A Spanish Werewolf in Hollywood
By Autolycus, maynlinz@earthlink.net
A genetically altered female werewolf tries to prevent a murder.


This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real persons is only a figment of
your imaginations. Let's face it, we all wish these babes were real! Anyway,
they're not, so go take a nice cold shower.

BABES IN SPYLAND XIII:

A SPANISH WEREWOLF IN HOLLYWOOD

(c) 1999 Autolycus

Here's the deal: This is a scene from a work-in-progress about a genetically
altered female who is not only a perfect physical specimen, but also has
psychic abilities. She was created by the US government to be the ultimate
espionage agent, although her creator/father, the late Dr. Smitrovich, didn't
know that at the time. She was seized by an ultra-secret anti-terrorist
government agency, the Aegis Group, and (ultimately, but against her will)
trained in martial arts and other forms of combat, although she refuses to
kill anybody. By the way, her name is Jessica Chance, but this story is about
her friend, Lupe Bacalao, and what happens when she visits one of Jessica's
old teachers from the Project Angel team.

(o.o ) For Stephanie ( o.o)

I felt very funny when Jessica left me with Dr. Trotter. Uncomfortable. I
suppose I had been with Ophelia for so long...and then Jessica was the first
real friend I had. I just missed her the moment she was out of sight. And,
somehow, I knew that she was in for a rough time. Call it a sixth scent, but
sometimes Lupe can tell what is going to happen before it does. I only wish it
would work all the time.

After we collected my luggage, Dr. Tripper filled me in on the trouble she was
having. It seems that...

Oh, where is Lupe's brain? I have not described the doctor to you. She is a
nice looking black lady in her meddle ages, in good shape, with kind eyes that
twinkle with mischief and intelligence. She was one of the teachers who taught
Jessica when she was a little girl and still part of Project Angel. Now, she
is semi-retired and has started her own consulting business, like the famous
English detective, Surplus Homes. Lupe will confess to you that she is not
fond of English detectives, she prefers the hard-boiled American ones like Sam
Shovel and Mike Sledge.

Anyway, as we were driving from the airport in her classic 1972 Chevrolet Nova
coupe with a rebuilt 425 V-8 that, according to Dr. Jogger, goes through
gasoline like Mr. Homes goes through imported tobacco--Remind Lupe to ask her
what that means--she told me what caused her to call Jessica for help.

"A few days ago, I got a call from Simone Stallion, the famous movie star.
Seems she's been getting some threatening letters for the past several weeks
and is scared that someone is trying to kill her. I know Simone from when I
did some consulting work on the early movies in her 'Vanity Flair, Agent of
W.O.O.' series, back when they tried to have the plots make some sort of
sense. We're not exactly friends, but we've kept in touch over the years.
Anyway, her agent refuses to take them seriously and she's hesitant to go to
the police, fearing they'll think it's just some sort of publicity stunt," she
explained.

"So, she calls her old friend, Dr. Stagger, for help, yes?" I guessed.

"No, um, yes, sort of. She calls me for help, yes," she sighed.

"That is what Lupe said," I pointed out. "Now, what is your plan?"

"First, we're going out to her house and convince her to stay at my place
until we find out who's behind this. One of us will also be with her at all
times, just to be safe," the doc said, nodding.

"Sounds fine to Lupe," I said and then settled back in the seat and gazed
around at the unfamiliar scenery as the car wound its way up into the
Hollywood hills.

We eventually arrived at an enormous mansion, big enough, I am thinking, to
easily hold all the sewers I lived in with Ophelia. There was even a large
fountain in the front yard--Remind Lupe to ask why anyone would want a
fountain in their yard. We parked behind a beautiful '09 Porsche and knocked
on the door. A pretty woman in a maid's outfit answered the door and after we
told her who we were--And Dr. Hopper provides photo ID and both of us pass
through a metal detector--she escorted us to the back of the house where Miss
Stallion was languishing by the pool.

Simone Stallion is gorgeous. She has classic features and bright blue eyes.
Her hair is currently short and dark, but Lupe has seen early films where it
is long and blonde, and also later ones where it is medium length and
red--Remind Lupe to ask her what her natural hair color is, if she even
remembers. She has a magnificent body, with firm round breasts even larger
than those of Lupe. When she stood up to greet us, her flimsy robe dropped
open, revealing her obelisk figure, currently wearing a string bikini made of
what looks like three postage stamps and some twine.

"Cassandra," she smiled, leaning in and making kissing sounds but not actually
making contact with Dr. Flipper's cheeks. "I'm so pleased you came. Who's your
friend?"

"Simone, darling, I only hope I can help. This is Lupe, she's a friend of a
friend and she'll be staying with me for a while and helping me any way she
can," the doc replied.

"Pleased to meet you, Lupe," Simone said, extending her hand.

I took her hand and shook it enthusiastically. "I am a big fan," I grinned.

"So I see," she said, looking up at me. She was not short, standing at around
five and a half feet tall, without her high heels, but Lupe is a little over
six feet, so almost everyone looks up to her.

"Simone, I think it best if you come and stay with us for the time being," the
doc said. "If someone is trying to kill you, this might not be the safest
place right now. Besides, my home is equipped with some rather unique
anti-personnel devices that might very well come in handy."

Both Simone and I looked at the doctor quizzically, but she just smiled.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. And your place is closer to the studio,"
Simone said, nodding. "Let me pack some things and then I'll meet you at your
place this evening."

"I'd feel better if you allowed Lupe to remain here and then brought her with
you," the doc said, glancing at me for approval. I nodded. It made very little
difference to Lupe whether she was in this strange house or the doctor's
strange house.

Simone agreed and then she and I saw Dr. Throttle to her car and waved goodbye
as she drove off.

"Want to help me pack, Lupe?" Simone asked. I nodded. It would be better than
sitting around. "Great. Come on upstairs with me." She led me up a huge,
winding staircase and into a room bigger than Jessica's entire apartment.
Then, she opened some sliding doors and revealed a closet the size of a
two-car garage, filled with clothing of every color and style, and row after
row of shoes lining the floor. Lupe nearly fainted at the sight of so many
fine things. "You like?" Simone asked, slipping out of her robe and removing
the postage stamps.

"I do," I replied, not sure if she meant the clothes or her naked body, but
figuring that either way I was answering truthfully.

She walked over to me, her fine breasts swaying in rhythm to her ululating
hips, and pressed up against me. "Why don't you strip out of those rags and
pick out a couple of outfits for yourself?" she suggested, while her hand slid
up between the cleavage of Lupe's own very nice breasts.

I was wearing a T-shirt and shorts and tennis shoes, my usual attire, but
quickly discarded them, with Simone's willing help, and we stood next to each
other, naked and covered with glistening beads of sweat. She had shaved her
public hair--Probably so she could wear some of the "costumes" her role
required--so Lupe could not tell what her natural color was.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to stare," she chided,
lifting my head with one of her fingers so that I was looking her in the eyes.

"Oh, Senorita Stallion! Lupe was not staring...well, I guess I was...but not
for the reason you are thinking," I tried to explain.

She smiled and stood up on her tip-toes and kissed me, forcing her long tongue
between my surprised teeth and teasing me with it. Now Lupe knows why none of
her marriages worked out. I kissed her back, bending her over and supporting
her with my powerful arms, and then simply scooped her up and carried her to
the large bed.

"Why, my dear Miss Bacalao, whatever do you have in mind?" she giggled, trying
to play hard-to-wet. But I could tell from the moisture on my arm supporting
her rump that she was already too late to do that.

"Do you not want Lupe?" I asked, gently rocking her back and forth while
caressing her ass.

"I never said that," she replied, leaning in and casually circling one of my
breasts with her tongue.

"Say it," I said.

She puffed out her lower lip and coyly shook her head. "I'm not in the habit
of asking for it...or anything else," she said as her fingers brushed up and
down my back, causing all of my hair to stand up on end.

"You won't say it?" I questioned. She shook her head. "Have it your way,
senorita." I tossed her onto the bed and then turned and walked back over to
the closet.

"You're kidding? I mean, I'm offering myself to you. Me. Simone Stallion.
Every man's dream. Every woman's secret fantasy. And you're refusing because I
won't say I want you??!" she shrieked, rising to her knees. I nodded and tried
to decide which outfits I wanted from this treasure trove. "Really?"

"Really, senorita," I said, turning my head to show her the sincerity in my
brown eyes.

She shook her head and laid down. "Don't you want me?" she asked, rolling onto
her stomach and gazing at me.

"Of course I do. But that is beneath the point," I replied.

"If that's the way you want to be..." She got up and pulled a cord next to the
bed. Within moments the pretty maid appeared and curtsied. "Matisse, pack some
things. I shall be leaving for a few days, possibly longer," she said,
gesturing toward the closet.

"Oui, madame. Are you going on location?" she asked, pulling down a large
suitcase.

"Something like that. Don't bother with heavy clothing, dear."

"Oui, madame."

As Mattress transferred clothes from the closet to the suitcase, I continued
looking, trying to decide which outfits I wanted. Simone, meanwhile, sulkingly
disappeared into the bathroom--The size of which I imagined was equal to a
small house--and in a few minutes I heard the shower start.

I considered breaking down and joining her--The Goddess knows I wanted her
more than I've ever wanted anyone!--but Lupe is a proud woman and I do not
appreciate the superior altitude of the movie star. I do not beg, either. But
I do take what I want....

Hmmm....

This was the peephole Lupe needed to get around her pride.

"Who's there? Matisse?" said Simone softly, ceasing her scrubbing when she
spotted a figure through the steam drenched glass doors entering the bathroom.
"What is it?"

I silently opened the door and stepped into the shower with her.

"Change your mind?" she asked, a smug smile playing on the corners of her full
lips.

"No. Lupe told you that she wants you. She has just decided to take you, if
you still refuse to ask for her to do so," I replied, closing the door and
stepping beneath the warm water.

"Oh? And you think you can just take me?" She grinned and ran her fingers
lightly down my chest.

I just laughed.

"MATISSE!" she suddenly yelled.

A few seconds later, the shower doors flew open and a hand reached in, grabbed
my long hair, and yanked me clean out of the bath. I landed on the tile floor
and looked up at the pretty maid. She had dark hair and bright green eyes, a
pleasant, if thin, figure, and no muscles to speak of.

"Lupe has no desire to hurt you, pretty one, nor your mistress," I smiled,
climbing to my feet.

"Madame?" she questioned, looking to Simone for instruction.

"This one needs to be taught some manners, Matisse darling. I know you're just
the gal for the job," the actress nodded, closing the shower doors haughtily.

"Do not make Lupe laugh, muchacha, you are no match for--Ooommppfff!!!" I
gasped as she suddenly jumped and did a spin kick to my gut. I was caught off
my guard and staggered and she quickly leaped up and wrapped her legs around
my throat and knocked me to my back.

"You have severely underestimated Matisse, non?" she smirked, staring down at
me and preparing to scoot up onto my face.

"Think again, senorita," I growled, bringing one of my long legs up and
wrapping it around her neck and pulling her off me backwards. Before I could
secure my hold, however, she slipped free and scooted out into the bedroom. I
scrambled to my feet and padded after her.

As soon as I exited the bathroom she sprang at me from the bed, once again
entwining her legs around my neck and squeezing tightly. "Surrender,
mademoiselle, and apologize to my mistress, and I will release you," she told
me as she wrapped her arms around my head and applied enough pressure to make
me dizzy.

Feeling myself slipping into unconsciousness, thanks to the sleeper hold, I
quickly backed up into the bathroom. Unfortunately for Matisse, sitting on my
shoulders she was too tall to pass beneath the door frame.

"Unh!" she exclaimed as her head hit the wall and her holds loosened
involuntarily.

She toppled off of me, but before she hit the floor, I caught her and carried
the dazed young woman over to the bed. "It will only be a small bump, little
one," I told her, laying her down gently.

She wasn't ready to quit yet, though.

"You are quite presumptuous, my large friend," she grinned, looping her legs
around my middle this time and squeezing until I could feel my ribs start to
crack. She sat up and circled one arm around my throat and the other around my
head; another damn sleeper hold.

"Lupe does not want to hurt you, muchacha, but I am getting annoyed," I warned
her. She just chuckled in that irritating way the French do and applied more
pressure to both of her punishing holds. "Have it your way."

I got up and headed for the bathroom, and she clung to me like an Indian's
papoose.

"What are you up to, Espagnol?" she inquired, maintaining the holds.

Without answering her, I opened the door and stepped into the shower with a
very surprised Simone. Matisse shrieked as she became instantly drenched. "I
believe this belongs to you, senorita," I smiled, bowing slightly so that
Simone could see the face of her maid.

"You can let go now, Matisse. I guess we both underestimated our Spanish
friend here," the actress acknowledged. The French woman slid off my back and
curtsied. "Get dried off and then finish my packing." Matisse nodded and
hastily exited the shower, after shooting a dirty look my way. "As for you,
Lupe..."

I did not wait for her to finish the sentence, but instead took her in my arms
and crushed her body to mine as I bent down and planted a deep, sensuous kiss
on her luscious lips. She resisted a bit at first, but not very much, and
certainly not for very long. When she kissed me back, I began to caress her
round, firm ass with both hands as I gently rubbed my breasts into her larger
ones, teasing her nipples with my own.

Still in my mouth, she began to moan with pleasure and her own hands started
to explore my body, her soft touches sending tiny shivers all through me. I
eased her back until she was directly under the steaming spray of warm water
and then broke off the kiss and bent down and began to nuzzle her breasts. At
the same time, my hands moved around to her front and as the right one
fingered her pussy, the left one found her yearning mouth and allowed her to
take all four fingers, which she eagerly sucked on and playfully bit.

As I guided her to orgasm I slid my tongue up her neck and once more placed my
mouth over hers. I took her tongue deep inside and my now free left hand
caressed her butt, alternately squeezing and rubbing it. For her part, she
didn't seem to know what to do with her own hands and they went frantically
from Lupe's hair to her hips, never remaining in a location for more than a
few seconds.

I felt her stiffen and bit down slightly on her tongue, refusing to let her
remove it, and then worked the throbbing clitoris until she exploded with
pleasure. She screamed into my mouth as her hands clawed into my shoulders and
she held onto me as if for her very life until her body had ceased its sexual
fireworks.

Only then did I release her tongue. But instead of instantly withdrawing it,
she bestowed a final, lingering kiss. Utterly spent, she practically collapsed
and I had to literally carry her from the shower.

"That was incredible!" she sighed as I laid her on the bed.

"Wait until next time, senorita, Lupe will use her tongue and you will think
you have died and gone to Heaven," I promised her, letting my hand rest
against her stomach, which was much tauter than Lupe expected. Then, looking
over her glistening body more closely, I realized that she was in much better
shape than I'd thought. The muscles of her arms and legs rippled slightly as
she slowly recovered her strength, causing the droplets of water on them to
dance and roll about.

"I think that now, dear Lupe," she replied, gazing at me with definite
fondness.

"I'd better pick some clothes and get dressed," I said, suddenly feeling very
bad and remembering my lover, Myrna. I made my way over to the closet and
grabbed the first things that I could fit into and quickly put them on. Simone
watched from the bed, too exhausted to really comment one way or the other.

Let me fill you in on something about Lupe before we go any farther: I love
sex. I cannot get enough of it. I am what people call a pyromaniac. Part of
the reason is the lycanthropic enzymes that cause me to transform into a wolf
during the three days of the full moon each month--Although, Lupe has
remembered that Jessica has supposedly altered them so that I will not become
a wolf, so we'll have to see about that in a couple of weeks when the moon is
next full. The other part of the reason is that for years I was afraid to make
love to anyone, terrified that I would kill them in my passion...as I had in
the past.

Yes, it's true. Long ago, before Lupe met Ophelia and lived in the sewers of
Paris, when I was still a new werewolf, I discovered that I could not control
my newfound strength and I literally loved several young men to death,
crushing them with my powerful thighs while in the throes of ecstasy. And,
yes, Lupe said "men." It wasn't until I met Ophelia that I discovered the true
joy of making love to another woman. Not that there weren't mistakes with
women, too, but they were more frightening than fatal. In time, I did learn to
ease back so as not to endanger my partners, regardless of their sex, but I
have never felt completely comfortable with men since those unfortunate early
instances.

Besides, when it comes right down to it, Lupe much prefers to be with women
anyway. But the point I was trying to make before I got side-swiped was that
since Lupe is so addicted to sex, it is very hard for me to resist any chance
to have it. This does not mean that my love for Myrna is any less, however. I
am loyal to her insofar as I can be. In other words, Lupe only makes love to
casual partners, not to serious-minded ones. For me, the only betrayal that
counts is loving another, not making love to another. It is a small
distinction in some people's eyes, I know, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a
very important one.

So, when I saw the look in Simone's eyes, I realized that I could very easily
become very fond of her, and I sensed that she could also become very fond of
me. And that would not be right.

After the packing was finished, we left Matisse and the enormous house and
drove to Dr. Popper's home. It was much smaller than Simone's, but it had its
own peculiar charms. It was set back from the road just enough to allow room
for a circular driveway. The main house was two stories and looked rather old.
There was a two-car garage with what looked like a little apartment on top of
it. The yard was small--And it contained no fountain--and not in the best of
shape, with lots of weeds and grass that was either long and dead and brown or
short and dead and brown.

Most surprising to Lupe, however, was the police car parked in the driveway.

"Saba must be here," Simone remarked casually as she got out of the car,
leaving me to carry her cases.

"Saba?" I inquired, following her to the front door.

"Her daughter. She's a cop," Simone said, ringing the bell.

I nearly dropped the suitcases. "Daughter?"

Simone just laughed.

Dr. Nipper opened the door and smiled. "I won't ask you what took you so
long," she said with a wink, "I'm just glad you made it. Come in and make
yourselves comfortable."

I followed Simone into the house and was immediately surprised by two things:
the decor and the young woman in the police uniform. Not that her presence
caught me off-guard, what with her car parked out front and all, but I was
taken askew by her beauty. She had short, black hair and impossibly bright
green eyes. Her flesh was much lighter than that of her mother and her
features looked more Asian than Negroid. She was wearing a tight blue police
shirt that appeared to be straining against her ample chest and a black skirt
that displayed her curvaceous legs. Her face, while beautiful, was screwed up
with definite displeasure and she shook her head upon seeing us.

The other thing that surprised me was the way Dr. Jitter had decorated her
home. It looked like something out of Victorian England and I realized that
her fascination and admiration of Surplus Homes extended far beyond the
ordinary limits.

"Simone," Saba said contemptuously. "Slumming? And who's this? Another stray,
mother?"

"A pleasure to see you again, too, Saba," Simone replied, ignoring the dig and
settling into an antique fabric upholstered divan.

"Saba! This is my house and you will be respectful to my guests. This is Lupe
Bacalao, she's a friend of...an old friend, and she'll be staying with me for
a while. As will Simone," the doc added quickly.

Saba scowled and reluctantly extended her hand to me. "Nice to meet you. Try
to keep my mom out of trouble," she said without smiling.

"A pleasure, and I'll do my best to keep your madre safe," I assured her,
taking the hand and shaking it.

Suddenly, I noticed that Saba had increased the pressure on my hand, squeezing
it tightly, all the while maintaining a blank expression. Well, of course,
Lupe's pride kicked in and I squeezed right back. She was strong, but not
strong enough. I locked eyes with her, my deep brown pools staring into her
dragon jade blocks of African-Asian ice, and increased the pressure on her
hand, causing her upper lip to quiver and her right eye to flinch ever so
slightly.

Then, my mind is filled with a vision, a nightmare almost, and I see myself
rip her arm off and begin to chew on the raw flesh as my body takes on a more
wolf-like form than it has for many, many years. My humanity is completely
gone, leaving only the form and, more disturbing to Lupe, the soul of a wolf.
I have become a pitiless predator and I pounce on the doctor next, tearing out
her throat with ruthless efficiency, before springing on Simone and ripping
her heart out and then literally wolfing it down in two quick bites. Covered
with blood and gore, I cast my head about, looking for another victim...

I shook my head and loosened my grip, startling Saba. "What's wrong?" she
asked impulsively.

"Jet tag," I mumbled, staggering over to a large, overstuffed couch and
collapsing. I leaned forward and placed my head between my knees and tried
very hard not to throw up.

"I'll get you some water," Dr. Spotter said, heading for the wet bar in a
corner of the sitting room.

Saba shook her head and followed her mother. "Another junkie, mom?" she
whispered, but my ears easily heard her contemptuous words.

The doc ignored her and brought me a glass of ice water.

"Thanks," I said, taking it and draining it in a single gulp. I felt like I
was burning up, like my flesh was on fire, so I took the ice cubes from the
empty glass and rubbed one on my forehead and the other on my chest. But it
did no good. I still felt as if I could burst into flames.

I don't understand this. It reminds me of the first time I became a werewolf,
but even more intense. But the full moon is still nearly two weeks away. Even
if this is the beginning symptoms of a transformation, it shouldn't--It can't
be happening now!

But it is.

"I've gotta get going, mom. If she gets any worse, take her to the clinic,"
Saba said, scowling at me.

"Take care, dear," the doc said, kissing her daughter's cheek and then wiping
away the lipstick with a moistened finger.

Saba paused at the door and said, "What? No goodbye kiss or admonitions of
safety from you, Simone?"

"Bite me," replied the actress with a frosty smile.

"Been there, done that, and I've got the rabies vaccination scar to prove it,"
she replied with a sneer.

"Oooh, that was good. Mind if I use that in my next film?" Simone said, the
dark chasm dripping off her words like rain off a gabled roof. Saba flipped
her middle finger up and walked out. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

"What's the matter, Lupe?" the doc asked, noticing that I'd begun shaking
uncontrollably.

"I think I'd better lie down, and then I've got something to tell you
both...for your own safety," I said softly as I stretched out on the lumpy,
uncomfortable sofa. I started at the beginning, relating my encounter with
Rolph Stark and our short time together. And then briefly mentioned my travels
before meeting Ophelia and joining her in the sewers of Paris until she was
destroyed by Jessica. I told them about how Jessica had become infected and
ultimately cured herself using my blood, as the legends all stated must be
done. And then I finished by explaining how Jessica had tried to cure me using
the blood of Rolph's son, since his own blood was unavailable. "I fear that
the would-be cure will turn out to be worse than the curse itself," I sighed,
seeing the shocked disbelief in Simone's eyes and the sorrowful empathy in the
doctor's.

"Don't you worry, Lupe. We'll get through this. Just you wait and see," Dr.
Slapper said, taking my hands in hers. "I won't let you do anything you might
regret."

"Like kill us? Hello? Earth to Cassandra. Didn't you hear what she said about
turning into a wolf and ripping us to pieces?" Simone demanded. "Don't you
think we should at least tie her up or something before it gets dark outside?"

The doc started to object, but I said quickly, "She's right. I must be locked
up or bound with silver for your safety as well as my own. Do you have any
wolf's bane?"

Dr. Twitter shook her head.

"Gee, maybe I should just run down to the local market and pick some up, huh?"
Simone said mockingly.

"I've got a pair of handcuffs upstairs. Silver plated. They're on a plaque
Saba got for being Rookie of the Year," the doc said.

"You can't..." I started.

"It's just a thing, Lupe. You're people. I'll be right back. Keep an eye on
her, Simone, and yell if she starts to get furry," the doctor chuckled,
exiting the room.

"Oh, sure, make jokes. You only got your throat ripped open. Me, I got my
heart eaten!" Simone retorted. "In two bites!"

"Do you hate Lupe now?" I asked, doing my best to fight the urge to strip off
my clothes and run naked through the countryside.

Simone looked at me, but the earlier affection I'd seen in her eyes was gone,
replaced by something very close to all-out panic. "I don't hate you, Lupe.
It's just that...I'm an actress. My job is to bring fantasy to life. On the
big screen, working with a script. But this doesn't have a script, sweetie,
it's real, even though it seems more unreal than a lot of things I've done in
the movies," she added, tentatively reaching out and laying her hand on my
shoulder. "Genetic experiments, secret government agencies, werewolves, and
the undead...the knowledge that these actually exist, and aren't just the
fanciful creations of some no-talent hacks, is a lot for me to take in all at
once. Give me a little time, okay?" She smiled then and a bit of the warmth
came back into her eyes as she bent over and kissed my feverish brow.

I nodded and smiled back.

Simone suddenly began backing away from me, the terror plain in her face.
"Cassie!" she screamed. "Hurry up with those cuffs, darling!"

"What is it?" I asked. My voice was much deeper than it normally was, and had
a definite growly quality to it.

"Oh my..." Cassandra entered the room and froze.

"Put the cuffs on her, Cassie, before it's too late," Simone urged from the
other side of the room.

Dr. Blotter regained her composure and approached me, holding the silver cuffs
out and clicking them open. I sat up and held my hands out, noticing how furry
they were but not being willing to believe it. "I don't understand. This isn't
the full moon. How can this be happening to Lupe?" I questioned.

The doc snapped the cuffs on and shook her head. "I don't know, Lupe, but
we'll find out...somehow."

"You'd better put them on tighter," I warned, feeling far too much play
between the metal and my flesh. "The silver has to be in contact for it to
weaken me." She scowled slightly and then adjusted them so that they pinched
painfully into my wrists. I could feel the strength flowing from my arms,
draining away and being somehow absorbed into the silver, but the rest of my
body was still bursting with energy and the longing to run free was becoming
too powerful to resist. "You're going to have to confine me somewhere. Does
this place have a cellar or basement?"

"I'm afraid not. The only place I can think of to lock you in is the
bathroom." She suddenly brightened. "And that might be perfect, since I've
just remembered that I had the fixtures all done in silver, including the
doorknob. And, I can lock you in from the outside."

"Is there a window?" I asked, climbing to my feet and noticing how odd it felt
to be on two legs.

"Yes, but it's far too small for you to get through. Plus, it has bars. Do you
think it will do?" she asked, concern showing plainly on her face.

"It will have to...for now," I growled, even though I didn't mean to.

The doc led me upstairs and Simone followed, keeping well back, however, until
I was actually in the small room.

"I'm sorry..." I began in that harsh voice I didn't recognize. Then, words
failing me, I sat down on the throw rug and curled up.

"Oh, my Goddess!" Simone exclaimed. "She...she has a...TAIL!"

Dr. Nutter quickly closed the door. "We'll check on you throughout the night.
Hopefully, you'll be better by morning, dear," she called.

I tried to reply, but the only sound I could make was a barking snarl.

This was bad. Lupe had not transformed so completely into a wolf for almost a
hundred years. But the evidence of my eyes was indigestible: I was a wolf. Not
the half-wolf form I normally had during the three days of the transformation,
but a full-blown wolf.

And then, I felt my mind changing, too. My reason and intelligence were
dropping away, leaving me with only the instincts of a wild beast, and no
recollection of my human self, and wanting more than anything else to hunt and
kill something to satisfy this primetime hunger I felt consuming me...

=*=

The wolf growled deep in her throat and snapped at the strange thing binding
her forepaws together. When her teeth clacked against the metal, however, it
not only startled her, but left her with an odd feeling in her mouth. One she
didn't like. She looked around at her surroundings, not liking them either,
and stood up. The first thing she did was use her teeth to tear the strange
rags from her chest and hindquarters, hating the stench of human on them.
Then, using both her front legs as if they were one, she hobbled over to the
large, empty pool beneath an opening in this strange cavern, through which she
could just barely see the comforting stars shining in the inky sky.

Longing to be running free beneath them more than anything she'd ever wanted
before, she threw back her head and howled. It was a long, mournful cry, one
that gave voice to all the confusion and anger she felt, as well as the
yearning to be free of this horrible place and of this accursed device on her
front legs.

She cocked her head, hearing answering cries, but then snorted and turned from
the opening. They were not the replies of her kind, but of the shunned little
ones who made their homes with humans, and were now no more considered of the
pack than the deer or rabbit. She would kill and eat them if she encountered
them with no more thought than she would gulp down a field mouse.

Disgusted, she walked towards the portal that the humans had sealed. She
sniffed it at the base, where it didn't quite come in contact with the ground,
and smelled the unmistakable scent of her captors. Her growls increased in
volume, even as they lowered in pitch, and she tried to scrape at the tiny
crack with her front claws in an effort to widen it enough to allow her to
squeeze through.

But with the maddening thing on her legs, she was unable to do so.

Once more, she bit at the offending metal, only to feel that strange numbing
in her mouth again, causing her to stop.

She then curled up on the small rug and began to softly whine as she wrapped
her tail around her and stared at the sealed opening, willing it to open.

=*=

...I opened my eyes and squinted in the bright light coming through the small
window. Morning. I looked down at my wrists and frowned. There was blood all
over the handcuffs, but I could see no wounds on my wrists and felt no pain in
any other part of my body. I carefully stood up and examined myself in the
large mirror above the sink.

I was me again. And there were no wounds anywhere on me that I could see. The
bathroom, on the other hand, was a real mess. I had torn up everything I could
and pissed and shat several times. The clothes that Simone had given me were
also shredded to bits and had obviously been urinated on, too.

"Lupe? Are you all right?" It was the doctor. She sounded frightened and Lupe
could hardly blame her. I was scared, too.

"Si, doctor, I am fine. And I'm back to being Lupe...for the time bean," I
added.

The door opened and Dr. Rotter cautiously peered in. Upon seeing me, however,
she rushed in and embraced me in a relieved hug. "Oh, Lupe, I've been so
worried about you. I tried to call Jessica, but all I got was her voice-mail.
Well, I certainly didn't want to leave a message about this, so I just hung
up. I really don't know what to do."

"Neither do I, doctor," I replied, shrugging helplessly.

"Oh, dear! Where did that blood come from?" she asked, noticing the handcuffs
and my wrists.

"I'm not sure. I think it must be Lupe's, that I tried to bite my way out of
the cuffs, but because when I'm a werewolf, I heal almost instantly, I
couldn't do it."

"Thank the Goddess for that!" she sighed. And then she frowned very deeply,
wrinkling her face in concern. "Oh, my...I just realized that I don't have the
keys for those."

"I'm sure Saba does, unless they're some special kind made just for the
award," Simone offered, walking around the corner and trying not to look too
scared of me. "Of course, when she gets here and finds Lupe like this, I can
almost hear her blaming it all on me." She smiled, obviously pleased at that
thought.

"We'll have to get her cleaned up and dressed," the doc stated. "You'll have
to wear a bikini or a tube top, since we can't get a shirt over your arms with
the cuffs on."

"No problem. I've got a darling little French number I'd love to see her in,"
grinned Simone. "But first, I'd better help you get cleaned up." She entered
the bathroom and slipped out of her robe, revealing her naked body. "Why don't
you prepare breakfast and then call Saba, Cassie?"

The doctor chuckled and nodded and Simone closed the door.

She carefully stepped around the feces and puddles of urine and into the
bathtub--It was one of those old fashioned, free-standing ones, surrounded by
a cloth curtain to keep the water from the shower nozzle from getting all over
the floor. She turned on the faucet and let the water run across her fingers
until she was satisfied with the temperature.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, smiling at me.

I climbed into the tub with her and she turned the handle that caused the
water to come out of the shower head. I stepped beneath the warm water and let
it cascade all over my body, washing away the dirt and filth. I stepped back,
out from under the water, and Simone grabbed a bottle of shampoo and poured a
generous amount into my hands. It was awkward for Lupe to wash her hair with
the handcuffs on, but I did my best. Then, Simone stepped close and lowered my
arms around her, trapping her next to me, and proceeded to wash my hair for
me.

"I thought..." I began, but she held a soapy finger to my lips and shook her
head.

She then reached back and picked up a bar of soap and began to thoroughly
scrub my body while still confined within my arms. She took her time, paying
special attention to my breasts, which she lovingly washed until the nipples
were rock hard from all her attention. Finishing with the washing, she backed
up until we were directly under the water again and helped to wash all the
soap away. All of the soap.

I had my head leaned back and was allowing the water to rinse my hair, when I
suddenly felt her fingers down in my love nest. At first I thought she was
being amazingly thorough, but when the movements of her digits became
increasingly erotic, I knew that wasn't the case. When she began sucking on my
tits, though, that was the real clinker for Lupe.

I tilted my head up and her mouth suddenly covered mine as her fingers
continued to pleasure me. Meanwhile, both of my hands, which were still locked
behind her back, started to caress her ass, rubbing and grabbing it until she
squealed with delight.

Then, she pulled away from my mouth and slowly slid down my body, stopping
briefly to tease both of my nipples and to send her long, skillful tongue
inside my navel, before arriving at my aroused, open pussy. She dove down into
my muff, her tongue probing the inner recesses of my vagina as her fingers
expertly brought my clitoris to quivering ecstasy. I leaned forward, placing
my hands against the wall of the bathroom for support as I spread my legs
wide, bracing them against the sides of the tub, and she sent her amazing
tongue even deeper into me.

When I finally exploded, it was incredible.

It felt like millions of tiny bombs had gone off inside me, each more
pleasurable than the last, until there was nothing left to blow up. I was
completely and utterly spent and feeling like I never had before. The only
time I've ever come close was with Jessica, but even she did not bring Lupe to
the heights of passion that Simone had.

When Simone raised her head and smiled at me, batting her eyes playfully, I
slowly sat down in the tub, allowing the water to cover me. She gleefully
climbed on top of me, scooting beneath my bound arms, and her mouth, still
smelling like my flower of love, found my own again and I thrilled to the
combined taste of her and I mingling together.

* * * * *

"Saba will be here shortly. I didn't even try to explain what's going on to
her, and I think it best if we just let her assume that you two were using the
handcuffs as sex toys," Dr. Whipper said as she set plates of food in front of
Simone and I. "My daughter is a good girl, always has been, and her sense of
duty, and the fact the she tends to worry too much about me, might force her
to take actions that would be, shall we say, unfortunate to say the least for
Lupe if she learned the truth."

Simone and I nodded and proceeded to eat the delicious breakfast the doctor
had prepared. It seemed to me that she was enjoying having someone to look
after again, the way she fussed over me, but I didn't mind. It had been far
too long since Lupe had been pampered and I took full advantage of her
attentions.

"Doctor, I have been meaning to ask you something," I began as we adjourned to
the living room to await Saba's arrival.

"Yes?"

"Jessica told me that you wrote detective thrillers and that you considered
yourself a private dick, but from what Lupe has been able to gather, you are
much more enameled with the English detectives like Surplus Homes, Miss
Marbles, and Hercules Parrot. Was Jessica wrong?"

"My dear, Jessica and I haven't seen each other for years, and we don't talk
nearly as much as we should, or would like to. But she was telling the truth,
so far as she knew. The thing of it is, about three years ago I got bored with
the whole idea of American PI's, with their overt gunplay and fisticuffs.
American detectives don't so much solve mysteries as simply beat the truth out
of suspects until they find the right one. Then they kill them more often than
not. Oh, I must admit that the novels I wrote featuring the hard-loving,
tougher than nails Nick Spanner made me a lot of money, but they left me empty
inside. I felt as though I was selling out by catering to the greed and
violence our American culture seems to demand. So, I stopped. Got rid of all
my Nick Spanner memorabilia and totally redecorated my home to reflect my new
passion: English murder mysteries; the classic drawing room detectives of last
century by Dame Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and their less
successful imitators. I began writing the adventures of Madeline Rawlins and
Gaston LeFleur--Which made my agent and publisher absolutely furious! So, I
fired them and got a new agent and a publisher in England. I'm not about to
suggest that my new works are anywhere near as popular or as profitable as my
older ones, but they're far more interesting and personally satisfying. And,
damn it, I've finally reached the age where I can afford to be a bit selfish."
She smiled and then, hearing the sound of a car in the drive, got up to answer
the door.

Saba entered, pecked her mother on the cheek and then stalked over to where
Simone and I were sitting next to each other on the large, overstuffed sofa.
"Hold out your hands," she snarled. When I did so, she pulled a key from the
pocket of her uniform and proceeded to unlock the cuffs as she glared at
Simone. "I can't believe you'd vandalize one of my awards for your sick sex
games..."

"It's all right, darling, I can fix it easy enough. But, just in case, perhaps
you'd be good enough to leave a set of keys?" the doctor suggested quietly.

The cuffs snapped open and I began to gratefully rub my chafed wrists. "Thank
you, senorita," I said. Saba merely scowled and handed the keys to her mother.

"What are you going to do with her, mom? Use her in your club?" the
policewoman asked.

Simone and I both looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.

"I hadn't even thought of that, but now that you mention it, that's a very
good idea. Thank you, dear," the doc said.

"Why don't you sell that thing? It's so embarrassing to have your own mother
run my male associates' favorite hangout."

"I'm sorry about that, Saba, but right now the money from the club is the only
real income I've got. Sales overseas aren't going all that well, I'm afraid."

"You're a great writer, mom, don't worry, the new stuff will sell. I've read
it; it's good." Saba leaned in and hugged her mother tightly. "Stay out of
trouble."

"You do the same."

Saba nodded and then, after glaring at Simone and I one final time, walked out
the door, got into her car, and drove away.

"Club?" Simone and I asked at the same time.

Dr. Zipper sighed and gently shook her head. "I suppose you would have found
out eventually..."

"Mortal Fembat?" questioned Simone as we pulled up to the club in her Porsche.
The building itself wasn't large, but the neon sign depicting two obviously
female silhouettes boxing was enormous. The club was set back from the street,
with the parking lot in the front, wedged against an appliance store on its
right and with an alley separating it from the independent deli on its left.
It was rather plain in appearance, with no windows and no markings on the dark
blue exterior other than handbills proclaiming upcoming events and local
happenings.

"I didn't name it," Dr. Gipper said quickly. "I bought it when I was still
doing the Nick Spanner stories, as a way to sort of help me imagine the kind
of world he lived in. I must say that I'm rather proud of it, though; it was
practically bankrupt when I bought it--The old owner had used it primarily to
hold private mud wrestling competitions and they just didn't pay his bills. I
changed the format to straight wrestling/combat and made the mud wrestling and
other gimmick bouts special occasions. I also changed it from a topless bar
into one where the performers were the only ones who didn't have tops on. That
cut down on the abuse suffered by the waitresses and increased the patrons'
desire to see the shows."

"Smart thinking, Cassie," Simone nodded. "I'd no idea you were so business
savvy."

"Come on in and I'll show you around and introduce you to Odina, my manager,"
she said, climbing out of the car.

If the outside of the club was plain as a brown paper bag, the inside more
than made up for it. There were neon lights everywhere and I could only
imagine what they would look like when they were on and flashing. The inside
was dominated by a standard 20' x 20' boxing/wrestling ring with red, white,
and blue ropes; the tables were arranged so that they surrounded the ring on
three sides, affording everyone a relatively clear view of the action. The bar
was set against the back wall, keeping it well out of the way, and also
providing a barrier to prevent patrons from easily accessing the dressing
room, the door of which was next to it. There was a clear path from it to the
ring.

We were greeted by a solidly built Native American woman who was introduced to
us simply as "Odina."

"She really runs the place. My job is to stay out of her way as much as
possible," Dr. Fodder said with a smile.

"And you've been much too good at it lately. We miss you coming in and
checking up on us, Cassandra," the other woman replied, smiling gently.

"So, how does this place work?" Simone asked.

"Odina..." The doc looked to the larger woman.

"I'm not sure what Cass has told you, but let me just say that we have a
stable of nearly a dozen regular women--Most of them are wannabe actresses or
beginning stunt women, but a few of them have more traditional day jobs and
just do this to make some extra money. The matches aren't fixed and there are
no refs, no rules, and no time-limits--Although the average is usually fifteen
to twenty minutes. We did have one monster that went nearly an hour before one
woman finally surrendered out of sheer exhaustion, though. The women are
skilled in various sports, from wrestling to boxing to karate, kickboxing, and
other martial arts, but they're not really trying to hurt each other, just put
on a good show. Still, sometimes the heat of the competition gets to one or
both and then we get a real fight going. Not pretty, but the customers seem to
love those best of all," Odina remarked, shaking her head sadly.

"Tell them about your babies, the Grudge Matches," the doc prompted.

The Indian smiled. "Well, every once in a while, we'll have a special night
where regular folks are invited to come in and use the ring to settle personal
disputes with one another. Those really bring in the customers and are usually
SRO events. The other innovation I introduced was the Five Minute Match. Not
that the match lasts just five minutes, it's a standard match between our
regulars, but the winner gets five minutes to do whatever she wants to the
loser when the match is done. It can be anything. We've had spankings,
face-sittings, pony rides, foot licking, you name it. The crowd loves those,
too," she said proudly.

"Pretty impressive," nodded Simone, glancing at the pictures of the regulars
that were posted around the club.

"What were you thinking I could do here, doctor?" I asked.

"Why, fight, of course, Lupe. You're a natural from what Jessica told me.
Don't you think the locals would love to see her in the ring, Odina? Not to
mention our regulars; they'd really enjoy testing her mettle."

Odina nodded. "She's certainly got the build for it. And you say she knows how
to fight? What style do you use, Lupe?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I just fight, senorita. I don't have any style."

"Oh, my dear Lupe, if there's one thing you've plenty of, it's style, darling.
You're just lacking in fashion sense," Simone said with a grin, playfully
pinching my butt.

"What about you, doll?" said Odina to the actress. "You could almost pass for
that Stallion dame, except you're in better shape than she is. What do you
say? Wanna mix it up with our ladies and maybe make some money?"

Dr. Mopper started to correct the Indian, but Simone said quickly, "I'd love
to. But not with them. With you."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm waaay out of your league. Why don't I set you-"

"What's the matter? Afraid you've been running the books for so long you've
lost your competitive edge?" Simone taunted, locking eyes with the larger
woman.

"Fine. Let's go. Just remember I tried to talk you out of it," Odina said,
peeling off her shirt as she headed for the ring.

Simone followed, likewise discarding her top before climbing into the ring.
Both women then shed their pants and all they were left wearing was a bra and
panties. Odina was obviously the more muscular of the two, with arms and legs
that bulged with cords of strength in particular, but Simone was far from out
of shape. Still, I thought she was doomed, especially if she managed to get
caught in those powerful thighs.

"I'm essentially a brawler, but I know enough wrestling moves to keep it from
being an all-out streetfight. What about you?" asked the Indian.

"I'm more of a classically trained martial artist, but I can wrestle with the
best of them. I'll stick to that if you're afraid-"

"Use whatever moves you want. You're not going to touch me with any of them
anyway. Just try not to start crying when I'm squeezing out your submission,"
Odina said with a feral smirk.

Simone just narrowed her eyes and half-smiled.

"Whenever you're ready..." the Indian said, approaching the center of the
ring, her hands held up in a fashion that was both offensive and defensive.

"Who do you think will win?" I asked the doc as Simone sized up her opponent.

"Hard to say...Odina was the best a few years ago, but she hasn't been in the
ring for over two years that I know of. Simone, on the other hand, keeps in
excellent shape and does all of her own fight scenes; she wasn't joking about
being skilled in the martial arts," the doctor replied.

I tried to hide my surprise and turned my attention to the ring.

Odina came at Simone, trying to trap the smaller woman in a bear hug, but
Simone slipped beneath the outstretched arms and then leveled a spinning kick
to the small of Odina's back. The big Indian lurched forward, grunting in a
mixture of surprise and pain, and turned to find Simone casually leaning
against a turnbuckle, grinning.

"There's lots more where that came from," she said quietly.

Odina roared in frustration and charged, her arms extended to keep Simone from
getting past her again. But the wily actress dove between the rushing giant's
legs and then jumped up and drop kicked her between the shoulder blades. Odina
was thrust forward and crashed into the corner. Simone spun her around, looped
both arms around her neck, jumped up and buried both feet in her chest and
then leaned backward, landing on her back and using the Indian's own momentum
to catapult her across the ring.

She landed on her stomach and Simone quickly sprang onto her back and wrapped
both hands beneath Odina's chin, braced her feet in her armpits, and pulled
back. "Give up?" she asked, straining against the knotted cords of muscle that
sprang up in high relief on the Indian's neck.

In reply, Odina reached up and grabbed Simone by the head and jerked down,
slamming her face-first into the mat and causing her to release her hold. But
Simone rolled away before the Indian could clamp her thighs around her middle
and jumped up, shaking her finger accusingly.

"That was close," I whispered to the doc.

"Yes, but I doubt if she'll be able to avoid those legs forever," the doctor
replied quietly.

Suddenly, my mind is filled with another nightmarish vision and I see myself
as the wolf once more, springing into the ring, bloody foam dripping from my
jaws. Before Odina can react I have leapt on her and ripped her back open with
my powerful jaws. Then, as she lays feebly struggling while her life drains
away, soaking the mat, I reach down and clamp my teeth around her spinal
column and tear it out, shaking it like a rag doll and then tossing it aside.
Simone tries to escape me, but I snatch her by an ankle and bring her down
before she can reach the ropes. She looks up at me with eyes filled with
terror and tears and I grin wolfishly at her in reply before ripping out her
heart and devouring it in two quick bites. I glance around and spot the
doctor...

"Are you all right, Lupe?" the doc asks. "You're sweating like crazy. And I
don't think it's for the reason you should be." She winked at me and smiled.

"Another vision, my friend. Worse than the last, but similar in many ways,
too." I scowled and shook my head. "I'm all right now."

Meanwhile, the two combatants had apparently battled to the point where they
had taken another short break in the action.

"You're good," Odina said, breathing a little heavier than normal as she stood
up. "Are you a stunt woman?"

"Sometimes," Simone replied with an enigmatic smile.

"Care to test your strength?" Odina asked, holding her hands up, fingers
splayed.

"Lock up with you? Do you think I'm nuts?" Simone laughed.

"Now who's afraid?" Odina taunted, waggling her fingers.

Simone frowned and then stepped forward and cautiously placed her palm against
that of the Indian. She slowly interlocked her fingers with those of Odina and
braced her feet as her other hand did the same thing.

"Sucker," grinned Odina, the muscles on her forearms and shoulders bulging as
she slowly bent Simone's hands backwards, forcing the smaller woman to one
knee.

Then, much to my surprise, as well as Odina's and the doctor's, Simone's hands
gradually righted themselves and she stood back up. I gasped as the muscles on
her back bulged in a rippling display of raw power and she and Odina stood
chest to chest, their excited nipples practically poking through the light
fabric of their bras as they strained against each other. Both women were
covered with a fine sheen of glistening sweat but their faces were masks of
serenity as they locked eyes with each other.

"Fantastico!" I exclaimed, rising to my feet to get a better view.

But Simone could not so much as force the hands of the Indian backwards, and
soon her own were bent as before and she was down on both knees this time,
with her arms bent back at the elbows, too.

Now Odina smiled. "Give up?" she asked.

This time it was Simone who replied with an unexpected action as she flipped
around, tucking her head down and then kicking out with both feet and catching
the Indian solidly in her chest and knocking her to her back.

Odina sat up and rubbed her tender breasts just as Simone sprang at her. She
quickly leaned backwards and opened her legs and the actress found herself
trapped in the steel grip of those incredible thighs as they closed on her
slender waist. "Now you're through," the Indian stated, locking her ankles and
flexing until her toes curled as she leaned back on her elbows.

Simone, who was on her knees and facing Odina, reached up towards the Indian's
head, seemingly trying to grab her hair, but the larger woman quickly grabbed
both hands and held them tightly, pivoting on her lower back for support as
her legs continued their pythonesque torture. But Simone surprised all of us
by using the Indian's grip to lever herself to the point where she could get
her feet firmly beneath her. Then, she really shocked us by actually standing
up!

Odina desperately squeezed as hard as she could, but it was Simone's legs who
were trembling with power as she supported the larger woman's entire weight.
Still holding tightly to Odina's hands, she raised her arms and then slammed
the Indian's upper back to the mat several times, each time higher and harder
than the last, until the legs around her waist loosened enough for her to
apply a devastating finishing move.

After slamming Odina to the mat one final time, she let go of her hands and
then pried the legs from her torso and folded them over until the Indian's
head was between her own calves. Simone then slid backward down her thighs
until she was sitting on Odina's ankles and gave the tight, round ass a good
swat. "Give up?" she asked, pressing her knees tightly against Odina's,
further immobilizing the big Indian. When her only response was increased
struggling, Simone gave her rear another swat, harder than the last. "I asked
if you give up."

"All right. You win. I give," Odina said sulkily. "Now get off of me!"

Simone laughed and then stood up and rolled Odina over onto her back and
placed one foot on the Indian's heaving chest and raised her hands in victory
as the doc and I burst into wild applause.

She then held her hand down and helped Odina to her feet. "Great work out,"
Simone smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"You want a job...What's your name, anyway?" the Indian asked as they climbed
from the ring.

"Simone Stallion. And thanks, but I already have a job," she grinned, turning
to embrace me.

"As Nick Spanner might say, 'You've been rooked, babe,'" the doctor laughed,
hugging the slack-jawed Indian.

"What about you, Lupe? You want a job?" she asked me. Simone and the doctor
looked at me apprehendingly.

After I promised Odina that I would consider her offer, Simone, Dr. Zipper,
and I left the club and grabbed some lunch before heading to the studio where
Simone's latest film was in post-reduction and they apparently need her to
come in and do some voice-over work.

We pulled into the studio lot and Simone's car was quickly waved through the
gate by a guard who smiled familiarly and nodded as she drove by his little
booth. "This won't take long," she promised, parking next to a building marked
"EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION." We got out of her car and entered the building.
The doctor was obviously familiar with this place as she practically raced
ahead of Simone to the ladies' room while I followed meekly behind, awed by
the pictures of famous movie stars that lined the hallway. As Simone entered a
small room with a microphone and a monitor, I continued to gaze at the photos.

Suddenly, my keen ears picked up the muffled sound of Simone crying out and I
burst through the door, ready to protect her from whatever had startled her.
The man sitting next to her glared at me, looked over at the smashed door, and
then glared at me again.

"Friend of yours, Monie?" he asked, plainly disgusted.

"A good friend, Vince. And a very protective one. I'll be right back," she
said, standing up and leading me back out into the hallway.

"I thought you were-" I began sheepishly.

"I know, Lupe, and I appreciate the thought, but it's just some voice work,
nothing to get alarmed over. So, for the next few minutes, try to ignore the
screams, gasps, and grunts I'm making. Or, better still, remember them and
compare them with the real ones I'll make with you once we get back to
Cassie's," she added with a delicious grin and a pinch to my ass before
returning to the little room.

"Are you all right, Lupe?" the doc asked, walking up and looking at me oddly.
"Your face is all red...are you blushing?"

I just smiled and shrugged.

"Well, I guess I'm not quite as through as I thought I was," Simone announced
upon exiting the small room. "It turns out that the footage from one of the
fights is unacceptable--Bad lighting, over-exposed film, I don't know--so I
have to do it over tomorrow. Fortunately, it's just me against three masked
ninja babes, with none of the other actors involved, so it isn't a major pain.
I know that Brad Campbell, the guy who plays my partner/love interest in this
one, is already working on another film, and so are Wesley Mallone and Desiree
DuChamps, who play the villains."

"And what will your next project be?" I asked as we made our way back to the
parking lot.

There was a definite auckland silence and Simone and the doc exchanged quick
glances before the actress said, "I haven't decided yet."

Not sure what I'd done wrong, I only managed to further muck things up by
suggesting that we pay a visit to Simone's agent and see what she had to say
about the death threats. It was clear to Lupe that neither the doctor nor
Simone was thrilled with the idea, but they reluctantly agreed that it would
be a good idea to get Lili's take. "Besides," Simone added as her Porsche tore
out of the studio lot, "I gave all the letters to her for safekeeping."

We pulled up in front of a building that seemed to be constructed entirely of
glass and piled out of the small car. Lupe had never seen such a building
before and I was awed by the sheer audacity of people to create such a thing.
It was beautiful, but in a vulgar, doomed sort of way, like a flamboyantly
feathered bird who is only able to attract predators, instead of mates. It
quite frankly gave me the creeps the way the sun's rays seemed to be magnified
in the glass facade, reflecting back and burning the sun itself with their
intensity.

Plus, there was something familiar about the feeling it gave me...

Lilith Kahira, Simone's agent, was on the top floor. In fact, it turned out
that Ms. Kahira owned the entire building and that she had her fingers in much
more than just actor representation. She had a veritable empire of diverse
interests according to the office directory and list of her holdings. Simone
spoke briefly with one of the pretty receptionists in the main floor lobby and
then we all rode one of the elevators up to the top floor, which was occupied
solely by Lili's personal offices. Another attractive receptionist buzzed us
in to Ms. Kahira's sanctum scrotum and I looked around me in open-mouthed
astonishment at the splendor of her working space.

It was enormous for one thing, with a black marble floor and fluted white
columns with lilies decorating their crowns. The walls were covered with
classic Egyptian styled mosaics and a fine collection of artifacts from that
same part of the world were displayed in several well-lit cases. But what
attracted my attention more than the rest was a pair of very authentic-looking
esophagi, standing on either side of a set of double doors with golden
handles. My keen sense of smell could detect the stench of death coming from
them and I made sure to stick close to Simone the entire time we were in that
office.

Lili herself was seated behind an elaborate desk that had several computer
monitors mounted right into it. The wall behind the desk was nothing but
full-length windows, providing a magnificent view of the setting sun as it
sank into the Pacific Ocean. It was impossible to guess her age, since she had
a sort of timeless beauty about her. It was obvious that her fascination with
Egyptian artifacts stemmed from the fact that she herself was of that
ethnicity, with dark eyes and a swarthy, but silky smooth, complexion. She
looked up from her screens and smiled and then stood up to shake our hands and
I saw that she was of slight build, but with the prominent hips common to
women of the Middle East. Her chest was adequate, but not as big as Simone's,
and her breasts tended to lie flatly instead of standing up like my own more
rounded ones.

"I heard about the film screw-up, darling, and you have my deepest sympathies.
I know how much you loathe doing those fight sequences, especially when your
opponents are nubile young women," Lili added with a knowing wink.

"Yeah, I'll just have to make the best of it," Simone said with a laugh.

"Hello, Cassandra. Looking lovely as ever, I see. It's obvious that I'm not
the only one who's found the secret of eternal youth," she chuckled.

"A pleasure to see you again, Lili. The years have certainly been kind to both
of us, but more so to you, I'm afraid," Dr. Stutter said.

"Nonsense. Oh, and speaking of nubile young women, who's this?" she asked,
fixing me with eyes as cold as death itself.

"This is Lupe, Lili. She's a new friend of both of ours," Simone said quickly.

"Any friend of yours, darling... So what can I do for you today, Simone?
Changed your mind about that television project?" Lili asked.

"No, and I'm not going to. So you can tell those stuffed shirts at the network
to stop sending me promotional stuff because I am not doing their stupid show.
Ever. Got it?" Simone stated, and I could tell that she was upset, but I
wasn't sure if it was at the network or at Lili for bringing it up in front of
the doc and I.

"You're the star. If you didn't come in about the show, what did you come in
for?" she inquired, leaning back and making a steeple with her fingers. Her
dark eyes glinted cruelly as she looked at us through it.

"I wanted to show those death threats to Cassie, to see what she made of
them."

"Death threats? Oh, you mean those silly letters from an over zealous
admirer?"

"I would hardly refer to someone who threatened to skin me alive and make a
coat out of me an 'admirer,' Lil. Anyway, yeah, those are the ones."

"Sorry, darling, but I threw them away. They were nothing to get worked up
over. Just garbage from one of your more exuberant devotees."

"You threw them away?! I gave them to you for safekeeping!"

"Calm down, darling. It's no big deal. And, besides, I was afraid you might
take them to the police, even though I told you not to."

"Why shouldn't she take them to the police, Lili?" the doc asked.

"Well...I hate to say this, darling, but your last couple of Vanity Flair
pictures haven't exactly burned up the box office records, and I was afraid
that the police might think the letters were just some sort of publicity stunt
and arrest you, and maybe even me, if they thought I was in on it. Then, there
was the possibility that the press might get wind of you going to the cops
over some stupid fan letters and...well, darling, how would it look for
someone billed as 'America's Toughest Female Secret Agent' to be afraid of her
mail? They'd have a field day, darling, and you know it. I did us both a favor
by destroying them," Lili assured her.

Simone reluctantly agreed.

"Tell you what, Cassandra, why don't I pay you for your trouble--I know how
quickly expenses can mount up with Simone--and we'll just forget the whole
silly business, okay?" Lili offered, pulling out her checkbook.

"Thanks for the offer, Lili, but it wasn't any trouble and there's nothing to
pay for, so, while I appreciate the sentiment, you can keep your money," the
doc replied. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part, but I swear the
doc's eyes got kind of cold when she was offered the money, like she realized
on some sub-contractor level what I did about Lili: She was evil.

But even if she was, that didn't mean she was trying to kill Simone. Or that
anyone was trying to kill Simone. It might be just as Lili said, an over
jealous fan could have written the letters. Besides, letters don't mean
much--According to Jessica, the president and vice-president get hundreds
every week, but most are the ramblings of harmless idiots--and no one had
actually tried to kill Simone yet, which made what Lili said make even more
sense.

Simone and Lili discussed a few private matters while the doc and I looked
around at the artifacts--I did get a good look at the esophagi, but Lili was
watching me too closely to open one--and after some pointless small talk we
left and returned to the doctor's, eager to arrive before it got dark, just in
case I changed into a wolf again.

During dinner--We stopped and got some Chinese take-out on the way--I asked
Simone how long she had known Lili.

"She's been my agent for years, long before I became a star. You don't
actually think she's behind the letters, do you? What possible motive could
she have for sending me death threats only to destroy them and forbid me to
tell the police about them? It makes no sense," Simone replied with a shake of
her head.

"She is evil," I stated. "I do not know if she is the one who sent the letters
or not, but I do know that much."

"Of course she's evil; she's an agent," Simone chuckled. Then she noticed the
serious depressions on mine and the doc's faces. "You're not serious. You
can't be serious."

"I felt it, too, dear," the doctor said, nodding her head.

"You're both imagining things. She's a ruthless businesswoman, but she's
hardly evil, despite my joke about agents. She's always been very fair to me
and I'm not sure where my career would be today if it weren't for the way she
handled the messy divorces and other mini-scandals. I owe her a lot more than
money," Simone said, staring deeply into our eyes.

"Evil uses people, Simone, and then throws them aside when they've outlived
their usefulness. And you heard what she said about your waning box office
drawing power..." the doctor pointed out.

"My drawing power is not waning! People are just tired of the Vanity Flair
series, and who can blame them. The same old tired plots, just recycled with
new faces and slightly different stunts. I'm bored with the damn role. But
even so, that's no reason for Lili to want me dead; we both made a lot of
money off the last two pictures, even if they didn't set the critics or box
offices on fire."

The doctor looked over at me and the look on her face told me what I had
already guessed from the way my skin seemed to be burning.

"We'll have to continue this discussion in the morning," she said, pulling out
the silver handcuffs. She secured my wrists and then we made our way upstairs
to the bathroom and, after Simone gave me a long, deep kiss, they locked me
in.

=*=

The wolf snarled in frustration at finding herself back in the strange cavern
that reeked of humans and almost bit at the maddening bindings on her forelegs
before she recalled how unpleasant that had been the last time. She stood up
and once more surveyed her meager surroundings, practically choking on the
foul stench of humanity that permeated it. She got up on her hind paws and
balanced her bound forelegs on the hanging basin and looked at her reflection
in the strange pool on the wall of the cave. She cautiously sniffed the image
and then gingerly extended her tongue, only to pull back and yelp in surprise
when it brushed not against water, but something hard and cold, like ice.

She once again dropped to all fours and hobbled over to the larger basin, so
she could at least look out the opening at the sky. She raised her head and
howled a deep and mournful cry of longing and loneliness, but the only replies
she got were from the shunned ones. And they only served to remind how trapped
and alone she was.

Disgusted, she lay down on the strange round patch of oddly colored grass and,
whining in confusion, curled up and went to sleep. And dreamed of running with
the pack and hunting and mating and being out in the world, instead of in the
frustrating cave.

=*=

"I don't understand why I am transforming now, during the new moon. That has
never happened before. And with this charm," I explained the next morning
during breakfast, holding up the golden wolf's head that I always wore around
my neck, "the change shouldn't be so complete. Lupe doesn't even remember what
she did or thought as the wolf,"

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Lupe, don't you worry. While you and Simone
are at the studio this afternoon, I plan on researching your condition and
learning all I can about it," Dr. Blotter informed me.

"Lupe gets to go to the studio and see part of the movie being filmed?" I
questioned, unable to hide my enthusiasm. Simone nodded and I jumped up and
kissed her. "Oh, thank you, querida! I will be like the little mouse, quiet
and out of the way. You will not even know Lupe is there."

Both Simone and the doctor looked septical, but I just grinned and finished
eating.

When we arrived at the studio later that morning I wandered around while
Simone got into costume and had her make-up done. The set was a futuristic
take-off on a traditional Japanese pagoda, with a pair of stone dragons
guarding both sides of the stairs leading inside. Well, if it hadn't been
nothing but a facade, they would have lead inside. As it was, the "temple" was
sitting in front of an enormous blank green screen. Simone had informed me
that the scene they were filming would be blended with some location footage
to make it appear as if the fight was really taking place outside a temple in
the Japanese mountains.

As I was helping myself to some doughnuts and juice, Simone emerged from her
dressing room and everyone's attention was instantly drawn to her, including
my own. She was wearing a form fitting white body suit with French cut legs
and a thong back. The front of the suit was missing circles of material that
revealed nothing, but gave the impression that they did. She was wearing white
leather boots and gloves and had a red bandana encircling her forehead. She
looked absolutely stunning.

Then I noticed the three women who would be playing her opponents. They were
dressed in standard movie ninja attire: Black body suits and masks that
concealed every inch of their flesh. They were armed with swords, stars, and
nunchaku, but seemed far too slight to pose any real threat to Simone, or
Vanity Flair. Add to that the fact that their costumes, while tight, were
hardly sexy, especially given the thinness of the women and their slight
breasts, and Lupe now knew why the series wasn't making as much money as it
had in the good old days.

Simone approached the stunt women and spoke briefly with them before coming
over to me and shrugging her shoulders. "Now I've seen everything: Method
stunties. They're so in character they wouldn't say a word to me," she smiled.
"This shouldn't take long. We try to do it all in one take and then add
close-ups and reaction shots later, but since we already have those in the
can, all we have to do is the wide angle version again."

I looked at the three ninjas, not liking the odd way they had of moving, and
asked, "Do you know those women?"

"Oh, yeah, I've worked with them plenty of times, but it's strange, they seem
thinner than usual today," she remarked and then walked off when the director
called her to the set.

Once the performers were in place, he yelled, "Quiet! And...ACTION!"

The scene began when Simone reached the stairs and the three ninjas jumped
down from the roof of the temple, blocking her progress. Two drew their swords
while the third whipped a pair of nunchaku around her shoulders. Simone dodged
both sword swipes, but it was clear that the nunchaku struck her from the
little cloud of white powder that appeared near her chest--I was curious about
this and she later explained that she and the stunt people coated themselves
with baby powder so they would know when they hit each other, in order to
place their hits and make them soft enough to avoid doing any real damage.
When the three ninjas advanced, Simone sprang up and over them, pulling the
sword from the back of the third one as she did so. She spun around in mid-air
so that she landed facing her opponents and the two with swords charged and
engaged her blade-to-blade while the other removed her shurikens and prepared
to throw them. Simone expertly countered and parried the thrusts and slashes
of the ninjas, but I sensed that something was wrong from the desperate
expression on her face.

As I watched, unsure how much of what I was seeing was real, and how much was
written, the one with the throwing stars acted and Simone dropped her sword
when one of the deadly projectiles struck her in the arm. I looked over at the
director, but he was smiling, so I assumed that was in the script. Then, one
of the ninjas slashed at Simone. She missed, but her sword sliced the head off
one of the "stone" dragons.

Another horrific vision comes unbidden and I am the wolf, but larger and more
ferocious than ever before. I race across the sound stage and bite the head
off one of the ninjas before the others even know I'm there. When they do turn
to attack me, I ignore their weapons, which seem to have no effect on my hide,
and swat one with an oversized paw, knocking her into her partner. I pounce on
the downed pair and bite one completely in half at the waist and then rip the
arms and legs off the other as Simone watches in horror. Then, I turn to her,
blood from my kills dripping from my slavering jaws, and she picks up one of
the fallen ninja's swords and brandishes it at me in what she no doubt thinks
is a threatening gesture. I charge at her, impaling myself on the blade, and
feel it penetrate my heart, knowing it can't hurt me. Seeing she is doomed,
Simone drops to her knees and offers me her throat, but I'm not interested in
that. I plunge my snout into her chest and dig my canines into her flesh,
snapping her ribs and breastplate as if they were dried twigs, until I feel
the living, pulsing heart within her. I bite into it, feeling it deflate like
a punctured balloon as the blood spurts out of the holes from my fangs, and
then I rip it out and consume it in two quick bites. Raising my blood and gore
covered head from her grisly corpse, I look about for more victims...

"CUT! We need the dragons intact, love. They're clearly visible, and whole, in
later scenes," the director whined.

I shook my head at the director's voice, banishing the vision from my mind and
concentrating on the here and now.

The ninjas hadn't ceased their attack when the cameras stopped. If anything,
they had increased its intensity and Simone, whose arm was apparently really
hurt, found herself dodging the flashing blades and fighting back as best she
could without a weapon.

"I said cut, damn it! What's gotten into you people?" the director demanded.
Then, realizing that this wasn't going to stop, he yelled, "Keep those cameras
rolling! We might just be getting the last shots anyone will ever take of
Simone Stallion."

I charged into the all-too-real battle and tackled the nunchaku-wielding ninja
from behind, knocking her to the ground and causing her weapon to fly through
the air and into Simone's eager hand.

"Thanks," she smiled, snapping a wooden rod at her opponents. "I've got a
sneaking suspicion that these aren't the stunties I know."

"I guessed as much. Let's find out who they are," I replied, throwing myself
on top of the downed woman before she could rise and ripping the hood from her
head. I jumped back when the head proved to be that of a huge cobra, narrowly
avoiding the wicked looking fangs. "Madre Dios! They're not human."

"Definitely not the stunties I know," Simone nodded, cracking one of her foes
across the face with the nunchaku.

As the one I had unmasked leaped at me, the other sword-wielding one closed
with Simone, while the last tried to shake off the blow from the nunchaku. I
managed to avoid the fangs again--Wishing I'd left the damn mask on!--and
caught her around the throat. But she swung her legs around my middle and
began to squeeze my ribs painfully. I tried to choke her harder, but she
ignored it and continued to punish my waist. Finally, I was forced to release
her throat and use both hands in an attempt to pry her legs from my
mid-section. As soon as I did that, however, she immediately swung behind me
and slipped her arms beneath my own and applied a painful full-nelson. I felt
her fetid breath on the back of my neck and knew she was about to sink those
enormous, lethal fangs into me.

Then, as if things weren't bad enough, the other one with the sword got up and
rushed me.

I quickly spun around so that the blade first went through the body of my
assailant before reaching my own, killing her and resulting in a much less
serious wound for me. As soon as her dead body hit the ground, it became that
of a snake once more.

"What the Hell are these things?" Simone asked, continuing to keep her
opponent at bay with the nunchaku.

"A present from your agent," I replied, dodging the sword of the other.
"They're Minions of Apep, I ran into some when I was in Egypt near the turn of
the last century. Very nasty, my friend, and very deadly." I managed to kick
the sword from my foe's hand, but she just reached up and removed her hood and
then sprang at me.

I ducked beneath her and snagged her by the ankle as she flew overhead. I then
stood up and flipped her over my head and slammed her hard onto the ground.
Retaining my hold on her leg, I repeated this several times until she was
barely conscious. Then, I dragged her up the stairs and, taking hold of her
other ankle, swung her like a baseball bat against one of the pillars on the
outside of the temple.

I heard her spine snap and found myself holding the dead body of a cobra.

Meanwhile, Simone's opponent had managed to knock the nunchaku from her hand
and had likewise removed her own hood and sprang at the actress. As I turned
from the body of my foe, I watched in horror as she sank her fangs into
Simone's thigh. With a howl of rage, I leapt from the balcony of the temple
and landed hard on the thing's back. But she was quick and resilient and
immediately coiled herself around my body, both squeezing and immobilizing me.
Desperate to avoid those dripping fangs, I threw myself to the ground and
rolled around. As we struggled, I was able to loop her throat with one of my
arms and place the other between her legs, stretching her back sideways across
my own.

Now it was my turn to pour on the pressure.

I stood up, still holding her in place with her back held tightly against my
own, and tightened both grips until I felt her gasp and break in two. I
dropped the dead body of the snake and rushed over to where Simone lay with a
terrified look on her face.

"You must not panic, querida, it only makes the venom travel faster through
your body. Relax and slow your breathing and the beating of your heart and I
will suck out the poison," I told her, dropping to my knees and placing my
mouth against the nasty looking twin bite marks. First, I used my sharp
canines to increase the size of the entrance holes by making "X's" over them
and then I sucked as hard as I could, quickly spitting out the foul tasting
venom as soon as it filled my mouth.

"I thought this only worked in the movies." She laughed nervously as I
continued to withdraw the poison.

"Call for a doctor!" I yelled in between spitting and sucking. I continued to
work until I could taste only the saltiness of her pure blood and by that time
a doctor from the studio clinic had arrived.

"Are they dead?" asked one of the techs, peering at one of the snakes.

"I certainly hope so," I said, watching the doctor attend to Simone.

"We found the three stunt women in their dressing room, dead from snakebite by
the look of it," one of the security people reported to the director, but not
quietly enough to prevent Lupe from overhearing it.

"I need to get her to a hospital," the doctor announced. "And somebody bag
those snakes; I'll need them. You might just have saved her life, young lady."

"I did what I could. Now, it is up to you. Take good care of her, doctor," I
said. I then leaned over and kissed her on her forehead, noting how hot and
sweaty it was. "I will see you soon, beloved. Get well for Lupe."

"Where are you going?" Simone asked as they placed her onto a stretcher.

"To terminate your contract with Lili," I replied.

* * * * *

The pretty receptionist stood up when I exited the elevator and stalked
towards her boss' office. "Sit!" I snarled. She dropped into her chair with a
confused look on her attractive face. "Stay." I opened the doors and marched
in, only to find the office empty.

"How nice to see you again, Lupe."

I whirled to find the double doors between the two esophagi open, revealing a
swimming pool in the room beyond, and, in the pool, wearing nothing but an
ingratiating smile, was Lili.

"Care to join me for a swim? I find that nothing helps to relax me more than a
quick dip in the pool, darling."

"Shall I call for security, boss?" the receptionist asked over the intercom.

Lili swam over and pressed a button on a control panel on the rim of the pool.
"That won't be necessary, Pam. In fact, why don't you take the rest of the
afternoon off, darling. I'll see you tomorrow. There, now it's just you and I,
alone at last."

"That suits Lupe to a 'V'. Now, are you going to come out and fight me, or do
I have to come in and get you?" I growled, rubbing the knuckles of my right
hand into the palm of my left.

"Fight you? Darling, what have you and I got to fight about?" she asked,
climbing from the pool. She picked up two towels and casually began sponging
herself dry with one after wrapping the other around her head.

"You tried to kill Simone," I snapped.

"Tried? I take that to mean dear Monie is still alive, then, hmm?" I nodded.
"Pity. Still, I fail to see what that has to do with you and I. It's not like
I tried to have you killed, and, correct me if I'm wrong, but you just met
Simone a few days ago."

"No, you are right. But she is still Lupe's friend and you tried to kill her.
Now you and I will fight and, after I've taught you a lesson, you will cease
being Simone's manager and stay out of her life...or I will come back and kick
your ass again."

"In the first place, I can't believe you're naive enough to actually use a
phrase like 'teach you a lesson.' Where have you been for the past one hundred
years? Living in the sewers?" I bit back my reply. "In the second place, you
haven't kicked my ass yet, so don't go bragging about doing it in the future.
In fact, right now you haven't got much of a future, darling." She closed her
eyes and the two esophagi burst open and two vaguely human forms covered with
bandages lurched out and came at me.

I jumped back, completely leaping over one of the display cases, and the two
mummies shambled forward, smashing it with powerful blows from their
deceptively weak-looking arms.

"Ack! Watch the artifacts, you idiot!" Lili cried, slipping into a white silk
robe and watching from a safe distance.

"Good advice, senorita," I grinned, picking up a statue of Anubis and throwing
it at one of the monsters. The mummy was torn in two when the heavy statue
crashed into it, but to my horror, both halves kept coming after me.

"You can't kill them, Lupe, they're already dead," Lili laughed, sitting at
her desk and casually lighting a cigarette.

"I know about their kind, Senorita Kahira, more than you think. And I know how
to deal with them," I replied, grabbing a loose bandage from the whole one and
giving it a good yank, which sent the creature spinning like a top right into
another display case.

Lili ground her teeth in fury as more of her artifacts were scattered across
the tile floor.

I raced across the room and grabbed the lighter from her desk. "I promise to
give it right back," I grinned.

As the whole mummy explicated itself from the debris of the display case, I
lit the bandage I'd unwound on fire. It burned quickly, racing toward the
dried flesh of the monster and instantly engulfing it in flames. Feeling
something gnawing at my leg, I looked down and saw that the top half of the
other mummy had crawled over to me. I lit it on fire and then kicked it into
its other half and both of them went up in brilliant flames, too.

I walked back over to the desk and put the lighter back. "See? I told you I'd
return it. And now you have tried to kill me, so prepare to get your ass
kicked, senorita."

Lili grabbed the towel from her head and snapped it at my eyes. By the time
the stinging had stopped enough so that I could see again, she was gone. But
I'd clearly heard her bare feet scamper across the tile floor and through a
sliding door and since I hadn't heard the elevator, I knew she was still close
by. I guessed she must have a hidden room, or at least a door that led to the
stairs, somewhere in the office and I let my powerful nose guide me to it.

On the wall opposite the doors to the swimming pool I found a slight
depression that ran its entire height. Three feet over I found another one.
Without bothering to try to locate the switch that opened it, I stuck my
claw-like fingers into the wood and ripped it away. Beyond was a miniature
temple decorated with two lioness-headed statues, various wall paintings, and
a flaming altar. And standing before the small altar, chanting in the language
of the ancient pharaohs, was Lili.

"Sakhmet. I should have known. All the praying in the world won't save you
from the beating I'm going to give you, perra, so you might as well save your
breath."

"I am a High Priestess of the Awful Goddess, my deluded friend. You're the one
who should be praying."

Suddenly, the two statues reached down and grabbed me by the arms and picked
me completely off my feet. As Lili approached, they bent my arms up behind my
back painfully and then forced me to my knees.

"I told you to pray," she grinned malevolently, pulling a wicked dagger with a
curved blade from behind her back. She grabbed a handful of my long hair and
yanked back, exposing my bare throat. As she moved to place the knife against
it, I suddenly thrust my head forward, driving it deep into her gut.

She gasped and dropped the knife, and having lost her concentration, the
statues likewise relaxed their grip on my arms. I pulled them free and knocked
Lili to her back with a powerful uppercut. Before she could get to her feet,
or clear her head enough to bring her statues back into play, I hauled her to
her feet by the front of her robe and slapped her hard across the face with my
other hand, snapping her head back and forth with each blow until a small
trickle of blood ran from her slack mouth.

She weakly held up her hands in a silent plea for me to stop and I paused just
long enough to appreciate her beauty before burying my fist in her tummy.

Lupe will let you in on something: I enjoy fighting with women almost as much
as making love to them. There is something about the feeling of my fist
connecting with their soft flesh that drives Lupe mad with both power and
passion. I love the way my hand sinks into the fatty tissue of a breast or the
slap of my hand against a rounded ass. I love the feeling of control when my
opponent, once proud and beautiful, is brought to her knees, begging for
mercy, only to have me finish her off by sitting on her face or by smothering
her with my magnificent tits. Then, when she lies unconscious beneath me, is
when it is most difficult for me to refrain from pleasuring myself.

To me, the joy of conquest is nature's greatest aphrodisiac, putting even the
so-called Spanish Fly to shame in terms of effectiveness.

(Is Lupe the only one feeling the need for a good fuck...or a cold shower if
you are not so lucky to have a partner available?)

Anyway, as Lili's legs gave out and she slumped against me, gasping for
breath, I lifted her back up, tightening my grip on her robe to the point
where it was practically strangling her, and landed a couple of solid blows to
each of her flat breasts. She grunted in pain and then nearly passed out. I
slapped her several times, sharp, stinging slaps to wake her up, and then
dragged her out into her office and, maintaining my hold on her robe, placed
my other hand between her legs, pleased by the moisture I detected there, and
lifted her up and tossed her over her desk.

She landed on the floor and slid into the base of the windows. I ran over,
grabbed a handful of her dark hair, hauled her to her feet, punched her in the
gut a couple of times, and then forced her to sit in her chair. I sat on the
desk and shook my head. "I don't understand why you want to kill Simone in the
first place. According to her, she's still making you money," I pointed out.

Lili looked up at me with eyes that still managed to burn with hatred, despite
how puffy and swollen they were. "Money isn't everything, darling. Besides,
I've more than enough from my other enterprises that I wouldn't miss the
pittance Simone is bringing in these days. Oh, once she was a big star and the
money I made, not only from the pictures themselves, but from all the products
they generated--Soundtracks, action figures, T-shirts, hats, lunchboxes, you
name it--was enough to make it worth all the trouble she brought with her. And
I mean trouble with a capital 'T'. The divorces were bad enough, but then
there was the drinking and drug abuse, not to mention the early porn films I
tried to suppress, and the whole breast implant fiasco... Frankly, darling, I
would have killed her years ago, but as you said, she was still making enough
money to keep me happy. But now that's no longer the case. The Vanity Flair
series should have been put out of its misery two pictures ago--Or at least
recast to give it a fresh edge--and she refuses to consider television jobs,
even though no one is banging down my door with movie offers. But more than
anything else, I hate her. I just plain hate her, Lupe. She's the ultimate
personification of the spoiled Hollywood starlet whom everyone looks out for,
cleans up after, and covers up for. In short, of everything that's wrong with
this damn town."

"I suppose the letters were a clumsy attempt to provide the police with a
reason for her murder, only it backfired when she took them too seriously and
called Dr. Trotter, no?" Lili nodded. "Well, darling, as of today, she is no
longer your concern. So, as soon as you have provided me with your signed
resignation as her agent, I will also be out of your life forever," I said,
staring into her dark eyes.

Suddenly, the light from the setting sun reflected through the glass of the
windows in front of me in such a way as to blind me and I heard Lili get up
from the chair and scamper away. But strangely, not very far. And, in fact,
she seemed to be heading toward the window, instead of toward the freedom of
the elevator lobby.

"Lupe, if you're as familiar with my Goddess as you claim, you should know
that her physical manifestation is the burning rays of the sun." She then
began to chant in Egyptian once more and, by the time I could see again, she
had been transformed into a snarling lioness.

I barely had time to throw up an arm in defense before she sprang at me, her
jaws closing on that arm. But as painful as that was, it would have been the
end of me if those teeth had buried themselves in my throat. She bit down
hard, drawing blood and breaking the bones, and I desperately fell forward,
driving my other fist into her belly as we hit the floor. She released my arm
but her foreclaws raked across my back and sides, drawing more blood. Since I
was more or less straddling her, her hind legs couldn't effectively be brought
into play, however, and I used my good arm to deliver repeated blows to her
gut in an effort to knock the wind out of her, while my broken arm did its
best to keep her jaws from my neck and face.

Tiring of my tummy assault, she growled deep in her throat and suddenly rolled
away from me and sprang away to catch her breath and regroup. I was more than
happy to let her do so, since I also needed to try to bandage my aching arm. I
ripped the shirt I was wearing off and fashioned it into a crude sling as the
lioness watched me from the other side of the room, licking the blood from her
face and forepaws. There was very little I could do about the deep cuts on my
back, so I ignored them and looked about for something I could use as a
weapon. I saw a spear in one of the statue's hands, but it was much closer to
Lili than me. Still, I had to try or she would simply wait until I had lost so
much blood I simply passed out and then finish me off at her leisure.

I grabbed the heavy lighter from the desk and hurled it at her like a
baseball, hitting her on the end of her nose and causing her to roar in anger
and pain. Then, I sprinted for the spear-wielding statue as fast as I could,
but not fast enough. She leaped at me as I reached for the spear, knocking me
aside as my fingers brushed against the metal shaft, preventing me from
grabbing it, and I felt her teeth sink into my left breast and it was my turn
to cry out in anger and pain. We rolled across the floor, unable to halt our
momentum on the slick tile, and her claws ripped into my flesh as my fists
beat on her head and my legs kicked at her chest and middle.

When we crashed into a display case her grip on my tit came loose, along with
some of my beautiful breast, and I quickly pushed her as far away from me as I
could, right into the glass from the shattered case. She screamed in the
hauntingly human-like way the big cats do as the shards of glass pierced her
flesh and I scrambled for the spear once more.

But as I was racing across the tile floor, I suddenly felt very hot, like I
was about to burst into flames, and I realized that I was about to change...

=*=

The wolf scrabbled for purchase on the slippery floor of this strange cave as
the bones in her leg instantly knit together and the wounds on her back, side,
and chest healed without so much as a scar. She crashed into an oddly shaped
rock and it fell over and broke into several pieces. Then, her nose burned
with the scent of an enemy, one of the hated ones from the dawn of time, and
she turned to see a large feline form stand up and shake itself fiercely,
sending glittering shards flying from its bloodied coat.

With a howl of rage, she charged the confused cat, trying to sink her teeth
into its graceful throat. But the cat was too quick and sent the wolf flying
from it with a swipe of its mighty paw. The wolf skittered across the floor
and slammed into a larger square rock, shaking her head in confusion. The
lioness regarded her coldly with eyes that shone like twin pits of fire as its
black-tipped tawny tail twitched angrily. Then, with a blood-curdling roar, it
sprang at the wolf, foreclaws extended and ready to tear her to pieces.

The wolf barely managed to scramble out of the way, but the lioness altered
her body in mid-air so that it was able to land with its hind feet against the
square rock and instantly pushed off, knocking the wolf to the floor. Before
it could sink its fangs into her, the wolf frantically bit hard on its
foreleg, chomping up and down the length of it as quickly as she could and
bringing a startled yelp from the lioness. The wolf rolled away and then threw
herself at the lioness, but with her head lowered, so that she struck the big
cat in the chest and knocked it backwards.

The lioness desperately tried to dig its claws into the tile, to halt its
momentum, but it could gain no purchase on the slick floor. The wolf bounded
after it, striking it again and again, steering it towards the large opening
in the cave, and the large pool within that other cavern.

With a last shove, both the wolf and the lioness skidded off the edge and into
the water.

The lioness was shocked to find itself in water and the wolf took advantage of
the big cat's confusion, diving beneath the surface and clamping her jaws
around the end of the enraged cat's tail and swimming for the center of the
pool before it could climb out. The lioness clawed frantically at the edge of
the pool, but it was no use, it was out of reach. Fury danced with fear in its
dark eyes and it spun about and tried to swipe the wolf with its claws, but
the crafty wolf released its tail and swam out of reach. Then, the wolf
quickly circled the lioness, swimming just below the surface of the water,
with only her nose showing, and waited for her opening as the big cat vainly
tried to keep itself facing her foe by paddling ineffectively.

Seeing her chance, the wolf shot forward and bit down hard on the loose fur on
the back of the cat's neck. It wasn't painful for the lioness, nor did it draw
much blood, but it did provide a firm hold, allowing the wolf to mount the
snarling, spitting cat and force its head beneath the water. The lioness
thrashed about furiously, but the wolf was well out of reach of its slashing
claws. The big cat sucked greedily at the air before its head was forced back
down into the water. Once more, the cat's head emerged, only to be yanked back
down almost immediately.

Then, the wolf felt the cat's struggles getting weaker and weaker and finally
cease altogether.

She suddenly realized that she was no longer holding the fur of a lioness in
her mouth, but the flesh of a human female. Disgusted, she let go and looked
about for the big cat, but it was gone. She swam to the edge of the pool and
wearily climbed out, ignoring the gasping human as she likewise paddled to the
pool's edge and managed to pull only her upper body up onto the surrounding
shore before passing out. The wolf shook herself off and then circled the edge
of the pool, still searching for the lioness, furious that the big cat had
somehow escaped her. She paused to sniff the human, jumping back when she
coughed and a rush of water issued from her slack mouth, but otherwise ignored
her. She had no quarrel with humans, and this one looked to be half-dead
anyway. She did not care for their flesh as the meat had a sickly taste to it,
and she only killed for food and in self-defense, unless it was one of the
hated ones, the eternal enemies of the pack.

She made her way back through the opening and into the first cave, exploring
it more thoroughly this time, but finding nothing of interest, except for a
small opening that led to yet another cave; this one containing a
foul-smelling flame and many bizarre rocks. The wolf whined in confusion when
she reached a sealed opening, angry that she was apparently to be denied yet
again the freedom to run through the hills and hunt and find others of her
kind. Then, she padded silently over to the vast opening behind the square
rock and looked down at the twinkling lights and the enormous darkness
surrounding them, longing with every fiber of her being to be out there, and
lifted her head and howled.

=*=

I woke up lying on the floor next to the desk, naked but fully healed,
grateful in a strange way for the curse that afflicted me. Hearing the sound
of someone coughing and of water splashing, I got up and walked over to the
door leading to the pool just in time to see Lili pulling herself from the
water. I bounded over and grabbed a handful of her hair and forced her back
into the water and held her head below the surface.

"Good morning, Lili. Now that you've had a chance to think about my offer,
have you changed your mind?" I asked when I pulled her head up. She coughed
and sputtered and weakly tried to punch me, so I dunked her again, a bit
longer this time. "I can do this all day, can you?" I asked when I brought her
up for air.

"Okay...you...win," she panted, her dark eyes flashing angrily, but the fear
in them was obvious, too. "I'll...resign as...Simone's agent."

"And you won't try to kill her again, right?" I pressed, making as if to dunk
her again.

"Right...I swear...that she's safe...from me," she coughed.

"See how easy that was, senorita? You could have saved us both a lot of bother
by simply agreeing to that last night," I grinned, releasing her hair and
helping her out of the pool.

She collapsed onto the floor and spit up a little water. "You and I, though,
are another matter entirely," she promised, rolling over onto her back and
glaring at me.

I just laughed and sat down on her shocked face and reached back and gave her
nipples a good hard tweaking, enjoying the rush of air between my legs as she
screamed in protest. "That is fine with Lupe. You seem to me to be the kind of
person who will need her ass kicked many times before you learn your lesson
once and for all."

Her only reply was to kick and feebly struggle until she passed out.

When I reached Dr. Plotter's home, wearing some extra clothes that Lili had at
the office which were a bit too loose in the hip and a bit too tight in the
chest, I was relieved to find that Simone had been released from the hospital
and happily hugged her and gave her the statement I had forced Lili to sign
once she woke up.

"You're free, querida. She gave her word that she would not bother you any
more," I said joyfully.

"And you believe her?" the doc asked.

"I do. She no longer has any reason to kill you, and she knows what will
happen to her if she tries anything in the future," I smiled, smacking my
right fist into my left palm.

"Oh, I wish I could have seen you giving that bitch the beating she deserved,"
Simone grinned.

"Me, too," added the doctor.

"Why, Cassie, I had no idea you had such a mean-streak...or is it a perverted
one?" Simone giggled.

"Mean, Simone, pure viciousness. Sorry to disappoint you," she smiled.

"Oh, that's all right. I'm sure Lupe will help me get over it. Won't you,
dear?"

"It will be my pleasure," I replied.

"Oh, my...I guess I'd better be going to the market...or somewhere," the doc
laughed, getting up from her chair and leaving Simone and I alone in the guest
room.

The End

(For now)

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