Run With Me

Chapter Twenty Three

Kirk had been turned on nearly constantly since he had met Terri, even when he was frustrated with her or when she was pissed off at him. But her whispered command to shift fired his blood to a whole different pitch. He was glad the others had turned around because the hard on he was sporting would have been humiliating for everyone else. Even after he had shifted and was looking up to see his raven haired mate perfectly balanced on one leg, he was still just as aroused. He had to bite back a whine as Terri pulled a large t shirt over her head and sat down to yank on a thick wool sock.

"Zoe," she called out as Zoe was pulling a parka off, "can you shove my wet clothes in there? And as many of the books that will fit?" Kirk looked over and saw a dozen worn volumes on the natural shelf, next to a box of candles and some matches. All classics, some of which he had never read. Even if Zoe couldn't take them all, he would make sure to come back and collect them for Terri. He would have replaced them, but if she wanted to take them with her, the must be of some personal value to her. Zoe, bless her over prepare heart, pulled another bag out of the first and a pair of big, black garbage bags.

"I didn't know if you wanted to keep your wet stuff, so I brought another bag just in case," she made to stuff the torn jacket Terri had been wearing into the smaller bag, "and it's not just snowing, there's rain too. Half of the ground is like rough ice with the temperature dropping." Terri was reaching for Zoe's discarded coat, humming as she wrapped the warmth around herself.

"Here," Zoe stepped up and pulled a toque, her dickie, and mittens off and handing them to Terri, "I didn't sweat on the way here, and if I'm running back this will be easier." Kirk paced to the door to look out as the two women managed to get all the books and clothes back into the bags. Kirk grabbed the smaller bag in his teeth, the one without all the books, and shoved it at Nolan. The younger wolf took the bag and made his way out into the wind and snow, letting out a yelp as he slid down the cliff to the muffled growl of the snowmobile. Nodding his head, John and a now shifted Zoe followed out after him. Terri was hefting the bag onto her back now that the last few articles of Zoe's clothing were in the bag.

"I'm fine," she said, "all my injuries cleared up once I shifted. I feel great," she gave him a wide grin, "and I promise, once we are home, we can revisit you request." Kirk looked at her and shifted, wincing against the cold.

"Tell me now," he grabbed the front of her parka and pulled her to him, "I don't want to wait." Terri just laughed, pushing him back.

"Once we are back with your pack, I will tell you," she cocked her head, "I did say when we got home. I meant HOME." She put even more emphasis on the word, giving him another smile, "now shift." The slight growl in her voice had Kirk throwing his head back on a groan, but he followed her order, glad to be back out of the cold and in his warmer form. Terri went down on her hands and knees, following him out of the cave. Kirk indicated with his head that Terri should precede him, so she pulled the dickie up to cover her face and then scaled back down the mountain like she was a goat and not a wolf.

Kirk's heart was in his throat the entire time.

Once she was safely on the ground, Kirk couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear the embrace of Michael and his baby sister, suspecting that tears were happening again. Now it was his turn to get his furry ass down the side of the cliff. He was pretty sure there was a cut and some rocks where there shouldn't be, and he ended up leaping the last fifteen feet or so, landing in a crash of powder. He could just make out the shapes of the other and of the snowmobile when he jumped, so he knew he wasn't going to land on anyone. As he picked himself off, he saw Michael nod through his helmet, Terri having pulled the other helmet on and was tightening the chin strap. Nodding again to his pack, Kirk took off after the snowmobile as it roared to life, taking them on a route that the Waller's seem to know.

                                                                                                 ***

Kirk raced along side Michael's snowmobile. He had seen notes that the family owned a few for grounds maintenance in the winter, but he had never been so grateful for he teleology before. Back home, the pack owned several and used them mostly for sport. Sometimes it was fun to place in the snow in human form. Kirk was thinking back to the day he took Terri tobogganing and grinned. Terri must have been watching him out of the side of her helmet because she patted Michael on the shoulder and pushed her mitten hand forward. A classic gesture of "go faster". She wanted to race. As the engine revved, Kirk took off, keeping pace but never pulling ahead, not wanting to leave Terri's side. He heard her laughter, especially as Micheal took his hand off the throttle to look back over his shoulder. The others were lagging behind at this pace, but they were almost back to the pack house.

As they neared the festival grounds, he could hear that the music was still going, but was quieter and calmer than before. A missing pup and a raging snow storm would but a damper on any gathering. Kirk could see that walls were up on the tents now, with shadowed shapes moving in them, heaters blasting out at maximum capacity. At least the purpose of the event was still going, but at least two packs and most of the alphas would have been pulled away from everything.

Michael slowed the machine as they got to the house when Kirk moved in front of him, standing between the machine and the house. He growled once and walked towards the truck him and Terri came in. Sitting next to it, Michael nodded in understanding. Kirk didn't want Terri to go anywhere near this pack until they were both good and ready. Killing the engine, Kirk watched Michael scoop his sister up and carry her to the truck, opening the door and pushing her inside. He then opened the door and indicated for the four wolves to hop in the back. Kirk bristled at the thought of being treated like a dog, but he wanted to get Terri somewhere warm. And alone.

"Where to alpha?" Michael said with a tentative tone. Kirk struggled to shift while in-between two massive bodies, but managed it.

"The hotel my pack is staying at," he rattled off the address, about twenty minutes away, "I have a room there, as does everyone else." It was going to be a bit of a juggling act getting the four of them into the hotel since they didn't have any clothes. Well, he did, it was under Terri on her seat. But the others... His thought was cut off when Zoe shifted.

"Give me credit," he felt her push Nolan into him as she dug around on the floor for another bag, "I grabbed shorts and shirts for everyone from Michael's closet," she blushed, "sorry." Michael just grunted in response.

"Zoe," Kirk said, "you are never allowed to move to another pack. I don't care if you mate an alpha. They can move in with us." He saw out of the corner of his eye that Zoe blushed.

"You don't have to worry about that," she said in a small voice, "I found him today. We've just been a little busy with other things." She hid her face as she pulled a massive shirt over her head before handing him some board shorts and another shirt. Michael was a big man, but Kirk stretch the material out as he pulled it on.

"Can I ask his name?" John spoke up, reaching past Kirk for some clothes. He could practically feel Zoe's blush as the cold fabric was pushed past him. Michael cleared his throat and pressed on the gas a bit more. Terri's head started whipping between Michael and Zoe, looking from one to the other. She started to laugh, causing Kirk's shorts to stretch even more.

"Oh, this totally makes up for the wet dog smell!" Causing everyone except Michael and Zoe to join in her laughter.