Chapter 12
**********
Kirei headed for the park. It was the closest thing to wilderness in the city and she needed to cut loose.
She glided silently through the undergrowth, raced across the broad lawns, paused to play tag with one of the park's resident foxes.
It was wonderful to simply be for a little while, to not think about anything except exploring...yet even this didn't last.
Her sharp ears caught the sound of someone sobbing. She followed it to its source, curious about its cause. She became infuriated when she discovered the reason.
A little girl had her back pressed against a tree, a much taller youth groping her.
"Please, no," begged the girl as he laughingly started to push her down.
How dare you! thought Kirei and she growled low. She charged at the boy, knocking him down, then sat on him, her paws braced against his arms. Her gleaming teeth brushed against his throat, and he closed his eyes, terrified.
The little girl stood there frozen, confused by the sudden turn in events. Kirei glanced up at her and yipped sharply to break the child's trance, then returned her unwanted attention to her captive.
The girl fled.
The shapeshifter waited til she was certain the child was long gone, then leaped off the boy's chest. She loped away, a silver ghost vanishing into the darkness.
"To serve and protect," drummed through her mind, the old programming rising unbidden from her memory. That's what we were bred for. She stopped in her tracks. Shinji, she thought. I should visit him while I'm here. It's been a long time. I wonder how he and Jenny are.
The shapeshifter made her way to the little zoo in the center of the park and gracefully leaped the back fence. She trotted to the wolf exhibit and began to whine and scratch at the bars. There was a comfortable den at the back of the exhibit; a magnificent black wolf, even bigger than Kirei, came out cautiously.
He caught her scent and began to frantically wag his handsome tail. He swiftly padded over and greeted her nosily, whining, touching noses, and sniffing joyously. His eyes glowed molten gold in the moonlight. He stuck a huge paw through the bars and caressed the pale fur on her neck gently.
Awakened by the commotion, a tiny grey wolf cub waddled out of the den, curious to see what what was going on. The black male watched approvingly as Kirei and the pup touched noses. It was his and Jenny's.
She couldn't stay long, and Shinji knew it too. He licked her face, picked up the pup by the scruff of its neck, and returned to the den's entrance. He gave her a long look before going in.
Kirei turned away and headed for home. Shinji had been her alpha and she had been his, long before she knew Roger or Dorothy, before the breeding experiment they had both been part of had been deemed a failure and terminated.
All of her old pack had either been put down or dehumanized. Shinji had been stripped of all his humanity, and mercifully of all his memories and human intelligence too. Only the ghost of his love for her remained.
Kirei had survived, had escaped, purely through a clerical error. Some tech's carelessness had saved her from Shinji's fate.
She sighed. Maybe he had been the lucky one, not her. At least he seemed content.
The shapeshifter entered the mansion well past midnight. She padded down the hallway, claws softly clicking on the floor. She paused before the doors of both her packmates' bedrooms.
She desperately wanted to burst in, leap onto their beds and beg forgiveness for whatever wrong she had committed--but she couldn't.
Love couldn't be forced or begged for. It either lasted despite all obstacles, as with her Shinji, or it vanished like a summer's rain. If they no longer had room for her in their hearts, she would know soon enough.
Quietly she went to her room, shifted and washed off the remains of her wanderings. She slipped into a black tee shirt and panties and went to bed.
She dreamt of Shinji in his human phase...how she loved his generous smile, his laughing almond-shaped eyes, his long black hair. She hugged him, happy to see him again. He kissed and hugged her back, then snapped a choke-collar around her neck, complete with chainlike lead.
"What are you doing?" she cried, frightened. He knew she hated to be controlled.
(Your destiny) he replied unsmiling, his beautiful golden eyes full of sadness. A smoke-grey she-wolf joined him at his side. It was Jenny.
He turned and handed the metal leash to Roger.
Gently, the negotiator pulled her towards him, careful not to tighten the choke collar. He reached out and touched the cruel links, but instead of removing them they became diamond-studded. He lifted her in his arms and kissed her mouth, then put her down.
"Roger?" she asked softly, reaching out towards him. He shook his head, his black hair falling into his eyes. A cinnamon and gold she-wolf stood beside him now: Dorothy.
Roger stretched his arm out, passing the leash towards Dastun. Another man in shadow stood behind the major, and still another behind him as well.
"But why?" she whispered, frantically trying to remove the collar.
(This is our purpose) said Shinji. (To serve and protect, or be as I am now.) He split in two, one half human, one half wolf. The human half withered to dust before her.
~~~~~
She woke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. It was Dastun. He wanted to get together that afternoon, something informal. She thought about it for a moment, then agreed. After all, she HAD said okay the night before; it was for the public good, right?
Kirei dressed (jeans, running shoes, fitted tee shirt, bulky pullover--all in black, of course) and slipped down to the kitchen for a hasty breakfast. Norman greeted her as he bustled about. No one else was around. Dorothy was in school, of course, and Roger? The brunette wondered if he was in bed, debated whether or not to go to him. She decided to see.
He was in bed, not quite awake, not quite asleep. Roger smiled when he saw her stick her head around the door. He patted the surface of the bed beside him.
Kirei slid next to him, happy to be cuddled. She sighed contentedly as he kissed and petted her. Maybe I was imagining everything, she thought. Maybe Roger simply forgot he hadn't asked my okay first before sending me out with Dastun--he HAS been awfully busy lately.
"So, little one, how did the evening with Dastun go? Think you'll do it again?" There was no jealousy in his voice, only curiousity.
Kirei didn't know if she should consider that a compliment, that he trusted her so, or another indication that he was gently trying to push her in the major's direction.
"It was alright," she replied hesitantly. "He's asked to see me later today for something."
Roger nodded, smiling. "Don't be late, Snowy," he said, stroking her cheek. "Dastun was always a stickler about that." He chuckled.
Kirei closed her eyes, holding back the sudden sting of tears. If she stayed, she'd break down. She was NOT going to put him on the spot like that. The slender shapeshifter sat up.
"I've got to go, Roger."
She kissed his mouth with great tenderness, then fled before he could react.
She's so responsible, Roger thought. Dastun will have no trouble with this operation at all.
He touched his lips, a bit regretful that he'd let her dash out like that. She probably has some important errands of her own to take care of before meeting with the major, he thought.
Both his girls made him so proud. The negotiator smiled as he stretched luxuriously in the big bed. He brushed his thick hair out of his eyes. The three of them would have to do something really special together soon.
**********
Kirei headed for the park. It was the closest thing to wilderness in the city and she needed to cut loose.
She glided silently through the undergrowth, raced across the broad lawns, paused to play tag with one of the park's resident foxes.
It was wonderful to simply be for a little while, to not think about anything except exploring...yet even this didn't last.
Her sharp ears caught the sound of someone sobbing. She followed it to its source, curious about its cause. She became infuriated when she discovered the reason.
A little girl had her back pressed against a tree, a much taller youth groping her.
"Please, no," begged the girl as he laughingly started to push her down.
How dare you! thought Kirei and she growled low. She charged at the boy, knocking him down, then sat on him, her paws braced against his arms. Her gleaming teeth brushed against his throat, and he closed his eyes, terrified.
The little girl stood there frozen, confused by the sudden turn in events. Kirei glanced up at her and yipped sharply to break the child's trance, then returned her unwanted attention to her captive.
The girl fled.
The shapeshifter waited til she was certain the child was long gone, then leaped off the boy's chest. She loped away, a silver ghost vanishing into the darkness.
"To serve and protect," drummed through her mind, the old programming rising unbidden from her memory. That's what we were bred for. She stopped in her tracks. Shinji, she thought. I should visit him while I'm here. It's been a long time. I wonder how he and Jenny are.
The shapeshifter made her way to the little zoo in the center of the park and gracefully leaped the back fence. She trotted to the wolf exhibit and began to whine and scratch at the bars. There was a comfortable den at the back of the exhibit; a magnificent black wolf, even bigger than Kirei, came out cautiously.
He caught her scent and began to frantically wag his handsome tail. He swiftly padded over and greeted her nosily, whining, touching noses, and sniffing joyously. His eyes glowed molten gold in the moonlight. He stuck a huge paw through the bars and caressed the pale fur on her neck gently.
Awakened by the commotion, a tiny grey wolf cub waddled out of the den, curious to see what what was going on. The black male watched approvingly as Kirei and the pup touched noses. It was his and Jenny's.
She couldn't stay long, and Shinji knew it too. He licked her face, picked up the pup by the scruff of its neck, and returned to the den's entrance. He gave her a long look before going in.
Kirei turned away and headed for home. Shinji had been her alpha and she had been his, long before she knew Roger or Dorothy, before the breeding experiment they had both been part of had been deemed a failure and terminated.
All of her old pack had either been put down or dehumanized. Shinji had been stripped of all his humanity, and mercifully of all his memories and human intelligence too. Only the ghost of his love for her remained.
Kirei had survived, had escaped, purely through a clerical error. Some tech's carelessness had saved her from Shinji's fate.
She sighed. Maybe he had been the lucky one, not her. At least he seemed content.
The shapeshifter entered the mansion well past midnight. She padded down the hallway, claws softly clicking on the floor. She paused before the doors of both her packmates' bedrooms.
She desperately wanted to burst in, leap onto their beds and beg forgiveness for whatever wrong she had committed--but she couldn't.
Love couldn't be forced or begged for. It either lasted despite all obstacles, as with her Shinji, or it vanished like a summer's rain. If they no longer had room for her in their hearts, she would know soon enough.
Quietly she went to her room, shifted and washed off the remains of her wanderings. She slipped into a black tee shirt and panties and went to bed.
She dreamt of Shinji in his human phase...how she loved his generous smile, his laughing almond-shaped eyes, his long black hair. She hugged him, happy to see him again. He kissed and hugged her back, then snapped a choke-collar around her neck, complete with chainlike lead.
"What are you doing?" she cried, frightened. He knew she hated to be controlled.
(Your destiny) he replied unsmiling, his beautiful golden eyes full of sadness. A smoke-grey she-wolf joined him at his side. It was Jenny.
He turned and handed the metal leash to Roger.
Gently, the negotiator pulled her towards him, careful not to tighten the choke collar. He reached out and touched the cruel links, but instead of removing them they became diamond-studded. He lifted her in his arms and kissed her mouth, then put her down.
"Roger?" she asked softly, reaching out towards him. He shook his head, his black hair falling into his eyes. A cinnamon and gold she-wolf stood beside him now: Dorothy.
Roger stretched his arm out, passing the leash towards Dastun. Another man in shadow stood behind the major, and still another behind him as well.
"But why?" she whispered, frantically trying to remove the collar.
(This is our purpose) said Shinji. (To serve and protect, or be as I am now.) He split in two, one half human, one half wolf. The human half withered to dust before her.
~~~~~
She woke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. It was Dastun. He wanted to get together that afternoon, something informal. She thought about it for a moment, then agreed. After all, she HAD said okay the night before; it was for the public good, right?
Kirei dressed (jeans, running shoes, fitted tee shirt, bulky pullover--all in black, of course) and slipped down to the kitchen for a hasty breakfast. Norman greeted her as he bustled about. No one else was around. Dorothy was in school, of course, and Roger? The brunette wondered if he was in bed, debated whether or not to go to him. She decided to see.
He was in bed, not quite awake, not quite asleep. Roger smiled when he saw her stick her head around the door. He patted the surface of the bed beside him.
Kirei slid next to him, happy to be cuddled. She sighed contentedly as he kissed and petted her. Maybe I was imagining everything, she thought. Maybe Roger simply forgot he hadn't asked my okay first before sending me out with Dastun--he HAS been awfully busy lately.
"So, little one, how did the evening with Dastun go? Think you'll do it again?" There was no jealousy in his voice, only curiousity.
Kirei didn't know if she should consider that a compliment, that he trusted her so, or another indication that he was gently trying to push her in the major's direction.
"It was alright," she replied hesitantly. "He's asked to see me later today for something."
Roger nodded, smiling. "Don't be late, Snowy," he said, stroking her cheek. "Dastun was always a stickler about that." He chuckled.
Kirei closed her eyes, holding back the sudden sting of tears. If she stayed, she'd break down. She was NOT going to put him on the spot like that. The slender shapeshifter sat up.
"I've got to go, Roger."
She kissed his mouth with great tenderness, then fled before he could react.
She's so responsible, Roger thought. Dastun will have no trouble with this operation at all.
He touched his lips, a bit regretful that he'd let her dash out like that. She probably has some important errands of her own to take care of before meeting with the major, he thought.
Both his girls made him so proud. The negotiator smiled as he stretched luxuriously in the big bed. He brushed his thick hair out of his eyes. The three of them would have to do something really special together soon.