Aurendel - Moon Over Manhattan

It was Saturday afternoon, and Wolf and Virginia had spent the day just being lazy together. They had cuddled up on the couch in their apartment, watching Casablanca and eating pizza (with double pepperoni). Wolf had sniffled harder than Virginia when the movie ended. Although she didn't say so, Virginia liked his sentimentality. As she got up to get ready for work, he sighed, and said, "Huff-puff, Virginia, I wish you didn't have to work the evening shift."

"I know, Wolf, but Saturday night is busy at the restaurant. And I've got you to escort me." And she did. Every time she had to work at night, Wolf insisted on walking her to work and then meeting her after her shift and walking her home. He was taking no chances with his creamy, dreamy girl.

The line between Wolf's eyebrows deepened with concern. He said, "I may not be able to tomorrow. Can you trade shifts with someone? Please?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

Wolf scratched his eyebrow and looked away.

"What is it?" Virginia demanded impatiently.

"The moon's full tomorrow."

"Oh." Virginia had forgotten all about that. "I'll see if Candy will switch days off with me."

"No!" Wolf snapped at her. "Just try to get the afternoon shift, and go to your grandmother's afterward."

"Are you kidding? Grandmother and I aren't speaking to each other any more! I can't go over there! Besides," Virginia added, "I don't want to leave you alone like that."

"Cripes, Virginia, I don't want you around tomorrow. If you won't go to your grandmother's, then go home with Candy. It's safer that way."

"Safer for who? You know I need to be here to keep you out of trouble!"

"Oooh, huff-puff, I don't need looking after! Just do as I say and don't ask so many questions!"

"Wolf!" Virginia was shocked.

He whined. "I'm sorry, Virginia, I'm sorry! Please, please, just cooperate. I don't want to do anything I'll regret."

He looked so pitiful she forgave him with a hug. "Wolf, I think you're exaggerating slightly. Don't worry so much. What exactly do you think you'll do that's so awful?"

He wouldn't look at her, but just whined.

"Well?" she insisted.

He closed his eyes. "I don't know and I don't want to find out."

"Hmm. I think your bark is worse than your bite."

"How would you know? I've never bit you," he said, then growled, half to himself, "and anyway, wolves don't bark."

Virginia had to struggle to keep a straight face. He was so worried! "Look, Wolf, I'm taking tomorrow off no matter what, and I'm staying right here with you. Period."

Wolf didn't answer.

"Well, are you walking me to work today? It's time to go."

With a sigh, Wolf followed Virginia out of the apartment.

The next morning Virginia was awakened by the smell of bacon cooking. Smiling, she followed her nose into the kitchen.

"It's about time you got up! I'm staarrrrving!" Wolf exclaimed as he transferred the bacon from the pan to a plate.

The smile left Virginia's face. This wasn't like him. She sternly reminded herself that Wolf's atypical attitude was due to the moon's influence, and coolly replied, "You don't have to wait for me."

Realization crossed Wolf's face. "Oh, cripes. I'm sorry, Virginia."

"It's ok. I understand."

Wolf set the plate down, dashed across the kitchen, and swept Virginia off her feet in a passionate embrace, kissing her soundly before setting her carefully back upright.

"Well, good morning!" she said, laughing, and everything was all right again.

After breakfast, Wolf began looking edgy again. Obviously, there was something he wanted to say to Virginia. She waited. He absentmindedly got himself another glass of milk, muttering something under his breath.

"What's that, Wolf?"

"Nothing, nothing." He glanced about the apartment as if looking for something. Tired of waiting, Virginia got up from the table and went to do the dishes.

"I'll do that, Virginia. You sit down and relax."

"I'm not an invalid, Wolf. You cooked it, I'll clean it."

"Oh, huff-puff, just let me do." Obviously he needed some outlet for his nervous energy.

"All right, if you insist." Virginia sat on the couch and turned on the news. Same old world. She sighed, and channel surfed to a nature show. At least animals didn't have politics.

A short while later, Wolf joined her. "Virginia, please turn that off. I need to ask you something."

She turned off the tv. It's about time, she thought. "What is it, Wolf?

He scratched his eyebrow. "Do you still intend to stay with me today--and tonight?"

"Of course. Look, we're getting married in a week. We're having a baby in about eight months. It's totally ridiculous for me to be having to go away every full moon. This is something we've got to learn to live with, together."

Wolf couldn't help smiling. Wonderful words--married, baby, together! But this was a serious matter. "OK. Since you put it that way. But there's something I want you to do."

She nodded, staring intently at his face. He had her full attention.

"Last full moon, in the barn. The rope you used didn't hold me." He shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "I want you to chain me."

"WHAT?"

Wolf got up and walked over to the radiator. He tugged on the pipes, and said, "I think this will hold."

"You can't be serious!"

"Please don't argue, Virginia."

Virginia shook her head adamantly. "I am not going to chain you up. Besides, I don't have any chains or anything."

"Then get some." Wolf could be every bit as obstinate as his mate, if necessary.

She folded her arms across her chest. "I don't believe this. Are you out of your mind?"

"Not yet, but I'd rather not take chances."

Virginia stared at him, incredulous. She thought for a moment. "Look, ok, you're right, the rope thing didn't work last time. But this time is completely different. No sheep, no slutty shepherdess. No chickens." She threw up her hands. "Like anyone's going to miss a few pigeons? Please!"

"You're right, Virginia. There aren't any sheep or chickens around here. Or rabbits or deer. Pigeons and squirrels aren't very satisfying. Really, there isn't anything to hunt in New York." His eyes flashed yellow at her. "With one exception."

Virginia shook her head. Wolf couldn't possibly mean what she thought he meant. Then again, maybe he did. She swallowed hard. He was watching her intently. After a brief silence, she said, "I don't like this." He waited. She sighed. "But I'll do it." She hated saying that. Wolf looked relieved. "While I'm out, I'll stop at the grocery, too. What do you want--as if I couldn't guess?"

He cocked his head and suggested, "Lamb chops?"

"How did I know you'd say that?" Virginia shucked off her robe as she went back to the bedroom to dress. Wolf watched her for a moment, then realized he was starting to drool. Embarrassed, he wiped his chin and resolutely turned his back. None of that today, he thought, and returned to his inspection of the radiator pipes.

Virginia sat staring out the window of the bus. She clutched a bag of groceries in one arm and had another bag bundled under her other arm. She had not enjoyed her shopping trip. In fact, it had been thoroughly uncomfortable. This had been the first time--and, she hoped, the last--she'd ever actually gone inside one of those stores in Times Square. She couldn't think of anyplace else to look for real handcuffs (not the trick kind hobby shops carry). The androgynous sales clerk, sporting multiple facial piercings, had tried to sell her various other devices, the uses for which she didn't know and didn't want to know. He/she/it had been happy to show her the numerous restraints available. It had been utterly degrading, standing there choosing the most secure over the "comfort fit". Embarrassing, having to reject the clerk's suggestions of leather, in favor of chains. Ugh! Her face still burned with the humiliation of it all.

And then to top it off, she'd had to carry the bag with her into the grocery.

Oh, to have a car that she could hide things in the trunk of! She had carefully folded the bag over to try to hide the store name and logo, and had the plain side facing out. If she had run into anyone she knew, she'd have died. Thank God her dad was in the kingdoms! She promised herself that when the cancelled check came back with her bank statement, she would destroy the evidence of this trip.

The bus pulled up to her stop and she got off, grimly lugging her purchases into the apartment building. Oh, please, don't let anyone see me, she silently begged, as she pushed the elevator call button. Of course, Murray walked into the lobby.

"Mistress Virginia, have you been shopping?"

"Yeah, just some groceries and stuff." She winced mentally at the thought of the "stuff."

"Oh, you should have sent my wife, or at least have taken our ATM card." He seemed shocked that she hadn't done so.

"No, thanks, I'd rather do it myself."

"Then at least let me assist you with your bags," he pleaded with vacuous eagerness.

"No, they're not heavy." She hugged the loathsome sack tighter, almost losing her grip on the foodstuffs. She stepped back as Murray reached for the sack.

"But Mistress Virginia, we live to serve you!" he wailed at her rejection.

"Well, another time, ok?"

"Yes, mistress," he sighed.

The pudgy man seemed quite deflated, but Virginia felt no sympathy for him. She edged away carefully, hiding the bag of handcuffs behind the grocery bag. The elevator doors opened, and she slipped inside quickly, pushing the button and closing the door with a sigh of relief at her escape.

After a moment, the doors opened again, and she walked down the hall to her apartment. The door was locked. She banged on it. No answer. She set down the groceries and hauled her keys out of her purse. She got the door open, gathered up her things, and went in. "Wolf?" she called. No reply. She dumped the bags on the kitchen counter. "Wolf?" Still nothing. She checked the bedrooms and the bathroom. Wolf was gone. And tonight was a full moon. "Oh, no!" Virginia cried, and slammed out of the apartment in search of him.

After Virginia left to go shopping, Wolf really did try to wait patiently. He tried to read, but nothing seemed to keep his interest. He tried watching tv. Cooking shows made him drool, nature programs were worse, news alternated between confusing and nauseating. Sports kept him amused briefly, but seeing other people being active while he sat still got old quickly. The home shopping network looked interesting, but Virginia wouldn't be happy if he ordered a bunch of stuff. The next station he channel surfed to had some cheap horror flick that just reinforced negative stereotypes of wolves. "Oh, no, wolfies only pretend to do bad things," he muttered, more out of reflex than conviction. He quickly passed to the next channel, which had something on that made him blush. He gave up and turned off the tv.

His next amusement was pacing. There were no chores to do, since Murray's mother insisted on dusting daily and cleaning the bathroom and running the (new) vacuum every week.

Pace. Stop. Stare out window. Pace. Pace. Scratch eyebrow. Pace.

"What is taking her so looong?" he exclaimed.

Oh, huff-puff. Surely it wouldn't do any harm for him to just go for a little walk. That's it, a walk. In the park. Not a long walk--he'd be back before Virginia returned.

Wolf bounded through the door. He was halfway to the elevator before remembering he hadn't locked up. OH! he smacked his forehead, ran back, locked the apartment, and double checked the lock.

The elevator was taking too long. Cripes. Stairs. That's it, I'll go down the stairs.

Wolf bounded down the stairs, taking them three at a time. When he got to the bottom he pulled himself up sharply. "No running through the lobby, Wolf. People will stare. Pull yourself together." He smoothed his hair and left the stairwell.

Although Central Park was the closest thing to a forest in New York, it just wasn't close enough. Instead of deer running down game trails, kids on skateboards scattered pedestrians from sidewalks. Any birdsong would be drowned out by rap music as young men walked by carrying boom boxes. More annoying to Wolf were the dog walkers in the park. At this time of month, every dog that caught his scent in passing had to snarl and bark at him, and it took all his self control not to snarl and snap back. It made his teeth itch. He stopped to watch some squirrels chasing each other. Squirrels. Huff-puff. Nothing but fuzzy-tailed tree rats.

"What I'd really like is a rabbit."

"Hey, mister, if you want a rabbit, I know where you can get one."

Wolf hadn't meant to speak out loud, and was startled by the little girl. He turned to look at her. A fair-haired child, about eight or so. Two women were chatting on a park bench a few feet away. One of them was probably the girl's mother. Wolf cocked his head and asked, "Well, little girl, where can I get a bunny rabbit?"

"At the pet store."

Buy a rabbit? Well, not as satisfying as hunting it, but at least it would be, um, fresh. Almost as fresh as this tender young moppet, with her chubby cheeks and baby fat . . . STOP IT, WOLF! He shook his head, and started to ask, "And where . . ."

"Mary!" One of the two women on the bench was calling the girl. The woman got up, walked over and seized the child's hand. "You know better than to talk to strangers!" the mother exclaimed, glaring at Wolf as if he were some sort of, well, wolf. Just who did she think she was anyway? He wasn't doing anything wrong. Not even thinking about it. Hardly.

Wolf decided to lay on the charm thickly. He smiled his most ingratiating smile, and said, "Madam, your little girl was just about to disclose to me the location of a nearby pet store where I could purchase a rabbit."

The woman still looked suspicious.

Wolf continued, "It's for my little niece. For her birthday. Perhaps you could tell me where it's located? I haven't been in New York very long." He threw in a little touch of wolfy Persuasion, just a hint. Think subtle, Wolf, subtle.

Soothed, the woman soon told Wolf exactly what he needed to know: where and how much it cost. She gave a location only a few blocks from the apartment building. How had he overlooked it in his explorations, he wondered. He suspected Virginia may have been deliberately distracting him from it by suggesting things to do and places to go that avoided the pet shop's direction.

Virginia had, against her better judgement, entrusted the ATM card to Wolf, and there would be money machines on practically every corner between here and there. It wouldn't be like acquiring a fluffy little lamb, no sirree, Wolf. No outraged shepherds, no farmers with scythes and pitchforks, no huntsmen with crossbows. Just walk in and buy a tender, juicy little bunny. Grinning, Wolf sauntered down the sidewalk.

Wolf strutted confidently toward the pet store. He had a pocketful of cash from the ATM; he was a perfectly respectable customer, going to buy a nice fluffy bunny rabbit. No raiding chicken coops this month, no worrying sheep--or shepherdesses. Like any ordinary human, he was perfectly entitled to buy a bunny. A nice, tender, juicy . . . there, he was starting to drool. A display of kittens in the shop window distracted him for a moment, but he shook his head, dismissing the idea. This just won't do, he told himself sternly. He took a deep breath, and entered the shop.

Immediately, a clamorous barking began. Dogs. Big ones, little ones, puppies, all snapping and snarling. He might look human to humans, but dogs know a wolf when they smell one. Nasty, flea-bitten mongrels. He bit his lip to keep from growling at them, but wouldn't it serve them right if he did? Temptation. Stop that.

A sales clerk walked up to him. The clerk shook his head, saying, "One starts, they all go off. Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to buy a rabbit."

"Sure. They're right over here." The clerk led Wolf past the penned-up noisy mutts and a large assortment of squawking multihued birds in cages toward an open-topped pen near the back of the store. It was divided into two large sections, one full of (ugh) guinea pigs, and the other just jumping with plump little bunnies.

"Oh, how to decide, how to decide," Wolf muttered. "I may have to take two or three, since they're small."

The clerk gave him a funny look, but he ignored it. "Well, the brown one's pretty tame," said the clerk.

"Yes, of course," Wolf responded absently, reaching for a rabbit. The rabbits all panicked and ran as far from his hand as the confines of the pen permitted.

The clerk started to say, "That's odd," but stopped, speechless.

Wolf had cornered a rabbit, and when he seized it, it screamed, as though (naturally) a predator had captured it. It struggled in his grasp, and bit his hand. "Bite me, will you?" he exclaimed, "Well, I'll bite back!"

"Hold it, mister!" said the clerk. "Put down the bunny."

Wolf looked at him, startled.

"I mean it mister. I'll call the cops in a minute if you don't leave."

"Of course, I was just leaving anyway, so sorry to cause you any alarm," Wolf was saying, backing slowly away from the rabbit pen. It was hard to think, with all these stupid curs still barking their tails off. Besides, the smell of the rabbits was really making him ravenous.

"You're still holding the rabbit!"

"Oh," Wolf said, looking at the panic-stricken rabbit in his hand. It had stopped struggling, and hung there panting, its eyes glazed with terror. "Of course I am. I'm buying it, aren't I?" With his free hand he reached for his money.

"I don't think so," the clerk said firmly. "Just give me the bunny." The clerk reached for the rabbit with one had and picked up a very large rawhide chew bone in the other, wielding it like a club.

Reluctantly, Wolf relinquished the rabbit. He edged past the dog cages back out towards the door, the clerk watching him the whole time. As he stalked away, he noticed the clerk staring after him and reaching for the phone.

Uh-oh. Trouble again, Wolf thought, and quickened his pace. Time to get back home before Virginia arrived and wondered about him. He glanced back over his shoulder at the sound of a siren, and decided to take evasive maneuvers. Not that the siren had anything to do with him, no sirree, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Virginia dashed out of the apartment building, frantically looking first one way then the other as she tried to think where Wolf could be. Her feet automatically took her to the Park, which was as good a place to start as any. She fought down panic, making herself take deep breaths. Wolf was probably here somewhere, just running off some of that nervous energy of his. She hoped.

After one full circuit of the Park, Virginia concluded Wolf was not there. He would surely have scented her, snuck up behind her, and scared the daylights out of her, as he was wont to do. By this time, she was hot, tired, thirsty, and very angry, and, assuming Wolf hadn't come home in the meantime, the meat from the grocery would still be in the bag on the counter, assuming room temperature. Virginia clenched her temper tightly in her teeth as she returned to the building. If he wasn't home, she had no idea where to even begin looking. New York was just too big.

As she entered the lobby, Virginia spotted Wolf waiting for the elevator. He dashed up to her, exclaiming, "Luscious love of my life, no luck on your shopping spree?"

Her grim expression stopped him as he reached to hug her. "Where. Have. You. Been." she demanded through her teeth.

Startled, he asked, "Oh, have you already been home?" Her only answer was a glare. The elevator door opened, and they got in.

"Umm, I got bored and restless, so I went for a walk," Wolf explained.

"You weren't in the park." Her voice remained frosty, and she refused to look at him.

The elevator let them off at their floor. As they walked to the apartment, Wolf tried again. "I decided to go to shopping."

This time he had better luck in getting her to face him. "What for?" she asked. "I was already getting what you wanted," she snapped. Well, maybe it wasn't better luck. He winced.

"Well, you see, umm," he paused.

Ignoring him, Virginia walked to the kitchen and started putting groceries away. Wolf followed her, licking his lips at the sight of the rack of lamb she was shoving into the fridge. "Oh, boy, when's dinner?"

That earned him another glare. "Well, I didn't get to have the lunch I intended . . ."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, I went to buy a rabbit. Or two. Or three."

"Oh, Wolf, you didn't!" she wailed.

"No," he whined, "I'm afraid not. For some reason the pet store clerk thought I was a suspicious character, and wouldn't sell me a bunny. And they were such plump little bunnies, I'm sure they'd have been tender. Like butter. Ooooooh."

Virginia cradled her head in her hands, making a peculiar sound. Wolf was worried, and peered at her anxiously. Her shoulders were shaking slightly. "Virginia?"

She looked up. Her face was red, and a tear trickled down her cheek. Oh, no, Wolf thought. Then she snickered loudly through her nose, and exploded into great whoops of laughter, clutching her stomach. Wolf was slightly offended. It really wasn't all that funny.

Virginia smiled at him, put her arms around his neck, and, gently saying, "Oh, Wolf," she kissed him lightly. He gave her an embarrassed grin. Virginia thought it absurd for a wolf to look sheepish, and chuckled again.

Wolf was immensely relieved. He really needed Virginia's help today of all days. Then he noticed the second bag on the counter. "Oh, so you did get what I asked for?"

Virginia stopped smiling. "Yes," she muttered. "And I'm never setting foot in a store like that again."

Wolf recognized that determined look of hers, but didn't understand why she was so disturbed. "Why not? What's so bad about it?" He cocked his head quizzically.

She shuddered. "There are some things you don't want to know."

Wolf's worry crease appeared between his brows. Virginia sighed, and tried to explain as delicately as possible. "Ummm, the kind of places that sell chains and handcuffs and stuff, umm, they," she paused, "specialize in stuff for people who," she stopped, wondering what to say, "people who have, umm, very peculiar mating habits." Her face burned.

Wolf's eyebrows shot up and his eyes got very wide. "Oh, cripes. Virginia, I'm so sorry. Believe me, I had no idea what I was asking. You shouldn't have had to go someplace like that." How could he let his dainty little creampuff enter a veritable den of trolls and trollops?

"It's ok, Wolf. I'm ok."

"Did anyone bother you? Should I go bite them?"

"No, no. Really. It was just embarrassing, that's all." She quickly changed the subject. "You must be ravenous. I guess I'd better cook this hamburger--it's been sitting out too long to keep."

"I am famished--and I don't think cooking it is really strictly necessary."

After Wolf and Virginia had got home from their respective shopping trips and had lunch, it was about mid afternoon. Even though moonrise was still a few hours away, Wolf was starting to get edgy again. They very nearly quarreled over how to prepare the lamb for supper. Virginia had to just bite her tongue and sternly remind herself that it was the full moon making Wolf so critical and disagreeable. Though the idea of rare meat made her queasy--she'd always preferred medium, herself--she decided it was easiest just to let him have his way. Besides, it was a big roast, and if they were to eat before nightfall there wouldn't be time to cook it as much as she liked.

By the time the roast was marinated and seasoned to Wolf's satisfaction and safely in the oven, he was already starting to turn pale. He staggered to the living room and threw himself onto the couch, groaning. His uncertain temper made Virginia hesitate to approach him, but he was so obviously unwell that she had to make the attempt. She knelt beside him and lightly touched his face. He was burning hot. Worried, she asked, "Would you like to take anything? There's Tylenol in the medicine cabinet . . ."

"No, no, just leave me alone," he growled. He turned over and buried his face in the sofa cushions, stifling another groan. "Ooohhh."

Feeling helpless, Virginia retreated. She settled down in the recliner with a book, but couldn't really concentrate. She kept glancing up to see how Wolf was. Her emotions were confused and confusing. On the one hand, she was concerned for Wolf, but on the other, she was hurt by his apparent rejection of her. Her instinctive response was to retreat back behind the layer of ice that he had broken through only with difficulty. It was a struggle for her to resist this impulse, to keep reminding herself that Wolf really loved and needed her, and that she felt the same way about him.

Virginia desperately needed something to keep her busy. Sitting and fretting was giving her a stomach ache. Maybe I should learn to knit or something, she thought. Finally, she got up and went to the kitchen to fix some side dishes to go with the lamb. Wolf probably wouldn't eat his vegetables, but she needed them, especially since she was pregnant.

Wolf didn't get up until dinner was ready. Virginia could hardly eat, just pushing her food around her plate. He, however, practically inhaled most of the roast. The only notice he gave to her lack of appetite was to ask her if she was going to finish her meat, and if not, could he have it. She readily surrendered the bloody slice.

When he was finally finished gorging himself, Wolf sat back with a sigh and patted his stomach. Virginia started to clean up the dishes, but he got up, and wrapping his arms about her waist, he said, slyly, "Oh, those can wait, can't they?"

She looked at him. His color wasn't good, and his eyes were glassy, with glints of yellow. "Wolf, you're not well."

Instantly his attitude changed. "Oh, I'm not, am I? What do you know about it?" He drew back from her.

That did it. "Nothing! Because you don't tell me anything! You just give all these ominous hints about how awful you get when the moon's full, and you won't just say what you mean!" Virginia was trembling with fury.

Wolf snarled at her, and Virginia suddenly felt a cold shiver of fear crawl up her spine. Then his eyes were their normal blue-green again, and he was apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Virginia." He ran his hand across his eyes and shook his head. "From now on I'll be getting worse," he said softly. "The sun's starting to set, and the moon will be rising soon. You'd better chain me up now, while you can."

As quickly as Virginia's anger had come, it left her. She nodded, and got the handcuffs from her shopping bag. He inspected them.

"Huff-puff, I suppose they'll hold." He still didn't tell her what he was afraid of. Instead, he had her cuff his wrists behind his back, behind the radiator pipes. He leaned back against the wall the pipes ran along. "Virginia, why don't you go to bed?"

"It's too early, and I'm not tired."

Cripes. Why did she have to be so difficult? He didn't want her to see him like this.

Virginia was frustrated, too. She was an intelligent woman, and hated to feel like she didn't know what was going on. It was obvious Wolf wasn't going to talk about this, and she felt like screaming. Not that she was much better about communicating. The truth was, under most circumstances she was probably worse. But this was important! Since he was rather a captive audience, however, she decided to take another stab at it.

Virginia pulled a chair over near Wolf, and sat down with her legs drawn up, arms wrapped around them, resting her chin on her knees. She thought for a minute, then said, "Wolf, you said you're half wolf. That means half human, right?"

He nodded, wondering why she was asking this.

"So, which of your parents was which?"

"My father was a wolf, my mother human."

"That's what I thought." She paused. "Then, how did they manage when the moon was full?"

Now Wolf saw what she was getting at. "Well, circumstances were different. We lived at the edge of the woods, so my father could go hunting when the urge took him." Remembering was painful, reviving the grief of loss, but he couldn't help reminiscing a bit. "When I was old enough, he started taking me with him." Oh, he wanted to howl, but choked it back.

Virginia said, "Well, how about we make a deal. We get through tonight, and next full moon we go upstate for a couple of days, out in the woods in the middle of nowhere, and you can do what you like, ok?"

Wolf smiled weakly. It wasn't that simple, but he didn't want to discourage her, and it was a kind thought.

Virginia frowned thoughtfully, and asked, "Was it as bad as this for him? The cramps and stuff?"

Wolf shook his head.

"Why not?" she asked.

Wolf hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it has to do with my mixed blood." At her quizzical glance, he continued, "It seems like my human half and my wolf half fight each other, but at the full moon, the wolf half wins, and . . ."

"And makes up for lost time?"

He nodded. "Something like that. Of course, that's not to say full-blooded wolves don't get a bit crazy when the moon is full. Some more so, some less."

"And you fall under the more category?"

"How'd you guess?" It was a lame attempt at humor, but Virginia exchanged rueful smiles with him. Then he groaned. "Ooohhh."

"What is it? Can I do anything for you?"

"The moon's rising. I can feel it." The night was calling him, just out the window. He knew he should resist it, but he couldn't help tugging futilely at the cuffs on his wrists. Fortunately, they held.

Virginia was alarmed by Wolf's effort to free himself. Should she release him? No, better not. This was awful. It just wasn't right to keep a wolf locked up, with nowhere to bound.

Wolf wished he knew more about how pure wolves coped with the full moon. He had been a teenager when his parents were killed, and had only been going through the Change for a couple of years at that time. It had gotten worse with maturity, not better. Being between forest and village as he was, he hadn't spent enough time with his father's pack to really understand every facet of pack life from the inside. And then he'd had to flee the Second Kingdom after his parents' death. After the first incident at Little Lamb Village, he'd ended up spending most of his adulthood to date in prison, where the full moon had been sheer, unmitigated torture. Locked in a tiny cell, guards too terrified to bring him any food, and anyway it was beanstalk, not meat. If he'd been pure wolf, he'd have starved on that diet.

Virginia watched Wolf intently. Something was different about his face, as if the very bones were altered somehow. The yellow glint in his eyes was more pronounced. Just what was happening to him? She got up from her chair and came nearer to him, helplessly fascinated.

"Don't come any closer," he warned. She caught a glimpse of his teeth when he spoke. They seemed longer and sharper. She shivered slightly, then realized that she felt excitement, not fear, and the realization astounded her.

"I'm not afraid," she said. Wolf thought he heard wonder in her voice, and was surprised.

Virginia reached out to touch Wolf's face, and he shied back from her hand. She shook her head, and stepped closer. She held his face with both her hands, feeling the roughness of his perpetual five o'clock shadow. How could he be so familiar and so strange at the same time? Not only his appearance seemed different; his sweat was muskier than his usually spicy scent.

Wolf panted for breath, his pulse quickening. This was not good. He inhaled deeply, intoxicated by Virginia's scent and the moon's influence. Oooohh, painhungerthirstemptyache need. He turned his head sharply and closed his mouth on her hand. As his teeth touched her skin, he released her, startled by his own action. He whined.

Virginia wasn't afraid. In a strange way, she had the same kind of feeling--the same confidence--she'd had when she knew she must face her mother, the evil queen. That kind of deep conviction that she knew what she was doing. The same, but different. This was something that had to happen in order for life to go on. She reached into her pocket and got out the key to the handcuffs.

Wolf saw what she was doing, and gasped, "No, Virginia!" But it was too late. She reached behind him and unlocked the cuffs. Unable to fight his urges, Wolf pounced.

When Virginia released Wolf from the handcuffs that held him, his instincts took over. Buttons flew across the room as he tore her shirt off, then his own. He pulled her to the floor, ripping off the rest of their clothing, and pinned her beneath his body. He pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss so hard and fierce it was nearly a bite.

Somehow, some part of Virginia had known what Wolf was really hungry for, but her conscious mind was astonished by the change in him. This was not the playful, tender lover with whom she had played hide and seek in the woods and had pillow fights around the apartment. Always before he had been anxious to please her, generous with caresses and endearments. This time was pure unrestrained animal passion.

Virginia panted for breath as Wolf tore his mouth free from hers. Growling low in his throat, he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent along her neck, arms, and breasts. His breathing was harsh and ragged in her ear, and she could feel the savage pounding of his heart as he pressed his chest against hers. He threw back his head to howl, but she pulled him down to her. She didn't want the neighbors to hear, and meant to muffle his outcry against her body. She was momentarily conscious of his teeth closing on her shoulder, but she hardly felt it as she surrendered herself to his need.

Wolf felt satiated.

As he gradually returned to consciousness of his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was Virginia's scent. Mmmm. He smacked his lips, and became aware of a taste in his mouth. He ran his tongue across his teeth and identified it. Blood. Panic-stricken, he sat up with a yelp.

Virginia sat up. "What's wrong, Wolf?"

He stared at the red mark on her bare shoulder. "I bit you! You're bleeding!"

She glanced casually at the bite, then touched it. "It's ok. You barely broke the skin. See, it's already stopped bleeding."

"Ooooh, I hurt you," he whimpered.

"Wolf, it's nothing. I scarcely felt it." A secretive smile played across her lips. "I was otherwise preoccupied at the time." She started checking both of them for carpet burns. "I think we're even," she commented, noting her nailmarks on his back.

As if he hadn't heard her, Wolf tugged frantically at his hair. "Nasty animal!" he snarled at himself, and making a fist, hit himself in the side of the head.

"Stop it!" Virginia exclaimed, and grabbed his arm as he started to hit himself again. She pulled him close to her and held him tightly. He was actually shaking.

After a moment she got up off the floor, pulling him up with her, and walked him over to the couch, noting the buttons scattered across the floor. I really must sew those back on, she thought absently. She sat them both down. There was a throw blanket hanging over the back of the couch, and she wrapped it around the two of them, then turned to face him.

"Now, what's wrong?" she demanded.

"It's not just that," he replied, lightly kissing the bite mark.

"I gathered that much."

He looked away from her. "Huff-puff, I try to be human for you, Virginia," he said, "but just now . . . I've been nothing but an animal." He sounded miserable.

"There's several things wrong with that statement," Virginia replied.

He looked at her dubiously.

"First, what makes you think humans aren't animals? I can think of lots of counterexamples. Second, I've been asked out by a lot of regular guys, but I didn't fall in love with any of them. Third, you're never 'nothing but an animal'."

Good. It looked like she was starting to get through to him. Now for the clincher. "I love you, Wolf. Not one half of you, or the other half. All of you, my sweet, wild, Wolf." She kissed him soundly. By the time she was through, he looked a bit dazed. She smiled, and sat idly stroking his tail.

He shook his head abruptly. "Cripes." He watched her play with his tail like a cub. Shyly, he asked, "You really like that, don't you?"

She nodded. "It's getting late. Let's go to bed," she suggested.

"I'm not really sleepy," he hinted.

"Well," she yawned, "I am."

The two of the curled up together in Virginia's bed. She quickly fell asleep in his arms, but Wolf lay there watching her for a long time. He was reassured by her loving words, and now he better understood just what the full moon did to him. But one thing still worried him. Virginia said she loved all of him, but she didn't yet know all of him. What would she think when she saw the full Change? And what would he do? He was still afraid. The moon wasn't even at its zenith: it was hours before it would set. Wolf finally fell asleep, but his dreams were all of blood.

Wolf could feel the moon's influence, even in his sleep. He knew the bloody scenes before him were only bad dreams, yet he seemed to relive his life, but all wrong. He tossed and moaned, kicking the covers off. He saw his parents burn, all over again, but this time he fought the townspeople, tearing, biting, and clawing, blood on his hands and in his mouth. Then he was back in prison, being punished for nothing, supposedly talking back to the prison governor, only because he contested the exaggerated charges. Again and again the beanstalk whip struck his back, and he whimpered in pain. But this time, he suddenly turned on the guard with the whip, tore the beanstalk from his hand, and ripped his throat out with his teeth.

That's not how any of this happened, he protested in vain, but the dreams continued, getting worse and worse, if such a thing were possible. When he saw himself attacking Virginia in the barn at Little Lamb Village, it was too much, and he fought himself awake.

He was burning up, and terribly thirsty. He got up, staggered into the bathroom, and splashed his sweaty face with cold water from the tap. Then he took a long drink from the faucet. He thought he heard Virginia call his name, and looked up toward the bathroom door. She wasn't there, but he caught a glimpse of movement in the bathroom mirror out of the corner of his eye. He turned to it, and stared in shock.

"You! But you're dead!" he gasped.

"Since when has death stopped a witch?" asked Christine, smiling.

Wolf was horrified. "What do you want?"

"You have not fulfilled our bargain, Wolf. You owe me a service."

"No, never! Virginia broke your power over me and defeated you. Go away!"

"Come now, you can't really believe that, can you? You know she is my daughter. Without me, she would have no power, no life. She cannot undo my spell. Why do you think you came here to me?"

"You sent those dreams! You did it!"

Christine inclined her head in acknowledgement.

Wolf moaned. "You're evil!"

"And Virginia is my daughter. Isn't she evil, too, Wolf?"

"No! She may be your daughter, but she's Tony's daughter too, and her own self besides. She's not evil!"

"Yet look how she has treated you: first rejecting your love, then making you risk your life for her, and finally dragging you to this horrible city, far from the freedom you need--even chaining you up!"

"I wanted her to. It's none of your business. I love her, and she loves me."

"But will she love you when she sees you as you really are?"

"This is how I really am."

"How can a queen's daughter love an animal, Wolf?"

Wolf growled. "I'm not just an animal. And I'm half human, too."

"Not tonight, you aren't. Isn't the moon beautiful?" She passed her hand before the glass, and suddenly in her place was the full moon, shining out of the mirror right at him.

"Oh, no," he whispered, mesmerized.

"Such a lovely silver disk," Christine's voice continued. "Symbol of mutability--changefulness; bringer of madness and dreams. The huntress in the sky, calling all the wild things to the hunt. Will you Change and hunt, my wild wolf?"

"Not yours," he gasped. But it was too late. He saw his own reflection, shifting, Changing, felt his bones melt and reform, muscles and sinews tear and rejoin.

"Noooooooo!" his wail of protest became a true wolf's howl, and he knew he had no choice but to obey his queen.

"Go to where Virginia lies sleeping peacefully in her bed," she commanded, "and tear out her heart and bring it to me."

Though he knew that in doing so he would be tearing out his own heart as well, Wolf had no choice but to obey. He padded on all fours to Virginia's bedroom and jumped up onto the bed. She rolled toward him, reaching out her arms trustingly and softly murmuring his name. As she touched him, her eyes flew open, and she screamed and screamed and...

Wolf sat bolt upright, suddenly awake, head pounding, mouth dry from the horror of his nightmare. He got to his feet shakily and staggered to the window, looking out at the moon. Cold, cruel moon.

Wolf stared out the window at the moon. It was taunting him, challenging him. He bit his knuckle to keep from growling at it. He looked back at Virginia. She was smiling in her sleep. Huff-puff, he wanted to kiss her, but didn't want to wake her. In her condition, she needed her rest. Couldn't the moon just leave him alone, let him stay at his mate's side, where he belonged? Then he remembered how his nightmare had ended. He inspected his hands. No sign of Changing. Yet. But ...

What to do, huff-puff. Sleep was out of the question. He looked at his hands again. There, was he imagining things? He knew nothing could make him hurt his Virginia, not even the evil queen, no sirree. Still, he didn't think he could stand it if she should scream at the sight of him. He looked out the window again. Wasn't the moon beautiful, though? Wolf dressed in the dark and silently left the apartment.

Virginia rolled over in bed and reached for Wolf. Finding his side of the bed empty, she drowsily called his name. Getting no answer, she sat up and called again. Where could he be? She got out of bed and looked around the apartment. Now, why would he sneak out like this? She looked out her bedroom window and saw a shadowy figure she thought was Wolf slip into the Park below. She didn't stop to think. She just automatically dressed and went to follow him.

Virginia had never liked the Park at night, and still wasn't crazy about it. She left the path for her favorite shortcut, and soon heard movement in the bushes. Relieved, she called out, "Wolf? Is that you?"

More rustlings and stirrings followed, then a crash startled her. She wasn't sure whether to run or not. She heard growling, and just as she was about to go in after him, a strange man ran out of hiding, booking it like demons were chasing him. Suddenly a second figure leapt out at her. She gasped, and then Wolf had her by the shoulders, shaking her till her teeth rattled.

"What were you thinking of? Do you know how stupid that was? Have you lost your mind?" he roared at her, furious that she would risk herself and their cub for no reason. He stopped shaking her and just glared.

"No, I haven't!" she snapped. In a calmer voice, she added, "I knew I was perfectly safe. I saw you come here and followed you."

In the face of such trust, Wolf couldn't stay angry. He hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I was worried. If I hadn't been nearby . . ."

"I know. " She wriggled free of his grasp. "But what I don't know is what you're doing here."

"I couldn't sleep," he hedged.

"So read, or watch tv, or have a sandwich, or something."

He scratched his eyebrow nervously.

"What is it now?," she asked.

"Nothing," he lied.

Virginia rubbed her forehead. How many times would she have this discussion in one 24-hour period?

"OK, Wolf, what else are you worried about that you haven't been telling me?"

"What makes you think I'm worried about anything?"

"Don't give me that innocent look. I'm not buying it."

"I didn't want to scare you."

"Well, you are scaring me. I'd be a lot less scared if you would actually tell me what's wrong, instead of being so secretive."

"Huff-puff, I'm trying not to Change. If I can just last till first light, it's only a couple of hours away."

"Wolf, whatever you're fighting, why don't you just stop? Look, you were worried earlier you'd do something awful, and you didn't. If you'd just relax, I'm sure you'd be fine."

"That's easy for you to say, little miss know-it-all!"

This was getting nowhere.

"Fine. I'm little-miss-know-it-all and you're mister-tells-me-nothing, ok? Fine. But if you think I'm going back to the apartment without you, forget it. I'll follow you around all night if I have to, until you stop hiding things from me."

Any other night of the month, Wolf wouldn't argue with Virginia like this. He hated quarreling with her: it hurt too much. But he'd reached the end of his fuse.

"You want me to stop keeping secrets?" he demanded.

"Yes! Exactly!"

"All right." He surrendered himself totally to the Change. He couldn't have earlier, but since he was sure he wouldn't turn on her, the worst that could happen would be that she'd hate him, which in his misery from their argument, he thought she was on her way to anyhow.

Virginia stared, mouth open. What was happening? Wolf twisted and knelt on the ground. She heard a sound like knuckles cracking--that always bothered her, like nails on a chalkboard--only much, much worse. Then she gasped. Wolf was, well, a wolf. He struggled to free himself of his clothing. She helped him, then stood back.

He was very definitely a wolf. Not any kind of half-animal monstrosity, nothing from a cheesy B-grade horror flick. A real, honest-to-goodness wolf. Mostly light grey, with dark grey and black markings on his head, neck, and shoulders, and nearly white underneath. A very large wolf. She smiled at the familiar sight of his tail, the one thing that hadn't changed. He walked up to her and butted his head against her hand.

She sat down and stroked his head, ran her fingers through the thick fur of his mane. The long, black guard hairs were coarse-textured, but the fine white undercoat was softer than the fur coats her mother had when she was a child. He was a beautiful wolf. She kissed his nose, and laughed when he licked her face. Then she had a mischievous idea. She jumped up and ran from him, calling over her shoulder, "Catch me if you can!"

That was the beginning of an absolutely marvelous romp in the park. They chased each other, Virginia breathless with laughter, Wolf with his tongue hanging out and tail wagging. They tussled in the grass and startled the sleeping birds in the bushes. At last Virginia couldn't run any more, though Wolf showed no signs of tiring. She gathered up his clothes from where they'd left them, and walked back toward the apartment, her free hand buried in Wolf's fur.

The false dawn had just begun, and joggers were starting to emerge. Virginia smiled as they passed. The only unpleasant occurrence was when some idiot out walking his dog lost his grip on the leash. The large mixed-breed (it looked part Doberman) came charging straight at Wolf, barking a challenge. Virginia was horrified. Wolf took one look at the mutt, and bared his teeth and growled in the meanest snarl Virginia had ever seen. She would not have liked it directed at her. Obviously, the dog didn't like it either. It yelped, skidded to a halt, then reversed course and ran back to its master, ki-yi-yi'ing in terror all the way. Virginia could have sworn Wolf smirked at its retreating back.

When they got back to the apartment, Virginia gave Wolf a bowl of water, then went back to bed for a nap. He lay down beside her, and she snuggled up to him, bemused. So this was his deep, dark secret. All that worry, and her thinking something dreadful would happen. Instead, she felt only wonder. This was magic. Though, his usual form was too, in other ways. Smiling, she drifted off to sleep.

When Wolf awoke, it was broad daylight. He got up stiffly and jumped down from the bed. He stretched, then whined at the sharp pangs of Changing back. He staggered a bit as he regained his balance on two feet. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Virginia was still out like a light, poor little sausage. Reeling like a drunkard, he headed for the bathroom. He stepped into the shower, and alternated hot and cold water to try to clear his head. The morning after the full moon left him feeling like he was hung over, except he was hungry instead of nauseated.

He stepped out of the shower and shook off the excess water, vigorously swishing his tail. As he reached for his towel, he heard a soft "Good morning" from the doorway.

Virginia was watching him.

"Is it?" he asked carefully.

"Why shouldn't it be?"

"Umm, the last thing I clearly recall, we were having a disagreement." He searched her face for any hint of what went on. "Are you mad at me?"

"There's nothing to be mad about." That was news. Wolf toweled himself off, considering. Curiosity was killing him. "What happened?" he asked, wrapping the towel about his waist.

While he brushed his teeth, she described their early morning in the park. "You even let me catch you a couple of times," she remarked.

He rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth, then asked, "You weren't scared?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "No." Her tone implied she was stating the obvious. Wolf thought he might faint with relief.

"I bet you're pretty hungry this morning, after all that last night," said Virginia.

He grinned toothily at her. "Never mind the bacon. Bring out the whole hog. Tender little piggies, from turned-up snouts to curly tails," he said, as he combed his wet hair.

Despite the implied offer of breakfast, Virginia made no move to leave. She leaned against the doorjamb, watching him. Now for the nervous part: shaving. It had taken a while for him to reach the point where he could do this in front of her, but she knew she'd have to be still and quiet while he shaved. A sudden movement or loud noise, and he'd be sure to cut himself. He was just too high-strung for this.

As he shaved, he thought about the previous night. Maybe Virginia was right. Maybe he could learn to stop fighting himself, and by reaching a truce between his two natures, become able to control the Change instead of being controlled by it. It would take time and effort. Would there be a self-help book for that? He remembered his session with the psychoanalyst, Dr. Horovitz, and his realization that he'd been sublimating his need for love as hunger for food. He didn't need rabbits (even though those were the plumpest, tenderest little bunnies he'd ever seen). No more worrying sheep--or shepherdesses. Chickens were strictly for the birds. No, huff-puff, what a wolf needed most when the moon was full was a good romp with his mate.

Satisfied with this conclusion, Wolf rinsed his face and turned to Virginia. He stepped toward her, and then he did something he'd never done to her, not even when she was being her most contrary in resisting his offers of love. He turned on the mesmerizing wolfy charm. He smiled, knowing his eyes had wolf-yellow flashes in their human blue green, knowing and not minding this time. He cornered her against the door frame, leaning over her. She looked up at him, her eyes very wide and blue and innocent.

"My, what big eyes you have, Mister Wolf," she said softly.

"All the better to look at you, my dear," he replied, his voice deep and low. He kissed her lingeringly, then pulled back to gaze at her some more.

Coyly, she said, "My, what a big tongue you have, Mister Wolf."

"All the better to taste you, my dear."

Then Virginia made a move that destroyed all pretense of innocence on her part. She gave his towel a tug that made it fall to the floor. She giggled, and gave him the wickedest grin he'd ever seen on her face, as she said, "My, what a big... tail... you have."

That did it. "Grrr-ow!" he growled, and scooped her up, a giggling, squealing bundle in his arms.

Breakfast could wait.