Buster's Story

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 readJane Eyrefifteen 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.