CHOICES

Disclaimer: I don't care what anybody tries to say. They are MINE. Well, okay, they're not, and I have to give them back soon.... But for now I own them.

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS

Taliara: I know. But I already have another story planned with my favourite werewolf and person-who-is-only-a-werewolf-in-my-delusional-fantasy-world, so don't worry. And the red fur is not wolf like, but I figured red hair equals red fur for werewolves...

UltimaDragon-whatever: Yay, I have a loyal fan. I feel special.

Azrael's Portal: Will do

Estriel: It was kind of sad, wasn't it? Hope you won't be too disappointed that this next part isn't going to be quite so sentimental... Ehehe, yeah, I sort of changed direction quite dramatically. You'll see what I mean.

Not your average: I did sort of waffle a bit, didn't I? Um, call it setting the scene, or being dramatic, or something... Moving on... Yeah, he wouldn't say that, but most of this is based on extreme mental confusion and possibly a slight altering of personality when he changed species... Which gives me an excuse to make him extremely out of character in later stories

Jessimyre: Ta very much. Glad you like it...

Annie Wilkes 1: Yes ma'am!

MOONLIGHT, PART THREE

The two wolves looked at each other uncertainly, and it struck her as sad that it had come to this. There had never been any awkwardness between them once he had learned what she was, and they had never looked back. But now neither of them knew what to say. He made the low sound that was her name in lupine, and even that sounded hesitant.

It was quite sudden, the change. Nothing triggered it, but something inside her snapped as though a dam had burst in her chest, and a flood of pure elemental rage swept through her as the werewolf fought back. The human woman had been deeply miserable, the wolf confused, but the werewolf was angry at the sheer injustice of her suffering so needlessly. She had been treated very unfairly and very badly by those she cared about because of what she had done, what she had had to do, and the pain and fury she felt blazed up unbearably. The old Angua was back with a vengeance and she wasn't going to lie down and take it any more when she didn't have to.

She gave him no warning whatsoever. Not so much as a snarl escaped before she was already in mid-leap, and he barely had time to blink in wary confusion before she was on him in a furious ball of rage and teeth. Her fangs sank into his ear and tore, her claws scored a deep gash down his muzzle, and she broke free and circled, growling angrily with her eyes afire.

He stood motionless, confused by the sudden conflict between the two sides of him, and gained several new wounds before the werewolf took control and he struck back instinctively, drawing blood. Hesitating earned him a bitten foreleg, and then the human was buried as the wolf came to the fore defensively.

The fight was brutal and savage and longer than a battle between werewolves should be. Their undoing was the glowing orb in the sky above them; they couldn't change form. Not that it bothered Angua, who wasn't thinking now but was simply taking out her anger and burning off some of her frustration and hurt. Carrot didn't have time to even think of changing shape; he was too busy trying to stop her ripping him to shreds. Even as a werewolf, Carrot fought fairly, and as a result he was being thrashed until the darker part of him took control, and then the battle really turned bloody.

Finally the two broke apart, panting and bloody, and stared at each other. Angua held her head slightly to one side to ease the strain on a deep bite at the side of her neck; Carrot was standing awkwardly to favour a jagged gash in his thigh. Both of them were covered in scratches and bites, some worse than others, and crimson stained both pale blonde fur and red fur in scores of places. Bloody muzzles agape as they panted for breath, the two werewolves gazed at one another expressionlessly in silence.

Gradually the silence became heavier, somehow more potent. She felt her hackles rising in the suddenly electrically charged atmosphere and shivered involuntarily, wounds forgotten as she stared into blue eyes, anger gone as though the fight had never happened. Savouring the taste of him warm and bloody in her mouth, she was aware he was gazing at her just as intently.

The two wolves stepped closer to each other, no aggression now; one or the other whined softly, she wasn't sure whom. Blinking, she forced herself to look away, shaking off the feeling of drowning, and there was an oddly expectant silence for a moment before he made a soft whimpering sound. I'm sorry.

She turned back and looked at him, surprised, and saw the apology in his eyes as well. Then it hit her that she'd been stupid thinking this was personal; it rarely was, with Carrot, and that wouldn't have changed. The bite gave physical alterations and it would open up the darker side of him that he kept hidden, but she couldn't alter anything that wasn't already there. He hadn't been angry as such, just confused.

It was a lot easier to do this as wolves. A wolf wasn't capable of misunderstanding another wolf; the language didn't allow for hidden meanings. Everything was a lot clearer now... And the air was still almost humming around them.

She looked at him, a smile in her eyes, and her tail moved briefly. Relief dawned in his eyes, as he understood that he was forgiven, before his gaze grew intense once more; the charged atmosphere was affecting him too. Another step closer, and another, and their muzzles touched. One would almost expect sparks to leap the gap. A shiver ran through her from nose to tail and she became aware of a new scent in the air, above even the overpowering metallic scent of blood. It was a scent she recognised, although she'd never encountered it this strongly. A low growl sounded in his throat, and she heard her own answering growl before she registered she'd made any response.

He licked the bite on her neck gently; she turned and tended his wounds as well. Grooming the drying blood from each other's fur was a mute apology, although there was something else there too. Their eyes were very bright as they worked, the sweet heavy scent an unspoken presence in the air and affecting them both. Already half-gone, feeling like she was drifting in a haze, she offered no resistance when he pushed at her gently, a deeper growl sounding from within his chest. For once, she gave ground and submitted willingly, even eagerly, turning to lick his muzzle briefly with a low noise in her throat that was neither growl nor whine but somewhere in between.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

Okay, for those of you who hadn't already worked it out, yes, they mated. But this story is still PG, so that's as far as this chapter goes. I will be writing an extended version of this chapter and putting it up as a separate story; it will be far more explicit in terms of both fighting and wolfy love, so feel free to read that if you want.

Now, I am sorry to say that this story is almost over. Only the epilogue to go. But do not fear, I have another story half-planned that will be about the Watch, with our two werewolves in it. So keep watching for that, but be patient because I don't even have a plot yet.

Incidentally, does anyone know what colour Angua's eyes are? I've always pictured them as green for some reason but I don't think it ever actually says in the books... Any thoughts?

Frosteh