She had said she loved him! Well, technically she had said, "I think I love you," but that was pretty much the same, wasn't it? And then she had reached up and touched his face - Oh! The sweet physical contact pretty much sealed the deal for him. Wolf was filled with a sense of quiet joy: although that threatened to bubble over presently and send him bounding about in Utter Delight. For the moment though he kept pretty quiet about it and cradled his bliss within him the way a child holds tightly to a present they've just been given. Well, that is, when the present is the thing they've wanted most in their whole life!

These people, his Darling Virginia and her redoubtable father Tony, were his kin now. At least to Wolf's mind they were. So when Tony suggested that someone fetch firewood to heat some tea when they stopped to rest, Wolf was only too glad to offer his help. He wanted to contribute to the group; to appear industrious. And when Virginia said she'd go, too...well! All that held-inside joy started to bubble and bounce around again. They started off thru the silent fern-carpeted woods, at first walking a few feet apart but unable to keep their eyes off each other. The attraction, the pull between them, was so strong it was almost a tangible thing: a thin line of silvery longing from his heart, his eyes, to hers and back again. His animal instincts were speaking to him now. He knew better than to ever deny them again: and Oh! Wow! they were telling him exactly what this eye contact meant. It was time. And his keen mind began considering what to do...and how to go about it.

When he had tried to offer himself to Virginia in the way that a man would, back at Kissingtown, it had all gone wrong. That was because he wasn't completely a human man! And he never would be... After having his heart so thoroughly broken ( And oh Huff! it had been all his fault: _what_ had he been thinking!) he had for a brief while contemplated suicide. But luckily his animal nature had taken over some then: suicide is not in the mental make-up of a confident male wolf. Which he had been up until just recently. Figuring out a way to regain what was lost was! It had been easy to in the meantime mollify the Evil Queen when she called upon him again, hoping to take advantage of his dispair. The Queen was so charmed by Wolf, and had been ever since the moment she'd released him from his prison cell, that now when he said, "Yes, I'll return to your service," she had believed him! Because she really knew nothing about the true nature of wolfs: particularly a sly schemeing alpha male like himself. This had bought him some time to think about things. He'd remembered then that some of the self-help books he'd brought back with him from the Tenth Kingdom had talked about "self-acceptance", "finding yourself" and "being true to yourself". He'd shrugged that off at the time because it didn't seem to meet what he'd thought his needs were. But those phrases came to the forefront of his thoughts now. Who was he, really? Well, he had to admit it; he was a half-wolf! An enchanced man! Not merely a man. Being only a man and nothing more was something he was sure now that he could only try unsuccessfully for. If he wanted to "improve himself" then he needed to improve the half-wolf he was. Improvement couldn't come from trying to become something he wasn't! How could he have done that anyway when there were his physical attributes to consider: his tail - what would he do, cut it off? Have his incisors pulled? Have his eyes removed as well? Cripes! He was a strong-stomached predator but this train of thought had him feeling more than a bit unsettled! And even then what about the heightened senses? And a complicated body chemistry that brought about a monthly cycle? What about _that_?! Even if he could and would allow all those elements of himself to be done away with, what would be left would be only half a man...always incomplete and wanting. No better able (and probably far less) to please His Virginia than his intact self. Further reflection also led him to recollect that every time Virginia, Tony, Wendell and himself had been in a jam on their journey together; it had been his Wolfly talents that he'd used to get them out of it. (Well, there had been the debacle back at Little Lamb Village but it had been his time of the month and Huff Puff he wasn't going to think about _that_ right now!) Of course what all this self-acceptance meant was that Virginia would have to meet him on some middle ground: accept the wolf parts of him, just as he now had. He did have to admit too that she might have been heading in that direction anyway... but he'd been too caught up in his own inner turmoil to notice! Hadn't she said a while back that she thought his tail was nice and soft? He'd caught her looking at his hind end a couple of times as well, and he had to admit he'd enjoyed that! He broke into a big grin just thinking about it.

And so this was what had transpired when he'd taken some time to think about things: Wolf had found himself. Once he'd reached these conclusions he was ready to catch up to Virginia and company again. They were easy enough for him to track: he was completely attuned to Sweet Virginia's Scent, not just her scent but her essence, now. And Tony; well hadn't Wendell been right about that particular unwashed smell! His Dear Delectable Virginia had carefully bathed herself and washed out her clothing at every opportunity: watering troughs, streams, the river. Wolf shook his head fondly, remembering. In fact she reminded him a little of a wolf in this: wolfs are very clean creatures and he himself loved to plunge into clear cool water. Tony however was another story, not really diligent about personal hygiene. And Wendell was still along as well: the doggy smell and pursuit thereof that had gotten Wolf into all this in the first place. And then even though they'd climbed a mountain, gone thru the Dwarf mines, come out thru a waterfall, and sundry other things losing Wendell in the process, they hadn't been the least bit hard to follow.

Of course when he'd caught up to them he'd had to save their lives again. It was getting to be all in a day's work! Anything for the Lovely Virginia and his future father-in-law! And right after that, she'd told him that she loved him...and they'd walked on together, holding hands...

Which brought him around to the here and now. As his mind had run nimbly thru these recollections he had absently picked up a few sticks of fallen wood. For what?...Oh, the _fire_! To heat water for tea! Obviously his mind had been elsewhere! And he had made up that mind about how to go forward. Now that he was sure how Virginia felt, he would declare his intentions again. They were truly mates already in spirit but he needed to formalize the relationship: make her his mate in reality. And this time he would do it in the wolfy way. The courtship of a pair of wolfs is a beautiful exuberant joy-filled romp: a Fabulous Frolic: a Delight-Filled Dance! So he would ask her to dance...

Virginia had acquired a few sticks of wood herself: the whole time never taking her eyes off Wolf. He covered the few steps between them quickly and stood facing her. She looked up at him with the loveliest expression, open and warm, that he'd ever seen. He hesitated a moment, mesmerized by her gorgeous gaze: then shook himself slightly and started,

"There is something I'd like you to do for me...uhm, with me...and I think I deserve it, given my multiple savings of your life."

She smiled that dreamy smile and responded,

"I know what you want to do , and the answer is yes."

He gasped, "OH!"

Indescribeable happiness filled him again. Some small part of him still had feared rejection: hadn't expected her to say that. They were standing inches away from each other in the silky morning mist. He dropped his wood: found himself breathing quite heavily and his heart racing all over again. He managed,

"Oh Cripes! I want you so much!"

And he reached out and placed his hands on Beautiful Virginia's arms just below the shoulders.

"I know."

Her reply urged his heart to an even quicker rhythm.

"I want you too."

He stood stock-still there one second, his mind again racing ahead of his heart. She should run, and he should give chase: this was how the mating dance began with wolfs. A game, he thought; yes - that's the idea! Invite her to play a game with him. Something where she had to run...he could chase her and that would start things off properly. Surely she'd get the idea.

"All right," he exclaimed,

"You run off into the woods and I'll cover my eyes."

And he covered his eyes but he didn't detect Virginia moving so he peeked out between his fingers.

"I'm sorry?",

there was a look both confused and amused on Virginia's delicate face.

"Into the trees and I will cover my eyes and count to a hundred!"

"Are you serious?"

"Oh yes,"

sincerely, from behind his hands; hoping his voice wasn't sounding too panicked. Didn't she get it? He hoped she wanted to play as badly as he did. Yikes! Maybe she thought he wouldn't be fair: Yes! that must be it!

"I won't cheat. I promise I won't cheat."

"That's not the point!"

From between his fingers Wolf could see that Virginia's look had changed from confusion to consternation. Oh Huff! Maybe honesty _was_ the best policy,

"All right, maybe I will count a little quicker after fifty, but I promise you'll get a proper..."

"I'm not playing Hide and Seek!",

she interrupted, but as she said this an almost-giggle came out behind it. Could it be?...He scrunched his fingers together over his eyes again and started to count. He heard Virginia start to say, "No..." but then an instant later, he heard her dart away! It was absolute torment to stand there and count; and he may have, just accidentally, cheated a tiny little bit after all.

"Eight, nine, twenty-one, two three fourfivenine, thirty-one, two threefourfourty.....Cooommmmmmiiiiiinnng!!!"

Laughing in delight he scampered off thru the forest after her, buoyant with anticipation. Of course he knew right where she was even as she scurried along, thinking she was escaping him. Her intoxicating aroma made it easy to pinpoint her every move. But he let her go; let her run around some, and even used a measure of his skills as a predator so as to throw some sound - make her think he was somewhere else: not able to find her. She was really moving now, and Wolf took notice of a difference in both the way she ran and the way she smelled. He almost couldn't believe it, but Oh! Goodness Gracious! seems Vivacious Virginia was getting aroused! He was sure of it! She was giving off the most marvelous fragrance now, a fragrance that could only come from one place: the sweet juicy depths of her. He hadn't meant to lose control of himself nearly so early on, but now he had. And so began to pursue her in earnest, leaping over bushes and crashing thru the greenery. He was impeded by the fact that _he_ was becoming fully physically aroused now: made running more than a little difficult. Man, indeed! He huffed to himself. Mere human men had only half the problem he had: not only was he the owner of a rapidly burgeoning erection - his tail was itching and twitching and throbbing as well! Between the swollen appendage in the front and the swollen appendage in the rear he was in quite the predicament! He really would need to get these trousers off as soon as possible!

Still running, albeit stumbling a bit, Wolf was rapidly approaching his Luscious Quarry. He began to growl and pant, not from exertion, but from animal desire. So close now...she had stopped in a thicket just ahead: thinking she had eluded him, perhaps. He slowed silently, abruptly, went into a crouch and slunk behind some ferns, barely able to suppress his wolfy whimpers of anticipation. The scent of her creamy wetness was excruciatingly tantalizing from this short distance. And he was really really glad, now, that he hadn't been stupid enough to discard his wolf side, because, truth be told - he was a virgin! It hadn't mattered in his life before: wolfs give themselves to one and one only. Wolfs mate for life. But now he was ready to mate, and it did matter. His animal nature would guide him here, and he would be a fine lover, where a mere man in this situation would be a fumbling fool.

Virginia thought that she had eluded Wolf, and he saw her smile a little and peer around, no doubt hoping he was soon to find her. Or possibly being a proper wolf's mate now, wondering if she should resume running: make her mate work for his creamy catch - continue the game. He sniffed one final time, ecstatically drinking in her perfume. Then with a wolfish grin and as fancy a fluorish as he could manage given the overcrowded conditions in his trousers, Wolf pounced on her from behind the ferns. She saw him just as he cleared the vegetation and an incredulous smile flashed over her face. He knocked her over, at the same time throwing his arms around her and rolling them both over together so that he took the brunt of the fall and she did not. The forest floor was soft with leaves and low-growing bracken: perfect for what he had in mind. Growling and playfully nipping he braced his elbows so Delicate Virginia wouldn't be hurt and he rolled them over and over...and was delighted to discover that Virginia understood and wanted to play this game too! She was giggling and doing her own imitation of wolfy growling! And biting at his ears and tugging at his clothing...What first began like the play of cubs changed quickly into the love-play of two adult wolfs. They rolled until they settled into a soft cranny of grass and leaves within a little grove of oaks. They were nipping and nibbling at each others faces and necks, Wolf growling and Virginia playfully snarling - Oh! and the cute crinkle in her nose when she did that! Then his mouth found hers. With a low throaty urgent sound he parted her deliciously pink lips with his tongue and delved inside her sweet mouth. Exploring, almost delirious with desire he drank at this well like a man - a wolf - dying of thirst. He tried to control his hungry urgency but Cripes! he'd been starving for so long...When Virginia met his tongue with hers, and then began to explore his mouth with an agreeable invasion all her own, Wolf thought that he would explode right then and there from the intolerable pleasure. In his joy at loving and being loved, he had momentarily forgotten about the discomfort his trousers were causing him. This kissing reminded him because - and how could it be possible? - it had aroused him even further and his engorged penis and tail were threatening to fairly split the trousers now! Stunning as it had been, their kiss back on that ill-fated night in Kissingtown paled in comparison to this.

"Pull yourself together!" he thought desperately. Don't rush this but keep on loving her... There was so much still to be done to properly love this Wonderful Woman, this Girl of His Dreams. She Who Had Accepted Him Now. He leaned up away from her a moment and contemplated her beautious face. He was the luckiest creature in all the Kingdoms right now and he knew it. With an adorable smile she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his ever stubbly face, then slowly ran them up thru his bushy black hair, down the back of his neck and around down to his shirt front. And then she began to unbutton his shirt! One button, then two, three...her hands were moving closer to those trousers...! Wolf was so taken with the glorious sensation that he'd almost forgotten he was supposed to be doing something too! Wide eyed, he exhaled hard and began to lick and nuzzle her neck, working his way down toward the top of her tiny blouse. He pushed his hands up underneath from her waist at the same time and to his delight she momentarily let off unbuttoning his shirt and raised her arms so he easily slipped the little garment off over them. He was a little startled at what he saw- he had been expecting her pert perfect breasts but saw instead that she wore under her clothing some kind of very small corset over them. Why in the world would she want to hold in those creamy globes? Virginia saw his look of puzzlement and giggled.

"Would you like this off?",

she inquired, giving him a teasing look.

"Very much!",

his response was a low throaty rasp, with a little pleading whine thrown in just for good measure. She arched her back up off the ground, at the same time taking each one of his hands in each of hers and guiding them around behind her. He felt the little hooks, like the hooks on shoes they were; and they were quickly undone. The little undergarment slid aside and there, revealed to him, were two gleaming ivory full moons for him to worship! Never mind that the moon up in the sky didn't have a tiny perfect pink bud in the center. These did. Celestial indeed! Wolf gasped to see so much beauty offered to him: this display truly made his head spin! Then he shook his head to clear it, swallowed hard, and gently, gently, leaned down and began nuzzling one rosy nipple. He slid his teasing tongue around it, then began suckling. The nipple was smoother than silk and sweeter than honey. And it swelled and tightened as he sipped. Yet another well for him to drink his fill from! Virginia arched her back as he continued, pushing the satiny skin of her breast up against his face, the now hard little nipple further into his mouth: a voracious invitation of her own for more! At the same time she moaned and seemed to whisper his name, "Wolllllfff..." And as if this weren't enough to nearly be his undoing, she began on his shirt buttons again! A constant low growl of pleasure hummed from Wolf's throat. Instinctively he kept his arms rigid now, supporting himself on his elbows, so as to keep his weight off his Alluringly Slender, Small Mate and at the same time allow her access to his clothing. Then the remaining two shirt buttons were unfastened and she reached up and pulled it down, running her hands over his sinewy shoulders as she did so. Wolf slipped the shirt, along with his coat, off one arm and then the other and they were gone, tossed aside into the ferns. Even in his mesmerized state it occurred to him that his mate owned two of these astonishing juicy breasts and that he had so far neglected one of them. Without breaking contact with her silky alabaster flesh he slid his mouth over and captured Virginia's other blossoming nipple, feeding from the sweetness of this one just as he had the other. She had been running her hands over the lean muscle of his shoulders and arms, exploring what was now her territory just as he was been exploring what was now his. He opened his eyes and peeked up at Virginia's dear face. Her head was tilted back slightly, her eyes closed. A smile playing and tugging about her mouth. And her busom was heaving under his attentions as he continued suckling the nectar of her breasts. Now she returned her hands to the front of him and unfastened the buckle that held his trousers closed. For Wolf this was confirmation that she was ready to totally accept him, and he had something he had to do here. It was torture to give up the banquet he'd been indulging in but somehow he did, raising up and leaning back on one elbow.

"Cripes!", he found himself gasping as if he'd been chasing some prey several miles,

"Goodness Gracious Me!"

He had to catch his breath! Puff! Then he reached down and unbuckled his boots, pulled them off, then slid his trousers off as well. At last, freedom for his aching body parts! His throbbing shaft sprang free, and he whipped his tail from side to side momentarily to work the kinks out of it. He had one little worry left now though, one that he had put out of his mind until just a moment before...

Virginia knew about his tail - she seemed to accept and even enjoy it. And he expected that she would accept his penis as well: it was quite shapely and while not at all small neither was it so large that it might frighten or hurt her. Of course since she was aroused herself he expected she would accept the extremely erect state of these parts of him too. No, his worry was none of those...it was his fur he was concerned about! But Huff Puff he was a wolf! Now Virginia was going to know what that truly, completely meant. Wolf had a beautiful body of which he was justifiably proud: the slender fine-muscled body of a lithe and powerful animal, yet in the form of a man. But where men had body hair (which he personally found a little disgusting: he had seen men bathing in the streams and working shirtless in the hot fields in summer - men had coarse curly sparse odd hair on their bodies), Wolf had fur. Dense, short, dark like the hair on his head, and silky-soft. The fur covered his pubic area and a small stripe of it ran up to his mid abdomen. His balls resided in a soft furry pouch. The fur from his tail continued in a dorsal stripe up his spine, not very wide but it joined his scalp at the nape of his neck. He shook himself (and he'd been doing that a lot today!) so as to regain his composure somewhat and leaned further back and away from her so that when Virginia came to herself and opened her eyes she would see all of him. And just then, noticing he had not returned his attentions to her body, she did so. A look of wonder crossed her face and she sat up on her elbows. Almost not daring to breathe, he saw that she was taking in all of him; the length of him - the length of his body, the length of his penis, the length of his tail. Figuring from a wolfy perspective that a little submission couldn't hurt (and an alpha male may display submission to his mate during sex play), Wolf put on his best pleading cub expression, tilted his head and let out a tiny, questioning whimper...and he threw in a little wag of his tail just to emphasize his eagerness to please...

Her expression was, for a moment, wide-eyed; astonished? pleasant though...was there hope?...Wolf held his breath. Then his Darling Virginia broke into the the most delightful smile! Sitting up, she laughed a little bit: but it wasn't a laughing-at: no! Not the thing he had feared, but rather an I-can't-believe-what-I'm-seeing-but-I like-it! kind of a smile, and a giggle! She sat forward and began to explore his body, carressingly, with both hands, studying through both her touch and with her eyes his contours, his textures, the things that made him what he was. Starting at the top of his head, she ran her fingers through his now tousled hair, down along his dorsal stripe , then closed her hand around his tail and tugged gently down the length of it. She cupped her other hand around his chin - just as she'd done back when she'd first said she loved him, then ran her hand down over his lean chest, allowing her fingers to circle playfully around one of his nipples. Then that enchanted hand continued down his abdomen, a finger traced the line of fur, running further, dangerously downwards, and then, unbelievably, that magical hand traced the sinewy length of his penis. As if that wasn't enough, she allowed that hand to then sneak back and cup his furry balls. Wolf seriously feared for a half second that he was going to pass out, or worse! He closed his eyes and rolled his head back, allowing a cross between a whine and a growl to express his pure pleasure. Then he sat forward with a huffing gasp and took those unruly provocative hands in his own, moving them away from his most sensitive parts lest the sensations they were causing make him release himself before he wished to.

And _then_ she said it again!!!,

"I love you, Wolf..."

Her whole countenance lit up and smiled when she said it, from the sound of it the most sincere statement of her whole life.

As for Wolf, he was now far past human speech,

"rrrrrrruuuuuuuuufff..., aaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr...."

From deep within his throat and up from his diaphragm he made the sounds that were the most heartfelt expressions his race was capable of. The love sounds of wolfs. He prayed she understood...and she seemed to. This Dazzling Female; His Mate, reached up with both her hands, clasped his face in them and pulled him toward her. As she did so he reached down with both his hands for the waistband of her little skirt, pushing it and some thin undergarment below it down around her hips. She wiggled and bent her knees and he slipped the weightless bits of cloth from her body, then tugged off her boots. Wolf was too far gone now to sit back and admire her body as she had his. Would he ever be used enough to this wonderful woman to do so? He hoped not! He was positioned halfway down her body already and on instinct took this opportunity to drink in the scent of her passion so close to him. He buried his face a moment between her creamy thighs, sniffing and lapping at the very door of her femininity. With his tongue he found her inner lips and slipped it between them, teasing and probing this sensitive area as he had her nipples earlier. Then he slid his tongue up and out, circling it around her now throbbing clitoris. His mate rewarded him for this act with a bucking of her hips, a gasping for breath, and a rush of slippery wetness that covered his face with proof of her readiness. And that was the signal he needed. It was now truly time to consummate this mating...

Wolf's loving investigation of her yet unopened flower had caused Virginia to arch her back up off the forest floor in ecstasy. Seeing the moment had come, he raised himself up with her, now supporting himself on one hand and his knees. He hurriedly wiped his face on his free forearm, then slid that arm under her back and in one smooth motion flipped her over onto her knees and elbows.

Sliding forward over her momentarily Wolf steadied her, saw that she was comfortable, then wetly caressingly kissed her neck, her shoulders. He could hear her breathing come in ragged pants of animal passion, matching his own. She seemed as beyond mere human words as he was. When she felt his body behind hers, Virginia pushed her beautiful buttocks beggingly, tantalizingly, against him. She must be aching for fulfillment! He was only too eager to oblige her. Rising to his knees, he eased the full rosy head of his penis just barely inside the sweet flower that was her swollen labia. His instincts told him how to distract her from the small but necessary pain he was going to cause her here. He darted the upper part of his body forward suddenly and nipped her hard on the shoulder, careful to engage his very front teeth only, not his dangerous incisors, which had been extended for some time due to his arousal.

Biting down just hard enough to hurt a little, Wolf at the same time plunged himself deep into her in one smooth motion, and the barrier of her virginity was gone.

Wanting became reality for him at that moment. He was a Mated Wolf.

Virginia shuddered and gasped yet again, more at the glorious sensation of him filling her than from his love bite, and craned her head around just in time to see his eyes flare and change from yellow to a green like glowing beryls. These were the eyes of a wolf in the throes of passion: the eyes only a wolf's mate sees. As he released his bite on her shoulder he growled a wolfly endearment, and she returned the growl. Raising himself again he began to thrust: slowly, gently, with a swaying motion, so as to accustom both his mate and himself to this stunning new experience. She eagerly welcomed him into her tight depths, beginning to rock with him, matching his fluid movements, becoming one with him in rhythm and motion. Then; Unbelievably!, she began pushing herself against him, meeting his thrusts in a hard and urgent way, challenging him to up the tempo. She squirmed and pulsed like the animal _he_ was! They sighed and moaned and growled together. They whimpered and whined and almost howled together!

Wolf's body's needs were begging to take over, but a corner of his mind reminded him of another bit of wolfy protocol: a directive to any male of status enough to acquire a mate: an Absolute Requirement for an alpha male like himself, mating what he considered to be an alpha female. Give the Gift of Pleasure before receiving it! Please your mate before yourself! But he was trembling and shaking already, his tail passionately swashing from side to side in time with his now hard deep undulating thrusts. How long could he delay the inevitable? He didn't know but he had to try! Oh! Oh! Wolf shook his head violently this time. He could think of something distracting...Uhmmm....food? Let's see...Uh...fluffy little balls of corkscrew tails frolicking provocatively close to an oven in terror...uh...surrounded by sour cream and three-year-old dried herbs!...But no fries...no! No! NO!!! I'm twisting everything I'm thinking but it's only making things worse anyway...! Food was absolutely _not_ the thing to think of here!

Then suddenly in this desperate moment a change underwent Virginia; she thrashed, then convulsed, bucking hard against him! He heard her draw in her breath with an almost agonized sound. Then she threw back her head and an absolutely wolfish cry escaped her! Wave after wave of sensation pulsated through her body, her tremors of ecstasy shook them both and Wolf had to hold on for dear life. Dear Life indeed! The rippling contractions running thru her gripped his penis convulsively and overwhelmed him. He now abandoned himself to pleasure - seized by a rush of sensation all his own he flagged his tail up and down violently, simultaneously becoming a fountain inside of her, pouring pulsing life into her depths.

Virginia continued, head thrown back, to sing her song of orgasm and now Wolf joined her, howling in Uninhibited Unadulterated Unbridled JOY. Up and down the scale they sang together. And in some hidden corner of the forest Wolf's wild kin took up the song, celebrating the joining of a new pair of mates.

A sudden weakness came over Wolf and his knees buckled. The same thing seemed to happen at the same time to Virginia and somehow Wolf managed to steady them with his hands and pull them over onto their sides. Weak and panting they now lay cupped together like two old spoons in a drawer, but still intimately joined together as that is the way with wolfs: for her to hold him within her for a while: to remind him he is hers forever. As if he didn't know! Life was perfect for Wolf at this moment. He just knew it was perfect for Virginia as well...He had well and truly loved His Mate, and she him. A sighing whimper of complete contentment and satisfaction escaped his throat, and he wrapped his arms around His Love and pulled her even closer to him, if that was possible. It was she that found human speech again first:

"Cripes!",

she exclaimed rather breathily, and then giggled. She shivered a bit at the same time, and Wolf became aware that the air around them was cool and damp. He reached out with one arm and managed to snag his coat from the nearby ferns, pulling it over them for a little shelter. And they lay there a while longer, unwilling yet to break the connection between them, if only for a while. Virginia seemed to drowse and doze in the comfort of his arms: normal after a first mating. Wolf buried his face in her hair, drinking in the scent and the texture and the beauty of it. One of the first things about her that had captivated him: that hair. If he could even make a list of those things - she'd really hit him all at once, pretty much! He slipped his face lower, now nuzzling the succulent back of her neck. Then he suddenly caught a whiff of something he'd missed before, and it was his turn to be silently startled. Yikes! How had he missed that extra little bit of hormone in her perfume? Humans didn't have nearly the pheromones other animals did but they secreted some at certain times...Oh Huff Puff! his Virginia was ovulating! Oh Goodness Gracious! He had no doubt of his own fertility any more than he'd had of his virility. He had indeed given her the Gift of Life... There'd be a cub for sure! He hadn't meant to start a family so soon but the deed was done! Well, he would have to accept it, and so would Virginia. Now was not the time to tell her, though. There was so much for them to still go thru; so much still unresolved. Later, when he had fixed everything, then he could tell her the news.

Wolf became aware of the passage of time: it had been at least two hours since they had left "to look for firewood"! It was a miracle Tony hadn't come looking for _them_! But he hadn't! Wolf grinned to himself: maybe Tony understood something about them now. Or maybe all that howling had spooked him! No matter, but they needed to be getting back, he supposed reluctantly. They must have been truly synchronized in thought now, as mates often are, for at that moment Virginia roused and made to sit up. Wolf sat up with her, disengaging himself from her as gently as possible. She turned about and they shared a lovely lingering kiss.

Giggling and fumbling they managed to find their clothes, making a sort of game out of getting dressed: Virginia figuring out the strange flap that closed Wolf's trousers and helping him to tuck his tail in. And him learning to refasten the little hooks on what she explained was called a "bra".

Then he let her start walking back to camp first, following along behind at what he hoped was a discreet distance. With everything that had happened and was about to happen it all felt almost like a dream. Wolf felt ecstatic and apprehensive and woozy all at the same time. He was more than a bit unsteady on his feet as he followed Virginia back. He was so distracted he didn't even notice that his tail had escaped out the hole in the back of his trousers. Nor was he conscious of the supremely satisfied way in which he was waving it jauntily back and forth.

FIN