Feel of the Flesh
Chapter Four
Rhys and Innya lay half-naked on a bed of soft grass, watching the stars dance in their constellations; burning balls of gas moving gracefully across the sky.
"Rhys?" Innya whispered.
"Yeah, babe?"
"Tell me about the Moon again."
Rhys groaned softly.
"Not again. I tell you that one every time we come out here."
"Yes. Please?" Innya begged, rolling over and laying her head on Rhys chest. Rhys sighed, then winked at her.
"Well, long ago, The Moon decided she needed some playmates. So she sent two dancing stars down to earth, and told them to pick what they wanted to be. One of the stars saw a lovely human girl, asleep on a bed.
'Moon? I want to be one of those," she said, motioning towards the girls sleeping form.
The Moon nodded, and spoke to the other star.
'Tell me, O Star, do you want to be a human as well?'
The other star looked at the Moon and twinkled 'no'. He had his eye on a pack of wolves that was running across a field, yelping and baying.
'No, Moon. I want to be one of those.'
Well, the Moon didn't know what to do! So, she thought, and thought, and thought. After a while, she had an idea.
'Stars, you will be Lycans. Half Wolf, and half Human. You will be able to sing and dance and speak, and look like a Mortal Being, whenever you so choose. You will also be able to hunt and run and fight, and be in the image of a Wolf, also whenever you choose. But, whenever my belly is at it's roundest, you must change into your Wolf-Selves, so you can run and play with me.'
The Stars clapped their hands with joy and kissed the ivory cheek of the Moon, who blessed them and sent them on their way. Ever since then, we Wolf-Folk have lived like the humans, and danced with the Moon whenever we can. The end. Satisfied, priss?"
Rhys held her close and picked up a lock of her hair, inhaling contentedly.
All was quiet for a few still moments, then Innya spoke up.
"You think it's true, Rhys?"
"Sure," Rhys shrugged. "I mean, we have some crazy explanations for why we're the way we are. Deformities, genetic mutations, radioactive side-effects, evolution, you name it. Why not pick the pretty one?"
"Why do you think we're here, Rhys?"
He laughed.
Why do you think the humans are here? We're just... here. Might as well make the best of it, right?"
Innya nodded, then pressed her lips to Rhys' hungrily. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and the earthy, bloody taste of him made Innya groan. Two strong hands made their way along her sides, and he sat up, pulling her under him and settling on top when...
Snap!
Both of them bolted upright at the sound of a branch snapping in the forest beside them.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Rhys called, standing up to look around, then moving into a crouch. Rhys yelled one more time, a menacing look coming over his face.
"You better come out!"
Nothing.
Innya stood beside him, and slipped her hand into his.
"Come on, I'm taking you home."
Rhys tightened his grip on her hand, and they started the short trek back to Innya's house. When they arrived everything was still, and two story, wooden house was quiet as a tomb. Rhys helped her into her room, and stood there, a worried look playing in his eyes.
"You lock the window, okay? Someone was out there."
"I will, baby. You be careful going home."
"Don't worry about me."
Rhys moved in for one last kiss, then took off, pausing briefly behind a large Ceder tree to remove his holey blue jeans and shudder into his Wolf-Self. Innya smiled at the huge black wolf she loved, and rolled her eyes as she realized that he was going to stay and patrol the house. Shutting and locking the window, she quickly stripped out of the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing and collapsed into bed.
As long as Rhys was out there, she knew she would be safe.
No matter what--or who-- had been watching them.
'
"Rhys?" Innya whispered.
"Yeah, babe?"
"Tell me about the Moon again."
Rhys groaned softly.
"Not again. I tell you that one every time we come out here."
"Yes. Please?" Innya begged, rolling over and laying her head on Rhys chest. Rhys sighed, then winked at her.
"Well, long ago, The Moon decided she needed some playmates. So she sent two dancing stars down to earth, and told them to pick what they wanted to be. One of the stars saw a lovely human girl, asleep on a bed.
'Moon? I want to be one of those," she said, motioning towards the girls sleeping form.
The Moon nodded, and spoke to the other star.
'Tell me, O Star, do you want to be a human as well?'
The other star looked at the Moon and twinkled 'no'. He had his eye on a pack of wolves that was running across a field, yelping and baying.
'No, Moon. I want to be one of those.'
Well, the Moon didn't know what to do! So, she thought, and thought, and thought. After a while, she had an idea.
'Stars, you will be Lycans. Half Wolf, and half Human. You will be able to sing and dance and speak, and look like a Mortal Being, whenever you so choose. You will also be able to hunt and run and fight, and be in the image of a Wolf, also whenever you choose. But, whenever my belly is at it's roundest, you must change into your Wolf-Selves, so you can run and play with me.'
The Stars clapped their hands with joy and kissed the ivory cheek of the Moon, who blessed them and sent them on their way. Ever since then, we Wolf-Folk have lived like the humans, and danced with the Moon whenever we can. The end. Satisfied, priss?"
Rhys held her close and picked up a lock of her hair, inhaling contentedly.
All was quiet for a few still moments, then Innya spoke up.
"You think it's true, Rhys?"
"Sure," Rhys shrugged. "I mean, we have some crazy explanations for why we're the way we are. Deformities, genetic mutations, radioactive side-effects, evolution, you name it. Why not pick the pretty one?"
"Why do you think we're here, Rhys?"
He laughed.
Why do you think the humans are here? We're just... here. Might as well make the best of it, right?"
Innya nodded, then pressed her lips to Rhys' hungrily. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and the earthy, bloody taste of him made Innya groan. Two strong hands made their way along her sides, and he sat up, pulling her under him and settling on top when...
Snap!
Both of them bolted upright at the sound of a branch snapping in the forest beside them.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Rhys called, standing up to look around, then moving into a crouch. Rhys yelled one more time, a menacing look coming over his face.
"You better come out!"
Nothing.
Innya stood beside him, and slipped her hand into his.
"Come on, I'm taking you home."
Rhys tightened his grip on her hand, and they started the short trek back to Innya's house. When they arrived everything was still, and two story, wooden house was quiet as a tomb. Rhys helped her into her room, and stood there, a worried look playing in his eyes.
"You lock the window, okay? Someone was out there."
"I will, baby. You be careful going home."
"Don't worry about me."
Rhys moved in for one last kiss, then took off, pausing briefly behind a large Ceder tree to remove his holey blue jeans and shudder into his Wolf-Self. Innya smiled at the huge black wolf she loved, and rolled her eyes as she realized that he was going to stay and patrol the house. Shutting and locking the window, she quickly stripped out of the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing and collapsed into bed.
As long as Rhys was out there, she knew she would be safe.
No matter what--or who-- had been watching them.
'