in the beginning

by ronrobertson

it could have started like this

A large, black wolf stands on the edge of a cliff, looking down on the valley which is illuminated by the light of the bright, full moon.

In the distance he can hear the rushing of water as it cascades down the mountainside, gently flowing into the shimmering lake below in the valley. Water ripples then disappears into the glassy, reflective surface. The moon's glow highlights the pine and fir trees that line the valley's floor. Flowers awake prematurely, fooled by the brightness of the full moon.

the large, black wolf looks from horizon to horizon. All that he sees is his domain. Squirrels, rabbits, and deer are plentiful in the forest. The lake brims with fish and the river that flows out of the valley erupts with life. Large fish with gaping mouths leave the lake for the sea in masses, only to return to breed and die. The wolf sits on the water's edge waiting for the fish to slowly swim in the shallows. Lowering his head quickly, his jaws snap tight around his prey; eating until his belly is full. The wolf will find shelter to sleep until he is hungry again. In this valley he is both feared and respected. He never kills more than he can eat. Each full moon, he climbs to the highest cliff, set high above the valley, and gazes down at its reflective beauty. The wolf takes a deep breath, filling his lungs until they could burst, and howls. He howls long and loud until his lungs are depleted. It would echo down the valley, across the mountains and into the heavens. The animals turn their attention to the cliff high above them. in the valley below they would listen. Replenishing his breath, his ears would perk up straight, his eyes closed. He would listen to his howl slowly fade into the night.

Silence is all he heard in this valley of plenty. He was alone. No wolf's call ever filled his ears. He would often lower his head in disappointment, slowly turn, and fade into the shadows of the night.

Spring would arrive and life would return to the valley. Young were born and raised by their parents. The forest was alive with song birds during the day while crickets and frogs greeted the night. The stillness of the lake would often be interrupted by fish breaking the smooth, glassy surface, whether escaping prey or chasing prey.

Spring would change over to summer. The storm clouds could be seen sliding down the mountain sides like a thick blanket of smoke smothering everything in its path. The streams would finally swell and rush towards the lake, interrupting the tranquility and stillness of the lake surface until the storm clouds continued their journey down the valley out into the world beyond. The young grew up fast and strong as life continued in the summer heat of the valley.

Summer would change into the fall. The days would grow shorter, and the nights cooler. Morning fog became common, covering the wolf as he hunted.

Winter came; its cold breath flowed through the trees. Its deep snows blanketed the valley, changing it to a beautiful world of white. The valley slept underneath the blanket of snow.

A full moon's rays split the night up as if almost day. Shining bright as it would reflect off the beautiful, white snow. As the seasons continued their cycles, the wolf would continue his routine. Every full moon he would walk up to the highest cliff, fill his lungs until they would nearly burst, and howl until his lungs were wolf's howl would echo down the valley, up the mountain rising up into the heavens.

He pricked his ears up, closed his eyes, his nose lifted high in the air. Sitting silently he would listen. In the dark silence, no return howl would fill the valley or his large, black ears.

It was the first full moon of the year. Snow gathered deep in the valley below him as he stood on the cliff's edge. Looking down, he would repeat the same ritual every month.

He would breathe in deeply, his lungs filling to capacity, and slowly release it to the world. "aaaawwwooooo..." His howl raced down the valley below and up the mountain sides. It rose up into the heavens and faded into the distance. He closed his eyes, his nose lifted to the heavens. His ears perked as he listened for a response. The night was still and the only sounds he heard were the falling snow. He could hear the crunch of snow under his paws as he moved his feet. He gazed down watching the full moons reflection on the lake surface.

"Hello… wolf…" The sound filled his ears. He raised his head, surprised. His mouth hung open, exposing his sharp teeth. He quickly scanned the valley below him.

"Huh?"

"Hello…" The voice filled the air like fragrances of flowers in the spring breeze. It was soft and warm, seemed to caress his very ears. He looked out of the corner of his eye. He saw a small, bright light, almost like a firefly, but this was winter, he thought to himself. Perhaps, no, perhaps it is just a snowflake catching the moon's light. He continued to watch it as it floated in the shadows among the pine and fir trees. Branches, burdened, drooped down with the weight of the new, fallen snow that clung to them.

The light flickered then grew larger and larger. The wolf turned his head, looking at the light as it seemed to devour the darkness around.

The wolf did not fear what he was watching before his eyes. He stood up, lowered his head, narrowed his eyes and ears folded back, his tail moved slowly back and forth. He let out a slow, steady growl that seemed to vibrate the very snow. This was his land, and he would fear nothing.

"Do not be afraid…" The voice came from the ever growing light.

The wind, slowly flowing towards and into the light, blew across his fur and into the light. Loose snow filled the air, tree branches trembled and the heavy snow fell to the ground. The light continued to grow as it seem to feed off the wind and the darkness. The wind and snow grew furious, its noise deafening to the wolf's ears. He closed his eyes and folded his ears back to protect them from the sound and fury of the wind and snow. Then when he could take no more; silence.

"What?" His eyes widened in surprise, he quickly raised his head, ears perked up as he continued to watch the scene unfold.

"Hello wolf…" She stood there, nude, a human form in the cold snow. Her feet covered up to her ankles. She was enveloped in a warm, bright light, brighter than the sun. Her hair was silver gray, and her eyes were as blue as the sky. A smile came naturally to her face. She was beautiful… even to a wolf. Attached to her back were large, white wings that slowly folded behind her.

"Who are you?" the wolf asked quickly. He seemed to be taken aback as he raised his head, surprised that he could understand her when she spoke.

"How can I hear you?" She just looked at him, smiled and he took comfort in her smile that he had not felt in a long time. It was warm like that of the sun when he would sleep in the open fields.

The wolf took a step towards her; he was not afraid of her. He gazed at her, he seemed to smile. She returned his smile, knelt down in the snow, holding her hands out.

"Come here, I will tell you…"

"I... I... I" he hesitated.

"It will be all right." She smiled. She continued to reach out to him. His hesitation quickly faded.

He continued to slowly walk towards her as she was kneeling, reaching out to him. He could hear the crunch of the snow underneath his feet as he walked toward her.

She reached out, embraced him, and started to scratch him behind the ears, patting him on the head. She leaned hard against his body; he rubbed his nose against her face. She laughed, he felt like a pup again. She continued to stroke his fur, laughing.

"Why am I acting this way…?" He continued, thinking to himself. For some reason he could not control himself. He was excited like a young pup. He continued to rub against her. "I am not a pup."

She slowly cupped his head with both her hands and held it gently. She looked into his eyes. Those blue eyes shone, her smile brought him peace and contentment.

"Why?"

"Why am I acting and feeling this way?" He shook his head." Why are you here?"

"I heard you calling…" She whispered. She touched her nose to his nose.

"What?" He pulled his head slightly back from her hands. His eyes opened wide in surprise.

She smiled, raised her hand, scratched him behind the ears. His ears flickered, and then turned back towards her, again.

"At first, it was like a whisper…" She said. "Then…then it started to get louder and louder…"

She was looking up into the night sky, the stars slowly fading. The full moon slowly dipped past the horizon. The sun was rising for the morning.

"Every time, when there was a full moon", she paused, "I would hear you howling." Her eyes bright, she smiled. Her eyes gazed into the distance; it was as if she was remembering each howl as it echoed through the night.

He was laying on the snowy ground looking up to her. She was gazing down at him. She had softness in her face. It was as if she knew the emptiness he was feeling inside.

"You sounded so lonely…" There was sadness in her voice as she looked into the valley; the moon was large and bright. It seemed to be balancing itself on the horizon, just beyond the lake; its reflection shimmering on its surface. The snow shone bright and sparkled in the distance.

"So beautiful…" She whispered, shaking her head. He watched her as she was looking out, she returned her gaze to him. She put her hand between his ears; he raised his head slightly to meet her hand. She tilted her head and smiled. "So I came to join you for a while…", her eyes were looking for his approval," is that okay?"

The black wolf answered immediately, almost like a pup, "y. ..." He quickly rose to his feet, his eyes sparkled. She placed her hands on both her knees. She was kneeling in front of him. She closed her eyes and her face became serious.

"All right…"

"Would you step back, please?" She raised her hand and pointed her finger for him to move. "Now… let's see…"

Her eyes were half opened, a small smile was on her lips. It looked as though she was thinking about something, something important.

He took a few steps backwards, he watched, his eyes focused, ears perked in anticipation. He could never dream of what would happen next.

It started out as a low hum, almost like a hymn, and then it grew to a whisper in the night. The soft breeze flowed by him, the tree branches slowly swayed back and forth, the snow, the weight pressed down on the branches, fell onto the ground. The wind slowly picked up speed as it circled around and around her like a whirlwind. The wind flowed into her creating a vortex. The wind danced upon his fur, his ears moved forward, his eyes were half lidded, his body shook as the wind pressed and pushed against his body, as it picked up speed. He watched, his eyes wide in anticipation, as her wings slowly seemed to change into smaller pieces glowing bright like embers of the fire. It looked as though fireflies were dancing fiercely in the whirlwind. The force of the whirlwind pulled in loose snow mixing with the bright embers rising up to the heavens. He could see her eyes looking at him; they were blue, calm, and serene.

She smiled, whispered. "Almost there", she chuckled.

The wind, snow, and light spun rapidly around her. The wind roared as it rushed into the fray.

Then…

"Whoosh!" It stopped…silence, Everything was motionless hanging in the air. The silence continued, as it floated gently to the ground, covering the snow, trees.

He stood back, holding one paw in the air, his head raised back. He could not believe what he was seeing; his eyes were as big as saucers.

"What?"

"How?" his thick, black tail moved back and forth excitedly.

He looked to where she had previously been standing. What once stood on two legs now stood a beautiful wolf on four legs!

She was beautiful; a large wolf. She was gray in color. Her eyes were blue; her coat was thick and soft. Her paws had large, wide, black pads, which made it easy for her to walk on snow. Her color was a steel gray that faded to white on her chest and belly. She was beautiful, even more than before, he smiled thinking to himself.

She moved her head from side to side. She was looking at every inch of her body.

"Not bad… what do you think?" She looked at him; her blue eyes seemed to sparkle. She smiled, slightly exposing two, large canines.

He was still standing there holding one paw in the air. He seemed to be frozen in time his mouth gaped open.

"I, I…" He stuttered.

"Hhhmm..." Her eyes soft and she smiled.

"I will take that as an approval…" She laughed.

She took a step forward, raised her hind legs up from the snow so she stood on all fours. She looked back, admired her form.

"Ooohh... what is this? Her voice raised in surprise. She seemed to wiggle her butt noticing her tail.

"That's nice…!" A very large, fluffy, gray tail moved back and forth in the air. At the end of her gray tail, she had a silver colored tip.

"I never knew it could be so much fun to have a tail..." She laughed as she continued to wiggle her butt and pulling her tail towards her mouth. She grabbed it to her mouth and tugged it.

"Ouch… that hurts a little…" She chuckled, her blue eyes exposing her embarrassment.

She turned her attention towards him, looking out the corner of her blue eyes; the black wolf was still standing there motionless.

"Hhhmm..." With her head still turned towards her tail.

"Pretty nice…" She spoke again, almost giddy waiting for his reply.

The black wolf finally had regained his composure. Putting his paw back on the ground, he took a small step towards her, but she took larger steps towards him.

The snow crunched under her feet, she smiled as she came towards him.

She lowered her head slightly and she raised it when she was close enough to touch nose to nose with him. She rubbed her face against his face and he returned the motion. She would rub her body against his nose to tail multiple times excited, almost giddy.

When they were done with their playful greeting, they both took deep breaths, inhaling the chill of the snow covered night, mixed with their scents.

"I will always remember your scent…" She whispered.

"I will remember yours…" He whispered back to her. The crunching of the snow beneath their feet was the only sound between them. They walked to the edge of the cliff. Standing at the edge, they looked down over the entire snow-covered valley. The large, full moon was dipping below the horizon bidding goodbye to the night. Its reflection fading on the lake below.

"What do we do now…?" He asked. They were still looking at the disappearing moon.

She leaned against his body, raised her head up, and whispered into his ear. It flickered slightly when her wet nose brushed against it. "I can do anything a real wolf can do… but," she paused. He turned his head slightly, looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She spoke as if to warn him. "I cannot eat the flesh of any animal…"

"Huh?"

She slowly rubbed her head against his head. He thought to himself. If you do not eat, you will die. I will be alone again. She could see the concern in his eyes as she listened to his heartbeat.

Her voice, so smooth and calm, resonated in his mind.

"Do not worry…" She whispered, "I do not require nourishment like you do…"

She lowered her butt and tail sitting next to him. She put her head on the back of his neck.

"I am an angel… So I do not require it…"

"What if…"

At the thought of eating flesh, what would happen, her eyes became sad, the tone of her voice when she answered was sorrowful. She closed her eyes, and slowly opened them. She looked up at the changing night skies.

"I…" She paused. He repositioned his ear to hear better, "I will not be able to go home…" She sighed.

"I see… how long will you stay? His voice was somber. His eyes seem to lose their brightness. He lowered his head, looking to the ground. He seemed to be fearing the answer. What he heard next made his heart skip a beat.

"As long as you want me…" She leaned forward and rubbed her nose to his nose. She could feel his happiness return to his face.

The wolf smiled, his energy returned. "Then, that will be a long time…"

"But first" she interrupted, "I would like to hear you howl for me."

"Yes! I will… I will tell the world and heaven about you!" He turned his head towards her with a large smile. He walked over the edge of the cliff. He positioned his stance wide, he took a deep breath, and she laughed, taking a few steps back.

"Indeed! Tell the world!" She chuckled.

He felt his lungs fill to capacity. It felt like they would burst, and then he slowly opened his mouth, filled with those sharp teeth and released his howl into the world.

"Aaaawwwooooo..." Its sound flowed down into the valley, up the mountainside, and into the heavens, out into the world. He stood there on the edge of the cliff, his black form silhouetted by the sinking moon. She watched, admiring what she was witnessing.

"So beautiful…"

She spoke to herself. When he was finished, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, perked his ears up, and listened.

There was silence. The valley and the mountains did not respond. Even the wind was still in the valley, it did not even flow through the trees around them.

"What are you listening for?" She asked, tilting her heard as she looked at him. She was sitting beside him, looking down at the valley.

"An answer…" His voice was low. It seemed almost sad.

"What kind of answer?" She quizzed him.

He looked at her, and she at him, her eyes asking him. He watched her eyes and he could tell she was asking for the answer. Even though she looks like a wolf, she still needed to learn what it was to be a wolf.

"When a wolf howls", he was facing the valley as he spoke, "he is looking for his mate, communicating with the pack." He continued to speak, "He is basically alone." As he explained, his voice hinted at sadness.

"The valley and the mountains were the only ones who answered my howl..." he slowly closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. She watched him not knowing what to say or what to do.

She still looked at him, her eyes not understanding what he was trying to say. Then her eyes seem to sparkle. She took in a short breath of cold air.

She quickly smiled, her eyes shining. She stood up and stretched from her silver tip tail to her black nose. Her mouth opened wide, exposing white, sharp teeth. "Aaaahhh..." She smiled. "Yeah… that was good."

She understood now.

She took a few steps towards the edge of the cliff, turned her head, and gazed at him.

"But heaven did" she paused looking at him. "Did it not?" She had a mischievous look in her eyes; a slight smile.

She breathed in deeply; she could feel the cold in her lungs, closed her eyes, releasing her very first howl.

"Aaaawwwooooo…, ", then Disaster! In the middle of her howl she coughed and started choking. It was as if she swallowed something wrong. She felt embarrassed. Her ears folded forward and her tail dropped touching the ground. If she were human, she would certainly be blushing right now. Behind her, she could hear him chuckle, then slowly turn into laughter. She turned quickly around, her tail swishing rapidly.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched, somewhat angry, mostly embarrassed.

She watched him. His eyes were closed, his head pointing downward and his ears perked up since his head and body shook with laughter.

She watched as her anger/embarrassment faded, she quickly turned to pouting.

"It was pretty good for my first howl." She said quietly, looking for sympathy. She tried to look angry, but her eyes gave her away. She had wanted to impress him, she was an angel after all, but instead she had made him laugh. She could sense it was an innocent laughter.

"hmph.." She smiled. "Oh well…" she continued with her charade. This should work she thought to herself.

"Well!" She lowered her head; her eyes looked up towards him. She looked as if she would cry.

He opened one eye, seeing her face, he quickly stopped laughing. She could see the surprise in his eyes.

"perfect." She thought to herself. She smiled ever so slightly.

"Ahmm!" He raised his head quickly. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. He took a slow step towards her, unsure how to react. When in doubt, if you are a male, it is best to apologize. It does not matter if you know why or not. You just do it.

"I'm sorry…" He pleaded; he did not know what to do. He hadn't interacted with another wolf in a very long time; let alone a female and an angel.

His eyes were big as saucers, he stuttered as he tried to speak. He felt nervous, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"It... it will be okay." He was unsure in his manner of speaking.

She continued to pout, acting; she looked down at the ground. Her eyes looked up at him. She seemed to be saying, no, begging him. "Console me".

"It was your first time… Try again…" He pleaded. He motioned his head towards the valley.

"Go-ahead…"

"Are you sure? I.", she paused, "don't want you to be embarrassed", she paused again, "of me…"

The black wolf, who had been nervous, worrying that he had hurt her feelings by his laughter, stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, and thought to himself. He opened them and gazed into her eyes.

"I would never be embarrassed to have you by my side..." He continued to speak to her. "It has been so long, I have forgotten how to laugh… I…"

"Good…" She interrupted him. She raised her head quickly and high. She had a slight smile on her face and her eyes told him. "Gotcha… Yeah…"

"Hmmph! ... I may be an angel…" She walked to the edge, looking over her shoulder. "I'm also a female… Don't you forget about it", narrowing her eyes. He just smiled and shook his head.

"I won't… I promise…" He shouted, his voice echoed down the valley, up the mountainside and into the world.

"Now the world knows…" She laughed.

He sat down, watching her at the cliff edge. She took a deep breath and held it tight. She closed her eyes and slowly released it into the world. Aaaaaawwwwwoooooooo!"

It started small, like a stone that causes a ripple to grow across a pond, slowly it grew smooth, and loud; there was a beautiful sadness to its tone.

He was amazed at the sight of her sitting on the cliff edge, her head pointing to the heavens. In the distance, her howl left the valley into the world.

"Well… What do you think…?" She lowered her head pulling her chin into her chest with her eyes closed.

As she was howling, he had walked over to her side. Sitting next to her, he whispered into her ear.

"It was beautiful."

She smiled.

"It was my first official howl…" she quickly leaned into him. She laughed a little and sighed. "It was a good one." She smiled, her blue eyes shone as they reflected the full moon.

The days turned into weeks. The weeks turned into months. The months turned into years. Every full moon, they would sit together at the cliff's edge, gazing into the valley, howling. It was not out of loneliness, it was to tell the world they had found each other.

They would run, play, sleep together; always by each other's side. He would hunt and eat. She would watch and admire him. She could never eat the flesh of an animal; if she would, she could not be able to return home. They followed these routines as the seasons changed.

Under a large tree, they had fallen asleep for the night. She was lying next to him, his body warm against hers. She could hear him softly breathing.

She was barely awake when she heard or imagined something waking her up from her slumber.

She heard a voice; it was like a whisper of a thunderstorm, barely audible in the dark of night.

Her large, gray ears pricked up, listening for the voice.

Again, the same word. "Sister!" She slowly opened her eyes, raised her head.

"Sister" She stood up, stretched, from the tip of her tail to her black nose.

"Sister…" the voice called out for her.

She walked from underneath the large, dense tree branches where they were sleeping, into a small clearing. The clearing was surrounded by large pine and fir trees; the last of the snow clung to their branches. The forest floor was carpeted by old, discarded pine needles. There were a few patches of left over snow scattered along the forest floor. The carcass of a deer, killed during the early morning, lay at the clearing edge.

"Sister…"

"Yes… I hear you." She answered. She was not afraid. The voice was familiar.

A small light, like a firefly, danced in the darkness. She smiled as she watched the light dance between the trees branches, slowly coming towards her. She watched as the small light seemed to swim in her blue eyes. Smiling she spoke to the light.

"Show yourself, Sophia." She yawned; laying down on the dried pine needles that covered the ground. She extended her paws forward waiting for her sister to appear.

A small flash of light grew into a form she was quite familiar with.

It was a young woman; nude, green eyes, yellow hair; beautiful features. Her wings extending, covering a distance twice her height, gently folded together behind her...

"Sister…" Sophia smiled as she looked at her sister sitting on the ground. "It is good to see you…"

"It's been a while…" Sophia continued as she kneeled down next to her.

"You look good as a wolf." She ran her hands across her fur. She tilted her head, laughing as she scratched her sister behind her ears.

"Nice coloring…" She was looking at the tip of her sister's tail.

"Gray with a silver tip?" She smiled. "Angelic white…"

"Huh?" She was enjoying her sister scratching behind her ears. She did not hear the question or the comment.

"Your tip of your tail?" She pointed it out.

"It's angelic white… I bet, it never gets dirty… Huh?"

She rose up, supporting herself with her front legs. She looked at her sister and smiled.

"It is good to see you… Sophia." She continued to speak. "But why are you here?"

"Sophia's' green eyes seem to lose their brightness as she shook her head. It was though she had some bad news.

"I… I… I…" She stuttered, looking away, almost ashamed to say it.

"I've come"…; she paused, "to take you home now…" She continued, her eyes were starting to tear up. "They sent me to bring you back home…"

"No!" She quickly responded. She rose from the ground and stepped back from her sister. "You can't…"

"I don't want to…" Sophia covered her green eyes with her hand, concealing the fact that she started to cry. "But they…" Sophia was shaking her head. She knew how bad her sister wanted to stay. She remembered when her sister first heard the howling; she was excited, something Sophia had not seen in her sister in a long time. When her sister left to discover the source of the howl, she smiled. Sophia knew her sister would not be coming back for a little while.

"They, what?" His voice came from the darkness. He moved from the shadows, into the moonlight. His large, black body was imposing; he walked slowly towards them. His eyes burned as he glared at Sophia, standing next to his mate. He slowly moved towards Sophia. Each paw quietly placed in front of the other paw.

"Who are they?" He growled.

Sophia turned quickly to him. Her green eyes ablaze, she reached out her hand and pointed at him. "Back down, wolf!" Her soft features were hard.

"This is between us…" Her voice and her words were like weapons and she used them indiscriminately. "You are just a dog... sit down and obey!" She narrowed her eyes and continued to point at him; she moved her hand pointing in a downward motion. He stood there glaring, his growl grew louder, and his mouth opened up exposing rows of sharp teeth.

"You think me a dog? Wait till I get my teeth in you!"

The wind, blowing from her direction, seemed to pick up, almost blowing him backwards. He lowered his head and continued to push forward. His eyes continued to glare at her.

"Stop it!" She cried out, she was looking at both of them. "Enough… Both of you…"

She was standing between them. Her head lowered and looking at the ground. She was crying, her fur wet with tears. Both of them were surprised by her outburst.

"Enough!" Her voice cracked, she was starting to sob.

"I am not leaving…" She was sobbing, shaking her head, her eyes closed tight as if that would stop the pain.

"You don't understand…," Sophia paused, "they will just take you… You know that…" Sophia continued to explain to her, pleading.

"Take her...?" The black wolf raised his head in disbelief. He looked at his mate and then he looked at Sophia.

"What do you mean… take her?"

"Be happy with the time you had…" Sophia walked towards her, kneeling down on one leg, putting her hands around her furry neck and hugged her. She cried into her sister's fur, gently stroking her face.

"You may be a wolf, but I see you as an angel… My sister!" Sophia whispered into her ear.

"I can't…" She pleaded with Sophia. The black wolf stared at his mate as her sister embraced her. "What can I do…?"

"It is so little time, I'm asking for…" She continued as she looked at the black wolf, tears fell from her eyes.

"10… Maybe 15 more years… That's all I need…" She turned her head, nuzzled her sister's face.

"Sister, I want this…"

"it is nothing compared to eternity" she continued to plead with Sophia

Sophia continued to listen to her pleading and begging to let her stay. "It is not up to me… Sister."

"I can't…"

"Why?"

"I can't…"

"Why not…"

She raised her head up, looking at Sophia, who was now standing looking down at her sister, her face red with tears. Her green eyes seem to lose their luster. The expression on Sophia's face seemed to ask her for something concrete. Something she could take back to them so they would understand. What came next caught Sophia and the black wolf by surprised.

"I'm with pups…"

"Pups!" Both her sister and the black wolf spoke. Their mouths dropped open, their eyes wide with surprise as they looked at each other.

"How…" Sophia quickly responded, she shook her head, raised her hand out. "I know how…"

"When…" Sophia corrected herself. The black wolf stood motionless. Pups, little ones, the future there sitting in front of him, in his mate's body. He looked at her and she at him. Her eyes nervous, it reminded him of the first time when she tried to howl. He slowly walked over to her side. He greeted her, rubbing his nose against hers as she closed her eyes.

"I am so happy…" He replied. He sat down next to her and looked at Sophia.

Sophia stood, motionless, her hands on her hips and she was shaking her head with her eyes closed. Thinking about the situation; an angel and a wolf mating?

"Sister… I don't know what to say…" Sophia looked at both of them. She watched as her sister leaned her head against her mate. He leaned into her body.

"This is unexpected…" Sophia opened her green eyes and stared at the ground. She brought her hand up and rubbed her chin. Sophia stood thinking to herself about the ramifications of an angel and a wolf. The history of man was filled with the mating of gods and man, but not wolfs and angels. She was in the middle of her thought process when something caught her attention out of the corner of her green eyes.

Looking up, suddenly her eyes widened with surprise.

"Sister!" Sophia quickly raised her arm and pointed. "Your tail!"

"Huh… What!" they both turned quickly, looking at her tail.

Sophia quickly ran to her side, grabbing her tail as if to pat the fire out.

"No, no!" Sophia spoke quickly as she continued to no avail to try to stop it. Sophia turned to look to her sister as she was trying to stop it. She looked at her tail, slowly fading, turning into golden embers rising to heaven fading into the nothing.

"They are taking you, sister!" Sophia's face strained with concern.

"No…!" She looked at the black wolf. "My pups…"

He watched not knowing what to do. His eyes watched in disbelief. There was nothing for him to fight, nothing to chase off. Fear rose from his belly, something he had never experienced before tonight.

"What can I do…?" He placed his head next to her head. He breathed in deeply taking in her scent. "What can I do..." his eyes teared up, it was a helpless feeling, one he had never experienced in his life. He looked into her eyes, watching her, knowing he could not help.

"What can I do…"The tears rolled down his face.

"Remember me... Please." She looked at her mate. Her eyes seem to be resigned to her fate. The tears flowed as she thought about her pups.

"What about…", he started to ask about the pups. She could only rest her head against him crying.

"They are taking me…" she whispered between sobs.

Sophia quickly wrapped her arms around her body squeezing her tight. "No... No..." her tears flowed as she cried into her sister's fur. She held on tightly, hoping, knowing it would not help her stay.

"No… No… I am so sorry…" Sophia cried, her face buried in her sister's coat. "Please stop…" Sophia moved her hand to her sister's belly, feeling the life that existed inside."

Sophia was crying as her sister's form gently slipped away from her grasp.

She, knowing her time was short, stared into the black wolf's gaze. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"Huh!" She quickly looked over and saw it. She with all her remaining strength freed herself from Sophia's grip.

"What!" Sophia leaned forward with her arms open as if she could catch her. The black wolf raised his head, surprised as he watched her leap across the clearing.

She straddled the remains of a carcass of an animal that he had killed earlier that morning. She reached down with her mouth and tore a piece of flesh off the body.

Holding the flesh in her mouth, she turned, looking over her shoulder at Sophia. Her blue eyes seemed to be saying, "I'm sorry, sister".

"Sister! … No!" Sophia yelled and screamed. " Please…"

Her body was still fading as the embers drifted into the night sky. She looked at both Sophia and her mate as she quickly chewed, then swallowed the flesh.

She squeezed her eyes tight, grimaced. It tasted of life lost, she choked it down.

"My pups…" Is all she could say repeatedly. She suddenly collapsed to the ground, and lay silent.

Sophia watched as the transformation ceased. She had eaten the flesh of an animal and she would pay a heavy price.

Sophia slowly walked over to her, stunned at what her sister had done, wiping the tears from her face. She sniffed as she bent down over her sister. She could hear her murmuring "my pups…" She stared down at her sister with her green eyes, with a hint of sadness; she rubbed her coat from nose to tail.

The black wolf walked slowly over, sitting down, he lowered his head and sniffed." Will her…"

"Yes… She will be fine…" She had a content look on her face, her green eyes shone. The smile came easy.

Sophia, still looking down at her sister, smiled; her green eyes glowed, and her yellow hair flowed down her nude body to her waist. Her wings spread wide, twice her height as she turned to him.

"We will be watching…"

She disappeared in a bright light and the rushing sound of wind.

He lay next to her, putting his head on her neck. He could hear her breathing soft, her heart beat steady. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes slowing falling asleep next to her on the warm pine needles.

Spring came to the valley with the melting of snow and ice. The streams flowed fast down the mountainside, filling the lake full, forcing the old out and the new in.

There is a chill in the air, which was offset by the warmth of the sun's rays. The flowers of the valley bloomed along the water's edge. The bird songs filled the air as they scourged for food to feed their young.

This particular spring was welcomed by the yelping of four new pups; three females and one male. The young male's coat was black, like his father with yellow eyes. One sister had bright blue eyes; her coat was steel grey with a white chest and belly. Another sister's coat was a mixture of grey and black with black eyes. The third sister had a coat of chestnut brown and amber eyes, her tail was the same as her coat but the tip was white. After weeks of feeding from their mother, they would finally leave the den, enjoying the world outside. They bounced, ran, played, peed, and pooped to their hearts content just like all pups would be doing in the spring.

"I'm home…" The black wolf laughed. He was greeted by four pups bouncing all over him.

"Whoa, now…" He raised his head up, each one jumping and licking his mouth.

"Food! Food! They cried out repeatedly.

"Take it easy… Your father will give you some…" she laughed; she smiled as she came out of the darkness of the den.

He regurgitated his meal, and they promptly lapped it up.

"Soon, they will be eating by themselves…" He walked over; they gently rubbed their heads together then touched noses.

"Hmmm" she gazed at him, "it's so nice having a home…"

"I like that…" He smiled, turned, looked over his shoulder at their pups.

"What?"

"Home…"

She caressed his coat with her head. She leaned heavily against him, rubbing against him nose to tail.

She sat down, watching their pups play with each other. Bouncing, jumping, and growling. One even tried to howl.

"Not as bad as her first time." He thought. The black wolf walked over and lay down next to her as she watched the pups play. His front paws extended, he laid his head down upon them. "I am so tired…"

They sat next to each other, their tails intertwined.

The birds filled the air with song. The pups rough housed in the tall grass. The cool, spring breeze brushed through the pines and the leaves of the trees.

"Hello… Sister…" Both of them quickly turned their heads in the direction of the voice.

It was Sophia. Her green eyes shining like emeralds, smiled, her yellow hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her wings were folded and brought forward partially covering her nude body. She tilted her head, smiled, and gave a quick finger wave. She was standing next to a large tree a few feet behind them.

The black wolf looked at her with suspicion. After what happened last time, he didn't really trust her. He gave a slight growl so that she would notice.

The pups heard, raised their heads, and went running for their mother. When they finally reached her, she was standing facing Sophia. She was smiling and laughing, her blue eyes were filled with happiness.

"How are you doing, Sophia?" She leapt up on her hind legs, Sophia caught her front paws. Sophia gave her a hug and a playful scratch behind the ears. "It is so nice to see you…"

The black wolf, however, gave a different response. He stood up slowly, growling, his ears back and his eyes narrowed.

"Good morning, Sophia." She responded, her pups staring at the strangely beautiful somewhat familiar sight. Her pups gathered around her feet.

"It is good to see you…" Sophia smiled, her green eyes focusing down at her sister's feet at her pups.

The black wolf stared, watching carefully. The male pup turned to watch him… Turned back and he attempted to growl, heckles raised.

"Oh my… What a cute little male you have there, sister." A new voice sounded. It was Angelina, the youngest of the four sisters.

She was shorter than Sophia, nude, with long, brown hair, and hazel eyes. She was quite beautiful and hid her wings folded behind her back. She was sitting on a fallen tree behind the black wolf. She was bracing her head up with her hand that was placed on her knee. She tilted her head slightly, smiled, and looked playfully at the young male pup.

The black wolf quickly turned to see the new threat. Angelina smiled at him and gave a slight little finger wave.

"Hello…" Her greeting was bright and cheerful, Angelina smiled. "You are a big fella… Aren't you?" she directed her comment at the big, black wolf.

She got up from the fallen tree, walked over to him. She squatted in front of him and stared into his eyes. "You got a nice growl there, but your eyes are saying something different." She reached out and patted in between his ears.

"Huh?" Was his only response; as he turned his head away from her.

"Besides", she tilted her head, "you know, we would never hurt our sister…" She laughed aloud, "but you..." she smirked.

"Well, well…" She came from around the side of Sophia. It was Seraphina. She was the tallest and the oldest of the four sisters; her hair was the color of flame. It fell to her waist. Her eyes were the color of amber. She was beautiful and nude. She had a mischievous grin on her face.

Seraphina knelt down, hugging her sister. "What a beautiful coat you have…"

She reached out and picked up one of the female pups. "Well now, little girl," she held her in her arms with her belly exposed to the world. She playfully scratched it, the little pup, laughing, tried to bite her fingers. She growled.

"Oh, my, so feisty!" Seraphina laughed, her amber eyes glowed. "So beautiful…" All the sisters laughed.

"It is good to see you all…" She spoke looking up to her sisters. The black wolf stepped by her side, still not trusting them.

Angelina noticed this immediately. "You don't have to worry; she looked at the black wolf, "she's eaten the flesh of an animal."

"Hmmph..." He responded, turning his head opposite of her.

"We can never bring her back now…" Angelina continued, she leaned in close to his black ears. She had a mischievous smirk on her face and her eyes narrowed. "But… we can come and see her anytime we want… I mean any time!"

He looked up into her eyes and he slowly shook his head and closed them slowly.

"What the!" Angelina rose up, putting her hand on her waist. "Are you…" She pointed at him.

"Sticking your tongue out at me!"

She turned to look at her mate, just as the pups and the others did. He was sitting up, his ears perked up, his eyes narrowed, and the tip of his red tongue exposed at the front of his muzzle.

"Indeed…" He responded.

"Oh my…"

"Ha ha…" The sisters roared with laughter.

Hmmph..." Angelina folded her arms, pretending to pout.

"That will not work on me…" He continued, he motioned in the direction of his mate. "She tries it all the time."

Smiles lit up all around.

Seraphina was holding a little female high up in the air. She gazed down at the angel holding her firmly. She was smiling and laughing, talking to the pup.

"Aaachoo!" The pup sneezed.

Seraphinas' eyes widened in surprise. "What!"

The others raced to her side. She was still holding the pup high into the air. The black wolf and his mate rose up on their hind legs supported by her sisters.

The pups sat on the ground watching the scene.

"How can this be?" Seraphina spoke, gazing at all of them.

When the pup had sneezed, the little female pup turned into a little girl. If that was not surprising enough, she had two large, brown ears with white tufts sitting on top of her head. A tail was attached to her back covered in fur of chestnut with a white tip. She smiled, laughing, exposing two canines in her mouth. She was slowly brought back down to earth, smiling all the way. She stood on two legs quite wobbly, but she reached out and grabbed her mother's coat around her neck to support her. Sophia spoke. She was standing next to Seraphina, looking down at the child on the ground. She raised her eyes to Seraphina.

"How can this be?" Sophia was puzzled; they looked at each other shaking their heads, and then returned her gaze to the pups.

"I don't… Understand." The black wolf sniffed his daughter. "It's her…" He looked at his mate and at the rest of his pups. The little girl released her mother's coat, turned, and ran to her brother and sisters. They smiled, laughed as her sister came to them. They jumped up and greeted her as if nothing had changed. She sneezed again, then transformed back to a wolf pup.

The adults watched, amazed, not understanding what was going on.

"It is possible…" Seraphina spoke running her hands through her flame colored hair. She watched as the pups were playing.

She rose up on her hind legs, Sophia caught her front paws. "What you mean?" They all looked at Seraphina for the answer.

"You were with pup before you ate the flesh…"

She looked at her sister, Sophia let her front paws go, and she sat on the ground in front of her. Seraphina continued to explain. She could see the worry in her sister's eyes and the black wolf's eyes.

"It's not that … that.. it will be all right…" Seraphina smiled.

'Because, it occurred after they were conceived." She smiled watching the pups play.

"So…" Angelina spoke looking up to her sister. She questioned her with her eyes.

"What about…" Angelina asked.

Seraphina was watching the pups play and then turned looking at the group. She looked at her sisters and the black wolf; her eyes conveyed that everything is all right. She looked up to each sister, they all smiled.

"We will be here to help… Seraphina spoke, they all nodded their heads.

"Once they've mastered their transformation it should be relatively easy."

"But…" The black wolf interrupted, his eyes filled with worry but she smiled at him.

"The pups have the attributes of both mother and father…" She placed her hand on her sister and scratched behind her ears. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder.

She finished her sentence. "The pups have the attributes of both mother and father, she paused and smiled, "Angel and Wolf."