WeresDigest (15 page)

The Night Watchman

By Maranda Russell

Shape-shifter Diego finds himself helplessly drawn to a
human woman named Marissa.  He is astonished at how easily she accepts his
non-human side. Still, he’s afraid of giving in to his intense feelings, due to
his fear of hurting her.

* * * *

The Night Watchman

Maranda Russell

Diego watched through narrowed eyes as she wandered
through the park alone. He had been watching this one for at least a month. At
first, just for amusement and the possibility of a good mating, but over the
past few weeks, he had developed a feeling of protectiveness toward her. He
didn’t even know her name, but to his kind, names didn’t really matter. In
fact, his tribe never even assigned last names. What mattered to him was the
scent, and this woman had a mouthwatering aroma. She was human, of that there
was no doubt. His superior sense of smell could separate a werewolf like
himself from a normal human over a mile away. He could also tell that she was
probably single since he had never caught a whiff of a man’s scent on her.

After observing her for several weeks, Diego had
noticed that this particular female had a strange habit of walking alone
through the woods of Sweetwater Creek every evening, just after sunset. He had
to admit that it made him question her sanity slightly. Didn’t she know how
dangerous it was for a human to walk alone through these woods after dark? Let
alone a female human. After all, this was Atlanta, and even though he loved
this city, he was not blind to its dangers. Even though they were in a state
park, they were only minutes away from the beauty and the always-present crime
of downtown Atlanta. In this area, not only was she vulnerable to an attack
from his kind, but also from the vampires and the alligators that made their
homes here. Worst of all were the perverted male humans whom he occasionally
came across.

More than once in these woods he had shifted into his
gray wolf form and chased some rapist away from his intended target. Diego knew
it wasn’t his responsibility to keep the streets clean from common criminals,
but no matter how hard he tried to look the other way, he couldn't help but
interfere.

There was something about human women that drew him.
He knew that he could easily kill them with one swipe of his claws or fang bite
to their jugular, but maybe that was what intrigued him so much. Knowing they
were so powerless against him, knowing that he held their fragile life in his
paws. Most werewolves chose to only mate with their own kind for those very
reasons. One momentary loss of control and suddenly, your mate is in a body
bag. However, Diego liked to walk on the wild side, and this new female he had
been trailing brought out more than just his savage nature. She made him want
to forget himself, what he was, and simply lose himself in her charms.

Diego hid behind a large bush as she reached one of
the lakes in the middle of the park. This was his favorite part of the evening.
First, she let her long, fiery red hair out of its confinement and shook it
loose around her shoulders until it cascaded down her back. Next, she pulled
off her blouse, proudly wearing nothing underneath it. Her perky breasts stood
at attention and tightened as the cool wind reached her nipples. All that was
left was to pull off her skirt, stockings, and shoes, which she did gracefully
and sensually. Now that she was entirely nude, she started to do the little
rhythmic dance that she did every night. Her hips swayed invitingly while her
hair glittered hypnotically in the light of the moon. She continued this
snakelike dance as she waded out into the water, obviously enjoying her
femininity. He liked to imagine that she knew he was watching, and that she did
all this just for him. He laid back and watched his sea nymph perform, feeling
more aroused as he listened to the lapping of the water against every curve of
her smooth, pale form.

He was so entranced by the show before him; he didn’t
detect the presence of an intruder right away. When the scent finally
registered in his mind, he growled angrily and automatically shifted into
animal form. He sat on his haunches and sniffed the air to locate exactly where
the threat stood. He located the stranger first by scent, and then by sight on
the other side of the small lake. Worse, he recognized the scent. This was one
of those human men who liked to prey on the women they could find alone and
defenseless. Diego had already had at least three run-ins with this piece of
trash already. He didn’t want to have to interfere, because he knew he would
also frighten the lovely girl in the process, but it was looking like he
wouldn't have a choice.

The creep was waiting at the edge of the lake, hidden
by the trees. The girl was unknowingly putting herself in further danger every
moment as she waded deeper into the water, closer to the unseen danger.

Suddenly, the man jumped out at her from behind the
trees. The girl shrieked and tried to run away, but she was no match for his
strength or longer legs. He was rapidly gaining on her. She screamed in fear
and terror and tripped in her panic. She fell into the water and watched in
horror as her pursuer caught up to her. He was just about to grab her when an
angry beastly wail startled both of them.

* * * *

The girl looked behind her and was astonished to see
what appeared to be a large silver wolf careening towards them. Its fangs were
bared and it was growling viciously. It leaped over her fallen body and slammed
into the man threatening her. Soon the night was filled with the sound of
ripping flesh and pain filled cries. Diego left the man in tatters, unconscious
and only half-alive. He turned around, expecting to see that the girl had also
fled in terror, but was amazed to see that she stood calmly behind him,
studying him carefully.

She held her hand out towards him cautiously. Diego
lowered his muzzle in a sign of submission and slowly crawled to her side. The
girl rubbed his head gingerly and then pressed a light kiss to his muzzle.
Diego inhaled her fresh, clean scent deeply, wishing that he could stay with
her like this, but knowing it was an impossibility. They were just too
different, and if she really knew what he was, surely she would be as terrified
of him as she had been of the would-be rapist.

After a few moments, the girl drew away from him and
looked into his fiery eyes with a smile. “Thank you so much for saving me. My
name is Marissa Wells. You are a werewolf from the Takinaw Tribe, are you not?”
she asked gently.

Diego’s heart stopped at her question. How did she
possibly know about his tribe? No one was supposed to know about them. They
lived their lives shrouded in secrecy to protect that sacred information. Diego
shifted back into human form, not caring that he was stark naked, simply
needing to talk to this human and find out just who had jeopardized his tribe’s
long-held silence.

“Marissa, how do you know about my people? Who told
you?” he demanded.

“No one told me; however, I did find an entire library
of books on magic and superstition in my grandfather’s attic when I was a
child. Among those books were many about the Takinaw Tribe. They were actually
my favorite of all the myths and legends of this area. You fit the description
so well. I couldn’t imagine what else you could be. You are larger than a
normal wolf, and almost a gleaming silver. Plus, the crimson eyes are a dead
giveaway.” She answered calmly, as she lifted one hand to touch the side of his
face. “You received a scratch in the battle,” she informed him as she held up
her hand that was stained with blood.

“It’s nothing. I heal faster than a human does. I’m
just glad I was here to protect you. I’ve been watching you for weeks and have
been entranced by your own brand of magic,” he responded.

“Magic? I have no magic,” she answered in confusion.

“You sell yourself short,” he said as he reached out a
hand to grasp her breast. “You have a magic that is older and more powerful
than any other. A magic that has been the downfall of many men since the
beginning of time.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. He
slowly caressed her breast, drawing circles around her nipple until she was
sure she would go mad. She stepped closer to his bare body, both of them still
standing in shallow water, bathed in a pool of moonlight. She wrapped her arms
around his neck and pressed her gloriously naked body against his. He groaned
in desire as he felt his already hard cock strain even harder to reach her. He
felt his claws and fangs start to protrude through his human flesh. Sometimes
that happened when a werewolf got too excited. They would start a sort of
half-shift that they couldn’t control.

“I can’t do this.” He groaned as he pushed her away.
“I might hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me, I trust you.” She assured him as
she moved to embrace him again.

“No!” he yelled out as he thrust her even further away
from him. She landed on the ground several feet away, staring at him in shock.
“I just can’t take the chance. You excite me beyond anyone I have ever known. I
can’t trust myself to be gentle with you, to not shred you to pieces.” With
those parting words, he shifted back into wolf and ran away.

Marissa brushed herself off, grabbed her clothes, and
headed home. The entire way there, she wondered if she would ever see the
strange, beautiful creature again. Unbeknown to her, he wasn’t that far away,
just hidden in the shadows, watching her, making sure she got home safely, but
simply too afraid to trust himself to walk beside her.

* * * *

The next night, Diego again found himself following
Marissa along Sweetwater Creek, cursing himself for the fool he was every step
of the way. He should stay away from her; there was no doubt about that. If he
had any brains he would be home right now, or hunting, anything but doing this.
But she was like a beautiful butterfly just out of reach. He couldn’t help but
follow her and hope she came near him. He hid himself among the trees and brush
as he always did. He was actually surprised to see her out again tonight.
Apparently, she was going to keep her routine, even after the events of the
night before. He figured that maybe after she had gotten home she had thought
reasonably about everything and had decided it was all madness. He watched
longingly as she once again began her nightly routine.

He could hear his own heart thumping in anticipation
when she walked to the lake
and disrobed. He sniffed the air
suspiciously, making sure that they were indeed alone. He had no desire to rip
another stupid human to pieces tonight. After he affirmed their safety, he
again focused entirely upon her. She was naked as usual, but this time she was
looking dead into the trees where Diego stood, as if she was searching for him.
She took several steps closer to him, still unable to see him with her human
eyes, but somehow sensing his presence. Diego held his breath in nervous
anticipation as she finally came to a halt still several yards away.

“Are you there, wolf?” she asked in a teasing voice.
“I can’t imagine that you decided to stay away. Even if you do refuse to touch
what you see. I guess I will have to touch myself for you.”
            With those words, her hands skimmed up her thighs, over her belly
and to her breasts. Her head fell back and her hair swung wildly as she
massaged her burgeoning breasts. Next, she fell to her knees and parted her
legs into a half-split. One of her hands released her breast and made it's way
slowly, oh so very slowly, to the curls above her sex. She looked straight into
the woods as her hand wound its way through the curls into the wet folds below.
She arched backwards, allowing him to see her fingers as they worked their
magic. She moaned in exquisite pleasure as she started to build heat within
herself. At this point, Diego could no longer contain his desire. He crawled
through the brush over to her, in human form physically, but already feeling
the primal beast coming forth. She showed no hint of surprise to see him, obviously
she had expected this, had wanted it.

He came to his own knees before her. She continued to
pleasure herself while he watched. Unable to resist touching her, he reached
out and grasped one of her breasts. He softly crushed it in his hand, careful
to not hurt her, but hard enough to cause a cry of surprise to erupt from her
lips. She moved her own hands off her body over to his. He was already naked
since he had traveled here in wolf form, so there was nothing to impede her
wandering fingers. First, she traced the muscles of his shoulders and chest,
and then let her hand wander further down onto his lower stomach. She leaned
forward and took one of his exposed nipples in her mouth. He moaned in anguish
as she nipped and licked him, knowing he should stop her, but unwilling to give
up this sweet agony.

“Do you know what you are doing to me? What kind of
witch are you?” he asked with a groan as she took his throbbing cock between
her hands and massaged it.

“You like it? I learned to do this in massage class,
although it works better if you have oils handy. I guess since we have no oils
I will have to find another way to wet your whistle.” With a devious glint in
her eye, she lowered her head to her hands and took him into her mouth. She
twirled her tongue around the head while she used her lips to pump his base.
Diego couldn’t stand the teasing any longer. With a frustrated growl, he
tackled her and sank his cock into her. He thrust hard, fast and deep. His
half-human claws dug into the tender flesh around her shoulders, causing her to
gasp in both pain and pleasure. He pummeled the inside of her, barely holding
on to any type of sanity.