Changed

The ride back to the compound was even worse than the ride over to the shop. Karen kept picking at invisible threads on her pants, her mind racing about what had just happened. She groaned softly when she realized that Becca might be home, and would see her ripped jeans.

"Do you know if Becca has any plans today?" she quietly asked Theo.

"No." he replied curtly.

Karen just nodded and turned out the window. She wasn't going to ask him any more questions, but soon another one was burning in her mind.

"Can you tell me about werewolves?" she asked "Like what can they do, or what makes them different from humans?"

Theo scoffed at her, his frustration through the roof at being confined in such a little space with his woman after they had enjoyed each other. It was the knowledge that he wouldn't be able to do it again with her that was ramping him up.

"I don't think now is the time to talk about that."

"Well," Karen said coldly, her anger flaring back to life. "I didn't have a choice when you decided to 'learn'," she put finger quotes around the word "about me, while breaking one of my prized possessions in the process." She glared at him "The least you could do is tell me more about yourself."

Theo growled and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He didn't want to tell her anything. He didn't want her to be afraid of what he was, and what he could do. Yet, she did have a very good point. He had looked into her without her permission, maybe this would be the first step to getting out of the crater he had dug himself.

"Fine," he sighed "But can it wait until we get back? I really need some coffee and something to eat."

Karen simply nodded, part of her was excited to learn more about him and the werewolf community, the other part was nervous, and still a third part was still seething mad at him for what he had done.

Theo grunted softly and gave her a sideways look, "I'm sorry I broke the picture frame. I didn't know how important it was to you,"

Karen simply scoffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "If you hadn't snooped, we wouldn't be in the position, now would we?"

Theo simply grunted in return. They arrived back at the duplex in silence. Karen started towards her door when Theo cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you not want to talk?" he asked and he unlocked his door.

"Oh." Karen said sheepishly following him into his side of the duplex " I thought we would go into my side."

"Your side doesn't have my coffee, or enough food to feed me right now."

Karen looked at him, curiously. "Enough food?"

"Mmhmm," he said "I eat a lot."

"Ah." was all she said as she looked around the bachelor pad. There were overstuffed recliners, a huge flat screen tv, and a video game console with an entire wall of games. Theo motioned her into a modern kitchen, where she sat at a breakfast bar, watching him start to prepare his food.

"Would you like anything?" he asked as he started to pull meat out of the fridge.

Her stomach answered for her, with a loud growl. Theo chuckled as he got a pan ready. "How would you like your steak?"

Karen shrugged noncommittally. "Just make it how you'd like it."

He looked at her with a bemused expression on his face. "If that's what you really want."

She just nodded and picked at an invisible spot on the counter.

"So," he started "what would you like to know?"

Resting her chin on her hands she studied him. "What are the main differences between you and me in this very moment? You look human, but sparring with Becca proved that there is more to the eye, so. What makes us different? And you better tell me the truth,"

Theo chuckled and resigned himself to the fact that he couldn't deny the feisty woman in front of him.

"To start off, I'm much, much stronger than the normal human male. Also, all of my senses are higher than those of humans. I can see farther and clearer, hear better, smell a whole lot more scents than you can. My taste is probably the same, though touch is much more, meaningful I guess." He peaked are her while he cooked the steak.

A soft smile on his lips when he saw she was listening intently. "Also, we regenerate very quickly and rarely scar, though if it is deep enough we will. There is an exception to that rule however, if we are hurt by someone we love, then, no matter how small the wound it will scar, though it will fade away over the years, just as it is in humans."

Karen looked at him thoughtfully, "So does silver really hurt you?"

That made him burst into laughter, which she was surprised to find incredibly attractive.

"I can't tell you that." he said secretively, as he laid a heaping plate of food in front of her "Then you'll know our secret and you might just come kill me in the middle of the night." he wiggled his fingers at her in a spooky gesture which made her laugh.

Theo stopped and looked at her, an odd expression on his face.

"What?" she said self-consciously as she cut into the massive steak.

"That's the first time I've heard you laugh." he said with a small smile and a shrug, his hand unconsciously rubbing at his chest where a weird sensation had seated itself.

Karen didn't acknowledge him and she tucked into the steak. It was cooked and seasoned to perfection. Normally her steaks were always overdone, she loved a rare steak, but was always too shy to ask for it because people looked at her weird.

"Oh my god!" she said around a mouth full "this is amazing!"

Again Theo's eyebrow shot up. "You like it that rare?" he asked surprised.

Karen just nodded as she continued to eat. The both ate in silence until Karen was too full to eat any more. She pushed her plate, with a small piece of steak left over to Theo.

"Here, I'm stuffed,"

He smiled at her and quickly finished her steak along with his own. Putting the dishes away, he also started on his coffee.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"Do you actually turn into a wolf?" she asked

He looked at her for a moment, trying to gauge how much she really wanted to know.

"Yes..." he said hesitantly.

"Can I see?" she asked without missing a beat.

Theo leaned against his counter, crossed his large arms over his broad chest, and stared at her. She stared back expectantly, waiting for an answer. They sat like that for a minute or so before Theo asked, "Why?"

"I'm curious." she responded "I've never seen a wolf in person before, nor have I seen a werewolf in their wolf form."

Again he stared at her for a few more moments. "First you learn that there are big nasties out there, then you find out that you're only half human, only to later find out that you're' living on a compound of werewolves. Now you want to see one shift? You just learned about us. Aren't you afraid you may be pushing it a little?"

Karen gave a small shrug, her features sad and resigned. "My Daddy always said that you had to roll with whatever life gave you. If you ever found yourself in a situation that was confusing, or scary, the more you learned about it, the easier it would be to handle. So often, fear is based on ignorance, and so many people get hurt because of it. I didn't ask to be part of this world, but now that I am, I want to know all that I can."

Theo gave her a thoughtful look, his wolf was puffed up in his mind, full of pride. Making up his mind, he slowly started to remove his shirt.

"Wait!" she said quickly "What are you doing?!"

He chuckled softly, "If I change while wearing clothes I'll ruin them."

Karen made a silent 'oh' noise and nodded for him to continue. She let her eyes wander over his exposed chiseled chest, and when he turned to undo his pants, she got a nice look at his back, that was covered in thin bloody lines from her nails.

"Shouldn't those have healed?" she asked her face a bright red.

Theo looked over his shoulder at her and shrugged "They'll be gone soon," he said noncommittally, not wanting her to know that any mark she made would take a while to heal.

He continued undressing, revealing a perfectly sculpted ass and legs. He turned around, male smugness exuding from him, as her eyes instantly went to his flaccid member and she licked her lips. Using all of his control, he kept himself still, and ignored the seductive movement.

"Are you sure you wanna see this?" he asked seriously, part of him worried that she would reject him once she saw his second form.

Karen nodded and didn't take her eyes off of him. Faster than she could blink, a massive grey wolf stood where the man used to be. She made a small squeak of surprise at the sudden change, but quickly regained control.

"Wow." she breathed as she got off her stool and slowly approached him.

Theo sat, his head level with her chest, and slowly wagged his tail. She walked up to him and stretched out a hand. Immediately, he pushed his head under her hand and scooched closer. Karen let out a soft laugh as she rubbed the massive wolf's head, and scratched his ear, which earned her a foot thumping. She laughed for real, using both hands, while his foot madly thumped on the ground and his tail wagged uncontrollably.

"You're so big!" she said laughing "I could almost ride you like a horse!"

Theo chuffed at her and rolled his honey brown eyes at her. Suddenly an odd look came over his face and he shook his head. He got up and slowly backed away from her, continuing to shake his head while a low growl started. Karen stood in shock as she watched him. Seconds later he looked up at her, his honey brown eyes now a light gold.

"Theo?" She asked cautiously.

The wolf in front of her dipped down like a puppy wanting to play, and wiggled it's butt. Karen couldn't help but laugh, even though deep down she knew she wasn't talking to the Theo she knew. She mimicked the wolf, putting her hands on her thighs and laughed when it yipped and bounced towards her. Before she knew what was happening, the big wolf toppled her over. She landed with a thud and a soft 'oof' as the wind was knocked out of her. The wolf didn't seem to notice though because it was busy sniffing and snuffling all over her. She giggled like mad when it got to her stomach and tickled her. After the big animal was done smelling her, he laid down on top of her, his forearms and head resting on her chest looking up at her. He sighed contentedly, his tail wagging nonstop. They laid like that for a few moments, before parts of Karen started to go numb.

"Ya know..." she wheezed out "You're kinda heavy."

The wolf let out a soft whine and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Ugh!" she said with mock disgust "A wolf should not be able to use puppy eyes. It's not fair!" she ended in a strained laugh as she rubbed his ears. "Seriously though, it's getting hard to breathe."

The wolf huffed and heaved itself off of her, allowing her to take a big breath. He licked her face, causing her to laugh again. As she stood up, he nudged her to the counter. As she leaned against the stone surface, the massive wolf stood up and placed both paws on each side of her. He licked her face again, and then leaned onto her. Karen couldn't stop laughing as she hugged the huge beast back, burying her face in his soft silver fur.

Suddenly, the fur was skin. Naked skin, and the warmth pressing against her took on different dimensions, one of which pressed against her belly. She let out a soft squeak at the sudden change again, and loosened her arms from around the waist of the large man in front of her. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his, the honey brown depths sucking her in.

"Are you okay?" he asked huskily as he stared down at the little female.

Mutely she nodded, her hands moving from his sides to rest on his chest.

"I'm sorry." he spoke softly "My wolf was so excited for you to see him that he took over."

"Your wolf?" she asked just as softly.

He simply nodded, swallowing before answering. "We are two parts to a whole. We share the same mind. He is my baser, instinct driven side, while I am the higher functioning side. Many times we are balanced and he is content to sit back and let me drive, so to speak. Other times, he wants to drive, and sometimes he'll take over."

His breathing was soft, but uneven as he lowered his head slightly towards hers

"I hope..." he inched closer "He didn't..." closer "Scare you..." He paused, his lips hovering over hers, begging her to close the distance. The way she had instantly accepted his wolf was doing crazy things to his mind. All he wanted right then and there was to feel her soft lips on him.

Karen's breathing hitched, the warm body pressed against her made it hard to think.

"No." she whispered, looking at his lips, and then back to his eyes "I don't think..." her uneven breathing made it hard to get a full sentence out "He could ever..." she ran a hand up his chest to drape over his shoulder "Scare me." She titled her face up, giving him the go ahead, even though she knew it was probably wrong. She should be mad at him, or at least annoyed. He scared her because he touched parts of her soul she never knew existed. She should run, screaming for the hills, but she couldn't help the pull she felt every time she was around him.

He growled softly, the words sinking deep into his heart, and he kissed her. The kiss was full of passion, Theo trying to pour all of the feelings he couldn't tell her into it. He quickly lifted her so she sat on the counter, her legs wrapping around him insticutaly. They both groaned as the new position lined up their hips, and his hard member pressed into her warmth. The kiss lasted forever, stealing more from Karen than just her breath. She moaned softly, pressing into to him, letting his warmth envelope her as their hands ran over each other, pulling them closer together. A few minutes later and the kiss ended, both parties panting, and filled with need. Theo stepped back, not wanting to push her too far, again.

As she caught her breath, Karen desperately tried to find something to break the silence that the mind blowing kiss left. Embarrassed at how easily and quickly she responded to him.

"Does he have a name?" she blurted out, and she hastily scrambled down from the counter and moving to the other side, while he pulled his pants on.

"Who?" he asked, confused by the sudden question.

"Your wolf." she said taking a deep breath, finally gaining some normalcy back in her breathing.

Theo looked at her curiously while he went to grab his cup of coffee, "No, wolves don't have names, they are known by their scent and rank."

Karen nodded and then smiled. "I'm going to call him Cuddles."

Theo sputtered indignantly as he swallowed a sip of coffee "What? No. You can't call him 'Cuddles'."

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

Again he sputtered "Because! It's... he's the next in line to be Alpha... Like a crown prince. He's the strongest, fastest..."

"Cutest, fluffiest, sweetest one," she cut him off, "and he seems to like cuddles. His name is Cuddles. So there." she stuck her tongue out at him.

Theo growled, but Karen just shrugged it off.

"Finish your coffee," she said hesitantly, her uncertainty at the whole situation finally getting to her. "I'm going to head to my side, see if Becca's home."

Theo nodded, not trusting himself to speak, in case he begged her to stay.

*******

The next few days were uneventful, Karen had spoken with Becca, and with her approval, they turned the unused office into a mini studio for Karen to work in when Theo couldn't take her into the shop. While she didn't quite understand his role in the pack, she did know that he was always busy, not that she was keeping tabs on him or anything.

Every time she thought about him, her stomach felt weird, and she would get goose bumps. It also didn't help that her panties got soaked as well. She just didn't understand what her feelings were. Ever since Josh had placed that mark on her, she had been almost out of control. She would swing from happy to angry, from frosty to horny. This was just getting ridiculous. Sighing in frustration, Karen set down the piece of glass she was working with and headed downstairs. In the Kitchen she bumped into Becca who had just gotten home from a long shift.

"Hey!" She called "Wanna go to the gym?!"

Becca looked up from her cup of tea with a grin "What? Are you tired of your easy life? Need a good beating?" she laughed as she set the mug down

"Oh Please!" Karen scoffed "I do need a good beating... beating you!"

Both women laughed, their banter was how they showed they cared for each other.

"Sure," said Becca, "let me just change and we'll head over"

Theo stiffened, mid punch, on the punching bag as her scent washed over him. He turned and watched as she and Becca walked through the gym towards the sparring mat, her head tossed back in laughter at something Becca had said.

His loin tightened and he struggled to resist the urge to jump her right there. The past few days had been hell on him. Every night she got herself off, though it wasn't as frenzied as when she went through her first trial, so he knew she was just doing it for pleasure. Did she think about him as she reached her climax? His cock hardened even further. It also didn't help that he knew buried under all of her plain, ratty clothes, there were silken treasures.

Groaning quietly to himself, he made his way over to the mat to watch them spar. He was amazed at the grace and fluidity that Karen used while fighting. Both women were fighting at top percent, and it was simply beautiful to watch. It was also incredibly impressive that the tiny female could keep up with a highly trained wolf who outmatched her in size, speed, and strength. As he watched, he noticed a slight glow starting to emanate from her tattoo. Grinning like a mad man, he chuckled when Karen stopped the fight, panting slightly.

"I gotta take a moment. I'm getting worked up." She said sheepishly "I don't want an incident here at the gym."

Becca laughed and grabbed their water bottles "Yeah," she took a swig from hers before handing Karen her own. "That would be awful." she looked at her thoughtfully for a second. "I thought your shit went crazy due to emotions. Is it affected by strenuous activity too?"

Karen chuckled and wiped her forehead on a small towel. "Not that I know of. I think it's starting to act up cause I was having so much fun. I guess any kind of emotion can set it off," she heaved another sigh. "I hope this shit evens out eventually, I'm going insane!"

Becca simply chuckled at her and shook her head. "I believe it. Take your time cooling off, I'm going to go to the little girls' room. Then we can pick up at the part where I kick you ass,"

Karen burst into laughter as Becca walked off. She turned back to her bag and ran straight into the broad chest that haunted her dreams. Her breath caught and she felt her tattoo give a giant pulse. Bracing herself she slowly raised her eyes to meet his.

He gave her a wolfish smile before leaning down to whisper in her ear "Not bad for a human, Lass." he said huskily.

Scoffing, Karen pushed him to the side "Gee, thanks." she said sarcastically as she went to the bench with her stuff on it. Theo walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her small waist pulling her against him. He leaned down again to whisper in her right ear, causing her to stiffen instantly.

"You're welcome kitten." he growled, his breath hitting her mark causing her to stifle a moan.

"Oh yeah," he said in an innocent tone "I forgot how sensitive your mark is little one."

As he spoke, Karen unconsciously leaned her head to the left, giving him more access

to her neck as her breath hitched. He quickly spun her around, holding her close to his body as she moaned and molded herself to him. He growled his approval before leaning down and licking her mark, causing her to gasp and moan louder, her hips rolling into his.