FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 1

Derrick woke to feel a cold, wet nose pressing against the back of his neck. He smiled, realizing Will had shifted in the middle of the night. Not quite wolf or man, he was a furry heap, legs draped across and pressing into Derrick's body. Derrick was enjoying the sensation right until the moment the beast began licking him like a puppy in overdrive.

"Ack! Will Stop!" Derrick cried out.

Will was dragged into the real world from his dream. "What?" the startled werewolf blurted out. "What... what?" He flailed about, nearly kicking Derrick out of bed as he struggled to get his bearings.

Derrick pushed back against the beast. A rear paw slammed up against his head. "Worse," he yelled. "Way worse than the licking." He shook into his werewolf form to absorb the beating.

The young werewolf grabbed the older and pinned him to the bed. Will, shaking past his drowsiness, realized where he was and went limp. "Damn, I'm sorry, Pup," Will groaned. "I kinda lost my bearings for a minute there." He freed a paw and rubbed his eyes. "I was having the most wonderful dream. You fed me your cock while I was being fucked by the old bear."

Will saw the somber look on his friend's face when he spoke. "I'm sorry, Pup," he whispered. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

"It's okay, Will," Derrick responded. "I guess I'm jealous. Six years and I've never dreamt of him." He turned away from Will, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. "I feel like I'm losing him, Will. I can still see his face. But his laugh... it's there at the tip of my memory, but I can't quite hear it. I'm trying to hold on to him, Will, but it's all slowly slipping away."

Will wrapped his arms around Derrick from behind and pulled him in close. "Don't worry, Pup. What's slipping away isn't him. That's just stuff up here," he said, tapping the young werewolf's head. "With you, Eric lives in here." He rubbed his paw across Derrick's heart. "It's more sacred to you. You hold things close. You lock them away where they're safe."

"Me..." Will continued, "I'm a horny old wolf who's in love with you and the old bear. I'm not all that deep. I'm happy fucking my brains out with you two in my dreams."

The old wolf paused a moment and squeezed Derrick close. "And you here. Fucking my brains out with you here makes me very happy."

Two paws pressed against him. "Me, too," he heard the Pup whisper.

Will rubbed his muzzle against the neck of his bedmate, and then the muzzle of the old wolf slipped off to the side and bit into the shoulder. Will never forgot the bite reserved for the One. "You may forget the details. But you are the keeper of his soul."

Will turned Derrick around and rubbed a tear from his cheek. "I'm all about the physical. I remember every dick I've sucked and each one that's plowed my ass." He paused a moment as if recalling the centuries. "And believe me, that's a lot of dick. I can't tell you who they were. At least, not anything important about who they were."

Will sighed. "You envy me remembering the physical details in my dreams. I envy you for holding on to what's actually important. Why do you think Papa Bear asked you to make his last journey with him? I'm one of his oldest living friends, but it's you he trusted to hold on to him."

Derrick looked at the old wolf. "I'm pretty sure he knew you would follow."

The old wolf nipped at the chin of the pup. "True. He may have been a bear, but we were his family. He has always been a part of our pack, if even from a distance."

Derrick looked at Will and smiled. "Not our pack, Will; you. He knew you would follow."

"I suppose," Will chuckled. "The great white bear teaching the old dog new tricks. I finally have a soul to lock away in my heart." He gave the pup another bite, and the black wolf returned an affectionate nip.

The young werewolf smiled. "Any regrets?"

"None to speak of. I never believed in love at first sight until I met you." Will looked deep into the blue eyes of the werewolf in front of him. "I suppose that's why I wanted to turn you so bad. Eric and I never saw eye to eye on that matter. I couldn't imagine spending my life with a human. I couldn't stand the idea of learning to love someone else, only to watch time tear him away from me." He went quiet and looked down. "And you? Any regrets?"

"Aside from getting kicked in the head this morning, I can't think of any."

"Sorry about that, Pup. I warned you at the start it wouldn't be easy to sleep with me. I tear up the sheets."

Derrick laughed. "You do that when you're awake."

"True that," Will smiled.

Derrick leaned back. "Tell me about your dream, Will. I'm ready to hear it. If I hold his soul in my heart, you hold his passions. He might need both of us to bring him back. I miss our days together. Your dreams are like memories that haven't happened yet."

The old werewolf sighed. "You know it will make me horny." His paw reached down and rubbed the young wolf's crotch. "You have to promise to mount me the way the old bear did."

"If you promise to return the favor and mount me."

"But that wasn't in the dream."

"Who said yours are the only dreams we're telling today?" Derrick replied with a mischievous grin.

"God, I love you, Pup," Will growled as he pulled Derrick's already hardening cock from its furry sheath.

The morning sun had passed the crest of the mountains by the time two wolves made their way out of the cave and toward the creek. "You know, your cum is sticky when it dries," Derrick said as he shook himself back into his human form.

"You could have swallowed," Will said nonchalantly. With one massive shake, the wolf became a man. He looked down at his heavy girth and smiled.

"I tried to," Derrick protested. "Maybe if you came in something under a quart, I could keep up."

"What's the fun of that?" Will stood upright. "Besides, one would think by now you would have learned to expect these things. It's not the first time I've cum in your mouth... or down your chest and all over your cock and balls... or up your..."

"All right, all right," Derrick laughed. "I yield to the man with the fire hose for a dick."

"Oh, Pup said a nasty word," Will growled. "I'm not a man."

Derrick looked back at Will. "And what do I call this gorgeous creature behind me if he's not a man? We have to have some sort of name for you in this form."

Will rubbed his furry chest. "I like to think of this incarnation as a follicly-challenged wolf." He stretched his arms wide. "And he's ready to brave the elements." He ran past Derrick and threw himself off the rock ledge into the water below. The resulting splash arced into the air and onto Derrick.

"Cold... too cold!" He yelled. "I should have stayed a wolf."

"Then change and dive in, Pup," Will said, taking a slow swim to the other side of the small pond.

Derrick shook himself into a wolf and plunged into the icy waters. He paddled toward the man with his outstretched arms.

"Come to me, Pup," Will's voice boomed. "Come and get warmed up the old-fashioned way; skin on skin."

He watched the wolf shake his head no as it tried to turn and swim away.

"Then I will have to go about this a different way," Will said, lunging at the wolf and grabbing it under the forelegs with his massive arms. He pulled the wolf up out of the water, spun it around, and placed his lips squarely on the wolf's mouth. Somewhere in that kiss, man and wolf both found their middle ground and embraced as werewolves.

When their lips separated to breathe, the old wolf whispered, "I promised I would fuck you. Now seems as good a time as any. After all, you're plenty wet."

Derrick giggled. "I'm glad you're a wolf who remembers his promises."

At the moment Will maneuvered Derrick into position, their ears twitched in unison. The two heard the rotating blades before the AgustaWestland helicopter even came into view. "Back to the cave, Pup," Will sighed.

Derrick's halfhearted smile betrayed his disappointment. "We didn't even get started."

The two jumped from the water and shook back into wolves. As they raced toward the cave, they could hear the helicopter touching down. It was a familiar sound to the pair, and one that usually brought them great joy. The pack was dropping by for a visit. But having forgotten about their planned visit this morning, their arrival seemed a royal cock block.

Even before they came through the cave's opening, Derrick and Will could hear the footsteps of men in boots. "Crap," Will sighed. "I suppose they're going to want to see us all human and clothed"

"Quite the opposite," Jean Pierre's voice echoed through the cave. "If you're not naked, you will disappoint us that we even bothered bringing you these supplies."

Jean Pierre walked into the room to see two werewolves with broad grins on their face. "Mon Dieu, you two grow more beautiful with each visit," he said. He pulled his shirt off over his head and with a single shake, was a werewolf straining his sweatpants to the breaking point. "You men outside will be better off shucking your clothes and greeting your fellow werewolves in our traditional manner. No need to stand on ceremony. We don't get many full moon nights to enjoy their company."

Derrick heard the twin's "Wahoo," turn into a lecherous howl. He smiled at Will. "Those two can get out of their clothes faster than anyone I know," he laughed.

Tiff and Tuff bounded into the room, followed almost immediately by the fox. "Where do you want us, Papa?" Jason asked, beaming.

Jean Pierre sighed and looked at Will. "He's taken to calling me Papa. I'm not sure letting him watch the pup and the old bear spend time together has been a good influence on him."

Will laughed, "I won't call you Papa."

"You had best not, Old Wolf." Jean Pierre looked over at Derrick, who was trying to hold back a boyish giggle. "And you, Pup. You have one... and only one, Papa. Are we clear?"

The giggle escaped, followed by, "Yes Sir."

"As for positions," Jean Pierre added with a wave of his paw, "let's think of this as a buffet. You are all welcome to enjoy whatever you wish."

The twins yelped again. One reached behind the entrance to the main cavern and they said, "We brought a toy."

Will looked confused. "A Toy? You boys need a toy with this many dicks flopping around for free?"

"Not that kind of toy," they said. "This kind of toy." Each grabbed a leg of a steel hotel luggage rack and held it up proudly.

"A luggage rack?" Will asked.

"This is no run-of-the-mill luggage rack. They rated this one for six hundred pounds."

"Still the same question. A luggage rack?"

"You need a sense of vision, Old Wolf," the twins replied, planting the rack on the ground. "Imagine if we took a sexy werewolf and stretched him across this rack." The twins took their hands and waved them like game show models displaying a new car. "By placing him face-down, perpendicular to the support straps, he straddles the rack with his butt on one side and his mouth on the other. That, of course, leaves his dick and balls dangling underneath between the straps."

Will saw the possibilities. "And who is this sexy werewolf we're speaking of?"

The twins laughed. "Oh, that would be Derrick." They nodded in unison. "Definitely, Derrick."

Derrick looked at them. "Me?"

"Uh-huh. We've thought this through very carefully." The twins said. "The old wolf is hot... smoking hot, and no one bottoms the way he does. He's amazing. It's like he makes every top better. But he's also the heaviest of us at around 450 pounds, fur included. So if we put him here, the two of us would top him together, because you know he's going to want to have both of us plug his ass at the same time. And that would be easy with the rack if one of us was below the rack and one was above him. But then that dangling dick of his would go to waste. That, and he's going to want to have your cock in his mouth, Wolfy. And as soon as you're fucking his face, you know the fox is going to want to slip up alongside you and rim your ass. He'll want you ready for the Alpha to mount you; because you know they both love your ass. And well, you can see where all six of us going at it on this little thing is going to tear it to shreds. So, the old wolf, despite how sexy he is and how much fun it might be, will destroy our new toy in a single use."

Will looked at the two. "Do you two even breathe when you talk?" He shook his head. "And how long do you practice this stuff before you say it together like that?"

The twins looked confused. "Practice what?"

Derrick laughed. "I say we go with the twin's plan. Especially if I can have Will sucking on my cock while you two have your way with me both front and back."

"Oh sure," Will grumbled. "The young power bottom gets to play with the toy, but not the old power bottom, because he'll break it."

The twins looked at Will apologetically. "We're sorry. We can fuck you second. We think the fox will convince the Alpha to take him by then."

"Go on, Pup," Will relented. "You know I can't say no to you having fun. Besides, I love sucking your cock. And watching you get fucked from any angle by anybody is a boner waiting to happen for me." He reached between his legs and pulled out the growing flesh from his sheath. "See? Boner is already here and I haven't even watched those boys plug you from both ends."

Tiff grabbed Derrick and spun him toward Tuff, who flipped him onto the luggage rack. "Well, no time like the present to justify that boner," they said. Tiff slipped up behind Derrick and Tuff positioned himself in front. Their entry into their selected holes was in tandem, and Derrick expressed his happiness with a satisfied whimper. Their thrusting began almost immediately. Derrick's body responded with movements that amazed even Will.

Will stared at the pup, writhing in pleasure. He fought back a quick stab of jealousy. He wasn't sure whether it was the pup or the twins he envied most. But the jealousy was short-lived. He delighted too much in watching the pup having fun. And when he felt the fox's lips roll over his cock, he realized they hadn't left him out of the Bacchanal. He was right in the middle of it.

He looked down at the young fox and tousled the red fur on the top of his head. "Good, boy, Jason. You always know what to do." He leaned back and let the pleasure overwhelm him.

Between the strokes of his mouth across Will's cock, the fox mumbled, "You always know what to do, too. Fuck me, Old Wolf."

Will was about to pick the fox up and impale him when he felt the firm arms of the Alpha wrap around his chest. There was a bite deep into the old wolf's shoulder. "And, while you fuck the young one," Jean Pierre whispered close to his ear, "I will fuck you."

Will pulled Jason up and threw him onto the couch. Already dripping from watching the pup, Will's dick slid into the fox with ease. He felt the young fox tighten around his cock. "Damn, Jason," he groaned. "You've got skills."

"As does Pup," Jean Pierre added. Will felt a momentary sharp pain as the Eurasian wolf entered him from behind. But the hedonistic bliss he always felt with the French wolf's prick inside him quickly replaced the pain. Eurasian wolves were larger than most other gray wolves, and much to Will's delight, Jean Pierre was larger in every way. "Look at him," Jean Pierre laughed as he stared at the black wolf. "He's been learning at the hands of the master, that one."

Will looked to his right and watched Derrick and the twins. Once convinced they were in control of the situation, the twins had become pawns in the pup's sexual gratification. Tuff, once pounding into the young werewolf's mouth, was now supported by Derrick's arms. The black wolf's strong paws grabbed each cheek of Tuff's butt and held him in place while his bobbing head toyed with his cock and balls. Derrick would bring Tuff to the edge of orgasm and then back off until the intensity eased enough to begin the sweet torture all over again.

Tiff was no more in control of his side of the threesome. Thrusting his cock into Derrick's ass, he headed toward his frenzied goal when the pup's legs flipped up behind him and pressed against Tiff's back. Locked with his cock buried inside the young one's butt, he was immobile. He was the tool of Derrick's passion, and he yielded to the pup's control. Even locked in place, Tiff could feel the muscles of Derrick's ass working his cock. The pup would control when and how Tiff shot his load, but Tiff was content, knowing his orgasm was an inevitable part of the pup's plan.

"He's waiting on me," Will panted. "He's holding them off until I'm there sucking his cock."

"Then go," Jean Pierre replied. "I can take care of the fox."

Will felt Jean Pierre slip out and release his hold on the old wolf. "Thanks, Jean Pierre," Will said. "I owe you one."

"And rest assured, Old Wolf, I will collect it before we're through here."

Will lunged across the room. Pivoting his body in midair, he landed on his back and slid under the luggage rack, stopping directly under the dangling cock. "I'm here, Pup," he said, taking the drooling phallus into his mouth.

He saw Derrick's legs above him forcefully push Tiff's body back into his thrusting rhythm. Derrick's hands pulled away from Tuff and let him resume his pounding as well. The young wolf's hand dropped to the side of the luggage rack and grabbed Will's closest hand. He squeezed the old wolf's paw and let his body feed Will the cum he craved.

Will saw the twins' spent cum spilling out onto the floor when Derrick allowed the heavily panting two to slip away. Will liked this position. It was all cock and balls, semen flowing everywhere, including down his throat. When Derrick lifted himself off the luggage rack and stood up, the old wolf saw the smiling face of a werewolf well bred. Derrick's hand reached out. "You're next," he said with a grin.

Will righted himself and rolled onto the rack face down. The fox bounced over to him. "Wrong position," he laughed. "You haven't finished with me yet." The fox rolled Will off his stomach and onto his back. The fox straddled the old wolf's hips and shoved Will's upright cock back into his hole. "Yeah..." he sighed. "That's where you belong."

Will looked up over his head to see Derrick towering beside him. The dripping cock dangled seductively in front of his muzzle. Derrick leaned over and kissed him. Their tongues played, and they nipped at each other's muzzles.

When Derrick stood upright again, the cock had returned to its rigid stance. Will smiled. "Feed me, Seymour," the old wolf begged. Derrick shifted his legs up and over the old wolf. He rested his butt on the Iberian wolf's chest with his cock in front of the mouth that tried to capture it. He rose, leaning forward enough to push it deep into Will's mouth.

Will sensed the fox shifting his position and was grateful for the relief. He had told the pup he would fuck him, and he was doing his best to control his appetites so that he could do that. However, with Derrick's cock in his mouth, the young fox riding his cock was pushing him over the edge. With him climbing off, Will was confident his next load would be in Derrick's ass.

And then he felt the tongue. Over seven centuries of being a werewolf had given Jean Pierre time to practice his art. And when presented with the canvas of Will's genitals, Jean Pierre's artistry was unbounded. The gigantic wolf's tongue wrapped around the cock, stroking the skin back and forth. It slipped under the furry sheath and probed the base of the throbbing dick.

Will could sense he was losing it. "No," he protested. "I promised the pup I would fuck him."

Without missing a stroke, Jean Pierre pulled down on the cock and slipped it deep into his mouth. "It's okay, Will," the Alpha mumbled. "I'll only make you cum once. You'll have plenty for the pup."

Will let Derrick's dick slip out of his mouth and tried to stand up. He reached out and grabbed Jason. The old wolf was hoping the little fox would distract him from what the Alpha was doing, but the feel of his red-furred body excited him even more.

A tug pulled the fox away from the Old Wolf. Derrick had grabbed Jason. "Here, Old Wolf, I can take care of him for you." Derrick lifted Jason and shoved the fox's swollen cock into his face. Jason exhaled happily and began thrusting his pelvis back and forth.

Will realized he had lost the battle to Jean Pierre's tonguing. Laid out on the rack, he had given the Alpha even greater access to his body. With the Alpha's wet paws stroking his cock and the tongue lapping at his balls, he knew he was racing toward an orgasm that he couldn't back away from. But Jean Pierre hadn't finished with the old wolf. With one forceful pull from Jean Pierre, the wolf began sliding off the luggage rack.

Slipping out from under Derrick caused both Derrick and the young fox to topple backward, away from the rack. At that moment, the cum began shooting from the red fox's dick. Derrick grabbed the fox, capturing him in a tight hug as the two tumbled down to the ground together. They rolled away onto the floor of the cave. Instantly, they were lost in each other, nipping at each other's muzzles and playing with the cum still spilling out from the fox.

What seemed like an unplanned disaster was anything but that. Jean Pierre had rolled onto the ground in one smooth motion. His forelegs steadied Will as he fell onto his haunches, burying his butt into the face of the French wolf. In the few seconds it took Jean Pierre's forelegs to capture Will, his hind paws had taken over the stroking of the old wolf's cock. The tongue was now lapping furiously at his hole. As Will collapsed onto the Alpha, he felt the tongue... that magical tongue... plunge deep into his ass.

Will had no words to describe what happened next. The pleasure he felt was overwhelming. It moved over him in waves. When they subsided enough for him to return to the real world, he lay seated on the floor, legs outstretched. Jean Pierre was smiling with the old wolf's ball sack for spectacles. Will could see where each volley of cum had spread itself out. The first volley landed on the floor. The second onto Jean Pierre's crotch. What followed spilled across the Gray One's belly and chest. In the end, Will's still pulsing cock spilled the last of the juice over his ball sack and down into the mouth of the Eurasian wolf.

Jean Pierre pushed Will up off his face, righted himself, and wiped his grinning muzzle with one paw. He rubbed the fur of his cum soaked chest with the other. "Damn, Old Wolf. I had forgotten how much you cum."

Will looked frustrated. "Why, after all our years together, does everyone forget how much I cum?"

Jean Pierre smiled. "I didn't know I was part of a conspiracy of forgetfulness."

Will pinned his ears back and bowed. "I'm sorry, Jean Pierre. The pup was complaining about the same thing earlier today."

"I wasn't complaining," Derrick protested, looking up from Jason's crotch.

"Nor, I," Jean Pierre added. "You have a gift. It may be a messy gift, but it is still a delightful gift." He drew his paw across the dripping liquid on his chest and put it in his mouth. "And one of the tastiest I have ever known."

Will smiled. "Then I'm glad I can share my gifts with those I love."

The twins laughed. "Well, we didn't get to share those gifts splattered all over our chest, but there's always our next visit." The two shook themselves into human form and reached for their clothes. "But we best get to work unloading the chopper or we'll be leaving at night. Wolves may have great night vision, but we still prefer to pilot that thing out of here before the canyon winds kick in."

Jean Pierre nodded his consent. "Take the Pup and Jason to help you, please. The old wolf and I have some things to discuss." He motioned with his hand, and the pack turned and left the cave.

Jean Pierre walked over to Will, drew him in close, and kissed him. "How sad your eyes become after such a joyful time. How are you doing, old wolf? I mean, how are you really doing?"

"I'm fine, Jean Pierre."

"No, you're not. We have history, Will. I can tell when you're hurting."

"Oh?" Will questioned indignantly. "And how long have you been able to tell I've been hurting?"

"Since the great bear left you."

Will stumbled backward. "How... how do you know?" He paused. "What do you know?"

"I know the truth about you and the bear. I've always known it." He stepped forward and re-embraced the graying werewolf. He pushed his muzzle up against the other's ear. "This can't go on, Will. You need to talk to him. You need to tell him. He may not be able to talk to you, but one of you must face the truth, and as much as it pains you, you are the only one left to speak the words."

Jean Pierre led Will to the glowing green stone. "Talk to him, Will."

Will's knees buckled, and he fell at the base of the crystal. From a part of the old wolf that he never let show came a great, mournful howl.

Outside, Jason paused. "It's time." He looked at Derrick, who was already heading toward the sound of the howl. "Wait, Derrick." He commanded. "Go back inside. But Jean Pierre said you must go quietly. As quietly as you have ever moved."

Derrick looked at Jason. "What? I don't understand. You heard Will, I have to..."

Jason interrupted. "Don't question your alpha's command, Derrick. Please do what you're told."

Derrick entered the cave's antechamber and silently followed the green glow to the main room. There he saw Will kneeling in front of the emerald crystal mass. The old wolf's hand reached out and gently stroked the stone. The young werewolf could hear the sobbing of the older between labored breaths. Moving to console him, Derrick saw Jean Pierre from the corner of his eye. Jean Pierre motioned for Derrick to stand fast, and he complied. In the quiet of the great hall, the old werewolf's sobbing slowed, and he spoke.

"Hello, old friend," Will said, his hand slowly drawing across the lines of the crystal. "God, how I miss you. I miss our home and the ranch. How many centuries have we shared our bed? I miss feeling your weight on top of me. All our years together. Me, the lone wolf. You, the understanding old bear, granting me my freedom." He rocked back onto his haunches and became a man again. "All it took was a day with you truly gone for me to realize how much I depended on you being there. All these years waiting for you to come back. I'm not the wolf you left behind, Old Bear. I'm not so strong. Not so confident."

Will's touch never left the crystal. "I know what you would say. I have the pup, and you're right. He's wonderful. He's everything you promised he would be. Pup has taught me so much about loving someone full-on. But he's waiting... just like me. He holds back because you're not here. I hope you're not dead, but the ghost of you hangs over the two of us, nonetheless. I wait for you to return to finish what we didn't do. He waits for you to do what you two never did. We both wait for a day that may never come."

Will's hand became a fist, and he pounded the crystal. "Damn it, Bear. Why didn't you bite my neck? Why didn't you force me to step up to what I should have been in your life? You can give a wolf too much freedom sometimes, you know? Would it have been so hard to take me as your mate?" He dropped his forehead against the rock. "Why didn't you bite Pup's neck? How could you leave him here in limbo? Why did you leave us both here in limbo? Derrick and I should have bitten each other's necks years ago. We should be mated for life, waiting for your return. But here you sit, you great green blob. Our first love standing in the way of our second."

In the quiet afterward, Will sensed the labored breathing behind him. He turned and saw Derrick, no longer wolf, but man. How frail he looked in that form, Will thought. He wiped the tears from his face when he noticed them streaming from Derrick's eyes as well. "You weren't supposed to hear that, Pup."

"But I think it was time that I did," Derrick replied. "I never knew."

"What?" Will asked, rising from the floor. "How much I loved him, or how much I love you?" He looked over at Jean Pierre and growled. "And what of you? How fair is it of you to do this to us?"

"It may not be easy, but it is fair," the alpha responded. "You two are in love with the same white bear and in love with each other. For whatever reason, you both struggle with the idea that those two things are mutually exclusive. I'm sorry the bear is gone to a place where he can't share in your love. But you can't let his love for you, or your love for him, keep you from being who you should be in this moment."

"And what is that?" Will rebuked.

"Old Wolf, don't play dumb," Jean Pierre replied. "It's time you stopped waiting. It's time one of you was bold enough to take the first step. The old bear wasn't the only one who could bite a neck, you know. Did you ever think the bear was waiting for you to bite his neck? Don't either of you see how you both wait for the other?"

"I couldn't... I couldn't bite his neck," Will whispered, bowing his head. "I still can't."

Derrick suddenly saw in Will the same fear he saw in Eric. The disabling fear of both that somehow they weren't capable of being the love they longed for. Eric because he was dying, and Will, who feared risking everything. Hanging onto the edge as mere friends was torture, but preferable to falling into the abyss of rejection. It was the same fear Derrick felt inside himself. The hesitation that always kept him from the one thing he desired most. The years of others teaching him that what he dreamed was always out of reach for one such as him. Jean Pierre's words sank deep into his consciousness. "It's time one of you was bold enough to take the first step." Derrick knew he couldn't let it happen again.

In one great leap, the man turned into a werewolf and slammed Will to the ground. Derrick's teeth bit deep into Will's neck. He chewed into the human's flesh, shaking his head back and forth. Despite Will's strength, he flailed helplessly in Derrick's grip. "Change, Old Wolf," the young werewolf growled. "Change or forever be a man who only wonders what might be." With even greater force, he bit deeper. "I need the wolf I have grown to love beside me. I need more than a friend or lover. Be my mate." The young wolf let his grip loosen. "It was never the bear keeping us in limbo, Old Wolf. It was us. Change, damn it."

Will shook and became a werewolf. His ears pinned back and his tail slipped between his legs. He felt Derrick's teeth pushing past the fur and into his fleshy neck and he yielded to all that it meant. The older wolf whimpered his submission to the younger. With a yelp, the younger still holding onto the neck of the older flipped himself, letting go of the neck at the last moment. The result was the young wolf on the bottom, belly and neck exposed in the position of surrender. "Now," Derrick said, "I believe you have something for me."

"I love you, Pup," Will responded. He pulled the young wolf to his side and bit into the neck. He growled and shook his head so that the teeth set even tighter.

"That's not enough to be my mate," the younger wolf said.

Will knew what he meant. Holding fast to his grip on the neck, he pushed the black-furred wolf into position and penetrated him. "I have dreamed of this day," Will grunted. His thrusting became rhythmic; the way Derrick enjoyed. But Derrick's hope for a more traditional lengthy session never allowed for how excited Will was, at last, to be mating with the one he loved. This was beyond sex. This was the joining of two souls.

Will let his grip on the neck go and raised his head. The howl reverberated through the cavern as Derrick felt the old wolf's ejaculation pulse inside him. As the howl ended, Derrick felt the teeth clamp back into his neck. Pain, pleasure.

The thrusting of the old wolf subsided. "Stay inside me," Derrick whimpered. He felt the great wolf collapse on him. Will's fangs let go of the neck, but the cock remained deep inside the black wolf. Derrick felt the heavy breath of his mate close to his ear. As the night closed in around them, the two wolves lay together in the warm green glow of the crystal.

"I love you, Pup," Derrick heard Will whisper hours later.

"I love you, too, Old Wolf," Derrick whispered back.

Derrick felt Will kick the crystal behind them. "And you, Old Bear, I love you too. If you come back..." he paused, "... when you come back... you better have a thick neck, because two wolves are biting it as soon as you're up and moving."

"What he said, Papa Bear," Derrick smiled. "What he said." He closed his eyes, exhausted by the overwhelming emotions of the day. Sleep came to the pair well earned. The young wolf drifted off, with the old wolf still on top of him.

Chapter 2

Derrick woke to the cool of the cave air on his skin. He had shifted in the night. He rolled toward Will, who remained a werewolf, and snuggled into the furry beast's embrace. The old wolf pulled him in even closer. "Good morning, Husband," he whispered.

"Good morning, Husband," Derrick replied

The old wolf vocalized something almost akin to a purr and said, "I could get used to hearing that."

"That's good, because we're going to be saying it to each other for a very long time," Derrick laughed.

"I will have to thank Jean Pierre for pushing..." Will paused. "Fuck! Jean Pierre. The pack." He bolted up and surveyed the room. He rose quickly, spinning Derrick off across the floor, and dashed out of the cave. Returning moments later, he blurted out, "They're gone. I don't even remember them leaving." He looked around again and then back at Derrick. "I can't remember anything but you." He paused again, lost in thought. "And that great green blob that was once my friend... my lover. Fucking bear. I should..."

"I miss him too, Will," Derrick interrupted.

"I'm not sure how many more tears I can cry for that guy," Will sighed. "Fucking bear."

"I miss him too," Derrick repeated. "I'm sure the world will keep spinning even if we cry a few more tears together for the one we love."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Will grumbled. "Still..." he kicked the stone with his foot. "Fucking bear."

"Yeah, fucking bear."

They found their supplies stacked in the antechamber when got up for the day. "I suppose they heard everything," Will said, shifting a box onto his shoulder.

"Probably," Derrick agreed. He grabbed a box. "Saves us having to repeat the whole thing to them."

"Yeah, but now we don't get the wedding gifts. We could use a washer/dryer around this place."

Derrick laughed. "We don't wear clothes. We haven't worn the clothing we have in over three years. I'm more worried that they're falling apart than that they need cleaning." He placed the box on the storage shelf.

"Okay, point taken," Will capitulated. "But this place could use a blender and a Crock-Pot."

"First, we would need enough electricity for the blender and the Crock-Pot." Derrick countered. "The solar cells barely keep the radio and our lanterns charged." Returning to the antechamber, he hefted another box onto his shoulder. "Oh well, MREs will have to do. They're not so bad with a network of Weres around the world sending us their best."

"I suppose. At least it's not the Army stuff we started with," Will agreed. "I kind of like the Japanese MREs. And the Chinese ones aren't half bad. Although, it would be fun if one of those big old temple dogs came and delivered them in person. They are verrry friendly, and I mean that in all the wonderful ways beasts can be friendly."

"What are temple dogs?" Derrick asked.

"Big, beautiful dogs that stand twelve feet tall. They have golden fur, and look very much like the lion dogs you see outside of Asian temples and palaces."

"There are actual temple dogs out there?" Derrick asked.

"Sure. They are among the oldest werebeasts on the planet. The Were Nation is mostly werewolves, but through the centuries, there have been Weres of all kinds. We are a unique species, but the exotics are rarefied indeed. You know one of them already. Although I don't think he's ever changed in front of you."

"Really? Who?"

"Chet, the foreman in charge of the bison herds."

"He's a temple dog?"

"Not exactly. He's even rarer than the temple dogs," Will responded. "You know the red-tailed hawk that flies overhead from time to time? That's Chet dropping by to make sure we're okay. He's like you... a shy one. I've tried to get him to come down and visit, but he only tips his wings and flies home." Will placed the box on a shelf. "His full name is Chetanluta. It means red hawk. He chose the name because of a vision quest he had as a young man. A red-tailed hawk spoke to him. We don't know what the hawk told him. That part is sacred. But it framed his life from that day forward."

"When he turned, the experience had such a profound effect on him that he became a red-tailed hawk. None of us seems privy to all the details. There's a story about how dumbfounded the pack was when he changed. He was supposed to be a wolf, like all the rest of them. Instead, he's a red-tailed hawk. We don't always manifest the way we think we will when we turn. But we all have a story to tell. The world of Weres is a strange and wonderful place."

Derrick pushed his box up against the container Will set in place. "Are you yanking my chain?"

Will flashed Derrick a lecherous grin. "Have you got chains I can yank? I'm kind of fascinated by bondage and we have a few centuries to spend together. Who knows?"

"I don't have chains, Old Wolf," Derrick groaned. "And you didn't answer the question."

"Sure, ignore the suggestion," Will huffed. "The old wolf tries to toss a little playful kink into the relationship. But all his husband can think about is whether there are temple dogs, or if he knows a red-tailed hawk." He walked back into the antechamber and grabbed another box. "The answer is yes. Chet is a red-tailed hawk shapeshifter. And yes, there are temple dogs in Asia. They don't live in very accessible areas. Like most of the animals we have embraced as our manifestations, humans hunted them almost to extinction."

"So, Chet lives at the ranch. Where do the temple dogs live?"

"In a temple, of course," Will replied. "There is a monastery in Tibet, off the beaten path where they can be who they are, far from the human's view. They take care of those who suffered through the Dark Times. The temple dogs are ancient. They share the monastery with the temple dragons, watching over their charges."

Derrick interrupted. "There are dragons?"

Will nodded. "There are dragons. It gets a bit convoluted, but the temple dragons and dogs are werebeasts that take care of the remaining dragons on Earth. Those dragons are actual dragons."

"So, there are werebeasts that look like dragons, and there are dragons as well?"

"The temple dragons chose their avatars to engender the trust of the actual dragons. It's not that different from what the Changelings did when they became wolves to run with actual wolves. Humans weren't always the dominant species. They sure aren't the friendliest."

Derrick shook his head. "You're right. It is confusing."

"In the beginning, the temple dogs shared their lives with the humans. They would come in the night and help the farmers till the soil. They would thatch roofs for widows. You know, the stuff we've always done. Until the imperial courts perceived their strength and intelligence as a threat. The imperial armies captured and bound the dogs in chains outside of the palaces. The Huangdi, or emperors as we call them, meant their imprisonment to show everyone the power of the ruling class."

Will shouldered another box. "Of course, if you're a Were, the idea of using chains doesn't quite work. After a while, the guards became used to how docile the dogs were. When the humans let down their guard, the temple dogs escaped from the chains, and the temple dogs were forever gone from the Imperial courts. The dogs won't talk about how they pulled off their escape. Yet another mystery that seems to follow those dogs."

Derrick placed another box in place. "Couldn't they turn back into their human form and slip out the back?"

Will shook his head no. "The temple dragons and dogs have no human form. They abandoned it when they accepted their calling to be temple guardians. I've never seen the temple dogs as anything but a dog, but who knows? They were out of the palaces and temples before anyone realized what had happened. It has to be tough slipping a twelve-foot dog out the back." Will put another box in the racks. "The stone temple dogs you see now are a facsimile of what the overlords had tethered to their courts in chains."

"I've never heard a legend like that," Derrick said as he hefted another box onto his shoulder.

"If you were trying to show your power by capturing and enslaving a creature and it slipped through your grasp, would you want anyone to know about it?"

Derrick laughed. "No, I guess not." He pushed the box into place next to the others. "Maybe one day the three of us can visit them. You know, a pilgrimage of sorts."

"That would be nice," Will agreed. "Those temple dogs rarely get out, and they are one randy group of puppies."

"Is that all you ever think of?" Derrick asked.

"I have lots of trains of thought," Will replied. "But they all seem to wind up at the same station."

Derrick laughed and hugged Will. "Oh well, they say knowing who you are is a good thing. And I like who you are." He hefted the last box onto the top shelf. "That was quick. I suspect they left fewer boxes this time on purpose."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Will said, staring at the boxes. "We've become temple dogs watching over the great green blob. We're fun to visit because we're one horny pair of puppies."

"I enjoy their visits. There's more to it than the sex when they drop by."

"Well, I hope it's at least a large part of why they drop by," Will said. "I miss them, and I miss their touch."

Derrick smiled. "Me, too."

"We should radio them and let them know the next time we want a sleepover. You know. A pajama party without pajamas."

"That would be fun."

Will sighed. "Well, we did our work for the day. I'm off to kick the great green blob."

"Okay," Derrick replied. "Tell him I said hi and that I'll visit later tonight."

"Will do." The graying, burly man looked down and pulled at his beard. "Maybe we should braid this."

"Maybe you should go visit Eric."

"I never know what to say. And he always makes me cry."

"What do you want me to do?" Derrick sighed. "Tell him to quit it? Stop making my husband cry?"

"Yeah, that would be cool. It would also reduce the calluses on my foot from kicking him."

Derrick sat at the desk, reached into the drawer, and pulled out a deck of cards. "He seems to be fine with you kicking him."

"I keep hoping it stirs up the goo inside and brings him back to us sooner," Will explained.

Derrick looked at Will and sensed the loneliness the old wolf felt, so close and yet so far from the one he loved. Derrick knew the feeling all too well. "He will come back, Old Wolf. We have to have faith... and a little patience."

Will turned and headed toward the glowing green light of the main hall. "Have I ever seemed like a guy who had patience?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I wanted to make sure we were on the same page," Will said, disappearing into the room.

Derrick spread out the cards and started a game of solitaire. An hour later, Will returned. He wiped his eyes. "I should wear clothes so I have something to wipe all this snot on," he said, looking for something to curb his sniffling.

"Kleenex on the counter," Derrick said, pointing to the box. "Towel's on the rack if you want to wash your face."

There was a short quiet, followed by what sounded like the honk of an asthmatic goose. Derrick felt his mate come up from behind and glance over his shoulder.

"The red seven goes on the black queen," Will said.

Derrick looked up from his cards. "What kind of solitaire is that?"

"The 'your husband is horny, so put the cards wherever, and end the game so you can fuck his horny ass' solitaire."

"Oh," Derrick smiled. "That solitaire." He tossed the cards into a pile. "All done."

"Thank god," Will griped. "I thought it would never end." He leaned over and kissed the chubby man below him. Derrick returned the kisses and let his hands move up and over the bearish man's chest. When the hands settled on the tightening nipples, he tugged. Will inhaled a deep breath.

"Dibs on the bottom bunk," he blurted out.

"What? You can't call dibs on that," Derrick insisted.

"Just did, so apparently I can."

"If that's the way you want it." Derrick turned around and grabbed Will. Using the office chair to pivot them both around, he threw Will face down onto the desk. Cards flew everywhere, and a lantern spun precariously close to the edge. Derrick shook himself into his werewolf form and, without hesitation, drove his cock deep into the man below.

"Oh god," Will cried out in surprise. "No lube... gonna feel this one for days." But in moments, the young wolf's pre-cum had lubed Will more than enough, and he sighed while Derrick pounded into him. When Will felt the wolf's teeth sink into his shoulder, he gave a happy groan.

"How are you enjoying the bottom bunk?" the werewolf asked.

Will took his hand and grabbed a few of the scattered cards. "Oh look," he said nonchalantly, picking up two. "The young black jack tops the dog-eared King,"

The werewolf pulled out and flipped Will over, staring down at him. Will smiled at the beast above him. "I'm loving it, Pup."

"Yeah, me too," the wolf beamed. The furry beast grabbed the human's legs and shoved them against its chest. Once more, this time with an easier thrust, the wolfen cock penetrated the man. The beast leaned over, kissed the man, and began his thrusting once again.

"Oh, another thing," the man interjected. "Dibs on being sloppy seconds. You get to be the top on that one too."

The wolf grinned. "Works for me."

Hours later, two wolves emerged from the cave. The sun had set, and the stars began filling the night sky. Spent and plodding, the two headed to the creek. They lapped at the water, trying to regain a bit of their strength. "I am amazed there is such a thing as sloppy eighths," Will groaned with a mixture of soreness and amazement. "Or sloppy ninths and tenths. At least with the same guy. I mean, I've been sloppy thirtieths with the right revolutionary regiment, but that was thirty guys standing in line. That's a lot different from one guy going nonstop for... god... how many hours has it been?"

"Don't know. Don't care. Had fun."

"Yeah, Pup. You were in hyper-drive today. What got into you?"

"Don't know. Don't care. Had fun," the dark wolf repeated.

The old wolf growled and jumped on the young one, rolling him off the creek bank and into the grass. He landed on top and did his best to kiss the other wolf. "Thank you, Pup," the grateful wolf said. "It's been a while since I had the pleasure of bottoming like that. I promise one day I'll return the favor."

Derrick smiled. "I will hold you to that, my beautiful husband."

Will had a look of sudden realization. "Oh, my god. Was this honeymoon sex?"

"I didn't have time to get you a blender," the young wolf chuckled.

"So much better than a blender," the old wolf laughed. "Better than that super-sized Crock-Pot thingy with all the compartments for three kinds of dip."

"Wow," Derrick smiled with pride. "That, good, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Will grinned. "We're talking a brand new pony good."

"Goof," Derrick giggled. He tried his best to return Will's first kiss and bumped up against the same awkwardness of two muzzles rubbing together. Still, it felt wonderful. It felt like love.

He pushed Will, and the old wolf rolled out into the grass, leaving both staring at the stars. The cool spring breeze rustled the aspen trees' new growth. It sounded like distant rainfall. This was the wolves' favorite time of the evening. The smells of the forest were at their peak, and the Milky Way did a slow reveal as the night sky darkened.

Will shook himself back into a human. His hands moved over his chest, and he tugged at his nipples. "I like the way the cold air makes them feel."

Derrick shook himself back into his human form and pushed Will's left hand out of the way, replacing it with his own on Will's hardened nipple. "Yeah, me too. I like the way the cold air makes yours feel."

Will giggled and then pointed to the sky. "Look!" he said. "A shooting star. Quick. Make a wish."

Derrick watched the burning light shoot across the sky and disappear before the horizon.

"Did you make a wish?" Will asked.

"Yes," Derrick responded.

"Did I get laid in your wish?"

"No."

"Quick, make another wish."

"Okay."

"Do I get laid in the new wish?"

"Yeah, you get laid."

"Oh, that's the one we have to make sure comes true, then. The meteor has spoken."

Derrick looked at Will. "I married an oversexed, uncontrollable pervert."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Will said thoughtfully. "It has me concerned." He paused. "I sure hope you can keep up."

Derrick poked him, and Will laughed out loud. He reached over and grabbed Derrick, pulling the young wolf up against his belly. "Big Spoon," he claimed.

"Little Spoon," Derrick replied, pushing even closer to him.

They closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 3

Two weeks later, the familiar sound of the visiting pack filled the cave once again. "Look at this stuff," Derrick smiled, sorting through the packages. "This is amazing. Why didn't we think of these years ago?"

Will frowned as he looked into one box, staring at the bright silver laptop. "Because fucking with you is more fun than watching porn online?"

Derrick glanced over Will's way, "Okay, so a computer wasn't the first thing I thought of either, but look, Will." Derrick pulled a Crock-Pot out of the box in front of him.

Will smiled. "Son of a bitch, we got wedding presents."

Jean Pierre laughed. "We figured technology has finally advanced enough that the two of you could afford to have a home-cooked meal now and then. Sure, it's rehydrated home cooking mostly, but at least it's something different. The computer is to help you keep track of current events and it's a better way to stay in touch with us. The ham radio has been okay, but it's not as much fun as a video call. We'll be dealing with some spotty transmissions but it's the best we can do without setting up some very visible hardware. Anyway, we miss you two and this will help tide us over until our monthly visits."

"Thanks, Jean Pierre," Will said, kissing the Alpha. "We miss you too. The computer was a wonderful idea."

The twins blustered into the cave, a whirlwind of activity. They dragged a group of zip-tied cords in waterproof housing toward the computer desk. "Here's the electrical for the house," they said. "The new solar panels are better than the older ones. They'll charge the batteries during the day, so you'll have a bit of light at night in case you can't find all those lickable body parts of yours in the dark."

"Thanks, boys," Will replied.

"Well, don't get too excited by the solar panels," the twins added. "This is Canada, and even with the cells strategically placed, come winter, there won't be much sun to charge those batteries. It's just a little help. But if you want to be impressed, come outside to see what we've done."

Derrick and Will moved outside and let the twins drag them toward the creek. Hidden in the ravine where the water spilled out was a two-foot tall metal wheel spinning frantically. Will stared at it. "Look, Honey, we have a waterwheel for our gnome collection."

Tiff and Tuff laughed. "Old Wolf, it's a hydroelectric turbine. It will produce electricity for you 24 hours a day. We had to keep it small and hidden, but you'll have charged batteries anytime you need them. It could have been a submersible turbine, but we thought this one was kind of cute. We can bring you a gnome if you want the next time we visit." The two pointed at the gap in the cliff. "The wiring is all underground. We've been busy beavers."

"Cool," Will said. "I've always wanted to see werebeavers." He reached out and hugged each of the twins and said, "Thank you, boys. You're amazing."

"You really are," Derrick agreed as he hugged the two red wolves.

"We still have to do the hookup, so we'll see you back at the cave," the two said as they ran back to the hollow.

Unwrapping the gifts continued in the cave. Will pulled out an immersion blender and grinned. "It's even better than a traditional blender. I love these things."

Jean Pierre smiled. "We realize it's not much, but we wanted your home to have some special things."

"It's more than we had," Derrick said, digging into the gifts. "It's all wonderful."

"Look at this, Pup," Will said, gesturing his chubby mate over toward where he was. As Derrick approached, he saw the picture on the computer screen.

"Oh, they're cute," Derrick said, smiling. "They look like us."

"Do I look like that when I'm getting fucked?"

"You pant a lot more than that werewolf seems to be doing, but it's a cartoon, after all."

"Yeah, but am I that fat?"

"It's stout, not fat. You're big-boned."

Jason looked up from his newest project. "I like your big bone, Will."

"Where do you find this stuff?" the bulky man asked.

Jason laughed. "The Internet is full of it. But that one is special. I made it for you."

"You, Jason?" Will asked. "I didn't even know you painted. Heck, I didn't even know you put furniture together until today. I like the new desk and bed frame."

"After the first century of being alive, you pick up new hobbies. It's digital art, though. No paint, just pixels."

"It is very nice," Derrick said. He paused a moment and, putting his hand on the screen, ran his finger along the pendulous dick dripping below the cartoon Iberian wolf's belly. "No, it's better than nice. It's magnificent," Derrick said. "Thank you for making us the best computer wallpaper ever."

Jason smiled, nodded, and returned to his construction of an industrial-sized office chair. "You're welcome, Wolfy. I like the way you two look together."

"Me too," Derrick chortled.

Will grumbled a bit and said, "Well, I guess it's true what they say about a picture adding ten pounds to you."

"That's a photo," Derrick laughed, "not a cartoon."

"Yeah, cartoons add at least fifty pounds."

Derrick squeezed his husband and kissed him. "I love every pound of you, Husband. Don't you ever change."

Will looked at him and cocked his head in contemplation of the last statement. "I'm a werewolf, Pup. We never change."

"I, for one, am glad you never do, Old Wolf," Jean Pierre said, smiling as he entered the room with yet another box. "This world is changing so fast, I am grateful we have something that stays the same."

"I agree," Jason said. "Especially when you are so hot, whichever way you are."

Jean Pierre shook his head and smiled. "Putting furniture together makes the fox horny," he laughed.

Will leaned back against the new table and adjusted his crotch. It caught Jason's immediate attention. He looked hungrily at the cock as it twitched. "So, you industrious, handsome men," Will said in his sexiest bass voice, "how can we ever repay you?"

The twins' heads popped up from behind the desk and their wiring. "We have a suggestion."

Will smiled knowingly. "Does it at any point involve the words double penetration?"

"Yep."

"Well then, let's get this work finished and enjoy the Indian summer sun out there."

Jean Pierre smiled. "I agree. This is our last visit until next spring. Let's make the most of our time while you're here." He reached over, grabbed Will, and kissed him. "I dread the winter months with you three up here alone."

Will hugged the Frenchman. "We'll be fine, Jean Pierre. We've gone through six winters; a seventh will be even easier with all you've brought today."

"I don't doubt that," Jean Pierre responded. "I dread not feeling my cock inside you and the pup for four months. Our pack isn't the same without you."

Jason looked up from his work. "I agree. Our winter runs are almost melancholy without you two."

"Then we do the best we can do to leave us all with memories that will last us through the winter," Derrick said with a smile.

The pack redoubled their efforts to complete their tasks, looking forward to their time together. Later in the evening, the pack would share in the comforts of the spruced-up home during their first pajamaless party.

Chapter 4

Spring had returned to the highland. A visit from the pack had restored the larders of the cave and lifted the spirits of the two wolves who waited on the Changeling. The pack returned each year at the Pink Moon in April. By then the snow had melted except in the worst of winters. Pink blooming ground phlox that gave the moon its name covered the glade. The pack often returned home with pink stains on their backs from playing in the fields. Ranch hands were always eager to point it out the same way one might tease about lipstick stains in the human world.

The pack spent the better part of a week before they could no longer ignore their responsibilities to the ranch. With their goodbyes came the promise to return at the next full moon. The day after the pack's departure, Will and Derrick lay on the far side of the glade looking up toward the stars. From their vantage point, they could see the aurora borealis shifting across the sky. Framed by the silhouettes of the Douglas fir, it appeared as if great sheets of dripping green glass were moving in serpentine lines across the sky.

"Better than the Internet, isn't it?" Will remarked.

"Yeah," his mate replied. "I bet Papa Bear would like the green."

Will laughed. "We'll have to tell him about it."

"It makes the Milky Way harder to see, though," Derrick thought aloud.

"We get to see that show more often than the aurora borealis."

"It's always nice to have a double feature," Derrick said with a slight giggle.

A light moved in an arc across the sky so bright the two could see it even through the aurora's light show. "Shooting star," Will called out. "Quick. Make a wish."

But the meteor suddenly turned and shifted in direction. The two watched its new trajectory with interest. "It's too bright for a satellite. Could it be a plane?" Derrick guessed. The light continued to grow brighter and larger with each passing second.

"Whatever it is, it's heading right toward us," Will said, alarmed at the glowing light's approach. "Let's get the hell out of Dodge, Pup."

The two scrambled to their feet and raced toward the cave. They heard the shattering of trees moments before the impact knocked them off their feet.

"What kind of meteorite was it?" Will gasped, struggling to his knees.

As the two turned back, they saw the fallen object. Around the mass, grass and pushed-up soil were in flames. The fallen trees smoldered like so much kindling. As they approached the object, the heat stopped them in their tracks from ten yards away. It was glowing green and looked like shards of glass and quartz crystals melded together. From the center, a slight wisp of green smoke rose into the night sky.

"That's no meteorite, Will."

"Yeah. I've seen enough episodes of Star Trek to know that," Will said, looking at the glowing green object.

"It kind of looks like Eric, though."

"Yeah, it does."

The two stared at the crystalline shard, waiting for something to happen. A discordant melody rose out of the broken pieces. It sounded like a song sung by a thousand voices, none of them committed to the same tune. It sounded angelic and angry at the same time. Whatever was inside didn't seem too happy with the landing.

Something rose from the wreckage. Lacking any form, it was as if the damaged ship was piecing itself back together out of light and silk. The glowing object began taking shape. At first, it was a rough shape, like someone drawing a sketch, but slowly it took on the form and substance of a heavyset man. The two watched as the green glow from the center faded, replaced by a red suit with white trim. The white beard, jolly face, and red cap were unmistakable.

"Santa?" both men queried together.

The illusion fell apart in moments. Will directed Derrick's attention away from the handsome face that had him transfixed and toward what lay below the man's rounded gut. There, between his legs in the same bright red velveteen that formed his suit, was a prodigious set of genitals that would be the envy of any man.

The song stopped as what stood before them seemed to gather its bearings. Despite the resemblance to the iconic human, the swaying genitalia informed them this was no human. He coughed and then looked up at the two and smiled.

"Bonsoir. Pourriez-vous s'il vous plaît me dire lequel de vous est William?"

Will stepped forward. "Mon nom est William. Mais celui à côté de moi ne parle pas Français. Parlez-vous anglais?"

"I can speak English," the white-bearded one replied. "But isn't this Canada? I thought the Canadians spoke French."

"This is western Canada," Will said. "They speak French more on the eastern side."

"Merde," the Santa lookalike fumed. "Sixty-nine hundred languages for one species. Whose idea was that?"

"It sort of just happened," Will answered. "I don't think we took a vote."

"Well, it's plain stupid," the other grumbled.

"I agree with you there," Will conceded. "If it's not too rude, may I ask who and what you are?"

"Oh, let me get this right," the chubby man responded. "Greetings, earthlings. I come in peace. I am a visitor from a galaxy far, far away." He paused a moment. "Does any of this make sense, or should I say I'm Santa Claus?"

Will rolled his eyes and groaned. "We know you're not Santa. Santa doesn't have a dick and balls hanging from his outfit." Will pointed to the other's crotch.

"Really?" the old man asked. "So, this..." he said, pointing to his red and white velveteen, "... this isn't fur of some sort?"

"No," Derrick laughed. "Santa puts on clothes. It's an outfit he wears over his skin." Derrick stretched out his arms. "We're pretty much what humans look like with their clothes off, although we come in other colors."

"Oh, bother," the white-bearded one said. He shook himself in a manner that was all too familiar and suddenly he was a naked man. He was still white-bearded, but a bald head with white hair on the sides and a thick braid of hair down his back now replaced his fur cap. The man rubbed the white mat of hair on his chest and asked, "better?"

"Damn," Will said, "Much better." Derrick bumped Will with his body, but Will wasn't taking the hint. He stared at the bulky, bearish man with his characteristic lusty gaze.

"You're a Changeling, aren't you?"

"Yes. I had no intention of deceiving you. I only wanted to make sure you wouldn't try to kill me before I introduced myself."

"That's a good idea," Will mumbled. "This planet is full of humans. I'm surprised you didn't get shot down trying to land. You're lucky you came to a place so far away from any human intervention."

"But you are William Gentry, are you not?" the would-be elf asked.

"Yeah. So?"

"Savior of the human race. The one who calmed the soul of... Eric, I believe you call him."

"That wasn't me," Will denied.

"But we tell the stories of you. When the humans killed the last of his brothers, he was going to destroy every human on the planet. We tried to console him, but the distance between us was too great. It was you who convinced him to show clemency."

Derrick looked at Will. "You talked him out of it? I thought you said you hated humans."

"I do."

"You don't."

"I do so, and if you ever tell anyone anything else, I will deny it."

Derrick smiled and kissed Will on the cheek. "It will be our little secret."

The white-bearded one looked confused. "I thought you would be a hero on your planet. I didn't expect to find you here alone with this young one so far from everything."

"The humans don't know what I did," Will grumbled. "I prefer it that way."

"So, be it," the other said. He looked at Derrick. "And you must be Pup."

"Yes. I also go by Derrick."

"I know very little of you. It was in the last few moments of his life that Eric told me of you."

Derrick let out a startled gasp. "Eric died?"

The Santa doppelgänger looked confused again. "I think that's the term. It's when you end one stage of life and start another. You die and then you reincarnate, right?"

"Not on our planet, you don't," Will responded. "Are you saying Eric is alive?"

"In a fashion."

"Well, I'll give you points for being as vague as the other Changeling," Will growled. "He tells me he's got sixty years to live, and here we are six years later and for all I know, he's dead. But you're here telling me he's alive..." Will paused to calm his frustration. "But only in a fashion."

"I'm sorry," the old man apologized. "I'm doing my best with a language that even your species can't seem to get a hold on. On this continent alone, there are over thirty ways you speak a distinct version of English. Your people can speak the same language and still not understand each other."

Derrick put his arms around Will. "He has a point, Old Wolf. Why don't we do our best to help him figure out what it is he's trying to say?"

Will cast his eyes downward. "I'm sorry, Santa. The other Changeling was my best friend... well, more than my best friend... and I've been waiting for years to find out if he's dead or alive."

"Then I understand your frustration." The white-bearded man replied, extending his hand. "Perhaps if you were to share what you know of this world, I could be better at explaining myself and the one you call Eric."

Will looked at the extended hand. "Is this some sort of Vulcan mind meld shit we're talking about here?"

"If I understand the vernacular correctly, I believe so."

"Ahh... jeez, Santa," Will complained. "Why did you make this the only way I find out about Eric?" Will looked at Derrick and said, "If he starts sucking my brains out, you take him down."

Derrick smiled. "Will, he's a Changeling. We're in love with one, remember? I'm pretty sure sucking out your brains isn't on his agenda." He looked at the old man and asked, "Am I right?"

"I don't know, Pup," the old one answered. "How tasty are his brains?" He paused a moment and a wide grin spread across his face. "Humor... it's used to diffuse intense situations, correct?"

"Not tonight, old man," Will said impatiently. "Let's get this thing started. The sooner you're done, the sooner we find out about the guy we love." Will made a flourish of his hands. "My brain is at your disposal."

The would-be Santa placed one hand on Will's temple and closed his eyes. The familiar green glow spread out along the Changeling's arm and glowed about Will's head. There was a quiet hum reminiscent of the song sung when the Changeling first arrived. Will and Derrick realized the Changeling was talking to himself.

The green glow of the Changeling's hand ebbed and flowed. The two saw the same warm, pulsating light day after day as they talked to their lover in the cave. When the light dimmed from the Changeling's hand and retreated along his arm, the old man was sobbing. "How do you live with such loneliness?" He whispered. "Seven billion people surround you, and yet you are all alone."

Both werewolves answered with only a sigh.

Father Christmas looked up and smiled at the two. "I may never understand why you humans choose to segregate yourselves into individuals who cannot commune with the whole of your existence. But I am glad to know you share at least a part of yourselves with each other and with my..." the old man hesitated. "... my son. Yes, that's the word; my son."

Derrick's shocked expression was not lost on the Changeling. "Our biology is so different from yours," the white-haired man began. "When we merge, a new one of us is born from that merging, along with the rebirth of the two that joined. There are no sexes on my world, no sex for that matter; simply creating three lives from what were once two. And those three lives merge in spirit and action into the great whole, which is our community. Eric was the product of my joining with another."

"Product?" Derrick asked.

"Offspring? Is that better?" the old man responded.

"I suppose."

"Derrick, you are judging my people by your human perceptions," the old man said disapprovingly. "You think a father and a mother raising their child is better than the way my people live. But you have at best a small community of people helping those parents and children. All too often, your species willingly ignores the needs of children to save a few dollars. Your kind talks of charity, but you so rarely extend it to those of a different tribe. How often do those born into your national tribes still find rejection because of a difference in color or location? When we create a new life, we welcome that life into the entirety of our world. We call it the Unity. There are no cast-offs in our world. We leave none to face life alone."

Derrick looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm not always good at dealing with new or different things. But that doesn't mean I'm not trying to..." he looked back up. "... I can't keep calling you Santa."

"How about Kris? Santa went by that name, didn't he?"

"Kris works," Will replied.

"I'm sorry, Kris," Derrick reiterated. "I know so little of your world, and ours is far from perfect. It's just the announcement that you're his..." he paused, pointing toward the cave, "... his father. That's something I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around."

"Because you're sexually attracted to both my son and me?" Kris asked. "I know my son enjoyed his physical life with both of you a great deal. I look forward to having sex with both of you based on how it seemed to make my son feel."

Derrick backed away a bit. "Uh, Kris..."

"Pup," Will interrupted, "So help me if you try to talk him out of this, I will chew off your tail."

Derrick looked at Will. "But we have sex with his son."

"Oh, I look forward to that as well," the old man broke in. "But it will be some time before that can happen. In the meantime, you two can teach me. I have a strong sense that Will is an excellent coach."

"Humans sort of frown on incest," Derrick protested.

Kris looked at the two with a confused look on his face. "Incest?"

"It's when members of a family have sexual relations," Derrick responded. "There has always been a big taboo over such acts. For one, it causes genetic defects, and it's..."

"Pup, you're about to start babbling," Will interjected.

"Yeah... I was." Derrick looked back at Kris. "Let's just say it's bad."

"I understand the nature of incest for your species, but it is irrelevant to what I'm referring to. Your species uses sex to express love and procreate. Has your species ever procreated by merging all you are with another into a..." Kris stumbled for a word, "... what Will calls the great green blob?"

"No," the two said in unison.

"Then there may be confusion about who you are in love with and exactly what he is doing with you," Kris said. "Papa Bear... That is another name you use for him, right?"

Derrick smiled. "It's a good name for him, but it's considered a term of endearment. You could call him Eric if you prefer."

"But he is dear to me, so I should call him Papa Bear." Kris pointed toward the cave. "He is there, is he not? Could I please go see him? It has been too long since I have seen my Papa Bear."

Will laughed. "He looks younger than your current incarnation, Kris, so it would confuse people if you called him your Papa. It means the same as father. So you would wind up calling your son your father. Unless you're into human religions, that just doesn't happen."

Derrick turned to his mate and glared. "Will!"

"What?" Will tried to put on his most innocent look. "He's going to find out eventually." Will turned and walked toward the cave. The other two followed.

"Off topic," Derrick retorted. "He was telling us about his relationship with Eric."

Kris pointed toward the cave. "What rests inside there is, for lack of a better word, my son. He is the offspring of my union with another of my kind. But our race never developed with the idea that genetic transference was in any way related to love. It is your species who taught him that."

"You don't love the ones you mate with?" Derrick asked.

"Our love is global," Kris responded. "Our concern is for the community. As much as I love Papa Bear, I also love in kind all who live in my world. The definition of love as something that you parse out to a select few is unfathomable to us. I understand why your species fascinates my son. Your convoluted behaviors are rare in this galaxy.

We are a world of one race, one language, and one mind to preserve the community. Creating a new entity is more a calculation of genetics. We look at what will create offspring that are healthy and will help strengthen the community. Our care for each other is unwavering." Kris headed toward the cave. "What you call love is a simple biological imperative for your species. Your species has two sexes and without a union between the two, your kind will become extinct. There has to be some manner of keeping your sexes bonded together long enough to raise your young. The wiring of your brain chemistry to create bonding hormones during the sex act was a brilliant piece of evolution."

"That doesn't explain the two of us," Will said, somewhat taken aback by such a clinical description of love.

"As with anything to do with genetics, there are bound to be aberrations."

"Kris, we're going to have a long talk about social etiquette one day," Will said, the disapproval clear in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Will," Kris replied. "When I left your world, your ancestors weren't even upright apes. The world around you is one that grew without me. I may have used your thoughts to create a paradigm that can communicate with you. But please understand that the subtle nuances of behavior, even the larger ones you think are commonplace, are all new to me."

Kris looked down at his naked body and rubbed his hands over the chest. "Even the social construct of clothing eluded me at first. I assumed the coloration of Santa's outfit was some sort of fur adaptation to preserve his kind. I chose the form because humans seem to find him comforting and non-threatening." He paused. "Although with you two, I sense there is a decidedly sexual component to the outfit."

"Not the outfit," Will replied. "It's the man in the suit that has a decidedly sexual component."

Kris looked down again at his naked body and then back at Will.

Will grinned. "Just saying."

Kris arched his eyebrow as he entered the cave. The humans were not growing any less confusing. Guided by the green light, he entered the main cavern and saw the glowing stone. He walked over to the green crystal and stroked it lovingly. "Poor, Papa Bear. You are so much a product of your new environment. What made you dream that finding love with one of us would surpass what you found on this earth? You thought merging with your kind would give you something beyond what this world offers. All merging provides is a way to continue our species. The love you have always sought, you found here on this obscure, insignificant planet full of self-destructive apes. We should have stayed to teach you what you hadn't learned as a child. We should have stayed so you would learn to fully embrace the ones you love."

Kris grew quiet. His hands pressed against the stone and started glowing the same green light as they melded with the crystal. His eyes closed and his head bowed. "Could I have a moment alone with my son?" he asked.

"Of course, Kris," Derrick said. "Take all the time you need. We'll wait for you outside."

"Thank you," Kris replied.

As Derrick and Will walked out into the cool night air, they heard the song again. They heard the same ethereal sound as they watched the Changeling rising from his ship. But this time it was plaintive and longing. It spoke of regret, and loneliness, of being in a world that was confusing and hostile. Derrick and Will knew the song by heart, even though they were hearing it for the first time.

Chapter 5

As soon as Kris exited the cave, the three headed back to the crash site and worked to hide the craft embedded in the earth. Will explained to Kris the dangers of the humans ever finding him. The Changeling slipped inside the damaged ship, and within moments, the glow faded into the night.

As they gathered branches from the broken trees, Will looked upward anxiously. "That's not good. Those trees will stand out like a sore thumb from the air."

"Is that bad?" Kris asked.

"This is exactly what they'll look for. This is Canada, and the population is pretty sparse. If anyone saw your approach on radar, they will search for damage in this area with the first sign of daylight. They might even use infrared readings tonight. And with satellites above us, those trees and that fire earlier will be like an arrow pointing to the crash site. Once they get confirmation, things will get ugly."

"Then we will deal with that as soon as possible," Kris said matter-of-factly.

"It's not that easy," Will sighed.

"I suspect we'll all deal with this better in the morning after a bit of sleep," Kris said.

"Perhaps you're right," Derrick agreed. "It's been a long night. I have a lot to think about."

Will placed his arm around Kris and smiled. "So, old man," he said. "How do you feel about sharing a bed with two guys?"

"Does it involve sex?" the old man asked.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid," Derrick responded. "I'm still confused about most of this."

"I understand," Kris acknowledged.

"Well, that makes two of you," Will groused. "I'm going to have blue balls by morning."

"Really? They change color?"

"Your mind-meld didn't teach you much, did it?" Will fussed.

"I didn't go through all your memories, Will," Kris answered. "I avoided most of what you hold dear, and I'm afraid that means a great deal of human sexuality remains a mystery to me."

Derrick laughed out loud. "I don't see my sexuality as a problem," Will said indignantly.

"Nor do I," Kris agreed.

Derrick nodded. "I agree. Nothing is wrong with Will's sexuality."

"Then this thing Will calls a boner. Is it something I will have an opportunity to use?" Kris said, pointing down between his legs. "It's all very new, but incredibly enjoyable."

The two stared down at what was protruding past the Changeling's gut.

Will whistled. "Well, Pup," he said, amused. "It's your call, but I think it would be inhospitable for us earthlings to let an alien visitor go to bed without attending to that."

Kris smiled. "It's okay, Derrick. I understand your reluctance."

Derrick smiled back. "I'm sorry, Kris."

"Well," Will sighed. "I guess we shouldn't make him feel bad about this, Kris. Tomorrow I'll teach you about whacking off."

"Whacking off?"

"Masturbation. It's taking care of that upright thing between your legs on your own."

"I can do that?"

"I'm pretty sure you'll be able to get a grip on the idea in no time," Will replied, enjoying the innuendo. He looked down at his growing hard-on. "Although, it's been over three hundred years since I've done it solo with someone as good-looking as you close by."

Derrick sighed. "Look, why don't I go for a walk, and you two go back to the cave and get better acquainted? No need to hold back on his education because of me, Old Wolf."

"Sounds like a plan," Will said.

"Sounds fine to me as well," Kris added.

"Okay then, I'll see you two in a couple of hours," Derrick said, somewhat dejectedly. "Hang a sign on the doorknob if you're going to be longer."

Will smiled. "Do I get a kiss?"

Derrick shuffled his feet. "Yeah." He leaned into Will and kissed him.

"Do I get a kiss?" Kris asked with the same silly grin on his face so common to his son.

Derrick looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess so." He leaned over and kissed the Changeling on his bearded lips. It was short and perfunctory, but the Changeling seemed to enjoy it.

The two wandered off toward the cave, leaving Derrick in the cool night. He kicked the grass beneath his feet. "Stupid, Derrick. Stupid, stupid, Derrick," he mumbled. "Just go be with them. You know you want to. And what's holding you back? Human mores? Am I supposed to believe the humans that said being gay was a sin? The ones who kill wolves for sport? Why am I letting them dictate what I can and cannot do? Why do I let them decide who I love?"

He let out a long sigh and walked back toward where the crystal shard lay covered in branches. "I don't know what to think." He worked in silence for some time, bringing more of the fallen branches to cover the ship. "Worst of all," he finally said out loud to himself, "I enjoyed kissing him."

He hefted another branch on top of the craft. "Maybe after a few hundred years, I will get a hang of these emotions." He made a short, frustrated snort. "Or not. Kris is brand new to them, and he seems to be fine breaking every social taboo in the book." He looked back at the cave. "Why aren't I there?"

Derrick was staring at the cave forlornly when he heard a movement behind him. At first, it was just a gentle creaking, but it grew in intensity as the trees stirred. Turning toward the forest, he stared in amazement as the trees seemed to return to what they were before the ship crashed through them. The ship itself glowed for a moment in the darkness and then completely disappeared. The branches covering it were nowhere to be seen. In their place was the still quiet of the glade, undisturbed.

Derrick made an about-face and ran back toward the cave. He entered the cave breathless with excitement. "The trees, they're all fixed," he blurted out. "I mean, it's like the crash never..." he broke off in mid-sentence. There, sitting with their legs crossed in lotus positions, were Will and Kris staring at him. No rutting men. No bodies wrapped up in convoluted sexual positions. Instead, two men were staring at him as if he had interrupted Buddhist monks in their meditations.

Kris smiled. "That's good to hear. That means the natural camouflaging instincts have kicked in. What you call my ship is protecting itself."

Derrick stood dumbfounded. "You're not... not..."

"Fucking?" Will chimed in.

"Yeah... that," Derrick said.

"Why would I do that without my mate?" Will asked.

"You suggested I get to know Will. I am doing that. We are having an enjoyable conversation." Kris added. "If we were to copulate, why would I deny myself the pleasure of your company?"

"Because both of you are way freer about this whole thing than I am," Derrick suggested.

"Pup, we can wait for you to be on board with this before either of us opts to jump each other's bones," Will said, smiling. "We both knew we wanted to wait the minute we walked into the cave."

"Although the boner thing didn't go down until a few moments ago," Kris added. "It seems very excitable."

Derrick laughed. "They are that."

"Come to bed, Pup," Will said, patting a spot next to him. "Big spoon."

"Little spoon," Derrick said as he stretched out on the bed.

Kris watched the two wiggle into their cuddling position. "What am I supposed to do?" He asked.

"Oh, that's easy, Kris," Will said. "You're the bigger spoon. You saddle up behind me."

Kris grinned and stretched out, mimicking the other two's positioning behind Will.

"That's it, Kris," Will said. "Now, just pull me in tight."

Kris put his arm around Will and pulled him in. Will sighed contentedly as Derrick turned out the LED lantern that lit the cave. In the quiet dark that lingered, Will finally spoke. "So, Kris, is that a monster-sized zucchini in your pants, or are you just excited to see me?"

"I'm not wearing pants, Will."

"That's earth humor, Kris."

"Oh, then it's a zucchini, right?"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow," Will sighed. He backed himself into Kris and enjoyed feeling the Changeling's body pushing into all the right places. "Welcome to earth, Kris," he whispered.

Derrick repeated the welcome, and Kris gave his thanks. He pretended to fall asleep as the other two drifted off. Yet, he remained awake the entire night, trying to understand the new emotions and feelings he was experiencing. As the first light of day crept in through the antechamber of the cave, he was still deep in thought.

Chapter 6

When Will finally awoke, he realized the Changeling was no longer sleeping beside him. He gently lifted his arm and slipped away from Derrick, who stirred and then drifted back to sleep.

Outside, Will saw the Changeling in the distance sitting by the creek. Will shook himself into a wolf and bounded toward the white-haired man. He turned back into a man moments before he reached the Changeling. Without missing a stride, he walked up to the old gentleman. "Good morning, Kris," Will said.

"Good morning, Will," the Changeling said. He thought a moment and then added, "do I get a kiss?"

Will smiled. "Of course you do." Will leaned over and kissed the Changeling.

When the kiss ended, the Changeling smiled broadly. "I like the way it makes my penis feel."

Will laughed. "I'm glad to know that, although you probably don't want to go telling everyone you kiss that."

"I suspect it might be true for everyone I kiss, though."

"Yeah, for me too, Kris. We just don't go saying it."

"I see," the white-bearded man mused. "So I shouldn't tell Derrick he makes me feel the same way when we kiss?"

"The boy hardly kissed you last night, and you got all tingly?"

"I come predisposed to find you both desirable." The Changeling shifted on the ledge, letting his feet make circles in the water below. "Long before we met, I learned of you through my son. I have especially deep feelings for you, Will, because my son has sung of you for centuries. The way this body responds to your touch is in large part because of the shared history of my son. Does that make any sense to you?"

The mountain man sat down next to the Changeling and let his feet dangle into the water. "More than you know, Kris. Years ago, your son would tell me stories about Derrick. He would tell me about his open heart, and how much love he had to give. I think I fell in love with Derrick before I even met him."

"Do you feel the urge to make him smile?"

Will laughed. "All the time. You know, he never seemed to smile when Eric first met him. It was an ongoing contest for your son and me to see who could make him smile the most."

"I like to see him smile," Kris said. "I wish I could understand him better. By our standards, the time my son spent with him is like the blink of an eye. I know we love him, but I'm not sure how to let him know."

"We love him?" Will asked.

"All that I am, I share with my son and our entire community, and he has shared everything with us. That is why I was so surprised by your anonymity. On our planet, we tell stories of your love for your people and my son."

"They're not my people," Will growled.

"I know," the old one replied. "But it has always been your nature to protect them, even so."

"I'm a poor judge of what's worth saving, I guess."

Kris laughed. "I won't press the issue. Regardless of your feelings, an entire planet of my kind loves you, and likewise, we love the pup. We have loved him ever since Papa Bear first saw him. Even as we have loved you from the very first."

"Wow," Will said in amazement. "That's pretty hard to wrap my brain around. I guess I can understand your son loving me. I can understand how when you were together last night, a bit of him might have rubbed off on you. But an entire world believing something from the feelings of your son? Wow!"

"We have been a part of my son's life since he was born. All that he has seen and heard we have lived through him. It is why we understand your reluctance to embrace humankind and why we tell your story of grace in the face of all you have seen." The old man looked up at Will. "It is also why I get a boner every time you touch me. That is a part of the history we know, even though I had to come back to this planet to understand what it meant."

Will laughed. "Well, now you know why I love your son. I'm an old horndog, and few have ever been able to keep up with me until I met your son. I love that old bear for so many reasons, but his sexual appetite is right up there in the top five. It's one of the top five for why I love the pup, too."

"I sensed that. Although, as I mentioned, our understanding of our love for Pup suffered when Papa Bear died."

Will sat quietly for a time and then looked at Kris. The old man's position made it difficult to see what was between his legs. "So, have you got a boner now?"

"Of course. I've had it since you kissed me."

"Damn," Will said, laughing. "We need to get Pup on board with this idea soon. I can't stare at you longingly forever, you know. I don't have platonic relationships with anyone as cute and willing as you."

"I realize that there are some complications to my being here, but my son's condition required that I return. And we, or perhaps I should say, I am doing my best to deal with the feelings I have for both of you. Only our children who we left behind ever had the slightest inkling of the feelings you earthlings share."

The old one sat motionless and quiet. Will knew all too well why. "For eons, the death of an innocent was only a part of our history. Fear was a thing of our past. Each time one of our children fell at the hands of humans, we felt what it was to become nothing. We couldn't imagine what it was to lose a part of our whole, to cease to exist. We relearned lessons that we never wished to remember."

"I'm sorry for your loss, for what you learned. I'm sorry it was my kind who taught you such horrible lessons," Will whispered. "Perhaps now you know why I have renounced my allegiance to the Family of Man."

Kris looked over at the man. He shifted himself closer and put his arm around Will. "We understand now. My son couldn't comprehend the pain and anger he felt when he watched the last of his brothers die on this planet. They awakened feelings in him that are billions of years old. I am glad he had you there to see him through such hard times."

"I love him, Kris," Will whispered. "I've been afraid that he wouldn't know how much I love him."

"He knows. We all know. Know, too, that we return that love. It will be there in the face of every Changeling you ever meet. It will forever be in the eyes of the bear you love. But his love is distinct, and a gift to you only he can give." The old man reached out and pushed Will's bearded chin up. He gently kissed his lips. "You will see love in my eyes as well. I only hope that our time together allows my love to grow independent of his."

Will smiled. "I would like that." He kissed Kris again and kicked his feet, stirring up the water. He looked back at Kris. "You've got a boner again, don't you?"

"Like a rock," the mock Santa sighed. "This will be a seriously difficult transition."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Will groaned.

"First there is the pup. He needs to know that our love for him is genuine despite its newness to us. I need to find the right way to explain that to him. I believe he could deal with the idea that my planet's people love him. But that our love has a very carnal component to it will be disquieting for him."

"Oh yeah, Kris. That's one idea best not shared for now."

"I'm afraid it was the strongest feeling we had of him in the beginning. I'm sure those feelings will mature with time. They seem to have been doing that when Papa Bear..." The Changeling once again began grasping for words. "Not died... began his hibernation."

Will looked over at Kris. "I like that much better, Kris. I like the idea that he's hibernating. Bears are wont to do that from time to time." He smiled at the white-bearded man. "And we need to find a new name for Papa Bear for you. Even I don't use it except to tease Eric. It's reserved for Derrick. I think you'll have to settle on Eric for the time being."

"Well, you and others call him Old Bear. Perhaps that will be okay." Kris interrupted that conversation and veered off into another, dragging Will along with him. "That reminds me. I'm going to rely on you two to help prepare me so that I can meet your..." he hesitated, searching again for the word, "... your pack."

"Oh crap," Will groaned. "How do we explain you to the pack?"

"I suppose you tell them I am Eric's father," Kris replied. "That is as close as you're going to get using your language." He paused a moment. "Will that affect their attitudes toward sex the way it seems to affect Derrick? I wouldn't want that to happen."

Will laughed so hard that tears streamed down his eyes. When he caught his breath, he replied, "No, trust me, the pack will have no problem with you and sex." He looked out across the water and, picking up a stone, tossed it into the middle of the pond. "Derrick is often a creature of singular thought. There are things his family and church raised him to believe are true. Sometimes he will fight changing them even in the face of conflicting evidence. As with many humans, overwhelming evidence doesn't always outweigh belief. Sometimes, it is a struggle between what he knows to be the truth and what he once believed. He clings to his old ways because they are what he has always done. There is comfort in conventions. Even if those conventions are completely wrong."

Will leaned over and pulled up a strand of grass and chewed on it absentmindedly. "I can't say I'm any better. Your son could tell you all about that. But be gentle with us. We grow and change in our own time. The pup is bolder and stronger than even he realizes. He will one day be a fierce defender of whom and what you become. But for now, he's trapped between being smitten by your overt sexuality and good looks, and the things humans taught him were the truth."

"I admit, adapting to this body has been challenging. I cannot help the feelings I have for you two or my son. But the feelings are confusing to me as well. They may be as much from what I felt when I bonded with my son as what I am learning on my own. But I feel them regardless of their source."

"And I don't want you to deny those feelings," Will agreed. "You are learning what it means to love inside a new body. That can't be easy. Your son had eons to learn the subtleties of how we manage those hormones we call love. Even on our best days, they overwhelm us."

"Even on our best days, what overwhelms us?" they heard a voice call out from across the glade.

Will and Kris turned to see Derrick walking toward them.

Kris nudged Will. "Oh.... Damn, Will. He is so cute I'm getting a boner. How do I stop it?"

Will laughed. "No clue. I am the same way." He cupped his hands and yelled back to Derrick. "Your butt cheeks, Handsome. They overwhelm us."

Derrick turned around and rubbed his butt seductively. "You mean these?"

"Oh no, Will," Kris blurted out. "I'm leaking. The boner thing is leaking."

"That's a good thing, Kris. Don't worry about it. It's the way your body should respond in the presence of someone like Derrick." Will leaned down and pulled his cock out from between his legs and squeezed it. The clear fluid flowed out and over the slit. "This is a good thing we all share, Kris. Don't worry about it. Your body is doing what it's supposed to do."

"What are you two doing over there?" Derrick asked.

"Playing with our hard-ons," Will replied.

Kris looked at Will. "Hard-ons are boners, right?"

"Yep."

Kris looked back at Derrick. "That's right. We're playing with our hard-ons. I should point out you're responsible for the most recent one."

"The most recent one?" Derrick queried.

Will laughed. "Kris gets a boner at the drop of a hat. Like getting a good morning kiss, or thinking about a good morning kiss. Almost anything gives him a boner."

"He's right about that," Kris chimed in. "I would tell you to kiss me to prove it, but I already have the boner, so it's likely a moot point."

Derrick walked up to the two. Towering over the top of both, he looked down and smiled. "So it would seem." He leaned over and kissed Will. Then he looked at Kris and smiled. "But I'd still like to kiss you."

"Anything to make you smile."

Derrick kissed Kris and held the kiss longer than the day before. When he finally stood back up, his erection was staring both the mountain man and Changeling in the face. He smiled. "I didn't want to be the only one here without one."

Will leaned over and took Derrick's cock in his mouth, and began playing with it. Kris watched, fascinated. "You can do that?"

"Oh god, can he ever," Derrick groaned.

Kris lowered his head and engulfed Will's cock. He imitated the motions he saw Will perform and quickly found his own pleasurable rhythm. Will sighed. With his mouth full, mumbled, "Like a duck to water, this one."

Derrick's noisy orgasm was the first to interrupt the morning bird songs. It was soon followed when Will's howl echoed through the forest. Kris remained attached to Will's cock until the big man begged him to let go, and Kris relinquished his prize.

"What is this stuff?" the white-haired man asked, toying with the white liquid spread over his beard. "It has a pleasant taste."

Will smiled, "That's cum. Want to see some more?"

"Oh yes," the Changeling giddily responded. "That would be wonderful."

"Then we're going to teach you how to pound it out of me," Will smiled. He looked up at Derrick to see if he approved.

"It's your ass," Derrick said with a laugh.

"No, Pup," Will corrected. "It's always belonged to you. I loan it out from time to time, but it's been yours since the day you bit my neck."

Derrick leaned over and kissed his mate. "I love watching you have fun. And if you two haven't already figured it out, I learned last night I don't want to be on the outside wondering what you two are up to when I can be here enjoying it."

Will rolled over on his back and grabbed his legs. "See that hole, Kris? That's where you're gonna shove your cock."

"Won't that hurt you?" Kris said, a look of concern spreading over his face.

"I sure hope so," Will laughed. "I'll be fine. This is fucking..."

"Oh, fucking," Kris interrupted. "This I know about. Not the activity, mind you, but the feelings of closeness it brings."

"Yeah. We'll talk about the warm and fuzzy side of this later, Kris. But for right now, shove your cock in me and let the body you adopted tell you what to do next."

Kris obeyed the command. He awkwardly placed his cock near the tight hole.

"Roll the foreskin back, Kris," Derrick said, using his thumb as a visual aid. "That pre-cum you're making will help it slide in easier."

Kris rolled the foreskin back and, scooping a bit of the pre-cum onto his fingers, he placed them onto Will's ass and massaged it in. He rocked forward, and this time there was no hesitation. The cock slid between the butt cheeks and deep into the hole.

Will took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and fought back the scream he wanted to let out. He wasn't about to frighten Kris by showing any sign of pain. The rhythm Kris fell into was slow and easy. It surprised Will at how gently the novice was taking him until he opened his eyes. Derrick was holding the old man's hips and showing him how to thrust in and out. Derrick leaned over and kissed the Changeling's neck and Santa giggled like a tickled child.

Experience taught Will not to expect the Changeling's first experience inside another man to last long. "Come on, Kris. You have the motion down. Now start that pounding I was talking about. You don't have to be gentle. I'm a big boy and I like my pleasures on the rough side."

Kris needed no encouragement. His thrusting inside the old wolf was at first as Derrick showed him, but then more grew wilder. Words were trying to escape from his mouth as the feelings of his first union with a human flowed over him. Yet all that came out were guttural sounds of pure happiness. Then his eyes widened for a moment and shut tightly. His body lurched into Will's. He grabbed the dark-haired man's legs, using them for support. His legs began to buckle and Derrick grabbed his hips to prop him up. What the two expected to hear from the Changeling was nothing like what happened. A song without words came from Kris's mouth. It was as if all nature blended into one melody. What was for the humans a moment of passion roared at the top of their lungs, was for the Changeling a transcendent song, a slur of unknown words in his native tongue.

"Kris, don't stop," Will begged. Kris, barely able to stay upright, did his best to comply and resumed his thrusting. But his first orgasm overwhelmed his abilities to stay connected to the body he had created.

Derrick sensed the needs of both. He pulled at Kris and helped him to the ground. "You'll be okay. Sit back and enjoy the feelings. I'll take over from here." Derrick shifted from the short, chubby man into the black werewolf. He shoved his much larger dick deep into his mate and began thrusting deep inside the mountain man. This was the fuck Will loved; the fuck with a capital F that was relentless and focused on one thing. Will needed the werewolf to pound the cum from his cock without him ever touching it. And Derrick was giving Will exactly what he needed.

Kris watched the two, entranced by the motion of both. When Will came, Santa's lookalike watched, amazed as the white liquid shot from the cock. It arched over the bearded giant's head and splashed on the grass. Volley after volley of the white cum pulsed onto Will's chest as he writhed through the pleasure. It spilled onto his torso, and then finally, the cock jerked one last time and lowered itself down against Will's belly.

Kris stood up for a moment, transfixed by what he was watching. He realized that Derrick, too, had experienced what he had felt moments before. Santa's twin watched the furry wolf's chest heaving as the boy worked to catch his breath. "Oh my, Will," Kris said, scooping up a hand full of cum and shoving it into his mouth. "I can't believe..."

"Don't you say it!" Will yelled. "Don't you dare tell me about how much I cum."

"It's glorious," the Changeling gushed. "I mean, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Can you teach me to do that?"

Will looked at him quizzically. "What? You're not freaking out because there's too much of it?"

"Not at all. It's incredible." The white-haired man shoved his hands into the sticky liquid and put his fingers into his mouth. His eyes closed as if savoring a treat for the first time. He opened his eyes and smiled. "I think it may very well be my favorite part of sex from here on out." His eyebrow raised. "Well, maybe the second... no third... fourth... definitely my fourth favorite part about sex." He grabbed Will and pulled him in close, rubbing his chest and belly all over Will's sticky body.

"Okay," Will capitulated. "I know it's messy."

"Yeah," Kris agreed. "And now we have to go take a bath together." The Changeling's cum soaked hand reached out and grabbed Derrick, spreading the sticky mess all over his furred shoulder. "All three of us." He grinned wildly. "And then we can fuck some more and start it all over. This cum stuff is incredible. It's fun to play with, tastes great, and gives you an excuse to bathe with your partners." He stretched out his hands and raised his head. "I LOVE CUM!" he yelled at the top of his voice.

Derrick looked at Will and laughed. With a shake, he was once again a corpulent human. "We've created a monster, you know."

"Apparently. But you know, I kind of like this monster."

Derrick leaned over and kissed Will. "Me too."

The Changeling grabbed both their arms and tugged them toward the creek. "Bath time, pups," he giggled like a young lad. "And then you get to teach me about pulling an all-nighter."

Chapter 7

The days passed easily for the next few weeks. The three continued to explore not only Kris's new body but also the growing emotions between them. Derrick still struggled with the feelings he had for Kris and the conflict he saw with his love for Eric. He would wander about the ridge trying to sort out his feelings, and every time they returned to the same confusing spot.

Will and Kris tried to give Derrick the space he needed to resolve his dilemma. Despite his confusion, as each day ended, the three found themselves in the same bed at Derrick's insistence. Kris took comfort that while Derrick tried to sort things out, he had become the young wolf's little spoon. In the cave's darkness, he delighted in feeling the young man's arm pull him close.

Will looked up into the sky to watch the sun moving across its slow arc through the branches of the trees. He sat with his arm wrapped around Kris and they sat quietly together, as had become their habit before Derrick rose for the day. "Well, old man," Will said, "tonight is the full moon. The pack is hours away from arriving, and we have yet to come up with some sort of introduction. Would you like me to introduce you as Eric's father? Or could you turn into some critter and we say we adopted you from an animal shelter."

"Can't do that. I became human so that I could communicate with you, William Gentry. We don't choose our avatars. They choose us when the time is right. For me, that time has yet to come. In time, I may have more flexibility, but for now, this body you see me in is the one I can maintain."

"Understood," Will said with an apologetic tone. "So, father, friend, what do we call you?"

The Santa lookalike thought for a moment. "I would rather you two bite my neck. Then you could introduce me as your husband. But not until Derrick's struggle is over. I understand the human condition enough to realize the difficulty that Pup struggles with loving both the father and his son."

Will pressed closer to the Changeling. "Give him time, Kris. Trust me, he's worth the wait. I'm waiting for him to bite your neck as well. I'm determined this time that we bite our necks as a family. No one is being left out this time around." He paused a moment. "Except Eric. I wish I could figure out a way to bite that great green blob's neck."

Kris laughed. "He feels the same way."

Will looked dismayed. "Can you talk to him? Every day I sit with him hoping to feel something other than loss. I want to feel his heart beating or any sign that he's still alive. But all I do is talk. And cry. I cry a lot for a grown werewolf."

"I understand that," the Changeling sighed. "As a species, we have no tear ducts, so it's an unfamiliar experience for me. I find them leaking at the strangest times. When I'm angry or sad. Even when I'm happy. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to them."

"Welcome to the human race," Will quipped. He looked at the bear. "About Eric..."

"He hears you, Will. He hears us all. I have the advantage of being linked to him through four billion years of evolution."

"There's so much I wish I had done differently. So much... so much if I had only known."

"Likewise, for my son. You both did the best you knew how. Stop beating yourself up." The Changeling turned toward the forest. "I'm going to check the landing site. I haven't heard from my ship for days. Why don't you go visit my son?"

Will looked at Kris and grabbed him in a tight hug from behind. He kissed the white hair that spread down over his shoulders. "I love you, Kris. I think I'll do that." He released his hold and turned toward the cave.

As the two walked off in different directions, Kris spoke once more. "Oh, Will. You should tell my son not to be so hard on himself, either. It would do him good to hear you say it."

As Will turned and watched the Santa's doppelgänger retreating from him, he lost himself in thoughts of the great green blob and mutual forgiveness.

Will entered the main hall and saw Derrick sitting in front of the crystal. His hands were touching the crystal in the same fashion Will had always done. "Hi, Old Wolf," Derrick said without turning. "I was getting ready to talk to Papa Bear."

"Kris told me he hears us," Will said. "I guess he felt we were ready to know."

"I wondered for years," Derrick replied. "Now I feel pretty stupid for telling him knock-knock jokes when I couldn't think of anything else."

Will laughed. "Better than kicking him, I suppose. Would you like to be left alone?"

"No. This is a family matter of sorts. You should be here to hear what I have to say as well."

Will sat next to Derrick and extended a hand to the stone. "Hello, old friend," he whispered.

Derrick stroked the crystal. "Hi, Papa Bear. I've been meaning to talk to you about this for days. Maybe with Will next to me, I can find the courage." Will's free arm wrapped around Derrick and pulled him in close.

"By now you know Will and I mated. We've both told you, but we didn't know if you heard. Kris told Will today that you do. We're still waiting for your return to finish what we've started. Our family isn't complete without you here... I mean here... where we can hold you again."

"He doesn't want to say fuck, Old Bear," Will interrupted. "What he wants to say is we miss you fucking us." Derrick shoved Will forcefully. "Okay, Okay, Old Bear... and we miss long walks on the beach, trips to the library to read Emily Dickinson poems to each other. We miss cozying up to the fire on rainy days, or watching Netflix, and home-cooked meals." Will hesitated for a moment in thought. "Seriously, we miss home-cooked meals at the ranch with you a lot." He looked at Derrick and grinned. "Better?"

"God, Old Wolf, you can be a pain sometimes," Derrick sighed. "But, yes, better."

"But fucking," Will interrupted again, staring at the glowing stone. "Fucking is what we really, really miss." He bumped himself into Derrick and smiled.

Derrick returned the smile. "I guess he's right, Papa Bear. We miss your touch, your smell, the taste of you on our lips. Hurry back, Papa Bear."

There was a long silence before Derrick spoke again. "I need to talk to you, Papa Bear, and I hope it won't upset you. Your father... I think I love him. Will does, that's for sure. They're trying to help me see things clearly. Mostly, I understand what they're saying. I understand he's not your father in the way we humans think of fathers. But I can't help feeling that my attraction to him might somehow link to you. It's funny. At first, I thought the reason I couldn't love him was that you were father and son and that's forbidden. But I realize what I'm afraid of is that these emotions of mine might be the transference of my feelings for you onto the shoulders of one who is so close to you."

Derrick felt Will gently stroke his shoulder.

"He's amazing, you know; your father. He's been here only a few weeks, but it's like I've known him forever. And I realize in some sense, I have. I've loved his son for as long as I can remember. And now your dad is here, and he says he loves me. I know I have feelings for him, but he deserves to know that I love him for him. He should never feel like he was the rebound Changeling in my life. I don't know how much is what I feel for you, and how much is his alone."

The quiet returned, and in the silence, Will felt Derrick's confusion. He rubbed the stone. "Old Bear, you sure know how to confuse the hell out of Pup, don't you?"

"No, Will," Derrick sighed. "I make the confusion all by myself. I don't know why, after all this time, I have any reluctance to jump into the maelstrom of what I call my life."

"Self-preservation is a pretty strong instinct, Pup," Will comforted. "Hell, I'm the poster child for inertia when it comes to loving someone. But one thing I know, the night you bit my neck, I realized we only get one chance at this." He squeezed his mate tightly. "I don't know all the reasons I love Kris. I'm sure there are more than a few that would have therapists licking their chops to get at me. But one thing I know, Pup. I love him. And I know he loves me. What a waste of that gift if all I ever do is spin my wheels trying to figure out why. I would rather spend my life never knowing why than lose a minute of what we might share."

"Me too," Derrick whispered. The two watched the glowing crystal. The luminescence ebbed and flowed through the rock like waves. "Now how do I tell Eric?"

"I think you just did, Pup." The old wolf kicked the crystal. "Well, Papa Bear, this is where you let us know you heard it all and you give us your blessing; especially Pup. You know how he worries about everything."

The two looked at the stone. Nothing changed. They waited even longer. Still nothing. The crystal glowed as it always had. Will fidgeted nervously. "Okay... if that doesn't work, how about we tell you we love you and we hope you return soon, Old Bear. Oh, and by the way, hope you don't mind that we're banging your father."

"Will!" Derrick objected.

"It's Eric," Will huffed. "If he's in there, it's my duty to help him laugh his incorporeal ass off from time to time. I know him, Pup. He loves you. He would never stand in the way of your happiness."

"Yeah, but we don't have to tell him everything."

"Yes, yes we do," Will corrected. "It's time we started seeing him as someone in our life. He may not be here with us in the way we would like, but it's time we stopped waiting for that day to come. And if we're going to bone his dad, then we tell him, because we want him to understand the life that's all around him. He's not coming back to us without knowing everything. And that includes our feelings for his father." Will stroked the stone lovingly, as he had done for years. "And that also includes how much we miss him. You know that, don't you, Old Bear? We miss you something fierce. Come back and let us bite your neck."

"What he said, Papa Bear. Come back soon."

Derrick helped Will up. "Where's Kris? I guess we should talk to him as well."

Will smiled. "That's for sure, Pup. He said he had hoped the pack would meet him as our husband. I suppose that's as good a wedding present as we can offer him." Will kissed Derrick and held him close. "Are you sure this is what you want, Pup? We're wolves. We mate for life, and that's a very long life. Don't do this unless you're one hundred percent certain."

Derrick thought for a moment. "I'm sure that I want him in my life."

"Well, that's a good start, but I want chocolate in my life. Not enough to marry it, though."

Derrick pushed against Will. "Goof. You know what I mean."

Will smiled and kissed his mate. "I do. I want to make sure you do as well."

Derrick put his head on Will's shoulder. "I hope I do. I think I do. This could be something that always confuses me. That said, I know the love I have for him is real. It's time I made it official. He's told us what it will take to make it official. I say we do what he asks."

"Fair enough."

Derrick looked up. "Well, we best find him before the guys get here."

Finding Kris wasn't hard. They had scarcely left the cave when he came running toward them. "There's a problem. He was hurt making the landing. We knew his configuration was temporary. There were risks. It was such a long trip. We should have jumped, but our major vessel was still too damaged to create a wormhole without risking everyone's safety. We volunteered, but what we cobbled together wasn't strong enough to make the trip. That's why we crashed. He couldn't..."

"Who is he?" Will asked.

"My ship, he's injured. He didn't have the strength to maintain the cloak over this ridge. It's all visible now. The ship, the burnt forest, and the fallen trees; it's been visible for days. I never heard his call. He's so weak and I've been so preoccupied."

"Don't worry about blame now, Kris. We have more important things to do," Will said. "The pack will be here soon. We'll have to move your son and get you both off this mountain."

Inside the cave, the two humans became werewolves. Together with Santa by their side, they tried to hoist up the green crystal. But their combined strength wasn't enough to move the stone. It was as if the stone fought them. "Derrick and I can move a stone this size, no problem. Why doesn't it budge?"

"What you see isn't stone, Will. It's my son. He might believe he has a say in the matter."

Will's panic was significant enough that Kris's words slipped by him. "We're going to need the pack to get him on board the chopper," Will said. "Where the hell are they?"

"They'll be here, Will," Derrick said, still mulling over Kris's words. "We need to get out there so they know what's happening."

The three ran from the cave and toward the traditional landing place of the AgustaWestland. At the edge of the forest, the green shard lay exposed, covered in branches that were brown with age. Within minutes, the anticipated helicopter cleared the mountaintops and flew over the top of the threesome. It flew past the normal landing spot and hovered near the cave. Then it dropped to the ground with uncharacteristic speed. The three turned and began running back toward the landed aircraft. Jean Pierre jumped out with Jason by his side. The twins were in the cockpit securing the chopper, but leaving the engines ready for takeoff.

"We have already seen the damage," Jean Pierre shouted over the engines. "I don't know what happened, but we need to get the bear out of here now." Jean Pierre turned toward Kris. He bowed. "Ancient One, we will need to find a haven for you as well."

Kris bowed in return. "I am grateful to you and your pack."

Derrick and Will stood stunned for a moment at how easily Jean Pierre saw past the naked Santa to the Changeling beneath. But the moment was gone as Jean Pierre barked out orders. "Clothes. You three find some. Wherever we go, you'll need to be clothed."

Jean Pierre looked at Jason. "Get the cargo net and secure the bear. Once the twins are out, they will help shift him into position." Jean Pierre looked at Kris once more. "Can the bear handle the move? It won't be an easy one."

Kris nodded. "He's strong. He will be fine. If he allows it."

There was a look of understanding on the alpha's face, and he turned back to the chopper. "Tiff, Tuff," he yelled. "We need your help, now."

The three put on outfits pulled from the steamer trunk. Locked away for years, the clothing smelt musty, but they were serviceable. They forced Kris to squeeze into one of Will's shirts and a pair of Derrick's pants. Nothing quite fit, but he would easily pass as a human with a poor fashion sense. They helped Jason with the last of the netting and headed outside to help the twins secure the net to the cable.

From overhead, the voice of a red-tailed hawk cried out. It folded its wings and spiraled down out of the sky. Before it plummeted into the earth, the hawk shifted and became a short, heavyset man landing with a thump on the grass. "I am not sure how much time you have," the brown-skinned man said, "but if there is a way to move the white bear, you must not hesitate. I passed armed helicopters heading this way." Chet looked at the white-bearded man in front of him. "I have dreamed of meeting the gods of my ancestors. I only wish it was under different circumstances."

"As do I," Kris agreed.

"Thank you, Chet," Will said. "You best get out of here while the getting is good. Head back to the ranch and lie low. We'll take it from here."

Chet looked to the Changeling, "Another day, Ancient One."

"Another day, Chetanluta."

Chet's transformation was almost instantaneous. It was as if his whole body collapsed on itself. From a ball of motion that never touched the ground rose the red-tailed hawk. With a few flaps of the wide wings, he was into the sky and headed east.

With the cable secured, the twins scrambled toward the helicopter to bring the stone on board and prepare it for departure. Three incoming NH90 helicopters drowned the sound of the chopper's winches struggling to move the stone. Two of the choppers held back as one moved in and hovered over the glade near the crystal shard.

Jean Pierre motioned to the pack. "You stay here. Let's hope we can end this diplomatically." He motioned Jason to stay.

"No Papa," the young man said. "I belong by your side." Jean Pierre grabbed the hand of the lad and they raced off toward the other side of the glade.

In the distance, deployment bags hurled outward from the helicopter hovering over the green crystal. They spun down along with the rope connected to them. They no sooner hit the ground than four soldiers, two from either side of the NH90, jumped from the open doors, and rappelled downward. When they touched the ground, another four leaped from the helicopter. A set of two immediately headed toward Kris's fallen craft. The other six brought their rifles into firing position and moved toward Jean Pierre and Jason.

Will, Derrick, and Kris came running from the cave to see the uproar in the distance. Not hearing the alpha's commands, they rushed toward the confusion and their leader.

Over the din of engines and whirling blades, the three heard little of what was being yelled between the soldiers and the Frenchman. Jean Pierre moved forward, signaling the three to return to the cave. There were commands brayed out by the soldiers to surrender the alien. Jean Pierre was yelling something about private lands and trespassing. But one thing was certain. The conversation was doing nothing to convince the military to stand down. They poised their rifles for firing, and it seemed they were intent on finding an alien at any cost.

Only yards from the melee, Will stopped mid-stride, seeing Jean Pierre waving them off. "This is not good." He motioned to Derrick. "Get Kris out of here, Pup. Protect the Changelings at all costs."

Derrick reached for Kris. "Come on, Kris. We need to get out of here."

"Where would I go?" Kris asked. "I can't leave my son, and I won't leave our offspring here alone."

"They aren't here for us, Kris. The humans don't even know about us. They're here for you and your son. We can't let that happen." Derrick pulled on the ancient one's sleeve. "Please, go. We can't let them take you. We love you..." He paused a moment, and then the truth spilled out, "... I love you. Please, do it for me."

Kris smiled amid the confusion. "Such an awkward time to tell me something I've waited weeks to hear."

"I know. We'll talk about it later. Right now," Derrick begged, "we have to go."

They were turning when, in the middle of the bedlam, a soldier shoved his rifle into Jean Pierre's chest. Jean Pierre stumbled backward. The change was only a moment. A glimpse of the dominant wolf flashed across his face and disappeared. But it was enough. The soldier raised his rifle in horror and prepared to fire at the creature he saw.

Will cried out. "Jean Pierre! No!" In one great leap, the man became a werewolf and threw himself between Jean Pierre and the soldier. Three bullets from the soldier's C8 rifle pierced the werewolf before his paw sent the soldier reeling backward. The werewolf rose, gasping for breath. "Put down your guns, you fools," he commanded. "We're not your enemies." In unison, the soldiers raised their weapons and dropped the Iberian wolf in a hail of bullets.

Jean Pierre screamed above the thunder of the chopper. What the military was yelling was unclear, but their fear was unmistakable. Derrick stared at his fallen mate and, in one violent shake, bounded toward the soldiers. The volley of bullets ripping through his body barely slowed his assault. Three soldiers flew through the air, landing with lifeless thuds as they hit the ground. The young werewolf staggered and then smashed into another two. He tore past their Kevlar vests and splayed their chests wide open. The last two soldiers staggered backward, trying to regain their balance. From the NH90, the flames of a machine gun firing lit up the ground below.

Derrick fell backward as the bullets tore through his shoulder and splintered the ground below. Down on his knee, one arm clung to his body by a thread. It was a mass of blood, bone, and sinew, clinging almost by the sheer will of the wolf's rage. He rose, and grabbing a soldier, threw him toward the chopper. The body smashed into the side of the NH90's blades.

The war machine lurched forward, spinning out of control. Rotating blades impacted the grassy field, shattering into flying daggers of broken metal. The ship tore into the forest's flesh as it careened into the ground. Black smoke billowed from the cockpit and then burst into flame. Whatever was still alive from the crash incinerated in the heat of the spreading fire.

The two remaining NH90s began a rapid descent toward the fray. Derrick lurched toward the last soldier. His body shifted back to his human form. He reached out and grabbed the soldier's rifle with his one remaining arm. The blood pulsing from his forehead blurred his vision. He raised the rifle and bolstered it against his shoulder. Pointing the weapon up at the soldier, he pulled the trigger. Instead of the sound of gunfire, he heard Kris's voice above the din of war.

"Enough," Kris roared. His voice reverberated through the glade. "You want the alien, then you will have him." Kris's back shifted, bending outward into a rounded hump. His arms fell to the ground. From his once bald head grew a thick, rust-colored fur that spread across his body. The clothes ripped from him as he continued to grow. Shoulders widened. The gut grew large and furred. Mouth became muzzle. Teeth became fangs. Hands turned to paws with the massive, unmistakable claws of a Kodiak bear. He rose onto his legs and growled. Larger and even more formidable than his son, the great bear raised his arms toward the incoming helicopters.

"Here, narrow-minded humans," he cried out in pain. "Here I am." His stature continued to shift and grow. "No more! My children are not yours to kill."

Derrick turned toward the voice. Through the blur, he saw Kris rise. He smiled, collapsing to the ground. He took comfort in knowing the last thing he saw before he died would be the beautiful creature Kris had become.

The great bear looked toward the helicopters. The gunmen sat frozen in their seats, watching the transformation, but as the giant bear lifted his head, they fired. Bullets sped through the air but never reached their target. The artillerymen continued to fire as the bear looked toward them, his eyes glowing a bright green. From the eyes, the green light spread across the beast. It filled each follicle of fur, every inch of the beast glowed, and the intensity of the light grew with each passing moment.

"Dumb apes that kill what they do not understand," the great bear bellowed. "Ruled by fear instead of grace, I will give you something to fear. You and all your kind will never harm my children again."

From the bear's glowing green arms, a pulse of light spread out in a great circle around the highland. As it touched the lifeless bodies of the humans, they melted into the air. The one living soldier had only a moment of terror to realize his fate before he, too, was gone. Moving outward, it encompassed the fallen chopper, and it was no more.

The light spread out from the glowing bear's paws. He raised them toward the heavens and the incandescence spread out like a radiating dome. The helicopter pilots were frantically trying to lift their choppers out of the way when the light enveloped them. There was no explosion, no engines, no blades; only a still quiet. The remaining NH90s were gone.

"Now," cried the bear, "Now you will see what comes of fear, what comes of harming my children." He crouched down as if summoning some great power. The surrounding light became unbearable to watch.

"No," Jean Pierre yelled. He cradled the lifeless body of the old wolf in his hands. "Don't do this, Ancient One. Don't let the last thing the pup's eyes see be the destruction of his kind at the hands of the one he loves."

"This is not your choice, Wolf," the bear growled. "The humans have sealed their fate by their actions. I will not watch another die at their hands today." The bright orb of light shifted as the front paws of the bear once again sprang to the heavens. The wave of light was deafening in its silence. There were no sounds of insects, no chirping birds, only an unbearable void of all sound spreading out with the rapidly expanding dome of light.

Derrick struggled to push himself upright. "No, Kris," he begged.

"It is already done," the bear snapped. The light surrounding the terrifying beast softened and absorbed back into the bear. "The dumb apes have no empathy, no compassion for those outside their narrow little minds. What do they know of their world? Arrogant creatures whose very existence they owe to the one they came to kill. How do you think they survived when all they could see was to kill each other over land and resource? It was the great white bear and his brothers who took the tribes and spread them across the earth so that they might survive long enough to learn charity."

Jean Pierre looked at the glowing bear. "I never knew. The old bear never told us."

"As was his nature," the Kodiak continued. "He believed that something wonderful would grow from the apes. I was not about to let them prove him wrong by his death."

"But not by destroying them," Derrick said, sobbing.

"The dumb apes have no charity, Pup. But I do." The bear moved toward Derrick and cradled the dying man in his arms. "Change, Pup," he implored.

Derrick winced. The pain of the change was greater than that of his first transformation. But he realized this was the way he wanted to die. In the arms of one he loved, in the body given to him by his mate.

"So beautiful," the Kodiak bear said. He smiled at the young werewolf. "I love you."

"I love you too," Derrick replied, struggling to get out the words.

"Enough to be my mate?"

Derrick smiled. "I would have liked that."

The bear leaned over and pushed his muzzle against the back of the young werewolf's neck. Derrick felt the warm fangs press into his flesh and he sighed.

From a distance, Jean Pierre viewed the enormous bear biting into the neck of the black wolf with blue highlights. As he bit down, the green glow spread from the bear and across the black werewolf, until both seemed lit from the inside by some ethereal fire. Jean Pierre watched as the torn arm shifted and rearranged itself. Bones slipped back into sockets, and tendons reattached. Bloody bullet holes closed, leaving only smeared blood across the fur.

The werewolf's body shook for a moment, and then abruptly, he coughed up blood. The bear released his teeth from the young wolf's neck. "That is internal damage repairing itself," the bear said in a comforting voice. "It will be some time, but you will heal." He rubbed the werewolf's forehead. "Be my mate," he implored again.

"I'm too weak to bite your neck," Derrick hoarsely whispered.

"I can wait if you tell me yes."

Derrick smiled. "Yes." he struggled to lift his head and look through the bloodied eye at the bear that held him. "We were coming to ask you to be our mate before all this happened. I told Papa Bear that I loved you. I finally found my answer. How did this day go so wrong?"

"The day is not over, Pup. I will not let the humans take you. But I have other work to do," the bear said, lowering Derrick to the ground and standing up. He walked toward Jean Pierre and the lifeless body of the old wolf.

Jean Pierre looked up at the bear, still glowing bright green. The bear extended his arms and the deceased wolf rose like a rag doll from the Frenchman's arms. "Oh dear, Will," the bear said sadly. "Why did you have to go and get yourself killed? Don't you know there are some things beyond my power to change?"

He reached out and embraced the old wolf. "But I will not let your death be one of those things," he said, pulling the lifeless body in tight. "Come back to us, Old Wolf. Don't let the pup and me live out our lives without you." He pushed his muzzle up against Will's and kissed him. Unlike Derrick, Will did not glow green. Instead, the great bear's glow faded. The embrace stayed unyielding even as the rusty brown fur of the Kodiak returned.

Haltingly, the arms of the werewolf raised themselves and wrapped around the girth of the Kodiak's belly. The wolf returned the bear's kiss. "Kris?" he asked with a throaty rasp.

"Welcome back, my love," the bear replied, breaking the kisses only long enough to get the words out.

"All I remember is jumping in front of Jean Pierre to stop the soldier," Will said.

The bear paused a moment. "Perhaps that is for the best. We will have time to sort it all out another day."

Will broke the kiss and looked around as the bear lowered him to the ground. The signs of a battle were everywhere, but none of the opposing warriors were visible. "What the hell? What happened here?"

"The Ancient One happened," Jean Pierre said with sadness in his voice.

"Oh, don't sound so despondent, Gray One," the bear chided. "It's not like I killed them."

Jean Pierre's confusion was obvious. "You didn't?"

"I told you. The humans have no charity, but I do." He waved his hand around the area. "I protected my children, and I punished the humans. I was well within my rights to do both."

"So, if they're not dead, where are the humans?" Jason asked as he shyly crept up behind Jean Pierre. Jean Pierre pulled him in close and hugged him with the arms of one not willing to let go. The young lad hugged the side of Jean Pierre and shifted. The clothes that the young man wore fell away as the fox returned.

"They will suffer a fate worse than death," the bear responded. "I have returned all those here today, and all those involved with this fiasco, back to where they came from. I have wiped all their collective memories of this day, of my landing, of anything to do with this sacred place. When they see the lands belonging to the Weres in the future, a fog will cloud their minds. They will never seek to explore or even consider these lands as something that exists."

The bear rubbed his thick paw across his mouth. "And, in the cruelest of all punishments, the apes will never see you as the beautiful creatures you are. You are free to walk about in whatever form suits you, as did my children before the apes rose upright. The humans will see no one but their own. I curse them to walk this earth alone, hating each other as only humans can do. They will wish for something more than their petty, brief lives and find nothing to quell their hunger. They will dream of gods and aliens who care for them, never knowing they walked among them."

"Killing their gods and aliens is old hat for humans," Will lamented.

"Will they ever regain their sight?" Jean Pierre asked.

"Not without the direct intervention of our kind. It will take more than me to undo what I've done, and my kind is exceedingly slow about moving around this galaxy. I suspect in sixty or seventy thousand years they might return, but they will never feel an urgency to do so from me. And in the interim, the word must go out that we will no longer be guardians of humanity. These creatures have too often taken our offer of friendship and returned it with hostility. It would be unbecoming of us to continue to press for a friendship with those who are incapable of returning our affection."

"Well, it's about fucking time," Will grumbled. "I don't know why it took you Changelings so long to come up with that one."

From across the glade, the old wolf heard his mate. "Will, cut my husband some slack. He's new at this."

"Husband?"

The bear looked at Will shyly. "It sort of happened."

"Well, it better sort of happen to me pretty damn quick, and I'm not talking a bite on the neck either. I'm talking sex that leaves me sore for three days and smiling even longer."

The bear laughed. "I was going to wait for you to bite my neck. It seemed presumptuous of me to bite your neck, what with you unconscious and all." The bear pulled the wolf in closer. "But I am committed to the idea that you have special needs that extend into areas I don't even know about yet."

"Trust me, Ancient One, what you don't know will amaze you." He leaned into the bear and bit his muzzle. With his muzzle close to the bear's ear, he whispered, "Thank you for not killing them. And thank you for being able to let them fend for themselves. Your son always struggled with that. Rise or fall, at least it will be on their terms."

The brown bear rubbed his muzzle alongside the wolf's. He whispered into the wolf's ear, "I fear they will drive themselves into extinction far too early for you not to mourn their passing. But at least a part of what they were will survive with the Weres."

The bear kissed the wolf's neck. His ears stiffened as if hearing the wolf's thoughts and he smiled. "Ever their protector whether you want to or not, Old Wolf. Don't worry about that which concerns you. As with most things, there is a loophole for humankind. When they love your kind, they will see the transformation. It will make it easier for the werebeasts to know when what they feel for a human is returned. No more mistakes will be made for love that goes unrequited." He backed up and kissed the wolf again, this time with the passion of a bear whose love had returned from the dead.

Jean Pierre smiled at the two when their embrace ended. "You two forget that we werewolves have an incredible sense of hearing. But as Will said, I am glad you let them live. We share them as our common ancestors. And I am glad that, like the old bear, you let love rule your actions."

"We Changelings don't kill if we don't have to," the bear responded. Looking into Jean Pierre's eyes directly, he added, "And I know the high cost paid by those who have to."

Jean Pierre bowed his head deferentially. He looked back up and said, "Don't forget you have a pup who is even now struggling with that cost."

The old bear looked back toward where the exhausted black werewolf lay on the grass. "You're right. If you will excuse me."

The bear turned toward Derrick and began walking. "Excuse me, Bear," Will interrupted. "The pup is my husband, too. I'm going to need some help to get over to him."

The Kodiak bear smiled. "Of course, my love." He returned and helped the werewolf stand up. "We have much to talk about tonight."

The sound of whirling helicopter props sent a shiver through everyone until they realized Tiff and Tuff had started up the pack's transportation back to Vancouver. Jean Pierre laughed. "I suspect the twins are right. It is time we leave you three and the stone bear alone. I doubt now we would have been able to move him. This has always been his home."

Jean Pierre moved toward Will as he stripped away his clothing. "This is a day that we won't soon forget. And one, I suspect, that will haunt our dreams and thoughts far more than we would like." He leaned over and kissed Will as he shifted to wolf. He looked at the great bear supporting the old wolf and smiled. "I have only offered this to one other soul who was not a member of our pack, but I think I speak for us all, Ancient One. Would you run with our pack when we return? We have songs to share, as I know you do. Let us sing them together."

"It would be an honor."

The Eurasian wolf looked at the bear, straining to see past what he saw. "Strange to have two Changeling bears in our lives."

"Strange indeed," replied the Kodiak without a revelation in his eyes or manner.

"When you are ready," Jean Pierre said, bowing as he deferred to the bear's reticence. "We will be back for the next full moon. Until then, rest and heal."

"We will try," the bear replied.

The small red fox slipped up alongside the bear and, standing on tiptoe, he still had to settle for kissing the bear's arm. Kris looked down at him and smiled. "I look forward to getting to know you, Shy One." He leaned down and kissed Jason on the lips. Jason's red fur bristled over his face like a blush and then was gone. The bear smiled at him again. "Now off you go before we trap you here all night."

Jason raced back to Jean Pierre, already heading back toward the helicopter. The French wolf's hand slipped down, waggled a bit, and Jason grabbed it. They held hands all the way back to the chopper until the older wolf helped the young fox up into the cabin.

The brown bear looked at Will and smiled. "Can you walk?"

"It takes everything I have just to stand here," Will replied.

"Well, I was hoping to save this for our wedding night, but..." the Kodiak reached down with one arm and grabbed the legs of the wolf. The other he placed under the old wolf's shoulder and hefted him up. "I was also trying to find a threshold to carry you over somewhere on this highland, but walking to our husband will have to do."

Will looked at Kris. A moment of doubt crossed his face. "We're going to make this work, aren't we?"

Without hesitation, the brown bear answered, "Of course we are," as he began walking toward the black wolf with blue highlights.

From a distance, lost in reflection, Derrick wondered too. There was much about the day that disturbed him. Regardless of their current condition as alive and unaware of events, he had killed five men and tried to kill a sixth. He struggled to understand the part of him that lashed out so violently. He wondered if his human side, the dumb ape that kills, was stronger than his wolfen half. And which half was in control during the fight? What of the bear that bit his neck? Beyond saving his life, why did his heart so willingly yield to the bear's offer to be his mate? He knew that there was still so much confusion about the bear's relationship with Eric. And what of the inevitable day when both bears would stand before him, asking to be his mate? Even more confusing was the likelihood they would ask him to accept their desire to mate as well.

The brown bear lowered Will next to Derrick and sat beside them. For a moment, he stared at the two. And then, with a lecherous grin, he rocked back and forth like the polar bear once did. "I can have my way with both of you, and neither of you is strong enough to say no," he chortled.

Will looked at him. "Seriously?" He rolled over and reached between the bear's legs to find a firm cock and ball sack hanging uncharacteristically loose for a bear. He looked back at Derrick. "The bear has a hard-on. He takes on the entire human race and he's horny." He turned to the bear. "I will offer any body part that is still in working, but frankly, I don't think there are any."

"I can wait until they're all back in working order," the bear said. He leaned over and kissed the old wolf. "I love you." He kissed the young wolf. "And I love you too."

Will looked at Derrick and reached out his paw to stroke the young one's face. "We're going to make this work, aren't we?" he asked.

Derrick thought for a moment. "Of course we are," he replied with conviction.

Chapter 8

Three days had passed as the morning light spread over the devastated battlefield. The brown bear trudged toward his fallen ship. He looked back at the cave and the sleeping werewolves inside; glad to see his movements hadn't roused them. They spent most of their time asleep, save when the bear prodded them awake for their meals. Healing was a full-time job for the two, and the bear never left their side.

When the Changeling reached the ship, he placed his hands on a group of crystals that, unlike the rest of the ship, seemed to be intact. "Here I am," he whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend to you sooner. We were so naive to think it would be easy to take Eric home."

Kris paused, listening. He laughed. "That is true. It was me that said it would be a simple trip. I hope you will forgive me. There is no returning. Eric will not survive the return trip home. He has entered the Dark Time. I pray there is one last miracle in you. Let yourself be reborn on this planet."

The crystals gave off a faint green light that shifted to blue in the morning sun. However, it was so dim that the sun nearly obscured the change. The bear leaned against the crystals and groaned. "You know what to do," he whispered.

As the song of the ship moved across the valley, the old bear sighed apologetically. "I'm sorry. How rude of me to force you to listen to my requests in such an unfamiliar tongue." The great bear raised his head and sang with the ship, melding their voices into one.

The crater of scorched earth torn from the chopper's crash slowly shifted and became level. Bullet holes filled in with grass and flowers. Trees damaged by the blades of the downed chopper pushed out the shattered pieces of metal as their bark healed. As the metal fell to the ground, the earth absorbed it. The scars from the battle were fading away. Even the damage from the Changeling's original landing faded into the past.

The wolves, hearing the song, stirred. They crept past the front of the cave in time to watch the blue-green light surrounding the ship coalesce into one great pulse of energy. It swept across the glade and toward them. There was nowhere to turn. Instinct took over, and they crouched down, digging their front claws into the ground beneath them. The light hit them with the force of an ocean wave.

When they recovered from the blow, they looked up from their new location. They were yards away from where they had dug in. The glowing shards of the damaged ship had melded with the earth, slipping away forever. As they looked about, they realized the highland was the same as when they first stepped onto it. The land was unchanged, except for the fallen bear lying in the glade.

Derrick stumbled to his feet, aware that for the first time in days, there was no discomfort or pain. He looked at Will. "What just happened?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was, I think it fixed me. I can't feel the broken bones anymore."

"Me either," Derrick said as he looked out on the glade, watching the unmoving bear. "Kris," he exclaimed, shaking into a wolf and rushing toward the fallen beast.

Will struggled to raise himself. He shook his healed body and became a wolf. On all fours, he made his way toward the bear. By the time he reached Derrick and Kris, the bear was upright, rubbing his head.

"What happened, Husband?" Derrick asked, the concern in his voice obvious.

"My companion did me one last favor and healed the highland," the bear replied.

"Your companion?" Will asked.

"You refer to him as the spaceship. In my language, a companion is perhaps a more accurate term. Yes, that seems right. My companion. My friend. Like everything on our planet, he was a part of all that we are. He was a part of me, a part of Eric. My companion had a life energy that he could share. He shared it with the plants and creatures of this place."

"I can't imagine such kindness to a world that has treated you all so badly," Derrick said.

"Like me, my companion loves those who have touched his heart," the bear replied. "We don't hold those who treat us kindly responsible for those who haven't. He has become one with those he loves. It is our nature."

Derrick leaned over and kissed the bear on the cheek. The bear looked at him and smiled. He lifted one paw and stuck a claw on his lips. "I believe that goes here," the bear said, grinning. Derrick nodded and kissed Kris on the lips, hearing the bear's words echo through his mind. It was the nature of the Changeling to become one with those he loved.

At that moment, whatever doubts Derrick had slipped away as he looked at the bear. He kissed the bear again, lingering long enough for him to teach the old bear how to slip their tongues about their muzzles and to nip at the chin. The brown bear rocked a bit. "I'm afraid the boner is back, Pup."

"That's okay, Kris," Derrick said. He pushed the bear so that he rolled back, exposing the full girth of his erection. Derrick looked at Will and smiled. "What say we show the bear something new to do with his boner today?"

Will grinned. "If you're up for it, Husband."

"I believe that's an earth joke, is it not?" Kris asked.

"I believe you're right," Will replied.

Derrick touched the thick foreskin that clung to the head of the brown bear's cock. The swollen cock twitched happily. "You know, bears don't have penises with humongous foreskins and apple-sized testicles dangling under their belly. They kind of stay hidden in a pouch."

"Yes, I know," the bear replied. "I don't care. I like the way you stare at mine. It makes me happy to see you smile. I'm not a bear, Pup. I can take a bit of latitude to please you."

Derrick smiled at his reasoning. "I'm happy to be with you any way you choose to be."

"Is it possible to be a bear in love with you?"

Derrick hesitated. "Y-yes..." He stuttered. "That would be okay." He paused awkwardly. "No, that would be more than okay."

"And if I choose to be a bear that wants to make love to you?"

Derrick nodded his consent. He placed his arms around the heavy neck of the bear. His muzzle rubbed up against the thick rolls of fur and flesh. "But more than that, Kris, I want you to be my mate."

Kris pushed Derrick back and looked at the werewolf. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Will is right, and I'm learning that. As long as I stay on the safe side of the line, I may never be completely sure. I see the depth of your love every time you're next to us. I know what I feel every time you touch me. Whatever else that might confuse me, I know you love us and I know we both love you. I don't want to spend my life waiting for my brain to catch up to where my heart already is."

The bear looked at the fidgeting werewolf and pulled himself back upright onto all fours. The brown beast lowered his neck. "I'm not sure I know the words to speak."

"I like 'make me your bitch, Stud,'" Will interjected. Derrick turned and glared at Will. Will shook his paws back and forth, trying to rescind his comment. "Apparently, the pup isn't the hopeless romantic I am."

The brown bear fell back on his haunches, laughing. "How I love you both. If there was ever a married couple, it is you two. In the vastness of this universe, how lucky am I to find you?" He turned his head toward Derrick. "Make me your husband?"

Derrick looked at the bear and smiled. "I hope you know what you're getting into. I'm still a confused kid in your company."

The bear smiled back. "Then that makes two of us. I'm sure we'll find a way through all the confusion." He kissed the young wolf and said, "I have already expressed my feelings toward you. Don't let the battle or the circumstance confuse you. The bite was sincere. I have loved you long before you knew. I will love you long after you cease to worry why."

The bear pulled the wolf back close and lowered his neck. The black wolf bit into it. For the first time in his life, Derrick didn't feel the pressure of taking a mate, demanding him to act against his submissive nature. The beast below him had taken him first. It felt right. It was what he had hoped would be.

The bear rocked back and forth as the young werewolf bit deeper into his neck. Somewhere deep inside the Changeling rose the song the wolves now referred to as communion. He was talking to his people a galaxy away. Emotions moving across light years were expressed as an ethereal song. When human words failed the Changeling, he spoke in his native tongue and it was beautiful beyond anything the human voice could phrase.

The old wolf stood transfixed as he watched the mating, taking in the beauty. The song abruptly ended when the bear looked toward Will. "I have a very big neck and a very big heart, Old Wolf. There is room enough for you," the bear said. He smiled mischievously. "Make me your bitch, Stud."

The old wolf needed no further encouragement. He grabbed onto the massive shoulder of the bear and leaned into the neck, biting down with all his desire to be one with the bear. The bear yielded to both werewolves, bowing his head even lower to give them greater access. Will felt the wet nose of the young wolf rub up against his muzzle as their heads shook to gain a better grip on the thick neck. He opened his eyes and stared into the bright blue eyes of his mate.

That momentary glance was all he had of the love the three shared. The giant bear rose, dragging the two werewolves off their feet into the air. His head and neck shook. The young wolf lost his grip and went spiraling off into the grass. Will held on for only a breath longer before his jaws lost their grip as well. The old wolf felt the paw of the Kodiak grab him as he fell. With one motion, the bear flung the wolf into the air like a softball. "Oh god," Will cried out, "not good." The old wolf felt the arc of his rise become the fall as he tried to gain control.

Legs and arms flailing, the werewolf hurtled back to earth, upside down. Sure of the awful outcome, he expected to hear his back cracking as he hit the ground. Instead, he felt the arms of the bear snatch him from the air and his back bounced onto the rounded bear's belly. The bear's teeth sunk deep into his neck before he could catch his breath. With little effort, the bear rolled over, pinning the wolf to the earth. Will felt the massive beast grab his tail and pull it out to the side. Will knew what was coming, and he relaxed into the moment to ease the pain of the bear entering him from behind.

Kris's entry was as uninhibited as his wolf tossing, but Will loved each moment. The brown bear's enormous cock was anything but ursine. Far above the normal size of a Kodiak, the Changeling knew what his future mates loved. The bear had ignored biological accuracy for the pleasure of the wolves. Gritting his teeth, the wolf did his best to accommodate the tireless force of nature he would from this day forward call Husband. But at the moment, Will felt as if someone had put a flesh sleeve on a jackhammer and shoved it up his ass. A moan somewhere between pleasure and pain escaped his lips.

"Tell me when you're going to be sore for three days," the bear mumbled through his mouth clenching down on Will's neck.

The old wolf sighed. "You passed that quite a while ago, Bear, but please don't stop."

Derrick sat watching from the sidelines. He was content to watch the two until an irresistible urge swept over him. Cocking his head to the side, he tried his best to figure out how to make his idea work. He saw only failure until he realized he wasn't only a man or a werewolf. He shook himself and the black wolf raced back toward the two.

Jumping onto the back of the great bear, his hind legs slid down past the stubby tail until his cock found the hole and he pushed in. There was no motion needed by the wolf. He clung on, hoping not to be thrown by the humping brown bear. This wasn't mating in its truest sense. This was the wolf trying to express his desire for the bear, no matter how misguided he realized the act was once he started.

Kris did not miss the meaning of the loving gesture. He slowed his pounding of the werewolf below to allow the wolf on top to gain a foothold. The wolf secured a better grasp and embedded himself into the bear's warm hole. Now secure, the rapid pace returned until all three lay spent in the grass.

The Kodiak grinned as he looked at the clouds floating through the afternoon sky. "How many times do we mate?"

Will laughed. "If you do it right, only once in a lifetime for each of your partners."

Kris snorted through his black nose and shook his fur. "What? Just once? Can't we do it every year? Or better yet, every time Derrick has a doubt?"

As Will laughed uncontrollably, Derrick objected. "Hey! I'm the youngest one here and I have the least experience dealing with long-term relationships of any kind. I'm entitled to doubts."

Will stepped in to play diplomat. "He might be right, Pup. Renewing our vows now and then might not be such a bad thing. It's good to remind ourselves of why we're here feeling so good today."

"Every week might be good," the bear suggested.

"Let's think about once a year," the old wolf laughed.

"That sounds good to me," the young wolf agreed.

"But there's still sex, right? We don't bite the neck, but we still have sex?" the bear questioned.

"We still have sex, Husband," Will said, reaching out and putting his paw on the bear's.

The bear breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, then. Once a year will be fine." There was a moment of quiet while the three watched the clouds moving along the air currents. The bear rolled over on his tummy and looked at the two werewolves. "Is it a year yet?"

Derrick looked at Will and smiled. Will smiled back. "What the hell... why not?" The old wolf jumped on the back of the bear. Sinking his teeth deep into the neck of the beast, the ritual began anew.

When morning came, Derrick woke a few yards from the stream to find his naked human self wrapped in the familiar grip of an immense bear. For a moment in that hazy world before waking, he thought the polar bear had returned. But the dream faded as his eyes opened and he saw the chestnut fur of the Kodiak holding him fast. It was a bittersweet realization but quickly turned sweeter as he felt the bear's muzzle push up against his neck and kiss him. "Good morning, Husband," he heard the deep bass voice say.

"Good morning, Husband," Derrick said.

"So, do I get a term of endearment like Old Wolf or Papa Bear?" the voice asked.

Derrick turned over to stare into the large brown eyes of the bear. He smiled. "I guess I will have to give it some thought. I mean, the obvious choice is already taken. Papa Grizz, maybe?"

"Hmmm..." the bear mused. "We will need to think about that for a time."

Derrick laughed. "Okay. So, what say we stick with 'Husband' for now? One day, we'll find something we agree on."

The bear's face turned more serious. "And what of yesterday? Are you still okay with what happened?"

Derrick thought only a moment. "I am better than okay. And you?"

"Better than okay as well," the bear said, smiling again.

"All I can say is FINALLY!" Will said, rising from behind the brown bear. The dampness of the morning dew spread across Will's fur like gossamer fabric. He gave himself a violent shake and water flew everywhere.

The great bear laughed, pulling the young human in close to protect him from the spray.

Will leaned over and kissed the bear on the cheek. "Good morning, Husband."

"Good morning, Husband," both bear and man chimed in.

"Ahhh..." the old wolf sighed. "The sound of family." He rolled over the enormous bear and fell on top of Derrick below. His heavy body pushed the human into the ground.

"Augh," Derrick cried out. "Too heavy, Old Wolf."

The wolf shifted back to his human form. "Better?" he asked.

"A bit," Derrick smiled. "It will be better when you kiss me."

The two embraced. As always, mid-kiss, Will's hands reached down to play with Derrick's crotch. "Will," Derrick mumbled between the onslaught of the mountain man's lips and tongue, "you'll give me a hard-on."

"It's okay," Will responded, relenting on neither his kissing nor his fondling of the man below. "The bear can handle it. He's a big boy."

A huge paw came from over the top and pushed Will's hand aside. Derrick felt the leathery pads of the bear's paw rub up against his crotch. "He's right, Pup," the bear grinned. "I can handle it fine."

Will hummed. "Yeah, this is what I love about family."

Derrick laughed. "Family is more than sex, Old Wolf."

"Not at the moment it isn't," Will rebutted. "And I think today you'll find the vote is two to one in my favor, so I win."

Derrick looked into the face of his mate and smiled. Will's eyes suddenly widened as he felt his ball sack forcefully tugged. "Okay," Will barked. "Kind of liking that a lot."

"For the record," Derrick grinned, giving another yank to the testicles. "The vote was unanimous in your favor."

The two kissed for a bit while the bear clumsily tried to shift himself into the activity. Will looked back at the big bear. "Why not shift back to that handsome gent we first met, Kris? It will be easier for us to navigate what's happening."

The bear frowned. "I can't. What you see is what you get."

The two broke from their play and looked at the bear. "What?"

"The battle... and the aftermath... It took a tremendous amount of energy. In the end, I had to make a choice. Save the ones I love and drain everything I had or live without them. I made the right choice."

Will's hand reached out to the bear. "I... I don't know what to say, Bear. Thank you seems so... so inadequate."

"Tell me again you love me and it will be more than enough."

Will dove into the furry chest of the bear and hugged him. "Of course, I love you, Bear." The Kodiak's arms wrapped around the man and squeezed.

Derrick watched from the side. He shook himself and became a werewolf. "Then we will be with you as you are with us."

Will transformed instantly. "Like he said," he concurred.

"But I like the hairless ape look on your two," the bear protested.

Derrick came over and wrapped his arms around the bear. "And we like it on you. But you are a bear for the time being, and the hairless ape can't survive the ravaging of a bear."

"Your hairless ape might not handle it, but mine sure as hell can," Will mumbled, his face buried in the bear's fur.

Derrick laughed. "Okay, let's say the body will wear out a lot faster. As werewolves, we'll be able to be with you no holds barred."

The bear rocked the two. "That sounds kind of good, I guess."

"There, that's settled," Will muttered. "Did I hear someone say, 'let's fuck the old wolf'? I'm pretty sure I heard someone say, 'let's fuck the old wolf.'"

The bear rose onto his rear legs and shook off the morning dew. He reached down and grabbed the wolves that had tumbled away from him. Pulling them up on either side like cordwood, he began a lumbering walk toward the cave. "Nope," he rejoined. "You heard someone say, 'let's fuck both the wolves.'" He ducked his head and entered the cave with his prizes.

Chapter 9

Four weeks of recuperation allowed the three to heal, even as it helped them solidify their commitment to each other. Derrick's confidence in his decision grew stronger by the day. Kris's commitment to both wolves manifested itself in ways that both delighted and exhausted the pair.

Life on the highland was changing. Kris was learning from experience how his new world worked, and the world often struggled to keep up. The ham radio was once again pressed into service after the bear destroyed the wolves' computer. The massive paws hadn't done the damage. Kris was quite adept at using his claws to type on the keyboard. However, when he discovered that Internet data flowed through the computer into him in much the same way as Will's memories, he pulled the information faster than the computer's CPU could handle. The bear fried the computer's circuitry in a way that until now was the stuff of science fiction.

The pack took the radio visit in good spirits, happy to hear that their family was well and healing. Eager to meet the new husband under better circumstances, they kept a countdown until the day they would see them again.

The morning of their pending arrival found Derrick sitting beside his husbands at their morning ritual down by the creek. "You know," Will said, smiling, "You don't need to be here to chaperon us."

"He's right," Kris agreed. "We're married now. So my boner is wholly appropriate to the situation."

"I'm not a chaperon. I'm usually not here because you slip out while I'm still asleep."

"We could wake you up," Kris said, smiling. "I know how you prefer to be woken. Although if I understand blow jobs, as soon as a guy gets one, he falls asleep, so it might be counterintuitive to wake you up if you're going to fall back to sleep."

Derrick smiled, leaned over, and kissed the wolf in the middle. "I'm okay with you two enjoying some quality time while I'm sleeping in late." He shrugged his shoulders. "That wasn't the case today."

"Couldn't sleep, Pup?" Will asked.

"I must be anxious about today. I stayed awake all night." He thought for a moment. "I can't tell if I'm anxious or excited. Maybe both."

The old wolf reached around and pulled him into a sideways hug. "Me too, Pup."

"That makes three of us," the brown bear chimed in. "I didn't meet them under the best of circumstances. I hope they approve of your choice of husband."

Will looked at the bear. "How could they not approve of you? You're gorgeous. You saved our asses in a firefight, and you let the humans live." Will paused. "And they know we love you... a lot. In the pack, love rules us all. They will be crazy for you." He paused again and reached over with his free paw, pulling the bear in close. "Plus, you have a humongous dick. Everyone loves a bear with a big dick."

Kris looked at Will. "You say the sweetest things, Old Wolf." He rubbed his muzzle up against the neck of the old wolf and bit it. "You know I hold you responsible for the boner I have right now, right?"

Will heard Derrick giggle beside him. "You better do something about that, Old Wolf. I hold you responsible for mine as well."

The old wolf sighed heavily. "Oh, the sacrifices I make for this family." He pulled the two in closer, and they fell into a ball of flesh and fur, grabbing for their favorite parts.

Suddenly, the bear bolted up from the pile. His ears twitched. "They're coming."

The two wolves perked up their ears and nodded in agreement. "You know, if they keep this up, I will start believing they do it on purpose," Will declared.

"Do what, Husband?" Kris asked.

"Arrive at the point when I'm going to have a bit of fun with someone I love."

"We could still have fun. They seem like a very polite group. I'm sure they would wait for us. We could rush things. It shouldn't take long. An hour or two tops."

"They would try, Husband. But you put off the same pheromones as your son. Those pheromones can drive Weres crazy."

"That's a good thing, right?"

Derrick laughed. "It's a wonderful thing."

"Then perhaps we should wait. I would hate to start anything without them."

Will smiled at the bear. "A critter after my own heart. Let's head back to the cave. They will head there as soon as they land. I know this will sound strange at the start of spring, but with the three of us here, this trip will start their stocking of supplies for winter. They add extra every month so they don't overload the chopper come autumn."

Kris watched the unpacking of the helicopter from a distance. He wasn't exactly sure how his stature equated to a bull in a china shop, but that was Jean Pierre's reason for him staying on the sidelines. He let the pack go about their chores while he looked on.

Tiff and Tuff held up two laptops. "These are Will's and Derrick's, Kris," they yelled. "You stay away from them." Kris nodded in agreement.

Jason jumped from the helicopter with a large package. "This is for you, handsome bear. It's a tower with three cooling fans and the fastest processor we could find. It might not keep up with you, but at least we tried." The brown bear happily applauded the news.

Jean Pierre walked over to the bear as the pack jostled with something massive inside the chopper. The four watched a new, sturdier version of the ranch's double king-sized bed pulled from the AgustaWestland.

The husbands grew tired of sleeping on a California king mattress. Even with seven feet to handle the larger stature of the werewolves, Derrick and Will had grown accustomed to their feet hanging over the end. The poor bear's size prohibited him from even sleeping in the bed, so at night, he curled up on the floor while Derrick pressed up against him.

As a wedding present, the pack had commissioned the bed's construction. Rolled up into a thick bundle of polymer and foam, extricating the bed was an ungainly task. Once laid out, it would provide the three the room they needed to sleep together without worrying about pushing one or the other over the edge. The great bear rocked back and forth in anticipation of breaking it in later that night with his husbands.

"Breaking it in might be prophetic with you three," Jean Pierre laughed.

The bear looked up to see the French wolf standing beside him. "Are you a mind reader?" the bear asked.

"It seems to be a talent I picked up from my transformation so long ago."

"You were one of the first, weren't you?"

"Yes. Will and Pup have that in common with me now. My mating was with a Changeling."

"I'm sorry for you, Gray One."

"Lothair was glorious. He was such a beautiful wolf; such a beautiful soul. Not a day goes by that I don't miss his touch, his presence."

The bear looked off into the distance. "How did he die?"

"Eric didn't tell you?"

"We all know of Lothair's death, but it was still a foreign concept to so many of our people. Eric can parse his thoughts. That is unique to him. I believe he learned it from his time here on Earth."

The Eurasian wolf nodded in agreement. "I believe you are right. We sometimes hold back our thoughts to save others from suffering. I can see how that would frustrate the Unity that shares all."

"The stories of our children's deaths were too difficult for him to share. Sadly, dealing with death is not new to us. I wish Eric could have known that we would understand his pain. There is so much he doesn't know, so much he needs to learn while he is in the Dark Time."

Jean Pierre sighed. "I am sorry for your circumstance, Ancient One. I wish you never needed to learn of the tragedy that befell your children."

The Eurasian wolf sat next to the bear. "He died in the last battle of Osogovo. The end of the Children of the Night. Their last defiant stand in the mountains of Bulgaria. A spear thrown by one of them ultimately killed Lothair. The spear's damage would have healed, but the force knocked him over a precipice." Jean Pierre lay quiet for a time before speaking. The bear could feel the palpable presence of memories swirling around the alpha. "We survived fifty-two encounters by each other's side. And in a single instant, all that I loved was falling onto the rocks below; killed by my son." The gray wolf paused. "I did what our law required of me. I lost all my family that day."

Kris looked at Jean Pierre. In all the thousands of languages he spoke, there were no words to speak. Even his native tongue found no voice, silenced by the grief and ache of a father tasked with killing his son. His arms reached out and embraced the wolf. The wolf returned the hug, and they remained lost in the silence of their separate thoughts.

When at last the hug ended, the bear said, "I mourn your loss. Only now in this body am I beginning to understand how finite your existence is."

"It is that," bemoaned the human. He looked toward the Changeling and then off in the distance at the pack working their magic. They appeared like ants cleaning up after a picnic. What seemed a jumble of confused bodies scurrying about was quickly unloading the helicopter of its supplies. "And what about you, Ancient One? How will you deal with the loss of love so soon gained?"

"It is not the same Gray One," the bear replied. "I will return."

"It will still break their hearts. To lose both son and father in so short a time."

"Is our relationship that obvious?"

"It was a slip of the tongue on the battlefield. You told the pup you wouldn't leave your son."

"I forget about your hearing, Gray One."

"It is a skill honed over the centuries. We fathers have to protect our children. Selective hearing is a parental skill I learned early on."

"I will have to learn at your feet one day," the bear replied. "I have always heard the voices of all my people. Our children learned to speak with a singular voice from their life here on this planet. Eric is the last of our kind to have a singular voice among the chorus. In all the Unity, he is unique and precious to us. That is why we had to return. The voices of the Unity are fading in the distance for him. He needs someone to guide him through the silence."

"I thought as much. It was being cut off from the Unity that drove the Children of the Night mad, wasn't it?"

"There is never a time in our lives when we are not in communion with the whole of our existence. Can you imagine waking up in the dark, crying out in fear, yearning to be heard, with no one to respond? Month after month of unbearable silence."

"I can't fathom it," Jean Pierre answered. "But understanding now the roots of their insanity, I also know why you must make such a sacrifice to save your offspring."

"My husbands have tethered my child to this existence. They talk to him and let him know he is not alone. But that is not enough. I will miss my husbands and I will miss this body," the bear said, turning his paws in front of himself and watching in fascination as they moved. "The three of us will muddle through this. My son will not without my help."

"Talk to them, Ancient One."

"I worry about how they will react to this news."

"You are learning the flip side of love now, Bear. The fear of losing what you love," the wolf said. He hugged the mammoth bear. "Their love goes deeper than your fear."

"I wish I had your faith, Gray One."

"In the end, it is all the humans have to get them through their dark times. We Weres are not so far removed from them in that respect."

"I will talk to them tomorrow morning after the running of the pack tonight," the bear promised. He looked at Jean Pierre with pleading eyes. "You will protect them and remind them when they forget how much I love them?"

"I am honored that you entrust me with such a calling. We will be there for them, I promise." Jean Pierre looked toward the workers that helped Derrick and Will. "How soon will this happen, Ancient One?"

"I will join my son tomorrow," the bear replied. "I can spare the time to say goodbye to the pack..." the bear choked on the next words, "... and my husbands."

The huge paws of the bear pushed up against his eyes and rubbed the tears back. "But my time here affects the life of my son too much to sacrifice any more time than I have already spent. I cannot afford to risk my life involved with the humans of this world. Merged with my son, our fates will become one. That which we returned to do, I will do. Eric will not be alone through the Dark Time. He will have his father there to guide him."

"Then let us tell you of your son before you go to meet him. Tonight, before you run with the pack, let Tiff and Tuff tell you a story that they share only with the members of our pack."

"Are you sure? I'm not a member of the pack. I know there are stories only shared with the pack."

"The old bear has taught me over the years that some traditions are best revised. He taught Will and Derrick to change when the moon wasn't full, so he could share his last days with them as werewolves and a bear. He has taught the pack to share our sacred stories with the ones who need to hear them. And you need to know who your son is to us."

The bear sat quietly with a sense of sadness as Jean Pierre went to talk to the pack. He first pulled Derrick and Will aside. They looked toward Kris and nodded their heads. At that moment, he knew that Jean Pierre had confirmed his status as not only their husband but also the father of the old bear. One by one, Jean Pierre told each of the pack that Kris was Eric's father. Upon hearing the news, they bowed toward the Kodiak to honor the father of the great white bear.

Throughout the day, the pack finished unloading the AgustaWestland and prepared the cave for the coming of summer. Occasionally, individuals from the pack would come to the colossal bear's side and sit with him. A hundred questions ran through the minds of each of the wolves, but they sat in silence with the brown bear helping hold him in the moment. Jason clung to the bear, breaking the silence only once to say, "so much I would like to say. So much I would love to know."

The bear hugging back more tightly, whispered, "One day, Little One. I promise one day."

As the sun dipped below the mountain range, the workday ended. The pack finished with their chores, stripped off their human clothes, and shook themselves into wolves that bounded over to the bear. Once at his side, they shifted into their werewolf forms and formed a circle radiating out from the Kodiak.

When all had sat, the twins rose. They approached Kris and stood next to him. One reached out and toyed with the Kodiak's bushy mane. "We rarely speak of our lives before the pack," the two said with one voice. "The pack has always known, but you are new to this world. When we sing our song of love for the white bear, you should know of what we sing." Kris nodded his agreement.

In a move that surprised the pack, Tiff spoke first. "Hundreds of years ago, the Yamani Maidu tribe of the First Nations lived on the upper forks of the Feather River. We were a hunter-gatherer tribe. Life was good for the tribe. We had ample food and resources to build our village. But as is the nature of humans, even in the face of bounty, fear guided the actions of the tribe.

"A secret society of men formed the leadership of the Kuksu cult. They met to dance in underground rooms carved from the dirt. They danced for a bountiful harvest, for good weather, and to ward off evil. Above ground, they would put on masks and disguises to dance in front of the women and children.

"These men and their superstitions were harmless enough; save for the birth of children. For reasons we may never know, they saw twins as so dangerous that the society's elders would kill not only the babies but the mother as well."

Tuff continued the narrative without a pause. "This is the world that the spirit man wandered into. We knew him by many names in the northern tribes. A pale man, covered in white clay, he always came down from the North. He rarely stayed in one place for any length of time. Still, generations knew of the man who never aged. He was a spirit. He was not one to trifle with.

"To our tribe, he was Ezhno... the one who walks alone. He arrived on the night we were born. He watched the commotion as the society's elders raised the alarm at our birth. Our father had already died on a hunting trip, and the signs pointed to an evil that would come to the tribe by allowing our mother or us to live. Ezhno watched all from a small fire, never saying a word.

"The tribal elders decided that our family would die in the morning. We would be a sacrifice to the unseen gods that ruled our world. They locked us into one of the underground huts and waited for the rising sun. In the morning, when they came for us, we were not there.

"The guards claimed a great white bear attacked them and broke apart the prison like it was kindling. Ezhno, the mother, and her children were gone. From that night, the legend of the Notaku, the growling bear, was born. The shapeshifter became a thing of whispered tales around campfires. It was a demon who stole women and children, who attacked brave warriors, throwing them about like reed baskets. The elders sought to cover their sins by blaming a monster."

Will growled under his breath. "Pretty much standard operating procedure for humans. Blame someone else for every evil they do." He felt a jab in his ribs and looked at the black wolf glaring at him. "What? I know this story by heart. The shapeshifter is a good guy."

Kris laughed out loud. It was as full and deep as one would imagine from the jolly old elf-turned-bear. "Does the old wolf always hold such headstrong opinions?" he asked.

"Always," the twins said in unison.

"Sorry, sorry," Will grumbled. "It's a good story. I'm sorry to interrupt. You were saying about the Notaku, Tuff."

Tuff smiled and reached out to touch the old wolf. "It is not such a bad thing to take a break from such sadness to laugh."

Will grabbed Tuff's paw and placed it over his heart. "Now and forever," he whispered.

Tiff took up the story once more. "What we know of the first part of our story is only what our mother told us. The great bear never spoke of it. She told us of how the Ezhno came to the hut and told the elders guarding the entrance to step aside. When they refused, he walked away into the shadows. The next thing they knew, a great white bear was barreling toward them. Rising up at the last second, its paws slammed into the guards and sent them flying. It reached into the hut and told my mother to grab her children and come with him. We fled into the night. The tribe would never see us again. The bear had saved our lives.

"The great bear bore our frail bodies over the mountains, pausing only long enough for us to nurse and for our mother to eat. We rode on his back for weeks. Unceasingly heading east, he never slowed, he never stopped to eat. He was determined to put distance between us and the tribe. When he finally slowed, he brought us to the Great Plains in what is now South East Oklahoma. We lived there for twelve years.

"Our neighbors were the red wolf pack. But for us, they weren't creatures. They were family. The great bear gathered the Weres together in a secluded valley, and there they helped us build a life. We never saw our family as different from the rest of the world because they were all we knew. We never knew that a wolf didn't cook dinner in other families, or that no others knew a great white bear that swept the dirt floor of their mud huts every day. When we were eight, we choose our names to honor our first father, Telutci and Tuketu. Both mean 'bear making dust'."

Tuff continued. "In our thirteenth year, our mother died of consumption. The great bear saw the encroachments of humanity moving toward us. They left in their wake the decimation of the real red wolves and so many other species. To protect our family, he prepared to move us to a new, safer home. We were not fast enough to outrun the humans, though. Their sighting of our family led to a chase across the plains. The red werewolves slowed to provide us with an escape. They sacrificed their lives so that we might live. We traveled north until we reached the plains of what is now southern Manitoba.

"That is where we met Jean Pierre and Will. The bear entrusted our safety to them, and they accepted the challenge of raising teenage boys in the wilderness. We lived as nomads for many years. They were our family, our protectors, and we loved them."

"Will struggled to pronounce our names and failed so often that we decided as a family to adopt alternative names. Tiff and Tuff were simple enough for the old wolf and reminded us of our old names."

Derrick looked at Will. "You're responsible for Tiff and Tuff?"

The old wolf looked down, embarrassed. "They aren't supposed to tell that part of the story. I mean, they don't sing about me."

Tiff looked at Will and smiled. "We don't sing about you when you are listening. You get so grumpy when people praise you. But our songs are for all our fathers, including you, Old Wolf."

Tiff continued their story. "We had many opportunities to join the humans, but as we watched their warring from a distance, we realized we had no home in their world. We choose to leave the family of man. In our twenty-fifth year, we sought initiation into the pack. They did not ask us. We knew where our heart was. The last of our kind, we are red wolves to honor those who gave their lives so that we might live. The red wolf is extinct except for a small group sired from captive breeding programs. We are the last of the werewolves to share their pedigree."

The twins once more spoke in unison. "We owe our lives to the great white bear and our surrogate fathers Jean Pierre and Will. But even more than avoiding death, these three in our life have given us a reason to live. Now you will know of what we sing when the moon is full and we run with the pack."

The Kodiak bowed his head. "You have suffered so much to be where you are today. I don't know how you have the strength." His head still bowed, the plaintive notes of his song rose in the air. The twins shook into their wolf forms and joined in chorus for all they had lost and all they had found. The others watched quietly, knowing that they were a part of something sacred. By the time the song had finished, the pack had become wolves ready to run into the night.

Kris lifted himself from his seated position and tried walking on all fours. He stumbled a bit and looked at the pack. "I'm still a bit wobbly in this body. Anger pushed me through that cursed night, but now all these new configurations are catching up with me. Perhaps you should run without me."

"Nonsense," Jean Pierre said. "Wolves are always running everywhere. What a beautiful night for a walk with friends." The wolf made a motion with his head and Derrick and Will came up alongside the old bear. They pushed into him from both sides, steadying his gate.

"Walk with us, Bear," Will implored. "We all have songs to sing about your son."

Humming gently, the bear began his walk into the night.

Chapter 10

Four weeks of recuperation allowed the three to heal, even as it helped them solidify their commitment to each other. Derrick's confidence in his decision grew stronger by the day. Kris's commitment to both wolves manifested itself in ways that both delighted and exhausted the pair.

Life on the highland was changing. Kris was learning from experience how his new world worked, and the world often struggled to keep up. The ham radio was once again pressed into service after the bear destroyed the wolves' computer. The massive paws hadn't done the damage. Kris was quite adept at using his claws to type on the keyboard. However, when he discovered that Internet data flowed through the computer into him in much the same way as Will's memories, he pulled the information faster than the computer's CPU could handle. The bear fried the computer's circuitry in a way that until now was the purview of science fiction. The pack took the radio visit in good spirits, happy to hear that their family was well and healing. They waited eagerly until the day they would see them again and meet the new husband under better circumstances.

The run of the bear and wolves lasted until the morning light crested above the mountains. The wolves danced around the great bear nipping at his feet and laughing. Kris, having found his balance in the night, was enjoying the sport immensely. The wolves became men with the dawn. The pack noticed that, as with the day before, the three husbands remained in their animal forms.

Jean Pierre looked at the Kodiak as he sat apart from the pack. "Is there something we should know about Ancient One?"

The bear smiled at him. "If it's alright with everyone, I'll stay this way for a while. It's a body created from powerful emotion, and I need to bring that emotion back under control. That takes time, and I can't say I'm learning how it works too well."

"You are free to be whatever suits you, Ancient One. But you never need to hide your reasons. This family understands sacrifice to keep what we love."

The bear nodded. "Perhaps one day."

"As you wish, Ancient One. I know you have much to deal with today. It will not be easy."

"Oh bother," the bear said, rubbing his eyes. "My eyes are leaking again. Could you please get my husbands while I try to stop them from turning red?"

"Of course," Jean Pierre replied.

From a distance, the brown bear watched Jean Pierre talking to the two werewolves. Kris struggled with how to frame each sentence and give an answer to each question. He realized that in his second language, he was going to fail miserably. This would not be easy.

As the two werewolves approached, the bear stood. "Husbands, can I have some time alone with you?"

Will and Derrick both looked concerned. Derrick replied, "Of course." The bear reached out his paws and took the werewolves with him back toward the crag. The pack stood silently and watched them until they disappeared into the black opening of the cave.

Moments later, from outside the cave, the pack could hear Will's voice bellowing. The Changeling that the wolf loved was leaving and he was not taking it well.

Kris looked at the two. "I know this is too soon. I haven't had enough time to prepare you for my leaving, but he is my son. He is alone and afraid. His world is becoming nothing but confusion. Who he is, and who he once was, is falling apart into atoms. He needs someone there to ground him. I cannot do that from out here. We have to merge."

Kris rubbed the stone lovingly. "Ten years in space returning to this speck of dust to save my child... ten years alone with only the fading voices of the Unity to fill the void. Without my companion, I wouldn't have survived. I know what Eric feels. We are a communal people. We never know what it's like to be alone. But I know now, and I can't leave him to do this on his own."

"You seemed fine letting him sit here all alone while you bedded us, Bear," Will growled.

"Because he wasn't alone, Will. He had the two of you. He had the voices of the ones he loved talking to him every day. But things are changing now. He's changing, and he doesn't understand any of it. I promised I would bring our children home. He is the sole survivor, and I am determined to keep my promise."

Derrick shook his head. "No, Kris, you can't just take your son. You can't tell us that you're leaving and expect that everything will be okay. What about his life here, what about..." he drew his hands in an inclusive circle around the room, "... us?"

The bear looked at Derrick and Will. "I admit when I first made my promise, I envisioned our return home very differently from what I do now. But a promise is a promise. I will return my son to his home. They entrusted me with incredible power to return our last surviving child home. The night I saw Will killed, I realized my child was already home. My task wasn't to return Eric to Verital. It was to protect him and the ones he loved. I know now why he wouldn't budge from this spot. This is his home. I have to bring him safely back here."

"They killed me?" Will asked.

"I told you we would discuss your memory of the night another time. I suppose this is that time. You need to know that I always honor my promises."

"I died?"

"Only for a little while. I couldn't have the werewolves my son loved not be there when he woke up."

"I died?"

"Yes, don't be such a baby."

"Oh, no, Bear. You don't get off that easy. I died, and you never told me."

"Would it have mattered?"

"Of course it would have mattered."

"How?"

The question dumbfounded Will. "Well... well... You could have had more gratitude sex if I'd known that."

Kris raised his eyebrow as he did whenever he heard a questionable comment made. "You never say no when I ask you for sex now. How is gratitude sex supposed to change that?"

"Of course, I never say no," Will sighed. "I won't turn you down. You know that."

"So, strictly speaking, knowing they killed you as opposed to thinking they badly hurt you doesn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things?"

"I don't know. It's the principle of the thing, I guess." Will looked at Derrick. "And you never said anything?"

Derrick looked at Kris and then back at Will. "Sometimes a husband's place is knowing when to stay out of a discussion. You two are on your own. But remember, I love you both and take it easy on each other."

"I'm sorry if I hurt you by this, Old Wolf," the Changeling said.

"Ahhh... Well... You didn't hurt me. You saved my life. Or gave it back to me. Whatever happened," Will said, still in thought. "Thank you, Husband. I get all butthurt over the smallest things sometimes." He reached out and hugged the brown bear. "Like me coming back from the dead. Zombies do it all the time. What's the big deal?"

"Kris," Derrick interrupted. "Why can't you bring Eric back the way you brought back Will?"

"That night was the end of my miracles. I spent every bit of energy I had saving you and making the world safe for my son. I used the energy Verital gave me to return my son home," the brown bear replied. "The healing of the highland three days later was the final gift of the one who was to return us home. We knew our lives were here. He committed everything he had to his new home. As have I. My home is here beside the two of you. As is my son's. I promise you I will bring him safely home."

"Sure, we find another top bear for the family," Will grumbled under his breath, "and what does he do? He runs off to be with the other top bear. He lets me fall in love with him, brings me back from the dead, and then tells me he's leaving us. Fucking Changelings."

"I am struggling with this too," Kris said, his enormous arms encircling the old wolf. "I would not leave if there was any other way to save my son from the madness that being alone creates in our kind. My son has the shared energies of his parents. His threat to kill humanity was very real. He has that capability latent in him. Can you imagine a Child of the Night with that much power?"

Will looked at Kris. "Yeah, I can. I saw it in his eyes that night we watched his brother die. But why this way? Why now?" He grabbed the bear and clung to him. "Why you?"

"Because there is no other way. And because I'm his father," Kris answered, rubbing the back of Will's tousled fur. "You know that. You've always known it. But you're like me. Clinging to share one last moment with the ones we love."

Derrick came up from behind the brown bear and wrapped his arms around him. "You have to excuse us if we're trying to find any other way. We're both about to lose you in the same way we lost your son."

"And to be what?" Will growled. "Caretakers of a rock? For you, it's the blink of an eye. For us, it's a lifetime."

"I know. I know, Old Wolf." The bear squeezed the wolf even tighter and whispered in his ear. "Fucking Changelings."

"Fucking Changelings," Will choked back between sobs.

A faint green glow emanated from the Kodiak. He slipped from the two wolves' grasp and smiled at them. "What is it the little alien said in that movie?" He reached out his paw and touched Will's forehead. "I'll... be... right... here," he mimicked.

"Yeah, that's not where I want you, Bear. I want you right here," Will rebuffed as he slapped his butt.

Kris laughed. "How I love you, Old Wolf. Life without you would be so... so..."

"Normal?"

"That it has never been. I think the word I was going to use was boring."

"Well, you're turning into a fucking rock, Bear. Better get used to boring."

The bear pulled both of his husbands close to him. "Will I have my husbands to come home to?" he asked.

"Of course," Derrick answered.

"Yeah, I suppose," Will groused. "Fucking Changelings always get what they want."

"No, they don't, Old Wolf. You should know that. Both Changelings want you with them through this transformation. But the best we can hope for is to feel your voice moving through us."

The bear let the wolves loose and looked at Derrick. "Take good care of him. I worry about his being alone as much as I do about my son."

Derrick wrapped his arms under Will's armpits. "He will never be alone. Don't worry. In time, he will forgive you for what you're doing. He always does."

"And you, Pup?"

"Already forgiven, Husband."

The old bear reached down to his crotch and tugged at his hanging parts. "Old Wolf, when we return, we will hold you responsible for every angry word you've spoken and every kick to our side you make. Your ass will be ours, and between the two of us, we will work it over so royally that you will regret we came back so soon."

Will rubbed the tears from his face. His long face turned to a smile. "Well, I suppose that might be worth the wait." He hugged the great bear. "I will... well, you know what."

"I will miss you too, Old Wolf. I have run with your pack. You have taught me to sing your songs so that I have something to share with my son. We share a common love of two wolves that will hold us through the Dark Time. And you leave me with memories that will last me until our rebirth."

Derrick rubbed the back of the brown bear. "Hurry back. It's difficult for me to remember what to do with only one husband."

The bear let go of Will and hugged the younger wolf. "We will both be back as soon as we are able."

"Come back soon and let us bite your neck all over again, Bear," Will said sadly.

"Safe journeys," Derrick said, stroking the arm of the Kodiak.

The massive bear backed away from the two and turned toward the green stone. "Hello, Son," he said, reaching out to the crystal. His paw melded into the green glow of the stone. The light moved up along the bear's arm and across his body. "I've come to bring you home." The bear and the crystal suddenly fluoresced into brilliance. "There is love and world enough for both of us to call this place home." The glowing green bear seemed to walk into the stone. Without change, the stone absorbed him. The wolves stared at the crystal until the bright glow receded to its normal luminescence.

"We have got one weird-ass family," Will sighed.

"Yeah. Isn't it great?" Derrick replied, wiping away his tears.

Will's arm wrapped around Derrick and pulled him close. "Well, the wait begins again. I guess at least this time we know they're coming back." He kissed the young wolf. "I love you, Pup."

"I love you too, Old Wolf."

Will's foot shot out from the side and slammed into the crystal. "And you two... I love you, too. Even if you left two bottoms here to spend god knows how long without you." He turned around and kicked the stone again. "Fucking Changelings," Will growled.

Derrick laughed. "Well, they are Changelings, and they know how to fuck."

"What did you think I meant?" Will asked with mock indignation. He stared at the stone, aware the young wolf was behind him smiling. "Fucking Changelings has always been a term of endearment. Didn't you know that?"

"Fucking Changelings," Derrick said with affection.

Will touched the stone. "One day soon, I hope, Pup. One day soon."

Outside, the sound of the helicopter faded into the distance. The pack was returning home knowing that the day was one best shared by the two werewolves, their Changeling loves, and their changing lives. The morning winds picked up and shook the green leaves of the aspen grove.

As the days passed, Derrick and Will watched their summer fly by. They moved their new bed into the same chamber as the glowing green stone. Each night before bed, they touched the stone, inviting the two bears back into their lives. This was their life on the highland, one season merging into another. It was comforting and familiar to the young pup and old wolf.

With the coming of the Harvest moon, the pack brought the last of the winter supplies to the highland. Their run through the yellow leaves of the aspen forest left them happy. But as evening approached, they become somewhat wistful. Soon, the snows of winter would blanket the ridge and leave the cave buried and inaccessible. Derrick and Will assured their pack that what they were waiting for was worth their time apart. Together, as they did every year when winter came, the mated wolves would hole up and wait for the coming of spring. Spring, and the promise of rebirth.