Cattin Around

Author's Note: Bonus points for anyone old enough to get the musical reference.

BLOODMOON RISING PART II

Okay, for the second part of this issue, I'm turning over the storytelling duties to Emory. She was there for a lot of the events in this part where I wasn't. I had other issues I was dealing with; issues that made me face a very difficult choice that would have repercussions all the way into the Twenty-first Century. Besides, I think her point of view might be a little more enlightening to all of us.

~*~

Trey is being too kind, and to be completely honest, I think he's a little embarrassed to talk about some of the events that took place that fateful winter in his hometown. As he indicated, he had to make some very difficult choices, and those choices eventually came back to haunt all of us in that final fateful battle against the UN's forces just a few years ago.

However, as far as our story is concerned, the time for those decisions had not yet come. We were still enjoying the afterglow of our becoming reacquainted. Trey is actually somewhat modest in his estimation of himself and his performance. I had not been without my share of lovers back in Britain, and I am being nothing but truthful when I say that his performance in the erotic arts was outstanding. He was and is a considerate lover who is as interested in his partner's needs as his own.

He also failed to mention just how good he really does look. As he said earlier, he had put on quite a bit of muscle over the last two years. When I had initially left America, he was tall, lean and lithe. Over the intervening time, he'd managed to put on enough muscle mass to be considered a large man. He stood a good six foot two and massed over two hundred pounds of hard cut muscle. Add his green eyes and long copper hair and you had a recipe for a Norse god. He was naturally good looking- I somehow doubt that his Goddess would create one of her agents to be ugly- and the air of danger that hovered about him made him that much more attractive. I really didn't understand why some local girl hadn't snatched him up. Then again, that's probably a good thing, because I would then be disposing of a body. You see, by this time, I'd decided that Trey was mine. I would share mind you- nobody involved with a magecat could expect to not to have to share- but he was mine, he just didn't know it yet. His mother and I had already worked it all out.

To return to our story, I spent the rest of that night at the Greenbough's residence. Between our lovemaking and my jet lag, I was relatively tired, and will admit to somewhat sleeping in on the following day. As I lay in Trey's bed the next morning, drowsily watching him dress for school, he smiled over at me and asked, "Do you have any plans for this Friday night?" I sat up on the pillows slightly and replied, "No, not really. There's no way that the research lab will be even close to being set up, why?"

He pulled his jeans on and replied, "Well, Friday's our homecoming game, and then there's a dance afterwards. I know you're not very fond of American football, but I thought we could go to dinner and then to the dance- if you want to that is." I think he was actually blushing. I could sense a shyness in him that he didn't normally show to others. "I think that would be nice. But if you want to go to the game, I think I could force my self to watch a match," I told him. I really didn't dislike American football, I just hadn't had much experience with it.

I saw the grin spread across his face, and he seemed almost to bounce across the room toward me. He leaned down, gently kissed me, and then nuzzled my cheek. "Cool. I can't wait." I could literally feel his excitement, and the physical contact only intensified it. Trey Greenbough may not have known it yet, but he was definitely falling in love with me- which wasn't a bad thing because the feeling was mutual.

Please, don't misunderstand. I had done a lot of research about werecats in general, and mage cats in particular. I had no allusions about the chances of a "normal" relationship with one. The Keeper of Cats put just enough of herself in them to make sure that for the most part, a single person could never completely satisfy their sexual- for the most part. I was starting to realize just how Mrs. Greenbough was able to hold onto Trey's father. She had a gift very much like my own, and had used it to her advantage- an advantage that had allow her to not only survive giving birth to a magecat, but hold onto one as well.

"I'll have to get in touch with Wanda to find out what kind of dress to buy, but I think I can manage something appropriate by Friday." I told him.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked.

"I have to pick up Dr. Ahmed in Birmingham and take him to his hotel. Then I have to start sorting out the equipment at the lab. I should be done around eight tonight." I shrugged at him.

"Yeah, about that...," he said.

"Yes?"

"How long will this Dr. Ahmed be looking for red wolves around here?"

"For a couple of months I guess. If he doesn't find any red wolves, he'll probably chalk it up to local folklore. Why?"

Trey paused for a moment and then said, "Because JD and his pack are going to be going through their rite of passage this Christmas Break. They have to spend a week in wolf form to prove that they can survive in the woods. If Dr. Ahmed is in the woods then, he's probably going to find a whole lot more red wolves than he really wants to."

I sat up in bed and asked, "Can the rite be moved? I mean does it have to be that week?" He shook his head, "No. They scheduled it this way to avoid having to miss any school. They go into the woods at sunrise the day after Christmas and come out the following Saturday, the second. We go back to school on the fifth. This way the only holiday they miss is New Years and have a little time to recover before starting back to take finals."

A sense of dread suddenly took up residence in the pit of my stomach. I considered my options and decided to lay my cards on the table to Trey. Actually, it wasn't that hard. Trey already knew that my uncle worked for the British Intelligence Services, and suspected that his own parents worked for the American. My involvement in this situation would not come as a surprise to him. "Look Trey, I can't tell you everything, but I think you can guess most of it. I'm here for my uncle. He asked me to keep an eye on this so-called UN scientific study. There are people back at MI-6 that think that Ahmed is trying to capture your pack of wolves here to use for experiments back in Europe; to create some kind of super-soldier for the UN to use."

"So the dread in my gut isn't just nerves?" he asked.

"Probably not," I told him. "Both MI-6 and your own intelligence services are worried about the possibility of the UN having operatives that can toss around a Land Rover. If they are trying to create some kind of army of operatives I'm supposed to let my uncle know and they can move in to counter it."

Trey fixed me with an intense gaze and I suddenly I felt the beast within him come very close to the surface. "If they try to hurt my friends, capture people I care about, then by Thor's red beard, I'll send them to the bosom of their Desert Death God." His eyes began to shift to that golden glow of a tiger.

I felt the power of that oath, and of the beast that resides in his soul reverberate down the link we shared. It was like a hot fiery hot hammer slamming into me. It almost physically staggered me. For the first time, I began to understand the raw power that he controlled and rage that he kept on such a tight leash. I now understood the warning his mother gave me about that rage in this very house two years ago. I may be able to copy his form, but that rage was a power unto itself. My mouth went dry, and palms began to sweat. "That's why I'm here, Trey. To make sure that the only red wolves they find are real red wolves, not your pack."

He nodded, and finished buttoning his shirt. "I'll warn JD. He can tell his Dad." Before I could protest he held up a hand and said, "I won't tell him about who you're working for, just that there's a UN scientific team here to look for red wolves. I'll suggest that they move their monthly gatherings to here on the farm. They can use the furball field. It's private property."

I just nodded not knowing what to say. The raw rage in his mind made it difficult for me to read his thoughts, and I was operating on blind faith. Finally, I managed, "About the dance Friday, I'll talk to Wanda and some of the other girls to find out what I need to wear." He simply nodded to me and said, "That would probably be a good idea. I'm not really sure about all the stuff girls do for this kind of thing." Then suddenly I felt the rage drain away from him and his mind open up again as he bent down and kissed me lightly. As he drew away, he said, "But to be honest, you'd be the prettiest girl there in a pair overalls and a tee-shirt."

"Trey?" I asked.

He turned stopped pulling back from me and replied, "Yes?"

"What will you be wearing? After all, it's usually customary for the couple to coordinate their look."

He stopped and seemed to think about it for the first time. "I don't know. I've got a double breasted suit in the closet. I guess I'll wear that. You can look at it."

"When was the last time you wore it?" I asked. Somehow I got the feeling that Trey didn't often dress formally, if he could get away with it.

"About a month ago I guess. I had a meeting with Vice Admiral Waller at the Naval Academy." I nodded, "Okay, I'll use that to choose my dress." I wondered just how much he really cared about the dance itself. I could sense his interest in the game, along with some regret that he wasn't going to be playing, and I could sense his interest in spending time with me, but I got the feeling that he would have been just as happy going out to dinner and a movie and then a walk. I could tell that some of his friends were pressuring him into coming to the dance. Oh well, a dance wouldn't hurt him, and it might just go a long way in helping his social standing in the community.

"I should be home by three thirty at the latest," he told me. "It's Thursday so the biggest traffic I'm going to have to deal with is the school busses."

"Why don't you take my car?" I asked him.

He just smiled at me and said, "You'd better keep it if you've got to go to Birmingham to get this Dr. Ahmed. My jeep is better suited for the local roads around here. You're better off going through Malfunction Junction with something a little more maneuverable," he replied as he grabbed his books off the table and headed out. Stopping at the doorframe, he looked back and said, "By the way. Mom and Dad are supposed to be back this Sunday. You know they're going to insist on you staying with us."

I just smiled and told him, "I'd counted on that. It gives me a place to duck and cover in case things get unpleasant with Dr. Ahmed and crew."

His face took a serious demeanor. "You know, I could kick your Uncle Evan's hind-end for getting you involved in one of these little undercover capers."

"I can take care of myself, Robin Hunter Greenbough," I told him seriously. "My uncle has been training me for this kind of thing since I was a little girl."

"Emory, you are still a girl," he told me. Before I could protest, he held up his hands and added, "and I'm still a boy. We just can do things most normals can't, and that means that sometimes people forget that we're still a couple of teenagers."

I couldn't help but stop and think about that. Most teenagers our age are too busy trying to become an adult to stop and consider just how important it is for us to still be teenagers- to be able to make mistakes without paying too heavy of a price. And there was a lot of potential for a heavy price with this kind of undercover work. We were dealing with an international organization with dark and dire plans for people like us. "I'll be careful," I told him. But I'm not taking the Porsche with me, it's mine. I'm using the Dodge four by four that the UN purchased. I've got three scientists and their gear to bring back with me. The 911 is a fun car, but it can't carry that kind of passenger load."

He just chuckled, "I guess it wouldn't. Still, I'll take my Jeep. We don't want anyone thinking I'm puttin' on airs around here."

"As you wish," I told him as he left.

I still had a hard day's work ahead of me before I ever left for the airport. The UN had wanted to rent a house nearby the woods to use as a base. My Uncle had used some of his contacts in the American Department of Nocturnal Affairs to purchase a house that we could be sure that we could monitor. We even managed to get a retired MI-6 agent in as a housekeeper, but things were still up in the air. I just hoped that the UN didn't have access to any telepaths at this point. That could put the dear woman in some danger.

I lay there a little longer, feeling the warmth from the night before slowly draining away as the sun peeked through the gauzy curtains at the other end of the room. I don't know what it was about Trey, but for some reason, his presence always made me feel warm and safe. Even the lingering traces of him that permeated the room left me with the same feeling, which really was quite illogical considering the nature of what he was. What sane woman would feel safe in the presence of almost a ton of big cat?

Forcing myself to arise, I went to the window and watched as his auto disappeared down the long dirt road and behind a stand of pine trees. Retrieving my things to from my bag, I made my way down the hall to the bathroom and got ready for the day. I chose a grey maroon blouse, and a grey skirt and matching jacket for my duties for the day. If I was going to play chauffeur for the good Doctor Ahmed today, I might as well look like a competent businessperson.

I pulled the suit from Trey's closet and was actually impressed. It was a navy blue double-breasted suit in a very conservative cut. It was the kind of thing my uncle wore when on duty. There was an ice blue shirt with it, and a dark blue tie. I could work with that quite well. Tucking the matching handkerchief from the suit in my pocket, I grabbed my purse and headed out.

I considered my options before I left, and decided that a minor use of powers would not be amiss. A quick scrying of the front room of the house we'd arranged told me that Mrs. Fitzroy wasn't there. That's one of the things I did yesterday, I set up a scrying focus in each room so that I could look in on what's happening whenever I wanted. They weren't big, just a small item in each room, but they gave me a good view and full sight and sound in each one of them.

After a quick check of all the rooms to determine that she was in the kitchen, I built a gate between the Trey's room and the front hall of the house. Usually, that kind of spell is hard to pull off, but because I'd spent enough time setting up my scrying spells I already had a connection with the location and that made it easier. Grabbing my bag, I stepped through and into the house. I opened and closed the front door and then called out, "Mrs. Fitzroy?"

"In the kitchen, Miss Northmore," she answered in her Northern Irish accent. Mrs. Fitzroy was a retired operative from the "troubles" in Ireland and had been of great service to the crown during some of the worst of the fighting.

The house itself was an older but sturdily built home on Viking drive just down from the city high school and one of the elementary schools. It was on a well-travelled road with easy access to both the highway leading into Birmingham and the forests where the wolves were supposed to be. Most importantly, it was in an area that would force Dr. Ahmed and his team to be on their best behavior. I still don't think that he fully understood what kind of culture he was walking into.

Mrs. Fitzroy was in the kitchen taking inventory of the supplies and quietly clucking to herself in disapproval. "This just won't do. I'm going to have to visit the market. Tomorrow's Friday and there's no fresh fish."

I just smiled and said, "An account has been arranged at the local grocer on 78 Highway, it's called Sons. They should have anything you need."

She just gave me a strange look and then I realized that I was giving orders to a woman who pretty much outranked me in all accounts except social. I smiled and said, "I'm afraid that wasn't phrased very well. Let me try again."

She just smiled at me and said, "It's alright deary. I know what you mean and as long as you caught it, and it doesn't happen again, we'll get along fine." She patted me on the arm.

I smiled back at her and said, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Actually, I came by to retrieve the Four Wheel Drive. I need to go to the airport and pick up Dr. Ahmed and his team."

She indicated the counter and said, "The keys are over there. I'll use the sedan. It's easier to drive."

Picking up the keys I said, "In that case, I'm off. I want to stop and do a little shopping before I have to be at the airport."

She just shook her head and chuckled, "Have fun girl. Just don't get so caught up in shopping that you forget to pick up Dr. Ahmed."

"I'll remember," I told her heading out the back door to the green pickup truck.

The drive back to Birmingham was uneventful, and the man at the dress shop in Brookwood Mall was very helpful. By the time I was finished, I had a nice dress for the dance, and some appropriate jewelry. I realized I would have to make an appointment sometime on Friday to get my hair done, but really didn't see that much of a problem with that. I did so want to impress Trey's friends.

I finished my shopping and then motored over to the airport to await Dr. Ahmed's flight from Paris. It was delayed so I used the opportunity to ring my Uncle and update him on the situation.

He was expecting my call so it was not difficult to get through. We spoke briefly of my plans to stay with the Greenboughs, and he told me that he'd already spoken with Trey's mother and father and it was arranged. After an exchange of code signals to make sure we could speak freely. He warned me, "We just got the information on one of Ahmed's security guards."

"Yes?" I asked feeling a sense of dread.

"Johan Von Tottenstein," he told me.

"Krieger," I replied trying not to let the worry become evident in my voice. That was the last thing I needed. Krieger was one of Germany's top members of the Valhalla Squadron that fought Strikeforce Liberty across Europe during World War Two. Krieger had a reputation for being an honorable warrior, the only member of Valhalla Squadron not tried for war crimes after the war, but he was still a formidable foe. The battles between him and American Ace were legendary in their ferocity and displays of raw inhuman strength. "I will be careful," I told him.

"Perhaps you should engage Trey's assistance in dealing with him," Uncle suggested.

"I'll consider it," I told him shaking my head. I really didn't want to put Trey in that kind of danger. Krieger was a seasoned soldier, and could do serious damage if he set his mind to it. Like Trey had said this morning, he's still just a boy. A rather profound statement coming from a seventeen year old male when you come to think of it.

"Be careful, Em," he told me. Just then, the intercom service announced the arrival of Dr. Ahmed's flight.

"I will. I have to go. Their flight is here. I love you Uncle Evan."

"Love you too," he told me. I hung up the phone and went toward the gate indicated by the intercom.

Watching the passengers disembark it didn't take long to pick out Tottenstein. He was tall and broad, with short-cropped blond hair. He was like a mountain moving through the throng of people coming down the concourse. He didn't look like a man in his seventies, but more like his mid thirties. But then again, most of the bricks in the world tended to age somewhat slower. I briefly wondered if American Ace had fared as well. I took a closer look at him, and something told me that all wasn't as it appeared to be. He did not look at all pleased to be here.

I let my mind slip out and briefly touch just his surface thoughts. I was right. He was definitely here against his will. I withdrew my touch for now. I knew I'd have an opportunity to further explore his mind later, so there was no use taking the chance of getting caught early on.

I then noticed Dr. Ahmed walking beside him. I'd met the good doctor on one other occasion- when I was interviewing for the intern's position- he was as unappealing now as he was then. Short and stocky with dark hair and well trimmed beard, he was wearing a suit and tie in which he seemed ill at ease. Pulling his luggage behind him and carrying what looked like an Arabic paper the doctor kept glancing over and up at the towering form of Tottenstein and then mumbling to himself in Arabic. He seemed to be as unhappy at having Tottenstein as the larger man was about being there.

I waited for the Doctor to start looking around for me before approaching him. "Dr. Ahmed," I said turning on the British school girl charm, "I have a car waiting for you outside." I did not offer to shake his hand. When I first met him, he made it clear that he considered me as a mere girl beneath his dignity to offer his hand.

He looked at me and then at his large bag he was pulling and sighed before saying irritably, "Ms. Northmore, you are punctual at least." He turned to indicate Tottenstein and said, "This is Herr Stone. He'll be seeing to much of the physical aspects of our work." He then turned and indicated his luggage. Mr. "Stone" simply ignored the implied order.

I smiled to myself and offered my hand. "Herr Stone," I stressed the name, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

The bigger man gave me a strange look, then smiled and offered me his hand. Suddenly my mind was flooded with images of a smiling young man in his early twenties. He was handsome in that Germanic way, with blond hair and deep blue eyes. I could sense a great deal of anxiety about this person's safety in Tottenstien's own thoughts. Perhaps he was a son, or other family member. The answer to that question should not have surprised me, but in the end it did. He smiled back weakly and then said in slightly German accented voice, "You as well, Frauline."

I simply smiled at him and said, "If you'll follow me please." I turned to head toward the door, trusting them to follow me. Tottenstein fell in beside me, leaving Dr. Ahmed to pull his own luggage. Somehow I got the feeling that I could possibly turn Tottenstein into an ally. He was obviously as unimpressed with Dr. Ahmed as I was.

On the way back Dr. Ahmed again queried me on the town where we would be staying. I smiled and told him, "Jasper is actually a pretty small town. It's about 45 miles Northwest of Birmingham, and is somewhat insular. The whole county is very rural, and there are more forests than farmland. The largest employer in the county is the coal-mining companies."

"Will we be able to get all of the supplies we need there?" Dr. Ahmed asked.

"It depends on what you are looking for, Doctor. Most of the things you'll need for field study can be purchased at the local Farmer's Co-op. The lab equipment you sent over should suffice for most of your research. However some tests will have to be sent to Birmingham or even the CDC in Atlanta to be completed."

"I don't think we need to involve the Center for Disease Control for our research. Most of it will be tagging and releasing. Perhaps some capture for study and breeding purposes."

"Wolves have never done well in captivity," I reminded him.

"We are implementing a relocation process this time," he told me. "We want to know if the American Red Wolf will survive in European forests."

I chuckled. If I didn't already suspect Dr. Ahmed of ulterior motives, that would have sealed the deal for me. Compared to these local forests, the European forests- at least those in the Western part of the continent- are little more than well-managed gardens. Moving wolves into European forests would simple result in their becoming pests and scavengers- not the pack hunters they are by instinct. Hiding the fact that I'd actually done my research on wolves- one does not go into battle with a pack of werewolves without wanting to research them afterwards- I simply smiled and asked, "So you want to repopulate wolves into Western Europe?"

"In a manner of speaking," he said. However the images of werewolf shock-troopers bringing Europe under the UN heel suddenly flooded my mind. This man had to be stopped!

"Tell me more about this town," Dr. Ahmed said. "Are they as insular and distrustful of outsiders as American Southerners are reported to be?" I could literally hear the contempt drip from his voice.

"I've found them to be simple folk who are welcoming to strangers amongst them. This area was settled by the Scotts-Irish, and some claim to be Black Irish, but that's a term I've never heard defined very well. They aren't as clannish as either the Scotts nor the Irish, but they do value community and family a great deal."

"What about amenities?" he asked.

"Somehow I don't think you are going to find a mosque any where near the town, Herr Doctor," Tottenstein interjected.

In the rearview mirror I could see Dr. Ahmed give him a hard look. I simply said, "He's correct there. Although there is a Jewish Temple in downtown, and a single Catholic Church, religiously, the area is very much dominated by various Protestant churches."

"I will have to make do then," the Doctor said. "What about restaurants and such?"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing to which neither you nor I are accustomed, Doctor. Although there is a McDonalds, and a few other fast food establishments, most of the eateries are small family owned. The food is good, but don't expect five star service. There is a single movie theatre, with two screens, and a few places to rent videos."

"Do you have any idea where wolves in the area have been sighted?" he asked.

"I've spoken to several of the locals and they can direct me toward most of the sightings. I think you may want to look around the Lewis Smith Lake Dam. There's a large deer herd there that could easily support a wolf pack."

"Very good, you've done well Miss Northmore," he told me. "What about arrangements for our lodgings?"

"The service has arranged to rent a local house in the town, this lorry, a sedan, and engaged the services of a housekeeper and cook, Mrs. Fitzroy. If you would make any dietary requirements known to her, she'll make sure they are met."

"You arranged all of this yourself?" Tottenstein asked me.

"I've had some experience with managing a household staff. My uncle is a bachelor, and travels a great deal. I've been managing his household for several years." It wasn't a complete untruth. Uncle had made sure that I knew how to manage a staff, and I did do a great deal of the work to set up the house in Jasper. I just didn't mention that I had help from MI-6. "When will the remainder of your staff be arriving Dr. Ahmed?"

"In a few days," he told me. "Why?"

"I need to know so I can schedule time to pick them up at the airport. I have my duties at the lab to attend to as well as I've been asked to attend a local social function by my host family. I want to make sure that I will be free to carry out my duties."

"I'm not sure your uncle would approve of you spending that much time with the locals unsupervised," he told me disapprovingly.

"The Greenboughs are old family friends, and my Uncle and they have certain arrangements about me and their son," I told him. Of course Trey didn't know about those arrangements yet, but he would in time. More importantly was the fact that he would also throw a monkey-wrench into those plans, but not even I knew about that until much later.

"I will of course have to confirm this with your Uncle. After all, you are my responsibility while we are in this country."

"You are welcome to call him at any time, Dr. Ahmed. He will confirm that the Greenboughs are friends and that I'll be lodging with them whilst here. All of the forms were completed for this before I left England."

I'm sure it's all in order, Ms. Northmore, but I would feel better to hear it from your uncle."

"As you wish. You can call him when we get to the house," I told him.

"Mr. T...,uh..., Stone will meet the rest of the staff at the airport. You can focus on your lab work that way, and be free to show me where the wolf sightings have been."

"Of course Doctor Ahmed," I told him.

The rest of the drive back was made up of simple questions about the accommodations of the house and what the terrain was like. I answered them as best I could and Doctor Ahmed seemed pleased. Upon arriving, Mrs. Fitzroy had wonderful dinner of fish and potatoes prepared. I felt it best to stay for dinner before heading back over to Trey's home. The dinner conversation continued to be about finding the wolves.

As dessert arrived, Dr. Ahmed looked over and asked me, "What about the folklore?"

"Which aspect?" I asked. "My friend JD tells stories of a creature called the Gwiner, that is used to scare little kids from going too far out at night. And of course there is the story of the hanging man over the Blackwater Bridge." When the doctor looked at me surprised I shrugged and said, "My last trip here, we spent an evening camped out telling ghost stories."

Dr. Ahmed nodded and smiled before sipping his coffee and asking, "Any legends of shapeshiters?"

I smiled over my coffee cup, knowing where he was going and answered, "There's some of the old Germanic legends. The farther you get out into the rural areas of the County, the more you find that there is a small population descended from Germanic and Nordic stock." I smiled again and looked over at Tottenstein and said, "Mr. Stone, you might even be surprised to find that there is a family here dedicated to the ancient Norse Gods."

Tottenstein's eyes grew larger, and once again, my mind was flooded with images of the blue-eyed young man. There was a undertone of fearing for the man's safety to the images. Tottenstein's reply was, "I'd heard that the old religion was making a come-back here in the States. Most of it is now outlawed in Germany, thanks to that insane Austrian painter."

I nodded and turned back to my dessert, a rather moist devil's food cake. Dr. Ahmed probed further, "So there are legends of werewolves here?"

"Of course Doctor, there is a rather large Cherokee Reservation located about 60 miles east of here."

The Doctor seemed to be disappointed in that comment. I on the other hand turned to Mrs. Fitzroy and said, "This really is an excellent cake."

"Thank you, Miss Norhtmore," she replied as she cleared the dishes.

"You're welcome."

The rest of dinner was quiet. I could sense Dr. Ahmed's mind was in a whirl of possibilities. He was almost shouting at me about his plans to capture the werewolves, and use them to create a UN super team to dominate the world. If it wasn't for the fact that some of my friends were the targets of his plans, and the fact that he had one of the most powerful parahumans to ever enter the battlefield working for him I would have been amused at how ludicrous the idea really was. A decade later- when the UN's Team Prime was killing and capturing American and British parahumans- I wasn't thinking it was ludicrous at all.

After dinner, I excused myself and returned to the Greenbough home, and a shower to wash off the sense of sleaze I was getting from being in mental contact with Dr. Ahmed. Trey and I talked for a time then retired for the evening.

I spent the next day and half working to get the lab up and running. Thursday night I spent a long evening discussing the doctor's plans with JD and his father. Mr. Williams was tall lean man who reminded me a great deal of a nineteen fifties honky-tonk singer- complete with the Hank William's haircut. However, behind the façade was a keen and caring mind, and he didn't treat what I had to say like it was just some child making up tales.

I kept my involvement with MI-6 out of the conversation and let him think I took the job just to get close to Trey, which wasn't entirely untrue. Of course, that idea seemed to please Mr. Williams. He seemed to think that Trey needed a girlfriend that would keep him out of trouble.

He listened to me and asked several pertinent questions. Finally, after considering what he had heard, he said, "Most of the wolf tracks around the Smith Lake Dam area are going to be from Nathan, Bart, and Elaine Martin over at Curry. I'll call J.W. Martin and ask him to take them out this Friday night and leave a large series of tracks all over the area, and then stay out of it until after this Doctor Ahmed is gone. The tracks will keep him busy there, and out of the kids' fur while they're going through their proving. I'll put the rest of the pack on a rotating base to keep the tracks fresh, and keep the doctor busy. However, if he's convinced there are werewolves in the area, I'm afraid it may not be enough. We may have to take a more permanent action."

"Mr. Williams, don't forget that he has a very powerful parahuman in his service. I'm afraid that Krieger could do a lot of damage to your pack before you could take out the doctor," I told him.

He shook his head and said, "I understand, but we can't have our presence here revealed to the UN or anyone else. We've fought hard to make ourselves a part of this community. It would be almost impossible to pull up roots and relocate somewhere else. I may have to call in some favors from Trey and his Dad on this one."

"Mr. Williams, if the Greenboughs get involved directly then it would definitely reveal the existence of something supernatural in this area. I've seen Trey in a fight. He's not subtle."

Mr. Williams chuckled, "I know what you mean, but Robin and Summar Greenbough are. If it comes down to it, they can help us out in ways that Trey couldn't."

I nodded to him and smiled. "As you will, I just thought you should know."

The next day, I took the second half of the day off to get my hair done. It turned out to be more difficult to find a stylist than I thought. Many girls were getting ready for the homecoming dance as well.

I did finally manage to get an appointment. This was the era of the eighties big-hair, but it just wasn't my style. My fey blood rather effectively made itself known in my almost silver blonde hair, which tended to be long and straight. Instead of putting chemicals on it, I simply had it washed and brushed to a deep shine. I pulled it back at the sides and then let it hang in a long curtain down my back. It was elegant, and in its own way, quite effective.

Trey on the other hand, seemed to be rather nonchalant about the whole affair. His attitude was: It's a dance, Emory will enjoy it and I can put up with it for her. In a way, I was flattered. He was going to go because he thought I would like it, not because he necessarily wanted to. He did however; look quite scrumptious in his navy blue three-piece pinstriped suit. His long red hair, pulled back in a ponytail was a stark contrast the conservative cut of the suit, and gave him a handsome roguish look.

We managed to have an early dinner at a nearby steakhouse before going on to the game. It was a pleasant evening and many of the other diners were people from his school taking advantage of the lull before the game. Of course, most of them were also part of James Daniel's pack, being that none of their fathers would let them play for fear of their hurting someone.

Dinner was pleasant, and we spoke of my day and his. He had spent most of it driving one of the floats in the homecoming parade down town. Evidently, during the homecoming festivities, the town pretty much shut down and held a parade on the main thoroughfare past the old brick building that housed the high school. I told him of my day, which consisted mainly of meeting the final members of the research staff- if you could call them that.

Hired thugs was a better description of them. One in particular however reminded me of some of the big game hunters my Uncle occasionally entertained at his estate in Gloucestershire. He came across as pleasant, yet at the same time aloof. He gave me the impression that he saw more in me than a simple schoolgirl, but instead saw a fellow predator- which in its own way was quite accurate.

More importantly was the gear that arrived by special diplomatic courier. Several of the staff guarded it rather carefully. From the bits and pieces I picked up from their thoughts, I understood why. There were several high-powered rifles and almost 500 rounds of silver ammunition. They knew what they were hunting.

I told Trey of my day and my impression of the staff. He listened carefully and I could sense him considering options. When I told him about the ammunition, his attention picked up even more. "Is there anyway you can get rid of it?" he asked.

"Not without them just getting more. Silver is rather inexpensive right now, you know."

Before he could reply, James Daniel was suddenly sitting down with us. He looked over at me and then at Trey. "What caliber are the rounds?"

"Mostly 30.06," I told him.

He nodded his head, "I'm assuming they aren't brass jacketed."

It was my turn to nod.

James looked over at Trey and then to me. "We could switch them with regular lead rounds." He must have noted the surprised look on my face because he turned to say, "Sorry, to interrupt Emory. It's good to see you again, but you're in a room full of the pack. Most of the people here are listening to your conversation pretty closely- of course not for the reason you might think." He gave me a sly grin.

"Uh, no problem James Daniel. I'd assumed that Trey would pass on any information I gave him to you," I replied.

"Good. Now, do you think if we can switch the ammo?" he asked.

"Probably," I told him. "However, getting the opportunity may prove to be difficult. They are rather careful about guarding it."

"If I can get you the rounds can you make the switch, or at least get one of us in to make the switch?" he asked.

I nodded, "I think so. I do know a couple of spells that might prove to be helpful."

"Good girl," James Daniel said. "I knew I liked having her around."

"Okay," Trey said quietly, "I'll get you the ammunition. We probably should wait until the last minute to make the switch. That way they are less likely to notice."

"You know Trey, lead rounds may not kill one of us, but a thirty-ought-six is still going to hurt like hell," James Daniel said. "And Emory is still vulnerable to lead."

I saw Trey's eyes grow hard as he thought about that. Finally, he looked up and said, "We'll talk about that later." I definitely had the impression that he was going to become difficult.

"Now that that's settled, I'd better get back to Wanda," James Daniel said.

"See you at the dance," I told him.

"Don't remind me," was his reply. "I'm only doing this for Wanda. I don't dance very well."

I chuckled quietly to myself. It seemed that Trey wasn't the only one who was going out of his way to make a girl happy. "Somehow James Daniel, I have the impression that you will do very well all on your own."

He simply shrugged and turned back to his date saying, "I'll catch you guys at the dance."

We spent the rest of a very delicious steak and shrimp meal making small talk and for the most part catching up on each other's lives- not that we hadn't already been doing that for almost a week. I looked around the small restaurant and was actually impressed. I knew that Trey was somewhat wary of trying to impress me with fine dining in this small town, but what he didn't seem to know was that I was as accustomed to eating in small shops across England as I was with so-called haute cuisine. Actually I tended to prefer the smaller shops because they are less ostentatious, and usually the food was better, and in larger quantities.

I could sense that something was bothering Trey, but for once he was doing a very good job of hiding his thoughts behind random minutiae of information. It wasn't the best of thought screens, and would not stand up to a direct probe, but it did manage to keep whatever it was that was bothering him from coming to the surface of his mind. I was mildly curious about what ever it was, but decided that it would be best to let him keep at least a modicum of privacy. Probing one's date's mind could be considered rude.

Afterwards we went on to the game. As I indicated earlier, I'm mildly interested in American football. It is nothing like what we at home call football, but it is a rather exciting game. I think the part of it I enjoy the most is the clash of helmets as a play goes into action. There's a lot to be said for big burly boys in tight pants slamming into each other with bone crunching force.

Fortunately, the home team won, and there was a great deal of excitement as we all filed down to the old large gymnasium in front of the stadium. As we entered and Trey gave our tickets to the the tall severe looking woman dressed in a long denim skirt and a gingham blouse at the door, I could see where the gym had been decorated in the blue and white of his school colours. I couldn't help but smile when I saw the team mascot logo painted on the gym floor. It was both appropriate and ironic that Trey and his friends attended a school with a wildcat as a mascot.

Over in one corner was a large lattice-work arbor in front of a false wall covered in royal blue material. A photographer was in the process of setting up his equipment to best take advantage of the tableau. As we passed the woman at the door, I noticed her looking carefully at my dress and wrap as if to find something wrong with it. Trey had warned me about the school board's attitude about dress codes. I had gone to a great deal of effort to make sure that the long ice blue gown was well within the norms of modesty. Although it was strapless, I had covered it with a half length jacket that managed to cover my shoulders, but at the same time leave enough of my throat clear to show off the single tear-drop sapphire I was wearing.

I just smiled over at her and took Trey's arm possessively, and we worked our way toward where several other students were milling around as a band on stage was warming-up. I didn't need my telepathy to know that we had the attention of a great many of the other students. According the James Daniel, Trey had a rather scandalous reputation over an incident that had occurred several years ago with a pastor's daughter. Oddly enough, from what I've been able to ascertain, Trey has been very careful about whom he goes out with since then.

Several of the other girls kept giving me disapproving looks. One of them in particular, a soft faced heavy-set girl with pale blonde hair kept giving me the strangest of looks- as if I were about to grow a second pair of arms or something. I could literally feel the icy daggers she was shooting my way with her eyes. I thinned my mental shields slightly, and various thoughts came drifting my way.

:Wonder if she knows what kind of evil she's getting involved with, dating Trey. Jesus help us avoid that boy's seductive ways: Her thoughts almost knocked me down with their vehemence. However, underlying that was a mixture of envy and lust that she wasn't willing to admit to even herself.

: Damn! Who knew Trey rated that kinda' babe!: A definite male thought.

:She must be that the girl Wanda was talking about. She said that she had Trey's scent all over her.: That one had to be one of the pack members.

: She's beautiful! The rest of us don't have a chance!: It sounded as someone was just a wee bit jealous. But then I realized that she less interested in Trey than she was after some sort of award for the dance.

: If that won't keep Trey's attention, then there's no hope for the boy.: That was definitely James Daniel. Trey had already informed me that he was worried about what he called Trey's "wandering ways."

:What a slut!: Now that thought came out of nowhere. However, it was coloured with such a sense of jealousy that it didn't really affect me.

:Way to go Trey!: came from two unknown sources simultaneously. Evidently Trey did have a few supporters among the regular student body.

:I could fuck her.: A snarling thought came from across the room. There was so much hatred and anger colouring that thought that I couldn't help but suddenly look in the direction from which it came.

Standing in the corner surrounded by several other boys and looking rather bruised and bedraggled was a tall athletic boy with a scowl on his face, and a drink in his hand. I simply smiled at him and turned back and put an arm through Trey's. It didn't take much to guess that this was Bobby Ingles from the infamous incident with the pastor's daughter.

We made our way over to where James Daniel and his friends were standing around. The girls were looking longingly at the dance floor and then back at their dates. It seemed that English boys weren't the only ones reticent about dancing in public. Wanda smiled over at me, and said, "Now that's what I call an entrance, Emory." She reached out and hugged me.

"One does aim to please," I told her with a smile as I hugged her back. "However, I get the distinct feeling that not everyone here is as pleased to see me as you are."

"They're just jealous. Between that dress and your hair, there are more than just a few girls who are wondering if they can live up to the standard."

"You're not one of them, I take it."

She just smiled back. "I'm not competing with you. I know my station in the pack and you know your standing with Trey. What have we got to compete for?"

I laughed back at her and said, "You've got a point. Unfortunately, not a lot of other people are as lucky as we are to understand our positions in life."

"That's the advantage of growing up in a pack. You always know your place, and if you don't there's always someone there to remind you of it," she grinned at me, and then cocked her head toward the stage where the band was playing. "But that's enough of that. It's time we drug the lunks out onto floor and danced. I didn't spend this much money to look this good, to stand around with a bunch of shy boys." She stepped over, grabbed a rather startled James Daniel and drug him out on the floor.

At first, the young pack leader was just as reticent to dance as any of the other boys and showed all the signs of simply standing there with a shocked expression on his face. However, Wanda leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Suddenly he grinned like the Cheshire Cat and begun to dance with her.

Not one willing to be outdone, I quickly grabbed Trey's hand and pulled him out onto the floor too. Trey however, was not as difficult to convince. There's an old expression about having the grace of a cat. In Trey's case, that expression was definitely true. With a grace and ease born of his heritage, he demonstrated that he was very capable of holding his own on the dance floor as well as the battle field.

Again, we seemed to be the center of attention in that small gymnasium. We danced for what must have been an hour before the band took a break. Of course by that time I was ready for a bit of a rest myself. I reached up and gently touched Trey on the cheek and said, "I'm going to the lady's room. I'll be back in a bit."

He nodded and said, "Okay. I'll get us something to drink."

"Good, I'm parched," I told him heading off toward the girl's lavatory.

There has never been a sporting arena designed with enough facilities for the ladies, and this one was no exception. There was line to get into each of the stalls, as well as a line at all five mirrors where girls were touching up their make-up.

In such cramped quarters, I knew it was a good idea to have my shields up tight. There was just too much jostling around to avoid what would have been an outright psychic assault, much less inadvertent casual eavesdropping without them. I maintained a tight control on them as I made my way through the first line and then the second one.

As I the status of my own face and hair, the soft faced girl from earlier in the evening got in line behind me. "You do realize that you're dating a Satanist, don't you," she said in a soft sibilant voice.

I finished with my hair and turned around to look at her. The evening's activities had not been kind to her complexion. The exertion involved in the dancing had given her skin an a deep red tone that bespoke more of anger than anything pleasant. "Excuse me?" I asked.

"Trey Greenbough," she said. "You do know that he's a Satanist, don't you."

I chuckled, "I think you're mistaken. Trey is a heathen, not a Satanist. Satan is a Christian God and has nothing to do with what Trey believes," I told her. "Or what I believe either."

"Call them what you want, but those so-called-gods were defeated. They're demons now. Trey follows the minions of Satan himself," she said raising her head up proudly, as if daring me to disagree with her.

"Excuse me," I told her "but the Lady's room is no place to be discussing religion. As a matter of fact, I was raised to discuss neither religion nor politics in public without the expressed consent of all involved." I turned to leave.

Behind me, I heard her hiss as she reached for the faucet, "She's going to hell just like her boyfriend."

I'll admit to a moment of weakness, and it was petty. To be honest, I did it before I even realized what I was doing. A small telekinetic push to the old pipes under the faucet and the whole mechanism came off in her hand spraying her and half of the nodding girls behind her with water- cold water. I simply left the ladies room with a smile.

I walked up to Trey and took my drink from him just in time to turn around and see the girls come screaming out of the bathroom. I smiled as one ran over to get her jacket to cover the fact that her light pink dress had become almost transparent when wet. Next to me Trey raised an eyebrow, "What happened in there?"

I simply shrugged at him, "We simply had a discussion on what was considered polite conversation in public."

"What with, water hoses?" James Daniel asked.

"When I left that facility, everything was working just fine," I told him in my best English school-girl voice.

He just nodded at me and smiled. "And here I thought that Trey's magic was sneaky."

I just gave him an innocent look and snuggled in close Trey. "So when are they going to choose this king and queen of the dance?"

"After they the homecoming court gets their pictures made," he told me. "Why? I didn't think you were interested in that kind of thing."

"A girl is always interested in looking good love," I told him.

It was his turn to chuckle. "Okay, okay, I give up. You want to be in the running, then I'll put our names in the box."

He started to get up and I just pulled him back down. "Don't you dare," I told him.

"The what was that all about?" he asked.

I just nodded toward where Wanda was snickering with a couple other of the girls from the pack. "I just thought that at least someone in the pack should get some accolades."

He just leaned back and smiled. "You know, you're full of surprises, Ms. Northmore."

"You haven't seen anything yet," I told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Just wait until to tonight," I told him with a small smile. "Just wait until tonight."

The little mishap in the ladies room meant that several girls who'd been building up to the photo sessions were suddenly scrambling for a back-up dress. That left a great deal of room for the girls in the pack to improve their chances to win the photo award. Actually, the whole situation worked out fairly well. By the end of the night, Wanda had taken first place and Tammy took second. I'll admit that I was pleased with myself that night. I do so love seeing my friends get ahead in life.

Later as we arrived back at the Greenbough home, Trey put his arm around me and asked, "Did you plan to do that with the Crystal Marie?"

I shook my head, "No. Really, it was just a spur of the moment thing. She managed to irritate me, and I just reacted."

"I thought it might be something like that," he said kissing me on the forehead.

But honestly, I was having none of it. As he tried to pull away, I reached up and grabbed him and pulled him back down and kissed him seriously. It was time that Trey Greenbough got a taste of exactly what I could do, and exactly how far I would go to keep that on which I had staked a claim.

"What's this all about?" he asked kissing me.

"What is it you want, Trey?" I asked as I kissed him again.

"What do you mean?" he kissed me again.

At the time I don't think I was really aware of what I was doing. I just knew that it was time that Trey and I took our physical relationship to the next level. I needed him to know that I was capable of matching him need for need. "You've barely touched me since we got back."

He kissed me again and said, "Really? I'll have to do something about that." He began to rub my shoulders, but I could sense that tonight his heart really wasn't in it. I could almost feel the longing for something else in him.

I understood that The Keeper of Cats put a great deal of herself in her magecats. Few magecats knew both their parents because they tended to never settle down. Much like cats, they were sensual, and were seldom satisfied with a single partner. Very well, I'll be honest, with the exception of Trey's father, I've never heard of a magecat actually settling down and marrying. However, I had deduced his mother's secret, and it was time I that I let Trey in on that secret.

I caught in his mind an image of a rather well-known pop singer from a few years ago. Ironically, the blond singer's first name was the same as the Nordic explorer who was the first European to discover America. I concentrated on the image in Trey's mind and then projected my body into it. I had long since become accustomed to the sensations of shifting, although I seldom took a male form, so I wasn't really prepared for everything my current state of mind brought up- and I do mean up.

Trey gave me a shocked look, and I simply stepped forward and took his face in my new hands. "You knew I can do this. You yourself discovered the power at the same time as I, in this very room." I found myself just a little surprised that the voice was the same as the singers.

"Emory, you don't...," he tried to say, but I cut him off with a kiss. It was surprisingly different, and the hardness of the male form, combined with the same hardness I felt in my nether regions, made me almost giddy. The sexual reaction of women is completely different from that of men. We take longer to get started, and tend to build to a slow intense burn. I suddenly felt a surge of sexual energy like I'd never experienced before.

Trey pulled back from the kiss and looked me up and down, before saying, "Although I appreciate the form, it doesn't quiet go with the dress."

I glanced down and realized what he was talking about. Although the singer's hair was definitely feminine and there had been several off-colour jokes about the pitch of his voice, it still didn't quite look right in a blue dress. I nodded, and asked, "Would you prefer this?" I concentrated and released a quickly modified spell I used for summoning my "hero" costume to change the dress to a pair of tight leather pants and a white pirate's shirt. I then stepped forward put my arms around his neck- one advantage to this form was that it was taller, and I didn't have to stand on my toes to do this- and kissed him. I felt him groan into my mouth, and could feel the effect it was having on him between our bodies.

Pulling back, I asked, "Or you can work on taking it off me."

With only a smile, he reached down and picked me up and carried me upstairs. As we entered his room, me still in his arms, I felt a rather visceral reaction to the evening, and felt like something important had just happened. He lay me down on the bed, and began to kiss me seriously, his hand working its way across the hard chest I was wearing.

At the time I didn't know if it was an echo of my own sexual reactions, or if the male sexual reaction was just as intense, but I felt the strain at the front of my pants was getting to be a little much. A shiver ran through my body when he locked his lips over my nipple, and I felt it go all the way to the hardness in my groin.

With a gentleness that belied a strength capable of lifting a main battle tank, Trey slowly began to unbutton my shirt and run his hands along my body sending me into shivers and quivers. He chuckled to me, "You're not used to reacting like a male are you?"

I shook my head and arched my body to meet his touch, feeling the coolness of the late October air over my bare skin. I shivered again in anticipation. When he slowly unlaced the front of the pants I was wearing, and rolled them down from the sides, I suddenly felt the cold air hit the raging hardness of the- I think I will try the word cock, it's a good word, and fits the randy feelings that I was experiencing at the time- I suddenly felt the cold air hit the raging hardness of my cock as he pushed the leather pants down past my thighs.

Suddenly, the hard pillar of flesh that stood rampant toward the ceiling was engulfed in something hot and wet. It was more than I could take. In sudden rush of power, I felt myself erupt into Trey's mouth, sending a geyser of hot cum down his throat. I could almost feel him chuckling against the flesh as the wave took me and sent me over the edge of consciousness.

After what was probably several long moments I came back to my senses with Trey gently stroking the foreskin of my assumed cock back and forth. He was stretched out beside me, now completely naked in all his glory, tail twitching behind him, and one tiger's ear cocked toward me. In the soft light coming from the lamp beside the bed I could make out the outline of dark stripes against his skin. "Glad to see you could join me again." His soft tongue licked at the white pools of semen on my stomach. "I guess this is one of the hazards of loving a telepath. No fantasies to keep secret."

Over on the desk I could hear the soft strains of a local rock station playing the oldies. The words, "... I was made for dancin', all, all, all night long..." We both looked at each other and laughed.

"Are you upset?" I asked suddenly afraid that I had gone to far in taking this form, in reading his mind to give him this thing that he wanted, to try to hold him in this way. He shook his head and slowly licked my hardness that he was holding. "No, just surprised that you would think of it."

Again, I felt a wonderful hot wetness engulf my cock and I shivered again. "This isn't fair. I can't reach you."

With his usual grace and flexibility, Trey shifted around so that his own cock was close to my face. It was rampant and glistening in the light. I twisted my own body and it was my turn to take it in my hand and lick it from base to the tip of his foreskin. I pushed the flesh back and exposed the large purple head and licked all around it, before plunging my own mouth over it. I heard Trey groan into my pubes and the hot air tickled in the most delightful way.

For long moments we both rocked back and forth, and it wasn't long before I felt the building pressure in my balls. Again I was struck by the difference in sexual reactions, as it suddenly hit me and I began to release myself for the second time tonight into his mouth. I must have set something off in him as the cock in my own mouth suddenly grew in my mouth and I could taste the hot musky semen flood against the back of my throat and across my tongue.

Trey pulled himself away and then crawled up my body to lie beside me. I felt him reach out and pull me close, and I snuggled in close to his arm. I suddenly felt tired and drowsy, as I put an arm across his chest, and drifted off to sleep.