A furious scrabbling at the door. Chase opened it. The wolf came back, again. He moved to let him come in, but the animal shook his head and wagged impatiently his tail, backing away.

- What's up?

Shane backed away again, forcing the boy to come out of the house. He conducted him over the hovel.

- Ah... do you want me to follow you? - he asked, as he started to understand. The wolf nodded, impatient, and waved a paw. Then he turned around, trotting towards the forest.

The dark haired boy followed him.

It had rained, recently, and it was still possible to smell the perfume of the wet ground. The leaves crunched under Chase's black All Stars. From time to time Shane turned around to control that he was still behind him. His paws didn't make a sound on the ground.

He started walking faster, forcing the boy to imitate him. Then the wolf started running.

He's so elegant...

His paws, lighter than his body, stretched out with lightness, while he crossed meter after meter with no effort. He almost jumped at every lope. Behind him Chase saw his muscles stretch and dart under his thick, grey hair.

And in the meantime the boy ran with him, just a bit behind. His shoes made the little rocks jump. Suddendly he stumbled over a quite prominent stem and fell on his face.

Shane knew it, he knew that his human partner had fallen, but he couldn't turn around. It was a test, he had to prove that he was the one.

The dark haired boy immediately stood up and started running again, even though he was breathless. He asked himself how big the forest was.

The wolf jumped over a big log and started zigzagging between the pines. Chase kept stumbling, but he didn't want to give up. Wherever they were going, he was going to get there, safe or not.

Suddendly the animal slowed down: in front of them there was a river which had strong tides. Some rocks big enough to stand on them connected each riverside.

Shane jumped on the first without fear, and then on the second, the third, the fourth... he knew those rocks by heart. The boy imitated him, even though he wasn't that sure. His shoes slipped on the wet surface.

He hesitated on the last rock and, unfortunately, he fell in the water. It was more deep than it looked and it was icy. He fumbled and clung on the rock. The wolf was waiting for him on the riverside.

He forced himself to stay calm and took a big breath. The riverside wasn't far away. But how could he reach it?

If he had been in human form, Shane would have sighed. He rolled his eyes and leaned towards Chase, then grabbed his hood with his teeth and pulled him to the riverside. The dark haired boy didn't have the time to thank him, because the animal started running again.

They arrived in a big glade, behind them the river and some trees. Many wolves were resting against each other.

- Are they like you? - panted Chase, putting his hands on his knees. The wolf shook his head and writhed.

- They broke the pact with the earth - he said.

He started talking to the pack.

- Hey - he grumbled.

His father, a big black wolf with golden eyes, gave him a look.

- What do you want? This isn't your territory. And why is this human here?

- Dad, this is the partner I chose.

- How did he get here?

- I conducted him here. He followed me.

The black wolf looked at the human. Wet from head to toe, with the hands and the clothes dirty of dirt and the face scratchy.

He howled at the others.

- Well, Shane. Let's see if he's done everything for nothing.

The pack surrounded Chase. He didn't move and let the wolves smell him.

- Stay here - barked Shane's father at his son.

And without warning he jumped on the boy and made him fell on the ground, before growling near his face. Chase avoided his eyes and didn't move.

A moment later the big black wolf got off the human and went to lick another member of the pack.

- Good choice. Are you thinking of breaking the pact with the moon? - he asked. Shane shook his head. - Now go.

The grey wolf turned back to his partner and wagged his tail like a big dog.

- It feels like you were testing me... - mumbled Chase.

~~~

It was night. The full moon shone brightly in the sky. Shane stopped under Chase's window and howled. The window opened.

- Come on, come in - slobbered the boy. The wolf jumped and landed directly on Chase's bed, where he curled up.

He put his hand on his back. A second later he caressed his smooth skin, instead of his thick, warm grey hair.

He moved to his side and covered him with the covers. Shane pressed himself against his chest. The dark haired boy sank his face between his shoulder and his neck and inspired deeply.

- You smell of the ground, of blood, forest and above all you smell of wolf - he said. The boy with golden eyes asked himself if that was a good thing.

- Are you saying that I stink?

- No. I love your smell.

- It was yours that lead me to you - muttered Shane. Chase kissed his neck.

- Shane... someday I want to make love with you - he whispered; it didn't matter that he said it loud or not, Shane's ears were extremely sensitive.

- ... make love? - his voice sounded confused.

His human side made him a more intelligent wolf and viceversa, but he'd passed so little time as Shane the human that he had forgotten many things about humans and their language.

Chase blushed.

And now how do I explain it to him?

- You know, that thing that you wolves call... 'mating'.

- Oh.

The wolf-boy reflected for a moment.

- But what's the point? I can't have a baby - he said. Chase sighed.

- No, of course. I know it too. It's just a big demonstration of love.

And he caressed his chest, then kissed again his neck. Shane felt a milion shivers of pleasure run down his bare skin. That sensation was so pleasing that not even the night wind caressing his wolf hair was comparable.

Suddendly Chase's lips were replaced by his teeth: a quick, light, painless bite.

- Hey. Did you just bite me?

Chase held him close.

- You're mine, that's why I want everyone to see where I marked you.

Shane wriggled and got on top of him, looking intensely at him under the light of the moon.

God, how sexy he is...

The brown haired boy imitated him, biting his neck. Chase moaned in pain and ran his fingers where the wolf-boy put his canines. He felt blood under his hand.

- Shane... not that deep - he sighed. Shane licked his wound: compared to the blood of the animals he hunted, his was the sweetest.

Silence. They hugged again.

- Am I going to become like you?

- Only if you make a pact with the moon...

A yawn.

- I love you, Shane.

The wolf-boy grumbled.

- Me too... so can you teach me how to live like a real human?