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{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\s1\fi720\f0\fs32 Lupine Dreams\emdash Chapter 13     Author:  Islador\par
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\fs20 Lena jolted awake when the screams of her lover pierced her ears.  Nikki was drenched in sweat, shaking her head back and forth rapidly and her mouth was wide open screaming at the top of her lungs.  Her eyes were clenched tightly shut and her whole body shook with tremors, her muscles taut with the extreme tension.  Her arms were out in front of her like she was warding off blows.  \par
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Lena touched her and Nikki swung an arm in her direction.  Luckily she managed to duck in time.  Nikki\rquote s fist swished over the top of her head and slammed into the wall, denting it deeply.  There was blood left in the divot from the cuts on Nikki\rquote s knuckles.  Lena didn\rquote t know what to do.  She was physically afraid of Nikki now; she slipped out of the bed and stood there covering her ears from the screams.  Nikki continued to shudder and spasm from her nightmare.  \par
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Then suddenly, Nikki\rquote s eyes shot open glowing a deeper red than before, and the scream that came from her throat made the blood in Lena\rquote s body turn to ice water.  There was something otherworldly about that primal scream, like two voices coming from her mouth; one that was Dominique and one that wasn\rquote t human at all.\par
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Nikki flopped back onto the bed after that last scream, exhausted and breathless.  She closed her eyes and started to cry, the sobs wracking her body, her voice hoarse from the screams.  She curled into a fetal ball and sobbed and moaned so deep that Lena wasn\rquote t even sure if it was her making that noise.  Lena was shivering from shock and fear.  This was way beyond anything in her life.  She had no idea what she could do for her.  She didn\rquote t want to touch her again, fearing another flying fist.  \par
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Lena glanced at the spot on the wall and saw the bloody streaks and the crushed sheetrock.  It looked as if a blood-covered hammer had hit it.  Lena heard the wispy-hoarse voice of her lover trying to speak.  She stepped around the bed to look at her and tried to hear what she was saying.\par
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\ldblquote What have I done?  There\rquote s no going back.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena listened as Nikki chanted this over and over again in a haunted mantra.  Her voice sounding like it was issuing forth from the bottom of a grave.  It chilled her bones to hear that voice.  She was frightened for Nikki and also for herself.  She felt the need to comfort Nikki but fear of physical harm stopped her.  She could only watch as Nikki\rquote s body shook with her sobs.  They eventually faded and Nikki rolled over and reached out for Lena but found the bed empty.  This started her sobbing again.\par
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\ldblquote Oh, Lena.  Lena, my love.  Oh god, Lena.  I need you.\rdblquote   \par
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When Lena heard this, she felt it was safe to get back into bed.  She reached out for Nikki.\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m still here, Dominique.  I\rquote m here for you.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki reached out and pulled Lena closer to her before hugging her tightly.  Her sobs echoed off the walls as she hung onto Lena for comfort.  Lena wrapped her arms around Nikki and squeezed her tightly.  Whispering in her ear, \par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m here, my love.  I\rquote m here for you.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki\rquote s sobs subsided as she hugged her and after a while, they faded into soft crying.  Nikki sniffled and shuddered.\par
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\ldblquote Oh, Lena, please don\rquote t leave me.  I need you so much.  I need your strength.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki whispered to her.  Lena hugged her tightly and reassured Nikki\par
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\ldblquote No, Dominique, I won\rquote t leave you.  I need you too and I don\rquote t ever want to lose you.\rdblquote\par
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Nikki nodded her head and kissed Lena\rquote s neck.  \par
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\ldblquote What was that, Dominique?  You scared me.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki squeezed her tightly and shuddered.\par
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\ldblquote Oh, god, Lena.  I don\rquote t know if I can tell you.  It\rquote s so horrible; I don\rquote t want you to leave me.  I\rquote m afraid if you know, you\rquote ll leave.  I couldn\rquote t go on if you left me.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki started to cry again.  Lena listened to what Nikki said to her and it scared her.  What could she have done that would make me leave her?  Oh, god, she hadn\rquote t had sex with Dagomarus again, had she?  That had to be it.  Lena felt sick to her stomach thinking about it.  She didn\rquote t know if she could handle that if she were presented with the admission.  She had to know the answer.  If she didn\rquote t hear it from Dominique, she would always wonder whether it had happened or not.  She just had to ask.\par
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\ldblquote Dominique.  Did you have sex with Dagomarus?\rdblquote   \par
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She almost gagged when she asked that question, her stomach seemed like a cold ball of lead as she waited for Nikki\rquote s reply.  Nikki snorted and shook her head.  Pure relief of seeing that reaction flooded through Lena\rquote s body with a giddy delight.  She felt light headed, almost euphoric in her relief that Nikki hadn\rquote t done that to her.  What could be worse than that?  She couldn\rquote t think of anything that would crush her more and make her consider leaving Nikki.  \par
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\ldblquote Dominique, if it wasn\rquote t that, then what?  Honestly, my love, if it wasn\rquote t that, I don\rquote t care what you did.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki shuddered again and shook her head.\par
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\ldblquote I don\rquote t know if I can tell you.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki sighed and kissed Lena\rquote s neck again.  She pulled away and looked into her eyes.  Lena met her gaze, although the red glow was still there, it wasn\rquote t as intense as before.  Lena kissed the tip of Nikki\rquote s nose and smiled.\par
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\ldblquote It\rquote s okay, my love.  I am here for you.  What\rquote s bothering you?\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki took a deep breath and told Lena about the beating she had received from Scott, the threat of torture, and her death.  Then she told Lena what happened when she came out of her shift and discovered what she had done to Scott.  She didn\rquote t go into all the gory details, just that while she was in her werewolf form, she had eaten parts of Scott\rquote s body.  When she had finished, she was frightened of what Lena would do or say.  Lena continued to stare into her eyes for a few minutes, not saying anything.  Then she shrugged her shoulders.\par
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\ldblquote Dominique, my love, I won\rquote t leave you because of that.  It disturbs me, but I\rquote m not about to stop loving you because of it.  I am frightened of what you are capable of when you have these nightmares though.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena pointed to the bloody divot in the wall and looked back at Nikki.  \par
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\ldblquote You almost hit me when I touched you.  I ducked and you hit the wall.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki kissed Lena and squeezed her tight.\par
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\ldblquote Oh, I\rquote m so sorry, Lena.  I didn\rquote t know that happened.  I don\rquote t remember you touching me.  Dagomarus warned me that I\rquote d have nightmares because of what I have done.  He said that it might also take years to stop having them.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote When he asked me if you loved me, I told him that you did.  He said that was good.  Because having someone to hold you and love you\emdash even when you screw up their sleep with your nightmares\emdash is something very precious.  He told me I should never let you go.  Well, my lovely Lena, I don\rquote t ever want to do that.  And I hope that you will still love me, even in the mornings after I\rquote ve kept you awake with my terrors.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, my sweet Dominique, I love you too much for something like this to break us up.  Yes, you scared me, but I\rquote ve never stopped loving you.  I will do whatever I can to help you.  Because the thought of what you did bothers you so much, I can\rquote t stop loving you over something that you all ready beat yourself up for.  You have no control over that part of you, and yet you are torn up about it.  Even after Scott told you that he was going to torture you to death, you still feel guilty for doing it.  That must mean that you never wanted to take his life and that makes all the difference.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, Lena, I love with you so much, thank you for your understanding.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki kissed her softly and smiled.\par
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\ldblquote How many times have you had these nightmares?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Tonight was the first time.  I don\rquote t know what set it off.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, let\rquote s hope that you don\rquote t have too many of those again, but if you do, I\rquote m here for you, Dominique.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Thank you, Lena.  I don\rquote t plan on ever letting you go.\rdblquote   \par
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The hugged and kissed, sharing their contentment.  Nikki couldn\rquote t help but remember the other thing that Dagomarus had said.  That one day Lena would drive her away.  \par
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They eventually fell back to sleep and didn\rquote t wake up until Nikki\rquote s alarm went off.  She groaned, slammed it down and went back to sleep.  Two hours later they felt that they had slept long enough to recover from the night\rquote s activities.  They uncurled from each other and sat up, stretching and yawning.  Lena looked over at Nikki and gasped.  Nikki heard her and looked over at her.\par
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\ldblquote What?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Your eyes.  They\rquote re different.  Go look.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki frowned and went over to the mirror.  She jerked her head back and looked over at Lena, then back at the mirror again.  Her eyes were different.  They were a deeper green, almost forest green now, and the tiny flecks of gold that had been there, were a lot bigger.  They gave the effect of gold leaf rubbed into a forest green canvas.  They were iridescent and glowed with an inner light.\par
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\ldblquote Well, that\rquote s going to be fun trying to explain.  Everyone knows I don\rquote t wear glasses or contacts, so that excuse won\rquote t fly.  Any idea\rquote s, my smart, sexy Lena?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, flattery will get you into my pants, oops, I\rquote m not wearing any.  Okay, okay, sorry.  Let me think about it for a few minutes.  I haven\rquote t had my morning injection of caffeine yet.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki smiled and nodded.\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, let me go make some.  Regular or fully leaded?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Make it high octane race fuel, please.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote One pot of race fuel coming up.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki walked to the kitchen and reached for her secret stash.  She took out a sealed container and popped it open.  She then retrieved the bag of Sello Roho coffee and scooped out enough to make a pot of high-octane coffee.  Normally this was only available on the streets of Columbia, but she had bought this over the Internet.  Starbuck\rquote s couldn\rquote t even come close to how good this stuff tasted; they were a pale wanna-be compared to this.  The Hawaiian stuff she had tried from a friend came close, but this stuff had the caffeine equivalent of a six-pack of Jolt Cola.\par
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When the coffee was brewing and Nikki was automatically going through her normal breakfast ritual, Lena walked in.\par
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\ldblquote Oh my god, what kind of coffee are you making?  You can\rquote t even see daylight through the carafe!\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote You said you wanted race fuel, so there it is.  Don\rquote t judge it before you have tried it.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki continued heating the two skillets and got out her bacon and eggs.  She peeled off a dozen slices and laid them out on the griddle before cracking six eggs into a small bowl.  She put her bread into the toaster and then returned to the stove to flip the bacon.  Lena watched her actions with amusement, and wondered if Nikki really thought she was going to eat that much this morning.  Nikki turned and looked at her.\par
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\ldblquote What would you like this morning?  I have some yogurt or there\rquote s oatmeal.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena\rquote s reaction to the amount of high cholesterol food that Nikki was cooking amused her.  Lena looked closely at Nikki\rquote s muscle tone, noticing how much Nikki\rquote s body resembled that of a gymnast\rquote s, no evidence of body fat but highly defined muscles.\par
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\ldblquote You are going to eat all this and you have a figure like that?\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki glanced down at herself and then back over towards the stove.  She blushed and grinned.\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, I\rquote ve been eating like this since I got back from the mountains.  I also eat two, twelve to fourteen-ounce steaks for lunch and another pair for dinner.  If I don\rquote t eat lunch, then I eat more at dinner.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote CHRIST!  Dominique, you should be putting on the pounds with that kind of diet.  I can tell by looking at that beautiful rippled tummy of yours and that nice ass, you aren\rquote t gaining any weight.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Nope, I worried about that too but I seem to burn it all off.  I hate to flaunt it in front of you like this, but if I don\rquote t eat this much I start to feel sick and light headed.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Wow!  This is going to take some getting used to.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, you aren\rquote t the only one.  This is killing my savings account.  I had to order a large deep freezer.  I also placed an order at the butcher shop for a side of beef and a side of pork, roughly 400 pounds of meat.  At the rate I\rquote m going through meat; that \i might\i0  last for two months.  I don\rquote t make that much money working for Steve.  Which brings up something I was going to talk about to you last night but you had something stuffed in my mouth.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena blushed and laughed.\par
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\ldblquote I can\rquote t get over how much you are eating.  I can help you out if you need to get some more groceries.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote No, but thanks, Lena.  I wanted to discuss something important with you.  Let me finish fixing this and we\rquote ll talk.  What do you want to eat?  Besides \i that\i0 , you minx.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I guess the yogurt, black cherry if you have some.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki nodded that she had and took it out of the fridge for her.  She finished cooking her bacon and eggs.  She then smothered honey-butter on her toast.  Lena watched her in awe and still wondered how she could eat so much.  When Nikki wiped up the last of the egg yolk with her toast she popped it into her mouth and hummed contentedly.  She sipped her coffee and felt the rush of caffeine hit her system.  Lena sipped hers and smiled, Nikki had been right, it was very dark and very rich but it wasn\rquote t bitter at all.\par
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\ldblquote Well, now that I don\rquote t have the raving urge to fill my mouth with eggs and bacon, we can talk.  I saw that look, and I\rquote ll eat that for dessert, now hush.  I want to run an idea past you, but I don\rquote t want you to feel pressured in any way.  I\rquote m thinking of quitting at the Acantha and trying to find something in Helena.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena beamed and snickered.\par
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\ldblquote You\rquote re trying to see if I want you to move in with me, aren\rquote t you?  Well, the answer is YES!  I would love it if you would move in with me.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, that was part of it, and thank you, that really means a lot to me, Lena.  I am serious about getting a new job, something that pays more so I can afford these trips to the butcher shop.  I have briefly toyed with the idea of getting a high power rifle and start hunting.  I can get a lot of meat from an elk or moose.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote That\rquote s great about the job and moving, but hunting?  Are you sure about doing that?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, yeah, I was thinking about it, why not?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I don\rquote t know, I guess I just didn\rquote t see that one coming.  It\rquote s not that I don\rquote t think you can do it, it\rquote s just that, well, I don\rquote t know.  I am sitting here looking at you naked and trying to picture you with a rifle standing over a dead moose.  It just doesn\rquote t add up.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Silly, I\rquote d wear hunting clothes!  OW!  Watch where you pinch, would you?  Okay, seriously, yeah, I think I can do that and I wouldn\rquote t mind doing it.  You know me; I love to go hiking and camping.  Well, it\rquote d be just like that, except with a gun and hauling back some meat for the freezer.  I might even try a bow and go for multiple seasons and more meat.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote You are serious!  Wow.  Well, if you want to do that, I guess I wouldn\rquote t have any trouble with it.  As long as you don\rquote t try and make me clean the damn things after you shoot them.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, good point.  Cleaning them.  I hadn\rquote t thought that far ahead yet.  I\rquote m going to have to find someone to teach me how.  I really don\rquote t think something like that could be learned from a book.  I\rquote ll ask Steve about it.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote What makes you think Steve knows anything about it?  I\rquote ve never seen him read a hunting magazine, let alone hunt.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, I guess I assumed since he was a guy, he\rquote d know.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Hah!  Yes, Steve has a penis, therefore he\rquote s a guy, but when it comes to outdoor stuff, he\rquote s a wimp.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, that only leaves one other penis bearer and I\rquote m not real whoopee about talking to him again.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena chuckled at Nikki\rquote s comment and shook her head.\par
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\ldblquote That\rquote s the second time you\rquote ve made a comment that makes me think you\rquote ve been reading bull-lesbian underground literature.  You sure you weren\rquote t a lesbian before I met you?\rdblquote\par
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Nikki stuck her tongue out at Lena and wiggled it at her.\par
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\ldblquote Ha-ha, very funny.  No, I haven\rquote t been reading that stuff.  I just used that term because it suits him.  He\rquote s not a person, especially because of the way he\rquote s been trying to get into my pants and he can\rquote t seem to understand the term \lquote no\rquote  very well.  He\rquote s a penis bearer.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Okay, I believe you.  Wow.  I guess I don\rquote t have to sweat on that one either.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki frowned at Lena.\par
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\ldblquote What?  Just because I used to play with those, you\rquote re worried I might go back for a quick fix or something?  Lena, never.  I guess you made a convert out of me.  Although, it\rquote s weird, I say that because I forgot to tell you about Charlenne.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Who\rquote s Charlenne, do I need to be concerned about women too?\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki laughed and stroked Lena\rquote s cheek gently.\par
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\ldblquote No, my love.  I only have eyes for you.  Charlenne confided to me at work yesterday.  She had been informed of my status change by Faith, and had wondered if it was true.  She tried a little come on attempt to me as well, but it was more of a way to find out if I felt the same as she did.  I told her about us and I did invite her over sometime to meet you.  Perhaps you can find her a playmate?\rdblquote  \par
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Lena laughed at that comment.\par
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\ldblquote Well, well.  You are bringing them out of the woodwork.  I knew that ass of yours was irresistible, and now that your eyes look like that, you\rquote ll be beating them back with a stick.  Oh, chill out.  I don\rquote t know about finding her a date, but we\rquote ll see.  Is she pretty?  Got a decent personality?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Well, I would never use the term pretty for Charlenne.  I\rquote d say cute, as long as she is smiling and being her cheerful self.  Otherwise, she\rquote s so plain she blends into the background.  I know, that sounds cruel, but she does, and she confessed to me she does it intentionally to survive the rigors of high school cliques.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, okay.  So, not a hottie.  That might make things easier though to get her a date.  Girls around here that are looking don\rquote t want a sex kitten next to them.  It brings them too much attention.  Why do you think it was so hard for me?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, I can see that.  Your ass is so scrumptious to look at it made this straight girl cross over.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki grinned at Lena and reached over to caress it; Lena hummed and wiggled her appreciation.\par
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\ldblquote So, now that we know we love to look at each other\rquote s ass, what were we talking about?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Me moving in with you, silly.  I still want to keep this house.  It\rquote s paid for, thanks to dad\rquote s life insurance policy.  So all I have to pay for is the taxes and homeowners insurance.  I will need it for the down time after my monthly trip into the woods.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Heh, the way you keep saying it like that, you make it sound like you have a bad case of the monthly cramps, not, well, you know.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote See, even you can\rquote t say it out loud.  It\rquote s like if we don\rquote t say it, it won\rquote t be true.  Yes, Lena, once a month my PMS goes all to hell and I turn into a werewolf.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, okay.  I guess maybe because I haven\rquote t seen you like that, it really hasn\rquote t sunk in.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Trust me, Lena.  Until Dagomarus teaches me to control the shift, to become aware inside myself when I\rquote ve shifted, you don\rquote t want to be anywhere near me.  I killed and ate someone who was near me last time.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, Dominique, I didn\rquote t mean to bring that up.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote No, that\rquote s okay.  If I keep these thoughts inside, it\rquote ll make it worse.  I do know how you can make it up to me, though.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, and how\rquote s that?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Sit on my face and tell me that you love me.\rdblquote  \par
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An hour later they were back in the kitchen getting something to drink.  Nikki blushed.\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m so sorry about that, Lena.  I was trying not to laugh, sing that stupid Monty Python song in my head and cum at the same time.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Its okay, Dominique, I like it.  I really don\rquote t mind it when you squirt like that.  It tastes like you and its fun.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote You really don\rquote t mind?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Remember when I said I was a pervert?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, but I thought you were talking about your thing with my feet.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote No, that\rquote s a fetish.  I like wet sex.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena waited to see if Nikki was disgusted.\par
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\ldblquote You mean you like doing it in the shower or what I just did to you?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh my, Dominique.  You really did grow up in a small town.  Dominique, wet sex means that I like to be peed on, like all over.  Golden showers?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki wondered about that for a few seconds.  Wow.  Getting excited about someone pissing on you.  Nope, it doesn\rquote t really do much for me thinking about it.  Could I do that to her?  That seems so degrading some how.  \par
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\ldblquote Why, Lena?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote You mean, why do I like it?  Well, I guess it comes from all those times in the locker room after soccer.  We would sometimes pee in the shower instead of walking across the floor dripping water all over the place.  Then it turned into a game of who could squirt pee standing up.  Then it was a game of who could pee on someone else before they could do it to you.  Now I get really turned on by it.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh.  You want me to do that to you?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Only if you want to.  Its no fun if the other person isn\rquote t into it.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Okay, give me some time to think about it.  I\rquote m not turned off by it, Lena, just not sure I could do that to you.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I understand.  Don\rquote t worry about it.  I told you about that so you wouldn\rquote t be so freaked out about your squirting me in the face when you cum so hard.\rdblquote   \par
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Lena smiled and hugged Nikki to reassure her that all was well between them.\par
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When Nikki walked into the office at noon she was chipper and content.  She had spent the night making love, and although there had been that one bad episode, Lena had pulled her through it.  Then that big breakfast.  More sex, and then steaks, followed by even more sex.  She still wasn\rquote t sure what to make of the wet sex thing that Lena talked about, but if that\rquote s what she\rquote s into, I\rquote ll try it for her.  Maybe I\rquote ll surprise her with it some time, perhaps when we take a shower together.\par
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She still hadn\rquote t taken off her sunglasses yet, and she didn\rquote t plan to.  She figured that for today, she could get away with it, maybe.  She was still grinning to herself when Faith popped out of her office and snipped at her.\par
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\ldblquote I still have a deadline, you know.  It must be nice being able to come and go as you please.\rdblquote   \par
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That ruined Nikki\rquote s mood right then and there.  She almost growled at Faith, but she held back.\par
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\ldblquote Look Faith, just worry about your own time card, and I\rquote ll worry about mine, okay?\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki started to walk around her when Faith grabbed Nikki\rquote s arm.\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m not losing my job just because you can\rquote t get it together.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki didn\rquote t even think about it when she did it, she took her sunglasses off and looked Faith straight in the eye.\par
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\ldblquote Faith, you touch me like that one more time and you\rquote ll have more to worry about than your fucking job.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She turned and walked to her desk.  She booted her computer up and lined up what she needed to do to make up for her late start.  It turned out that it really wasn\rquote t that much and she finished it quickly.  Her mind focused on the task at hand with a steeled determination.  She closed down the graphics program and brought up the word processor.  She typed a resume followed by a letter of resignation.  She printed them both before making several copies of her resume.  She slipped them into a folder before folding the letter and slipping it into an envelope.  She wrote Steve\rquote s name on the outside and got up from her desk.\par
\par
She walked over to Steve\rquote s office and knocked on the door.  She heard him talking to somebody inside and then he shouted out, \ldblquote Wait a minute-\lquote ,\rdblquote  through the door.  Shortly afterwards, the door opened and Faith walked out.  She shot Nikki a triumphant look and walked straight past her.  Nikki just shrugged and when Steve noticed her and looked uncomfortable, she just smiled at him and handed him the letter.\par
\par
\ldblquote There you go Steve, all your troubles are answered.  It\rquote s my resignation.  I quit.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki turned, went to her desk and gathered up her things before heading for the door.  Faith had just heard her announcement and she was pissed.  She had wanted to get Nikki into trouble and here she was walking out before that could happen.  She had hoped to get her fired, but by quitting, Nikki still held the high ground.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, wait a minute.  Why?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, Steve, I have had it with that little bitch over there.  I was in a perfectly happy mood when I came to work today.  But when she jumped me three seconds after walking in and implied that I was trying to get her fired because I wouldn\rquote t let her finish the interview, which by the way, lasted over two hours yesterday.  Then she had the gall to grab me physically, which I told her was a really bad idea and to not ever do it again.  Since I was planning on it anyway, that just put the icing on the cake and instead of in two weeks, I\rquote m out of here today.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote She didn\rquote t finish the interview after two hours?  Then grabbed you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, but it doesn\rquote t matter now Steve, I\rquote m leaving.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote What if I fired Faith instead?  Would you stay then?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Faith went pale and started squeaking.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope.  I was planning on moving to Helena.  I have an offer for a place to live there now.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote OH!  That\rquote s great Nikki!  I\rquote m happy for you!  So, you really were planning on leaving, then?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I was going to give you some time to look for somebody new, but, well\'85\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I see.\rdblquote  \par
\par
Steve turned towards Faith.  \par
\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re fired Faith.  I won\rquote t have that kind of behavior in my building.  You lied, manipulated me, and you slandered one of your own co-workers.  That\rquote s it.  Get your stuff and get out.\rdblquote\par
\par
Steve turned back to Nikki and arched an eyebrow.  Faith huffed at being snubbed like that and then turned and quickly walked away.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, the Acantha is going to be a little thin for awhile.  Do you know anybody who could fill in for either you or Faith?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I do, Steve.  Ask Charlenne if she wants either job.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Really?  Charlenne?  Why her?  She just sits there and quietly does her work.  She isn\rquote t qualified to do either of the jobs.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I think you\rquote re wrong on that one.  I thought the same thing until I had a little chat with her the other day.  She\rquote s smart and she is willing to do the job, if someone would give her the chance to shine, I think she would.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote If you say so.  I\rquote ll call her in now and see what she says.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Steve, if she wants my job, I\rquote ll stick around long enough to train her.  I\rquote d do that much for you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You would?  Okay, then.  I\rquote ll tell her.  Thanks Nikki.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Steve went back into his office and made the call.  He came back out a few minutes later with a strange grin on his face.\par
\par
\ldblquote When I told her a little of what happened today and offered her either position, she said that if you were the one to do her training, she would try her best and fill in for you and take the job.\rdblquote  \par
\par
\ldblquote See, I told you she would surprise you.  Don\rquote t worry, Steve.  She\rquote s smart, she just hides it when people intimidate her.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Ah, okay.  I\rquote m still without a reporter.  Any more genius ideas?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope, you got my one shining example.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I do appreciate that, really.  Here, take this, you\rquote ll need it until you get settled in at your new place and find a job down there.  I\rquote ll also write you up a good reference letter as well.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Steve handed her an envelope.  \par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s a month\rquote s severance pay.  You deserve it after having this crap happen to you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Steve.  I don\rquote t know what to say.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You already did, and you\rquote re welcome.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki started to cry and Steve hugged her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Go on, go home and be here tomorrow morning to start training Charlenne.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and walked out.\par
\par
\tab\tab\tab -----------------------------\par
\par
\par
She stopped by the bank and deposited the check, which gave her a huge nest egg.  Since she would also get a regular paycheck while training Charlenne, she could afford to buy a little something else.  She made one more stop.  \par
\par
She walked into the store and started looking around.  She was in awe at all the various kinds of guns that adorned the walls and racks.  Some looked rather beaten up and very well used, while others were sparkling clean and had a high sheen polish on the wood stocks.  The store clerk had watched her come in and was quietly sizing her up.  He wasn\rquote t sure if she was just looking for a gift or if she was some out of town nutcase looking for trouble.  Nikki finally made it around to the front counter where the clerk was standing and smiled at him.  He smiled back.\par
\par
\ldblquote Can I help you find something, miss?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, I would appreciate it if you could help me pick out a hunting rifle.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, we have lots of them.  Is there anything specific your friend wants to hunt?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, no, you misunderstood me.  I want the hunting rifle for myself.  I want to hunt elk and moose.  Maybe deer, but mostly elk and moose.\rdblquote   \par
\par
His eyes bulged and then he smiled.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Okay.  Sure thing. Sorry about that comment.  It\rquote s not every day we get a pretty woman in here shopping for a hunting rifle for herself.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No offense taken.  Really.  I just need a good rifle to take down elk and moose.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Sure.  What distances are you planning on shooting from?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hmmm, good question.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She thought about that for a second, and decided that she could get very close with her new abilities.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Probably less than a hundred yards, sometimes further, but usually shorter.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so you are planning on stalking them?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, definitely.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He smiled at her confident response.  Well, what the hell?  Why not?\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so you won\rquote t need a scope or at least a big one.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, no scope.  My eyesight is perfect.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  Any preference on caliber or action?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope, that\rquote s where I need your expertise.  I\rquote ve never hunted before, but I really want to learn.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, great.  Well, in that case, um, have you ever shot a rifle before?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, but I\rquote m an expert with a H&K Tactical .45 ACP.\rdblquote   \par
\par
His eyes widened again and he started laughing.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I had that coming, sorry.  Well, if you don\rquote t have any preference on action or caliber, I\rquote m not sure where to start.  How about I show you a couple of standard hunting rigs and you tell me if it\rquote s something you might be comfortable with, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, that\rquote d be great.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He reached back on the rack behind him and pulled off a bolt-action rifle with standard iron sights.  He handed it to her with the bolt open.  She hefted it and put it to her shoulder.  She looked at the bolt and then slid it forward and down, locking it.  She squeezed the trigger.  She looked at him and then opened the bolt back up and handed it to him.  \par
\par
\ldblquote There\rquote s too much creep in that trigger, and it\rquote s over six pounds.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He laughed and shook his head, putting the rifle back on the rack.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so I\rquote m not going to sell you a junker.  Did you like the bolt action though?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She thought about it and how it felt.\par
\par
\ldblquote Not really.  It\rquote s slow to operate and I didn\rquote t feel comfortable holding it up and moving the bolt.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, that can be worked on by practice, but let me show you another type.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He grabbed another rifle, showed her how to work the action, and handed it to her.  She hefted it, put it up to her shoulder and worked the pump slide.  It was better, and the trigger wasn\rquote t nearly as bad as the other one had been.\par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s okay.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, the bolt action rifles tend to be more accurate, but the pump style allows for a faster second shot.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I can understand that.  Do you have anything else?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked thoughtful for a second and then smiled.  He went into the back room and came out with a long thin box.  He set it on the counter and opened it.  He pulled out the rifle and showed her how to operate it, then handed it over.  She hefted it, shouldered it, operated the lever, and pulled the trigger.  She looked at him and smiled.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Wow!  That thing feels like it slides on ball bearings and that trigger is smoother than anything I\rquote ve handled.  I like this rifle.  It\rquote s light too.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I got stuck with that gun.  Another customer ordered it, had it worked on and then skipped town.  That is a unique rifle for sure.  It\rquote s a reproduction of the old Winchester Model 1892 lever action.  It\rquote s chambered in .454 Casull Magnum.  That\rquote s where I think you might have a problem with it, though.  Because it is so light and the cartridge it shoots, well to put it mildly, most men piss their pants when they shoot that thing.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki laughed and smiled.\par
  \par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll make you a deal.  If I can handle the recoil, I\rquote ll buy it.  How\rquote s that?\rdblquote  \par
\par
He cocked an eyebrow and looked her up and down and shrugged his shoulders.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, miss.  I have an indoor range attached to the back of the building.  Come around and you can shoot it.\rdblquote  \par
\par
He led her back into the rear of the store and opened the door for her.  He took her over to the single lane and showed her the ammunition.  \par
\par
\ldblquote This one is the factory boxed stuff, its stout.  This one is the custom stuff that the customer ordered.  It\rquote s worse.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He loaded the factory cartridge first.  He handed her some earmuffs and then the rifle.  She shouldered it and racked the lever and aimed at the big dot at the end of the lane.  BOOOM!  She was shoved backwards by the recoil and her earmuffs had fallen off.  She looked at him and smiled.  He laughed and patted her on the back.  She had just earned a special place on his list of people to respect.  He handed her the custom cartridge and she slipped it into the side gate and then racked the lever to chamber the round.  She aimed again. BOOOM!  This time her earmuffs landed on the ground and she had taken a step backwards.  She lowered the gun and rotated her shoulder.  Yeah, it hurt, but she could live with it.\par
\par
She looked at him and smiled again.  He patted her on the back and took the rifle.  He showed her to the front of the store again where he got out a cleaning kit.  He showed her how to clean it and where to lube it to keep the action operating smoothly.  He also put three boxes of ammunition on the counter.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, you are officially the toughest lady that I\rquote ve ever met.  I don\rquote t even like shooting that thing.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks.  I work out a lot and I hike several miles every weekend.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Ah.  Let me tell you about this ammunition.  This black box is the factory stuff.  It\rquote s a 300-grain hollow-point and it\rquote ll do okay against most animals, except bears.  If you are serious about elk and moose, you need to use this stuff.  In these blue boxes are custom hand loads, they have a 335-grain solid lead bullet and will drop anything in North America out to 150 yards, and that includes grizzlies.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, got it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She had seen the difference in the bullet design, so she knew she could keep the two easily separated.  She looked at the rifle and knew this was the one she wanted.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, how much?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked at her and smiled.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll put a sling on it, give you a soft-side weather-proof case, the ammo, a cleaning kit, and the gun for $800.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She raised her eyebrows at the price.  \par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s got a custom ladder sight and the wood has been reworked and reinforced to take the recoil of that brutal cartridge, they hand rubbed five coats of Tung oil into it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She really didn\rquote t know about the wood finish, but the ladder sight was neat.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, sold.\rdblquote  \par
\par
He smiled and nodded.  He got out the paperwork for her to fill out and he called in her ID and information and the NCIC check came back clear.  He put the sling kit on the rifle and slipped it into the carry case and handed it to her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I do have one more favor to ask, if you don\rquote t mind?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Miss Rhodehamel, anything for the lady who can shoot a Rossi .454 Casull and smile.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki laughed.\par
\par
\ldblquote I need to find somebody who can teach me how to hunt and skin the animals.  I want to go hunting so I can fill my freezer with good meat.  I want to be able to do that myself.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Miss Rhodehamel, you just went up three notches on my respect scale.  I would gladly teach you how to do that.  My wife goes hunting with me and I know she would love to have another woman around the hunting camp.  If that\rquote s okay with you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Wow, yeah.  That would be great.  When can we start?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, since its spring time, we can\rquote t hunt, but I can teach you how to scout and stalk the animals now, and when hunting season opens, you can come with us.  Deal?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Deal, and call me Nikki.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Nikki.  My name is Gerald, but all my friends call me Goob.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Goob, nice to meet you and I can\rquote t wait to go hunting with you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They shook hands and she left the store returning to her home with her new hunting rifle.\par
 \par
\tab\tab\tab ------------------------\par
\par
She arrived home and put her new toy away in the bedroom closet, setting the ammunition on the top shelf along with the cleaning kit.  She felt good about the purchase, even though money might be tight later on down the road; right now she was really pleased with it.  It did have a hell of a kick when you pulled the trigger though.  She was counting on getting most of the money back in wild game meat for the freezer.  She had seen elk and moose several times on her regular hiking and camping trips.  She didn\rquote t think it was too strange to take those trips one step further and serve another purpose.\par
  \par
She booted up her computer and searched the web for likely places in Helena for a job.  There were quite a few places that could use a person with her qualifications on a part time basis.  But there was only one that was full time, in a print shop and graphic arts orientated business.  She wrote down the name and phone number.  She called them and asked if they were looking for a typesetter with a strong background in graphic arts that was capable of running most of the newer printing machines.  They replied not right now, but maybe later on when the business expanded a bit.  \par
\par
Oh, well.  You couldn\rquote t hit one out of the park first time up every time.  She made a list of the other places and started making the calls.  Two of the places were looking for a part time person, maybe 20 or 30 hours a week at the most.  Well, that is better than nothing she thought to herself.\par
\par
She then called Lena and told her what had happened at work with Faith and that she was really committed to moving now that she wouldn\rquote t have a job in a week or so.  Lena was sympathetic with her about Faith\rquote s behavior and agreed with her decision to quit that day, but was really pleased that Dominique would be moving in with her.  Nikki told her about the initial job hunt and Lena said she would check around.  She told Nikki to fax her resume to her office at the college and she would then pass it around if it were appropriate.  Nikki thanked her and then told Lena about her new toy and the offer that Goob had made.  Lena wasn\rquote t thrilled about the idea but she could understand why Nikki was doing it.  They said goodbye and promised to get together again as soon as possible.\par
\par
As soon as she had hung up with Lena the phone rang again.  She answered it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Hello?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hey, Goob!  To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, really?  Well, I hadn\rquote t thought about going so soon, but yeah, okay.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote d love to meet your wife.  What sort of camping equipment do I need?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote The rifle?  I thought the season wasn\rquote t open yet.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, right, bears.  Yeah, I know all about them.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll tell you around the campfire.  How\rquote s that?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I\rquote ll meet you at your place Friday evening.  How do I get there?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Right, I know where that is.  Okay, then, bye.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki thought about Goob\rquote s offer to take her scouting with him and his wife this weekend.  She had planned on seeing Lena, but the chance to start learning how to put meat in her freezer was more important at the present time.  She wondered about taking Lena with her, but then decided not to.  She didn\rquote t know Goob or his wife, and if she wanted to learn, she didn\rquote t need to alienate them before even taking a single lesson.  \par
\par
Hopefully she could become friends with them and then let them know about her relationship with Lena and they wouldn\rquote t care.  She hoped that they would be that smart and friendly.  Goob really was a nice older guy and he sure respected her after this afternoon, hopefully she could garner the same level of respect from his wife and they could understand her lifestyle.\par
\par
She made a checklist of things to get for her camping weekend and groaned when she remembered that she had to get a new sleeping bag.  Damn it, those things weren\rquote t cheap, at least the really good comfy ones weren\rquote t.  She visited the web again and started shopping for one that might be stain resistant.  She found it on one of her favorite camping gear sites and ordered it, adding the extra charges for a rush on the shipping; the grand total was $350.  \par
\par
Damn, but at least with this one I can clean the outer shell of any accidental blood stains and re-proof it with a can of repellant. Hopefully it will pay off in the long run.  If I go out every month and ruin a cheaper bag, I\rquote d be spending more than this in four months time.\par
\par
The next morning she was happy when she went to work.  Yes, I\rquote m leaving but Faith won\rquote t be there to ruin my mood anymore.  Charlenne proved herself to be as smart as Nikki thought she could be.  She had no trouble getting her acquainted with the software, but she needed to find some inspiration with the graphics layout.  That\rquote s where natural talent comes in, you are either inspired or you are not.  It\rquote s an artist part of the job, and this was where Charlenne had the most difficulty.\par
\par
\ldblquote Honestly, Dominique, I\rquote ve never thought about art or graphics.  Can I take a class or something?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, yeah, you can.  However, this is where you need to let your imagination flow and try to feel for the client.  Find out what they are looking for when they themselves don\rquote t know what they want.  This is something that has to come from inside you, reading a book about it won\rquote t give you that sudden idea of how a logo should look.  You have to be able to stand back and look at the \lquote big picture\rquote  and let the ideas flow.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I think I understand.  I\rquote ve never tried art.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s see if we can find something inside you that you might not realize is there.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki gave her an assignment to come up with a logo for a fictitious company.  She didn\rquote t think it would work, but it was worth a shot.  For the rest of the day Nikki let Charlenne watch her as she did the layouts for the paper and advertisements.  Charlenne caught on quickly and understood the concept well.  By the end of the day, Steve was impressed as well and even gave Charlenne a few compliments.  This brought out the smile and personality that had been lacking in the girl from the day she had started as a proofreader. \par
 \par
The rest of the week went quickly and Friday afternoon arrived with Nikki being a little nervous.  Lena had been disappointed about not seeing her this weekend, but had understood why Nikki needed to do this.  The promise of permanent living arrangements made the disappointment easier to handle.  Nikki had received her new super high tech sleeping bag in time for the trip and was very impressed with it.  She tested the stain resistant outer shell and was reasonably sure that it would survive a brush with blood if it had to.  Plus she had ordered it in the darkest blue that was offered, so hopefully between the two properties of the bag, it would do okay.  \par
\par
She got her rifle out and went over it again, practicing with the lever while aiming at a spot on the wall.  It was such a smooth action and lightweight that she didn\rquote t have any trouble with it.  She admired the craftsmanship of the rifle, the design was so simple and easy to handle.  No wonder the cowboys and ranchers of the early western days had valued this gun so much.\par
\par
She finished packing her truck and dressed for the mountains, and then she drove over to Goob\rquote s house.  When she pulled into the driveway she was surprised to see a huge 1-ton four wheel drive truck with a long horse trailer attached to the back of it.  When she got out and walked past it on the way to the front door, she looked into the trailer and saw three horses inside.  They whinnied and shuffled about inside when she got close.  \par
\par
Uh-oh.  I didn\rquote t even think about this part of hunting.  I thought you just hiked into the woods and shot the animal.  She had never ridden a horse before and she wasn\rquote t sure this was such a good idea after all.  The horses were getting nervous with her standing there looking at them.  She realized they must sense what she was and that frightened them.  She stepped away from the trailer and as she walked towards the front door of the house, Goob walked out of the barn and waved to her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Hey, Nikki!  Glad you could come with us this weekend.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hey, Goob.  Um, you didn\rquote t mention horses on the phone.  I\rquote ve never been around them before, so I don\rquote t know if this is such a good idea.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I guess I didn\rquote t even think to ask, sorry.  You\rquote ll do fine.  These guys are trained and very gentle.  I\rquote ll show you everything you\rquote ll need to know and it\rquote ll be okay.  Just relax and let them do the work.  They\rquote ve been with me for a few years and they\rquote re old hands at hunting in the mountains.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, if you say so.  They just seem a little nervous and I am too, to tell you the truth.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, they sense things like that.  Just relax and don\rquote t panic.  Once you get used to them and they get used to you, everything will go smoothly, trust me.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote If you say so, Goob.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, come on inside and meet the missus.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki followed him into the house where she could hear a woman humming a tune and moving things around in what Nikki assumed was the kitchen.  Goob hollered for her to come out and meet their new camping partner.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, this is Marcella, Marcy to our friends.  Marcy, this is Nikki, the toughest rifle shooter I\rquote ve ever met.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki blushed and smiled as they shook hands.  Marcy looked just as Nikki had imagined her; stout and plain, but her eyes sparkled and her smile was genuine.  Nikki could tell that Marcy was surprised by her appearance however.  Evidently Goob had told her about Nikki being able to shoot the super magnum rifle at the store and that had given Marcy a completely different image in her imagination as to what she looked like just by being able to handle it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nice to meet you, Nikki.  Goob told me about you shooting and buying that lever gun, and then you telling him that you wanted to learn how to hunt and process game.  You have surprised me, Nikki; you don\rquote t look anything like I thought you would.  Sorry, if I embarrassed you there.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki blushed again and she saw Marcy shoot a look at Goob that was a mixture of surprise and annoyance.  Goob just grinned and shook his head.  He had wanted to surprise his wife with his new friend, and it had worked.\par
  \par
\ldblquote I surprise a lot of people, Marcy.  So don\rquote t feel embarrassed about it, you should have seen Goob\rquote s face when I shot that rifle for the first time and just grinned at him like a kid at Christmas.  He didn\rquote t know what to say or do for a minute there.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy laughed and nodded, immediately taking to Nikki\rquote s easy-going personality and humor.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I\rquote ve managed to do that to him a couple times myself.  Let me just get the rest of the food into the cooler and then we can hit the road.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy went back into her kitchen and Nikki waited with Goob.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Nikki, we\rquote re heading for a friend\rquote s ranch and the roads are almost non-existent once we get into the higher elevations.  Here\rquote s a radio for you to use so we can stay in contact if we get separated.  It\rquote s got a 12-mile range out on the flats, a bit more if you\rquote re on top of a hill.  Here\rquote s a rough map of our route.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Great, thanks.  How far is it?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, we\rquote ll get there around ten tonight, and we\rquote ll be at camp and in our sleeping bags by midnight.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Wow.  Okay.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki just nodded and they went outside to get ready.  Marcy came out with a medium sized cooler and put it into the back of their truck and then they were ready to leave.  Goob tested the radio and when he was satisfied with it, they headed for the highway and traveled south.  Nikki didn\rquote t have any problems keeping the big truck and trailer in view while going down the almost deserted highway.  It might be a Friday night, but this was Western Montana, the traffic was not a problem.  They went through Helena and then headed straight west into the mountains.  \par
\par
They turned south again and got off the main road just shy of a tiny little burg called Maxville.  We are way up into the mountains now, thought Nikki.  I\rquote ve never been this far into the ranges.  Then again, this was private property out here, and so getting access meant knowing the owner.  Granted most of it belonged to either the federal government or the state, and some of it was still Tribal land.\par
  \par
They went through a gate and drove down a long dirt road.  Nikki had to hang back a mile or so because of the dust being kicked up by the trailer.  She could see a house-light ahead, but they passed it and kept traveling up the mountain.  They drove for another thirty minutes; the pace was very slow due to the condition of the trail they were on.  Finally Goob\rquote s voice squawked on the radio and told her that they were almost there.  He turned into a small clearing and Nikki could see a semi-permanent campsite in the beam of her headlights.  \par
\par
Goob parked his truck along the trees at the edge of the clearing and Nikki parked hers a few yards in front of his.  They got out and stretched, stamping their feet and relieving the cramps from the long drive.  Goob and Marcy opened the door on the trailer and led the horses out and tied them down.  There was a small hand-pump for a well close to the center of the clearing and Marcy filled a couple of five-gallon buckets with water and set them on the ground where the horses could drink from them.\par
\par
Goob waved at Nikki and pointed to a spot for her to pitch her tent and she started to do that quickly.  It didn\rquote t take them long to set up their camp and once finished, they turned off the headlights on their vehicles using lanterns for light once the tents were up.  Goob grabbed a few split logs from a pile under the trees and Nikki helped him set up a fire.  Once they got it going, they retrieved their campstools and sat down to relax.  Nikki grabbed a beer from her cooler and sat by the fire.  Goob and Marcy had thermos\rquote s full of something warm and they sipped their drinks and sighed.  \par
\par
They sat in silence for a few minutes, just soaking up the stillness of the forest and the sound of the crackling fire.  Nikki closed her eyes and tilted her head back, doing her mental calming techniques to settle herself but also to feel if there was any threat in the area.  She couldn\rquote t sense anything other than the horses so she sighed with relaxation as well.  She opened her eyes and looked across the fire at Goob and Marcy.  Goob was staring into the fire in a mesmerized daze, just mellowing out in the trance caused by the flickering flames.  Marcy glanced in her direction and her eyes widened in surprise before she put her hand over her mouth.\par
\par
Nikki frowned and then realized what Marcy had noticed.  Damn it!  How could I have forgotten so quickly what happens in the dark with my eyes?  Is my chance of a nice weekend of camping, over so soon?\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki?  Sorry, I didn\rquote t mean to embarrass you, but I couldn\rquote t help it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy sounded hesitant but sincere.  Nikki tried to think of an excuse to cover her mistake.  She could only think of one thing and she hoped it would work.\par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s genetic.  I forgot to tell you, I\rquote m sorry.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki hoped a little sympathy would be enough to ward off any potentially embarrassing and difficult questions.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh.  Um, well, I\rquote m the one who should be sorry.  It\rquote s okay, I won\rquote t mention it again.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki didn\rquote t know whether to look up or not.  Finally she decided that if this were going to work out, they would have to get used to it and so would she.  She slowly looked up and met Marcy\rquote s gaze, this time Goob saw her eyes and he tried not to react, but his eyes showed surprise as well.\par
\par
\ldblquote I hope you don\rquote t freak out.  It\rquote s been so long since I\rquote ve been camping with anybody, I just forgot about it.  I\rquote m normally alone when I go camping since my parents died a few years ago.\rdblquote\par
\par
Which was the truth, so she knew her voice wouldn\rquote t detract from her excuse.  They both stared at her a few seconds; and then at each other, they shared a look together before they turned back to her.  Marcy was the first to break the silence.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry to hear that.  Again, I didn\rquote t mean to embarrass you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob was looking at her, and she could see that he was mulling something over in his mind; finally he shrugged and grinned.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I guess if you\rquote re willing to forgive our lapse in manners, then I\rquote m willing to forget about it and just enjoy the weekend with a new friend.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki smiled and let out a big sigh of relief.\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you.  I\rquote m sorry too, I should have warned you, but it slipped my mind in all the excitement and rush to get out here.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They all smiled their relief at the averted social faux paux.  They started chatting about the next day\rquote s plans and Goob reassured Nikki that she would be just fine around the horses.  Eventually they all yawned, Marcy first and then the other two in sympathetic response.  They chuckled and nodded to each other before getting up to crawl into their respective tents.  \par
\par
The next morning Nikki\rquote s enhanced hearing let her know just when Goob got up and unzipped his tent flap.  She slipped out of her new sleeping bag and grinned at how nice it felt.  It was several levels better than anything she had owned before.  She changed into some hiking clothes and slipped her heavy boots on.  She felt ravenous, as usual, so she ate four high-energy bars before stepping out into the early morning haze.  \par
\par
She looked at her watch and saw that it was only a few minutes after five.  Not much sleep, but she felt refreshed anyway.  The crisp, cool morning air tingled in her nose as she drew in a deep breath.  She could smell the horses, and wondered again how she was going to manage them.\par
\par
She watched as Goob got out some feed for the horses and fed them.  He hadn\rquote t spotted her yet, so he was going through his normal morning routine with the horses.  He stepped over to a tree and unzipped his pants, letting out the nights accumulation of urine.  Nikki was surprised at the size of his flaccid member and before she could stop herself, she chuckled and turned away to give him some privacy.  He heard her chuckle and she heard him curse under his breath.  He quickly finished and zipped himself up before walking back over to the tents with a crimson face.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry about that, Nikki.  I didn\rquote t know anybody else was up yet.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She turned to face him and grinned.\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s okay, Goob.  This is a camping trip, not your house.  Nature calls, and this is as close to nature as you can get.  So forget it.  Now it\rquote s my turn to be embarrassed about something.  We even?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob blushed again and smiled.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, even.  So what do we want to do for breakfast?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I was thinking that we shouldn\rquote t skip the traditional bacon and eggs over a campfire.  How about you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You got it, Nikki!  My thoughts exactly.  I\rquote ll set up the cooking rack and you can prep the food, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Deal.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki went to the large cooler in her truck and pulled out her package of peppered maple smoked bacon and a dozen eggs.  She walked back over to the fire pit and saw that Goob had the rack set up and was warming up two skillets.  She opened up the bacon package and started laying slices into the larger skillet.  She noticed Goob\rquote s raised eyebrow at the amount of bacon she put in.  Nikki smiled sheepishly.\par
\par
\ldblquote I forgot to eat dinner before leaving the house last night, so I am absolutely famished.\rdblquote\par
\par
Goob chuckled and nodded.  Marcy poked her head out of the tent and looked at them cooking breakfast.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Has either of you two remembered to start a pot of coffee yet?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob snickered.\par
\par
\ldblquote No dear, but I\rquote ll do it right away.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He went to his truck and got out a teakettle and a French Press, then grabbed a zip-lock bag full of ground beans.  When he came back to the fire pit Nikki couldn\rquote t resist it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Now that\rquote s my kind of roughing it.  Please tell me that\rquote s gourmet coffee.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yep, sure is.  Espresso Roast.  I take it you agree with my choice?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I would never turn down a cup of that.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob started to heat the kettle up and Nikki flipped the bacon.  Marcy came out of the tent dressed and slightly more awake than the first time she had poked her head out.  She sat down and waited for the coffee to be made.  Nikki could tell that Marcy wasn\rquote t a morning person and wouldn\rquote t function until she had a cup of coffee in her.  Nikki got the eggs out and using a spoon, dribbled a little bacon grease into the skillet and started cracking the eggs into it.  Soon she had eight cooking, and Marcy gave her a strange look; Goob just snickered and shook his head.\par
\par
\ldblquote Sunny side or over easy?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob and Marcy answered at the same time.\par
\par
\ldblquote Sunny side, and soft please.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki grinned and sprinkled the eggs with some salt and pepper.  She motioned them to get their plates and Nikki slipped them both two eggs and a couple of slices of bacon.  They nodded their thanks and started eating.  Nikki took the rest and started eating.  Marcy gave her another strange look and went back to eating.\par
\par
\ldblquote What, Marcy?  Did you want more?  I\rquote d be happy to cook some more if you want some.  I didn\rquote t mean to hog all of it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki felt a little embarrassed now and smiled at Marcy.  Marcy had a puzzled expression on her face.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, not really.  I\rquote ve got more than enough here anyway.  It\rquote s just that, well, with your figure and the amount you\rquote re eating, well, it\rquote s just.  How on earth do you do it?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki grinned sheepishly and blushed.\par
\par
\ldblquote I forgot to eat dinner last night and camping always gives me a huge appetite.  I\rquote ll burn it all off before the day is over.  Well, maybe.  You have brought some horses but when I go camping, I\rquote m always on foot.  So I normally hike ten miles in one day when I go out.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, okay.  Yeah, I\rquote d eat that much too if I was going to hike ten miles.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob just sat there and grinned as he sipped his coffee.  Marcy and Nikki finished their breakfasts almost simultaneously.  They washed their plates and cleaned out the skillets.  Goob doused the fire while Nikki and Marcy drank their coffee.  Nikki watched Goob as he saddled the horses.  She was still nervous about this exercise.  She didn\rquote t know if the horse they would try to get her on would stand still enough for her to do so.  She went through her calming exercises in her head, trying to still her nervousness.  She figured that if she didn\rquote t feel nervous, the horse would be calm as well.  \par
\par
They finished their coffee and went over to where Goob was waiting for them.  He reached into the back seat of the truck and strapped a big revolver on his hip, he handed Marcy a western style holster as well.  Nikki grinned and went to her truck and got out her rifle.  She took out nine shells and loaded the tube magazine and then slipped the sling over her shoulder.  She also grabbed her binoculars and slipped them into one of the side pockets on her cargo pants\par
.\par
She returned to Goob\rquote s truck where her fellow companions were waiting for her.  Goob grinned at her when he saw her slung rifle.  \par
\par
\ldblquote That just fits you, you know.  I\rquote m so glad you came into the shop and got that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yep, so am I, Goob.  It feels just right on my shoulder.  Thanks for showing it to me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob nodded and started to bring one of the horses over to her.\par
\par
\ldblquote This is Walnut Jack, and he\rquote s the gentlest horse I own.  He\rquote ll treat you right if you do the same.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki looked at Goob and then at Walnut Jack.  As Goob brought the horse closer to her, it started to roll its eyes and stomp its front hooves.  Goob frowned and looked at the horse and then started to soothe it by stroking its nose and neck.  It didn\rquote t seem to want to calm down and this was just what Nikki had been afraid would happen.  Her condition would spook the horses.  She so wanted to be able to enjoy today, and ride the horse into the mountains.  She felt a tingle in the back of her head start and she kept saying in her mind, \par
\par
\i\lquote It\rquote s okay Jack, I\rquote ll be nice to you.  Please be nice to me.\i0\rquote  \par
\par
Over and over, she repeated the phrase and cooed to Walnut Jack.  Then she reached out to him as it nodded its head up and down, and then walked towards her.  It stepped right in front of her and lowered its head and nudged her softly with its nose.  She reached out and stroked him behind his ears and then along the jaw.  She gently raised his head and looked into his eyes.  She whispered,\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s right Jack, I\rquote ll be your friend if you\rquote ll be mine.\rdblquote   \par
\par
The horse nickered and nodded its head again.  She kept stroking his jaw and rubbed the soft rubbery skin of its nose.  She smiled at Jack and then looked over towards Goob.\par
  \par
Both Goob and Marcy were standing there looking at her with their mouths slack and their eyes wide.  Finally Goob shook his head and looked at Marcy; they shared that look again and then they both turned back to look at Nikki.\par
  \par
\ldblquote That has to be damnedest thing I\rquote ve ever seen.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob\rquote s expression of awe was just a little embarrassing for Nikki.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, your eyes, my god.  I\rquote m sorry, Nikki.  I didn\rquote t mean to embarrass you, its just, well, I\rquote ve never seen eyes that color before.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki looked down and frowned, damn it.  They must have seen the gold swirling pattern when I did that.  She remembered that effect when Dagomarus had used his power.\par
  \par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, I didn\rquote t mean to upset you.  I\rquote ll put my sunglasses on if it bothers you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy shook her head.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, I\rquote m sorry Nikki, really.  I\rquote ve never seen such beautiful colors in anyone\rquote s eyes before.  They\rquote re incredible.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She walked up to Nikki and gazed right at her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ve never seen that shade of green before and mixed with that rich gold, wow!  Those aren\rquote t contacts are they, that\rquote s your real eye color isn\rquote t it?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, they aren\rquote t contacts.  They are really that color.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki blushed lightly and hoped that Marcy would just go back to her horse so they could get started.  Goob stared at her but managed to stop before Marcy caught him.  He grabbed the reins of his horse and jumped up into the saddle.\par
\par
\ldblquote Come on, Marcy.  Quit embarrassing the poor girl and let\rquote s go.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy suddenly blushed herself and shot Goob an annoyed glance before returning to her horse.  She smiled with embarrassment.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry Nikki, I shouldn\rquote t have done that.  Forgive me?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki smiled at Marcy.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, no harm done.  Don\rquote t worry about it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki stepped up to the stirrup and put her boot into it like she had seen Goob do and swung herself up into the saddle.  She reached down and grabbed the reins and gently guided Jack over to where Goob was waiting on them.  He grinned and nodded his approval at her handling.\par
\par
\ldblquote See, you\rquote re a natural.  You sure you\rquote ve never been around horses before?  You sure made friends with Jack quick.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Really, Goob, never.  I guess I\rquote m just good with animals.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, you\rquote re right about that.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Once the three of them were heading up the trail in single file, Goob started to explain the various hand signals used while hunting.  You didn\rquote t want a voice to carry, which would only spook the game.  He pointed out several game trails along the way, explaining that some were for smaller animals while others were from deer or possibly elk.  Marcy would interject a point or two if Goob didn\rquote t explain things to her liking.  Nikki thought it was rather funny to listen to these two talk.  It was obvious that they\rquote d been married for a long time.  They had a tendency to finish each other\rquote s sentences and not even realize they were doing it.\par
  \par
Nikki wondered if she and Lena would ever get that way.  She smiled and felt herself get all warm and fuzzy inside when she thought of Lena and her together.  She also noticed that with the fresh tingle that if she adjusted her position in the saddle, the horse\rquote s movements would force the saddle-horn into her clitoris.  She tried to keep up with the conversation around her, but she soon lost herself with the sensations from it.  \par
\par
It didn\rquote t take her long before she had a very powerful orgasm and it took all her concentration not to fall out of the saddle.  She managed to get her control back and was sitting in the saddle feeling the afterglow of her orgasm.  Marcy spotted the dreamy happy look on Nikki\rquote s face and said,\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki?  Yoo-hoo, girl, hello in there!  Nikki, what were you just daydreaming about?  You looked very happy, like, in-love happy.  Thinking of your guy, were you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki blushed and stammered.  She thought about what Marcy had just asked and she frowned suddenly.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I\rquote m sorry, Nikki.  I didn\rquote t mean to intrude into your private life like that.  We don\rquote t know each other well enough for that.  Forget that I asked.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and gave Marcy an apologetic expression.\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s okay, Marcy. I was daydreaming.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She left it at that and Marcy smiled before they continued their conversation about hunting and tracking elk.  They stopped by a small stream and let the horses get a drink of the cold mountain water.  They did the same thing a bit further upstream, where they decided it would be a good time to grab a snack and stretch their legs.  Nikki wholeheartedly agreed, she wasn\rquote t used to being in the saddle and was getting minor cramps from sitting in that position.  \par
\par
She stretched and twisted around, trying to get her muscles to stop aching.  She walked a little ways up along the stream, still keeping Goob and Marcy within her sight.  The breeze shifted a little and the scent of a large cat wafted by.  She sniffed the air intently, trying to determine if it was an old scent or a new one and whether it was close by.  The breeze increased in speed a little and she got a good whiff of the large cat; it was fresh and close.\par
  \par
She whipped the rifle off her shoulder and racked the lever quickly as she scanned the trees.  She sniffed the air and her senses went into overdrive.  She could hear every branch rustling and twig snapping.  She listened for the sound of breathing from the cat, if it was as big as she thought, it might be loud enough to distinguish from the background noise.  She was thinking fast, large cat, oh shit, that\rquote s right, there\rquote s mountain lions this deep in the forest.  She heard Goob exclaim something when he spotted her with her rifle at the ready and she heard his large revolver clear the leather holster before he cocked it.  Marcy\rquote s followed immediately after that.\par
\par
She almost missed it, but her increased sensitivity to movement allowed her to spot the shift in the shadows, just twenty yards above her on the mountainside, up in a tree.  She moved fast, trying to get the large cat before it jumped on her.  She raised her rifle.  She looked down the barrel; the front bead matched the rear notch lining up on the middle of that shadow.  She squeezed the trigger and the large-bore rifle thundered in her hands, the recoil jarring her vision.  When the barrel came back down on where she had just shot, she could see the cat fall from the tree, a large bloody hole in it\rquote s side.  \par
\par
It hit the ground with a dull thud and lay still.  She racked another round into the chamber, the empty shell flying over her head and landing on the ground.  She kept aim at the head of the large cat, making sure that if it twitched, she\rquote d put another one of those massive lead slugs right through its brain.\par
  \par
She heard Goob curse and Marcy gasped when they saw the cat hit the ground.  When it hadn\rquote t moved for a few seconds, she slowly lowered the rifle and carefully lowered the hammer to the half-cock position, locking the trigger and making the gun safe.  She turned when Goob walked up to her, a giant grin on his face.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, you just keep rising up that respect scale, this time you jumped up to the top.  I\rquote ll take you hunting with me anytime.  That was absolutely the greatest shot I\rquote ve ever seen.  First time out and you spot a mountain lion before it jumped and you took it out with one shot.  The guys at the lodge won\rquote t believe a word, but Marcy saw it too.  Damn!\rdblquote   \par
\par
He stuck his hand out and Nikki blushingly shook it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Goob.  I, uh, don\rquote t know what to say.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy looked at her with awe and just a little suspicion.  She was trying to put together what Nikki looked like and what had happened.  It just didn\rquote t seem right in her mind.  Goob cautiously approached the carcass of the cat and whistled loudly.\par
 \par
\ldblquote Damn, this bastard probably tops the scale at 150 pounds, at least!  If you hadn\rquote t spotted him, he\rquote d have jumped on you the second you turned your back.\rdblquote  \par
\par
Nikki wasn\rquote t listening anymore; the smell of fresh blood mixed with the adrenaline surge had triggered a response in her system.  She was using every ounce of energy she had to not go into a shift.  She thought of Lena and her soothing touch on her body.  The effect was immediate; the surge relented and slowly passed.  She opened her eyes and found herself on her knees, the rifle on the ground in front of her and her hands were shaking.  \par
\par
She looked up and found both Goob and Marcy looking at her with worry and just a little fear.  She tried to smile but her muscle control wasn\rquote t completely back to normal.  She looked away from them and over to the creek.  She slowly crawled on her hands and knees to the edge and dipped her hands into the icy cold water.  She splashed it onto her face.  Relief rushed through her; she felt the coldness seep into her skin and the wave rolled through her.  She shuddered and splashed some more onto the back of her neck.\par
\par
When she felt normal again, she stood and walked back to Goob and Marcy.  They still hadn\rquote t said a word, but Goob had picked up her rifle and was holding it in front of him.  She smiled and reached for it; he hesitated then handed it to her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Goob.  The adrenaline and shock hit me pretty hard.  Sorry, I didn\rquote t mean to scare you guys.  I\rquote m fine now, really.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki hoped her excuse would sound good enough for them to shrug off any doubts they might be having.  Goob nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I guess if that was your first time and instead of a buck, you get a mountain lion ready to pounce, I can see how that could shake you up pretty bad.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy still hadn\rquote t said anything; she just looked at Goob for a second and then at Nikki and nodded her agreement.\par
\par
\ldblquote Come on, Nikki, let\rquote s wrap your prize in some plastic and go back to camp.  I think we\rquote ve had enough excitement today.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki just nodded and the three of them walked back to the horses.  Goob dug around in his saddlebags until he found a large trash bag and he led her back up the hill.  As she stood and looked at the carcass, she had to fight the urge to reach down, stick her fingers in the wound and lick them clean.  When she saw Goob reach down and do what she had just been thinking, she didn\rquote t know what to do.  Then he stood up, still with the blood on his fingertips and reached out for her face.  \par
\par
Her eyes widened and she almost opened her mouth, but then he ran his fingertip up her cheek, first one, and then the other, and across her forehead.  He stood back; and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a collapsible cup, popped it open, bent down to the bloody hole and dipped it into the cavity.  He stood up and offered it to her.  Her eyes still huge and with her hands shaking, took the cup from him, feeling the blood on his fingers drip onto hers as they touched.  \par
\par
He nodded towards her and motioned for her to drink it.  Her mind started to race and she fought to control herself.  She slowly put the cup up to her mouth and drank the warm blood.  It hit her like a shot of whiskey hits an alcoholic, it seared her throat and it felt like liquid fire diving deep into her stomach; the surge of energy raced into her veins and she shuddered with an almost sexual thrill.  She drank it all down and licked her lips.  She looked back at Goob and he was grinning from ear to ear.\par
\par
\ldblquote There, you have now been officially anointed into the brotherhood of hunters.  Congratulations, Nikki.  I\rquote m proud to call you a friend and a fellow hunter.\rdblquote   \par
\par
The surge rushed to her head and she felt giddy and hyper.  She locked her gaze on Goob\rquote s, her voice low and husky.\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you, Goob.  That means a lot to me.  Thank you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
His grin faltered for a second when he looked into her eyes, he saw something in them and it sent a chill down his spine.  He nodded and turned to put the cat carcass into it.  Nikki knelt down next to him and helped to lift the body into the bag.  She surprised Goob again with her strength.  He watched her lift the massive carcass with ease and drop it into the bag he was holding.  She adjusted the rifle sling over her shoulder and hefted the carcass by herself down to the horses.  Goob shook his head in wonder and followed her down.  \par
\par
She lifted the carcass and hoisted it over the back of the horse, right behind the saddle.  She stuck her foot into the stirrup and slung herself up into the saddle.  She waited for Goob to do the same; he shook his head again and hopped into his own saddle.  Marcy still hadn\rquote t said a word since the shooting.  They headed back down the mountain trail and returned to camp.  Nothing was spoken on the way back.\par
\par
They arrived back at the camp in the late afternoon.  Goob motioned for them to tie up the horses just a little way off from where they had been the night before, giving them fresh grass to eat.  Marcy went over to the truck and started getting things out for dinner while Goob got out a large skinning knife and motioned for Nikki to bring her kill over to the far edge of the clearing.  She followed him and set it on the ground.  She opened the bag and slid it out.  \par
\par
He handed her the knife and started explaining how and where to cut the skin and muscles to properly field dress an animal.  He said that they were all built basically the same.  Four legs, a chest cavity, and a belly cavity.  He explained why you needed to get rid of the internal organs quickly, so that the bacteria inside wouldn\rquote t contaminate the meat.  He didn\rquote t show her how to skin or de-bone the carcass since they hadn\rquote t come prepared for that.\par
\par
She resisted the urge to eat the liver and heart; it wasn\rquote t that difficult since the massive high-energy bullet had turned most of the internal organs into soup.  She did okay for her first time, making very few mistakes.  Goob patiently explained everything and showed her why certain things were cut and others weren\rquote t.  When they were done, he held the bag open again and she slid the remains into it.  They dug a small pit and buried the gut pile into it so that scavengers wouldn\rquote t be attracted by the smell.  \par
\par
She followed him back to his truck and he let her put it into the bed of the pick-up.  He nodded and smiled.  He grabbed a bottle of water out of his cooler and offered her one; she smiled her thanks and took it.  They walked over to the center of camp and sat down on their campstools.\par
\par
They were sitting there enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains, when Nikki felt the urge and stood up.  She reached into her tent and grabbed her roll of soft paper and looking over at Goob, shook her finger at him, motioning for him to stay put and not try to return the favor from this morning.  He laughed and held his hands up in surrender and shook his head, blushing again.  She headed into the woods a little way until she found some underbrush that would hide her from camp.  She let her bladder empty and then headed back to the camp.  \par
\par
When she emerged from the trees, she could see Marcy having an animated discussion with Goob.  She ducked back into the trees before she was spotted.  She watched and tried to listen, but the wind was blowing the wrong way, and their voices didn\rquote t carry over to her.\par
\par
She watched for a few minutes, before deciding that if she waited any longer, they\rquote d get suspicious, so she nonchalantly stepped out of the cover and headed right for the camp.  She tried to keep her face neutral as possible.  She put the paper back inside her tent and picked up her water bottle and sat down again.  Marcy was quiet and Goob looked disturbed.  Well, I guess that ends that.  I just hope they don\rquote t spread any rumors.  She couldn\rquote t get a good sense for what they were feeling.  \par
\par
Either they were covering up for themselves or they just weren\rquote t sure.  Nikki decided to find out just how much trouble she was going to be in, if it was going to hit the fan, she wanted to be gone from town before it carried too far.  She got up and went over to her truck and went to her cooler.  She grabbed three bottles of beer and carried them back to the camp, popped the top on hers, and handed the key and the other two bottles to Goob.  He looked up at her, and smiled.  He took the beer and popped the top off one, handed it to Marcy, then opened the last one for himself.  He tossed the key back to Nikki, who snatched it out of the air and put it into her pocket.\par
\par
They sat there for a few seconds sipping the beer.  Nikki watched them relax a little and she figured that now was as good a time as any.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, I freaked you two out today, and you are trying to figure out a polite way to get rid of me, right?\rdblquote   \par
\par
They shot a glance at each other and then back to her.  They didn\rquote t confirm or deny what she said.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Ooh, boy.  I really fucked up out there today, didn\rquote t I?  You two aren\rquote t sure what or who I am, are you?  It\rquote s okay, Goob, Marcy.  I understand.  I do.  I don\rquote t have many friends and when I had a chance today, I blew it.  I don\rquote t hold it against you.  Really.  I\rquote m just sad, that\rquote s all.  I\rquote ll pack up and leave.  You\rquote ll never see me or hear from me ever again.  I promise.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She downed the rest of her beer and got up.  She turned and started to reach for her tent stakes, when she heard Goob clear his throat.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, Nikki.  Don\rquote t leave.  Just sit down and give us a moment, please.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She turned around and they saw the tears that were running down her cheeks.  They both looked ashamed of themselves and they looked at each other and then back to her.  Nikki hurriedly wiped the tears from her face on her shirtsleeve and slowly sat down.\par
\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know where to start, Nikki, but I do need to apologize for our behavior today.  You\rquote ve shown us nothing but kindness and sincerity from the moment we met and we\rquote ve returned that with, well, less than polite friendship.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki just sat on her campstool and tried not to cry.  Marcy looked particularly guilty of her actions and she spoke to Nikki next.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m the one who should be telling you I\rquote m sorry, not my husband.  You earned his respect where most people fall far short of his standards.  I\rquote m the one who\rquote s ashamed of my behavior, and I hope you can forgive me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and smiled.\par
\par
\ldblquote I forgive you, Marcy.  I meant what I said.  If I make you uncomfortable, I understand.  I do that to everybody eventually.  I have the love of my life who accepts me for everything I am and that has been the highlight of my existence.  I have lost all other close friends, and those few who are sort of close; I hide what I can, when I can and hope they don\rquote t notice that I\rquote m too different from them.\rdblquote\par
\par
They absorbed this information and for a few minutes sat in silence.  Finally Marcy couldn\rquote t help herself, her curiosity became too much.\par
\par
\ldblquote What is, um, well, I was going to say wrong, but that\rquote s horribly rude, um, oh, I don\rquote t know how to ask this.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki gave her a wan smile and nodded.  She got up, and waving their objections away, she went and got another bottle of beer.  She sat back down, popped it open, sipped it, and looked at them.  She contemplated what lies to tell them but nothing would make sense or even begin to explain everything that happened.  So she decided to come at it from a different direction.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Let me ask you a few questions, before I try to explain everything, would that be okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
They both nodded and sat waiting patiently for her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Do you remember when you were a kid and your dad or mom would tell you ghost stories and about the monsters that lived out in the wild?\rdblquote   \par
\par
They nodded and frowned.  They weren\rquote t sure what she was getting at but were willing to give her some time.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, then when you got older you learned it was all make believe and something that was just a myth, right?\rdblquote  \par
\par
Again they frowned but nodded their understanding.  She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so if someone told you that there really are monsters that exist in this world, what would you say?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at them while they thought about that.  Goob really frowned and shook his head.  Marcy was looking at her with a vague suspicion and Nikki could tell she was close to understanding her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m serious, Goob, Marcy.  What would you say to someone who told you that a certain type of monster that terrified you as a child; was real?  Flesh and blood real, walking around today.\rdblquote\par
\par
Marcy looked pale and Goob just kept frowning and shaking his head.  Finally, Marcy spoke.\par
\par
\ldblquote I would have to know if that person was stable and wasn\rquote t insane.  Then, if they were completely sane, and they still insisted that it was possible, I guess I\rquote d need proof.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and gave her another wan smile.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, that\rquote s it, exactly, Marcy.  You\rquote d have to see the evidence.  To see for yourself that something that you knew for a fact was make believe, could be real.  You\rquote d have to see, say, for example, a feat of speed, or maybe strength.  Right?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, I guess I would.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Her words were very slow and she was looking at Nikki closely, watching her every move.\par
\par
\ldblquote Then you\rquote d need to see some of the characteristics of this supposedly mythical monster, right?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Say, for example, eyes that aren\rquote t quite human.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy was becoming paler by the second.  Goob just stared at her open-mouthed and his eyes wide open.  Marcy\rquote s quiet voice finally spoke.\par
\par
\ldblquote What are you, Nikki?  You aren\rquote t human are you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki shook her head and the tears started to roll down her cheeks again.\par
\par
\ldblquote I used to be, Marcy.  I was born just like you.  I had loving parents.  I went to school, and graduated with everybody else.  Then one day, I met a monster.  I didn\rquote t know it was real then, but later I learned the truth.  That everything I had thought was a myth, well, sometimes it turns out to be real.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Now, I\rquote m not so human anymore.  I\rquote m still the same Dominique that went to school and loved my mom and dad when they were alive.  But now, I\rquote m something else, too.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy thought about what Nikki said.  Goob was looking at her with suspicion and Nikki could see a little fear in his face as well.  Uh-oh.  If he panics, he\rquote s still got a gun.  Well, I guess if it\rquote s today, then it\rquote s today.  There\rquote s not much I can do to stop him, well I could, but I won\rquote t.  Nikki calmed her tormented mind slightly and decided right then, that if Goob pulled his gun and shot her, she wouldn\rquote t try to stop him.  \par
\par
Suddenly a strange peace came over her and she relaxed.  Goob, who had been watching her carefully, saw the change in her expression, and the look in her eyes.  Resignation.  That\rquote s what it was.  He knew that she had resigned her fate and wouldn\rquote t harm him or Marcy.  He calmed down and relaxed himself.  He decided to ask his own question.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, you aren\rquote t human anymore.  Well, I guess that explains quite a bit of today.  You handled yourself better than any man I know, and you never once raised a finger against me or mine.  So, I\rquote m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Nikki.  I respect you enough to give you that.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki still had tears running down her cheeks and she smiled her thanks to Goob.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What are you, Nikki?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at both of them and could see that they were about as ready as they were going to get. I guess I should tell them then.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m a werewolf.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Holy shit.\rdblquote   \par
\par
It wasn\rquote t shouted, just quietly stated.  Goob and Marcy looked at each other for a few seconds, in that silent communication that develops between married couples after many years, and they made a decision; Marcy nodded.  She looked at Nikki.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Nikki.  We believe you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and wiped the tears from her face.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Do we have to worry about it infecting us?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, it doesn\rquote t work that way.  There is some truth to how the legend says it works.  The one who infected me was bitten and survived; he killed the monster that bit him.  I was an accident.  I wasn\rquote t bitten.  I got it from fluid transfer.  He never meant to give me this.  I still talk to him occasionally and he feels so guilty about it; I don\rquote t think he\rquote ll ever recover from it.  He told me that he had never passed it to anyone before and that I was an awful accident.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They mulled that over for a few minutes, and then Goob gave her a funny look.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, why this, why go camping and buy a gun and ask to be taught how to hunt?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki chuckled.\par
\par
\ldblquote Because my new condition burns energy at an enormous rate.  That\rquote s why I ate so much at breakfast this morning, what you didn\rquote t see was me stuffing four high-energy food bars in my mouth before I stepped out of my tent.  I eat so much now that I am going broke just trying to keep meat in my freezer.  So, I decided to buy a rifle and learn how to hunt.  That way I could try to get some extra meat and not pay the butcher so much from my paycheck every month.\rdblquote  \par
\par
\ldblquote So, you can\rquote t just change and be able to hunt an elk?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki laughed and shook her head.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope.  I only change on the full moon, that part of the legend is true.  There are other times when I could change by accident.  This afternoon was almost one of those times.  I came very close, but I managed to stop it.  If that had happened we wouldn\rquote t be sitting here right now.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They both went pale and looked at each other.  \par
\par
\ldblquote You, Goob, almost made me freak out in front of you with your finger in the blood thing.  Fresh blood is one of those things that make it very difficult for me to stay in control.  When you gave me that cup and made me drink it; that was like a shot of whiskey to me.  Thanks for that by the way, I was fighting the urge to do just what you allowed me to do, and you gave me an acceptable excuse to do it.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hah, no wonder you drank that down so fast.  I thought I would have some fun and finally find something to make the pretty girl flinch, and you just chugged it and licked your lips.\rdblquote\par
\par
Marcy slugged him on the shoulder for that comment and gave him a dirty look.  He did have the decency to look ashamed about his behavior.  Marcy looked at her with a pensive expression and finally summoned up enough nerve to ask.\par
\par
\ldblquote You mentioned the love of your life knowing your secret.  He isn\rquote t afraid of getting it?\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki blushed a deep crimson and looked at the ground. \par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I\rquote m sorry.  That\rquote s the second time today that I\rquote ve asked about your love life.  I wrongly assumed you would talk about it.  I\rquote m really sorry, Nikki, I didn\rquote t mean to stick my foot in it again.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, that\rquote s okay, Marcy.  I guess if you can accept that secret, one more isn\rquote t going to make you run screaming in panic.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy became confused now.  Nikki decided that she couldn\rquote t screw anything up by telling them this truth either.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Marcy, the love of my life isn\rquote t a guy.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She waited for that to sink in.  Goob understood her right away, and he started laughing.  He laughed so hard he fell over backwards off his stool.  Marcy looked at Goob and frowned in her confusion and then she understood.  Her face went pale and then she looked at Nikki and then over to Goob.\par
\par
\ldblquote OH!  God, I didn\rquote t mean to, oh!  I, um, oh shit.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Then she started laughing.  They eventually calmed down but Goob was still chuckling.  Marcy looked at him and slugged him again.\par
\par
\ldblquote GOOB!  What is wrong with you?  What is so damn funny?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He blushed and looked at Nikki.  She shrugged and nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote I accidentally flashed her this morning before you got up.  I just whipped it out and starting peeing on a tree.  I heard chuckling behind me and there she was with her back to me laughing.  I now know why you laughed and didn\rquote t keep looking at my crotch after that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, it\rquote s impressive, you should be proud.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki looked at Marcy and grinned.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I bet that\rquote s the only gun in the house you don\rquote t mind playing with when it\rquote s loaded?\rdblquote\par
\par
Marcy\rquote s jaw dropped open and she turned deep red, looked at Goob and then at the ground.  Goob was sputtering and choking, he eventually got his breath under control.\par
\par
\ldblquote Jesus!  Nikki, you\rquote re as bad as some of the guys in the lodge.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote If you think I\rquote m bad, you should meet my girlfriend, she\rquote s merciless.\rdblquote  \par
\par
\ldblquote Marcy, I\rquote m sorry.  I didn\rquote t say that to be cruel, I\rquote m just a born smartass.  I almost said something to Goob this morning, but I figured he was embarrassed enough at the time, so I didn\rquote t want to alienate him from the start.  Really, Marcy, you\rquote re a lucky woman.  I dated guys a few times, Goob\rquote s gifted.  Be proud, not ashamed.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy was still blushing but she managed to smile now, that smile of a woman who is proud of her guy and what he\rquote s packing because she gets to have it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I guess you\rquote re right.  And I can also breathe a little easier knowing that if you and Goob are out hunting or scouting, it isn\rquote t his meat you\rquote re thinking of.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki giggled and nodded.  Goob looked slightly wounded.\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s the spirit, Marcy.  I\lquote m the one who has to be worried, now.  You haven\rquote t seen my girlfriend yet.  Most guys would offer up their left arm for a chance with her.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy raised an eyebrow at that comment and Goob looked pensive.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh?  She\rquote s that pretty?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Marcy, she\rquote s a goddess.  I am so lucky and I thank the stars every night that I met her and we fell in love.  I guess if we can stay friends, we\rquote ll have to get together and have dinner or maybe even go camping.  I haven\rquote t had the chance to go camping with her yet.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, Nikki, we\rquote re friends.  Whatever it is you have, well, I guess we can look past that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Marcy, that truly means the world to me.  I now have two new friends in my life and that makes me really happy.  I don\rquote t want to ruin the mood, though, but there is one more thing, Goob.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She became serious and gave him a hard look.  He stopped smiling and returned her gaze.\par
\par
\ldblquote If I ever start to shift by accident around you, you\rquote ll have shoot me.  I\rquote m serious, Goob.  I have no control over that part of me once the shift is complete.  Your life won\rquote t matter to that monster, so you shoot and you keep shooting me.  Understand?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I do.  I won\rquote t kill you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t think so.  The one who made me had a wound worse than I put into that cat today and he is still walking around.  He healed completely in less than two days.  So, you shoot and don\rquote t stop.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Jesus!  What about silver like in the legends?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope.  Doesn\rquote t make a difference.  That part is a myth.  I know it\rquote s difficult to accept, but I will heal.  It may take awhile, but I\rquote ll heal.  That much I do know.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  I can handle that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you.  I couldn\rquote t be around you two for an extended amount of time unless I was sure you understood that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you for the consideration.  That makes me feel a lot better knowing what I do about you and what might happen.  You\rquote ve still got my respect, Nikki.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy nodded in agreement.\par
\par
\ldblquote Good, now that I don\rquote t have to hide some of my less popular habits from you two; let\rquote s cook some dinner; I\rquote m starving.  Oh, and I really don\rquote t feel like eating the ass end of one of your horses either, Goob.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They all laughed together at that.\par
\par
\tab\tab\tab -----------------------------\par
\par
\par
After they had eaten, and Nikki had taken some grief from Marcy about how much she ate; they sat around the fire and relaxed.  Marcy wanted to know more about Nikki\rquote s girlfriend.  Nikki beamed proudly and told Marcy a little about how they had met and fell in love. She shied away from anything that referred to Dagomarus, though.  She told Marcy how special Lena was to her and what made her the happiest was because Lena loved her as much as she loved Lena.  She told them how smart she was, the degrees she held and that she was a professor at a college.  The sun had gone down behind the mountains and they enjoyed the quiet.  Marcy still looked over at her occasionally and shook her head.\par
\par
\ldblquote What is it Marcy?  You can ask what ever you want, I don\rquote t have many more secrets to reveal.\rdblquote\par
  \par
\ldblquote It\rquote s your eyes, dear.  They are so bright in the firelight.  They are unsettling and I guess I\rquote ll get used to them, but they are still a shock to look at.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I understand, really.  Lena does the same thing when we are in the dark together.  If I get really worked up and hyper, they glow bright red and the gold swirls and sparkles.  It\rquote s rather disconcerting.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob looked thoughtful and then he looked at her and frowned.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, is your eyesight different?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I can see in darkness just as well as in daylight.  It has a different color to it; everything looks slightly blue.  I can hear better than you can, too.  Which reminds me; don\rquote t turn on a microwave oven in my presence.  Those things hurt my ears real bad.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I\rquote ll remember that.  They make a sound we can\rquote t hear?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, and it\rquote s like having ice picks shoved into my ears when one is turned on.\rdblquote  \par
\par
\ldblquote After watching you earlier today, my guess is that your sense of smell is better too.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yep, that\rquote s how I knew that cat was nearby.  The wind shifted and I got his scent.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote That makes me real happy, Nikki.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Because I\rquote m going to love going hunting with you.  You\rquote ll be able to track and smell out the game far better than anyone else.  In fact, once you get the hang of how a hunt should be handled, I could use you as a business partner and we could offer our services as professional game trackers for hunts.\rdblquote   \par
\par
That comment grabbed Nikki\rquote s attention really quickly.  A job?  Business partners?\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Goob, you have my undivided attention right now.  I\rquote m looking for a better paying job.  My old one went to hell, for various reasons, but mainly, I need more money to feed my eating habits.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, it\rquote s just an idea, but it could work.  With my hunting experience and your abilities to track game, we could do a really good job and get some very good paying clients.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Like how much?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I know most hunting guides get anywhere from $1000 to $4000 per hunt.  If we had access to a private game preserve, we could run hunts year round.  That\rquote s big business in this part of the country.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so how do we start?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, if you\rquote re serious, I\rquote ll do some checking and we\rquote ll sit down and discuss it.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Deal.  I\rquote m very interested.  The only fly in the ointment I can see right now, is that one thing that happens on the full moon.  I couldn\rquote t be anywhere near people when that happens.  I have a special place up north that I go to and nobody gets hurt.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I can see that.  I\rquote m glad you found somewhere to go to when that happens.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Me too, Goob. Me too.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hey, if you want to, tomorrow morning lets go out and you show me what you can really do, no more holding back or pretending not to be extraordinary, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I can do that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Great, thanks, Nikki.  In that case, I\rquote m going to call it a night.  See you in the morning.\rdblquote\par
\par
They all went to bed and slept peacefully.  Nikki, especially, because of her new friends, their acceptance of her lifestyle, and the prospect of a new job.\par
\par
 \tab\tab\tab -----------------------------\par
\par
The next morning they got up and prepared for a serious scouting trip.  Marcy elected to stay behind and do her own thing around the campsite.  Both Goob and Marcy had ribbed Nikki over her massive breakfast again and Nikki just shrugged and accused them of being jealous that she could eat that much and not worry about clogged arteries or a bulging belly.  They both nodded at that and laughed.  Goob and Nikki set out along the same trail, hoping to get ahead of the spot they had stopped at the previous day.  Nikki stayed alert for any sign that the mountain lion might have had a mate.\par
\par
Goob let Nikki lead and asked her to find a fresh trail and see if she could track down the animal that had left it.  Nikki found one and motioned for Goob to get down off his horse.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Goob.  This trail was used less than two hours ago.  I can smell the musk left by a bull elk, he\rquote s somewhere down in that valley.  What now?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He grinned at her and shook his head in wonder.\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s great, Nikki.  Well, if we were on a hunt, we\rquote d tie up the horses right here and start stalking the bull.  So, let\rquote s do that.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded, so they tied up the horses and set out on foot.  Nikki led Goob down the trail; she would point out where the bull had left his markings.  Some of them were recognizable to Goob, others were invisible and Nikki was the only one who could detect them.  She led him deeper into the valley and finally she held up her hand.  She signaled to Goob that the bull was close.  She motioned for him to stay where he was and that she would get as close as she could.  He nodded and watched.  She used the skills that Dagomarus had shown her and crept closer to where the bull elk was bedded down for the day.  She got within twenty yards of its hiding spot when she stopped and waved a hand at Goob.\par
\par
He signaled for her to flush him out and she picked up a stick and snapped it.  The bull stuck its head up to see what had made the noise, spotted Nikki before exploding out of its hiding spot and bolting down the trail.  Goob laughed and shook his head.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, that was just plain awesome.  If I was going to shoot that bull, I could have bagged him when his head popped up and he would have been dead on the spot.  No need for tracing a blood trail or tracking a wounded animal.  This could work.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Really?  You think we could do this for a business?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hell yes!  You might have to modify your tracking technique, though.  You are a little too good and sniffing things; that makes you look a little odd.  We have the summer to practice and get the methods down, but, yeah, we could do this and make a bundle.  You really want to try?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote It never occurred to me before, Goob.  If you can teach me how to hide some of my more wild animal traits while tracking the animals, then I\rquote m willing to give it a shot.  I do need the money and the meat.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Then it\rquote s settled.  I\rquote ll start making inquiries and use some of my contacts from the gun store and at the lodge.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob was grinning and he patted Nikki on the back, just like one of the guys.\par
\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s this lodge you keep referring to?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, the Elk\rquote s Lodge.  You never heard of them?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, yeah, okay.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s head back and see what Marcy has cooked up for us.\rdblquote  \par
\par
Nikki nodded and they headed back to the horses.  They rode back chatting about the potential business and money they could make as hunting guides.\par
\par
\par
When they returned Marcy had a huge Dutch oven over the fire and Nikki could smell the spices and the scent of meat that smelled like chicken, but was much stronger than that.\par
\par
\ldblquote What did you make, Marcy?  It smells wonderful!\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy grinned at the compliment.\par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s Goob\rquote s favorite, rabbit and dumplings.  I hope you like it.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I\rquote ve never eaten rabbit, but if it tastes anything like it smells, I\rquote m going to love it.\rdblquote\par
\par
When Nikki tasted it, she smiled and nodded to Marcy.  She ate two large bowls of it, making Marcy smile and Goob pout.\par
\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s the matter, Goob?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote With you around at meals, I won\rquote t get as many leftovers as I\rquote m used to.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, Goob, but Marcy\rquote s cooking is awesome and well, I\rquote m a growing girl.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki smiled and winked.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, well, I guess next time we\rquote ll bring two ovens and you can have one all to yourself.\rdblquote\par
\par
Goob grinned to take the sting out of his words, letting Nikki know that he really wasn\rquote t upset about her taking larger than normal portions.  They all pitched in and helped Marcy clean up after lunch.  They were all sitting around the fire when Nikki had an idea.\par
\par
\ldblquote Would you guys mind if we left a little early this afternoon?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, not really, why?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, we have to go through Helena on our way home and I was thinking that I would like stop and see Lena since I came camping with you guys and skipped my normal time with her.  I would also like you to meet Lena.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy and Goob nodded and smiled.  They broke camp, packed everything into the vehicles and headed out.\par
\par
\tab\tab\tab ------------------------------------\par
\par
Nikki led the caravan to Lena\rquote s house.  They parked their trucks along the street and Nikki led Goob and Marcy to the front door.  Lena stood in the doorway with a confused grin on her face.  Nikki walked up to Lena, wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, lifting her off the ground.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I missed this, my love.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki kissed her hard on the lips and let her down.  She turned to introduce Lena and her new friends.  Lena was blushing furiously and gave Nikki a bemused grin.  Goob and Marcy were grinning.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, my love, this is Goob and Marcy.  Goob, Marcy, this is my lovely girlfriend Lena and the love of my life.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy was the first to speak, smiling and blushing lightly.\par
\par
\ldblquote Hello, Lena.  So nice to meet you; Nikki told us about you and we are glad she did.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re right, Nikki.  She\rquote s a goddess.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy scowled, and slugged Goob on the arm.\par
\par
\ldblquote Goob!  Behave yourself!  This isn\rquote t the campsite, be nice!\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob grinned and winked at Nikki.  Lena watched the interplay between the small group of friends and was grinning and blushing.  She thought it might be a good idea to come away from the front door step.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nice to meet you too.  Uhm, why don\rquote t we all go inside and I can get you something to drink.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They all agreed and followed Lena into her house.  She led them to the living room and offered them a seat on the couch.\par
 \par
\ldblquote What would you like to drink?  I have iced tea, orange juice, or coffee.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They both answered at the same time.\par
\par
\ldblquote Iced tea, not sweetened?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope, just plain.  I\rquote m not from the south.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They smiled and nodded.  Nikki went into the kitchen to help Lena make the drinks.  She grinned at Lena, cupping her butt as she turned to get the glasses out of the cupboard.\par
\par
\ldblquote Stop it!  I\rquote ll drop one if you aren\rquote t careful where you put that hand.  I take it from the greeting I got at the door that they are okay with us?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote They are very nice people, Lena.  I think they\rquote ll be good friends to us both.  One more thing, Lena, they know about me, the other part of me as well.  I\rquote ll tell you about it later, but just so you are aware, they are cool with that too.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena\rquote s jaw dropped and her eyes widened.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I guess it has been an interesting weekend for you.  Let\rquote s go out and entertain our guests before they think you\rquote re molesting me in here.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki giggled and helped carry the glasses out to the living room.  Goob and Marcy were chatting quietly when they came in; they stopped and grinned at the pair as they offered them their tea.  They chatted for a bit, Nikki describing her brush with the mountain lion and how Goob had made her drink the blood and painted her face.  Lena gave Nikki a queasy look and shuddered.\par
\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t think I\rquote ll ever get used to you doing that, Nikki.  It\rquote s bad enough watching you eat steak that\rquote s still red in the center.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob and Marcy shared a quick look and then looked the couple in front of them and grinned.  Marcy glanced in Lena\rquote s direction and raised an eyebrow.\par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, would you and Nikki like to come up to our place for dinner some time?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena was surprised at the offer.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, I think I\rquote d like that.  Nikki seems to have taken to you two and I would like to get to know you better.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Goob\rquote s bemused grin got him a sharp look from Marcy.  His contrite apologetic expression didn\rquote t get him any brownie points.  Nikki and Lena watched this and Nikki chuckled.\par
\par
\ldblquote Goob, I warned you, if you think I\rquote m bad, you haven\rquote t experienced hell yet.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena gave Nikki a questioning look and Nikki related to her what had transpired on the first morning at camp and then later what she had said to Goob and Marcy.  Lena laughed and gave Nikki a sly grin.  Lena\rquote s appraising glance at Goob made him blush and then Lena turned to Marcy, grinning mischievously.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, Marcy, I guess that makes two of us who are proud of our lover\rquote s gifts and talents.  You have Goob\rquote s big gun and I get Nikki\rquote s talented tongue.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Marcy\rquote s jaw dropped and then she started laughing, while both Goob and Nikki blushed furiously.  When they had all settled down from that remark Goob looked at Nikki shaking his head.\par
\par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t think it was possible, but you were right Nikki, she\rquote s merciless.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki beamed a big smile at Lena and then looked at Goob.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yep, and I wouldn\rquote t have it any other way.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena started snickering and covered her mouth.  Nikki shot her a warning glance but smiled anyway.  \par
\par
\ldblquote See, Goob, even I\rquote m not exempt from her dirty mind.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They all chuckled at that remark before Goob and Marcy got up and excused themselves with the explanation of having to get the horses back to the ranch and still get up for work the next day.  Nikki walked them out to their truck and thanked them again for a wonderful weekend and promised to call Goob about the hunting guide prospects.  Goob said he would take care of the cat carcass for Nikki and they drove off.  Nikki moved her truck into Lena\rquote s driveway and she went back inside.\par
\par
Nikki called the Chinese restaurant and ordered a bunch of food for delivery and since it was going to take at least 45 minutes before it would show up, she decided to take a shower and clean off the smell from the camping trip.\par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, my love, would you care to join me in the shower?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You bet your sweet ass I would love to join you in the shower.\rdblquote    \par
\par
They went into the larger bathroom with the whirlpool and Nikki stripped out of her dirty, smelly clothes.  Lena did wrinkle her nose at them when she carried them to the washer.  When she came back and slipped into the shower with Nikki she made a comment.\par
\par
\ldblquote I guess I really am in love with you if I can put up with smelly clothes like that.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Hah!  You\rquote re just jealous that you didn\rquote t get to ride on one of those magnificent animals.  I\rquote ll ask Goob if he\rquote s got another horse so that you can go with us next time.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I guess, but why would I want to ride a horse?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Because my dear, insatiable, Lena; if you sit in the saddle just right, the saddle-horn rubs the perfect spot and the orgasm that you can get from it is quite powerful.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh?  Really?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, really!\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki dipped her head under the water and washed away the dust and smell of the weekend.  Lena scrubbed her back while she washed her hair.  When she had rinsed it and put in the conditioner, Lena turned her around and scrubbed her front.  The loofah sponge doing wonders for her skin and adding that special edge to the caresses.  When Lena knelt to clean Nikki\rquote s legs and feet, Nikki grabbed Lena\rquote s shoulders for support.  \par
\par
Nikki looked down at Lena with an intense gaze of lust and tilting her hips, she let loose her full bladder onto Lena\rquote s chest.  Lena\rquote s eyes shot open wide and she moaned deeply in her throat.  Lena used one hand to rub the hot fluid into her swollen lips and she came almost immediately.  Her voice echoed loudly inside the bathroom as she screamed.\par
\par
Lena fell back and shuddered and twitched, her eyes rolled back into her head as another orgasm racked her body.  Nikki almost slipped trying to hold onto Lena.  She smiled and blushed at the reaction Lena had had to her \lquote extra\rquote  shower.  Nikki knelt down and held onto Lena as she continued to shudder and twitch with powerful aftershocks.  Lena\rquote s grunts and moans filled the small bathroom with echoes.  \par
\par
After several minutes, Lena recovered enough to reach up and hug Nikki back, kissing and biting Nikki\rquote s neck with passion and love.  Nikki could feel the nips that Lena was giving her and she figured that a few hickies wouldn\rquote t be the end of the world.  Lena shuddered one more time against Nikki and she whispered hoarsely in her ear.\par
\par
\ldblquote OH MY GOD!!  That was incredible!!  You surprised me, my sweet Dominique!  The next time you feel the urge to do that, don\rquote t tell me, surprise me again.  That was just, WOW!\rdblquote\par
 \par
\ldblquote Okay, my love, I will.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki was surprised at the power of Lena\rquote s reaction and even though she had reservations about doing that to Lena, it was obvious that she loved it.  They finished cleaning up and got out of the shower since the delivery person was due any minute.  Lena was the first to dry off and step out of the bathroom.  Nikki wrung out her hair and wrapped it in a smaller towel and walked out of the bathroom just as she heard a knock at the door.  \par
\par
Since Lena was still upstairs getting dressed, she reached into her purse, pulled out the cash and cursed, all she had was a fifty dollar bill left over from the gun purchase, I hope they have enough change, she thought, and opened the door.  The delivery person was a small oriental girl with huge eyes and long hair.  She smiled as Nikki handed her the money, but blushed when Nikki\rquote s towel opened up at the front and showed her long legs all the way up to her shaved lips.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Oops, sorry about that.  I just got out of the shower.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki took the two bags of food from the blushing girl and was waiting for her change when Lena came down the stairs talking.\par
\par
\ldblquote Dominique, my sweet, I hope you\rquote re planning on spending the night with me, I plan on doing some more tongue exercises\'85\rdblquote  \par
\par
Lena stopped talking when she saw the open door and the delivery girl counting back Nikki her change.  Lena blushed a deep red and sputtered.  Nikki was completely floored when the oriental girl blushed even deeper and stuttered out a response.\par
\par
\ldblquote Huh-hi, Professor Diedereichs.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki looked from Lena to the delivery girl.  Lena finally got herself under control.\par
\par
\ldblquote Hello, Michi.  I hope you can keep this to yourself?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki handed the girl a ten-dollar tip and picked up the bags and leaving the door open, headed for the kitchen.  She gave Lena an \lquote I\rquote m sorry\rquote  expression as she walked by.  Lena nodded and looked back at Michi, who was still standing in the doorway blushing.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Can I trust you, Michi?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, you can.  I promise not to say anything.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you.  This won\rquote t affect your performance in class?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote No, I don\rquote t think so.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, if it\rquote s going to, we need to talk about this before you show up tomorrow.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Uhm, I guess we can talk now, I don\rquote t have anymore deliveries tonight.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Fine, why don\rquote t you step inside and we can discuss it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.  She looked around nervously and then finally met Lena\rquote s gaze.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Why don\rquote t we go into the kitchen so I can eat the dinner you have just brought me and we can talk, okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi nodded and followed meekly behind Lena into the kitchen.  Nikki was just popping a strip of spicy Kung Po beef into her mouth with her chopsticks when they stepped into the kitchen.  She squeaked and pulled her towel up over her breasts and shot Lena a dirty look.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, Dominique, I should have warned you I was bringing Michi in to talk.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi had eyed Nikki\rquote s breasts when she had walked through the doorway and blushed again.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Dominique, this is Michi, one of my under-graduate students; Michi, this is my girlfriend, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi nodded but didn\rquote t say anything.  Nikki nodded and stuffed another slice of beef into her mouth and chewed.  Lena motioned for Michi to sit at the end of the table and Lena sat next to Nikki and reached for her own chopsticks and dug in.  Nikki glanced at Lena and raised an eyebrow.  Lena shrugged and looked over at Michi.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Michi.  The ball is in your court.  You want to say something about my lifestyle?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, Professor Diedereichs, I\rquote m not sure what I can say, other than I don\rquote t know what to do now.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote First, while you are sitting at my table, you call me Lena.  Second, what do you feel you need to do?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Lena.  Um, I guess I\rquote m shocked enough that I don\rquote t know if I can stop thinking about what I heard you say and seeing her in your living room.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki shot her an annoyed glance.\par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, my name is Dominique, not \lquote her\rquote , okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes.  I\rquote m sorry, Dominique.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote So, you\rquote re sorry, fine.  Are you going to ruin my girlfriend\rquote s career tomorrow?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki\rquote s gaze had a dark edge to it, menacing.  Michi finally noticed the otherworldly hue of Nikki\rquote s irises and saw the power in them and it moved inside her, she wanted to please and serve that power with every fiber of her being.  Her current mistress could never hold a candle to this magnificent woman.\par
\par
Nikki sat still, staring into Michi\rquote s eyes and waited for that sign of recognition, that she was in control and Michi had better not mess with her.  Michi was meeting her gaze and she started to see that familiar flicker of fear start around the edges of her eyes when it suddenly changed to something deeper and raw.  Michi started vibrating in her chair and her skin went flush, beads of sweat formed on her forehead and upper lip.  \par
\par
Nikki became worried that she had pushed the girl too far and had caused her to go into shock.  The shear force of the pheromone release from Michi hit Nikki like a slap in the face.  Her nostrils flared and her pupils dilated in response to Michi\rquote s reaction, the growl that rumbled in her chest was felt more than heard by Michi.  Michi\rquote s reaction was immediate; she flew out of her chair and slid to her knees at Nikki\rquote s feet.  She prostrated herself before Nikki and whimpered, her whole body shaking with need and lust.\par
\par
Lena had watched Nikki menace Michi and although she didn\rquote t think that was wise, stopping Nikki from trying to protect her wasn\rquote t something she really wanted to do.  It made her feel warm and loved inside to have that kind of reaction from Nikki. Lena looked at Nikki and saw that she wasn\rquote t really doing all that much, just a little threatening look, even her eyes weren\rquote t all that bright, at least not as bright and scary as they could be.  \par
\par
Lena looked at Michi to see her reaction and at first, it looked like Michi was going to take the hint and back off, but something changed and it looked like it was going to backfire in their faces.  Lena watched Michi\rquote s reaction and then when she flew out of the chair and prostrated herself at Nikki\rquote s feet, she didn\rquote t know what to think.  She started to jump up when she felt Nikki\rquote s hand on her arm and she stopped.  She looked up at Nikki and saw something that confused her and made her just a little afraid, it was acceptance.\par
\par
Lena looked down at Michi and heard her whimper and speak in a tiny voice.\par
\par
\ldblquote Mistress.\rdblquote\par
\par
Lena looked at Nikki again and frowned.\par
\par
\ldblquote Dominique, you\rquote d better not be thinking what I think you are.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena knew about the dominant/submissive games people played and even though she wasn\rquote t really into that, she remembered that Dominique had done that on a different level with Dagomarus.  She didn\rquote t want anyone else in her relationship with Dominique.  She hoped that Dominique felt the same way about her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, my love.  You are my one and only love.  You hear me?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena looked into Nikki\rquote s eyes and nodded, a small tear formed at the corner of her eye and streaked down her cheek.  Nikki reached out and caught it with her thumb and cupped the side of Lena\rquote s face with her hand.  She pulled Lena into her and kissed her softly.  She leaned back and looked down at Michi, who hadn\rquote t moved since whimpering out that one word.  Lena watched Nikki glance down at Michi.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Dominique, I believe you.  So, what are you going to do about this?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki thought about it for a few seconds and decided she needed a little more details from Lena first.\par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, I need to ask you some questions about Michi.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote How smart is she?  What\rquote s she like when she is in your class?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena thought about those questions and suddenly she knew where this might be going.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, yeah, she\rquote s very smart, borderline genius level.  She\rquote s also very quiet unless spoken to first, and then she\rquote s happy and energetic.  She bends over backwards to please me and the other professors if we give her some attention.  Okay, I see it now.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, she\rquote s a for real submissive.  This isn\rquote t a game to her, she is absolutely serious about what she is offering me.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You still haven\rquote t answered my question, Dominique.  What are we going to do about this?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I can only think of two options, Lena.  First option is to dismiss her right now and send her away.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi whimpered when Nikki said this and they both heard it.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Second option is to accept her offer and take full responsibility for her.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They heard Michi suck in her breath and hold it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Dominique, I don\rquote t feel comfortable with that second option.  I\rquote m not willing to share you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not willing to share you either, Lena.  This isn\rquote t about sharing; this is about control.  I didn\rquote t understand it before but I do now.  Michi isn\rquote t asking me to love her, she is asking me to take control of her.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Then where does that leave me?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote At my side forever.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki thought about what she was going to do and she didn\rquote t want Michi to hear it.  If this were going to happen she needed full control over Michi and that would be undermined if she heard Nikki being submissive to Lena.  Nikki looked down at Michi.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, I would appreciate it if you would stay here while I take Lena in the other room to discuss things further.  Would you do that for me?  Just nod if you agree.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi nodded.  Nikki pulled Lena into the bathroom and shut the door.\par
\par
\ldblquote Lena, please understand the implications of this.  I don\rquote t want this either, but if we just dismiss her out of hand; she will be upset, trust me.  She\rquote ll never go back to the woman she\rquote s serving now and be the same.  Also, even if she promises you not to talk about us, she\rquote s a submissive, a slave.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote If her current mistress gets a hint that there\rquote s anything between you and Michi, she\rquote s going to get it out of her.  Then she\rquote ll have that over you.  She\rquote s a dominant; that means she\rquote ll use it to try and control you.  I\rquote m telling you right now, if that happens, I\rquote m not sure I could control my anger with that.\rdblquote\par
\par
Lena stared in complete shock at Nikki as she listened to her and understood every point.  She knew that Nikki was right.  She cursed herself for not thinking that far ahead.  She was the genius and these implications had slipped right past her.\par
 \par
\ldblquote Okay, I understand it now.  You aren\rquote t considering this for yourself, you\rquote re thinking about this to protect me.  That\rquote s different.  I can handle that aspect of this.  What I need to know is; how do we treat her?  Is she going to be part of us?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll leave that up to you, Lena.  I\rquote ll have to show control over her and be her \lquote Mistress\rquote  for this to work, but in reality, I\rquote m giving you the control.  I\rquote m just the surrogate here.  She chose me because I showed her some of my inner power, that part of me that\rquote s the beast.  I have to accept that.  For right now, I think it would be best if we kept it as control.  I could smell her excitement and the pheromones she hit me with were pure lust.  So I know she\rquote s sexually attracted to me, but it\rquote s the power that does it for her.  I\rquote m just a body that the power resides in.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I can see that.  If I had been the one to menace her, then I\rquote d be the one she would have picked.  Okay, so this isn\rquote t about love or friendship.  I\rquote m getting a little more comfortable thinking about this.  So now what?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I go out there and accept her offer and then I lay down the law.  I become her Mistress and tell her what to do and how to do it.  The only problem I can foresee is her current mistress.  What\rquote s their living arrangement?  If she\rquote s living with her then when I take over, where is she going to live?  If it\rquote s the other way around, that\rquote ll be easier, she\rquote ll just kick her out.  We need to find out who she is so we can assess the threat to us.  If it\rquote s another student, then it\rquote ll be easy to handle.  If it\rquote s a professor, we could be in deep shit.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh god.  I didn\rquote t even think about it being another professor.  Shit!  I don\rquote t have tenure yet.  If it is another professor then we are in deep trouble.  God, don\rquote t let it be a professor.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote So, I take it from your reaction, that you are willing to give this a go?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote God help me, yes.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m thinking he doesn\rquote t like me much anymore, so I can\rquote t really speak for him.  I will, however, speak for me.  I love you with all my heart, Lena, don\rquote t ever for one second doubt that.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki hugged her and kissed her passionately to drive home the message.  Lena returned the hug and kiss with just as much force and emotion.  They slipped apart and stood facing each other.  Nikki grinned.\par
\par
\ldblquote Ready to do this, lover?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Mistress Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena gave her a wry grin and nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, Lena, I never want to hear that from you, I know it was a joke, but still.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, I guess I didn\rquote t think it bothered you that much with you willing to do this.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m willing to hear it from her, just not from you.  You\rquote re my partner, my equal, my other half.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Wow!  I\rquote m really in love with you now, Dominique.  I won\rquote t ever doubt you again.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you, I\rquote ll probably have to remind you of this conversation before this is over.  Now, when we go out there, just follow my lead.  Even if you don\rquote t like something I say, you can\rquote t show her that I don\rquote t control you as well.  I know, it\rquote ll suck, but trust me?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I trust you.  My sweet Dominique, I trust you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki smiled and opened the door.  She had Lena walk behind her into the kitchen.  Michi was still on the floor were Nikki had asked her to stay.  Nikki walked over to where she had been at the start of all this and sat down.  Lena sat in her chair and watched.  Nikki took a calming deep breath and let it out slowly.\par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, before I accept your offer I want some answers from you, is that clear?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and grinned, so, Michi was aware she could be sent home.\par
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\ldblquote Very good, Michi.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki watched as the girl relaxed slightly at addressing her correctly.  \par
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\ldblquote Do you have your own apartment?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki was relieved with that answer.\par
\par
\ldblquote Is your current mistress living with you?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote No, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
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Whew!  Even better news, Nikki looked over at Lena and could see the relief on her face as well.\par
\par
\ldblquote Is your current mistress involved at the college?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
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Damn!  They both shared a look.\par
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\ldblquote Is she a student?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Well, at least there is that.  Lena nodded her head and gave Nikki the go ahead for their plan.\par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, I want you to think very hard about my next question.  Do you want me to be your mistress instead of the one you are serving now?  Think about what I\rquote m asking, Michi.  If you forgo your current mistress and choose me, I am going to make some hard demands of you.  You might consider asking me what those demands might be before you give me your answer.  I am willing to let you do that.  You may ask me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She watched Michi tense up.  She knew the girl was nervous and afraid to ask the wrong question and possibly ruin her chance at what she thought she wanted from her.\par
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\ldblquote No questions, Dominique.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and understood why she had given that answer; Michi was willing to let her have full control.\par
\par
\ldblquote Very well, Michi.  I want you to look me in the eye when you give me your answer.  I want to see in yours what you are offering me.\rdblquote   \par
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Michi pulled herself up and sat back on her feet, meeting Nikki\rquote s gaze evenly.\par
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\ldblquote I am yours, Dominique.  I belong to you and no other.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi felt relief at being able to finally say it.  Nikki locked her gaze onto Michi\rquote s and concentrated, looking for any sign that the girl was insincere.  She couldn\rquote t see anything that indicated that she was offering anything less than what she said.\par
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\ldblquote I accept your offer, Michi.  You are mine.  You belong to me and no other.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi fell down and kissed Nikki\rquote s feet.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, I did not give you permission to kiss my feet.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, Mistress Dominique.  Forgive me, I was only trying to thank you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I forgive you, Michi.  You didn\rquote t know, but now you do.  Don\rquote t do that again.  My feet are reserved for Lena, and her alone.  If you wish to thank me, then kiss my hand.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi sat up and took the offered hand in hers and kissed it, and then she rubbed her cheek against the back of Nikki\rquote s hand.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, go ahead and sit in that chair and let me tell you what I want of you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi got up and sat in the chair like Nikki asked.  The expression on the girls face was serene and happy.\par
\par
\ldblquote Michi, you will tell your former mistress her services are no longer required.  You will not tell her my name or refer to Lena in any way.  I will not tolerate any mistakes concerning this, Michi.\rdblquote\par
\par
Nikki\rquote s menacing gaze had the effect she hoped it would, the girl paled and nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, Mistress Dominique.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Next, you will treat Lena with respect as you have in the past.  You will not refer to our arrangement in reference to her in any way.  Once you are outside this house, you are a student and you will behave as such.  Is that understood?\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Mistress Dominique.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Do you have any questions for me, Michi?  Anything you need clarified?\rdblquote   \par
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Nikki could see the girl had something she wanted to say but was afraid to ask.\par
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\ldblquote Yes, Mistress Dominique.  Will you allow me to show you my devotion and appreciation for you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki felt Lena tense up next to her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Not tonight, Michi.  My plans were for just Lena and I.  They did not include a new slave, and I do not want to change my plans.  I can sense your desire and smell your excitement.  You can have as many orgasms as you need once you go home.  I am pleased with you and your behavior.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki could see that she was disappointed but perked up when Nikki had said the last.\par
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\ldblquote Thank you, Mistress Dominique.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Now, go home and rest.  You have classes tomorrow.  Here\rquote s my home phone number in case you need to contact me.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Thank you, Mistress Dominique.  Goodnight.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Michi knelt down in front of Nikki and she kissed the hand that was offered, again rubbing her cheek against the back of Nikki\rquote s fingers.  Michi hummed her delight and then got up and left.  Lena stared at Nikki for a few seconds and then shuddered.\par
\par
\ldblquote Wow!  That was intense!  God, Dominique, you really convinced me you were her mistress.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote Oh, Lena.  I am.  That was the whole point.  I really am her mistress.  She\rquote ll do whatever I tell her; she expects me to punish her if she disobeys me.  That scares me.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh!  I didn\rquote t think of that aspect.  I was just relieved that you sent her away without letting her do anything to you.  I really appreciate the command about your feet.  That means a lot to me.  So, now what?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, we wait and see.  If she does what I told her to do, we will be okay.  If I have to, I\rquote ll make her tell me whom her former mistress is and then you can figure out what you can do from your position.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I can see that.  You know something, Dominique.  Watching and listening to you with her was intoxicating and exciting in an odd way.  I can see the draw of that kind of power over another person.  You did that so easily, or at least you looked like you were into it.  Are you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki thought about it and shrugged.\par
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\ldblquote I\rquote m not really sure, Lena.  I never really thought of myself as a \lquote mistress\rquote  type, even when Dagomarus offered me that position over him, I was never really comfortable with it.  But now, I\rquote ve changed; I can feel it inside, not just the condition I now have, or maybe because of it.\rdblquote\par
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\ldblquote There\rquote s a feeling I get sometimes when I want to control the situation around me, there\rquote s a tingling in my head that starts and it comes over me.  Maybe I do like it a little and that\rquote s what scares me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki picked up her bowl of Kung Po beef and fried rice and started eating again.  She was still hungry and she ate quickly, before the food got cold.  Lena was sitting there picking at her food and thinking about what had happened and what was said.\par
\par
\ldblquote Dominique, would you whip her if she disobeys you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki winced and looked at Lena.\par
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\ldblquote I don\rquote t know, Lena.  I\rquote ve never really wanted to do that to anybody.  I had a hard time finding the nerve just to pee on you in the shower.  Working myself up to use a whip on that girl?  I just don\rquote t know.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Lena grinned when Nikki mentioned the shower.\par
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\ldblquote Yeah, well, you really blew my socks off with that one, my love.  I hope you\rquote ll do that again sometime.  You don\rquote t have to feel like that has to happen every time we are in the shower together, but now and then would be fun.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki blushed and grinned at Lena. \par
\pard\fi720     \par
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}