Lone Wolf.

The warm sun beats down on my coat, my eyes drooping as I stay curled up in the grass. It was one of those days where there didn't to seem a single sound to the world, aside from the bristling of the trees, where everything was just land and still water. I felt content and happily lazy, more than eager to rest right here by the lake while the cloud-full of endless blue sky rolled above me peacefully.
My ears quirk up at the sound of distant footsteps, but I don't raise my head. Not five seconds later, her converse clad feet appear before me and Serena smiles, dropping something in front of me with a thump.
"I brought you something."
I stand and sniff the small sack curiously, suspicion above all else. It rattles as I prod it with my nose and look up at her expectantly.
Kneeling down, she digs out the items one by one. The first I see, is a small bowl of food, stacked to the brim with bits of bacon and meat. It wasn't dog food, but I dont miss the name that she'd carved into the side of the bowl: 'Wolfy.'
Before I can glare at her, I watch her take out two pillows next, and what seems to be a kit of something. It's then that I notice the backpack on her shoulders, a sleeping bag rolled on top of it.
She doesn't quite meet my eyes as she mutters, "I thought maybe I could, y'know, spend some time in your neck of the woods." She grins sweetly. "It'd be nice to get to see you in action, too."
The center of my chest expands, filling with something I couldn't quite explain. My stance relaxes as I let her excitedly unpack.
She wanted to camp out with me.
The idea of it thrilled me, and I almost would rather spend it as a human with her, but I figured she'd done all this to get a small taste of the wild life.
I whine almost in protest, conflicted. I wanted to please her, but I also desperately wanted to hold her I've been to nervous to try. After our 'date,' I simply drove her home and told her to have a good night. I couldn't bring myself to kiss her; she might think she was okay with a guy like me, but it wasn't natural. She deserved to be with a regular guy, not a freak.
Serena laughs at my sudden somberness and ruffles my fur, taking my muzzle in her hands. "What's with you, boy? What's going on in that head of yours, huh?"
Her blue eyes mystify me. I shake my head and lower my head to silently eat my food and avoid having to communicate with her. Not that I could talk anyway.
She notices my sudden change of mood, but she doesn't push it further. Instead, she plops down beside me as I finish up and smirks. "I brought some delicious human food for later, just in case you feel like shifting." Shaking a bag, she giggles. "Unless wolves can chew on marshmallows."
I huff at her teasing, sitting back down on my hinds. If she thought I was going entertain her by letting her mock me, that was for sure.
She pouts and sits back on her heels, her hand in front of her on the ground. "Aw, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm being serious, I don't know if those things will be hard for you to eat."
Wiping her hands on her jeans, she adds, "Well then? Come on, show me what you do for fun."
Grinning, I rise to my paws and lean down, my tail wagging in the air behind me and ready to strike. I usually did this with the rabbits or squirrels I found around here, but she'd have to do.
In my crouched position, Serena laughs, standing as she realizes what I have in mind. "Oh, so you wanna play rough, huh? Get it? Rough? Ruff?"
I growl in the back in my throat before arching up and pouncing on her, successfully causing her to fall back. She screams, but not out of fear. It's a small, delighted squeal and I begin to sloppily lick her face. She giggles despite her face of disgust.
"Cut it out, John," she chuckles, noticing a twinkle in her shining eyes. "I've got to set up the tent."
~
By the time the sun goes down, I'm surprised as to how much I've enjoyed taking a whole day to fool around. She'd brought out a playful side of me I hadn't even known was there. I even humored her by chasing my tail when I wanted her attention. I don't know what it was, but after being such a loner and so independent, I didn't mind letting my guard down so much anymore. Needless to say, I appreciated her.
She plops down in front of the tent on one of the pillows, which I now realize she'd brought the other for me. I sit perched on top as she struggles to set the wood I'd collected on fire.
"Is this dead wood?" she huffs, frustrated and twirls the twig in between her palms. With the speed that she was going at, I was sure the log would go up in sparks by now.
I see the small embers and begin to wag my tail before it, assisting with the flame. She sighs gratefully at the small fire we manage to get started and sits back. Her knees drawn up to her chest, she stares up at the stars as she rips open the bag of marshmallows and pops one in her mouth. "It's so beautiful at night here. You really chose a great spot."
I allow my head to rest atop her leg, her hand going to pet my head and close my eyes. I've found a strange comfort in her touch when I've never so much as been around another human when I was in wolf form.
I watch the moon and stars as it reflects off the lake, rippling and distorting softly every so often. Something felt so serene about being here with her and I wish I could let her know that.
Serena holds out a pink marshmallow, squeezing it and smiling. "Want one?"
She holds it out in offering. What? No 'go get it, boy?'
Leaning down and taking it between my teeth, I chew for a few minutes and lick off what I can from my muzzle. It wasn't too hard to swallow, but it was a bit messy.
"We should do this again," she muses and I nod in her lap. I wouldn't mind doing it all over.
She chuckles and strokes my fur. "Except next time, you can make the fire."
My head raises, feeling the burning in my chest. Was she suggesting she wanted me as a human? That she didn't only hang around because I was some kind of pet to her?
I let my nose press into her cheek before jerking my head towards the tent, gesturing that she should go inside. She merely chuckles. "Since when are you so bossy?"
I shoot her look and shake out my ears, but she takes that as an invitation to scratch them before rising to her feet and reaching into her backpack. She digs out a grey t-shirt and I freeze when she slips off the one she has on. My face feels warm. If it wasn't for all my fur, I'm sure I'd be blushing underneath.
Serena slips the garment over her head and grins. "Now, John, you're not looking, are you?"
I whine, bending down and covering my eyes with my paws. After a moment, I hear her shuffle again and the zipper of the tent opening. "You coming, wolf boy?"
Raising my head, I trod inside with my pillow in my mouth and see she's now got a pair of flannel pajama pants.
"You sleep outside enough as it is," she muses. She grins and reaches out again. "You get some sleep." Crouching down, she presses her lips to the crown of my head before laying down and settling in peace as if she hadn't just caused my fur to tingle.
I curl up on the end of the sleeping bag, right by her feet as I watch her drift off to sleep. But as her soft snores take over, I make my way up closer to take in her soft features. She looked so peaceful and I try to fathom how she could act so comfortable around me. I mean, I was a wolf, for crying out loud. Yet she was treating me as she would if I were standing on two legs instead of four.
I stare out of the small slit of the tent, catching a glimpse at the stars. Against the stark blue of the sky, I couldn't help but think about how Serena's eyes shone the same way before slipping into a deep sleep.
~
The next morning, we have a quiet breakfast (mostly due to the fact that I hadn't switched back yet) and she collects her things before telling me she'd be back tonight. With a hopeful puppy eyed look, I make a whining noise and step on the tent she was taking down, asking silently if we could do it again. She doesn't need to take moment to try to figure our, but merely smiles and says, "I'll bring marshmallows."
I nearly barked with elatedness. I wanted to make tonight special, and I was going to make sure of it. Collecting all sorts of wildflowers near the riverbank, I bring them back by the lake and arrange them around the bark of the tree she liked to sit against.
When she finds me standing near the lake later that evening, tugging a pile of my clothes closer to the shore, her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "John?"
I look up for a moment, noticing something round hanging from her fingertips. I drop the clothes from my teeth to send her a brief look. Seriously?
She was about to ask another question, but I continue walking backwards into the water, until my entire body is under. Closing my eyes, I order my muscles to readjust, and I feel them magically, slowly shift. My limbs grow longer, feeling my fingers morph until they were complete. I feel lighter, my fur receding deep within my body and when I open my eyes beneath the surface, I'm standing on two feet.
Slowly rising from the water, I gasp and slick my hair back, dewdrops sticking to my face and chest. My gaze locks with Serena, and I can see the pure awe in her face.
A smile grows on my face as my voice finds me. "Now, Serena, you're not looking, are you?"
Her eyes widen when I begin to slowly walk out of the lake that was already at my waist and she swivels around, waiting for me to pull on clothes. I only pull on my boxers and jeans as I stand behind her. I reach for her wrist gently and she turns.
Finally face to face with her, and water dripping from my hair and nose, I eye the object in her hand. "You did not get me a collar."
She smiles brightly when she holds up the black cord. "Not quite. It's...well, it's a necklace. It reminded me of you."
Raising an eyebrow, I let her show it off to me, observing the slim metal charm that hung in the center, in the shape of - you guessed it - a wolf.
I chuckle softly. "Some might say you're obsessed."
"Oh shut up," she scoffs, clasping it around my neck. My eyes watch her hands before flickering up to her. Her cheeks turn pink as I remain completely still, just as my wolf self would encountering someone.
Serena flicks the small silver wolf and sighs. "There."
"The minute you try and make me play fetch, I'm running off."
She laughs, adjusting the small charm handing from my neck. She tugs on it playfully. "Stay."
I smirk. "Woof." Yet again feeling playful, I lick her cheek, my tongue dragging up her face and she gasps. "Ewwww!"
"Ha! Not so cute now is it?!"
She rubs her cheek with the back of her hand. "Ugh. I like you better when you can't talk."
I throw back a laugh before tugging on her arm toward the tree trunk. She freezes at the array of flowers and looks up at me.
I shrug and rub the back of my neck. "I, uh, thought you might like it. You've only been around this area so you haven't seen all that nature has to offer, so I thought I'd bring the nature to you."
Her gaze softens. I feel my skin prickle when her fingers lock loosely with mine. "That's really sweet. Oh!" She smacks her forehead. "I know you wanted to do the whole camping thing again. I packed the tent again but left the sleeping bags."
I chuckle and plop down in the grass. "That's alright. We'll make do. Plus, I might have a blanket or two in my truck."
She gives me a quizzical look. "You leave your truck parked here all the time? Don't you worry that someone might find it?"
"Not really," I mutter as I pile up the wood I've already collected for the fire. I never stayed here more than a few hours so I didn't even bother to lock it, unless I knew I'd be staying for a while. No one really walked around this part of the woods anyway.
I help her set up the tent quickly, and we dip our feet in the lake as we watch the sun settle behind the trees. Serena reaches for a rock, skipping it in the water. I look over at her, the moonlight shining on and outlining her face.
We stay until she gets a bit chilly, thus heading inside the tent. I'd fetched my blanket from the trunk and grab it now to drape over her shoulders.
"Thanks," she giggles. I lay down beside her and don't miss the way my heart thumps when she sidles closer. It was perfectly warm inside the little hut shaped tent, and despite there being more than enough room for me to stretch out, I wasn't sure how to lay down. This was so much easier when I was a wolf and...well, not a man.
"I, uh-"
"You okay there, John?" she asks, amused. "Having trouble getting comfortable without your fluffy tail?"
I feel a blush creep up into my cheeks and awkwardly prop myself up on my elbow facing her. "Something like that."
She chuckles and lifts the blanket. My eyes widen as she murmurs, "C'mere."
I clear my throat, carefully settling down next to her. She huddles into my chest, and I could feel her nose nuzzling my neck. I was going to have a different tail to worry about if I got too close.
"Y'know," she sighs. "You're always warm. It must be a wolf thing."
A wolf thing. Is that what she attributed most of me to? To being a wolf? I can't help but wince at the thought of knowing that that's all I'd ever be; some kind of freak show that she hung out with because of the benefits? She always said I was one big puppy to her. That's all I was.
I was still an animal in the end.
She'd began to drift asleep, and I look at her once before ducking away and out from the tent.
My eyes fall on the calm lake, wanting to dive back in and turn back into the animal I was for whatever reason born as. I wasn't normal, and I never would be, especially not to Serena. She was the only one who knew the real me, and that made any sort of relationship with her impossible.
There's a shuffling behind me and then a huff. "John? What are you doing?"
I clench my jaw as she approaches behind me. Maybe it was best I stop it while I could. I didn't want to delve any deeper into these feelings.
"Serena, I'm not right for you."
She stays silent for a moment, and I'm almost worried I've made a fool of myself. She probably nothing to do with me in the first place.
But then she rests a hand on my arm. "Wh-What? How could you think that? I-"
I shake my head. "Because I'm not. You know I'm not. We both know. I'm too...different."
"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffs. I could feel her closer, and I try hard to ignore her, but it was so hard when her scent was so intoxicating. All of them; the scent of her shampoo, her fainting perfume, the cherry lip gloss. I wanted to turn around and drown myself in them.
"John, look at me," she whispers, her voice calling out to me and my body reacting as if it were instinct. Her hands run along my jaw as she would my muzzle. The feeling was so heavenly I almost moan.
"You're not any different than from when you're on four legs, John," she insists, and I feel her hand reach up. "You're exactly the same in here."
She touches my chest, trailing her fingers down the center and brushing against the necklace pendant before resting them over my heart. Her lips part softly, as if astonished at how firm it was.
Every breath she took felt hot against my skin. The closer she inched, the warmer my body grew. I could feel the tension between us, begging to be broken.
She locks her blue eyes with mine, glancing beneath her long lashes as she blushes and stares back down at my chest then back up. I slowly lick my lips. "Serena..."
Her eyes close in response and she clutches my shirt a little tighter. Our noses touch for a moment but I away to take her in. My hand smooths down her dark hair, almost blue under the stars. I trace her cheekbone before trailing down to her round mouth, lips parting again.
Our bodies inch closer and this time I bump my nose with hers, rubbing them together softly as I savor the need that seemed to be spoken between us without having to say a word.
"John," she whines. That was all it took.
My lips press to hers hungrily, her breath feeling even warmer as she releases it into my mouth. I shiver as her hands move into my hair, pushing her fingers through it as she would my mane. Overwhelmed, I rest my hands on her hips and gently guide her against her tree, sliding down to grip her thigh. Her small moan makes me growl, deepening the kiss and lashing my tongue with hers. I could hear our breathing grow heavy, and my chest heaves in pure excitement. I wanted to lose myself in her lips, moving them against mine as if it were the first and last time she'd ever use them.
I groan and cup her face, letting my teeth graze her full bottom lip. A soft hiss falls over the earth, and I feel the water drip onto our skin to try to relieve and almost evaporate from the heat. She tips her head back in bliss as she pants. I trail up her throat before crashing my mouth to hers once more. The rain leaves a small trickle long her cheek, like a ragged river, and I lick it softly. She whimpers softly as she clutches my neck.
"I don't think that tent is any good to us now," I murmur, my hair falling over my eyes. She pushes it aside and I nuzzle my nose against hers again, smiling. I watch her own lips lift and they press to mine again.
"I'd rather be here," she whispers when she breaks away, sending my heart ablaze.
And under the array of endless stars and pouring rain, we kiss until we can't breathe.