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actionreactionGrey's ears pricked up, twitching lightly as he caught the sound. Confusion was in his eyes as he lifted his head. What is that sound?
I stood, less painfully now that he'd attended my wounds. The owner of this ranch. He does not know that you are here. Or that we are wolves. My mind raced with possible options. You must hide. Or change and wear human fur. He cannot see us this way. A friend visiting the ranch I could explain. I couldn't explain keeping a wolf companion.
Grey made a dissatisfied sound, partly because I'd moved away from where he was resting comfortably on me and partly because he didn't like his options one bit. Can't we just eat the human?
I shook my head, and the movement continued down the length of my body as I changed. "No," I started aloud, and then added, Others would look for him. We would no longer be given meat. We might be hunted. The truck was curving round and coming up to crest the hill now. He also carries the loud stick that hurt you. He might try to hurt you before you could eat him. Please change. I didn't want to beg him but I was close to doing so.
Maybe he read it in my body language, because he finally stood and shivered into human form. I exhaled in relief. "Come on. You need clothes." Because, as always, he was naked. That was something else inexplicable.
I led him inside, pausing for a moment to watch him walk. I tried not to, but I could help watching the play of his muscles beneath his skin, something besides usual hunger gnawing at me. I shook myself out of it and hurried inside. My clothes wouldn't fit Grey quite right, but they'd do in a pinch. I unfolded a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and held out the shirt for Grey, knowing full well I have to help dress him. I lifted my arms up to show him what to do.
I'd picked out a pull-over shirt, because buttons would take too long. Tugging it down over his head and arms was easy enough. Getting him into jeans was more difficult. I smoothed down the shirt unnecessarily, an excuse to touch him longer, almost petting him, and then held the jeans low for him. Step into these.
Like any canine being petted, it was an unconscious reaction for him to press into the touches; it seemed to go a long way towards soothing Grey's irritation with the whole situation. Eyeing the item I was holding, he hesitated before lifting a leg and trying to get his foot into one of the holes. The wrong hole, of course.
I smiled, but hurriedly corrected him. It was a bit slow-going but the only real difficulty came when I slid the denim up his legs to his waist. I paused again, closing my eyes briefly before I carefully tucked him into the fly of the jeans before zipping and buttoning them. I was just in time.
"Hey Jesse! Where you at, boy?"
I turned to head outside, but Grey stopped me, tugging me back. With no warning at all, he stuck his nose into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. I should have known instantly what he was doing, but the sudden feeling of it wiped my mind clear. I leaned back, just a little into that, before I could even stop himself. Biting down on my lip did not stop my eyes from rolling back in my head when Grey's nose pressed into my neck like that. My voice caught, just a little as I called out, "Be right out, boss!" I glanced at Grey once more and headed outside.
Seeing Jacob there among the sheep was a jolt back to reality. I didn't want to think about that moment back inside. Moments like that were the reason I was where I was where I was now. I couldn't repeat that mistake again. I couldn't chance losing my second pack.
I stood, less painfully now that he'd attended my wounds. The owner of this ranch. He does not know that you are here. Or that we are wolves. My mind raced with possible options. You must hide. Or change and wear human fur. He cannot see us this way. A friend visiting the ranch I could explain. I couldn't explain keeping a wolf companion.
Grey made a dissatisfied sound, partly because I'd moved away from where he was resting comfortably on me and partly because he didn't like his options one bit. Can't we just eat the human?
I shook my head, and the movement continued down the length of my body as I changed. "No," I started aloud, and then added, Others would look for him. We would no longer be given meat. We might be hunted. The truck was curving round and coming up to crest the hill now. He also carries the loud stick that hurt you. He might try to hurt you before you could eat him. Please change. I didn't want to beg him but I was close to doing so.
Maybe he read it in my body language, because he finally stood and shivered into human form. I exhaled in relief. "Come on. You need clothes." Because, as always, he was naked. That was something else inexplicable.
I led him inside, pausing for a moment to watch him walk. I tried not to, but I could help watching the play of his muscles beneath his skin, something besides usual hunger gnawing at me. I shook myself out of it and hurried inside. My clothes wouldn't fit Grey quite right, but they'd do in a pinch. I unfolded a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and held out the shirt for Grey, knowing full well I have to help dress him. I lifted my arms up to show him what to do.
I'd picked out a pull-over shirt, because buttons would take too long. Tugging it down over his head and arms was easy enough. Getting him into jeans was more difficult. I smoothed down the shirt unnecessarily, an excuse to touch him longer, almost petting him, and then held the jeans low for him. Step into these.
Like any canine being petted, it was an unconscious reaction for him to press into the touches; it seemed to go a long way towards soothing Grey's irritation with the whole situation. Eyeing the item I was holding, he hesitated before lifting a leg and trying to get his foot into one of the holes. The wrong hole, of course.
I smiled, but hurriedly corrected him. It was a bit slow-going but the only real difficulty came when I slid the denim up his legs to his waist. I paused again, closing my eyes briefly before I carefully tucked him into the fly of the jeans before zipping and buttoning them. I was just in time.
"Hey Jesse! Where you at, boy?"
I turned to head outside, but Grey stopped me, tugging me back. With no warning at all, he stuck his nose into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. I should have known instantly what he was doing, but the sudden feeling of it wiped my mind clear. I leaned back, just a little into that, before I could even stop himself. Biting down on my lip did not stop my eyes from rolling back in my head when Grey's nose pressed into my neck like that. My voice caught, just a little as I called out, "Be right out, boss!" I glanced at Grey once more and headed outside.
Seeing Jacob there among the sheep was a jolt back to reality. I didn't want to think about that moment back inside. Moments like that were the reason I was where I was where I was now. I couldn't repeat that mistake again. I couldn't chance losing my second pack.