The wolf watched the house. He had sat on the rise just below the line of aspens above the barn and watched the house every evening. He could smell the red one: a combination of musky male and warm wood scent; he also smelled the wolf kin and the horse. He remembered the red one's hands, so large and yet so gentle, and the way the red one held him like something rare and precious in need of protection. He cocked his head and listened; from across the open ground came the sound of metal scraping against wood; the red one was working. Behind him were all the familiar smells and sounds of the forest- his heartbeat painfully in his chest and he tossed his head in frustration. To run free in the mountains or to live in the confines of a box, those were his choices; he pawed the snow in anger. He wanted the red one, he NEEDED the red one and he craved the feel of the red one's hands on him, but he loved the feel of the wind through his fur and the hard ground pounding under his feet as he ran. His ears twitched in impatience. Slowly he turned and returned to the woods.
I paused, the chisel dangling loosely in my hand. I knew what I was waiting for: I had heard the wolf howl at about this time every night since Alyosha had left. That lonely, mournful cry had filled the air and brought Cherie and me to our feet in anticipation. Now there was only silence, a silence that stretched on until I couldn't breathe. With a gasp, I jerked to my feet and went the window. Moonlight shone on the snow, Christmas Eve and I was alone. Not that I hadn't expected to be alone originally but now after having met Alyosha Christmas seemed empty and pointless.
I returned to my sculpture. Even though the wood was rough and unpolished, it felt alive and vibrant under my hands. My mind wandered the hills looking for the wolf but my hands knew what to do and bit-by-bit they pulled the image out of my subconscious and recreated it in the wood: an image that flowed like water, twisting and turning around on itself, as passionate as the creatures had been that dark night in my yard. The cat reared up on its hind legs, looking ready to leap across the room, pausing only for a fraction of a moment. The wolf and Cherie beginning to emerge from their wood cocoons, Cherie's jaws locked on the cat's hind leg was at this point little more than a lump, but the wolf standing his ground, battered and wounded, vibrated with life. He strained to emerge from the wood, slowly stretching out to protect his loved ones.
"Alyosha," I whispered into the carving. "Please hurry back. Please COME back!"
Cherie whined and nosed my hand. I smiled down at her, she whimpered and I scratched her ears. She missed him almost as much as I did. She rubbed against my leg and then returned to her blanket near the wood-burning stove.
I'm not certain how late I stayed in the studio. It was like that sometimes, when the image I wanted to carve possessed me so completely that I no longer noticed time or anything else. It had intrigued Ava at first but later had gotten on her nerves as I became more successful and my output increased. However, eventually the possession let go of me when my chisel slipped and came dangerously close to cutting open my left hand. I carefully returned the chisel to my bench and stood gazing at the sculpture, hugging myself against a sudden chill.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, the pragmatist in me marveled at the money it would fetch, but mostly I just stared in satisfaction at the tableau. I had recreated the fight with the cat so well the sculpture seemed tensed: waiting to explode into action. I could hear the screams of the cat and Cherie's barking. Alyosha's lips curled up in a snarl, his hind quarters tensed to spring. I shivered and covered the sculpture with a soft cloth, then left the room after banking the embers in the stove; I would need to dump the cooled ashes in the morning.
"Christmas morning," I thought as I shifted my coffee cup from one hand to the other and stared out across the yard to the trees above the barn. The new snow glittered in the bright sun like a field of diamonds broken only by a line of tracks: wolf, I was certain, he had been here but where did he go? And why did he go? I sighed in frustration and pushed off from the wall. The steps were slippery but I got down them without falling. Cherie barked to me from behind the lean to and I hurried as quickly as I could on the slick path.
My heart sank as I rounded the corner of the lean-to; unconsciously I had been holding my breath hoping Alyosha would be there. Instead there was only a mish mash of tracks, I patted Cherie's head and returned to the front of the barn. I spent more time than usual in the barn this morning; perhaps I was reluctant to return to the emptiness of the cabin or maybe I was just in the mood to give the barn a good cleaning.
By the time, I returned to the house, I was tired and somewhat hungry. Cherie and I grabbed a quick meal and true to my prediction, the water pipes had frozen. I fetched water from the well in the laundry room and heated it on the stove so I could wash a few things in the sink. Heavy wet clothes covered every surface in the kitchen and the propane heater hummed softly from one corner. I shook my head and worked my shoulders. I suddenly felt very sympathetic to pioneer women having to do ALL their laundry by hand. Images floated through my head and I hurried to the studio to capture them on paper.
The sculpture of the cat/wolf fight looked even more alive and ready to explode into the air, in the daylight. My hands and my soul ached to work on it. However before I could do that I had to clean out the stove and sharpen a couple chisels and I wanted to get the inspiration from the laundry sketched out. The rhythm of the familiar work was comforting and kept my mind and body occupied and away from yearning for Alyosha.
Around two o'clock the squawk of the radio interrupted my work: it was Dan calling to wish me a Merry Christmas and saying he'd be up in the next day or two with a gift. I blushed; glad that he couldn't see me, and told him I had something for him as well. Surprise and pleasure came through the radio clearly as he shouted "REALLY?!"
I was in the kitchen making a sandwich when Karleen called. She too, had something for me and would be up in a day or so as soon as the road was passable. Suddenly I felt a lot less lonely and abandoned. It was oddly relaxing to know that I had two new friends, both worrying about me being all alone up here. I wondered how Mother was handling my being away; no doubt, she was wearing out every ear within hearing distance worrying about me. I returned to the studio with a smile.
Slowly the wolf crossed the open territory between the trees and the cabin. He had spent all day just out of sight of the cabin wrestling with his desires. His heart ached from the division of his affections, but the part of his heart that wanted the Red One ached the most. It had been a very long time since he had felt so divided within himself and that caused its own kind of pain. His steps were deliberate and cautious as he approached the cabin. Light spilled out of the studio windows illuminating a patch of the night; calling to the wolf. He shook his head and worked his shoulders in frustration. The Red One's soft voice traveled out the window. The sound coursed like fire through his senses and he threw back his head to howl in pleasure.
He swallowed the howl abruptly as he caught sight of the Red One framed by the window. His red hair shimmered in the studio lights and the wolf pulled in a nose full of the Red One's scent. The ache in his heart pushed against his lungs and he panted for breath. Heat swirled through his body and light shimmered around him. Alyosha dropped his head to the snow. Cold nipped at his bare legs and wrapped itself around his hands.
Alyosha pushed himself upright. The faint breeze whispered across the tears on his cheeks and teased his naked body. He shivered and brushed the tears away: it wouldn't be forever, one day he would return to the forest. Humans had such short lives and eternity stretched out in front of him.
Night had settled in when I heard a scratching at the window. I whirled around on my stool to see Cherie standing with her front paws at on the worktable and a face pressed to the glass outside. I leaped across the room and yanked the window open. Alyosha was standing there, naked and shivering in the cold.
"Holy-!" I shouted.
"Can I come in?" Alyosha asked holding out his hands, palms up.
"Of course!" I cried grabbing his hands and pulling him up and in through the window. "Why didn't you just come in the door?"
"The light was on here," he replied, pausing in the window.
I quickly stored that image away in my head: he looked so wild and free, a piece of the forest framed by the window casement. His hands were chilled but not icy, he must have changed nearby, I pulled him into the room and into my arms. Alyosha wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist. He shivered and his arms tightened around my neck. I scooped up a drop cloth from the worktable and wrapped it around his shoulders and back. Alyosha sighed into my neck in pleasure.
For several minutes, I could do nothing but hold him. He felt so good in my arms, so close and warm, so very alive! Eagerly I ran my hands over his back and around the curve of his butt, I was now beyond attracted, I wanted him every bit as much as I had ever wanted Ava. Alyosha's hair brushed my cheek sending frissons of pleasure down my body into my groin. I sucked in my breath roughly. He looked up at me, a lazy smile curling his lips.
"Where have you been?" I asked.
"Oh, here and there," he answered with a grin. "Never very far - who knows what would happen to you if I weren't here to protect you."
"Me?" I laughed. "What about you almost freezing to death in your den?"
Alyosha shrugged. He ran his hands up my neck and into my hair, I shivered, having my hair brushed by someone else was one of my secret pleasures. He cocked his head as if he had read my mind and ran his fingers through the ragged mop. I sighed and closed my eyes. Alyosha gripped my head lightly and pulled it forward. I opened my eyes to see two deep pools of honey looking back at me. Time and all its weariness was etched in those eyes, but these were also the eyes of a creature with a powerful desire to live and to love.
Alyosha pulled my head closer again into a kiss that made my heart pound; my arms tightened around him. I teased his lip with my tongue, he moaned softly and opened his mouth to me. My tongue shot in and coiled around his. Greedily I sucked his tongue and then explored his mouth. He moaned in pleasure and pulled my head closer. I remembered the sharpness of his canines and backed off warily.
I broke off the kiss panting for breath. Alyosha's arm wrapped around my shoulders tightened and he tucked his head into the curve of my shoulder, his forehead a warm spot against my neck. I turned my head and felt thick hair brush my chin.
"Alyosha," I murmured softly.
Alyosha squirmed in my arms and I tightened my grip on him. After four days without him, I was loath to let go of him for any reason. Vaguely I remembered having similar feelings for Ava, but this felt far more intense -- as if a part of my soul was being held in my arms.
Alyosha straightened up and stretched, arching his back. Soft chest hair brushed against my chin and I was suddenly hard. The light behind him created a halo of illumination; he looked like a wild thing suddenly bursting out of the cloth. The drop cloth slid down his back with a soft whisper. I caught it and resettled in on his shoulders. Another image to be caught and used! I swallowed and kissed his firm torso. My tongue teased his skin and my nose inhaled his scent. He groaned softly and gripped my head. His fingers tangled in my hair made me even more excited.
"Joash," he moaned. "Yes, oh yes Joash."
I tipped back my head and looked up at him. His eyes were deep golden pools and his lips were curled up in a dreamy smile. All thoughts of Ava, my mother, Dan or anyone else disappeared and all I could think of was the naked wolf boy in my arms. His heat, the soft hair covering his body and those deep, riveting eyes: my attention was wholly on Alyosha.
"Are you hungry?" I asked.
He shook his head and brushed his fingers through my hair again. His index finger traced the lobe of my ear. Suddenly he froze, becoming unearthly still in my grasp. I studied his face and followed his eyes to the battle tableau, on its worktable in the center of the room. He sucked in his breath and slowly his hand reached out toward it. I stepped sideways a couple paces until we were side by side with the fighting animals.
Alyosha's fingers brushed the sculpture soft as a forest breeze. He craned his neck and twisted his body struggling to see from every angle. I walked slowly around the table, allowing him ample time to study it. Quite unintentionally, I stopped beside the wolf emerging from its cocoon of wood; Alyosha sucked in his breath and leaned forward for a closer look. I shifted my grip careful not to drop him or to disturb the sculpture. Hesitantly he reached out to stroke the wolf.
"That's me," he said breathlessly staring up at me in shock.
I nodded and smiled. He turned his attention back to the wolf. My eyes flicked back and forth from Alyosha to the wolf to Alyosha again. In my mind, I saw him change again and felt the fear and wonder I had felt at that time. Once again, I was in awe of my own ability to pull a living creature out of an inanimate piece of wood. Alyosha stared at me, his eyes huge.
"Joash," he whispered. "Joash, that's me. That's really me."
I nodded again, feeling somewhat embarrassed at his frank admiration. Alyosha stared at the carved wolf for a moment longer then turned back to me. His hands rested on my shoulders and his eyes bore deep into mine. What was he thinking, I wondered. Does he even think in the same manner as me? His pleasure at the sculpture was obvious, but what else was going around in that pretty head of his.
Alyosha leaned forward and kissed me again. The urgency in the kiss puzzled me, Alyosha had always been persistent but this kiss ran deeper into his psyche. I panted, breathless, when he backed off. Something flicked deep in those ancient eyes and I felt the hair on my neck prickle.
"Are you finished running?" He asked, the Scots accent even more pronounced than before.
"Yeah," I said. "I won't run any more."
"Good."
Alyosha tucked his head into the curve of my neck. Was his heart beating as hard as mine, I wondered as I studied the black and silver hair. Would his hair go completely silver at some distant day in the future, long after I was gone? I shivered, Alyosha made a soft inquiring sound and I hugged him tighter. I'd fret over those things later.
Stretching out my left foot, I pushed the damper on the stove shut. It would be all right left unattended for a short while. Cherie wrapped herself around me and between my legs nearly tripping me before I could get through the door into the cabin. I grunted and Alyosha snickered. He twisted around, leaning forward to catch her attention and yipped softly, followed by a growl and a couple more yips. Cherie shook her head and then took off like a shot down the hallway.
"Okay," I said. "What the heck was that all about?"
"Mmm, it doesn't translate well, but basically I told her to go to bed. This was MY time with you." He grinned.
"And she minded?"
"She has a healthy respect for the wolf," he answered, his canines flashing.
"As do I," I said.
"Oh, this is between you and me," Alyosha ran his index finger over my lips. "The wolf is sleeping^Å for now."
Heat flooded my face and I felt myself turning bright red. Redheads blush so easily, to our constant embarrassment. My arms tightened around the slender boy. I felt the hard line of muscle in his back and thighs. At this moment, I wanted him more than I'd ever wanted anyone or anything in my life.
I contemplated the soft rug in front of the fireplace but decided the bed was a better choice. My body still ached at odd moments and Alyosha's side wasn't healed yet either. I crossed the living room in four long strides and headed down the hall to the bedroom. My cock ached horribly and my vision was cloudy. For a moment, I wondered if Alyosha had put a spell on me, but at that moment, I really didn't care! Alyosha's hard cock pressed against my stomach, which made my feet move even faster.
Unceremoniously I tossed the aroused wolf boy onto the bed and kicked off my sneakers. Alyosha laughed when I got tangled up in my shirt. He bounced up on his knees as caught my hands, preventing me from unzipping my pants. I looked down at him puzzled. He smiled and turned my hands palms up, lightly running his tongue from fingertip to wrist. I shivered; the simple gesture was one of the most erotic things I'd ever felt.
"Mmm, I will taste you on the wind, know you by scent, no matter how far apart we are now," he whispered and for a moment, I felt myself falling into those deep, honey eyes. The wolf's mournful howl echoed in my head and relived the exhilaration I had felt on hearing it the first time.
Alyosha let go of my hands and reached for the waistband of my jeans. The feel of his hands as he finished undressing me just about put me over the edge. I t was all I could do to keep from coming at that very moment. I gripped his shoulders tightly. Passion, embarrassment, and a little fear warred in me. I knew how to make love to a woman but I was unsure of what to do with a man.
"Alyosha," I groaned. "I don't- I mean I've never-"
"Shhh," Alyosha practically purred, pressing his forehead against my stomach. "I know what to do, just follow my lead and enjoy yourself."
Alyosha's tongue brushed my belly. I sighed in pleasure as he trailed the tip across the sensitive skin, drawing designs only he understood. Slowly, he worked his way down. I'm certain the only reason I didn't jump out of my skin when his tongue trailed up my cock was his hands on my hips. He ran his tongue up it again and around the tip. My knees wobbled and threatened to buckle.
Alyosha teased the tip a moment longer then swallowed the whole length without flinching. Slowly he slid back up, then down again. I cried out and tangled my fingers in his hair. Repeatedly, he teased my cock, between the smoothness of his palate and the slightly rough texture of his tongue, I was sure my head would explode.
"Alyosha," I groaned, "I'm gonna cum--"
His only response was to pick up the pace, up and down until I exploded. His tongue wrapped around my cock as he slid back slowly. With one final slurp, he let my cock slide out of his mouth. He looked up at me, his eyes soft and inviting. I ran my thumb across his lips and leaned forward to kiss him.
Restraining myself from pushing him down, I eased him back onto the bed and wrapped myself around him. Using fingers and lips, I thoroughly explored his body from top to bottom. Alyosha laughed and twisted under me. The softness of his chest and belly hair tickled my chin. My fingers caressed the scars, old ones long healed and new ones still pink. The injuries from the fight with the cat were healing cleanly and would be gone soon.
"I don't think I can get you off by sucking," I said blowing across the tip of his cock. He shivered and his hand tightened on my hair.
"I didn't expect it," he replied. Alyosha gripped my shoulders and pulled me up to his face. "Make love to me, Joash; love me better than you ever did your wife."
I looked at him startled. He wrapped his legs around my hips and pulled me towards him. Surprised, I resisted; Alyosha scowled. His eyes flickered with the old anger and his upper lip curled up in the barest of snarls. I dropped onto my hands and leaned down to kiss him. Alyosha's arms wrapped around my shoulders. I kissed him harder.
Alyosha twisted sideways rolling us over. I broke off the kiss in surprise. He braced his hands on my shoulders and pushed upright into a sitting position. I started to speak, but he laid his fingers over my lips. Lifting his butt, he backed up and eased himself down on the top of my cock. He reached down, grabbed my hands and placed them on his hips. I sucked in my breath audibly. Alyosha smiled at me, let out his breath and pressed down on my hard cock.
My head exploded and fire ran through every muscle in my body. I think I cried out as my body arched driving my length deep into the wolf boy. He cried out, his head back, his hands gripping my thighs. Repeatedly I drove my length as far into his body as I could. My hands gripped his hips pressing him down and pulling him back up. The part of my brain not lost in the moment - admired the beautiful lines of the boy. His cries teased my ears and made my heart race.
Alyosha's head rocked back on his neck and his lips curled up in a semi snarl. I pushed deep and he cried out; a cry that was half growl and half howl. He grasped my wrists squeezing in a grip I was sure would snap the bones. With a hiss of pain I pulled back and thrust deeply again. His back arched and his nails dug deep into the soft skin between my forearm bones.
"Aiiii, Alyosha," I hissed and he let go.
"Sorry," he whispered.
"No problem," I answered. "But it IS a problem if you makes this the last sex I ever have."
Alyosha chuckled and leaned down for another kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and rolled him onto his back. Thin and wiry, the solidness of the wolf stretched over a longer frame, he looked impossibly fragile. If I hadn't seen it myself, I would never have believed he could've taken on a full-grown Mountain Lion and lived through the experience. I ran my hands down his body enjoying the contrast of hard muscle and soft hair. He reached up and pulled my head down to his mouth.
I couldn't say how many times we did it that night but it was very dark by the time we went to bed with the intension of actually sleeping. Pelka had been somewhat put out by having to wait so long for her supper and evening grooming. Cherie had gone out and all three of us had had a small supper. My arms wrapped around the slender wolf boy; my last thought before drifting off was that I had found the best inspiration of my life.
Alyosha slipped out of Joash's imprisoning arms. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep with the big man but the wild blood was pounding in his veins. That pounding was an ancient primal call, calling him to the outdoors, the shadows and the moon. Cherie whimpered softly and he gave a soft yip. She ran to the door and walked down the hall with him. The night was cold and the moon cast twisted, claw like shadows across the snow. Alyosha leaped smoothly up on to the porch rail. Balanced, legs spread; he took a deep breath of icy air. Throwing back his head, he let out a howl, deep and long it cried his pleasure and triumph to world. He felt the vibration of the howl as it bounced off the trees and barn.
He howled again. From far away he heard the answering call of some forest creature. A flock of birds took to the sky from the oak tree, closer he heard the mice under the porch shift in their den. Despite the cold, he took another deep breath. He was nearly healed now; the magic that flowed in his veins would protect him from icy air. He howled again. Then again, feeling the triumph of a successful hunt pound through his body. Cherie barked, accusing him of bragging. He laughed first as a human and then as a wolf. Cherie yipped and shook her head. She bounced up the stairs and pawed at the door.
Alyosha laughed again and leaped across the porch, landing smoothly, knees bent in a squat. He growled at Cherie and she butted him with her head. Alyosha straightened up and opened the door. The last time he had left this kind of box, he'd been certain he'd never return to life inside. However, here he was returning to the warmth and companionship of the big red head.