In the Arms of Fenris

After a moment, he quietly left her keys in her coat pocket and let himself out the door. The Saab rolled down the street quietly for a block before starting it. Graydon drove back to his apartment. He showered and changed his clothes and then headed out to the Dirty Spoon to pick up breakfast for the two of them. There had been nothing in her fridge besides ice and a couple of carrots. She really didn't cook.

Vicky smiled when he came in the door. "Did you get her home alright last night?" she asked.

"Yes, got her tucked up in bed and then went home. I came by for breakfast for the two of us. Figured she could just take a day off of work for once," he said. "I'd like two orders of biscuits and gravy to go please."

Vicky smiled. "Sure dear. We'll get it ready for you. "Two orders of covered slabs with porky on the side and a couple of raw cluckers!" she hollered into the kitchen. "And don't forget the side of George!"

Graydon just blinked and tried to figure out what on earth she had just ordered for them. Even after all this time he wasn't use to the eccentric slang they used for orders. He sat at the counter and Vicky plopped a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Hot joe's on the house deary," she said as she breezed off to seat some other customers.

Graydon wondered if Vicky just came with the diner when the Henry's bought it or if they searched for her. He could just see the ad. Must be able to obscure the food choices on the menu into indescribable gibberish, walk 90 miles per hour in a twenty foot area and call everyone 'dear', 'hon' or 'sweetie' without rhyme or reason. Also must have eyes in the back of beehive hairdo and gracefully carry off a 1950's uniform.

Before he could imagine anymore, two large Styrofoam cartons in a cardboard soda case tray were plopped on the counter. "That'll be $8.50, and Ma Henry says don't argue," Vicky said.

Graydon put $16 on the counter and said his thanks as he went out the door. When he got to the car, he had to look to see just what it was they had ordered. In the first container were biscuits, gravy in a container, two eggs over easy, 8 sausage links and a piece of cherry pie. The other one was just the same. He smiled and made sure that they were safely seated on the passenger side. Now to see if he could wake Marty up by knocking on the door.

He pulled up in front of her house and got the breakfasts out. He knocked on the door three or four times before he heard Marty's feet moving across the floor.

She opened the door and looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Graydon? Um... is it time to go get my car?" she asked standing there in her nightshirt. She looked sleepy and sexy at the same time.

"No, it's time to let me in so we can eat breakfast. I've been down to the Dirty Spoon and Vicky as well as Ma Henry said to eat your raw cluckers or else," he said with a smile.

For a moment she thought he was serious and then realized he was smiling. She stepped out of the doorway and closed it behind him as he headed to the kitchen table. He put the cartons on the table and got some silverware out. They sat down to eat.

"Thanks for bringing me home last night. I was so tired, I barely remember showering. Did you turn on the furnace? I woke up and it was so nice and warm, I thought I was dreaming."

"Yes, I lit the furnace. You were so cold when you got out of the shower that I was afraid you'd catch a cold. Not that you wanted me to turn it on. I had to worm the information out of you. By the time I got it lit, you'd fallen asleep. I covered you up and then went home," he said. Not a total lie, but he didn't want to upset her too much. Not at this point.

"Okay. I dreamed I slept with a great big dog. He kept me warm all night," she said as she yawned.

Graydon about choked on his cluckers. He covered it with a cough. "That's some dream. Was it Kenny? He was worried about you last night."

"No, it was a big furry dog, like a Shepherd or a wolfhound. He smelled really good too, sort of spicy like mocha which I thought was odd. Dogs don't smell like that," she said. Marty had finished her eggs and was working on the sausages and biscuits.

Graydon was doing his best not to choke or turn purple. Oh gods. She had seen him somehow. He didn't remember shifting in the night, but that really wasn't abnormal. All he has to do is be tired enough and he'd shift. Last night he was concerned enough for Marty that he might have shifted in the night and missed it.

"This is a good breakfast. I've only eaten dinner there. And I certainly couldn't figure out what it was she was giving us. I had to look in the boxes," he admitted. "The side of George threw me for a loop."

"I know. Vicky enjoys using obscure descriptions for menu items. Pa Henry encourages her too," Marty said. "If I hadn't ordered the tuna melt one day with French fries I'd never have figured out what it was by Vicky's order."

Graydon shuddered. "What did she call it?"

Marty took a deep breath. "One chunk of Flipper with hot cow cooked twice and greasy Frenchmen on the side."

Graydon just groaned. "That is just so bad. Do they sit back there when its slow and think these things up?"

"I never dared ask. They probably do." Marty took her nearly empty container over to the trash and put her fork in the sink. "Are you done yet?"

"Yes, I've eaten plenty. Can I save my pie on a plate though? I just can't finish it," he said.

"Of course." She turned and got a plate out of the cupboard. He slid the pie onto it and then Marty got some saran wrap out of the drawer. After she wrapped it up, she put it in the fridge.

"I'd better get ready for work. I'm already late," she said.

"Marty, don't go into work today. You are still worn out and I think that the place can do without you for a day. I'll even call you in if you want me to," he offered.

Marty shook her head. "No, I've gotta go in. There's Max to see to and the fence and..."

"No, you don't need to go. In fact, if you try to get dressed, I'll... I'll..." He thought for a second. "I'll just take your clothes and not take you back over pick up your car." He figured that would be enough to make her stop and think. He was wrong. Instead, she got pissed.

"Graydon! You will take me over to my car or..." she said, and then ran out of breath. Graydon had picked her up and was kissing her. It dawned on him that the best way to stop her yelling was to kiss her. It worked. She felt wonderful in his arms.

A moment later, he put her down and stepped back. "Are you going to listen to reason? Or, do I have to carry you back up to bed so that you rest?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Marty just blinked again and looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. "I, umm.... I'll call Nick and let him know I won't be in today," she said as she walked over to her coat and pulled out her cell phone. She was giving Graydon an odd look that he couldn't puzzle out. He hoped he hadn't scared her in some way.

"Nick, this is Marty. Yeah, I'm worn out. If you don't need me, I want to take the day off. I'll be in on Sunday to deal with the stuff if that's okay," she was saying as Graydon took the phone out of her hand.

"Hi Nick, this is Graydon. Marty was so tired that she couldn't even drive home last night. I brought her home and checked on her this morning. She is still worn out. How about she comes in on Monday? Good. If you need help with the fences or such, I can come by and give a hand, but she needs to stay in bed for a day or so. Sure. No problem. Call me at 655-9737 if you need me. Bye for now." Graydon closed the phone which ended the call and handed it back to Marty.

"What were you doing? You'll get me fired!" Marty was getting upset again.

"No, you aren't. In fact, he whole-heartedly agreed that you should have the whole weekend off. He said they have things under control and the other stable hands are pitching in because they all recognized just how much you did yesterday. If he needs me, he'll call. He has my number," Graydon finished and realized that she was still trying to be upset. He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Come on, either curl up on the couch or head back to bed. It's barely 9am."

Marty realized that he wasn't going to relent. She was also still trying to puzzle out something that was nudging the back of her brain. "Okay, Bed sounds good. My room is warmer than the kitchen," she finished. "Oh, and you can go home now. I'll call Dirk to come get me and pick up my car."

"Oh no. You aren't getting rid of me that easy. Besides, Jessie and Dirk are out of town. I ought to know, as I processed his day off paperwork," Graydon said.

Marty visibly shrank. Dammit! She wasn't used to anyone outmaneuvering her. Or better yet, having anyone even try to take care of her. Once she moved out at eighteen, it had been her and only her. Now there was Graydon to deal with and she wasn't sure if she liked this or not. She just shook her head and started upstairs.

Graydon followed her and saw to it that she really climbed in bed. He excused himself to use the bathroom and when he came back, she was out of bed and nearly dressed.

"Oh no you don't! I said rest, and you will."

Marty just shook her head. "No, I have stuff to do around here, and if I have a day off, I might as well get it done."

Graydon stepped over to her and picked her up. Gads she was a small and squirmy handful. Her curls were tickling his nose, so he hitched her up higher in his arms as he carried her towards the bed. Marty's own nose was stuck next to his ear and almost under his hair. The scent struck her and she stopped wiggling. Graydon figured that she had finally come to her senses and set her down.

"You! It was you in bed with me last night. Or at least I thought... no, I remember a dog. A big dog, but you smell just like that dog. All spicy and..." she stopped. "I don't understand."

"Marty, sit down on the bed and we'll talk." Graydon sat on the edge of the bed within arms distance. Got to tread lightly he thought. Can't mess this up. Don't want to change jobs or leave town. Not now. Besides, if he hurt Marty, Ma Henry and Kenny would flay him alive.

"Marty, I want to talk to you about something and I need you to have an open mind. If at any point you want to stop, just let me know and I'll leave."

Marty wasn't sure where this was going, but she was too curious to stop. She grabbed a pillow off the bed and hugged it to herself, resting her chin on the top. "Okay, go for it."

"First off, I did spend the night with you. You grabbed the covers when I tried to cover you up and trapped my hand. So, I laid down with you. Slept with you. That's it," he cleared his throat, preparing to explain the rest when she interrupted.

"So, where did the dog come from and why do you smell like the dog I dreamed about?" she asked.

"Umm..." Graydon hesitated and then decided to just say it. Worst she could do is laugh or scream. "Because, the dog was me. And it wasn't a dog, it was a wolf." He stopped there, and waited.

Marty gave him a look that combined confusion, puzzlement and incomprehension all at once. "Wolf? You?" She thought for a moment more. "You're the reason Ashka went all funny! But how? I don't understand," she said.

Graydon thought for a moment and couldn't figure out an easy way to say this, let alone explain it. In fact, he had never figured out an easy way to discuss the other side of his life. "Marty, I'm a werewolf."

Marty just looked at him. She didn't know whether to laugh or just shake her head. "You're a werewolf? Like in the stories? Turn furry when the moon is full and all that shit?" she asked not sure is she really believed him.

Graydon nodded. So far, she was handling this much better than he expected. For the moment. She could still start screaming any second.

"Do you eat people?" she asked.

Graydon felt the smile play over his face. "No, I don't eat people. Nor do I bite and turn others into werewolves. It's genetic, not contagious. I go furry when I want to, but the urge to do so is stronger at the dark and full moon. My dad is a werewolf and some of my siblings are. Mom isn't. She's totally human. Oh, and I keep up on my shots and wear a collar if I go out at night in the city." Graydon sat back and watched her face and body language. She hadn't panicked. He'd have smelled that. In fact, she looked rather thoughtful, as if she was taking this all in and wasn't bothered by it.

"Marty? What are you thinking? Do I need to leave?" he asked.

Marty had a thousand thoughts racing through her head. He'd been the dog she thought she'd dreamed. He was also the reason the animals had acted strangely that night. But, Kenny loved him. Thought he was great and listened to him so well. Well, maybe that was because he was a wolf. He had been a gentleman when he could have taken advantage of her. He seemed to care about her too which was nice. She wasn't sure exactly what to think. Marty wasn't sure what to make of the way her body responded to him either.

"Marty?" he asked again.

"Oh. Sorry. Just putting all the pieces together. I know that this may sound funny, but I'm okay with this. I think," she went silent for a minute, and Graydon waited. "Okay, let me get all of this straight in my head. You're really a werewolf?"

"Yes. Have been all my life."

"It's genetic."

"Yes."

"You don't eat people. Or shred them like in the movies?"

"No. I'd much rather go eat at the Dirty Spoon. As for movies and the way they portray my kind, it's inaccurate in all sorts of ways. Most of us are not homicidal monsters who think of men as cattle. We might forget that we are human, or not communicate well with our human side, but that is a different matter," he said.

"Okay. How much control do you have over shifting to wolf?" she asked.

"I can control it ninety percent of the time. In moments of danger or panic or sometimes in my sleep, I shift without active control," he explained.

"Which is why I dreamed that I slept with a big dog."

"Yes, otherwise, the most you might have noticed is what the dogs at work did. That I smell different."

Marty put her pillow down and came closer to Graydon. She put her nose next to his ear and sniffed. There it was, that spicy mocha scent. It had been all over the pillow she had been clutching. "You do smell good. Very good." She moved closer to Graydon and kissed him on the lips.

He kissed her back, and although he felt his heart begin to race, he was doing his best to control his emotions. She hadn't panicked. She hadn't screamed. In fact, she was being more intimate with her kisses than any woman he'd been with in months. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. They kissed for a long time. Then Marty pulled her face away from his.

"Graydon, you honestly care about me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, his voice going husky. "It's not just lust either. I like the way you work with animals and people. You treat them the same. And I love the crazy place you eat most of the time. Besides, you smell good to me," he kissed her neck as he finished speaking. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh,... that feels so good," she said.

Graydon smiled at that and took the kisses down around to her collarbone. Her shirt was in the way, and he unbuttoned one button, kissed her skin there and then looked to her face for a reaction; for permission to continue. Marty smiled at him and arched her back to bring the next button closer to his hand. It was Graydon's turn to smile.

He undid her shirt, and kissed his way down to the waistband of her jeans and then back up to her cotton bra. Graydon snuffed his nose around the edges of it and kissed her nipples through the cloth. Marty moaned. He ran the tip of his tongue up the skin between her breasts until he reached her throat. Marty shuddered with pleasure.

Graydon moved the shirt off of Marty's shoulders and then down her arms. It fell to the floor, followed by her bra a moment later. Marty sat astride Graydon's lap, and pulled at his sweatshirt. He helped her pull it off between snatching kisses. That started them both giggling. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled them together until they were skin to skin. The heat of their bodies felt so good. Marty started to push them over and Graydon held her tight and rolled both of them until they were nearly in the middle of the bed. Marty was sitting astride him still, her curls hanging down around her face. She was tracing her fingers over the hair on his chest and giving small kisses. It was his turn to moan.

"It's so soft," she said.

"What?"

"The hair on your chest. I expected it to be wiry. Most men I've dated have been like sleeping with a hairless boy or a Brillo pad. You're just soft," she said as she continued to run her fingers across his chest.

Graydon's hands cupped her breasts and he moved his fingers enough to roll her nipples back and forth. They stiffened. Marty moaned and ground her butt against his crotch. He felt so hard that he thought he'd burst. "M-marty, I..." he started and got no farther. Marty felt him press against her and moved down the bed. Graydon let go of her breasts and lay there in anticipation.

Marty undid the buckle of his belt and then slowly eased the button and zip on his jeans. She didn't want to catch him in the zip as he was pressed so hard against it. She moved farther down and as he lifted his hips, she pulled his jeans off, leaving him in cotton bikini underwear. His erection stretched the material taut.

Standing up at the end of the bed, she dropped her own jeans and then her undies to the floor. She crawled back up the bed, caressing his legs with her hands. Graydon sat up on his elbows to watch her move up his body. The curls tickled his legs, but he didn't care. When her lips got near the top of his thighs, she stopped to kiss the skin right at the edge of his underwear. Graydon almost sat straight up. Marty looked up at him and smiled. Then she kissed the top of him as he strained against his underwear.

"M-marty..."

Marty took the top of the underwear in her fingers and pulled them down and off. His erection sprang free and she looked at the fine hair all around it and his balls. Not hair, fur. It was soft and fine, like that on his chest. She kissed his balls and the base of his shaft.

Graydon groaned. He wanted to grab her in his arms, but she kept just out of reach. If he sat up, she stopped. He leaned back on his elbows and waited.

Marty kissed to the top of his shaft and then as slowly as she could, lowered her mouth onto him. She ran out of throat before she got down towards his balls. She'd never mastered the art of opening her throat enough to take someone all the way in. It didn't matter though. The way Graydon was built it still wouldn't have worked. She was running her tongue over him and felt him shudder.

Graydon grabbed her shoulders. "Marty, stop. I don't want to go so fast. Please," he said in a throaty whisper.

Marty slowly let him out of her mouth. Graydon then pulled her up to him and started kissing her lips. She eased onto the bed. His hands went to her breasts, playing with her nipples. Then one hand drifted down her belly until it found her triangle of curls. His fingers went farther and felt how wet she was.

"I see that I'm not the only one with soft hair," he whispered in her ear. His fingers played over her lower lips. Marty shifted her hips so that he could touch her more readily. His fingers slid into her and she squirmed against his hand as he moved his fingertips over those sensitive inner spots. His fingers moved in and out matching the rhythm of her hips. Graydon brought his fingers up and in until he reached that small tender button. He gently caressed it and she arched off of the bed in pleasure.