Chapter 5

A Chapter by Tina Kline

The sun rose high in the pale blue sky as a daylight period swept over the Village and forest surrounding it. The birds burst into loud excited song, the tree leaves seemed to unfurl further, stretching out to absorb as much sunlight as they could while they could. The dark blooming flowers closed up their petals and the light blooming flowers opened up theirs eagerly to the sun.

Mr. Black stood in the open door of the house. He gazed out onto the sun drenched landscape then turned to Louise who was sitting on the couch watching him. “Let’s go for a walk? We haven’t done anything like that for a long time.” He held out his hand to her, smiling.

Smiling back she said, “Okay. It does sound pleasant.”

Pleased Mr. Black was instantly there to take her hand and help her to her feet. “We can walk for a while and then run as Wolves.”

Louise put her hands on her lower abdomen. “You don’t think I’m too pregnant for that?”

“You’re pulling my tail, I think.” Mr. Black said, using a human term he had learned from her. They left their house and headed for the shadowy Douglas Fir and Broadleaf Maple forest.

“Perhaps I am.” She responded with a little smile.

Mr. Black chuckled, “I like you in this playful mood.” Hand in hand they entered the forest.

“I like being in this mood.”

The forest was shadowy with splashes of bright spots where the sunlight found an opening in the leafy canopy above. Small dark birds darted about, from fallen log to large rock to low tree limbs, making peeping sounds. They could smell the scent of a nearby deer, the scent being tantalizing to them.

But Louise felt no desire to shape shift into her Wolf Form to hunt it down and kill it. She was in the beginning stages of Blood Lust, and only hungered for human flesh. But she wasn’t completely overwhelmed by it yet and could still enjoy the fragrant scent of deer.

They stood beside each other and took the deer’s scent deep within. They looked at each other and smiled.

“We need to hunt a human soon, I think.” Mr. Black said, his gaze going to her belly looking for signs of the baby Wolf Child growing in her.

“Yes.” Louise answered.

“We’ll go soon. I see no need to delay.” Mr. Black said.

Louise smiled, “Maybe we can go more than once? Hmm?”

Mr. Black laughed, feeling light and carefree. “Yes, my sweet plaything, we’ll go often. Maybe you’ll have triplets this time.”

“You never know!”

Around them they sensed other Wolf People in their Wolf Forms. Everyone kept a respectful distance from each other. Because of the close presence of others Mr. Black suggested they go deeper into the forest where less Wolf People would be. Louise agreed and feeling very happy like they hadn’t in a while they moved deeper into the shadowy Douglas Fir and Broadleaf Maple forest.

“Our Wolf Son is doing well.” said Armand. “I’m pleased he’s taken to the life of a Wolf Person.”

Miss Feather sighed, “Yes, he has and so has Jennifer.”

Armand spotted his Wolf Parents walking into the forest. The Daylight Period had come suddenly and without warning like it always did. The Wolf People stopped what they were doing so they could enjoy the sunlight while it lasted. No one yet had figured out how to predict when these moments would occur. It seemed very random to the Wolf People.

“Quetzal is keeping her content.” Armand looked at Miss Feather who walked beside him. How pretty she is, how I still want her.

She glanced at him and looked quickly away. Armand saw a slight blush stain her cheeks and smiled. He knew she still wanted him. Their attraction for one another had never died.

Armand wanted to reach out and take her hand. Better yet he wanted to lead her into the forest like his Wolf Parents had done. Take advantage of the privacy they would have there.

Miss Feather suddenly came to a stop. Several Wolf People greeted them and once these Wolf People had moved on she turned to face Armand, putting one hand on her hip, “Armand, I don’t like the way you keep watching me! It makes me uncomfortable.”

Smiling, Armand crossed his arms over his chest, “Maybe I just like looking at you. Don’t you enjoy looking at me?”

“Not so much I have to keep doing it all the time!”

“Maybe you ought to Miss Feather.”

“Maybe I don’t want to. I have plenty of reasons not to.”

Armand didn’t like the sound of that. “Don’t go there Miss Feather. Let the past stay in the past.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. The past, you know, has put us where we are today.”

“That’s a good place now.”

She started walking again. “Perhaps for you Armand, perhaps for you.”

He fell into step beside her wanting to debate the issue but decided to let it go. He didn’t think it would do any good. Besides that, he didn’t want to think of the events that had led up to now. They weren’t pleasant at all. He’d rather just enjoy now. He had Miss Feather back, sort of, he had a Wolf Son, Alex and soon he’d have them living in his house and they’d be a Wolf Family.

Armand smiled and nodded to himself, Yes, this will come to pass, he thought.