Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight

Fur

A/N Promise there's some juicy stuff coming up soon. Sorry I had an essay to write so I couldn't post. Don't know about you but I'll be really glad once this episode is over.

Tibet, the world without shrimp - March 2006

Guy left the day after last. He walked out of the house in the early hours of the morning and didn't come back. He took all his things and walked up into the forest. Bay pulled the baby out of his crib and searched the house before coming to Oz. "He's gone, do you think he's coming back?" She said, cradling Keldon against her chest, his smooth baby smell filling her senses. Relief washed over her, she felt a stab of guilt, but it was mostly relief. Her child was safe, her home was safe. But Oz just shook his head back and forth. He kissed the baby's head and then kissed Bay on the lips. He didn't tell her where he was going because she already knew.

The next moon was on its eve.

Oz stalked out of the monastery and headed for the forest. The trees thick with smoke and dust. Oz rubbed his eyes and moved forward, it was still morning so the gaps between the trees were glowing. The sun rose in the east first and would reach right over the forest at noon. Oz found the camp without much help. Guy's scent had been all over the house, it was easy to track him. There were a few tents here and there with a fire burning in the centre. Men were standing about waiting for their breakfast, they were all at least a foot taller than Oz. He suddenly felt he might be out of his depth. That he should have called someone to help, but now he was here he might as well get what he came for.

"Guy!" He called out, the guys sniggered at him. He didn't care what the others thought, didn't care if he fitted in with Monroe's crew or not. It didn't matter. "Guy you don't wanna stay here. Whatever they've told you." He was breathy, it was a long walk through those woods. "It's a lie. They won't protect you." One of the men walked up to Oz and covered him in shadow.

"Who are you go shouting around in camp." He said in an accent Oz couldn't immediately place, but he was speaking English, broken, but English nonetheless. Oz tried to walk around him, but the man was bulky and he blocked the path through.

"I need to find my friend." He replied, his best pleading face on.

"I don't think he's your friend anymore." Monroe said. He was a cocky, slight English guy. His gang had been terrorising the village during the full moon cycles for months now. He didn't want Guy joining them, they were like Verruca, thought the wolf was part of them. They were dangerous people. He came up and tapped the Mr Bulky on the shoulder. He retreated but kept his stance and pointed eyes, Oz could see his teeth were sharpened into points. The gang had clearly taken it up a notch since his last involvement with them. "He's one of us," Monroe was playing to the crowd, "he's a wolf." He howled and a lot of the men joined in. Some of them were just boys. There were women here to but few and far between.

"Monroe, I don't want to interfere." Oz said, "just show me Guy is okay and I'll leave. I don't want any trouble." He stood his ground in front of Monroe, his feet firmly planted into the ground, but he could feel his rage growing. He was losing his control, he could feel the blood pumping away inside him like a fire. Monroe gave a chuckle, it was an odd sort of shuffling laugh. It made Oz feel uneasy.

"Alright Osbourne, but if you think you can come rushing in here. Into our camp without a warning, you know what we agreed. If you want to see your Guy again you'll have to meet me at the edge of the forest, midnight tomorrow. Full moon special." Monroe replied, Oz backed away slowly. He didn't like where this was going, if he didn't agree to the meetup though, he'd likely never get through to Guy. He had to try for Bay's sake. He had to prove that they could control their wolves, show Bay there was a reason to carry on.

He almost crawled back to the monastery. Bay was waiting for him by the door with the baby in her arms. He was happily nibbling on some fruit, arms gripping his mother's neck. Oz leapt up the steps and took his wife and child in his arms. He didn't say anything yet, he would in time. He'd explain all that was needed later, but they needed to prepare for the eve of the moon.

Keldon was asleep by the time they lay their mats on the veranda. Bay looked at Oz with soft, kind eyes. She knelt on her mat and crossed her legs, palms laid upright. Then she leaned her head down on top of Oz's shoulder, she was warm and smelt of flowers. She was the love of his life. He loved Willow, he would always love Willow, but with Bay. He felt like his soul was somehow part of hers, they knew instinctively what the other was going to say or do. There was something innate about their connection, something raw and untouchable. Animal, about their love.

"I know it will be hard, but you are strong man. You are my man." She clutched her hand to her chest and breathed out hard. Her breath was hot and fluttery against his neck, a tickle rose over his neck. He felt the moon's phasing pass him, he felt the earth turn. He felt the wolf pound through his heart and release with his exhale. He held Bay's fingers in his own as she too felt the passing of energy. They were free. For now, but this time tomorrow he would have to make the decision to keep his cool, or lose what he'd been working for, for so many years now.

Bay reached up and kissed him, it was a passionate but desperate kiss. One filled with fear, one filled with warmth and safety but fear for tomorrow.

The moon stood high over the forest. The trees a thick smokescreen for Monroe's camp, the hill concealing the monastery. Oz heard a growl before he saw Monroe's gang, then a series of howls came from the clearing. Oz felt the acid pull rush over him, he felt the wolf grumbling in his stomach. He had to let it out, he didn't stand a chance against Monroe in his wolf form. He'd done this before, sacrificing himself for someone else. He remembered the look on Willow's face when he attacked Verruca. He didn't want to see the look on Bay's face if what happened to her, happened to him.

He hated the rage. But he loved it just as much. The instinct to let it take control and he was no longer in charge of his decisions. It'd been years since he let it and a small part of him just wanted to feel that rush. He walked up to Monroe a man, but the moment he crossed the threshold into the woods he was one with the wolf.

He snarled at the wolf form of Monroe, his teeth baring as a thick wad of saliva hung from his mouth. He felt dangerous, he was now about the same size as Monroe so the playing field was level. The more he panted the more Monroe stood offishly in front of him. He stood his ground, moonlight gleaming off his fur in white flashes. He couldn't see any of the men from the camp and assumed Monroe had come alone, he didn't a dirty fight, he wanted to win. They were growling and sniffing the air, each wolf turning and trying to suss out the other's next move.

Oz launched forward, his teeth plunging into Monroe's neck. Blood dripped over his chin and he lapped it up like water. He felt nothing but the overwhelming urge to slash at him, to rip out great handfuls of fur. Just to cause pain to the enemy. But Monroe was not going to be taken down that easily. He pawed aggressively at Oz, knocking him onto his back, the forest floor his mattress. Oz closed him eyes and breathed in the smell of blood in the air. Monroe closed over him and they rolled around the floor. Their eyes didn't lock because neither of them was conscious of his own actions. But the moon's light was dimly fading, clouds overhead were rolling into place for morning. It was spring, and it dawned early. Time moves differently for the wolf, one moment could last hours and Oz wasn't sure how long Monroe had been bleeding for.

When the sun rose he found himself covered in scratches, he could guess what'd happened. But he wasn't prepared for Monroe's limp body beside him. There was a great laceration across his neck, blood still seeping in places. But mostly he was gone. A stab of guilt punched him in the stomach as he climbed to his feet, the rest of the gang were hovering in the background, waiting presumably for Oz to leave before they rescued their leader. He saw the fear in their eyes, many of them were probably used to cages or waking up alone, he doubted any of them had seen a wolf fight before. Most of them were barely drinking age.

He could save them. He could save the ones left from meeting a fate like Monroe. It wouldn't be practical, it wouldn't even be affordable but he could save them. "Guy?" Oz shouted, hanging onto the only person with whom he shared a connection. A male head poked up through the crowd but he didn't move. Guy shuffled awkwardly, eventually stepping forward and shaking Oz's hand.

"It's polite," he said, shrugging off the anxious looks of the others around him. He looked down at Monroe and then back at Oz. "What do we do about him?"

Oz was surprised by the question, he was surprised by Guy's quick willingness to help him. "Bury him, no one will care about this. Guy can you go and find my clothes, there'll be around here somewhere." He'd stripped enough before he'd turned to have a small pile left by a tree.

Once he was dressed the gang helped dig a hole and roll Monroe's body into it. He'd turned back into a human before he died, just as the sun came up. He looked almost fragile now, like perhaps he'd been before. Before the wolf took him. Then they stood back, most of the gang were young and scrawny looking, camping out in the woods had made them almost feral. Some of them had been here for months, Guy explained, he'd only stayed the one night but he'd asked around, tried to gather as much information as he could. A part of him believed he might go back to the monastery.

Then Oz faced the group. "My name is Oz. I don't take any pride in killing Monroe, I assure you. I'm sorry for what I have done here. I don't expect your forgiveness, but I ask that I try and make amends. My wife and I we live in a monastery where we try and help people like us. We have found a way of stopping the change. So we don't have to lock ourselves in cages, and we don't have to hide out in the woods. There is a better way. You just have to come with me."

"He's right," Guy piped up, "I've seen it. They can stop it, you just have to train, learn how to connect with the earth." Oz smiled. At least he knew one person was coming back with him.

Most of them did come back with him. The younger ones, or ones who hadn't been in the camp very long. They came to be healed. And the monks found a space for them somewhere. Bay made a lot of tea, and the baby saw a lot of new faces that day. A few stragglers, loyal to Monroe, were left at the camp. But Oz doubted they posed any threat. They were silenced by his actions. He had proven his worth to them. Shown he was the stronger fighter.