Livin' La Vida Lupe, Part I
By Autolycus
A genetically altered female werewolf gets a long overdue makeover.


A SPANISH WEREWOLF IN HOLLYWOOD IV:

LIVIN' LA VIDA LUPE

Part I

(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 Jessica tried to cure her lycanthropy for the second time and Simone
gave her a long overdue makeover.

For Ana

While Dr. Trotter and Simone were both very happy to have Lupe back, they were
concerned that she had no memory of her whereabouts for the past 24 hours, and
even more curious about how Vixen had managed to bring her safely home.

"Don't you remember anything, dear?" Cassandra pressed as she fixed breakfast
for the three of them. Dr. Cassandra Trotter was an attractive middle-aged
woman with skin the color of rich, dark chocolate and a figure which was
beginning to thicken around the middle.

The big Spaniard shook her head. "Nada, Dr. Spotter. I was feeling very sick
after fighting with that demon and then I was in your bathroom," she replied.
Lupe was a tall, beautiful woman with bronzed skin and a wild mane of dark
hair that was streaked with sun-blonde highlights. Her figure was impressive
and her body was well muscled. She had dark eyes that sparkled with both
mischief and intelligence.

"Vixen didn't elaborate?" Simone asked. Simone Stallion was quite possibly the
most beautiful woman in the world. She had short, dark hair, piercing blue
eyes, and a body that was the envy of every woman and the fantasy of every
man, and more than a few women.

"No, but she did say she'd see us later. I expect she'll tell us about her
adventures then..." Cassie said, handing the women their plates and then
sitting down at the table with them.

* * * * *

"What do you mean I can't tell anyone about you?" Vixen whispered as she sat
alone in her room. She was an attractive young woman in her late teens with a
ragged tangle of black hair and soft blue eyes. Her body was fit, but not
particularly well-defined, with smallish breasts and a bit of pot belly which
was the result of a steady diet of junk food and an aversion to any exercise
other than fighting.

It's for your own good, sweetie, a voice inside her head answered. If you go
around telling people you've got a Sumerian Goddess inside you, you'll be
locked away in a room with bouncy walls.

"Okay, but there's more to it than that. What aren't you telling me?"

I really don't see how we can expect to have a successful working relationship
if you're going to be so suspicious, the Goddess replied.

"Just answer the question, Eri," Vixen sighed.

Fine. I have enemies. Okay. Happy now?

"What kind of enemies are we talking about?"

Oh, the usual...Gods, Goddesses, demons, monsters...your basic assortment of
divine and semi-divine antagonists.

"You know, for someone whose nickname is 'She Who Is Full Of Rage' you seem
remarkably even-tempered," Vixen noted.

Well, let's just say that I've had a lot of time to get over it.

"What happened to you, Erishkigal? How did your essence wind up trapped in
that golden seal?" Vixen asked.

Not right now, sweetie. We're going to have a lot of time to get to know each
other, believe me. In the meantime, I suggest we establish some ground rules.

"Ground rules? For what?"

For what I can and can't do with your body each night.

"You...you mean you're going to take over every night?" Vixen sputtered.

Nearly every night. There are a couple of special nights when the stars and
planets are aligned in such a way that I won't be able to, but other than
those I'll be running things from sunset to sunrise.

"Don't I have any say at all in this?" the young woman demanded.

Not really. We'll be able to communicate like this, with you being the voice
in my head, of course, so it's not like you'll be locked away in a dark room.

"So, from now on I've only got half a life..." Vixen said quietly.

Half a life is better than no life, honey. And I'm speaking from experience
here, so trust me on this one.

"Easy for you to say. Until a few days ago, I barely had any life at all. Now,
just when I'm starting to do it right for the first time in my life, I lose
half of it," she sniffed, lowering her face into her hands.

Hey, cheer up, kid. Don't think of it as losing half your life, think of it as
gaining an alter ego. One with super human powers yet.

Vixen lifted her head and smiled just as Pandora exited the bathroom and poked
her head in the doorway. "What's that grin for?" her roommate asked slyly.

"Oh, just thinking," Vixen said quickly.

"What's his name?" Pandora smiled, sitting next to her on the bed.

"What makes you think..." she started, but her voice trailed off when she saw
the look Pandora was giving her. "Cal. And honestly, that's all I know. I'll
probably never even see him again."

"You'll see him again, Vik. And you'll have to tell me all about him when I
get home. But right now I'm late for work," she said, leaning over and hugging
her friend. "Try to stay out of trouble today."

"Yes, mother," Vixen giggled, returning the hug.

Pandora laughed and reluctantly let go and got off the bed. "See you tonight."

Vixen nodded. More or less, she thought to herself.

* * * * *

"Nazif is dead?" Lilith questioned, tempted to take her phone in and have it
checked, since she was positive it must not be working properly. Lilith Kahira
was a beautiful woman with a swarthy complexion, courtesy of her Egyptian
heritage, dark eyes, dark hair, and a soul to match. She had the mannerisms,
and disposition, of a pampered cat and was the richest woman in the world,
thanks to her incredible business savvy and her devotion to the Goddess
Sakhmet. "I didn't think he could die."

"We can all die, babe," Niklos Katharos replied. "You, me, Alec, that
shape-shifter, all of us. Some of us are just harder to kill than your average
human, that's all."

"This changes nothing. I still want that bitch's pelt for a throw rug. Do I
have to pay someone else to get it for me?"

"Easy, Lil, easy. Last night was just a dry run. We didn't count on anyone
caring if a wolf got shot or not. We'll be more careful next time. And we'll
be sure not to leave any witnesses, just in case."

"Don't think you're going to charge me for any extra kills. I'm only paying
you for the wolf bitch's skin."

"If it comes to it, any bonus kills will be gratis, doll," Niklos assured her.
"And about my payment..."

"We can discuss that when you've killed her. Bye, Niklos," she said, quickly
hanging up.

Lilith sat in her leather chair, slowly rocking back and forth, with her
fingers steepled and resting on the point of her chin, for several minutes
before deliberately reaching out and pushing the intercom button.

"Yes, boss?" Pam said almost immediately.

"I want you to contact Czysty. I have a job which requires his unique
talents," she said thoughtfully.

"Are you sure, boss? I mean, you do remember what happened the last time he
did a job for you, don't you?" the personal assistant questioned.

"Of course I remember, darling. Unfortunately, he's the best man for this
particular assignment."

"You're the boss, boss," Pam sighed.

* * * * *

When Vixen came over later that afternoon she was immediately besieged with
questions. "I take it you want an explanation?" she laughed, holding up her
hands and backing into the sitting room. Lupe, Simone, and Dr. Trotter nodded
enthusiastically. "And here I thought you invited me over for lunch."

"You'll get fed once our curiosity has been sated, young lady," Cassie
chuckled.

"All right, all right, but I'm warning you that there's not much to tell. The
thing is I came across the wolf as she was being shot by a man and woman I'd
never seen before. Fortunately for me, at that same time Nazif blundered onto
the scene and the pair of strangers dealt with him while the wolf crawled to
safety. I rushed to Lupe and discovered that she'd been shot with a silver
bullet, so I removed the bullet, carried her back here, and then locked her in
the bathroom. But I did stick around long enough to see Nazif get wasted by
the two hunters, so at least he's out of our hair," she finished with a forced
smile.

Not bad. A little truth, a little lie, shake well and serve with just enough
nervous sincerity to pull it off and even your closest friends will buy it,
the Goddess inside her remarked.

"A silver bullet, huh? That means they knew the wolf was really a werewolf,"
Cassandra said with a frown.

"Which means they were probably hired by Lilith," Simone sighed. "Oh, Lupe,
I'm sorry I ever got you mixed up with her."

"Do not worry, my friend, Lupe has faced far greater evils than Lilith and she
is still here. Maybe now Dr. Plotter will agree that it is time for Lupe to
pay her another visit and witch-slap some sense into her?" the Spaniard
questioned.

But Cassie shook her head. "I still think it best if we just stay out of her
way, Lupe. Besides, short of killing her, I don't see any way to get her to
leave you alone."

"You wouldn't kill her, would you, Lupe?" Simone asked suddenly. "I mean, even
though she tried to have me killed, she was my friend once--At least I thought
so. And she did get me out of a lot of jams."

"Relax, querida, Lupe has no intention of killing anyone, but I still think
another visit to Miss Kahira is in order. But, for your sake, and the
doctor's, I will wait and bride my time," Lupe assured them.

Maybe we should pay a visit to this Kahira woman? Erishkigal suggested.

Vixen excused herself and went into the bathroom, leaving the others to set
the table for lunch.

"Why?" she hissed.

Part of the deal for me to regain my place in the Court of Anu is that I have
to do... good deeds.

Vixen could almost hear the goddess choking on the words. "You mean, you're
going to use my body to be some kind of super heroine?" she inquired.

I suppose you could look at it that way, Eri conceded. But I -

She was suddenly cut off as Vixen grinned and shouted "Cool beans!"

"Are you all right in there, Genevieve?" Cassandra called from the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, doc. I'll be out in a minute," she shouted back.

I take it the idea pleases you?

"I'll say it does! You have to let me pick our name!"

Name? We have names. You're Genevieve/Vixen and I'm Erishkigal. Don't you
think another name would only further confuse things?

"That's the point. We don't want people to know who we are in real life, so we
have to come up with a name for our alter ego."

But, Vixen, we don't have an alter ego. I am the alter ego.

"No offense, Eri, but if we called ourselves 'Erishkigal' no one would
understand the significance. Besides, some people are aware of my connection
with the Seal and might put two and two together..."

I suppose you've got one all picked out...

Vixen grinned. "What do you think of NightFox?"

Hmmm, not bad. In fact, I like it! But you've got to let me design our
costume. Fair is fair, after all.

"All right, but I get final approval. It is going to be my body that's wearing
it," she reminded the Goddess.

Not exactly, but, oh, all right.

Vixen grinned and then flushed the toilet for the sake of appearances before
heading out to the kitchen.

"I was beginning to think you were never coming out," Cassie joked as she sat
down at the table.

"The bathroom can be a great place to do some serious thinking," Vixen replied
with a grin. "Now, what's for lunch? I'm starving!"

After lunch Lupe and Simone announced that the Spaniard would be spending the
night at the actress' mansion.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Cassie asked nervously.

"It might be the safest place for her if Lili's really got a pair of hired
killers after her. It might not be a bad idea for you to stay with me for a
while either," Simone added.

But Dr. Trotter shook her head emphatically. "I will not be run out of my home
by anyone. I don't care how much money she has."

"All right, but promise Lupe you will be careful, si, Dr. Knotter?" the
Spaniard said, hugging her.

"I'm always careful, dear. Now, you two go on and have a good time. Well, as
good a time as possible under the circumstances. Oh, hold on!" she said,
rushing upstairs. She returned a moment later with the silver handcuffs and
the key. "You're going to need these."

Simone nodded and hugged her. "See you tomorrow, doc. Do you want a ride,
Vixen?"

"Sure. Beats taking the bus. Thanks."

"You really should have woke us up last night, Genevieve," Cassie said as she
hugged the younger woman.

"I know, but I was scared and not thinking very clearly and just wanted to get
Lupe safe and myself home to my bed. I'm sorry," she said quickly.

Cassandra stared into her blue eyes for a minute and then nodded. "Just don't
keep any other secrets from us in the future," she said softly as all three
piled into Simone's sports car.

She's good, Erishkigal said inside Vixen's head as the car pulled out of the
drive.

* * * * *

"Czysty on line one, boss," Pam informed her. "He sounds even crankier than
usual."

"What do you expect, darling, he is a vengeance demon. click Jarek, how good
to hear from you."

"Cut the small talk, Kahira. Who do you want whacked?"

"Right to the point, as always, darling. I'm faxing you a picture of her now.
Got it?"

"Yeah, she looks like a normal to me. Why call me to take her out?"

"She may look normal, Jarek, but she's bonded with a Sumerian Goddess and I
want her blood. Literally."

"Won't Sakhmet be jealous if you start drinking another Goddess' blood,
Kahira?" the demon asked with an evil chuckle.

"I'm just hedging my bets, darling. Can you do the job or not?"

"How long ago did the bonding take place?"

"Last night."

"Shouldn't be a problem...for twice my usual fee, of course."

"Of course. Only, this time, see that you leave the city relatively intact. I
don't think the scientific community will accept two surprise earthquakes in
as many years without doing some serious digging. And that wouldn't be healthy
for either of us, darling."

"I just do the job. I leave the cleaning up to you, Kahira. That's what you
broads are for."

Lilith ignored the sexist comment. "I'll need at least a liter of her blood.
Bring me more, though, and I'll make it worth your while."

"I'll have to see what the market looks like before I make final delivery. Who
knows how much some people would be willing to pay for honest to goodness
Goddess blood?"

"Don't even think about letting him in on our little deal, Jarek, or I promise
you you will regret it."

"Oh, yeah, babe. You're scaring me. I'll be in touch, Kahira. click"

Lilith's hand tightened into a fist, her manicured nails digging into the palm
of her hand almost to the point of drawing blood, and she exhaled in a furious
single breath. She was sorely tempted to have Pam call him back so she could
hang up on him, but decided to leave well enough alone. Besides, she said to
herself as a wicked smile spread across her luscious lips, that blood, and the
power it contained, was as good as hers. Cyzsty wouldn't fail her as Nazif
had.

* * * * *

Simone and Lupe reached her mansion with just over two hours to spare before
the sunset would trigger the Spaniard's transformation into a wolf. Matisse
greeted them at the door, pleased to have her mistress back home, but clearly
disapproving of her choice of partners.

"I trust Madame had a pleasant stay?" the French maid said as she opened the
car door.

"I'm not sure pleasant is the right word for it, Matisse, but I did end up
getting some much needed rest. Still, it is good to be home again. Lupe will
be joining me for dinner and then you can take the evening off. I won't
require your services until tomorrow morning."

"Oui, Madame. I shall make myself scarce, as the saying goes."

"Thanks for understanding, Matisse," Simone said, entering the house, followed
closely by Lupe.

The French girl stared daggers at the tall Spaniard and muttered under her
breath, "Oh, but I understand all too well, Madame." She then retrieved
Simone's bags from the trunk and carried them upstairs, ignoring the laughter
coming from the main bedroom as much as possible.

Dinner was a scrumptious affair of glazed duck a l'orange and chocolate
mousse, prepared to perfection by Matisse, who had graduated in the top ten
percentile from Julliard before emigrating to America, and afterwards Simone
and Lupe had spent a few minutes together kissing passionately before it was
time to fasten the silver handcuffs on the Spaniard and lock her in the wine
cellar--Simone's bathroom windows were far too large to risk the wolf not
breaking out of them.

"Make sure they are tight, querida, so that they will not slip off when Lupe
becomes the wolf," she instructed.

"Do you think you'd hurt me, Lupe, even as the wolf?" Simone asked as she
secured the cuffs.

"Lupe would prefer not to take any chances, my friend. And see that you don't
take any either. Keep this door locked until you hear me call from the other
side in the morning. Promise me, Simone."

"Oh, I promise," huffed the actress, careful to keep her crossed fingers out
of Lupe's sight.

"Good. Now, sleep well and I will see you in the morning," Lupe said, pausing
just long enough for one last kiss before pulling the door closed behind her
and then walking down the wooden stairs, stripping out of her clothes, and
waiting for the inevitable transformation.

Simone paused, listening at the door until she heard the confused and angry
growls of the wolf. Then, slowly, cautiously, she turned the lock and opened
the door. "Lupe?" she called. "It's me, Simone, baby. I won't hurt you. Are
you down there?" she asked, poking her head in and looking down the stairs.

Suddenly, a huge form rushed up at her from the darkness, its eyes flashing
with rage and its yellow fangs shining with drool as a terrible roar burst
forth from its mouth. Simone screamed and barely had time to slam the door
shut before the enormous wolf crashed into it, almost escaping from the
cellar. The terrified actress slammed the lock home and ran up to her bedroom.

She threw herself down on her luxurious, enormous, empty bed and cried herself
to sleep.

The wolf snarled in frustration at finding herself in yet another strange
cave. More maddening still was the fact that the painful contraption was back
on her forelegs, making movement difficult. Her brief freedom of the previous
two nights had reawakened that burning desire to run free within her and it
was not easily quenched. She angrily paced around this cavern, noting the odd
structures and the sweet smell of the strange rocks that were resting on them,
and then she heard a voice calling to her.

She stiffened. This was not one of the three who had helped her, or the Other,
but it was a familiar voice nonetheless. She finally recognized it as
belonging to one of the humans who kept her prisoner in the small cavern with
the strange round patch of grass and slowly approached the sloping, bumpy ramp
that led to the exit. When she saw the human's head illuminated by the lights
outside the cavern, she shot up the ramp as fast as she could, only to have
the exit disappear and slam into the wooden barrier which appeared in its
place.

She fell down hard and tumbled head over hind legs down the ramp and to the
hard floor of the cavern. Climbing unsteadily to her feet, she licked her
wounds and then curled up on a pile of old rags and tried to go to sleep,
despite the yearning to once more run free which practically consumed her.

Meanwhile, another transformation was also taking place...

Vixen stiffened as the sun sank below the horizon and her entire body glowed a
brilliant golden hue for a moment before reshaping itself into the more
muscled, bustier form of the Goddess. And, not only her figure was altered,
but her clothing as well. She was now wearing a tight-fitting outfit made of
dark blue spandex which wrapped itself around her like a python, fitting so
snuggly as to be almost indistinguishable from her own flesh. The suit left
her back and midriff exposed while covering her breasts and pubic area with
barely enough material to avoid being obscene. Her hands and feet were encased
in gloves and boots, both of which climbed past their respective joints before
ending in thin strips which attached to the main costume, and her face was
concealed by a dark mask which flared at the corners of her eyes, giving the
impression of ears. A golden belt encircled her waist and a similar band
encased her ivory throat.

"Well, what do you think?" the Goddess asked as she stood in front of a mirror
so Vixen could see the costume.

gulp Um, I like it, Eri. Really. What little there is of it anyway, she added.

"Too daring?" questioned the Goddess.

A little. We're supposed to fight crimes, not commit them.

Erishkigal scowled and suddenly the areas around the breasts and crotch were
more covered, but still revealing enough to be extremely sexy. "Better?"

Much. Say, what's with the bare palm on the right glove?

"I didn't think it would be right to cover up the source of our power.
Besides, we might need to recharge, and only exposure to moonlight can do
that."

When are you going to let me in on all of your little secrets, huh? Don't you
think I have a right to know, seeing as how it's my body we're going to
putting on the line?

"Soon, Vixen. Just let me enjoy the first freedom I've had in over 2,000 years
before we get to the gloom and doom, life story part, okay?"

All right, but soon, Eri. I need to know what I might be up against during the
day.

"Sure, kid. Soon, I promise. In the meantime, about those ground rules...it's
been a long time since I've had any action in the underworld, if you catch my
meaning," she said with a throaty growl.

Sex?! You want to use my body to have sex?

"Unless you'd prefer me to use it for a non-stop ice cold shower, that's the
general idea. What do you say?"

With who?

"With anyone! I'm not looking for a boyfriend, I've got a husband waiting for
me once I've done my penance. I just need some satisfaction."

It can't be with anyone I know. Especially with anyone I like!

"Don't worry, Cal is safe from my appetites. Tell you what, I'll just go to a
bar and pick up the first stud I take a fancy to, all right?"

Fine. I guess. I had no idea Goddesses could be so slutty.

"You've never read much mythology, have you, kid?" Eri laughed as she
transformed her outfit into a low cut blouse of red satin and black, tight
knee-length pants.

No, but, believe you me, I will be! What happened to our visit to Lilith?

"First things first, Vixen. You can't expect me to confront evil when my mind
is preoccupied, can you? That might not be healthy. And it sure wouldn't be
much fun," Eri added as she whipped herself up a stylish black purse and left
the apartment.

As she walked down the residential street she remarked, "Girl, we have got to
get you some wheels. I'm dying to try out these horseless chariots of yours."

Can't you fly or teleport or anything cool?

"You've seen too many movies, Vixen. My powers are impressive, but they're
mainly limited to feats of strength, telekinesis, and transmutation, I'm
afraid. Oh, and healing, but just of our body," she added after a slight
pause.

Well, I guess that means I'll have to get a job. Unless being a super heroine
pays more than I've heard.

"Not that I'm aware of, kid, but who knows, grateful would-be victims might
shell out some payola after we save them. Or maybe we could get some corporate
sponsors?" she laughed.

"Who're you talking to, sweet thang?" asked a gruff voice.

Eri whirled around and found herself face to face with a large white man. He
towered over her and was running his thumb along the blade of a wicked looking
knife. He was attractive in a grubby street punk sort of way, with a
clean-shaven head and a three-day-old five o'clock shadow. He was wearing a
dirty T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of steel-tipped black boots.

"Myself. I do it to keep myself company on long walks," she replied, looking
him up and down appreciatively.

Oh, gross! Not him!

"If you want company, baby-cakes, all you have to do is ask. I'll be happy to
make sure you don't get lonely," he said, leering at her suggestively as he
scraped the knife's edge along his chin's stubble.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with knives?" Eri asked,
casually running a finger along his ripped chest.

He's a mugger, Eri! One of the criminals you're supposed to be punishing.

"The only thing my old lady ever told me was 'Don't get caught'," he said with
a deep chuckle.

"Good advice. But she really should have at least mentioned how dangerous
knives can be," the Goddess said, suddenly grabbing his wrist and forcing the
knife into his flesh just hard enough to draw a trickle of blood. Then, with a
start, she realized that the blood was a sickly green color. Fear leapt into
her eyes and she released his wrist and backed away.

What's wrong, Eri? Who is this creep?

"Yes, Goddess, like you, I'm not exactly human either," he said, dropping the
street punk pretense and fixing intense dark eyes on her. "And, unfortunately
for you, I'm being paid a lot of money to kill you."

"A vengeance demon!" Eri hissed, calling forth a glowing sword from the ether.

Another demon?! This Lilith is even more dangerous than we thought! Can you
take him?

"Drop the toy, Goddess, and the death of your host will be quick and painless.
But if you anger me, I'll make your journey back to the Eternal more painful
than you can imagine," the demon promised, its dark eyes shining with malice.

"Hear me, demon, and understand that I am Erishkigal, Queen of the Underworld,
and I have caused more pain and suffering than all of you and your foul kind
combined," she said imperiously, keeping the point of the sword between her
and the demon.

Cyzsty paused, regarding her thoughtfully as he scratched his bald head. "I
was unaware of your identity, Goddess, but it makes little difference. The
world has changed a great deal since the time you and your ilk held sway, and
in that time my kind have flourished and grown powerful while you and your kin
have grown weak without followers to nourish you. You see, Goddess," he added,
grinning malevolently, "unlike you Gods, who require faith to sustain you, we
demons require only hatred. And in this modern world faith is a rare commodity
indeed, but hatred is more plentiful than ever."

He's right about that at least, Vixen conceded.

"That may well be true," she replied, answering both of them, "but I have
always received my power from the darkness itself, and its most enduring
symbol: The Moon." She held up her right hand and the figures embossed in the
flesh of her palm suddenly began glowing with a golden hue, like that of her
sword, causing the demon to shield his eyes and back away.

"I should have known this wasn't going to be easy," he growled. Suddenly, his
arms, legs, and chest began to expand, tearing away not only his clothing, but
his very skin! He continued to grow, his flesh ripping and falling off of him
in strips, until he stood well over twenty feet tall.

Oh, that is just too gross for words!

"I can't argue with that call, kid," Eri agreed, nervously holding the sword
with both hands now.

Cyzsty had become a skinless monstrosity, his musculature and even some of his
bones clearly visible, his whole form dripping with a pus-like yellow fluid.
His dark eyes had grown to three times their original size and they stared
down at Eri with utter contempt as his bony hands flexed and then curled into
fists. "You should have taken the offer, Goddess," he smirked. He then opened
his mouth and belched forth a great ball of white-hot fire.

Erishkigal jumped backwards, landing on her hands and then springing up and
onto the roof of a car parked on the street. "You'll have to do better than
that, demon," she taunted.

Hey! Does he have one of those knot-things on the back of his head, like Nazif
had?

"All demons have one, Vixen," Eri replied, leaping from the car seconds before
his fist slammed down, crushing it. She landed long enough to leap back into
the air; this time landing on the roof of a mini-van which was also parked on
the street. Then, before Czysty had time to launch another attack, she ran
across the top of the van, did a triple forward somersault, and landed on the
roof of a passing bus.

Whoa! That was cool, the girl said, obviously impressed that her body was
performing these amazing feats. So, anyway, all we have to do is destroy that
knot and bye-bye to Mr. Demon, right?

The demon roared in fury and charged after the bus, knocking the oncoming
traffic out of his way with powerful swipes of his massive forearms. "Running
will only delay the inevitable, Goddess, and result in the deaths of innocents
besides!" he bellowed, hurling a station wagon into the living room of a
house.

"You're right, but so is he," she sighed, gazing at her reflection in her
sword. "Destroying that knot won't be easy. I was able to trick Nazif into
placing himself in a position that allowed Lupe to do the hard part. Tonight
it's just me. And I can't allow him to hurt any more people than he already
has."

With that, she ran to the end of the bus and leaped off of it, straightening
her body and holding the sword out in front of her, aiming for the surprised
demon's throat. But Czysty was too quick for her and he managed to dodge the
blade so it merely pierced his shoulder. With an angry bellow, he swatted her
from him like a fly and she landed hard on the pavement.

Ignoring the glowing sword sticking out of his shoulder, he reached down and
picked her up by a leg and held her up until her head was at eye level. "I
warned you that your return to the Eternal would be a painful one, Goddess,"
he grinned, shaking her like a doll. "And it will be." He suddenly turned and
threw her into the wall of nearby house and she hit it with enough force to
knock some of the aluminum siding loose. She fell to the ground gasping for
breath.

He was on her before she could even try to get to her feet.

This time he picked her up by the throat, squeezing just enough to prevent her
from getting any air, without actually crushing her windpipe. He then buried
an enormous fist in her gut and her entire body shook as if an electric
current had just flooded it. As she struggled for air, he casually hurled her
halfway down the block. She slammed into the side of a car and dropped to the
street, barely conscious.

Laughing, Czysty strode over and kicked her in the ribs, sending her flying
across the street where she landed awkwardly atop a parked car, her long legs
dangling off the roof, twitching pathetically.

"This is only the beginning, Goddess," he laughed, making his way over to her.
"But take comfort that you'll never see another sunrise through those eyes."

"You're wrong, demon," Eri replied, sitting up and then climbing shakily to
her feet on the roof of the vehicle. "This is the end!" She suddenly jumped at
him, catching hold of the sword's pommel with both hands, and he instinctively
tried to bat her away.

But Eri managed to hang onto the sword with one hand and used her momentum to
swing her around to his back as she materialized a dagger into her free hand.

Before Czysty knew what she was up to, she plunged the smaller blade into the
knot at the base of his skull and then jumped free as flames erupted from the
wound. He barely had time to scream before he was consumed, leaving nothing
but a pile of foul-smelling soot.

I thought you said destroying him wouldn't be easy? Vixen joked.

Erishkigal just sank to her knees and concentrated all of her energies on
healing her pain-racked body.

* * * * *

Two figures slunk through the shadows near Simone's mansion, making their way
for the servant's entrance at the back. They quickly, and silently, picked the
lock and disabled the alarm and entered the kitchen. Without hesitating they
moved to the locked door to the wine cellar and likewise opened it.

The taller, and very definitely female, figure entered first, the gleam of a
gun visible in her hand. The smaller, male figure followed, limping ever so
slightly. Alec paused halfway down the stairs and listened intently. Hearing
nothing, she cautiously turned and peered through the openings between the
steps to see if their quarry was hiding beneath them, but her night goggles
revealed that the space was empty.

Niklos opened his mouth to say something, but Alec held a finger to her lips
and shook her head. Then, he heard it, too: A low growling which seemed to
come from all around them and was slowly building in volume.

Alec looked around her frantically, but she never spotted the wolf until it
launched itself at them from on top of one of the wine racks. She raised her
gun to fire, but the wolf knocked it from her hand in an unsuccessful attempt
to grab her arm with its jaws. Still, she was knocked backwards and into
Niklos and they both fell down in a tangle of arms and legs with the wolf
standing over them and growling fiercely, but also uncertainly.

The wolf regarded the pair with glowing eyes. She didn't know them. But she
knew of their kind. They were both other; not quite Other, and not of the
Cursed Ones, but more than human. She wondered what grudge these two could
have against her, since the pack and the others had been on more-or-less
friendly terms from the dawn of time. Then, hearing the sound of movement
coming from beyond the now open portal, she looked up towards it.

In that instant, the female other pulled a silver blade from her boot and
plunged it into her chest. Unfortunately for her, she missed the wolf's heart.

The wolf snarled and jumped away, the dagger still embedded in its chest, and
raced up the stairs as quickly as the accursed device on its forelegs would
allow it to. The female other grabbed the thing which had been knocked from
her hand and she and her companion raced after her.

At the top of the stairs, the wolf paused just long enough to lift her nose
and sniff the air. Then, with another snarl, this one mixed with pain, she
charged towards the more open part of the huge cavern. She could sense that
the others were right behind her, but all three suddenly skidded to a halt on
the slippery floor of the cavern when the lights came on and blinded them.
Both of the others howled in agony and reached up and tore something from
their faces as the wolf saw that her human captor was standing on the bottom
ledge of a sloping ramp with an angry expression on her face.

"You must be the two who tried to kill her last night," the actress stated.
She was wearing nothing but a silky negligee and flimsy robe that she hadn't
even bothered to tie shut. "I've called the police and my friends have a
pretty good description of you both, so it shouldn't be difficult for them to
put two and two together if I wind up dead and Lupe is missing."

The wolf was standing near the door, watching the two others and the human
with a mixture of fear and anger as she licked at the blood seeping from the
wound in her chest. She cautiously tried to remove it, but when her teeth
touched the blade, she started back at the familiar sensation that wasn't
quite pain, but was definitely unpleasant.

"This freakin' wolf has more lives than a damn cat!" Niklos growled, rubbing
his eyes angrily.

"I think you're bluffing about the police, honey, but there's no hurry. You
can't protect her forever. And," Alec added, her blue eyes flashing with an
eerie, inhuman intensity, "we can just as easily get her when she's in her
human form."

She slipped the gun into her waistband and then she and Niklos slowly backed
down the hallway, towards the kitchen. "We'll meet again, sweet-cheeks, I
promise you that. Unless your friend there kills you once we're gone, of
course." She laughed and then Simone heard the sound of a door shutting.

The wolf stared after the pair of others and then over at the human, growling
softly when her captor took a step towards her.

"It's me, Lupe. I'm not gonna hurt you, baby, I just want to get that knife
out of you, all right?" she said softly, taking another step.

The growling increased in volume.

"Sweetie, you've gotta let me get that thing out of you before it works its
way into your heart," she pleaded, dropping slowly to her hands and knees and
easing her way closer.

Yellow fangs were exposed when the wolf drew back its black lips and the
growling took on a whining pitch.

"You're just going to have to trust me, Lupe. Either that or do like the lady
said and kill me. I can't leave that knife in you. I just can't," she said
softly, crawling closer still.

The wolf regarded her with baleful dark eyes, but made no move towards her,
despite the fact that she was within reach of the powerful jaws. She
considered biting the human and then escaping, but the device on her forelegs
and the pain in her chest both made her more cautious than she would have
ordinarily been, so she allowed the human to approach her.

"That's my girl. Just relax and it'll be over before you know it, baby," she
whispered, slowly reaching for the bloody handle of the knife.

The wolf's jaws snapped shut right next to the hand as she continued to growl
and bare her sharp teeth. For some reason, she wanted to trust this human.
Maybe it was the way she was talking to her, soft and soothing; maybe it was a
hope that she would relieve some of the pain; but maybe, just maybe, it was
something else...

More scared than she'd ever been before, yet strangely calm, too, she closed
her fingers on the handle and tried to ease the knife out. But the blood made
the handle slippery and she lost her grip without removing it.

A surge of pain shot through the wolf's body and, once more, her jaws snapped
closed very near the hand and her dark eyes bored into the human, warning her
not to cause any more pain.

"I'm sorry, Lupe. Just hold on and I'll get it out this time, baby. I
promise," she said softly as her hand once more closed around the handle. This
time, as soon as she had a good hold, she yanked it out with a quick motion
and then scooted on her ass across the floor before the wolf realized what had
happened.

Simone held the knife in front of her, partly as a defensive measure and
partly to show the wolf that she had removed it as she'd promised. The beast
looked down as the wound in its chest closed without a trace and then up at
Simone, who heard a strange thumping sound.

It took her a moment to realize it was the sound of Lupe's tail hitting
against the floor as it wagged.

The human smiled and tossed the blade away and then cautiously approached her,
holding out her bloodstained hands for the wolf to sniff. But, as she had with
the young human the night before, instead of sniffing the offered hands, the
wolf licked them clean of her blood as her tail continued to wag with
increasing vigor.

Simone smiled and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck and hugged it,
tentatively at first, but with more enthusiasm when the animal licked her
face. "I knew you wouldn't hurt me, sweetie, no matter what form you were in.
Hang on and I'll get the key for those nasty old handcuffs," she said, rising
and then walking over to a small desk near the front door. She removed the
small silver key from a tray where she kept her car keys and quickly unlocked
the cuffs and slipped them into the pocket of her nightgown.

Freed from the maddening device, the wolf immediately bounded up and then
raced around the cavern several times before practically knocking the
surprised human over when she charged up to her, tongue lolling happily from
her great mouth. She then stood up on her hind legs and proceeded to lick the
human's face until it was sopping wet.

"All right, all right! I get it! You're grateful! Now, what do you say we go
to bed, huh?" she laughed, pushing the wolf down and heading for the stairs.
The wolf paused, looking from the door to the woman and then, wagging its busy
tail, trotted after her.

Simone crawled into her huge bed and patted the covers, calling for the wolf
to join her, which, after a slight hesitation, it did, curling up at the foot
of the bed while she reset her alarm clock. "I have to make sure you wake up
as Lupe down in the cellar," she explained, setting the clock back down on the
night stand, "or she, er, that is, you'll be very angry with me."

The wolf was gazing out the large opening at the inviting, familiar moon when
the human crawled over to her and draped one arm around her body, snuggling up
close before closing her eyes and falling quickly into a contented sleep. She
looked down at the human next to her, knowing she could kill her with a single
bite and then escape from the enormous cavern somehow. But something inside
her kept her from doing so. Perhaps it was the memory of how much the world
had changed and how strange and dangerous it had become. Or, again, perhaps it
was something else.

She stared at the human for a long time, watching her sleep and occasionally
licking her face, before she fell into a contented sleep herself for the first
time in a very long time.

To be continued...

(Soon)

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