A/N: Big thanks to Geliot99 for all your help!
"Come on, Wolfie, how hard can it be?" Spike drawled impatiently from the door of the small training room, earning him glares from both Callum and Oz.
"We're not exactly painting-by-number. Can't rush the process, man," Oz replied, straightening his posture where he sat across from Callum. Two empty cups of what had been pungent herbal tea sat between them along with a nearly empty teapot.
Spike caught Callum's eye with a pointed gaze. "As though that's supposed to make a lick of sense?"
"Welcome to my world," Callum huffed, emitting a frustrated breath.
It had been nearly three days since Bayarmaa worked her chakra cleansing magic on him. Three days since he'd begun learning about the various herbal blends, breathing exercises, and meditation techniques she and Oz had spent the last several years practicing and perfecting. Three days in which he'd been growing increasingly and uncharacteristically frustrated—especially when he would start transforming back into the wolf. Oddly, when that did happen, the wolf didn't seem to be fighting for dominance the way they'd expected. Instead, it seemed to be providing something of a safe space—an escape from reality.
"Are we done?" Callum asked Oz, the slightest hint of an exasperated growl in his voice. "Not sure if I can take much more of this, just now."
Careful not to upset the tea service before them, Oz rocked back onto his elbows in a relaxed posture, eyes narrowed on Callum. "Anger and frustration are doors the wolf can open easily."
"I'm bloody tired of the damn riddles—This whole thing is ridiculous!" Callum spat, coming to his feet. He carded a hand through his hair in an agitated movement, turning toward Spike. "Where's Faith?"
Spike shifted into a more guarded stance, feet planted, arms crossed over his chest. "Went into the city with Buffy, wedding stuff."
"This isn't right… I shouldn't be wasting time here, I should be out there with her…"
"Dude, chill, we've talked about this," Oz soothed, "Your link to the lunar cycle is completely out of whack and you're not going anywhere until we know you're not gonna wolf-out on the locals."
Callum took a breath and the air hit the back of his throat like cool water, his mind abuzz with thoughts of Faith, their wedding, his tenuous control over seemingly random shifts, and the fact he hadn't left the castle grounds in nearly a week. He wasn't one for sitting around and it was beginning to show.
"Wolf-out? I'm going stir crazy in here and I don't—" Callum cut himself off when he brought his hand down in front of his face. His eyes widened at the sight of sharp black claws where nails should be and blackened skin half morphed into paws. His gaze flickered between Spike and Oz. "It's happening again…"
Oz scrambled to his feet, staying in a low crouch, calm but wary eyes fixed on Callum. "Take a breath. It's all cool. Just remember this is why we're doing all this."
"Be a lot easier to believe if you lot didn't start acting like I was about to go off like a bomb," Callum spat.
"Just being cautious—We know you're in control when you're calm—What we don't know is how you'll be when you're angry," Oz replied.
Callum closed his eyes on an exhale. "I'm not angry—I'm frustrated."
Spike took a step forward, a disarming hand outstretched in front of him. "Frustrated because you're missing out on a bit of dress shopping? It's not like they'd let you go with them."
"No," Callum growled out through a strained breath, "but I could be doin' other things—doing my part. Hell doing anything that's not being cooped up here rehashing the same old thing."
"So when Faith gets back, ask her to take you for a walk. Bet we got a leash round here somewhere, no use getting your fur in a knot," Spike replied.
Oz grimaced as he came to his feet wearily. "How about we all just sit down and talk this out like level-headed adult males?"
The platitude flared his frustration higher and Callum's breath hitched, the muscles in his neck bulged and stretched as his lower face began to elongate into a muzzle. He turned to the wall, attempting to employ one of the breathing exercises Oz and Bayarmaa had been teaching him.
To that end, he tried taking a moment to assess what was happening. Attempting to narrow down the thought or specific emotion triggering the change. Frustration was the obvious answer at this point. Everything about the situation was frustrating.
"Or that's cool too…" Oz's calming voice filtered through his ears. "That's good—Just breathe through it. Try to make peace with the transition."
He took another breath, trying to block Oz (and his hyper-accurate observations) out. A task that quickly proved to be impossible when his words suddenly clicked within his mind and he eased into it, letting his brow relax. With the onset of so many rapid life changes within such a short period he'd nearly forgotten the work he'd put in and with the introduction of the wolf, he was slipping back into old ways. Very slowly, the same sense of balanced calm he'd spent the year and a half before meeting Faith trying to achieve began to filter back into him.
But it wasn't the same. As a man he'd learned to get a handle on his emotions and even though the wolf may be tamed, Bayarmaa was right, there was still work to do. The wolf was a part of him now which meant it was an animal he needed to learn to deal with long term.
With that thought firmly in mind, Callum dipped his head, accepting the transformation.
Uncertain if he'd emerge as beast or man.
(*)
"I just can't believe it," Faith said, holding a pale blue garment bag at arm's length as she and Buffy retrieved their purchases from the back of her car.
"Well believe it," Buffy grinned smugly. "You know, I think maybe you owe me one. I mean pristine vintage 1950s wedding dresses don't exactly grow on trees, but then that jacket—now that was the real find, like Willy Wonka's golden ticket."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. All hail Buffy, goddess of the retail super finds."
"Damn straight! I deserve a cookie."
Faith shook her head and laughed, pulling out the slim-cut motorcycle jacket in question. The soft black leather was tastefully embroidered with white and cream flowers that complemented her dress perfectly adding just enough edge without being totally out of place. Faith had fallen in love with the jacket the moment she saw it and was certain it would end up in her regular jacket rotation after the wedding.
"Ah, huh, sure, you can get your own cookie, I wanna check on Cal."
"How's he doing anyway?"
"He's been having nightmares about meeting me at the altar as a wolf and the wedding guests chasing him with torches and pitchforks is how he's doing," Faith huffed, leading the way into the castle and up the stairs.
"That good, huh?"
"Elopement is looking better and better every day…"
"Kinda late now," Buffy replied as they neared Faith's room.
Faith strode straight to her wardrobe, opened the doors, and hung her ensemble on the bar with the rest of her clothes before answering. "No kidding. At this point—now I got this wedding getup thing figured out—we're getting married even if he has to freaking bark to say 'I Do'."
"Is that once for 'yes', two for 'no'?"
"Don't you have your own wedding stuff to worry about?" Faith countered as she closed the wardrobe.
Buffy shrugged and straightened her posture as Faith joined her in the corridor. "Not really a ton to do at the moment—the perk of keeping things on the smallish side," she replied.
"Ah huh, 'Smallish', I'll believe that when I see it," Faith said, giving Buffy a knowing smirk while they made their way through the castle to the small training room.
Faith peered in first, the sight that greeted her made ice drop in her stomach.
Spike and Oz stood a cautionary distance away from a massive grotesque creature caught between man and beast that she knew to be her fiancé. She could feel Buffy behind her, straining to look over her shoulder, but she couldn't move. All Faith could do was watch with bated breath as Callum bent his head low against the wall, one hand planted above his head, black claws making divots in the plaster finish. His chest heaved with slow steady breaths while the other two men watched him carefully.
Oz said something Faith didn't quite catch and Callum dipped his head lower.
The breath caught in her throat when he became very still and she was certain he was about to complete the transition from man to wolf—
But it didn't happen.
"Wohh…" Buffy murmured, catching Spike's attention and he strode over to them.
"Just in time for the show," he said in greeting.
Faith couldn't reply.
She just shifted to the side enough for Buffy to pass and stood transfixed as Callum's snout and fur receded. His claws retracted and cleared, returning to their original shape and appearance.
Oz exhaled a relieved sigh and took a seat on the floor as Callum took another long deep breath, straightening his back as he did and slowly opened his eyes.
Callum held one of his hands about a foot from his face, examining it with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I did it… I bloody well did it!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone.
Faith broke out of her trance, and before she could fully register what she was doing, she rushed over to him.
"Faith, you're back! Did you see?" Callum asked, cupping her face in his hands, his eyes shining with triumph.
"That's one hell of a party trick you learned, babe." Her voice sounded odd in her ears, unusually soft and she cleared her throat. "What do you say about getting out of here for a while?"
In answer, he scooped her into his arms and pulled her into a kiss, uncaring of their audience.
"I'm dying to, Lass, but I'm not sure what the warden is gonna say," he said, jerking his chin toward Oz.
"Woah, dude, I'm just a guy who knows a lot about living the fur-filled life," Oz retorted, then hesitated. "Not to be broken record guy, but finding the wolf's triggers is pretty key to understanding and controlling it—which you sorta figured out—ish."
"And why you've had me working day and night?" Callum countered skeptically.
"Something like that. I mean, sure, your case is a little different but, hey—new level unlocked."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I wanna celebrate. So whether you mind—or don't—I'm getting my man out of here for a while," she said, flashing Callum a grin before addressing Oz once more. "I think I can handle a little fur."
Oz looked like he might have something else to say but Faith beat him to it.
"Look, if I need backup or damage control, I know who to call."
Faith gripped Callum's hand and without another word, the two of them practically fled from the castle and into her VW, the engine of which had barely had time to cool.
Callum rolled down his window to enjoy the feel of the wind on his face. "God, it's good to get out of there."
"Weird how such a big place can get downright claustrophobic, right?" Faith replied, sparing him a side glance as she pulled onto the road leading into town.
"Can say that again," he muttered and turned in his seat to face her. "Suppose we're going to mine then?"
"Yeah—as much as I hate to admit it, it's probably good to keep a lower profile until you get a few more of those transformations under your belt."
"At least it's a change of scenery," Callum replied as they pulled into the parking area situated behind the White Rabbit. "I just hope this means I can get back to work soon."
"At least your mom was able to buy a little time on that front."
"Yeah, I spoke with Angus as well, he's not overly thrilled with me at the moment but Xander's been picking up the slack so I'm hoping he'll get over it."
They exited the car and headed towards the enclosed back entrance leading to Callum's flat above the pub. Faith paused on the stairs while Callum unlocked the door and waved her inside.
"Home sweet home," he sighed heavily, flicking on the lights in the kitchen, and went to retrieve a bottle of beer for each of them. "Might sound ridiculous, Lass, but I think I'm already feeling a bit more myself—"
He turned to find Faith frozen in place, her gaze locked on a large cardboard box sitting on the floor beside the coffee table. It was filled with things from around Callum's living area, his trophies, medals, books, a few picture frames, and other random things.
"Everything alright, beautiful?" he murmured, tapping her shoulder with one of the beer bottles to get her attention.
Faith's head snapped to the side as she turned to force her attention on him, taking the bottle of beer. "Oh, ah—yeah, no—I mean, yeah, everything's fine. I just—" she waved a hand awkwardly toward the box—"forgot you said you'd started to pack before the shit hit the fan."
"Yeah, well it's not as though I got very far with it."
Faith twisted the cap of her beer, leaning her head back to drain it in a single pull.
Callum's brows rose. "Well then… Here I thought I was the one in need of a break from it all," he commented, relaxing in the center of the sofa with one arm draped across the back. "What's on your mind? The wolf in the room notwithstanding."
She set the empty bottle down on the coffee table and shrugged. "Kinda obvious, ain't it? We just ran outta the place we're supposedly planning to live after the wedding because we wanted some celebratory-sexy-private-time."
"Valid point," Callum agreed, sipped his beer, and gestured for her to come closer.
Faith slumped over, opting to take a seat straddling his lap with her hands resting on his chest.
Callum leaned in to brush his nose against her cheek before claiming her lips. He hummed contentedly as he pulled back a little, his breath fanning her cheek. "Should I assume this means you're havin' second thoughts 'bout moving in here with me?"
"Big time."
"Knew you'd come round eventually," he murmured into another kiss as he let his arm drop from the back of the couch to snake around her hips.
Faith pushed his shoulders back into the couch cushion. "Hey, you're the one who came up with the idea to let a coin toss decide for us in the first place," she quipped.
"I'd been kidding—mostly. I practically live at the castle as it is, although I think the flat makes a hell of a lot more sense."
"Maybe we should test that theory," Faith smirked.
With one arm braced across her waist, Callum shifted forward to free his hand by setting his half-full beer on the coffee table. He pulled his other hand down her outer thigh, stopping just above the knee. He used the leverage to pivot the two of them so that Faith was pinned beneath him on the cushions.
Faith gripped the front of his t-shirt and pulled him in for a kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding against him.
"Feels like it's been an eternity since I've tasted you," Callum growled in response, pulling back just enough to strip his shirt off.
Faith shifted backward toward the arm of the couch, unfastening her jeans and pulling the rough fabric down her thighs eagerly. "Hell, yeah…"
Callum's eyes were ravenous as he watched her and he helped drag the jeans off her calves, tossing them to the floor as he lowered himself between her legs. The scent of her was already driving him crazy as he ran calloused hands up and down the inside of her thighs. Faith's knees fell open in anticipation as she began teasing her breast through her top.
"Oh, now that won't do…" he murmured, hands skimming over her hips and belly as he pushed her shirt over her breast, exposing the navy blue lace of her bra, and pulled the shirt over her head.
Faith unclasped her bra, letting it slide down her arms before she gripped the straps and flung it over his head, catching him around the neck. "I'm not looking for nice and easy."
"Good to know we're on the same page, beautiful," he answered, dipping his head to open her folds with a broad stroke of his tongue. He watched with fascination as Faith's head rocked back and she released her hold on her bra to bring her hands to cup each of her breasts. The sight seared his brain and made his cock twitch within the confines of his trousers as she pinched and teased her nipples, the tips hardening under her touch as he flicked her clit with his tongue.
He missed having her alone like this, even if it had only been a week, it felt significantly longer and his senses were going haywire. The sound of her gasp as he hitched her legs over his shoulders and pulled her forward. The taste of her as he tilted his head and allowed his tongue to press in deep to swirl around her opening. The feel of his body heating up as he watched her pinch and roll her nipples between her fingers, back arching while he kissed and lapped at her clit desperately. She overwhelmed his senses, driving him wild as he strained to push his tongue deep inside, feeling her pulse on his tongue. And the intoxicating scent of her as she came hard, screaming and thrashing.
He pulled back, breath hot against her soaked folds, then swiped his tongue up to circle her clit again. Faith jerked with an aftershock, her thighs practically crushing his head, but he didn't care. His cock was throbbing painfully. The moment Faith's legs relaxed a fraction, he shifted them from his shoulders and rocked back to free himself from the remaining clothing. His thick cock skimmed up the length of her thigh leaving a trail of precum as he stalked up her body. He licked a line over Faith's tattoo low on her sternum upward to take a hard pink nipple into his mouth, soothing it with his tongue before moving to the other one.
By the time he'd started trailing kisses up her throat, she had one hand wrapped around his cock and the nails of the other were scoring red welts down his back. Faith no more than notched his leaking tip to her opening before he slammed his hips into her with a long low growl.
"Oh God, you're so tight—so good, oh God…" he paused for a breath resting on his forearms as Faith crushed his pelvis into her with her legs wrapped around him. She kissed him feverishly, letting her tongue tangle with his as she ran her nails down his back and lowered her legs a little so she could grip his ass.
Callum groaned in appreciation when she began rocking her hips from beneath him, her body begging him to plow into her repeatedly. Faith moved her mouth to his throat, leaving biting kisses in a line up to his ear, and let out a hiss as he jerked his hips, slamming back into her with teeth-rattling force that made her scream.
"Oh God, Cal! That's it! Again!"
He did.
He pulled nearly all the way out before plunging back in. She shook around him, as he pumped his hips, slamming his rock-hard cock into her again and again and again. Tears began forming at the edges of her eyes and her legs started to shake as he repeatedly hit her G-spot.
"You alright there, Lass?"
In response, Faith hooked her feet around Callum's knees and lunged up, shutting him up with her mouth on his. She pulled back tugging his bottom lip as she did. "Don't you dare slow down," she demanded.
Callum adjusted himself, pushing up onto his knees as he supported her hips by shoving a throw pillow under her and stabilizing her with his strong hands as he pumped into her. Her breasts shook temptingly with each thrust and he licked his lips watching her.
"Play with yourself, beautiful," he growled.
Faith rocked her head back and closed her eyes as she plucked a nipple with one hand, rolling the inflamed tip between her fingers as she slowly ran the other hand down over her belly, to rub her clit with her middle finger.
Within seconds Callum began to swell within her. His nails dug into her flesh as he tilted his head back, hips pumping frantically. Faith's body began to shake with a building orgasm that nearly crushed his swollen cock in a satiny vice.
A howl ripped from Callum's chest, snapping Faith's head up.
Her eyes widened when she saw him. A fine layer of fur had started to crowd in around the edges of his face and elongated canine teeth glinted from within his open mouth.
He was mid-shift, with his cock buried so deep she wasn't sure if she could separate from him without one of them getting hurt. She quickly braced herself with her calves against his thighs to pull herself up in a crunch until she was clinging to his shoulders with one arm.
He opened his eyes, his unusually dark gaze hard as he adjusted to the new position, hips still pumping. His cock seemed to swell even more, the pressure threatening to split her as it stole the breath from her lungs. She clung to him, catching her breath for a moment as she tried to focus. He dipped his head, teeth bared in a wolfish grin.
"Callum!" she snapped, as she jerked his head back with her free hand gripped in his hair. "Holy shit! Are you even with me, babe?"
He blinked at her in utter confusion. "W-what do you mean? What's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I, Love?" he asked in a rush, concern in every syllable.
Faith released his hair and let her hand drop to his neck. "Dude, in case you haven't noticed, you're halfway to Furville again. I was making sure you were alright," she chuckled darkly.
His eyes widened in alarm, shoulders dropping. "Oh God, Faith, I'm—"
"Save it, I'm a Slayer, pretty sure that makes me immune to any wolfie shifter stuff. I think we're good," she said, running a hand through his hair and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Aside from hanging on the edge of an earth-shattering orgasm—"she rolled her hips to emphasize the point— "I'm five by five. I just wanted to know you were in control—and since you clearly are—" she used her arms to pull herself up his length before letting gravity pull her back down.
Callum growled a curse and adjusted his grip on her again. "You're sure about this?" he gasped.
She repeated the movement. "Oh, I'm sure."
Faith pressed her lips to his, teasing his sharpening teeth with her tongue as she pushed him toward the other end of the sofa. His lower back hit the armrest, sending a jolt through his body into Faith and she gasped when electricity zipped through her.
Supporting Faith's weight easily, Callum adjusted his legs beneath himself to stand. He'd only taken about two steps toward the bedroom when his foot caught on the forgotten moving box sending them into a spin and he yelped when his back (and Faith's knee) slammed against the edge of the wall.
"Oh that's gonna leave a mark," he grunted, slipping down the wall.
"Bet I can take your mind off it," Faith purred, pushing against the wall with one arm, making room for them to adjust their position as she pressed his shoulders to the hall rug and continued to ride him.
"God, Lass…Keep it up…" Callum growled, his fingertips dug into her thighs, nails elongating.
Faith's muscles tensed as he scored blunt claws over her hips and waist. Stars erupted behind her eyelids when they dug into her back as he pulled her flush against his chest. Her body quaked with her building orgasm and once again he swelled painfully within her until she was spread so wide she had to adjust her legs to relieve some of the pressure.
Callum pumped his hips upward even as she released one leg, securing her foot against his shin while she drew the other knee upward. As though on cue, he hooked his arm under her knee and increased the speed of his thrusts. His cock pulsed, making Faith scream. Her body convulsed around him, her walls gripping him tightly as his cum spurted from his body, ripping yet another howl from him. This one louder, more animalistic, than the others.
Faith's hips rolled in an involuntary motion, milking his engorged cock and prolonging her orgasm as her muscles continued to twitch around him. She arched, a heavy paw at her back, her chest pressing into a thick coat of fur. And yet it wasn't until she lifted her head that she was able to truly believe what her senses had told her.
She was straddling a fully shifted werewolf.
One that, by all accounts, wasn't finished if the still rock-hard cock filling her was any indication. The wolf shifted his position under her and yipped when the movement made it clear to both of them that separation would be impossible until Callum's erection had gone down.
Carefully, Faith pushed back to sit upright and bit her bottom lip as his cock pressed against a particularly sensitive spot that nearly made her come apart again with that one simple movement. It took a long moment before she was able to order her thoughts enough to speak.
"Holy shit," she rasped.
Callum looked up at her with apologetic eyes, his front limbs encircling her waist in such a tender embrace that any fear she might have been able to muster, simply melted on the spot.
"It'll be alright, Big Guy," she murmured, grinding her hips and working her body up and down the thick cock splitting her wide.
Callum growled, tapping her thigh with a paw as he turned his face to the side.
Faith reached a hand to grip his jaw, turning his head toward her. "No way, mister, we're in this together. Besides—" she scored her nails down his stomach, gripping his hips for leverage as she pumped her hips— "you know I'm not afraid of a little freak."
Callum's heated gaze was affixed to her as she rode him. He curled up, long tongue darting out to lick one breast and then the other. He held her tight, claws digging into her soft flesh as he tilted his hips, pushing deeper still. Faith gasped, doubling over as a powerful wave seized her, her muscles tensing. Callum flipped her onto her back, his hips pistoned, picking up speed as Faith screamed, fingers gripping into his pelt.
She tugged fistfuls of fur as he pushed her over the edge, hips pumping furiously as he tossed his head back with a long howl, coming undone and spilling into her while she pulsed around him. She continued to squeeze his cock, milking every drop of cum from him as his hips jerked wildly.
He finally lowered down, nuzzling and licking her neck. Faith rolled them to the side, laying her head on his furry shoulder. He gave a contented chuff, his snout buried in her hair. Faith kept one leg hitched around his narrow hips as she burrowed her face deeper into his chest.
"Just breathe, Babe, everythings good…" Faith continued soothingly and Callum took a handful of deep breaths. After several long minutes she felt the tension ease out of him a little more, the fullness in her belly eased as he slowly began to shift back.
Yet even after he'd completed the transition, they continued to lay there, holding onto each other, a new silent understanding solidifying between them like cement holding them together.
(*)
The sound of a tattoo gun droned on in the background while Faith lazily flipped through the fat three-ring binder that Callum's best friend Gemma, used as her portfolio. A smirk tugged at her lips every time she came across a sketch or photo of one of Callum's many tattoos.
The buzzing sound paused while Gemma wiped the expanse of Callum's large muscular thigh free from blood and ink. Faith peered past the tattooist's green streaked curls to see a stunning combination of fur and Celtic knot work slowly beginning to take on the form of an intricate wolf's head design. Gemma had already finished the basic line work of the piece but was only about an hour into the extensive detail work that was bound to take the majority of the day to finish.
In the span of the past two weeks, with the wedding barreling toward them, Callum had managed to learn to control his condition fairly well. So much so, that even after a few hiccups, he'd decided to commemorate the milestone with a new tattoo.
Faith's eyes drifted up from the binder, lazily scanning the small room and the newest addition of another framed classic horror poster, this one featuring 'The Bride of Frankenstein'. The poster inadvertently reminded her of their upcoming nuptials and she shifted in her seat to address Gemma.
"I forgot to ask if the dress shop called you yet. The bridesmaids' dresses are in," Faith said, breaking through the semi-quiet.
Gemma bobbed her head. "I'm to pick mine up tomorrow," she replied, head bent over Callum's thigh as she continued her work. "So, how are the rest of the wedding plans going? Not long now…Less than a week."
Faith shrugged one shoulder and gave a hum. "It's pretty much done as far as I know."
Callum chuckled, the sound tight with pain as Gemma followed a line wrapping around to the back of his leg. "I'm fairly certain we've both been too preoccupied and enough of this thing is being delegated that it'll all be a surprise to us both when it all comes together on the day."
Gemma paused, pegging each of them with a skeptical look. "Have things really been that nuts? I know the odd jobs have been picking up but I didn't realize Faith had been so swamped at the school."
Faith's jaw clenched with a sudden jolt of agitation and she forced the muscles to relax. "I'm just trying to get things sorted out for the new girls coming in September." Despite the fact she didn't really have much to do with tracking down and contacting new Slayers herself, it wasn't a total lie.
"Suppose that does take a good chunk of time," Gemma replied, setting down the tattoo gun. She pulled off her gloves and stretched her arms above her head, arching her spine and then squeezed Callum's ankle. "Sorry, mate, gotta use the ladies."
"What kind of bloody service is this? I've got half a mind to have a chat with your boss," Callum teased as he shifted to sit up a little straighter in the chair to examine her work more closely.
"Piss off," Gemma laughed at him and sent a smirk in Faith's direction. "I really dunno how you manage with this one."
Faith turned on the stool, leaning back with her elbows on the edge of Gemma's desk. "Oh, the usual, lots of exercise, tummy rubs, and a truckload of snacks."
Gemma snorted another laugh. "She's sure as hell got you pegged, Ross," she chuckled with a shake of her head that sent her green and black curls bouncing.
"You have no idea," Callum agreed, rolling one massive shoulder, unperturbed by his friend's teasing as she disappeared out the door and down a short hall.
The mirth drained from his face as he peered up to Faith. "Feels strange keeping all this from her."
Faith shifted toward him with a frown. "Babe, we've been over this, and who knows, maybe someday you can. It's your choice, but you know it would lead to way more questions than we can afford answering right now. At least not until we work out the rest of the kinks."
A frown tugged at his lips and he clasped his hands in front of himself. "To be fair, I've been doing alright. Haven't gone furry in almost a week," he grinned at her.
"Five days and the last time was in broad daylight, Cal. I might not always be able to drop everything and bring you a change of clothes."
"I've been keeping extras in the boot now. I learned my lesson. I'm just glad my client wasn't around," he added with a groan.
"That makes two of us." Faith canted her head. "I think I wanna start taking you on patrol with me."
His eyebrows went up in surprise. "You're serious?"
She shrugged. "Seems to work for Buffy and Spike, besides, Oz agrees it could be a really good outlet for the wolf."
He nodded in understanding, and let his body settle back into the tattoo chair. "Yeah alright, I like the idea of getting to run a bit."
"Thought you would."