A Naughty Moon

"This sunrise is so beautiful, I wish it could last forever."

"Yeah, but then you're sunset would never come."

"And we both so badly want it to come, don't we Trevvy?"

"We most certainly do," he squealed, pressing his cheek of stubble hard against Ashton's soft white skin. "Your face is smoother than velvety satin."

"And it's all yours."

Sunrise was now translating into its final stages. Rows of bright yellow piled up high like floating bars of gold, climbing as rungs on a ever brightening ladder, pointing at the heavens, until the entire sky submerged into first, the lazy morass of grey, and then, secondly, into the dazzling simplicity of bright, untainted blue as far as the eye could see.

"Let's go riding," Ashton suddenly blurted out on a whim.

"That's a brilliant idea," Trevor agreed. "Riding is such fun, so exhilarating. Although it's been so long since I've rode. The pack keeps lots of horses down below. Which horses shall we take? Let's just stroll down to the fenced pen and see which ones you and I like. They're all broken in, and I have a spare saddle in the barn. You don't want to be using any other pack member's saddle but mine. They can get very ansty if you touch what belongs to them."

"And the horses?"

"No, the horses, we all share."

The morning desert was hot and thirsty, its mostly nocturnal inhabitants long since tucked away underground to avoid the scorching sun.

They held hands going down the hillside.

"There's still so much you haven't told me about what my change will be like."

"Such as?"

"Such as, what will my thoughts be? How long will my transformation take? How soon after the full moon rises, will my change happen? Since the moon remains full for four days, do I have the option of staying transformed during the day, or is it only at night? Will it hurt when I change? Especially for the first time?"

"Shhh," Trevor begged, adding a giggle. "You're making my head swim with so many questions. Sometimes, the best way to discover what happens during your first change, is just to experience it first hand."

"But I'm dying to know now?"

"I thought you were dying to go riding now?"

"Honestly, I think I just changed my mind. I'd rather go riding some other time. Tonight will be the greatest night of my life. Let's go into town for some lunch and beers. What a blast it would be to walk past people and intermingle with them, when little do they know, there are two werewolves in their midst."

***

The old yellow Mustang convertible flew down the highway, its open top allowing air to whip their hair into a frenzy.

"That breeze is amazing."

"How much further to Houston?"

"About another seventy-five miles," Trevor answered.

"Let's not go there. I don't want to stray too far. Just a roadside rest stop would be nice."

"There, just up ahead. That looks good, what do you think?"

Ashton strained his neck and read the approaching sign. 'Mollie's place. Home of the best damn roast beef in the whole state of Texas.'

"I could use a good meal," Ashton said enthusiastically.

He pulled into the parking lot and squeezed between two pickups. "Looks like a fair sized crowd."

"The sign must be true then," said Ashton with a playful shrug.

Inside was cool and refreshing. The décor was old but clean and the waitresses plentiful and attentive.

A Hank Williams song wailed away.

"A nice place, but definitely red neck country," Ashton assessed.

"What did you expect in the heart of Texas?"

"There's a table over there in the corner if you gents like."

The voice came from a waitress who found Ashton cute, and she ushered them over to where they could sit down.

A minute later she came with two glasses and a pitcher of water. "Just holler when you're ready to order," she said, sauntering back toward the kitchen, to where some trays of food for other guests were waiting.

"I think she likes you," whispered Trevor.

Ashton frowned. "I'd rather kiss a wet sponge then her," Ashton whispered, loathing the very thought.

"Do you realize that it's almost noon?"

Ashton's jaw dropped. "Wow, time is really flying by. It won't be long before I start growing fir."

"Fir that I can snuggle up in," Trevor whispered excitedly.

"Don't look now, but I think that man from two tables down is coming over here."

"Howdy fellas. My boys and I was just saying that you two looked a might familiar. We all know we've seen you before but we can't quite place y'all."

"I'm sure we never met."

"Say," another man from their table piped up. "Aren't they those two fellers on the news? You know, where the one vanished and was seen with the other one. In the end they were just two queers running off together."

"Yeah, come to think of it, that's exactly where I seen 'em. Front page of the paper, and here they are, two queers in the flesh!"

"We'd like to be left alone," Ashton spat out nervously.

"I betcha would. Ya hear that Mikey. These two fags say they wanna be left alone. Probably so they can play in private with each other's wankers. How big's a fags wanker anyways?"

"We don't want any trouble," Trevor asserted.

"Well you'll get plenty here now if y'all stay, won't ya, fag man."

Ashton rose, his fist clenched in anger.

Trevor rose next. "It's okay, Ashton. I can handle these dweebs all by myself."

A thought suddenly flashed through Ashton's mind. He grabbed Trevor by the arm. "C'mon, let's go. They aren't worth it. Besides, have you forgotten tonight? If you break up the place, we might have to spend the night in jail. Let's just go."

Trevor marched behind Ashton, turning to face the red neck as he past. "You're just lucky my friend wants us to leave," Trevor asserted ominously.

***

The next place they found was less crowded, but cooler and even nicer. The music was rock and the décor recent. Ashton had fillet of sole and some salad, washing it all down with three ice cold beers. Trevor had a rare steak with baked potato and three beers as well. They topped it all off with yet another beer and home made apple pie.

The ride home was uneventful, passing through the Texas desert as the cool refreshing air played wondrous havoc with their flying hair.

"I just love convertibles, don't you?"

"Apparently we're not the only ones that love 'em."

"Hmm, what are you talking about?"

"Don't look now, but the two pickups we parked in between at Mollie's place?

They're following us."

Trevor turned off onto the side road that led to the ranch and the two pickups still eagerly followed.

Ashton whipped his head around and rolled his eyes toward the sky in frustration. "Damn! Those idiots must have left Mollies, just when we did and then followed us straight to the restaurant. But why? We were at least an hour or two inside. Why would they wait an hour or two for us to eat, then follow us out here?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Trevor said, shaking his head from side to side in utter frustration. They're speeding up, trying to head us off."

"I'm sick of running. Besides, they're aren't any cops out here. We can just beat the crap out of them and be on our way."

"Suits me just fine," Trevor asserted, breathing in anger through flailing nostrils. Nothing like smacking around some homophobes to put one in the mood for sex under a full moon."

"Just be careful, they might be packing heat," Ashton said.

Trevor stopped the car, pressed the button on the glove compartment, and grabbed the hand gun that tumbled out of it. "We'll be packing too, just in case," he answered, tucking the gun into his belt behind his back.

Ashton swung open the door. "Okay Trevvy, let's bust some red neck heads."

"Let's," Trevor seconded, following Ashton out of the car.

The two front doors on each of the pickup trucks swung open. In all, five men

stepped out onto the dry, cracking ground. One of them held something behind his back, Trevor assumed it was a rifle. He whipped out his hand gun first, aiming it at his chest. "Let's see what's behind your back. And do it slowly. This gun has a hair trigger."

The man slowly swung the shot gun out in front of him, and dropped it on the ground.

"Here's what I want you to do," Trevor declared. "Pick it back up and toss it just as far as you can into those bushes over there. If you do that, I'll toss mine over there as well, and then we'll be even."

"It'll still be five against two," the heavy set balding man claimed. "I didn't think you fags had it in you."

"Just toss your gun over there and we'll find out, won't we. But just to even the odds, I might step aside and let my young friend Ashton here do all the work. Five to one sounds a whole lot fairer when it's such dumb fucks like yourselves."

The man reached down and tossed his shotgun far into the bushes.

Trevor tossed his gun into the same place.

The five men breathed a sigh of belief, ecstatic over their good fortune, and they surrounded Ashton and Trevor.

"Now, you mind telling us why you followed us and why you're making us beat the living crap out of you?"

"You two snot faced fags couldn't even take on my grandmother, much less the five of us," he asserted. "But if you must know why we're gonna thump you, then take you into the sheriff, take long hard look at this!"

He unfurled a long poster that had Ashton's picture on it. The flyer read, 'Thirty Thousand Dollar Reward for information leading to Ashton Bond's safe return.'

"That flyer is weeks old, Ashton said, shaking his head from side to side and laughing. I've already been round to the police to straighten it out. They're no longer looking for me or Trevor here."

"Nice try," the fat balding man spat out. "But that's bullshit. They don't offer money unless it's for something really bad. What'd you do anyways, rob some banks or something?"

"It's been all over the news that Ashton ran off with me cause he was afraid to tell his mother he was gay. They no longer think he's a victim of foul play. So there is no reward. You said yourself back at the restaurant that in the end we were just two queers that ran off together."

"Why'd they post a reward if there is no crime, then?"

Trevor stared at the man incredulously. "What do you have between your ears, shit for brains?"

The man glared at Trevor, his reddening face awash with anger at the insult, and his mind swirling with a prejudice that viciously egged him on. "Even if that's true, and the reward's not valid, beating up two fags is worth the trouble, especially if one of them is black as the ace of spades."

His words struck Trevor like a brick and he threw his hands out in front of him in a fighting posture, signaling for the loud mouth to come and get it.

He did as Trevor hoped he would, taking a run at him with his arms outstretched to try and hastily lay hold on him.

Trevor's reflexes were lightning fast and he hit the man hard across the jaw the moment he was in his space. The force of the blow was so strong, it lifted him off his feet and sent him hurling backward, where he slammed against the ground and lay unconscious.

Three of the men had taken a run at Ashton, thinking the thirty thousand was somehow theirs to claim.

Ashton leapt in the air and swung out his legs in quick succession, his feet making contact twice. Two men fell, but the third kept coming, wielding a branch that caught Ashton across the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Ashton buckled and fell to his knees on the ground, gasping for air. The branch struck a second time, catching him on the shoulder. Ashton rolled with the blow, tossing himself further away, so he could buy time to recover from the wind being knocked out of him.

Trevor was incensed at the branch wielding attacker, and lunged toward him.

The fifth red neck, however, had been left to roam free and had a baseball bat with him. He came from behind and crashed it over Trevor's head. It was a glancing blow, but caught Trevor off guard nonetheless, sending him staggering. The branch wielding man took his attention away from Ashton and came at Trevor as well, swinging wildly with his branch. He missed with the first swing, but not the second, catching him across the ribs. He clutched his side and fell to his knees.

The two men Ashton had first kicked were now back up off the ground and coming at him in seething rage. Ashton had, however, by now gotten a chance to catch a second wind and leapt to his feet as well. In his mind was the thought that if something worked once, it would probably work again. He therefore jumped in the air and swung his legs out twice. His feet once more struck with deadly accuracy, only this time with more force and determination. One man's jaw was now broken and the other's two front teeth knocked out. They fell like dominoes, crashing into the ground in clouds of dust that sent a tiny field mouse, scurrying for cover.

The baseball bat caught Trevor once more across the head, only this time the blow was not merely glancing. It struck with a force that caused Trevor to topple over and lay helpless on his side. He was groggy and slipping into unconsciousness.

The baseball bat was again raised, only this time moving in for the kill.

Ashton, however, was able to reach in time, kicking him hard in the balls, making him double over and drop his raised bat.

The branch wielding attacker took a hard swing at Ashton's head. He ducked, and the branch went over his head.

Ashton picked up the bat off the ground and swung it hard onto the face of the man who'd dropped it. The thud of a shattering cheek bone filled the desert air.

The branch wielding attacker took yet another hard swing at Asthon's head. He swung out the bat and blocked it. Next, Ashton spun around and smacked the end of the bat into his stomach, doubling him over. The next blow struck his nose, breaking it and knocking him out cold.

The man with the shattered cheek bone crawled hurriedly on all fours towards the truck, trying to make good his escape. Ashton ignored him. Of greater importance were the two men he had earlier kicked twice to the ground. They were now on their feet and charging him.

The thought that what worked twice may actually work three times, flashed through Ashton's mind. He got ready to leap in the air and kick them both once more, but then changed his mind. He had the bat, giving him the chance to inflict damage that would keep them from attacking him again.

He ran toward them, swinging the bat twice. A second after that, they lay unconscious on the ground.

Trevor began to stir, a slight moan coming from his lips. Ashton was desperate to help him, but still enraged at the crawling man who had beaten him with the bat.

He caught up with him as he was trying to pull himself up against the truck door. He grabbed him by the hair and smacked his head off the roof. "You're going to have quite a headache when you finally wake up," Ashton said with a snarl.

Trevor moaned once more and Ashton ran to him, lifting him gingerly to his feet.

"Please tell me you're okay," Ashton begged.

"I'm, I'm just fine, I think," he whispered, his head spinning as he stumbled for his footing.

"Come, sit down on this rock."

He sat down and immediately felt better. "Ohhh, that was quite a wallop I took but

I think I'll be okay, as soon as the cobwebs clear."

"Your cobwebs can clear later. We gotta get you outta here now. If a passing cruiser should spot these five men lying on the ground, well, we don't wanna be around for that, do we?"

He wrapped Trevor's arm around his shoulder then grabbed him around the waist by his belt. "Let's get you to the car."

It was only a twenty minute drive back to the ranch. By then Trevor seemed his usual jovial self, smiling and cobweb free. He did however, sport a nasty bump on his right temple.

There was a deep well next to the cave. Ashton drew about twenty buckets up and filled an old ceramic tub. They bathed together, nurturing wounds and kissing passionately, their fingers running over muscles and curves that would soon be covered with hair.

"Only about six hours left to go," Ashton said excitedly, staring at a sky that was still firmly under the bright sun's control.

"I didn't think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you,' he whispered, his eyes awash with adoration. "And to think, that tonight, we'll make earth shattering love, when the moon is full."

"When the moon is naughty," Ashton mused.

"We should get some sleep first, though," Trevor warned. "We're both so exhausted and spent. We've been through a lot. Our bodies and minds need rest."

"Fall asleep? No way, I don't want to miss one waking moment of my first change."

"You won't," Trevor assured him. I have an alarm clock here. The change is not for six hours. Let's lie down now and I'll set it for three hours from now, just a nap."

"Okay, sounds good to me."

The three hours passed by quickly for Trevor. Ashton, however, slept through a haunting dream that captivated his mind and sent his pulse furiously racing.

He dreamt of tall, wild sunflowers, their waving green, oily leaves, shining and dark, a stark contrast to their bright yellow petals.

He dreamt of mountain ranges, over which no human might traverse, but over which wolves roamed effortlessly, bounding across ridges, and scampering up steep inclines to where water was plentiful, and the sun warmed their glorious fur covered bodies.

He dreamt of row upon row of mighty ash and birch trees, stretching a thousand feet into the sky, their century old barks, a testimony to a resilience and resplendence not uncommon in the forest realm.

He dreamt of rushing rivers, where rainbow trout and mouth watering salmon were tossed onto a river bank with the mere flick of a paw.

He dreamt of a darkening sky, whose lingering moon would illuminate passing feathered flocks, and inspire the blessed change. The change! The one thing that separated the blessed from mere human kind.

Most of all he dreamt of Trevor, his muscular frame and rippling abs glistening in the moonlight as fur slowly crept over his tantalizing black skin. He envisioned powerful thighs, bulging until pants ripped, and swollen biceps, amassing more muscle until the sleeves frayed apart like a hot knife through butter.

He dreamt of Trevor's eyes, dark, romantic, purposeful, going over every inch of his own changing body. The eyes held mystery and showcased a love that was housed in a giant wolf's body.

Most of all, he dreamt of leaning back and unleashing a curdling howl. Such a sound would confirm to the world that he was no longer bound by mortal restrictions. Trevor had boasted of being over seventy years old, and yet his body was that of a twenty year old, and his mind crystal clear and sharp, not tainted with a senility that consumed most humans that were seventy years of age.

"Three hours to go." The voice was that of Trevor, who had stirred from the sound of the alarm. He yawned and lay an arm across Ashton's back.

"You're sweating hard, same as I did at my first change."

Ashton heard his words, yet was slow to respond, his frantic mind awash with a thousand different thoughts, each vying for clarity and pre-eminence. "I hadn't noticed," Ashton managed, trying hard to conceal his uncontrollable excitement.

He ran his fingers across his neck and shoulders and could indeed feel salty moisture layering his milky white skin. "You're right. I'm soaked. I must say it was a stroke of genius to sleep for three hours. I do feel so much stronger and refreshed."

Trevor pulled off his pants and t-shirt then beckoned to Ashton to do the same.

Trevor then led him outside and found a patch of ground with dried but matted grass that would serve as a sheet against the dusty, cracking dirt. "It's better outside, where the fullness of the moon can be observed. We can lay here and watch nightfall together, as the stars light up and the moon reveals its glorious shine."