Shawn sat at the head of the table listening to his board of directors rip his idea to shreds. Ten years ago, he had founded Northland Electronics Corporation; the company had grown far faster than anyone expected. His company designed computers and computer control systems. He had been born to a poor family, and had grown to maturity not thirty miles from where he now sat.
The area had been a depressed one. No real industry to speak of, unless you counted logging, and Shawn didn't. His father had been an independent logger using his own equipment and contracts to sell wood to the corporate mills in the area. His father had literally worked himself to death years before. The only thing of value his parents had owned was the love they shared and half a mortgage on their house. He firmly believed his mother died of a broken heart; less than six months after he buried his father, his mother was laid to rest beside him.
Cyrus Johnson, the man that had given his parents the mortgage, stopped by to visit him a couple days after the funeral.
"Shawn, I'm really sorry to disturb you so soon after the funeral, but your mother wanted me to stop by if this happened. She wanted me to give you this letter."
"Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I actually expected to hear from you sooner or later. I'll start looking for a job as soon as I get things organized, I might be late on the next payment, though" Shawn answered.
"Son, I think you should read the letter first. I'll wait in case you have any questions, and you can call me Cy."
The ever-present Selene poured Cy a cup of coffee and handed it to him as he sat at the kitchen table with Shawn. Selene had lived with Shawn's family for as long as he could remember. He remembered also the rumors that had flown when the young couple first moved to the small town. A newlywed young couple and a pretty blonde woman all living together was a great feed for the gossip mill. However, it became clear that the very quiet Selene was only a very close family friend. The new couple had a bedroom on the second floor of the house, next to the room that would become Shawn's. Selene's room was on the ground floor in the back of the house.
Though her face was marred by grief; Cy noticed that she looked much younger today than her forty-five years. She really was a beautiful woman. More than one single man in the town had tried to get her attention. Many had even asked her out. She gave them all a sad smile and politely refused. That started the rumors again, but like all rumors that are baseless, they, too, finally died away.
Cy pushed those thoughts out of his head; he needed to concentrate. He knew Shawn would have questions. Cy also had an emergency town council meeting later that day. It seemed wolves had attacked and killed some of old man Andersen's cattle. The state Department of Natural Resources would be there to tell them that the animals couldn't be killed, of course, but what about the town's children?
'The boy, focus on the boy for now, deal with the rest later, ' Cy told himself. Shawn finished the letter, and looked up at Cy.
"They never told me."
Cy nodded. "The house and all of you father's equipment is paid for. Even if you hadn't won that scholarship, you could still afford any college in the country. I tried to tell them a policy that large was overkill, but they insisted."
"How much do I have?"
"Roughly three quarters of a million. If you manage it well, that should see you through the rest of your education. Here is a checking account debit card. I took the liberty of having one made for you. I had Janice activate it this morning."
"Thank you for bringing me this, Mr. Johnson. It does relieve my mind. I'm still in a bit of shock over this, though. Would it be okay if I called you later with any questions?" Shawn asked.
"Sure, but I have a meeting this afternoon, I have no idea how long that will last. If you leave a message, I'll call you back, though," Cy said, rising from the table.
"Thanks again, Cy."
Selene began to get up, too, to show him out. "No, Selene, it's okay, I can show myself out."
Shawn waited to hear the door close. He was looking at Selene. "So, how about I take you out to dinner tonight, Selene?" She smiled at him softly. She reached out, caressed his hair and nodded. "But first, I want you to tell me just who the hell you really are."
Shawn glanced out the window at Tera. Quietly waiting, quietly watching him. She smiled softly as his eyes met hers. Just before she lowered her eyes, as she always did, he winked at her. The pretty redhead beamed a smile at him and lowered her eyes. Listening to the third prophecy of impending failure for his proposal, Shawn was getting tired of people telling him this wouldn't work. In the folder in front of him were the signed documents confirming the acquisition of two other companies: Axton Pharmaceuticals, and Grover Industries. He had purchased both with his own money, using his controlling interest in Northland as collateral. Neither of the two new companies had anything to do with the electronics industry. He expected a round or two of very loud objections when he let them know about the two new companies. Fuck them, he thought, it's my money, and it's my business. If they have a problem with it, fine, they can find another fucking job.
Shawn had a very different management technique. His office was in with engineers, and most times his door stood open so he could listen to them. He considered every one of them friends, and he wanted them to feel the same way about him. He never once laughed at anyone's ideas, no matter how farfetched or outlandish. He discouraged everybody else from doing it, too. He gave his engineers far greater freedom than most firms. He believed in his people, and his people had made the company a success.
The last person sat down, but before another could stand to voice their objections, Shawn stood. "Okay. I've listened to you guys tell me how crazy this idea is. I agree it is crazy. But you want to know something? It doesn't matter. I know and trust every one of you to help me guide this company. I've always done what I thought was right in the end. I know this is right. The only ones to benefit from not doing this are those of us in this room. As it stands now, we could all be filthy rich in less than a few years.
"I have nothing against being filthy rich, but I do have a problem with it being at the expense of someone else's hard work. Think about this, and be very honest with yourselves - who in this company has worked their asses off to make it what it is today? If you can isolate one individual or group, I would be very surprised. Everyone, from the assemblers to the designers to research, is the reason this company works. It's time they started getting paid for it. I once asked you to trust me. I promised to make you a part of something that you could be proud of. Don't get greedy on me yet; you'll soon be making more money than you can spend. I want this policy implemented as of today." He paused, looking around the table. No one seemed to be too surprised, though a couple were definitely not happy. "If you really feel this is wrong, or unfair, I really am sorry, but there is no place for you in this company. I would prefer you resign rather than continue doing something you don't believe in. Trust me, it will balance out for you. However, if you don't trust me, or for some reason don't believe me, please leave now."
Mary Rogers, vice-president of marketing, pushed her chair back and stood up to leave. Her attitude of despair was at odds with the majority of the table. Shawn was pretty sure he knew why, and it angered him more than he cared to admit. Mary was very good at her job and was a really nice person. Shawn would be very sorry to see her go.
He got an idea, and glancing at the clock, saw that he had an opportunity to implement it right now.
"Mary, wait a second, please." He turned to the group. "Let's break for lunch, and meet back here in say... an hour and a half. I have one more surprise for you folks today, but I promise, this one you'll like."
As the meeting broke up, Shawn walked over to Mary. "Let Tera and me take you to lunch today; you can resign over shrimp scampi." He smiled at her.
She gave a small, sad smile, let her head fall forward, then nodded. He took her arm and guided her out of the meeting room.
"You know who I am, Shawn." Selene told him.
"Selene, you've been like a second mother to me. Mom and Dad both loved you, but it still seems deeper than the family friend thing I've always been told. Something is different about you. Were you and Dad lovers?" Shawn asked. He had grown to accept this as fact over the years, so the question really sounded like asking for a confirmation.
"Shawn Freeman! How can you think such a thing! I'll have you know I haven't been with a man in twenty years!" Selene said to him sharply, her Irish heritage showing through her normally calm facade.
"I can think such a thing because I've lived here for the last seventeen years and I honestly don't know! You say you haven't been with a man in twenty years, fine, I believe you. But something was going on between the three of you and I want to know what it was!" his anger cooled rapidly. He was looking into the beautiful green eyes of the young woman... Hold it: YOUNG??
Shawn was taken aback at the realization he wasn't talking to the same person he thought he knew. She was still the same person; you could see it in her features, but she looked much younger than the forty-five years she claimed. Currently, she looked no older than twenty-five. The laugh lines at the edges of her eyes had smoothed, the slightly lighter streaks in her normally blonde hair had disappeared. In fact, her hair looked darker, almost strawberry blonde. He reached to gently touch her cheek, and stroke her hair, the question in his eyes. "How... ? "
She closed her eyes as his hand touched her, and she tilted her head into his touch as a lover would. She sighed. "Sometimes, Shawn, things are not what they seem. It is a long tale, and not one I wish to share with you in its entirety tonight, for I still have a task to finish. I love you, Shawn. I have since the day you were born. As I was once bound to your mother, I am now bound to you. My new name is Tera. By this evening, I will look to be no older than twenty. I think it would be best if we took a drive later, and you can tell people that Selene returned to Ireland, and that I, Tera, her niece, came here to go to college with you."
Shawn was stunned. He couldn't form words, and so his mouth moved like a fish out of water.
She got up, walked around the table, and set herself in his lap. She closed his mouth with her hand and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Relax, love. There is magic afoot and it will be all right. Please just trust me and believe in me about this. I love you and would never let harm come to you. I will tell you the whole story, but not all at once. You will have questions you'll need answers to along the way."
"Magic? Uh, what?" He was still having a hard time understanding what she was saying to him.
"Let's go for that ride, love. Then you can take me out for dinner," she said.
He nodded mutely and she got off his lap, took his hand and led him out to the car.
Tera ordered a steak - rare, like normal. Mary got the shrimp scampi, but Shawn ordered lobster. Mary had been nervous all the way to the restaurant. Shawn suspected that she didn't really want to quit her job, and she was being pressured into it.
"Mary, I have a feeling you really don't want to do this. It may be none of my business, but I consider you a friend, too, and it's hard to see a friend hurting. So I'm sticking my nose in here. What's going on?"
She looked about to burst into tears, and one actually slid down her cheek. "It's... It's Bill. He demands I tell you that I should be making $300,000 a year. I tried to tell him, but he didn't listen to me." She raised a hand to the side of her face, her eyes glazed with a remembered fear. "He told me I should be quiet and do what I was told." She shuddered, and could no longer contain her tears.
Shawn called for the check. He settled the bill while Tera took Mary back out to the car. Once they were safely out of the public eye, Shawn turned to her once again. "Mary, I can help you, but I need to know the whole story. I can stop him, but I need to know what I'm up against."
"Shawn, no. This is way too big. They'll kill you if they even think I've spoken to you about it. You have no idea what's really going on. I know they'll most likely kill me anyway for losing this job. You see, I've been stealing from you. I've been embezzling money from you for the last three years. They've been making me do it, and I just can't do it anymore."
Tera sat quietly listening to the woman, but Shawn could see her jaw clench in anger, and a fire burned brightly in her eyes. He knew she would be hunting that night. The moon was too close to full for her to control her anger. Shawn just hoped he could get Mary and her daughter out of the way before it happened.
"Mary, you've said 'they' three times now. I have some resources you don't know about. I'll be safe, no need to worry about me. But I can help you. In fact, now I think I have to. Please tell me everything you know."
She nodded, "I'm dead, anyway. I just hope they won't think I've told you. Bill is a member of a group that abducts children. Mostly runaways, I think, but some I don't think are. They give them drugs, and then..." She started sobbing, but fought for control so she could finish her tale. "... they rape them over and over again. The whole house is wired for video and they make films that they sell. I'm not sure who buys them, but they have had requests. They killed one little girl... at least only the one that I know of. I don't know what happens to the children once they have been used up. Once, I tried to help a child, I was beat and dragged into my bedroom. They told me that if I tried to interfere again, they would kill me. Jenny is tied to the bed in our room; she has enough chain to get to the bathroom, but she isn't allowed clothes. Bill takes her every night, then beats me before going to sleep. She isn't allowed on the bed. Sometimes he makes me suck his spend out of her, whichever hole he came in. I'm not allowed to quit until she orgasms. He makes me lick my own daughter!" She couldn't hold out anymore, and collapsed into tears, curling up into a fetal position on the seat. The last thing she said was, "Shawn, the police are in on this, at least half the force. If one of the kids escapes they catch them and bring them back."
Shawn glanced at Tera to see her breathing deeply through her nose. Her fingers wrapped tightly about the steering wheel. He could see that her hands had started to grow more hair, and the steering wheel was bent.
He grabbed her arm and her head snapped toward him to look him directly in the eye. Her anger was raging. Shawn noticed look in her eyes. "Control Luna! Now is not the time!" he hissed. She nodded, and Shawn watched as she forcibly calmed herself. She still had thick hair on her hands, though. "Let's head for our place, Amber can take care of Mary while we make arrangements to fix this."
Tera nodded and turned the car; Shawn pulled out his cell phone and called Amber. He knew he would be waking her, but she would want to be ready before they got there. Then he called the office to postpone the rest of his day. The last call he made was to a college buddy in the FBI.
"Sele... er, Tera, I feel like I am sinking quickly in very deep water. Magic doesn't exist in this world. I've always felt that technology killed it," Shawn said.
"In a way, you're right, but not quite," She answered. "Magic has always been there; it gets its strength from those that believe in it. Technology didn't kill magic, it caused those who believed to doubt. At that point, magic was lost to most of the world."
"That doesn't make a lot of sense. First of all there are people out there that do believe in magic. I've read about them. If magic really worked it seems to me everyone would know about it. Of course the Christians would have a blast burning people at the stake," He said.
"Love, you know better than that. Your mother taught you better than that, though your father wasn't happy about it. Yes, true practitioners would be ostracized by today's society. In fact, they are. Small covens are surrounded by enough disbelief and ridicule that the magic has a hard time working. Then, too, some 'witches' don't really know what they're doing, and the magic won't work for them because of the confusion in their soul. We could have a long theological discussion about this, but it isn't helping with our present situation. Please just accept the fact that magic does exist, and it works. You've already seen the proof of that." She said.
"You're right. Regardless of what I may have believed, or thought I did, magic is real; it does exist. So what does that have to do with you?" He asked.
She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. "That is a tale, to be sure. Perhaps we can get some lunch and pull over somewhere while I tell it."
He nodded, and turned into the next Burger King drive-through. They had mostly finished the food before she spoke again. Shawn suddenly realized this was the most he had ever heard her speak in one day.
"Many years ago, in Ireland, two young women had fallen deeply in love. They were members of the same coven, and had grown up together. One was the coven priestess, and though still young, held great power that she used to help whomever she could. The village that they lived in accepted the coven and blessed the two young lovers, which was a rare thing in those times. Then one night a drifter passed through the village. He was evil, and the witches tried to protect the village from him. The priestess' love fell before the evil man; not to be killed, but cursed forever." As she paused, Shawn realized her Irish accent was getting stronger. Her hair was almost completely red now, and she still looked to be in her mid-twenties, though she was still changing.
"The Priestess and her coven prayed over her love for the better part of two days. Finally Brighid appeared before the coven, and spoke to the two lovers. 'I cannot undo this my child. However, I can give the power to control it as well as a few other things to make your new destinies easier.'
The Goddess walked over to the stricken lass and placed her hand on her head. 'My child, you are cursed to stay in this world for many years to come. I give to you the power to control this curse, and charge you with hunting down that evil which has befallen you. I think you will find, though, there is more evil in the world than just that, and this I will help you with. Though I have removed the power to pass on this curse; be warned! You must never kill a mortal human or the curse will consume you. You will live lifetimes past all you know, so I give you the ability to remake yourself once a generation. You will know how when the time comes, but until then, you will appear to age normally.'
She then turned to include the priestess, who was kneeling beside her lover. 'Your love for each other has granted this to be done. In order to remain so, I bind this child to your line, and charge you and your descendents to care for her until her task is complete. Once her task is done or she is killed, the curse will be broken and she will finish the balance of her life. I know you wish to remain together until the end, but that, too, is not possible.' She told her priestess then that she must lay with a man and become with child to ensure that there would be someone to carry on. Then the Goddess left them."
Tera had tears running down her cheeks as she turned to Shawn. "That was 900 years ago, and I still miss Clarissa. Later that night I dreamt about the things The Goddess gave to me. I can never have a child of my own. The curse wouldn't let me carry the child more than a month, anyway."
Special agent John Palmer told Shawn not to go anywhere near the house, and that he would have agents there the next day.
"John, this can't wait, lives are at stake. The local law enforcement is involved, and I don't know who else. This is really big, I don't trust anyone else. Unless you can get here in the next few hours, all you'll have to do is pick up bodies," Shawn said.
"Shawn, don't. I'll have to arrest you if you do. Do you really want to spend a really bad night in a chair for these creeps?"
"Don't worry, John. You won't need to arrest anyone but the bad guys, but I would be getting on a plane in the next hour if I were you, and bring lots of friends."
"Okay Shawn, just don't do anything stupid. I'll get there as fast as I can. Okay to call you on this phone?" He asked
"Yeah, so get with it already," Shawn said.
"Okay. Later." Click.
Shawn finished his calls just as they pulled up in front of their house. Shawn got out and helped Mary into the house. Amber was standing back from the door waiting for them. She led the group into the living room of the large house.
"I've got some tea brewing if you would like a cup?" Amber asked the distraught woman.
She looked up at Amber and finally realized they hadn't gone back to the office. "Y-yes, th-thank you," She replied. "Shawn where are we?"
"We're at my house. This is a very close friend of mine; Amber Stras this is Mary Aleck. Mary, this is Amber," He said.
"Uh, what are we doing here? I thought we were going back to the office," She said.
"Nope. We're solving your problem. I want you to call home, and tell Bill that You got the raise, but will be working late on a special project. If he asks, tell him I bought three new companies, but I haven't told you who yet," Shawn told her.
"That'll give us the evening, but Jenny and the children are still in danger. I know he'll call my office to check on me."
"I've taken care of that. Beth has already forwarded your phones to hers. She'll answer for you, and if it's him, she'll tell him you are in the file room, and that she'll transfer you. Then she transfers him to my cell phone; which you'll answer as 'File room'. Any questions?" He asked.
"What are you going to do to them? Chances are that only a few will be there tonight, and the local police will protect them," Mary said.
"I have a friend in the FBI that is on a plane right now and should be here by this evening. I plan on going in and getting your daughter and the kids out of there before bullets start flying. Make the call, Mary, then I think you should get some rest; it's going to be a long night," Shawn told her.
Amber had returned with the tea, and was sitting next to Tera on the loveseat. Shawn was still standing.
They listened to Mary make her call, then Amber moved next to her on the couch. After Mary hung up, Amber took her hand, looked her directly in the eyes and started talking to her softly. Shawn felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and watched Mary slowly slump over asleep. He loved Amber, but sometimes she still freaked him out.
"Okay, she'll sleep for an hour or two. Now will one of you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Amber said.
Shawn quickly told her what was happening at Mary's house, and who was involved.
"I never did like that slimy rat bastard chief of police. He is always harassing the kids, like he has nothing better to do. I guess this explains why. I assume you want to go in, kill them, and then bring the kids back here?" She asked.
"Well, that is the desire yes, but at best that approach is problematic. I do know it would draw unwanted attention to us. We are going to be drawing some attention, but I think it will look more like I am simply helping a friend in the FBI. I think he'll help with that approach. No, what I want to do is go in, and get the children to safety before the shooting starts."
"Very noble, Mr. Hero. How many kids are we talking about?" Amber asked.
"Uh, I don't know," Shawn admitted.
"Okay, How many men? How many guards? And what kind of security system?" She asked.
"Again, I don't know, but we need to do this tonight! We have to get those children out of there now!" Shawn said vehemently.
"I agree, but we need more information. I suggest we get some." Amber turned to Tera. "I don't think a large 'dog' would be noticed very much, but remember, you have to control Luna! If she kills even one of these men..."
"I know! I know! But dammit! I don't think this is what Brighid had in mind!" Tera almost yelled.
"Tera, this is exactly what she had in mind," Shawn said. "Can you do this?"
"I have only a couple more questions. However, you mentioned earlier that you would need to go clothes shopping. Since we are in Duluth, would you like me to head for the mall? We might as well have dinner here as well," Shawn asked.
"That's a grand idea, though I currently don't have access to my money. I am supposed to be getting a credit card like yours, but it hasn't arrived yet," She said.
Shawn smirked at her, "I think I can afford to buy you some clothes. Besides, you'll need more than just clothes won't you? If you just came in on a plane, you would have luggage, wouldn't you?"
"Yes I would. Isn't this also the place where we will be going to college?" Tera asked.
"Sort of, it's across the river, in Superior. When I got the scholarship I chose a school close to home so I could visit. It's a bit late to pick another school. I suppose since we're here, we should try to find a place to live and I know it sounds like an impulse, but I want to trade this car in. I already know what I want, so it shouldn't take very long. We may end up spending the night here," Shawn explained.
Tera looked a bit worried and bit her lower lip. "There might be a wee bit of a problem with that, my love. I haven't finished telling you everything. You see I'll be needing to go out tonight, and 'tis best if I do it in the country."
"Go out? What do you mean?" Then the light seemed to come on for the young man. "The curse."
"Yes, the curse. I was bitten by a werewolf 900 years ago. Since that time, I haven't killed a human, nor have I even harmed any very much. However this transformation I am going through requires fresh meat to work I need to be able to go out and hunt again tonight to complete it."
Shawn had a moment of fear, but then realized what she had said, and what she hadn't. She had lived with his family all his life, and hadn't harmed any of them. She also said she hadn't harmed a human.
"Um, How do you know you've never harmed anyone? I thought a werewolf was only barely aware of... I mean, I thought they had no awareness after they change?" He asked.
Tera was surprised he didn't outright balk at the thought that werewolves were real. "Brighid gave me the ability to control it, remember? I am as aware during that as I am now, though it's like two people in my mind. I have stronger senses but even more so when I am hunting. I must say, you are taking this a lot better than I thought you would."
"Well, it's not much a leap from believing in magic to this. I also know, if you haven't hurt me or my folks in all these years, you're not going to start now. One thing I am beginning to wonder though; if you are a werewolf, and I'm not doubting you are. What other things exist that I thought were myth and legend?" He asked, as he turned into a car dealership.
"Lots of other werewolves, vampires, demons, evil witches, and just about everything you have ever heard a tale about. It's all real, even fairies, though the fair folk have stayed in Ireland for the most part. I do see them from time to time here," She answered.
"We will have some interesting talks, Tera." It was getting easier to call her that. She didn't really look like Selene much any more. He pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off. "One last thing; you keep calling me, 'love'. Is that an Irish thing? Because it sure doesn't sound like it."
"No, it's not. Shawn, you will find this a bit difficult to believe. I've known, since the day you were born, that I would be bound to you. I fell in love with you many years ago. Watching you grow into a man has given me back the desire to lay with a man again. I've found myself sitting in my room jealous of the girls that you went out with. Now I could be with you, but I'm afraid of it," She admitted.
"Why are you afraid of it? I admit, to me it will feel like incest. Though you don't look like Selene anymore, I still think of you that way, and you were just like a mother to me. Is it because of that?"
"No, it's not that. I'm afraid if I give you my virginity, I'll not be wantin' to share you with another. You must marry another woman and have a child or I will be left alone," She said, sadly.
"Do I have to marry her? Man, you really are an old-fashioned girl!" He grinned as he opened the car door.
She still looked troubled as she got out, "We'll have to talk about it some more."
He walked around the car and took her hand. Her face lit up and she smiled at him as he led her into the dealership.
"I wish I could go with her," Amber said. She watched Shawn hold the back door open for Luna.
"I know you do, love. I do, too, but the sun is still shining, and we'd be noticed, anyway," Shawn replied to her.
"True, but I still worry about her, even though I know she can take care of herself. My heart may not beat anymore, but I can still love," She said as a tear of blood passed down a very pale cheek.
"You are still having problems with that aren't you?" Shawn asked.
"Sometimes. If I am supposed to be such an evil creature, how come I can still love so deeply?"
"Personally I think it's because you didn't lose your soul, but I'm no expert on this." He took her in his arms, and held her. "I hope you know we love you back just as much."
"I know. If there is one thing I am absolutely sure of it's your love for Tera and me."
"We are really going to need to watch over her tonight. I know this whole issue with the children has really gotten to her. We could lose her tonight," Shawn said.
"I know. I'll use every trick I learned for controlling her kind, but it will still be a hard thing, every instinct she has is telling her to kill them. I felt that before she left," Amber said.
"Will she be okay doing this recon? I mean she might get close enough to these assholes to let her instincts take over."
"I think so, tonight might be different, but I believe she has enough control of Luna right now, since it is still daylight. She should be okay until tonight. We should get back to our guest; she may wake at any minute."
"I like this," Tera said, as she slid over to the center of the seat next to Shawn.
"Well, I'm glad I got the truck, I had no idea you were going to get that many clothes!" He teased.
"Well, I did tell you I needed a whole new wardrobe. Besides, since you added the topper at least we didn't fill up the area behind the seat!" She said playfully.
"Okay, what do you have running through that devious mind of yours?" Shawn asked.
"Well, since this is a club cab, you can drive me out to the country, and I can crawl in back, strip, and let the change happen. You can let me out near a herd of cattle or if we see a deer or two. Then I can jump back in here and sleep the meal off. I can't change back until I do, but it shouldn't take very long. Then I can get dressed and we can go to bed in the hotel. I'll be really sleepy the rest of the night, sorry, love," She told him.
"Okay, I don't know if I feel comfortable with this, but I guess this is the best way to find out, huh?" He asked nervously.
"I love you. I'll still know it's you after I change, in fact you will still be able to talk to me, though I can't answer you. If we can find a stream or something for me to wash off in after, it would be best."
"Uh, I thought you were still having doubts about having sex with me? Why are you apologizing about being sleepy?" He asked.
"Shawn, you're not so young that you think there is only one way to have sex. Though in this smaller body, we may have to go very slow the first few times," She said.
He might not have been so young, but he had never actually done something like that. In fact he had only had sex twice. Though it had felt really good, Shawn hadn't understood why all the other guys were always talking about it.
"Uh, well about dinner tonight, where would you like to eat?" He asked.
"To tell you the truth, love, I don't think I should. I'm a-feelin' the urge to hunt already. So, would it be okay if you got some take out and we go? The sun will be down soon, and the urge will be full upon me then."
"Sure, but I want to grab a couple of things first. It won't take long," He answered her.
He stopped at a K-Mart store and was back out quickly with a blanket and some towels. He spread the soft blanket on the floor behind the seat, and stuffed the towels into one of the fold out seats, She beamed a smile at him for being so thoughtful. He hit another drive thru and the smell of the meat had Tera's mouth watering. He crossed the Blatnik bridge and drove through Superior, heading south out of town toward a state park.
As soon as she realized he was heading out of town, she climbed over the seat, and began taking her clothes off. He got a nice view of her firm C cup breasts and almost drove off the road. He ignored her and continued to drive. She chuckled at him. She leaned over the seat after making sure no one was coming, and kissed him on the cheek. "Remember Shawn, I love you."
He nodded, but kept his eyes forward. He heard her moaning behind him, and soon those moans dropped in pitch. Soon they were growls. He felt her move behind him, and he knew she had sat up; he steeled himself to look in the rear view mirror. He had tried to prepare himself for what he thought he would see, but it wasn't enough. His brain told him that he would see a wolf looking back at him. Nothing his brain could conjure would have warned him about the green glowing eyes that looked back at him. He almost wet himself right there. He ignored the feelings of fear that threatened to overwhelm him. He finished the drive to the park, found a small trail just past the park boundaries, and pulled in. after a few hundred feet, he stopped the truck, and got out. He held the seat forward as the huge wolf climbed out of the truck.
She was much bigger than Shawn had guessed. This animal had to weigh more than Tera. His mind locked onto that; this is Tera, she loves you, and she would never harm you.
"You could have warned me about the eyes, you know," He said. She sat and watched him. She tilted her head, and whined in apology.
"I think you should be able to find a couple of deer in here, and there is water close by." He said.
She sat back and winked at him. Her green glowing eyes were not so menacing anymore. She stood and walked a few feet in front of the truck and sniffed the air. She hung her head, and shook it slowly from side to side, then dropped to the ground and rolled all about, it was almost comical to watch; a very large wolf rolling around on the ground like a pup. She stood again, and sniffed the air. She turned a little, and looked back at Shawn, and nodded. He waved to her, and she took off; faster than anything Shawn had ever seen move on its own. He shook his head and got back into the truck. He was getting hungry himself.
"Wow, I must have really been sleepy! I had the weirdest dreams though. Tera changed into a wolf, and Amber was drinking a glass filled with blood. The whole time I was lying here, and I never felt the least bit threatened. Uh, where is Tera?" Mary asked.
"She's gone to scout out your house," Shawn said calmly.
"WHAT?" Mary screamed. "They'll catch her! You have no idea what they will do to her! They caught someone snooping around once! I heard them screaming all night long!"
"Mary, relax. She won't get caught. They won't even know she is there; she's had special training for this sort of thing. Do you really think I would have let her go if I thought for a minute that she was in any danger?" Shawn assured her. "Now can you tell us anything about the security system or the lay-out of the house?"
"Yeah, I can draw a map of the inside of the house, but as far as the security system goes, all I know is it's state of the art, and very expensive."
Amber handed her a notebook, and a pencil. As Mary started to draw,
Amber sat down across from her.