Lupe Come Home
By Autolycus, maynlinz@earthlink.net
A genetically altered female werewolf in the wilds of California.


A SPANISH WEREWOLF IN HOLLYWOOD III:

LUPE COME HOME

(c) 1999 Autolycus

Her name is Lupe Bacalao and she is a werewolf...sort of. She is currently the
houseguest of Dr. Cassandra Trotter, an old friend and former teacher of
Jessica Chance who runs a consulting business and writes mystery novels. The
good doctor's daughter, LAPD Officer Saba Trotter, disapproves of her mother's
businesses--She runs a "fight club" in addition to the consulting firm--and of
Lupe, personally, but will nevertheless help them out. This is the story of
the time Lupe found herself alone in the wilds of California, suffering from
amnesia and being pursued by hired killers.

The wolf had been running for hours and she was quickly becoming too exhausted
to continue. Besides, even though she was technically free, she hadn't been
able to detect so much as an old scent marking of one of the pack; only of the
shunned ones who ran with the humans. And, the place where one of the humans
had hit her was growing more painful with each step. She'd tried to dig out
with her teeth whatever was embedded in her flank, but it was no use, the
thing was in too deep. Oh, with time she could remove it, but then she would
have to rest for days while she waited for her body to heal and she
instinctively knew that she could not afford that luxury.

Besides which, with her wounded leg, she had been unable to run down any food.
Not that she had come across anything worth eating. The only creatures she had
encountered were the shunned ones who ran with the humans and the little cats,
neither of which were particularly tasty or of enough bulk to supply the
nutrients she would need while resting. If only she could locate a deer or
antelope...

But noting the pink glow on the horizon, she knew that soon she would have to
stop and rest...somewhere.

Despite Cassandra's orders to the contrary, Simone was not only still awake
when she came home, but nestled in a thick comforter on the divan in the
sitting room, waiting for her. Her blue eyes narrowed when she saw that the
doctor was alone.

"Where's Lupe?" she asked anxiously. Simone Stallion was a beautiful woman
with short dark hair and bright blue eyes. Her figure was nearly perfection,
with large, full breasts and a svelte dancer's body. She was currently staying
with Dr. Trotter in order to recover from the bite of a poisonous snake-headed
Minion of Apep that she had sustained two days ago. "Did anything happen to
her?"

Dr. Trotter was an attractive, middle-aged African-American woman with black
hair and very dark skin. Her brown eyes were heavy with worry and she couldn't
hide the concern in her voice as she answered. "She ran off after she changed
into a wolf. Saba shot her in the back leg-"

"She WHAT?!"

"Well, dear, she just thought she was a wolf. She had no idea it was Lupe.
Genevieve said she didn't appear too hurt and just ran away before she could
get off another shot," the doctor said, fudging the facts a bit. "I'm sure
she'll turn up once she resumes her human form in the morning."

Simone didn't share the doctor's optimism, but she was too tired to argue and
made her way to her bed, hoping she was wrong.

* * * * *

Thomas Collins slapped at the snooze button on his clock radio and rolled
over, hoping to get a few more minutes of precious slumber before he had to
get up and go out on his paper route. But his hand missed the snooze button
and instead brushed against the volume control, blasting his ears with the
latest hit by The Vice Girls.

With a curse appropriate to a 12-year-old, he sat up and switched off the
music. "I hate that song," he mumbled, slipping into his clothes and shoes. He
rubbed the sleep from his green eyes and ran a comb through his mop of red
hair, straightening it as best he could, and then hurried downstairs and out
to the small shed where he kept his bike.

"Good morning, Flash," he said to the vehicle, patting its seat
affectionately. "All ready for another adventure? Good. Let's get going." He
climbed aboard and rode it out of the yard, leaving the door to the shed open
until his return.

The wolf dropped to her belly as a small human on a two-wheeled contraption
whizzed by her and waited until he was out of sight before resuming her search
for some place to hide and rest and tend to her wounded leg. Through the slats
in a wooden fence she spied a small structure whose door stood invitingly open
and, too weary to continue looking, decided it would have to do. She warily
entered the fenced area and slipped quietly into the comforting darkness and
was grateful to find a thick blanket on which to sleep. To be on the safe
side, however, she made sure to cover herself as much as possible, just in
case a human should happen to look in.

Thom finished his paper route and rode back into his yard, arriving moments
before the sun would bathe the entire valley in its golden glow. He placed
Flash back in the shed and went to reach for the blanket he always covered him
with but stopped when he noticed that something was different about it. Then,
he heard the sound of something breathing heavily beneath it and carefully
lifted a corner, revealing the busy tail and hindquarters of what he took to
be a large dog.

But he noticed that the animal was wounded and that blood was crusted on its
dark fur around its flank.

Suddenly, the head of the wolf was inches from his own, the black lips drawn
back in a fierce snarl which exposed the yellowed fangs. An ominous growl
rumbled deep in the creature's throat. But the eyes which watched him
carefully extend his hand had a softness about them that belied the ferocious
appearance of the rest of the face.

"Don't worry, boy," he said in a soothing voice, letting the wolf sniff his
hand as his father had taught him. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I wanna help. See?
I'm a friend. I'm gonna pet you now, all right?"

The teeth were still bared and the large ears lay flat against the back of the
animal's neck, but the eyes still had a hopeful, gentle look in them that gave
him courage. He placed his hand on the wolf's head and patted it and then
gently scratched her behind the ears. The tail flopped happily and the teeth
retreated back behind the lips.

Then, the wolf's body stiffened and a whimper escaped her tightly closed mouth
and the boy nodded in understanding.

"You wait here, boy. I'll go get my dad. He'll know what to do," Thom assured
her.

* * * * *

Lilith Kahira yawned and stretched her arms as the curtains in her bedroom
were automatically withdrawn to allow the sun's rays to bathe her in their
glow. She was a beautiful woman with dark features and the air of a pampered
prize cat. Her Egyptian heritage was plain in both the color of her skin and
her facial features and she was very proud of it. Besides being the wealthiest
woman in the world, she was also the reigning High Priestess of the Goddess
Sakhmet.

She knelt before a golden altar and paid oblations to her Awful Mistress and
then showered and dressed.

The phone rang as she was applying what little make-up she wore and she
scowled, knowing that it couldn't possibly be good news at this hour of the
day.

"What is it?" she asked, pressing the intercom button on her vanity table.

"We were too late. The girl has bonded with She Who Is Full Of Rage," replied
the demon known as Mr. Nazif. Although he appeared to be a short Arabic man,
in reality he was an efreet, or fire salamander, a lesser demon common to the
Arabian Peninsula for untold millennia. For reasons that were known only to
him, and to Lilith, he occasionally agreed to work for her. What he charged
her for his services was also a mystery.

"Does she realize what's happened to her yet?" Lili inquired.

"I don't think so. If I can get to her before nightfall, I should still be
able to kill her," he said.

"Fine. Just don't forget to bring me as much of her blood as possible. Inside
her or not, it contains the power of a Goddess."

"I will do as you command, mistress," Nazif replied in a somewhat mocking
tone.

"I'm sure you will. Keep me posted on your progress and I'll expect to see you
before the sun sets with my merchandise." She reached for the button to
disconnect.

"There is one other matter which might be of interest to you..."

"Well, what is it?"

"The werewolf. She was there in her human form. But when I last saw her she
was well into the transformation into a wolf. I doubt she went home willingly
with her friends."

"Hmmm, interesting. Thank you, Nazif." This time she did press the disconnect
button.

* * * * *

"I've warned you about stray dogs, Thom," Chase Collins said as his son
eagerly dragged him out to the shed. He was an attractive man in his early
30's with dull red hair, as opposed to the firecracker hue of his son, and
twinkling blue eyes. Although, since the divorce, his eyes had grown a bit
less bright. He was in good shape from working out at the gym whenever he
could find the time and was steadily, if not exactly happily, employed as a
full-time designer at one of the larger computer software developing firms.
But it wasn't his employment status or the fact of his trouble-free past that
had granted him custody of their son when he and his wife split up. No, the
sad, simple truth was that Peggy didn't want the bother of raising a child,
even though she made much more money than he did, running several art
galleries in downtown LA. "A child just doesn't fit in with my life-style,
dear," she'd told him when she presented him with the divorce papers. She did
send a hefty child support check every month without fail, but she made no
attempt to see Thom.

As a result of this, Chase felt guiltier than he might otherwise and was more
inclined to let Thom get away with things. But until now at least, he had
managed to prevent his son from getting a dog. Not that he had anything
against dogs--He'd had a beautiful golden retriever named Max growing up that
had been his best friend--but Thom and he weren't home all that much and dogs
required a lot of attention.

Besides, from the description Thom had given him, this sounded like a German
Shepherd or some other large dog, and their yard just wasn't big enough for
anything larger than a spaniel or terrier.

"Can I keep him, dad? Huh? Can I?" Thom begged as he pulled his father by the
hand to the shed. "I'll take good care of him. I'll make sure he's fed and got
water and clean up after him. Can I keep him?"

"Let me take a look at him first, Thom," he laughed. "Now, you stay here so he
doesn't feel threatened by our outnumbering him, okay. First, I want a good
look at that wound..." He cautiously stuck his head in the shed.

A moment later he pulled it out and it had a very puzzled expression on it. He
looked down at his son and thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

"Well, can I keep him, dad?" Thom asked earnestly, gazing up at him with
longing.

"Him? You're sure you saw a dog in there?" he asked slowly.

"Of course I'm sure...he didn't run off, did he?" Thom asked, suddenly worried
that he'd lost another chance to get a dog.

"Um, I'm not sure. Tell you what, kiddo, you go to school and I'll see to the
dog. Get his leg taken care of and make sure he's had his shots, that sort of
thing. Okay?"

"You're not gonna hurt him? Or have him put to sleep?"

"Scout's honor," replied Chase, holding up three fingers in the traditional
Boy Scouts of America salute. "I'll see you when you get home tonight." He
ruffled his hair and then scooted him towards the front of the house when he
heard the unmistakable sound of the school bus approaching.

Once Thom was gone, he again looked into the shed...at the beautiful, and very
naked, woman sleeping on the floor with some sort of wound in her left thigh,
and scratched his head in confusion.

* * * * *

"Where do you think you're going?"

The familiar voice stopped Vixen short as she was preparing to sneak out the
window. She was a good-looking young woman in her early 20's with a tangle of
dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Her body was fit, with well-formed but not
overt breasts, and muscles which were the result of years of working out. She
was wearing a cut-off T-shirt and faded blue jeans with several more holes
than patches. "I was trying to be quiet, so you could get some rest after your
ordeal, Pandy," she replied, turning to face her friend and roommate, but
keeping her eyes lowered.

"What about you? You've been through quite an ordeal yourself," she pointed
out, placing her hands firmly on her hips. She was more attractive than her
friend, in a conventional sense at least, with brown eyes and dark blonde hair
and a body that boasted a pair of prominent breasts and enough muscle tone to
give her high marks on the Southern California Babe Scale.

"I know," Vixen agreed, glancing at her palm and the weird markings that were
apparently permanently embedded in it. "That's why I have to go. That guy will
be coming for me. I...can feel him, and I don't want him to find me near you.
I've got to lead him away from here...confront him on some neutral ground
somewhere..."

"Are you listening to yourself, Vik?" Pandora demanded. "Confront him??!
Didn't you tell me that he changed into some big lizard or something?"

"It could have been my imagination," she suggested, but not too convincingly.

"You don't have an imagination, sweetheart," Pandora said with a chuckle. "You
never have."

The two friends looked at each other and Pandora could see the determination
in Vixen's eyes, a resolve that she'd never seen before, and... something
else, something different, something that scared her a little bit.

"Promise me you won't take any unnecessary chances? And that you'll come back
as soon as you can, or at least let me know that you're all right? Okay?" she
pressed when Vixen just stared at her and smiled.

"I give you my word that I'll be as careful as I can and that I'll be back
soon," she nodded, embracing her and kissing her softly on the lips.

Then, before either of them could change their minds, she grabbed her pack and
slipped out of the window.

* * * * *

Pam Dunn was seated at her desk and busily typing away on her computer when
Lilith arrived. Just as she was every morning without fail. Lili had tried to
inquire about her Personal Assistant's private life (or apparent lack thereof)
several times, but the young woman had always managed to change the subject
without providing any real answers. Pam was in her late 20's and had features
and a figure that one would describe as "pretty." Not gorgeous, or beautiful,
or even cute. Just attractive, but in a strictly non-sensual way. It was next
to impossible for Lili to imagine Pam in the throes of passion, or
experiencing any extreme emotions at all for that matter. She was efficient,
punctual, dependable, and attractive, and that was all.

"I need you to contact Katharos for me, Pam," Lili said as she paused to
collect her messages before entering her own office. "Right away."

"Um, sure thing, boss, but, well, you know what kind of hours Niklos keeps,"
she pointed out as tactfully as possible. "I doubt he'll be up for another few
hours at the very least. More than likely not until noon."

Lili scowled, wishing Nazif wasn't already busy with the girl, and snapped,
"Just do your best, darling. But the sooner the better."

Pam nodded and Lili swept into her office, undressed, and swam a few laps in
her pool to ease the tension she felt welling up inside her.

* * * * *

Chase stood in the doorway gazing appreciatively down at the beautiful woman
sleeping in his shed and wondering how his son could ever have mistaken her
for a dog. Maybe it's time for that birds & bees talk...? he said to himself.

When the woman stirred, making what almost sounded like a whimper, he hastily
backed away, banging into a rake in the process and causing it to fall noisily
to the floor. He bent down to pick it up and found himself face to face with
the woman.

"Who are you?" she demanded, baring her teeth in an almost animal-like
expression. Her voice was low and sultry, with a definite Latino accent.

"I'm Chase, and this is my tool shed," he replied, thinking he ought to be
scared of her for some reason. "Who are you?"

"I'm..." She paused, confusion dancing in her dark eyes, and then slowly shook
her head. "I don't remember." She tried to get up and suddenly cried out in a
dog-like yelp of pain and her hand went instinctively to her wounded leg.

"Easy does it. I don't suppose you remember how you got that, either?" he
inquired, supporting her weight as she lowered herself to the ground. She
shook her head. "Well, the first thing we have to do is get you in the house
and get you cleaned up. Can you walk?"

"I don't think so," she said, looking up at him and shaking her head.

"I guess I'll have to carry you, then," he said with a smile.

"I guess so," she grinned, looping her arms around his neck as he scooped her
up from the dirt floor.

"We'll also have to find you something to wear," he added casually as he
walked across the dew-moistened lawn with her cradled in his arms.

"Eventually..." she replied, caressing his chest with her long nails and
nearly causing him to trip on the frame of the sliding glass door as he
entered the house. She seemed amused by his nervousness.

He carried her upstairs and set her on the closed lid of the toilet as he ran
the bath water. "I need to go and call work and let them know I won't be in
today," he said, turning to face her, but doing his best to keep his eyes on
her face. "You clean yourself up and then I'll have a look at your leg."

"Aren't you even going to scrub my back?" she asked, climbing into the tub
filled with warm water.

"Um, sure, okay, if you want me to," he stammered, backing out of the
bathroom. "Just as soon as I make that call. Okay?"

She just laughed and let herself slide beneath the surface.

* * * * *

Simone, wrapped in a thick blanket, padded into the kitchen where Dr. Trotter
was fixing lunch, but without her usual enthusiasm, or attention to detail, as
was evidenced by the fact that she had used chocolate syrup instead of mustard
on the sandwiches.

"I love chocolate as much as the next gal, doc, but not with ham and cheese,"
she said with a smile.

"Oh, dear..." the older woman sighed, looking at the inedible meal.

"I'm worried about her, too," Simone said softly.

"I just can't understand why she hasn't at least called," Cassandra frowned,
doing her best to scrape the syrup from the sandwiches. "I hope she's all
right."

"Lupe can take care of herself, Cassie. You know that. She'll call or show up
sooner or later," the actress said, but without much conviction.

"Not one of your more convincing performances, dear," the doctor laughed. "But
the thought is appreciated. Actually, I'm almost more worried about
Genevieve...I called earlier and her roommate told me that she'd left, so as
to protect her from that nasty little man."

"I thought you said that Lupe had destroyed him?" Simone inquired.

"That's what Genevieve thought last night, but apparently this morning she
told Catherine that she could feel he was still alive...and coming after her,"
Cassandra finished, concern plain in her brown eyes.

"Maybe you should have Saba keep an eye out for both of them?" the younger
woman suggested.

Dr. Trotter bit thoughtfully on her lower lip but said nothing.

* * * * *

Chase entered the bathroom and found the beautiful woman washing the soap from
her large, round breasts, fondling them as she did so. Her dark eyes were
closed and soft moans were issuing from between her full lips and he wasn't
quite sure if she realized he was there or not.

He cleared his throat.

She continued to wash herself, her hands moving down her taut abdominals and
the moaning increasing in volume.

He cleared his throat much louder.

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Good. I am ready for my back to be scrubbed,"
she said, scooting forward in the tub.

"Um, you don't expect me to get in there with you, do you?" he asked.

"Why not? Or are you one of those happy men?" she asked, looking at him over
her shoulder.

"Happy...? Oh! No, I'm not gay, I just...we hardly know each other," he said
finally.

"Well, I don't even know me...so, who knows, I might be happy myself. But if
it makes you feel better, tell me about yourself as you scrub my back. I
promise not to bite," she added with a wink.

Chase laughed and got undressed, all except for his briefs, and climbed in the
tub. When some water sloshed over the side and onto the floor, he quickly
reached around the woman and opened the drain until the water had reached a
lower level. When he tried to pull his hands back behind her, however, she
grabbed them and held them to her breasts, forcing him to caress her and
kissing his shaking fingers.

"Um, I'm gonna need my hands to scrub your back," he pointed out, not sure
what to make of all this. Part of him wanted to just give in and make love to
her and do whatever she wanted, but the other part, the part that had once
taken marriage vows, felt that this was definitely odd, if not exactly wrong.
Now, he reasoned, if I had picked her up in a bar and brought her home, that
would be different.

Or would it? he asked himself as she continued holding onto both hands.

Of course it would, he answered. This girl doesn't even know who she is. For
all you know she could be married or have some sort of disease or be on the
run from the police for murder or who knows what.

That shut up his other part...for the time being.

"At least one," he said.

"Oh, all right," she sighed, reluctantly releasing one of his hands.

"Thank you," he said, grabbing the soap and scrubbing the dirt from her back.

Suddenly, she began forcing his other hand down her body and between her legs.
He tried to resist, but she was much stronger than he was and held it there
with ease. Then, she interlocked her fingers with his and started probing
herself, gently teasing the clitoris out into the open while the fingers of
her other hand explored her interior.

He opened his mouth to protest but at that moment she turned her head around
and locked her lips over his mouth, pushing her tongue past his teeth and what
seemed like halfway down his throat.

So much for playing the gallant, his other part finally conceded. He wrapped
his other arm around her neck and grabbed hold of one of her breasts. She
nodded and moaned loudly with pleasure as he fondled it and returned her kiss,
forcing his own tongue into her mouth. She responded by slipping her free hand
down his shorts and firmly grabbing his erect, throbbing penis.

Now it was his turn to moan with pleasure.

Then, she used her toes to work the drain and the water began to lower until
it barely covered the floor of the tub. At this point, she stopped it and then
turned around so that she was facing Chase. She gently forced him to his back
and climbed on top of him, guiding his member inside her as she did so. He
moved his hands to her breasts and squeezed and teased them until she was
wriggling like a worm on a hook. Meanwhile, one of her own hands was
frantically tangling itself in her long hair while she sucked hard on the
fingers of the other as she emitted little squeals of delight.

As Chase continued to work deeper into her, he reached up and placed his hands
on her shoulders and then pulled her down to him, so that her tits were within
reach of his mouth. He leaned up and took one of her erect nipples inside and
playfully bit and sucked on it while his other hand caressed her face. The
woman, meanwhile, seemed on the verge of exploding as her hands switched from
raking his chest and back with her long nails almost hard enough to draw blood
to running through his hair, grabbing it and releasing it, as if she was
unsure what to do, massaging his scalp at the same time. Then, after likewise
paying attention to her other nipple, he grabbed her by the head and forced
his mouth over hers.

With their fingers locked in each other's hair, they rode each other to
climax, rolling over and over in the shallow water like mating whales until
they both erupted into each other.

She carefully rolled over, slipping his spent member from within her, and
nestled against his heaving chest.

"That was fantastic," he finally said as she lay in his arms.

"No words, querido," she smiled, holding a finger to his lips. "Just enjoy the
moment."

He nodded and interlocked his fingers with hers as they rested on her tummy.

* * * * *

"Katharos on line two, boss," said Pam over the intercom.

"At last," Lilith sighed, punching the button that completed the connection.
"Niklos?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" snarled a male voice.

"It's 11:54. Most people have been up for hours," she replied.

"I'm not most people, Lil. Heck, strictly speaking, I'm not even people. What
do you want?"

"I need you to find someone for me."

"An old friend?"

"Not exactly. When you find her, I want you to kill her."

"I didn't think you wanted me to deliver a singing telegram. What'd she do to
get you so steamed?"

"That's my business. I'm faxing her pictures to you now."

"Pictures? As in plural?"

"You're smarter than you look, Niklos."

"I'd almost have to be--Hey! One of these is of some kind of big dog. What's
the deal?"

"She's a shape-shifter. I'd call her a werewolf, but she changes into a wolf
without the benefit of a full moon."

"That's a new one..." Niklos whistled. "This is gonna cost extra, Lil. Big."

"I figured as much," she sighed. "Just send me her hide and your bill when the
job is done."

"I think I might have to come by and collect this fee personally."

She could almost hear the leering smirk in his voice. "She was last seen at
the old Hollywood Bowl. Find her. Kill her. Then we'll discuss the method of
payment."

"See you soon, love."

Lilith's finger couldn't stab the disconnect button fast enough.

* * * * *

A low growl startled the two lovers as they snuggled in their post-coital
embrace and the woman softly laughed. "Sorry," she said, patting her stomach.
"You got anything to eat?"

"Of course," Chase replied, reluctantly helping her up from the tub. "I cook a
very mean Spanish omelet, if I do say so myself."

"Mmm, that sounds wonderful," she said, stretching and then wrapping a towel
around herself. She bound her wet hair beneath another worn like a turban.

Chase slipped into his clothes. "But first I want a look at that wound on your
leg," he said, kneeling and examining her thigh. The small hole had started
bleeding again while they'd been in the tub, but it seemed to have stopped
again for the moment. "This...this looks like a bullet hole," he said slowly,
looking up at her.

"Who would want to shoot me?" she asked, her dark eyes flickering with fear.

"Whoever they are, they no doubt know who you are. If we knew that, we'd
probably know why," he shrugged. "The bullet is still in there. I'm going to
have to take it out."

"Are you a doctor?" she questioned. He shook his head. "Any medical training
at all?"

"Only that which comes with being a single father," he smiled. "Plus, I've
seen them do this hundreds of times in the movies."

"Well, in that case..." she said with a grin.

He opened the medical chest and removed a pair of tweezers. "And, I'm an
expert with these. When it comes to slivers anyway. I need to get a lighter
and sterilize these. Be right back."

Left alone, the woman contemplated the bullet and its significance. Am I some
kind of criminal? she asked her reflection.

Suddenly, a nightmarish vision filled her mind and she saw a wolf,
instinctively knowing it was herself, attacking Chase. The huge animal knocked
him down and then clamped its jaws around his head and crushed his skull like
an egg. It then turned and saw another figure emerging from the shadows. With
a howl that was a combination of fury and longing, it leapt on a woman with
short dark hair and devoured her heart in two quick bites.

The beast then seemed to look straight at her and lick the blood from its
foamy lips...

"Are you all right?" Chase asked, laying a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"You're shaking like a leaf."

She nodded woodenly, but her eyes had a far away look in them that worried
him.

He produced a bottle of whiskey. "This should take care of some of that. Take
a few good belts to numb the pain."

She nodded and tipped the bottle back, drinking half its contents before
removing it from her lips.

"I'm afraid this is really gonna sting," he said, taking the bottle and
pouring some of the alcohol into the bullet hole.

She howled in agony and kicked out, catching the man in the throat and sending
him flying into the hallway. He shook his head and looked up to see her
snarling like a wild beast and clawing frantically at her leg, her long nails
ripping open the raw flesh until she could reach the bullet. With a final roar
of defiance and pain, she forced her fingers into her thigh and pulled the
projectile out.

Then, after tossing it away, she collapsed to the floor, whimpering pitifully.

* * * * *

Vixen had spent the morning running in no particular direction and with no
definite destination in mind. She only knew that the thing called Nazif was
looking for her and that he would kill her if he caught up with her. And all
because she'd stolen that stupid thing from Paul and the Mals. She looked down
at her hand for the millionth time and wondered what had happened to the
golden seal. It couldn't really be a part of me now, could it? she asked
herself, staring at the strange markings imprinted in the palm of her hand.

Preoccupied as she was, she failed to notice a young man who was walking
along, reading a book...until the two collided.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she said, reaching for the book. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Neither was I," he confessed, rubbing his head and indicating the book.

She looked down at the book's title: Curses and Other Medical Improbabilities.
"Good read?" she inquired skeptically.

"Not really," he shrugged, taking the book from her and stuffing it into a
pack on his back. "Just something to kill the time."

Vixen nodded and then smiled and said, "Well, sorry about running you over
like that."

"If I have to get a concussion, I can't think of a nicer way," he grinned.

She paused and looked at him closely. He was in his mid-twenties, with short,
spiky blonde hair and brown eyes filled with compassion...and fear. He was
wearing a ratty sweatshirt and baggy shorts and seemed to be in reasonably
good shape. "I'm Vik," she said, extending her hand.

"I'm Cal. A pleasure to be nearly hospitalized by you," he added, shaking her
hand.

"The pleasure was all mine, I assure you," she smiled.

They stood looking awkwardly at each other for a few moments and then both
began to talk at once.

"I should get going," Cal said.

"I need to go," Vixen echoed.

They laughed and nodded. "I'll see you around," they both said and laughed
some more.

"I hope so," Cal added as she walked away.

You definitely do not have time for this today, girl, she told herself
sternly. But when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw that he was staring
after her. Maybe tomorrow, though...

* * * * *

"Are you all right?" Chase asked, rushing to her side. He quickly grabbed a
washcloth and pressed it tightly to her openly bleeding wound. "What's the
matter? Didn't you trust my tweezer skills?" He smiled, but then noticed that
she was looking at him curiously. "What? Do I have a nose hair sticking out?"

She laughed at that and shook her head. "What happened?" she asked, indicating
her leg.

"You decided to go native on me and clawed the bullet out yourself. Don't you
remember?" he asked.

She shook her head. "The last thing I remember is...looking in the mirror,"
she said slowly, recalling the strange vision.

"Hold this tight while I get some bandages," he said, standing up and
rummaging through the medical cabinet. "At least you got the bullet out." He
sat back down and removed the cloth and then packed the wound with sterile
gauze before wrapping it tightly in an ace bandage. "You can't have too many
medical supplies when you're raising a son," he said in response to her
questioning looks.

She laughed and then he helped her to her feet. "Are you all right? Can you
walk?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied, taking a tentative step.

"Hang on," he said, dashing from the room. He returned a moment later with a
T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. "These should fit you all right."

She pulled on the sweats and then put on the shirt, tying the end up in a knot
just below her full breasts, showing off her tight stomach. "Perfect," she
smiled, appraising herself in the mirror.

"I couldn't agree more," he nodded, stepping up and kissing the back of her
neck. When her stomach growled again, he laughed and said, "Right. Food. Now.
Got it."

They both laughed and headed for the kitchen.

* * * * *

Two people climbed through the broken fence, past the yellow police banners,
and made their way up onto the remnants of the old Hollywood Bowl stage. One
appeared to be a man, although, as he himself would gladly point out, looks
could be deceiving. Still, he was definitely male. He had long dark hair that
hung to the middle of his back in a curled ponytail and unusually bright blue
eyes. His features were strikingly handsome in an overtly sexual kind of way
and he looked to be in good shape beneath his clothing, which consisted of a
dark suit and bright shirt and tie combination that seemed perfect for him.
The only visible flaw he had was that he seemed to walk with a slight limp.

His companion was a woman--Or, perhaps we should play it safe and just refer
to her as female--who also had dark hair and similarly brilliant blue eyes.
She was tall, taller than him by half a foot, and she carried herself like a
soldier. And, fittingly, she was dressed rather like a soldier as well, with
slightly baggy pants, tucked into a pair of army style boots, and a loose
fitting shirt which afforded her plenty of freedom of movement as she strode
unhesitatingly around the stage, examining every square inch of it, until she
stopped, smiled, and nodded. "I've got her, Nik," she said.

"I was beginning to think you'd lost your touch, Alec," he grinned, glancing
at the gold watch on his wrist. "That took nearly eight seconds."

"When you've been a hunter for as long as I have, you don't lose your touch,"
she replied, hopping lightly from the stage and proceeding through a field of
tall grass.

"I don't suppose you do," Niklos nodded. As he followed her, he glanced up at
the November sky, judging that they had less than half an hour before sunset,
and they would find out for themselves if Lilith had been right about this
woman becoming a wolf without the need for a full moon.

* * * * *

"That was delicious," the woman said, wiping egg from her mouth with a napkin.
"Maybe I'll keep you around after all." She laughed and kissed Chase as he
cleared away their dishes. "And not just for your pulmonary skills."

"My what?" he asked, pausing on his way to the sink.

"Pulmonary skills. You know, cooking," she said.

"Oh, you mean 'culinary'," he corrected with a gentle laugh, depositing the
dishes in the sink.

She chuckled. "I need to use the bathroom," she announced. "Be right back."

Almost the second she shut the door Thom Collins burst into his house and
yelled, "I'm home, dad! How's my dog? Did you get his leg fixed?"

Chase sighed, wondering exactly how to explain what had happened to his son.
"Not exactly," he began.

Meanwhile, the woman discovered that it burned like fire when she urinated and
she began to whine in discomfort.

"I knew you were kidding," Thom grinned, hearing the noises coming from the
bathroom.

"Son, I'm afraid that's not your dog," Chase said.

"Right, dad," the boy replied, shaking his head and heading for the bathroom.

In the bathroom the woman had suddenly started sweating as if she were burning
up with fever. Alarmed, she looked in the mirror just in time to see her face
begin to change...

The wolf snarled in frustration at finding herself in another small cave.
Though this was clearly a different cavern, as was obvious from the almost
wholly male scents that permeated it, she was still a prisoner. And, as if
that wasn't bad enough, she was wrapped in human garments. With a low growl,
she ripped the clothes off her and then suddenly stopped as her keen nose
detected the scent of one of the hated Cursed Ones...and it was close.

She recalled being forced to flee instead of following her instincts and
destroying the ancient enemy of the pack and hurled herself against the wall
of the cavern in an effort to redress that choice this time.

"I'm telling you, your dog isn't in there, Thom," Chase warned him as he
reached for the handle. Suddenly, the door burst open, knocking the boy to his
back, and a huge wolf leaped out of the bathroom. "THOM!" Chase screamed,
rushing forward when the animal turned in the direction of his son.

"It's all right, dad," the boy said, holding out his hand to the snarling
wolf. "He won't hurt me. Will you, boy?"

The wolf paused, regarding the small human for a moment, recalling how he had
been kind to her, but then the stench of the Cursed One filled her nostrils
and, with a challenging howl, she ran from him and leaped out an opening in
the larger cave's wall, shattering the thin ice which had apparently covered
it in the process.

She landed on the grass, shook the ice from her coat, and then raced off in
the direction she knew a Cursed One was located.

Thom scrambled after her, grabbing his coat and heading out the front door,
despite his father calling for him to come back. Chase ran to the bathroom,
expecting to find the woman injured or dead, but it was empty, save for the
remains of the clothes he'd given her. Confused, and more than a little
frightened, he raced out the door after his son.

* * * * *

Vixen wasn't sure where she was going. Not only because she wasn't very
familiar with the greater Los Angeles area, but, and more importantly, because
she had no idea how to lose the demon that was pursuing her. Or how to fight
it. She only knew that she had to lead it away from Pandora and the heavily
populated downtown district. So, she had been heading out into the rural areas
to the West for the better part of the day, with no plan other than to keep
moving.

She was nervous and, even though she hadn't actually seen the strange little
man all day, she had felt his presence nearby. And she knew as sure as the sun
was setting that he was getting closer every minute. But at least she had
managed to make it to a semi-rural area. She looked around at the houses set
far back from the road with large yards and multi-car garages and wondered
what it would be like to live in such a home. The only places she'd ever lived
were rent-controlled apartments and orphanages.

"The hunt is over, girl!" a familiar voice suddenly snarled as Nazif charged
at her from some bushes on the side of the road. "If you don't resist me, I
promise to make your death as painless as possible."

Vixen held the scream building inside her and bolted down the road.

"Running is futile, little one! The scent of She Who Is Full Of Rage is so
strong upon you that it fairly burns in my nostrils! You can't run from me
forever!" Nazif roared, chasing after her with a speed which belied his stocky
frame.

He had nearly caught up to her when a car suddenly veered in between him and
the girl. Unable to stop, he slammed into its side and fell to the pavement,
both winded and furious.

"Get in!" Saba yelled, throwing open the passenger door of her Dodge Aquila.

Vixen immediately jumped in. "Thanks," she said. "Now floor it before he
catches his breath."

Saba nodded and punched the gas, peeling out and leaving Nazif choking on a
cloud of dust.

"I don't suppose you just happened to be driving by..." Vixen ventured, trying
to see the man out the back window, but all she could see was the dust cloud.

"Not exactly. My mother asked me to keep an eye out for you and I got lucky
when one of my buddies in the Sheriff's Department remembered seeing someone
who matched your description in this area," Saba explained, slowing the car
down to the speed limit when she saw no sign of the man behind them. "Who was
that guy?"

Before Vixen could answer, a huge reptilian shape loomed in front of them,
blocking the road. The monster roared and opened its mouth, sending a ball of
white-hot fire straight at them.

Saba cursed and cranked the wheel so hard that she nearly rolled her car, but
she did manage to avoid the fireball, if only by inches. She tore through
someone's front lawn and squealed back onto the road behind the efreet, just
as he turned around and belched more flame at them.

This time, she floored it and kept on the road.

"Please tell me you're not actually trying to outrun it," Vixen said softly.
Saba just stepped harder on the gas pedal and kept her eyes on the rearview
mirror.

Amazingly, the fireball dissipated before it could catch up to the speeding
car.

"You were saying?" Saba smiled, slowing down once more.

Suddenly, a wall of fire appeared directly in front of them. "JUMP!" Saba
shouted, diving from the car seconds before it exploded in a spectacular ball
of white flame. She and Vixen both rolled as they hit the pavement on opposite
sides of the car, but the officer's training proved more valuable than the
younger woman's street-fighting experience, so, while Saba was relatively
unharmed, Vixen was bruised and bloodied by the time she came to a stop.

When she opened her blue eyes, Nazif, once again in his human form, stood over
her, smiling. "A fair chase, girl, but, as I said, running is futile."

A gunshot suddenly cut through the twilight and Saba's voice rang out strong
and clear, "Put your hands up and step away from her!"

Nazif turned and lowered his dark glasses, exposing his fiery red eyes. "This
is no concern of yours, woman. Leave us, or you will join her in death," he
said with quiet menace.

"You're the one who's going to be dead, you fire-eyed freak, if you don't get
away from her." Saba emphasized her point by firing off a shot that ricocheted
off the ground at his feet. "NOW!"

"You're going to regret that decision," he said, shaking his head. "Death is
so overrated." He raised his hand, exposing claw-like nails, and grabbed Vixen
by the hair and jerked her head back, revealing the gentle curve of her
throat.

Saba fired again, but this was no warning shot. The bullet struck Nazif
squarely in the chest, but, incredibly, he didn't so much as flinch. She fired
another. This one hit him in the head, knocking his dark glasses off, but
apparently not harming him in the least. In a move of sheer desperation, she
dropped her gun and jumped at him, grabbing his upraised arm with both hands
to prevent it from descending and slicing Vixen's throat.

He just growled and impatiently threw her from him and she flew a good ten
feet before landing hard on the pavement. "Now, girl, it's just you and I," he
grinned, flexing his claw-tipped fingers.

Suddenly, a furry form launched itself at him from out of nowhere it seemed,
the slavering jaws closing around his arm, knocking him to the ground.

The wolf bit down as hard as she could, knowing that it was hurting the Cursed
One, but also knowing that there was only one sure way to destroy these
enemies of all that lived. She knew it was the oldest precept of the pack,
handed down from sire to pup since the beginning of time. And, even though she
had no memory of her sire, or any members of the pack, the knowledge was as
much a part of her as her claws or teeth.

So, reluctant as she was to release her hold on his arm, she nevertheless let
go and danced out of the way of his retaliatory swipe. Then, he came at her,
changing as he did so, adopting his true, accursed form of a huge lizard. He
spit fire at her, but she managed to dodge it, all the time working her way
around him so that she could clamp her powerful jaws on the small knot on the
back of his head. She knew that if she crushed it, the Cursed One would be
destroyed.

But he also knew it and did his best to keep her in front of him.

"Where did that wolf come from?" Saba asked as she and Vixen crawled toward
one another.

"I don't know, but I'm glad she showed up when she did," the younger woman
smiled.

"She?" the officer questioned, watching as the two creatures engaged each
other.

"Well, it sure looks like a she, wouldn't you say?" Vixen shrugged.

Saba just scowled. 'Coincidence' was not in her dictionary, but she couldn't
for the life of her figure out a connection between the two animals.

"Oh, no!" Vixen suddenly exclaimed when the wolf was sent sprawling by a
powerful blow from the demon's forearm. "He'll kill her if we don't do
something!"

"I've already tried shooting it," Saba reminded her, wondering why she was so
concerned about a wolf. "What do you suggest we do, call it bad names?"

The wolf shook her head, trying to shake off the blow, but before she realized
what had happened, the Cursed One was next to her. He picked her up and then
threw her at the two humans who had been under attack when she arrived,
scattering them. She landed heavily, the stunned sensation from the last blow
mingling with that of this one, multiplying her pain tenfold.

As she struggled to rise and continue the battle, the smaller human stepped in
between her and the Cursed One.

"I'm the one you want, Nazif," Vixen said, shaking free of Saba's hands when
the officer tried to pull her away. "Leave them alone."

"Such nobility for one so young is surprising," he said, resuming his human
appearance in an instant. "And also pointless, since their deaths are as
inevitable as your own." He suddenly opened his mouth and Vixen held up her
hands as white flame shot toward her.

"NOOOO!!!!" Saba screamed, pulling her gun and firing her entire clip into his
face to no avail as Vixen was completely engulfed in the fireball.

But then she saw something in the fire, a figure that seemed to glisten like
metal, and she suddenly realized that it was a skeleton made of gold. When the
shining figure emerged from the flames and flesh and muscles sprouted from it,
taking the face, if not exactly the form, of Vixen, Nazif started back in
horror.

"You would dare to destroy my chosen, demon?" the woman demanded as the last
of her flesh formed itself. She had the face of Vixen, but her body was more
powerful than the street-fighter's had been, with well-defined muscles and a
much more feminine figure.

"Orders, Queen of the Underworld, from one who serves your sister in spirit,
Sakhmet," Nazif explained hastily. Saba was surprised to see that he was
actually frightened of this woman who used to be Vixen.

"Orders or not, demon, I have waited untold eons for one to bond with so that
I might once more walk the face of the world, and I do not appreciate anyone
trying to destroy her," she said, walking towards him. "Kneel before me,
demon, and I may yet spare your worthless life."

Nazif instantly dropped to his knees and lowered his head.

The wolf, seeing her chance, suddenly sprang on the Cursed One's back and bit
down hard on the knot at the base of his neck, crushing it between her
powerful jaws. She then leaped aside as he shrieked and was consumed by the
very flames which had been housed within his body.

"Or not," grinned the woman, winking at the wolf as Nazif disappeared, leaving
only a smoking pile of ashes where he had stood.

"Who--What are you?" Saba asked, cautiously approaching the naked stranger
with the face of the young woman called Vixen.

"I am Erishkigal, Queen of the Underworld," she replied. Then, with a shrug of
her shapely shoulders, she added, "Well, I was. It's a long story, and I'm not
really in the mood to tell it right now. Suffice to say that I'm a Goddess and
leave it at that, okay?"

Before Saba could reply, a gunshot rang out and the wolf dropped to the
ground, her snarls quickly becoming whimpers of pain.

"What's the meaning of this?" Erishkigal demanded as a man and a woman
approached them. The woman had an automatic pistol out and was aiming it at
the wolf's head.

"Nothing to do with you, baby-cakes," said Niklos with a leering smirk. "We
just want the big bad doggy. Is it dead, Alec?"

"It will be in a second," she replied as her finger closed on the trigger.

"Stop! That animal is under my protection," the Goddess announced, rushing to
its side and kneeling next to it.

"Sorry, sweetie, but we're being paid big money for that wolf's hide," Alec
said as she pulled the trigger.

But the Goddess struck her arm as she fired, causing her to miss, and the
bullet hit the ground instead.

"Do you have any idea how much silver .45's cost?" Alec snarled. "Just keep
out of this and you'll live to see the sun rise tomorrow, toots."

"Excuse me, but I strongly suggest you drop your weapon and clear out of
here," Saba said, stepping forward with her gun drawn and aimed at Alec.
"Before I forget I'm an officer of the law and lose my temper."

"This job is more trouble than it's worth," grumbled Niklos. "Come on, Alec,
there are easier ways to make a living."

Alec frowned and then lowered her gun. "We can get her another time," she said
as she started to slide the weapon into her waistband.

"I said to drop it, lady!" Saba said, keeping her own gun aimed at the other
woman's head. "The gun stays here."

Alec was plainly tempted to try outdrawing the officer, but, at an impatient
grunt from Niklos, she nodded and instead dropped the gun. "You and I will
meet again, sweetheart. Count on it," she hissed as she backed away.

"I hope so," Saba said. "And next time you won't get off so easily."

Alec just laughed as she and Niklos disappeared into the growing darkness.

"That was very brave," Erishkigal said as she examined the wolf. "And it might
also turn out to have been quite pointless since I fear our furry friend here
is dying."

"You said you were a Goddess, heal her," Saba said.

The Goddess gave a little laugh. "I'm afraid I can't. Healing isn't exactly my
specialty."

"What is?"

"Death. I was Queen of the Underworld, back when I had worshipers and power.
Healing was the domain of my sister, Inanna, and the other Sky-Gods."

"But you saved Vixen," Saba pointed out.

"Vixen? That must be the woman doing all the screaming inside me. And, yes, I
did save her, but only because she and I have bonded. I'm afraid this animal
is beyond my limited powers."

"What kind of useless Goddess are you?" Saba growled, picking up the wolf as
carefully as she could.

"Oh, my powers will grow, now that I once more have a connection to the
material plane, but not in time to save this noble animal, I'm afraid. What
are you going to do?"

"See if one of these houses has anyone who can help her," she replied, heading
for the closest one with lights in its windows. "If you plan on coming with
me, can't you at least whip yourself up some clothes?"

"That I can do," Erishkigal smiled and she was suddenly wearing a gown made of
black silk, white sandals, and an ornate golden headpiece.

"How about something slightly less conspicuous?" Saba suggested. "Maybe one
that glows in the dark?"

"Careful, mortal, I do not appreciate sarcasm, but I do see your point.
Better?" she asked, now wearing a black half shirt, brown bicycle pants and
white sneakers.

"Much. Hey, someone's coming. It's a kid!" Saba exclaimed as the redheaded boy
ran up to her.

"What'd you do to my dog?" he demanded, petting the still animal in her arms
affectionately.

"Your dog?!" Saba asked.

"Thomas!" Chase said, rushing up and grabbing his son by the arm. "Didn't you
hear me telling you to stop?" The boy nodded and squirmed to reach the wolf.

"I had to see if he was all right?" Thom said matter-of-factly.

"He?" questioned both Saba and Erishkigal.

"The dog," Chase explained. "We'll talk about this later, young man, believe
me. In the meantime..." he paused, getting his first good look at the animal
that had burst out of his bathroom. "That's no dog, it's a wolf!"

Erishkigal nodded. "And if we don't get the bullet out of her, she'll die,"
the Goddess said. "Can you help us?"

"Yeah, I think I can. I'm Chase, by the way, and this is Thomas."

"I'm Saba and this is...Eri," Saba said quickly.

"You know, that wolf was in my bathroom a little while ago," Chase remarked as
they headed down the road towards his house. "Funny thing is, the woman who
went in there disappeared. And, to make matters even more weird, this morning
my son said he found an injured dog in our tool shed. But when I went out to
investigate, all I found was a woman, with a wound exactly where my son said
the dog had been hurt. What do you make of that?"

"I'm not sure what to make of it," Saba said slowly.

"It's quite obvious that the woman is a werewolf," Eri announced. "This wolf,
in fact."

"Cool beans!" grinned Thom, gazing with new appreciation at his 'dog'.

"That's crazy!" said Saba and Chase at the same time.

"Do you have any other explanation?" the Goddess inquired.

"No, but there has to be one," the officer said forcefully as they reached
Chase's house and he led them inside.

"Lay her on the dining room table and I'll get my tweezers," Chase instructed,
running upstairs.

"Is she gonna be all right?" Thom asked softly, noting the blood oozing from a
small hole in her chest.

"She'll be good as new if we can get that bullet out," Eri promised.

Chase returned with the tweezers and bent over the still form, carefully
pulling the skin open so he could see inside. "I don't see the bullet," he
said, shaking his head. "I'll have to cut her open." He went into the kitchen
and grabbed a steak knife and quickly sterilized it with his lighter.

The wolf on the table twitched and whined, but it was clear that she was still
unconscious from the way her eyes remained closed.

Chase returned and raised the hot knife to her flesh and then paused, a look
of uncertainty clouding his face. "I'm way out of my league here," he
confessed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "The only thing I've ever removed
from anyone is slivers."

"She'll be fine so long as the bullet doesn't touch her heart," Eri assured
him. "But hurry."

He nodded and carefully cut into the wolf, enlarging the bullet hole until he
could see into her chest cavity. "Grab some towels to sop up some of this
blood so I can see what I'm doing, Thom," he instructed. The boy ran to linen
closet and returned a moment later with an armful of towels and washcloths.

"Let me," Saba said, taking a towel from him and placing it near the incision,
allowing it to absorb a lot of the blood. "Any better?"

He nodded. "I think I see it. Uh oh, it's practically next to the heart. I'm
not sure if I can do this," he said, pulling back and wiping at his forehead
with one of the washcloths.

"You have to, dad," Thom said. "She'll die if you don't. Please. I know you
can do it."

Chase smiled and nodded and bent back over the bloody wound, carefully
inserting the tweezers until they made contact with the shining bullet next to
her heart. Then, as delicately as possible, he grabbed the projectile and
slowly pulled it away from the vital organ and out of her body altogether.

"I did it!" he exclaimed with a wide grin, hugging his son tightly. "Now go
and get me a needle and thread so I can sew her back up."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Eri said with a smile, pointing to the
wolf.

Saba, Chase, and Thom looked on in amazement as before their eyes the dreadful
wound healed, closing up without a trace. Then the wolf opened her brown eyes
and looked at them...

The wolf silently regarded the trio of humans and the Other, knowing that they
had helped her, but still feeling weak from the loss of blood, and uneasy at
being among them. She watched as the smallest human came forward and once more
extended his hand, palm down, so that she could sniff it. He was speaking to
her in a gentle, soothing voice and, even though she couldn't understand his
words, she knew he meant her no harm.

Instead of sniffing the hand, she cautiously licked it.

"Did you see that?" Thom exclaimed happily. "She likes me!"

Chase smiled and then gestured for the two women to come with him and he led
them to the living room. "What do we do now?" he asked quietly, keeping an eye
on his son as he began petting the wolf and scratching her behind her ears.

"She's still weak. She'll need time to regenerate the blood she's lost, but
she should be fine by the time she transforms back into her human shape in the
morning," the Goddess explained. "In the meantime, I think it best if we take
her back to Dr. Trotter's."

Saba's green eyes widened in alarm. "My mother's?!" she exclaimed. "And what
do you mean 'take her back'?"

"You humans have such limited perspectives," Eri sighed. "Open your mind to
the possibilities, Saba. You know the truth."

"Lupe..." Saba said slowly. "That wolf is Lupe."

Erishkigal nodded. "Exactly. Chase, do you think you could call us a cab?"

"I can do better than that; I'll drive you there myself," he smiled.

"I'd hate to put you out..." Eri began.

"No trouble. Besides, I want to know where to find her once she's human
again," he added. "Say, I just thought of something: If she's a werewolf, why
is she transforming now, when the full moon isn't until next week?"

"You'll have to ask Dr. Trotter that when you meet her," the Goddess smiled.

* * * * *

When they arrived at Dr. Trotter's, Cassandra and Simone rushed out to greet
them, glad to see that both Lupe and Vixen were all right. More or less. When
Chase started to introduce himself and Thomas, however, Erishkigal waved her
arms and he and Thom and Saba all froze.

"No sense meeting people they won't remember in the morning," she said,
turning to the doctor and the actress.

"What are you talking about?" Simone asked. "And how did you do that?"

"You're not Genevieve," Cassandra stated. "Who are you? And why weren't we
frozen as well?"

"I learned from Genevieve--Once she calmed down and stopped screaming--that
you and Simone already know Lupe's secret, so there was no need. As for who I
am, I'm afraid that's a bit complicated. Just call me Eri for the time being
and help me get Lupe inside."

"Where's Genevieve? What have you done with her?" the doctor demanded.

"Relax, Dr. Trotter, Genevieve is fine. She's inside here with me. Look, it
really is way too long a story to bother with since you won't remember any of
it in the morning, either," she said. "So, just help me get Lupe in the house
and trust me that Vixen is unharmed."

Simone started to protest, but she suddenly froze, too.

"Are you gonna help me, or do I have to do this by myself?" the annoyed
Goddess asked Dr. Trotter as she stood near the open back door where the wolf
waited impatiently on the back seat.

"I'll help, but I want some answers afterwards," Cassie said as she grabbed
one end of the blanket the wolf was wrapped in and gently lifted it out of the
car as Eri did the same.

Once the wolf was in the house and enjoying some water from a bowl Cassandra
turned to the strange woman. "Now, about those answers..."

"Sorry, doctor," Erishkigal said, freezing her, too. "It's already been a long
night and I still have some work to do before the sun comes up. Story time
will have to wait for another night."

The wolf put up no resistance as the Other locked her in the all-too-familiar
cavern. For one thing, she was still too tired to try running away, or even
fighting. And for another, after her ordeal, she almost welcomed the chance to
lie down in a place she knew was safe.

Almost.

And besides, at least the Other made no attempt to place the maddening device
on her forepaws before locking her in.

Thomas Collins slapped at the snooze button on his clock radio and rolled
over, hoping to get a few more minutes of precious slumber before he had to
get up and go out on his paper route. But his hand missed the snooze button
and instead brushed against the volume control, blasting his ears with the
latest hit by some band he didn't even know the name of.

With a curse appropriate to a 12-year-old, he sat up and switched off the
music. "I hate that song," he mumbled, slipping into his clothes and shoes. He
rubbed the sleep from his green eyes and ran a comb through his mop of red
hair, straightening it as best he could, and then hurried downstairs and out
to the small shed where he kept his bike.

"Good morning, Flash," he said to the vehicle, patting its seat
affectionately. "All ready for another adventure? Good. Let's get going." He
climbed aboard and was about to ride it out of the yard when he suddenly
stopped and looked around the tool shed with the strangest feeling that
something was wrong.

But after a moment the feeling passed and he set out on his paper route.

* * * * *

Chase Collins walked into his bathroom and stopped. He looked at the tub for a
moment, trying to recall something important, but the memory eluded him.
Puzzling over the odd feeling, he got ready and drove to work.

When he arrived at the office and one of his co-workers asked if he was
feeling better, he replied, "What are you talking about? I feel great."

When he was informed that he had called in sick the day before, however, he
wasn't so sure.

* * * * *

Dr. Trotter opened her eyes and looked around, wondering what had woke her.
Then, she heard the sound of Lupe's voice and someone banging on the door of
the bathroom and practically leaped from her bed. She and Simone arrived
outside the bathroom at the same time and they both fumbled with the antique
lock for a moment before getting it open.

"You're home!" Simone smiled as the Spaniard rushed into her arms and hugged
her tightly while covering her face with kisses.

"How did you get in there?" Cassie asked as the excited Spaniard turned her
attentions to her and embraced her in a crushing bear hug.

"I've no idea, Dr. Whopper. The last thing Lupe remembers she was fighting a
monster at the old Hollywood Bowl," she explained.

"I don't care how you ended up back here, I'm just glad you're all right!"
Simone grinned, pulling her close again.

"I wonder..." Cassie said and made her way over to the telephone.

* * * * *

Catherine Driver stumbled from the bathroom and grabbed the phone. "Hello? Oh,
hi, Dr. Trotter... How are you?... What?... That's terrific!... No, she's
not-" Her voice suddenly caught in her throat as the door to the spare bedroom
opened and Vixen stood there, smiling at her. "Vik! Hang on, doctor, she is
here!"

The two young women hugged and then Vixen took the phone and said, "I'm fine,
doc... Yeah, I put Lupe in there... No, Nazif won't be bothering us again...
Listen, it's a long story and I'm too beat to tell it right now... Thanks...
I'll see you later. Bye."

Case Closed

(Until next time)

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