Freaked

Good Morning

This is NOT my bed.

I rolled over in the soft grass the next morning and was greeted with a warmth and animalistic musk. I thought for a moment I had fallen asleep with my dog. Then I remembered I don't have a dog.

Oh. Ohhh...right.

I have a wolf now.

I opened my eyes and nearly had a heart attack.

This is NOT a wolf.

I saw fair bare skin. Human skin, a lot of it. Bright eyes, feathery rust-orange hair and a very shocked look when I jumped and scrambled back a few feet.

"What the-Who are you? WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING IN MY YARD? ...With me? Jesus Christ, please don't hurt me!" I kept crawling backwards but he grabbed my arm. "Let me go! Don't kill me and wear my skin as a dress! I'm not even hot, come on!"
"Hey, lis-"

"I'll scream! You better let me go or I'll scream bloody murder til someone comes and shoots your a-" He clapped a strong hand over my mouth and I writhed in his grip.

"Wha, HEY, listen, I'm not gonna hurt you. Hey, look at my eyes, don't you know who I am?!" I struggled for another minute but looked at him like he said. Then I froze. Wait a minute, I know those eyes...oh. "See?" Oh my. The realization that I came to shocked me. "It's me." This is my wolf...

He's a shapeshifter. The stuff of legend in our country. Here I was in the presence of an incredibly rare, amazing creature, so of course, I had a lot to say. But he had me shushed. So what does one do in that position? The only logical thing.

I licked him.

My newfound friend cringed and let me go. "Ew." He wiped his palm on a bare leg. "Gross...ugh. Anyway, sorry for the scare. My name's Orion." He held out his hand and we shook.

"I'm Kanji." I looked up at him but quickly looked away, flustered. "So, uh, you do know you're bare naked right?" He turned crimson and began to sheepishly search for something to cover himself, apologizing and cursing. I pulled off my oversized coat and tossed it to him. "Uh, here."

"I-I'm sorry...thank you." He wrapped it around him as I stood. "I'm so used to my other form, I quit carrying clothes."

Explains the suddenly naked part. I didn't know how he could stand the cold without his fur; I was more than nippy without the coat. "So, wolf boy, want to come inside now? I've got food and maybe some clothes for you." I offered my hand, which he didn't take.

"Are you sure? I'd hate to intrude any more than I have." I scoffed.

"Are you kidding me? You've terrorized me every night for two months without giving the slightest clue who or what you were and now I know you're a mystical creature that's supposed to be extinct. Plus I just woke up to your bare butt laying next to me in my cold yard. You're coming to eat breakfast with me." I cocked an eyebrow and wiggled my fingers.

*Sigh* "Alright..." He took my hand and stood. He followed me into my home, a small cabin made of wood and stone. "It's been forever since I've been in someone's house. I've lived in the forest for years."

"Well, it's not much but it's home. Make yourself comfortable, you seem to be good at that." I took off my boots and had him sit in my huge chair by the hearth as I lit the fire. My closet bore offerings in the form of a t shirt and sweatpants, which I threw at him. "Hope they fit, cause that's all I got." I went into another room to let him change and fetch some things for a magic trick.
In my bedroom I tugged back the intricate tapestry over one wall, twisting a mechanism and placing my key in the middle lock. A panel slid back and I stepped into my domain, lighting a lamp and illuminating the walls covered in shelves of herbs, tools, and books.
"Let's see, heather, dandelion, grape leaf.....ah, raven's hemp." I collected what I needed and combined the ingredients in a stone mortar. A smooth yellow liquid formed and I poured it into a vial, corking it and slipping it into my pocket.
Stepping out and closing the panel, I snuffed out the lantern and replaced the tapestry. Then, I took a few breaths and made my way to the kitchen.