A WolfPack's Epilogue

"Naginata..." Melissa's voice was awestruck. "You're so, so damn beautiful. Please tell me you'll come visit me tomorrow with Harrison? That you'll bring me a kiss?"

Naginata turned and smiled, making a show of pinching one of her nipples where Melissa could see. "I swear it upon Throne, Honor, and the glory of your victory." She turned to me, and lifted up so that her nipple was level with my mouth. "Do you like this view, Noble Yellow?"

Melissa was practically panting. "...Do it Harrison. For both of us."

I took Naginata's little purple nipple into my mouth, and both women gasped. For all those feverish dreams of this woman I'd had for the last few years, I'd never imagined this might ever actually happen. I'd been ready, resigned, to the idea that I'd never know a woman's touch ever again -- and here the love of my life was cheering on the woman who haunted my most vivid sleeping fantasies. Naginata gasped my name, pressing her bosom into my face, but then moments later slithering out of my grip and onto the floor below me, her hands reaching for my belt. "You're wearing far too much, beloved. It's time I..." She giggled once more, a sound I knew I would treasure forever more. "...debriefed you."

WIthin seconds, my shoes were flung far away, my pants and boxers were tossed aside to no-one-cared-where, and my aching erection had disappeared into Naginata's eager mouth. "GOD, YES!" Melissa and I cried out in unison, and I couldn't help but call out "JINX!" immediately afterwards, to our mutual laughter. Melissa swooned in delight, and I looked down, transfixed by the sight of this ebon-tressed goddess bobbing her head up and down in my lap.

The feeling was... incredible. Naginata was beyond enthusiastic, sucking at my cock as if she'd fulfilled her greatest lifelong ambition in this moment -- and I won't lie, the thought that this might actually be the case stroked my ego as lovingly as she stroked my balls while she inhaled me. I looked back to Melissa, and she was licking her lips, utterly transfixed by what she saw. "Come in her mouth, Harrison," she gasped. "Come in every nook and cranny she gives you. Come like the first time you filled my wet pussy in the gym showers!"

That memory rampaged through me in that moment -- the feel of Melissa's soft breasts pressed into me as I covered her spread-eagled form with my body and slid inside her, as hot steam filled the room like fog, pinning her to the tile floor with each urgent thrust... "NAGINATA! MELISSA! OH MY GOD!"

The defining rival of my career, the terror of the Chicago Incursion, the nigh-unstoppable force of unequaled skill, the key factor in the final defeat of her insane warlord husband... swallowed every last drop as I gushed down her throat. She'd mostly been working the tip, but as I spasmed and shuddered for her, she descended fully and deepthroated my entire length, caressing even more little spurts and aftershocks out of me and sending shockwaves of pleasure and renewed lust all throughout everything that I was.

Even when my climax had finally subsided, she continued her adoring ministrations. My erection was restored before it had a chance to truly fade, and several minutes later, Naginata climbed into my lap. She looked back over her shoulder. "Beloved Melissa... do you love us both?"

"Oh, I do, I do... make love to him, Naginata. Do it. I'm begging you."

As I looked into her dark blue eyes, Naginata's sweet body slid down -- and I was almost convinced I was dreaming every moment of this as her slick opening welcomed me. "We love you, Melissa," I managed to say, and Naginata murmured a lusty "AGREED" as she took my face in her hands, kissing me once more as we made love on my living room couch.

***

SIX YEARS AGO

"Just so you know, I'm not jealous."

I looked up from spraying powder onto my toes, as we all sat around the locker room in various states of undress. "Come again?"

Melissa leaned in, nibbling my earlobe and whispering, "Damn right we both will, later tonight." She sat back. "Of the Baroness, I mean."

"What, that pesky Incursion Elite? Nothing but an annoying drama queen. 'Duel of Honor' my *entire* ass, she just didn't want to fight all of us at once." I shook the can, and sprayed the other foot. "Still, I have to admit, she was damn good with that polearm of hers."

Melissa laughed, and Chang-Ying and Roland echoed it. Chang-Ying sat down on my other side, pulling on a bra without a hint of self-consciousness. "Harrison, be totally honest with us, That lady looked at you like you were a very well-stocked buffet, and are you trying to imply that you weren't even the least attracted back?"

I laughed. "Come on, team. She's not even human."

A wadded-up towel hit me in the face, and I looked up to see Takeshi beckoning me. "Gimme that foot spray, would ya?" I under-handed it to him, and he continued as he snagged the can out of the air. "I read the medical reports on those captured footsoldiers. They're human enough. I mean, blue-tinted skin's a little different, sure -- they even have purplish tongues and nipples and such. Doctor Ramirez said to me that she's pretty sure they're basically homo sapiens -- and reading between the lines? Sexually compatible. So I think you've got a shot, Harrison." He laughed, and sat down to work on his own sweaty feet.

I looked pointedly at my new girlfriend, who stood up to slide on a very, very attractive pair of daffodil-yellow lace panties. "Do I respect that she seems to have a code of honor? Yes. Is she probably the most dangerous Elite we've faced yet? Unquestionably. Do I want to sleep with her--"

The entire room cut me off in unison, even D.J., who'd been sitting quietly off to one side. "YES!"

Melissa patted me on the head, and tapped my nose. "And that's okay, sexy. I won't lie, she's pretty damn hot. Hell, I'd do her -- and don't lie and say that the thought of me making out with the Baroness doesn't make you sweat with secret joy."

Roland passed behind me, patting me on the shoulder as he went. "Face it, Red. You're DOOMED. Doooooooomed."

Chang-Ying leaned over and gave me a pointedly platonic peck on the cheek. "Just for the record, boss-man, as much as we kick ass in tandem on the field, I do not especially want to bang you. So don't get any ideas about turning your little brewing threesome into a quartet."

Melissa let out a whooping laugh. "Awwww, but Wiiiiiiiiiing, I wanted to re-enact that fanfic we found online last weeeeeeeek!"

Roland just shook his head with a laugh. "White people are CRAZY."

Chang-Ying punched him in the shoulder. "Who you calling 'white', chunkalicious?"

As the locker room echoed with laughter, Melissa leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I'll bet you a shiny new quarter that one day, you're going to be balls-deep in that alien woman, making her beg for every last one of your delicious inches. And I'll be there to watch. EAGERLY." Checking to make sure no one was looking in our direction, she bent down to take me into her mouth for a split second, and then stood up and walked away to her locker, whistling innocently as she put on a show of swaying her hips with each step.

***

PRESENT DAY

Eventually, we'd moved to my bedroom. Naginata's ankles were resting on my shoulders as I knelt between her open thighs on my king-sized bed, sliding in with slow control. She let out a hiss of pleasure, pinching her own nipples as I went in deep.

The laptop was sitting nearby, and Melissa's face was still as glowing with joy as ever. "I could watch you two all night -- or I wish I could. But I hate to say it -- I'm starting to fade."

As my last inch sank inside, Naginata turned to look to Melissa. "Do you want us to stop? I'd understand..."

"No. OHHHH no." Melissa waggled her eyebrows again. "You two aren't done yet, clearly, and I'm not going to ruin your fun just because I'm getting sleepy." She gave an adorable little yawn. "But you ARE visiting me tomorrow. And tomorrow night? I want to watch Naginata get her pussy licked. Our crimson beloved is as masterful with his tongue as he is with the blade, I'll have you know."

My new lover's eyes went wide at the thought, and a moment later when I ground into her clit with my next thrust, her eyes actually rolled up into her head as she practically vibrated with ecstasy. "Promise-promise-promise-promise-promise!"

I let her legs fall from my shoulders, and I bent down to bite down gently on the curve of her ear. "I promise. I can't wait to taste you, beloved."

Everything added up just right inside her, and once I again, I was privileged to witness the beauty of her climax -- but unlike her solo performance back on Karkas island those years ago, this time she was screaming my name at the top of her lungs, and I felt like I could take on an entire armada single-handedly.

I kept going with some very slow thrusts for a moment, but she grabbed my arm with a quivering hand. "Pull away... but slowly. Feels good. Almost TOO good. Throne And Blade, that was intense." She opened her dark eyes, and stared right into me. "You ARE keeping that promise."

Melissa giggled. "He'd eat you out right now, if you asked him. Wouldn't you, hon?"

I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Absolutely."

Naginata rolled to one side and snapped her legs shut. "Don't you dare! I think you'd kill me with kindness if you did that."

"Okay, you two." Melissa gave another yawn, louder this time. "I'm calling the nurse to help me turn off this computer, so you should hang up or turn the camera away. I love you both so much, and I'll see you tomorrow. Happy Halloween, loves." She blew into her tube in two short bursts, the code for requesting assistance, and I blew her a kiss as I shut down the computer. Just as well, actually -- the laptop's battery was nearly dead.

"Naginata, I'll be right back. Gotta plug this in, and use the restroom." I crawled to the edge of the bed, and very slowly climbed out, not quite trusting my knees to not wobble. "Or would you rather we call you 'Natasha' now?"

She stretched out with all four limbs, giving a small yawn herself. "When we're among the public, Natasha is best. But if it's just us? Hearing my true name from your lips is a very welcome pleasure." She went limp, her limbs flopping onto the mattress from their stretch. "Everything about you -- BOTH of you -- is a welcome pleasure. Go, refresh thyself, and then return."

I went from room to room, turning out the lights, checking the locks, plugging in the laptop, and generally acted like a responsible homeowner. Looking back, I think I was too overwhelmed -- in a good way -- to do anything but go through the motions on autopilot for a few minutes. I took a one-minute hot shower to rinse off, brushed my teeth, dried off, and stared at myself in astonishment in the mirror.

I didn't believe in luck until that night. I'd always worked hard -- or tried to, at least -- for everything I'd ever had. Never resting on my laurels, relying on privilege, or just waiting for good things to fall into my lap. I busted my ass to earn my spot on Strike Force Wolfpack, and when I was chosen to be the team's leader, I tried so hard to live up to that responsibility. I didn't always succeed.

When Melissa and I became a couple, I devoted myself to being the best damn boyfriend (and eventually, future husband) I could possibly be, and Melissa responded in kind with love and kindness everlasting. And when faced with the seemingly impossible task of defeating Baroness Naginata, I damn well found a way to win.

But tonight... everything just seemed to line up. We'd moved to Cincinnati because the best specialists for Melissa's care were here, and at no point had Sandow or anyone from the Plex Corporation even hinted that Naginata was living in a nearby suburb. It was pretty clear that Naginata hadn't been informed of our arrival. Dawnette had tracked me down, but for all I knew, she was blowing someone in Plex's HR department to get insider info. It was crazy, it was random, it was serendipity on a scale that I couldn't even imagine, just far too good to be true...

"Harrison." I looked up, and my reflection gave me a stern look. "Stop overthinking it. You're happy. You're ALLOWED to be happy. You're not being rewarded. There's no karma. It's just life. Life happens. Let it happen. Be happy." I gave myself a big toothy grin. "Happy Halloween, Wolfpack Red." I gave my reflection a fistbump.

When I returned to bed, Naginata wordlessly wrapped her half-asleep body around me, her smiling face resting on my bare chest, and I dreamed.

A khopesh sword, swung wide by a crazed man in green armor, his skin and eyes burning with poisonous emerald fire, slicing through the back of Naginata's neck as she pushed Melissa to safety -- and Naginata collapsed to the ground like a marionette whose strings had all been cut. Melissa turned on me, her face and chest covered in bits of skull and brain and so, so much blood... "LIAR! FAILURE! DESTROYER!" She opened her impossibly wide mouth to scream, and arms reached up out of the ground, dragging me down into the ocean of blood that I'd been wading in all this time. I opened my mouth to beg for mercy, but my mouth filled with nothing but crimson pain, an unending torrent of blood, drowning me... I blacked out...

And then I woke up. I screamed.

My hand went to my mouth, and I winced as I realized I'd somehow bitten my tongue in my sleep. I opened wide to touch it, and came away with tiny drops of red on my fingertips. For a long moment, I didn't dare turn to look, to see if Naginata was really there. What if I'd dreamed everything? What if I was so desperate for contact, for love, that I'd invented that amazing Halloween night out of starved fantasy? What if...

I swallowed, my tongue stinging. If. If. If. I sat up, closed my eyes tight, opened them again... and right next to me, Naginata was sitting up from under my quilt, touching my shoulder with tender worry. "A nightmare?"

I managed a tense nod. "A terror. Please tell me you're really here. Please tell me this is real. For the love of God and Throne and all that anyone holds dear, please be here with me. Right here, right now." I suddenly realized I'd just echoed D.J.'s last words -- right before I murdered him. I wept, shaking, shivering, and terrified.

Naginata gathered me in her arms. Her soft blue skin was blissfully cool to the touch, and she gently led me into a lovemaking embrace. She was real. She was here. I could endure. I could love.

I could sleep.

I awoke hours later, the first rays of dawn tickling my eyes through the window. I turned to discover Naginata already awake and on her side, watching me with an impish smile. Without a word, we moved into each other's arms, and we greeted the sun with a loud, laughing, and boisterous fuck. Naginata and her love for me, for us, was real. Life was good.

Three hours and a light breakfast later, I guided Naginata through the familiar maze of the hospital's corridors. We'd stopped to buy a vase of sunflowers and daffodils, and Naginata cradled it in her arms like a mother guarding her young.

"She's very sensitive about her bodily functions, so if she suddenly asks you to leave, she's probably not angry at you, she just really needs a nurse to come help her and she'd rather you not see her like that."

Naginata nodded, glancing around and no doubt memorizing our route. "Is it safe for me to kiss her?"

"Absolutely, just don't try to move her, especially her neck and head. Be really gentle."

We reached her door, which was open as usual, and I lightly knocked. "Come in! Harrison, that better be you and a certain light-blue-lady..."

The reunion was everything it should have been. Tears of joy everywhere, from everyone, as Naginata fawned over her beloved Yellow, and they shared their first gentle kiss. While I gave them a few minutes alone and waited out in the hall, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned; it was LaTonya Shepherd, head nurse of this hospital -- and formerly known way back when as Rose-Soldier Pink, a veteran of the Atlanta Incursion, nearly thirty years ago. She was one of the other reasons we were at this hospital in particular, as she knew all too well the rather unique trials that Striker veterans lived through, and had been invaluable in improving Melissa's overall care.

She gestured with her chin in Naginata's direction. "Morning, Harrison. Is that who I think it is?"

I beamed. LaTonya always had her ear to the ground, and probably knew more about any given Incursion than even the people who fought in them. "That's exactly who you think it is. And you'll be seeing her here pretty often from now on."

"Harrison, my boy! Oh, this is good timing indeed!" I turned, and wouldn't you know it, there stood raspy old Mister Gerald Sandow in a rumpled suit, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. Standing right next to him was my old teammate, Takeshi Wakamoto, looking as suave and unflappable as always.

"Holy shit! When did you two arrive?" Without bothering to answer, Takeshi stepped up and wrapped me in a huge hug, which I eagerly returned. "Good to see you both, wow!"

Takeshi squeezed my shoulder, stepping back to look me in the eye. "You're looking good, man. Better than I expected, honestly. How are you holding up?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you -- so I'll just show you." I led the back into Melissa's room -- and our little group inadvertently walked in on Naginata bending down and giving Melissa a very slow, gentle, and passionate kiss. By unspoken agreement, all of us were as silent as a squad of Dino-Ninja Strikers, not wanting to interrupt. When Naginata stood back up, she turned -- and blushed a lovely shade of light purple when she saw us standing in the doorway.

Sandow broke the silence first. "I'm glad to see you well, Miss Steele." He stepped forward, and set his flowers on a nearby table as he walked right up to Melissa, putting a lock of her hair back in place as he smiled down like a proud father. "Our flight to Houston had to put down early in Cincinnati for some mechanical problems, so we decided to make an impromptu visit. I hope we're not intruding?"

I tapped Takeshi's elbow as we stood a few feet back from the bed. "Houston?"

He nodded, glancing around to make sure no one was lingering by the open door. "96.7 percent certainty that Houston's getting the next Incursion -- and it looks to be a big, nasty one. We're headed there to scout for candidates, but Plex is pulling all the stops out. Roland's being brought in to school whomever we recruit on unarmed combat."

"Oooh, smart choice."

"I'll be helping with marksmanship, obviously. Chang-Ying's working on refining the latest Healer-beam hardware for the Houston team's field use, Brickyard Red's agreed to donate some time for piloting drills, and we even managed to talk my grandfather into pausing his retirement to help with melee weapon training."

I let out a low whistle. "Please give Wakamoto-Sensei my deepest regards. This must be really serious, if he's agreed to help."

Takeshi bit his lower lip. "The early gate readings look pretty ugly -- but on the bright side, it's generating an unusually high D-Flux spike. We've harvested enough for *ten* full infusions, plus two Overclocked reserves. Discussions are still ongoing about if we're going to form two autonomous teams, or one huge-ass legion of newbie Strikers. But before you say ANYTHING..." He put a hand over my mouth. "Don't even think of volunteering. Melissa needs you here, and that's your official orders on the subject from Field Control. Now, if a Code Apocalypse goes out, then we'll damn sure need you and everyone else for something on that scale, but barring that... don't even think of heading down south. You hear me? Just nod your head."