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Turbulence

October 7, 2023 - 8:05 pm, local time... (Present Day) South Africa...

** Greg stepped from his car, ** peered at his cell phone display then put the fancy gadget into his front pocket. He shut the door, locked the car and approached his rental home. Watson gazed up, analyzed the somewhat small two-story building, part of his threat-assessment training. He walked up to the front door, unlocked it, and went inside.

The agent reached back down to his front pocket and withdrew the vibrating cell then thumbed the glass screen and opened a newly un-read text message. He glanced up from the phone then blinked at two men standing in his living room. His free hand made an instinctive trip to his hip but found no holster. His hand continued from his belt to his pocket in an attempt to look calm and natural. "This is private property. Who are you?"

The tanned man with long dark hair, standing on the right, lifted his hands and motioned to himself. "I'm Rufus Darken. From Georgia. M' friend, here, is Collobulous."

"He's... big. Looks tough," said Greg, trying to size them up as he'd been trained to do.

Rufus shrugged with a grin. "He's a bit on the eccentric side, best not to upset him - his father is from Oklahoma, his mother, though, is, uh... she from New South Wales. You see how big this, here, guy is? He's twice as strong as he looks."

Collobulous, towering over Rufus, said, "My father was of the Cherokee Nation; my mother is of the Wiradjuri People. That's of no consequence. You have something that Sire needs for Steven. It came from below Virginia a few years back. It caused the earthquake. We're here for it."

Greg ran his hands over his head then over his face, still holding his cellphone. "Okay, look, Kemosabe and Tonto, you need to get the hell out of my house right now. I'm an American CIA agent, you're breaking and entering, and if you two leave without a fuss, I won't have you both shot."

Collobulous turned to Rufus and said, "This gubbah is gammoning with too much humbug. You want me to make quick on his sorry business before he starts yarnin' some more?"

Rufus shook his head and folded his arms. "Nah. He's protected by Steven."

Collobulous offered an incredulous expression. "Part of Steven's mob? That's crazy! He looks to me like a government jobber, deadly unna? Want me to rip out the walls, bruddah?"

Rufus chuckled and turned back towards Greg, meeting the agent's incredulous gaze. "He's mixing his languages up. You learn it once you've been around it for'a while. He said, 'this white dude is joking around with too much unimportant words.' Then he asked if I wanted to let him kill you before you start yammering on again. He was surprised that you're part of Steven Milford's group and asked if I wanted him to start tearing the house apart to find that object you have. Then he reckons you're a g-man stiff. Give me a reason to keep your house intact. He's more than capable of leveling this place, know whatta mean?"

Greg stared for a moment then licked his lips and said, "Okay, so he's half American Indian and half Aboriginal Australian?"

"You should say I.A.," said Collobulous. "Indigenous Australian. Where's the artifact, jack?"

Rufus reached over and lifted the front hem of Collobulous' shirt. "Look at this here rock solid set of abs, son." He dropped the hem then reached for the tall man's sleeve and rolled it up. "See these insane biceps? Solid muscle; trust me agent, this is one tough sunnuvabitch. At six and a half feet tall, he'll pummel this place, then you, and then finish tearing the house down until he finds that thing for Sire."

Watson cut his eyes from the tall man to the southern guy. "I don't know this guy, 'Sire,' but I know Steven. He knows I have it. In fact, he was there when I took possession of it. If he wanted what I have, he would have simply asked for it. We've known one another long enough that it would be that simple. I don't give a shit about where you two are from, I asked who you are that you think you can come in here and threaten me. If you're going to be smug about it, I'll have no choice but to defend myself."

Collobulous turned back to Rufus, brows quirked. The tall, powerful looking black-skinned man folded his arms and said, "Bruddah, you sure he protected by Steven? We need to get this object, it's deadly awesome. Sooner the better, deadly, unna?"

"Now what did he say?" asked Greg, discretely thumbing his cellphone behind his back.

"He said we need that power core thing, because it's powerful. Then he asked if we should take it from you sooner, because that's 'better isn't it?' Well," Rufus turned back to the taller, darker skinned man and nodded. "Yes, sooner is better." He shifted his eyes back to Watson, adding, "We mean now," then cut his gaze back to Collobulous and told the large man, "But this guy isn't our enemy."

"So," Greg said, stalling for time, "What kind of name is Collobulous, anyhow? Doesn't sound like an Indian name, nor anything else for that matter."

"Oh hell, why'd my parents name me Rufus instead of something else? Who cares?" Rufus turned back to his companion and said, "I know it's here. Try searching the bedroom for a safe then you cin rips it open." His gaze returned to Greg, offering the agent a pleasant smile.

"My pleasure," announced the large man before leaving the living room.

Greg ground his teeth together. "Why's he taking orders from you, anyhow?" He then raised his voice and shouted to the man headed towards the back of the house. "Hey! Why you letting this guy boss you around? I'm protected by Steven Milford, remember?"

Collobulous stopped in the hallway and smiled back at Greg. "Steven Milford is the reason you're not in some seriously sorry business right now." He then tilted his head to the side, motioning back towards Rufus, "He's my totem spirit guide. He's the real deal, jack. Don't disrespect him again. Or else." Collobulous turned towards the back of the home and headed down the hall. Seconds later, Greg could hear what sounded like a door being ripped from the hinges.

"You're his what?" asked Watson.

Rufus grinned. "His totem spirit guide is a wolf."

Greg blinked then, still trying to stall for time, said, "There aren't any fucking wolves in Australia! What kind of cockamamie shit is that, you idiot!?"

Rufus deadpanned. "I ain't no idjit. Bangkok is a hundred 'n fifteen letters in Thai and I _cin spell it, forwards and backwards. Now hush up 'n learn somethin'. Bull's _father was a medicine man - Oklahoma, remember? He adopted the wolf thing from his father's heritage. ...Oh don't give me that look."

Greg glared and said, "Yeah, I'm going to give you 'that look'. Unless you can tell me what the hell wolves have to do with you being in my house."

The southerner shifted his weight then ran his fingers back through his lengthy black hair. He rolled his eyes then folded his arms and said, "Agent Watson, right? Tha's yer name? Here's a little secret for you... I'm a werewolf. He's so enamored by me that he'll do anything I say. And you remember that comic character, Incredible Hulk? Yeah, well, Collobulous makes that guy look like kin - they both smash everything up in just the same manner. You ain't seen crazy until you seen that big ass dude ramped up for a fight."

Watson drew his lower lip between his teeth. "You guys are like Karla. God dammit, why can't I just talk to Steven about this situation?"

Rufus began pacing, keeping his arms folded. "Listen, dude, Sire is helping us to fix some crazy shit in this world. Sire wants to placate Steven, so he wants this artifact so he can personally present it to Steven to win favor. Steven didn't directly ask for it. Don't be naïve. The fact you're in league with Steven is simply the only reason you're not a bloodstain on the wall right now. Not that Collobulous is violent per say. He's just very... motivated to succeed. So why don't you just cough up the object so we don't have to search for..."

There was a thunderous noise from the bedroom followed by Collobulous shouting, "GOT IT!" He came from the hallway holding the power core in his hands. "Let's..."

Rufus held his hands outwards to both Collobulous and Greg. "Wait, both of you." He grew quiet and tilted his head. After a moment, he furrowed his brows then sniffed at the air. Finally, he said, "Get down, both of you, now. Quick." He moved behind a sofa and settled in, low, on the floor. Collobulous knelt down and doubled over the artifact as if to keep it safe. Greg stared at them for a moment but curiosity got the better of him and he moved to all fours, adjacent to a Lazy Boy sitting chair.

The window on the west side cracked. A lamp shattered on a small end table by the sofa. The lampshade dropped straight down, haphazardly sitting over the sofa's armrest.

A canister flew in through the east window, smashing out the glass. The small cylinder rolled between the trio. Greg, in one smooth motion, grabbed it and shoved it beneath the sitting chair. Smoke began coming out through corners of the chair but the majority remained contained beneath. The front door flew open.

Watson rolled towards his coffee table, grabbed a handgun taped beneath, and pointed it towards the first man through the door. The attacker wore a black flak jacket and matching gear with a shotgun.

Watson fired his pistol, splattering the soldier's head all over the man behind, holding an assault rifle. Two men came in through the east window, two more climbed in through the west one, and another three came from the hallway leading to the bedroom. Watson fired another shot towards the front door. "We're fucking surrounded!"

All at once, Rufus stood up with a grunt. By the time he was on his feet, he was more than halfway through the transformation. His grunt seemed to roll back to the deeper section of his throat, becoming a feral growl. His face mutated, squeezing tears from his eyes. Gray-furred ears pushed from the top of his head, creating a drastic, agonizing sensation tenfold of any migraine.

Having been holding his breath since the attack began, Rufus gasped for breath with the very next stabbing sensation of pain. It came in waves, assailing every inch of his frame. His knuckles offered a loud crunching sound as his hands shifted into enormous black paws.

The triangular protrusions upon his head appeared to be covered in a light coating of blood or some measure of plasma, akin to placenta on a newborn. The gooey substance shined on the fresh coat of obsidian fur that grew up through the pores of his flesh. He opened his mouth to scream but the most foreign noise filled Greg Watson's ears... the howl of a wolf. Rufus swung at the nearest mercenary.

An enormous paw met with the masked soldier, launching the man clear across the living room. A very human scream of fear and pain erupted from the man as he flew across the room towards the front door. Rufus roared triumphantly, no longer assailed by the pain of his transformation. He reached for the next man then pivoted, throwing the body of the attacker over the couch towards the men pouring in through the window at the opposite side of the room. All three men crashed to the floor

Collobulous, holding the power core in his left hand, reached for the sofa with only his right. He picked it up as easily as a child would have picked up the toy sofa of a dollhouse. The tall dark-skinned man hurled the entire couch, single-handedly, towards the men coming from the back hallway.

Watson looked from left to right then, suddenly... he blinked, unable to retract his slack jaw at the sight of motionless bodies strewn about the living room. As quickly as the mercenaries attacked, the fight was over and they were defeated. "Holy shit," he breathed. Greg got the rest of the way to his feet then turned about, still shocked by the carnage and the bodies. "I... I thought this stuff was supposed to happen in slow motion. You two took everyone down in, like, five seconds."

For Rufus, his respite from pain was short lived as the adrenaline surge from his attack now subsided. He blinked away tears and the world slid back into focus, sharper than before. As always, for him, the acute clarity felt mind boggling with every color brighter. The dimly illuminated house felt clear, shadows were merely a patch of light gray shade. Every crevice of the room had well defined lucidity and luminescence. His eyes perceived every grain of dust before his nose and he discerned the temperature from his whiskers. He approached Greg and placed a massive paw on the agent's shoulder.

Greg swallowed and turned his head towards the werewolf's paw. "I..." Words failed.

"You're safe," said Rufus in a guttural, deep voice. "Somehow, Aris Falcon must have recently learned that you had the artifact in your possession. We'll relieve you of that burden now." When Watson remained silent, Rufus added, "Take a breath inwards then, when you push it out of your mouth, add sound. That's how you reply."

Again, Watson swallowed. Rufus' words, while dark, deep and guttural, came off as humorous and disarming; Greg found his voice. "I expected your paw to have sharp claws or something. It's... soft."

A grin of sorts seemed to tug at the corner of the tall-standing wolf's muzzle. "Yes, the padding feels like velvet, doesn't it? It fascinates women. Listen, things have changed now. Fake injury and then go into hiding. I suggest you cut your finger and do a bit of bloodletting on the floor. Something convincing."

"I don't get it," Watson murmured. He reached for the thin coating of goo that shined on the werewolf's thickly-furred forearm. "Falcon thinks I'm working for him. It was Steven's idea to be a double agent. Why would he attack me? He has no clue I have the power core." Greg changed his tone and, in the same breath, added, "What is this stuff all over you?"

"It happens when I transform rapidly. It's a type of... It's just bodily fluids. Histamine, mucus, serous fluids... hell, I don't know; whatever's under the skin that gets pushed out when the fur emerges too quickly. Listen, we don't have long... we need to leave this'a here dump before they send a Search and Rescue team. Get whatever it is that you're going to need. Most important things only and anything you don't want them getting ahold of: computer files or whatnot. Then le's get out of the area, quick as hell, like."

Collobulous picked up Watson's cellphone, lying by the coffee table, and said, "I will call Steven, then. You're part of his mob then you're his business. That's it and tha's all." He walked to the front door while dialing a number, and added, "You shouldn't try to fumble your way through an emergency distress call using a touchscreen phone behind your back, grubbah. You sent out a tweet with random letters, dumb fool. And your false kinship with Aris Falcon? That... that is just poison." He brought the phone to his ear and stepped out through the open front door then used his foot to push the bodies into the house while speaking to someone over the line.

Rufus shrugged at Greg, removed his paw from the man's shoulder and in his guttural, deep voice, said, "Get to it, agent. We haven't got all day." His nose twitched from left to right then he said, "Try a stronger deodorant. The one you use fails to help. At least you didn't piss yourself, though." He gave Watson a firm pat on the back, causing the agent to stumble forward, towards the bedroom.

Watson carefully stepped over the men who had been mowed down by the sofa, which was embedded in the wall to the right of the hallway. He aimed the gun in his left hand forward and moved in a precautionary way down the hall then stepped into his bedroom.

Rufus rolled his eyes then turned to Collobulous just as the man came back inside the front door. The tall man stretched then tossed the phone carelessly onto the floor and picked up the living room recliner chair. He tossed it through the front door; smoke trailed behind it then wafted up from beneath the chair where it landed on the front lawn. They nodded to one another in passing then Collobulous began checking the bodies for signs of life.

"This one," he said in respectful tones.

Rufus approached the unconscious man then picked him up like a ragdoll by his bulletproof vest. "Should I bite his head off?"

Collobulous shook his head sullenly. "Ending his life would achieve nothing meaningful. He is no longer a threat. We should respect his warrior spirit and leave him."

Rufus glanced back at the sofa sticking out of the wall, battered and broken. "Doesn't your belief claim that almost all objects have a spirit of some sort? Does that mean you murdered the man's couch?"

With a dull glare, Collobulous simply said, "Rufus..."

Darken held his paws aloft and offered a baritone chuckle. "Okay, okay. Sorry, I couldn't resist, Cuz'. Go check on that dude then I reckon we should get while the getting' is good. I'll go with the agent to make sure he's safe. You take that, there, power core to Sire and meet up with me at the airport in the morning. I'm gunna jump in the shower right quick and try to change back." He saw a smirk from his friend then said, "What, Tonto?"

"I imagined you jumping up and down in the shower. Try not to break the showerhead with your _head. Bad choice of verbiage, _Kemosabe. I'll tell the gubbah to fetch you some fresh clothes when I check on him." Collobulous moved around the coffee table, headed towards the hallway leading to the bedroom.

Rufus glanced back at him and shook his head. "Christ. Tonto and Kemosabe... tha's gunna turn into our next inside joke fer' the next couple of weeks, I'm sure." He sniffed at the air then headed to the left, through a kitchen and towards the scent of water. The first floor bathroom was in a hallway on the other side of the kitchen, complete with a fancy shower stall. "And don't worry," he called back, through the house, "I won't break his stupid shower, ya crazy injun' bastard."

Collobulous scoffed at the tacky yet playful banter from his teammate. He stretched a bit and walked into the bedroom. "Remember, gubbah, time is short. Get what you need. You'll be going with Rufus and..." he trailed off then crossed the bedroom and approached an open window. It appeared to have a cracked sill and, upon further investigation, was opened from the outside - most likely by the men in black clothing, earlier. Collobulous peered out into the fading sunlight then looked around the room again with a huff. "Stupid white devil." He turned back towards a dresser, found a pair of sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt for Rufus then tucked the clothes beneath his arm along with the power core. "Didn't want Rue in danger protecting his stupid ass anyhow." He shoved the dresser drawer shut and left the bedroom.

X

---

X

October 10, early evening Iceland...

"Feel tha' crisp air," said Rufus to Collobulous with a grin. "You've had a sour face since we landed in Keflavik. Wha's wrong, Bull?" Rue tilted his head back, carefully dropping in two blue disposable contact lenses.

"The tribe you mentioned, why would they give you this... Sampo? And what is it? And what are you doing?"

"Th' Fenris tribe is one of three werewolf tribes. They believe they link their bloodline back to Fenris, son'a Loki or some such. One of'em is a seer. The old man made some sorta' prophecy on his deathbed. Musta' been some sorta' accurate, Bull, cause they were able to contact me, and you know I dun' give my number out to many people. They said I'm supposed to take this artifact thing and that I'll know what to do with it. One of the questions they asked on th' phone is if I had blue eyes. Apparently, it was important. So I fibbed a lil'. These contacts'll gimmie blue eyes."

"You know how I feel about dishonesty. Regardless, we've already let one artifact slip through our fingers. What do we do with this new one?"

"Oh, I dunno. Hide it, apparently." Rufus stopped on the street corner then nodded across the street at an old Volkswagen. "See th' Microbus over yonder? Lookit all'a them bumper stickers, son. 'Wolfpack' this, and 'werewolves rule' that. Not quite sure what 'Team Jacob' means, though... Heh, I hate to think they're hiding in plain sight in such an obvious way but... the one who called me said to come to this corner and look around. They said it would be 'obvious as the tail on your ass.' Tha's verbatim, I reckon. Anyhow. It looks like we found our ride."

The two approached the VW Bus. Rufus saw a woman at the wheel. She had a necklace similar to his own. When she saw him, she opened the window and said, "You must be Rufus Tucker. Isn't that how they do it in Southern America? First and middle name? I'm Úlfey Sigvorðrdóttir. I suppose that might be a little bit of a mouthful for an American, so you can call me Wolfy Sigvard."

"Daughter of Sigvard, huh? Úlfey ain't too hard to say, darlin'." Rufus' eyes lifted then lowered, admiring her necklace. "Mine's a decoration. I reckon you wear that chain 'round your neck in th' name of Fenris?"

"Já." She grinned and reached out through the window then traced her fingertip over Rufus' necklace. "A fine quality of metal, Mister Darken. Hell of a warm day for October, though."

Bull and Rufus exchanged glances. Rufus grinned. "See that? It could'a been colder. Optimism, Bull."

"I will be fine, Rue."

The woman released Rufus' necklace then side-nodded towards the passenger side. "Get in, gorgeous. I'm your handler. And I mean to get to know you while you're still single."

"At the risk of soundin' like a stereotypical American southerner... Aw shucks. But listen, darlin'. I'm not tryin' to find love. I'm content."

"No. The seer said you would find someone soon. As far as he could tell, your future mate is from Finland. But it hasn't happened yet. So, Rufus, all my flirting is without strings, or however the saying goes."

"I feel ya'." He moved away from her window, around to the other side of the old vehicle and opened the rear door. Bull moved inside. Rufus shut the door then pulled himself up into the passenger seat. He reached for a seatbelt but there wasn't one. "Aw, lookie. You guys care 'bout safety."

Úlfey chuckled with a shake of her head. "I've never seen a werewolf die from a car accident. I probably never will," she said with an alluring smile. "Have you met Reno Nevada yet?"

"Pardon? Tha's a place, not'a person."

"It will happen soon enough. You're not far enough in your journey, yet, Rufus. So, have you met the kitsune or the succubus yet?"

"Pardon? Cain't say I have."

"Ah. Well, you've only just begun your journey, then, I suppose. Our seer had assumed you've already met them both. They're part of your destiny. No matter, I will take advantage of the timing. After your stay here, you'll return to Florida until the natural course of events catches up with you. For now, we should head to my camp."

"A'ite, sure."

The drive lasted about half an hour. By the time they arrived, the fields and hills seemed to roll endlessly in every direction. Before long, the VW Bus arrived at a small town of cabins, a plume of smoke in each one. "This is the den of the Fenris," she explained.

"I know it's custom to have a tribe," Rufus started, only to pause.

"Yes?"

"I have always been a lone wolf," he murmured. "I hope tha's not a problem."

"Wolf packs are definitive of who we are as a race," she exclaimed. "Anything less is a traitor to yourself."

"I'm sorry. Darlin, I truly am, but it cain't be helped."

"What d'you mean, it cannae be helped? It most certainly can be helped. Join our tribe."

"I cain't join no tribe," said Rue. "I've been on my own too long."

"Then I fail to see what the seer saw in you. If you have no tribe, no clan, no pack, then you are empty of meaning. If you have nothing to live for then you have no hope in your heart. And without that, you're a shell of a man. A traitor to your spirit."

"I cin still flirt wit'cha, though, right?"

"Nei, takk." She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "My clan has arranged for me to marry another in the tribe. I've only met him twice but his name is Eric. And an engagement is an engagement."

"A'ite, darlin'. I'm sorry I brought it up. I didn't know."

"Well, you're still staying at my cabin. It's already been arranged. So no funny stuff." She glanced in the rearview mirror then added, "We have a place for you as well, but it's across the camp. Sorry, I didn't know there would be two of you until I picked you up."

"It is of no consequence. I'm honored that you can accommodate me."

She pulled the Microbus around to a driveway near a half-circle of cabins. "We have morning chores and everyone pitches in together. Rufus, our kind sleeps in the natural form God gave us. But I'll provide blankets and a stocked fireplace for your friend. The guest house, as we call it, is one of the few buildings with both a hearth and electricity. That means he gets to live the good life. You, on the other hand, sleep like the rest of us dogs."

"Cin hardly wait."

"Test of your worthiness will start tomorrow around sundown. You good with that?"

"Ayup."

X

---

X

That night...

Úlfey gingerly walked across the cold floorboards to stand next to Rue's bed. He appeared asleep; she couldn't help but wonder about him. She reached down and brushed her paw through his hair and he shuddered a little.

The touch caused him to stir. When he looked up all she could see was the cerulean blue of his gaze. She felt bad that he roamed alone, unable to imagine being without the clan.

For the past hour, she'd wondered what it felt like to be alone, only to come to the conclusion that she, too, felt lonely in the world. Úlfey felt a little place in her heart open up to him.

She gasped when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her hips; he pulled her into him. He buried his face against the pelt of her tummy. She gently placed her velvet-padded paw upon his head. Úlfey remained still; despite his glaringly obvious motives, she wasn't yet ready to jump to any conclusions.

Rufus' paw came to her hip, feeling cold metal beneath the wool waistline.

"You always carry a gun, darlin'?"

"Always." Her voice felt fleeting. How could she allow the touch of a pack-less man? 'Damned traitor,' mused the wolfess. She thought she saw Rufus's teeth flash a smile in the darkness.

"You being cautious, girl?"

"I'm a soldier. Perhaps you never noticed the soldiers in black, but they wiped out thousands of Esoteric people. We've not even heard from the other two tribes since the summer."

"Mm. A cautious soldier."

"A living soldier," she corrected.

"Ah."

"Rufus... you're a loner. That's not healthy. Do you need to talk or something?"

He hid his face against Úlfey's waist with a shudder. "Maybe later."

"Fine." She brushed her paw down his back, and reveled for one guilty moment in the smooth sculpt of his muscles.

Rufus sighed against her. She started to pull away, not only unsure of herself but also of the line she skirted. When she started to pull back he tightened his grip around her hips and tugged. With a startled squeak Úlfey tumbled onto his bed and him. Their noses bumped. She felt his whiskers against her own.

"This is not a wise idea, Rufus. Nothing good can come of this." Her voice was shaking and she focused to keep her tail still. When she brought herself up to her elbows Rue grunted in reply to the shift in her weight. Úlfey felt him against every inch of her form.

His heat began to seep into her, chasing away the lonely chill. 'God help me,' she thought, feeling as though she was in a really bad spot for temptation.

Rufus didn't answer her. Instead, he slid his fingers around the waistband of her wool coverings and took away the gun. She could feel his body grow taut as he reached forward to place the handgun on the nightstand.

Losing the gun was like losing one of the walls that she put up between them.

Rufus very gently touched her shoulders, but didn't yet embrace her. He chose to give her space; an escape route if she wanted it. And the terrifying thing was she didn't want it. She wanted his warmth.

She started to sit up so she was straddling his hips. She murmured softly when she realized that her desire was being reciprocated. Úlfey blushed beneath the dark gray fur, grateful for the concealing pelt.

He sat up against the headboard, until they were eyelevel. Her breathing grew erratic. She began to wonder what happened to the soft spoken, emotionally wounded, considerate Rufus that she met in the van, earlier.

"Úlfey..." He whispered her name like a question and a plea. He didn't touch her, but his gaze had a tangible weight all its own.

Her voice deserted her; she shook her head.

They sat breathing together in the darkness. Her left ear flickered listlessly. She didn't move and he didn't touch her, but they were painfully aware of each other's presence, bodies in such proximity. She swallowed hard and found her voice.

"I think... this is unwise. Things are complicated enough." But she didn't move. Her heart thudded in her chest, racing in irony against the fact she couldn't run away from him.

Rufus ran his velveteen padded fingertips across her cheeks before resting them against her lips. "I don't want to be alone, not right now."

The request, the plea, was so unusual for a man who seemed so hardened and flirty earlier. Moreover, it proved her initial suspicion correct - she mourned his lonely heart.

Her resolve became weaker by the passing moment. There was something honest and open about his vulnerability; she crumbled a little.

Úlfey reached out to cup his face; he kissed her palms. She titled his face up, rose to her knees and gazed down upon him. "Rufus, you're complicating things."

"Eric?"

She nodded.

Rufus wrapped his arms around her. "For tonight, can we let it go?"

She laughed but she wanted to cry. "If it wasn't for him... I'd be alone after the death of my first love."

"I understand." Rufus kissed her, slow and sweet. He ran his paws up her legs, firmly, then took her by the hips.

The wolfess moaned into his maw.

He pulled away and stared up at Úlfey with those vivid eyes. "What do you see in me?"

She blinked at the unexpected question. In the hours since she met him, she'd come to learn that he was a complete mystery. "I don't know. I just see you. I can't put all that into words. I hate your flirting, but I don't want you to stop. And now... now you're..." She didn't know how to explain that he was breaking down her walls. The words failed her. "...And I don't know what to do about it."

He did a sort of sit up that made his abs bunch beautifully. Rufus caught her lips and spoke in a muffled tone against them. "Me, too. Is this a good thing?"

"I don't know." The kiss helped her put such worries out of her mind.

Rufus moved that clever mouth down her neckline to her collarbone. He growled, wolfish, when the cloth got in his way. She whimpered a little and he stopped, watching her, as if worried.

She smiled slightly and kissed him hard enough to take his breath away. Her self-control had finally run for the hill.

"Úlfey?"

"We'll figure it out in the morning."

"Reckon so."

Rufus appeared amused at her sudden capitulation. She slid her paws over his chest, running fingertips across his abs, and reveled in the feeling of the muscles tensing under the feather-soft touch. She nipped at his ear and heard him moan a little, and then bent to taste the base of his neck-scruff. A thought dawned on her and she reared up fast enough to accidentally smack her head against his the bottom of his muzzle.

"Ow, shit. I'm sorry, Rufus. I promise to kiss and make it better."

"You're fine, darlin'."

"I wanted to ask, am I your first?"

"...First?"

"Werewolf, I mean."

"Já," he said with a wry smile.

A shiver worked its way down her spine. For someone so sure of himself, she couldn't fathom how he managed to make a monosyllabic vowel sound so... embarrassed. While the notion was beyond her, she found it adorable, regardless. Úlfey brushed the soft, pliable tiers of her lips against his moist nose.

"Rufus, I promise to be gentle with you."

"Heh. Is that so?"

"Hey, you see Eric's branding on me?"

He replied with a devious, sardonic grin then he flipped her over, surprising her with his strength. She blinked up at him and he kissed her nose in return; her eyes crossed. She grinned impishly. "I still haven't decided if I'm giving you the Sampo. So why are you allowing me in your bed? It only makes you more vulnerable, after all."

"Leverage."

"Noted. But that means nothing if you don't do something with it."

His cobalt eyes blazed like magnesium; it took her breath away. Nothing Eric ever said or did could match such fire, such intensity. Rufus made her feel like she was the only woman left in the world; the only woman that mattered in the universe. It was terrifying, humbling, and exhilarating. She had the feeling that she was playing with flames but would never, ever get burned; not by him.

She slid her paws up his sides, through his thick black hair, and pulled him down to herself. She kissed him with a feral hunger that surprised her and left her breathless.

He brought one paw to trace the line of her jaw, and then he chased that tender touch with his lips. Her nipped at her neck; she arched underneath his weight. Her fingertips moved in mindless circles on his back.

The blankets became tangled around his legs, making it difficult for him to move. She giggled as he kicked them away in frustration with little success. He responded by tickling her senseless for a moment.

His playfulness and caution, it was disarming yet alarming. She was undone at his touch, left with nothing to defend herself. Little did he know how easily he smashed through her barricades.

'God help me,' she thought. She'd fallen without knowing it. 'Eric? Could you ever forgive me? What's wrong with me? Moralizing, sanctimoniously, with one absent lover while I cheat on him with another. Am I broken?'

Rufus lay over her, holding his weight off her on his elbows, waiting for something. Permission? She reached up and kissed his nose. His eyes crossed for a moment, rolls reversed.

Úlfey bit her lower lip momentarily then whispered, "What're you waiting for?"

"Your clothes are in the way."

"Well then, Lone Wolf, take them off."

"Don't get me wrong... you're worth the wait, Úlfey... but, God damn, it's about time you said that."

She laughed, but it turned into a moan when Rufus gently tugged up her wool overtunic and kissed the exposed line of her lightly-furred ribs. She raised her arms and he pulled the cloth completely off.

His eyes appeared to devour her, and she felt her ears grow hot. It was a strange mix of curiosity, lust, and ...perhaps wonder, which lived in his gaze. He kissed her chin.

"You are beautiful."

She brushed her lips against his, playful and firm. In a muffled tone, she asked, "Is that so...?"

"Hmm, not sure. Do it again."

She kissed him again, wrapping her arms around him, pressing against him, absorbing his heat. Rufus moaned into her lips when she ground her hips against him.

"Off." She muttered around his sensuous maw. "OFF."

Rufus gathered her into his embrace with a single arm, and did a sort-of girl push-up to get her off the bed. With one paw he yanked her wool covering and underwear straight off.

"Impressive," she said with a grin.

Rufus smirked as he settled her back on the bed. She pondered how a guy could possibly make a smirk sexy...

She gasped and bit down on his shoulder when he slipped two fingers inside of her. His thumb found the sensitive button of her clitoris and she almost leapt off the bed. Rufus paused, making her whimper.

"Like this?"

He made her world spin and explode. His mouth found her breast. She moaned his name against his shoulder with a shudder. Úlfey fisted his hair in her paw and pulled him up to kiss his lips. Again with those smooth, velvet-tipped fingers...

She half screamed into against his muzzle when she came. "Dear God," she panted.

Úlfey hooked one leg behind his knee and pushed herself against him. He paused and blinked at her, not sure of her squirmy movements. She tittered in reply then kissed his nose.

"Leverage." Rufus grinned.

She didn't reply; instead, she nibbled down his chest. She tentatively slipped her tongue around the tip of his cock. His back arched - just the response she wanted.

The wolfess grinned about the girth. He moaned her name and clinched the bed sheets. His grip on the linens created little fabric dunes. Her grin broadened then she began to bob her head. Her left paw wandered up to make lazy patterns across his tense stomach. She reached down and cupped him with her other palm.

No more games. She brought him completely into her mouth and he groaned. Úlfey took up a rhythm, which drove him perilously close to the edge. Pleasing him was so easy it made her wonder.

He was unbelievable sensitive. He called her name and murmured in a creamy baritone voice, using unfamiliar English words when she finally coaxed him into euphoric bliss.

She crawled back up his body, kissing random places. Úlfey grinned foolishly at him when he blinked those pleasure-clouded blue eyes at her. She offered a coquettish smile, adoring the sight of the Lone Wolf in afterglow.

He gazed up and focused on her. Then reached up and cuddled her against his chest.

She sighed and collapsed completely against him. Rufus's paws wandered all over her body, exploring every inch. His paws found her breasts, just touching and kneading, rolling the nipples between his fingers, utterly fascinated.

"Why is it that men are always drawn to the boobs?"

A grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle, barely visible in the dim illumination "We don't have them."

"Well, that's simple."

"Ayup. Now, c'mere, you." Rufus's downtime was amazingly short. Even shorter than her one time with Eric.

He watched her with wide delighted eyes as she slowly lowered herself onto him. A shudder ran up her spine. She churred in pleasure, and braced herself by placing her palms against his chest.

She planned to take her time, to be subtle and slow... until her mind exploded at the feel of him. Him inside her, with his hands resting on her thighs. His heart pounded under her fingers. That sweep of hot lust crashed over her, equally infectious to him.

She kissed his muzzle, ravaging it. She nibbled at his neck, leaving little marks beneath the fur. Her paws roamed everywhere, touching all of him. Her mind went blank and she just rode him. She took him and he let her.

Enflamed by passion, Rufus wouldn't have known how to stop her even if he wanted to.

The pleasure and the sexual tension pounded inside of her, to the cadence of their joining. The cacophony of the squeaking mattress springs thundered in her ears; the bucking of his hips heated her kisses. She was aware of Rufus's palms on her breasts, her hips, possessing everything he could touch.

He pulled her down to meet his thrusts. She screamed his name when she came and he called hers in return.

X

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X

Six hours later...

"Um, good morning?"

"Regrets?"

"Nope."

She kissed Rufus until the tension bled out of his shoulders. She lay there in the morning sunlight. Cuddling. Who knew the Lone Wolf had a fondness for snuggling under the covers in the light of dawn? She sighed and gave him a small push. He grunted in reply.

"Get up."

Rufus pinned her arms above her head. She glared at him.

"Rufus, in this clan, we have morning chores."

He kissed her, running his fingertips down her side and back up. Both her wrists fit into just one of his paws. His other palm met the full globes of her breast.

"Seriously, Rufus, we have work. Get. Up."

He kissed her neck and rolled one pert nub between his fingers. She hissed for a moment at the sensation. "Y... Y-You're not going to distract me like that."

He grinned.

They skipped morning chores.

X

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X

October 11, 8:45pm Somewhere in Iceland ...

** Samantha Summers rubbed her face** then brought the binoculars back to her eyes. She canted her head a little to keep the wind off the side of her face so that she could hear her Bluetooth earpiece over the hiss of the gale. "I see the encampment. But your timing was off. There's no time to evacuate. I see the mercenary forces up on the opposite ridge. Looks like they're setting up mortars. I can't be sure from here, it's beyond my range, but I see a red stripe on the side of their ammo boxes. I think they're using incendiary rounds."

Over the line, Lancer Patterson sighed and said, "Are you familiar with 'hazard pay,' Agent Summers?"

"Shit," she muttered beneath her breath. "I can't rescue everyone. Do I have a target?"

"Rufus Tucker Darken, Úlfey Sigvorðrdóttir, and Collobulous Bullakulla. Those three must be rescued."

"Okay... the last two names are... Co-lob-you-lus... Bull-ah-cool-ah. I think I got that last one. But what in the world did you say for the middle guy?"

"Girl," Lance corrected. "Wolfy, daughter of Sig-vard. She has dirty-blond hair with fair skin and grayish-blue eyes. If she's in her werewolf form, she'll be more demure than Rufus, and have gray-and-brown fur. By contrast, he'll be half a foot taller and jet-black from head to toe. In his natural form, he'll be nude, more than likely. In her natural form, well... their tribe makes their tribal clothing out of modern-day stretchable material. Think Spandex. That way the cloth stretches when they transform. Their clothes mark their accomplishments. It's very important to them."

Samantha rubbed her forehead with a sigh. "I don't know you well enough to know if you're joking with me or not... Werewolves?"

"I have a modest sense of humor, Samantha. But this town is the last surviving tribe of werewolves. They're devoutly devoted to Fenris, son of Loki. No, I've never met him so I don't know if he's really a god of sorts. You must rescue the girl. According to YiaYia, she conceived this morning. She carries the son that will repopulate their kind."

Samantha blinked, paused, then gazed back into her binoculars. "No offense, but how does one lone male repopulate a species if everyone else is dead?"

"I've already secured another werewolf from a tribe in Alaska. She gave birth to triplet daughters. Also, the son of her clan leader survived. He's four years old. Two boys, three girls. And, like feral animals, when a werewolf is in their natural form, breeding is less about being demisexual, and more about breeding. From this, a single pack will emerge, split into various clans and eventually into multiple new tribes. The People of Fenris will reemerge."

"With all due respect, why does the world need werewolves?"

"Because if the legends are true, Fenris will be duped into devouring Odin. And that starts the Twilight Of The Gods. You may know it by the term, 'Ragnarök.' Only a wolfpack will be strong enough to stop their ancestor from setting that legend into motion. Until YiaYia's prediction, I never believed in Norse Mythology's prophetic claims about the end of the world. Better safe than sorry. I'd rather ensure their kind lives."

Samantha sighed. "No time for figuring out my faith in you or a dead pagan religion - it looks like the 'Men in Black' are about to start their attack. They're upwind of the town and I see that they've killed some sort of black-furred creature. Probably a town guard of some sort. They're moving the body into a truck. I see men loading their weapons, and I see another guy giving instructions to a group of men. I see flame throwers and I see grenade attachments beneath assault rifles. I have no idea how to find these three people and I'm out of time."

"Hurry into town and ask the first person you see about the 'tall black human.' That is Collobulous. Rufus calls him by a private nickname, 'Bull.' Tell Bull to find Rufus and his new girlfriend and get the hell out of there as soon as possible. On your way out, warn the town to evacuate. The chaos should create a diversion. Don't engage unless it is to defend yourself. Just get those three to safety."

"Dammit. How'd I let you talk me into this?"

"Just hurry."

"Alright." Samantha ended the call then opened the Google Maps application on her cellphone. A map layout streamed to the contact lenses given to her by Lance. She thumbed the screen, zooming back to give herself an overhead layout of the village in relation to herself. She checked her weapon, a fifty caliber Action Express with armor-piercing rounds. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire," she muttered then hurried down a hill, towards the town.

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/547232