Holidays at grandmother's house are often excellent. One reason: her large house is placed in a tree-filled garden with henhouse and kitchen garden. The Pas-de-Calais climate is not ideal but often correct. At last, she appreciate that two twenty-years old men can help her for the most toilsome works, like gather wood or small plants from the kitchen garden, clip the hedges ...

This morning, while raking up pine needles for the fire, I noticed a very large dog pawprints on the muddy soil of the alley. Even if I am neither hunter nor canine morphology expert, it was indisputable that they were amazing : it was like the huge dog that we saw when going for a spin to Saint-Omer, probably a cross between Great Dane and wolfhound as big as a Hispo, was kicking around here. Given that the bottom gate cannot be locked, a stray dog could have gotten in easily yesterday night.

For the midday meal, granny wanted to prepare a mint roast beef with baked potatoes.

  -   'Théodose, can you take out the joint in the fridge, please ?' She asked me.

I checked carefully all the trays but the large tupperware containing the dish was untraceable.

  -   'Granmy, are you sure you put it in here ? I can't find it.'

  -   'Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me. Check in the Freezer.'

  -   'It's not in here either!'

  -   'That's pushing it a bit ! Where can it be ?'

We poked about the kitchen without any result, and granmy had to fall back on another dish while I was setting the table. A little later during lunch, when I had to bring the second water bottle, I found a small slip of paper stuck by the wetness on the side of the glass flask. Somebody has scrawled one word that I spelt out : «sorry».

Yesterday, we entertained granmy's long-time friends who regularly visit us to cheer up the atmosphere and permit her to change her mind. Like it often arrives when we receive someboby off the cuff, the dinner came down to a buffet based on cold meat slices and others cocktail snacks, completed by Kir or Tio-Pepe for adults and fruit juices for my brother and I because we do not drink alcohol beside birthday parties. The discussions went at a good round pace even thought the subjects, a few nostalgic, did not really interest me. As result , I woke up at 2:40 am feeling empty and with a sore throat. I had to go downstairs to the kitchen find something to eat and drink if I wanted to be able to sleep the rest of the night.

I came down the stairs to the living room in the dark because I did not want to wake up anyboby else and my eyes were already adapted to obscurity. But a unusual damp earth scent was floating in the air where I expected to smell clean and floor polish. I decided to switch on the lighting, waiting for my eyes to be accustomed to the bright light from the Art Deco wall lamps, and then made out the nearest thing to muddy footsteps mixed with small blood puddles. They seemed to start at the living room door, and lead to the outside which is not always locked, to the kitchen. I grasped the heavy poker near the chimney, peered at the room's nooks searching for a possible burglar, then moved forward to look at these traces closely. The first thing that hit me was the likeness with the footsteps I viewed two days ago : perhaps this huge dog was wounded in a brawl for a female and wanted to take refuge in the nearest house. I followed the footsteps and laid myself in the door frame between the living room and kitchen, holding the poker tight. As my body blocked the light from the lounge, I only made out in the half-light a shadowy furry shape lying on the floor. But a diffused feeling of fright was tormenting me because I moved cautiously forward to the kitchen's switch, going along the wall and keeping my eyes pointed at this huge dog. It was when the light went on, making the creature react and squealing, that its real nature appeared and nailed me on the spot, in state of shock.

A... a we...rewolf. Sprawled on the tiling. Visibly wounded.

I came closer slowly, cautiously. Its muddy rags are stiffen by the dried blood, many scratchs and bites were visible. When I examined it, one thought hoarded my mind : a casualty is a casualty, I must help... him. He snorted weakly while I delicately laid him on his back, loosened his clothes and checked his breathing.' It seems stopped, CPR must be done right away !' I tried to remember the instructions in this case : cardiac massage with a index on the bottom of the sternum, the other on the throat. The two hands flat on the middle, fingers raised. OK, let's go : one, two... fourteen, fifteen, a full series. Now, kiss of life : two blowings, the rib cage must lift. The muzzle crimped me for blowing efficiently. Checking again the state of health of the creature, I heaved a relief sigh when I noticed that the breathing started again. Now, I had to take care of his wounds.

Drawing out the last clothes, I perceived my mistake : it was not a he but a she. Only her nipples emerged from the thin fur which covered her breast, her hips was lovely drawn, her pubis well marked between her legs...' Damn, stay focused, she isn't out of danger yet !'

I moved away just a minute to rifle the well-supplied dipensing drawer. Disdaining Arnica® and other homeopatic pseudo-drugs, I took all the available lints and bandages. Disinfect gaping wounds, apply compresses in order to stop bleeding, carefully make a correct bandage : I had to resume tirelessly for each wound. Once done, I put her in lateral security position and asked her to pinch my hand. No reaction : she was still unconscious.

I raised my eyes to the kitchen's clock which displayed 3:20 am. I was tired, I still did not drink one drop of water, I was recovering slowly from my thrills, but I had to keep an eye on her. She was still weak. It was at this moment that a question emerged in my head : why ? What's the reason that drove me to help this... werewolfess ?

I was beginning to nod off when a deep sigh woke me up : the lycanthrope was awake. Her eyes where amber and honey mix their colours stared at me, went right throught me, without any sign of hatred or anger in her look. The recumbent position on the floor and against the light showed off her outline and the curve of her hips. I finished waking up and came back to kneel beside her.

  -   'Hello, my name's Théodose. What's yours ?'

  -   'Ti... Tia ', she answered with a weak voice.

  -   'Pinch my hand, please.'

She pinched slightly but did not release, the touch of her pawpads on my palm letting me a strange feeling. Turning her head and her eyes on me, she simply said in a breath :' Thanks '. the tone of her voice and her eloquent look showed well that if she could thank me in a better way, she will jump at my neck to kiss me with ardour and hug me as far as my spine will broke. One minute later, we both slept deeply.

The morning sun, by hitting me right in the face, compelled me to blink and change my posture. I took a look at Tia, still sleeping, and descried the dilemna I was facing : I can call the 911 so that health pros take care of her, but they wont react as composedly as me. If I decide to keep her existence secret, where to hide her and how to lavish intensive care on her with all needed discretion ? Suddently, I heard somebody muttering and ranting in the living room. It only could be Granmy at this early time, and actually I say her laying herself in the door frame and discovering the scene with surprise.

  -   'Here's a large unclean dog ! It let its paw marks everywhere in the living room !' She noticed at this moment that I was slumped against the wall.' well then ! Théodose, why are you doing here ? You took care of it, isn't it ?' she said, pointing to Tia who had her back to the old woman.

  -   'Uh, Granmy... it's not a dog.'

She came closer and bent forward, as much as her back allowed her, to have a better look. She seemed turning pale to me but kept her composure.

  -   'I agree, female dogs don't have chest.'

8:00 am : now, I can have a rest. Mom helped me to move Tia up to the attic where we usually sleep. The curtain-closed lean-to was cleared of all the mishmash which lumbered it, a mattress and a blanket put in the so fitted recess. My bed is just by the side, this will make the survey easer. Granmy rummaged in her cupboards to find clothes for the werewolfess, but I said that it will be better to not dress her as long as her lints have to be changed regularly. She launced me a side glance then shruged her shoulders.

About 11:00 am, I saw the curtain seethe. I went opent it and noticed that our clandestine resident was thoroughly awake. She seemed to have picked up a little and her glance was not as veiled as before.

  -   'Hello Tia, how are you ?'

  -   'Théodose, it's you ?' She tried to raise herself on her elbows, but I talked her out of doing it because I do not want her wounds to reopen.' Why have you nursed me ?' She asked me suddently.

  -   'Well... first, because you were wounded. And then...' I was unable to find my words.

  -   'True that my question's stupid. I don't see why a human would help a furball full of claws and fangs, a terrifying predator who can have him as diner... But, who knows, perhaps I hit you in the eye ? She said with a wink.

I must have blushed monstrously because she slightly laught and hid her smile with her hand.

I proposed her some books so she won't get bored, but I realized that she read with difficulties : we had to start with the few children-oriented comics found in the attic.

After two days, a lingering routine got settled : I wake up at seven or eight o'clock and go check if all was well. When I must change her bandages, Tia teases me to make me self-conscious. I give her water or fruit juice then we begin the reading. We often stay together several hours to discuss stuff.

At one moment, I wanted to know more about her and broached sapiently the subject of her origins.

  -   'How have you end up here ?'

  -   'It's a long story and I'm not really in the mood for tell it.'

Her expression had changed when she said it and her emotion was palpable.

  -   'Don't make a point of doing it if you don't want to.'

  -   'I stole the roastbeef yesterday then took refuge here covered with blood, I owe you explanations. Then well, I come from the Green Lands' pack near Caen. It's one of the smallest : only my parents, my four brothers and I.

She marked a pause. I saw her swallow and she stared into space.

  -   'Mom... she died in labour two months ago, I still hear her screams in my head... My father, driven mad and disconsolate by the pain, didn't want to make his mourning and accept a wife from another pack. He was repeating all the time : the pack must grow, the pack must grow. And at one moment... he put his scowl on me.'

She burst into tears. I tried to comfort her by holding her close, while bearing a grudge against myself to have put her in such a state. She hugged me so firmly that I felt her claws sink into my shoulders.

  -   'So you turned tail, to avoid that your father compel you to..'

  -   'Yes.' she said in a breath while drying her tears.' I expected to join the Dust Mounts's pack near Douai, but a hound attacked me close up on here and I took refuge at your house. If you hadn't come downstairs that night, I'd be dead.'

She drew herself up and stared at me with a look full of gratitude. I reiterated my apologies for my unhealthy curiosity. She judged them needless, having a weight out of her heart. She hesitated a few seconds before ask me a peculiar question.

  -   'Tell it as it's, if you... if you've found me dead, what'd you do to my body ?'

  -   'Well... I think we'd have burried you in the gardent near the linden-tree, in a grave we'd have kept up as most as possible.'

  -   'We... you think that your family would have helped you in that task ? For the moment, you are the only one who really looks after me.'

  -   'You're right, I'm not sure they would have helped me. Anyway, I'd have tried to do the maximum alone.'

On her muzzle appeared the nearest thing to a smile.

  -   'Even in death, you'd have treated me like one of yours.'

After a week, Tia said that she was ready to get back on her feet. I helped by holding her paws then let her make a few steps with a not veru sure pace. We noticed at this moment that we have the small tall and she took advantage of it to ad-lib a little dance and stare at me right in my eyes, with this sheem in her look that at once hypnotize and scare me a little.

Ten days after the start of the care, her wounds are completely scared over and this let me astonished and taken aback. She affirmed that it was normal, and that once the youngest child of her pack recovered wholly from a tibia fracture in a month.

  -   'At last clear of these lints ! I feel dirty, I want to have a wash.'

  -   'How do you do this usually ?'

  -   'We had nothing much for this purpose in the den : a large tub, a bucket of cold water and a comb to remove as much bugs as posible from our furs. Indeed, my brother proposed to make real soap with grate ashes and caustic soda pellets found in an abandoned warehouse, but mom flatly refused.' Tia heaved a sigh and I thought she was going to cry again, but she lift up her head.' My parents didn't stand all that came from the humans.'

  -   'Here, we have better.'

I led her to the bathroom and showed her how to ust the shower, but I just finished that she flinged off the pyjamas I asked her to wear. I ran out of the room escorted by her clucks. She may find funny my shyness ans my flushed cheeks, but her behaviour was troubling me more than everything else.' Haven't she any modesty ? No, the good question would be more : Haven't she another notion of modesty than ours ? After all, each country have its own customs. No, I must say each species... Why can't I get into my mind that she's not human ?'

Just after lunch, I climbed to see her. Having understood that she can offend other members of the household if she walks naked, Tia slipped on a dressing gown loaned by granny but her visible fur was superbly sleek and clean. The smells of blood and disinfectant which soaked it gave away to a very pleasant but undefinable fragrance.

  -   'Still no hunger ?' I asked

  -   'Not for the moment, strangely.'

  -   'In fact, it's normal : when someone is deeply wounded, all the body's energy is mobilized for the healing and so the digestive functions are backed up for want of energy. Usually, do you eat a lot ?'

  -   'Mostly meat and at least the weight of a fat hare, so tender and juicy when it's in stew...' She smacked her chops, revealing impressive fangs that made me hesitant.

  -   'I had my doubts about it, so I asked granmy to gather twenty pounds of meat of all kind : chicken, beef, rabbit, pâté and terrines. They are stocked in tupperwares I'll bring them this afternoon. Like that, you'll able to eat if hunger rises to the surface.'

  -   'Thanks Théodose ! Now your making my mouth water and I rearly hanker to eat something... or somebody.' she said with a large grin.

Due to her voice tone, I did not know how to take it and I opted for a prudent retreat.

The following night, I heard an hoarse noise in an half-sleep, but it may be mom who began to snore. I started to come into view about seven o'clock. I spent a excellent night, my duvet is warm, soft... and furry ! I opened my eyes and found myself nose against muzzle with Tia sleeping like a log. She was coiled just against me, her warn and soft body leaning against my side, my mind beginning to wander a little too far as soon as I was cloosing my eyes, and I had to summon up all my strength of will to not commit an awful mistake. I understand that we can be ill at ease when a girl sleeps for the first time in your bed, but with the surprise I had the breath taken and a pounding heart. I left the bed very softly in order to not wake up her, and found in the recess all the food boxes gutted until the last crumb.

To not have to give embarrassing explainations to my mother, I delicately lifted Tia up and put her into her bed, shrouded in my blanket. The reasons she gave me for her behaviour were simple.

  -   'I woke up in the middle of the night in rage, the mind completely clouded by my instincts which made me capable of only one thing : refill my stomack. You've got a good idea to leave me these boxes ', she said touching my arm with tenderness,' or else I could've pouched then devoured you. After this meal, I began to be dreadfully cold, even with the blanket you gave me, so I took refuge in your bed to benefit from your heat, like we do between cubs.'

  -   'If you were cold, it's because you were digesting. With twenty pounds of meat in the stomack, the major part of the blood is herded to this organ, forsaking the sub-cutaneous vessels. From whence tensing of these vessels and feeling of cold.'

She scowled to me as if I talked to her in Klingon. I must recognize that I am not a very good teacher.

10:30 pm, it is time to go to bed. After having worn my pyjamas in the bathroom, I went see if Tia was in need of something, but she was not in her bed. Come on, everyone (except me) is sleeping since a long time. I went downstairs in the lounge and switched on the light, nobody was here. When I made my way towards the kitchen, the lighting was abruptly switched off and I heard a voice behind me saying' round this way !'. I swiveled on my heels, muttering that it is not the time for jokes. When I relighted, Tia was at the middle of the room. Totally nude. Seeing my surprise, she exclaimed :

  -   'Hey, what's turning you upside down ? You already saw me naked.'

  -   'Yes, but in other circumstances.'

She moved forward me slowly, nearly unnoticeably. The golden sheen of her eyes went right throught my mind and made me unable to move a finger, like a hypnotized prey.

  -   'Why I still didn't leave ? Why do you still look after me now that I've recovered ? Why can't I help myself to tease you and make you blush ? Why are you so thoughtful but always ill at ease with me ?... I think I've the answer at these questions, but it seems so much... freakish and normal at the same time. Do you want to hear it ?'

  -   'Yes, whatever it's.'

  -   'I... I fall in love with you when we met.' She came closer until grazing me.' And I think my feelings are mutual.'

She asked me by a glance, her amber eyes pointed at mine. I answered by hugging her waist, and she did the same to me.

  -   'Are you shy to make the first move ?'

As all answer, our lips slowly drew nearer then merged in a long kiss a life, far more enthusiast than the first.

The night was delightful. For a first time, I think having came up to standard. On her side, Tia did justice to the lust symbolic devoted to the she-wolf : six times she came back to charge, lavishing caresses as tender as effective to do up me like new. Her deep and silken fur against my skin seemed to me the softest touch. With a simple glance, she heartened me to excel myself in order to reach together the peak of the celestial mountain and take the plunge head first, hand in hand.

I woke up in my bed wearing my pyjamas. Without the tender gestures of Tia and the overwhelmed look she directed me at my awakening, I could have believed that this night was just a wonderful dream. She brought the daintiness as far as to dress me again and carry me to bed.

We take the homecoming train today at 4:32 pm. Before the departure, I looked in on Tia for the last time, my heart heavy. She was very sad to get to know that I didn't live here and wanted to follow me, but knew that such a thing is impossible. We stayed clasped in each other's arms for a long time, listening to our breathings. When it comes to leave, she diped her tender look into mine during long seconds. Facing her so much intense stare, I did lower my eyes eventually, a little ashamed.

The car began to step on the road. Like Orpheus, I could not help myself to look back. But nobody appeared to the attic's window. I heaved a deep sigh, closing my eyes while a small tear flowed down my cheek.

It's a long shot that we may meet again. Thanks to you, I lived a strange and happy parenthesis of  my life, for the reason that I was able to meet you without fright nor terror. I will keep the secret on your being, for your security and that of your fellows. And I know that you will do the same about me.