Wolf Not Dog

She hears McKenzie gasp and looks towards him “you are not a dog and you are beautiful” he tells her.  “He thinks fur, four legs and a snout are beautiful? Please let me be dreaming! I cannot be a dog!” she exclaims to herself.  “You are not a dog.  You are a wolf” McKenzie tells her.

“Wolf, dog, what’s the difference? It has to be a dream! A very strange, painful dream.”  “River, nice to finally meet you.  I’m Realm your spirit wolf” she hears Realm say.  “Oh, please don’t tell me that I’ve had a psychotic break!  But why a dog? Most people change into another person, but me! I turn into a talking dog!” River exclaims and hides her head in her paws.

“Wolf!” she hears McKenzie and Realm say together.  She lifts her head and looks at McKenzie “Why are you not freaking out and how can you understand what I’m thinking?” she asks in her head.

“I’m wondering that too? We haven’t mated fully?” he questions “you bit me and swallowed my blood! Did that trigger your first shift? That would explain, why I can hear you and you can’t hear me” he says.

“I can hear you, just fine.  There was no bite mark on your hand?” she ponders “we heal fast.  That was nothing” he says waving that away.  “I can hear you in my head.  We call it the link.  We can communicate with our own kind, by just thinking of the person you want to talk with and then thinking about what you want to say to them.  Realm is your wolf.  She can now talk to you, also in your head through your link” McKenzie explains.

“So, like doggy telepathy?” River asks “Wolf!” they both correct her.  “Sorry, wolf!” she says doing a mental eyeroll.  “Realm, where have you been hiding? Did he infect me with his blood?  Is that why you now have a body?  Not just a voice in my head?” she asks as hundreds if not thousands of questions run through her mind.

“He did not infect you.  His blood allowed me to shift.  I have been inside you since you were born.  We have lived, many life times, together.  My name was given to me by the Goddess herself.  It means kingdom.  Our first job was to protect it, the kingdom, from those who wanted to take it from us.  I’ve been able to talk to you since he saved you and also shared some of his blood with us.  He just didn’t realise he’s cut his mouth when he jumped off the cliff to save us.  He had to give you mouth to mouth and after swallowing his blood.  You were able to hear me” Realm explains.

“This is a lot to take in.  Why isn’t he freaking out? I just changed into a massive dooo, er wolf and he is smiling at me as though I was the best thing on this earth?” River asks Realm.  “Do you want me to tell her the truth?” Realm asks

River looks up at McKenzie “he is a fine specimen isn’t he.  I felt his solid chest before and well earlier today.  I had a very surprising dream about him.  Got me all worked up, he smells great too” River says and then seems to realise something.  “Why would he not want to tell me the truth?” she asks

“You are my mate, River” McKenzie tells her.  “Oh, my mum use to call her friends her mates.  Thank you, I’m glad you consider me a good friend.  So, that is why you’ve been using mate rather than his name” River says believing she is understanding a little more now. 

She hears Realm groan and McKenzie chuckle.  “No, I mean soulmates.  We’ll have no-one that loves us more, than we do each other” McKenzie tells her.

River blinks or her wolf does “soulmates? Love? Isn’t it a bit soon to be thinking that way?” she asks. McKenzie doesn’t say anything instead he reaches down and strokes her head.  His touch making her, all but purr in pleasure.  His touch does things to her and she pushes her head into his hand wanting more.

“River, can you shift back?  As lovely as you look in your wolf, I’d like to talk to you in person” McKenzie says “why is it, I feel as though I could hump his leg?” River asks Realm.  “We are turned on, by our mate’s touch, scent and closeness” Realm answers her.

“Um, it does feel good.  But I don’t think, I’m ready for that yet.  If we stay as we are, he can’t really do anything else? Right?” River wonders.  “I won’t do anything that you don’t want me too, River” he assures her “I keep forgetting my head is now like an open book.  Do we have a switch or something to keep him out? Or to stop broadcasting our thoughts?” River asks

“You just have to imagine a wall or something solid to stop your thoughts from being heard” Realm tells her.  River tries to think of a wall and imagines the one that surrounds her house.  “Okay done!” she says.  She hears something that sounds very close to a laugh from Realm.  “Solid! The one you imagined is half a wall and half iron railing” Realm tells her. “Ah,yes, got it solid, as in Fort Knocks” River answers imagining a thick wall with huge iron locks securing it.

“McYummy can you hear me now?” she asks snickering at her nickname for him.  She looks at McKenzie and he looks back at her.  “McYummy. Calling McYummy! What I’d like to do with all that man!” she thinks getting distracted again.

“He can’t hear your thoughts anymore.  I can still communicate with him, if I need to” Realm assure her.  “Good to know.  So, I’d just imagine the wall gone and he could hear me again?” she asks “yes that is how it works” Realm tells her.

“Has he always been our mate in our past lives?” River asks “he has, his wolf is strong and very loyal.  He has given us many pups” Realm tells her.  “I must admit I have wondered, if the rest of him is as strong and big as what we can see?” River chuckles.  “Shifters tend to be bigger than humans in every way” Realm tells her.

River allows her imagination to run wild a little, until she smells something very tantalizing.  She moves her snout and scents the air moving closer to the smell.  When her snout touches McKenzie in his private place.  Her eyes move up, but she can’t stop her snout from moving closer.

“Er, I can hear your thoughts again.  I could also see what you were thinking” McKenzie tells her.  “When will this stop? How long does it take for the blood to leave me?” River asks embarrassed.  “It doesn’t, you have started the bond with your mate” Realm tells her.  They both hear River groan in frustration.  “Okay, how long do I have to be a d, wolf for?” she asks stopping herself just in time from saying dog.

“You just have to imagine yourself as human again” McKenzie tells her.  River doesn’t wait, she imagines herself as herself again and feels a little discomfort and the air around her change.  She straightens up and looks at her hands.  “Thank goodness, I’m back” she says turning towards McKenzie.  “My perception still seems a bit off, you don’t look as tall” River adds tilting her head and regarding him.

McKenzie takes off his shirt and passes it to her “I really appreciate the view, but you’d better put this on.  Astro is already having a hard time, resisting you” he says.  River automatically goes to take the shirt from him and then glances at her naked body.  “Where is my pretty dress?” she exclaims, quickly pulling the shirt on.

“It didn’t survive the shift” McKenzie says nodding towards some black ripped fabric laying on the ground.  River lets out a cry of distress seeing the pieces of scattered fabric.  “I liked that dress.”  McKenzie picks her up and cradles her in his arms.  “Er, I have my two legs back.  I can walk” she exclaims as he walks back to the elevator.  “I’ll tell them to send another one over.  You’ll begin to feel tired and probably sleep for a good, few hours.  As your first shift always takes it out of you” McKenzie tells her.

“I don’t really feel” River says and stops to yawn.  “Why does your touch affect me more now? It’s like you are charged or something” she says yawning again as they travel back down to his apartment.  “I do feel safe though, turned on, but safe” she says sleepily as she leans her head on his shoulder.

“Our bond has started, so we’ll feel each other more now.  I think you’ve grown a couple of inches, you’re certainly heavier” McKenzie tells her.  When she doesn’t answer, he looks down to see her asleep.  She has a smile on her lips though and her hand is resting over his pecks.  She moves so she is even more pressed against him.  He smiles and then shakes his head “get a grip, she is still a child.  What the hell am I meant to do with such a young inexperienced pup?” he mutters as he lays her down on his bed.

She mews when she is moved away from him and grabs his hand in hers.  “Don’t leave me, I’m hanging on by a thread” she mumbles.  “Alien species and I’m a giant dog” she mutters.  McKenzie looks at her again, she looks right at home in his shirt and in his bed.  He shrugs and steps out his pants, he’s now just wearing his shorts.  He looks at the bathroom door and tries to remove his hand from hers but she tightens her fingers and holds on as though her life depended on it.

McKenzie shrugs again and climbs into bed behind her.  So, his arm is still around her as she holds it to her chest.  He is surprised by her sudden shift.  Also thinks about the people after her.  He nuzzles his nose into her head and closes his eyes.  Content to be surrounded by his mate’s scent and holding her warmly to him.

McKenzie is surprised with how long and easily he slept holding River, when he wakes.  He looks down at her sleeping face.  During the night she turned into him and now has her arm around him with her head on his shoulder.  He also notes how his arm is still around her.

He manages to get up, without waking her up.  He showers and gets ready for the day.  He leaves River asleep in bed and gets some breakfast before going to his home office and catching up on his work.  He checks on River a few times, but she is really out of it.  The shift has obviously taken a lot out of her.

River is dreaming of fighting in both her human form and her wolf.  Realm is not to be messed with and she herself can fight with the best of them.  She also sees Kitty talking to her uncle.  She is sitting in his lap “she just had to get there before us.  I’m sick of that little brat getting in my way” Kitty says.  “I may only be his half-brother.  But I deserve to run the company.  I’m sick of playing nice.  I need to give you and Lolita a proper home” her uncle replies.

Kitty laughs “he never guessed that she was really your daughter, until he called me and told me to meet him” she says.  “Yes, I was shocked he called me as well.  He was stupid though, wanting to keep it private and asking us up to his apartment.  Pity though, that he made it down to his office.  He wouldn’t have been found until much, much later” her uncle says.

The scene changes again, only now she can’t really see what is happening.  It’s like she is surrounded by fog.  But she feels really uncomfortable and her heart is beating really quickly.

McKenzie checks on River again before going and letting Tom in.  “I shouldn’t be long.  I need to explain to Stacey that we can’t carry on with this casual arrangement anymore.  She deserves that” McKenzie tells him.

Tom looks at him “you know I’ve never liked her, so I’ll just say, watch your back and don’t do anything stupid, that could come back to bite you in the ass.  I’ll look after River for you” Tom assures him.  “Thanks, be back soon” McKenzie tells him.

Tom watches him get into the elevator before going into the apartment.  He pops his head in and looks at River.  She really is in a deep sleep.  He goes out and turns the TV on low, grabbing a beer before settling back on the sofa.

So, when two hours later, he hears River whine.  He jumps up and goes into see her.  Sweat is beaded on her forehead.  He touches her forehead to find it hot.  He gets a cool wet cloth to wipe the sweat away and cool her down some.  When she groans and clutches her stomach, it reminds him of his own mother.  He see’s red and opens up his link with McKenzie “you had better not be di*% around? River is having a hard time and feeling whatever, you are doing! I’ll not forgive you if you disrespect your mate and sleep with others!” Tom says bluntly and angrily.