The forest was unnaturally still, the hush making Michelle’s heart knock in her rib cage. She knew what the quiet meant, and it stretched her nerves taut. The denizens of the woods knew an alpha predator was in their midst and offered up a respectful silence. Or a fearful one.

They weren’t quiet for her but her prey this misty morning. The fact that she was the one doing the hunting didn’t change her quarry’s status as the alpha. She was in its woods now, and if she slipped up, she could be in its belly.

Nervously, she checked the knots on the handmade bow she had fashioned. She knew they were fine, had already inspected them before leaving the cave with the first rays of the sun this morning. It wasn’t the first time she had checked them since taking up her post. Probably wouldn’t be the last, either.

Sometimes it came in handy being the only kid of a survivalist tour guide. She had learned a lot, spending time with him over summer vacation. Like how to make a bow and arrows. If she ever made it out of here, she intended to give him a huge hug and thank him.

The bow was solid, the best one she had ever made. It was her third. Shaking her head, she wondered how many girls her age could say that.

She had found a nice hickory sapling and hacked off a five-foot length of the healthy, green wood. With the multitool, she had cut notches into both ends of the stick. She unlaced her shoes, tying the two laces together. It had given her just enough cordage for her bow. Fashioning slip knots on either side of the laces, she had Samantha bend the bow so she could slip the knots into the notches she had cut. When Samantha released the tension on the bow, the knots pulled tight, and she had her bow.

When she had tested it, she had been satisfied. The pull strength was just right for her slight body, not too hard to draw but with enough tension to do what it needed to do. Her father would have been proud of her.

She had spent a few hours the evening before firing her half dozen freshly made arrows at a bundle of leaves she had used as a target. Even at thirty yards, she was hitting the mark consistently. Samantha had stood to one side, her new spear in the crook of her arm and watched as Michelle familiarized herself with her new weapon. She was impressed with Michelle’s ability but still hadn’t wanted her to come this morning.

Honestly, she hadn’t wanted to come, either. She had left a very warm and very naked Samantha in the cave. She had looked at the sleeping girl, contemplating crawling back into bed with her. Resisting the temptation was one of the hardest things she had ever done. The cold morning air and the inherent danger of what she was setting off to do had been an affront to her senses, and she had looked back longingly one last time before sighing and committing herself.

Michelle knew it had to be done. The tracks were getting closer to their shelter and her prey getting bolder. The fire might not hold it at bay much longer. She didn’t want to wait for it to come to them, preferred to tip the odds in her favor. So she had made preparations.

The terrified squeaking of the snared rabbit thirty feet away alerted her that her prey had entered the killing field. The poor creature’s desperate scrambling made Michelle’s heart ache, and she had to fight the urge to cut it free. She didn’t move from her hiding place, feeling like a horrible person even though she knew it had to be done this way.

After all, the snared rabbit was bait. Its cries of fear and pain would draw her quarry into her sights. She wasn’t a good enough tracker to follow the creature, so she needed it to come to her.

The rabbit fell silent, not moving. The time had come, and Michelle took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She nocked her arrow, her eyes on the spot where the rabbit waited tensely. The moment seemed to stretch and stretch and an eternity passed with nothing happening. The suspense was killing her.

There was just the faintest rustle in the brush, easily overlooked if she hadn’t been expecting it. Then her quarry came into view, its nose low to the ground as it sniffed for its meal. Her heart skipped a few beats at the beautiful creature that stood before her. It was a massive, coal black wolf, thick in the chest and tapered to the rear. Its black pelt was the exact color of a starless, moonless night, with no secondary tones to mar the ebony fur.

This was definitely the alpha predator that had silenced the forest. It radiated a regal pride, a certainty of its place in the food chain.

It sensed her somehow, even though she was upwind of it. She hadn’t made a sound, but it turned its head and stared right at her. She gasped at its startling blue eyes, caught off guard by their brilliance. In the dark fur around them, those eyes almost seemed to glow. She saw her death in those sapphire irises.

She straightened up and leveled her bow, smoothly taking up the tension and holding it. Seeing the bow in her hand, the wolf tilted its head to one side quizzically. It looked like a pet dog listening to baby talk from its owner. It would have been cute had she not seen the cold calculation in its eyes.

She saw intelligence in its gaze, knew if it could it would spring on her. Still, she saw it recognize its own mortality, knew she held its death in her hands. In a breathless moment, she wondered if it would try for her, anyway.

Then the wolf shook its head, lowered its eyes. It chuffed once, shifting nervously. In a move that seemed unfamiliar to it, it humbled itself before her, submitted to her dominance. Her eyes widened, realizing what was happening. It was bowing out. It stayed that way, groveling before her.

Stunned, she let the tip of her arrow move to one side. It rolled its eyes up at her, acknowledged that she understood its message. She let the bow point at the ground. The wolf raised its head, but not to challenge her. It regarded her with curiosity as if it were wondering who this waif of a girl thought she was for challenging it. The malice was gone from its proud eyes and in its place, a burgeoning respect. It sat back on its haunches, yawned like it knew she wasn’t going to shoot it now that she knew it wasn’t going to attack her.

Or maybe I’m full of shit, Michelle thought, wondering about her own thoughts. She knew she should lift her bow and put an arrow in its chest. The way it was just sitting there, she couldn’t miss. It would be the same as hitting her leaf target last night.

She kept the bow pointed at the ground. The wolf’s odd behavior had her at a loss, but somehow she knew it wasn’t a danger to her. It was a truly beautiful creature, its coloring and startling eyes giving it an almost mythical quality. Michelle didn’t want to kill it if she didn’t have to. The world was a mysterious place and this wolf belonged in it.

The wolf’s ears pricked up and it got to its feet. Its body language was one of coiled tension, and it listened intently. Following suit, Michelle held her breath, listened for any sound in the silent woods. She heard a rustle to her left and swung the bow in that direction just in time to see a slinky gray wolf appear from the brush. Distracted by the black wolf, she had forgotten it probably wasn’t alone. The old campsite had been well trampled, too much damage done for just one wolf.

She saw out of the corner of her eye the black wolf take a few steps toward her, a low warning growl rumbling in its throat. She couldn’t look at it because its slinky pack mate was readying to pounce on her. She saw it gather tension in its haunches and she couldn’t breathe. If her aim were even slightly off, it would be onto her before she could nock a second arrow.

The growling to her left grew louder, and the gray wolf glanced away from her, at the other wolf. With its attention diverted, she took the opportunity to take stock of the black wolf. Its ruff was bristled and its teeth bared, and the horrifying visage made her knees weak in fear. Then she realized it wasn’t growling at her but its slinky friend. As she watched, the wolf put itself between her and the other wolf. There was no mistaking the implied violence in its body language, and the smaller wolf backed down and turned tail.

The black wolf threw back its head and howled long and soulfully. It left her chilled to the bone, shivering.

Only when she heard rustling in the brush all around her did Michelle realize she had been surrounded. Even if she got the one ready to leap, the others would have drug her down from all sides. She tensed, ready to run but stopped when she realized the rustling was moving away from her. Turning in a slow circle, she saw the half dozen wolves as they moved deeper into the brush.

The black wolf turned to her, lowered its eyes respectfully. Michelle could only stare at it, knowing it had just saved her life.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice breaking. Strangely, she thought the wolf understood, somehow.

The wolf chuffed once, then padded off after its pack. She watched it go until it disappeared from sight.

It wasn’t logical, but she knew the wolves wouldn’t be a problem, anymore. Something had happened here that defied reason. Something wonderful. She put her hand to her mouth as tears of joy slipped down her cheeks. She felt buoyed, uplifted. It was miraculous that she was still alive. She had been looking death in the face and had been saved by the very creature she had come here to kill.

“No one is ever going to believe this,” she said, wiping her eyes.

On rubbery legs, she walked to the snared rabbit. She held it down with her knee so it wouldn’t try to bite her, then used the multitool to free its foot. When she lifted her knee, it bolted, and she smiled after it. Then she realized she had just let dinner go. She decided she didn’t care. It had been the right thing to do.

She headed back to camp, ready to get by the fire. The early morning air was chilly, and she wasn’t dressed for it. She was shivering hard enough to rattle her teeth together.

As she walked, she realized the forest was still silent. She stopped and turned in a circle, but she didn’t think the wolves were back. Then she gasped, understanding. The animals knew a new alpha walked the woods and were showing their respectful silence.

—————————

Michelle found Samantha unloading an armful of firewood she had gathered. The girl didn’t see her, and Michelle took a second to admire her. Even dirty and disheveled, the girl was beautiful. Long in the leg and narrow in the waist, her body toned by years of cheerleading, she was a vision in the early morning sun.

Feeling Michelle’s eyes on her, Samantha turned and caught her looking. The girl stopped what she was doing and smiled at Michelle. Samantha had a lovely smile, one that lit up her eyes and Michelle was still getting used to having it turned on her. It made her heart pitter patter in her chest, and she had to return it.

“It’s the great white hunter, returned from the hunt,” Samantha said, dropping the last of her firewood to come over to Michelle. Her arms slipped around Michelle’s waist, pulling her close. Her kiss made Michelle a little weak in the knees. Pulling back, Samantha asked, “How did it go?”

“I… Well… I don’t think we’ll have any more problems,” Michelle said, dying to tell her about the black wolf, but she didn’t. She didn’t want the girl to think she was losing it.

“So you killed it?” Samantha asked, her eyes flashing at Michelle.

“Not exactly,” she said, hoping the girl wouldn’t ask her what ‘not exactly’ meant.

“I don’t understand,” Samantha said, frowning, “if you didn’t kill it, how do you know it won’t bother us, again?”

“You wouldn’t believe me, if I told you,” Michelle said, grinning at her, “can you just take my word for it and don’t ask me to explain.”

Samantha met her eyes, saw the certainty in them, and shrugged, “Okay.”

“Good,” Michelle said, kissing her, again. Smiling, she said, “You know, we have plenty of water, and we still have a couple of fish left from our last trip to the creek. Maybe we could just spend the day in bed.”

A playful grin spread on Samantha’s face, and she said, “Walk me down to the lake first.”

“The lake? Why?” Michelle asked.

“I’ve been wearing the same clothes for four days now,” Samantha said, lightly kissing her, “and since we aren’t going to need any clothes today…”

“Right,” Michelle said, grinning.

They headed to the lake, walking close. Michelle put her arm around Samantha’s waist, and the girl smiled warmly at her. Seeing that smile, she felt fuzzy all over. As she smiled back, she wondered about her burgeoning feelings for the girl.

Another miracle, she thought, with an inward grin, I’m falling for Samantha LaRose, of all people.

The thought would have made her laugh less than a week ago, but she couldn’t deny things had changed between them. The snotty cheerleader mask had slipped, and Michelle found this Samantha LaRose very appealing.

“What’s with that look?” Samantha asked, a curious smile tugging at her lips.

“Just thinking how beautiful you are,” Michelle said, wondering if her thoughts had been visible on her face. She decided she didn’t care. The girl would figure out how Michelle felt about her eventually, anyway.

Laughing, Samantha said, “I’m a mess.”

“Beautiful,” Michelle insisted.

Samantha gave her a lingering kiss, then grinned at her, “You don’t need to sweet talk me; you are going to get laid when we get back to the cave.”

That line made Michelle grin.

They passed their old camp on their way to the lake. Michelle shivered as her eyes fell on the life raft. Tomorrow was Friday and, unless they were rescued today, she was going to have to get back in the freezing lake water. Shivering again, she pulled Samantha closer, needing the warmth of her body against her flank.

At the edge of the water, Michelle began stripping out of her clothes. In just her bra and panties, she dipped her clothes in the lake, then wrung it out. She repeated the process a half dozen times until the water was clear when she squeezed it out of the shirt and jeans. As an after thought, she slipped out of her bra and panties, as well. Naked, she washed her unmentionables

Glancing to her right, she saw Samantha doing the same thing. The girl looked so stunning in the morning sun, her naked body lovely. Michelle felt her desire stir to life, and she left her wet clothes on a rock, went to the girl. Samantha saw her coming and smiled up at her. She didn’t seem all that surprised when Michelle squatted beside her and kissed her deeply. The girl set her clothes aside and eagerly kissing Michelle back.

Finally pulling back, Samantha smiled coyly at her and asked, “Couldn’t wait until we got back to the cave, huh?”

“No,” Michelle said, laughing.

Samantha’s smile widened, and she kissed Michelle. She put her hands on Michelle’s shoulders, gently bore her to her back. Smiling down at her, Samantha lowered her body onto Michelle’s, laying between Michelle’s spread legs. The first flex of the girl’s hips let Michelle know what she had in mind, and she wrapped her long legs around Samantha’s waist. Samantha dug her knees into the muddy lake bank, so she had the leverage to rub her body against Michelle’s. The delicious sensation made both of them moan.

Michelle gently brushed the hair from Samantha’s face, back over her ear. She pulled the girl close, kissing her deeply. Letting Samantha into her mouth, she caressed her tongue with her own. Her hand slipped behind the girl’s head, holding her to the kiss. She moaned into Samantha’s mouth as little waves of pleasure washed through her.

The lovely feel of Samantha’s body rubbing against her had her a horny mess. Her moans mingled with Samantha’s and were drowned out by the noises of the forest, the songbirds chirping and the serrations of the crickets.

The thrusts of Samantha’s hips were coming faster, and she found she could push her hips up into her, meeting the girl counter-thrust for thrust. Both girls grew frantic in their desire, straining toward orgasmic bliss. They stopped noticing the chilly air as sweat broke out on their skin and they gasped for breath.

Their cries grew louder, spooking a bird to flight. From her back, Michelle watched it soar overhead, smiling. It was exciting, doing this out in the open. Very primitive and dangerous. She turned her head to where her bow lay in the grass a few yards away.

Grinning inwardly, she thought, probably not what our Phys. Ed. Teacher meant about using protection during sex but hey…

“Hang on,” Samantha breathed, slipping her arm under Michelle’s neck and rolling them.

Michelle moved between the girl’s legs, smiling down at her. She dug her knees into the mud, like Samantha had, to get enough purchase to really rub her girlhood against Samantha’s. It wasn’t as easy as it had looked and Michelle was a little jealous of the sensual way Samantha had used her body. Grinning at her, Samatha half sat up and grabbed her hips.

“You are trying to move your whole body but its all in the hips,” Samantha said, her hands guiding Michelle.

The girl was right, and Michelle found a slow, easy rhythm. She liked being on top, even though it was more work. The roll of her hips made her feel sexy, in control. Samantha wrapped her legs around her waist, and Michelle liked that too. Smiling down at her, Michelle kissed her deeply. Samantha kissed her back, eagerly.

Feeling the first stirrings of an orgasm, Michelle met Samantha’s eyes. Seeing her urgency, Samantha nodded. Her face was pinched in a rictus of pleasure, and Michelle thought she was close, too.

“Come with me?” Michelle breathed, her hips almost a blur.

“Yeah,” Samantha cried.

With one more thrust of her hips, Michelle climaxed hard, her whole body stiffening. Half a heartbeat behind her, Samantha cried out, again, as she came. Michelle held onto the girl as their bodies went crazy.

“Holy shit,” she gasped, laughing.

Samantha put her hands on Michelle’s cheeks and kissed her deeply.

Sated, Michelle rolled off the girl and onto her back. Staring up at the clouds dotting the blue sky, she couldn’t stop smiling. She was still tingling all over, and she felt as light as one of those clouds. Samantha moved closer, and Michelle put her arm around the girls neck. They lay like that a while, just staring up at the heavens. The air was chilly, but the sun felt wonderful on their bare skin, like a warm kiss.

“I could get used to this,” Samantha eventually said, turning her head to smile at Michelle.

“Laying naked on the side of a lake?” Michelle asked, teasing.

“Being with you,” Samantha said, not teasing.

Michelle’s heart forgot to beat for a few seconds, seeing the look on the girl’s face. She smiled and kissed the girl deeply, before saying, “I think I could, too.”

With a little laugh, Samantha asked, “Does that mean we are going out?”

“Maybe we should get out of here before we talk about dating.”

Getting up on her elbow, Samantha met Michelle’s eyes and asked, “Do you think it’ll be different when we get back to civilization?”

“I don’t know,” Michelle said, then asked, “Would you still want to be with me when you are back with your friends?”

Sighing, Samantha said, “I’m done pretending. You were right about being myself. If they are truly my friends, they’ll accept me no matter what.”

“Good for you,” Michelle said, smiling brightly at the girl.

Taking a deep breath, Samantha said, “Of course, that’s easy to say here. It’s going to be a lot harder when I’m looking them in the eye.”

“Yeah, it is going to suck,” Michelle said, pulling her into a hug. The girl melted against her, held onto her. Then, without realizing she meant to, Michelle added, “I’ll be there with you, if you want.”

Picking up her head, Samantha met her eyes. Smiling, she asked, “Yeah?”

“Um, yeah,” she said, hear heart racing as she realized the girl might actually take her up on the offer. Earlier, walking here, she had wondered about her own feelings for Samantha, and now she saw the girl might be having some of her own.

Laying her head on Michelle’s shoulder, Samantha said, “Thanks.”

Michelle kissed the top of her head, tenderly.

Samantha suddenly laughed, said, “You’ve got mud on your knees.”

“Well, so do you,” Michelle said, grinning, “your back, too.”

“Our mothers would be so ashamed,” Samantha said, making Michelle laugh.

“Maybe we should clean ourselves up a bit, too. Since we are here,” Michelle said, smiling at her.

“Eventually,” Samantha said, snuggling even tighter against Michelle, “I’m in no rush to get up right now.”

—————————

Their wet clothes balled up under their arms, they headed back to camp. They had spent a couple of hours at the lake, just enjoying the sun on their naked bodies. Only when their stomachs started grumbling did they decide to head back.

As they rounded the rock formation, they came to a dead stop. Between them and the cave entrance sat the black wolf. Its blue eyes fixed on them, its gaze piercing into Michelle’s soul. Her bow was slung on her shoulder but she couldn’t move to draw it.

Samantha dropped her clothes and took up her spear in both hands, and the wolf bared its teeth. A warning growl rumbled in its throat and its hackles raised.

Michelle moved between the wolf and Samantha, said, “Lower the spear, Samantha.”

“What?” Samantha asked, incredulously.

“Do it,” Michelle said, pushing the spear away from the wolf.

Its manner immediately changed, and Michelle relaxed. She had read the situation correctly. The wolf had only been reacting to the raised weapon, wasn’t threatening violence of its own. It lowered its head in obeisance, acknowledging its station.

“What the hell?” Samantha asked. meeting Michelle’s eyes.

The wolf looked at her curiously, its head tilted to one side. It sniffed the air, then chuffed once. When it looked back to Michelle, she thought it was grinning, and she could almost read its thoughts. Its eyes said, So, this is your bitch, then.

She wondered if the wolf could smell Michelle on Samantha.

Suddenly the wolf shook its head and nudged something at its feet with its nose. It looked back up at Michelle, then turned and sauntered off into the underbrush. She watched it go, frowning. Finally, she walked over and saw the freshly killed fawn, its throat savaged. Glancing in the direction the wolf had gone, she realized the dead deer was a gift, penance.

“Seriously, Michelle,” Samantha said, putting her hand on Michelle’s shoulder and turning her around, “what the hell was that?”

Grinning, Michelle said, “I think you might believe me about the hunt now.”

“The hunt?”

“Let me dress this deer, and then I’ll tell you all about it,” Michelle said, popping the knife blade out on the multitool.

Samantha took Michelle’s clothes from her and started hanging everything in a tree to dry. Michelle had barely begun dressing the deer when Samantha hunkered down beside her. Glancing at her, Michelle asked, “Are you sure you want to watch this?”

“No,” Samantha said, laughing, “but it’s like you said… If you get hurt, it could be me doing this.”

Shrugging, she said, “Suit yourself.”

She explained to Samantha what she was doing and why as she worked. Working with the multitool was awkward, but she managed to make the delicate cuts without rupturing the intestines. In the past, she had been wearing long rubber gloves when doing this part. It had been impersonal in the gloves, but she was feeling everything this time. She had to pause a couple of times to let her stomach settle. She was bloody almost to her elbows before she managed to get the guts out of the deer.

Sitting back on her haunches, she took a few deep breaths, then glanced at Samantha. The girl had hung in there, but her face was pale. She managed a sick smile.

Laughing, Michelle said, “Don’t worry. That was the worst part.”

“Oh good,” Samantha said, taking a deep breath, “what’s next?”

“Grab the water,” she said, grabbing a handful of leaves to get the blood off her hands.

When Samantha returned with the water, she used most of it to rinse out the body cavity of the deer. The rest she used to wash her hands and arms. They’d have to get more, later.

Michelle undid her bow string and used her shoelaces to tie off the deer’s hind legs. It couldn’t be more than a couple months old, still scrawny. She managed to get the fawn in the air and tied off on her own, which made her kind of sad. She had killed deer before and had to have her father help her hoist it up to process it.

“Poor little guy,” she said, patting the fawn on the neck. Shaking her head, she began skinning it. As she had promised, this part wasn’t as bad. A couple of quick cuts around the hind legs and she was in business. Samantha jumped in, and they made short work of skinning it.

“It’s starting to look like something at a supermarket and less like Bambi,” Samantha said.

Laughing, Michelle cut a few quick chunks of meat and passed them to her, “Want to get this cooking, while I finish here.”

“Um, yeah,” she said, taking the rough cut steaks from Michelle, “I’ll get them cooking, then head to the lake for some water.”

“By yourself?” Michelle asked.

“You said we don’t have to worry anymore,” Samantha said.

“About the wolves, yeah,” she said, her concern creeping into her voice. Samantha heard it and smiled warmly at her. Laughing and shaking her head, she said, “Just hurry back, okay?”

“Why? Are you going to miss me?” Samantha teased.

“Yeah,” Michelle said, not teasing.

Samantha gave her a sweet, lingering kiss, then went into the cave to get the steaks cooking. A few minutes later, she appeared with their improvised water bucket and her spear in hand. She waved to Michelle as she passed.

She watched her go for a second, then shook her head. She had it bad for the girl.

Finding a long, straight stick, she sharpened one end of it with the multitool. As she began to cut chunks of meat from the fawn, she skewered them on the stick. She figured she harvested about thirty pounds of meat, plenty to last them a week or more. Later, she’d devise a way to suspend the stick above the fire so the meat would smoke. Smoking the meat would dry out the moisture and help it keep longer, she knew.

Hearing a rustle off to her left, she grabbed the multitool and turned in that direction in time to see the black wolf appear from the undergrowth. It eyed the dangling carcass longingly, licking its chops. Smiling, Michelle pulled one of the chunks of meat from her skewer and tossed it to the wolf. It snagged it out of the air and hardly had time to taste it before it was gone.

She pulled the carcass down, undid her shoe strings from its back legs, then drug it over to a tree about twenty feet away. She moved the gut pile, too. Turning to the wolf, she said, “Have at it, if any of that interests you.”

It pricked its ears, tilting its head to one side. Glancing at the scraps, it licked its chops, again. Laughing, she nodded. Strangely, the wolf seemed to understand and padded over to its goody pile. It dug in with relish.

Sitting on her haunches, Michelle watched the wolf eat. It glanced at her, and she said, “Eat what you want because we are going to have to bury the rest.”

As it returned its attention to picking the bones clean, she wondered about this curious animal. She didn’t claim to be an expert on wolves, but this one’s behavior seemed odd to her.

Suddenly, the wolf lifted its head and growled low in its throat. It’s eyes turned to the trail Samantha had taken to the lake. The growl deepened and its ears laid back on its head. Michelle tightened her grip on the multitool, her heart racing. Something was coming.

Then Samantha came into view. The wolf relaxed, seeing the girl, and returned to its meal. Frowning, Michelle looked from the wolf to Samantha. She got the feeling if it had been anything or anyone other than Samantha, the wolf would have defended her. For some reason, the wolf had attached itself to them.

Samantha saw the wolf eating the scraps and came over to where Michelle squatted. Sitting beside her, Samantha asked, “Do we have a pet?”

“More like a guardian,” Michelle said, smiling at her.

“Guardian?” Samantha parroted, looking at the wolf, “I think I’m ready to hear your story about the hunt, now.”

—————————

Sitting on the platform in their makeshift home, Michelle chewed the cooked deer meat happily. It was ten times better than the trout, and she relished ever bite. She felt Samantha staring at her and saw the mixture of concern and awe on the girl’s face. Swallowing, she grinned at the girl.

“All of that really happened?” Samantha said, her own food largely forgotten.

“Yeah,” Michelle said, laughing, “but it won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t believe me. Hell, I don’t believe me, and I was there.”

Samantha grinned at her and said, “I believe you. The proof is sitting outside.”

“There is something weird about that wolf,” Michelle said, shaking her head, “I swear, when you look in its eyes… Oh God, those freaky blue eyes. Did you notice how blue its eyes are?”

“Yeah,” Samantha said, nodding, “they are beautiful.”

“I know wolves are intelligent but I think this one is a borderline genius,” Michelle said, shivering as she remembered it staring at her, weighing its chances of getting her before she put an arrow in its chest.

“A genius wolf?” Samantha asked, teasing.

“You know what I mean,” Michelle said, laughing.

“It does seem to have more going on between its ears than usual,” Samantha admitted.

“What do you think about calling it Blue?”

Raising her eyebrows, Samantha asked, “You want to name it?”

“I think it is going to be around a lot now,” Michelle said, grinning, “I think it sort of adopted us.”

“Huh,” the girl said, looking at the opening of the cave, “Blue is a good name, I guess.”

“This deer is delicious,” Michelle said, sighing.

“We need to thank her for it,” Samantha said, taking a bite of her own food.

“Her?”

“Blue’s a girl,” Samantha said, laughing when Michelle looked at her funny, “I noticed when she was disappearing back into the brush.”

“Huh,” Michelle said, then frowned, “I didn’t know a female could be the alpha of a wolf pack.”

“Blue isn’t a typical wolf. You said that much yourself.”

“No, she is definitely one of a kind,” Michelle agreed.

“She reminds me of you,” Samantha said, smiling at her.

“Me?” Michelle asked.

“She’s her own wolf… Proud… Intelligent…” Samantha said, leaning into kiss her, “beautiful.”

Michelle smiled as the girl moved closer, kissing her, again. Michelle pulled the girl onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her waist. Samantha snuggled against her, never breaking the kiss. Responding to the girl’s soft body pressed against hers, Michelle kissed her back passionately.

“Mmm,” Samantha said, smiling at her, “again? Already?”

Laughing, Michelle kissed her, turning the girl on her lap until she was facing her, with her long legs poked out behind her. Samantha was sitting in the hollow of her legs, and she opened them a little more until their bodies molded together. The girl grinned at her and wrapped her arms around Michelle’s neck.

Michelle’s hand slipped around to cup the girl’s buttocks, and she urged the Samantha to roll her hips forward. For all her teasing, Samantha was willing enough. Her body moved as eagerly as Michelle’s, the flex of her tight body driving them both wild.

She thought this might be her favorite position, yet. It was very intimate, and she was eye to eye with Samantha. It was so hot the way Samantha’s eyes slightly widened each time their bodies came together, as she could almost see the girl’s pleasure as it washed through her.

Plus everything is easy to reach, she thought, letting her hands slide up the girl’s flanks to cup her small, jiggling breasts. Samantha groaned as Michelle teased her stiffening nipples, her back arching. The girl leaned back, putting her weight on her arms and Michelle’s mouth found one of those nipples. She tasted the salt on the girl’s areola, gently nibbled the pink nub until the girl’s moans filled the cave. Then she tortured the other one.

In her excitement, the girl sat up, put her hands on Michelle’s cheeks and kissed her deeply. Pulling back from the kiss, she put her forehead against Michelle’s, meeting her gaze. Even at the weird angle, Michelle could still see the arousal in her eyes. It mirrored her own.

Their pace quickened, the movement of their hips lubricated by a sheen of sweat that broke out on their young bodies. They moved in perfect harmony, having become familiar with each other in such a short time. Michelle wondered about how well they came together, how their bodies seemed destined for each other.

As if she were reading her mind, Samantha asked, “Why are we so good at this?”

“What do you mean?” Michelle asked, breathlessly.

“Bianca and I tried tribbing a bunch of times, but we could never get it right,” Samantha said, grinning at her, “but you… Why are you so good at this?”

“Beginner’s luck?” Michelle offered, laughing.

“Beginner’s luck, huh?”

Michelle kissed her and said, “Or, maybe you were just trying it with the wrong girl.”

A slow smile spread on Samantha’s lips, and she asked, “Do you think you are the right girl for me, then?”

That smile made it a little hard to breath and Michelle had to work up the saliva to answer, “Maybe.”

Samantha kissed her then, a deep, lingering kiss that made her toes curl in on themselves. The girl smiled warmly at her when she finally pulled back, stroking her cheek tenderly. The look in her eyes made Michelle’s heart skip a few beats. It made her want to be the ‘right girl’ for Samantha. She didn’t want the girl to stop looking at her like that.

Michelle hadn’t realized they had come to a stop until Samantha’s hips started moving, again. Blinking a few times, she shook off the spell Samantha had had her under. She began to move in counter-rhythm to the girl, smiling at the easy way they moved together.

Maybe there really was more to it than beginner’s luck, she thought, letting her hands slip down the girl’s flanks to her hips. She urged the Samantha to go faster. Soon they were moving at a frantic pace, their young bodies straining toward ecstasy. Their cries filled the cave as they really tested the structural integrity of their makeshift bed.

Samantha’s cries became urgent, her eyes widening. Michelle felt her own body responding to the excitement in the girl’s voice. She kept pushing and pushing, even when her body began to lose its grace at the end. Her fingers tightened on Samantha’s hips, and she urged the girl to keep going. Then she felt the girl stiffen in her lap, crying out. It was all she needed, and her own body exploded with pleasure. They clung to each other as they trembled, held on for dear life.

“Wow,” Samantha said, gasping for air.

“Yeah,” Michelle agreed, grinning at her. She brushed the hair out of the girl’s face, gently kissed her. It lingered, neither girl wanting to stop. Michelle really couldn’t say how long they stayed like that, just kissing and enjoying the closeness of their bodies.

Eventually, she felt pressure on her bladder and had to say, “I have to pee.”

Laughing, Samantha got off her lap and said, “Check the clothes while you are out there.”

“Why?” Michelle asked, grinning at her, “we won’t need them.”

“If they are dry, bring them in, anyway,” the girl said, giving her a kiss.

After their frantic lovemaking and the heat of the cave, she shivered as the cool air found her naked body. Goosebumps broke out on her skin, and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms briskly. She stepped away from the cave to do her business then went to the tree Samantha had hung their clothes in to dry. Checking them, she found they were still really damp, so she left them hanging.

Turning back to the cave, she saw Blue watching her with interest.

“So what’s the deal, Blue?” Michelle asked, squatting about fifteen feet away from the wolf.

The wolf tilted its head to one side, inquisitively. It came a few steps closer, then sat down.

“You know Samantha says I remind her of you,” she said, then laughed, “hopefully that wasn’t a sneaky way of calling me a bitch.”

Blue chuffed once, her tail swishing back and forth a few times. Michelle hadn’t known wolves wagged their tails and wondered if it meant the same thing as when dogs did it. She thought it might, but she wasn’t about to start cooing ‘good girl, that’s a good girl’ and patting her thighs in an invitation to get petted.

Still, she’d take a tail wag over bared teeth, any day.

“Does that tail wag mean I should trust you?” She asked.

The wolf came forward a couple more steps, sat down again. She was only eight feet away, now. Her posture was still friendly, no signs of aggression, but Michelle’s heart was still racing in her chest. She’d never been this close to a wolf before. She was well within Blue’s striking range, naked and defenseless.

While her heart was racing, she wasn’t nearly as scared as she should be.

Blue came forward a couple more steps, paused while still on her feet. She sniffed the air, her paws working the earth nervously. She was no more than four or five feet away.

“Alright, Blue,” Michelle said, holding out her hand, “please be sweet.”

The wolf’s eyes fixed on the outstretched hand. It made a mewling sound in the back of its throat, an anxious sound that was part fear and part longing. Michelle realized Blue was as nervous about this as she was and it put her strangely at ease. She kept her hand out, waiting to see if the wolf would make up her mind.

Finally, Blue came forward, her head held low to show her lack of aggression. She sniffed Michelle’s hand, then nuzzled against it. Michelle put her hand on Blue’s head, and the wolf froze, unsure of her intentions. Michelle stroked her fur, hardly believing she was petting a wild animal. Her gentle touch put Blue at ease, and she allowed Michelle to stroke her.

A howl went up a ways away and Blue’s ears pricked up. She looked at Michelle, and the girl laughed as she realized the wolf was asking to take her leave. Smiling, she nodded, and Blue sauntered away. Michelle watched her go, shaking her head.

“Does that mean we are keeping her?”

Michelle looked over her shoulder and saw Samantha standing in the mouth of the cave, her spear held at the ready. Smiling, she realized the girl had seen the whole thing. The smile widened when she took in the spear and knew the girl would have rushed in if Blue hadn’t been sweet.

“I think I’ll sleep easier if Blue’s around,” Michelle said, oddly meaning it.