Lone Wolf.

I sigh as Serena's soft lips trail beneath my jaw. I open my eyes to squint down at her. "You're trying to distract me."
"You're on the right track," she mumbles as our legs dangle from the cliff looking over the lake. The weekend was upon us, and I wanted nothing more than to spend it with her. I'd dropped her off yesterday morning when it was still dark, too early for anyone to actually be awake, my shirt poking out from under her sweater. It was actually cute and I couldn't help but steal a few more moments to kiss her, until the morning light finally appeared.
I smile at the memory. I loved that a lot of this felt like sneaking around, like this was forbidden. In reality, it was innocent and natural, and it was real; she knew more about me than I'd ever told anyone, and she enjoyed being with me, in whatever form.
I look down steadily at her, studying her features. She wore a soft expression as her raven black hair cascaded across her shoulders. Her naked plush lips were enticing just to look at, and her blue specks were soft and relaxed as she huddles into my side. After a moment, I lick my lips. "Let's go do something."
She meets my eyes and raises an eyebrow. "Like what?"
I shrug, shuffling to my feet before pulling her up with me. "We've got the world at our feet, Ser - plenty of options."
"How poetic," she giggles.
I roll my eyes as I take her hand in mine, inspecting her clothes. She had good shoes for a little hike.
Clearing my throat, I start guiding her down the hill before coming to a stop. "Well...how would you like to join me to Cedar creek?" I ask with a little bow.
Her mouth stretches into a wide grin as she tugs on my necklace. "A hike? That sounds lovely but won't a girl riding on a wolf's back in broad daylight look odd?"
I send her a mocking smile, pulling her hips to mine. "Hilarious."
She giggles and we continue our venture down until we reach my truck hidden deep in the vast area of bushes and cacti. I open the door for her to climb inside before getting into my own side. We follow the dirt path out onto the road and make our way towards the mountain trails, setting the radio at a low volume as I drove. It took a while to get there, but I didn't mind a road trip and I hope she didn't either.
We actually got to do something outside of the forest for once; It felt good to go somewhere different.
"What's your favorite part of Bartlett?" Serena asks curiously. "What is it about it that makes you go back everyday? You obviously must like it a lot."
I glance over at her, a smile appearing on my lips. "Well, I think it's the wolf side of me that enjoys being around nature. But I also like the quiet. And the water, I've always loved being in water." I shrug. "It's just the overall idea of having a place of my own to go to escape, human or not. It's comforting."
She nods, seeming to understand this quite well. I knew she'd told me how she sometimes used to come here to visit her mother and breathe for a bit, so I think she got exactly what I meant.
"It's a beautiful place," she says in an almost melancholic voice. "That day Charlie was-well, when he tried to convince me, I was terrified that I could never go back there because it wouldn't be my sanctuary anymore." Her eyes water and she fumbles with her fingers. "The fond memories I had there would have been tainted. If it hadn't been for you..."
"Serena," I sigh, taking her hand. I hadn't known then about her history with the place, but now it felt a lot more sacred. It was more than just our little hide out, but it had at one point been something more for her too.
She chuckles, wiping her eyes. "Sorry about that. I guess remembering everything gets me a little sentimental."
I bring her hand up to my lips. "It's alright, darlin'. We're almost there."
Once we arrive, I slide my hand into hers to help her climb out of the truck. I find a shirt conveniently discarded in the bed and tuck it over my head.
The warm air feels thick on my skin but it smells fresh and moist from the rain the day before. As Serena trails behind, I look over my shoulder to make sure she was alright and outstretch my arm. "Need help?"
She scoffs, catching up. "I'm good."
We follow the dusty trail, dodging a few scattered rocks every so often and stepping around them to reach the top of the mountain. The view was incredible; the white sun looked almost red in the transforming blue-to-pink-to-orange sky. By the time we'd made our way back down the trail, everything radiated in different hues with an afterglow of the late afternoon and early evening. We raced the sunset back to my truck, and when we got there, we were laughing as the orange sky continued to dim.
I pulled out the small ledge of my trunk bed to allow her to sit before climbing in myself. The moon began to peak through the daylight. Eventually, you could see the stars, the trees and plants set in shadows, and I dug out a blanket for us to lay down.
"Do you ever think about how big the world is?" her honey suckle voice asks me. "Like how much remains to be discovered, and what's really out there?" She pauses. "And have you ever wondered, why, out of everything and everything in that entire vast universe, you turned out the way you did?"
I look over at her, taking her in the exact manner she was taking in the stars. She had an arm draped over her hip and stomach, her legs drawn up a bit so that her feet didn't dangle off the edge of the truck. She spoke so deeply and sincerely that I almost didn't know what to say. She was an anomaly at that moment.
"I believe," I start slowly, "That the path paved out for you isn't always the one you take, but that it's for a reason; the same reason that people sometimes set out to find their own path, or even make it. Life's what you make it, after all. Whatever we do or whatever we've experienced to get us to where we are shapes our personality and who we are, but it doesn't define our existence." My eyes lock with hers, feeling my head whirl at the thought of the two of us, under a very vast sky, only a speck in the universe we spoke of. "Does that make sense?"
She nods slowly and she shifts to rest her head on top of her hands facing me. "Do you ever wonder why you became a wolf, then? Or what it is that makes you one?"
I bite my lip at her question, feeling my stomach flutter. It was something I had contemplated for the longest time, before deciding that it was something I just would never have the answer to. "I don't know," I answer. "All I know is that it's a part of me. Maybe there's supposed to be some kind of path I'm supposed to take, and even if I knew what that path was, I'm not sure if I'd follow it." I rest my arm behind my head before sighing. "All I know is that I'm glad this path led me to you. That's my favorite part of all this."
Her lips part as I lean over, and her blue eyes feel like a mirror to my soul.
"Maybe you were meant to," she whispers, my hand brushing along her cheek and tracing the shape of her mouth. Those lips were my solace, more than the wilderness ever could be. "Maybe," I mumble. "If you were my path, Serena...I'd follow it. I'd follow you to the ends of this wide universe and back."
She giggles. "Okay, maybe your super wolf legs could take you that far, but I don't think my normal human legs could-"
"Serena," I chuckle. "Shut up."
"Make me," she mutters, tugging on my necklace. I grin and swoop down to close the distance. Her hands move up into my hair before sliding down on either side of my jaw, her thumb brushing against the back of my ear. I groan, reaching up to cup her cheek, our tongues tangling effortlessly. My kiss deepens, our bodies clinging like magnets to each other as we drift into an otherworldly bliss. I never wanted to leave here if it meant kissing her like this. It felt like the world around us could keep spinning, but we'd stay the exact same.
I feel Serena smile against my lips but I was so euphoric that my kisses only continued, trailing down her chin and neck. She groans. "John."
Our mouths meet again, brushing softly before breaking apart. I press my nose to hers, capturing her lips in mine. "I'm not gonna stop kissing you," I mutter into the kiss.
Her hands brush against the back of my neck and she sighs. I nuzzle her neck again, leaving soft wet kisses in the curve of her shoulder. She slides her arms down to my waist before sliding them up my back under my shirt. I groan low in my throat, her touch sending sparks out throughout my body. My hips were so close to hers and I could feel the urge to pin them down with mine.
Her nails scrape lightly and the heat in my stomach intensifies, causing me to pant. "Baby, I think I-"
"What?" she huffs, squeezing my shoulder blades. "What happened to not stopping with the kisses?"
I swallow thickly as my hands rest at her sides. "I should stop. I don't want to, but, um..."
"Oh." She doesn't make any move to push me away and I whine. "Sorry," I mutter.
She giggles. "No, it's okay."
With a slightly arched brow, she adds, "If it helps, I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to do it on metal."
My eyes widen, the blood draining from my face. "I...I wasn't trying to-"
"I know," she laughs, caressing my cheek. Her lips press to mine, stifling my small groan. She wasn't helping my situation.
When she pulls away, her blue eyes almost sparkle in the dark. "We should head back."
I nod, sitting up and waiting for her to hop down before closing the bed of the trunk and getting inside.
The drive was peaceful and serene. Our hands were laced together, Serena having slid over on the bench to rest her head on my shoulder. Whenever I looked down, I let my nose rub against hers, bringing a giggle to her lips.
When we reached town, the street lights blurred as we passed them. She had fallen asleep, and I let her sleep as I'm left alone with my thoughts. This felt like one big dream, and I keep waiting for something to wake me up and come to an ending, but I run my fingers over hers and breathe in relief. She was the realest thing that's ever happened to me. Realer than this bizarre transformation, realer than the fact that I roamed around at time on four paws and a tail and pointy ears. The difference was, she actually made sense.
I slow to a stop in front of her house, a modest white low set building. The lights were off so her father must not be home.
"Serena," I mutter, shaking her gently. Her heavy eyes flutter slowly and she hums sleepily. "Yeah?"
"We're here," I chuckle. She looks out the window at her home and frowns. "Guess he's out late at the office."
There was a sound of sadness to her voice so I press my lips to her head. "If you need anything, just call me. Alright?"
She smiles and nods. "I...had fun today. Goodnight, John."
"Gnight," I whisper. She kisses my cheek before climbing out of the truck, walking up her front steps. I wait until she's safely inside before driving home, my mind clouded with thoughts of skies and fireflies and paths and the universe.