Sequel: Chasing the Moon ›
Pup Among the Big Dogs
Lovely Chats to Pass the Time
"Come on, Isabel. Haven't we been at this long enough?" He was so impatient. "We came in the morning and now the sun is setting!"
"I want to do it!" I protested, panting for breath. "I don't understand! I want it and I can envision it, but why can't I just do it?! This is all I asked for! Just to let me do this!" I was sweating and my body couldn't take much more of this. I was even panting for crying out loud.
I'd get so close to phasing, but then something would poof! and I'd be back where I started; a normal human girl. The only difference was how much energy I had left. I could barely stand by now, but I wouldn't give up. No way.
"You're giving up," Ian told me.
"No, I'm not," I growled between clenched teeth. I tried once more and I had a tail that time—the right kind of tail at least—but I failed again and I fell to my knees, panting.
"Come on, Izzy. You're trying so hard but it's not going to happen: you don't have enough energy. You've wasted enough time now let's go." I tried again and he sighed deeply. "You look like a dog in heat for crying out loud!"
"Do not!" I shouted, standing back up from yet another failed attempt. "You're a rotten liar!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if tons of male werewolves came right now and forgot all about their oaths to other women."
"Oh come on. You're exaggerating," I told him. Okay, he had my attention now. While he bored me to death with a story, I could get some energy back and try again.
"Oh no, I am only telling the complete truth." He took a breath and all I had to do was lean back and enjoy. He wasn't getting me from here, but at least I was taking a break.
"Really now, Ian."
And that sent the time bomb off. He was in talking mode and nothing would shut him up now. That was one of the things I knew about this guy from the time we spent together: once he got started, he wasn't stopping until he was done.
"You don't seem to grasp that you're not with humans any more. We take the opportunity when we see another werewolf in heat. We have the intention of passing along our genes, not just get pleasure. I can guarantee, no one wastes money on birth control here.
"And when a male senses that a female near is in heat, his instincts tell him it's time to mate. Now since he is usually given to another woman, he needs to make sure he doesn't mate with her, for that is scandalous and completely against our tribes beliefs. What if another woman other than his intended mate got pregnant with his pups? That would be bad.
"See, you girls have it easy really. You're want—more so like a need—to mate is less than a guy's."
"Not different there," I mumbled. He glared at me and I apologized. "Sorry, do continue."
"Alright, I will. How about an example? Let's say you were in heat. I could smell it and instantly my instinct would tell me that you're ready to be with child. Now if you didn't want a litter, which I'm sure is going to be a case here since I doubt you'll fall in love with me in oh," he paused to sniff the air, "a week, maybe less. I'll try not to ravish you, but I don't know how strong this desire will be: I made sure not to go around any women while you were gone. So you'll have to forgive me if my testosterone gets the better of me."
"You done?" I asked, stretching.
"Yes. I think I made my point very clear." He smiled and he looked completely pleased with himself.
"Now that you're done speaking about things that you will not be doing for quite some time longer, I'm going to continue."
"You're pushing yourself too much, dear. Please stop."
I ignored him, naturally, and tried again. I was probably up to halfway before my body started giving out. No way, I was way too close to being able to do it: there was no way I would give up now. I pushed myself more.
"Isabel! Please stop this! You might end up hurting yourself!"
I should have listened to him: he meant well. But I was so close. I was so very close, but something went wrong. My legs buckled and I failed again. I couldn't even stand up and I tried to remain focused but it was physically impossible. My eyelids overcame my eyes and I slipped into darkness.
"I want to do it!" I protested, panting for breath. "I don't understand! I want it and I can envision it, but why can't I just do it?! This is all I asked for! Just to let me do this!" I was sweating and my body couldn't take much more of this. I was even panting for crying out loud.
I'd get so close to phasing, but then something would poof! and I'd be back where I started; a normal human girl. The only difference was how much energy I had left. I could barely stand by now, but I wouldn't give up. No way.
"You're giving up," Ian told me.
"No, I'm not," I growled between clenched teeth. I tried once more and I had a tail that time—the right kind of tail at least—but I failed again and I fell to my knees, panting.
"Come on, Izzy. You're trying so hard but it's not going to happen: you don't have enough energy. You've wasted enough time now let's go." I tried again and he sighed deeply. "You look like a dog in heat for crying out loud!"
"Do not!" I shouted, standing back up from yet another failed attempt. "You're a rotten liar!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if tons of male werewolves came right now and forgot all about their oaths to other women."
"Oh come on. You're exaggerating," I told him. Okay, he had my attention now. While he bored me to death with a story, I could get some energy back and try again.
"Oh no, I am only telling the complete truth." He took a breath and all I had to do was lean back and enjoy. He wasn't getting me from here, but at least I was taking a break.
"Really now, Ian."
And that sent the time bomb off. He was in talking mode and nothing would shut him up now. That was one of the things I knew about this guy from the time we spent together: once he got started, he wasn't stopping until he was done.
"You don't seem to grasp that you're not with humans any more. We take the opportunity when we see another werewolf in heat. We have the intention of passing along our genes, not just get pleasure. I can guarantee, no one wastes money on birth control here.
"And when a male senses that a female near is in heat, his instincts tell him it's time to mate. Now since he is usually given to another woman, he needs to make sure he doesn't mate with her, for that is scandalous and completely against our tribes beliefs. What if another woman other than his intended mate got pregnant with his pups? That would be bad.
"See, you girls have it easy really. You're want—more so like a need—to mate is less than a guy's."
"Not different there," I mumbled. He glared at me and I apologized. "Sorry, do continue."
"Alright, I will. How about an example? Let's say you were in heat. I could smell it and instantly my instinct would tell me that you're ready to be with child. Now if you didn't want a litter, which I'm sure is going to be a case here since I doubt you'll fall in love with me in oh," he paused to sniff the air, "a week, maybe less. I'll try not to ravish you, but I don't know how strong this desire will be: I made sure not to go around any women while you were gone. So you'll have to forgive me if my testosterone gets the better of me."
"You done?" I asked, stretching.
"Yes. I think I made my point very clear." He smiled and he looked completely pleased with himself.
"Now that you're done speaking about things that you will not be doing for quite some time longer, I'm going to continue."
"You're pushing yourself too much, dear. Please stop."
I ignored him, naturally, and tried again. I was probably up to halfway before my body started giving out. No way, I was way too close to being able to do it: there was no way I would give up now. I pushed myself more.
"Isabel! Please stop this! You might end up hurting yourself!"
I should have listened to him: he meant well. But I was so close. I was so very close, but something went wrong. My legs buckled and I failed again. I couldn't even stand up and I tried to remain focused but it was physically impossible. My eyelids overcame my eyes and I slipped into darkness.