More Than Just a Fairy Tale Ch. 17

"That was worth the mess we are going to have to clean up," gasped Ginny.

"Huh?" asked Patrick.

"We slopped water everywhere," she said with a giggle.

"Oh," said Patrick trying to sit up enough to look over the edge of the tub. He finally sat up enough as Ginny moved off of him. The rug was soaked and pools of water were everywhere. "Damn, we came so hard we soaked the bathroom," he said with a giggle.

They both laughed.

*

A little while later, two large wolves leapt the balcony and ran into the woods. They disappeared quickly in the shadows and snowbanks. Sam watched from her apartment window. She smiled and closed the curtain. "Shifters," she thought as a smile played over her face. "Leastwise, these two ain't actin' arrogant. Some just think people won't know what they are. Shit!" Sam picked up her list of chores for the morning and added extra bacon, sausages and eggs to the breakfast menu. She knew those two would be hungry even if they did catch a bit of wild game during the night. Turning off the lights, she headed off to bed.

*

Luc and Meg had gone out for dinner after seeing Angie out the door. It had been a busy day and neither of them had felt like cooking. Luc still had that silly grin on his face as they walked into the house. He stopped and sniffed the air.

"Meg, hold on a second," he said and walked into the living room without turning on the lights. He had smelled something strange when he walked in the door and didn't want to risk Meg to any kind of an attack. "Roses?" he thought as he walked farther into the living room. Flipping on the light, he looked over to the dining room table to see it covered with flowers, cards and even a few gifts. His laugh brought Meg in from the front porch.

"Oh my god! How did they get in?" asked Meg.

"George probably, considering that the biggest bunch of flowers is from him," Luc said as they looked over the cards and flowers.

"I can't believe the affection and just everything," said Meg. She opened a small box and inside was a picture frame edged with puppies in silver. Love Andrew said the card.

"I told you that you were loved," he said kissing her on the forehead. "Plus, they never thought I'd ever find a mate or have pups."

"Well, there is that," she said. "How about we finish opening these cards and then head to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm tired."

"Sure Meg," said Luc. "I could go for a long snuggle with you."

"Okay, and before you get all squicky on me, I already asked Jeff about making love. His answer was 'when it starts hurting, stop'. So don't try going all noble on me, because to be honest I've never been so horny in my life," she finished with a smile.

Luc hugged her and then picked her up. He headed for the bedroom.

"What about the cards?" asked Meg.

"In the morning," he said. Luc put her on the bed, and turned off the overhead light. He left the small lamp on the nightstand on and after undressing himself began to undress Meg. When he had her naked, he started kissing her. First on the lips and then down her neck to her collarbone. He nibbled across it and then down to her breasts. Meg was melting under his kisses.

Luc moved down her breasts to her belly. Just under her belly button, he sniffed deeply and then kissed her from hip to hip. Slowly, he moved down to her pubic mound and kissed until he could smell her scent.

"Too tired?" he asked.

"Not now," she replied and opened her legs for him to lick and caress her pussy.

Luc's tongue ran up and down her lips which opened up for him. His tongue flicked her clit, and as she rose to meet his tongue, his fingers slipped into her pussy. She was wet. Wet enough that her juices dripped down her ass. He licked and sucked until Meg moaned. He knew she was close to an orgasm and slowed enough to bring her hips up to meet his cock. Luc entered her slowly and gently. He knew in his head that they'd played rough and hard just the day before, but in the back of his mind was the knowledge that she held their pups in her womb. Cradling her ass in his hands, he moved in and out of her.

"God Luc, I'm not made of spun glass," she groaned as the orgasm that had been building hung just out of reach. "Please," she asked as she grabbed his forearms.

Luc smiled and increased his rhythm. He didn't hold back, but didn't allow himself to shift much either. He could feel her muscles tightening around his cock and his own orgasm wasn't far off. He moved slightly, and with one hand on her ass and another on her arm, he moved them until Meg was sitting across his lap as he knelt in the bed. Meg wrapped her legs around him. The change in position rubbed all the right spots and within moments, Meg felt the orgasm wrap around her.

"Ohgods!" she gasped as Luc held her hips tight to him. Pleasure burned through her brain and before it stopped, Luc came hard. His hands partially shifted and she felt the prick of claws across her hips as he buried himself deep inside.

"Arrrr," he growled and then wrapped his arms tight around Meg. He held her close as the aftershocks rocked through them. He went to kiss her and realized his jaw had shifted just a bit too much. "Rrove youh soh muhhtch," he said softly in her ear.

"I love you too," Meg said kissing him.

Luc lifted her off of his lap and then the two of them snuggled into bed. He started to pull the sheets up over them and then shook. He shifted and as the bed groaned, the wolf wrapped himself around his mate. "Mine," he thought as he drifted off to sleep. "Soft One safe, pups safe."

*

The two wolves ran across the clearing chasing the rabbit. The smaller wolf darted left and cut off the rabbit's escape. The larger one dashed around the sagebrush and with a snap of his jaws, caught the rabbit and snapped it's neck. He ripped and shredded the rabbit as his mate padded up to where he had collapsed. He reached into the carcass and flipped the innards at her. She daintily ate the heart and liver. In a few minutes, all that was left of the rabbit were a few bones and scraps of fur.

The wolves loped down the hill towards the noise and smell of the buildings. Even this late at night, there were things moving in and around the buildings. He stopped and raised his head. Sniffing the air, he smelled rotten berries and meat. Growling softly, he turned towards his mate. She stopped and sniffed the air and then lowered herself to the ground in a crouch.

Out of the scrub oak came a bear. It was thin and it's coat was ragged. Hibernation had ended too soon for this bear. He was on the prowl for a mid-winter snack. He too sniffed the air. Scenting the wolves, he headed back for the garbage bins that had tickled his nose earlier.

Running down a dry creek bed, the wolves stayed away from the bear. Back up into the hills for another run to the fence on the building they had jumped. He cleared it first and then his mate. He pawed at the lever style handle and the wolves entered the room.

She sniffed the room. Her tail wagged to show him that all was safe. Then she shifted.

"Oh that was a good run," she said as she stretched. Looking down at her skin, she found a few new scratches and picked out a cactus spine or two. "Damn cactus."

"Well, at least your nose didn't hit it first," said Patrick. He had shifted back and then locked the balcony door. He had headed for the bathroom after pulling the curtain closed.

"No, I just hit the damn thing with my hip. Need any help?" she asked as Patrick stood in the bathroom trying to pick the last spines out of his nose.

"Yes, can you get that one?" he asked pointing to a piece near his eye.

"Bend down," she said.

Patrick sat on the edge of the bathtub and let Ginny poke and prod until she had the offending bit of plant life in her fingers. "There," she said. "Now just enough time for a quick shower."

Patrick picked her up as he stood and moved the both of them into the tub. Five minutes later and they were out of the shower and headed for bed. As they fell asleep, they shifted once more. Curled nose to tail, they dreamt of chasing rabbits.

*

Ginny was the first to wake as the sun streamed through the window. Patrick hadn't pulled the curtains tight last night. She went to stretch and a heavy paw dropped across her shoulder. She tried to move it off, but he put it right back.

"Patrick, I need to get up," she said softly.

The wolf growled as she moved his paw off again. Ginny tapped his nose with her finger. He blinked and woke up. Shaking his head, he looked at Ginny with a half grin o his face. "Come on, shift so we can get breakfast. Can't you smell it?" she asked scooting out of bed before he could paw her again. She headed for the bathroom.

Patrick was sitting on the edge of the bed when she came back into the room. "Sorry about that Ginny. My other half is still really protective, and I guess it was just the strange smells that had him on edge," he said apologetically.

"No worries. Just get dressed. That rabbit was a snack, and I'm starving," she said looking around for her clothes.

"Okay," said Patrick. He was in and out of the bathroom in a few minutes. He'd even brushed his hair and teeth.

"Damn, I knew I forgot something," said Ginny as she smelled the toothpaste. Buttoning up her shirt, she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. It was bad form to smell of blood at breakfast, and her morning breath was nasty this morning. She grabbed the clog of hair out of the tub drain and then the two of them headed down for breakfast.

They followed their noses to the dining room which was off to the left of the check-in lobby. Seated around a few tables were other guests. Some looked and nodded hello's as they entered. Others were engrossed in their food or the new on the TV.

Patrick was the first to lift off the covers on the chaffing dishes. To his delight there was bacon and ham in one section and sausages in another. The next one held eggs and the last one held pancakes. Syrup, salsa and shredded cheese were at the end of the table. On a separate table was yogurt, cereal, milk and fruit. Patrick and Ginny helped themselves to the meats and eggs. Ginny got one pancake as well. Each one was as big as a plate, and she figured she'd share it with Patrick.

They sat down their plates and then got coffee and orange juice. Five minutes after they had started eating, Sam came into the room. She checked the dishes, chatted with some of her guests and cleared a table someone had left. Then she walked over to Patrick and Ginny.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Sure did," said Patrick. Ginny nodded as her mouth was full.

Sam smiled. "Glad to hear it. Enjoy that breakfast. Lots of sausages left and some ham too," she said with a wink. Then she walked off to the next table.

Patrick about choked on a bite of egg. Ginny smiled. "Before you ask, no she isn't one of us. However, I suspect she knows what we are," she said softly.

Patrick swallowed. "You sure?" he asked. He was not use to people knowing about shifters with the same ease that Luc and the pack was in this area. He sniffed, trying to catch a whiff of Sam's scent, but all he could smell was sausage and eggs.

"Yes, almost positive. Think. Heavy duty beds, levers instead of knobs on the doors, and the meat. How many places do you know that have that amount of protein available for breakfast now?" she asked.

Patrick thought about it. The bed hadn't squeaked or groaned. Levers were the norm from what he could see and he had been astonished to see all the meat in the chaffing dish. He was just about to say something when Sam came back their way.

"Oh, before I forget, I have two kinds of cookies in the hall cupboard in case you need a snack. Chocolate chip in the round bin and peanut butter cookies in the square bin," she said. "Oh, and juices and soda in the fridge next to the cupboard." She smiled, patted Patrick on the shoulder and walked out of the dining room.

"Yeah, she knows what we are," said Ginny.

"And your reasons?" asked Patrick.

"First off, she didn't say what color the bins were, but the shapes. Second, she was very specific as to which was which. That, and the smile. Makes me wonder just how many shifters do visit," she finished.

"I don't know, but we have a schedule to keep unless you intend to abandon it on the first day," said Patrick.

"Nope! Just let me finish this food and we are out to explore," said Ginny. She dug into her eggs with gusto.

*

Meg had been working steadily when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see Angie standing there with a bag in her hand.

"Hungry?" Angie asked.

"Yes! Oh gods, it's 1pm?" asked Meg as she looked at the clock.

"Uhuh. I remember when my sister was pregnant. If she didn't eat, it just made her morning sickness worse. Didn't know if you were having any, but I knew you needed to eat. So, I had Kevin pick us up some lunch," said Angie as she sat down across from Meg. She took out cheeseburgers and onion rings for the two of them. Drinks were in the other bag.

"I've had a little, but nothing bad. This smells so good!" Meg said snatching up an onion ring. "Oh, Luc said you had some questions for me?"

"Umm, yeah," said Angie blushing slightly. She walked over to the door and closed it and then came back to her seat. "I have some questions about... about shifters," she finally said.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" asked Meg.

"Oh god, I can't believe I'm asking this," she said and then paused. "Um... are they different than humans?" she said.

"Well, yeah, they shift," said Meg teasing Angie.

"Geeze! You know what I mean!" said Angie a bit exasperated. It had been difficult enough to ask Meg and being teased wasn't helping.

"Yes, I do. I just couldn't resist. In all honesty, they are like any other guy. Unless they shift, the only thing you might notice is that they don't each chocolate and they are a bit stronger than they look," said Meg. "At least as far as I've noticed. Who had your eye?"

"Oh..." she started and then rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "George," she said softly.

Meg blinked. "I could have sworn it was Kevin you were looking at," she said.

"Him? No! He's gay. Or at least bi," said Angie.

Meg's mouth dropped open. "I... I never... How did you find out?" she finally asked.

"Meg! How could you miss it? The nice clothes, really nice undies, the way he is nervous around us and fine around the guys. Plus, I asked him. He only goes out with women so his mom doesn't bitch," said Angie. She was amazed that Meg didn't know this bit of information.

"I'm gob smacked. I never even thought about it. I figured he was just buddy buddy with the guys because they are all shifters," said Meg. "What else do you know after less than a week on the job?"

"Kevin is buddies with the guys because they are shifters and they help him confuse his mom. Cal, Peter and Andrew are all straight. Cal is dating a cousin he knew from home. Peter has a mate who is human shy. She is more wolf that human is what Peter says," Angie ticked off her fingers as she thought. "Andrew still loves Ginny, but knows it will never work, and is very happy Patrick loves her. Ysabel has more boyfriends than sense and George is lonely," she finished.

Meg was stunned. She chewed her bite of burger and tried to think of what to say. She swallowed and took a drink. "So you are thinking of dating George? Has he asked you out?" Meg asked.

"Yes and yes. At the dinner party. He talked to me in the kitchen when we were getting everything set up. I like the way his voice makes my skin tingle," Angie answered.

"Subvocals. They um,... They will more than make your skin tingle," said Meg. "So, you really want a dating 101?"

"Yes. George called again this morning to see if I'd like to have a date. I didn't want to be rude or ignorant and..." she trailed off. "You see Meg, ever since you told me I've been wondering. Wondering just who was and wasn't a shifter. I was thinking that I could run into them at a mall, or get my hair done by a wolfie hairdresser!" Angie said with a giggle. "I know it sounds silly or obsessive, but I just couldn't stop thinking about it. We all dream about such things and reading all the latest books and such makes it so interesting," she said.

"I know! I was the same way after I first started dating Luc. Never told him, but I kept trying to find ways to identify who was a wolf and who wasn't. Never worked," Meg admitted.

"So, what's it like in bed with Luc?" asked Angie. She blushed bright red.

"To be honest, the first time he shifted, he scared the hell out of me," said Meg.

"I remember you telling me about that, but what's the sex like?" Angie asked.

"Very nice. I don't know if it is just because he's been brought up differently, or what, but damn it's nice," said Meg thinking about last night. She told Angie a few details as they ate.

"Mmmm, maybe it's worth a chance then," said Angie when Meg finished.

"I'd give it a try. Have to admit though that George's size, just the sheer bulk of him, is a little intimidating to me," said Meg. "Just be careful."

"He's tall and such, but that doesn't bother me. Thanks for the chat. I have a phone call to make," said Angie as she gathered up the trash and headed out the door.

Meg sat back in her chair and smiled. "I can't wait until Luc gets back to the office!" she thougth.

*

The museum was interesting. Lots of ranching and coal mining displays. Ginny was amazed at the photos of women in corsets, long dresses and tiny heeled boots doing everything from ranch work, teaching and climbing mountains. She walked up to where Patrick was looking at a gun display.

"I can't imagine working in the clothes the women had to wear back then," she said.

"Nor can I, but just think of how difficult it was to be a shifter back then too. No wonder we tended to live in isolation," he said.

"Gods! Some days I can barely get out of my bra fast enough. Can't imagine trying to get out of a corset!" she said.

"No, and I bet if we dug up family photos, we'd find lots of women with no corsets," he said as they moved down the aisle to the next display.

"You are probably right," she said. "Wonder if more of us were killed then by accident than are now?"

"I wouldn't think so. No cars, or nosy doctors. Better yet, no military trying to round us up for test studies," he said.

"What?" asked Ginny,

"I'll tell you more in the car. Here comes that little docent again to tell us how he worked some piece of machinery for the fifth time," said Patrick.

"How are you doing folks?" asked the docent who must have been in his eighties.

"Just fine. Almost done. Thank you for a lovely tour sir," said Ginny.

"Well, glad to be of assistance. I grew up in these mountains and I like being able to share with people who come to the museum," the docent said.

"Thank you again," said Patrick. The two of them shook hands with the docent and then headed out the door. The docent waved from the doorway of the museum.

"Patrick, was there anything odd about that old man, or am I just going ditzy?" asked Ginny.

"No, nothing wrong with your senses. If I am correct, somewhere back about two generations there is a wolf in the woodpile. He's a null. One of those non-shifting wolves. You know, like that cousin you told me about," he said. "Probably an eighth shifter or less."

"You know, you're right. Poor old guy probably wonders why he was always stronger or faster than his peers," said Ginny.

"Exactly. Genetics are interesting when it comes to a null. Wonder if Dr. Jeff keeps records?" mulled Patrick.

"No idea. Now what was this about military and test studies?" she asked as they headed over a pass to the next museum.