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Buster's Story

By: Jaisen



As promised, here is the first installment of Buster's Story. It is nearly 100 years in the past. This is as much a voyage for me as it is for you. I hope you enjoy the story. It is a little slower paced. Let me know what you think.




He ran through the woods, not caring that he scared deer or elk out of their daytime hides. He ran for the pure enjoyment of moving. Leaves rustled as he ran through them. Then the scent hit his nose. He came to a dead halt and practically fell on his snout. "Female-in season" he thought. He turned and loped along following the scent. He found the places she'd marked as she peed. He rolled in it and continued to follow the scent trail. 

The woods thinned and opened out into a huge alpine meadow. Looking across the open space, he saw movement off to one side. He crouched as he entered the tall grass. Inching forward towards that enticing scent. He was close enough to hear her panting in the heat of the day. Arching up out of the grass, he pounced and caught her by surprise. She yelped and scrambled out from under him. Once she gained her feet, she ran. 

He chased her, almost nipping at her hind legs. She dodged, then bounced left, heading into the woods. He followed. Heading back out to the meadow, she ran flat out across it. He followed. Being bigger and stronger, he caught up with her at last and with a swipe of his head, he knocked her legs out from under her.

This time, she didn't run. Instead, she bumped noses with him and then they circled each other warily. His nose went under her tail and licked her. She shied away, but didn't run. He licked her again, and this time she stood still, lifting her tail off to one side. He mounted her and slid in deep. After a few strokes, he felt the knot form. His forelegs gripped her hips as he sunk his teeth into her neck ruff. "Mine!" he thought as his seed filled her. 

*

He woke up in the meadow, naked and sticky from the sex. He looked around, but saw no one. Sitting up, he shook his head and laughed. "Damn! Sex I don't remember," he thought looking down at his crotch. He looked around for any signs of his mysterious partner. Nothing. He shifted back to wolf form and headed back to his cabin.

He got there just as twilight claimed the valley. It took him a moment, but he shifted back to his human form and went into the cabin. 

"Where you been?" his brother asked.

"Went running. Found something sweet, but it was him, not me," said Brian. 

"Damn, you have to work on your communication skills Bri," said Kent. This is the third or fourth time you've gone off and had fun and don' remember."

"I know. It's almost more frustrating than being horny," said Brian.

Kent laughed. "Want some bathwater?" he asked.

"Yeah, guess I smell pretty ripe," said Brian.

"Oh yeah. Can't tell if it was another shifter or a real wolf though," said Kent as he sniffed the air around Brian. He went to get some water and put it on the wood stove in the kitchen. 

Brian walked to his bedroom in the cabin and grabbed his towel and toiletries. "I gotta figure this out. Not knowing is gonna get me killed," he thought. He headed off to the back porch where the big wash basin stood on the stand. When the water was boiled, he poured it into the basin and added cold water until the temperature was okay. He washed up and dried off quickly. Grabbing jeans, a flannel shirt and socks, he got dressed and then found his boots. 

"Kent, I'm going to head into town," Brian hollered as he went out the door. 

Kent replied, but Brian couldn't make out what he said as he walked down the road to the small town about a mile away.

*

"Hello Brian," said Sally. She was pouring beers and making whiskey ditches as fast as she could. It was a Friday night and the saloon was busy. 

"Hello Sally," said Brian. "Doin' okay?"

"Yeah, it's busy, but I can handle it," she said as she plunked a beer down in front of Brian. She took his money and headed off down the bar to another customer. 

Brian watched her as she filled orders. None of his friends were in yet. Too early for the towns folk and almost too late for the farmers. He sipped his beer and chatted with Sally between customers. The door swung open and Big Joe and his brothers came inside. They were loud and obnoxious, and headed for the center of the bar. Brian turned away, not wanting to engage them. He and Big Joe had been trading punches ever since they were in diapers. 

"How ya doin' Joe?" asked Sally. She didn't care for them either, but their money spent.

"I'd be doin' a lot better if I had a beer," said Big Joe.

"Coming right up. And the rest of you boys?" she asked.

"Beer," most of them replied. Sally started pouring beers and setting them on the bar.

"If I ever find out what bastard poked our little sister, I'm gonna kill him," said Big Joe.

"We told her to stay home," said a smaller carbon copy of Big Joe.

"Yeah, but when women are in heat, do they ever stay put or do what we tell em?" asked Big Joe.

The men shook their heads. They knew from experience not to disagree with Big Joe. He was a bully in both shapes and they knew it. He was ten kinds of pissed off too, because his little sister had come back from a run in the woods whistling happy tunes. She'd taken a bath in some pond, and they couldn't scent who'd she'd been with. 

"Will she tell Ma?" asked the smallest of the lot.

"Maybe. Ma won't tell us neither," said Big Joe. "When I find out though, and I will, I'm gonna bust his head."

Brian drank his beer, waved at Sally and slipped quietly out of the saloon. He got off the main road fast and headed back to his cabin through the woods. He met Kent just as he came out onto the road in front of the cabin.

"That was damn fast," said Kent. "Only one beer tonight?"

"Yeah. Big Joe and his brothers are at the saloon and complaining about their little sister Natalie being in heat and loosing her virginity," Brian said.

"What?" said Kent stopping dead in the road. "You don't think that was your mystery lady do you?"

"Could be. She came back late in the afternoon after swimming in a stock pond," said Brian.

"Damn! You better be careful. They find out it was you, and you're dead meat," said Kent.

"I don't even know if it was her!" exclaimed Brian.

"Right. You get laid, she looses her virginity on the same day. Can't possibly be happening," said Kent sarcastically.

"Dammit!" said Brian. He headed back to his cabin and went to bed. His head throbbed and he tried not to worry as he attempted to go to sleep. 

*

The families in the small town high in the mountains were almost all shifters. Kent and Brian's parents had moved to the big city a few years ago, leaving the boys with their Grandma Davy to 'keep an eye' on them. She was the midwife for most of the families and along with Doc Anders, kept everyone healthy. Every woman in town came to her when they were expecting. 

She was brewing up her morning tea when there was a knock at her back door.

"Come on in Natalie," she called out.

"How'd ya know it was me?" Natalie asked as she walked into the kitchen. 

"Cause even under all that lilac water, you still smell like the little girl I helped into the world eighteen years ago," said Grandma Davy. "Now what you need?" 

"I...um... I need some pennyroyal tea," she said softly not looking Grandma Davy in the eye.

Grandma Davy walked over and lifted Natalie's head up by her chin. She looked at the girl, sniffed and then turned back to her tea. "Sit down girl, and tell me what's going on," Grandma Davy said. "No lies."

Natalie took the chair opposite Grandma Davy's and accepted the cup of mint tea. She took a sip and then cleared her throat. "I... I came into heat and had sex, but I don't know who with," she said softly. "I'm scared what my brothers will do if they find out. Scared what they'll do to the man too."

"Do you know who it is child?" Grandma Davy asked.

"No, I was... was shifted. I could tell he was a shifter, but I don't know who he is," Natalie said. "And Big Joe is makin' all kinds a noise about killin' the bastard what done it."

"Don't know or won't know?" Grandma Davy asked.

"Honest, I don't know. Scared to find out. So I want some pennyroyal to bring on my moon cycle," Natalie said.

"Moon cycle or abortion?" asked Grandma Davy. She didn't care, but pennyroyal was a harsh way to get rid of a baby. 

"Umm..." was as far as she got before Grandma Davy started staring her down.

"When this happen?" she asked.

"About a week ago," Natalie said. 

"So, you don't even know if you're pregnant and you're already worried?" asked Grandma Davy.

"My ma, she say if you have sex when you're in heat you always get pregnant," said Natalie staring at the floor. 

"Not always, but what's wrong with having a baby?" asked Grandma Davy.

"Nothing except my brothers. They'll kill him. Already said they would," said Natalie. 

"You of age?" asked Grandma Davy.

Natalie nodded. 

"Then they don't have any say over what you do. Why don't you go back to that meadow and see if that young man is hanging out there. See if maybe you might like having a good time. And, if you do miss your cycle, and after you've had some time to think, you come back here," said Grandma Davy. "We'll talk then." With that she stood up and put her cup in the sink. Natalie followed suit and left the kitchen.

Natalie walked up the street with a few new ideas in her head. After she got her chores done for the day she was going for a picnic up in the mountains. Maybe Grandma Davy was right.

*

Brian finished his work and dropped by Grandma Davy's. He or Kent checked in on her a couple times a week to see if she needed firewood or herbs or just wanted some company. She was cooking when he walked in the kitchen and the lamb stew smelled heavenly.

"Afternoon Grandma," he said.

"Hello Brian. You hungry?" she asked.

He nodded and sat down at the table while she ladled up a bowl of thick stew. She set it down with a bread roll and then got herself some.

"What you been up to lately?" she asked.

"Not much. Work, sleepin' and going down to the saloon. Folks is saying that war over in Europe is getting nasty. Lots of guys are joining up," said Brian.

"You thinkin' of joinin' up" asked Grandma Davy.

"Sorta. I don't have anything holdin' me here," he said.

"True, true enough," she replied. 

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Brian sopped up the last of the gravy with the bread and then put the bowl in the sink. 

"Thanks for the stew Grandma," he said.

"You're welcome. You can thank me more by going up to some of the high meadows and bringing me some aspen bark, yarrow and angelica," she said. "Oh and a bit of foxglove if you can find it."

"When do you want it?" Brian asked.

"Tomorrow, next day would be fine," she answered. "Still plenty of light to head up there today." 

"Alright Grandma," said Brian. He gave her a kiss and headed back to his cabin to get a rucksack and gloves. He had a knife on his belt, and within ten minutes he was heading up in the hills.

*

Natalie reached the meadow and found a comfortable spot to spread her blanket. She ate a bit of lunch and then curled up with her book. She must have read Jane Eyre fifteen times, but it it still drew her in like the first time she read it. Sipping water from a flask, she dived into the intrigues of Thornfield Hall. 

*

Brian had all but the angelica when he hit the big meadow. He realized he'd woke up in a patch of it a week ago and headed there. As he started to cross the meadow, he saw someone over by a rock formation. Lifting his head, he tried to catch a scent. Nothing. He walked into the meadow, concentrating on finding the last of the herbs for his grandma and figured he'd say hello once he got nearer.

*

Natalie scented the young man almost before he left the shadows of the trees. He smelled familiar, but so did most of the town. Most people were related some sort of way, and it helped to keep track of who was family or strangers. She watched him picking herbs, and waited until he was closer. 

"Hello," she called having put her book down.

"Hullo," Brian said. He recognized Natalie and walked over to her.

"Pickin' stuff for Grandma Davy?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah. Said she needed herbs and figured I'd help," said Brian.

"Hungry? I got some bread and cheese," she said.

"I'll take a bite of bread," he said. When she got close, something tweaked in the back of his mind. He startled a bit and realized she had too. He took the bread and chewed for a second to think.

"Um, Brian," she started. 

"Yeah," he said hesitantly.

"Were you up here a week or so ago?" asked Natalie.

"Aye," he said. "Was that you in heat?" he asked.

Natalie blushed. She hadn't expected him to be so straight forward. "Aye," she said.

"Um, I'm not sayin' I'm sorry, but my wolf and I don't communicate so well," Brian started.

"Mine neither. Maman says I should talk more to her," started Natalie. "It don' work so good."

"Non. Me-wolf don't talk well. He run hisself and do what he want. Sometimes I know. Otherdays, non. Same here. I know we have sex. Wake up all sticky, feelin' good and no idea who," said Brian slipping more into the Metis patois. 

"I come to shiftin' ina pond. Blood, sex, sweat. Don know who and now have to go face my family? It was hell. Big Joe and my brothers, they are pains and yell at me," said Natale beginning to get upset.

Brian put his basket down and took Natalie in his arms. "You eighteen or seventeen?" he asked.

"Eighteen," she said laying her head against his chest. He smelled so good. Cinnamon, chocolate, woodsmoke and male. She felt herself relaxing in spite of everything.

"I be nineteen. You want to lay down on that blanket and see what our wolves found so good?" he asked. "Damage is done, why not have fun?" he thought. He also bet that Grandma Davy sent him up here knowing she'd be here.

Natalie looked up at him, sniffed deep, kissed him and then took his hand. They lay down on the blanket and began to explore one another. Buttons flew as kisses and hands explored. Brian kicked off his boots and trousers as Natalie pulled off hers. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close as his hands explored the damp cleft between her legs. She moaned as his fingers slid down from her clit to her pussy and slid in. 

"Oh," she mumbled against his skin as he played with her.

Brian felt his cock twitch and thump against his leg and her body. He wanted inside of her. Rolling her onto her back, he moved between her legs and slid into her. The sensations of hot, wet and tight flesh felt so good. So right. He grabbed her hips and thrust rapidly. She reached up to grab his arms and rocked with him. Natalie could feel heat building up in her stomach and before she could take another breath, she felt her orgasm wash over her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

Brian felt Natalie's muscles spasm around his cock and thrust harder as his own orgasm roared up his spine. He came and came. Instead of collapsing down on her, Brian rocked back and pulled her into his arms until she was sitting on his lap. Natalie couldn't move with his cock deep inside of her. When she tried, he shuddered.

"Brian?" she asked wondering what was going on.

"I-the knot, it formed," he gasped. "Can't let go."

Natalie nodded and then to be impish, she rocked back and forth, enjoying the sensation.

"Nnnna-talie!" he gasped. The intense sensations were playing havoc with his body.

"It feel good, aye?" she asked.

"Aye. You want to go home afore dark, we have to make it go down," Brian said.

"It feels good," Natalie said rocking back and forth some more. Better than touching herself.

Brian tried to relax, but Natalie would just start over again. He felt so hard he thought he would burst. Finally, he moved so that they were both on their knees and he started thrusting hard from behind. He'd gotten a second wind.

Natalie moaned, enjoying the earlier slow motion ride and now this. He held her hips tight and bounced against her ass as his second orgasm began to boil up his body. Brian came hard, thrusting so deeply into Natalie that he thought he would break her. Instead, she came harder, almost screaming out her orgasm. The two of them collapsed to the blanket and lay there panting. 

*

Brian was the first one to wake. The sensation of his cock sliding out of Natalie startled him. As he moved, Natalie rolled over and smiled. 

"You mine?" Brian asked.

"Aye. No telling Big Joe until I show," Natalie said. "Then he won' beat you."

Brian nodded. It was normal for people to wait until the woman was pregnant before they announced relationships. It didn't stop sex, but if one or the other was infertile, it didn't cause problems. 

"Not saying anythin'," said Brian. "You come to my cabin at night?" he asked. "Or the meadow?"

"Your cabin. I like beds, not pine cones," she said pulling one out from under her. That made them both smile. 

*

Buster brought Grandma Davy her herbs. After he set them down on the table, he walked over to where she stood at the stove and gave her a hug. "Thank you Grandma," he said.

"For wa.." she started to say, and then the scent of Natalie hit her nose. "Ah, you find that young one up in your meadow? Have a good time?"

"Aye. She's feisty. We make love twice and then we came home," Brian said.

"You tellin' the family?" she asked.

"Non. Gonna wait. See ifin' she's with child first," he said.

"Fine. I don't say nothin'. Wouldn't be the first time. You were a six month baby," she said with a smile.

"I what?" asked Brian. 

"Your parents. They married, she was three-four months pregnant," said Grandma Davy with a smile. "You think you invent sex?"

Brian smiled and shook his head no. "I best go home and wash fore I go to the saloon," he said.

"Better. That Big Joe running around shouting how he kill the man what took Natalie's virginity," she said. "Put this in that water," she said and handed him a small jar of tincture.

"What this?" he asked as he started to open the jar.

"Mint and pine," Grandma Davy said as the scent hit his nose.

"Whoa! No one smell me with that," Brian said.

"That the idea," she said and went back to her cooking.

Brian took the bottle and headed out the door.

*

Three days later, the saloon was hopping. People listening to the radio and Sally serving beer and whiskey ditches as fast as she could.

"A beer Sally," said Brian.

She nodded. Setting down the beer, she nodded her head towards the crowd around the radio. "You heard the latest?" she asked.

"Non," said Brian.

"They forming the Canadian Expedition Force. Calling for volunteers and them is trying to decide if they should go," said Sally.

"Yeah. Don' know if they should go as soldiers or dogs," said a very old man.

Brian shook his head, grabbed his beer and walked over to the crowd around the radio.

"Sure I'm going!" said one man.

"Well, someone's gotta stay here. Winter'll be hard," said another.

"Me, my brothers, we all sign up," said Big Joe. He thumped his nearest sibling on the shoulder and made him spill his beer. 

"You sure you want do that?" asked another man. You shift in battle, they shoot you."

"Yeah, but we don' go, it gonna look funny. People call us cowardly. Can't have that. Can't live like that," said the first man.

"You be smart, you go in a group. All same battalion. Keep eye on who shifts, who don't. Make sure no one get hurt, or be wrong shape, wrong time," said an older man. 

"He's right. Plus, those krauts, they don' speak Metis. We can..." the man started before another one cut him off.

"You don' parle kraut!" the man said.


Buster's Story Ch. 02



This chapter took a while. I had to do more research than I normally do in order to get the mindset and flavor right for WWI. It was not a pretty war. Although dear readers you won't receive this for a few days, I finished it on Veterans Day. My partner, a Marine (as there is no such thing as an ex-marine), has been very good in helping me work through some of the chapter. I hope you enjoy the continuing tale of Buster. Please comment as I enjoy your opinions.

Forty men became three hundred by the time they reached the nearest big city. Each little railway station had men standing there waiting to join the Great War. Instead of heading west to the coast, all the men wanting to enlist were being shipped to Valcartier, west of Quebec City. Soon it wasn't just a carload, but entire trains of men heading to the Army camp.

Valcartier was a mix of tents, cabins and barracks buildings. Brian, Kent, Big Joe and his brothers as well as the forty men from their village melded into the masses of men. To their credit, the Army clerks kept men together. When two of the village men were due to go to a different barracks, five others went with them.

Brian and the others spent the next few months learning to be soldiers. It was hard work. Marching and listening to orders was frustrating. Shooting was one thing they were all good at which made them raise in the ranks faster than others. When rations got short, none of them had any problems shifting to catch a rabbit. When their luck was good, they'd bring a few back to the kitchen for everyone else. No one questioned a few teethmarks.

Brian opened the letter from Natalie. It was only the third one he'd gotten from her.

Dearest Brian,

I miss you so much. Especially when the weather closes in and we can't leave the cabin easily. The baby is growing well Grandma Davy says. I should have the baby in late June or early July. I am looking forward to the warm spring weather. Maman got the letter from Big Joe and is now happy. I know you can't tell me when you are leaving or where you are going, but be careful. Don't forget who you are. Don't forget to come home to me.

Love,

Natalie

He read it twice more and then folded it away with the others. It had taken a month to reach him. He knew what she meant when she said not to forget. One of the men from a nearby village had shifted when the artillery training started. Big Joe caught him and it took three days for him to settle down long enough to shift back. Luckily, the other men covered for him.

"Hey, Rifleman Davy!" shouted a corporal from the doorway.

"Yes Sir!" Brian said saluting him.

"Get your men ready. In formation, with gear by noon. You're shipping out," the corporal said and left.

Brian ran for where the rest of the men were sitting in the break room.

*

The SS Missanable should have been called the Miserable. Brian spent most of the voyage vomiting, avoiding others that were vomiting or cleaning up vomit. When if finally docked, men kissed the wharf. From there they were trucked to the Salisbury Plain for more training. It was wet, cold and the men were miserable. Finally, they were shipped across the Channel and into France. As they moved forward across the landscape, they were able to see trench warfare first hand. In the distance, the crump of artillary could be heard.

"What is that smell?" Big Joe asked as they marched.

"Dead bodies. When the mortars hit the trenches, they don't always find all the bits. They say half the mud out there is really rotten bodies," said another man.

"That's horrid," said another.

"Yeah, but just wait. Wait until you have to start trench raids," said the first.

"Trench raids?" asked Brian.

"Aye, it's where you sneak out at night and attack a trench on the other side. You kill everyone in the trench and steal food, maps, weapons and anything you can get your hands on before they find you or kill you," the first man said.

"Sounds like sneaky work," said Big Joe. "Maybe better done on four legs," he thought. He gave Brian and Kent a look and the men nodded. During training, they had practiced shifting and working in amongst the troops. Each Brigade had a number of dogs, and as they were big rough animals, the shifters had no trouble mingling with them.

"What town are we near?" asked Kent.

"That general said we were goin' to Ypres," said Big Joe. He pointed towards the area where more soldiers had begun to mass.

*

Brian hunkered down in the trench. The smell of loose bowels, blood and gunpowder rolled through the trenches. He waited until the shelling stopped and then ran further along the trenches, trying to get away from the stench. He ran into another rifleman who had lost his head. Literally. The body was still standing against the wall of the trench. Farther along was a man crying over the loss of his foot. Brian just kept moving as he knew there was nothing to do for him. Life over the last two years has been horrific. Racing into the headquarters bunker, he saluted and then kept on moving. The messages in his bag would do nothing for those bleeding to death in that bunker. He finally reached a headquarters bunker were there were more living than dead.  

"Sir! Instructions from Battalion, Sir!" he called out hoping to be heard over the noise. A captain turned, took the message and then pointed to a small stove.

"Help yourself Rifleman, you look half starved," he said.

"Thank you Sir!" said Brian and grabbed a bowl and took some of the stew from the pot. By this point, they all knew not to ask what kind of meat was used. Cat, dog, rat, rabbit or goat was common. Rat of course being the most common. Brian didn't care, he just ate. When he was done, he checked to see what messages needed to go and headed back. This time, the footless man was gone and the headless corpse had fallen into the muck.

*

"Brian, you awake?" asked Big Joe.

"Aye, now. What's going on?" Brian asked.

"Trench raids. You, me, Kent, Bizzet, two three others," Big Joe said.

"All shifters?" Brian asked.

"Aye. We do better. Don make no noise, don shoot dogs, aye?" said Big Joe.

"No, Them Krauts don shoot dogs. Hell, last time one fed me half his dinner," said Brian.

Both armies sent men across No Man's Land at night to raid the trenches. Guns were left behind, and the common weapon was the knife. Silent and swift. Grenades were for covering escapes if you were caught. Brian and his men were very good at trench raids. No one knew how they did it either. They got results and that was all that counted. It had started at Ypres, when none of them had expected the horrors of the trenches. Big Joe still wouldn't talk about the man who literally exploded in front of him. No one teased Big Joe about shitting himself either. After the Battle of the Somme, Brian's battalion had a routine down that worked. Now they were at Vimy Ridge.

The shelling had eased up and six men slipped along the trenches. At the farthest reaches of the trenches, the men stripped and shifted. Six low shapes hugged the shadows and slipped into the trenches.

Wolf sniffed the air. Carrion, dung, food. He loped along behind the others. The trenches branched and two wolves slipped down the right one. Wolf kept going. The high pitch of an incoming shell whistled above. Wolf crouched. Light ahead. Wolf smelled men and food. He buffed quietly and the other wolves turned towards the bunker.

Creeping into the bunker, Wolf saw three humans. Eating and not watching the door. He sprang and attacked the first man. Screams rent the air as the other two wolves attacked as well. In a few minutes, three dead bodies lay in the bunker. Wolf sniffed at the food bowls. Fish. He gulped it down and nodded to the others. They ate well. It was quiet and then Wolf shifted.

Brian stood naked amongst the carnage. The wolves that were Big Joe and Bizzet watched the doors. Brian went through the papers and found dispatches and maps. He put them in a bag and put it over his head. He shifted back.

Wolf chaffed at the bag around his neck, but they headed back the way they'd come. The other wolves waited for them and they exited the trenches the way they had come. Once on the other side, they shifted again.

"Aye, Brian, wipe the blood off your chin," said Bizzet. He handed Brian his handkerchief. Brian wiped his face and handed it back.

"Thanks. Give me the papers and I'll take them to headquarters," said Brian. It had been a profitable raid. Fifteen dead and a bunch of papers. On top of that, most of them had gotten something to eat. He headed the headquarters bunker. Halfway there, he heard a noise. He froze and sniffed the air.

"Fish?" he thought for a second. Then it hit him. Germans had invaded the trench! He dropped his bag of treasures in a corner, stripped off his clothes and shifted. As the first German came around the corner, he leapt. The German died, his throat ripped out. Wolf crouched and waited for the next man to round the corner. This one came low, realizing something was wrong. Wolf waited.

"Hans? Wo bist du?" the man whispered.

Wolf growled softly, and watched the man creep forward. Wolf smelled the air and realized that there were two more behind this one. He waited. When the man came to the body of the first one, he started to cry out. Wolf dropped on him and broke his neck. Then he retreated to the shadows. The next two were easy. Wolf sniffed the air and smelt no more fish. He shifted back.

Brian reclaimed his clothes and the pouch. He ran towards the headquarters bunker reaching it without incident. "Rifleman Davy reporting Sir!" he said.

"Yes Davy, what this time?" asked the captain at the table.

"Trench raid Sir. Here's the stuff we grabbed and what four Krauts tried to take from us," Brian said.

"Krauts? In the trench?" asked the captain.

"Yes Sir. They're dead Sir. Think one of the dogs attacked them. Throats torn out Sir," said Brian looking straight ahead.

"Thank you Davy. Oh, reminds me. Got a letter for you. Been floating around a while, but figured you might want it," said the captain handing over an onionskin envelope.

"Thank you Sir," said Brian who took the letter and left the bunker. He ran back to his bunker and crouched next to a candle to read the letter.

Dearest Brian,

Our Jenny is such a sweet baby. Did you get the other letter with her picture? She has your smile and my eyes. Grandma Davy says she look like your maman. I don know, cause I never seen her. Ifin' she look like a sweeter version of you, then Jenny does. I am making dresses from feed sacks for Jenny. Everything is rationed, but they can't ration feed sacks. You got to have somethin' to put grain and flour in to sell. We been spinning wool, but that too rough on Jenny's skin.

We got word that George and Joaquin died. They don send back no bodies cause from what we can guess, they died in those trenches. Hope you are not in those trenches.

I love you and want this war to get over soon so you can come home. I want to run in the forest with you and play in our meadow,

Love,

Natalie.

Brian cried softly. He folded the letter up and kissed it. Then he put it with the other letters he had gotten from Natalie. This was the first one in months. He hadn't heard of the baby's birth or even knew her name. Now he knew that he had a daughter named Jenny, who looked like his maman.

"Letter from home?" Big Joe asked.

Brian nodded. "I am a proud papa of a baby girl named Jenny," he said. With that, he rolled over and went to sleep.

*

Guns shattered Brian's sleep. He woke with a start and felt around for his possessions. Tin hat, gun, tucker bag and knife. Dirt rained down on him. The mud at his feet sucked up the debris. He looked around for his bunker mates. Big Joe, Kent, Bizzet, Hank and a few others were doing the same thing. They scrambled to the edge of the trench and peeked over.

"How long they been softening up them Krauts?" asked Hank.

This be the third day. I think all they do is churn up that mud and try to make Kraut soup," said Big Joe. He turned to Brian for direction.

"Grab what there is to eat and keep low. Lots of gas yesterday, and those Welsh, they be digging those sapper tunnels. Gonna blow up the Krauts from underneath," said Brian. He'd sewn or Corporal and still didn't like it. Made him feel responsible when people died. Too many fresh over from Canada or England died first day in the trenches.

The eighteen pounders thundered and Brian used a mirror to see what was going on. The Krauts were laying low and not firing yet. When it did, all they could do was hope to stay clear of the shells. The guns increased. Bizzet started to howl. Brian crawled over to him and put his hand on the man's back.

"Settle down. You go crazy, they shoot you. Say some Kraut do it," whispered Brian. He hugged the man and did his best to settle him. All of them had issues shifting. Bizzet was grasping at a thin strand of sanity. No letters from home, too many men blown up in his face, and the wolf within just wanted to escape. Brian didn't blame him. They'd all had enough. He just hoped that this battle here in Passchendaele would be the last. Bizzet turned into Brian and started to cry. Brian just held him. Twice Brian had been caught in wolf form by an English officer. One he almost got shot. Big Joe had thought fast and called out "Buster!" to him and pretended that he was a mascot or a working dog. The nickname had stuck, and sometimes Brian worked the trenches as Buster.

Big Joe looked up and down the trenches. Nothing. Men crouched against the walls of dirt waiting to die. "How many times we gonna fight over this piece of mud?" he said.

"No idea," said Kent. I'm so tired of eating mud, wearing mud, drinking mud and sleepin' in the damn stuff."

"Hell, we go home I'm gonna be mud colored," said Brian. They all nodded.

"Where we suppos to fight today?" asked Kent.

"Hill 52 if this is November 10th," said Big Joe.

"Aye," said Brian. "Think it is the 10th."

The men waited until the call to arms came. The artillery guns had fired all day. When the guns fell silent, the gunfire from rifles began. Brian and his men had learned to stick an extra helmet up and fire from behind it to avoid head shots. The captains called for an assault on the last of the Krauts in the village of Passchendaele. Brian and his men followed their captain. They dodged from cover to cover until there was no return fire. The few Krauts that were left were surrendering. The battle was won.

*

Natalie and Grandma Davy listened to the radio as the peace treaty was explained. The war was over. Now all they could do was wait and see who would come home. So far there had been ten death notices that had arrived by telegram. Each time, a mother or wife howled in the night, crying her sorrow.

Every day, they looked off towards the rail line to see if their men were coming home. Natalie couldn't take the pressure and had begun to leave the baby with her maman at night and went running in the woods. Sometimes she brought down a deer which fed the families. Other nights she simply ran.

She came round the barn to see something move in the shadows. Two-leg! She sniffed the air. Wet clothing, male, stranger. She crawled on her belly to get closer. The stranger was between her and the cabin. Creeping close to the porch, she was ready to pounce when the light caught the stranger's face. Her mate!

Brian was trying to look in the windows of the cabin. He hadn't written, guessing that he'd get home before the letter did, so he didn't know if Natalie would be home or with her maman. Just as he began to step up on the porch, he heard a growl and turned. A wolf knocked him to the ground and was licking his face and whining a high pitched noise all at the same time.

She licked his face and tried to roll in his scent all at the same time. He was making noises and she didn't care and couldn't care. She was just so happy to see him.

"Natalie! Shift back sweetheart!" Brian was yelling. He was laughing and realized that she was so happy, she couldn't. He finally got to his feet and made it up to the cabin door with the wolf doing the happy dance all around his legs. "Natalie! Shift!" he finally growled.

She stopped. Her mate was mad at her? No! He wants me to shift!" she thought. It finally got through her head what he was saying. She shivered and shifted. Natalie stood naked on the front porch and threw her arms around Brian.

He carried her inside and the two of them stood there in front of the fire holding on to one another and crying.

*

"Oh Brian, I ..." Natalie started only to be stopped by his kisses. He held her so tight that the medals on his chest poked her. Her hands held tightly to him as they devoured each other with kisses.

After nearly five minutes, he finally let go of her long enough to speak.

"I have missed you so much and was so afraid that I'd die in that rotten war," he said as he smoothed her hair back from her head.

"Every time a telegram came, I worried it would be for me," Natalie said. "Maman got three, and she would be a wreck for days."

"Where is Jenny?" Brian asked as he realized he didn't hear a baby or anyone else in the cabin.

"She's with Maman. I've been a mess. Don hear from you, so I go runnin' in the woods at night," said Natalie. She grabbed her bathrobe and slippers as it was cold in the cabin even with the fire. "You want we go get her?"

"Aye and non. I'm first home. Your brothers and more come home tomorrow, next week. I couldn't wait. I packed my bag, shifted and ran most of the way home. Trains too damn slow," said Brian still looking at Natalie trying to commit each cell of her to his memory as if she might disappear and he wake up from this wonderful dream still in the mud of France.

"Then if no one come home, you are mine tonight. Jenny she is a very bossy little girl. You will love her, but tonight, you can love me," said Natalie. She took Brian by the hand and led him to the bedroom. As she lit the lamp, he could see that there were dolls and books scattered around the room.

"Ah, Jenny will have to have a new bed aye?" said Brian.

"Aye. I said she is very bossy. Very loved too. Her Grand-mere Celia gives into her and Mamie Davy spoil her rotten," said Natalie as she began to undress Brian. "And she has Grand-pere Martin wrapped around her little finger."

Brian laughed thinking about two of the sternest women in the town letting a little girl rule them. He helped Natalie ease off his tunic and then sat to undo his puttees and boots. Once those were off, he took off his trousers. He stood up to take off his union suit. Natalie dropped her bathrobe and crawled onto the bed. Brian climbed into bed wearing nothing but his socks.

As they cuddled, and touched for the first time in years, Natalie noticed new scars that weren't there before. She also noticed how thin yet muscular he had become.

"Din they feed you?" she asked.

"Not near enough. Big Joe and I'd go huntin when we dare. Still not enough. Or too cold or wet to cook," Brian said remembering the mud and stench that would turn his stomach. Or, the maggots that would have taken over the food before it could be eaten. He shuddered.

"It don matter. You are home. Safe. I have missed you. Missed touching you," Natalie said as her hand traced down his chest to his cock which was throbbing against her body.

"I have dreamt of you so often that I almost don know if you are real," he said as his hands cradled her against him.

"I am real," Natalie said as she wiggled down under the covers and licked his cock and then took it in her mouth.




Buster's Story Ch. 02



"Oh!" he moaned. "Take it easy Nat. I don have no one but my hand all this time."

"You don go the whores like Big Joe?" she asked as she kissed his stomach.

"Non! I go look and Big Joe there growling at me," he said trying to work his hands between her legs.

"Big Joe still a big bully?" asked Natalie as she move back up the bed and into Brian's waiting hands.

"Non, just with me and your honor," Brian said. His fingers found what he'd been hunting for and missing so long. Natalie was wet and his fingers soon had her moaning and rubbing against his hand. Brian could take it no longer and moved between Natalie's legs. After positioning himself, he thrust deep into Natalie's pussy.

"Ah," Natalie gasped. "So much better than my fingers," she thought. Grabbing Brian she held on as he slowly increased his rhythm until the bed was bouncing as hard as it could against the wall. Natalie felt that heat build up in her middle that had been almost forgotten. She keened her orgasm as it washed through her.

Brian felt and then heard Natalie orgasm. Biting his lip, he tried to hold off, but couldn't.

"Grrrrrrrahhh," he growled and came so hard he almost blacked out. As he tried to roll off, he realized the knot had formed and they were stuck fast. He began to giggle. Natalie joined him as they lay on the bed.

*

The two of them made love five times before finally falling asleep. Brian woke to the smell of real coffee, bacon and potatoes cooking. He stretched, washed up in the basin and then dressed. He put his uniform back on as he had nothing else.

"Smells good Nat," he said as he walked up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.

"I feed you and then we go see Grandma Davy and get Jenny from Maman," said Natalie. She'd had plenty of time to figure out how to visit people this morning. She knew that by the time they'd visited Grandma Davy, that the whole village would know and wonder when the rest of the men would be home. Soon she hoped, and no more telegrams with bad news.

Brian ate more than he'd managed in weeks. The trip home on the ship was nearly as bad as the one to Europe. Then he'd ridden the train only long enough to clear the big cities. After that, he'd run most of the way home. It was a long trip made longer by the desire to be home.

Natalie watched him as he ate. She still couldn't believe he was home. She'd woke many times in the night just to make sure it wasn't a dream. Each time he'd taken her again. She smiled as tender bits rubbed on the chair.

"I can't eat any more," said Brian. He put his plate in the sink and grabbed his great coat. Natalie grabbed her coat and hat and they headed to Grandma Davy's.

*

Grandma Davy had just sat down with her tea when there was a knock on her door. She decided her nose must be deceiving her, and went to answer it rather than just calling out for whoever it was to enter. She opened the door to see Brian standing there and nearly fainted.

"Brian!" she cried as he wrapped her in his arms.

"Grandma Davy, I have missed you," he said as they came in and shut the door.

"Are all the men back?" she asked as they sat at the kitchen table. She pulled her chair close so that she didn't need to let go of his hand.

"Non, I am the first. I run all the way home as far as I can," he said.

"Oh. Oh my. Is Kent comin home?" she asked.

Aye. He be home today or tomorrow. So will Big Joe and most his brothers. Hank come home soon and Bizzet. Bizzet, he have troubles. He,..." Brian trailed off not knowing what to say about his friend.

"He and his wolf want to run away?" Grandma Davy asked.

"Aye. Too much noise, too many dead. He cries when alone and think no one hear him," said Brian.

"We take care of him," said Grandma Davy. "We take care of all our men." Grandma Davy had followed the war very carefully and knew more than the rest what kind of horrors the men had faced. Two letters had already arrived about Bizzet and two other men. She didn't let Brian know that.

They talked for a little longer and then said their goodbyes. Brian was anxious to meet his daughter and Grandma Davy knew she had to make sure her medicinal stores were up to what was coming home.

*

A little girl was playing in the snow out in front of the cabin where Celia and Martin lived. She was playing with two little boys and pelting them with snowballs.

"Jenny!" Natalie called as she held Brian's hand.

The little girl looked up and saw her mother. She smiled and then realized that there was a man with her. Walking up to the couple, she sniffed the air and tilted her head to one side trying to puzzle out who the man was.

"Maman, who is that wif you?" she asked.

"This is your Papa. He is home from the war," said Natalie.

Jenny walked up to the man who had crouched down to her height. He held very still, amazed at how much she looked like Natalie. She took her mother's hand and looked intensely at the man.

"Papa?" Jenny asked holding out her hand to touch him.

"Yes Jenny, I am your Papa," he said. "It is very nice to meet you at long last." Brian wanted to scoop her up and yet knew better. He remembered his own fears at meeting relatives when he was younger. Instead, he held out his hand to Jenny.

Jenny took his hand and looked at it and then very slowly sniffed him. "You must be my Papa. You smell like the flannel shirt Maman keeps in her pillow and cries with late at night when she thinks I am asleep," she said.

Natalie choked back a tear and looked at Brian. Brian stood and stroked her face. Then he held out both hands to Jenny with an unspoken question.

Jenny smiled and walked into his hands to be picked up. Brian held her close, sniffing her scent to lock it in his memory and then wrapped one arm around Natalie so that all of them were hugging.

"Jenny! Where are you?" called Celia. The boys had come running in without her and she had come looking for the little girl who was both the love and bane of her life. She saw the two adults and Jenny in their arms. She recognized who it was and fainted.

*

"Maman!" Natalie said as she patted her mother's face. They had run to where Celia had fallen in the snow after hearing her call Jenny.

"Natalie, is it true? Is that Brian?" she asked trying to focus her eyes.

"Yes Maman. He came home last night. Says the boys will be home soon," said Natalie.

Brian offered his mother a hand up out of the snow. No sooner was she on her feet than she wrapped him in her arms tightly. She then patted his face and began to usher all of them into the house.

Martin spilled his coffee when he saw who had come in the door and then patted Brian on the back as Jenny ran in circles around the four adults hollering that her Papa was home.

*

By noon the word had spread that Brian was home. Everyone had finally congregated in the saloon as it was the only place big enough for everyone. Jenny wouldn't let Brian out of her sight, and Natalie wasn't much better. Sally was pouring beer as fast as she could. Two of the wives had cranked up the truck and driven towards the railway station to see if any of the others had arrived home.

Conversations were interrupted by hugs, backslaps and kisses. Brian wasn't sure it had been such a good thing to come home alone, but then again, he'd never give up the feeling of having Natalie and Jenny in his arms.

Celia and the other women had just begun to set out food when they heard a truck horn honking off in the distance. Everyone went out to see what was coming down the road. It was the two wives that had left earlier and in the back of the truck were ten men in uniform.

Cheers went up as the men jumped down from the truck and families reunited. Brian stood there watching who got off.

"Buster! You bastard! You run home?" called Big Joe as he scooped up his mother and headed for the porch where everyone stood.

"Aye, couldn't take it no more," said Brian.

"Buster?" asked Natalie.

"Your man here so dumb, he forget to shift back. Gets caught by an English officer and I have to pretend he one of the dogs," said Big Joe with a laugh. "So now he have to patrol every few nights as Buster to keep from letting people know wrong things." Big Joe kissed his mother and then took a beer from Sally who kissed him too.

Brian nodded. He looked around and realized that someone was missing. Someone who should have been with this bunch.

"Big Joe, where is Kent? Bizzet too?" he asked quietly.

"Bizzet, he lost it. Kent he got him off the train. Coming home with him like you did," said Big Joe.

"How far behind?" asked Brian.

"Two days? One? I don know how long they run," Big Joe said. "Kent a good man. He'll take care of him. You tell Grandma Davy about Bizzet yet?"

"Yes. She knew fore I told her. Tried not to show it, but she did. Mebbe the doctors write to her?" Brian asked.

"Mebbe. He howl too much. You let me know when they get home if I don see them first," said Big Joe.

Brian nodded. They went in to get something to eat and every couple of hours another man or two trailed into the saloon to be welcomed home. He asked quietly, but no one had seen the two missing men. When it was dark, Martin drove the truck back to the railway station to wait for men. Brian, Jenny and Natalie headed home.

Jenny was tucked up in a trundle bed next to the fire. Brian and Natalie sat nearby and talked quietly.

"Bizzet went crazy?" she asked.

"Yes. Like I tol Grandma Davy, too many bad things. The trenches were horrid. Dead soldiers everywhere. Bits and pieces everywhere in the mud. It smelled bad. Worse than any slaughter house you ever been. Then the noise... Bombs all night or gunfire. After a while, you don sleep. Or, you wake every time a bomb or gun goes off. Then there is the cold and the mud. It is everywhere. I think it took three baths just to find my real skin. Threw away my uniform, cause it was more mud than cloth. My boots rotted off three times. Big Joe, he get mold growing on his feet so bad they turn black. Had to go to the hospital for a week. Me, I just get sores. Bizzet, he go crazy," said Brian. He had only touched on what really happened. There was no way to describe some of it. No need to share the nightmares. For him, the worst was seeing soldiers stuck in the barbed wire scratching at their faces because of the gas. Mustard gas didn't kill quickly. It burned inside and out and if blinded, soldiers stumbled into the wires and became sitting ducks for the enemy to shoot.

Natalie knew he wasn't telling her everything and she honestly didn't want to hear any more than what he was willing to tell her. Grandma Davy wasn't the only one who read the papers.

"You gonna go look for them?" she asked.

"Non. They come home when ready. Just don be surprised you see a wolf on the porch one morning. Half an ear, it is Bizzet," said Brian.

"Half an ear?" asked Natalie.

"Aye. Caught it on barbed wire. Pulled and left a bit. When he shift, the ear still missing," said Brian. Bizzet had gotten caught coming back from a trench raid. He was tangled up in the wire and it took Big Joe, Kent and Brian to free him.

Natalie looked down and saw that Jenny was asleep. "We go to bed now, very quietly," she said.

Brian looked down at his daughter asleep with a doll in her arms. "Aye," he said.

They undressed quietly and crawled into bed. Unlike the night before, they made love slowly and gently. Brian held Natalie close as she came. Spooned together, they drifted off to sleep.

*

A week later, Brian woke to the sound of pounding on the door. He grabbed his robe and headed to the door. He opened it to find his brother Kent and Bizzet standing there.

"Come in. Jenny is by the fire and Natalie is asleep. You okay?" he asked looking at the two of them. Bizzet was nude and Kent was a little worse for wear.

"Aye. Just cold," said Kent.

"Hungry?" Brian asked.

"Non. Bizzet killed a moose and we ate good," said Kent.

"Bizzet, you gonna talk?" asked Brian. While in the trenches, Bizzet would have days when he wouldn't or couldn't talk.

"Haar tu tak," said Bizzet.

Brian nodded in understanding. Bizzet was still partially shifted. The vocal cords hadn't come all the way back. "Let's get you dressed. You want your uniform?" he asked Bizzet.

Bizzet nodded and looked to Kent. Kent handed over a pack. Inside were boots and a uniform. Bizzet had more decorations on his uniform than Brian or Kent. He was also more damaged than any man who'd left the village. Besides a missing chunk out of his ear, his body was criss-crossed with scars. Barbed wire, shrapnel, and various wounds from bullets and knives. Bizzet had actually given up trying to stay alive and survived in spite of it. At least his body had.

The two brothers helped their friend dress. They had just sat down when Natalie appeared in the door. She walked over to the two men and hugged first Kent and then Bizzet. Bizzet was happy to see her and shaking so hard at the same time that Natalie was afraid he'd fall.

"Is okay Bizzet. You are home. We take care of you," she said.

Bizzet nodded. He still couldn't speak. He sat back in the chair and held Natalie's hand.

"You want me to go get Grandma Davy?" Natalie asked.

"It is up to Bizzet," said Brian. He'd have gone right away, but realized that Bizzet and Kent both needed a few minutes to collect themselves.

"Ppppreeze," Bizzet finally managed to stutter.

Natalie nodded and went to get dressed.

She was back with Grandma Davy in thirty minutes. Grandma Davy had grabbed a basket she'd made up when Brian first told her about Bizzet coming home. She hugged each man in turn and then took Bizzet off to Brian and Natalie's bedroom.

"You think she can fix him?" asked Kent.

"If anyone can, it will be Grandma Davy," said Natalie. She could smell the tincture that Grandma Davy was giving Bizzet. Mint, poppy and lavender. Low voices could be heard, but not what was being said.

Grandma Davy came out about twenty minutes later. "He sleeps. Tomorrow, I bring his maman to him. You okay with him here?" she asked Brian.

"Aye. He be safe. Kent, he can sleep at your house?" Brian asked.

"Yes. Natalie, he wake, you give him five drops of this," Grandma Davy said handing her the bottle of tincture.

Natalie nodded.

*

"Maman, there is a man in the bed, but he look like a wolf," said Jenny.

Natalie blinked. She had fallen asleep in the rocking chair next to the fire. Brian was still asleep on the floor. "That is Bizzet and he had a very bad night. You let him sleep," she said to her daughter.

"Okay. I want my breakfast," Jenny said.

"I cook breakfast in a minute," said Natalie trying to wake up. It had been a long night. She stretched and folded up the blanket. Looking into the room, she saw that Jenny was right. Bizzet was more than half shifted and snoring away with funny growling snores. She turned back to the kitchen and began to make breakfast. Bacon, eggs, potatoes and coffee.

Jenny was finished with her breakfast and Natalie had just sat down with her's when Brian woke up.

"Any coffee for a poor man?" he said with a smile.

"Poor? You have a family that loves you. That is more riches than you know," teased Natalie. She got up and poured him a cup of coffee. She put a dollop of molasses in it and handed it to Brian who'd managed to sit at the table. She got him a plate of food as well. Natalie got halfway through her breakfast when Bizzet appeared in the doorway.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"Aye," he said softly. He smiled at Jenny as she stood next to her Papa watching the man walk over to the table.

"You okay?" Brian asked.

"Aye. Little sleepy, but good. Good to be home," said Bizzet.

"Aye. Grandma Davy bring your Maman over in a bit," said Natalie.

Bizzet nodded as he ate. By the time he'd finished, Jenny had bounded outside to watch for the visitors. It wasn't too long before Grandma Davy and Juliet, Bizzet's mother walked up the path.

Juliet wrapped her son in her arms and the two of them cried. Brian and Natalie went outside with Grandma Davy and Jenny.

"He be okay?" asked Natalie.

"We see," said Grandma Davy. They sat down on the porch and waited. Men had been coming home in ones and twos for a week. There had been telegrams as well, which meant the quiet of the village was broken by howls and cries of the bereaved. A few of the widows had handed children over to grandparents and run off into the woods to grieve. Others had turned in on themselves and walked like ghosts. Some of the families didn't know how to cope with the men who'd come home and weren't the same person who'd gone off to war. Grandma Davy had been busy and almost every household had a small jar of tincture to calm as well as willow bark and a cough tincture for those who'd been gassed and survived.

An hour later, Bizzet and his mother walked out of the house. They thanked Brian, Natalie and Grandma Davy. Then they walked back to their house on the other side of the village.

"They gonna be okay? She forgot the bottle of tincture," said Brian.

"Maybe. That tincture, you keep. You need it, you take it. I see the ghosts in your eyes. Not as bad as Big Joe's, but they are there," said Grandma Davy. She hugged them and headed off.

*

By summer, all the men who were coming home had done so. Brian was back to working in the saw mill with Kent. Jenny had a new bedroom and Natalie's belly swelled with the baby to be born in the late autumn. Life was slowly returning to normal. Widows remarried, and people moved in or out of the village. Bizzet had settled down with a girl wilder than he was. Both of them spent more time in wolf form than human form.

Brian finished work and headed home. There was still plenty of light and Natalie met him on the road. She had a picnic basket in her hand.

"Where you going?" Brian asked.

"I'm going up to my meadow. We have dinner up there, just you and me. Jenny is with Maman for the night," she said with a smile.

Brian smiled and took the basket from her hand as they walked up the hill and into the forest. It didn't take them too long to reach the meadow where they'd met years ago. A few trees had fallen. The meadow was in full bloom. Brian spread out the blanket and Natalie got the food out. Bread, cheese, ham and a bottle of beer. They ate and then relaxed on the blanket. Brian told Natalie about her day and Natalie rubbed his shoulders. The massage turned into foreplay and clothes dropped to the blanket.

"You comfortable?" he asked her. Her belly was round and her nipples high on her full breasts.

"Aye. I want to make love. Jus be slow and gentle," she said.

Brian kissed her nipples and then down the line of dark hair that ran from her belly button to her pubic bone. His tongue laved her clit and lips as she moaned and arched upwards. As he tongued her, his fingers traced her lips and slid into her pussy. Natalie wiggled under his touch.

"Ah, I miss this while you were gone," she said.

"I miss this," he said as he slid his cock slowly into her. He was still afraid he'd hurt the baby, but Natalie said he was fine. They figured this one had been conceived the night he came home. Brian had been happy and Jenny was ecstatic to learn that she'd have a baby brother or sister by the end of the year.

Brian kept his strokes slow and a bit shallow. Natalie grabbed his arms and pushed hard against him as she began to come. Brian couldn't hold back and drove in with rapid strokes that brought both of them in less than a minute. They collapsed to the blanket and lay there panting.

"Okay?" he asked her. This was all new to him and he still worried.

"Aye. Feel so good," Natalie said.

Brian smiled and curling up with her in his arms, his fingers trailed along her hip until they reached her sopping pussy. He found her clit and stroked it until she came again and again. Then they napped in the warm evening air. As night fell, Brian shifted and wrapped himself around his mate.




Buster's Story Ch. 02



Wolf sniffed the air. No predators. Mate safe. Pup safe. He rested his nose on his mate's limbs as she slept.

*

Brian had taken to running late at night as had many of the men who'd gone off to war. He shifted and headed for the woods.

Wolf followed the scent trail of a deer. It was near and didn't notice him. Wolf crouched waiting to pounce when it startled and ran. Wolf chased it and with a lunge, caught it on the neck right behind the ears. Wolf swung his body to the side and as he went down, the snap of the deer's neck could be heard. The deer died almost instantly. Wolf stepped away from his kill to see what had startled the deer. He smelled another wolf, but didn't see it. He waited, but no wolf or man stepped out of the undergrowth. He shuddered and shifted.

Brian stooped to shoulder the deer and headed back to his cabin. Thirty minutes later the deer was hung, gutted and ready to skin out in the morning. The cold night would keep the meat. He walked in the door to find Natalie standing by the fire.

"Natalie, why aren't you in bed?" he asked.

"My waters broke. Baby is coming. Sent Jenny for Grandma Davy," she said gasping as a contraction hit.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Hold me until she comes. Then you take Jenny to Maman's and then you come back. This one I think will be quick," she said.

Brian nodded and held Natalie. When Jenny came back with Grandma Davy, he took his daughter to Celia's. He took a few minutes to calm down and then headed to the cabin. He sat in the kitchen while Natalie worked to birth their baby. He'd almost fallen asleep when he heard a cry. He rushed to the bedroom to see Grandma Davy wrapping up the child in a blanket.

"You have a son," Grandma Davy said as she handed him the child and then turned back to tend to Natalie.

Brian stood there with a silly grin on his face as he looked from his son to his wife. Natalie smiled weakly. Brian then tilted his head back and howled a joyful call welcoming his son to the world.

*

Henry was followed by Alice in 1921, Marie in 1923 and George in 1925. The cabin grew room by added room. Grandma Davy came by one afternoon when George was about two with a small baby in her arms.

"Who is this Grandma Davy?" asked Brian.

"A baby. Smells like Bizzet and Wildgirl," she said. "Left on my door. Natalie is the only one I know of that has milk at the moment. You think she feed this one?" asked Grandma Davy.

"Aye," said Brian. He took the tiny baby in his arms and headed back into the house. Grandma Davy waved and headed home. This wasn't the first baby Wildgirl had abandoned. He counted four before he found Natalie. He handed her the baby and Natalie nodded. She started nursing the baby who'd begun to fuss.

"This number four or five for Wildgirl?" asked Natalie.

"I think this is five. We raise it?" asked Brian.

"Aye," said Natalie. She looked under the swaddling cloth. "It's a boy."

"Quintus," said Brian and went to go talk to Kent about expanding the house.

*

Wolf crept around the house. He smelled another wolf, but didn't see it. Sniffing the ground, he could tell it had been under the children's windows. Quietly, he moved around the corner. It wasn't the first time another wolf had been near the cabin and his mate wasn't happy.

There in the moonlight was a thin wolf. Wolf growled. The other wolf turned, and he could see that there was only half an ear on the one side. Wolf buffed and then walked away. His mate wouldn't be happy, but he couldn't hurt that packmate.

The other wolf had dropped to the ground and rolled over showing his throat. When Wolf walked away, he stayed that way until he was gone. Then the lope eared wolf crept closer to the window and peered in. He looked at the small pups in the room. Smelling that all was okay with the smallest pup, he disappeared back into the woods.



Buster's Story Ch. 03



I'm not sure why this one took so long to write. Granted, life has been hectic, but I guess I had my mind set on WWII and realized I'd forgotten a whole twenty years. So, I had to go back. A few new characters, a little connection back to MTJAFT and some scene setting. Next chapter will be WWII. I look forward to your comments!

*

Brian sat on the porch with his coffee early in the morning. He sniffed the air and caught a fleeting scent. Puzzled, he got up and walked into the kitchen and found Natalie feeding the children. "Nat, you um... in..." he started and then stopped realizing that all the children were staring up at him.

"No, We talk later aye?" she said and rolled her eyes towards the table.

Brian nodded trying to figure out what was going on. He was still out on the front porch watching the children run outside when he felt Natalie's hand on his shoulder. He turned.

"It be Jenny in heat," she said and then went back inside.

"What?" he said louder than he expected and headed back into the kitchen. "Why you no say?"

"Cause what you gonna do? Lock her up? Shoot all the boys?" she asked with a smile.

"But!..." he started and then realized she was laughing at him. He stopped and thought for a moment. "You gonna laugh at me?"

"Aye. I weren't no older when we start this fun. You gonna tell her wolf she can't do it? You gonna growl and keep all them young pups at home?" Natalie teased him.

Brian took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, I gonna take my wife and go screw her silly," he said as he grabbed Natalie and hauled her off to bed.

Jenny came home three days later with a swing in her step and Henri in tow. He looked embarrassed.

"Maman, Papa, we need talk with you," Jenny said softly. She was still holding Henri's hand.

"Okay, talk," said Natalie.

"We want get married," said Jenny.

Brian looked at Henri. He was a good two years older than Jenny. "You got a tongue Henri?"

"Yyes sir," Henri said. "I... um. I want to marry your daughter."

"You want to wait till she shows?" asked Natalie.

The two teens looked at each other and then back at Jenny's parents. "Um. Maman, will you let us sleep my room till we know?" asked Jenny.

"Aye," said Natalie. "That Henri he help your Papa build a new cabin. This one too damn small."

Brian reached out, tousled Henri's hair and then hugged his daughter. Before he could let go, all the other children came pouring into the room to hug and congratulate their sister. Quintus came in with a bunch of flowers and threw them over Jenny. She picked up the little four year old and hugged him close. She knew he wasn't really her brother by blood, but she loved him best of all.

Two months later, Jenny and Henry had a wedding. Two days of celebrations and Brian and Natalie laughed, remembering their own wedding night as they stood outside and teased the newlyweds. As they stood there singing, Brian felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Bizzet standing there.

"Hello Bizzet, you enjoy the wedding?" Brian asked softly.

"Aye, good wedding. Pretty girl. How Quintus?" Bizzet asked softly.

"He's a good boy. A little weedy, but good boy," said Brian walking Bizzet away from the crowd and towards where the children were perched on the older cabin's porch. "See, he there on the rocker. You want go see him?" Brian asked softly.

"Non, I jus want know he okay," said Bizzet. "My WildGirl, she gone."

Brian turned and took Bizzet by both shoulders. "She leave you?" he asked.

"Non. She die. Last pup and she both die," said Bizzet with a heavy sigh. "I don know what to do now. Can't sleep, can't be happy."

"You come stay with us? Get to know your pup?" asked Brian. Bizzet had that haunted look in his eyes like he did in the last days of the war.

"Non. Me, I go away. Up north. Go runnin'," said Bizzet.

"Bizzet, stay. We can take care of you," said Brian. He knew too many of the men who'd come back broken had done just what Bizzet planned. They'd say goodbye to family and just fade into the woods. Most never came back.

"Non. I ... Brian, you are close like a brother. You have my son and I love you for that. Let me go now. I come back maybe," Bizzet said.

Brian tried to hold onto him and they embraced one last time and then Bizzet pulled away and drifted out to the edge of the forest. Natalie came up behind him.

"What he say?" she asked.

"Goodbye," said Brian and then they turned back into the crowd of well wishers.

*

It was a busy year. All the babies born around the Great War started having babies. Jenny had little Elizabeth late in November. Grandma Davy died two weeks later and the whole community felt bereft. Natalie inherited Grandma's herb room and her patients. The lumber mill ran full tilt as homes were built. In spite of the economic crash a few years earlier, everyone needed wood. At nearly forty, Brian felt better than he had in years. He and Kent worked the mill as they always had and hired men when needed. Deer were still plentiful in the forests and the families prospered. The occasional stranger moved in, and either didn't stay long or was accepted into the community.

"Brian! You come talk this man a minute?" hollered Kent.

Brian looked over to see a tall man he didn't recognize. He walked over and shook the man's hand. "Hullo, what you need?" he asked.

"I need a job. Name's Alexander Davis," the man said. He shook Brian's hand with a firm grip.

"What you do before?" asked Brian.

"I work metal. Any kind," Alexander said. "Had to leave Calgary. Too many people."

Brian nodded. Many of the shifters who'd gone to the cities had returned to the rural areas. They networked through people and towns until they found somewhere they could cope. "You got family?" he asked.

"No, married a non-shifter, but it didn't last. She still don't know, just thinks I was weird," said Alexander.

"We got a blacksmith shop in town. Check with them. They make our blades," said Brian and pointed to the huge band saw blades.

"Okay. Thanks," said Alexander and he headed out of the mill.

"Kent, why you ask me when you know he need go see Big Joe?" asked Brian.

"Cause I need you 'sniff him out'. He a strange one," said Kent.

"Yeah, he a holy bastard that one," said Brian.

"Huh?" said Kent.

"That Alexander. Shaman. Holy man. Wedding broker," said Brian.

"How you know that?" asked Kent almost shouting to be heard above the sound of the saws.

"Use your eyes. You no see that chain round his neck? Silversmith. His hands nearly break mine. Only Davis I know from that town, that Calgary, is silversmith. That's why I sent him to Big Joe," said Brian.

"Oh," said Kent and let it drop. He'd talk to Big Joe later. Most families were run by women, like Natalie and Grandma Davy before her. Not many men were healers or silversmiths. Even fewer were shaman.

Alexander moved into the cabin near the saloon and soon had women lining up to buy silver jewelry. He worked the steel mill and iron forge with Big Joe and a couple of the brothers during the day. He was also the beginning of an influx of shifters escaping the city. Brian watched as the valley filled up and people began to feel crowded. He talked to Natalie after dinner one night.

"Is this a good thing?" he asked.

"It help with families. Gives our girls other choices. Otherwise, maybe we need some of them to move south towards Montana," said Natalie. "Or, maybe some of us move."

"Non! We were here first. I think we have a meeting and talk," said Brian.

"Later. First you take me to bed. I am feeling very ..." Natalie trailed off with a smile.

Brian tucked the children in bed and then joined Natalie in their room. She was sitting up against the pillows wearing nothing but a smile.

"Come to bed," she said.

"I don know. I hear that grandma's they don like sex," he teased.

"Ha! I hear that granpa's say that cause they can't make it stand up anymore. We grandma's can do better for all that damn practice afore havin' babies. All those muscles work better," Natalie teased back.

Brian undressed and let himself stand proud, letting Natalie know that this grandpa still could please a woman. She giggled. Brian got into bed and began to kiss Natalie. His hands roamed across her breasts that were well loved. She in turn traced the scars across his back and on his body. The war hadn't been kind, and neither had the lumber mill.

Brian kissed and sucked her nipples. It had startled him the fist time he'd suckled her breast while she'd had milk. He missed the sweet milk now, but not the babies and nappies that went with it. As he kissed down her stomach, he reached a hand down between her legs. She was damp and growing wetter as he slid his fingers into her pussy.

"Oh Brian," she sighed. She loved the way he touched her. It made her feel young. She moved so that she could grasp his cock and giggled as it twitched in her hand. Rubbing the smooth flesh with her fingers made Brian gasp. He lost track of what he was doing and before he could start touching her again, her mouth was wrapping around his cock.

"Oh Nat," he moaned. He lay back on the pillows as she proceeded to lick and suck his cock. He finally gathered enough senses to grab her ass and begin to finger her and flick his fingertips across her clit. She moaned with her mouth still around his cock which made him gasp. The vibrations were intense. He couldn't take it any more and flipped her around and drove in from behind.

Natalie loved the feeling of his hands on her hips. She drove back against his cock and enjoyed the feeling of his cock nudging her cervix. She didn't worry about babies as Grandma Davy had finally shown her the herbs to take after George had been born. Five babies had been enough.

Brian wrapped his arm around Nat's waist and reached between her legs to touch her clit as he thrust in and out of her. Natalie moaned and bucked with the sweet short orgasms. Her muscles clamped around his cock and he couldn't hold off any longer. He increased his pace and within a minute, he felt his cock swell, the knot form and he came hard.

"Oh! Oh Brian," moaned Natalie as she came. She shuddered with pleasure and as they lay down on the bed, he fingered her until she came again. They curled up on the bed and pulled the covers over them. The knot kept them close and Brian held her to him as they slept.

*

Lizzybit was the gem in her Pawpa's life. She'd won him over the day she was born. Brian loved his daughter and recaptured years lost with this first grandchild. She learned to walk holding onto his tail. He was her pony and her protector, Pawpa Wolfy. When her little sister Caroline was born a year later, it was Lizzabit that came running to tell Pawpa.

"Iz gots a sistur," she lisped as she ran full tilt into Brian's arms. He'd been waiting on the porch with Henri listening to the radio. The two men walked back with Lizzybit to greet the newest member of the family. All the girls were bustling around the kitchen. Henry was hauling firewood for Natalie while Quintus tended the fire. Alice and Marie watched over the children and made sure there was food for everyone. It was a crazy chaotic kitchen, but Brian smiled. To him, this was the essence of home. Pack. As he and Henri were served a cup of milky tea by Alice, Natalie came out holding the baby.

"Jenny say this one named for your maman," she said to Henri. "Caroline."

Henri took the baby gently in his arms and sniffed her tiny head to lock her scent in his mind. She smelled of Jenny and sun washed linens. Then he handed her to Brian. Brian did the same, sniffing

the tiny bundle.

"So small," he said.

A knock on the cabin door brought the chaos to a halt for a second as Marie answered the door. There on the porch was Alexander. Behind him was George, smiling.

"I came to bless the babe if you want," he said.

Brian nodded. He was always amazed at how fast news traveled in the valley. Over a thousand people at the moment and yet information flew. "Come in Alexander," he said. "George, go on." He watched George run. That boy loved to run and Brian was hesitant about the day he shifted. Wondered if he'd come back. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

Alexander took the baby, crooned to her and then blessed her. Then he pulled stick candy out of his pocket and handed it around. He was mobbed.

*

Jenny was up on her feet fairly soon after Caroline was born. She was learning the herbs and medicines from Natalie. Caroline was either in someone's arms or snugged up in her cradle. Quintus volunteered to watch her when the older children were at school as he was only there in the morning.

Natalie moved through her day in a rhythm. Chores, patients at what had become a clinic, family time and then her nights with Brian. It helped that Jenny was learning to work in the clinic. Shifters were a healthy lot for the most part, but a person had to know as much about animals as they did about humans. With more people moving in, shifters were beginning to be less open about what they were. Two men last winter had gotten shot as 'wolves' and Natalie got her first work at patching up gunshot wounds.

"Jenny, I'm going into go check on Brian and then I'll be back," said Natalie.

"Aye, Maman," said Jenny as she settled to nurse Caroline.

Natalie took her basket and headed to the mill. In the basket was a lunch and if she could get Brian to leave, they'd head up into the woods for a run. She nearly got to the mill when she heard a cry from the area in front of the saloon and the shops. Natalie headed for the sound at a run. When she got there, she found Sally in the dirt kneeling over something. When she got closer, she saw that it was Big Joe, her brother.

Natalie knelt and looked at her brother. He wasn't breathing. No pulse. She pounded her fist on his chest and then listened again. Nothing. She turned to Sally.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He come in for a beer and about half way through it said his chest hurt. He stood up and walked out of the saloon and collapsed," said Sally. Tears were streaming down her face.

Alexander came up next to Natalie and looked over Big Joe. "I think he had a heart attack," he said. He closed Big Joe's eyes and said a prayer over him. Natalie simply nodded.

By this time, a crowd of people had gathered. Brian wrapped his arms around Natalie as she knelt in the dirt. Two men came with a stretcher to carry Big Joe home. His wife had fainted when they told her and her neighbors were watching her and the children. As they moved Big Joe to the stretcher, Brian, Kent, and two of Natalie's brothers moved in to carry their brother home.

Natalie sobbed with Sally and Alexander got the two women to sit for at least a minute on the porch of the saloon. Brian came back a little later and took Natalie to Big Joe's house. Celia was already there directing people and barking out orders. She'd lost three sons in the Great War and her husband two winters ago. Big Joe was her favorite and the shock of his sudden death showed on her face. Natalie wrapped her arms around her maman for a minute and then Celia started ordering people around again. Big Joe's wife was sitting next to her husband holding his hand and rocking back and forth.

"Brian, who is the head of the family?" Alexander asked. He was still working out the dynamics of the various families.

"Celia. Then Natalie and then, um...I think Daniel. Nathan left the valley long time gone. You want to lead the service?" Brian asked.

"Only if they want me," he said. The men were being moved out of the house so that the women could wash and dress Big Joe.

"They want you. Just don't know it yet. We go get my tractor and dig the hole," said Brian glad to be out of the house. Burials were either fast or slow depending on the weather. It was warm enough to be quick. As they headed for the mill, Brian saw the constable head towards the house. He shook his head, knowing that he didn't want to be there in about five minutes.

Alexander noticed the look and the shake of the head. "What?" he asked.

"That constable, the want to be Mountie, he gonna get an earful in about three seconds. Celia don like non-shifters. He a good man, but don listen when we say leave us alone," said Brian.

"He knows?" asked Alexander?

"Aye. His auntie marry one of them Harris boys years ago. So, whole family know. But that constable got the brains of a goose," was as far as Brian got. Behind them, Celia began to yell and scream and the constable came flying out of the house with a frying pan, pots, and a bucket of water chasing him.

Brian and Alexander stood and watched. Celia didn't come up to the man's chest, but she could be heard over 5oo yards away.

"Stay away!" hollered Celia. "Go screw your damn horse! It got more sense than you!"

The constable cringed and backed away. He finally turned and ran, heading for Brian and Alexander. When he reached them, his uniform was soaked with what smelled like vinegar or piss. His face was red where he'd been slapped and dirt covered his knees.

"Contstable Roberts, you okay?" asked Brian.

"Yeah. I just didn't realize that Celia would be there. Didn't think that one through," he said.

"I understand. Big Joe, he have a heart attack Natalie said," Alexander added. "You want a ride home to clean up?"

"Nah, I ran over here, I walk back. It give me time to dry off," Roberts said.

"Sorry about Celia," said Brian. "She don' change. Don' think shifters should marry humans," said Brian.

"Well, my aunt did. Best thing ever happen to her. She loves her family and they all love her," said Roberts. "An not like I'd say anything to anyone."

"We know, you're family. Celia she just don change for nobody," said Brian. "We gotta dig the grave, so don go out later tonight okay?"

"Yeah. I'll make sure no one goes hunting either if I can," said Roberts. He waved as he walked away from the two men.

Brian and Alexander started up the tractor and headed for the cemetery. It was small, as many of the family just walked away when they got too old. Brian moved over to the graves of Big Joe's brothers and father. Three were empty, but that didn't matter to Celia. There were still headstones. Alexander guided while Brian dug. It didn't take long as the soil wasn't frozen.

Near midnight, the procession left Big Joe's house and headed up to the cemetery. A thin sliver of a new moon shone in the sky. Brian and the brothers carried Big Joe. He was wrapped in a quilt and nestled in a pine box that Kent had knocked together. Behind them came Celia, still wound as tight as a steel cable. Following her were Big Joe's wife and children and then the rest of the families. When they got to the cemetery, they found Alexander waiting for them by the grave.

They set the coffin down and gathered around as best they could. Sally brought up the rear with two helpers to carry the beer. She had a well used glass in her hand and poured the first of the beer into it. Then she handed it to Alexander.

"We gather under the moon, in the woods and beneath open skies to honor a man who had been a strength and a fixture in our community. Big Joe had seen a lot in his life. He survived the World War, and difficult times. He knew love and family. His family is here tonight. Family by blood and family by choice," Alexander said. He lifted the beer glass up high. "To Big Joe, a good man, hard worker and decent boss." Alexander took a swig of the beer and then passed it to Celia.

Celia took the beer glass, and held it up. "My son is gone. He was a shit, but I loved him," she said and took a sip. Then she passed it to Natalie.

"Big Joe, I am so glad you didn't beat my Brian up when we mated," Natalie said and took a sip of beer. She passed it to Brian.




Buster's Story Ch. 03



"To Big Joe. You saved my ass in France and made sure most of us came home," said Brian. He took his sip and passed the glass.

Everyone there took their turn toasting the life of Big Joe. Sally refilled it as needed. The last one to take the glass was Big Joe's wife, Martha. She shuddered with the effort not to cry. "Joe, I love you. I loved running in the woods with you beneath the moon. I loved you even when we fought. I'll miss you you bastard," she said and drained the last of the beer and held onto the glass.

The men lowered the coffin into the grave. Once it was in the ground, Martha leaned in and put the glass on the coffin. Sally poured the last of the beer into the glass as best she could. The rest of the beer went into the grave as well. Then the family walked back to their houses. The children would be put to bed while the adults shifted and ran out their grief. Brian, Daniel and Alexander filled in the grave, taking care not to tip the glass. When it was filled in, they set a marker at the top to be replaced by a stone as soon as it could be carved. Then they walked down to join the others on the run.

As the shifters changed and began to run, a solitary wolf crept out of the forest and across to the new grave. The wolf was scruffy and thin. He walked as if each noise in the night was a threat. He sniffed and walked around the grave. The wolf with the lopped ear sat at the end of the turned earth, pointed his nose to the sky and howled.

*

"Alice Davy! You come here right now!" hollered Brian across the lawn. He growled and snarled, but Alice just kept running. She was faster on two legs than most shifters on four. Shifted, there was no catching her. The tan and gray form flitted into the trees followed by an all black wolf. Brian started to leave the porch to follow when Natalie's hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Brian, you can't keep her from shifting or being in heat. You sure ain't keeping her from runnin' off with that Jacques Moreau. He's a handsome one and she's thinkin' with her body not her brain. Plus, it didn't work with Jenny, why you think it work with her?" asked Natalie.

Brian looked at her with half shifted eyes and just growled. "Don trus thha Jaks," he growled.

Natalie just smiled and tugged his arm until he came into the house. Her papa had been the same way. She just kept walking until they reached the bedroom were she shut the door and dropped her bathrobe. At forty-one she still had a fine figure. She stretched out on the bed and waited for Brian to decide which way he was going.

Brian stretched and let the bones in his head shift back to more human positions. Then he undressed as best he could and lay down on the bed with Natalie. She was right, he couldn't stop Alice any more than he had Jenny. It just frustrated the wolf inside and he still hadn't learned to deal with it. Marie would be sixteen in two years, and he'd probably react the same way with her.

Natalie grabbed his cock with her hands and began to stroke him. Brian shuddered with the gentle touch and began to relax. She stroked him until he was rigid. Then she licked and sucked his cock while he began to touch her.

"Mmm," she crooned as she licked the tip of his cock. Brian's fingers played up and down her thigh and then across her clit. She was wet and as he slipped his fingers into her, she took him deep into her mouth. They played until Natalie ached for Brian to fill her. She moved around and straddled him, letting Brian's cock slide into her. She settled herself and then rocked back and forth.

Brian reached up and cradled her breasts in his hands as Natalie increased the pace of their lovemaking. He let her call the pace this time, and smiled as he watched her face. He loved her so much. Loved the way her face softened just before she came, or the flush under her skin right above her breasts. Most of all, he loved the way they felt making love.

The two wolves ran in the forest. Wolf chased his mate, the scent of sex leading him by the nose. She stopped suddenly and he looked to where her head pointed. Deer. Slowly, they circled the deer in the meadow and then leapt onto the back of one deer. He grabbed the neck and as he swung down over the top, the spine broke. She had grabbed the deer by the hindquarter, keeping it from kicking her mated.

They ate well and with full bellies began to wrestle and drag the carcass back to the village. The deer was a little worse for wear by the time they'd dragged it back, but Wolf didn't care. They left it on the porch and went running again.

*

Brian helped his brother Daniel reorganize the metal foundry after Big Joe's death. Alexander helped with the paperwork and dealt with the non-shifters that were owed money. It made life easier. The lumber mill was running at full speed most days as pulp mills and the building trades increased their demand. Brian noticed that more non-shifters were moving into their valley. Still Metis, which made life a little easier, but as people began to marry into families there were problems.

"How you tell someone you love that you shift?" Henry asked his Papa.

"You better be honest. They gonna laugh. They don' believe, you shift. Simple," said Brian. "Or, better yet, you stick ta family."

Henry didn't like that idea, but at eighteen, he wasn't too worried. He was in love with Maggie and their first born was due anytime. He was worried about Marie, who kept flirting with all the new loggers. He didn't tell his Papa, as he didn't need Brian ripping off heads. Papa was some protective about his girls. Here it was nearly eight months later and he still wouldn't talk to Jacque Moreau, Alice's mate. Alice was eight months pregnant as well. She and Maggie were making baby clothes.

"Best be honest. Worst, you leave. Move. Let everyone think you crazy, aye?" said Brian. He was trying to figure out how to house his family. The original cabin had run out of room. Two of the additions had collapsed during the winter. Jenny and Henri had taken in Marie, George and Quintus until they had been able to make repairs. As it was, Marie stayed with Jenny while George and Quintus returned home. Natalie had suggested that they move into Grandma Davy's old house that she used as a clinic, but Bryan couldn't let go of the cabin he grew up in.

"Guess you are right Papa. I think I go home check on Maggie," he said and gave his Papa a hug. Brian hugged him back and headed into the office. Alexander was in there finishing up paperwork.

"Brian, you know some man named Burke?" Alexander asked.

"Non," Brian said straight off.

"English, stuffy, said he know you long time gone," said Alexander.

Brian thought for a moment. "Oh! Burke the Captain in the Great War. What he want?" asked Brian.

Alexander handed him a letter. It was a request for specific lumber. Cuts to requirement. Brian read the letter and then sat down. He remembered this list.

"What's wrong?" asked Alexander.

"This order. This is for barracks. I recognize it. Did it twenty years past. Why for they want more barracks? What they know that they don' tell people?" Brian asked.

"I don know. May be we need listen to that radio for more than music," said Alexander. In truth, he knew what was going on in Europe and Asia. Japan invaded China and there was a massacre in some town called Nanjing. October had seen thousands of Chinese die. The Americans even lost a ship to Japanese bombers. Hilter was stirring things up in Europe as well. Jews were being attacked and their possessions taken. The Great Depression in the America had hit Canada as well, but those who lived off of the land had done okay. However, like so many of the shifters, Alexander felt people moving in too close for comfort.

"May be you are right. May be it is time to stock up again like in 1913," said Brian.

"Wasn't alive then, but I remember my parents saving up and making sure they had things they needed," said Alexander. "You placing his order?"

"Soon as I see money. Don do nothing without it. Not now. Too much family. Too many people to take care of," said Brian. "I think I go talk to Natalie. You, you listen that radio."

Alexander nodded.

*

Brian took a walk over to the clinic and talked with Natalie. He was surprised to find that many of the women, Natalie included had felt the same thing. She showed him the storage room with all the herbs. Twice as many as normal and there were other supplies as well.

"Natalie, why you no say anything?" he asked. He wasn't upset, just puzzled.

"We... we thought at first it was just nerves. Being silly, so I say nothin'. Then, that Jacque, he drive down to that Montana for a while, listen to things and he bring back some of this," Natalie said. She pointed to fabric and salt. "Then I talk with the women in the valley and we all feel this way. Didn't think about talking to you, you have so much to do as it is," she said.

Brian nodded and took her into his arms. "Bad times coming," he said.

She nodded.

Over the next year, the families stocked on on everything they could. Brian did the job for his captain and used the money to fix up the lumber mill and send some of the family south into Montana. No one checked the border, so no one knew who lived where. More people moved into the valley and running at night was getting harder. Hunting slacked off too.

There were happy times too. Alice and Maggie had their babies nearly a day apart. Brian loved rocking his new granddaughters on the front porch. He even started talking to Jacque.

*

It was a quiet September morning. Natalie had made a big breakfast for the family. Potatoes, eggs, ham and biscuits. Quintus walked up to Brian and Natalie at breakfast. He had an envelope in his hand.

"What's this Quintus?" Brian asked.

"Marie, she ask me give you this letter Papa," Quintus said softly. Even at 12, he was a small boy. Wiry and a shock of black hair that defied any comb. He handed over the letter and sat down to eat.

Brian looked at the envelope and opened it. There was a letter inside.

"Dear Maman and Papa,

I know you will shout and growl, but I love him. So, I leave early this morning when I know you are gone hunting. Don' be mad at Quintus. He don' know where we go. I write when we find work and a house. Love you ver much,

Marie.

Brian read the letter and tears streamed down his cheeks. He tilted back his head and howled. Natalie took the letter from him, read it and sat down as well. She would go talk to Jenny in a bit and see when Marie fell in love with this nameless man.

Brian went to work with a heavy heart. He felt like his world was crumbling. Business was good, but he knew that the lumber was heading east, to build army camps. His children were moving away and he had already begun to lose count of grandbabies. He felt tired. When he got to work, Alexander had the radio on and was listening so intently that he didn't hear Brian enter.

"Morning Alexander," said Brian.

Alexander didn't move.

"Alexander, what's wrong?" Brian asked.

"Canada has declared war on Germany. They are calling it World War II," he said in a hoarse voice. "Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd, seven days ago."

Brian blinked and sat down. Alexander turned up the radio. "The Great War was meant to stop wars," he thought. "How, how can this be happening?" he asked out loud.

"Germany, that Hitler, he invade Poland and all over Europe, countries say they won' fight. Listen," Alexander said and turned up the radio.

"This morning, Prime Minister Mackenzie King vows to secure Canada's defense, and take "all necessary measures" to curb Germany's "lust for conquest." ,said a radio voice.

"They will call for men. We must bring everyone together and decide what to do," said Brian.

"Aye," said Alexander and headed out to ring the bells at the community hall.

Natalie looked up from the dishes when she heard the bells. They only rang when there was a death or a disaster. Unless there was a wedding. She knew there were no weddings today. Wiping her hands, she ran out of the cabin and looked down the valley as people began heading towards the hall.

"Quintus, you stay here. Jenny may come soon with the babies. You take care of them," she said.

"Yes Maman," said Quintus. He gathered quilts and set them on the chair and waited. It wasn't long before his sisters came with babies in their arms. For being so small, Quintus was very good with the babies.

*

The saloon was full of people listening to the radio. The broadcast from the CBC repeated the program. Canada was going to war again to help defend Britain.

"What we do Brian? Some of us too damn old," said one man.

"We have to make a choice. Some of us can't hide a shift. Others, like that Martin, he shift like water pours. Not so easy to hide this time eh?" said another.

"No, it isn't easy to hide," said Brian. "That's why we gotta think this one out. Those that think they can do this thing, they go. Others may have to disappear and some, some of us have to sweat and hope they don' have no trenches."

There were plenty of nods and fists banging on tables in agreement. Alexander stood up, and the room quieted down.

"We are family. We hunt together an work together. Some of us have non-shifters in our families. They do okay. Those that don', they go away and sound crazy. People don' believe in 'werewolves'. That is okay. Like in the Great War, you shift, you work with dogs and watch out for each other. You don' shift so good, you help keep calm and stay with family if you can, I join as chaplain," he said and sat down.

There were nods and murmurs around the room. Conversations started up again and when it got a little loud, Brian held up his hands.

"Okay! We go to war. Who fights?" he asked. Hands went up around the room. Brian nodded and motioned for those men to step over to the left side of the saloon. "An who gonna stay home, pretend they not here?"

Fewer hands went up, and many of them were older men. Brian remembered them from the trenches. Men who still cried out in the night or ran in the woods more than they slept in their beds.

"You men, you take care of the families?" Brian asked.

"Aye Buster!" called one of them. Buster had been Brian's nickname in the Great War, when he'd been caught as a dog. Some men still called him Buster.

"Good! Cause I'm going again. Someone got to watch over all you crazy wolves," Brian said.

That brought some cheers and laughter. Fighting was never easy. Even harder when you had to hide a dual nature. Brian then realized that Natalie was standing next to him. The look in her eyes said everything.

"I don' want you to go," she said.

"I don' know as I have a choice. Been listening and they are calling for men from eighteen to sixty. I go, probably never cross the ocean. Stay in Canada and teach men. That is probably what they will do with us old men," said Brian. It was what he hoped.

Brian and Natalie went up to their meadow for one last time together. Shedding their clothes and shifting, they ran through the forest.

Wolf loved the smell of his mate and the forest. Smelled right. Smelled good. His mate wagged her tail like she was in heat. Panting, he came up behind her and mounted her. Thrusting deep while his forelegs gripped her sides gave him the leverage he needed. His mate growled and crooned as he felt the knot form and he came. Felt so good. Panting, they curled up and slept.

Wolf woke. A noise. Looking around, he saw another wolf at the edge of the meadow. Wolf knew the other wolf. Thin, dark, missing part of an ear. He yipped at the wolf who nodded and ran off into the forest. Wolf curled around his mate and slept.

*

Natalie tried not to cry as Brian packed up his stuff to go off with the other men to the train station. This time it wasn't her brothers and Brian going, but her sons and sons as well. Henri, Henry, Jacque and her little brother Luc were all going with Brian and probably 40% of the men in the valley. She remembered how hard it was during the Great War and knew that there would be many babies in the summer to keep women occupied. After that though, nothing. Nothing but waiting and listening to the radio while they knitted socks and read letters cut up or blacked out.

Brian had told her he'd seen Bizzet on the edge of the meadow and to keep an eye out for him. Brian didn't think that Bizzet would be stupid, but he wasn't sure. Kent had decided to stay with the lumber mill and keep things going. Some of the men who couldn't cope would help as well.

"It is time," said Brian walking up to Natalie. They hugged, kissed and then Brian picked up his suitcase and headed out the door. Natalie watched him join up with the others and climb into the lumber truck that would take them to the train station. She stood on the porch and let the tears stream down her face.

"It will be okay Maman," said the soft voice of Quintus beside her.

"I hope so," said Natalie. She hugged her youngest child to her and rocked in place.



Buster's Story Ch. 04



WWII and life in the 1st Canadian Division. Life has some interesting turns for Buster. This chapter has run long. My partner has helped out a time or two and I thank him. There are times I need a little help with the 'soldier' mindset. And for all of you who wanted a bit more about the mysterious doctor from MTJAFT, you get to meet him near the end. Hope you enjoy the story and please vote!

*

"Valcartier Army Camp. New wood, probably mine, new buildings and same idiots running it," said Brian softly to one of the men standing around the fire.

"You here in the Great War?" asked a young soldier.

"Aye. I'm only forty-four, but too damn old to be Corporal Davy," said Brian. They'd given him the same rank he had when he demobbed all those years ago. Now three weeks into basic training, he was damned tired of it. Especially of the young British officer that thought he knew everything.

The men nodded. Several of the older men were Great War veterans and it was as if the Army didn't know what to do with them. They trained along with all the fresh faced young men that would die long before the tough older bastards would. Experience counted in war.

"Hey Davy, the Captain is hollering for you," said another private.

Brian looked around. The Captain was hollering. However, he couldn't tell who was wanted, so they all moved up in the end. The Captain had a piece of paper in his hand and waited until most of the regiment had gathered around him.

"Men! I need the following men to step forward," he said. "Afferton, Abbots, Baily, Benoit, Beleau, Carlson, Carter, Davy, Ditterson, Jameson, Kendal, Morris, Oates, Perrie, and Tomas."

The men looked at each other and realized that he'd called almost every Great War vet's name. The men stepped up as the rest fell back.

"Hey, Papa, they gonna kick you out for being too old?" asked Henri.

"Non! Someone need wipe your ass!" Brian hissed at his son.

Henri smiled. He'd been worried about Brian, and in a way, he hoped that they were sending the older men home.

"As of today, all men of the rank of Corporal are now Sergeant. Sergeant's are now Staff Sergeant's, and Staff Sergeant's are Sergeant Majors, or Warrant Officers. Step forward and receive your rank," hollered the Captain.

Brian blinked. Then he stepped up, still thinking this was some kind of horrid dream. He still was in shock when he looked down and saw Sergeant stripes in his hand. "Captain! Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes! We need you older men to help with the younger ones. Plus, you speak French. According to some of you, I barely speak English, so we need you. The Army is making French Units and for some of them, we will need all the skills we can find. Therefore, your age, your language skills and your military skills are needed. Specifically now!" the Captain shouted.

"Aye Captain," Brian said as he walked away from the assembly. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" he thought. Part of the way that most of the shifters coped was by being low profile. Now he would have those damn stripes on his sleeves.

The 1st Canadian Infantry Division set sale for England in December of 1939. 58,000 men had enlisted. Brian swore that all 58,000 were on this boat and vomiting. Him included. The Aquitania was no smoother than the ship he took in the Great War. His stomach was no better either. At least the men around him didn't howl too much.

When the ships docked in Clyde, Brian kissed the ground. He hated ships. From there they marched inland and were transported to Aldershot. The majority of the men were given two days to clean up and get their land legs. The barracks were made of wood, with small stoves. The days were cold and the nights colder. No one was use to the damp English weather and bit by bit, men came down sick. Worse yet, this was one of the coldest winters on record for England.

Brian had his hands full as did all the men who'd been moved up in the ranks. His only luck was that his 'aptitude' with dogs was noted and he was put in charge of the animals. It made it easier to deal with those men who were already having problems. One good side to this situation was that the rabbit population was having a mysterious decline in the area around Aldershot.

His son Henri was not under his direct command, but his son Henry, Jacques and some of the other men from the village were. He made sure that those that shifted worked in pairs when it came to guard duty. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. This time, shifting in battle was going to be a bad thing. Too many people, too much mechanized equipment. Too many chances to be seen.

Some of the men didn't stay at Aldershot long. Hitler had made allies with Japan so some men started the long journey east. As much of it was by boat, Brian was relieved he was not selected. A small contingent of French Canadians went to France early in 1940. They got as far as Laval and then turned back. Many of them returned in the mess that was Dunkirk. The rest of the Canadian regiments trained, trained other soldiers and acted as support for English troops that moved onto the European front. The one thing that they didn't do is go to the Front. It drove the men crazy to just sit and wait.

Moral among the Canadian army began to drop. There was nothing to do and the men were ready to fight. They listened avidly to the radio when Pearl Harbor was hit and followed the very short exploits of the Canadian divisions in Hong Kong and their defeat even though they were outnumbered 5 to 1. They read the papers and listened to the radio and waited to be called.

Staff Sergeant Brian Davy spent all day in civilian court. Three of his men were up on charges. Fighting, destruction of private property and three charges of harassing neighborhood flocks. Luckily the three missing sheep had been found. Otherwise the charge would have been theft. He no sooner got back than the Major pulled him in to complain about the men writing letters home telling people not to enlist. He told the Major that he'd do what he could. The bigger issue was that there weren't enough officers for all the headstrong men that had enlisted. These were men use to being alone in the wilderness and isolated in small towns for months on end and none of them took well to taking orders from people who never saw a days work in their lives. This situation led to issues with training as well. None of these soldiers had any actual battle experience. They had months and months of training, and that was it.

"We're bored!" said Henry. "It's no wonder we get in trouble. Hell, how long has it been since you've had a letter?" he asked his father. Some of the men had now been at Aldershot for nearly four years. There was no rotation for leave as ships weren't available. Too many had been sunk by the German Wolfpack subs. Plus, the Army was afraid that if they let the men go home, they wouldn't return.

"I know!" yelled Brian. "We were some of the first to enlist! It has been 58 long months since I saw your maman. 58 months when my only comfort has been my hand! Unlike some of you who who've gotten wives and children!"

"Well, what the hell do you expect? We aren't priests! We're men! Yes, I have a girlfriend, but I don't intend to marry her. I don't have any children, but damn I need to have some comfort other than this uniform!" yelled Henry back at his father. He'd written home to Maggie and explained. She'd been okay with it, unlike some of the wives. In fact, some of the wives had already written letters telling their husbands that they'd gotten a divorce. If headquarters had it right, there were 1222 marriages in 1940 alone. Some of them had already sent these new wives and children home to Canada for safety as the bombings in and around London grew worse.

"For once, I wish that we were fighting the Germans instead of ourselves!" yelled Brian. He'd had enough. If all went well, he'd be running across the moors tonight. It had been too long for so many things.

Henry stomped out of the barracks and headed off to his girlfriend's house in town.

Wolf ran. Pack members had found him and they hunted on the highlands around the smelly man camp. Rabbits, a goat and two sheep fed the pack. Wolf ran through a stream to clean the blood off of his fur. It was getting warm and the sticky heat made pack members go a bit crazy. Wolf stretched his legs and headed farther up the moor. The rest of the pack fell back as he ran.

"BAAAAAahhhhh!" cried the furballs as he split the herd like a bullet. His tongue hung from his mouth as he grinned. Wolf heard the bark of the shepherd dogs as they began to hunt for him. He ran through the herd again and then vaulted over the wall. Catching his breath a little bit later, he looked back to see the dogs and men still trying to calm down the furballs.

Wolf loped back to the spot where the fence had a split, slipped between and made his way to the wooden houses. He curled up on the bunk that belonged to the man and went to sleep.

"Staff Sargent Davy!" cried the Major who had been a Captain just a month ago.

Brian blinked and realized that the Major was standing at the foot of his bed and that the light had barely begun to show through the windows.

"Sir?" replied Brian.

"Wake up! I need you dressed and down at the kennels right this moment!" screeched the Major.

"Yes Sir!" replied Brian. He started to get up and realized that he had mud on his feet and all over the sheets. "Damn!" he thought. "Getting careless." He waited until the Major was completely out of the room before he got up. Luckily the mud came off easily. Brian swept the mud out of the bed, made it and got dressed. He reported to the kennels just as dawn began to break. As he approached, he saw the problem and why the Major was having hissy fits. In the kennel with the German Shepherds was Corporal Tomas. Naked.

"Let me handle this Major," said Brian.

The Major blinked and stood off to one side. Brian didn't open the kennel, but instead crouched down and began to speak Metis softly and quietly. In a moment, Tomas blinked, and sat up. He realized where he was and just let his head sink back down onto his knees. He was crying.

Brian made motions for the rest of the men watching to move away. He took a blanket that Henry had brought him and slowly walked into the kennel. The dogs sniffed him, and moved away. When he got to Tomas, he offered him the blanket. Tomas took it and wrapped up in it.

"Eh, Tomas. You okay?" Brian asked quietly.

"Non, I wan' go home. Can' take this no more. Can' breath. I miss my mate. She cry, I cry. Is no good," Tomas said under his breath. He was shaking, and it wasn't from cold.

"Come. Let's get you clean. Fed. We talk," said Brian.

Tomas nodded and let Brian lead him from the kennel. They walked to the barracks.

An hour later, Brian stood in front of the Major's desk. He'd tried to figure a good way to explain things and wasn't sure if it would work.

"Major, he got drunk and next thing he know, he is waking up in the kennel. He thinks one of the English make a joke and stick him there. He is heartsick. Can't cope no more. He wants to leave and go home," said Brian. While partially the truth, the local Englishmen had been none too friendly to the Canadians lately.

"Well, I'm not sure how we can send him home," said the Major. He didn't know all of what was going on, but there were weird things happening that made him wonder if he wasn't crazy. He swore he'd seen a man walk into a building the other night and a wolf walk out. Worse yet, there had been all kinds of mud, fur and gorse on Staff Sargent Davy's bed this morning. He'd swear that it had looked like Davy hadn't shaved in years too. A full beard on his face, and yet by the time Davy reported, not a trace of that beard or signs that he'd had time to shave.

"Say he crazy. Not far off. We all goin' crazy Major. When we ever goin' to fight?" asked Brian.

"Well, um... I guess I can write him up. It wouldn't hurt to do so. As for fighting, I think we will be going into action very soon," he trailed off.

Brian stood there as he wrote the orders to send Corporal Tomas home to Canada.

*

Natalie stood on the steps of the cabin. She watched her grandchildren run about in the sunshine. It had been far too long since she'd held Brian in her arms. The flannel shirt he'd worn the day before he left had almost lost all scent. It was worn to threads as well. Natalie had been sleeping with it all this time.

A long lanky figure headed for the cabin. It was Quintus. At nearly sixteen, he was still the slightest of her children, but he worked just as hard as George. The two young men had kept the family supplied in deer and small game while Natalie and her daughters had canned or preserved every bit of their gardens. Kent had kept the saw mill going, but even with that, money was scarce.

"Maman!" cried Quintus as he came up to the cabin steps.

"Aye Quintus, what you need?" she asked.

"To tell you Tomas, he come home!" said Quintus as he collapsed to the porch.

"What? Why?" asked Natalie.

"His wife, she got a letter. Saying he come home soon. Said he went nuts. Got found drunk in a dog kennel," said Quintus.

"Oh," said Natalie. She instantly knew what had happened. Tomas had shifted and lost his sense of where he should be. A couple of men had come home in the last four years for the same reason. Now most of them ran in the woods like Bizzet. Funny part was that Bizzet didn't want anything to do with them.

"Do they know when?" she asked Quintus as she handed him a glass of water.

"Non. Oh, and that Marie, she sent you a letter," Quintus said handing her an envelope.

Natalie opened it. It still broke her heart that Marie had run off with a non-shifter. However, at least she wrote on occasion.

Dearest Maman,

I am coming home to visit with Jack, your grandson. My husband, Richard is in the US Navy and I can't take being alone any longer. He has been gone since Pearl Harbor. I hope to see you the first week of July,

Love, Maria

Natalie folded the letter and stuck it in her pocket. It was already July 2nd. Maria could be here any time. She went to find Jenny and Alice. There were rooms to air and beds to make.

"Henry, I... I need to tell you something," said Betty as the two of them lay in bed after a sweaty bit of sex.

"What?" Henry asked. He liked Betty. She wasn't too bright, but she was very bouncy in bed. Beat the hell out of his hand.

"Ummm... I'm pregnant," she said quickly.

Henry blinked. "What?" he said, his second wind deflating quickly.

"Well, remember when that there French Letter broke two months back? We wasn't lucky," she said.

Henry looked at her and carefully sniffed the air. It was faint, almost hidden by the lilac water she wore, but it was there. "Damn!" he said.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried. "I kept hopin' it wouldn't be, but I ..." she broke down crying.

Henry felt upset and an ass all at the same time. The deal between them had been sex, and a place for Henry to get away from the barracks. Henry had made it very clear that he didn't want any babies. Now he felt an ass for being so forceful about it.

"Are you sure?" he asked even though his nose didn't lie.

"Oh yes! My cycles stopped, I keep throwing up and now my clothes are beginning to get tight," she cried.

Henry wrapped his arms around Betty. "Bloody fucking hell!" he thought. "I gotta have the talk with her." He thought for a moment and then came up with an idea.

"Betty, Betty lass, stop crying for a moment," he said softly. "I know I made some pretty solid demands, but we both should have seen this as a possibility. We need to talk."

"Yyyes. I... I don't know if I want to have a baby, but it don't look like I got a choice," she hiccuped.

"Betty, if you are preggers, would you want to keep it or send the baby to Canada to be raised by my wife?" Henry asked. Betty knew about Maggie.

Betty blinked, blew her nose and then thought for a moment. "Wwwould she even want a bastard?" Betty asked.

"Of course. We don' care. A baby is a baby. You just love it. Bastard or not," said Henry.

"Well, um... But what if I decide I can't give it up?" she asked.

"Then we'll talk," he said. He held her close and as they snuggled, his cock rose to the occasion. "Betty, since your pregnant, want to play without the damn French letter?" he asked quietly.

Betty blinked, nodded and reached down to touch Henry. Henry fingered Betty to make sure she was wet and then slid home for the first time naked. It was heaven. Even as tired as he was, he lasted maybe three minutes. As they collapsed to the bed, Henry wondered how he was going to explain this mess. His father would kill him.

*

Henry landed with a thud against the wall of the barracks. This time, he stayed down. Brian was standing over him growling, half shifted. Henry's jaw and ribs ached from Brian beating him. "Youh Idjit!" Brian growled. "Youh whill mahk hit rhittght."

"Yes Papa," Henry whined softly. He'd left Betty without talking about being a shifter and had come back to base. He'd started to explain it and got as far as saying Betty would give up the baby if it survived when Brian had started growling. The rest of the men in the barracks stood watch at the windows and doors to make sure Brian wasn't interrupted as he beat some sense into Henry.

Brian growled once more and then left. The rest of the men gathered around Henry.

"What kind of idiot are you?" asked Jacques.

"Horny bastard that one," said another man.

"Stupid!" said a third.

"Ohkay, I get the message," said Henry. "How in the hell do I tell Betty that I'm a shifter?"

"Just like some of the other men. She'll either get it, or panic. You gotta shift for her," said Jacques.

"Just make sure she don' have no gun or knife," said Chester.

Henry stood up, shook his clothes back into place and headed back to town. He knew he was wrong to tell Betty lies, but at the same time he was scared. He never had to tell anyone he was a shifter and this was really difficult.

Betty was surprised to see Henry at the door. "Whatcha doing here luv?" she asked.

"Need to talk," said Henry.

"Who hit you?" she asked seeing the bruising on his face.

"My Papa. He is ver mad I was dishonorable with you," Henry said. He walked into Betty's little house and went into the lounge. He sat down heavily. This wasn't going to be easy, and he knew it.

"So, what are you goin' to do Henry?" she said.

"I need to talk with you and you need to listen. It's gonna be... sound a bit odd. Just don' be afraid," said Henry.

"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?" asked Betty. This of course made her nervous and the scent began to waft across to Henry.

"Betty, the reason I have to talk to you is because of the baby you're carrying," he started.

"Okay, I know you weren't happy that I got preggers, but well, we both..." she started.

"I know. I'm not asking you to give up the baby. But you have to understand, that I'm a little different than most men," said Brian.

"Well of course you are. You're Canadian and you've been nice to me," said Betty.

Henry shook his head. "Yes, and you're a sweet girl. I really am different though. I'm a shifter," he said at last.

"Shifter? You're no shifter. You're in the Army. You have a job," said Betty still not understanding.

"Shifter as in I become somethin' else," said Henry. "A wolf."

Betty laughed. "Henry, ifin' you don't want to marry me, just say so. I can go up to my sister's in York and have the baby there and she'll find a home for it. Lots of girls do that. Just tell me," she said.

"No. Really. I'm not lying. I can shift into a wolf. I am a wolf. Our baby will be a wolf," said Henry. He was getting frustrated that she wasn't getting it. "Here. Let me show you," he said and stood up to undress.




Buster's Story Ch. 04



"Henry? Have you been drinking? Did you hit your head? Really love, we can go upstairs," she said as he undressed.

"No, I'll show you. Really. Just keep calm," he said as he pulled off the last of his clothing. He shifted.

Betty screamed and passed out.

Wolf sniffed the woman on the floor. All okay. Wolf sniffed her belly and between her legs. She smelled like pee and wolf cub. Wolf licked her face and then sat and waited.

Betty slowly woke up. A noise woke her. She was on the floor and she remembered fainting because somehow Henry had melted into a wolf. "It must have been a dream. No more Stilton cheese for dinner," she thought as she sat up. The large wolf in front of her didn't move. He just lay there as Betty gasped and tried to move away from the animal in her living room.

"Ma'am, it's alright. Henry won't hurt you said Brian Davy from the doorway.

Betty screamed and fainted again. This time Brian caught her.

Betty came to in her own bed. The strange man was sitting next to her and so was Henry. She looked from one man to the next and realized that the stranger must be Henry's father. She trembled in fear.

"Betty, it's okay," said Henry.

Betty, still wide eyed with fear didn't say a thing, but simply looked from one man to the other.

"Betty, please. There is nothing to be afraid of," said Brian.

"Dddid I see... really see you change into a wolf?" Betty asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes. I told you I'm a shifter Betty. I didn't lie. I had to tell you because you're pregnant and we tend to breed true," said Henry.

The two men could read Betty's thoughts as they raced across her face. Then her eyes rolled up in her head and she passed out again.

"Henry, what on earth have you bred with?" asked Brian.

"Hadn't intended to breed. She's just a sweet girl and well, she was nice," said Henry.

"Nice? Does she always act like this?" asked Brian. "Or am I just catching her at a bad time?" The sarcasm seeped into his words.

"Papa! Dammit! You are not makin' this easy," said Henry.

"No, easy is just kill you. You idiot," hissed Brian. He looked over at Betty and saw that she was waking up again.

Betty blinked and looked at both men. "Henry," she started.

"Yes Betty," said Henry.

"Am I... am I going to have puppies?" she asked in a worried tone.

Both me laughed.

A week later Betty was ready to ship off from Liverpool on the Queen Mary. She and Henry had gone to the Canadian Wives Bureau in London a few days before to get the papers ready for travel. Henry had written his mother and Maggie to let them know that Betty would be on her way. Henry and Brian had given Betty letters to hand deliver as well.

"Now, you understand that you'll arrive at Pier 21 in Halifax. From there, you'll have to take a train all the way to Calgary, Alberta. From Calgary, you take the train to Lethbridge. Maman and Maggie will meet you there and take you home," said Henry.

"I got it Henry. All written down. I...hope I do you proud," said Betty. She'd gotten over her fright, but still wasn't 100% sure of all of this.

"You'll do just fine. Take care and write when you can," said Henry. He kissed her and watched as she headed up the gang plank.

Betty waved from the deck rail as the Queen Mary pulled away from the docks. Henry waited until the ship was far off into the channel and then headed back to Aldershot.

*

July 10th, 1943, Sicily.

"Operation Husky! Should have called it Operation Puke and Bake," said Jacques as he tried to clear his head. He and Henry were standing on the deck of the transport that was headed across the Mediterranean. In hours they would be storming a beach at Cape Passero. The men were trying to get ready amids seasick troops. Everyone was hot, nervous and relieved to finally be heading into battle.

Brian and the Major were looking over maps of the area their battalion was suppose to take. Notes were made and maps handed out. Brian gathered his men together and shared out the information. Less than thirty minutes later, the landing crafts hit the beach. The propaganda machines and bombings had done their job well. There was little to no fighting on the beaches. Some of the transports hit the wrong beaches and the heat was oppressive. As the men moved inland, Brian feared he would loose more men from heat exhaustion than enemy bullets.

By that evening, the British, Canadian and American forces had taken Syracuse. The Germans hadn't shown up in this area either. Some ships had been damaged by shelling, but for the most part the misinformation had worked in keeping the landing a secret. Brian and his men were panting in the shade trying to figure out just how much of their winter uniforms they could shed.

The next morning, the army moved inland. The Allies knew that the Italian 6th Army and Panzer Division Herman Goring and the 15th Panzergrenadier Division with 150 tanks was in Sicily. The 1st Canadian along with the XXX Corp was working to take over the Pachino Airfield. Battles were brief but intense and the heat was devastating.

"Major, two more of my men have succumbed to heat stroke. Can't you get us lighter uniforms? Anything? Let us strip off?" said Brian. He was dripping wet and trying not to pant in front of the Major.

"Staff Sargent, we are doing the best we can. Do whatever you need to keep cool. As it is, they want to delay the Canadian regiments until we've figure out how to deal with this heat. At the same time, we have Italians and Germans attacking. Worse yet, we have Italians surrendering in record numbers. I just don't know what to do with all of them!" cried the Major. He too was having trouble with the heat, and didn't dare complain.

"Yes Sir!" said Brian. He saluted and left. He headed out to where his men were quartered. Everyone was trying to stay out of the sun.

"Any luck?" asked Chester.

"No. Drink your water and stay out of the sun. Heard that we have a long march coming up. 120 miles from here to Simeto. Oh, and lots of Germans to shoot," said Brian.

The men shook their heads and wondered what on Earth General Montgomery was thinking.

Leonforte, Ragusa, Catania Road, Vizzini... The names of towns melted together with the sounds of bullets, bombs, tanks and the cries of the wounded. The Hermann Goring Division was waiting for them in Catania. At a bridgehead north of the river Simeto, the Allies managed a foothold against the Germans. It didn't last long.

"Staff Sargent Davy!" called the Major.

"Sir!" Brian answered with a salute.

"We've been ordered to head north to Leonforte. From there we head east to Adrano near Mt. Etna. You think you can get our men there?" asked the Major.

"Aye Sir!" Brian said and headed out to lead his men. They'd worked out a tactical plan. Two or three of the shifters would head out before and clear the way. They'd shift and report back and then the main body of troops would move out. It was slow and dangerous work.

Henri had been out two days earlier and before killing the two German officers, he listened to them chatter about how clever and sneaky the Canadian divisions were to fight. He smiled as he shifted and then killed them.

By August, there were 19,000 prisoners. Patton's tanks were chewing up the ground and driving the Germans north and east. The battles became more intense. 1st Canadian and XXX Corps were pushing towards Adrano. It fell on August 5th and the Canadian Division was merged with the Army Reserve. It didn't give any of the men much rest as five days later, they were scheduled to cross to mainland Italy.

"Damn! We lost two more men last night," said Henry.

"Shifters?" asked Chester.

"Non. Just other Canadians. Heat stroke and bullets kill just about the same here," said Henry. And those tanks! Who taught them how to drive? Nearly ran over me last night!"

"I know. More people die from tanks running over them than bullets lately," said Jacques. He sat down heavily. He drank from his canteen and ate some biscuits out of his rations. The rest of the men around him were doing the same.

Brian and his troops moved north and east with the Allies. The 29th Panzergrenadier Division gave Patton fits along the coast near Santa Agata and San Fratello. Meanwhile the Canadians moved up to the New Hube Line. Randazzo fell on August 13th. As the Italians and Germans pulled back, the Allied Forces took the opportunity to enter Messina.

"How we doin' Papa?" Henry asked Brian as the men sat eating their first hot meal in weeks as they 'relaxed' on the Italian mainline.

"Not too bad. 562 dead. 28 of those family. 1664 wounded and 34 of them family. 84 were captured, and none of them family. I think maybe we survive this," said Brian.

*

December 20th, 1943. Ortona, Italy

"Henri! You okay?" asked Jacques.

"Yah, Damn those Germans can shoot," said Heni.

"You think?" said Chester.

Henri shook his head to clear the ringing and the men moved on to the next house. The fighting had been fierce and this was only the first day.

The 1st Canadian and the rest of the Allied Forces had been working their way up the Italian countryside all summer and autumn. Now with winter settling in, the men found themselves heading into the deep water port of Ortona off the Adriatic Sea. They'd been told that Ortona was vital and must be taken at all costs. Crossing the Moro earlier in the month had just about done in the British forces, and so it was left to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division to take up the slack. It was cold and muddy, which perversely suited the Canadians much better than the heat of July.

The Germans didn't want to give up Ortona and were literally fighting for ever stone, tree and road in the town. The fighting was happening in narrow streets. Snipers, mines and more tanks and troops than anyone could imagine were packed into the area. The 1st Fallschimjager Division was holding their ground.

Brian was leading a team of men, mostly shifters in to take positions as snipers. Their task was to try and flank the Germans and cut off communications. It was slow hard work. While they picked off Germans with bullets and 'dogs', the Three Rivers Canadian Tank division began to route through Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The Germans had mined the area and what should have been an easy battle became a standstill filled with deadly traps.

Brian and Jacques were trapped in a building with no way to get out. The house to house fighting was becoming impossible.

"Jacques, shift and see if you can get through that hole," said Brian pointing to some bomb damage in a far wall.

"What? You think I am some mouse?" asked Jacques.

"Yes! You get your skinny furry ass through that damn hole now before that German tank comes this way," Brian shouted. He kept firing on the Germans while Jacques shifted and scurried through the hole. He dug it a bit bigger from the other side and then yipped at Brian. Brian saw that the hole was now man sized and shoved Jacques' gear thought. He fired a few more times and then dived through the hole himself. When they joined up with the rest of the men, they explained what they had done. No more sticking their necks out when they could 'mouse-hole'. They used anti-tank guns to breach holes through the houses or use grenades where that didn't work. They went room by room through the houses killing Germans as they went. The battles were fierce and bloody. Brian and his fellow shifters used their wolfish senses to try and keep losses to a minimum. The close-quarters combat sometimes meant that they surprised enemy soldiers. It also meant that some times they ran into Italian families attempting to hide from both groups of soldiers. One small unit of Canadians took turns holding frightened children while others picked off Germans.

"You know the Germans are going to get pissed at us and start running tanks through the buildings," said Jacques.

"Aye. Just keep an ear cocked for the rumble," said Brian. He was crawling through a mouse-hole and stopped to lob a grenade through the next stairwell. Clearing houses and streets room by room had never been done before, but the hunting tactics of the Canadians was providing an unexpected boon.

December 25th, 1943. Ortona Italy.

"Damn! Brian! You okay?" called one of the men from the room above. They'd been clearing the building and trying to stay clear of the German snipers.

Brian shook the rubble that had fallen off of him and then glanced out the window. "Aye! But that German, he kill two of our tanks. No getting to them either. I'm coming down," hollered Brian.

He knew that his men were do to rotate out to eat. It was Christmas day and they'd been promised food that didn't come out of cans. He got down to where the small band of men were waiting. "Let's go!"

The men enjoyed a brief but good Christmas dinner. Roast pork with all the trimmings, chocolate bars, beer, cigarettes and that particular dish, Christmas pudding were handed out to the men a few at a time.

"You know, five years I get this stuff. I know it is suppose to be edible," said Henri as he tried a bite of the Christmas pudding.

"It better than my Aunt Marie's fruit cake," said Chester. That made the men laugh. A year before the war, they'd taken the young boys out to shoot and it was one of Aunt Marie's fruit cakes they'd used as a target. It had been so dense that the little .22 rounds only dented it.

"Maybe those Germans, they use this stuff for armor on them tanks," said Jacques. "Them some damn tanks." The men nodded in agreement. They all finished and then headed back out to the fighting.

*

Natalie's Cabin, Canada

"Maman! Maman! I know where Papa is!" shouted Quintus.

Natalie came into the room to find Quintus listening to the radio. She looked puzzled as he had an old map of Europe on his lap as well.

"What do you mean Quintus? Did we get a letter? Did someone call?" she asked.

"Non! The radio. That man on the CBC, Matthew Halton. He say he reporting from the Battle of Ortona, Little Stalingrad he call it. Says that the 1st Canadian Battalion and Three Rivers Tanks is there. That is Papa!" said Quintus. He pointed to the map.

Natalie sat down as if the air had been let out of her. She'd been listening to the war news and knew how desperate this battle really was and had hoped that her mate and sons were not there. Now she had no way to fool herself.

"Maman, what does 'Little Stalingrad' mean?" asked Quintus.

"Stalingrad is a city in the Soviet Union where the Soviets and Germans fought a horrid battle that lasted for six months. Whole sections of the city were leveled. People ate rats," was as far as Natalie got before Quintus interrupted her.

"Rats aren't so bad," he said.

"Not for us. Wolves eat rats. These were people who were so hungry, they had no choice. It was also ver' cold. Worse than here. So people froze. People died. If they are saying Ortono is like Stalingrad, then this is ver' bad.

Quintus put down his map and hugged his maman. Life hadn't been easy. The men were gone for so long. Then the women and children began to show up. Not shifters and some didn't do well. Natalie, her daughters and the other women in the area tried to be nice. They tried to help them understand what life was like here. So many of them were city girls. They didn't cope with having to chop wood or cut up game animals. Worse yet were those who really didn't understand what their husbands had been trying to tell them when it came to shifting.

Some of the women had settled in nicely. Others had already left their children and headed home to England or off to one of the big cities. The baby boom had caught Natalie by surprise. Now she was dealing with fifteen children between the ages of one month and four years old and no parents or families that would take them. There were eight pregnant women and she didn't have a good feeling about them being able to cope either.

One such was Henry's Betty. She'd arrived in late July and and was now heavy with child. Jenny and Alice had a bet that she'd abandon the baby. Natalie had tried and tried to make her understand that life could be good here, but Betty was terribly homesick for her little corner of England.

Natalie went back towards the kitchen to check on dinner.

"Maman, what we do with that Betty?" asked Alice. She was knitting baby booties. Next to her sat Mary, a very quiet three year old.

"I don' know. We see how she do when the baby comes. Some women get better. Others,..." Natalie trailed off. It had gotten bad enough that Kent and some of the other men who had stayed had begun to write up an agreement to be signed by non-shifter spouses. One that would give the shifter custody of any child born of such a marriage. Twice already they'd had women go, come back, go and leave a second-third-fourth time, and each time make a different choice about the children. One poor little girl wouldn't leave Alice's side she was so traumatized by it all.

"I think we best make all those crazy Brits sign that paper," said Marie coming in the back door. She'd had the talk with her husband, and there hadn't been a problem, but Marie wondered if it was different for men.

"Maybe. I wish that Grandma Davy were here. She'd know what to do," said Natalie. She certainly would never ask her maman. Celia had already expressed her opinion. The two women who turned up at the door saying they were wives of grandsons of Nathan and Luc's had been turned away. Natalie had taken them in and so far both had held to their agreements. Tilly and Georgina were helpful and took many of the abandoned children into their cabins. Both were Yorkshire farm lasses and Natalie often wondered if that made a difference. Almost all the women that had real issues with the shifters were city bred.

"Aye. Grand-mere Celia, she is so mean! Talks about purity and all that shit, but she is part Nez Pierce! Why it so bad to be part English?" said Marie.

"Her problem is all wolf, not part wolf. She think it makes them less which is stupid. Some of those 'pure wolves" is crazy. Bear shit crazy," said Alice. She finished a bootie and started on another. All of the women in the room nodded. While they may not have a grasp of science, there were family records. Life was too complicated not to know who married who and which marriages made for good babies and bad babies. Grandma Davy had a long list and Natalie had kept it current. Families with a bit of non-shifter were often healthier than shifter only relationships.

"Just don' say that where Grand-mere Celia can hear you. She box your ears till they ring," said Quintus. He'd been the victim of Celia's wrath more than once.

Natalie nodded and her daughters agreed. Dinner was nearly ready and she went to wake up Betty. She found the woman sitting on her bed, tears streaming down her face. In her hands was a wadded up shirt. Henry's.

"Oh Betty, you be okay," said Natalie.

Betty looked up at her mother. She sniffed and tried to dry her tears. "I guess so, but I miss my mum and..." she said as she hiccuped.

Natalie sat down beside her. Maggie had tried to house Betty, but the two of them were such weepers that it hadn't worked. Plus, Maggie spent most of her time in wolf form, leaving her son George with her mom or Natalie. It wasn't that either woman disliked the other either. They were just not handling the fact that Henry was gone. "I know you miss your mum. Did you write her?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, but that was weeks ago and I haven't heard back. I worry the house got bombed or ..." Betty trailed off. "An I just heard what Quintus said. That... that battle is a bad one and what if..."





Buster's Story Ch. 04



"None of them are going to die. Brian won't let um, and Henry is too damn stubborn. So don't you think that. You've got a baby coming any time now and you need to think about that. Plus, it's supper time," said Natalie.

The two women went into the kitchen where Marie had set the table and Alice was serving up supper. Rabbit stew, biscuits and wild chokecherry jelly.

That night, Natalie lay in bed thinking about Brian. Wondering if he was okay, if he missed her or if he was dead and they just hadn't found her to tell her. The letters he'd sent with Betty had been the best she'd had in five years. She still read them at night when she wanted to howl. He'd written the sweetest letter.

Dear Natalie,

I miss the scent of mint in your hair after we've rolled in the meadow grass. I think about that meadow often when life is just too much. How we ran across it all these years on two legs or four. I dream that we're there. You are on your back naked and I run my tongue up your legs and across your pussy. I taste that sweet salty juice across my tongue and I want to lap at that well until I'm full.

I want to sink my cock deep and feel you moan and sigh under me. I want to hold your breasts in my hands and pinch the nipples until they are hard nubs. I want to bite your neck and take you rough until you cry out in pleasure.

I want to stroke in and out of your body until my own cries out in joy as I fill you with my seed. I want to lay with you in my arms as we catch our breath. Then I want to make you come again and again until you beg me to stop.

Most of all, I want to hold you in my arms and never leave again. Oh how I miss you my love!

Brian

She'd read it so many times it was taped to hold it together. She read it once more as she crawled under the covers and cried herself to sleep.

*

December 27th, Ortona, Italy

Jacques slammed into the wall as the sniper round drove him back. Henry crawled over to him and pulled Jacques out of the line of fire. Blood was pouring out of Jacques' upper arm. Henry pulled his knife and cut the shirt to see how bad it was. Jacques looked down to see a crease in his arm where the bullet had just cut him.

"Better get you to the medic," said Henry.

"Aye. He stitch me up, I can fight some more," said Jacques. The two men worked their way out of the building and back to the Canadian line where the medics were stationed. Other men moved into the building to keep the attack going.

Brian saw his son and son head for the medics and then moved off to take men into another building. He no sooner got into position than he heard the rumble of tanks. The Germans were heading straight for the building Jacques and Henry had just left. He wasn't sure what was going on at first, but then it was clear. The German's were going to level the building. He tried to holler and get someone's attention. It didn't work, so he headed back down to let people know just as the building collapsed. Screams, falling masonry, and gun fire filled the air. Men rushed to the building to try and pull out survivors.

In the mean time, the Canadian tanks roared to life and started pounding the Germans. The battle intensified and with the help of spotters, two buildings full of Germans were leveled in retaliation for the deaths of the Canadians. One building housed officers and communications which was a major victory. Anyone with a gun was firing at the Germans. The air filled with the stench of cordite and the smoke from the guns made it difficult to see.

The intense fighting and the rescue operation went on all through the night. Brian ran out of grenades twice and smiled when he saw Jacques back in the battle. The Canadians captured the town square and drove the Germans to the end of Ortona. With nowhere to go and no reinforcements, the Germans began to evacuate Ortona. By 10am, the Canadian forces declared victory as no more Germans were to be found in Ortona who were not prisoners or dead.

"1375 of us dead," said Jacques as they rested in a quiet corner of a barn just outside of Ortona.

"Is that what you heard?" asked Henri.

"Aye. More wounded too," said Chester. "That be nearly a quarter of us gone."

The men shook their heads in shock and disbelief. They were just glad to be alive with minor wounds and hunger to deal with.

January 1944, Canada

"Maman! Maman!" shouted George and Quintus as they came into the cabin. They found Natalie cuddling Bertie.

"Shush! You wake this baby, I let you put him back to sleep," she whispered. Betty had a hard labor and even a month later was not in good health in spite of all of Natalie's help. Natalie had taken Bertie so that Betty could sleep a bit.

"Maman, at the cine we saw a Canadian Army Newsreel. It was all about Ortona! We think we saw Jacques and maybe Henri," said George as quietly as he could in spite of his excitement.

"Aye! And Jacques had a big bandage around his arm," added Quintus.

"Did you see your Papa?" she asked.

"Non," said both boys at once.

Natalie nodded. Jenny and Alice and some of the other women had gone into town and taken the boys to the cinema. She'd hear more from them later. "Go get some firewood. The box is low," she said softly.

As the boys left, she sat next to the stove and rocked her tiny grandson.

1944 Italy

The 1st Canadian along with other British troops under General Montgomery took a break to regroup and heal after Ortona. From Ortona, they moved north to the Hitler Line. This was a defense line from Aquino to Piedimonte. By May the 1st Canadian Division was in the thick of it.

"Damn line tactics! Just like the Great War. Kill you slow and stupid," complained Brian. He'd told the Major what he thought of this battle and no one listened. He worked his way back to his men, dodging from foxhole to gun position. He was almost there when he felt a searing pain in his side and then the world went dark.

"He breathing?" asked a voice.

"Aye. He growling. Get moving," said another.

"Damn! He sure heavy," said the first.

"Aye! Don' drop him, he kill you," said the second.

Brian drifted in and out of consciousness. His whole body hurt and the wolf within whined in pain. He couldn't move, but knew he was moving as his body bounced up and down.

The men carried him to the field hospital. They'd bandaged him as best they could, but blood was dripping everywhere. They ran. No one wanted to have to tell Natalie Davy her husband had died because they'd moved too slow. She'd rip their throats out.

The medics took the stretcher from the men and ran straight into the operating theater. Calls went out for doctors and one by one they filled the tent. Brian was moved to the operating table, and his clothes cut away as they prepped him for surgery.

"Dr. Abrams, I'm having trouble knocking him out. He keeps waking up," said a nurse.

"Give him more chloroform. Pain does weird things to men," he said and started to work on the man in front of him. A bullet had hit him on the side and glanced off of his rib, shattering it. He worked quickly and threw bits of rib bone off to one side as he debrided the area.

"Dr. Abrams, he's waking up again," said the nurse.

"Give him a shot of morphine! Hold him still!" cried Dr. Abrams as he tried to work on the patient who was doing his best to get up off of the table. Two orderlies grabbed arms and legs while the nurse injected him with morphine. Finally, the man relaxed and Dr. Abrams was able to finish surgery.

"Put this man in the ward at the back. I want to be able to keep an eye on him," said Dr. Abrams as he stripped off the bloody gown and gloves and got dressed again for the next patient.

Brian woke up in the dark. His mouth felt full of cotton and he hurt. He tried to get up, and before he could roll over, a hand gently settled on his chest.

"Lay still," said the voice quietly.

"Wah-t-her," Brian managed to gasp.

The man held a cup to his lips and let him sip just a bit of water. "Don't drink too much, I don't want to test my stitches. Can't have you drowning because you sprang a leak," said the voice.

Brian sipped slowly, letting the water soak into his dry mouth. His head hurt and even in the dark, he knew he was just a bit shifted. He tried to think human, but the pain wasn't helping.

"That's enough," said the man and took the water away.

Brian blinked and tried to see in the dark. Even with his eyes partially shifted, he could barely see. "Who... arhh youh?" he asked thickly.

"I'm Dr. Abrams. I put you back together a few hours ago. I should be sleeping before I have to put more men back together, but I thought it better to stay here and ask you some questions," he said.

"Huh?" asked Brian who was having trouble thinking two-legged thoughts.

"You sir, should be dead. A rather large caliber round went nearly through you from side to side. Some how it missed your stomach and liver, but clipped ribs and sent splinters into everything. You fought the anesthesia and the morphine. You nearly walked off of the table mid surgery and I swear that you were healing as I was trying to repair you. Just what are you?" Dr. Abrams asked.

"Cah-nah-dee-an," said Brian slowly while his mind raced in panic.

"Yes, I know that, but what are you? I'm not going to harm you. I just need to know. I'm curious. I've got you in isolation until we could talk, and to keep you safe. I know you don't want to trust me, but you must," Dr. Abrams said softly.

"Shoo-dn't," said Brian. "Bloody hell! Why couldn't I just die?"he thought.

"Sargent Davy, I could order you to tell me, but I'd rather you explain. If it is too complicated, the rest of this medical hobbiest group will want to dissect you. I'm trying to save you, but we have to talk. You're heavier than when you came in which isn't logical. You also have more hair and to be honest, it looks like your teeth are growing. What in the world are you?" pleaded the doctor.

Brian sighed. He could feel the fur and his teeth. He knew the cot was creaking with his weight. He took another deep breath, and could smell something. Not all human. Not afraid. "Whhat arh youh?" he asked.

Dr. Abrams shook his head. "Complicated. So, your are able to tell I'm not your average man too. So, I am still waiting for your answer," he said.

"Shhif-tur," said Brian.

"Shifter?" asked the doctor not totally understanding.

"Youh'd ccahl meh a wwher-woof," Brian finally got out. He tensed, waiting for a bullet or lights to flash on or any sudden movement.

"Werewolf? Oh! I understand. Oh god," said Dr. Abrams. "Are you contagious? Will I need to clean the operating room more? Um.."

"Noh. Fam-ily. All fam-i-ly. Morh wahtur plez," Brian said trying to talk better and not let this man panic into calling the MP's.

Dr. Abrams gave Brian more water. Brian could see a thousand questions piling up behind the doctor's eyes. How he wished Natalie was here.

*

Brian and the doctor talked for an hour. By that point, Brian had shifted back enough to look just rough, and not wolfish. He'd also convinced the doctor to bring him some food. Dr. Abrams was nervous, as Brian had barely made it through surgery, but he watched Brian eat eggs, corned beef hash and drink nearly two full mugs of tea. He listened to his stomach and intestines and was amazed to hear normal digestion sounds.

"Brian, you astonish me. I still say you should be dead or at least in critical condition," said Dr. Abrams.

"I know, but we heal fast. Heal better if we can eat or sleep or both," said Brian. They'd already discussed the fact that Brian would probably sleep for a whole day once he did fall asleep. The fear of falling asleep and shifting had kept him awake. Now that Dr. Abrams understood what Brian was, they were arranging for Brian to stay in isolation. The cover story would be that they were afraid he'd have a relapse due to the bullet wound. Dr. Abrams had 'eaten' the food and thanked the orderly who brought it.

Both men were distracted by a knock on the tent pole. Dr. Abrams stood up ready to stop whoever it was from coming in while Brian moved to look like he was asleep.

"What do you want?" he asked as he poked his head through the curtain to see three men standing on the other side.

"We've come to see Sargent Davy," said the first man.

"Well, you have to go away. He's in serious condition and can't be disturbed," said Dr. Abrams.

"He's my Papa, and I will see him," said Henry. He rolled his shoulders back, trying to look as big as he could.

"Just a moment," said Dr. Abrams. He pulled himself back into the room and turned to Brian. "Do you have family here? A son?"

"Aye. Sons, sons. Henry, Henri, Jacques," said Brian. He tried to sniff the air, but could only smell hospital and the doctor.

Dr. Abrams stuck his head out the curtain again. "Are any of you Jacques or Henry?" he asked.

"Aye!" said all three.

"Come in quietly then," Dr. Abrams said.

The three men came in and started talking quietly in what seemed a mix of French, English and something else. Brian answered them in the same language. Dr. Abrams stood and observed the three men interact with Brian.

"Are... are you all shifters?" Dr. Abrams asked. "Might as well break the ice this way," he thought.

"Aye," said Henry. "Family. You? You what? Don' smell right."

"I'm um... complicated," said the doctor.

"That what he tell me. He ver' old. Smells dusty. Won' tell me, but at least he no damn fairy," said Brian.

That made the younger men laugh. Fairies did exist. Small nasty little creatures. This man was no fairy though. Not even mixed blood. Very different. He wasn't afraid of them either which was a bonus.

"Your father says he may shift in his sleep. Is it possible to stop that?" asked Dr. Abrams.

"Non. It is better if he does shift. He heal faster," said Jacques. The other two men nodded.

"Damn. I'm trying to figure out how to keep this from being found out, but I've got to sleep, even it it is only for a little while," said the doctor.

"Sleep in the chair. We watch over Papa and keep them damn orderlies away," said Henry. "Not the first time we do this."

The doctor looked from Brian to his family. "Okay," he said and got ready to take a nap. "Wake me if there is trouble."

"We will. Don' worry," said Henri.

The doctor fell asleep with the three men watching over Brian. Brian shifted soon after and curled up to sleep. Henri took first watch. Jacques the second and the doctor woke just as Henry took his turn. He was surprised to see the huge animal in the bed.

"My god. How on earth do you stay hidden?" he asked Henry.

"We work in the forests. Lots of us go into the military though. Work as special forces. Snipers, scouts, dog handlers. That is the best. Then we can 'be the dog'. My Papa has two sets of medals from the Great War. Some for Brian Davy, some for Buster. That is what we call him when he shifts," said Henry.

Dr. Abrams nodded and wondered how many other field medics got rude surprises. He went off for breakfast and brought enough back for two. When 'Buster' smelled breakfast, he growled until Henry shared the plate. They put some water in it for him to lap up and then he went back to sleep.

"How long will he stay like this?" asked Dr. Abrams. "I don't know how much longer I can keep orderlies and nurses out of here."

"If we can let him sleep a little more, I can maybe get him to shift. Otherwise, we take the 'dog' that you fixed up out to the lines and let him sleep until he wakes," said Henry.

"How do you keep from being found out?" asked the doctor.

"Easy. You go out, tell some general that a sargent turned into a wolf. You won't even get back to this tent. They lock you up, call you crazy. Say you have the battle fatigue. If they do believe you, I got papers for one Private Buster, canine troop. He got shot, you fix him up. Same time that Sargent Davy nearly die. You so tired you mix them up in your sleep. I walk out with the dog. You get sent to some nice little hospital," said Henry.

Dr. Abrams sat and thought about it. Henry was right. No one would believe him. They'd chalk it up to stress and ship him home. Then he thought about all the Canadian troops. "Just how many of you are there in the Division?" he asked at last.

"There were 145 of us to start with. Three have died. Six went home. Discharged. The rest, here," said Henry.

"And no one has figured out anything?" Dr. Abrams asked.

"Non. The ones that go crazy, we send home. Some just can't take the noises. We fix, they go home," said Henry.

Wolf stretched. He was hungry. Needed meat. Wolf sniffed the air. His cub, that other still in the cage. Wolf try to stand. Hurt! Wolf whined.

The doctor and Henry both turned as the wolf behind them whined. He watched as Henry went over and bumped noses with the huge animal and then ruffled the fur between his ears. Henry was trying to settle the wolf down.

"Should we get him to shift?" asked the doctor. "Or does he need more to eat?"

"Meat would be good. Not too cooked. Or, I take him back to the tents," said Henry.

"Let me see what I can get. If anyone comes in, you... oh hell. You know what to say," said Dr. Abrams as he headed out the door.

Henry smiled.

Ten minutes later, Dr. Abrams came back with a large bone with a hunk of meat attached. He almost had it near the wolf when the wolf snatched it from him and began to chew the meat off of the bone.

"Damn!" said the doctor.

"Papa, he is ver' fast," said Henry. "Donkey or horse?"

"Horse. Said one of our dogs needed meat," said the doctor. He watched as the bone was soon clean. Then he watched the wolf begin to crack the bone in pieces. Within ten minutes, it was gone.

"You want me to see if I can get him to shift?" asked Henry.

"Please. It will make it much easier," said the doctor.

Henry walked back over to his Papa. "Papa, you need to shift. I know it hurts, but you must. Come on. You don' want shot for bein' a dog in the hospital," he said. "I don' have no leash!"

Wolf heard his cub making noises. His belly was full and he wanted to sleep. It took a minute, but Wolf knew that the cub wanted him to be a two-leg. Wolf stretched again, bones popping, scars aching and then he shifted.

"If I hadn't seen it happen, I... I wouldn't believe it," said Dr. Abrams.

"You got that willow bark?" asked Brian. He hurt all over and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Willow... oh. Aspirin. Yes. Just a minute," said the doctor. He left the room and came back with pills and water. Brian took them quickly.

"Thanks," said Brian. "An fore you ask, it work better than that damn morphine. I won' shift, but I need to sleep."

Dr. Abrams nodded. Jacques was sitting next to Brian and he nodded in agreement. Dr. Abrams left to change clothes and see if there were any casualties.

Two days later, Henry brought his Papa clean clothes. Dr. Abrams wanted him to stay longer, but Brian refused. He promised to take it easy. Dr. Abrams gave him a large bottle of aspirin and asked Brian to check in with him in a few days. Both men knew that wasn't likely. The Hitler line had fallen and the men were on the move.



Buster's Story Ch. 05



Life moves on. This chapter has taken a while due to mundane life interrupting writing time. My dear partner once again helped with various aspects and I appreciate his help. I am thankful to all the historians and the availability of information on the Internet. Otherwise, this chapter and others would have taken months instead of weeks. Hope you enjoy this next slice of life. Please vote and comment! I enjoy hearing from my readers.

* 

Spring had brought heavy wet snow and the inevitable mud. Quintus and George had hauled rocks and gravel up from the riverbeds to make paths between the cabins. Between loads of rock from the river, they were digging graves as the ground thawed. So far, they had dug nine. Over the years the cemetery had been expanded. In the newer section was a place for soldiers. Rather than take up land for bodies that weren't there, there was simply a large slab of marble that had space for names as deaths were reported.

Natalie was exhausted. She sat in the rocker beside the fire, holding Bertie and wondering if there were any more deaths to come. First had been Betty. She had grown weaker and weaker as January turned into February. One morning Quintus had gone to see why Bertie was crying and found Betty had died in the night. It was so cold that they wrapped Betty's body up, placed it in a coffin and then put it out in the back of the barn.

Then city folk came onto their land hunting for deer and elk. Instead, they shot what they thought were four wolves. Kent had found the hunters, killed them and brought the 'wolves' back for burial. They too ended up wrapped and waiting in the barn.

Natalie knew that her mother Celia was ill, but then again, she swore the woman was fueled by hatred. Celia hated the war, the war brides, non-shifters, and just about anything to do with this century. In her 80's, she had grown smaller in stature and bitter. Natalie had foxglove tincture to take to her mother's but simply could not bring herself to get up out of the rocker. It didn't hurt that Bertie was asleep. She dozed in the chair.

*

"Maman," George said softly. He barely tapped Natalie and she woke up. George took the sleeping baby from her arms.

"What is it George?" asked Natalie.

"Quintus. He find Bizzet," her son said softly pointing to Quintus holding a frail naked old man in his arms.

"Merde!" hissed Natalie under her breath. She stood up and walked over to Quintus who had tears rolling down his cheeks. She touched Bizzet and found a weak thready pulse. He looked like he hadn't eaten in a week and smelled worse. "Where?" she asked.

"On the high meadow. I went hunting and smelled him. Went to look and found him like this. I bring him home," said Quintus.

"Take him to my bed. We make him comfortable. Not much else to do," said Natalie. They washed Bizzet as best they could and then Natalie sat with him while Quintus ran for Marie and Tilly. Marie took care of the children and got dinner while Tilly brewed up willow and mint tea for Bizzet. Tilly had turned out to be a good nurse and herbalist. She helped Natalie run the clinic.

Natalie spooned the tea into Bizzet's mouth. It was a slow process as she waited for it to go down. He finally began to swallow and she was able to give him sips instead. Tilly braced him upright for Natalie.

"Bizzet, you hear me?" Natalie asked when he finally made eye contact.

"Aye. Who bring me here?" he asked in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Your boy, Quintus," said Natalie. "He find you."

"Good boy. Best my lot," whispered Bizzet. "I go, you put me next to Wild Girl, that meadow."

Natalie nodded. She knew the place. He slept on top of her grave for so long there was a dent in the earth. Tears began to gather and she wiped her eyes. She held his hand as he drifted off to sleep.

"Natalie, you gonna eat?" asked Tilly.

"Non. I stay with Bizzet," said Natalie.

"I'll be back in a minute and bring you a sandwich and a cup of tea. It's been hours since you ate and we can't lose you," said Tilly.

Natalie just nodded. Tilly was a force of nature, and right now, Natalie needed her and the strength she provided.

Bizzet passed at dawn. Natalie had fallen asleep in the chair when his wheezing woke her. He'd said his goodbyes between gasps and faded away. Outside, George, Quintus and Kent howled their grief to the dawn sky. Quintus had wanted to bury Bizzet in his uniform, but Kent and Natalie said no, knowing how much Bizzet had hated the military after the Great War. Instead, they wrapped him in an old quilt that Natalie knew had been his mother's. It was the quilt that he'd wrapped Quintus in all those years ago.

The boys buried Bizzet next to his beloved Wild Girl. They took time to bring stones up to cover both graves. Then it was time to fill the graves in the cemetery. By the end of the day, no one wanted to do anything. Natalie went to bed and left Tilly, Marie and Alice in charge. She gave orders to not be woken unless it was for Celia. She slept for nearly thirty hours.

*

Piedimonte, Italy. May, 1944.

"British to the left of us, Poles to the right and us in the damn middle!" hollered Jacques trying to be heard over the bombardment of the guns.

"Aye, and that damn reporter for the CBC is still blathering away back in that farmhouse," said Henry.

"What he say that Stursberg?" asked Jacques.

"He reporting the battle. Say we been given the shit job again. Thickest part to go through. Concrete, steel, and barbed wire. Meby 20 feet deep. Oh, and don' forget them 700-800 guns shooting at them damn Germans," said Henry. He flinched as yet another barrage landed nearby.

The men had been moving forward as best they could, but it was as rough here as it had been twenty times before. Monte Cassino had been a nightmare. Instead of fighting from house to house, it had been from bush to boulder. 'Buster' had done more for the Canadian troops by sniffing out booby traps, land mines and pockets of soldiers than most of the dog and handler teams. The New Zealand Corp and the Gurkas who'd been trapped on Hangman's Hill wanted to adopt Buster, but Henry refused. Soon after that was when Brian had been wounded.

Brian returned to duty just in time for the final assault on Monte Cassino. This time it was better organized. The British took a river the Americans had failed to cross on a previous attempt and the Poles linked up with the British and Canadian corps to provide the added strength to pinch off the German supply lines up the Liri Valley. When Monte Cassino fell, the remainder of the Canadians melded with other surviving units and headed with the British and II Polish Corp to the battlefield outside of Piedimonte. It was here that in a concentrated effort, the Germans were being smashed.

Brian came up behind Henry. "You seen Henri?" he asked.

"Non. He was down that way," Henry pointed. "Why?"

"I got this bad feeling," said Brian. He left the ammo he'd been carting and headed off towards the direction Henry pointed. At each entrenchment, Brian checked on the men and left supplies if he could.

"Sir, I look for my son, Henri Desjardin. Have you seen him?" Brian asked of one of the officers directing men at a headquarters station.

The officer looked on a roster and then a second sheet. "Ah yes. Thought I recognized that name. Hit and wounded. Down at the field hospital," he said. He pointed towards a dusty tent with a Red Cross emblem on it. Brian thanked the man and ran for the tent.

Once there, he found a nurse and asked again for Henri. Men were pouring into the triage area. The smell of blood, guts and death was thick in the air. Brian gagged and tried to not throw up when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Sargent Davy!" hollered Dr. Abrams. "Are you hurt?"

"Non! I look for my son, Henri," said Brian.

"He's over there," said Abrams. "Just a bullet wound in the calf. He's groggy, but alright."

Brian nodded and headed across the tent to the far side where men were sitting and awaiting transport. He crouched down next to Henri. "You okay?"

"Aye. I get to go to soggy England. Maybe home," said Henri. His leg was bandaged and seeping ever so slightly. "I dive for cover, but my leg... it is too slow," he tried to joke.

"You going to be okay. That Dr. Abrams, he look after you. I go back now, take care of that idiot Major and the rest of the boys. You go home, you kiss all of the family for me," Brian said. He hugged Henri and then after checking for dispatches, headed back up the hill.

*

"You find Henri?" asked Jacques hours later as they sat in the back of a truck rolling along the roads towards Rome. The line had broken and the Allies had poured through the German defenses like water.

"Aye. He go back that England base. Maybe go all the way home. Us, we head to Rome. Then only the Army know where," said Brian. He was tired. Tired of the heat, the guns, fighting and most of all, Italy. The soggy cold of Aldershot was looking better and better. Brian also missed his family. No letters. Nothing.

The Canadian Corp rolled through Rome at 3am and headed North. As the Germans retreated, the battles became a series of lines. Trasimene Line in June. Florence in July. The Gothic line in August, and the Rimini Line in September. Rimini was as bad as Monte Cassino. Mountains, rocks and no place to hide. The Greeks and New Zealand troops fought alongside the Canadian troops. Once again, Henry and Buster made their presence known and gave men hope when they thought all was lost.

Wolf ran. He smelled that sour scent of the enemy. Crouching low, he belly crawled up to the pit the men hid in. There were three. Swiftly, he dropped the first one. By the time the second one saw him, his throat was gone. Last was the gunner. He never heard his friends die over the noise. Nor did he hear Wolf. He just died. Wolf ran back to his two-legged pack mate and earned his rest. Soon it would be time to find the next pit.

Wolf felt better working. He could smell the enemy that the two-legged soldiers could not. The two-legged soldiers were happy when he killed the sour enemy. Soon it would be dark and time to hunt.

"Are you sure you won't give up that dog mate?" asked an NZ soldier. "He's a real help. Cleared those ditches and houses with hardly a loss."

"Aye, but it'd be like giving away my brother or my pa" said Henry. That made the soldiers laugh as they headed for the trucks transporting them to the next battle.

*

Henri figured he could run faster than the truck was moving. Granted, his leg was still painful. A splinter had worked out while on the boat trip from England to Canada. He hadn't been able to shift since that field hospital in Italy where Dr. Abrams had helped him. Now almost eight months later, he was less than fifty miles from home and the driver was creeping along.

"Hey, you think you could drive faster?" Henri shouted.

"Non!" yelled back the old man. He was squinting at the road trying to see by the blackout lights still in use.

"Then let me drive!" said Henri. The old man pulled over and Henri moved into the drivers seat. He winced as the clutch was stiff and hurt his leg. He shifted his eyes slightly and headed down the road at nearly sixty miles per hour. The old man next to him hooted with laughter as they drove.

*

Natalie heard a truck door slam, and ignored it thinking it was Tilly or Quintus back from town. She put Bertie down and wondered how long Jenny, Marie and Alice would talk and knit. They were making socks. With nearly twenty-two children now to care for without parents, no one's hands were idle at night. She had just put the kettle on for tea when the door opened.

"Maman?" the tall figure in the doorway asked.

Natalie turned, but before she could say a thing, Jenny screamed and launched herself into the arms of Henri. The rest of them stood there, not knowing what to think.

"Oh Henri!" Jenny cried, tears coursing down her cheeks.

Henri was kissing his wife he hadn't seen in six years. Marie, Alice and Natalie all joined in the hugging and kissing.

Quintus burst through the door with George not far behind. "Maman! I heard a scream," he said and then he saw Henri. "Henri? Is that you? Really you?" he asked and then smothered Henri in a hug.

"Damn you've grown!" Henri said hugging Quintus and then George with one arm. In spite of all the other family members rushing to see him, he hadn't let go of Jenny from the moment they touched.

Sleepy children poured out of their rooms to see who was making all the noise. Natalie grabbed Bertie who had woke and then shoved two teen-aged girls to the front.

"Papa? Is that you?" asked the darker of the two.

"Lizzybit?" asked Henri as he turned to his daughter.

"Aye Papa!" she said hugging him tight.

Henri looked over her head at the other girl with her mother's eyes. "Caroline?" he asked.

"Papa?" Caroline said crying as she too was wrapped in her father's arms. All of them stood there wrapped in each others arms.

"Who's that?" asked Tilly.

"Jenny's husband Henri," said Natalie. "Get the comfrey and the mint along with the bottle of poppy juice. His leg, it don' smell right." she said. Then while Jenny and the girls hugged Henri, Natalie and the rest got the children back in bed. They knew they'd get more information once people settled down.

*

"Thank you Maman. My leg it has hurt all the time," said Henri hours later as he watched Natalie change the poultice. His leg had stopped bleeding and hurting at long last. The scar would be a nasty reminder that he should have moved faster.

"You're welcome. You say a doctor, he know about us now?" Natalie asked.

"Aye. He fix up Brian when he get shot. Brian, he him sweet self and almost eat the doctor," said Henri.

Natalie shook her head and smiled shyly. She was glad to know that at least last spring that Brian was alive. From what Henri said, all the men were now in Germany or Holland. He'd explained how the men had been secreted out of Italy during Operation Goldflake. Many of the men had been allowed to recuperate before going back into battle. Many had been at Aldershot with Henri where they recovered from wounds. Some came home with Henri, while others headed back across the channel. Brian and his sons had been amongst those.

"Maman, I think I take Henri home. You watch the girls?" asked Jenny.

"Aye. You go now. I make them wait until you come back," said Natalie with a smile.

*

Henri was so nervous. He didn't want to let go of Jenny once they got in the house. He looked around amazed that so little had changed.

"I be right back," said Jenny. She too was afraid that if she left the room, he'd disappear like mist, but her nose told her otherwise. She changed into her nightgown and dabbed rose water behind her ears after she'd undone her hair. She walked back into the bedroom to find Henri standing right where she'd left him.

"I miss you so much," she said and began to unbutton his uniform.

"I miss you. Think I never see you again. Each time I write, I wonder if you get the letter. Pretty soon, no one gets letters and we never get told why. Then I get to England and there is a pile of letters. I read everything in one day. Still," he said.

"I know. Now jus stand still," said Jenny. She had him sit on the bed so she could unlace his boots. They clunked to the floor and were followed by his trousers and then underwear a moment later. Jenny's nightgown followed. The two of them stood there in the candle light touching. New scars, breasts, hips. Henri took Jenny into his arms and just held her. His tears trickled down her back.

"Henri, let's lay down," she said. The two of them let go of each other long enough to crawl in under the quilt. Henri smelled the lavender that Jenny used on the bedding and the rosewater she had daubed on her neck.

They kissed and held each other, exploring like two nervous teens. Jenny's hand cradled Henri's balls and Henri was certain that his cock would fall off from being so hard after nothing but a rough soldier's hand on it for years. He gasped.

Jenny kissed her husband and brought his hand up to her breast. She felt like a virgin it had been so long. His fingers were rough and yet so gentle. After a few minutes, his hand trailed down her side and slid between her legs. It was Jenny's turn to gasp. His fingers traced from her clit to the opening of her pussy and then slid in deep.

"You're so wet," he whispered between kisses.

"And you are so hard. Why not come here?" she asked as she rolled on her back and opened her legs. Henri moved between her legs and in a moment, was nestled deep in his wife. After a few strokes, he rolled her onto her knees and slid in from behind. Jenny smiled, knowing what was coming. She braced and as Henri began to thrust, she felt him shift. She shifted too, as Henri bit her neck. The two moved in pleasure and soon howled their orgasms to the rafters. Knot locked the two wolves curled up on the bed and slept.

The she-wolf licked her mate's leg. She couldn't move much and if she did, he bit her to hold her in place. It had been a long time since they had mated.

Later, they ran in the woods and mated again. At dawn, they crept back into the cabin and slept curled on the bed, nose to tail. Wolf sighed. It was good to be with one's mate.

*

Netherlands, 1945.

"I see one more dike, one more river or one more supply truck, I think I scream," said Jacques.

"Non. I like every truck I see. It has food to give these Dutch. They hungry like I never seen," said Henry. He and the soldiers had been fighting Germans and running supply trucks across the Netherlands.

The 1st and 2nd Canadian Corps were fighting side by side for the first time since training. In short bloody battles, the 2nd Division took Schipbeck Canal and straight into Groningen. More fighting ensued which lead to the capture of Dventer, Zwolle and Leeuwarden. Next stop, the sea.

The 1st Canadian Corps were rolling through the norther Netherlands. They liberated Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Everywhere the Canadians looked, they found people starving. The Dutch were at the end of their endurance. The previous winter had been one of starvation and became known as the "Hunger Winter". People died by the thousands.

Arnhem was another house to house battle. Brian and his fellow soldiers had honed their skills in Ortona and moved rapidly. As the Germans shelled the houses, Brian and a small group of men worked to reach the various machine gun nests and tanks. Brian dived into a house to avoid a sniper to be confronted by a mother and three small children. He could tell by the smell, that none of them had eaten. He grabbed his pack and started pulling out his rations.

"Here, eat," he said making hand gestures. The children grabbed the food and the mother cried and whispered thank you. Brian made a promise to himself to make sure food got to anyone who needed it if he survived the day. Two days later, the town was in Allied hands. Brian made sure that every spare ration he could find went to the people. He and Henry went 'hunting' and brought other rations that the Germans had left behind in their haste to leave.

April 28th saw a truce in western Holland, and the first food supplies began to move in for the starving people. The Canadians were cheered as they moved with the supples from town to town. Liberation and food were a heady mix. Food drops were made by planes.

A week later on May 7th, the Germans surrendered and the war in Europe was over. While not all the fighting stopped at once, Brian and his men were still in the Netherlands distributing food and trying to keep order. At night, they went hunting. This time, their prey were German soldiers, land mines and food caches left behind by retreating Germans. No one believed the soldiers who surrendered when they talked about wolves that hunted them down. The Canadian dog handlers just laughed.




Buster's Story Ch. 05



*

Brian threw up again. He still couldn't keep food down crossing the ocean. He was about to pass out when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Sargent Davy?" a semi familiar voice said next to his ear.

"Aye," Brian said trying to wipe his mouth.

"Take this," said the man handing him something.

"Non, I'll only throw it up again," Brian said heaving once more over the rail of the ship.

"Believe me, take this," said the voice.

Brian looked at the man for the first time. "Dr. Abrams?"

"Ah, so you do remember me. Take this and it will help your stomach," he said handing Brian a glass of something. Brian took it, drank it down and handed back the glass.

"What in the hell is that?" Brian asked. It tasted nasty, but it least it didn't come straight back up like everything else had for the last twenty-four hours.

"A family secret," said Dr. Abrams. "Mainly ginger, lemon and salt. I've been handing it out all over the ship. Don't you Canadians ever stop vomiting?"

"Non! We like land under our feet, not water. Leave that to them damn English. You never hear of Canadian pirates do you?" Brian said belching softly, but not vomiting.

"No, I don't think so," said Dr. Abrams.

"So, you going to Canada?" asked Brian as his head began to clear for the first time in days.

"For a bit. I need to disappear for a bit and then find a new job. It will be easier if I'm not in the U.S." said Abrams.

"New job? Don' you have a job with the army? Surgeon?" asked Brian.

"I do, but Dr. Abrams needs to die in the aftermath of the war. Then a younger field medic from some obtuse Canadian regiment needs to show up and continue a fine medical career," said Abrams.

Brian looked at Abrams. "You ver old, but you don' look old. Only smell it," he said thinking about what the two of them discussed in that field hospital in Italy.

"Yes. And every once in a while, I have to die and be reborn. Right now the world is in chaos, so it is an opportune time for me to disappear," said Abrams.

"You don' have family?" asked Brian.

"No. Broke up with my girlfriend before I went to war. My real parents, well, they've been gone a long time. My siblings are goodness knows where and if they are alive are pulling the same games I am," said Abrams.

Brian nodded. He knew that going back to Canada was going to be good and yet different. It had been six years and things change. "So, you want to visit a small town in Canada?" he asked.

"I'd be delighted," said Abrams. "Call me David."

Brian shook David's hand and the two of them watched the waves as the boat headed west.

*

Brian sat on the train with his sons, friends, family and David Abrams. He still wasn't sure how he'd introduce David, but it shouldn't be too hard. Not as hard as Alexander bringing home a Croatian Romani wife. Brian watched the two of them as they tried to talk to one another. She was so feral. She reminded him of Wild Girl. Brian thought about the story Alexander had told them on board the ship.

Alexander had found her in the concentration camps. He'd been with the Red Cross when they helped the local partisans liberate Stara Gradiška concentration camp in Croatia. She'd been sitting amongst survivors as the Red Cross began to register people. Alexander walked past, and he heard something behind him howl. He thought at first that it was a dog. Turing around, he saw an emaciated woman being constrained by two aide workers. Her intense pale green eyes stood out against the stark starved face and shaved head. He turned back to help and when he reached them, the young woman literally leapt into his arms. She'd been the one howling and as he held her, his nose told him why. She was a shifter.

He'd spent the next hour trying to calm her down along with the aid workers and the other survivors. His knowledge of Croatian was almost nil. She spoke a little Russian and German. It took a third person to help them talk, which made some topics off the agenda. It was apparent that some of the survivors were afraid of her.

"What is her name?" he asked the aid worker translating for him. They had moved away from the registration tables and were sitting in a quiet tent.

The aid worker asked a question in Russian and she replied. "She says her name is Jelka Ruv. She's a Romani, Cigan, a gypsy. Says she is afraid, but feels safe with you Aleksandr," he said in his heavily accented English.

"Why me?" Alexander asked. He was certain of the answer, but he needed a reason to have her clinging to him that the aid worker would accept. He hoped the girl could provide one.

The aid worker talked to her again. The conversation took nearly five minutes. Finally, the man sighed and turned back to Alexander. "This makes no sense. She says you are a shepherd, a protector and that she will always be safe with you. That you are 'her kind'. I may have misunderstood her there, but she thinks that you are somehow like her."

Alexander thought about it for a moment. "Ah, Shepherd... priest. Maybe she thinks that being a 'holy man' makes me safer. As for being her kind? I'm not sure what that means. Will it be okay if we let her stay near to me? I don't mind," said Alexander.

"No, I don't see problem. Others have their ducklings," the man said. He pointed to other aid workers who had children or adults following them around. The people had been so deprived, that any kindness or affection was lapped up like water. Alexander nodded. They filled out Jelka's paperwork and then he went back to working in the camp.

Jelka wouldn't let Alexander leave her sight. He'd tried to show her that it was okay to shift and leave. He encouraged it. However, after a tearful morning when he'd tried to get her to go with some of the other refugees to a city, he gave up. He found his Russian friend and they sat and talked. Or rather, Alexander listened while the two of them talked. At one point, she stood up and pointed over to where the Red Cross knew there were a series of mass graves. They had added to them when they first arrived. After twenty minutes, Jelka crossed her arms and turned her back on the man.

"Sergei, what's going on? I couldn't catch even a quarter of that," Alexander said.

"Aleksandr, she said if she wanted to die, she could have stayed here. She doesn't want to go to the cities. Said she didn't belong. Her kind didn't belong in cities. I guess she means Romany. I don't know. I explained she should go find her family. She said they were all dead. Shot by the camp guards. That is why she pointed to the graves. She kept repeating that you were her people and that she had to go with you. So, take her with you. No one will care. She is a lost person. No citizen. Take her. Better she go with you than die here," Sergei said.

"Die here?" asked Alexander.

"Da! She says if you leave her, she will curl up 'nose to tail' and die. I don't understand that, but it is how she said it," said Sergei.

Alexander knew exactly what she meant by 'nose to tail'. She'd starve herself to death rather than go into the city. He sighed, thanked Sergei for his help and held out his hand to Jelka.

Alexander had no trouble with Jelka until he reached France. It wasn't the tons of paperwork or the disorganization of Europe in general. He'd even gotten the paperwork done so that he was her guardian and soon to be husband. That last bit bothered him a little, because he had no idea if she even thought of him in that manner. However, it was the easiest way to move the two of them from point A to point B. Leaving her behind was not an option, nor was he going to stay in Europe.

The issue was the boat. Jelka was certain that she was going to die. She was afraid of the water. Alexander had pleaded with her. Coaxed her. Done everything he could think of to get her on board except to knock her out. They were standing at the dock side of the gangplank when Alexander heard a familiar voice.

"Alex! Is that you?" hollered Petite Luc, one of Brian and Natalie's nephews.

"Luc! Damn it's good to see you!" Alexander said as the two men hugged.

"Why for you stand here?" Luc asked.

"My... my wife, she is afraid to get on the ship. Afraid of the water," said Alexander quietly. He knew the purser was looking for an excuse to pull up the gangplank and was frantic.

"Well, maybe the two of us can get her to go on board," said Luc. "Introduce me."

Alexander introduced Petite Luc to Jelka. Luc kissed her hand and then turned back to Alexander.

"Where did you find?" he started. He'd smelled wolf in women's clothing and was puzzled.

"Shush! I'll tell you later. Too many people. How do I get her on the ship?" Alexander asked almost in a hiss.

"Growl at her. Shift your eyes. Be a dominant bastard," Luc said quietly. He'd had to use the same tricks on his wife Tilly, to get her to go to Canada years ago and she wasn't even a shifter.

Alexander blinked. Turned to Jelka, and let the sub-vocals creep into his voice. She flinched, her eyes went a little yellow, and then taking his hand, they went up the gangplank.

*

Everyone had met up in Halifax. Pier 21 was the gateway for every troop ship, immigrant ship and supply ship on the Atlantic side of Canada. Brian, David Abrams, and others were shunted from ships to docks to warehouses to hotels and then on to trains as each group sorted themselves out in order to reach home. Jacques and Petite Luc had found each other in a food line which brought Alexander and Jelka into the group as well. Once again, paperwork, red tape and the sheer mass of people trying to leave Halifax made waiting an art form.

Finally, a truck had taken men to a train heading west to Alberta and British Columbia. Brian, had grabbed tickets for everyone and they scrambled for seats. Jelka perched on Alexander's lap for the first two hours and Jacques, Petite Luc and others had sat on the floor. No one wanted to be the last one home.

"Aleksandr, we home soon?" Jelka whispered in Alexander's ear.

"Aye. Home soon," he said. He'd started teaching her English a few days before they left the camp in Croatia. There were still huge gaps in their ability to communicate, but it was improving.

"Aleksandr, Brian is Ruv?" she asked pointing at Brian Davy.

"Aye, Wolf. As is Jacques, Henry, Petite Luc and others," Alexander said quietly pointing at various men.

"Doktor David is?" she asked pointing at Dr. Abrams.

"Old. We don't know," he said.

She nodded. "Old. Vilenjak."

"Vilenjak?" he asked not understanding what she was saying.

"Spiriduş, elf?" she said trying first in Romanian and then German.

"Not sure," he said and left it at that. No one knew what the doctor was, and he wasn't telling.

They rode through cities and towns. Quebec, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina. At each station, men got off. Brian and David Abrams kept their group together. Jacques and Petite Luc would grab food and water and sometimes tea at the various stops. At Calgary, they switched trains for Lethbridge. No one knew they were coming home. Letters wouldn't have reached home soon enough and as for telephones, not one of the men knew if there were phones in the village or what the numbers might be.

In Lethbridge, they got a farmer to carry them as far as Sparwood and then they started walking. Some of the men moved off to one side, and shifted. Their friends wrapped their clothing up and made packs or bundles for the wolves to carry. Jacques and Henry looked at Brian.

"Oh hurry up and go. Jus don' you dare let Natalie know I come home. You do, I take you back to Italy," he laughed. He and a few others continued to walk. It wouldn't be fair to leave David Abrams behind.

A little while after the men shifted and ran off into the dark, a truck came down the road. As the men stepped off, it stopped. Jacques stuck his head out of the cab and smiled. Everyone climbed into the back and the truck turned around. Jacques stopped the truck next to the lumber mill he had taken it from and let everyone out to quietly head home.

*

Brian stood on the road in front of his cabin. It had been ages since he'd left home. 1939. Now it was half way through the summer of 1945. He remembered the night he came home from the Great War. The cold, the smell of woodsmoke in the air and the sight of Natalie in wolf form on their front porch.

It was nearly midnight, but there was a light burning in the kitchen window. He watched to see who was up. All he could see were a few shadows. As he moved closer, he was overwhelmed by the scents of home. Family, herbs, and Natalie. He dropped his gear on the front porch and quietly knocked. After so long, he had no idea who else was living in the house. He waited as someone came to the door.

Natalie was up with one of the babies. Always they fell asleep for her, but not their mothers. She was tired. Summer fevers. Broken limbs, scrapes and scratches. There was a quiet knock on the door, and she handed Bertie to Marie who'd kept her company ever since the war had ended. No one knew if or when their men would come home. The silence since the end of the war had been worse than ever.

Natalie opened the door and couldn't see who stood in the shadows. So many strangers had ended up at her door that she no longer worried what time it was.

"Hello? Can I help you?" she asked.

"Aye," said Brian as he walked into the cabin.

"Brian!" Natalie cried as she leapt into his arms.



Buster's Story Ch. 06



The muse has been kind and I've gotten a lot written this last couple of weeks. I'd like to thank my partner for all of his help. Especially when I forget bits and pieces, as I am integrating three separate stories. Yes, there is a third story in this series and it will start posting after this one is finished.

For those new to my stories, remember in my 'Universe', shifters are a variant of homo erectus, that I think of as Homo Lupus. True survival means blending in with human society. The music is real, and if you'd like to hear some of it, look it up on Youtube. Sierra Noble is one of the finer fiddlers. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Vote and comment! Let me know what you think. I appreciate the feedback.

Jaisen 



It had been a little embarrassing when a man had knocked on the door about five minutes after Brian showed up. Brian had his nose buried in her chest as he held her off the floor. 

"Excuse me, but if you can tell me where I can sleep, I'll get out of your way," said the tall dark haired man.

"OH! David! I forgot all about you! Forgive me my bad manners," said Brian.

"It's okay. I just need to know where I can sleep," said David Abrams.

"David, this is my wife, Natalie. Natalie, this is Dr. David Abrams, the surgeon that saved this old wolf," said Brian. 

"Brian, put me down," said Natalie turning red. Brian blushed, realizing his nose was still in her cleavage and set her down. "It's very nice to meet you, Dr. Abrams. Henri has told us so much about you. Sit down, and I will make tea."

"Henri made it home?" asked Brian.

"Yes. Didn't you know?" asked Natalie.

"Non! No communications. We couldn't even tell you when we would be home. Letters would take too long," said Brian as he followed Natalie around the kitchen. Brian couldn't let go of Natalie. He held her hand as she tried to make tea. He'd held onto her while mobbed by his daughters, grandchildren and the multitudes of toddlers who seemed to pour out of every room. Natalie while hampered, felt the same way. She just wanted to hold Brian until she got tired of it.

Dr. Abrams smiled and started looking around the kitchen. Two young women, were trying to wrangle nearly twenty small children back into bed. He laughed when one of the women, the spitting image of Natalie growled at the children. They squealed and dived for bed. He was also beginning to see the extent of this family.

"If you are home, who else?" asked Natalie as her brain began to think past Brian.

"Everyone who didn't already come home. Henry, Jacques, Petite Luc, whole family," said Brian.

"When?" she asked.

"Tonight. Just now. A few got home sooner 'cause they shift and run," Brian answered. "Oh and I am slow because this doctor, he no wolf. Won' tell us what he is, but he don' shift or run so fast. So I walk."

"An let me guess, you tell them not to tell me so I don' worry when you not here so fast?" asked Natalie.

"Yes," Brian said softly and then took her in his arms again and kissed her. 

"You know he do that so she won' hit him aye?" Marie said to David as she sat down at the table.

"Figured as much. Didn't your husband come home?" he asked.

"Non. My husband is American. In that Pacific Fleet," she said. 

"Ah, Why are there so many children?" David asked. He literally couldn't keep count of them.

"Them war bride babies their maman's don' want. So, we take them. Can't let them go home with non-shifters," said Marie.

"Why?" asked David. He looked over to see Brian and Natalie kissing and talking quietly. Since he hadn't been given a place to sleep, he talked to Marie.

"Cause when they get 15-16, they maybe gon' shift. So, we keep them," said Marie. "My Grand-mere Celia, was so not happy to see those war brides. Tell them all gotohell! My maman, Natalie, she take them in. Being the healer, she couldn' turn them away. Stupid cause that Tilly, Petite Luc's wife is a good woman. So is that Georgina, she Joe's wife, another of Celia's grandsons."

David nodded as he sipped his tea. He was fascinated and exhausted. "Marie, where can I sleep?" he finally asked. 

Marie led him down the hall to a room with three beds, two of them full and gave him a pillow. He thanked her and fell asleep moments after his head hit the pillow.

*

Brian and Natalie finally stopped kissing long enough to notice that no one was left in the kitchen. They walked down to the bedroom he hadn't seen in years. Natalie shut the door and then slowly began to undress her man. 

"Nat..." he started. 

"Non. Let me," she said. She unbuttoned and removed his clothes. She put them on the chair. When he was nude, she ran her hands over every inch of him. 

"Nat," he said again wanting to touch her in the same way. 

She shook her head at him and undressed herself. She stood there as the last of her clothes billowed to the floor and then walked over to Brian. They kissed, touched and eventually lay down on the bed. 

"It has been so long, I think my cock is afraid," said Brian trying to make a joke of his lack of an erection.

"Non, it has just been so long, it is shy. Just like I feel like some silly virgin," said Natalie. They lay there touching and kissing. Slowly, her hand worked across the scars on his stomach. She kissed every inch of the scar. Then she kissed lower and lower until she was right above his cock. Natalie put her lips on the head of his cock and kissed, then licked him. His body twitched, showing that it wasn't that afraid. She smiled.

Brian was nervous. It had been so long and he was afraid that if he closed his eyes, that it would be just another dream like so many before. Not even the feel of the ancient iron bed or the smell of lavender were enough to reassure him. Tentatively, he touched Natalie. She moved so that he could touch her body while she kissed him. Her mouth reached his cock and he felt the first surges of desire. 

Natalie knew it would take a bit for Brian to relax. He was such a mix of emotions. So were many of the men that had come home early. She had spent lots of time handing out poppy juice like Grandma Davy had for men that cried in the night. She knew too that sometimes what they wanted most wouldn't work. So, she wasn't surprised when he didn't salute her the moment the clothes came off. There was time. Lots of time. She kissed him and then pulled him into her mouth.

"Oh," gasped Brian. All the worries, the tension, fear and panic that had been held in for the last six years began to dissolve. He shuddered. His hands on Natalie as they found soft skin, new wrinkles, and scars proved to him that he really was home in a way nothing else could have done. 

Natalie stroked Brian's balls, his thighs and torso as she licked and sucked his cock. She felt his hands caress her thighs and move up between her legs. It was her turn to moan. In answer to her passion, his cock became firmer in her mouth. Brian's fingers moved gently between her lips and stroked deep. 

"Ah," she moaned, sitting back just a bit. "Please don' stop." 

"Non," said Brian. His cock felt harder than it had in months. His wet fingers traced over her clit and as she gasped again, he pulled her to him. Natalie straddled him and slowly slid her body down his cock. She felt like her heart might stop at that moment, it felt so good. So right. Slowly, she rocked back and forth.

Brian held Natalie by her hips. His brain swirled with pleasure. His hands moved up to her breasts. Softened by age, they were still beautiful. He pulled her nipples and cupped the soft flesh.

"Oh, oh my..." she gasped feeling her orgasm build.

Brian too felt his body respond, but it wasn't... right. He pulled her up and flipped around behind her, driving in from behind. His body began to shift, and he reached down to bite her neck with desire. Natalie responded and shifted until the bed creaked from the extra weight. 

Wolf's forelegs stiffened and pinned his mate to him as his hips thrust rapidly. It felt good. His mate began to croon and shudder with pleasure. Wolf felt the knot form as he came and came. At last, he stood there panting. His mate was panting too, but couldn't move because the knot locked them together. Wolf's body shuddered once more and he tipped back his head and howled his pleasure.

*

David dreamed that in the distance, wolves howled. He partially woke, turned over and fell asleep. Hours later, he woke needing to pee. He tried to move and realized that he couldn't. Behind his knees, across his stomach and his arms were toddlers. They were asleep. He tried to wiggle out, but it was no use. As he dropped back against his pillow, he heard laughter.

"You been puppy piled," said a soft voice from the bed across from him.

"Puppy... Oh yes, I have," said David trying to crane around to see who was talking to him. "Could you give me a hand? I've got to get up." 

"Sure," said the voice. 

David heard the creak of the bed and then felt small bodies being lifted off and shushed back to sleep. Slowly he stretched and was able to get out of the bed. "Where's the bathroom" he asked the tall dark young man.

"Down the hall to the left," the young man said.

David nodded and headed for the bathroom. He was grateful it wasn't an outhouse. Coming back to the room to get his shoes, he introduced himself to the young man. "I'm David Abrams, a doctor that served with your... um. Brian,"

The young man smiled. "I'm Quintus. Brian is my Papa. That lump over there is George. We are the two youngest sons. These babies, they are war babies." Quintus pointed to the still sleeping children. "That one is Bertie. Henry's son." 

David nodded, remembering some of the family history Brian had shared with him on the long trip. 

"You weren't here last night when I came to bed," said David.

"Non, I was out helping people find their families. Maggie was out in the woods and so were others. It has been hard here without men, husbands, family," said Quintus. "So, some people shift and run in the night."

"I see," said David. "Is there any chance for some tea?"

"Aye! Come, I cook. Maman and Papa, they go running last night. I don' know when they come home. So, I am in charge with that Marie," said Quintus.

David smiled and followed Quintus to the kitchen. 

*

Marie had been up before everyone and had fresh bread baking. Tea was in the pot and waiting when David and Quintus came into the kitchen. Alexander and Jelka were also at the table.

"Good morning," Alexander said greeting the two men.

"Alexander!" Quintus cried softly as he rushed into the man's arms. "I have missed you!"

"And I have missed you. Damn, you've grown. This is Jelka, my um... friend," said Alexander. "Jelka, this is Quintus." 

Quintus held out his hand to Jelka who looked at him wide eyed for a moment and then slowly shook his hand. He looked at Alexander. "Shifter, but not this family. Where you find her?" he asked as they sat back around the table.

"Croatian concentration camp. She doesn't speak much English," said Alexander.

Quintus nodded. He looked at Jelka. Then he got up and grabbed something out of a jar. It looked like a cookie of sorts. He handed it to Jelka. She eyed him suspiciously. She sniffed it and then licked it. A grin broke out on her face and she smiled. 

"Ta," she said in almost a whisper. Then she took a bite of the cookie.

David watched this exchange. He'd been fascinated by Jelka, not having seen someone so wolf-like in human shape even in comparison to Brian or his sons. He realized that the whole room was silent. Expectant. "Quintus, what did you give her?" he asked softly. 

"Pemmican cookie. Elk jerky, berries, oats all ground up and mixed with elk fat. My Grand-mere Celia she make them. Indian food, wolf food. You want one?" Quintus asked.

"No, I was just curious. Why did you give her that and not one of those rolls that Marie had made?" David asked pointing to the counter where the rolls smelling of cinnamon and dried fruit sat.

"Easy. She remind me of my mother. She scared of something, like my mother was all the time. Wild Girl, she love those cookies. Mebby it help." said Quintus.

David blinked. "But I thought Natalie was your mother," he said puzzled.

"Non. Natalie is my maman and Brian my papa. Wild Girl, she give birth to me. More wolf than person. My father, that Bizzet, he a little crazy after the Great War. Loves Wild Girl. They have lots of babies, but give them to families that will love them, or need them. They give me to Brian and Natalie. This Jelka, she is like Wild Girl," said Quintus.

Jelka had watched and listened to the exchange, and as she ate the cookie, she sighed and rested against Alexander's shoulder.

Alexander looked at Quintus. "Thank you," he said. He then told Quintus and Marie how he'd found Jelka and their trip home. The conversation was interrupted by small voices asking for sweet rolls, tea or milk as the various toddlers woke up and came into the kitchen.

"How do you cope?" Alexander asked Marie.

"Barely. Had to get a new cow. And I think in the spring we have a whole bunch more," she said with a smile as Jenny and Henri walked in. Jenny's belly was just beginning to round out.

"Dr Abrams? What you do here?" asked Henri as he hugged the man. 

"I came home with your father. Long story," said David.

Alexander hugged Henri and Jenny and introduced Jelka to them. Jelka smiled, but held close to Alexander. 

"Jelka, you want come with me to get eggs?" asked Marie. She pantomimed getting eggs.

Jelka looked from Marie to Alexander. "Aleksandr?" she said.

"It's okay Jelka. Marie is family," he said and put her hands in Marie's. The two women slowly edged out the door and headed for the barn.

David watched Alexander watch them. "You going to marry that girl? Or just let her fall through the cracks?" he asked.

"I like her. I really do, but I won't take advantage of her. She'll have to come to me in that way," said Alexander.

"I don' think you wait long," said Jenny as she sat down and pulled a toddler into her lap. 

"Oh? Why? Asked Alexander. 

"She come into heat soon," she said tapping the side of her nose.

Alexander looked at Jenny, blinked and blushed. 

*

Breakfast became an all hands affair. As people came to see who was home and meet Dr. Abrams and Jelka, the house just filled up. Jenny and Marie started moving children about. The rest of the couples were slow to trickle in as many were still out running. At one point, the noise got a little much and Jelka began to fold in on herself. Alexander was trying to get to her, but was surprised to see tiny crabby Celia take her by the hand and lead her out onto the porch. He didn't know whether to panic or not. When he finally did get out the door, he found the two of them sitting on the porch near the meadow side of the cabin. Jelka had her head in Celia's lap. She was asleep.

"Is everything okay Celia?" Alexander asked in a whisper.

"Aye. She jus had too many people. Where you find this wolf?" Celia asked.

"In a concentration camp. She was a prisoner. A gypsy," Alexander said.

Celia nodded. "Lots of gypsies are shifters. She strong, but ver tired. She shift much?"

"No, no time or safe place," said Alexander.

"When she wake up, you take this girl out to the meadow. Let her scent it. Let her shift. And you be good to her," Celia said. "Else I have a ver' sharp knife!" 

Alexander nodded. There had been a rumor that she'd gutted a rapist during the Great War when all the men were gone. Now, he didn't doubt it. He went back inside to the noise and chaos. 

*

Brian and Natalie lay in the meadow looking up at the sky. His hand wrapped protectively around Natalie. They had run part of the night, made love, slept, made love again and were now relaxing in the sunshine.

"I was so afraid I never see you again," said Brian.

"Aye. Me too. Every day them papers print names. All dead. I stop reading the papers," said Natalie. "Quintus and George, they read. They go to the cine, see them war reels. Tell me they think they see you, Jacques or Henry. I can't go. Too afraid," she said.

"You afraid? Me, I am in that damn war. Damn Buster got three more medals. Good thing Henry like his papa. Else he sell me to them Greeks or English we fight with. They love Buster. Feed him well, and me, I'm happy. I get good food, kill Germans. Finally get to come home my wife, my family," he said.

"Aye, and lots of family. Gonna have more soon. Jenny, she pregnant. Bet more pregnant real soon. All these men come home," laughed Natalie.

"You, have to worry about that?" he asked suddenly thinking about it. 

"Non. I am 49, all that stop, thank gods. No heat for two, three years," Natalie said.

"Okay. How many them war babies? And Betty? She have baby?" asked Brian.

"Betty, she die soon after that baby. Bertie, he a big boy. Near two years. Marie's Jack is here, he is five? George, that Maggie and Henry's boy, he is twelve? Mebbe 13. Then all them other babies. All left by them damn English. Oldest is five? That be Mary. She Alice's shadow. Last count, twenty-two. We have this whole damn puppy pile all the time. Celia she is some kinda pissed off. Won' even talk her grandson's wives. Tilly and Georgina, they good women. Help with all those babies even though they have their own," said Natalie.

"We need bigger house," said Brian. "Others need houses. That Alexander, he bring home this gypsy woman. She is shifter, but a bit crazy like Wild Girl. Then there is the Doctor," Brian started. He explained as much as he knew about the doctor and why he'd come home with them. Natalie nodded. She knew he'd smelled odd, but had been so wrapped up in Brian that she hadn't had time to think about it.

"You hungry?" she asked at last. With her head on his stomach, she could hear it rumbling.

"Aye. We better shift. Don' want to piss off Celia. She cut off my nuts," Brian teased as he shifted. Natalie realized that the scar showed even through the fur. She'd have to thank the doctor for saving her husband. She shifted and they ran back to the cabin.

Wolf and his mate ran and ran. It felt so good to smell home, rabbits and no sour enemy. They loped up to the two-legged den. Two legs were everywhere. His mate tugged at his ruff and ran to a window. She leapt into it and he followed. The room was full of children that laughed when they saw them. Wolf and his mate ran for a quieter part of the den.

Squeals of delight greeted the two wolves as they tried to get back into the cabin and alerted Quintus that his parents were home. He went to look and saw tails disappear into Natalie's room. He walked over and pulled the door shut. He smiled, caught Bertie up in his arms and headed back to where the other children were playing. 

Wolf was surprised when the two leg closed the door. He turned to his mate, and licked her jawline. He nipped at her and hoped he'd get to mate once more. She smelled so good. She curled a lip at him and she shifted back to a two leg. He dropped to the ground and let out a deep sigh.

"Come on! Shift back Brian," Natalie said as she washed up with water from the basin in the corner of the room. "We have company. Lots of them by the scents. Move!" 

The wolf got up off the floor and shook. Then he shifted and Brian stood there naked. He smiled at Natalie and got a washrag thrown at him. He caught it and got cleaned up. As he started to get dressed, he scented a person he didn't expect to ever see again. "Natalie, your maman, she is here," he said.

"Merde! I hope she is behaved today. She is so old and crabbie, that she is more trouble than good," said Natalie.

Brian nodded. Natalie had explained how Celia had acted during his absence. He wasn't surprised. The day Big Joe died had killed something in her. He put on civilian clothes for the first time in years and was happy they still fit. They walked out to the kitchen which was a mass of people.




Buster's Story Ch. 06



"Bout time you showed up," said Jacques. He had Alice on his lap.

"Like you been here long!" teased Henri. That made everyone laugh. Most couples were still missing unless they got hungry. As the women had been cooking at Natalie's, it was natural to congregate at her house.

"It is good to be home, aye?" said Brian. He too held onto Natalie. 

"I thought Maman was here," said Natalie.

"She is. She is outside with Jelka, Alexander's woman," said Quintus. 

"Alexander has a woman?" said Natalie.

"Aye, she is like Wild Girl," said Quintus and he pointed out the window to where Celia sat with a sleeping woman on her lap. Alexander sat next to Celia. 

Natalie nodded as if one more miracle was just fine with her. 

*

Conversations ebbed and flowed as people talked, got reacquainted with children, grandchildren, and extended family. Natalie and Marie started cooking while Tilly and Alice tended clingy husbands and children. It was noisy, messy and just short of heaven.

By late afternoon, Sally had opened up the saloon and the beer was brought up the hill along with trestle tables, chairs and food. Raphael, Tomas and others brought out fiddles, accordions and guitars. Food was piled on the tables and everyone gathered outside. Celia stood on the top step of the porch and banged a spoon across a pan. Everyone went quiet, even the babies.

"Today is a celebration! Our men are home. Eat!" she said and then with the help of Natalie and Quintus, she moved to the tables. Food passed, people talked. Children moved from person to person, trying to figure out who all these men were and see what they might be fed. After most of the food had been eaten, Raphael and the other musicians began to play. Raphael started out with the Lost Woodsman's Jig and then moved into Red River Jig, Battle of Seven Oaks and others. Men and women got up to dance to the fiddle music.

David Abrams watched the people and found himself tapping his foot to the music. He was surprised when Marie grabbed his hand. "Come dance," she said.

"But.." he started.

"Non! Dance!" she said and pulled him out to the hard packed earth. So David got up and joined the crowd of dancers under the late summer skies. 

Alexander and Jelka stood off to one side. He noticed that she was tapping her toes. He smiled and slowly pulled her towards the music. Jelka shook her head no, but Alexander refused to relent.

"Aleksandr," she said.

"Jelka, please," he said and pulled her closer to Raphael and Tomas. They smiled at her and played as if she was the only one in view. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes and she danced with her Aleksandr.

Slowly in ones and twos, people gathered up children or partners and headed home. When the music finally stopped, the only two still dancing were Alexander and Jelka. She kissed the musicians and then walked home with Alexander, still nodding her head to music only she could hear. 

*

"Alexander!" hollered Quintus into the bowels of the sawmill.

Alexander looked up. "Aye?" 

"Maman, she say you come!" hollered Quintus.

"What's the matter?" Alexander called back.

"She say you understand!" Quintus said and left. He ran towards his grand-mere's house.

"Kent! I need to go see Natalie," said Alexander. 

"Aye!" hollered Kent. 

Alexander turned off his machinery and grabbing his hat headed outside. He'd only been to work two weeks since returning home. It had taken him a week to get Jelka use to Natalie and comfortable staying with her. In fact, it had been Celia that worked the magic. Jelka had been helping her around the house. As he got closer to the center of town, he saw people heading towards Celia's house. As he got closer, he began to hear the howls. He ran harder. When he got to the door, he was let in and Alice took him straight to her Grand-mere's bedroom. It was filled with women, Jelka among them. Dr. Abrams was in one corner. Their eyes met, and he shook his head. 

"She wanted you," said Natalie with tears streaming down her face.

Alexander knelt beside the bed with the tiny woman nestled in the pillows. "I'm here Celia," he said.

"Bless me, old way," she gasped. 

"May your breath follow the wind, may the sun drive away the cold, may the pain flow away like water, and may the earth receive you in her arms. Run with your ancestors. Peace to you," he said as his hands moved in blessing gestures.

Celia smiled at him, squeezed Natalie's hand and closed her eyes. Her breath grew shallower until if was hard to tell if she breathed at all. After a few minutes, Natalie began to cry harder and put Celia's hand down. She stood, covered her face and turned to the comfort of Brian's arms as he moved up to her. Dr. Abrams checked Celia, and then left the room to fill out a death certificate.

The howls of sorrow broadcast Celia's death. Work stopped, and people prepared for a different family gathering than the one less than a month before. As Natalie sat with her mother's body, Jenny and the women organized things. Sally went to clean the saloon along with Marie, Tilly and Georgina. Quintus and Caroline organized the children to get them out of the way while the adults worked. Brian and Kent went to the cemetery while Jacques got the backhoe. 

Jelka came in with the water to bath Celia a little while later. She put it down and was walking out when Natalie stopped her. "Jelka, would you help me?" she asked. 

"Aye," Jelka whispered. Together, the two women washed Celia and dressed her in her favorite dark blue dress. Jelka did her hair and Natalie found a few things to tuck into the pockets of Celia's dress. There was a picture of her husband Martin, and one of all eleven children, a favorite hanky and the dried wreath she'd worn on her wedding day. 

When they were ready, Kent came with the casket. He and Brian placed Celia inside and then carried it to the parlor where it would stay for the afternoon. It was too hot to wait much longer for the burial. Friends and family came by to pay their respects. They brought food and some placed flowers in the casket. Bundles of wild flowers and herbs alongside flowers cut from gardens. 

*

At sunset, the casket was carried by Celia's remaining sons and grandsons. The family followed behind and people filled the cemetery. It was the first time in ages that so many had been gathered. The casket sat at the edge of the grave with the family all around. Brian and Alexander stood at one end. 

"We gather under the moon, in the woods and beneath open skies to honor a woman who has been a matriarch in our community. Celia was the oldest amongst us. She's related to so many gathered here. Eleven children, thirty-five grandchildren and I have no idea of how many great-grandchildren. Not always an easy women to love, she did demand respect. Respect given by family by blood and family by choice," Alexander said. He lifted a small glass full of the licorice liqueur Celia loved. "To Celia," Alexander drank the liqueur. 

"Goodbye Maman," Natalie said and took a sip of the liqueur. 

"To Celia, Thank you for being a strength to this community and such a pain in the ass that things got done," said Brian. He took his sip.

Everyone there took their turn toasting Celia. The last ones were Jekla, Tilly and Georgina. They simply raised their glasses and drank. 

The men lowered the casket into the grave. Once it was in the ground, people walked past placing flowers or pouring glasses of liqueur into the grave. Then the family walked back to the saloon where the food had been laid out. Brian, Kent and Alexander filled in the grave. When it was filled in, they walked down to join the others.

The dinner while somber wasn't without laughter. Tales of Celia were told and people recounted some of the their worse encounters with Celia's sharp tongue.

"You remember when she shoo off the sheriff after Big Joe died?" asked Kent.

"Aye. Thought him ass have a Celia sized bite out of it," said Luc.

"Then there that time she kill that rapist. Cut his nuts off and leave him to bleed," said another man.

"Or, how 'bout that salesman come ask her she want to sell the farm?" said Jacques.

"Non! Is that the one go to the sheriff cause she hit him?" asked another man.

"Aye," said Jacques. "She beat him with her rolling pin."

"You think that bad, you should hear what she yell all those English wives," said Petite Luc to his father.

"Oh?" Luc asked.

"Aye, I get an earful I get home. Tilly, she tell me all. Good thing Natalie is not the bitch Grand-mere was," said Petite Luc.

Others around nodded in agreement. Natalie as the oldest was now the family head. Everyone ate, drank and after the moon was well up, the children were put to bed while the adults shifted and ran out their grief. 

Natalie and Brian were amongst the first to shift. They left the back porch of their cabin and headed up to the high meadow. Kent and others shifted as they watched the two wolves run into the forest. Alexander stood next to Jelka on their cabin porch.

"You want to shift and run?" he asked. She had avoided shifting even though they were home.

"Umm.." she started.

"Come, run with us. Celia wanted you to shift and run. Do this for her," said Alexander. He began to undress, turning his back to Jelka. They still hadn't made love, and while he wanted to give her time, he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her. He shifted and sat down and waited for Jelka. 

Jelka looked at Alexander in wolf form. He was deep brown with reddish highlights. She sighed. Pulling off her dress, she got a bit self conscious and turned. Had Alexander been unshifted, he would have gasped at the scars on her back and legs. She had been careful to never undress around him, not even at the camp in Croatia. She had been whipped more than once in the camp for being stubborn and surviving. She ran her fingers through her chin length hair in a nervous motion and then shifted. The fur on her back was silvered where the scars criss-crossed in the nearly black fur.

Wolf sniffed the she-wolf. She wobbled and was unsteady. He bumped noses with her and then the two of them sniffed each other all over. They circled each other for a moment, nose to tail. Then Wolf jumped off the porch and ran part way out into the meadow. The she-wolf followed. He began to run slowly and then picked up speed. The she-wolf followed. As they ran, she gained her balance and began to run zig-zags around Wolf. 

Tongue lolling, he ran and nipped at her playfully. She responded and they played down across the meadow and up into the mountains.

Brian and Natalie were relaxing in the high meadow. They had shifted once they got here so that they could talk. Natalie had cried and Brian held her. It felt good just to touch. They watched as other wolves ran past on the edges of the meadow. One pair was nipping and playing on the far end. 

"Who is that?" Natalie asked.

Brian sniffed the air. "That Alexander and Jelka. He finally get her to shift."

"She got stripes?" Natalie asked as the she-wolf had her back towards them.

"Non, that is? I don' know," said Brian. "Mebbe scars? Like Bizzet where that fur never grow right? It was different color."

"Aye. Mebbe. We see soon enough," said Natalie.

"Why you say?" asked Brian.

"Use your nose," laughed Natalie.

Brian sniffed the air again. "Nothing."

"Old man! She is nearly in heat. Jenny thought maybe a week ago she was, but no. Now, maybe tomorrow or tonight," said Natalie.

"You think they mate good?" asked Brian. He still wondered at the logic of bringing home Jelka.

"I hope. That Alexander is 40? Still no mate? Not funny like my brother Joaquin who like men. He needs a mate," said Natalie.

"Aye, Like I need you," he said and kissed her.

Two days later, Alexander was on his way home for lunch when a scent hit his nose. It climbed up there and wrapped around his brain. He went from a walk to a run and when he opened the door, he found Jelka had shifted. She sat in front of the table, wagging her tail. He smiled, stripped and shifted. 

The two wolves shot out the door and headed high up into the mountains. The she-wolf was nervous, but had such an ache. She rubbed herself on the wolf and then ran farther up the mountain.

Wolf chased the she-wolf. She smelled... good. His balls ached. He ran up to her and just as he got close enough to grab the ruff of her neck, she darted off. He tried herding her against some rocks, but instead, she leapt to the top of them. He followed. She darted between two trees and then stopped in the middle of a meadow. She stood still, tail lifted. He came close, sniffed and licked her. The scent drove his desires. He mounted her. He grabbed the ruff of fur at her neck and bit as his cock drove deep. 

The she-wolf yelped and tried to pull away for a moment and then got caught up in the feelings of being mated. Wolf increased his pace and held his mate tight with his fore-legs. His paced increased until his balls and brain seemed to explode at the same time. The knot had formed tight and held the two wolves together. After a while, they curled up in a ball and slept.



Buster's Story Ch. 07



I apologize for the long wait. Life got in the way and then the next thing I knew, I had seven chapters piled up. A lot has gone on in the story, and rather than submit a huge document, I've cut it in half. Thank you to everyone who's commented on my work. Mazuri and Mokkelke, I appreciate the chatter and ideas. Thank you to my dear partner Wolf, for his nudges, pokes and prods when he hasn't heard the latest part of the story. I hope you enjoy this romp. This part was fun to write. Please vote! Please comment. I can't improve unless there is communication. 

Jaisen.




It had been long day at the infirmary that Natalie had created in the little house that had belonged to Grandma Davy. David was amazed at what she managed to do without any formal training. He had volunteered to help soon after Celia's death and quickly found that there was plenty of work. He admired Natalie for all that she did, and now understood why everything centered around the Davy household. It amazed him that everyone just pitched in. Marie and Jenny worked as assistants to Natalie while Alice and others watched children, taught in the little primary school or cooked the numerous meals needed to keep this extended family fed. David had been glad to see the last patient that day. Dinner was just a fuzzy interlude before he headed home for bed. He was asleep almost before he hit the pillow. Exhausted from more work than he'd had in a week of battles in Italy, all he wanted to do was sleep.



David woke with a start as something scratched at the cabin door. He sighed and hauled himself out of bed. He pulled on his trousers and walked to the door. "Hope this isn't another emergency," he said out loud. He opened the door to find a wolf. It stood there for a second and then walked in past him. David closed the door wondering who had walked in. "Well, I don't speak wolf, so you'd better shift," he said to the wolf. He sat down in a chair and waited. The wolf shook once or twice and then shifted.

"Marie! What the hell?" said David startled to see the naked woman standing there. He grabbed a blanket off a nearby bench and wrapped it around her. 

"I'm here for you," she said and walked towards his bedroom. 

David followed trying to figure out what in the hell just happened. "Marie, you're married! I... I don't need any entanglements. I..." he stopped as Marie dropped the blanket and crawled into his bed and patted the pillow next to her.

"Come to bed David. You know you hungry. Know you want have sex," she said.

"I do not need sex. I need you to get out of my bed and go home," he said walking closer to the bed with the idea of getting her out of it.

"You do. Don' know what you are, but you still have a cock. You do yourself at night. I know," Marie said tapping her nose. She sat up as David stopped by the side of the bed.

"Marie, get out of my bed," David said wondering just how she knew. Then he realized that she had tapped her nose. She could smell his hormones. He reached to grab her hand and remove her from his bed.

"Non. I want you, you want sex, we make each other happy," she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled. 

"Your husband! Your son!" David said louder than he meant to as he tried to pull back from Marie's pull. She was stronger than he expected. 

"Husband is dead. My son, he sleep with his cousins. Puppy pile," said Marie.

David stopped cold at this information. "Your... your husband is dead? When did this happen?" he asked. 

"Year ago. They jus find me with letter. Natalie know, she tell Papa. I thought he dead twice. This time it is true. I never ver' good at bein' good wife. I like sex. So, I come to you. You have no mate. I don' want a mate right now. Jus' sex. You got problem with this?" she asked and pulled hard on his arm. He toppled onto the bed.

"Marie! Please, stop and thin..." was as far as he got before she stopped his protests with a kiss. 

It had been a long time since he'd had a woman and Marie was beautiful in all the right ways. As he tried to push her away, his hands landed on her breasts. If that wasn't distracting enough, her hand brushed his crotch through his trousers and found his cock. He moaned against her lips as she stroked him. 

"Marie, no. We shouldn't," he gasped as he broke off the kiss. 

"Why? You some kinda monk?" she asked sitting astride him, rubbing herself against his cock which was now throbbing beneath the material of his trousers.

"Nno, but... I. Dammit woman! Hold still, I can't think with you doing that," he gasped.

"Men never think when hungry for sex. Get stupid. I hold still, you tell me why we no fuck," said Marie. She didn't get off of his lap.

"I don't want to cause problems. I won't be staying, so I won't marry you. I don't do marriages because I don't age like others. And what would your father say?" he said trying to figure out what else to say to this woman.

"I don' care. Papa, he don' have no say. I no his wife. I'm widow and can do what I want. I want to have sex with you. Don' care if you elf or some kind weird thing. I see you at night, stroke that cock, see your need. Know my need. My ache. Fuck me, then tell me you don' want it no more," said Marie.

"That is not how this happens," said David trying to get Marie off of his lap. She was trying to undo his trousers and he couldn't get his hands around her to stop it. "Marie, please."

"Big man, big cock, you want this too," she said triumphant that she'd gotten his cock out of his trousers. "You don' want me, why you so hard?"

David sighed. "Fine! Yes, I want to screw your brains out. I just don't want your father to disembowel me or leave me for wolf chow because I screwed his daughter," he said giving up. 

"He no do that. Tease you, pick on you, but that it. He know I am a bitch in heat," said Marie. She took her fingers and ran them across her pussy lips and then held them under David's nose and lips. The scent of her arousal blossomed in his brain. Taking her fingers in his mouth, he sucked on them. 

Marie smiled and climbed off of his lap to finish taking off his trousers. Then she wrapped her arms around his torso as the trousers fell to the floor. Her breasts pressed against him as she kissed his lips wet with her juices. David moaned into her mouth and then lowered the two of them to the bed.

He ran his fingers down her side and then down between her legs. She was wet and arched onto his fingers as his hand ran lower. 

"Ah, aye," she said in a hoarse moan. Her own hand traced down to his cock and wrapped around him. She rubbed her thumb over the head and felt the drop of pre-cum. "Come inside." 

David gasped at the sensations he'd denied himself for so long. Two brief affairs over the course of the war didn't make for satisfaction. He moved his fingers from her pussy and slid his cock inside. He worried for a moment and then realized that she fit him like a glove as he slid all the way in.

"Oh... my," he moaned. His hips began to rock back and forth as he built up speed. It felt so good. She was hot, wet and so willing. 

Marie loved the feeling of being filled and was an eager partner. She grabbed his hips as her legs wrapped around his back. Pulling his face closer, they kissed, nipped and bit at each other's mouths. As his pace increased, she felt that deep heat build. So long without sex. Too damn long. Her hands shifted ever so slightly and her nails dug into his ass as she began to come.

David felt something poke into the flesh of his ass just as he swore her muscles clamped around his cock like a hand. It felt so good, that his control slipped and his orgasm boiled up his spine. He pounded hard and fast until he froze in an explosion of pleasure. Beneath him, Marie writhed and came, growling slightly between moans of pleasure. They collapsed in a heap on the bed.

Twenty minutes later, he blinked. He'd fallen asleep. Damn! He startled and realized that Marie was the reason he'd woken up. She was licking his cock ever so softly. It was responding by swelling erect. She stopped for a moment and smiled at him. 

"Marie," he said slightly exasperated.

"You like it, I know. Your cock it is happy," she said and went back to sucking and licking his cock.

"Woman!" he said as she made him rock hard with her attentions.

"Strange man," she countered. "Or is that elf?" 

"Nnnot like you think," he gasped wondering how she did what she was doing. It felt like she was humming and licking and squeezing his cock all at the same time while it was deep in her mouth..

Marie pulled back. "Oh? You no fairy. Them damn small and mean," she said. "So, you some kinda elf? Or shaman?"

David tried to think, but she was literally sucking the thoughts out of his brain. He couldn't take it any more and reached down to grab her arms. "Come here," he said. 

Marie smiled and climbed up onto David, letting his cock slide deep into her pussy. She rocked back and forth, using her muscles to grasp and caress his cock. David's hands came up and captured her breasts as they swung just above his nose. She delighted in the way he rolled and pinched her nipples. It was her turn to increase the pace. She rode him hard, bouncing up and down on his cock. His balls tightened at the feel of her juices running between his thighs. David grabbed her hips and moved with her as fast as he could until once more his orgasm ran riot through his brain. 

*

David stood at the basin washing and hoped that he got all the spots where his or Marie's juices had splashed. He also hoped that the lavender soap would cover some of the scent. His cabin didn't have a shower, just a small tub, and he didn't have time to run a deep bath.

Marie walked in smiling as he washed. "You gon' scrub off your skin? Won't work. Papa, he smell us and know. Why you worry?" she asked.

"Why do you think? I just made love to you and there is no marriage, no ring, nothing. It may not matter to you or me, but it might to Brian," said David.

"Silly man, you worry too much," said Marie as she hugged his damp body. Her hand traced over his cock which twitched in response.

"Stop that! We have to get breakfast and I have to get over to the infirmary some time today," said David. He wasn't mad, just nervous about Brian. 

"It be okay," said Marie. She opened the cabin door, shifted and loped across the grass towards her own cabin. David watched her go and then went back to scrubbing. 

*

Twenty minutes later, David headed over to Brian and Natalie's house for breakfast. He was only five minutes later than normal. He walked in, and was mobbed by a small pack of toddlers. After a minute, he got a cup of coffee, and sat down at the table. Alice was the only one in the kitchen which was a relief. He thanked her when she gave him a plate of eggs, biscuits and venison strips. He'd eaten half of it when a hand came down on his shoulder.

"Morning David," said Brian.

"Morning Brian," 

"How you sleep?" asked Brian.

"O...okay," said David trying to swallow. 

"I wonder. Natalie and I, we come home from run up to the meadow. Hear moans come from your house. Wonder if you hurt," said Brian looking rather fierce as he sipped his coffee. Natalie came up behind him and put his breakfast on the table. Brian picked up his fork and pointed it at David. "Instead, I smell wolf. My daughter Marie at your house."

"Um... I can explain," David started.

Brian brandished his fork at David. "What you think you do? Having sex with my Marie. I smell it on you now. Don' you wash?" he growled, his voice full of sub-vocals.

"Brian, I'm sorry. Your daughter came to my house. She climbed into my bed and..." David started to explain.

"You better have good reason. Besides. I don' even know what you are, 'cept damn old. What happen you make my Marie pregnant eh?" growled Brian.

"Brian! Give David a chance to explain himself," said Natalie. 

"Brian, please, let me explain," said David.

"Mebbe youh tell meh what youh are, I don' be so mad," growled Brian.

David took a deep breath. This was not going like he thought the morning would. He looked around to see if Marie had shown up, but she wasn't here. He looked at Brian and realized that his jaw was shifting, his eyebrows were furry and that his whole body was getting bigger by the second. 

"Okay! I'll tell you what I am. My family comes from a race of people the Greeks called Hyperboreans. Others have called us elves, although we aren't elves. We live for a very long time and I'm over 150 years old, but pass for late 30's or early 40's. I tried to keep your daughter out of my bed, but she wouldn't listen, and in spite of my age, I... my body is smarter than my brain," said David wondering if he'd be leaving or dead in the next five minutes. 

Natalie was standing there with her arms crossed and an odd look on her face. Brian looked at David, took a bite of his bacon and smiled. "Sokay. She is the bitch. You good man," said Brian as his features settled back to normal. 

"What? You son of a bitch! You were playing with me? You knew and didn't mind?" asked David, not sure if he should be angry or relieved.

Brian laughed. "We are all 'son the bitch' around here. I been wanting to know what you are since that hospital in Italy, but you so tight mouth, you never say. I figgur you be upset enough that mebbe you tell me. It work. I happy. Jus' wonder what took you so long. Marie she a fine woman. Just make each other happy," he said and continued eating. Behind him, Natalie was smiling.

"You... Oh god! You are a devious bastard. When my heart stops pounding I'll..." David trailed off because Marie came up behind him and kissed him on the neck and his brain melted. 

"See, I tell you Papa, Maman, they don' mind," Marie said sitting next to David.

"I... I should know better by now. You all play tricks and gags on each other and I never thought that..." he trailed off.

"You don' think we like you enough, let you be family? Let you have sex? Play tricks on you?" asked Brian. "Silly old man! You family day you don' tell that military. Course you good enough my Marie. Good enough to tease. Really good to tease."

That made everyone laugh. 

*

May, 1946

The babies had decided to show up in the middle of the night. Jelka gripped Alexander's hand in a vice like grip. She was panting in pain. "Aleksandr, my water. It break," she said hoarsely. 

"Jelka, I must get Natalie or Dr. Abrams," he said softly trying to untangle himself from his wife.

"Goooh," she half growled. She knew shifting wasn't possible, but her vocal cords shifted with the pain.

Alexander kissed her head and grabbing his trousers and shoes, he ran for Brian and Natalie's cabin. He pounded on the door until a groggy Brian answered.

"Aye?"

"Jelka. The babies," panted Alexander.

Brian blinked and hollered for Natalie. "Go back to Jelka. I fetch Dr. Abrams," said Brian.

Alexander nodded and ran home. He could hear Jelka's cries as he reached the cabin door. He sprinted up the stairs and cradled her. "Natalie come, and Brian get Abrams. It will be okay," he said.

Natalie arrived first and with Alexander's help got Jelka settled in to give birth. Dr. Abrams arrived a little later with Brian. Brian took Alexander into the kitchen where they boiled water and put coffee on to brew. Brian knew the best thing he could do is keep Alexander occupied while Natalie and David helped the babies into the world. 

Although it was nearly May, Alexander went out to the wood pile and began to chop wood. Mornings were cool and he didn't want the babies or Jelka to be cold. Brian joined him in stacking the split logs. They filled the wood box.

Dawn came and went. Jenny and Marie brought food for the men and checked to see what they could do for Natalie. At one point, David Abrams came outside with a cup of coffee and a roll. He sat heavily on the porch.

"Is she okay?" asked Alexander.

"Tired. Those babies won't make up their minds. Can't decide which one will be born first," said David. 

Brian nodded. Twins either came quickly or took forever. He hoped that these two hurried up. He had lost count of how many babies had been born in the last year. Jenny had started the explosion with Martin late in 1945. Since then he'd married off the last of his own children, and now had so many nieces, nephews, and grandbabies that he'd lost count. He'd also run so much as a wolf lately that the grandbabies were calling him Buster. That had started the night he'd come home and woke up the war babies by jumping in the wrong window. When the children asked who the 'big doggie' was, Quintus had laughed and said Buster. His wartime nickname had stuck.

Natalie called down the stairs for Dr. Abrams. Both men went running upstairs. The first thing Alexander noticed was the sound of a baby crying. Jelka was still in labor. He moved to her side and held her hand as Marie cleaned up the baby. Natalie and David were busy bringing the other baby into the world. 

"Push Jelka," said Natalie. Natalie had finally had enough, and had reached in to move the babies as they had jammed up trying to be born. After pushing the one baby back, the other literally popped out. She'd handed the baby off to Marie and hollered for the men. "You'll need to stitch her up a bit," Natalie said quietly to David. She was holding a pad of cloth to a tear. David saw, nodded and turned to get his suture kit. 

Jelka pushed and groaned. She squeezed Alexander's hand as she brought the second baby into the world. Natalie cradled the baby while David cut the cord. He began to stitch up the tear while waiting for the afterbirth. The cries of two lusty babies filled the room. Their cries were followed by the howls of joy from the adults present. 

Natalie tried to shoo Alexander out of the room so that they could finish cleaning up Jelka and the babies up, but he refused. She put him to work instead. Once the afterbirths had been delivered, and David was done stitching Jelka up, she had Alexander cradle Jelka while she and Marie stripped the bed. Twenty minutes later, Natalie closed the door on the new family. Jelka and Alexander were curled up on the bed with their twins, Ross and Rose nestled between them. Marie had cleaned up the kitchen and set the sheets to soak. Both women would check on the family later in the day.



*

David and Marie walked back to the cabin they shared. "When are all these births going to stop?" he wondered out loud.

"When people are too tired from all the babies," giggled Marie. Her son Jack lived with her sister's children most of the time and she'd been relieved when there were no babies after she started sleeping with David. "We a horny lot, and too many men gone too long. We wear out our fingers," she laughed. 

David smiled. He understood just how lusty the women were around here. When Marie had barged into his cabin a year ago, he'd tried three times to kick her out. In the end, he'd given in. When they reached the cabin, he headed straight for the bedroom. It was barely afternoon, but he was tired. He dropped his clothes on a chair and crawled under the quilt.

"You tired?" she asked as she crawled into bed.

"A little. Aren't you?" he asked as she cuddled up to him.

"Non. Jus wanting to make love," she said. 

"You are the horniest woman I have ever met," he said. "And I have met a lot."

Marie giggled and wrapped her fingers around his cock. The first time they'd made love, she had been nervous. She hadn't been sure if he was too old to have sex even though he didn't look old. She had been very pleased to find out that he was very good in bed. His cock swelled as she stroked him. Bending down a little, Marie took him in her mouth and licked and sucked until he moaned.

"Mmmarie," he gasped. She had shifted her tongue just a bit and the sensation of her mouth and tongue combined nearly undid him. He tried to touch her, but she'd moved just out of reach.




Buster's Story Ch. 07



Marie would have smiled if her mouth wasn't so full. While not as long as some, David made up for it in girth. She continued to suck and lick him until the first drop of cum slid across her tongue. Then she sat up and moved forward to kiss David. 

David pulled her up on his lap and let her slide down onto his cock. It felt good and before long, they moved in a rhythm that worked for them. Marie's muscles tightened around his cock. David cupped and squeezed her breasts as he came deep inside of her. 

"Ahh..." he moaned softly. 

Marie growled deep in the back of her throat, her muscles pulling his orgasm and bringing on her own. They stiffened in pleasure, David just a little ahead of Marie. When the two of them finished shuddering, they curled up and went to sleep. 



"What you think them babies?" asked Brian as he cuddled Natalie in bed. They too had decided to nap. Or at least go to bed.

"They be more like that Jelka. She still so shy, like Wolf Girl and that Estelle what married Quintus. That Rose has a tail, you see?" said Natalie.

"Aye. Just a nub, but both have deep dimples on the spine. Jus glad Jelka live. I worry," said Brian.

"You and Alexander worry. I see that. Smell that," said Natalie hugging her mate.

"Aye," said Brian. He pulled Natalie close to him and they were soon asleep.

*

1951

The children ran around the truck as Alexander tried to pack the last of the belongings. Kent, David, Marie, and three or four others lent a hand. He'd found work in Calgary and finally convinced Jelka that they should move. Ross and Rose would start school in the autumn.

"You make sure you send us your address as soon as you're settled," Natalie told Jelka.

"Aye. It a bit scary, move to big city," said Jelka softly.

"You'll be okay. We'll visit you and the twins will enjoy school. Most of all, Alexander needs to get back to being a silversmith," said Natalie. 

"Aye." Jelka fingered the fine chain she wore around her neck. It was a sliding loop necklace and at the base of the loop was a rose as the catch. "Aleksandr, he a good silversmith, don' need work with those trees no more."

Natalie nodded. A huge timber had skittered on the saw at the mill and three men had died. Alexander had lost part of his leg. Luckily David had been able to save his life. If it had just been her, he might have died. It still took some getting use to though to see Alexander shift and run as a three legged wolf. She hugged Jelka and then helped round up the twins.

"You take care of that Jelka, those twins," said Brian. He hugged Alexander and thumped him on the back. "I miss you."

"I'll miss you too," said Alexander. He got into the cab of the truck carefully. His wooden leg and the 'foot' Kent had made him worked the clutch just fine, but it took a little finesse to get seated. He started up the truck and shifted into first gear. He and Jelka waived as they headed out of town and north to Calgary. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw that over thirty people still stood there waiving. Looking at Jelka, he saw the tears running down her face.

"It'll be okay Jelka," he said. 

"I know. It jus' so hard to leave Aleksandr."

He nodded and drove on.

*

Brian, David and Natalie sat on the porch as Marie got beer for everyone. She handed out glasses and then sat down next to David.

"It been a long summer," said Brian.

"Aye. So many leaving," said Natalie.

"Too many jobs, new opportunities and money to be made," said David. Families had been leaving the area for British Columbia, Montana and Wyoming or heading north to Alaska. Over 150 at last count, not including Alexander's family.

"Aye. Plus, so many of the men go that Koren battle. I guess you go next?" asked Brian. He'd noticed David listening to the radio and reading the papers. 

"Jus' tell him. He no kill you for wantin' to go," said Marie. They'd had a long discussion about it and at 28, she was itching to travel and see a bit more of the world and recognized David's desire to travel. "An before you ask Papa, I tell him it okay."

David looked at Marie and then back at Brian. He took a deep breath. "Yes, I was considering enlisting. I'd need some papers though, and hadn't figured out how to get them. Last time it wasn't an issue. I just enlisted as David Abrams Jr. and changed a few dates."

"You wan' be my nephew? That fool Andre get himself killed that sawmill. He 30, been to University that Toronto, learn some medicine. Natalie, she no file death papers. Din' see no reason as there were no family," said Brian.

Natalie nodded. "I have his papers. Birth certificate, all that stuff he leave his cabin."

David blinked. He never thought that it would be this easy. Modern society was making it more difficult for him to change identities. "Really? You'd do this for me?" 

"He don' tell you, but we talk about this since Quintus and George leave with their cousins. He wan' ask you go take care of them dumb wolves never been no war, but din' want get cross of you or Marie," admitted Natalie with a smile. "An at 56, he too damn old go that war. I won' let him."

Brian smiled sheepishly and nodded. "She is ver' persuasive. You go look after those boys mine? Keep them safe?"

"Aye Brian," said David. The four of them sat on the porch and finished their beer.

*

David became Andre Paquet, 32 years old. Everyone around him started calling him Andre which helped him slip into character. Marie drilled him in his new life details as she cut his hair.

"My grand-mere, she Celia. My papa, he Joaquin, die that Great War. Maman she Yvonne. Die in 1938 that flu. I stay home WWII an help raise my sisters Rose and Rachel," he recited. It was difficult to speak Metis all the time, but he heard it every day. 

"Better," said Marie. You get this. Good thing that Andre such a fool never go to that WWII. Otherwise, this be much more trouble." She finished dusting the hair off of 'Andre', and ran the bath. When it was full, they both climbed in to soak. They talked and washed.

"You know, come twenty years from now, you can be that David Abrams III. Son of Marie Davy and David Abrams Jr.," she said as she stroked his legs.

"You trying to tell me something?" he asked looking at her a little more intently.

"Non, All this time, we fuck like crazy and never no baby. But, in twenty years, you need a new identity. New life. Easy say I had baby. Easy say what his name is. Natalie, she make them certificates all time. Canada no care," she said. "Sides, If I was gonna have a baby, you think I let you leave?"

David smiled, and reached out to caress her face. "No, you'd tell me. And if you did, it would be the first baby of mine in over a 100 years. I wouldn't leave." He stood up out of the bath and after wrapping a towel around his waist, helped Marie out of the tub. They went to their room to snuggle and make love.

Marie took David's cock in her hand and stroked him until he was hard. David caressed Marie and pulled her up to him so that he could finger her. As his fingers stroked her clit, she turned and wrapped her lips around his cock. When he couldn't take it any more without exploding, he tickled her ribs and she pulled off. 

"You... brat," she laughed. 

David smiled and pulled her to her knees. He moved between her legs and slid his cock inside. Hands on hips, he started a slow stroke that increased as the pleasure deepened. It wasn't long before they moved at a ball slapping pace that had Marie moaning and growling. David gripped harder and in a gasping moan, came hard and deep. Marie came seconds later. Half shifted, Marie wiggled until she sent aftershocks up his spine. Her muscles gripped and pulled until he thought he'd pass out. Finally, she let go of him and the two of them curled up on the bed.

"What you miss most?" she asked quietly as they lay in bed recovering.

"Oh, the way you curl up nose to tail when you shift, or maybe the way you snore," he teased.

"Snore! You bastard! I don' snore!" she said thumping him on the chest.

"Alright! Alright! You don't snore. I will miss the wild crazy sex. I'll miss the sight of you running in the moonlight and I'll miss our easy going relationship," David said kissing her. He held her tight and could feel her shudder as she cried. Tears hit his chest.

"I'll miss you. Jus' don' you die that war. Come back, see me," she said.

"I will. I will," he said as they drifted off to sleep. 

Two weeks later, Marie drove him and some of the other young men from the town to the train in Lethbridge. Everyone promised to help Andre keep in character. As they boarded the train, Andre gave his cousin one last kiss goodbye and promised to write as the train pulled out of the station.



Buster's Story Ch. 08



This is part 2 of the very long writing spree. Good times and bad in this section, so I am not responsible for your Kleenex bills. Once again, thank you Mazuri, Mokkelke, Wolf and the readers on my blog that have helped shape this story. Please remember to vote and comment.

Jaisen

1952

"George! You as bad your Papa, that damn Henry!" yelled Brian. "You no tell that girl nothin'? You wonder why she scream and run? What you thinkin'? How long you date that girl? You think she virgin and stupid? That she jus don' notice you get all hairy? That you turn into damn werewolf like that Lon Chaney Jr? That it jus' some damn makeup?"

"Gran-papa, I was gon' tell her about us, but she much a city girl, I can' think how to start!" George tried to argue. If he'd been shifted, his tail would have been tucked between his legs.

"Jus like your damn Papa! Jus' like with that Betty. Whine, all the time! Well, we don' got to worry about that no more. She is gone. Two months you married! Damn!" growled Brian. He walked out of the kitchen and slammed the bedroom door.

George slunk out to the front porch. His grand-mere Natalie stood in the shadows. She walked over to George and hugged him. "It be okay. He jus a crabby old man. It don' help he get telegrams sayin' this son dead, this nephew dead. Jus be glad you don' go that Korea."

"Grand-mere, I want go that war. Let me go die. It be better than this pain," George cried against Natalie's shoulder.

"Non! Better you be here. Your maman, Maggie, she be grieving you go. She still not happy your papa go. It be okay. You find a new woman. Stick to shifters this time," she said.

George nodded and then after one long hug walked off to his mother's cabin.

Natalie walked back into the cabin. She picked up the small pile of paper off of the table and tucked them into her pocket. It had been a horrendous week. First the telegram about Petite Luc and Little Joe's deaths. Then the telegrams about their sons, George and Quintus. They'd been in the Battle of Kap'yong. George died, and Quintus survived his wounds. Three days after the telegram, a letter came from Dr. Andre Paquet. The letter itself was two weeks old.

Dearest Uncle Brian and Aunt Natalie,

I am sorry to have to inform you that my cousin George died today. I did everything I could to save him. It was only because of his inner strength that he lasted as long as he did. Considering the extent of his wounds though, his death was a blessing.

A day later, I was able to save Quintus. He will have a nasty scar on his face, but given time, he will heal. I am hoping that he will be sent home.

Know that I love you and miss you both. Give my love to Marie.

Yours,

Andre

Natalie had read that letter and realized that David didn't know that Marie had disappeared a few weeks after he'd enlisted. She had no idea where Marie had gone, or even why. She had hoped that Marie had let David know. From this letter, it was clear that Marie hadn't. She'd simply disappeared. Marie's disappearance had wounded Brian. It was the second time she'd up and left without telling anyone. The only one who didn't seem too hurt was Marie's son Jack. He lived with his cousins and his Aunt Alice.

Then George, Henry's son had come home with the news that his wife Cindy had run off. It had been the last straw. When he explained that he hadn't told her he shifted, Brian blew up. They were young and the world as it had been was changing so fast. Faster than most in the family could cope. Natalie looked at the dishes and decided that she would do them in the morning. As she walked down the hall, she realized that one of the windows was open. She looked in her room and discovered that Brian's clothes lay on the bed and he was nowhere in sight.

Natalie put the letters from her pocket under the handkerchiefs in her drawer and undressed. She shifted and leapt out the window.

The she-wolf checked the ground for a scent trail. Her mate had headed up the road into the mountains. She loped along in the dark and headed up to the high meadow where she hoped her mate had gone. She didn't run as fast as she use to. Her muscles ached and some days she panted a lot longer after a run.

The wind shifted and she scented her mate. He was up on the rock where they slept. She approached slowly, head lowered and tail down. He huffed and she stopped. She sat on her haunches and waited. After a while, he huffed again and she leapt up onto the rock next to him. Licking his muzzle, he finally licked her back. She nibbled his ear and he grabbed her ruff and shook. Then the two of them sat on the rock and howled.

Across the valley, other wolves picked up the song and howled in sympathy. George walked out on the front porch of his maman's house. He shifted and howled for his uncles, and the loss of his wife. Across the town, Tilly and Georgina stood on the porch and listened. Tilly threw back her head and howled the best she could for a human. Georgina just stood there and let the tears run down her face. As in the Great War and WWII, there would be few burials. Just a stone with the names of the dead would be erected. So many widows, broken families and very few individuals to hold everyone together.

*

1954

Brian dodged the truck as it went racing by. Traffic along the main road was busy. Where once the biggest event was a lumber truck or a wagon full of beer, now there were cars racing up and down the new highway. This made all the little villages more accessible. Brian who had learned to drive during WWII even had a truck and Natalie had a little sedan she drove around to see patients. Life was changing. Sometimes too fast for Brian and Natalie.

It was June, and people were moving. Quintus and his wife Estelle were heading for Montana. Grand-pere Buster had kissed his namesake and the two granddaughters goodbye the day before. Lizzybit and David had moved to Calgary. Grandson George and his second wife Jane moved to Lethbridge. As he looked around, he felt like everyone under sixty was leaving. He headed for the Saloon for a beer.

"There you are Buster!" shouted one of his neighbors just as he reached the porch of the saloon.

Brian waved. He still wasn't comfortable with the fact that his grandchildren had started calling him Buster, or that it had stuck so well. "What you need?"

"Just wanted to let you know I sold that piece of property of yours. Came to bring you that money," the man said handing him a check and walked away almost as quickly as he'd approached.

"Thanks," said Brian calling after the man. He looked at the check. $28,000 dollars Canadian. It wasn't bad considering the economic slump that was running through Canada. Prosperity and calamity ran hand and hand through rural Canada. The saw mill was still doing well with Kent in charge of the family business. More non-shifters were moving into the area. They bought up land and built little houses that looked modern, but sterile to Brian. Shops and little businesses were sprouting up everywhere. That was why so many of the families had moved south to Montana. It was harder and harder to run at night or to shift without someone seeing that shouldn't. Plus, the hunting was getting difficult for a large population of shifters to hunt with ease.

He'd asked Natalie if she wanted to move. She'd been so mad at him for even bringing it up, that she didn't cook for three days. Instead, he sold off some land, preserving their meadow, the main cabin, Grandma Davy's house which was now a real clinic and enough land to be comfortable. He headed towards the bank to deposit the money.

That night at the table, Brian brought up another topic he'd been trying to get Natalie to consider. "Natalie, why not go on a trip?" he asked. "We go see that Alexander and Jelka. Or we go see Lizzybit. Better yet, Mebbe that Andre find him our Marie. He is down in that Washington state," said Brian.

"Non. Too much to do. We have this house to fix. The clinic is running full all the time. How can I go?" said Natalie.

"Easy. Put up sign. Says CLOSED. Or better yet, let that Tilly, that Georgina run that damn fine clinic. Then we go the car, drive all that new highway and see places. Then come home in September."

"Oh, I don' know. We go running tonight?" Natalie asked changing the subject.

"Aye."

The two wolves ran. It had been a long time, and they stretched their legs in a flat out run. They spooked a deer and ran after it. Wolf leapt and caught the deer at the back of the neck ands swung around and under, snapping the spine in a fast twist. Wolf offered the soft hot liver to his mate. She took it daintily and ate it. When they were full, they each grabbed a foreleg and dragged their catch back towards the wooden den.

*

Brian hauled the deer up on the crossbar he'd used for ages to finish skinning and dressing out the deer. They'd come home in the early hours and curled up to sleep for a bit. Then they'd shifted and begun the day's work at dawn. Brian worked swiftly and cut the meat up and gave it to Natalie to be canned or dried. He picked up the tray of meat and took it into the kitchen.

Brian walked into the kitchen and found Natalie sitting at the table with her head in her hands. On the table in front of her was a letter. "Nat, you okay? Who that letter from?" he asked softly.

"Marie," was all she said.

Brian picked up the letter.

Dear Maman,

I thought it time I write. That war, that Korea, it make me crazy. I think I cope with David gone. Non. I don' cope. I don' cope with fact I have this baby. His baby. David, he so strange about his family Never say anything about them. Hell, after all that time, all that love and no baby, I din' believe it when I realize I have this baby. So, I ran. Wanted to go that British Columbia, far away. Maybe no see any family. Don' know what this baby be like. Afraid it not be right. Afraid that it too late I find out to tell David, bring him home. I am heart sick. I try find our Andre Paquet. I no find him. I am that heart sick twice.

Yes, I was stupid. Big time dumb. My fairy girl, Libellule, she born in 1952. Little, curly wispy hair. Big gray eyes. Born so easy, not like Jack, that son mine. Doctors worry she so small, but I jus' say she is like rest of family. Could be true! I don' know that family David's. They make me stay that hospital two weeks, all kind tests. Nothing. I worry they find out I shift, but non. She is jus' small. Slow to grow, but ver smart. Grand-mere Celia, she'd say old soul.

So, I write. Tell you I alive and have this new daughter. Can you talk that David? Let him know I am the stupid bitch? That I am ver sorry.

Love,

Marie and Libellue

Next to the envelope was a black and white photo of Marie and Libellue. Marie hadn't changed much except for her hair. The little girl in her arms looked to be about a year old and a small copy of Marie, except for her eyes. There was no mistaking the eyes that looked like David's.

Brian slumped into a chair, and put the letter and photo down on the table. While Jenny had always been his favorite, Marie was the one who wrapped herself around his heart. "Where that Marie live?"

Natalie picked up the envelope. "Say here, Vancouver Island. Town called Nanaimo. What you thinking?

"I'm thinking we call that David. Drive down that Vancouver Island and make sure those two aren't stupid. And you see that new granddaughter. We got money. I try get you take that vacation. Now, we have reason to go," said Brian. 

Natalie nodded. "Not before we get this meat canned. I won' waste it."

Brian shook his head, but knew that Natalie was being practical. "You go get that Tilly or Jenny help you."

Natalie smiled, dropped her bloody apron and then ran off for her daughter and friend.

*

Two days later, Brian and Natalie were loading up Natalie's little sedan with their baggage. They'd called David and said they were coming for a visit, but didn't mention Marie or the baby. Jenny agreed that it would be better to tell him in person, especially if he was living with someone. Brian was against waiting at first, but was finally persuaded by the women.

"You tell that Marie hello for me," said Jenny. "I keep that clinic going good. Don' worry!"

"Is just first time I leave the valley! So strange!" said Natalie.

"You'll be fine, Auntie," said Tilly. Georgina next to her nodded in agreement. The two Englishwomen had become pillars of the family, in spite of the nasty reception Celia had given them nearly fifteen years ago. Their children were strong and happy, as were many of the war orphans that lived with them. In fact, the summer promised to be a busy one with many of the children just beginning to show signs of shifting for the first time. The women hugged and Natalie got into the car. 

"I just nervous!" smiled Natalie. She waved as Brian started up the car. The mob of family, neighbors and children all waved as the car pulled away.

"I never tell you, reason I don' want to go on that vacation," started Natalie.

"I think I figure it out jus' now. Never though about you not leaving the valley. You always there. Jus like that Celia, and Grandma Davy. All us men, we go war, travel, do all sorts of things and never think of women not going," said Brian.

"Aye. That why Marie leaving hurt so bad too," she said.

Brian nodded. "Where that first stop?"

Natalie pulled out the map they'd bought at the new General Store and traced the pencil line Henri had drawn. "Sparwood. Then Cranbrook is the hotel stop." Henri figured it would take them three days to get to Everette, Washington, where 'Andre' now lived. They had all been practicing the name so there would be no awkward moments. Andre had a small medical practice that he started once he returned from Korea.

Brian left the back roads and pulled onto Crowsnest HWY/BC-3. As they drove, he pointed out various sights. Natalie felt like a giddy school girl.

*

After a restful night in Cranbrook, they drove to Creston and then down into Idaho. Natalie giggled again as they crossed the border. Not only was she leaving the valley for the first time, but Canada as well. There in the middle of the forest was this little hut with a lone guard taking names and giving out maps of the United States. Brian and Natalie thanked the man for the map and headed to Spokane for the night.

"You know, this Idaho, is not that much different than home," said Natalie.

"Non, much the world is alike. Trees, rocks, mountains and wolves," Brian said with a smile. They'd seen a variety of animal life crossing the highway. Twice they'd seen wolves, not knowing if they were family, distant cousins or simply wolves. Only recently had cars and trucks invaded the valley in numbers large enough to cause issues for the shifters. Luckily there had only been one death.

As they approached Spokane, the trees thinned as the farm lands encroached. It grew warmer too. Brian had taken off his jacket at the last gas station. Natalie had put her hair up into a bun to cool off. Spokane was a good sized city, and once again, Natalie felt like a small child, looking at all the wonders. After they'd checked into their hotel, Brian had driven around the city so that Natalie could grasp the changes. Then they ate at a small diner and headed for bed. Tomorrow they would be in Everette. They followed I-90 across the state. When they turned onto HWY-2, Natalie pulled out the map that Andre had sent them. His house was on Grand Avenue.

"Look! There's the turn!" said Natalie as soon as she could spot the street sign. Brian turned and they began to count the house numbers. "There it is!"

Brian pulled up in front of the turn of the century Victorian house with a lush garden. Natalie got out of the sedan and walked up to the house followed by Brian. She barely knocked on the door before Andre opened it up and greeted them.

"I've been waiting all day for you!" he said as he hugged first Natalie and then Brian.

"Oh Andre, it's so good to see you," said Natalie.

"Come in. We'll get your bags in a few minutes, but come in and sit down for a few minutes," said Andre. They walked into the living room and sat down on a small sofa. Andre sat next to Natalie.

"Do you live alone?" asked Brian looking around at the neat and tidy house.

"Yes. I have a maid that comes in once a week, but I..." Andre started.

"You still love her?" Natalie said softly as she took Andre's hands in hers.

"Aye."

"Love her enough to forgive her?" Natalie asked.

"Aye. I just want to see her and know that she's okay. Her disappearance hurt me unlike any other relationship," Andre said.

Natalie looked at Brian. Brian nodded. She turned back to Andre. "Enough to forgive her for not telling you about your daughter?"

Andre fainted.

*

Andre came to a moment or so later to hearing Brian laugh and Natalie checking his pulse. Brian was smiling an impish smile. "I can't believe I did that."

"Lots of men faint when they discover that they are fathers," said Natalie with a smile.

"Usually at their births, not when the child is at least two years old," said Andre. "Besides, I've seen the insides of more people than you can count and I only passed out once."

"Aye. You think all that blood and guts make you stronger? Ha! You wan see picture that Libellue?" asked Brian as he pulled at piece of paper out of his pocket. It was Marie's letter and the photo.

"Yes, She named her Dragonfly?" said Andre.

Brian nodded and held out the paper. Andre took the paper from Brian. He looked at the picture first and then read the letter. He looked at the picture again. "Where is she?"

"That Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Henri said it a day's drive from here. You wan go tomorrow?" asked Brian.

"Would... would she even want to see me?" asked Andre still off balance from the news.

"You read that letter. You tell me. Tomorrow is Wednesday. You got work? Can you get away?" asked Brian.

Andre thought for a moment. He walked over to a desk and took a look at his calendar. "I've got to make a few phone calls. Just a moment, as the phone is in the kitchen." He walked down the hall.

Brian looked at Natalie. "That Andre, he is some happy."

"Aye. Now we see how that Marie act. We don have no phone number to call her. How we sure she home?" asked Natalie.




Buster's Story Ch. 08



"We know," said Brian as he touched his nose. Natalie smiled.

Andre came back into the room about twenty minutes later. "I've cleared my schedule for the next week. I work in a partnership with three other doctors and made arrangements for them to take my work. Good thing you called as two weeks later I would have been on vacation."

"Good. Now where can we go have some dinner. Henri said there is good fish," said Brian.

"Yes, Let's get your baggage out of the car, freshen up and then go out for dinner. Plus, you can tell me how the family is doing," said Andre.

"Yes, and we want to hear how life is in America," said Natalie.

Andre and Brian retrieved their baggage and took it to the guest room. Natalie and Brian freshened up and then they all went out to dinner at a restaurant downtown Everette. It was a small cafe style place, but the scent of good food wafted out the door. Brian nodded. When he and the men in the family traveled, they inevitably chose the places to eat with their noses.

"I eat here a lot, so you are still my aunt and uncle aye?" said Andre softly.

"Of course," said Natalie.

They were greeted by a young woman who sat them at a small table. Andre ordered for them and soon they were enjoying fresh vegetables, salmon and sourdough bread. While they ate, Brian and Natalie caught them up on all the family news.

"Lizzybit and David move to Calgary same as Alexander and Jelka. Quintus and Estelle live in Montana. Place called Kalispell. Alice and Jacques, they live in Edmonton. Ysabel, she marry this Jon. He is old shifter family from near High River. They have a daughter last year, Ann," said Natalie as she ticked everyone off her fingers.

"Jenny still in the valley?" asked Andre.

"Aye. Maggie and Henry still there too. Plus lots those war brides," said Brian.

The waitress walked over to the table. "It's real nice to see your family here with you Andre," she said.

"Thanks Josie. It's good to have news of home," he said in reply.

She smiled, poured more coffee and left them alone.

"You still make the women blush," said Brian with a bit of a smile.

"There are days I think of dying my hair gray and not bathing for a week," said Andre rather frustrated.

"So, you think it good to be here with Marie?" asked Natalie.

"Aye! Plus Libellue!" said Andre. He had the picture tucked in his shirt pocket. Brian hadn't asked for it back, and he had no intention of returning it. "If she'll come back with me."

Natalie heard the sadness in his voice. "I think she will. That letter, it say she try and find you. Maybe it get lost, like letters from Brian in the Great War."

Andre nodded. They finished their meal and headed back to Andre's house.

*

The next morning the three of them left in Andre's car. It was a little bigger than Natalie's sedan and much more comfortable. Brian sat in front with Andre. They drove to Anacortes where they took the ferry to Orcas Island. Brian chewed candied ginger to stave off sea sickness. Natalie just smiled to see her husband turn green over just a little water. It didn't bother her at all. Then they took the ferry from Orcas Island to Sidney on Vancouver Island. Brian's stomach behaved, just barely.

From Sidney, they drove to Victoria, where they had lunch. After lunch, they got on the highway and headed to Nanaimo. When they reached Nanaimo, Andre stopped at a petrol station and asked the owner if he knew where they could get a map of the town. The man laughed and pulled out his map. It took five minutes to find the house, which was nearly across town.

Andre drove slowly, making sure they didn't miss any of the turns. He parked the car down the block a bit and the three of them got out of the car. Brian sniffed the air and nodded. Natalie smiled too, and the three of them walked towards the little house.

"Mama! Papa! Papa! He come!" said Libellue.

"Non. You're papa, he is in heaven," said Marie as she scooped her tiny daughter up in her arms. "Besides, it is time to eat. We have salmon tonight."

"Aye, but Papa, he will be here!" Libellue chattered away as Marie put her in her high chair.

Marie just shook her head. Libellue was precocious and chatted away like she was five and not nearly three. She had just put the plates on the table when the door bell rang. "You eat. I answer the door."

"Aye Mama," Libellue said with a smile. "Papa! Papa! Papa!" she sang in her head.

Marie smiled at her daughter and headed for the door. She opened it to find Andre, Brian and Natalie standing on her front porch. It was Marie's turn to faint.

Andre ripped open the screen door as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough to catch Marie. He picked her up off of the floor and moved to the couch cradling her in his arms. As he smoothed back her hair to check her out, he heard a voice from the kitchen.

"Papa! Papa! Come get me!"

Andre was torn. Brian took pity on him, and went to see this fairy granddaughter of his. He came back in a minute with a tiny girl dressed in red in his arms. She wiggled out of his grasp and ran to Andre.

"Papa! I knew you were here, but Mama din' believe me," she said.

Andre did the only thing he could. He wrapped one arm around his daughter and together, they waited for Marie to wake up from her faint. Libellue hugged her papa tightly and then patted her mama on the face which woke Marie up.

"Is this a dream?" Marie asked looking up at Andre and then at her daughter.

"No, it is not a dream," Andre said. He kissed Marie and he held her tighter as the tears began to run down both of their faces.

"Papa! Put me down," said Libellue. Andre let go of his daughter. Libellue ran to Natalie. "Hello, are you my Grand-mere?"

"Aye, and this is Brian, your Grand-pere," said Natalie fascinated by her petite granddaughter.

"Do you have a handkerchief? My Mama and Papa, they need one."

"Aye," said Natalie as she pulled one out of her handbag. "Here you go."

Libellue took the handkerchief and ran back to her parents who were talking quietly. "I think you need this," she said handing the handkerchief to her mama.

Marie took it and wiped Andre's face and then her own. Meanwhile, Libellue climbed back into Andre's arms. The three of them settled on the couch a little better.

"I... I don' know what to think. Libellue she jus say her Papa is coming and I think she is making up things," started Marie. "Then the bell rings and I open the door, an..."

"And now you know how I felt yesterday when they told me you were alive and that I had a daughter. I fainted too," said Andre.

"You? Faint?" asked Marie.

"Aye, it was ver funny," said Brian.

Marie looked over at her Papa. "I... I am so happy to see you too! I think I die, go to that heaven. I sent you a letter over a week ago, but never got one back. Didn't know if you got it."

"We got it and left almost the same day. Waited to get map to Andre's house and then drive to his house, make him faint and drive here. Make your Papa sick on the boat and you faint. All in all, a good day," Natalie said with a smile.

"Papa! Are you hungry?" asked Libellue.

"No. You are though. I can hear your stomach growl. Let's feed you and then we will all sit and cuddle and talk," said Andre. He stood up and carried his daughter to the kitchen where their supper sat. Marie couldn't eat. She just kept looking at Andre. Libellue ate and then fussed until Marie ate.

"Mama, I'm sorry I don have more for you three," said Marie.

"Is okay. We ate a late lunch. Not a problem," said Natalie. She was smiling as she held her granddaughter in her lap.

After dinner, they all sat back in the living room. Andre, Marie and Libellue on the couch and Natalie and Brian in chairs pulled close.

"So, you never got my letter?" asked Marie.

"No. Then again, we moved so much. I'm surprised that my letter to your parents reached them. I couldn't let them find out about George and Quintus from just a telegram," Andre said.

Marie looked panicked for a moment. "Are... are they dead?"

"George, Petite Luc and Little Joe all die that war. Quintus, he is bad hurt, but Andre fix him. Now Quintus has this scar, his face. Not too ugly," said Brian.

Marie took this news in and then started asking questions about the rest of the family. They chatted for over an hour, until they noticed that Libellue had fallen asleep. Marie started to take her when Andre stopped her. He stood up and the three of them went off to Libellue's room. A few minutes later, Marie and Andre came out to the living room.

"Maman, I don have room for everyone. You wan shift? Or we find a hotel?" asked Marie.

"Andre take us, find a hotel," said Brian. "Plus, you two need to talk eh?"

"Aye," said Marie. She was still holding Andre's hand.

"I be back in thirty minutes," said Andre as he kissed Marie. "Promise."

Marie nodded and closed the door after they left. Then she sat on the couch and cried.

When Andre came back into the house, Marie was nearly asleep on the couch. He closed the door quietly and then picked Marie up in his arms.

"Oh Andre. You don' know how many times I dream this happens," said Marie as he carried her to the bedroom.

"And me. So many times I thought I heard you call my name. Difficult when I've worked so hard to be Andre instead of David."

"Aye. When I wrote you that letter, I had to start over three times. Wrote David instead of Andre. Never thought that letter might get lost. I jus' got so mixed up," she said into his chest as they cuddled on the bed.

"So, were you pregnant before I left?" Andre asked.

"Non. It was that last time. I felt different that morning, and never thought about it while we were making love. Then you go and I start being sick. First I think it is just nerves. You are gone, my brothers and cousins are gone. Then I realize I don' have my cycle. I run. Stupid me, I run away my family, my house, my son. I run all the way here and then have this tiny fairy baby. She is so little. The doctors, they worry. I not worry, jus' love her. I have this little house, and do laundry for people. Then I finally think mebbe I write Maman," said Marie.

"I'm so glad you did. I didn't know you'd disappeared until Natalie told me. I just about lost my sanity. I tried to find you and you were so close!" Andre said as he held her tight. "I missed you so much. I love you Marie."

"I love you too," she said. "You have other women? Women to go back to?"

"No. No one since you. Every time I think about dating, my heart just isn't in it. You stole my heart." Andre hugged her closer.

"I don have anyone. Will... will you make love to me?"

"Oh yes. It has been so long since I held you close." Andre slowly undressed Marie and then stripped his clothes off. Crawling back into bed, they kissed, touched and reacquainted themselves. He caressed her breasts and belly, slightly soft from Libellue's birth. Running his hand from breast to hip, he found Marie wet. Andre's fingers traced her slit and then slid inside. She was hot, wet and the slightest pressure was making her wiggle.

"Oh," Marie gasped. Her hand reached his hip, but before she could touch him, he rolled her on her back. Grabbing her hips, he slid in slowly until he was balls deep. Slowly he slid in and out. Marie growled slightly and grabbed Andre by the hips in an effort to make him move faster.

"No,... I haven't had sex in almost three years. I don't want to rush," he gasped trying to control his urge to slam home faster and faster.

"Ssssame here, pplease faster," begged Marie.

Andre was trying to move slow, and as Marie shifted ever so slightly and her nails dug into his hips, he lost it. He shifted her up just a little until she was straddling his thighs as he leaned back on his heels. Wrapping his arms around her, he thrust deeper and deeper into Marie. She wrapped her arms around his neck and bounced in place feeling better than she had in ages. Marie felt the heat build deep inside of her and tried to stifle her cries as the orgasm flooded her senses. She held tight as she came again and again.

Andre felt Marie's muscles clench around him and let go of the last bit of control. He thought he'd burst as his orgasm roared through his body. He buried his face in her neck as he cried his release. The aftershocks rumbled through the two of them for what seemed like forever. Finally, he lowered Marie to the bed and then pulling up the covers as he curled up behind her. Sleep claimed them.

At some point in the night, Andre woke with a start. He'd forgotten where he was, and opened his eyes to see what had woken him. To his surprise, between him and Marie, under the blanket, but on top of the sheet was Libellue, fast asleep. He smiled at his small daughter and then wrapped the two women in his life in his arms and went back to sleep.

*

"Non, You have that wedding here. Don' wait for Everette or the Valley. We go that judge, get license, and you get married. We move you that Everette," said Brian. They'd been talking about it for the better part of the afternoon.

"Marie, why you want wait?" asked Natalie. She was so tired and put it down to the long trip and the hectic pace.

"I want family, but I guess it better this way. What you think Andre?"

"I don't care. I want to marry you and take you home. We can get married now and have a party in a few weeks. This way we can get you to Everette and then we can go to the Valley," he said.

Marie thought about it for a moment. "What you think Libellue? You want move now?"

"I want you and Papa!" Libellue said. She hadn't let either parent go farther than a few feet except for when they bathed and dressed.

"Aye. We marry and start that move. I don' have much. Papa, you drive my car to that Everette?"

"Aye. Your Maman and me, we go that long way, no boats," Brian said. He had been happy to find out there was another route. "Let's go find that judge."

Two hours later, Marie Davy was Marie Paquet. Libellue was asleep in Natalie's arms as they drove back to pack up Marie's house. It didn't take long with the three adults packing. Most of the furniture belonged to the house. Rent was paid by the week, which simplified matters. The landlord gave Marie back her deposit as a wedding present. In less than three hours, the cars were packed and it was time to leave.

"We follow that Coast Highway. Meet you in Everette tonight," said Brian. "Or, we get too tired, I find a hotel, call your house."

"Alright Brian. See you this evening," Andre said as they hugged and kissed goodbye. Libellue had kissed everyone and then snuggled into the cubbyhole between all the boxes in the back seat. Brian and Natalie got into Marie's car and drove off. Andre and his family headed in the opposite direction.

*

By the time Brian and Natalie reached Everette, most of Marie's possessions were unpacked and put away. They'd even had time to go to a furniture store and buy Libellue a bed. She was dancing around her new room to the delight of her parents.

"You unpack that car," said Brian. It had been a long drive and he was tired.

"Of course. I have your room ready," said Andre. "Are you hungry?"

"Non. We eat in that Vancouver. Had Chinese food. Very good, but different," said Brian. Natalie nodded. They'd gotten lost and found a small cafe. The owner showed them how to find the highway after they'd eaten. They'd had a very good meal and the owner, had put far more meat on their plates than others they'd seen go by. When Brian had asked, the gentleman had smiled, put his hand on the table and let it shift. One second there was a human hand. The next, a tiger's paw. Brian smiled, and let his fangs grow and eyes shift. The gentleman bowed and let them finish their meal. Brian told Andre about the shifter, but not about getting lost.

Andre showed them up to their room and said goodnight. Then he went to make sure Libellue was tucked in for the night. Marie was reading her a story. They finished the story and then went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be another long busy day. Papers to file, purchases to make and a whole new city for Marie and Libellue to get to know.

*

Brian and Natalie left Everette two days later. It was difficult to leave the new family, but there was a wedding celebration to plan for in just over a week and people to visit on the way home. Natalie had called Jenny to let her know what was going on and to start planning the celebration.

"You need me read that map?"

"Non. You tired?" Brian asked looking at Natalie.

"Aye. Too much this driving. All this packing, unpacking. I am not use to this."

Brian pulled off to the side of the road near Spokane and Natalie got into the back to nap. He drove carefully and didn't wake her up until they reached Quintus' house in Kalispell.

"Natalie, wake up. We at Quintus' house," he said softly.

"Oh! I slept so long!" Natalie stretched and tried to work the kink out of her neck. As she sat up, Quintus, and Estelle came out to meet them.

"Maman! It is so good to see you!" Quintus said. He'd grown into a thin muscular man and carried the scar on his face with good grace. Brian and Jeanette greeted their grandparents with cries of joy. Estelle smiled from the porch.

"It has only been a few weeks. You think you not see us for years!" said Brian picking up his namesake.

"For us it is weeks. For them, it is forever. It is hard not to see someone you love," said Quintus.

"Come inside and tell us all the news."

Natalie, Brian and everyone moved into the house. Estelle brought tea and Brian caught everyone up on Marie, Libellue and Andre. They talked late into the evening and when the children started to fall asleep, everyone went to bed.

"Papa, is Maman alright? She seem ver tired."

"Aye Quintus. This trip, ver long. Hell, it wear me out," said Brian.




Buster's Story Ch. 08



"Aye Papa." Quintus hugged Brian and the two men headed off to bed.

*

The two weeks passed quickly. After the initial astonishment of Marie's wedding and Libellue, everyone began to plan the celebration. Jenny, Tilly and Georgina tried to keep Natalie off of her feet although it didn't work well. It was like Natalie couldn't catch up from the strain of the trip.

"Maman, you stay here, mind the clinic. Jus paperwork today. We go cook that elk Papa and Uncle Kent kill," said Jenny. She gave her maman a look that would have done Celia proud.

"Jenny, I stay. Jus' don' understand why I so tired."

"Mebbe you nearly 60? Run round like you 16? Never take no day off? I do half what you do and am tired. Jus' rest. We take care this," said Jenny kissing her on the head.

"Aye."

Jenny closed the door and headed for the big cabin where Tilly and Georgina were cooking. She grabbed her apron and started on the bread that had been left to raise.

"Is she going to rest?" Tilly asked. After nearly twenty years, she still had her Devonshire accent.

"Aye. Don' know why she so tired. I'm worried," said Jenny.

"Maybe Andre can check her out when they get here," said Georgina.

"Aye. Can't wait see that Libellue," said Jenny. The celebration was set for tomorrow night. Marie and Andre were due in later that afternoon. Quintus and family had arrived yesterday. It had been so good to hear all of the cousins yelling and playing in the big meadow. It had been fortuitous as well, for in the last day or so, three of the teens had shifted for the first time. Some of the men were out with them, while others hunted game for the tables.

"Hey! You always so quiet?" Lizzybit called from the door. She had Margaret in tow.

"Lizzybit!" cried Jenny. "When this one due?"

"Next March." Lizzybit patted her growing stomach.

Jenny picked up her granddaughter and gave her a hug. Then she pointed out all the cousins playing out in the meadow. Margaret looked to her mother and than ran. Jenny smiled. "Good to see you. Did that Jelka and Alexander come with you two?"

"Aye. They talk with Kent and Brian at the mill. David is with them. I brought supplies from Calgary and plum wine," said Lizzybit.

"Good. Now show us what you bring," said Jenny.

The afternoon was interrupted by more arrivals. When Jelka came in with the twins, everything stopped. At eight, the twins were quiet like Jelka and it took a bit to get them to go out and play with their cousins. Jelka's English had improved and the women chatted away.

Natalie came home once the clinic had finished. She greeted all the new arrivals and then was ensconced in a rocker to hold Alice and Jacque's granddaughter Ann. Jelka was happy to see Natalie and the two women chatted while the rest worked. Children ran in and out of the door so much that people stopped noticing who it was. Whichever child came in was handed a sweet biscuit and then sent outside.

"Grand-mere! Grand-mere!" cried a soft voice.

"Out you go..." Jenny stopped mid-sentence when she realized that the tiny little girl was not one of the regular crowd running in and out. She bent down to be eye to eye with her and was astonished by the big gray eyes.

"Libellue?" Jenny asked holding out a peanut butter biscuit.

"Aye," Libellue said with a smile.

"I'm your Aunt Jenny."

"Aye. You smell like Mama. She and Papa are outside with Grand-pere."

By this point, everyone in the kitchen had turned to see who had come in the door. Libellue gave Jenny a kiss for the biscuit and then walked over to Natalie and Jelka.

"Ah, Libellue," said Natalie hugging her tiny granddaughter while balancing Ann on the other knee. "This is your cousin, Ann and this is Jelka.

Libellue looked from her cousin to Jelka and then stepped forward to Jelka and wrapped her tiny arms around the slightly startled woman. Jelka returned the hug.

"You are like Mama. Sad and happy all the same," said Libellue.

"Aye," replied Jelka.

"You smell like the big tall man."

"Aye, that is my Aleksandr."

"He gave me a prezzie," said Libellue. She pulled a chain with a wolf paw locket on it out of her pocket.

"Aye. That my Aleksandr. Here we put it on," said Jelka. A moment later, the necklace was on and Libellue was outside playing with her cousins.

"That one ver strange little girl," said Lizzybit.

"Aye. Ver smart too. You think she read minds?" asked Jenny.

"I think so. She know before we get there that her Papa is coming. Scared the hell out of Marie with it," said Natalie. She was smiling because once Libellue hugged Jelka, the woman had been smiling. "She's magic."

*

The party started out with Brian and Natalie thanking everyone for traveling home to the Valley. Then he picked up Libellue, who had become the darling of everyone she met. He let her introduce her Mama and Papa. After that, the newly shifted teens were welcomed. Then the congratulations, and conversations began as food was served.

"Such a pretty baby." "Glad you found her."

"So good to see you again!"

"When did you get so old?"

"When did you get so rude?"

The conversations ebbed and flowed as people walked around visiting. Raphael, Tomas and Pierre began to play fiddles and accordion. Strains of Red River floated across the party.

"Marie, will you dance with me?" Andre asked.

"Aye." She smiled and lead him out onto the wooden dance floor. As she dance to the Metis fiddle music, she watched the others dance as well. "Look," she said pointing to Alexander and Jelka.

"What?"

"Libellue is in their arms as they dance."

Andre looked and then smiled. His daughter had wormed her way into everyone's heart, especially Jelka's. "She's like Jelka and that other one they talk about, Wild Girl."

"I think so. Grand-mere Celia would have known. Estelle is that same way. More wolf than woman. But what does that make our Libellue? More fae? Or more wolf?"

"I don't know," said Andre.

*

The music stopped so that the musicians could take a break. Brian stood up and asked for silence. After numerous bad jokes about wolves, sheep and Canadians, people quieted down.

"Marie, Andre, there is this cake these women work on. It needs cut. You think you can do that?" Brian asked.

"Aye! I bring my scalpel," said Andre laughing. He pulled Marie up to the table where the cakes sat. On top of one was a little wolf and a Peter Pan. The movie had just come to local theaters and everyone had teased Andre by calling him Peter. Very carefully, the cake toppers were removed and Andre did pull out an old scalpel to cut the cake. He very carefully cut two slices. One for him and the other for Marie. They fed each other the slices without too much silliness and then began to cut pieces for everyone else. After cake was passed out to all who wanted it, the music began again. Marie danced with anyone who could snatch her from Andre. Granted, Andre had no lack of partners either. The only one more popular on the dance floor was Libellue. When she wasn't in someone's arms, she was swaying in rhythm to the music and smiling at Raphael or Tomas. When she looked up at Pierre, they stuck tongues out at each other and laughed.

"Ah, that was a ver good night," Brian said to Natalie as they walked home. Jenny, Tilly and Alice were cleaning up.

"Aye, a ver good night. You want go running?" she asked.

"You feel good enough? Not tired?"

"Non. Feel ver good tonight."

They walked into their crowded cabin with babies nestled down everywhere. It was like just after the war, only the children were bigger. In their room, they shed their clothes, shifted and leapt out the window.

Wolf ran. Neither he or his mate were fast. They ran up to their meadow and rested on the rock which over looked the area. Wolf nuzzled his mate. She licked his muzzle and nipped at his ear. He set his paw on hers and rested his head on top of her head. They lay down and slept.

*

The wolves ran as quickly as they could through the downpour. It had started in the middle of the night and Wolf had tried to curl up in a nearby cave, but the waters poured in the back. She nipped at him and headed home. Wolf followed. By the time they got to the wooden dens, they were soaked and shivering. The window they'd leapt out of was shut. Wolf ran around to the front followed by the she wolf. They leapt to the porch and shook off as much of the rain as they could. Wolf whined and scratched at the door to be let in.

Jenny heard the thud of paws and ran to the door. She had hoped her parents had found shelter, but when she opened the door, she wasn't surprised to find two soaked wolves. "Get inside!" she said and went for towels. By the time she came back, there were a trail of muddy paw prints headed to her parents room. "Maman, you need towels?"

"Noh, we havh shome," Natalie answered, still half shifted.

Jenny walked back to the kitchen and began to make hot water for coffee. It didn't take long for her parents to join her. Wet hair, bathrobes and slippers and the scent of wet dog. "Oh Maman!"

"You... you be quiet. Don wake those babies. All of them awake in the house, this rain, not good," said Natalie.

Jenny and Brian nodded. They sat in the kitchen warming up and drinking coffee as the house slowly woke. By 8am, there was a line of people to eat in shifts. Libellue sat on her Papa's lap while Ann was held by Marie. Alice and Ysabel were cooking. Jenny had done her shift and was laying down for a nap.

"When you go back that Everette?" Alice asked.

"End of the week. Andre he has work. Me, I play house wife."

"That not so bad. You need get use to that Everette."

Marie nodded.

*

Brian and Natalie had gone back to bed after breakfast. Natalie had gotten chilled, and they decided that bed was the warmest place for her. She rolled against Brian's arm, and her fever woke him up nearly instantly.

"Nat, you okay?" he asked.

"Non," she said softly. "Hurt all over. Need that willow bark."

"I... I get that. Be right back," he said as he crawled out of bed. He dressed quickly and went to find Andre. Andre was sitting on the front porch, watching the rain pour down. He'd escaped the noise of twelve little ones playing for a moment.

"Andre, Natalie. She is sick."

"Oh. Just a second," he said scrambling up out of the chair and following Brian inside. On the way, he grabbed his medical bag. Walking into the bedroom, he could see that Natalie was feverish. Andre took her temperature. 105F.

"Brian, go get some towels. See if Marie or Jenny have any ice. If not, cold water. We have to get her temperature down."

"Aye." Brian headed back to the kitchen.

Andre checked Natalie out as best he could. She'd nod or moan, but wasn't talking much which didn't make Andre's job easy. Her heart was a little fluttery, but that could have been because of the fever. He noticed that she moaned when he tested her hands and wrists. He wasn't sure though if the joint pain had to do with the fever or arthritis. At 58, Natalie had worked hard most of her life. Her hands were farm rough and had taken lot of abuse. Her palms had rough spots that corresponded more to a wolf's pads than a human's hand. For once he wished he knew a bit more veterinary medicine. If he learned anything over the years was that with shifters, you had two patients wrapped up in one.

Brian came back in with wet cloths in a bowl. Andre took one and placed it on Natalie's throat and chest. He took a second one and placed it on her head. He checked her pulse and while still high, was beginning to settle a little.

"Brian, does Jenny have aspirin? Penicillin?"

"I ask. What is wrong?"

"It might be the flu from getting so wet. Maybe pneumonia. Just not sure as it came on so fast. I know she's been tired lately. Any other problems?" Andre asked.

"I... I don' think so. I go ask Jenny. Be right back," Brian said as he left the bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny was back with Jelka, Maria and Brian. Marie had bedding, Jelka tea and Jenny had the medicines. Brian just stood at the head of the bed.

"Natalie, you gon' be okay," Brian said.

"Aye? Hurt. Cohld." she said.

Andre looked puzzled and then realized that Natalie's vocal cords had partially shifted. That's why she hadn't talked much. He knew from past dealings with shifters that they often shifted to heal. He hoped she didn't do that too soon. He got her to swallow some aspirin and then gave her a shot of penicillin. Now all they could do was wait.

"Brian, let's have the girls make sure she's comfortable and we'll go get some food."

"Aye Andre," Brian said. He kissed Natalie on the head and left the women to change Natalie out of the soaked nightgown and bedding.

Jenny and Jelka helped settle Natalie as Marie took the bedding off to be washed. Natalie was sitting up and drinking mint tea.

"Maman, you never been sick like this. What you think wrong?" Jenny asked.

"I don' know. Mebbe that rain. Mebbe that trip." Natalie took another sip of tea. She was still so hot that the tea felt cool. "Mebbe that damn tick bite I got."

"Tick? You forget your pennyroyal?"

"Non! We miss one. Behind my knee. Pull it out, but two days later, I have big red spot. I treat it, it go away. Ever since though, my joints ache. Don' know if it that bite or jus' old age. My hands they have that arthritis."

Jenny nodded and checked her mother's knee. No sign of a bite or scar. Everyone got ticks in the spring. Some got sick. Some didn't. Just like with spiders. "You finish that tea. I go feed this tribe. Jelka stay with you okay?"

"Aye. Read me my book?" Natalie asked pointing to a small nightstand where a book rested.

Jelka nodded and picked up the book. It was Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye. Jelka opened the book and began to read about Philip Marlowe's trouble with cops and a crazy gangster.

Brian came in to check on Natalie. She was asleep. Jelka whispered that her temperature was down a little and the medicines must be working. He thanked Jelka and took her place beside Natalie. Andre came in a little while later and checked on Natalie. He gave her more aspirin, and penicillin. He also checked on Brian and found him fine.

"Are you going to sleep in the chair?"

"Non. I will hold Natalie. That way, she need me, I am right there. I see you in the morning," Brian said. Andre said goodnight and left.

Brian put on pajamas and crawled in bed with Natalie.

"I'm sorry to be sick," she said.

"It happens. You have good family. Good doctor. It be okay," he whispered in her ear. He cradled her in his arms and after a long time went to sleep. "Hope she be okay."

In the morning, the fever was back and Natalie was coughing. Brian grabbed his bathrobe and went for Andre. They were back in a few minutes.

"How do your lungs feel?" Andre asked Natalie.

"Wet. It hard to breathe."

Andre checked her lungs and found them congested. He gave her more penicillin and aspirin and then motioned for Brian to come outside with him for a moment.

"What is it?" Brian asked.

"Pneumonia, Or at least the start of it. We should really move her to a hospital," said Andre.

"The nearest hospital that isn't one room is Calgary. It is nearly 4 hours, mebbe more."

"I know, but I don't know if I can cope with pneumonia here," said Andre. "If a lung gets too full or collapses, I have very little in a way to fix it here."

"I know. There is other problem. We take her to Calgary, she no longer your patient. What happen she shift? We don have no shifter doctors there."

"Damn. I didn't think of that. You... you don't think she'd shift do you?" Andre asked.

"Aye. She nearly shift last night in her sleep. I don' want to lose Natalie to some damn sickness, but don' want her shot for being a wolf in hospital."

"Shit. Let me think on this. I need to talk to Jenny and Tilly too. Can you get them for me while I talk to Natalie?"

"Aye." Brian left the kitchen and headed for Jenny's house.

Andre walked back to Natalie's room. She was sitting up trying to breathe between coughing fits. That she was coughing was good. However, she looked like her temperature was going up.

"Natalie, I need to talk to you."

"Aye, I am ver' sick. You afraid I die. Probably you right."

"I want to take you to hospital in Calgary. I..." was as far as Andre got before she put her hand on his.

"Non. No hospital. I shift too easy. You do what you need. I try not to die on you," she said.

"Natalie, I'm afraid I might have to drain your lungs. I don't have what I need to do that. You have pneumonia."

"Aye. I know. I nurse people through this. I have aches too. All my joints hurt. That is not pneumonia. That something else."

"Yes, and I don't know what that is without tests," admitted Andre.

"Talk that Jenny. We do more than you think here." Natalie broke off to cough and then spit out the phlegm. Andre held the bowl for her and then gave her a drink of tea.

"Brian has gone for Jenny."

"Good."

Andre sat with Natalie until Brian came back with Jenny and Tilly. Both women checked on Natalie and then turned to Andre.

"She has pneumonia and a fever. Do you have any way to drain her lungs if that becomes necessary? Or a way to do blood work?" Andre asked.

"Aye. Local anesthetic, simple surgery tools and a laboratory in Lethbridge," said Jenny. "Maman, she shift too easy to go that hospital."

"That is what I told him," Natalie said between coughs.

"Shifters need a hospital," said Andre.




Buster's Story Ch. 08



"Aye!" said everyone in the room.

"It is why we have the Clinic," said Tilly.

"Alright. I am going to draw some blood and want it taken to Lethbridge. I'll pay for it. While Brian stays with Natalie, I want to go see this clinic. You must have improved it since I left."

Jenny nodded and after a quick kiss, departed with Andre for the clinic.

*

Jenny opened the clinic and turned the lights on in the 'surgery room'. She stood back as Andre looked around.

"You have improved. I'm impressed. I just hope it is enough to keep Natalie alive."

"Aye. If we lose Maman, we may lose Papa too."

"Would... would he shift and not come back?" Andre asked having not thought about this.

"Mebbe. Bizzet went crazier. Celia, she don talk for six months. Papa? I don' know," admitted Jenny. "Let's not find out."

"Agreed." Andre looked through the supplies and was satisfied that he could cope up to a certain extent. What worried him was the arthritic pain. Maybe the blood work would give him a clue. He got some vials for blood and the two of them headed back to the cabin. They talked about ways to make Natalie more comfortable and ways to get Brian to rest as well. When they got back, Andre drew blood and Tilly was ready to take it to Lethbridge. He gave her instructions on what they should look for and gave her money for the tests.

He was listening to Natalie's lungs when Marie and Libellue showed up. "Hello sweetie. Grand-mere is very sick and needs her rest."

"Aye. I come give her love," said Libellue. She climbed up on the bed and hugged Natalie. Then she sat down next to her and just held her hand. Andre watched, and realized that Natalie was just fine. He left Marie and Libellue with Natalie while he went to check on Brian and get some breakfast.

*

Andre walked out of the bedroom and went to the sink to clean up. Marie sat at the table and waited.

"I've drained her right lung. There is something else wrong, and I don't know what it is. Her heart is okay but I think her kidney's are damaged. She said she passed blood. Do you know when we'll get the results of the blood work?"

"That Tilly went down this morning. She will be back soon. Maman, she..."

Andre walked over and hugged Marie. "I don't know. I'm doing all that I can. It just may not be enough."

"It will be enough. When this done. When we go back that Everette, we need work on a hospital for shifters," said Marie trying not to sob.

"Aye," came a voice from the door. It was Tilly. "I got the results, but it won't help."

"Why?" asked Andre.

"First, they thought they mix up lab reports. Seems they do the local Veterinary clinic. Then they say there nothing there except plain old type A blood. Last, this doctor come out say he doesn't know, as they don't have any big fancy equipment. If there is, they may not see it. He gave me the slides and said if I find out, let him know." She handed Andre a box of slides.

"Damn," Andre growled under his breath. He sat down and rested his head on the table.

*

Brian held Natalie. The anesthesia was wearing off and he was trying to keep her from shifting. He didn't want her to tear the stitches Andre had put in her side. "Hold still," he said softly.

"I try." Natalie coughed and it felt like her body was shaking loose. Her knees, elbows and ankles were swollen. "When I go, you stay. Don' you go runnin' like that stupid Bizzet. Don' you sleep on my grave. You do, I come haunt you. Kick your furry ass," she said between coughs.

"Fine. You don' die on me. I don' go runnin'."

"Too damn late think that. Andre don' say, you don' say, but that little Libellue, she say to me to be happy. Those big gray eyes. They see long."

"You are not dying on me," he said holding her as gently as he could as the tears streamed down his face.

"No promises. If I go, you put me that meadow. Our rock. That way, I near Bizzet and Wild Girl," she said.

"Aye." Brian knew he couldn't argue with her. All he wanted was to hold her the rest of their lives. Deep down inside, he knew she was right. She may die, but he had to hold things together for the family. At least for a little while. He held her as she slipped off to sleep.

Andre came in to check on them. Natalie seemed cooler and her breath was regular. He stayed with her while Brian went to eat and stretch for a bit.

"Andre, you don' be mad yourself. Bring me that Alexander. He and I need talk."

"Natalie, your vitals are better. You're going to be alright," he said although in the back of his mind he wasn't sure.

"Non. I am going. The wolf, she is quiet. Curl up, go to sleep. It won't be long. Don' you tell Brian," she whispered.

Andre looked at her again and saw that look he saw on men that died in the hospital. The ones that knew they were going, and nothing would save them. They were at peace with themselves. He nodded. "I'll do so when Brian comes back."

Natalie nodded and wiped the tears from his face.

Alexander and Jelka came a little while later. Jelka sat at the end of the bed while Natalie and Alexander talked quietly. "Are you certain you don't want Brian here?" he asked.

"Non. He be here when I go. Bless me," Natalie said.

"May your breath follow the wind, may the sun drive away the cold, may the pain flow away like water, and may the earth receive you in her arms. Run with your ancestors. Peace to you," he said as he blessed Natalie. He kissed her and then stood back as Jelka hugged and kissed her. The two of them left and headed back to the kitchen. The rest of the family came in a few at a time to see Natalie. She'd told them that now was time and she didn't want all of them crying around her when she went. Said it was better for the little ones too. While a few tried to change her mind, it didn't work. Tilly was the last to kiss her good night and bid her rest. Natalie rested, knowing that the hardest part was over. Brian would be there to hold her soon and then she would sleep.

Brian thanked Alexander and then went to be with Natalie. He looked at his mate and realized that she was ready to go. It was only a matter of time. Crawling up on the bed, he pulled her into his arms and held her. "You want your wedding dress?"

"Aye. And one of your flannel shirts."

"What? Why for you want that?" he asked.

"For I sleep with one when you not here, so I don' go crazy. I gon' sleep long time without you, so I want one of your damn flannel shirts. One you wore and smells like you."

"Fine. You get this one. I wear it two days."

"Good. You get that Raphael and Tomas play that Lost Woodsman's Jig and Red River. Toast me that ginger wine under the book case. Plenty there," she said after she coughed.

"Aye. Now shush. Let me hold you."

"I love you old wolf," she said.

"I love you Natalie. Loved you since I first see your eyes, that meadow." Tears streamed down Brian's face as he rocked Natalie. When the coughing became too rough, he called out for Andre. Andre gave her some pain medicine, and kissed her good night. Then he went back to Marie and Libellue down the hall. Andre knew it wouldn't be long.

Towards dawn, Natalie coughed and woke Brian. "I love you," she said so softly he could barely hear her.

"I love you my mate."

Natalie coughed and gasped as her breathing grew shallow. Brian nestled her to his chest and rocked back and forth as the sunlight began to light the room. Natalie turned her head towards the window to watch the sun rise.

A little while later, Brian came out to the kitchen. He looked at Jenny and just sat. Jenny hugged him and she and the rest of the women went to dress Natalie. When they entered the room, they found that Brian had set out her wedding dress and left his shirt as well. Jenny understood about the shirt. She still had Henri's under her pillow.

Andre, Henry, Henri, Quintus and David went to dig Natalie's grave up in the meadow. The ground was soft, so it didn't take long. They returned to find Jelka, Marie and Libellue taking care of Brian and feeding everyone. They cleaned up. Kent brought the coffin he'd made. Brian and his sons placed Natalie in the coffin with his flannel shirt under her head. Then they placed it on the wagon.

It was a quiet journey to the meadow. When everyone had arrived and gathered around, the coffin was lowered into the grave next to the huge rock.

"We gather in the woods and beneath open skies to honor a woman loved by so many in our community. She was a matriarch. A leader, and a healer in our community. Natalie was mother to so many of us gathered here by choice or birth. She has been the heart of our community. Loved, respected and always there with just the right herb, cup of tea or basket of goodies," Alexander said. "Her passage has taken all of us by surprise after such a joyous event. Her wish was that we not fall apart. Not let us trail off into the forest. Not forget that we are family. We must honor her wishes." He lifted a small glass of ginger wine. "To Natalie Davy." He passed the glass to Brian. In the background, Raphael and Tomas played The Lost Woodsman's jig.

"To my mate. I will not run crazy too long in the woods." He drank and passed it to Jenny.

"To Maman." She drank and passed the glass after she refilled it. Toasts were given until everyone had said something. As they passed the grave, people tossed late summer flowers into the grave and a handful of dirt. The children followed their parents and then drifted back to the town and the Davy's cabin.

Brian sat as Henri, Quintus and Andre filled in the grave. Henry and David brought rocks to cover it. Then the men walked home, Brian leaning on Quintus. They returned to people everywhere. The fiddlers played Metis tunes on one end of the porch. Libellue and the children played in the front yard while the adults ate and spoke quietly.

"Andre, thank you for all you did," said Jenny. She hugged him.

"She was a good woman, and I'm sorry to see her go. I'm frustrated that I couldn't figure out what was wrong."

"You will some day."

"Yes, I will. I'm also going to do what I can to make sure that shifters have a better way to receive medical treatment," said Andre.

"Good. Maman, she told me to give you this," said Alice. She handed Andre an envelope.

He looked puzzled and then opened the envelope. Inside was the deed to 100 acres of land.

"She said to tell you sell this. Use it to make a clinic for shifters. One that can save her grandbabies," said Alice.

Andre hugged her as the tears streamed down his face. "I will."

That night when the children were asleep, the adults shifted and ran in the forest. They stopped in the meadow and howled at the graveside. Wolf sat on top of the rock and watched. When most of them had left, he howled his pain for the loss of his mate.



Buster's Story Ch. 09 - Finale



As the title suggests, this is the final chapter of Buster's Story. As with the last chapter, this was difficult to write. We know that Buster had to die as we first dealt with his death in More Than Just A Fairy Tale. My partner has cursed, cried and smiled as he's helped me proof the final pages. When he finished, he said, "Damn it! You did it again." and wiped his eyes. I hope you've enjoyed this part of my Universe. Please vote, and comment. Feedback is the only pay or reward we get when we write. Perhaps if there is enough interest, I will post a story on Andrew.

Jaisen

Wolf ran. In his dreams, his mate was always just ahead of him, the tip of her tail just disappearing over the next rock, or behind the nearest bush. He was never quick enough. He'd woke to find himself in a strange forest. It was cold and there was frost on the ground. He drank thirstily from a small stream and then turned back the way he'd come. His pads were sore from all the running he'd done.

That night, he brought down a deer. He had started to save the liver for his mate and only after pulling it from the warm body did he remember that she was gone. He dropped the liver and sat back on his haunches. He howled his pain to the moon. When he was hoarse, he finally ate his fill. He loped off from the carcass and left it to the crows and small scavengers.

He fell into a pattern. Run, eat, sleep. Soon he was back in familiar territory. He'd left the frost ground behind. For the first time in many nights, he saw another wolf. Yips and growls were exchanged and the two wolves continued on the trail together. He found himself in the meadow where his mate was buried. He slept above her on the rock.

When dawn began to break, he loped to the wooden den and leapt through the window. Curling up on the squeaky metal bed, he turned around three times and slept.

*

By the time Brian returned from his run, all the company was gone. He woke up naked on the bed. His nose was buried in Natalie's pillow. Rolling over, he looked around at the room which had held so much joy and pain. No one had touched anything in the room. He stretched, found some clothes and wrapping up in his bathrobe, walked down to the bathroom. While he could hear people moving around, he saw no one. He bathed, dressed and looked at himself in the mirror after he dressed. Finding his scissors, he trimmed up the beard that reached nearly to his chest.

"Been gone long time," he thought. Cleaning up the hair, he headed for the kitchen.

"Hello Papa," said Jenny. She'd heard him come in after Henri reported that he'd found Brian in the forest.

"Hello Jenny. How long I been gone?"

"Two nearly three weeks. Family says to tell you they love you. Let them know if you want come live with them," she said placing coffee, eggs, bacon and toast in front of him.

"Aye. I have a house. You help me go through your Maman's stuff today? I wan' pack things up to save them."

"Aye. Tilly can run the clinic today."

Brian nodded.

It didn't take long for Brian and Jenny to sort through Natalie's things. Some stuff went to the rag box while others went to the basket for clothes going to the clinic. They went for people who needed them. Brian packed Natalie's keepsakes in the same box as his uniforms, medals and photos. Then he came across a book in the bottom of her desk.

"What this?" Brian asked Jenny.

"The birth and death book. We keep track of everyone. Make sure no one marry too close. Like that Estelle and Quintus. They second cousins. Last thing Maman add is Libellue."

Brian nodded. "You keep this. You family head now."

"Papa," Jenny tried to give it back.

"Non. Women, they run this family so long I don' know. You keep that book. Someday, mebbe someone need it."

Jenny gave up and took the book. She hugged her papa. "What about that box?"

Brian picked up the jewelry box. He looked through it. Picking out a couple of items, he handed it to Jenny. "Give to your sisters or you keep."

Jenny nodded and took the box. Everything else was cleaned and put away, because it belonged more to the house and the family than any one person. Brian took the box and put it back in the attic.

*1965

Libellue raced from the car to Grand-pere Buster's cabin. "Grand-pere! Grand-pere! "

"I am here, Libellue," said Brian. He'd been napping in the rocker in the kitchen and woke when he heard his name called. Looking around he found Marie and Libellue standing in the kitchen.

"Marie? Why you come visit?" he asked.

"I... I need a little vacation."

Brian looked at her and noticed that there was no Andre. "That Andre, he go that Vietnam War?"

"Aye. We talk long. He is doctor there," admitted Marie.

"What make him go this time?" asked Brian as he put the kettle on for coffee.

"You know he start that clinic for shifters? With Maman's money?" asked Marie.

"Aye. Lot of family down in that United States," said Brian. Lots of his family and other shifters like the Chinese tiger he met in Vancouver.

"Well, he work there two days a week. Not many, but enough. He train shifters to be nurses. Our cousin, Petite Luc's grandson, Ron? He a veterinarian. He work there too," explained Marie.

"An how this work that Andre go that Vietnam?"

"One day, he get a call. Hospital. Have a soldier come that war back to Washington need surgery. Andre go. Come back ver' sad. Soldier is minor surgery, but they try put him in crazy house."

"The soldier, he a shifter?"

"Aye. He freak out. Sound like the stories you told us of Bizzet. Andre, he recognize that he a shifter, calm him down, keep him from getting that electric shock stuff for crazies," said Marie.

"Andre feel he do better in the battlefield?" asked Brian although he knew the answer.

"Aye. So, I come here, get away from it all. All those protests, soldiers. Everette, Seattle, all crazy places," said Marie. The fact that the Vietnam war was not popular had spilled out into the streets.

"Grand-pere Buster, I go run outside. Love you!" said Libellue and disappeared out the door.

Brian nodded and watched her head outside. "She don' look nearly 14. More like 10. Is that because of Andre you think?"

Marie nodded. Her other concern was that Libellue would shift too soon. She didn't know how things would go and figured that Jenny could help her.

"Well, you can have the back rooms. I don' use them. I eat with Jenny and Henri. You want cook, fine," said Brian.

"Thank you Papa. I told Andre I come here. Mebbe go back that Everette in September."

Brian nodded.

*

The summer was full of Libellue and various cousins running through the house. Alexander and Jelka came with their son Andrew. He was about five and was playing with Mark, Henry's grandson as well as other cousins. Jelka sat on the porch while Brian and Alexander talked.

"That little one, ver' quiet. Looks like he sees things," said Brian.

"Agreed. He's like his mama, and she knows when people are sick or coming to visit before anyone calls. I'm teaching him about being a shaman," said Alexander.

"So young?" asked Brian.

"Yes. I don't think I will be around as long as you or Kent. Jelka, she has dreams of running in the forest alone. So, I make sure one son is family shaman."

Brian nodded. He'd watched so many people leave and others training their children to take over their jobs. Jenny had Caroline working at the clinic along with Mary, the adopted daughter of Alice. There were days he felt rather useless. Other days all he did was run in the forest. Having Marie and Libellue there had at least kept him coming home on a regular basis.

"That Libellue, she is going to be a heartbreaker," said Alexander.

"She is something special," said Jelka.

"Aye. It like I hear her voice in my head when I run too long. I come back and she smile at me," said Brian.

Jelka nodded.

*

"Papa! I have letter from Andre!" Marie shouted as she ran back from the post office. She sat down next to Brian and opened the letter.

"My dear Marie and Libellue,

I hope this letter makes it home. This is letter #2. I'm saying the same thing in all the letters with extra bits. I don't want things lost like Korea.

"I think he means he don' want no one lost," interjected Brian.

"Aye," said Marie who kept on reading.

"This war is very rough on people. Lots of jungle and no place to feel safe. I am at a hospital base, and not in the midst of the fighting. I am very glad of this. I have lots of work and sometimes I wish for my quiet practice in Everette.

I have run into many cousins. You'd think in a war overseas that I wouldn't find much family, but I have. I find it interesting that so many of our family have chose to be in what they call Special Operations. Some work with scouts. Others with the dog handling units which are so very important here.

I miss you and Libellue and I am looking forward to coming home soon. If you see Alexander or Jelka, let them know that I spent the evening with their son Ross. He is a good boy. He reminds me of Jacques and Henri.

It is very quiet here and maybe that means it will be over soon.

Love,

Andre."

"I wonder how many shifters there are that Vietnam. It sound worse than my wars," said Brian. He thought of all the terror he and family went through. Now the family was so spread out that it was difficult to tell who had gone.

"I think there be plenty. I hope the shifter clinic is okay. Mebbe Libellue and I go back that Everette and see if we can help," said Marie.

"That be a good thing. You write that Andre, tell him you go home," said Brian.

Marie kissed her father and then headed to her room to pack.

*

1969

"Mama! We need go that Vancouver," said Libellue.

"Why?" asked Marie.

"Can't you hear that cousin ours howling?" asked Libellue.

"Non. We don' have no cousins in Vancouver."

"We do. He ver' scared. I can hear him howl and there is a ver' bad man yelling at him," said Libellue.

Marie looked at her daughter and then called Jenny. For the last three or four years, Libellue had been hearing things, as she put it. It was like she was connected to all the family. She'd known when her papa had been hurt in Vietnam, and when Ross Davis had died in the Tet Offensive.

"Jenny? This is Marie. Yes, we are fine. I have question. We have any family that Vancouver?" she asked. "Non, Libellue say she hear a cousin howling. I don' know any family there. Okay. You hear, you call me aye?"

Libellue stood next to her mother, although she had heard the whole conversation. "I still hear him. He scared."

"Aye. We wait that Jenny go through the book. She don' know anyone," said Marie.

An hour later, the phone rang. Marie grabbed it just before Libellue. "Aye, George had a son off that bitch? Non. Papa, he can go. Non, why you no know where Papa is? Oh. Aye. I call," Marie said as she hung up.

"You right. George, your cousin, he have a son. Must be year younger than you. He have fight with his non-shifter mama. She and her husband, they lock him in a shed. Jenny can't go. Want me to go. I say no, and I need call that Quintus," said Marie.

Thirty minutes later, no one was willing to help George's son, and no one knew where Brian was. Marie was frustrated and Libellue was getting frantic.

"Mama, I go find Grand-pere Buster. He go that cousin," she said.

"Libellue, you don' know where Grand-pere is."

"Aye. He in that Idaho. Hunting with Ron. Gone two weeks. Call Papa's clinic. They find them," she said hands on hips.

Marie tried the clinic and found Ron and Brian. At first Brian didn't want to help the boy, but Libellue took the phone from her mother. "Grand-pere, you must go help him. That man, he hit him with sticks. Lock him in a shed," she said in a soft pleading tone. Five minutes later, she hung up the phone and smiled.

*

Brian was not happy. Vancouver had gotten more confusing in the years since he'd driven there with Natalie. Ron went with him, but when they reached the house in the prim suburb, he stayed in the car. He walked up to the door and rang the bell. He recognized the woman who opened the door as the non-shifter who left George all those years ago.

"Where my great-grandson?" he asked briskly.

"Well, if that thing is your grandson, he's in the shed in the back," said Cindy. She was acting snotty even though she reeked of fear. Her husband stood behind her watching the whole thing while holding a walking cane like a sword.

Brian took a deep breath and could smell something that reminded him of Henry and George. He headed towards the back door. "What's his name?"

"Lewis," she said like it hurt to say his name.

"You given him any water?" Brian asked.

"No! I wasn't going to open that door and be attacked!" Cindy said.

"He no attack his mama. Give me some water. A towel or a blanket."

Cindy's husband handed him a bowl with water while Cindy ran for a towel. Then the three of them walked out to the shed. Brian was angry when he saw the lock on the door and ripped it of. He threw it on the ground and then opened the door. Inside was a wolf. A miserable wolf, laying on the ground.

"Lewis, You hear me? Come here," Brian said. "Lewis, come here."

The wolf pup looked at the old two legs and then over at the two who had yelled at him. The old two legs called to him again and held out a bowl of water. He was so thirsty, that he forgot his fear and belly crawled to the water. The old two legs had put the water bowl on the ground and stood there watching him drink. When the water bowl was empty, the old two legs started talking to him, but when the wolf pup looked up, he watched as the eyes shifted shape and then back. The wolf pup yelped.

"Lewis. You need shift back. I know you hear me. Think that two legged boy you are deep down inside. Don' think those four legged thoughts. Come. Time you do this," said Brian. He waited. A minute later, he encouraged the wolf in front of him again. He crouched down to eye level and let his eyes shift again. "Shrift!" he said this time with more than a hint of sub-vocals.

The wolf pup heard the command in the old two legs voice and shivered.

"Shrift!" Brian growled.

The wolf in front of him shivered and then there was a naked young man on the ground. Brian tossed the towel on him. "Get up, get dressed. We need talk. I am Grand-pere Buster." Brian then turned so that the boy could get up with some dignity and turned towards the house where the other two had retreated. Brian swallowed hard because the boy looked so like Henry and George, who were both gone.

"I take Lewis. We stay in the Valley for the summer. Come school he come back. You be good this boy or I will come to see why," Brian growled at Cindy as they left. He hadn't been there twenty minutes and already he was furious. The boy came downstairs carrying a bag. When he tried to kiss his parents goodbye, neither one would let him touch him. Brian escorted him to the car.

"Lewis, this your cousin, Ron. He a veterinarian in that Washington. We go meet your cousins, then drive to Canada, you learn how to be family," said Brian.

"Yes sir," said Lewis between sniffles. He was only sixteen.

*

The car pulled up in front of a small Victorian on Grand Street. Before the car stopped fully, Libellue bounded out of the door.

"Grand-pere Buster! You get our cousin?" she asked.

"Aye. That Lewis. Don' know how good he is, Son that George," groused Brian.

"Oh, Grand-pere, don' be so mean. He just scared," said Libellue. She moved past Brian to shake Lewis' hand. "I'm Libellue."

"Lewis. Lewis Ca... Davy," he corrected. "Are you... a.. a... wolf too?"

"Aye, I shift sometimes. Jus enough to scare my mama. She your auntie. Sister your grand-pere Henry," said Libellue. "You come the house. You hungry?"

"Starved. My mom is a vegetarian," said Lewis.

"What? She don' eat meat?" asked Marie who'd come up to meet her nephew.

"No ma'am. And she wouldn't let us eat it either," said Lewis.

Marie took a good look at Lewis. She could see he was malnourished. "Come, I get you some hamburger." She turned to Libellue. "You go that store. Buy some steaks for dinner. You know where my pocket book is."

Libellue nodded and ran for the house. She was back out in a flash and heading into town.

Lewis watched his cousin sort of float down the street as she loped away. Then he was escorted into the house and the kitchen where ten minutes later he had a plate with two rare burgers set before him.

Two weeks later, Lewis met his half brother Mark and more family than he ever knew existed. Brian had brought him home and while the cabin was dusty, it was still livable. Jenny and Henri had kept Celia's cabin in good repair and while they offered him and Lewis a place to stay, Brian didn't want anything to do with it. Didn't want much to do with Lewis, but until the boy proved to be something other than a burden, no one else would help the boy.

Kent offered to show Lewis the sawmill and that occupied the days. At night, they shifted and ran in the woods with family or just the two of them. Hunting was a problem at first. While the wolf knew what to do, the boy was squeamish.

"You gon' hunt that deer tonight?" Brian asked.

"Yes, Grandpa Buster," Lewis answered. He really did try, but he just didn't get it like his cousin Mark or some of the others did. They had always hunted in both forms. He never had, and if his grandpa's attitude was anything to go by, he would hunt or starve.

The wolves ran through the forest. Ahead of them was a herd of deer. The older wolf slowed and growled at the younger one when he didn't slow to a crouch soon enough. The deer hadn't scented the wolves. The older wolf nudged the younger one and then crept down towards the herd. One deer panicked and ran almost straight at the younger wolf. As it passed, he lunged for the throat as the older wolf had shown him. His teeth dug deep into the hide of the deer and sweet blood poured across his tongue. Rather than cough and choke as he had the night before, he held on and shook his head as hard as he could. Deep down, he heard a crack as the deer's neck broke. It fell across the younger wolf, almost pinning him.

The older wolf laughed a 'ehhh, eeehh,' sound as he watched the younger one kill the deer and then have it fall on top. He walked over slowly as the young wolf tried to disentangle itself from the deer. He bumped shoulders with the young wolf and licked at his muzzle. Then the two wolves began to tear into the deer.

The younger wolf dug for the liver. He pulled it out and handed it to the older wolf. The older wolf took it and then bumped the carcass towards the younger wolf. Both of them began to eat. When they were both full, they took turns dragging the remains towards the wooden dens. The older wolf walked into the wooden den to sleep, leaving the younger wolf with the deer.

Lewis shifted back, hauled the deer up on the ancient skinning rack, and finished the basic butchering. Once he had that done, he cleaned up and went to sleep. He was so tired he never heard Buster say, "Good job."

*

Two months later, Lewis stood on the sidewalk as Buster and his cousin Ron drove away. It would be almost another eight months before he'd see them again. Inside, his mother and stepfather waited. He'd tried to stay with the family in the Valley, but Cindy began to call. It was confusing. First she wanted nothing to do with him, and now she was demanding he return. At least he had the addresses to some of his cousins when life got too rough for him in Vancouver.

Brian watched in the rear view mirror as they drove away. He wasn't sure what to think of Lewis. He looked like Henry and in an odd way, very much like the face he saw in the mirror each morning. The boy was so slow in some things and so quick at others. Kent said that he'd learned well at the sawmill, and would have apprenticed him if Cindy hadn't raised such a stink. She threatened to call the Mounties on them if they didn't return the boy she had literally thrown away three months earlier. He didn't understand what George saw in that woman all those years ago. If the boy lived, he'd pick him up next year.




Buster's Story Ch. 09 - Finale



*

1972

Brian had dropped Lewis off at his mother's house. It was late August, and Lewis was heading to University. He was planning on visiting Marie and Andre before heading back to the Valley. His first stop though was the Spinning Tiger Noodle House.

"Ah, Mistah Hǎng," said Hu Chang. "You table is ready."

"Always good to see you Hu," said Brian as he sat down at the same table he had nearly twenty years before when he and Natalie had gotten lost. Natalie was on his mind a lot lately.

"And you. Same as always?" Hu asked.

"Aye"

Hu bowed, and headed to the kitchen where he shouted an order to his cook. He poured hot water into a teapot and brought it and two delicate cups back to the table and sat with Brian. After a minute or two, he poured tea.

"You visit that Lewis?" asked Hu.

"Aye. Last time I think. He go to University this year. His mother crazy woman. Drive us all crazy. Don' want no crazy shifter in family, but calls all the time we have Lewis. Don' let him rest, learn to be wolf. Damn stupid."

"I undehstand. My daughtah, she marry man from Shanghai. He say it no mattah she Hu clan. Just like Lewis mom no respect Hǎng clan. My daughtah, she shift, he run. Scream. Bring back bride, bride price. Same thing," said Hu, shaking his head.

"I worry 'bout Lewis. He so alone. Not good for wolf to live that way," said Brian.

"Lewis always welcome this house. Hǎng clan and Hu clan no fights here," said Hu.

Brian nodded. "I tell him that."

A few minutes later, the cook brought his dinner. Orange beef, a double order. Brian smiled and began to eat the fragrant beef with fresh steamed rice. The cook brought Hu his battered and fried fish. Both men ate in agreeable silence.

"You greet Andhe and family for me," Hu said as Brian paid for his dinner and prepared to leave.

"I will. That Libellue go University in England this year," said Brian.

"Ah, Smart gihl. She do just fine," nodded Hu.

"Aye." Brian bowed and left the noodle house. He settled into the car and pulled into traffic. In just over an hour, he was in Everette. As he pulled up in front of Andre's house, he realized that it was dark. Knocking on the door, he realized that no one was home, nor had been for a few days. On the door was a note addressed to him.

"Dear Papa,

We were surprised that you didn't come by to see Libellue off to England. We waited as long as we could, and then realized that Lewis had not called either. We figured that you must still be out camping. We will be home in a month.

Love,

Andre, Marie and Libellue

"Damn! I forgot the date." Brian put the letter in his pocket and got back in his car. He headed for Spokane. It was late by the time he reached the hotel. They'd held the room for him. Same hotel, same room since 1954. He fell asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Brian got up, and went to eat at the little cafe he always ate at only to find it closed. He had to go to a different place, and it was just enough of an upset to his routine that he felt at odds for the first time in ages. He ate his breakfast and then headed towards the Canadian border. As he drove through Idaho and the forests, he kept thinking he saw something at the edge of the road. He remembered the wolves that he and Natalie had seen the first time they'd traveled the highway. At one point, he swore that Natalie was sitting next to him. When he went to look, he almost ran the car off the road.

"Too damn old for this!" he said to himself. He pulled over at a rest stop and contemplated shifting and running in the woods. It was what he normally did when he was upset or unsettled. However, there was too much traffic. He stretched and got back in the car. Brian was frustrated when an hour later he realized he'd missed the turn to go see Quintus and family. Instead of turning around, he simply headed home.

At the Canadian border, he had to get out of the car and let the border guards search his trunk. He wasn't happy. All new rules, and he didn't like the change. There had been too many changes this trip.

"Don't worry sir. Only a minute. New rules from Washington D.C. Have to check all cars," said the guard with a smile. Brian nodded and looked across the border. Swaths of trees had been cleared. Change was everywhere.

"All done sir. Thank you for your co-operation," the man said and raised the gate.

Brian got in his car, waved and headed home.

*

Brian arrived home to find that most of the family had gone to Calgary for the weekend. He sat in the cabin and ate a sandwich and drank tea in the kitchen. When he finished, he put his dishes in the sink and went to bed. Even at home, things weren't the same. Caroline must have washed the sheets, for the bed didn't smell of him. He tossed and turned as he tried to go to sleep. He was so tired, he couldn't even shift. Grabbing Natalie's pillow, he hugged it to his chest and tried to sleep.

He woke in the middle of the night. Sitting up, he thought he heard something in the kitchen. Walking quietly, he peered into the kitchen. Nothing. He sniffed the air. "Mice. Damn mice." Brian shook his head and headed back to bed. He sat on the edge of his bed and realized for the first time in years that he was alone. Truly alone. He rolled over and picked up Natalie's pillow once more. It no longer smelled of her. It had been too long and all the scent had dissipated.

Brian stared at the wall. The wall paper that he and Natalie had put up was faded and torn in some spots. He turned over and looked out the window. As he lay there holding Natalie's pillow, his mind drifted back to that morning so many years ago when he'd held Natalie as she watched her last sunrise. The tears began to gather at the corner of his eyes. The sobs racked his body as he cried for the first time since Natalie had died. All those years, the wolf had grieved, but the man hadn't. His tears soaked the pillow, and the dampness released the last traces of Natalie's scent. Tears still ran from his eyes as the dawn broke and poured sunlight through the window.

*

Caroline came over to the cabin to make sure everything was ready for her Grand-pere's return. She walked in to find the cabin a mess. She ran back out and headed for her Maman's house. "Maman! Maman!"

"Aye?" said Jenny as she tried to open the clinic door. They'd gotten new supplies in Calgary and she wanted to put them away as quickly as possible.

"Grand-pere's cabin. It is a mess!" Caroline said trying to catch her breath.

"Let's go look, see what's gone," said Jenny. She and her daughter headed for the cabin. There was no sign of her Papa's car. When they got to the cabin, she realized that things were scattered. "Look through those rooms. I'll go check this way," she said heading for her Papa's room. When she entered the room, two things were evident. All of her Papa's stuff was gone as well as Natalie's pillow. She checked the closet to make sure and then she headed to the storage room. The boxes that held his uniforms and some of the older picture albums were gone.

"Caroline! Is there any kind of note? A letter?" she called as she walked back to the kitchen.

"Non! Why?" Caroline asked.

"Your Grand-pere, he did this. Crazy ol' man. He do this and leave. No tell anyone. What the hell?" Jenny sat on a kitchen chair and cried.

Caroline, not knowing what else to do, continued to pick up the cabin. After a bit, her Maman stood up, blew her nose and started to help her. When they were done, they closed the door and walked home.

*

"No Jenny, no more money has been drawn from the account. Yes, we'll keep it open. Yes, we'll let you know if it is accessed again," said the bank teller. She shook her head as Jenny left.

"Was it Grand-pere? Caroline asked.

"Had to be. Always same amount. Always next check number. What happen he run out of checks? You think he come home then?" Jenny asked.

"Mebbe. It been ten or twelve years?" Caroline said.

"Aye. Your Grand-pere is somewhere that Alaska this time. Hope he don' get shot for bein' wolf," said Jenny. The whole family had tried to find her Papa. No one had seen him. The only proof that he was still alive were the occasional checks cashed against his account. The family kept the account open in hope of tracing Brian.

*

The wolf ran. The machine in the air chased after him. He ran for the trees as a popping noise came closer and the snow around him exploded. A searing pain burned up his leg. Wolf kept moving through the trees. He found fallen trees and dug into the middle of the dense pile. There he lay as quiet as he could. He could here the air machine go over the trees. He whined as he licked his leg. The bleeding slowed and then he slept.

"Damn Buster! What the hell happened to you?" asked Jerry as he looked at the wound in the man's leg.

"Some idiot, he shoot and hit me," said Buster. "Spend two days up that trail feelin' like hell."

"I bet. Lucky for you, it just hit muscle. Let me get that cleaned out and bandaged for you."

"Good. Need get my cabin 'for the snow comes," said Buster as he looked out the window. The storm was rolling in and he knew that by sundown that the snow would fill the world.

"This is gonna hurt," said Jerry as he swabbed the wound. Luckily, the bullet had passed straight through. He heard Buster hiss with pain and did his best to be quick. Then he packed the wound and wrapped a bandage around the calf. "Let me get you some anti-biotics."

"Fine. Just not those horse pills you give me last time," said Buster.

"Nah. These are little. Take 'em for a week. And don't forget to eat with 'em," said Jerry.

"Okay." Buster took the pills and the bag of groceries and headed for his cabin.

Jerry watched Buster Walters walk to his truck. "Tough old bastard."

*

Buster took one of the pills, ate his stew and then sat down to watch the fire. He knew he'd have to move on soon. Life was getting too complicated. The sheriff had almost towed away his truck while he was stuck in the forest waiting for his leg to heal enough to walk. He'd have to look at a map in the morning and make a decision. Alaska was getting too crazy. Hunting parties weren't like they use to be. Instead of going for the big game, the hunters shot at anything that moved. Including him.

It had been nearly thirty-five years since he'd left the valley. That dawn had been the worst of his life. He realized he couldn't face his family or even the cabin he'd lived in all of his life. So, in a moment of panic, he'd run. He'd been running ever since and was about to do so again. Even after all this time, the grief he held in his heart for the loss of Natalie still hurt. He waited until the fire was coals and then crawled into bed. He wrapped his arms around his pillow and fell asleep.

"You sure you want to do this?" Jerry asked a week later. "You've been running hunting and fishing parties for a long time."

"Aye. Going to that Montana, see if I find my son," said Buster.

"You got any address? Phone number?" Jerry asked. He liked old Buster, but the guy had to be close to ninety and he was worried.

"I got address. Plus, I been there before. I don' get lost," said Buster.

"Well, okay. Here's the money for the cabin," said Jerry. He had tried to give Buster a check, but the old man refused, and so he handed $10,500 over in cash. He had it in an envelope and made sure Buster tucked it into a lock box and gave him the key. "You change your mind, come on back. I'll miss ya."

"Mebbe I come back that Spring," said Buster. "Mebbe them hunters, skiers go away then. Much quieter."

"Yeah. All them Yuppies and their damn sno-mobiles," said Jerry.

"You gon' help me put all this stuff the truck?" asked Buster.

"Yeah. Otherwise I'll get all teary eyed and snot nosed," laughed Jerry. He helped Buster put the last of his stuff in the back of the truck and covered it with a tarp. They lashed it down and then shook hands. Jerry watched Buster head on down the road knowing he'd never see the old man again.

*

Buster drove for a week. Every time he thought he found a small community he could live in, there would be something wrong. Too noisy. Too cold. Too busy. He just kept driving. When he got to Vancouver, he wondered if the Spinning Tiger Noodle House was still there. He tried to find it, but the roads had changed too much. He gave up and headed for a bank where he cashed a check. The teller was nice enough to let him know that there would only be $10 left in the account. He exchanged it for American dollars. Buster thanked her and got back in his truck. He headed to Washington state.

He drove through Everette, but the quaint Victorian was occupied by a family with three little kids. His nose told them that they weren't family before he even stopped the truck, so he kept on driving. When he reached the mountains, he turned south.

Late one afternoon, he stopped in a small resort town for lunch. "The Dog Bar?" he thought as he looked at the name. He laughed and ordered some food. As he ate, a woman in jeans and a flannel shirt caught his eye. She reminded him of his daughter Jenny. After he finished his burger, he followed the woman's scent trail. It led him to the Spoon River Bed & Breakfast. It was one of those big log cabin styled buildings. He made note of it and went back to his truck. Looking around town as he drove towards the highway, he made a decision. He was tired. More so than he'd ever been. If the woman would let him rent a room, he'd stay in this little town. It was fairly quiet and best of all, there were woods right next to the Bed & Breakfast.

Buster parked his truck in front of the Bed & Breakfast, and headed inside. The place was very clean. The smells from the kitchen were making his mouth water even though he'd just eaten. He walked up to the front desk and rang the bell.

The small woman who'd passed the Dog Bar walked out of the back and up to the counter. "Howdy! I'm Sam. Short for Samantha, but no one's called me that in ages," she said.

"Hello, I'm looking for a place to stay."

"Well, I have rooms. Upstairs or ground floor?" Sam asked.

"Ground floor," said Buster. He squinted at the register and filled in things as best he could. "How much that cost?"

"How many days you planning to stay? I got different rates for different lengths of stays," said Sam.

"Mebbe a week."

"Alright. I'll give you the residence rate. That'll be $300 for seven days. Includes breakfast and for an extra $5, I'll throw in dinner as long as you aren't too picky. If'n you are, you can eat at the Dog Bar." She wondered if he'd flinch at the cost. The man looked older than dirt, and was in need of a shave.

"Well, that be good," Buster said. He pulled his wallet out and paid with 4 $100 bills. "You keep change, I pret damn good eater."

""Alright," said Sam trying to figure where an old man like that would put an ounce of food. "Follow me and I'll show you your room."

Buster followed Sam down the hall to a room on the left. Just down the hall was a door. "Where that go?"

"Outside. Some of my customers like to go for walks. I don't lock the doors until midnight," she said as she opened the door to the room.

"Okay. I like the woods," said Buster. He looked around. It was a nice room and he noticed that the doors had lever handles. He smiled.

Sam left him to bring his stuff in while she went back to cooking. Come dinner time, she knocked on his door. There was no answer, so she headed back to the kitchen.

The wolf slipped out of the wooden den. His nose told him other shifters had been here. He ran up into the hills and checked out the land. There were plenty of deer and rabbits in the area. Other wolves too. When the moon came up, he sat and howled to let the others know he was here. A couple answered back, but none were pack. He headed back to the wooden den. Wolf hit the lever latch and entered the den. A moment later, he was back in his den. Curling up on the bed, he turned around three times and fell asleep.

*

Sam went to clean rooms and started with the ground floor. The family with the baby had left that morning, much to her relief. When she finished that room, she headed for Buster's. She knocked and when she got no answer, she unlocked the door. The room was empty and very tidy, which bothered her for some reason. After a week, she'd expected the old man to have made some sort of presence. Then she noticed the note on the desk.

Sam,

I am to damn old. I go the woods, and will not be back. You take care my stuff, give it to charity, or find someone who need the stuff, When they find me, there is money, the box, for my burial. The key, it is with my truck key. You sell my truck. Keep money. Keep money what left, I don' need it.

Don' be upset. You good woman. Ver' good cook. Jus sorry I can' eat more.

Buster Walters

Sam sat on the bed stunned. She'd never had a suicide before. Looking around the room, she just closed it up and hoped that he'd change his mind. She'd wait until Monday though before she reported him. Last thing she wanted was to upset him. He was a sweet old man, and had been polite to her. Plus, the sheriff wouldn't be back until Monday. She closed the door and went on with her cleaning.

Wolf went out into the mountains. He wasn't ready to go, but the two-legs was. Still mourning for their mate. He walked out to the deadfall he'd found and curled up to sleep. The night was long and cold.

*

Sunday evening, Sam thought she heard a noise at the back door. There on the other side was a huge old mangy husky. The muzzle was shot with gray and he was wheezing. Sam went into the laundry room and grabbed an old wool blanket and a bowl of water. She didn't normally bother with stray dogs, but there was something about this one that just pulled her heart strings. She went outside and the husky was off to one side, laying on the concrete. Sam put down the water and the blanket. Then she went back inside. Ten minutes later, she thought she heard a chair being dragged on the patio. She went out to investigate and found Buster sitting in a chair with the wool blanket wrapped around him.

"Buster! You okay?" she asked.

"Mebbe. I try, go die. It don' work. Old bastard no let me die." he said.

Sam looked carefully at Buster. Besides more scar tissue than she'd ever seen on a live person, she realized that his ears were a little pointed and his beard was fuller than she'd seen it. Then it struck her. "Buster, are you... a shifter?"

Buster looked at her, didn't smell fear and nodded.

"Let's get you inside and warmed up. I just put dinner away, but I have stuff I can warm up," she said helping the old man inside. She left him at his room and then went back to the kitchen. She warmed up a bowl of stew and grabbed a cup of coffee and two peanut butter cookies. When she got back to Buster's room, she balanced the tray and knocked.

Buster, dressed in a bathrobe and pajamas opened the door. "You don' have to do this," he said.

"No, I do." She put the tray down on the table in the room and gestured for him to sit and eat. Buster sat down and slowly ate the food.

"Buster, you need to know you aren't the first shifter I've had here. I know you noticed the door handles and that chocolate isn't the only dessert on the menu."

"Aye. I saw," he said.

"I've been renting rooms to them for nigh on thirty years. First one scared the hell out of me. Next few, well, they helped me make this place shifter friendly. That damn bar across the street draws them like flies."

"Aye," he said eating one of the cookies.

"So, the wolf part of you wasn't ready to die? Is that right?" she asked.

"Aye. I too damn old, but that wolf, he don' want to die. Don' know what to do. Don' have no family I can find. Have trouble shifting. Get stuck, like my ears. Mebbe it be okay, I live here? I got plenty money. Easy pay you to stay here. Mebbe some evening this damn wolf let me die?" he said.




Buster's Story Ch. 09 - Finale



Sam thought about it for the moment. She didn't want the old man's money, but knew that some morning she might open the door to find a wolf or a corpse and figured it was better it was her and not someone else. "Buster, you can stay here. I rarely rent out all the rooms, and we'll come to some arrangement about how much you owe. Let me take these dishes and you get a shower. I'll see you in the morning," she said taking the empty tray.

Buster nodded and crawled into bed. It was much softer than the ground.

*

Buster and Sam came to a set of arrangements. He was her 'guard dog' and she made him a fancy house out back for those nights he couldn't shift back. That was happening more and more. There was a big soft pad in there and blankets. He gave her the lock box and key as well as the title and key to his truck. Sam tried to protest, but gave up in the end. On occasion, he headed out to the woods, but always came back. The wolf wasn't ready to die even though the man was.

Wolf smelled others. They walked into the wooden den. He watched from the back yard. He was tired. Wolf walked back to his den and slept. That night, he watched the two wolves run out into the forest. He whined, but couldn't get his hips to co-operate. He went back to sleep.

Wolf woke up the next morning and smelled the woman and a male shifter. He poked his nose out of his den and realized that they were standing there looking at him. He finally walked out and over to the woman. He walked around the two two-legs and rubbed up against her, marking her as his. Then he sat down and leaned against her. The male two-legs got down to eye level.

"You really should tell her you know," he said and stood up.

Wolf just looked at the shifter and then sneezed. Something about that shifter smelled familiar.

*

Wolf walked into the wooden den. He smelled something familiar, and followed the scent. He climbed up to the top floor of the wooden den and walked into a room where the scent was stronger. On the bed was the two two-legged shifters. He put his head on the end of the bed and took in the female shifter's scent. Pack!

"Ginny, hold very still," Patrick said quietly in her ear.

Ginny froze and then slowly opened her eyes. There at the end of the bed was a very large and shaggy wolf. His head was resting on the bed and he was watching them. Ginny could hear him wheeze as he breathed. His muzzle was gray and his eyes had that cloudy look to the edges of them.

"Buster?" Ginny said softly.

The old wolf wagged his tail slowly. Pack! Pack! Wolf thought.

Ginny moved and brought her hand near to him, even though she knew he'd already scented her. He nuzzled her fingers and then slowly crawled onto a corner of the bed. Turning around a few times, he settled down and curled up nose to tail. He snored.

*

Wolf woke up and smelled his treats. Lumbering off the bed, he walked over to the table and ate his treats. His two-legged made good treats. A two-leg walked into the room with the male shifter.

"How ya doin' Buster?" Doc said to the old wolf.

The wolf ignored the two-leg. He gave his pack member a glance and then walked slowly out of the room.

The two wolves ran through the forest for a short while. Wolf wheezed and coughed. The other wolf slowed down and walked next to him. They sat under the starlight and watched the world go by. As the sun started to come up, they headed back to the wooden den. It took a long time as Wolf couldn't run. He wheezed.

When they got to the big wooden den, he watched as the other wolf shifted and dressed. He walked into the room that smelled good. His pack member and his two-legs was there. Wolf walked over to her, rubbed against her and then walked back outside to his bed. He barely got curled up and comfortable when his two-legs came with food. It smelled good and he ate what he could. Then his two-legs took the empty plate after scratching him between the ears. He went to sleep.

Wolf woke from a nap on the grass outside his den to see the male shifter and his pack member standing next to him. The male crouched down and scratched Wolf under the chin.

"Take care old man."

Wolf slowly wagged his tail and made a growling sing-song noise deep in his throat. The pack member reached over and scratched him under the jowls. He watched them walk away and went back to sleep.

*

Wolf hurt. It was hard to breathe. It was hard to walk. There was something he needed to do. He felt himself topple over and couldn't get up.

Buster blinked. He was naked in the hall of the Bed and Breakfast. He didn't remember leaving his room. All he remembered was that he needed to tell Sam something.

"Buster?" said Sam staring at him.

"Help me up," he said in a whisper. Each breath hurt and he felt like his heart was thumping in his ears. Sam helped him up and into her room. She put him down on her bed and covered him up.

"Buster, whatever made you shift back?" she asked.

"Wanted to tell you goodbye and that I love you for all you did for me," he said.

"Oh Buster, you didn't have to do that," Sam said with tears beginning to run down her face.

"Seeing those two, I wanted to come back and talk. Now it's almost too late," he said. His voice was so soft, Sam could barely hear him.

"No, it isn't. It's never too late," said Sam.

"I..." Buster started and then was wracked with a cough. It shuddered his whole body. "I want you to send my stuff to those two young wolves," he finally got out between coughs.

"You mean Patrick and Ginny?" Sam asked.

Buster nodded. He coughed and wheezed.

"Let's get you comfortable," said Sam.

"Okay, never thought I'd end up in your bed," Buster said half joking.

"Oh you!" said Sam. A smile broke thought the tears still streaming down her face. She turned because she heard a noise. There in the doorway stood one of her guests.

"Is everything okay?" asked the man.

"Yes, just an old friend not feeling well," said Sam.

"I'll call a doctor if you want," the man said.

"No, no need, I'll call Doc Rogers in a minute once I get him settled," said Sam.

"Are you sure? It's no problem," he said again.

"I'm sure. I don't want any fuss. I'll call the doctor in a few minutes. It ain't like he's gonna do more than hold his hand anyway," said Sam getting frustrated.

"Okay," said the man and went back down the hall.

"Damn tourists," mumbled Sam.

"Sam, my name is Brian Davy. Don't think I ever said," said Brian.

"You told me once, but told me to call you Buster. Never explained that," she said. "I'm gonna call Doc and I'll be right back." Sam patted his hand and left the room.

Sam came back into the room and Brian could smell she was irritated.

"That idjet called an ambulance. I called Doc and he'll try to cancel it, but we may have a few more people than I expected," she told Brian.

"No hospital," he said.

"No, I understand. Won't let them take you. Now, I'm going to get some pajama bottoms on you afore Doc gets here," she said. She turned to a dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas that had belonged to her husband. She'd kept them all these years and never knew why. Now she had a reason. Between the two of them, they got the pajamas on and Brian back under the covers.

A few minutes later, there was noise out in the hall. Brian woke with a start to find Doc Rogers and two strangers walking into the room. Two of them started touching him and Brian tried to move away from them but he was just so tired he faded in and out of consciousness.

"Hey! I said leave him alone!" cried Sam. "He's asleep!"

"Sam, we gotta do our job," said Dave. He said it loud enough, that it startled Brian.

"Who? Wha!" Brian called.

"Sorry Brian, these idjets can't listen. I said you were sleeping, and that you didn't want to go to the hospital, but they can't listen," said Sam.

"Mr... um.... Brian, now we are hear to help you. We'll take you to the hospital and get you fixed right up," said Matt who was trying to take Brian's blood pressure.

"Get that thing offa me! I not going to hospital. I want stay here at Sam's. If I die, so be it, but get away from me!" shouted Brian as he ripped off the pressure cuff and threw it in Dave's face.

"I told you to leave him alone," said Doc and Sam almost at the same time.

Dave turned to Sam and started pushing her out of the door. "Sam, I think you aren't the best person to have around at the moment and you are upsetting the old man," he said as he tried to shove her out the door.

Brian felt the wolf rise in his mind. He growled at the man who'd tried to take him from his Sam. He started to shift, felt the wolf try and take over and then slumped and almost fell out of the bed as the two men screamed.

Doc and Sam ran towards Buster/Brian and caught him as he fell off the bed.

"Oh Brian," cried Sam. She and Doc put him back on the bed.

Brian was half shifted and knew that his body was failing. There was noise in the room, but he couldn't follow it. He looked up to see Sam. Tears were running down her face.

"I love you Sam. You remind me of my daughter," gasped Brian. He coughed and wheezed.

"Oh Brian," was all Sam could say as the tears rolled own her face.

Brian felt her wrap him in her arms. He swore he could see Natalie, Grandma Davy, George, and other members of his family standing at the end of the bed. They shimmered in the light. He smiled. Brian coughed again and shuddered as it subsided. Sam just rocked him slowly back and forth. His breathing became shallower and shallower until it was just a rattle in the back of his throat.

Wolf looked up and relaxed. It was time to go at last.



Buster's Story



"Aye!" said another.

"I do. My maman she marry this kraut. Ich spreche Deutsche!" the man said in his defense. 

"Metis can speak kraut?" said another laughing. That made everyone laugh.

"Brian, you goin'?" asked Big Joe.

"I don' know. Maybe," Brian said.

"You better," said Big Joe with a feral grin on his face.

"Why? You need someone hold your hand when guns go boom?" asked Brian.

"Non! I hold your hand you piss your pants," teased Big Joe.

"Non!" said Brian. "You still not tell me why I should go." 

"Cause all my family go!" said Big Joe.

"I not one of your brothers what you order around," Brian said wondering what Joe was up to.

"Non, but you gonna marry my sister Natalie for sure!" Big Joe said standing up and moving towards Brian.

Brian stood there frozen. He saw Big Joe moving towards him and expected a fist to drive through his face. "Oh fuckin' hell!" he thought. Instead, Big Joe punched him in the arm and then gave Brian a hug.

"Come! I buy you a beer," said Big Joe.

"I... I thought you'd kill me," said Brian.

"Non. Maman, she won' let me. Say Natalie is big girl and ifin' I mess this up, she skin me," said Big Joe. "Don' go tellin' no one I'm afraid my maman though."

Brian shook his head and accepted the beer from Sally. Celia had to be the scariest bitch in town. Five foot nothing and maybe 100 pounds soaking wet. However, she was fast, mean and kept all ten of her children in line even though most of them were grown. If Celia had said to leave him alone, Big Joe would. 

"How you find out?" Brian asked Big Joe.

"Maman ask Natalie straight out who she sneakin' out to see. Natalie say she not doin' no sneakin' out. Maman got all growly and tol Natalie no lying. She can smell sex and mint an pine. They yellin' and I realize you smell like mint and pine. I smile and afore I can say who Natalie been with, Maman grab her by the ear and shake her. Natalie spill your name fast," said Big Joe.

"Then what happened?" Brian asked.

"Them Maman look at Natalie, smile and say fine. Then she look at me and tell me I hit you, I hurt you or even think of killin' you, she kill me slow," Big Joe said. 

Brian nodded, knowing the look that Celia must have given Big Joe. As kids they all snitched a pie off the window and got caught by her. "So, you not too mad?" Brian asked Big Joe.

"Yes, but I no kill you. Take you to war with me, let them krauts kill you. Easier," said Big Joe.

"Merde!" thought Brian. "How am I gonna tell Natalie? Better marry her first."

"Maman she go talk to Grandma Davy. They two plannin' a weddin' and fixin' Natalie a dress fore she too big to wear it," said Big Joe.

"She pregnant?" asked Brian. He'd only seen her last night and she hadn't said anything.

"She don' know, but the way you two been at it, she should be," said Big Joe.

Brian nodded. He drank the last of his beer and headed home. If Celia and Grandma Davy were plotting, he'd be married before the end of the week.

*

Kent laughed when Brian told him what happened at the saloon. Then he went on to say that Grandma Davy had stopped by and wanted to see Brian tomorrow morning. Brian nodded and after cleaning up a bit, crawled into bed.

"Bri, you sleep?" a soft voice spoke next to his ear.

"Non. You wake me up Natalie," he said.

"Move over, it's cold," she said and slipped between the covers. She was naked and her body was chilled.

"Damn woman, can't you wear clothes?" asked Brian as he felt his cock shrink from contact with her cold thighs.

"Non! I had to shift and leave. Maman and Grandma Davy, they plan and cook and plan some more," said Natalie.

"Our wedding?" he asked wondering when that was going to be. 

"Aye. They will tell you tomorrow, but it is on Saturday," she said. Her nipples were rubbing against his chest and he brought his fingers up to squeeze them. 

"Ahh! Brian," she gasped.

"What? You come in my bed like that and think you can just leave? Non! I will play with you and have my wicked way with you!" he said and moved his fingers from her nipples and wiggled them between her thighs. She was cold and wet. "See, you are wet little bitch. Need to be fucked."

Natalie giggled and wiggled down under the covers where she locked her lips around his cock which was half erect. She sucked on it until it was hard and throbbing in her mouth. Brian had grabbed her hair in his hand and was thrusting with his hips. Her mouth felt almost as good as her pussy. When he couldn't take it a moment longer, he moved her off his cock and turned her so that he could enter her from behind. The combination of hot mouth, cool air and then hot pussy nearly undid him. Brian thrust into Natalie and grabbed her hips for balance. 

Natalie tried to find purchase on the bed, but the blanket slipped and her nipples grazed the mattress as Brian pummeled her from behind. It felt so good that she didn't care. Pushing back against him sent him deeper into her. That tingle and warmth started and then raced up her spine as she came.

"Ahhh!" she moaned. 

Brian held on tight as Natalie squirmed in his hands and on his cock as she came. It felt so good and sent him over the edge. He froze in pleasure and then the two of them melted to the bed. When the knot finally relaxed, Natalie would head home. 

*

Brian entered Grandma Davy's kitchen. Women were everywhere. Celia and Grandma were at the table in the back with a pile of fabric between them.

"Grandma Davy," called Brian as he couldn't get close to her for all the people.

"Yes Brian, come round here," she said pointing from the door to the sink and back to her.

Brian navigated the room.

"You and my Natalie, you get married in two days," said Celia.

"Aye, you need me do anythin'?" he asked. 

"Aye, you make sure you there. Don go runnin' off. Don join that Army too damn soon," said Celia with Grandma Davy nodding in agreement.

"No ma'am! I be there," said Brian.

"I have your Papa's suit for you," said Grandma Davy. She pointed to a suit hanging in the corner of the room. 

Brian nodded. "Where we get married?" he asked. 

"The meadow across from the saloon. Easier that way and no Fr. Dion cursing us as demons," said Celia. She had a real hatred for the Catholic church. 

Brian nodded and left. Going to war was going to be much safer than staying in town with Celia as a mother.

*

Saturday was bright and sunny for late September. Brian stood waiting with the justice of the peace, Kent, Big Joe and his six brothers. Celia's three daughters stood opposite them. The rest of the town sat on benches, chairs and logs. Grandma Davy had her kitchen chair. Brian turned to watch Natalie walk across the meadow holding her papa's arm as Raphael and Tomas fiddled music. Natalie looked so beautiful in her dress. It was cream and had a floaty veil. She even had shoes on that weren't boots. 

Brian smiled and took her hand as she came to stand beside him. Her papa leaned over Brian's shoulder and whispered something. Brian nodded and then turned towards the justice of the peace.

*

Thirty minutes later, everyone was in the saloon where food and drink flowed. Natalie was being danced around the room by every man able. Raphael and Tomas played and drank and played some more. Brian smiled at his bride and hoped he wouldn't have to dance too much. He'd already stepped on her toes twice.

"Hey, what did Nat's papa whisper in your ear?" Kent asked.

"He say 'You break her heart by dying, I bring you back just to kill you. Then I bring you back and let Celia kill you. Don you die that war!' is what he said," said Brian.

"Then you better not die. I can see you dealin' with him, but Celia? Non," said Kent.

Brian nodded. Most of the young men were joining up. They were going to try and enlist as a group, and make sure that at least some of them stayed together. Brian sipped his beer and looked over to see Natalie beaconing to him. He put down his beer and went over to her.

"Dance with me Brian," she said.

"I try not to step on your feet this time," he said. Then he twirled her in time to the music. 

*

When it was time for the bride and groom to leave, the whole town escorted them to the small cabin on the hill. Kent had moved out and the women had decorated it. Garlands of late flowers, herbs and other greenery festooned the cabin. The bed had been replaced with a matrimonial sized frame with a feather bed. It too was covered with greenery. Candles and lanterns gave a soft glow to the room. Brian carried Natalie over the threshold and tried to close the door. He knew what was coming, but it still didn't help. 

Every time he started to close the door, another person wanted to say something or sing a song. Finally after about forty minutes of this Brian closed the door. They went into the bedroom and Brian barely had his shoes off before he heard Big Joe, Kent and half the men singing lewd songs near the windows. When they'd stop, the women would start up. Natalie was laughing so hard she could barely take off her dress. It took them nearly an hour to undress and get into bed. 

"Good thing this is not the first time, aye?" she said.

Brian nodded. "I think this is why everyone fools around. Can you see virgins trying to do it with all that racket?" he said as he blew out the candles. 

"Non! Impossible," giggled Natalie. "Oh! Listen!"

Brian realized that most of the heckling had stopped and Raphael, Tomas and one person singing was serenading them with love songs. When the first one finished, they could hear everyone clapping. Then Raphael started up another fiddle tune and a high clear voice began to sing.

"Oh! It is Maman!" gasped Natalie. 

"Her voice is beautiful when heard like that," said Brian. He refrained from saying that it was amazing that someone so bitchy could sing so sweetly.

The singing and soft music lasted for another song and then slowly they crowd and the music drifted off. They were alone at last.

Brian kissed Natalie and soon passion overtook tiredness. He kissed her nipples and bit at them gently. Natalie gasped. Then he nibbled down her stomach until he kissed the curls on the top of her mound. As he kissed, he caressed her with his fingers and slowly moved them in and out of her pussy. His tongue licked and sucked her clit until Natalie gasped in pleasure. As she shuddered, he licked his fingers and slid his cock into her. She was soaked.

He rocked back and forth, his cock hitting all the right spots to make her moan. Natalie reached up and grabbed his ribs and held him tight to her so that he could move faster. She liked the quick rhythm as it brought her to orgasm. She let her body's reaction to Brian roll though her and felt her muscles contract tightly around his cock. 

"Oh... myyhhh," she moaned as she came.

Brian reacted and came starting mid stroke. He felt like he filled her with every drop of cum he'd ever had. He rolled to one side and cradled her to him. 

"Je t'aime," the two of them whispered to each other.

*

Their honeymoon lasted for a week. Brian kissed Natalie goodbye on Friday morning. He as well as most young men under thirty had decided to enlist. A long discussion on who should stay and who should go went on and ended with forty men heading to Vancouver. Their plan was to join the 29th Vancouver Battalion of the Canadian Expedition Force. The men were some of the first to join when it was formed in October of 1914. None of them knew what they were going to face or how it would change them forever. 

Natalie waited until the last of them were out of sight before she went back into her cabin. She cried as she cradled Brian's flannel shirt to her chest.