_ You're reckless! Stay out of trouble until we can sort things out at this end.' _

The wolf tapped his finger on the side of the tablet. Opening the files he had copied, he sighed, knowing he would regret it as he began to read. The more he read, unwelcome memories began to resurface, memories so dark he wished he could forget.

* * *

When Maria walked into the bullpen several faces looked up from their work and stared at her in confusion. The shepherd walked through the gauntlet with a sheepish grin as she tried to make her excuse as sincere as possible. "I got stuck in traffic."

The excuse was weak as by the time the large Mercedes had roared onto the street the traffic on her route had cleared up. An added bonus was the fact that the police had their speed traps in other parts of the city.

Once in her office, Maria got the folders out of her briefcase and piled them neatly on the left side of her desk next to an empty tray labelled 'In'. Starting up her workstation she checked her digital in-box and one message in particular stood out amongst the rest; the title in bold letters and punctuated with over a dozen exclamation marks. She didn't need to read the message as the title told her everything she needed.

_ 'Get to my office right away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' _

Rolling her eyes as she stood, Maria straightened her suit and walked towards the door, but saw someone grabbing the handle on the other side through the frosted glass. When Rick stepped inside she grinned and brushed passed him, bumping her hips against his deliberately then trailing her tail across his leg. "Don't worry I got the message, I'm on my way, no need to escort me. You can go back to work."

After swallowing hard and making sure his reaction wasn't showing, Rick followed Maria closely. "Sorry, Brutus told me to get you to his office without delay."

Maria raised an eyebrow at the young canine as he followed her. "How is the boss' mood?"

Afraid that Brutus would hear him, Rick just shook his paw as he glanced around in a fit of paranoia.

Maria let out a snort of suppressed laughter before walking away from the bullpen to another frosted door with engraved letters reading 'D.A.' in beautiful letters that covered almost the entire door. Having seen it a thousand times the shepherd just pushed the door open and waltzed into the large office. The first thing she noticed was all of the documents strewn around the room. "Are trying to bury yourself?" She asked curiously before picking up a random sheet from a stack on Brutus' desk.

With a gruff grunt, Brutus snatched the sheet back and slammed it down on the stack it came from. "Don't touch that!" Rising up from behind his desk, the huge mastiff glowered at Maria. "You told me you would look into the file to see where I might have left a hole for the bastard to wiggle through!" Squinting his eyes he looked the shepherd over. "You did read the file didn't you?"

"Most of it," Maria began as she crossed her arms under her chest and shifted her weight to one leg "you had a solid case. The witness testimonies were all over the place, but the evidence was rock solid. My guess is they're going for a technicality." She gestured around the office and the myriad of boxes. "They'll expect us to focus on the key witnesses, but I would start looking at the arrest, the interrogation and the officers involved. Let me double check with Helen and I'll start looking into it." Leaning down Maria gave both males something to look at as she patted one of the boxes while her tail rose straight up towards the ceiling. "Start with this box, the first interrogation. Getting statements deemed inadmissible as evidence is the first step."

All the while Brutus had his eyes on Maria, studying her as he ground his nicotine gum into tiny fragments between his molars. Something in the back of his head was making alarm bells go off but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Well, you certainly seem sure about yourself."

Standing up again, Maria glanced over her shoulder and could tell both males had been eyeing her up. With an amused but stern expression she put her intern in his place before turning to Brutus with her paws on her hips. "Your court-case was rock solid. They're trying to make you panic so that you overlook what they're up to. It makes sense, so they will have to attack the basics." She pointed down at the box she indicated earlier. "Like I said, start with that one. I'll finish reading the case-file in peace and I'll give Helen a call." In a flurry of tail, Maria spun around and shooed Rick out of her way.

Realization hit Brutus like a plane crashing on his head. "Maria!" He waited for her to look over her shoulder at him as he placed his paws on his desk and leaned forward menacingly. "When did he get back?"

"Last night," the shepherd replied without batting an eye.

Raising a paw Brutus pointed at Maria and snarled. "I don't want to see him in this building. I don't even want to see him near this building! Clear?"

"Alright, I'll do what I can, but you know I can't really stop him. I know he's disruptive, Brutus, but his pranks aren't that bad."

The large mastiff slammed his paws on the desk again and made the hardwood structure creak under the force of the impact. "Not that bad! He put a firecracker in my cigar, Maria! It singed my eyebrows!" His tone had grown dark as he spat the words out in anger.

Maria tried not to laugh as she remembered the incident. Before a grin could seep through her serene mask she turned on her heel and swiftly walked out of the door, waving her paw above her head. "I'll try and keep him out of your hair."

"I mean it!" Brutus called after her. "If I see that wolf around here, I'll punch that smirk off his face!" He didn't get a reply but it didn't matter as he dropped himself hard in his chair before looking at Rick with a worried expression. "Let's just hope he stays around until after the appeal."

Drawing a complete blank, Rick looked at his boss and lowered his head slightly. "I'm sorry Mister Waterstone, but who are you talking about?"

Swivelling his chair around Brutus gazed out of the window with a far off stare and began to speak in a soft voice that oozed with pure disdain. "Nathan Fenn, Nathan fucking Fenn." Blindly the mastiff reached for a drawer and pulled something from it.

Rick saw what he thought was a large baton for a relay race, but when Brutus bit off one end he realized it was a huge cigar; yet it looked to be a normal size in those huge paws. "Nathan Fenn?" The youth asked out loud, hoping he could gain more information about this mystery male.

"Maria hooked up with him about two or three years ago. He's works in deep sea salvage and is usually gone for several months at a time." Brutus put the cigar between his lips and moved it around until it was in the corner of his mouth. "Every time he's around, Maria's skill in the courtroom gets dialled up to eleven," Casting a surreptitious glance towards the youth the mastiff chewed his cigar "everybody in the office knows how he does it, but damn it, every time he leaves he..." Chewing the cigar hard it pointed upwards alongside Brutus' muzzle, the thick stem in front of his eye.

"What does he do when he leaves?" Rick couldn't help but ask as he learned about this rival.

Seeing where the cigar was, Brutus lowered it quickly; even though it wasn't lit and this time he was sure there was no firecracker inside it. Slowly turning back, he rested his elbows on the desk as he looked at Rick with sad and tired eyes. "He vanishes without a trace or so much as a goodbye for her, and every time it hits her hard. Last time she lost focus on her work for around two weeks and nearly screwed up some major cases. Luckily I got them handed off to Carl and he took care of business while we kept her out of court for a few days. It's been worse though."

"Why does she..?"

"I don't know kid." The mastiff said in a dark voice when he rose from the chair. Taking the cigar out of his mouth he wiggled it around between his thick fingers. "I need a smoke," he walked around the desk before stopping in front of the young canine. "you smoke?" He asked and received a negative shake of the head as a reply. "Good, don't start. It eats up your time." Looking at the large brown stick in his paw he chuckled. "I started with cigarettes, but when you're my size you just burn your fingers trying to light those twigs."

The sudden familiar mood in the office put Rick more at ease as he spoke up. "You could always try vapping, Sir, or Nicotine..."

Brutus cut him off as his chuckle grew into a raucous laughter. "Vapping? No, I'll leave sucking on a flashlight for the hipsters. As for nicotine gum; I chew it all the time, fat load of good it does me." Putting the cigar back into his mouth he gestured towards the box Maria had indicated. "Start with that box and get me the list of all the officers involved in our files, we'll cross check it with the police list."

Rick nodded and when the Mastiff passed him, he got a pat on the shoulder that nearly made his legs buckle. While he dug out the box his mind drifted to the wolf that seemed to agitate his mentor so much. "Nathan Fenn." he whispered and instantly began to dislike him.

With a single folder on her desk, Maria had made several piles of documents to sort out the parts of the trail she was focusing on. A sudden whirring and pinging made he stop and fish out her phone from underneath some scattered papers. Seeing the ID displayed she grinned and accepted the call before putting it on speaker. "Hey, Haffy. I called but you were busy. Got time to talk some shop or am I keeping you from an investigation?"

The other side of the line remained silent for a moment before a female voice spoke up. "Bathroom break, nothing fancy. And as for you, Maria; I always have time. What do you need?"

"Remember Brutus' big rape case he closed a few months ago?"

"Of course. Glad he put the creepy shit behind bars."

Maria grimaced. "That's the point..."

"They're appealing?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking that they're going for a technicality. I'm doing opposition and I can't make a dent in the forensics." Maria drew a small pile closer to her and began leafing through it. "Those first two interrogations, I need to know every single officer he came into contact with."

"You think they're going for a rotten apple in the bunch?" The voice said coldly.

Running a finger over the list she tried to pick out the officers she knew. "I have the official list but I need to make sure."

"I'll round everyone up and set the minions to mine through the security footage."

Raising an eyebrow, Maria looked at the phone. "You still have the footage? I thought you only kept it for two months."

There came a snort from the other side. "New system got installed just a few days before that creep got dragged in the first time. All digital, we can save up to two years in HD quality. After that time with the badger twins the commissioner wanted a state of the art system."

"How many people know?" She asked cautiously.

"Contractors, the tech guys. It was a job done on the down-low at the precinct."

Tapping her finger on the paper, Maria began to think. "Get me that footage, please. I've got the feeling that's what they're going for, 'cause it's exactly two months since that... 'convict' was last in your cells."

"Alright, I'll swing by your office later today with what we find. Talk to you later, Maria."

"See ya then."

* * *

Over the next few hours, Maria considered her suspicions thoroughly and was confident she was on the right track. Her cold logical break down of the case fragments slowly started to build a new picture for her, all she needed was the last pieces of evidence to complete her analysis. Suddenly and painfully, her stomach rumbled from not being fed since breakfast. Clutching at her tummy and glaring at the clock she noted that it had just slipped past three in the afternoon and for a moment she wondered if she could have gone through the entire day if she had taken Nathan's offer of a second helping at breakfast as he had urged. The shepherd stood up and stretched to get the knot at the base of her spine to loosen. Her desk was a mess of paperwork and she decided that a break was in order. Walking with a slight bounce in her step through the bull pen, she noticed glances towards her and made an educated guess regarding the sudden attention. Before she stepped into the hallway that lead towards the small kitchen, the shepherd turned around and raised her voice. "Yes, Nathan is back. Brutus already told me to keep him away from the office, but I can't promise that there won't be any vinegar powder in the coffee." There was a groan around the room as she turned around and continued on her way.

The kitchen was small and housed a large refrigerator a few cupboards and a large dual pot coffee maker. One of the glass pots was empty and there was only a small layer of dark liquid in the other.

Grimacing at the pots, Maria didn't feel like testing if the remnant was still drinkable. Instead she turned her attention to the fridge, but when she glanced inside she didn't see anything that wasn't labeled or set there for the entire office. Turning and walking back to her office quickly, she caught sight of the garbage can and saw an empty box of assorted pastries. The thought of the delicacies set her stomach rumbling even more fiercely. Arriving in the bullpen she cleared her throat and tried to get the attention of some of the staff, but clearly Brutus had them hard at work. "Excuse me. Tamara, Nigel..." She said in a more friendly tone than usual. The pair ignored her and as her irritation grew, her tail began to whip back and forth. Slamming her paw down on the closest desk, Maria shouted loudly. "Listen up! I haven't had food or coffee since eight-thirty this morning. Somebody, please run down to the deli on the corner and get me a chicken sandwich and a large coffee!"

The bullpen fell completely silent for a good long while before a small mouse woman raised her paw. "Can I get something for myself while I'm there?"

Holding up her paws, Maria let out a sigh of relief and deflated anger. "Just... Get me a sandwich and coffee quickly." Without another word, she walked back to her office and slammed the door behind her making it rattle. The low blood sugar suddenly hit her and it made her grumpy; the lack of a full night's sleep didn't help either. Sitting at her desk she stared at the papers before letting out a groan. Once she got home, she was going to jump Nathan and after she was done, they would eat the dinner he prepared before she'd flip him over to go again. The plan sounded perfect in her mind and it made a silly grin appear on her face as she began to fantasize about her wolf.

About twenty minutes later, her office door opened and a raccoon woman strolled in without the courtesy of knocking. Wearing a pair of ripped jeans, an old, abused red leather jacket that hung open to reveal a black tank-top with the 'Rolling Stones' logo that showed off her well-proportioned bust. She looked around and smirked at the shepherd before holding up a large paper bag. "Stole this from a nervous looking staff member; I'm guessing you ordered this?"

Staring at the bag, Maria felt her stomach clench and demand the contents. She shifted her gaze to the person holding it, looking up at the dark eyes behind her natural black mask. "I thought you stopped doing stings for the vice squad years ago?"

Letting out a loud snort, the raccoon pulled the bag back. "If you're going to bite the paw that feeds you..."

Reaching out, Maria made a grabbing motion towards the bag. "Ugh, give it already before I tackle you, Helen!"

Stepping closer to the desk, Helen looked down at her friend. "Attacking an officer is a bad idea. A lawyer should know that." Seeing the hungry look on the canine she opened her jacket to the side to reveal a badge and a holster with her shiny black firearm. "Before you think that it's worth it; I'm armed." She watched Maria slumped over her desk and blow a long raspberry as if she were a deflating balloon. Helen sat down on the edge of the desk, avoiding the paraphernalia scattered about it before opening the bag and peeking in. "Oooh, Chicken." Reaching in, she pulled out the large cup of coffee and put it down next to the mass of black hair on the desk. "One large decaf for the exhausted shepherd."

Raising her head, Maria looked genuinely worried. "You're kidding me!" Peering at the cap she didn't see the normal mark the deli used for decaf. Her tired grey eyes locked with the humorous brown ones. "Don't do that to me." She complained before reaching for the cup.

"Don't do that. You'll get an ulcer if you drink that on an empty stomach." Unwrapping the sandwich, Helen dangled it in front of Maria and watched her take it and bite into it ferociously. "So," she began gently "that good for nothing is back in town?" The silence told her enough and she crossed her arms before shaking her head. "Why do you keep letting him back into your life, Maria?"

Swallowing half the sandwich in one go, Maria gave a wry smile. "He's a really sweet guy... You'll see if you ever meet him."

"Ugh, pass." Helen said as rolled her eyes before standing back up. "I'll be here when he dumps you again and you need a shoulder to cry on."

Both females stood on opposite sides of the room looking at each other, but when Maria finished her sandwich she held out her paw towards Helen. "So, did you bring the security footage?"

Rolling her eyes, Helen reached into her jacket and pulled out a small portable hard drive. "Of course. The tech guys cut it together quickly. It's all the feeds where you can see the sleaze ball and his shyster." She stepped up to the desk and handed it to her friend. "Any idea what you're looking for?" Putting her paw behind her head, Helen played with her braided auburn hair, then pulled the braid over her shoulder before running slender fingers through the loose hairs at the end. "I watched the first and second interrogations, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

Looking at the silver device in her paw, Maria ran her fingers over the brand name and storage capacity information that was etched into the casing. "I'll have to look at it all then." Placing the drive next to her keyboard, she opened a drawer and got out the cables she needed to connect it to her workstation. Pushing it off to the side, she looked up at the raccoon. "So, why are you dressed like that? I think the commissioner would have a heart attack if you walked around the station like that."

With a grin on her face, Helen spread the jacket to show off her top. "Going to a rock concert tonight. I changed into this when I left the precinct."

Staring down at the Raccoon's waist, Maria nodded towards the holster. "You always carry that to a concert?"

Helen just grinned as her long striped tail curled around her waist. "Of course. That's how I dominated the moshpits." The shepherd wasn't buying it. Helen shrugged and shifted her weight to one leg. "Alright, I actually have a work to do at the concert; I'm just wearing this to blend in."

"I've seen you wear every piece of that outfit before, is it your own stuff?" Maria asked raising an eyebrow questioningly as she drank a sip of coffee.

Putting her paws in the jacket's pockets, Helen struck a pose. "Yeah, it is; I didn't have to rummage through the piles of confiscated clothes to find something, thankfully." Pulling one paw out of the jacket pocket she pointed at the drive. "If you need more, just give me a call."

"You're not going to help me sift through it?" Maria batted her eyes at her friend as she put the cup to her lips and took a long drink.

"Hah!" Helen chuckled and gave a quick shake of her head. "Not even if I actually had the time." With both paws in her pockets again, she nodded towards the shepherd. "Once you've found something I'll start a formal inquiry."

"Officially," Maria began with a troubled look on her face. "I have to share any evidence with the defence. So until I find anything," She pointed at the drive, "I will have to tell them about this. I really hope there is something here we can knock their appeal out of the water with."

Slowly sauntering towards the door, Helen just stuck up a paw and gave her friend a weak wave. "Have fun with that. See you later, Maria."

Watching the striped tail follow the silhouette that moved behind the frosted glass she commented to nobody in particular. "I won't."

* * *

Several hours later, Maria laid down the pencil she had been using to scribble notes with and stopped the video playback. After watching several interrogations she hadn't found anything that would be grounds for an appeal. Spotting the clock at the bottom of the screen, she grimaced; it was quickly approaching seven and looked as if it had been raining outside with a threat of more to come. As the computer was shutting down, she locked the papers and the drive away in her desk before gathering some work in her briefcase. Maria grabbed her purse and fished her cell phone out and then dialled her home phone. The line buzzed as the phone rang on the other side. Once, twice, more and more. By the tenth ring, Maria was getting irritated. She stepped out of her office and made her way towards the elevators; not even noticing the last few staff left in the bullpen. After the trip down she all but ran towards her car, fear and anger battling in her mind.

The large V8 made the air in the parking garage tremble as it roared to life. The sleek black vehicle was a blur as it rushed through the streets, the tail-light leaving a red trail in mist the back tires kicked up from the rain water. The clouds overhead darkened with the setting sun, the promise of more rain becoming ever more likely as she raced home.

With the weather reflecting her mood, Maria took the elevator to her apartment's floor and hurried towards her door; her high heels tapping hard on the marbled floor. When she stood in front of her door she pulled out her key and paused before entering, afraid of what she would find, or rather what she might not find inside. The door opened with just a single twist of the key, surprising Maria, as did finding the alarm turned off. The green LED blinked slowly telling the shepherd it was in standby mode. Closing the door behind her the soft click echoed through the gloomy apartment.

Outside, more clouds had gathered and the sky had grown dark as the distant rumble of thunder caught her ear. "Nathan?" Maria called out, but the house remained silent. The dinning room and the kitchen were empty and there was no dinner waiting for her. As she looked through the open doors into the living room, she saw the wolf's backpack perched on the couch. "He's still here." She commented to herself in relieve. Turning back she set her briefcase down on a table in the hall before going into her bedroom. Peering around the connecting rooms, there was no sign of Nathan. She laid her jacket on the bed before continuing; her nerves still on edge even though she knew he hadn't left her again.

The search led through the first guest room, a Spartan furnished room with a double bed; nothing. The second guest room that she used for storage turned up the same results, then she stepped back into the hall across from the dining room.

"Where..." Her words were drowned out by a heavy rumble of thunder that sounded oddly clear to Maria's ears. At a brisk pace, she returned to the living room; and after a single step through the door she felt the draft coming from the open balcony. Heading towards it, there was a flash of lightning that framed an outline of a figure leaning over the railing of the balcony. "Nathan?" The figure didn't respond to her hail and remained still as a statue.

Maria cautiously stepped onto the balcony and in the gloom she clearly recognized the figure as her lover. Standing behind the wolf she raised a paw to touch his shoulder but hesitated for a moment. When the first drops of rain began to hit her muzzle she brushed her fingers against his arm.

Nearly jumping out of his fur, Nathan twisted around, seemingly coming out of a daze and realizing where he was. "Maria? What are you doing home already?" Confusion spread across his face as he blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision.

When Maria saw his face she was shocked to see heavy clumps of matted fur under his eyes. "What's wrong?" placing both paws on his muzzle, she began to comb the fur, feeling how wet it was. She saw him open his mouth and she levelled a stern stare at him. "Don't give me that 'nothing' bullshit!"

Swallowing the word, Nathan tried to think up something else but his thoughts were interrupted when the rain began to come down in earnest. Glancing skyward he took Maria by the paw and pulled her towards the open door. "We'd better get inside."

Back in the living room, Maria looked at Nathan and caught sight of herself in the mirror; they had both become a soggy mess. She laughed encouragingly as a few drops fell from her muzzle. "Well that was fun." Pulling down her blouse she saw the wet spots in the fabric had turned slightly see through. Looking back through the balcony door, she saw a black rectangular shape on the balcony table when another flash of lightning lit the sky. "Nathan," she said after the loud rumble "is that your tablet?"

His mind had gone wandering again, but when he heard Maria's comment his eyes went wide. "Damn it!" Without a moment's hesitation he dashed back into the storm.

Not quick enough to grab him, the shepherd called out after him. "Let me get you a raincoat first, you dummy!"

Nathan was back within a few seconds, but the deluge that was going on outside had soaked him through.

Chewing her lip to stop herself from laughing at the soggy wolf; Maria looked at the dripping electronic. "How is it?"

"Oh, this is nothing." Nathan said as he held the tablet up. "It's waterproof, I just don't like water stains on the screen." He shook the drops off and brought the screen to life.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Maria punched him hard in the chest. "Seriously; you got soaked for something you didn't need to worry about?"

Before the wolf could answer a gust of wind blew in through the door, spraying water on the floor and causing Nathan to shiver slightly in his soaked clothes. He stepped up to the door and closed it securely and for a moment he watched the rain strike against the glass. When the lights came on in the room, he could see Maria waiting for him in the reflection.

With arms akimbo, Maria watched the wolf for a moment before walking up behind him and tugged on his dripping tail. "You're making the floor wet. Grab a shower before you catch cold and put some dry clothes on. I'll take care of dinner." She didn't wait for his reply and walked towards her desk where she picked up the handset for her home phone. "Pizza alright for you?" The question didn't get a reply and as she turned around she caught a glimpse of Nathan as he shuffled out of the room. Something weird is going on with your wolf, Maria thought to herself as she dialled. The shepherdess plucked at her wet blouse as she walked into the hallway. Her unoccupied ear heard the shower being turned on while a cheerful girl spoke in her other. "This is Maria Eckholdt. I'm in the system. Yes, I'm calling for a delivery. One large 'triple meat', make it spicy, and one medium 'Pile-it-on', just hold the olives and seafood. Yeah that's it. Just twenty minutes? The advantage of ordering late I guess. Yes, I'm paying cash. That's perfect, thank you." Slowly making her way towards the bedroom, Maria called another number, telling the building's doorman to send the pizza delivery guy up before throwing the phone on her bed.

The handset bounced on the mattress before coming to a rest next to Nathan's duffel bag.

Maria undressed, getting out of her work attire before putting on a pair of Bordeaux sweat pants. Standing topless at the foot of the bed she looked at the duffel bag before sitting and pulling it into her lap. Pulling the top open, she peered inside and began rummaging around inside. Nathan's usual Arctic fresh fragrance rose up from the bag as she explored its contents. Her fingers found a large patch of rough spun wool and she tugged it out from under all the other clothes. With a chuckle, she pulled out the dark blue knitted sailor sweater before putting the bag back on the bed and standing up to admire the garment. Holding it up in front of her she looked into the large mirror in the corner of the room. Her smile only grew when she slipped it over her head. The sweater was far too big for her and it nearly slipped off her shoulder when she moved, but that didn't stop her from wrapping the long sleeves around her and sniffing the coarse wool, inhaling the scent of her lover. Lost in her own little world until she caught sight of her alarm clock, Maria was surprised to see how much time had passed and that the pizza could show up any minute.

As if it had been waiting for the shepherd to realize the time, the phone handset began to buzz loudly. Leaning over the bed, Maria picked up the noisy apparatus and answered the call. "Maria speaking. Yes you can send him up, thank you." Not throwing the handset back on the bed this time, she got up and used it to tap against the bathroom door. "Nathan? You've been in there long enough; pizza's here. Babe, everything alright?" Her paw was already on the knob but stopped when she heard the shower being turned off. "Dinner's in the living room. Dress casually." Maria smiled, hearing a low grumble from inside the bathroom while she walked out of the bed room. Taking a slight detour to get some cash out of her desk, she opened the door just in time to see the delivery boy walk up to the door. "Perfect timing."

With a cap failing to keep the unruly pubescent mane under control, the lion teen opened the bag he had been carrying before slipping out the pizza boxes. "One large triple meat, extra spicy and one medium 'Pile-it-on' no olives or seafood."

"That's us." Maria said with a grin before holding out her arms to accept the boxes. The teen had been so distracted by the high-class surroundings to notice the woman that had been waiting for the pizzas. Seeing the expression on the lion's face change to one she'd seen countless times on other delivery boys, Maria just grinned and accepted the boxes with one paw before holding out the money with the other. "Keep the change for the speedy service." The lion didn't get the chance to reply as she turned around and flipped her tail out of the way before stretching her leg behind her and giving the door a gentle push until she heard the soft click of the lock. Lingering by the door for a moment longer, she heard the lion's footfalls and him muttering something in a tone that told her he enjoyed what he saw. Entering the living room, she put the boxes on the coffee table before getting the pizza slicer and two plates from the kitchen. With the food all sliced up, Maria began to wonder what was taking Nathan so long. Getting off the couch she just took a step out of the room when she heard the bedroom door open.

Dressed in jeans and a plain black t-shirt, Nathan stepped through the door; not seeming to notice her; his eyes on the floor until he saw her feet. The wolf stopped, slightly startled by her presence and looked into his lover's eyes.

Gazing deep into his eyes, Maria could see the turmoil going on behind them. Without a word she placed her paws on his muzzle, preventing him from speaking before kissing him on the lips. When she felt his arms slip around her waist she wrapped her own around his neck. The kiss lasted for a few seconds but lacked any of the usual passion she was used to. The fur on his muzzle was still damp from the shower; she smoothed it with a few strokes of her fingers before stepping back and taking one of his paws as they fell away from her body. "I got you a large triple meat, extra spicy." She lead him back to the couch sat him in the corner before sitting next to him. Nathan's self-imposed silence began to worry her as she leaned forward to grab a plate.

There was glint of mischief in Nathan's eyes as he twisted on the seat and hugged the shepherd from behind when she sat back down.

Letting out a surprised squeak as she was pulled between Nathan's legs; his arms clamped around her stomach. With her paws full, she felt the weight of the wolf's head on her shoulder. "Nathan, I've never seen you like this. What's wrong?" She felt Nathan shrug and just bury his nose in the nape of her neck. Her annoyance grew with his silence. Putting her plate in her lap, she used her free paw to bring a slice of the triple meat to her shoulder. "If you're not going to talk then you might as well put that mouth of yours to other uses." She felt him take a large bite and then pulled the slice back and took a bite to sate her own hunger. As the ham, bacon and pepperoni danced across her tongue she realized that extra spicy meant really spicy. "You can have this." Maria put the slice back in front of Nathan making him chuckle as he took another bite.

"I thought you didn't mind spicy?"

Wedging the remainder of the slice in the wolf's mouth; Maria patted his cheek. "It speaks full sentences. I'm amazed." Trailing a finger along his jaw, she tried to coax more out of him. "So, want to talk about it?"

Tensing up involuntarily, Nathan hugged the woman in his arms a little closer as he ate the slice quickly before speaking "I dug up some bad memories." Knowing her next question he interrupted her train of thought. "No, I don't want to talk about it. Not today, please Maria."

"I hate your secrets." Maria grumbled as she roughly patted the side of his head. The slices disappeared over the course of the next hour, the pair eating in silence and comfortable in their embrace. Nathan only let go of Maria long enough for her to refill the plates and sit back down before he returned his head to her shoulder. A few minutes after the food had vanished, he began to fidget in his seat. Feeling the male behind her shift, Maria glanced over her shoulder, but the position of his muzzle prevented her from seeing him. "What is it babe?"

"Maria..." Nathan said in a low whisper.

Liking the way he said it, Maria began to wiggle her backside against Nathan's groin. "Yes?" Her voice just as soft as his.

Readjusting himself, Nathan put his paws on her back and gently began to push her away. "Eeeh, Maria..." This time his voice had more of an edge of discomfort to it.

Confused by the feeling of his paws pushing against her, Maria turned her body to glare at him. "Nathan?" Her voice turning cold as she couldn't understand his actions.

Clenching his jaws, Nathan gave her another firm shove. "Bathroom, now."

Her eyes went wide and she giggled like a schoolgirl, suddenly pushing back hard against him. "What's wrong?" She purred as innocently as she could.

The rubbing of their nether regions against each other produced a natural reaction in Nathan, putting more pressure on his bladder and groin. The big wolf let out a desperate whimper that was met with more giggles from the woman in his lap. Twisting her body, Maria slipped from his grasp and her back hit his chest with a thud. Turning up her teasing to the max, she rubbed her nose against his muzzle and gave it several gentle licks. Putting her paws on his thighs she began rubbing them and gyrating her hips even more. "Come on, Babe." Her voice was thick with lust and desire; it was a complete lie, betrayed by her constant giggling.

Growling, Nathan grabbed the tease firmly around her waist before forcing himself to stand up with another low primal growl from the back of his throat. Maria just laughed even louder at his display of dominance as he hoisted her into the air. Twisting his body, the wolf dropped his tormentor onto the couch and watched her bounce on the cushion while she laughed hysterically. Without further delay, he hurriedly made his way out of the room, his gait altered due to the pressure in his groin.

Wiping her eyes, Maria sat up and launched into another giggling fit. Taking deep breaths she regained a measure of her composure before rising from the couch. With an occasional titter, she gathered the plates and empty boxes before skipping to the kitchen, her tail wagging behind her.

Nathan peered into the living room after he answered the call of nature and stopped dead in his tracks at the threshold. Moving as silently as he could, the wolf took a few steps back to stay in the shadow of the dark hallway before returning to the bedroom. A minute later he returned with a large black object in his paws. He knelt down next to the doorway leading to the living room before bringing the object up to his face. Peering through the eye piece he saw the same sight that made him come to a halt moments before.

After cleaning the remnants of their dinner, Maria had brought back the pitcher of orange juice from that morning with her and poured two glasses. She now sat wedged in the corner of the large sofa with her legs folded underneath her and her tail wrapped around them. All of her attention went to the book that lay open on her thigh, so engrossed was she that she didn't even hear the whirring and clicking from the camera aimed at her.

Turning his camera, Nathan looked at the display on the back and chose the best photo to keep and deleted the others. He stood up and walked into the room with his thumb playing over the buttons on the back of the device.

Spotting the wolf out of the corner of her eye when he moved in front of her, Maria tore her eyes away from the book and smiled up at him with a big mischievous grin. "Feeling relieved now?" When she said it she spotted the camera and closed the book. "Pictures from your expedition?" The wolf nodded before he sat down next to her. Scooting forward to give him room, she took the camera from him as he slipped behind her once more. "Is this to stop me asking questions?" Feeling him nod against her neck, Maria pressed herself against him, it wasn't the answer she wanted, but at least he was engaging with her again.

Nathan had his muzzle buried in the nape of her shapely neck once more and his arms wrapped around her stomach. His tail lay next to his leg and the shepherd's tail lay on top of his; every twitch of his she answered with her own. The simple gesture made him close his eyes and snuggle closer to his lover.

Looking over the first pictures that showed a beautiful sunset over the ocean, Maria listened to the content noises coming from behind her. "Is this the Atlantic?"

"Mediterranean."

The next series of pictures were all taken underwater with the aid of powerful lamps, mapping out the outside of the wreck. Several images followed that were taken inside with a large bull in diving gear pointing out specific struts.

Looking at the pictures it was clear that the ship was a corroded mess. The next picture made Maria blink as it went from a dark blue setting to one with natural sunlight. A smile came to her face as she cocked her head. The picture was taken at an odd angle and she saw why. Standing in front of a mirror in the middle of what she guessed was his cabin on the ship, Nathan stood wrestling with the watertight casing around the camera; his tongue peeking out of from the side of his muzzle as the task clearly turned out to be trickier than it appeared to be. Seeing the little pink tip dangling from his mouth made Maria grin, but she licked her lips as she admired the rest of the picture. Nathan's wetsuit was open and the top half hung around his waist, giving her a nice view of his bare chest and torso. If there was one thing she liked about his job was all the physical work he had to do, the constant swimming and manual work kept the wolf in very good shape. The nearly snow white hair of the his happy trail began just under his belly button and disappeared under the wetsuit just above the bulge between his legs that she admired for quite a while. "Print this one out for me will you?" She rolled her shoulder to get Nathan's attention.

"Mmmh, what?" The voice coming from behind her was thick sleep and was slow as he spoke. "I don't remember taking that."

Pressing her cheek against his, Maria rubbed against him slowly and affectionately. "Just print this one out for me, alright?" The next couple of pictures were taken back inside the ship as several divers we preparing to cut the wreck into more manageable pieces. The pictures then started to jump ahead in time. Showing how each part of the vessel was hoisted onto the ship Nathan worked on and then brought into port piece by piece. One of the pictures showed several smaller parts on the deck, she guessed it was the segment that had broken up during lifting that Nathan had told her about the previously night. The next picture made Maria smile as it showed the entire crew, the twenty something rouges that stole Nathan away from her time and time again. She spotted Nathan on the back row his fur and hair tussled and untrimmed; it was so different from the clean and well-groomed wolf she knew, but there was something alluring about seeing him so unkempt. Flicking the button with her thumb she was taken aback for a second before rubbing herself more firmly against the heavy body pressed against her back. Maria admired the photo that Nathan had taken of her earlier before reaching back and caressing his muzzle. "One for your collection no doubt?" She only got a sleepy grunt as reply. Rolling her shoulder, she tried to get a better response, but only got another couple of grunts from the wolf. "Time for bed." She concluded and began to untangle herself from Nathan's sleepy grasp. Nathan nearly fell forward when his support suddenly vanished, but a paw on each of his shoulders prevented him from crashing nose first into the floor. Blinking hard he looked up and saw Maria's smiling face looking down at him.

"Let's go to bed, Babe." Maria said gently as she helped the wolf stand up. Putting one arm over her shoulder the pair shuffled towards the bedroom. She turned down the bed while Nathan pulled his shirt over his head. Hearing a muffled growl from behind her, she turned around and starting laughing. In his sleepy state, Nathan was somewhat clumsier, and his t-shirt was now stuck around his head; the wolf's arms sticking out of the tangled mess. Maria stepped up to him and put her paws on his chest, smoothing the fur down. "Let me help."

Once the shirt was gone and carelessly thrown on the floor Nathan was about to make an attempt for his pants but Maria was quicker. With a lopsided grin he watched how she opened up his pants before pushing them down to his ankles. She came back up and left a trail of gentle kisses up the side of his body until it ended in a deep kiss on the lips. Feeling his body fight to find the energy to mate with Maria again, he calmed his own urges knowing now was not the time. He broke the kiss and smiled at her. "Sorry, Beautiful, I'm too tired to fool around tonight."

Standing on the tips of her toes, Maria kissed him on the nose. "Go to bed, Babe."

Doing what his lady said, Nathan nearly fell into bed and was asleep only a few seconds after. Maria just smiled at the sight before pulling the covers over him. Walking around to her side of the bed, she slowly pulled the large sweater she wore over her head as if Nathan could be watching. The sweatpants followed and she took her time turning around, making sure her lover would have the best view as she bent over to remove them. Sadly when she turned to see him, the big wolf had his eyes closed and was snoring peacefully. Putting her paws on her hips Maria smiled softly at her lover and watched him for a moment before slipping into bed next to him. She barely had the chance to get comfortable when large paws reached out to pull her close. When they slipped around her body she was pressed to his broad chest and heard a deep sigh of comfort from the wolf. With a smile she pressed her nose into his grey fur and took a deep sniff; the cool, arctic scent filled her nose as she drifted to sleep, feeling warm and secure.

To be continued...