Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) (9 page)

“Wait a sec! No, sorry, I didn't mean the car. I just
thought of something. Your kids.” She looked confused. “Are your kids Wolves?” I’d
never asked the question.

“No. Wolves always have Human children, even when both
parents are Wolves.”

“Doesn't that violate some kind of genetic rule?”

She brightened, and I knew I'd hit a topic of interest. “You
would think so, but no. From what we can tell, all Humans have a latent gene
for lycanthropy. No one is born with the gene turned on. It's a potential. Some
of this is still theory, and there are only three Wolves in the world doing
research in lycanthropic genetics. We know for certain it requires a bite from
a Wolf to initiate gene expression, but not every bite causes the gene to
express. We've isolated a chemical compound in Wolf saliva that we believe to
be responsible for gene expression in a Human. This chemical is a hormone that
is only excreted during a unique emotional state that occurs when we want to
change someone into a Wolf.”

I understood almost nothing in her explanation.
“Lycanthropic genetics is a real field?”

“Well, it's not recognized, and we don't publish in the
journals. I usually leave out the part about lycanthropy and just tell people
I'm a geneticist. But yes, it's a real field of study by a select few
individuals.”

“That's incredible.”

“Research is slow. My packmates donate blood, saliva, and
tissue samples regularly, and when a Wolf dies I can study the cadaver if their
family agrees. I've even had a few opportunities to study an individual before
and after the transition. Like John. But the pool of research subjects is low,
so it's difficult to come to conclusions.”

“It sounds challenging.” I had no idea why it was
challenging, only that she found it so.

“I could use your help,” she declared.

“Me? How?” I was surprised.

“It's commonly accepted that Mages don't have the latent
gene for lycanthropy since they don't survive the bite. But it's never been
tested. If I can correlate that the gene I believe is responsible for lycanthropy
is absent in you, it would go a long way to verify my theories."

“Wait, the bite would kill me?” I asked, thinking about
Billie’s generous use of her teeth when turned on.

“You didn't know?” She glanced nervously at Billie, thinking
she'd overstepped herself.

Billie had been listening intently to us while conversing
with the others. “I only found out this morning.”

“But you've bitten me quite a few times.”

She smiled in delicious memory. “Never with the intent to
change you. That isn't something we do by accident.”

Jazz continued, “I heard Billie carried your matebite. Have
you carried hers?” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t recommend trying it until I’ve
had a chance to run some toxicity tests. The matebite is a response to a
similar chemical, a precursor to the one that causes transformation.”

“You guys are making me nervous,” I blurted, “Billie, no
more biting until we have this figured out.”

“But I like biting you,” she replied silkily.

“I like it too. But all this talk about toxicity and death
by saliva is kind of alarming.” I turned to Jazz. “If you run the tests, can
you find out what's dangerous to me? And what's not?”

“Absolutely. I’ve already run a full set of tests on Billie.
I should be able to run some comparisons between the two of you. I want to do
that anyway.”

“Thank you. Hopefully I can keep my sex life just the way it
is.” Billie snorted her approval.

John howled his delight. “Only you, Billie. Wolves are
immune to STIs, and you somehow figure out how to have one.” I blushed and
heard Billie's hand connect with John's leg.

“Hey, that hurt!” he complained.

“This looks like a good spot,” Billie announced, saving me
from further embarrassment.

Jazz dutifully pulled over, and we wasted no time exiting
the vehicle. The sun shone brightly on us, and a light breeze tempered the
rising heat. Even in shorts and a tank top, sweat began to rise on my skin.

“This seems kind of public,” I commented.

Amy responded. “We'll hike on two feet for a bit. When it's
safe we'll switch to four.” For a while, we enjoyed the scenery in silence. A
few squirrels chittered in alarm before racing to safety. Amy began to hum, and
the lingering tensions in the party faded away.

Perhaps a mile from where we started, Billie pointed at a
grove of trees. “That looks like a good spot to stash our clothes. I don't
smell or hear anyone around. Sadie, can you sense anyone?”

I scanned the area swiftly. “A man and a woman several miles
in that direction,” I pointed. “No one closer than that.”

“Will you back me up and keep your senses open? Let me know
if we get within a half mile of a Human?”

“Sure.”

She smiled widely. “Let's run!” The Wolves began stripping
out of their clothes, folding them neatly beneath a tree.

The sudden nudity embarrassed me, and Jazz had a body I
couldn't help but notice. I averted my eyes quickly, not wanting to have that
thought with Billie in my life.
No worries, love. She's beautiful. Do you
think I've never noticed?

The nudity is going to take some getting used to.

She chuckled silently. Turning my head towards my
girlfriend, I found her deliciously naked by a tree, tucking her clothes out of
direct sight.

“Ever come back and find your clothes gone?” I wondered.

“Several times.” She laughed. “Usually it's a packmate
playing a practical joke.”

“What do you do?”

“Steal someone else's. Last Wolf back hikes out naked. All
of us keep clothing in our cars.” Her clothes tucked away, she walked towards
me and ran a hand through my hair. “I'm sure we can find a few minutes to be
alone,” she whispered in my ear, loud enough for the others to hear.

“I'm not much of an exhibitionist,” I warned her. My hand
stretched towards her hip, and I resisted the strong impulse to cup her ass.

“Neither am I. They'll give us a little privacy when we want
it.”

Being this open about our sex life is also going to take
some getting used to.

Practice makes perfect.
She replied and kissed me
deeply, one hand in my hair and the other wrapped around my waist. I was
acutely aware of the others. None watched blatantly, but all took pleasure in
our intimacy.

They're listening,
I complained.

They appreciate that we have something beautiful and are
happy we've found our mates. To them this is no different than if I were fully
clothed.

I laughed out loud at that. “It's very different for me.”

“If I fucked you in front of them, you'd see the difference.”
Again she whispered. Jazz and Amy giggled. Kathryn of course maintained
composure. Her point was made by John, who turned beet red with embarrassment.
Billie was like a sister to him, and the idea of watching her have sex
mortified him.

I could feel my own face burn red.
Okay, I got your
point. You can stop now!

She smiled and kissed my lips gently. As she drew away from
me, she shifted. Blue wolf eyes shined at me, and she smiled a toothy grin. The
others shifted in turn, and I looked on their wolf forms for the first time.

Kathryn stood small and lean, her coat almost completely
black with grey highlights in her muzzle and feet. Jazz, slightly taller than
Kathryn and gangly, had a coat of various shades of grey. John shared similar
markings with Billie but with more brown. He stood an inch taller and twenty
pounds heavier than the women. Amy's form surprised me. Shorter and more
compact than the others, her fur was so white it looked blue as it reflected
the light. She lowered her head and lolled her tongue at me.

“My God, Amy. You're beautiful.” She shook her head and
blinked a thank you. “Why are you different from the others?” Again she
blinked. “I'll ask later.”

Billie answered my question.
Amy's an arctic wolf. Most
of us are the grey wolves found in this area.

Why one type of wolf versus another?

Our human heritage determines the kind of wolf we become.
Ask Jazz if you're interested. She understands it better than I do. You may
need a dictionary, though.

I needed one earlier. I'll bring one.

The Wolves danced around me, and I ran my hands through
their coarse fur. Amy grabbed my hand in her mouth, tugging me to follow.
Billie raised her nose to the air and leapt forward into the trees. I hiked as
they played and hunted, always circling back around to me and including me in
the run. It was surreal, playing and hunting with a pack of wolves. Someone
howled, and every ear came to attention.

John scented a deer. We'll be back shortly.
Billie
explained as the pack raced in his direction.
Experience the hunt with me,
love!
And so I merged into her awareness, sitting where I stopped so that I
could experience it in full. Through Billie I understood every whine and howl
as they communicated. Scents filled my perception with kaleidoscopic vividness.
Trees and brush rushed past my vision as we chased a single musky scent.

We spied movement in the brush ahead and knew we gained on
the deer. Fur flashed and hooves thumped as they beat the earth. The pack grew
closer to its prey. Our first full view of the deer took my breath away. She
ran as fast as she could, and we ran faster.
She's old and she's tiring.
We'll eat well this hunt,
Billie pronounced with a deep howl.

We neared her. Exhaustion weighed on her limbs, and her eyes
rolled wild with fear. The pack surrounded her, nipping at her legs and testing
for weaknesses. John leapt and grabbed a hind leg in his strong jaws, jerking
his head to bring her off balance. She stumbled, and he lost his grip. With
renewed fervency, she sprang forward. Amy grasped a foreleg, and she stumbled
again. This time she dropped to her knees.

John took her by the side of the neck, jerking once again.
We scented delicious blood, and it smelled like food and life. We leapt in and
grasped her neck, mirroring John's movements. The deer fell, her life nearly
complete. John took her by the throat and finished it swiftly. The Wolves
danced around our prey, sniffing excitedly, before digging into the meal.
Billie sat for a moment with the pack and did not eat. She looked pointedly in
my direction, and they understood. They’d enjoy the meal without her.

As she raced towards me, I returned fully back to myself.
The hard ground beneath my rear end helped me orient myself after the intense
experience. The musky smell of the deer faded from my nose, and I listened to
birds through my own ears. Billie howled, and it filled the air with joy.

I sensed Billie's approach before I heard her. By the time I
saw her, she had me pinned to the ground with her paws on my shoulders. I
laughed at her playful expression, her face less than an inch from mine. She
sniffed my neck, tickling the sensitive skin. Opening her jowls, she gently
placed her teeth around my throat, her enormous jaws completely encircling my
neck.

Is that some kind of hug?
I quivered a little despite
myself.

Yes,
she replied simply.

If anyone else did that, I'd be terrified,
I
admitted.

That's why it's done, to show trust.
She pulled away
and stood over me, a ripple preceding her human form by only a second. She
hovered over me on hands and knees, excitingly naked.

“What happens when you’re between wolf and human? Has anyone
ever caught it on film and slowed it down to watch?” I asked in curiosity.

She grimaced. “Yes. It wasn't pretty. The horror movies got
that part right.”

“I'll skip the show. I like how magical it appears.”

She found a comfortable position half on me and propped up
by one arm. Her bare breasts pressed against my chest, and she ran her fingers
up and down my face and neck with her free hand, avoiding the injured side.
“How did you like the hunt?”

My eyes widened, and I touched her cheek as I remembered.
“That was by far the most incredible experience of my life. I don't think I
could find the words to give justice to what that felt like.”

Her smile lit up her entire face. “I'm so glad you were able
to experience it.”

“How much time before the others come back?” I asked
eagerly, drawing a circle around one nipple.

“There’s plenty of time to get you naked, sweaty, and
moaning before they satisfy their appetite.” Her breath tickled my neck as she
whispered the words, and the floodgates opened. “Gods, you're sexy,” she moaned
as she slipped her hands under my shirt, lifting my body easily as she pulled
it over my head.

Breasts bare for her enjoyment, I ran a hand down the length
of her body and back up, enjoying the double sensation of her arousal and mine.
She nibbled her way down, starting at my throat and pausing at my naval while
she unbuttoned the blue jeans in her way. She kissed me where the fly parted,
sliding my panties to reach the skin beneath.

My clothes slid off easily, as they always did when she
wanted them gone. Invigorated by the hunt, she buried her attentions between my
legs. Her hands reached under my thighs, caressing me vigorously as she nibbled
around the borders of my pubic hair. Her soft lips on me and teeth grazing my
skin delicately sent an electric current through my entire body.

I gasped, wrapping my legs around her neck and pressing into
her invitingly.

Enough foreplay?
She pressed strong fingers into my
ass and pulled me closer.

God, yes. Fuck me already!
I fed off of her eagerness
and clenched my fists into the ground as she buried her tongue in me. My clit
burned with her touch, and she spread my cheeks until I could feel it in my
toes. Her tongue flicked, and I moaned, heedless of who might hear. Suddenly
one of her fingers entered me too, rubbing my labia roughly.