Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She was sitting down, the big sweatshirt she wore hid the marks on her wrists, hid the scratches that would disappear in a few days, hid the pale skin, the trembling hands, but her eyes and face remained the same.

Exhausted, pale, half lifeless. And Kate Bishop found her world turned upside down in just a few days.

In front of her was a woman with red hair, curious and understanding blue eyes. She wore a white T-shirt, jeans, and boots fit for the rural area they were in, and Kate, Kate wanted to shrink and disappear.

"How are you feeling?" The woman’s voice came soft, gentle, and Kate looked at her then turned her eyes to the window, staring at the forest there and feeling that pull she could never explain, the urge to walk, to wander through the woods as if it were some kind of home.

"Exhausted." Kate said after a long silence that the redhead didn’t try to break.

"That’s a very valid feeling considering everything you’ve been through." She continued.

"Is exhaustion valid when you find out your father poisoned you for twenty years and lied? Is it valid when you find out you’re a… A…" She stammered. "Monster?" She said quietly in a tone even she didn’t believe had come out of her.

"You’re not a monster, Kate." The woman said softly.

"If it weren’t for my damn neighbor I could’ve killed someone, I am a monster, Wanda. My father was right." It was pathetic, almost curled up inside herself was how Kate looked. And the look she received was not one that said ‘sorry you are a monster’ but yes one saying ‘I am sorry you are suffering this way’.

"You’re not a monster, you’re a person who didn’t get the training and support you needed for something very special." Wanda spoke gently. "You’re a werewolf, or better called and real name, a lycan Kate, this isn’t a curse, it’s not a disease, not a condition. It’s who you are." Wanda said and Kate shrank even more. "I… Know how confusing it is to discover powers like this so late, to have that responsibility on you. If it weren’t for Agatha I probably would’ve hurt myself badly and never learned to control my magic, but you’re not helpless anymore." Wanda said and Kate sighed.

"I feel pain…" Kate said, looking at her own hands, opening and closing them and feeling the discomfort.

"Silver poisoning symptoms are terrible. Even for a human it’s bad, but for a lycan it’s worse…" Wanda said softly, gently as if she was a child and maybe she was considering how lost she was feeling right now. "Intense pain and burning are the most consistent, then comes fatigue, weakness, tremors…" Wanda said, watching Kate’s fingers shake. "Your paleness is explained by that too, that’s why you have this… Sickly look." The redhead went on softly. "Your heart is a bit irregular, you might have breathing problems, blurred vision, issues with light sensitivity, sometimes wounds take longer to heal. Not to mention the emotional and mental symptoms like confusion, trouble focusing, anxiety, also irritability, discouragement and depressive episodes and the memory lapses." She paused.

"It got worse with the injections." She whispered trying to remember all that happened but also waiting to avoid it.

"He injected silver into you, Kate. Silver is terribly toxic for lycans. In them, silver acts as a slow-acting cellular poison. Because of their fast metabolism and constant regeneration, lycans’ cells depend on specific enzymes that are highly sensitive. Silver binds to those enzymes, especially the ones containing sulfur, disabling crucial functions and causing failures in regeneration. Over time it accumulates in the tissues, blocks energy production in the mitochondria and interferes with the neurochemistry that keeps the balance between instinct and consciousness. That’s why, instead of just weakening, silver creates an internal rupture — as if body and mind split into two halves that no longer recognize each other." The explanation came and Kate sighed.

"My father was poisoning me. I feel like a victim from those true crime narrations." She said and Wanda sighed lightly and nodded.

"I can’t imagine what that was like for you, Agatha might understand more, she had a very… Abusive mother." The word was chosen carefully and Kate sighed.

"The worst part is that he was good, besides that, dad was a nice man, he was involved, he took care of me and all that. But… I had this disease that held me back and it was awful…" She whispered low. "Now I found out he poisoned me to contain something… He never gave me a chance and my mother never suspected." The tone was thoughtful, almost cruel, and she looked toward the window. "How long until the silver leaves my body?" She asked.

"A few months, our magic will help stabilize it, but even if we remove a large part, your body still needs to metabolize the rest on its own. With time it’ll get better, but we’ll still have symptoms in the first two months, I presume." Kate nodded at that.

"Can I go lie down, please?" She asked gently.

"Of course you can Kate, you’re not a prisoner. I know you’re staying here for a while until your mother finds a house." The redhead offered. "Billy showed you your room, didn’t he?" She asked.

"Tommy carried my bags, apparently I’m pathetic." She whispered and Wanda rolled her eyes.

"Delicacy was never my youngest’s strong suit." She muttered and Kate gave a small smile. "Billy is a witch, like me and Agatha, Tommy is a Speedy, a speedster — rare these days but my brother is one too." She commented, getting up. "Rio.. You’ll meet Rio after the full moon passes. She’s a lycan like you." That made Kate stop and look at the redhead. "She’ll help you reconnect with your wolf." She explained. "But that’s for another time. She’s in moon fever as we call it, and since she’s mated with Agatha the two tend to isolate themselves in the forest." She continued casually. "I’ll take you to your room."

"Moon fever?" Kate said, standing up shakily and following Wanda.

"It’s the informal way we call it when lycans transform, it’s not really a problem, but generally as the full moon approaches, lycans get hotter — literally — that’s why fever. The moon is actually a call to the wolves, a monthly rite of connection with the wolf. It’s easier for the transformation, even if it happens outside that time, it’s like the line between wolf and human gets thinner and it’s easier to touch and change. lycans connected with their wolves act in union, it’s not symbiotic but rather a version of themselves. Wolves are more temperamental, possessive, dominant in some cases, but that’s usually close to their human personality, you have rationality in wolf form, but you feel the world differently, more scents, fewer colors, more sounds." Wanda explained and walked slowly with Kate, which the brunette appreciated because she felt unsteady.

"So… I’ll feel less… Disconnected?" She asked softly.

"Yes Kate, the tendency is that in the coming weeks everything will feel less turbulent in your mind. I know you don’t remember what happened two nights ago." She said softly.

"I went to sleep nauseous and woke up in a cage with chains on my wrists and ankles, with Carol and mom screaming at my father." She said and Wanda nodded.

"It’s confusing." The witch said gently. "Carol is a Peri, one of the last of her kind that I know still exist. She felt very protective of you and of what was happening, she could sense the poisoning and well, she called me." Wanda explained superficially.

"Peri?" Kate asked and they stopped in front of the bedroom door.

"A being of light, of energy, of solar power. The name comes from Persian mythology, they were common there, but can be born outside the circle like Carol." She explained softly. "Try to sleep, we’ll call you for dinner. Your mother said she’d be back later because she’s trying to find a house, but considering the local market it might take a while." Kate nodded. "It’s going to be okay, Kate." She gave a sweet smile and Kate lowered her head and entered the room without saying anything else.

It was a good room, simple but good, a double bed, a desk, a dresser for clothes. Lucky’s bed was there and she heard barking coming from the backyard. Lucky was playing with the Maximoff family dog, the small and furry Sparky and they were getting along, which made Kate smile faintly. But she was exhausted, truly exhausted, and lay down on the bed without much hesitation, falling asleep as soon as she got comfortable.

********

"Not hungry, dear?" Eleanor’s voice was sweet, gentle, and Kate lifted her eyes from the half-eaten plate to look into her mother’s eyes, blue like hers.

"I feel a little nauseous." She tried not to lie. "And my head is a bit… Messy." She whispered, and saw how Wanda, Tommy, and Billy stopped and looked at her.

"That’s a bit common, Kate, you’re still under the effects of the silver." Wanda said gently, and she saw Tommy and Billy glance at their mother. "Try to be kind to your stomach, eat small portions, we always have something in the kitchen, Tommy has a very fast metabolism and he’s always hungry." She offered, and the youngest nodded.

"Thank you, Wanda." Kate whispered, and Wanda gave a small smile as she saw Kate put another piece of meat in her mouth.

"So… Are you carnivorous because of the wolf or just because?" Tommy asked suddenly.

"Tommy!" Billy scolded firmly, a clear tone that Tommy was being nosy.

"I think I always liked meat, my father… Said it wasn’t so good for me." She whispered.

"He claimed it was the illness and that meat made the symptoms worse." Eleanor said quietly.

"lycans are carnivorous, meat helps with metabolism." Wanda explained softly. "Maybe cutting it down made the wolf weaker and more susceptible to control." Kate nodded at that, uncertain.

"Maybe." She said low. "Can we… Can we not talk about this? I feel like I’m in a circus ring." The brunette said quietly, and there was a moment of tension as everyone glanced at each other.

"Eleanor told me you’re a writer…" Wanda tried a lighter topic.

"Ooh, that’s cool! What do you write?" Billy asked, breaking the tension.

"I write queer romance, in medieval and fantastical worlds." Kate said, and saw the boy’s eyes light up.

"Oh, oh, tell me more!" He asked, eyes gleaming with joy.

"I’m writing the third book of my series…" She said shyly to him. "The Crimson Sword, that’s this book’s name.." Kate offered.

"Oh! Oh! Isn’t that the one Natasha’s been reading?" He asked his mother. "Natasha is mom’s girlfriend." He said, and Wanda blushed.

"We’re not official as girlfriends." Wanda muttered.

"Eh, semantics, you’ve been together for months." Tommy rolled his eyes. "We like Natasha, she’s a cop here in town, with Clint. They’re humans, kind of boring not having powers." He said, and Kate gave a small laugh.

"Are you human-phobic, Tommy?" She teased, and it made the boy laugh amused. Tommy had straight light brown hair, lighter than Billy’s, and blue eyes like Wanda’s, unlike his brother’s which were brown.

"There are nice, humans I mean, I even have friends who are." The younger one’s line made Eleanor let out an amused snort and Billy laugh softly.

"Line of the century." Billy teased his brother. But that made Billy and Tommy start talking with Kate, more them than her, and that was fine. She felt a bit relaxed, taken out of the center of attention.

Billy told her what it was like to work with Agatha at the bookstore when he wasn’t studying at Eastview University, how it was to be in a coven with the older woman and how much he learned. Tommy, on the other hand, said Wanda forbade him from racing, but he loved running with his uncle, Pietro, when he came back to town from time to time. And that he loved visiting different cities. Wanda stated she trusted Tommy not to do stupid things, and the boy said he didn’t want to go to jail anyway, because running in circles would be boring. A statement that made Kate laugh lightly and nod.

"I don’t like being trapped either." She said, and there was a moment of silence. "I’m going to take a shower and stay with Lucky for a bit, okay?" She asked, and even though she was almost 30, she found herself asking for permission.

"Of course, dear, I’ll talk with Wanda for a bit." Eleanor said softly, and Kate nodded, moving in slow steps out of the dining room. "I’m really worried about her…" She heard as soon as she turned the corner.

"Give her time, she’s adapting, and so are you. I know there are a lot of questions, I hope Alice was good at explaining." Kate stopped walking and listened closely.

"She scolded me, but then understood I was manipulated too, and apparently Alice hates men." There was a huff from Billy and Tommy. "But she was kind as much as she could be, she explained a lot about the condition—" Eleanor stopped, and there was a moment of silence. "About lycans and how that affected Kate and how we can make everything better." Eleanor said, her voice slightly trembling.

"Not calling it a condition or illness is already a start." Tommy said defensively. "She’s sick because of the silver, not because she’s a lycan." He said firmly.

"I know… Sorry, I’m learning." Eleanor stammered.

"It’s okay, Mrs. Bishop, my brother’s a jerk. You got caught in this storm too." Billy said kindly.

"It’s a learning curve for both, but yes, Tommy’s right even if rude." Kate imagined Wanda gave Tommy a sharp look, since a low apology followed. "Not treating the fact that Kate is a lycan as a problem is the first step, the second step is time. Time for you and for her to adapt to this new situation. Usually by 30, as Kate’s about to turn, the wolf and her would already be in full sync, she’d be considered an adult lycan, capable of fully controlling her wolf. But that was delayed by 20 years, I assume her wolf is still a pup or at best an adolescent. It’ll be a fast curve for them to mature together, we can’t and shouldn’t expect that once the silver eases up, the wolf will have the maturity to merge with Kate, it’s usually a longer process, so patience, time, and gentleness. For now, she needs rest." Kate was sure Wanda said that for her, and she started moving toward her room again. Lucky was there, in his own bed, and quickly greeted Kate.

"Hey boy, shall we take a bath and then sleep?" She asked, and Lucky padded happily in front of the bed, giving a canine smile, following Kate to the bathroom at the end of the hall and back to the bedroom, where she fell asleep easily.

*******”

The room was dark, Kate deeply appreciated that, and her phone read almost 2 p.m., which made her frown. Lucky hadn’t been there for a while, probably Eleanor had taken him out of the room at some point, and Kate got up groggily, feeling heavy. She stepped on the wooden floor and felt her legs give out when she pushed herself up. With a heavy, tired sigh, she pushed herself up again, this time a bit steadier. She then moved slowly toward the bathroom, with clean clothes in her arms, and kept walking.

She then went down to the kitchen, hearing no one in the house. Tommy and Billy were probably in classes at Eastview University, the next town over, her mother was probably doing something she didn’t know about, and Wanda was likely working. She entered the kitchen and froze, seeing a woman in a police uniform there, dark red hair cut in a messy bob. Kate figured it had to be Natasha.

"Good morning… Or well, afternoon." Kate said, trying to break the awkward moment, and the redhead turned to her, emerald green eyes focusing on Kate with curiosity, assessing her, and the brunette felt embarrassed, by her own weakness, mess, and sickly appearance.

"Good morning, I’m Natasha. Wands said she had guests." She said in a low tone, the light accent noticeable.

"Yes, I… I’m a bit sick as we can see." Kate decided to at least break that part. "But Wanda says rest and time are what I need, but I was hungry." She shrugged.

"Lunch was served two hours ago, but Wanda left sandwiches." Natasha said calmly. "There’s coffee, do you drink coffee? I actually came to pick up Sparky, he has training today. She said there was also a golden, but I didn’t find him." Natasha said casually.

"He’s probably with my mom, she likes going out with him." Kate offered and grabbed a sandwich, feeling hunger and nausea at the same time, but it was a feeling she’d known for many years, so she just went on.

She picked up the sandwich and made a cup of chamomile tea, which helped her stomach. Then she sat at the small kitchen table, with Natasha watching her closely.

"You’re friends with Wanda?" She asked softly.

"Sort of, Wanda was a recommendation. And a kind heart." Kate said without revealing much, and there was a small frown.

"I worry." Natasha said, and seemed to regret it the moment the words left her mouth, because she looked at Kate with slightly raised brows.

"I’m harmless, don’t worry." She said, and that disarmed Natasha.

"That’s not what I meant…" Natasha tried to fix it, but Kate sighed and looked at her.

"It’s okay." She said, and the redhead looked at her. "You have every right to have concerns." There was a frown from Natasha, but she nodded, and the silence that stretched there was a little tense.

"I’ll go with Sparky then…" The redhead’s tone was hesitant, and Kate nodded.

"Have a good day." She said, and found herself left alone in that house she didn’t know, but was temporarily living in.

She started forcing herself to eat, even nauseous, even without hunger, but still made herself finish the sandwich and drink the tea before walking to the bedroom. Wanda had said she’d feel less sick once the full moon passed and the connection to the wolf grew more distant. But she doubted it.

With a long sigh, she turned on her laptop and began rereading the chapter she’d been writing before the “crisis." as she called it, had happened.

But her mind drifted for a long while. It was somewhat clarifying to finally understand what was happening, even if it still felt surreal. There had been confirmation from her mother — she, Kate Bishop, had turned into a considerably large wolf, run through Central Park in a frantic sprint, and then been completely taken down by Carol Danvers, who by luck had been heading home at the time. Kate was grateful to Carol — she’d been helped, the silver poisoning had been discovered, and she had… Mixed feelings about her father.

For many years, Derek had been a devoted, caring father, and even with the injections, he was gentle, saying it was for her own good. Kate couldn’t tell if it was fear in Derek — fear of what he’d discovered when she was little — or simply prejudice.

According to Wanda, the mythical society had been mixed with regular humans since the beginning of civilization, to the point that humans often ignored clear signs that someone wasn’t completely human. And Kate herself hadn’t noticed anything, even living next to Carol for at least five years.

Kate closed the laptop and brought her hands to her face. Her wandering mind made it hard to write, though luckily she was ahead and didn’t need to send much to Jean for review.

She tried to recall her first transformation — the one her father said happened when she was little and it was just the two of them. But she couldn’t. It was as if her wolf’s memories were trapped inside a fogged glass jar — there, but still so far away. And realizing that connection made sense of why Kate had always felt somewhat disconnected from herself. Things never quite added up — it made sense, if she were honest. But still, it was surreal.

She looked at her phone, trying to distract herself a bit, replied to a few people she occasionally talked to, and updated her professional Instagram. 

Removing New York as her home — she wouldn’t be returning anytime soon, from what she understood. She needed to recover from the silver, learn how to control the wolf, and try to find a normalcy she still didn’t have. 

Kate then gave up on working and moved to the backyard. Wanda had mentioned that contact with nature might help.

She sat on the wooden bench there and looked toward the forest. It was a strange kind of longing she felt — familiar, but still out of reach. Her blue eyes wandered over the woods ahead of her. Wanda’s house was nice, almost a manor by the edge of the forest and near the lake.

Apparently, the whole coven lived nearby, but Wanda was the most isolated since her powers had taken longer to stabilize. Still, the house was painted red and white and had a lovely yard, with a vegetable garden and flowers Kate appreciated. She thought for a moment — Wanda had given her freedom to do whatever she wanted while staying there. So she moved to the kitchen.

Starting to bake a cake was easy — Wanda had all the ingredients, and she was pleased to use the mixer. Even tired, she wanted to do something nice. So, with the cake baking, she went to wash the dishes.

"Kate?" Eleanor’s voice came from the entrance of the house.

"In the kitchen." She called, and the first to reach her was Lucky, wearing a gay pride bandana around his neck and an eager canine smile. "Hey boy, my hands are wet, can you wait a moment?" She asked, and Lucky, as always — well-behaved and gentle — sat beside Kate, watching as she finished washing the utensils she’d used.

"You baked a cake…" Eleanor’s voice was soft. "It’s been years since you’ve done that." Her tone was low, and she swallowed hard.

"I feel a little less… Debilitated today." She said, uncertain of the word, and heard a quiet sigh from her mother, who came closer and stood beside her at the sink.

"I’m so sorry, Kate." The woman’s voice broke, and the writer looked at Eleanor — the same blue eyes as hers, the dark blonde hair, features that reminded Kate slightly but not much. The young Bishop still resembled her father more.

"You didn’t know." She said quietly to her mother and saw tears there. "Please don’t cry…" Kate asked, her voice slightly strained.

"I just… I should have noticed something was wrong, but your father was protective. He didn’t want me to know how serious it was. I should have insisted." Yes, she should have, Kate thought, but it wasn’t worth throwing that in her mother’s face when she already seemed to be punishing herself enough.

"We’re safe now." She said softly, and Eleanor hugged her gently, Kate sighing at the tender touch. All things considered, Kate couldn’t say she’d had bad parents.

If — and only if — She ignored the whole chronic silver poisoning over twenty years, both had been present, active in trying to take part in her life, especially Eleanor, who hadn’t known what was happening. And even though that was a major failure, Kate understood — her mother, like her, had trusted Derek. It had been okay to let the man handle that part because he was good at it. And they’d trusted him.

Overall, Kate hadn’t seen major red flags with her father, and especially not with her mother, aside from the inattentiveness Eleanor now seemed to be drowning in guilt over. And Kate honestly didn’t want to add more fuel to that fire.

"I just want to be okay and figure out how to control this and, I don’t know… Be healthy." Kate said, and Eleanor nodded.

"I’m divorcing your father." She said it not like a blow, but like necessary information.

"I figured that would happen." She said quietly, not denying it was the right move—after all, Derek had lied for twenty years. "Do you remember anything from when I started getting sick?" She sounded curious — it had been on her mind since everything came out.

"Vaguely… I was in Canada with your grandmother." Eleanor said thoughtfully. "You remember she told you that when you were little she broke her leg, right?" The older woman said gently.

"Yes, I never knew how she did it. Every time she told a more dramatic story than the last. I like the version where she had to free herself from a bear trap." A completely false story, but one Kate found funny every time.

“She slipped on the frozen sidewalk in front of the house.” Eleanor rolled her eyes. “But she needed surgery and I went there, which is usual, you were… 9 or something, 8 maybe.” There was a small pause. “Your father called me saying you suddenly got sick, but that everything was fine, he was going to take you to the doctor and find out what was going on. I never asked, a mistake I regret, but then he said the doctor found an abnormality in your blood and that it was something easy to resolve, with monthly injections. But that the symptoms could be debilitating over time.” She contemplated. “Looking back now, clearly I was foolish to trust him.” Eleanor muttered.

“He was a good father apart from that.” Kate said, shrugging slightly.

“Yes… He was, but now we realize he isn’t anymore.” Eleanor said, clearly sad.

“I’m sorry.” This made Eleanor’s eyes rise to her daughter. “He was the love of your life, I’m so sorry he broke your heart and your trust like that.” She spoke empathetically, and Eleanor hugged her tightly.

“God, you’re so sweet. You’re suffering and still have kind words for me, I love you Kate, even though I failed so miserably to protect you, I promise with all my heart that I will do more and be better.” Eleanor spoke firmly.

“I know.” Kate spoke softly, and after that, a quiet silence settled there. She didn’t want to keep prolonging apologies and things like that, it was unnecessary, but still good that it happened. Now the goal was to move on. “Did you find a house?” She asked, and that was all it took to get Eleanor talking about all the places she visited and which ones she liked best.

It seemed almost easy to forget that Kate was still heartbroken. But she would work one day at a time. Today she made a cake, which is more than she’d made in the last few months. Tomorrow she will try to write.

*********

Three days had passed, and indeed, Wanda was right. The passing of the full moon made Kate feel less on the verge of collapse, she returned to her usual self. Tired, sometimes disconnected, but still productive.

She managed to work again and contemplated that all these years what she thought was a side effect of the medication was actually an attempt by the wolf to crawl out of the silver shackles.

She was sitting at the table on the porch, and being in nature helped her more than she thought it would, and that explained a lot about why she liked Central Park so much when she was in New York.

But she tried to focus. She needed to write the description of an old temple, and she was pondering which style she should use, since her world was medieval but not realistic, she could cling to other human architectures.

"Are you trying to work, girl?" The voice was a woman's, a little hoarse, and that made Kate's eyes rise and meet the woman in purple.

“Trying is an understatement… Would a church for the Moon Goddess be better in Gothic or Renaissance style?” She asked suddenly, and the woman’s eyebrows rose in slight amusement.

“I’ve always liked Gothic a little more. Darker.” She said, entering through the backyard gate and walking to Kate in long strides, her purple clothes swaying slightly, and when the woman stopped in front of Kate, the brunette made a small, quick grimace at the scent she caught. “I’m Agatha Harkness.” The woman said, introducing herself. “And what was that grimace for?” She asked, almost amused.

“Wanda’s mentor.” Kate said thoughtfully and blushed. “Sorry, my nose has been a little… Sensitive lately.” She said, and one of Agatha’s eyebrows rose in amusement and challenge. “You smell slightly like wet dog.” She said, and this brought a laugh from Agatha.

“I was with Rio at the lake, she likes to swim in wolf form, which explains the wet dog smell.” She said, shrugging. “Wanda told you I want to do a little ritual to try and get some silver out of your body?” She said, and Kate’s eyebrows arched, and she shook her head. “Yeah, typical. Now, save what you’re doing and come with me, kid, let’s try to make you less uncomfortable.” Kate blinked a few times and then sighed, getting up, still slightly unsteady, and closed the laptop, and the two went inside the house. Kate left the electronic device on the dining table and obediently followed Agatha.

“Okay… Do I need to change clothes?” Kate asked softly.

“No, but it can be quite painful if I’m honest. William, we don’t have all day.” The last sentence was said loudly, and there were sounds of quick footsteps on the stairs.

“My God, woman, calm down, I was leaving my things in my room. Hi Kate.” he said with an easy smile to the brunette.

“Hey, Billy.” The smile was shy, still slightly restrained. “Are you going to participate in my torture session?” She tried to joke, and Agatha rolled her eyes but gave a small smile.

“I need to learn how to perform purification rituals, it’s not my mother’s forte, and technically, my mentor is Agatha.” He said, shrugging and going to one of the cabinets, pulling out some candles and a blanket.

“I loved that neither of you denied it was torture.” She grumbled, and Billy chuckled softly.

“I won’t lie, it’s going to be unpleasant. The problem with silver is that it accumulates in your muscles and is slowly released into your body, which is why the effects are so long-lasting even in single intoxications. Your case, being so long-lasting, is more complex. We need to perform the rites to purify your muscles, nerves, and organs, and that will be painful. It’s a heavy metal that needs to permeate your body, it will feel like thousands of needles.” Kate appreciated Agatha’s honesty and sighed.

“If I pass out, please take Lucky to the bathroom at six, he works like a damn clock.” She grumbled to Billy, who nodded quickly. Kate was almost sadly resigned to her own suffering.

“I’m sorry.” Billy felt the need to speak, and Kate sighed.

“It’s okay, or at least I hope it will be okay… I…” She hesitated as they entered the basement. “I can’t stand feeling sick anymore. If something can be done to help me, I’ll accept it, even if it hurts.” She spoke, trying to take control of her own narrative. “At least now it will be on my terms and with my consent.” This resonated, and Billy swallowed hard and looked away.

“My mother tried to kill me.” Agatha spoke, and this made the two younger ones look at her. “I was Billy’s age, my powers were always… Difficult…” She said thoughtfully. “I am what many witches call a magical predator, my magic is a siphoning, a magical absorption that not only pulls magic from another witch but also pulls vital energy. It took me many years to learn to control this and sometimes, I still lose control if I am attacked by other witches, especially. But my mother tried with her coven to overload my body and kill me that way. Blood witchcraft has always been something rare and especially unusual. So it was a little difficult to learn, Rio taught me a lot because her family has witches. So she helped me, but Billy was the one who finally helped me fully understand how to turn the siphoning on and off, and so yes, I understand what it is to have a betrayal of that level when it comes to our parents.” She spoke and Kate nodded softly.

“I just want to be able to live.” The sentence weighed heavily and Billy, who was lighting the candles, shuddered and dropped a candle on the floor.

“Shit…” He muttered and picked up the candle, and put it back in position.

“Let’s make this happen, kid.” Agatha said, indicating the center of the circle of candles. “It will be painful, so don’t hesitate. I’ll put a silencing spell on the room so your mother doesn’t faint.” She said, and began drawing runes in the air, forming almost a force field around them, and Kate watched, fascinated.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. Honestly, I think I’m handling the idea of ​​magical and mythological beings well, but this is the first time I’ve seen magic.” She spoke softly. “It’s beautiful.” It was gentle, and that seemed to disarm Agatha.

“Well, that’s the second time someone has said my magic is beautiful.” She spoke softly. “Sit down, Kate. I’ll try to help you so you can live.” It was much gentler than her sharp tone before, and Kate pondered that it had probably touched something emotional for Agatha. Billy didn’t say anything and just swallowed hard.

Agatha then began a long explanation to Billy about keywords, runes, and how magic was supposed to permeate Kate. And when they began a low chant of slow words, which took Kate a while to understand were consistent repetitions of ‘purify this flesh, purify this blood,’ it took a few moments of low chanting for Billy’s blue magic and Agatha’s purple magic to touch her.

The first touch was gentle, a soft probing, and it was different, one magic from the other. Billy’s magic was sweeter, gentler, warmer. Agatha’s felt like a sharp point, finding spaces to pierce through. And it hurt. It hurt a lot, if the torn scream that came from her throat made that clear.

And she tried to resist, she held onto the edges of consciousness as best she could, and when she felt something being pushed or pulled out of her, the smell of blood took over, and she felt one of the worst pains of her life. Her vision was blurred with pain.

“Holy shit.” Billy's voice rang out, but Kate couldn't see anything anymore,, everything was black with white spots in her vision. She rolled over, felt nauseous, and vomited.

“Billy, call your mother.” Agatha spoke, and Kate felt the woman’s hand on her forehead. “It’s going to be alright, little one, it’s going to be alright. You should have fainted much sooner, girl…” It was maternal, and Kate coughed the smell of blood grew stronger, and she heard Agatha murmur something about how her magic wasn’t meant for healing. After that, everything went dark, and Kate fainted.

********

Waking up was painful, if someone asked Kate to define what it was like to wake up, it was horrible. She felt aching muscles, a lingering smell of blood in her nose, and an old metallic taste in her mouth. She felt someone gently touching a damp cloth to her forehead until her eyes managed to open, and she groaned in pain.

"Oh..." It was an unfamiliar voice, and then the light from the window was blocked. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd wake up now." The voice was gentle, even sweet on some level, and Kate opened her eyes and saw an older woman, curly hair slightly white in some parts, but still a dark blonde, light green eyes, and she was wearing colorful clothes. "Hi, I'm Lilia, from Wanda and Agatha's coven." She spoke, and Kate groaned slightly but tried to get up. "Stay lying down, girl, you're still hurt." Lilia gently held her by the shoulders and made her lie down again.

"What happened?" Kate's voice was hoarse, harsh to her own ears, and Lilia sighed, went to the door, and called Wanda's name before turning to Kate.

"We should have anticipated that a purification rite would be too much for your body at this point in your treatment." She spoke gently, and then the door opened, and Kate saw several people enter her room.

"I have an audience." She spoke hoarsely, which brought a snorting laugh from a Black woman with a shaved head.

"I'm Jen, and this is Alice. You already know the rest of us." She said, indicating Billy, who gave a tight smile, Agatha, who had her arms crossed, and Wanda, who had a worried look.

"I would say it's a pleasure, but I feel a little too beaten to feel anything other than pain." Kate said, and Alice chuckled softly.

"I think your pain is understandable, Kate. You resisted fainting much more than anyone else in a purification ritual I've ever seen." Agatha spoke, and there was an exchange of glances between everyone. “We assume there are around 12 grams of silver in your body over the last twenty years, and silver never completely goes away, so the ritual was to help you sweat out that metal, but…” Agatha hesitated.

“I smelled blood.” Kate spoke softly.

“Literally, the silver found a way out of your body, not completely, I…” Billy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metal ball. “We managed to remove 4 grams of silver from your body, but it came at a price…” He stammered.

“The silver tore tissue out of your body, like tiny needles or arrowheads, the blood actively flowed because the silver acts as an anticoagulant where it passes through a lycan’s body.” Jen began to explain calmly. “The blood you felt was that, the pain was also that, and as powerful as Agatha is, her magic isn't healing magic. So the coven was summoned so we could stabilize you.” Jen spoke softly.

“You've been sleeping for 5 days, with constant fevers and healing rites to help you get through the pain and blood loss. We're taking turns caring for you.” Lilia spoke directly.

“Oh, great, I almost died.” Kate said and sat up, this time Jen and Lilia helped her with that. “Is that why I feel like I've been hit by a train?” She said and groaned as she shrugged.

“Your muscles have ruptured.” Wanda said, looking at Kate with concern. “Tommy compared it to the physical exhaustion of someone doing an Ironman, whatever that means.” She said awkwardly.

“A horrible triathlon. 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42.2 km of running, completed in sequence.” Kate said and rubbed her eyes slightly. “Well, I’ve never done that, but it would certainly be something like that physically.” She said and sighed. “Five days out? My mother must be almost having another childbirth, and she was in labor for 36 hours to have me.” Kate said and gave a small, tiny, pathetic laugh.

“She was afraid you wouldn’t wake up.” Jen commented softly. “Even reassuring her that you would wake up when your body managed to adjust the pain level to something acceptable and recover a little, she was afraid.” It was soft information.

“And where is she?” Kate asked and accepted the straw in the glass of water that Lilia held for her. “Thank you.” She whispered and the woman smiled at her.

“Rio took her for a walk, she was standing guard at the door and it was driving us all crazy. They went to the pet shop with Lucky and Sparky.” Wanda stated. “Do you want to eat something?” The question came softly and was answered by Kate’s stomach rumbling.

“I think that’s a yes. Lilia will stay with you while we all organize lunch.” Agatha said dryly.

“I need a babysitter?” Kate’s eyebrows furrowed and Lilia snorted. “Sorry.” She added.

“You bled almost to death in a filthy basement, Kate, obey the witches and accept company.” Alice spoke disdainfully, and Kate blushed slightly.

“There are still inherent risks to your condition and injuries, you may not feel them in particular, but you suffered many injuries in this rite. You need to stay still for another day or two and let the magic heal you and your wolf regeneration begin to return.” Jen spoke without hesitation, and Kate sighed.

“But I can work, right?” She asked, and there was an incredulous look from everyone.

“If you can move.” Agatha spoke, and many eyes were on her. “What? Don’t look at me like that, if she wants to and can, let the girl entertain herself. She’s already been through a lot of restrictions.” The sentence weighed heavily, and Kate looked away when there was a reluctant acceptance. “Let’s make food. Behave yourself.” Agatha said and left with a slightly dramatic twirl, and Kate gave a small snort.

“She’s theatrical, isn’t she?” She asked lightly, and Lilia laughed.

“She always has been, since she was young. But she’s one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever known. She and Wanda. Different paths and extremely rare, yet powerful, magic.” Lilia spoke with an easy smile, and the rest of the group left, leaving only the older witch and Kate.

“Extremely rare magic?” She asked softly. “Agatha told me that her magic sucks other magic or something like that.” She sounded soft.

“Blood magic, rare because it’s not common, purple magic is a mixture of red and blue magic, protection and healing, it has its good side and its bad side. Wanda, despite being a red magic, well… She is blessed by the Chaos Entity. Which makes her magic unstable, confusing, and very dangerous.” She commented, and Kate made a small thoughtful sound.

“Is there such a thing with lycans?” She asked curiously.

“For many hundreds of years, lycans one of the largest mystical groups that existed, along with vampires. But this leaked too much into popular culture, and this, just like with witches, caused persecutions and attacks, so the groups dwindled.” Lilia spoke and sat on the edge of Kate's bed. “There are 3 categories in terms of power level. Betas, who are the weakest wolves, followed by omegas, mid-level wolves of power, and alphas, the pack leaders. Regardless of gender, size, or strength, packs generally organize themselves respectfully.” She spoke calmly.

“Unlike bizarre fanfics and the idealization of cult culture.” Kate said, and Lilia made a positive sound.

“Pop culture especially has pornologized werewolf/lycan culture, a strange idea of ​​bestial kink.” The ease with which Lilia said this almost caught Kate off guard. “But no, nothing related to that, wolves are generally very protective, very respectful, very good to their pack. There aren't many cases of violence among wolves unless it involves some kind of power struggle, but over the centuries, wolves, even being physical, are very democratic in their packs.” She said, and Kate looked interested.

“So if I join a pack…” She began hesitantly.

“Currently, due to the absurd reduction in the number of lycans, packs are mixed. And in some cases, there aren't even other lycans in some pack structures. The wolf needs to belong, to belong to a core group, and that way it won't feel like a lone wolf. Belonging is essential for the wolf's health.” She said, and Kate nodded.

“Okay…” She whispered and yawned.

“Sleep, Kate, we'll wake you up to eat and then sleep more.” She said, and Kate didn't argue, she just allowed herself to sleep and rest.

*********

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror with a slightly less tired look, she felt less nauseous, which was a tremendous achievement considering that for the past twenty years, chronic pain, exhaustion, headaches, confusion, and nausea had been constant companions.

So, looking in the mirror and seeing herself a little more rested was an achievement that made Kate, who was still a little suspicious of this whole lycan thing, feel a little more confident that she had done the right thing in choosing to come to Wanda.

She observed herself for a moment, because of the poisoning, she didn't have much physical strength yet, but Agatha stated that the wolf only needed a few weeks of physical exercise for Kate to gain physical strength and muscle mass. Then, at the end of the week, there would be another purification ritual, this time with the rest of the coven to help stabilize Kate. The idea was to leave as little silver as possible, so she eagerly awaited that this would be possible. She wanted to start living.

There were still purple marks on her body, where the silver had seeped through and where she had bled, but they were improving at a reasonably alarming rate, by Kate's standards at least, but Wanda stated that it was a very slow recovery for a lycan.

She got dressed and left the bathroom at the end of the hall with firmer steps, and she sighed slightly as she descended the stairs without feeling dizzy. It almost made her cry.

"Fire in the hole!" She heard a small child's voice, and her reaction was much faster than she imagined it would be. She barely saw what she grabbed, but then she realized it was a tennis ball.

"Stop throwing that ball inside the house or I'll hang you both by your heels from the clock tower!" A voice Kate didn't recognize spoke, and Kate looked at the tennis ball and gasped.

"Damn, we almost hit Kate." Tommy's voice made the brunette close her mouth and look at the boy. "Are you okay?" He asked amicably, and Kate nodded, still without much reaction, and handed him the ball. "Kate?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I just... Got scared." She said, looking at him with furrowed brows. "I caught it in mid-air, I've never done that before." She whispered, and Tommy raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"That means you're healthier!" He said in such an honest, sincere tone, and Kate felt herself blush slightly. "That's great!" Tommy put an arm around Kate's shoulders and pulled her into the living room. "Guess who had the first lupine reflex?" He said in an excited tone, and that's when Kate saw that the coven was in the room, there was a small boy with them, and they all looked at Kate, who blushed even more.

"I caught the ball coming towards me." She grumbled, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

“That’s great, Kate, it means some of the silver that was taken is already proving beneficial.” Billy spoke with a cheerful smile. That’s when Kate felt eyes on her, somehow different from everyone else’s.

She turned her head and saw a woman with brown hair, brown eyes, and slightly tanned skin sitting near Agatha, and Kate felt her nose twitch slightly at a scent she didn’t recognize. Her eyebrows furrowed, and there was almost a suspension of sound as the woman stood up, her eyes fixed on Kate.

The younger woman stiffened slightly at the approach, and she felt like a small spring tightening inside her. A small sound escaped Kate, defensive, protective, and this made everyone stop and look at the situation more closely.

“Rio, stop challenging Kate.” Agatha spoke in a tone that wasn’t irritated, but firm, and the woman’s eyes moved to the witch.

“She’s a pup, still.” Rio said, shrugging. “A very brave one, but still a pup.” The woman then turned to Kate, and there was less fighting in her eyes, and Kate cleared her throat.

“Sorry about that.” She said awkwardly.

“You’re reconnecting with your wolf after many years of broken contact, more emotional and visceral reactions are expected, Kate.” Wanda spoke in a gentle tone. “Especially when a mature wolf starts to challenge you.” The tone was firm for Rio, who crossed her hands behind her back and shook himself from heels to toes.

“I was curious.” The woman said casually.

“You should help Kate and not make her uncomfortable.” Billy spoke defensively, and this made Kate smile slightly, they barely knew each other, but Billy was affectionate and a good friend to her.

“I wanted to understand how things were going.” Rio defended herself. “Your wolf is a pup, a scared and reactive pup.” She said without sounding accusatory. “Which is completely expected, because instead of you being a child like my Nicky, you’re a grown woman who never had a chance to mature your wolf.” She said, indicating the child in Agatha’s arms, and there was this moment where he and Kate looked at each other.

If it weren't for Nicky's brown eyes, it would be easy to mistake the two for siblings or even mother and son. Brown hair, curious eyes, and Nicky gave Kate a wide smile.

"Hi, I'm Nicholas Harkness Vidal! You can call me Nicky!" He spoke with a cheerfulness that made the young lycan smile shyly.

"Hi, uh… Katherine Bishop." She offered. "Kate." The nickname came and Nicky nodded happily.

"Sorry for throwing a ball at you, we're not playing ball inside anymore." Nicky said easily and Kate shrugged slightly.

"It's okay." She whispered and cleared her throat. "I… I want to try writing a little if it's okay?" She asked and Wanda smiled at her slightly.

"Go to work Kate, I know being sick this week has delayed you a bit." Wanda dismissed easily.

“I’ll be in the backyard…” She said, and there was a collective nod, and Kate slipped out easily, listening to the women of the coven chatting amongst themselves and Billy, Tommy, and Nicky talking animatedly about something she didn’t understand.

But she turned on her laptop easily and sat down rereading what she had written, which wasn’t much, she needed to finish two chapters to send for review, and Jean knew she was sick, but still, she didn’t like missing deadlines. So she pondered for a moment.

“What are you writing?” Nicky’s voice sounded, and she looked to the side and saw him and Sparky playing, Lucky was probably with Eleanor.

“Uh, my book.” She said softly.

“Oh! A book, what’s it about?” She wanted to blush slightly but held back and cleared her throat.

“It’s the third book in my collection.” She began softly. “The series is called The Promise in Stone and Blood, and this one is called The Veil and the Spear, Chronicles of the Crimson Sword…” He smiled broadly.

“Oooh, what happened in the first books?” He asked so sincerely, and Kate found herself disarmed by it.

“Right… In the first book, Althea was a warrior with a sad past, whom everyone thought was dangerous. She was taken prisoner to protect a temple. There, she met Lys, a young woman who lived full of rules and fears. The two fought a lot at first, but later, when they began to protect and care for each other, they discovered that they had something very strong between them. In the end, they fled together to save themselves — and also to save other people. The temple was attacked by a group that discovered that Lys carried royal blood.” She spoke, and Nicky’s eyes widened. “In the second book, the two are hiding, trying to live in peace. But the past and their enemies won’t let them. They help a small village and protect children, facing monsters and bad people. That’s when they understand that their love isn’t something to hide, but something worth fighting for. And they decide, at the end of the book, not only to live as a couple, but also to pursue that calling.” He nodded quickly. “So… In the third book, which I’m writing now, they finally live together as a couple. They’re rebuilding an ancient temple on an isolated mountain, surrounded by other women. But a strange fog has begun to envelop the place, and bad dreams have returned to haunt Lys. They know something dangerous is coming — and they’ll have to figure out what it is and how to fight it, together, before everything they’ve built is destroyed… They’re now in the temple of the moon, and I need to get to the point where they decide that discovering where Lys comes from is important.” She muttered to herself. “But I only managed to finish the description of the temple.” That made her sigh.

“Okay, why is it important that they find out where Lys comes from?” Nicky asked curiously.

“Lys is the lost heir of the island lands. Basically, it’s a part of the world that produces a rare stone called Insuz, which carries ancient magic, but it no longer works since the bearers of the sacred blood, only women, disappeared from the kingdom. Lys is the daughter of the leader of the ancient group, Nym, and that makes her powerful, but she doesn’t know it yet.” She contemplated. “Now they’re in the temple, there’s a magical mist that’s kind of searching for Lys as a magical tracking tool. But why would they go to the Island Lands?” She contemplated.

“What if Lys comes into contact with a stone… Uh… Insuz, when they go somewhere?” He asked, and Kate felt the idea take root in her mind.

“Oh… What if at the flea market someone has an ancient necklace for sale, and when she touches it, it makes the magical reaction happen?” She contemplated, and Nicky nodded. 

“Like when Mommy’s magic does something, that makes magical things in the air and stuff like that.” Nicky said, making a big gesture with his hands.

“That’s a great idea, Nicky! Do you mind if I try to write it down?” She asked, and Nicky smiled and shook his head.

“I want to play with Sparky.” He then went off without much difficulty to run around the yard with Sparky, and Kate focused like a little laser on her writing.

********

She was running, well, it was strange. Kate generally didn't run much because of the silver. That thought made her shrink back even while running, but there was something strange.

She ran towards something she couldn't reach, she ran, she ran on all fours and suddenly a door came towards her, she tried to dodge but was hit and it felt like thousands of sharp needles pricked her body.

The scream and then the impact against the hard ground was what made Kate wake up from the dream and groan in pain, but it wasn't physical pain, it was spiritual pain, a deep pain that cut through her body like a knife.

She felt herself whimpering, her body twisting slightly, and she curled up in a fetal position. Her vision was blurry and she felt her body cracking and creaking, as if it were readjusting.

"Kate, breathe, take a deep breath, your body is trying to transform, let it happen." Wanda's voice sounded gently a moment later and Kate groaned in pain.

“Breathe, darling, breathe and relax.” Eleanor’s voice reached her ears and Kate let out a scream caught in her throat, feeling like a balloon that had been overinflated and then suddenly the pain blinded her and she felt her body relax on the floor.

“Holy shit, is that the wolf? It’s gigantic.” Tommy said, surprised.

“Tommy, go get Rio.” Wanda ordered, running her hand through Kate’s hair. “Breathe, breathe, you shouldn’t be transforming at this point in your treatment.” She spoke softly.

“Is this a problem? Is Kate in danger?” Eleanor sounded worried, and Kate still hadn’t managed to open her eyes.

“No, it’s unexpected, but it makes sense that the wolf would want to scratch its way out now that it has achieved a better connection with the human part. It’s painful, extremely painful, there’s still a lot of silver in her body and it’s paralyzing her.” Wanda explained, and Kate whimpered. “I know, I know, it’ll be alright, Tommy should be returning with Rio in a few.” Kate tried to take a deep breath, but there were too many smells, and she felt pain spreading from her nose — snout — to the center of her head.

“What happened?” Rio’s voice sounded, and Kate couldn’t understand what was being said.

“What can we do?” Eleanor sounded in the back of Kate’s mind.

“Get out of the room, I’ll transform and help her through this.” Rio spoke without hesitation, and it took a moment for Kate to feel a warm body lie against her, a cold snout touched her ear, and the physical connection made the pain lessen a little. There was this small moment where it seemed like a soft voice touching her mind. “Breathe, little one, it’s okay, when you’re ready, go back to human form. The silver hurts, the silver hurts a lot. It’s okay to want to stay in human form, it hurts less.” Kate heard in her mind and whimpered.

“It hurts, it hurts, I can’t…” She tried to speak and felt more weight being placed on her.

“It’s okay, you can do it when the time is right, just breathe.” The voice echoed again and Kate tried to breathe, but again, too many smells.

“I… It’s too much…” She whimpered again, and it was painfully pathetic.

“Too many smells, isn’t it? It’s strange at first, try… Try to focus on one you know.” Rio’s instruction came gently, and Kate squeezed her eyes shut, her body tensing slightly, and Rio repeated, “Relax.” Again, her body was forced to relax, and Kate tried to find her mother’s scent, which helped her slowly begin to feel less pain.

She didn’t realize she had returned to human form, or that she had been put in bed, she simply fell asleep.

********

Waking up was less painful, but there was still a tiredness, though not like what she had felt for months and years. It was more open in some way, but it was still a tiredness that permeated her body slowly, but she didn't feel pain.

She sat up feeling heavy, and that's when she noticed the woman with dark brown hair, a strong but small body, wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts, lying next to her. She frowned in confusion, trying to fill in the gaps in her memory that were strange.

"You think too loudly." Rio's voice sounded hoarse, and the woman sat up. She was a mess of brown hair and tired eyes. "You transformed last night." she informed her.

"I... Did I hurt someone?" Kate asked insecurely. Carol said she was dangerous in wolf form. "The last time it happened, I had to be forcibly black out, and I don't remember..." She stammered.

“That was a wolf disconnected from you, a wolf acting on instinct and fear. Yesterday, you were you and not just the fearful shadow, there was fear and overstimulation, but it was still you. What do you remember from yesterday?” Rio asked, sitting next to Kate on the bed.

“I was dreaming… That I was running on… on all fours and there was a door coming towards me and it hurt a lot when it hit me.” Kate closed her eyes, trying to recall memories. “I fell out of bed, I felt pain, a lot of pain… I think Wanda was here? My mother? Billy, maybe?” She stammered.

“It was Tommy. Billy is with Teddy.” Rio spoke calmly. “He came to get me when you started spiraling, I stayed with you.” She spoke in a clear, still affectionate tone. “You felt a lot of pain but your wolf didn’t want to return to human form, perhaps because it was the first time you two connected more deeply.” She pondered.

“I felt you against me… Your cold snout and your voice in my mind?” The memories were still jumbled, but more distinct as they talked, it seemed clearer and clearer.

“Yes, the weight helps to reduce neurological stimulation and gives a sense of belonging. Being with the pack is always good.” Rio said this, and Kate, who was looking away, quickly turned to Rio.

“The Pack?” She asked softly. “I am… part of the pack?” She asked tremulously.

“Pack bonds happen quickly,l, when the wolf knows, it knows. I knew you would be part of the pack when Agatha came home devastated because she almost killed you.” Rio spoke in a low tone. “Wanda protects you as if you were her daughter, and Nicky talked about you for hours yesterday before going to sleep. I think it’s impossible to be clearer than that.” Kate blinked slightly, confused. “Time will help you see the bonds more clearly, you were an isolated and lonely wolf for a long time, and the pack welcomes you with affection, Kate Bishop.” Rio spoke, and Kate opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say, but Rio stood up and stretched. "At least you're warmer than Agatha, I feel like I'm sleeping with a block of ice all night." She teased and walked barefoot through the house. "Judging by the smell, Wanda made waffles. Shall we eat?" The offer came casually, and Kate nodded and blinked a few times, getting up and going to get a sweatshirt that, when put on, fell to mid-thigh.

"How does communication work in wolf form?" Kate asked, trying to keep up with Rio. "Can I talk to Sparky and Lucky?" It sounded almost childish.

"No, unfortunately, animals and lycans can't have that level of conversation, they speak in a different way, I believe. We are rationally human even in lupine form, we just can't vocalize like in human form, so it's more like a voice in the mind." Rio explained, and Kate ran a hand through her hair.

“It was strange, I smelled a lot of scents and heard a lot of sounds, like… I heard everyone’s heart beating super fast, so my heart took over and it felt so loud.” She spoke and sighed.

“You’ve never actively transformed with a human and lupine connection, it’s normal that it’s all very excessive, very loud, very strong. You did well with the instructions, the pain in the transformation is greater because it’s the moment when your body is most susceptible to silver and that makes it hurt much more. But we will have a new purification rite, which will help remove more silver from your body. If we can remove two-thirds of the silver from your body, your connection could be much deeper and we can start your training as a wolf.” Rio spoke and sat down at the table. “Good morning.” She said to Wanda and Eleanor.

“Daughter, how are you feeling?” Eleanor asked softly.

“I’m better, yesterday was strange, sorry for worrying everyone.” She spoke softly.

“Everything’s fine, you’re going through a tremendous adjustment, we just weren’t expecting something so soon. Your wolf is very restless now that he has a more tangible connection, but you two aren’t fully bonded yet.” Wanda said, and Kate looked at her.

“I have a question…” She spoke softly and sat down next to her mother, leaning in to kiss her mother’s cheek. “Good morning, Mom.” It was spoken sweetly, and Eleanor gave a slightly emotional smile but remained silent. “Am I called a pup because I’m younger or because my wolf is a pup?” She asked, and Wanda looked at Rio.

“We like to call you that, it’s been many years since there was a younger wolf. Rhane was the last one, if I’m not mistaken, but she’s from another pack. So we haven’t had much contact, but in your case, besides being an affectionate nickname, it’s also a way of referring to the fact that your wolf is still a pup. We assume you were enclosed at 8 years old or something close to that, which means your wolf had made its first appearance, which is very, very common at that stage — spontaneous transformations, especially while sleeping. It’s equivalent to an 8-week-old puppy or something like that.” Rio said, already putting waffles and honey on the plate.

“Kate’s wolf is between 8 and 12 weeks old in symbolic terms. It’s a pup, a spiritual baby trapped for twenty years under layers of silver. Now it awakens, scared, curious, hungry for connection and recognition.” Wanda spoke calmly. “Development will be rapid, there will probably be many emotional moments that would be typical of a wolf learning maturity. Insecurity, fear, explosive reactions at times, normal things for a wolf that is developing, often there will be feelings that you won’t know how to explain, Kate, because they will seem so immature to you in your human maturity.”

“But for the wolf it’s completely normal, because pups and children learn by making mistakes and trying again.” Eleanor spoke thoughtfully. “Don’t pee on the carpet please.” She teased Kate who groaned in displeasure.

“I’m civilized.” She grumbled and that brought laughter to everyone. And that made Kate smile slightly and look at Rio who just gave her a very maternal smile, yes, she had a pack, it was a surprise but still, it felt right. “Speaking of civilized… Did I scare your girlfriend that day she came over, since I haven’t seen her since?” The words fell to Wanda, who blushed.

“Oh, no, you’re not provoking me about Natasha either. We’re not girlfriends.” She grumbled, her cheeks red.

“Just because you’re both cowards and nobody’s decided to use that word yet.” Rio teased.

“Quiet…” Wanda grumbled. “But about your question, Natasha is human, and we don’t go around talking about who’s mystical or not, it helps protect us all. But it’s your right to choose to tell her, she knows about the coven well on some level, just like her sister, and she doesn't knows about Rio, Billy, and Tommy, but it’s your choice to share.” Wanda spoke softly. “So I’ve been visiting her more at her house than the other way around, you deserve privacy and time.” She spoke calmly.

“Thank you.” Kate said after a moment. “For making sacrifices for me.” She spoke softly.

“You’re family.” Wanda said and smiled. “And you too, Eleanor, don’t think I didn’t see you scolding my boys these days.” She said, and Eleanor blushed slightly. Her mother had always been the quiet, peaceful type, and Kate had always appreciated that about her.

“Am I sorry?” Eleanor asked shyly.

“Don’t worry, since Kate and I are very close in age, they joked that grandma Eleanor got angry.” Wanda laughed, amused.

“Oh, I don’t have grandchildren…” She looked at Kate. “But I appreciate that they see me with this affection.” Eleanor seemed shy but still happy about the new development.

“Everyone deserves a nice family.” Rio said playfully and continued eating. “Now, Kate Bishop, the coven will be here in two hours for another rite. We’re late because Billy has a college exam, so enjoy your freedom, then we’ll go to Wanda’s dirty basement.” And the brunette winked at the redhead playfully, and Wanda rolled her eyes.

“It’s not dirty, I keep it clean.” She grumbled, and Kate gave a low laugh.

"Sure, if that's what you say." Rio teased and winked provocatively at Kate, who just smiled, stuffed another piece of waffle into her mouth, and let the warmth of the moment heat up the morning.

*********

“I feel like a lamb going to the slaughter.” Kate said as she sat down in the middle of the witches’ circle, and Alice gave a low laugh.

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing?” Alice joked, and Kate gave an amused smile.

“Woof.” The younger one said, and Alice broke into a very sincere laugh, which brought an amused smile from Lilia and a playful eye roll from Jen.

“With the coven gathered, our magic will probably be gentler at removing the silver, but Rio will be here to stabilize your wolf if needed.” Wanda said, indicating the brunette who was sitting in the corner of the basement, on an old sofa that Kate hadn’t noticed the first time she was there.

“Don’t worry, pup, we’ll help you.” Rio said sloppily, lying on the sofa, and Kate gave a low laugh and nodded.

“I’ll try not to hold on too tightly to the edges of consciousness if I can.” Kate said, more accepting that fainting sometimes was a blessing.

“It will be gentler, with Lilia’s divination magic we can better predict how the silver will behave, my magic, although focused on potions, still has healing properties.” Jen began to speak. “Wanda’s magic, although chaotic, still encompasses a lot of protection from red magic, as does Alice. Billy has a more stable magic because it’s a distortion magic, and Agatha has siphoning magic that will help extract the silver.” She said, and Kate nodded.

“Billy had mentioned that Rio has magic…” She said uncertainly and looked at Rio.

“Green magic, nature magic. But considering that being in my lycan self is more important at the moment than being in my green witch guise, I chose not to waste my energy extracting silver but to focus on stabilizing you.” Rio said, and Kate nodded.

“I didn’t know that mystical beings could be more than one type.” She said shyly, and Agatha sighed.

“Technically, Rio’s magic awakened because of me. When I got her pregnant with Nicky, part of my magic took root, and because she’s a lycan, it became green magic.” Agatha spoke without shyness, and Kate’s eyebrows rose.

“Wait a minute, you got Rio pregnant?” She said with her mouth slightly open.

“Shut your mouth, pup.” Rio rolled her eyes playfully. “Rare, but it happens when there’s a magical partner and their soulmate.” The older wolf said, shrugging.

“Soulmates…?” Kate spoke slowly.

“We don’t want to give a lecture here, we want to get silver, can we come back to this topic later?” Agatha grunted, and Kate looked at the older woman in surprise.

“Don’t mind her, she gets all embarrassed when people find out that she and Rio are soulmates, I’ll explain it better later.” Wanda said, and Kate nodded slowly.

“Okay, I’m curious about this, can we start then?” Kate spoke sincerely, and Billy, who was nearby lighting candles, chuckled softly.

“Of course, a romance writer is interested in the topic of soulmates.” He said, chuckling softly.

“You know that in my book, Lys and Althea are destined souls, right?” Kate grumbled, and there was a collective look of curiosity directed at her.

“Destined souls?” Lilia asked curiously.

“Uh, I didn’t want to include the Greek concept of soulmates, that thing about humans being creatures with four arms, four legs, two heads, and then Zeus came along and zap cut them in half, and then they spend their lives searching for each other.” She said with a casual gesture. “So Lysthea, as the ship is called, is basically two souls walking in the tangle of life in search of the same place. They don’t know it yet, but together they manage to overcome obstacles they couldn’t otherwise. So they aren’t soulmates, because they choose to be together, but they still invariably need each other — in whatever form they choose to find the Light of Farli.” Kate said, shrugging, and there was a collective look at her. “What?” She asked shyly.

“I’ve always found writers impressive.” Lilia said, smiling. “Artists are impressive.” She said, and Kate blushed.

“Let’s do the ritual. The sooner Kate is healthy, the sooner the third volume is written, and the sooner I can find out what happens.” Jen said, and Kate looked at her with a tilted head. “I’m reading the first one.” She grumbled, and Kate smiled broadly.

“I can sign your copy if you want.” She offered in a friendly tone, and Jen looked at her and blinked a few times.

“That’s kind of you, in return we’ll take the silver off your body, okay?” She said, and Kate gave a low laugh and nodded.

“Yes ma’am.” Kate said, and that brought an eye roll from Jen but an amused smile.

They settled around her, hands holding, and Agatha began to lead the same chant as before, but it was impressive to see the coven gathered.

While Agatha's magic was purple and Billy's cerulean blue, Jen's was a light blue, Lilia's was a beautiful canary yellow, and Alice and Wanda's, although red, were different, the redhead's was a deep red while Alice's was a vibrant red.

The magic circled Kate like a small greeting, it was warm, there were many feelings happening in those spells, but they were still friendly, they were careful, and when it began to permeate Kate...

The brunette still felt an invasion, but something seemed to have changed. Kate's wolf didn't seem to fight as much, didn't seem to resist as much the encounter with the women's magic.

They were still probing, still searching for the hidden silver molecules, but in fact, it was gentler than the first time. Perhaps because the quantity was smaller, or perhaps, as Jen commented, it was more balanced.

She felt a burning pain begin in her back, closed her eyes and groaned in pain, and then it was as if something was being excavated from her. It was uncomfortable, it was painful, but when the first tiny grain of silver came out through her skin, she felt a relief almost like when someone remove an annoying splinter from your finger. It still hurt, but it didn't throb.

Then a deeper probing began to happen, and Kate writhed. She felt a tightness in her chest and an incredible urge to change into wolf form.

And as if sensing this, and perhaps she did, Rio approached and entered the circle, passing under Lilia and Alice's clasped hands, and held Kate's shoulders with both hands. The older woman's forehead pressed against hers, and their blue and brown eyes met.

"Breathe, breathe, and let it out. Transform if you need to. We're here." The older woman whispered, and Kate gasped, reaching out to grip Rio's forearms tightly. The older brunette didn't flinch, didn't flinch when Kate's nails dug into her skin.

"It hurts." Kate whimpered, and Rio nodded.

"It hurts, yes, but you're strong, little one, you can do it." Rio spoke firmly, and Kate gasped. A powerful pang of pain ripped through her back, and she let her weight fall onto Rio. The smell of blood filled the basement again.

"Just a little more." Rio spoke firmly, and Kate clung to her as if she were a lifeline.

"I'll make it." Kate whispered, and Rio nodded. And another great pang of pain came, and she groaned, but she held on as strong as she could. The world went black for a moment, and she felt Rio's arms tightly around her.

She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but when the world regained sound, smells, and color, she blinked a few times and felt something wet running down her back and realized she was lying on the floor.

"Did we manage to get out what... 3 grams more?" Agatha asked Billy.

"I'd say something like that, yes. She did better." Billy spoke softly, and Kate realized they were talking amongst themselves.

"The body and the wolf are stronger, 7 grams down, 5 to go." Rio said, and Kate realized she wasn't lying in Rio's lap but on Lilia's legs, who was gently running her fingertips through Kate's hair in a calming and loving gesture.

"I'm not going to give my mother another childbirth." Kate grumbled hoarsely, and this silenced everyone's conversations. Jen and Alice were talking in low tones.

"Don't move, pup, we're administering healing potions." Jen spoke softly. "You did well, how are you feeling besides the pain?" The woman asked softly.

“I’m tired, but I feel lighter somehow. I feel this itch to run through the forest.” She grimaced, and Lilia laughed lightly.

“It’s your wolf, can we try a transformation in a few days, Rio?” Lilia asked the lycan.

“We can try, yes, maybe it won’t work yet, but trying isn’t a problem, the silver is now at a much more manageable level for the wolf. Tomorrow, if you’re willing, we can walk through the forest.” Rio offered Kate, who, with Lilia’s help, sat down.

“Tomorrow I need to take Lucky to the vet, my mother is going to New York to sign the divorce papers.” There was a collective grimace from the women.

“Good luck to her.” Agatha grumbled in a growl, and Lilia laughed.

“Don’t mind them, dear, they have an aversion to men.” She said amused.

“Who doesn’t?” Billy grumbled, and that made everyone look at him with amusement. “There’s a minimal percentage of decent men in the world.” He shrugged, and there was a collective nod.

“You’re right.” Rio said playfully. “Now, little pup, we’ll try to get up, we’ll feed you and put you to rest. You may feel fine, but soon the tiredness will hit you like a freight train.” Rio spoke bossily, and Kate accepted without hesitation. “Tomorrow I’ll come have breakfast with you, we can ask you some questions about lycans, will you need a ride to town?” She asked gently.

“No, I wanted to try walking, Wanda said it’s only a few kilometers and the exercise can be good for me and Lucky.” She spoke softly, and Rio looked at her.

“If you need anything, you call me and I’ll come, okay?” It was maternal, and Kate nodded. It was good to be cared for by someone other than her mother, she felt important and seen.

********

She and Lucky were in the dining room, with breakfast served by a very calm Rio who came in carrying scrambled eggs and bacon. Rio was wearing a loose softball team t-shirt and her hair was, as always, messy — an aesthetic state of choice, as Kate noticed.

“So, questions, questions while we eat.” Rio said, and Kate looked at her with slight amusement.

“I… I kind of froze in time, didn’t I? My wolf, in this case?” She asked softly after a moment.

“Something like that, the silver acted as an inhibitor. We have lunar cycles for a specific reason. They serve to strengthen our bond with the wolf, and this makes the wolf understand that the body ages along with the mind. Being a lycan isn’t a disease, it’s not a curse, it’s not a problem, it’s just who you are. In your case, it was inhibited, it couldn't go out to explore, to get to know the world, to grow. So it’s a pup trapped in an older human body. Your wolf should be an adult now, but it was forbidden by external sources. It will need to grow quickly, and that will be… Strange at first.” Rio spoke and took a sip of his coffee.

“I’m seen as… A broken wolf or something?” Kate’s question sounded small. “I’ve always felt kind of broken in some way.” She spoke softly, embarrassed.

“Oh, Kate, no. Never. You’re someone who’s been systemically poisoned, your wolf has been suppressed, you’re seen as someone who needs to be guided and not as a problem or something broken.” Rio spoke softly. And Kate nodded insecurely.

“How exactly does the wolf-human connection work?” The next question came especially to deflect Kate’s insecurity, and she wanted information.

“It’s something natural, like breathing, or… Maybe… In your case it’s something more… You know when we’re wearing an accessory and for a while we’re aware of it, it’s there and it’s a foreign body, but over time we forget it’s there and it just becomes something that’s ours?” She asked, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“Like wearing a ring?” She offered, and Rio nodded. “So, over time, it will feel less like I share a mind with someone and more like we think alike, act alike?” She added.

“Yes, this current dissonance is that you are different ages, your wolf is a cub wanting to explore the world, learn and experience new things, you are an adult woman who is settled into a routine and has likes and dislikes, it’s a little dissonant, but what we need to do is allow your wolf to explore in wolf form.” She explained, and Kate nodded.

“So the nickname pup is because I’m technically a pup?” Kate’s head fell slightly to the side, and Rio gave a soft laugh.

“A little, yes, but I like to call younger wolves pups. I haven’t had contact with a developing wolf in the last twenty years, my family and I don’t get along that well, they wanted my mate to be someone else instead of Agatha. Which I understand, Agatha isn’t someone most people like who don’t want to see past her spiky defenses. But at the end of the day, Agatha is loving, she’s devoted, she’s the woman I love, and I left my pack easily when I realized she was the one I wanted. We built a family, and unfortunately Nicky isn’t a lycan, he has an affinity for magic then. A little flake of magic, not a pup.” She explained while stirring her coffee lightly. “I like to call you pup.”l

“I appreciate the nickname.” Kate said sincerely. “I feel like a cute, chubby little puppy.” That made Rio chuckle.

“A cute image to have.” Rio said amicably.

“What are the main challenges for a wolf pup trapped in a mature human body?” The question came, and Kate put a piece of bread in her mouth and made a small appreciative sound. “Lilia makes the best bread.” She muttered, and Rio smiled.

“She’s always been great with pasta, her pasta is to die for.” It was casual. “Your biggest challenge will be managing her emotional outbursts, like a pup or a child, your wolf doesn’t know how to handle feelings very well yet. That maturity will come with time, so it will be common to have some intense moments. Like possessiveness, or territoriality, frustration, irritation, fear. Feelings that children usually have difficulty dealing with, they may have emotional ‘outbursts,’ so to speak.” She explained calmly.

“Oh, great, I have a tantrum-prone child.” She grumbled, and Rio gave a small, apologetic smile. “Does this affect my bond with the pack?” The question sounded curious. “Can I have random wolf tantrums?”

“Tantrums are common, unfortunately, sometimes your wolf may just decide that it wants to transform so it can run and expend the feeling, or it may be protective of things and people. It varies a bit.” Rio spoke lightly. “And that doesn’t necessarily affect the bond, but we all see you as someone who needs guidance even though you’re an active voice to be heard. You have a lot to learn, but your opinions and feelings are always valid. Overall, we’re a somewhat messy but functional family.” This made Kate giggle.

“I fell into the middle of a witches’ coven, I think I’m okay.” She said, feeling less emotionally pressured. “So… Stimuli that can awaken the wolf?” She asked to prepare herself emotionally.

“It depends on your wolf’s personality, mine, for example, is very protective, I transformed to protect Nicky without really having something that required that level of reaction, but I was a new mother so no one was offended. But that kind of thing, something that generates strong emotions.” Kate nodded to that. “Your wolf isn’t a separate personality, it’s part of you, it’s just still growing, but you have control over it when the bond becomes stronger.” Kate nodded and frowned.

“What can I expect in terms of growth? Emotionally and with the wolf in the coming months?” She asked curiously.

“You’re going to feel stronger, physically, mentally, emotionally. The wolf will make you stronger physically, and your mature self will help guide the wolf through emotional growth. It’s going to be a balance to be maintained, but it’s going to be okay even if there are mistakes and problems. It’s going to be okay, Kate.” She spoke gently, and Kate nodded.

“Okay, I think those are my questions for now. I want to leave because I need to take Lucky and I don’t want to be late.” She spoke softly.

“What do you think about me taking you and you two walking back, so you don’t strain your body too much?” The concern was clear, and Kate looked at Rio with furrowed brows. “Please?” It was a soft, pleading tone.

“Okay….” Kate said after a moment, and Rio seemed more relaxed.

“Great, help me clean up this mess and put the dishes in the dishwasher, and then we’ll go.” Kate didn’t argue this time, she accepted the ride if it would make Rio more peaceful.

Chapter Text

Kate stopped in front of the veterinary clinic attached to a pet supply store. She and Lucky had walked the half-block needed to reach the front of the store and observed it.

“What do you think? Want a new bone? I know you've been sleeping in Mom's bed, so don't play dumb about the beds.” She playfully scolded, and Lucky squirmed slightly and let his weight fall against her. “Hey, sick girl here, bud.” She nudged him aside, and he snorted. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” She teased and scratched Lucky's ears, who just gave her a canine smile. Then she turned her eyes back to the place.

Rio said that a large part of the city center was human, without powers or anything like that, so she should avoid talking about supernatural creatures to protect the supernatural society. And Kate didn't argue about it, she just accepted the instruction.

The place she was in front of was pretty. The shop was attached to the clinic and had two doors, one for the shop, which was called Kitty’s, and another for Belova VMD.

It was a pretty little house, painted half white and half yellow, with yellow eaves, and Kate saw a lazy cat walking on the window of the veterinary clinic, an all-black cat with green eyes.

Kate looked at her cell phone clock and saw that she was early and pondered. A bone for Lucky wasn’t actually a bad idea, and she thought of Sparky too.

“Then two bones.” She grumbled and went into the shop. The bell rang loudly and Kate felt herself physically shrinking and the wolf tightening its ears. It was an unpleasant sound.

“One moment! I’m coming!” A voice sounded from inside the shop and Kate blinked a few times, keeping her hand firmly on Lucky’s leash and she began to look around. There were many toys and Lucky actively walked towards the plush toys.

“No.” Kate spoke firmly and pulled him back. “You have 20 of those, no sir.” She scolded and he whined. “Don’t try to bribe or manipulate me.” She spoke with narrowed eyes at Lucky.

“Are you having an argument?” The voice now sounded closer and she looked up, seeing a girl shorter than her, probably a few years younger, brown hair tied in a ponytail and brown eyes, and she smelled of… Dog shampoo.

“He always tries to convince me to buy stuffed animals.” She said, shrugging. “I’m Kate, this is Lucky.” She said politely.

“Kitty. The shop owner and the one who was trying and failing to give a bath to a small terrier.” She said amused.

“Terrible?” Kate asked gently.

“He’s afraid of water. For some reason…” Kitty made a small face. “His owner is elderly so, uh, I offered to wash him for her. Worst decision, but I finally managed to finish.” Kitty shrugged.

“Lucky is a retriever, he loves water.” She spoke smiling. “But I wanted a bone for him and a smaller one for a little one who doesn’t have a vet appointment today.” Kate spoke softly.

“Bones, we have a few kinds…” Kitty pointed to the shelf and they began to chat calmly and Kate then bought two bones and Lucky got treats.

“Don’t spoil him, he’s a spoiled brat.” Kate joked and Kitty smiled.

“I love dogs. Sometimes I help Yelena at the clinic, but her cat, Phantom, doesn’t like me very much.” She said sighing dramatically. “But that cat doesn’t like anyone very much.” She made a thoughtful sound.

“I hope Phantom doesn’t hit me or Lucky.” Kate said lightly. “Thank you very much Kitty, have a great day.” She spoke softly and Kitty said goodbye and then Kate went into the clinic.

There was no receptionist there, but Westview was a small town, so it justified not needing one, maybe.

Then Kate felt observed and looked to the side, coming face to face with the black cat who seemed curious. He tilted his head to one side and Kate tilted hers to the other, and they observed each other for a moment. But there was no negative reaction, no bristling, hissing, or discontented sounds.

Lucky, just like Kate, was relaxed and calm, and Kate blinked a few times at the cat, and casually the little animal moved away and began to lick its front paw, and Kate considered that a success.

"Well... Hello." The voice sent a shiver down Kate's spine, causing the brunette, who had been looking at the cat, to quickly raise her head to see the woman in front of her.

Her blonde hair was tied back with a black bandana, she had light makeup around her eyes, and the scrub she was wearing was black with white lettering: Yelena Belova, V.M.D. The woman's eyes were dark green, and Kate felt a pull toward her, almost like a dog that automatically liked that person. She restrained herself from taking two steps forward and blinked a few times. "I imagine this is Lucky." The woman spoke, Kate's silence had probably lasted too long.

“Yes, I-... This is Lucky, I’m Kate. Kate Bishop.” She offered, feeling like a teenager as her heart raced at the smile she received.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yelena, the veterinarian from our small town. I’m sorry if I kept you waiting, Karolina — my secretary and assistant — is sick, so I’m struggling.” She spoke gently, and Yelena’s voice sounded kind. “Shall we go inside?” She indicated the room, and Kate simply took a step forward, followed easily by Lucky, and then Yelena moved in, and Kate followed. “What’s going on with Lucky today?” It was casual, gentle, and yet very polite.

“Not much, to be honest. We moved here, and I like to have frequent check-ups, so seeking a veterinarian was what we decided… Especially… Considering that Lucky turned six now and has a genetic predisposition to thyroid problems and dysplasia.” Kate said, looking at Lucky. “I have all the exams, history, vaccinations, and genetic tests that were done on him here on my phone if you want to look.” She spoke, lifting her head to face the woman, and Yelena looked at her with arched eyebrows, and Kate felt her cheeks heat up.

"That's... Impressive." Yelena said softly. "Yes, I'd like to see it, or better yet, could you email it to me? That way I can attach it to his file." Yelena said, moving to the computer.

"Sure... No problem." Kate grumbled, and then she attached all the documents and sent them to Yelena.

"I'll take a look, if you may to sit down..." Yelena offered the chair in front of the table, and Kate sat down a moment later.

Kate discreetly observed Yelena for a moment, how the blonde lightly touched her chin as she read, how her eyebrows furrowed and relaxed. Kate noticed a tattoo of a scalpel drawn on her forearm and a small black bird on her right wrist and something that looked like a small bat on her left.

Lucky was sitting next to her and rested his head on her knee, looking at the bag with the bone. He snorted loudly and dramatically, which made Kate's eyes stop looking at Yelena as she pretended to read the medication information poster on the wall behind her and focus on Lucky. He squirmed and nudged her with his snout.

"No." Kate spoke firmly, and Lucky whined. "I know, it's yours. I said it's yours, but it's not the time." The two looked at each other for a moment, and Lucky grunted, squirmed, and snorted. "There's no point in throwing a tantrum, begging won't get you anywhere, bud." She scolded, and he threw himself on the floor dramatically, but stopped begging. That's when she noticed Yelena's eyes on her, the small, amused frown beside the eyes that accompanied a slight smile.

"He's dramatic, isn't he?" She asked playfully.

"I attract the demanding ones, I've been told." Kate rolled her eyes slightly, and this made Yelena's smile widen.

“In his records, I have details of the surgery he underwent. But it doesn’t say why he lost his eye…” Yelena commented hesitantly.

“He was rescued from an illegal kennel when he was 4 months old. He was in one of the kennels in New York when my mother thought it would be good for us to have a dog. He had just arrived and was waiting to have surgery or he would be put to sleep… But we saw him and he was this battered and abused little ball, with an abscess where his eye should be. So we adopted him.” Kate said, shrugging shyly. “We took him to a smaller clinic at the time because he clearly needed emergency surgery, and not to the veterinarians who had been treating him until then, so the paperwork is different. They performed the procedure that same night and he went home with me.” Kate said and then fell silent, she and Yelena looked at each other for a moment.

“Adopting is a very beautiful gesture.” She said softly. “From what I’ve seen, he has a tendency toward the problems you mentioned, dysplasia and hypothyroidism, but Golden also has a natural tendency toward lymphoma and hemanglicosa.” She spoke slowly. “And his last exams were done at the beginning of last year, which makes almost a year ago.” She continued.

“Okay, how do you want to proceed?” Kate asked, sitting up straighter. “Blood tests? Imaging?” She asked firmly.

“Oh, a miracle, someone who wants to have preventative exams.” Yelena said, then blushed slightly and cleared her throat.

“I like to be proactive.” Kate said without hesitation.

“Okay… At six years old, Lucky has officially entered the “middle senior” phase, which means we’re starting to intensify preventative care to ensure he stays healthy, active, and happy for many years to come.” Kate nodded in agreement with Yelena. “At this age, I recommend two check-ups a year, especially because of silent diseases. So I want to establish our own baseline, starting with a complete physical exam. I want to order a blood count and a biochemical profile, which is essential to assess the health of his liver, kidneys, pancreas, and overall metabolism, and I’ll include a diabetes test and a thyroid test.” Yelena said, writing it down on a piece of paper. “He seems to be at his ideal weight, but it’s still good to keep an eye on him… Do you think you can get stool and urine samples?” She asked curiously.

“Yes, I take him for his needs, so I only need the container and bag if a specific one is needed.” Yelena seemed surprised again and simply nodded.

“How okay would you be with X-rays to check for possible dysplasia or arthritis?” She asked.

“We do what we think we should do, doc.” Kate said, shrugging, which made Yelena blink a few times and nod.

“During the physical exam, I’ll listen to his heartbeat, he seems healthy, although dramatic.” Yelena smiled slightly. “I want to rule out any heart problems that may have appeared in the last year.” Kate nodded without blinking almost. “If we think it’s necessary, I can order an echocardiogram or an electrocardiogram, but in any case, I’d like to do one at his next appointment this year for follow-up.”

“Okay, and an ultrasound?” Kate felt her heart race when Yelena’s eyes focused on hers.

“We can do a routine one if that makes you feel safer.” She offered.

“It might be good, even without symptoms, I prefer to be cautious.” Kate said and looked at Lucky. “You’ll have a shaved belly, dude.” She teased him, and he grunted. “I know, horrible.” This brought another low laugh from Yelena. “A guardian like you shows up every blue moon. Someone who wants to get checkups. It might seem like a lot, but I believe this will help Lucky have many years of quality life.” She commented softly.

“I…” She hesitated slightly. “I know what it’s like to need persistent care, if I can ensure he can just be a happy dog, I’ll do my best.” Kate commented, and Lucky sensed the change in tone, sat up, and buried his head in her. “I think if everyone were more dedicated owners, we wouldn’t have so many animals suffering out there.” She shrugged slightly.

“I agree.” Yelena said and stood up. “Oh, I saw he needs a booster shot.” ​​She indicated the computer.

“The original reason we came was that, new house, new dogs around, I prefer to make sure he’s up to date on his vaccinations so he doesn’t end up developing something. And it would probably be good to deworm him.” Kate said and saw Yelena approach.

“Is he more comfortable on the floor or on the table?” She asked softly.

“He behaves better on the floor, he doesn’t like high places very much.” Kate spoke sincerely, and Yelena simply knelt beside Lucky, who promptly approached her, happy to receive attention.

“Oh, what a good boy…” She said as he nuzzled his snout against her neck in a loving gesture. “He’s very gentle.” She commented when Lucky, in fact, didn’t lick, strain his weight, or push against her, and Kate gave a small smile.

“He needed to learn to be gentle.” She said without giving many details, and Yelena looked at her curiously and then nodded.

“I’ll do the tests now, collect the blood, and then I’ll take him for the x-rays.” She said, and Kate simply helped Yelena as needed. Lucky was very well-behaved. He didn’t squirm during any of the necessary tests, and when Kate watched Lucky and Yelena leave the room, she moved to the front of the clinic, feeling a little uneasy for some reason.

Phantom looked at her, she looked at the cat, and the cat stood up, and Kate felt slightly stiff, expecting a negative reaction, but Phantom calmly walked over to Kate and sniffed her, and Kate remained still.

Until the black cat rubbed against her shins and then stood up on its hind legs and stretched out, placing its front paws on the lycan's thigh, and Kate yielded, taking the cat in her arms. Which was enough for Phantom to tuck its head under Kate's chin and begin to purr.

"Oh, you're a good kitty." She whispered softly as she gently stroked the soft fur.

"Lucky behaved perfectly well—" Yelena's sentence was suddenly cut off as she appeared through the door leading to the x-ray room, and she looked up with a raised eyebrow at Phantom rubbing against Kate's face.

“Your cat wanted affection.” She spoke and saw how many different emotions passed through Yelena, and that's when a small but not really painful nudge of sharp teeth happened on Kate's hand. “Did you have to bite me?” She whimpered and looked at the cat that had snuggled against her face. “Dude, personal space.” She scolded falsely and held it more firmly. “Okay, you little fury, firmer affection for you.” She grumbled to the cat, and purring took over the place. The cat adjusted itself with its front paws on Kate's shoulder, its head tucked under the brunette's chin, and it was supported with its hind paws on Kate's arm that served as support.

“He…” Yelena began and cleared her throat. “He doesn't like anyone very easily.” It was a slightly hesitant comment. “After my ex left, he stayed behind, I think he soured a little because well… He lost his owner and end up with me.” She spoke softly.

“I think he’s happy here.” Kate spoke sincerely. “Isn’t that right, buddy?” Kate spoke softly, and there was another rub against her chin. “A great kitty.” Kate spoke softly and then naturally guided Phantom to perch on the windowsill where he had been before. “I’ll be back later.” She said and scratched Phantom’s ears. “Everything alright with Lucky?” She asked, and Yelena looked at her with slight surprise, but then gestured toward the office.

“He behaved well, let us take the pictures, he just doesn’t like being laid on his back.” She commented.

“I think he gets a little scared, it’s never been his favorite position.” She contemplated, scratching her chin. “But did it work? I can help hold him.” Kate offered quickly.

“He behaved, and it was possible to take the pictures.” Yelena spoke softly. “I’ll wait for the blood tests and I’ll wait for you to bring his stool and urine samples, but in principle, Lucky is in perfect health. We’ll do the tests and continue monitoring him. Now… The vaccine?” Yelena asked, moving to the refrigerator.

“Yes, yes. A little poke, bud.” She said, and Lucky sat beside her, paying attention with his one watchful eye. “I know, you hate it, I hate it too.” She spoke softly and rubbed his ears.

The vaccine was given, and Yelena filled out the paperwork, and then they went to the reception, where Phantom meowed to get their attention.

“Hey dude, let me pay the bill and then I’ll scratch your chin before I leave, Lucky and I are going to walk home.” She said to the cat, who purred and stretched, yawning. “He’s a little dramatic, isn’t he?” Kate shifted her gaze from Phantom to Yelena.

“He’s only done that to me so far.” Yelena spoke, looking at Phantom. “He’s a good boy, but a little… Insecure around people. It surprises me that he likes you, please don’t be offended…” Yelena quickly added the last sentence.

“It doesn’t offend me. Kitty said he was a little antisocial. I wouldn’t have bothered him if he hadn’t come to me, but he’s a good cat, and it’s okay if it takes a while to warm up.” Kate spoke softly. “I believe that respecting each other’s space is the first step, but he wanted affection, and I’m always willing to be affectionate.” Kate said with an easy smile.

Then she paid everything that needed to be paid, and Yelena again seemed surprised by Kate’s easy acceptance of the amounts, without blinking or hesitating.

“You really are a blue moon client, you didn’t contest the prices or ask for a reduction.” She said with arched eyebrows.

“It’s your job, you should be paid a fair price. Honestly, I paid more for simpler things in New York. Life here is cheaper.” She spoke with a shrug. “But, uh… Thank you for your attention and patience, I know I can be a little… A lot… When it comes to taking care of Lucky.” She spoke and cleared her throat. “I’ll bring the samples as soon as possible, if I don’t come, probably my mom, Eleanor, will. She usually spends more time with Lucky than I do, currently he acts as her emotional support dog — without her admitting it — but the divorce is being hard for her and Lucky feels it.” She contemplated.

“Okay, no problem, he’s a good boy and I’m glad he’s helping her in some way, if you need anything… Here…” Yelena pulled out a card. “Just call me.” And with that, Kate left with the card and gave Yelena a slight smile. Phantom had his ears scratched, and Lucky left with her easily. Now it was a matter of walking home.

********

The days passed slowly, and when Kate realized it, it was the weekend. Eleanor took Lucky's samples to Yelena, and Kate was at home, just trying to relax and write more. The chapter was finally sent to Jean for review, and she felt at least relieved about the deadline.

“Kate, Kate, do you want to lie in the sun with me?” Nicky asked, suddenly appearing beside Kate in the yard.

“Uh, sure, bud, I didn’t know you were here.” She said, slightly surprised by the invitation, but closed her laptop and moved onto the grass with Nicky. It was warm, so she and the wolf appreciated the idea of ​​lying in the sun.

“There’s going to be a meeting, something like that, but the coven is here, and Aunt Wanda’s girlfriend is coming too. I think maybe someone else. And it’s Saturday!” He said, and when Kate lay down, Nicky moved to lie against Kate’s chest. “You’re warm.” He grumbled, and Kate just gave an easy smile.

She ran her hands down the boy's back and put on her sunglasses so the light wouldn't be so harsh in her eyes. Her hands gently ran through Nicky's hair and down his back, and she felt him relax.

"It's the wolf, it's more present. I gained almost four pounds this week. That made me warmer, I think." She whispered to him, and Nicky sighed slightly.

"It's like lying with Mama, all warm." He said, snuggling closer to Kate, which made her chuckle softly. But she let herself relax on the grass with the boy. It was strange that they bonded so quickly, but Wanda said it was the feeling of being part of a pack. For Nicky and Kate, they were simply family, and that made everything easier, more adaptable.

"How was your class yesterday?" She asked gently.

"It was good. We read a book. I learned how to do math. Math is boring, but Mommy says I need it." He sighed, and Kate chuckled softly and hugged him.

“Yes, it’s important, remember that studying these things helps you choose what you want to learn more about in the future.” She spoke gently, not wanting to bring up the word work and that adult demand in a 7-year-old. “Just like when I was in school and I decided I wanted to write, I was ten years old I think, I started writing, and over time it got better and better and then I published my first book, then my second, and now I’m here, going to publish my fifth.” She said, and Nicky made a small surprised sound.

“You have four books?” He said, surprised.

“Yes, the first two sold well, but when my collection started to be published and sold, that’s when I really started to have good numbers.” She spoke softly. “The fandom was created, and I try to be active with my readers and bring good things for them to read, not only in terms of story, but in being sensitive to minorities and showing that love is the right way to live.” She said, and felt Nicky’s hands grip hers.

“I like having you in my family, Kate.” The comment was random, but it made Kate’s heart race with joy. “It’s like having a sister, I don’t have any sisters, only brothers, and it’s nice to have a sister.” He spoke softly, and Kate held back the small urge to cry that the comment caused.

“I also like having a little brother, Nicky.” She spoke softly, and the two remained silent, embraced, for a while longer. Until she felt him relax completely against her and was softly resonating. She heard movements behind her, voices, and people talking, but she didn’t move. No, it was bonding time with Nicky.

“Did he fall asleep?” Rio’s voice made Kate open her eyes and look at the older woman.

“About ten minutes ago.” She spoke softly. “He wanted to come lie in the sun.” Kate made a little effort and sat up, gently taking Nicky with her. “Uh… I can’t get up and take him with me… Yet.” She said, and Rio looked at her and bent down, easily picking up Nicky.

“You’re stronger, but it’s still a process, isn’t it?” She asked, offering Kate a hand while her other arm easily held Nicky.

“I’m getting better.” The reply came as Kate held Rio’s hand and was pulled up firmly. “Wow, strong.” She joked, and Rio chuckled softly.

“It is what it is.” She shrugged. “I’ll put this one in Tommy’s room, the rest is over there.” She indicated where the barbecue grill was, and Kate put her hands in her pockets and moved to where she had been directed.

The coven wasn’t complete, in fact, there was only Agatha and Wanda besides Rio. But Natasha was there, and Eleanor too. Billy had left early for a road trip with Teddy, and Tommy had left with Pietro, as far as Kate understood.

It was then that a particular smell hit Kate and she felt her insides churn, her heart race, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

“Are you alright, pup?” Agatha’s voice sounded slightly worried, and Kate felt the woman’s hand touch her shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah… Just… A weird feeling.” She spoke and opened her eyes, seeing Agatha’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m fine.” The whisper was low. “Maybe it was the heat from being in the sun with Nicky.” Her shoulders rose slightly.

“You two looked so cute, Rio took a picture.” Wanda sounded affectionate.

“He adopted me as his older sister. Twenty-something years older, but still.” Kate gave a shy smile.

That’s when she felt a cold snout against her hand and looked down, expecting to find Lucky, but seeing a caramel and white Akita, she let out a small surprised sound.

“Oh, hello you…” She said confusedly, and the Akita’s brown eyes looked at her with a smile, and the dog snuggled into her hand. “Oh, oh, demanding, okay…” Kate said, bending down and beginning to pet Akira’s ears, who closed its eyes and let out a small sound of pleasure. Agatha gave a small eye roll and moved away to go back to helping Wanda.

“You charmed my cat and my dog, Kate Bishop. And I’m the veterinarian.” Yelena’s voice made Kate’s head quickly lift to look at the woman.

“I-uh-why do I feel like I should apologize?” Kate stammered, and this made an amused smile appear on Yelena’s face.

“Well, it seems I was wrong to distrust you, if Phantom and Fanny liked you…” Natasha’s voice sounded cautious.

“Hey Natasha.” Kate said and stood up. “Animals have always liked me.” She shrugged. And she saw Lucky in the background rolling around with Sparky. “Be gentle with him, Lucky.” She spoke firmly, and the Golden stopped pushing the smaller dog and threw himself on the ground so Sparky could be on top. “Thank you.” She then felt Fanny squeeze closer to her. “Why are the demanding ones always those ones…” She grumbled, and Yelena gave a low laugh.

“Maybe it’s a talent for dealing with difficult ones.” Yelena said and put her hands in her pockets.

“I don’t have a problem with them being demanding.” Kate said lightly and stood up. She took a small step to the side, and Fanny easily followed, which made Kate look at the Akita. Kate’s head tilted to one side, Fanny’s to the other, and this made Yelena laugh.

“You two share the same neuron.” Yelena said, her smile widening, and both Kate and Fanny looked at her, and the blonde laughed. “God, this is priceless.” She said, bringing her hand to her face. Kate blinked a few times and her eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know if I should be offended that you claim I only have half a neuron or feel flattered that I share that single neuron with Fanny.” She spoke and heard Natasha grunt and roll her eyes, but she didn’t look away from Yelena. There were some feelings, like surprise and even a slight moment of shyness, but then Yelena smiled broadly.

“Definitely a compliment, Fanny is smart.” She said amused.

“Great, great.” Kate said with a smile. “She works miracles with half a neuron then.” That made Yelena laugh again.

“Come eat.” Wanda said after a short moment and that made Yelena and Kate look at the rest of the group. “Kate.” The call came firmly.

“Four mothers is a bit too much even for me.” Kate grumbled and walked, like a child who had been scolded, and sat between Wanda and Eleanor.

“At least they’re healthy.” Eleanor spoke, and Kate looked at her and smiled.

"I'm just being grumpy.” She said, leaning in and kissing her mother's cheek. "It's good to be taken care of in a healthy way.” She said, shrugging, and Eleanor smiled at her. Then everyone sat down at the table, and Kate laughed when Fanny buried her head in her leg.

"How's the house hunt going, Eleanor?" Rio asked the older Bishop.

"Honestly, we're not in that much of a hurry. With Kate and me having the ease of working from home and Wanda wanting us here, I'm slowly continuing my search. I saw a house on the lake, but I'm still negotiating, and there's no guarantee Kate will want to live with me yet." She teased the younger brunette.

"Eh, I don't know. Honestly, I see you so little because my schedule is terribly flexible and yours is made of iron and fire." Kate said, eating some more. "I'll probably be out of the house working more than inside, and I like having meals with company." She shrugged, and that's when her cell phone rang.

"Uh-oh, looks like someone wants to talk to you." Agatha teased, and Kate rolled her eyes at the witch.

"A rarity." She joked. "Can I answer this?" There was a collective nod from everyone. She saw it was Bobbi. That was rare, Kate's PR rarely called. "Hey, Morse." Kate answered softly.

“Kate! My least problem. You blew up on the internet and I want to know what we need to do.” Bobbi, direct and blunt as always, spoke without hesitation.

“That doesn’t sound positive…” Kate grunted and looked at her plate, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

“Eh, the usual, conservatives wanting to use your image for bullshit, Lance is drafting lawsuits if you want.” She said and Kate sighed.

“Let me guess, something made for people older than 16 probably fell into the minors category, that’s what made the thing spiral. Or did they have the indecency to use my current ones?” she grumbled and put her hand to her face.

“Bronze and Silver, so 16 years old.” Bobbi said amused. “They’re talking about gay cults and attempts to make children stop being straight. What bothered me is that they took your book to the city council claiming you sell to children.” Kate grunted and closed her eyes.

“Of course they took it to the city council.” She snorted. “I’ll give you 4 states and you tell me which one it was.” That made Bobbi laugh. “Wyoming, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.” She spoke and waited while lightly fidgeting with her fork on her plate. “Considering I won 3 lawsuits in Alabama, I hope the Republicans there have stopped being stupid.” She grumbled and noticed the silence at the table, and that’s when she looked up and saw everyone staring at her, she felt her cheeks flush.

“Oklahoma, it’s been a while since they’ve used you as a target.” Bobbi said, and Kate could see the blonde shrugging.

“Well, it is what it is, release Lance with the force of two nuclear bombs, I have to go back to New York for a meeting at the end of next month, until then I’ll sign electronically.” She spoke and heard Bobbi speak to Lance and a formidable ‘yes!’ coming from the man. “Excited…” Kate grumbled.

“He likes to defend you, especially because it’s all so clear to the users, and Lance, as a bisexual man, loves being able to put conservatives in their place.” Bobbi laughed, amused. “But, KitKat, I’ll let you go back to whatever you’re doing. I’m taking care of your social media. If we need anything, I’ll let you know.” Bobbi spoke so calmly.

“Take your feet off the table, Morse.” Kate joked and heard a laugh from Bobbi. “Call me if you need to, çl, most of the time I have my cell phone with me, and if not, I’ll call you back. I sent a document to Jean. If you want to read it, you can get it from my email.” She said and yawned.

“Privileges!” Bobbi laughed. “Take care, Kate. See you later.”

“Bye, Bobbi.” And with that, Kate hung up the phone and put it on the table, then brought her hands to her face and grunted.

“Is everything alright, love?” Eleanor asked softly.

“I’m going to have to sue another conservative politician because they don’t know how to read the age rating.” She said and grunted. “But this time I’m being accused of a gay cult, that’s a new one.” She said, taking her hands away from her face and looking at her mother.

“Again…” Eleanor said in a low tone. “You’d imagine that after the third lawsuit they’d understand…” She said and sighed.

“I think stupidity has become a collective disease.” Rio muttered and sighed. “I’m sorry this is happening.” She said amicably.

“Eh, it’s not the first time and I doubt it will be the last. Being a queer writer came with challenges, being a queer writer who writes sex scenes makes me an even bigger target.” She said, shrugging. “I told the publisher to put all my books as rated for ages 18+, but they had the book reviewed and rated 16.” She shrugged again. “As Ororo would say, if it bothers, it’s because you’re poking where it needs to be poked. My books aren’t for children, if they’re reading them, it’s because they had access to them somehow, and that’s their parents’ problem.” She shrugged, and there was a small sound from Yelena that made Kate’s eyes move to her.

“Are you telling me that as a teenager you didn’t have access to things you shouldn’t have?” She asked playfully.

“Uh…” Kate blushed slightly, and Eleanor looked at her. “I was a kid with the internet, of course I did.” She shrugged, and Eleanor laughed.

“We had some weird conversations in your teens. Honestly, Kate being a lesbian was the least of my problems during childhood.” She spoke sincerely and sighed.

“You were grateful for the absence of pregnancy.” Kate teased, and Eleanor rolled her eyes.

“Of course I was, but considering the whole situation we were in, you being a lesbian was the least of my worries.” She spoke sincerely, and Kate placed a hand on her mother's wrist.

"It's all right now." She spoke softly and lovingly, and Eleanor's hand went over hers.

“I know, but still, I think our children’s sexuality should honestly be the least of our problems. I think like every mother, we’re afraid something might happen…” She contemplated.

“Billy being openly gay is always something that worries me, not because he likes Teddy, no… Teddy is sweet and loving to him, a perfect boyfriend for my boy, but still, prejudice exists… And that prejudice can hurt.” Wanda spoke softly.

“Concern for safety is always important.” Rio spoke sincerely. “My family never really accepted my relationship with Agatha, there are still points of contention and hurt when we get together, but they love Nicky so everyone makes an effort.” The words came softly.

“Their problem isn’t you being a lesbian, it’s that I’m your wife.” Agatha scoffed. “A bunch of mutts.” She grumbled and Kate laughed.

“Maybe it’s because of that attitude that they don’t like you very much.” She teased, which made Rio chuckle, Wanda cover her mouth to hide her smile, and Agatha glared at Kate with eyes glistening slightly purple, but Kate adjusted and looked at her with playful defiance.

"You're a little shit." Agatha grumbled and pointed a finger at Kate. "I don't like that attitude." It was clearly playful, and Kate gave a low laugh.

"You know you're an exact copy of your attitude, right?" The teasing came from the younger brunette, and Agatha groaned.

"God, I have a second Tommy." The tone was dramatic.

"God forbid, Tommy is a handful." Kate grumbled, which made everyone laugh. Kate looked at the older women with a smile, and then her eyes focused on Yelena, who looked intrigued, staring intently at Kate as if trying to figure something out. The brunette blinked at the blonde a few times and tilted her head slightly to the side. What made Yelena realize she was staring, the blonde's cheeks flushed slightly and she looked away.

"Your lesbian book, Kate, you have lesbian books." Natasha said with arched eyebrows.

"Four if I'm being honest." Kate said playfully to the redhead.

"Four. And what are they?" She asked sincerely.

"Bronze and Silver, they're the duology. Each one tells of a political conspiracy from opposing points of view, from the royalty, Rea's character, and from the revolution, Tilia's point of view. We start with Bronze, where we follow how the revolution is carried out by Tilia and how she falls in love with the Queen Regent. And then Silver, where Rea, the queen who is without a husband because he goes to war and never returns. It's a whole political plot about that." Kate spoke softly.

"And you wrote sex scenes in both?" Natasha asked curiously.

“One in each, in Bronze we have the first time for the two of them and in Silver the reunion, it’s more emotional, less explicit than in Crimson Sword: The Promise in Stone and Blood.” Kate spoke softly and Yelena coughed a few times, which made everyone look at her and she blushed deeply.

“You went down the wrong hole.” She indicated the water and that seemed enough for everyone except Kate who looked at her intrigued.

“And these others?” Natasha called Kate’s attention again.

“The Promise in Stone and Blood is currently a trilogy, I’m writing the third book. And that one is called The Veil and the Spear. The first is The Splattered Blood, and the second is Living Stone. We continue with Lys and Althea. Althea is a warrior carpenter hired to kill Lys, who was a priestess in an isolated temple. They spend the first book trying to prevent Lys from actually being killed. Althea is touched by a divine vision that prevents her from killing Lys. They are destined souls, which makes them both have a mission to fulfill together. But in the second book, they begin an official romance, and in the third, which I’m writing now, they are a couple fighting together.” She spoke, and even though no one else noticed, she noticed Yelena’s ears turning red.

“And these are the ones for adults?” Natasha asked again, more curious.

“There are a total of 18 sex scenes in the sum total, counting only the books published so far.” She shrugged, and Natasha's eyebrows rose. "It was a personal challenge, it sold very well, and I enjoy writing both." She shrugged, and the policewoman looked at Eleanor with amusement.

"Doesn't it bother you that she writes lesbian smut?" She asked so directly that Eleanor coughed and then laughed.

"It bothers me that heterosexual books are so boring." Bishop said, amused. "I tend to skip the sex scenes because they don't move my boat." Eleanor shrugged.

"My mother knows I've been writing sex scenes forever, it was one of those weird teenage conversations." Kate said nonchalantly, and Eleanor shrugged.

“At least it’s healthy and it’s a controlled way for Kate to use her imagination, and her relationships have always been good. Honestly, I’d be stressed if she were doing something illegal.” Eleanor had flaws, like everyone else, but lack of support was never one of them, she always intensely supported Kate’s writing.

“My mom went to almost all of my major book events, she always helps me.” Kate said, shrugging.

“I like to participate.” Eleanor said with an easy smile. “And…” She looked away for a moment. “It breaks my heart a little whenever a Kate fan tells her how the book helped her believe she could find a family that truly loved her. I gave out a lot of hugs at the launches. The LGBT community suffers a lot, if I can be the motherly hug they need, I’m happy to do it.” She said, and there was a moment of silence.

“Thank you for that, Mom.” Kate said softly to Eleanor.

“Our parents never care, I think Alexei is grateful that Yelena and I prefer women.” Natasha said, relaxing in her chair, and the defensive posture that had been somewhat present finally melted away.

“But didn’t you two date men?” Rio asked, furrowing his brow.

“Unfortunately.” Yelena grumbled. “It took me a while to understand that I prefer women and Natasha likes men, which surprises me all the time because she has no patience.” Her tone was provocative towards her sister.

“They’re nice, sometimes.” Natasha said, shrugging. “But emotionally I prefer women, more stable, even if there are crazy ones out there.” Her tone was a little provocative.

“And you, Kate, did you date the crazy ones?” Rio teased Kate, who chuckled softly.

“Illyana was a character.” Eleanor chuckled softly and Kate rolled her eyes.

“Illyana was a black cat with chaotic energy, but she was loyal and very dedicated.” Kate said, shrugging. “It took us a while to understand that it wasn’t meant to be, we’re still friends to this day.” The tone was easygoing, and Kate didn’t mind talking about it.

“I still preferred America.” Eleanor said, and Kate laughed.

“The fateful first girlfriend, a shame her family went back to Mexico when we were 16.” Kate said playfully. “We’re Instagram friends. She’s married to a nice girl.” Eleanor sighed dramatically.

“Kate has had good relationships, even though she likes the more chaotic ones.” It was a slightly judgmental and playful tone, a recurring joke.

“I like chaos.” Kate said in a serious tone, and Eleanor laughed.

“The little entropy party.” Rio joked. “I like the chaotic ones too, I can’t judge, life isn’t boring with Agatha.” She joked, and the older woman tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“You talk like you’re peace personified.” The witch complained.

“I am, if the cutoff point is you.” Agatha grunted at her wife’s words, and Rio gave a shit-eating grin. “If the cutoff point is Eleanor, I’d be a black hole and you’d be the end of the universe.” She continued teasing.

“I’m somewhere in between.” Kate joked, and Rio teased lightly.

“Will you be a terrible influence on Nicky?” Rio teased.

“No less terrible than Tommy.” Kate retorted, and Wanda laughed.

“If Agatha is the end of the universe, Tommy is the big bang, especially if he’s with Pietro. The two of them can be terrible together.” Wanda said playfully, Kate’s eyes going to Yelena.

“And between you and Natasha, who’s the most chaotic?” She asked lightly and saw how Yelena’s cheeks warmed slightly.

“I have the precision of a nuclear clock.” Natasha said, and one of Kate’s eyebrows arched. “That one over there, despite all her professional composure, is as chaotic as Tommy.” She teased her sister.

“I’m not that chaotic, I just… I like messiness.” Yelena grumbled, and Kate was curious about what she meant by that. “Life can be boring, I like to explore.” She said, shrugging, which made the brunette even more curious.

“Exploring hm...” Kate said, and Yelena’s ears warmed slightly.

“Hi Mom!” Billy’s voice coming from the entrance made the conversation die down slightly.

“We’re back here, dear.” Wanda said loudly. “I thought you were with Teddy.” She commented.

“He came along.” Billy said, and that’s when Kate’s eyes focused on the man and she raised her eyebrows. Teddy’s mouth opened and closed, and Kate stood up in surprise.

“Theodore!” She said in an excited tone and moved closer, and Teddy stammered.

“Oh my god, Kate, Kate is Kate Bishop? Kate Bishop!” Teddy stammered to Billy, who looked confused.

“I feel like I lost something important…” Billy said, confused.

“Theodore owns my biggest Instagram fan account.” Kate said, pulling him into a hug. “Good to see you again, kid.” She said cheerfully, and Teddy held her gently, Teddy always hugged gently.

“I… I didn’t know you’re the Kate Billy’s been grumbling about for weeks.” He spoke softly, just loud enough for her to hear. “I won’t tell anyone.” And she knew it was about the wolf, and Kate stepped back and smiled at him.

“It’ll be okay.” She spoke gently and saw that Teddy was, as always, having a small fan meltdown. “Breathe, Teddy.” She instructed gently, and Teddy blushed slightly, and even though he was strong and tall, he just looked awkward.

“Your favorite writer is Kate?” Billy said, amused. “Small world.” He added, amused. “Breathe, love, you’re going to die.” The nudge in Teddy’s ribs made the boy loosen up a little. “Your face doesn’t appear much on the fan club’s IG.” Billy said to Kate.

“My face doesn’t appear much anywhere, I’m not that public… Considering…” She spoke hesitantly, and Billy nodded.

“That makes sense.” He contemplated. “But look at this small world, now Teddy can be a fangirl all the time.” He teased his boyfriend.

“I’m civilized.” Teddy grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’ve always been very polite.” He grunted.

“So much so that it’s the only fan club I give interviews to.” Kate said with an easy smile. “We can schedule one in a few weeks maybe.” She offered, and Teddy nodded quickly. “I have news about the upcoming books.” She said, and Teddy’s blue eyes widened, and he seemed just excited.

“Please! Can I bring my book for you to sign? I couldn’t go to the New York M&G.” He said shyly.

“Of course, always a pleasure.” Kate said, and the three started walking to the table, where even though Kate wanted to talk to Yelena, she was drawn into a conversation with Teddy. She liked giving attention to the fans, and Yelena was nearby, listening to the conversation carefully.

It was strange, because Kate felt this connection with Yelena that she couldn’t explain. She liked looking at the blonde, and felt her stomach flutter when the green eyes looked at her, she felt her skin prickle and it was as if Yelena's scent was stuck to her, like a tattoo that Kate was almost overwhelmed to have but it was still good.

********

“I’m going for a walk around town.” Kate said casually two days later during breakfast. Wanda and Eleanor were there with her, Tommy and Billy had gone to class early. The redhead’s eyes went up to her curiously.

“Having cabin fever?” Wanda asked softly. “Or are you trying to skip your class?” She asked amused.

“I don’t skip classes… That much...” That made Wanda laugh. “I just… I feel like I need to get out a little.” She said shyly.

“We can have class at night, it’s not a problem.” Wanda said calmly. “Is your wolf restless or is it you?” She asked and Kate understood that it was to instigate the connection between wolf and Kate. The brunette closed her eyes for a moment, pondering the question for a moment.

"Both." She answered after a moment. "I feel like my wolf just wants to see people and I need inspiration, I want to see people in their natural selves to get ideas." She spoke sincerely.

"I can take you, I'm going there to sort some things out with the lawyer." Eleanor spoke calmly.

"You want to stay with Lucky, I know it helps you with your anxiety." Kate offered gently and there was a grateful smile from her mother, Wanda watched everything with loving curiosity.

"Yes... He helps, I know he's your dog..." Her mother spoke hesitantly.

"He's our dog, Mom, I'm fine, I'm going for a walk in town, get some inspiration and then I'll come back home, it's a short walk." She spoke calmly.

"How are you feeling about the silver?" Her mother asked softly, there were the long layers of worry that always surrounded Kate's health.

“There are only 5 grams left, I think eventually everything will be fine, I feel much more coherent, much more aware of who I am, more comfortable.” Wanda smiled slightly at this. “They want to do another ritual this weekend…” Kate indicated the witch. “The expectation is that if there are only 2 or 3 grams of silver left, I will be able to start metabolizing it on my own and in a few months I will be free.” She contemplated thoughtfully.

“Agatha and I assume that with an amount less than 4 grams Kate will be able to have a normal life, still a little limited in terms of being a wolf, perhaps transforming will be more difficult or less consistent, but there will still be the ability to maintain the mental connection and clarity in actions.” This made Eleanor nod to the witch and Kate smiled shyly.

“I’m curious…” Her mother said and gave a shy smile. “To see what you’re really like in your wolf form, the two times I saw you, you really looked more like a wild wolf the first time, and a subdued one the second time.” The transformation in New York and the most recent one in her bedroom, Kate pondered and nodded.

“Me too, I don’t even know what color I am, I’m curious about that, but Rio asked for patience and I’m being patient.” The shrug was more resigned than anything else. Kate understood that she needed to wait and that it could take up to a year for her wolf to fully mature. She would have a lesson about that later with Wanda.

“You’re a beautiful wolf, but I’ll leave the details for when you transform.” Wanda spoke in a soft, gentle tone, resting an elbow on the table and her face in her hand.

“A surprise then.” Kate said lightly, and Wanda smiled. “Okay, let’s go to town, you do your things, Mom, and I’ll walk back later.” She spoke confidently, and Eleanor nodded calmly.

“Okay, let’s go then.” And with that, the rest of the meal was eaten, and Eleanor, Kate, and Lucky got into the older Bishop’s car. Eleanor’s meeting would be in Eastview, since it was a larger city. Kate was dropped off in the city center, and she said goodbye to her mother and Lucky.

Kate liked it there, it was a charming little town. Westview wasn't anything extraordinary, if she were very honest, one of those small towns that would go unnoticed if it weren't for the persistent silence that always seemed to hang in the air.

The streets were wide, with old lampposts and sidewalks that had been in use for decades, and most of the houses boasted worn colonial facades, white picket fences, and lawns that seemed to struggle to stay trimmed, since the climate there was very friendly to grass growth.

Some shops seemed to resist the passage of time, there was a bakery with a slightly worn sign, a small pharmacy, and a gas station that not only fueled the town but was also a meeting point where there was an ice cream shop.

Perhaps what Kate liked most were the surrounding forests that slowly swallowed the city limits, and it only took two blocks from the center to feel the sense of isolation growing. There was no rush there, something she appreciated. Westview seemed to exist in a bubble of peace and tranquility.

Eastview was a larger city, about a 20-minute drive away. For many years, Westview was a district of the larger city, but it gained independence. However, the larger city remained the point of reference, with more specialists and more of everything. Even though Westview still had a small emergency hospital with transfers to Eastview.

And perhaps what Kate appreciated most there was the ease of getting anywhere she wanted from Westview. Two hours by car from New York, and an hour from Trenton, which was great for Kate and Eleanor. Isolated enough for the two of them to have more peace and quiet, and close enough in case they both needed to go to their hometown.

Kate appreciated the smells of the small town, there were floral perfumes, the smell of homemade food being made in various places permeated the air peacefully. She passed in front of a house and saw a lady tending to her garden, across the street, someone was putting a pie out to cool on the windowsill. It was a place Kate really liked. It was then that Kate's nose was drawn to a familiar scent, she started walking without really realizing that her nose was guiding her to something.

It was when she turned a corner, and felt a smaller body bump against her. Kate's hands quickly came out of her jacket pockets and grabbed the person by the shoulders, that's when she got a chill, felt her heart race and she swallowed hard for a moment.

"Sorry, Kate, I didn't see you." Yelena's voice touched her and she opened her eyes, which she hadn't even realized were closed.

"It's okay." Kate spoke softly and that's when she saw and felt the tension in Yelena's body on her fingertips, the woman seemed like a spring ready to burst. "Is everything alright, Yelena?" The tone was soft and Kate looked at the blonde carefully.

"I-" She started and stopped. "No, it's not." Yelena spoke softly and Kate continued to pay attention to the changes in tension in the blonde's body. “A patient…” She began, and Kate saw how the blonde’s body tensed even more, and there was this shudder of shoulders. “I lost a patient today.” It was spoken in a choked tone, and Kate felt her heart clench at the painful tone.

“Oh… I’m so sorry, dear.” Kate spoke in such a gentle tone, and she couldn’t tell who initiated the touch first, but she found herself with her arms around Yelena’s shoulders in a hug, and the blonde pressed against her, and there was that low sob of someone who had gone through something unexpectedly sad.

“He was my first patient…” Yelena spoke against Kate, and that’s when the brunette felt Yelena’s hands gripping the hem of the brunette’s jacket.

“I’m sorry.” The brunette didn’t have much to offer, but she would listen and hold the hug for as long as Yelena needed. “What do you need right now, Yelena?” She asked, so gently that she barely recognized her own voice, which sounded so soft and so low.

“I just… I need to distract myself…” Yelena spoke, still against Kate, and the brunette’s arms closed slightly around the blonde.

“Do you want to go for a walk with me? I have a foot in my mouth, I can talk nonstop if that helps you.” She offered and heard a small, snorting laugh, but it was followed by a small, heavy breath.

“That sounds like a great idea.” The blonde’s tone was a little subdued, but when she moved away from Kate, the two looked at each other and exchanged a small smile. The brunette’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed in concern, and she gestured in some direction.

“Come on, let’s go…” She suggested and lightly touched Yelena’s shoulder, guiding her into a slow walk.

“What brings you to the city today?” The question came suddenly two steps after the two started walking.

“I was having what Wanda called cabin syndrome. Apparently being stuck in the house for so long, even with all the coming and going that house is, was driving me crazy. I like people-watching and walking.” Kate said, shrugging slightly.

“So, looking for a distraction?” It was curious, and Kate glanced at Yelena briefly and gave a slight smile.

“And inspiration, mostly. I get a lot of inspiration from watching people, my brain is a little hyperactive, I’d say, so seeing routines, seeing people just being themselves, helps me unwind a bit.” She contemplated. “I’m at a part of my book where I need to be very careful about the tone I want to put on it, I don’t want it to be overly dramatic or seem emotionally detached, so I need to recharge my batteries.” Kate put her hands in her pockets and sighed. “And honestly, I’m a little apprehensive about going back to New York in two weeks, even if it’s temporarily…” She paused for a moment. “I’ll need to talk to my father, and that… It’s not something I’m necessarily excited about, I’ll have to listen to a million apologies for things he did that are honestly unforgivable.” She spoke, making herself vulnerable. “We left New York because we needed to handle the consequences of his actions. And as much as I see myself really enjoying living in a quiet city… I feel like…” She pondered for a moment. “I feel like he took away so much that I could have experienced if he had chosen to be honest.” She said, and the two walked in silence for a long moment.

“I’m so sorry he hurt you like that.” Yelena said as they began to circle the trees inside a small green area in the city. “I’m adopted.” Yelena spoke gently, and Kate glanced briefly at her, catching the blonde's gaze in the treetops. She listened before spotting the little squirrel and then began to follow it with her eyes. "I'm from Russia, Natasha and I are from there, that's why the accent." She spoke softly.

"Yours is a little stronger than hers." She commented, and then the two looked at each other. "I like it, it's something I haven't had much contact with, the different accents." Her cheeks flushed slightly as she felt shy about the little comment. "But Russia is..." Kate brought the topic up again.

“The political and economic situation in Russia for some years, in the region where she and I were born, wasn’t very good, conflicts, social problems and things like that. My biological parents were killed in clashes with the police, and I ended up in the shelter when I was 2 years old, honestly I don’t remember much. Natasha is older, 5 years older, so she has more memories of Russia than I do. But we bonded very easily, so much so that nobody really bothered me or her, so when we were 7 and 12 years old respectively, Melina and Alexei went to that overcrowded shelter in an adoption program with international facilitation. Alexei was a security guard here in the US for a politician and it was facilitated by political connections. Melina was quickly hired to work as a researcher in Ohio. And they wanted a child, a younger one.” She spoke and paused for a moment.

“In this case, you.” Kate said as the two stopped near a bench and with a gentle nod from the brunette, the two sat down.

“Yes, I was the age they wanted, but there was Natasha. And I didn’t want to be away from her, that was… Terrifying. I think my desperation touched them somehow and one child became two. Russia became Columbus and the cold and hunger became a loving and noisy home. Alexei was always very noisy, which I appreciated growing up that they both wanted us so much.” She spoke gently. “But there were traumas, there were burdens that Russia and the orphanage left on both of us. It took us a few months to relax and about two years for Natasha to accept that yes, Alexie and Melina were our parents.” She contemplated without really looking at Kate. “But Natasha, I think she never managed to let go of the insecurity she felt, she… She remembers more of what it was like.” The tone was soft, low, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“That explains why she was so suspicious of me. I think it’s very fair that trust has become so uncertain, and she’s a police officer, half the time she’s trying to find something going wrong and the other half probably on high alert.” She gently contemplated what she knew about how the analytical minds of police officers worked. “Honestly, if some stranger were in my girlfriend’s house, I’d be suspicious too.” She said, shrugging. “But as I told Natasha, I’m harmless, and Wanda has that whole scary woman aura when she’s angry. I never want to anger that woman.” Kate’s shudder was genuine, Wanda, like Eleanor, had a calm and sweet aura, and those were always the worst when angered.

“Afraid of calm women, Kate Bishop?” Yelena asked, amused.

“A calm woman is a storm, Yelena. And if I were to choose intensity, it certainly wouldn’t be anger directed at me.” Kate grumbled, and the two looked at each other.

“And what kind of intensity do you prefer, Kate?” The question sounded lower, and Kate opened and closed her mouth, but she was prevented from answering by Yelena's cell phone ringing. The blonde sighed and answered the phone. "Hey." Kate felt her ears almost itching, and she could — somewhat bizarrely for herself — hear the conversation.

"Hey, Yel, sorry to call you, I know you went for a walk to… well…" It was a gentle voice.

"It's okay, Karolina, what's wrong?" She asked gently.

"We have a dog that found a porcupine, it's a little… chaotic." Karolina spoke uncertainly, and Yelena sighed.

"I'm in the square, I'll be there in a few minutes." Yelena seemed just exhausted.

"Okay, boss, I'll ask them to wait and start the registration and everything. I'll ask them to sign a stay agreement for the night, I know you like to watch them." Karolina spoke practically, and Yelena gave an accepting huh-huh.

"I'll be right there." And with that, the call ended, and Yelena looked at Kate.

"Do you need to go?" The brunette offered gently and saw how Yelena sighed and her shoulders slumped slightly.

"A dog needs care." Yelena replied, and Kate nodded. "Sorry, I think I ended up talking about you more than anything else." she said awkwardly.

"I like listening to you." Kate said without thinking and didn't allow herself to feel embarrassed, it was the truth. "Can I walk with you to the clinic? I want to stop by the bank." she offered, not really needing to go to the bank, but she could check the bank activity that had been happening for a few weeks, and Ororo said there would be royalty payments for her.

"That would be nice." Yelena said almost shyly, and the two stood up and began to walk, though not as slowly as before, but it still didn't seem like such a fast rush.

They chatted about trivial things, Yelena asked about Lucky, and Kate mentioned that Eleanor had gone to Eastview with Lucky to deal with something related to the divorce, and before they knew it, they were in front of the clinic.

"Thank you for walking with me... It helped me sort out my mess a little." Yelena said with a sad smile, and Kate lightly touched the blonde's wrist.

"It's okay to miss those who are gone, Yelena. It doesn't make you weak or a mess. I enjoy your company." She said, and Yelena blinked a few times, then stood on tiptoe and kissed Kate's cheek lightly.

"See you later, Kate Bishop." It was a goodbye, and still an easy phrase. Yelena went into the clinic, and Kate stood still for a moment, then cleared her throat and walked to the bench. Yelena made a little mess of Kate, and she didn't quite know why.

********

“Do you want to go to town for ice cream?” Billy’s question on Saturday made Kate look up from her laptop screen and furrow her brow at Billy, and the boy repeated the question.

“Ice cream?” She inquired, and he nodded quickly.

“Yes, I’m going to meet some friends. They’re curious about you, and they’re supernatural too.” He offered, and Kate nodded.

“Okay, sounds cool.” Kate said, shrugging, saving the document she was typing, and closing her laptop, leaving it on the coffee table. She then started walking with Billy to the car. “How are your classes going?” The question was more of an icebreaker.

“They’re good, studying history is cool, I prefer my part-time job with Agatha at the bookstore, but sometimes I just want to go out and explore. I envy Tommy who can travel, teleporting is still a hassle because my magic is still very unstable. Lilia says it will take me a few good years of training to achieve it.” He grumbled.

“Teleportation… Like, boom, another place in the world? Or do you have to know the place?” She asked curiously.

“I don’t need to know it physically, but I need to have elements. For example, if I want to go to New York, I would choose a street on Google Maps, to be able to visualize it and then teleport.” He said, and Kate nodded. “Flying is easier, if I were honest, but witches haven’t used brooms or branches to fly for a long time, that’s what brought a lot of attention to them in the witch hunts, that and the cures.” Kate listened attentively.

“Agatha told me about that, about how witches were hunted by the church.” She commented, trying to keep the subject going.

“Not just by the church, a real hunt began… Just like with the lycans in Europe, your coming to the US was for a very similar reason of persecution that made the witches leave Europe and come here, but you managed to stay more hidden, even though you were reduced to almost nothing in Europe. The witches suffered persecution here too, in the Americas they preferred to drown witches.” He spoke softly and sighed. “This made some ghosts start circulating, and with all this, it made the supernatural beings hide more.” He spoke slowly. Going from the house to the city took only a few minutes by car and it was enough for this conversation to fill the space.

“Okay, your friends. Do I need to worry?” She asked shyly.

“Just, Cindy can be a little tactile, don’t think she’s hitting on you or anything like that.” He offered and Kate blinked and nodded. Then they got out of the car and Kate saw the small group in the shadows. There was a girl with long black hair, brown eyes, and Asian features who had her face pressed against the neck of a boy, also Asian, with brown hair and almond-shaped eyes. Then there was a short, brunette girl who was laughing at something — a figure that Kate took a while to notice. Short brown hair, an overcoat, and she was leaning against the tree in the shade.

“Look who’s here! Wicanno!” The girl who had been laughing earlier spoke in an amused tone.

“Hey guys, this is Kate.” He offered quickly. “Kate, these are… Amadeus Cho, he prefers to be called Cho.” Billy indicated the boy in the group. “Clinging to him is Cindy, this is Becca, and that one hidden in the shade of the tree is Nico.” He offered quickly.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Becca said with an easy smile.

“You smell like a dog.” The voice coming from the shadows made everyone look at Nico.

“Don’t be rude, Minuro.” Cho said in a dry tone.

“What? It’s the truth. You smell like a slithering snake, Cindy like a wet fox, Billy like old magic, and Becca like the undead. We all stink.” She said, rolling her eyes, and Kate looked at the woman. “I’m a vampire, girl.” She said in a disdainful tone.

“lycan.” Kate said, shrugging. “But you already knew that…” She said in a soft tone and then took two steps back when she felt someone approaching. Quickly, Cindy was nose to nose with Kate, and the two looked at each other. Kate felt the wolf putting its ears back in discomfort at the unexpected proximity. A low growl came out of Kate, and she saw how Cindy shrank back like a puppy, putting its ears down and making itself small. “God, sorry.” She took a step back, which made the wolf and the girl relax. “I… My wolf is still a puppy despite my age, it’s been a process of learning to control the reactions.” She offered sincerely.

“Oh, I understand. I’m a Kitsune, a fox.” The girl spoke and gave a shy smile. “I’m kind of… Invasive with physical space, I was curious.” She spoke sincerely. “You smell different from Rio and Rhane.” She spoke sincerely.

“It must be the silver.” She muttered, and there was an awkward silence in the group. “My father used silver to inhibit my wolf my whole life, it’s been a learning process.” She spoke softly.

“Ah, she’s a mess just like us.” Becca said to Nico. “I died.” She said, and Kate looked at Becca. “I became a ghost, but I didn’t want to detach myself, I stole this body and I’m alive, in many quotation marks, but I’m trying to detach myself so I can move on.” She said, and Kate nodded, still uncertain how to continue the conversation.

“And Cho is a Naga, he can transform into a giant snake.” Nico said and scratched his nose.

“You have weird friends, Billy.” Kate said jokingly, and that made the warlock laugh. “Wanda explained a little about nagas and kitsunes, because we are shapeshifters, from what I understand.” She said thoughtfully.

“Yes, since we transform into animals, we are considered shapeshifters.” Cho said, and Kate noticed Cindy nearby again. “The kitsune is a little… Tactile and curious, as we can see.” He said, clearing his throat.

“She looks warm.” Cindy said and then blushed. “Sorry! I’m not hitting on you, I promise.” She explained quickly. And Kate blinked twice, feeling the wolf relax, then sighed and opened her arms. Which made Cindy give a small, joyful squeal and snuggle against Kate, her arms going around the brunette’s waist, and there was this purring that echoed softly from the girl.

“Oh, God, she’s purring.” Becca said amusedly and shook her head. “Control your powers, Cindy.” She spoke softly, and there was a small, satisfied sound.

“Kate is warm.” The girl said, and Kate looked at Billy, who shrugged.

“She’s a lycan, the opposite spectrum of me, I’m cold and she’s warm.” Nico said and sighed. “We can get ice cream, I’ve had enough sun exposure and my head is starting to hurt.” She grumbled, and Cindy seemed to be pulled away from Kate and threw her arms up.

“ICE CREAM!” She spoke loudly, and Kate felt a small hint of laughter wanting to emerge, but Cindy started walking, and that made the group move behind the Kitsune.

“She’s happy… Isn’t she?” Kate said softly.

“Kitsunes are usually cheerful.” Nico said in a monotone tone.

“We’re shapeshifters, Billy is considered magical, and you?” She asked the vampire.

“It depends a bit, undead is a classification.” She spoke softly and in a still slightly bored tone. “Some classify us as symbiotes, we need human blood to survive, invariably.” She said, and then they fell silent as everyone ordered ice cream and the group started walking towards the square.

“How does that work, the blood thing?” She asked the vampire softly.

“Usually we have someone we trust, for a while Billy and Tommy helped me with that.” She said without feeling shy.

“It wasn’t that much blood, and the sensation of the bite is almost imperceptible if I’m honest.” Billy spoke, shrugging again.

“But currently Nico’s blood bag is her girlfriend, Karolina.” Becca said, amused.

“She’s not a blood bag.” Nico grumbled. “I’m lucky that Karolina is someone who has accepted the characteristics of my type. And I need to drink once a month.” She rolled her eyes.

“It’s not the same as cult culture then. I found myself realizing how distorted it is.” She spoke sincerely, and this didn’t seem to be judged by the group.

“It’s not really very faithful. Vampires aren’t created, they’re born vampires, just like lycans, nagas, witches.” Nico said and licked the scab. “I don’t transform into a bat, but I do have increased speed, increased strength, increased resistance. When a vampire child is born, it’s born human and then dies and wakes up again. That’s why they’re undead. Blood is a natural part of the process, usually one of the parents is human.” She contemplated. “Vampires with two vampire parents are rare, I think there was only one in history and it didn’t last long. We are photosensitive and yes, the sun isn’t pleasant for us for long periods because our bodies are slower, so they overheat. But we can go out in the sun, have a normal life.” She spoke and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“So, normal life and once a month you drink blood.” She said and Nico nodded.

“Less than a blood donation, a cup of coffee on average.” Nico spoke softly. “Normally vampires have fixed donation partners, like Tommy and Billy were for me, they took turns, and now Karolina. But when my parents and I were still close, my father was the source for me and my mother.” She spoke sincerely and Kate nodded.

“A cup of coffee, it’s really not much, it doesn’t affect a human that much. Could you drink from shapeshifters?” She asked sincerely.

“Yes, I can’t drink from animals, but any human will do. Are you volunteering?” She asked playfully, and her fangs showed slightly.

"I'm curious." Kate said sincerely, shrugging. "But I think because of the silver still in my body, it wouldn't be smart." She said sincerely, and Nico nodded.

"I don't think so, maybe one day Karoline will let you be my blood bag for once.” She teased, and Kate gave a low laugh and felt Cindy's arm being embraced.

“Done.” She said playfully. “And you, Cindy, what’s it like being a kitsune?” She asked softly.

“I’m a small orange fox with 7 tails when I transform. We’re more common in the East than here, but my whole family is Kitsune. We live in Eastview, my dad has a market there.” She said, hugging Kate’s arm. “Kitsunes are affectionate, so I’m a little clingy.” She said awkwardly. “But we’re supernatural beings linked to the dead, which is why Becca and I are so close. Kitsunes kind of stabilize the presence of ghosts. We have some living in our house.” She said playfully. “But unlike Becca, ghosts are ethereal. I can’t touch them, and that doesn’t help much with Kitsunes’ tactile desire. The saying goes that Kitsunes are physically attached because they walk among lives that are no longer touchable.” She pondered, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“That makes sense if I’m being honest.” The older brunette spoke calmly. “And just like me, do you have a veil that gets thinner at some point during the month?” She asked softly.

“New moon, that’s when the veil between the dead and the living is thinnest, so the fox becomes easier to reach, but I can transform freely just like lycans and Nagas, but in different lunar cycles. When is yours, Cho? Waning moon?” She asked sincerely.

“Yes, but Nagas transform less, we’re very large in animal form.” He said and ate the rest of the crust. “And we’re reptiles, so cold seasons aren’t our favorite for transformation. So we avoid it, we don’t have the need like wolves or kitsunes to transform frequently. So summer is more common.” He said, shrugging. “I’m a cold-blooded creature, Cindy usually likes to cling to me trying to warm me up, and failing miserably. I’m grateful she has someone warm-blooded around besides Billy and Tommy, the three of us aren’t very warm.” He pointed to himself, Becca, and Nico.

“Yes, you guys are icy.” She grumbled, and a sound made both Kate and Cindy look up, following a squirrel running with a nut in its mouth. “Oh, cute.”

“Did you hear that, Kate?” Billy asked curiously.

“Yes, my ears are sensitive. Rio said it’s natural because the connection is deepening. Overall, I’m living a normal life, but when there are different sounds, I get curious.” She said shyly.

“A puppy being curious is normal.” Billy said with an easy smile.

And it was simple, fun until she was included in Billy’s group of friends. Cindy was indeed tactile, but Kate didn’t mind the 19-year-old girl clinging to her. It wasn’t sexual, it wasn’t romantic, it was just a search for connection, and Kate readily accepted having her arms hugged or giving hugs that Cindy called warm.

Nico and Kate got along well. Becca was a very calm person, and Cho was quiet, but they were still friendly and talked a lot with Kate. They taught her a lot about each of their species, and Kate respected that Becca never talked about how she died, but she was kind enough to explain that she was a ghost who chose to be trapped in a body and that Cindy's family was helping to release that physical bond. Ghosts weren't meant to have physical bodies. It was fun and very educational to hang out with Billy and his friends.

********

Kate didn't even need to go to the market at that moment, but she wanted to walk a bit and was alone at home, so walking calmly to the small market in the city center was easy for her and for Lucky, who was more than happy to take a walk. She looked at the sky, seeing the beautiful day without heavy clouds and only white clouds passing by, and Lucky was giving his best canine smile to anyone who looked in his direction.

The energy had returned to her with the passing of the rite over the weekend, they managed to leave only 3 grams of silver in the lycan's body. What made a truly tremendous difference in Kate's life was that she now felt more energized, more alive, the best condition she'd been in years, if she were to score.

She took cheerful steps, happy to be standing on her own two feet. She held a bag of chocolate and the real reason she'd gone to the market: to buy yeast to make a cake.

That's when a faint metallic, ferrous smell touched Kate's nose. It took her a moment to realize it was blood. And that made her look up from her phone, her eyebrows furrowed and confused about where the smell was coming from. She looked around, the familiar smell mixed with blood making her frown and search for the source of the smell.

Kate didn't feel so adept at recognizing smells yet, not like Rio, who seemed like a hunting dog. So far, the wolf only recognized her mother easily, which was expected since she was Eleanor's pup.

But it was when her eyes focused on Yelena and she saw how the woman's forearm was bandaged and the blonde was standing leaning against a car, that made Kate's heart clench with worry and her eyebrows furrow as she unconsciously approached the blonde.

"Yelena." She called, approaching, and this made the blonde, who was staring at her cell phone, look up. "What happened?" The question came out worried, almost excessively so, even to Kate's ears, but the blonde looked at her and then at her own arm. There was this small act of embarrassment, Yelena's eyes dropped to the ground, and she cleared her throat slightly.

Lucky promptly leaned against Yelena in a silent hello, and received an ear scratch.

"A cat bit me when I was giving him his vaccination at the clinic." She said almost awkwardly, especially when Kate touched the bandage with her fingertips.

"When was this?" She asked softly. The bandage didn't look really well done, it was on Yelena's dominant arm, which could have made it difficult.

"Uh... About fifteen minutes ago?" The blonde offered uncertainly.

"Your bandage is crooked, it needs to be changed." Kate's firm voice and worried look made Yelena's eyebrows arch in surprise at the act itself.

"I'm a doctor." she joked.

"Who had the forearm of her dominant hand injured, it's still a poorly done bandage." The tone wasn't very happy, and her blue eyes narrowed slightly. "It needs to be redone." There was no choice in Kate's tone.

"Are you offering, Kate Bishop?" The blonde asked amused.

"Yes. Kate replied firmly, and this seemed to surprise Yelena.

"Did you come to the market?" It seemed almost like an attempt to deflect, but there was still genuine curiosity in the blonde's tone, even if it was a sudden attempt to change focus.

"I needed yeast to make a cake." Kate answered without hesitation, and the blonde nodded.

“Come in, I’ll take you home and you can fix me up there.” She spoke, and Kate didn’t move, which made Yelena look at her intrigued and with a curious look, then the brunette held out her hand.

“What?” Yelena ran her hand through her blonde hair, sounding amused by Kate’s outstretched hand.

“The key, you’re hurt and I’m more than capable of driving.” The lycan felt incredibly protective. She wanted to shrink from her own firm way of speaking. But then there was this challenge from Yelena, where the blonde frowned and didn’t want to give in.

But Kate, she kept her eyes steady, her hand rigidly extended, and saw how Yelena’s shoulders slumped and relaxed and the blonde gave a long sigh. But then the sigh became surrender and she held out the key she fished from her pants pocket.

“Please don’t crash my car.” She asked softly.

“I’m a great driver.” Kate rolled her eyes and said, unlocking the car which beeped. It was an SUV, which made sense because Yelena did local calls.

And Kate pulled the door open for the blonde, who looked amused, but there was still a small smile, almost flattered by the action.

“Gentlemanly in my own car.” The blonde commented playfully and accepted Kate’s kind gesture, getting into the car.

Kate then moved to the driver’s seat and hesitated about where to put the bag, which made Yelena huff and pull the bag towards herself and leave it on her lap.

“Drive, Kate Bishop.” She ordered in a teasing tone, and Kate grumbled, but obeyed without hesitation, which made the two of them and Lucky, who was sitting in the back seat, start moving towards Wanda’s house.

They drove for a few minutes, without really talking, Yelena’s eyes were on the passing trees. And Kate, despite being a good driver, was attentive and had a steady hand. But the tension still made her grip the steering wheel tighter, especially since she didn't know that car or the road leading to Wanda very well.

But parking the car was easy.

"So, Dr. Bishop, where do I need to go?" She asked, holding the bag in her good hand. Kate huffed, but closed the car door gently and locked it with a smooth flick of her finger on the key.

"Did you know I have a PhD?" The blonde's eyebrows rose at the new information. "So technically that's not wrong even if I don't use that title." Kate sounded so casual.

The comment sounded so unimpressed coming from Kate that the veterinarian found herself simply following the writer to the kitchen, where the two kept their items in the cupboard. Kate took Yelena to the first-floor bathroom.

Lucky promptly went to lie down in the yard with Sparky, which didn't bother either of the two women.

"A PhD?" Yelena cleared her throat and then sounded soft. Kate gestured to the blonde, who sat on the toilet with her arm extended into the sink. There was a positive yet thoughtful sound from Kate as she began to undo the bandages.

“I graduated with a degree in creative writing from NYU.” The tone was casual enough, and Kate tried hard not to blush or sound arrogant. “I also got a Master of Fine Arts there and a PhD in creative writing afterward.” Kate patiently began to undo Yelena’s bandage. “Which made my writing much better, if I’m being honest.” She sighed as soon as she finished speaking. “Those were deep wounds.” She grumbled to the blonde and ran her fingers around the teeth marks that were there. “You should go to the hospital.” She warned with genuine concern.

“I don’t need to, I have an antibiotic ointment and the cat is at the clinic as a regular client, he’s completely healthy. I just need to manage a possible infection.” It was a clearly stubborn tone from Yelena.

“You’re stubborn.” The brunette grumbled to the blonde and washed the wound, which didn’t make Yelena grumble, but still shudder.

“And what are you going to do about it?” The blonde's tone was defiant, and her blue eyes drifted from the wound she was tending to Yelena's eyes.

"Don't be defiant, Yelena, it's not nice." She scolded firmly and saw how the blonde's cheeks flushed.

"Sorry." She muttered, and Kate began wrapping the bandage around Yelena's arm, this time it felt much better, and Kate nodded to herself.

"It's okay, I like that you have a strong personality and are independent, but it's okay to need help and want..." She paused, clearing her throat as Yelena suddenly stood up. Their blue and hazel eyes met, and the two were very close.

The scent of Yelena, the soft warmth of her body radiating from her to Kate, and everything that was Yelena made the brunette fall silent. Almost overwhelmed by the sensation of Yelena being there, the brunette's mouth opened and closed, and Yelena's defiant tone seemed to shift from stubborn to provocative. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her shoulders straightened, and Kate could only wait.

“And want? Can I want anything, Kate?” The blonde spoke softly in a teasing tone, and Kate swallowed hard and licked her lips.

“Yes, you can want.” It came out softly, especially with the tension that had built up so quickly like a wildfire, and Kate felt deliciously tense with this sudden connection.

“And can I have what I want, Kate?” Yelena’s repetition of her name made her heart race.

“If you ask.” Kate felt her heart race, her hands sweat, but she still spoke uncertainly, feeling both the wolf and she uneasy with the situation, but it was a deliciously good uneasy feeling.

“Do you want to kiss me? Because I want to kiss you.” Yelena spoke softly, and her hands moved to touch Kate’s hips. “Yes?” It was almost a whisper, and their eyes met, Yelena's hazel greens and Kate's blues, and there was that moment.

"Yes. I want to kiss you." The words sounded soft, and Yelena moaned.

"Please kiss me." She spoke softly and stood on tiptoe, not closing the distance between them completely, but letting Kate make the choice.

Chapter Text

The first lip contact was unexpectedly yet anxiously anticipated. But still, Kate felt the wolf stir. Yelena's uninjured arm went around Kate's shoulders, and the injured hand gripped Kate's t-shirt.

And the way the blonde moaned against her made Kate's little self-control crack in the first moment. It was a kiss that started reasonably chaste, but when the sound echoed and vibrated, Kate growled slightly and held Yelena by the hips, pushing her against the wall in a small lupine frenzy.

Yelena's tongue dove into Kate's mouth without hesitation when the growl came, and the two kissed frantically, as if finally an energy that had built up between them in the few casual encounters they had had was finally released.

“Oh, fuck…” Yelena grumbled against the brunette as Kate pressed her more firmly against the bathroom wall, her hand digging into Kate’s hair, and the brunette growled again at the slight tug. The lycan felt her heart pounding fast, erratically fast, and desire still pounding on her like a truck collision.

Throughout Kate’s life, there had been desire, there had been attraction, there had been sexual tension with the partners she had, but not like this. Maybe it was the silver, maybe it was the wolf that seemed to want to consume Yelena, maybe it was just how she reacted to the blonde, or maybe it was just a combination of everything.

Kate’s hands slipped under the blonde’s shirt, her fingers spread wide against the woman’s ribs, and the moan that echoed was obscene, loud, and dirty. She felt a slight change in texture on both fingers, like a raised bump, and Kate wondered if there were any tattoos or scars there.

“God, we can’t do anything but kiss in Wanda’s guest bathroom." Yelena said breathlessly. “Ah, yes, Kate…” She groaned and threw her head to the side as the brunette’s mouth went to her neck without hesitation.

Yelena’s two hands burrowed into the brunette’s hair and pressed her against her neck, which made Kate feel the taste and smell of the blonde even more against her mouth, and she lightly nibbled at her skin. The idea of ​​perhaps marking Yelena was tempting, but she would control herself, but it was especially exciting.

She whimpered slightly against the blonde’s skin as Yelena’s nails dug into her scalp and pulled her away, and the two looked at each other, breathless, pupils dilated, Yelena’s cheeks were red, and the blonde licked her lips, which made her blue eyes drift down to Yelena’s lips.

“No, no, no, God don’t look at me like that, I have no self-control.” Yelena whimpered and placed both hands on Kate’s shoulders and pushed her away, just enough for their bodies to separate and for them to look at each other. Yelena looked like a sin to be committed, and Kate looked at her with lust, with desire from head to toe. "Kate." The call was made, and the brunette looked into the green eyes.

"I..." Kate said and cleared her throat. "Sorry, I got carried away." She said awkwardly.

"Jesus, I don't want you to apologize for that. I just don't want to do anything in Wanda's guest bathroom." Yelena said, taking a deep breath. "I still need to work." The blonde whimpered, leaning her head against the wall and closing her eyes.

"Uh..." Kate scratched her head slightly and took another step back, stopping against the other wall, and the two looked at each other. "So... this happened." She said almost shyly.

"For someone who writes explicit lesbian smut, you're quite shy sometimes." The sentence made Kate's eyebrows rise and a reasonably amused smile appear on her face.

"Apparently someone's been reading my books." Kate's tone was provocative, and it was Yelena's turn to blush slightly.

“I may or may not have stolen Natasha’s.” She spoke slightly awkwardly, and Kate’s mouth fell open slightly.

“Natasha is reading my books? Your sister, Natasha?” The brunette’s tone clearly conveyed surprise, and Yelena’s eyebrow rose. “Natasha the scary Natasha?” She asked lightly.

“You think Natasha is scary? I usually have that reputation.” Yelena said playfully.

“You’re hot, she’s terrifying.” Kate said, and that made Yelena laugh.

“I appreciate the compliment.” The blonde said, relaxing her arms at her sides. “I… Would like us to do this again.” The blonde spoke a little more shyly.

“Yes.” Kate’s answer was almost anxiously excited, and she felt her cheeks heat up.

“Looks like we’re on the same page.” Yelena said, and Kate moved closer, placing her hands on either side of the blonde’s head, and the woman held her breath slightly.

“Looks like so.” The brunette leaned in, and their noses brushed in a subtle tease.

“God.” Yelena’s whimpering made Kate give a tiny, amused laugh, and her mouth moved closer to Yelena’s parted lips, almost kissing, but the lycan lightly kissed Yelena’s chin instead.

“You need to work.” Kate whispered and moved to kiss Yelena’s cheek. The blonde groaned and sighed discontentedly, especially when there was a kiss on the other cheek.

“Stop being a tease.” The blonde whispered.

“Unfortunately, being a tease is kind of my thing.” Kate said playfully.

“Oh great, you’re the personification of Lys.” The character quote made Kate pull away from Yelena and give a dirty smile.

“Every author has a little bit of themselves in their characters, Yelena.” She spoke huskily, and the blonde grunted, not satisfied but perhaps a little frustrated.

“Oh my God, don’t talk in that sexy tone.” The whimpering came, and Kate pulled away and smiled. She reached into her pockets and felt the wolf itching to get closer to the blonde.

“If you want me to have self-control… Let’s get out of this tiny room that’s just the two of us. Your perfume is driving me crazy.” Kate grumbled, going out first, and she felt how hot her skin was and how the wolf actually seemed to want to scratch its way to Yelena, controlling it was difficult, but not impossible.

“Yes, yes, get out of the tiny bathroom.” The brunette heard the blonde say between breaths, and yet neither of them moved. “Please go out first, I don’t have the willpower.” The whimpering came, and Kate took a deep breath, feeling her sense of smell sharpen to the blonde’s scent, and she exhaled slowly. “Kate…” The whimpering came, and Kate pressed her arms against her body while her hands were in her pants pockets.

“Damn sense of responsibility.” Kate grumbled, clearly voicing her own and the wolf's discontent, and she shuffled out of the bathroom. As she left, the scent of the house seemed to soothe some of how overwhelmed Kate's lupine senses had been by Yelena's scent.

Kate's ears caught Lucky gnawing on one of the many bones he had scattered around the house, he was spoiled. But still, he was always quite happy being close but not clinging.

"Where's Sparky?" Yelena asked suddenly, and Kate was grateful for the change of subject. Kate's ears adjusted slightly, and she briefly heard pawing sounds upstairs, but it was her nose that gave away Sparky's location.

"In Tommy's room." She said, and saw how Yelena looked at her curiously. "His bed is there. And he tends to hide from Lucky when he gets tired of playing." Kate cleared her throat, and that seemed to be enough for the blonde to nod. "You need to go back to the clinic." She stated it when the two stopped at the front door.

“Yes.” Yelena’s tone wasn’t very pleased, but there was still this moment of hesitation as the two stopped and looked at each other.

“I’ll walk you to the car, do you want me to take you?” Kate asked softly, not wanting to be overly protective, even though she felt the wolf writhing at the idea of ​​Yelena being injured and going to town alone.

“I can manage, you did a good job of bandaging it.” Yelena said softly. “I’ve had worse injuries.” The casualness with which the blonde said this made Kate’s eyebrows rise and furrow.

“And that should be reassuring because…?” The questioning tone made Yelena blush slightly and give an awkward laugh.

“I will survive?” She offered, and the two walked the short distance to the car.

“Well, I hope so, I’ll be very upset if you get hurt because you’re being negligent with yourself.” Kate spoke, and Yelena stopped, turned to the brunette, and placed her hands on her hips.

“I’m not a silly child, Kate Bishop, I know my limits.” The blonde spoke in a slightly loud tone and then blushed when Kate’s head fell to the side. “Sorry, I’m a little defensive about my own abilities.” The blonde spoke after a moment, and Kate sighed and moved toward Yelena, pushing the blonde lightly against the car and snuggling against the blonde’s neck.

“I don’t think you’re incapable of taking care of yourself, Yelena. I’m a little protective.” Kate spoke softly, and that had always been a characteristic of the brunette herself, but Agatha stated that the wolf made Kate a little more protective than usual. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were incapable, I’m sorry.” She said, pulling away and looking into the blonde’s eyes.

“I…” The blonde stammered. “I know, I have some skeletons that I’m slowly working on regarding how to deal with affection and genuine care, it’s a slow process. I’m sorry.” The blonde spoke gently.

“Let’s just say there’s nothing to apologize for, we’re still getting to know each other and haven’t had many conversations, minor misunderstandings are natural, I imagine.” Kate said, looking carefully at the blonde. “Just drive carefully, okay?” She asked softly.

“Tell me you’re going to text me? I gave you my personal number a while ago.” Yelena’s small, whiny request made Kate blink a few times. “Did you totally miss me giving you my private number the day you went to the clinic with Lucky?” Yelena’s tone was almost surprised, and Kate’s cheeks flushed red.

“Oh…” She had a slow reaction for a moment. “I didn’t imagine… I didn’t… Notice it was flirting.” The brunette spoke shyly. “I have no idea where the card is.” She grumbled, and Yelena rolled her eyes and pushed Kate slightly back, with a small, mocking smile.

“Kate Bishop, you’re blind.” The tone was mocking as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it out to the brunette. “I’ll get your number so the chance of contacting you increases exponentially.” This made Kate grunt slightly.

“I’m a kind of useless lesbian.” She grumbled and accepted the unlocked phone, dialing her number and handing it back to Yelena. “Let me know when you arrive, please? I’ll be less paranoid that way. Roads always make me a little nervous.” The sincerity seemed to touch Yelena slightly, who gave a soft smile.

“I’ll let you know, now, I need to go.” Yelena spoke almost disgruntledly and leaned in to kiss Kate slowly, which made a small sigh and gasp escape the brunette, and she pulled Yelena against her in a hug that made a moan escape the blonde. “No, no, I really need to go to work.” Yelena whimpered, pulling away, and Kate instinctively pouted, which made the blonde moan. “Don’t do that, it’s already hard with you being hot, adding the puppy alsad face layer makes it even harder.” She said, pulling away, and this made her back hit the car.

“Okay, okay…” Kate took a step back. “Drive carefully. Let me know when you arrive and have a great day at work.” Kate spoke quickly, and Yelena nodded, and there were no words after that, just the blonde starting the car and driving away. Clearly, the situation was tense for both of them, and Kate just watched the car drive away. "I'm a gay mess." She muttered to herself and went to the kitchen. "I'm going to make a cake." She grunted, practically kicking an invisible pebble on the floor.

*********

Walking with Rio through the forest at dusk was almost cozy, the two were walking slowly, with Kate looking around at the small sounds she heard, and she was feeling much better.

"You seem excited." Rio said casually.

"I like walking in nature." Kate said, looking up when she heard a woodpecker. "Ah, there." She said, satisfied to find the animal, and watched it break the bark of the tree for a few moments. "Powerful." The grumble made Rio chuckle softly.

“Your senses are much more sensitive, which is great. The three grams of silver that remained in your system are mainly in the nervous system, between the vertebrae, within the layers of the meninges, and even in the brain. Healing spells don't work as well, but transformations are more effective in making the body fight against it. So I would like you to try transforming at least once a day.” The words made Kate nod.

“Okay. Once a day, you'll teach me how to do it, right?” She asked as the two approached an isolated cabin. She smelled the old scent of Agatha and Rio there and frowned slightly at the smell of sex emanating from the cabin and looked at Rio displeasedly.

“Oh, yes, the smell, sorry about that. I would have opened the windows but well, rain and all that.” Rio said, and Kate grumbled and nodded. “And yes, pup, I'll teach you how to transform. Come on, let's go inside.” She offered, and the two went inside, and Rio opened the windows so that the smell of sex would dissipate with the day's breeze.

"My nose is very sensitive." the younger one complained and sat where Rio indicated.

"It's normal. Now, let's learn to touch your wolf naturally, and then we'll work on transforming." she instructed.

"Okay." Kate looked at her with active attention, and this made the older one smile.

"Close your eyes and let yourself immerse yourself in your mind, seek your wolf. It's there, it just needs to be found. I know it's difficult at first because you've had so much restriction for years that this should be second nature." Rio spoke gently. "So if it takes several attempts, it's normal." She instructed, and Kate took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I hate that my father made me lose so much of myself." She said softly and felt Rio's touch on her shoulder.

"Let's recover what was lost, Kate." The voice was firm. "Now, close your eyes and immerse yourself." The maternal tone sounded, and Kate nodded.

Diving into her own mind was a strange concept for Kate, but still, she obeyed. Her eyes closed, and she felt her mind racing everywhere, but then there was Rio's voice instructing her to look for the wolf, to seek the connection with the wolf, and to try not to overthink.

Kate took a deep breath and inhaled deeply, letting her lupine senses take over. Her ears became sensitive to sounds, and she could hear Rio's breathing, the brunette's heartbeat, and then she felt that pull inside her. She felt herself touching something more intimately within her own mind, and suddenly there was a pang of pain, and she groaned, bringing her hand to her chest and breathing heavily.

"It's okay, the first contact is difficult." Rio said, holding her by the shoulders. "Take a moment to breathe." The instruction came worriedly.

"I want to try again." Kate said decisively, looking at Rio and seeing the hesitation there. "I can do it, I'm strong. I can do it." Kate reaffirmed.

"Okay, one more time. Try to be gentler." Rio instructed, and Kate nodded.

And again she forced herself into an almost meditative state, trying to find the connection she had been deprived of all her life. She began to follow a kind of path within herself, gently, without trying to force herself. And that's when she felt that warmth, it was metaphorical, incorporeal, but when she opened her eyes she saw Rio's satisfied smile.

"Did I do it?" She asked quickly to Rio, who nodded.

"Yes, hold onto that feeling, okay? And let's go outside." She indicated the back door of the cabin and the two went out. There was a small garden hidden by trees and Rio looked at her with an intense gaze.

"What?" Kate asked, confused.

"Well... This is going to sound strange but..." The older woman began. "Take off your clothes." Kate's cheeks automatically turned red.

"What? Why?" The stammer came and Kate took a half step to the side and Rio sighed.

"Because I imagine you want your clothes all in one piece, right? If you transform dressed, the clothes will tear, but Nicky lent you a backpack." She said, pointing to the bright purple backpack with a unicorn on the front.

"He lent me a backpack?" Kate's tone was confused and Rio nodded.

“Yes, let’s put your clothes away there and then you’ll transform, I’ll attach the backpack to you and then I’ll transform and we’ll run to Wanda’s house.” The instruction came without hesitation and Kate shuddered for a moment. “It’s okay, Kate.” The voice was soft and gentle.

“I… I’m a little shy about my own body. I’ve never been the most confident with it.” She spoke sincerely and Rio nodded.

“The disconnection is normal because your body has been deprived for a long time, the wolf metabolism will solve this problem because you will start to gain weight when you start exercising as a wolf and as a human. Wanda mentioned that you and Billy are going for walks together every day with Lucky and Sparky.” Kate nodded. “So, time, Kate, you need time. But let’s try the transformation first. I’ll turn  my back to you if that helps.” The older woman offered and Kate looked at the ground and shuddered.

“Thank you, that helps.” She spoke softly, and Rio turned her back, handing the backpack to Kate. It was sweet that Nicky had lent her the backpack. And that made her smile slightly when she opened the backpack and saw a note scribbled in purple chalk that read: You can do it, Kate!

That made her smile and swallow her self-consciousness. The clothes were quickly taken off, almost as if it were a secret, and Rio kept her back to her, which she was grateful for, after all, the older brunette seemed to be built of pure, defined, strong muscles.

With the clothes folded and stored inside the backpack, Kate shifted slightly, waiting for Rio to speak, but she realized the brunette was waiting for her.

"Okay, now I try to evoke that same feeling?" She asked, and Rio didn't turn around.

“Yes, and then allow your wolf to emerge, as if you were switching places, be taken by that feeling, that warmth, and let it out of your body. It’s strange, and that’s the only way I can describe it, this time the transformation shouldn’t be more than a slight inconvenience. And not painful like the other time.” Rio spoke, and Kate made a small sound of acceptance and closed her eyes.

Finding the feeling was easier, it still took some time, but it was easier. She embraced that warmth, took a deep breath, and almost begged to be able to transform. And it was… Strange indeed.

She felt her muscles shifting, her bones cracking, but there was no pain, just a feeling of strangeness when she opened her eyes and was much lower than her normal level of vision. She looked up and saw Rio’s back. And there was a growl that came out of Kate. It was very overwhelming, the smells, the sounds, the feeling of the ground on her paws.

“Breathe slowly, it’s a lot to take in at first, but wow, you’re gigantic.” Rio said, turning and observing Kate more closely. “The day I helped you I couldn’t see much because I was more focused on making you stop suffering. You really are big.” She said and gestured for Kate to look in a mirror inside the house, visible because the door was open.

“That’s what she said.” Kate echoed mindlessly in her wolf form, and Rio chuckled. But then there was Kate’s eye contact with the mirror, and despite the sexual joke, she still saw herself for the first time.

The fur was black, completely dark as if someone had poured India ink on it, the blue eyes remained electric like the ones Kate maintained in human form, but there wasn’t much beyond that. No distinct markings, no fur of another color, just a sea of ​​black. And Kate was indeed much larger than many wolves she had seen in the zoos she had been to. She then looked at Rio and saw how the woman had effortlessly transformed into a gray wolf, reasonably smaller than Kate in stature. The classic coat of a gray wolf, but the eyes were brown.

“You’re tiny.” Kate echoed to Rio, who actively rolled his eyes at her.

“I’m normal size. You’re much larger than usual.” Rio spoke, and indeed.

While Rio was around 1.5 meters from snout to tail, he would have been 60 cm tall and weighed about 30 kg. Kate was gigantic. From snout to tail she would have been 2 meters or maybe a little more, she was almost 35 cm taller than Rio and despite being as lean as a wolf, Kate presumed she would weigh almost 10 or 15 kg more.

“You’ll reach over 60 kg when you’re healthy.” The information echoed from Rio to Kate.

“I’m a gigantic mutation.” The tone was genuinely shocked.

“I’d say you’re reasonably large for an alpha wolf, but I’ve seen very few in my life. My father wasn’t that big.” Rio seemed to ponder.

“An… Alpha Wolf?” It came out paused as if Kate was really measuring the words that sounded. “What?” The question came in a louder tone, and there was a slight snort from Rio.

“An alpha wolf, that’s what you are. They’re usually physically stronger, faster, and more robust. To my father’s misfortune, I’ve always been an omega, third in command, and the leadership of the pack was inherited by my younger sister. To his conservative dismay, who wanted his son as Alpha, my brother is a beta.” Rio spoke, and Kate stood up and circled her, still walking a little unsteadily. “You look like you don’t know how to walk.” It was mocking.

“A little confusing, I must say, we didn’t put the backpack on me.” The answer came, and Kate looked at the bright purple backpack.

“Oh, yes, one moment.” And naturally and with practiced ease, Rio detransformed, and Kate felt the lupine mouth open slightly.

“How come I have to take off my clothes and you don’t?” The question was grumpy.

“Agatha made me a ring that has an enchantment that prevents clothes from getting ruined, they kind of magically stay protected.” This made Kate jump slightly.

“Does Billy know how to do that? Or Wanda? So I can ask them for one? Honestly, I don’t want to be naked in public because my wolf had a tantrum and transformed.” Kate spoke quickly and Rio pondered slightly.

“Maybe Lilia knows, but it’s most likely to ask Agatha.” Rio said and the backpack was placed on Kate’s back and the scene was a little… ridiculous. Which made the two look at each other and Rio start laughing while Kate frowned slightly. “Oh, how cute.” Rio then pulled out her cell phone and took a picture, which made Kate’s ears flop back in unhappiness.

“Rio!” She grumbled and Rio laughed lightly again and then transformed. “Magic protects your cell phone too! It’s a bag!” Kate’s tone returned to its supreme tone.

“Yes, something like that.” Rio spoke and trotted lightly toward Kate, the older woman's body pushing Kate's, causing the younger woman to lose her balance. "Your turn." And with that, the older wolf began to walk quickly toward the small gate in the yard. When she came out, Kate saw how she started to run. "Come on, Kate!"

And it was a challenge, a little game of tag, Kate, still learning to walk on all fours, began to accelerate. A little stumbling, if she were honest, but still, it took a hundred meters of a running attempt for her mind to begin to understand how to walk on all fours. And when she actually started to accelerate toward Rio, she saw how the woman moved to the side to dodge Kate's charge, and the two began to run through the trees.

Kate ran with her tongue slightly out, enjoying actually being able to run as fast as she was running and trying to catch Rio, who was naturally skilled at dodging.

"I have a sister and a brother, I'm quick to dodge." Rio spoke when they stopped near the lake and Kate was out of breath.

“God, I’m not in shape for this.” She said, throwing herself onto her stomach on the ground, and Rio chuckled softly. Kate’s hind legs were stretched out behind her, her front legs extended forward, and her stomach was completely in contact with the ground.

“You’re happy.” Rio observed and sat down in front of Kate.

“I think I’ve never been so comfortable.” The younger said, rolling onto her back, then finishing rolling and sitting up. “I think I’ll invite Cindy to go for a run in the woods this week, she’s a Kitsune.” Kate said cheerfully.

“That sounds like a great plan, Kitsunes are fast, and they’re quite small, about the size of a domestic cat.” Rio said, nodding. “Come on, we’re near Wanda’s house, and I know they’re excited to see you transformed.” And with that, they began a slow walk to Wanda’s house, which was reasonably close compared to Rio and Agatha’s cabin.

“And about the cabin?” The question came casually. “How did you get it?” 

“Agatha isolated herself in the forest for a while, before the coven, when her mother tried to kill her and everything. This region was part of Eastview, and my pack was passing through at the time. I met her casually, went back several times, we became friends, then it turned into a romance and I came to live with her. The cabin was our home for a long time.” Rio spoke softly. “Then Lilia appeared, then Jen and Alice and the coven formed, we moved closer to the group. Then we met Wanda and there were the twins.” Rio continued speaking calmly. “She wanted to have children, I always wanted children.”

“And then she got you pregnant.” Kate said and the smaller wolf’s head nodded.

“Exactly, the rest is history as they say.” Rio said amused and suddenly a sound made the two stop walking and look in the direction of the sound. A low growl began to echo from the middle of the trees and Kate saw as a small group of 4 coyotes appeared. An adult male, a female and two pups.

Rio began to growl protectively, and Kate watched as the other animals reacted to protect the pups, placing themselves in front of the two youngest, just as Rio had done with Kate. And as much as the youngest appreciated it, she felt compelled to growl. A loud, deep growl that echoed through the forest.

She saw how the coyotes took two steps back, and Kate moved forward half a step to stand side-by-side with Rio, and the brunette's ears went back in a show of displeasure, and the growl echoed again. When the alpha coyote moved forward, Kate took another half step, in a territorial dispute. And she saw how the coyote hesitated when Kate moved, he took a step back, and Kate went to advance, but Rio squeezed between her and the coyote.

"Let go. Start to back away, they have pups, Kate." The tone was firm, not harsh, but it was enough to snap Kate out of protective mode. She obeyed Rio, taking two steps back and watching as the four coyotes relaxed slightly as the two wolves began to emerge from the clearing. “You were ready to attack them.” It was a tone of affirmation, and Kate flinched slightly.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—” She stammered uncertainly.

“Don’t apologize, being protective is part of being an alpha, and especially part of being a pack. But they were a family with pups, and we crossed paths near their den. They, like you, are protective, but let’s avoid antagonizing wildlife.” Rio spoke, and it wasn’t in a scolding tone.

“Sorry.” Kate said awkwardly.

“Don’t apologize, seriously. It was a situation that could have triggered a fight, but you stopped when I asked.” It was a small compliment. “You’re protective, Kate, it’s natural for you, it’s natural for lycans to be protective, it’s not a problem, and honestly, it was an antagonizing situation. They had pups, we were near their den, conflict is normal, I just ask that you try not to kill wildlife, it usually brings attention." She spoke, and Kate stopped walking and looked genuinely horrified.

"I don't want to kill anything!" Her blue eyes were wide. "I'll avoid getting into trouble with the animals, I'll be the one who leaves their territory." She stammered. "I don't want to kill anyone." A whimper came.

"It's okay." Rio said, approaching and pressing his side against hers, in a kind of lupine hug. "Come on, let's go home, you didn't do anything wrong, it's okay." And with that, Rio began to guide the way calmly.

And Kate, despite being a little full of adrenaline from the moment with the coyotes, felt herself slowly relax as they walked. When they arrived at the backyard gate, there was the smell of food always being prepared, and Kate heard her stomach rumble.

“Yes, the hunger is brutal.” Rio spoke before Kate could say anything, and when they passed through the gate, the younger brunette felt excited to see that the entire coven was there.

The witches were around the barbecue that Tommy and Teddy were tending, and Nicky was lying on top of Lucky. When Rio's paws hit the ground and made a sound, the group stopped talking and looked at the two of them, and Kate felt herself shrink slightly. She sat up when she saw the group staring at her, and thank God it was Nicky who broke the silence.

“Kate is a black wolf!” He said, pointing out the obvious, and approached. It was funny because Nicky was a little taller than Kate, but not much, and the two looked at each other. When the boy extended his hand, he hesitated for a moment, but Kate stretched her head and stuck her snout against his hand, which made him burst into laughter and then hug Kate around the neck.

And that made the group move. There were compliments about how imposing Kate's lupine form was, coming from Teddy, and how robust he was even though he was skinny, coming from Tommy.

And then Eleanor approached, and there was this moment where Rio playfully nudged Nicky's head to the side, giving mother and daughter space to meet. They looked at each other, and Eleanor hesitated for a brief moment, then approached.

Kate sat up straighter and let her hand approach. The older woman's hand touched Kate's head, and it was a little ridiculous because Kate was gigantic, she was already naturally taller than Eleanor even in human form. Then the touch from the center of her head moved to her ear, and there was this gentle smile from Eleanor.

"It's good to meet you like this, Kate." The words were gentle, and Kate felt herself being pushed, it was her mother, human form or not, it was her mother. And she snuggled against her mother, which made Eleanor take two steps back and put both hands on Kate's neck.

The two remained in that moment of contact and no one tried to interfere, until Lucky and Sparky approached and Kate moved away from her mother to look at the two dogs. Sparky, in particular, was hesitant, and Kate instinctively threw herself onto her belly to get as low as possible. She felt the two dogs sniffing lightly, and then Lucky, recognizing the scent, moved forward as if he had been pushed and threw himself on top of Kate, who let out only a small grunt, but allowed herself to roll onto her back as she saw Lucky doing to demonstrate that he was harmless. And in a short time, the two dogs were on top of Kate. And it was an affection very similar to what she would receive in human form.

Lucky got up and began to tease Kate to play, and she looked at him while still lying on the ground and then stood up, gaining height over Lucky, and there was this amused grunt from Kate as she began to run with the golden retriever around the yard.

"Definitely a puppy." Eleanor said amusedly and crossed her arms in a relaxed way. “Kate, play a little and then go take a bath.” And that made both Kate and Lucky stop rolling on the floor and look at Eleanor, and then go back to rolling on the floor.

“She’s your pup.” Rio said, approaching now in human form. “She did well.” The tone was soft.

“She’s huge, isn’t she?” Teddy asked curiously

“A little bigger than average, I’d say.” Agatha commented casually. “But it makes sense if she’s the first lycan in the family or the return in a large cycle of generations.” Agatha pondered.

“I’ve never known anyone supernatural in my family, or Derek’s, but I confess I don’t know.” Eleanor said contemplatively.

“I can research it, if you want, I’m good at finding that stuff.” Billy said excitedly, and Eleanor nodded. “Yay! Research it.” The tone was cheerful, and Kate disentangled herself from Lucky, going inside the house.

She entered the room and was grateful that there was a bathrobe there, and upon detransforming she quickly dressed, heading upstairs in brisk steps, but no one was looking at her. The shower did wonders for her, and she dressed in a t-shirt, pants, a blouse, and sneakers before finally grabbing her cell phone, which was on the bedside table. Seeing that there were some messages from Yelena.

Photos of animals had become commonplace between Yelena and Kate on the days they were apart, and there was the flirting. The blatant flirting that made Kate feel her intestines churn.

Kate: I was with Rio in the forest, she made me walk. How has your day been so far? Still at the clinic?

She typed while moving downstairs, and as she finished descending the stairs, her phone notified her.

Yelena: I'm waiting for a dog to wake up from anesthesia because it decided it needed emergency castration. One dog bit the other's testicle. God, dogs are sometimes so stupid.

Yelena: Less than horses, horses are completely idiotic about hurting themselves, I had to go stitch up a horse that decided to kick a wall. A wall, Kate. It opened a cut that needed 45 stitches.

Kate looked at the message stuck in the doorway with amusement and gave a small, amused laugh.

Kate: You don't like dogs, Yelena?

The question seemed casual, but there was a slight tone of concern, but Kate shrugged and continued.

Kate: I never knew horses were stupid.

Yelena: Horses and dogs like to make stupid decisions. I love them both with all my heart, but they are known for making stupid choices.

Kate: At least you're honest. She gave a low laugh at that and then noticed people looking at her and she blushed slightly at the attention.

“Who’s making you smile so much?” Alice asked teasingly.

“I don’t kiss and tell.” Kate replied, and that made the policewoman laugh amusedly.

“Are there kisses going on?” Jen asked, leaning against Alice, and Kate blushed and cleared her throat.

“A girl has a right to have secrets.” She said, quickly approaching Teddy and hugging him around the waist. “Protect me, Theodore.” This made the boy blush and throw an arm protectively around Kate, who snuggled against the man’s larger build, which made Billy laugh.

“She’s using Teddy as a shield.” Lilia said, taking a slow sip of her drink with an amused smile.

“Well, if there’s anyone who could serve as a shield for her, it’s Teddy. He’s the only taller one.” Billy said amusedly, and Kate stuck her tongue out over Teddy’s shoulder and then hid again, which made Billy laugh.

She really liked how everyone there was like family. It was nice to have everyone around her. And when they went to eat, Nicky sat next to her and started telling her about his day in detail. And he asked about how it was in the forest, which made Kate talk at length about how it was to transform and run around with Rio, and that made her remember something.

“Agatha, I want a charm-bag, please?” Kate spoke suddenly when there was a moment of silence and the older woman looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Please?” Kate made her best puppy-dog face and Agatha shifted slightly.

“I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.” She grunted as Nicky joined Kate’s please-y expression. “What do you prefer?” She asked with a sigh of concession.

“A bracelet, I’ll forget to put on the ring and the bracelet I can keep forever.” Kate said excitedly.

“A bracelet it will be.” Agatha grumbled and Kate made a cheerful gesture and pulled Nicky into a hug that was promptly returned.

********

“Just use it, it’s not really rocket science. I don’t know how to explain the magic in it, but there are runes, and it’s virtually indestructible.” Agatha said, fastening the thin black leather bracelet around Kate’s wrist.

“Virtually indestructible?” Kate asked, touching the soft leather. “I like it, thank you.” She said with an easy smile.

“You’re welcome. And yes, only my magic can destroy it.” Agatha said, making a small gesture and starting to move out of Kate’s room.

“I… Can I ask you for some advice?” Kate spoke suddenly, which made Agatha stop walking and lean her hand on the door frame and look over her shoulder. Kate was still sitting on the bed and felt slightly embarrassed by the request, but it made Agatha take two steps back and close the bedroom door and approach, sitting next to Kate, without really saying anything. “I… I can’t talk about this with my mother, it’s a little… Difficult.” She spoke softly.

“Is it about the person you’ve been texting?” Agatha asked in a slightly mocking tone.

“It’s about my father.” Kate’s tiny tone made Agatha’s mocking smile disappear, and the older brunette leaned forward slightly, listening attentively. “I don’t know how… I’m getting anxious about going back to New York. I know it’s only a few days, I need to have meetings with my editor and… And… I feel like I need to talk to him, but at the same time I have no idea what to say or what to do.” Kate looked at her own hands and swallowed hard. “How do you confront the person who tried to kill you?” She whispered, and Agatha let out a long sigh.

“I could say a lot of nice things, but honestly, you didn’t come to me for advice for that reason, and I’m not known for being a wellspring of delicacy.” Agatha spoke in a tone that wasn’t necessarily dry, but was more direct. “What you and your father had will never return, Kate. It’s a permanent loss.” She spoke, and the younger girl shuddered. “He not only broke your trust, but he actively tried to kill you and systematically lied for years. And as good and kind as your heart is compared to mine, I don’t think you could ever go back to what you had before.” Agatha spoke and paused for a moment, and Kate breathed lightly and shallowly.

“It’s like… The good memories are now tarnished, like every time I think of him I try to find a sign of the lie, or remorse, or guilt, and maybe my brain is struggling so hard to link this… This betrayal with the image of a loving father that I had. And now every time I think of him I feel…” She hesitated and clenched her hands, closing her eyes, and then there was a touch of Agatha’s hand against hers, and that made her open her eyes. “I get angry, I get furious, I feel my wolf growling inside me, irritated, and I just… I’m afraid of losing control of my anger, and as long as they are words it’s okay. But…” She hesitated. “I’m scared, and a scared creature can do anything.” She spoke sincerely, and Agatha sighed.

“I wanted to have something good to tell you, Kate, I wanted to be able to say that things get better or that things work out, and in some ways that’s still true, there are many things that happen that often require us to make decisions that we didn’t want to have to make. You’re at a point where you’re going to have to decide whether you want Derek in your life or not.” She spoke in a much more maternal tone, and the words, however real they were to Kate, made her heart clench slightly.

“I don’t know if I want him in my life, I get nervous thinking that he’ll find a way to hurt me again if I try to give him another chance for some reason. I think about how my mother is suffering because he lied and I…” She sighed and squeezed Agatha’s hand. “I don’t want to put the pack at risk.” The tone was firmer, and Agatha gave a slight smile.

“There are many things I’ve always disliked about shapeshifters, especially lycans and kitsunes, too clingy, too emotional, too excessive in almost everything.” Agatha spoke softly and squeezed Kate's hand. "But how protective Rio has been since we met, and how you're being now, gives me a sense of security, because I feel that unlike my mother's coven, you won't betray me, you won't hurt me." She spoke in a low, intimate, and slightly vulnerable tone. "There are differences between my mother and your father, we can't deny that. While Derek, in his flawed and even desperate way, was somehow trying to save you. Wrong, yes. Cruel, definitely, but it still came from a place of fear." She spoke, and Kate sighed. "My mother was a monster."

"I understand that, but it doesn't make it any easier." The younger spoke and looked away for a moment, and Agatha nodded.

"It doesn't, but I think it's important to point out that Evanora Harkness tried to kill me since I was little." The witch spoke, and the two looked at each other, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. “Magic usually awakens at 5 or 6 years old at the latest, usually children are already magical from birth like Billy for example, my magic killed a girl I was playing with when I was 6 years old and that terrified my mother.” A sigh came and it was Kate’s turn to squeeze Agatha’s hand. “It wasn’t intentional, magic is very wild at the beginning, that’s why witches start training very early. But my mother, instead of teaching me, she decided I was a problem. And I understand her fear, my magic is one in every few generations, it’s rare and it’s difficult to control.” Agatha spoke darkly and Kate frowned at that.

“But she tried to kill you.” Kate spoke suddenly and there was a nod from Agatha.

“Yes, sometimes, usually the other witches would stop her and she would leave me alone for a few months and the cycle would start all over again. My mother never raised me the way I needed to be raised to understand my magic, she inhibited me, kept me away from coven activities. When I was 16 or so, I met Rio.” She paused briefly as if remembering times past. “Our coven was in the densest woods here between Westview and Eastview, it was a good place, but there was also pack transition. And it was during one of those times that Rio and I met. And we started talking, her family had magic even though she wasn't magical at the time. Her pack was a bit of a mix between wolves and witches, so she brought me a book about runes, and that's what helped my magic settle in a little more.” Agatha contemplated. “My mother thought the punishments were working, but the truth was that when she sent me to the forest alone, Rio would find me. When she made me go hungry, Rio and her brother would feed me. When I was cold, she would sleep hugging me. And at the time there wasn't much romance between us, she and I started as friends.” Agatha spoke very openly about the past.

“But at some point that changed, you two are soulmates.” Kate stated and Agatha nodded.

“It took me a few years, I’d say, to come to that realization. Understanding that was what made me tell my mother I was leaving, and she went crazy. And that’s when she sent a witch to attack me, a novice, and I killed her unintentionally. I didn’t mean to, but my magic reacts to frightened attacks, and it’s hard to switch off. So she was dead, my mother convinced the coven that I was a threat, a witch killer, and they decided they were going to kill me. But that ended with the whole coven dead and my mother dead. And I was a witch without a coven.” She spoke softly.

“What happened after that?” Kate asked, aware that she was hearing a very rarely told story.

“Rio found me tied to the tree they tried to use to restrain me when they tried to kill me, and all the witches from the coven were around me, dead. And I was overwhelmed with magic. When Rio touched me, I screamed for her to go away, that I was going to hurt her and that I didn't want to kill her. She ignored me, cut the ropes, and carried me to the cabin. And that's where I lived for a year or so. Rio needed to finish school, and I was adrift. Then one day, I met Lilia, and she decided to take me in. And little by little, my coven was formed. With Lilia came Sharon, whom we lost a few years ago, then Jen and Alice. I was able to go back to school, I graduated, and I opened the bookstore.” Agatha thought for a moment. “Then I reconnected with Rio about ten years later, she had graduated from college, and it was the right time, you know. I was stable with my magic, there was the coven to help me. So Rio and I got together, the coven became her pack.” Agatha contemplated for a moment and made a thoughtful sound.

“Then came Wanda.” Kate offered.

“Wanda and Vision, God, we all hated Wanda’s ex-husband. Then the twins happened, the divorce came, and Vision died in a car accident and we all kind of adopted Billy and Tommy.” She spoke and Kate gave a small smile at the last sentence.

“Billy had magic from a young age?” Kate asked in a lighter tone.

“Yes, he manifested it even inside Wanda’s womb. It was hell.” Agatha rolled her eyes. “But the first two years are a little wild with a child who already has magic. He started training with Lilia when he was 3, then went through Jen until he was 12, and now he’s been with me indefinitely. He became my apprentice because I was the only one who could guide him through his magic. Transmutation, illusion, and creation are difficult magics to control for children and their active imaginations, but he has always been very powerful and very dedicated. Don’t tell him I said that.” The final sentence was growled, and Kate laughed.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Kate spoke with a slight smile that faded slightly. “I’ll try to talk to my father, but I don’t want to forgive, I don’t want to forget, and I definitely won’t put myself or you at risk.” The tone was firm. “If, by the time my wolf matures and I feel more confident, I might try to resume contact with him. But going to New York will be a finalization, I’ll be able to tell him the things that are here…” She placed her hand on her chest. “And that when everything happened I couldn’t talk about.” Agatha nodded in agreement and gave Kate's hand two light pats.

“You’ll do fine. Now, I need to go open the bookstore, Billy has class today and I need to go.” She spoke, and Kate stood up when Agatha did. “Oh, kind, but sit down. I know the way.” The witch spoke, and Kate frowned, and Agatha looked at her intrigued, then came the hug. The lycan’s arms went around Agatha’s shoulders, and she pulled the smaller woman against her.

And unlike what Kate thought might happen, Agatha let the hug continue, she put her arms around the younger brunette’s waist and let herself be held against Kate’s chest. After all, Kate was only shorter than Teddy if everyone were gathered there, and Agatha wasn’t a particularly tall woman, especially barefoot as she was.

“Wolves are overly affectionate. Let me go.” The tone was grumpy, but still, when Agatha pulled away, there was that gentle look, those relaxed eyebrows.

“Can I go to town with you? I want to walk a bit.” Kate asked suddenly, and Agatha’s eyebrows rose.

“Walk, or meet the person you’ve been texting?” The question came provocatively.

“Both, and I want to meet Cindy.” Kate said with a wide smile.

“Right, a pup with so many occupations, put on your shoes and grab a jacket, it’s getting cold.” Agatha grumbled in a grunt and left the room. “I’ll meet you at the car in two minutes, otherwise I’m going without you.” Agatha spoke loudly, apparently already on the stairs, and Kate fumbled to grab her sneakers and find a jacket.

Kate stumbled down the stairs and stopped awkwardly at the front door. Agatha was leaning against the side of the car and looked at Kate unimpressed, then Kate closed the front door and locked it with the key Wanda gave her. The brunette grumbled to herself for a moment and moved over to where Agatha was.

“Do you like watching everyone run around like a headless chicken?” She grunted, and there was that mocking smile and a lack of response from the older woman that made Kate certain that Agatha loved the comparison.

“Where do you want to stay?” The older woman asked, going into the room.

“In the square, I’ll meet Cindy there.” Kate said, putting on her seatbelt, and Agatha nodded.

“And why are we going to see the Kitsune?” The question came curiously.

“Rio thinks it would be nice for me to interact with other shapeshifters since there are very few lycans in the region. She thinks that having contact with someone who has maturity in their animal form combined with their human form can help me, and that Cindy, being younger, is easier on some level. I didn’t understand that last part. But I like Cindy, she’s sweet.” Kate said, frowning, trying to understand Rio’s logic.

“Cindy is clingy.” Agatha grumbled.

“She’s a Kitsune, from what I’ve heard they’re all like that.” Kate pondered, and Agatha snorted.

“Yes, unbearable.” The grunt made Kate chuckle lightly.

“You’re grumpy, Mrs. Harkness.” Kate teased.

“Understatement of the century.” Agatha retorted to Kate’s playful tone, which made the brunette laugh amusedly.

*********

The air left Kate's lungs as Cindy, with her small but still energetic build, slammed against her in a hug that was revealing in its affection.

"Hi Kate!" Cindy said with a wide smile, and Kate just held her tightly as she caught her breath.

"Hi Cindy, how are you?" sçShe asked after a moment.

"I'm fine." The kitsune stepped back and gave a little jump in place. "I'm excited, I was happy to receive your invitation for a walk, I like coming to Westview." She said in a cheerful tone, and Kate gave a wide smile.

"Me too, it's a nice little town." This made Cindy nod. "How's the market? Your parents?" She asked casually as the two started walking, and it took two steps for Cindy to put her arm around Kate's.

“They’re doing well, the market is always busy, my dad is one of the few who has Asian ingredients, so people of Asian descent, like Cho’s family or Nico’s family, like to shop with us, so currently we’re more of an Asian market than anything else, but you can still find anything you find in normal markets.” She contemplated.

“That’s cool, I used to love visiting Chinatown and Sunset Park, there was always someone doing Tai Chi in the parks.” She said, and Cindy gave an amused laugh.

“They love their Tai Chi.” Cindy said playfully, and the two stopped to get coffee at the coffee shop, one that Billy and his group always went to.

“New girlfriend, Cindy?” One of the attendants asked with an easy smile, it wasn’t malicious or anything like that, and yet Cindy blushed and shook her head very quickly.

“No, no, Kate is my friend.” She said quickly and looked at Kate with big eyes.

“Cindy is a little younger to me.” This made the attendant laugh and nod.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think you’d be a bad girlfriend.” Cindy’s words made Kate frown and look at her with her head tilted.

“I didn’t think you thought that at any point.” She spoke softly.

“I’m aromantic and asexual.” Cindy added, and Kate nodded, letting the woman speak anxiously and work through her own feelings. “Not that I think you’d be a bad girlfriend, or that you’re not pretty, I just… I don’t feel that kind of thing, I like your company, you’re warm and kind…” Her tone slowed slightly. “I like our friendship, I don’t want you to think it’s anything more.” She finished, and Kate’s eyebrows rose.

“I didn’t think it was at any point, Cindy, it’s okay.” Kate spoke softly. “I’m kind of getting to know someone, I’m not the type to play around.” The words made Cindy’s eyes light up.

“And I’m too young for you.” Cindy said. “And this mysterious person?” She asked curiously, and Kate gave a light laugh, and that's when the coffees were served.

“It's in the beginning, we're exchanging messages, one step at a time I'd say. With me still learning to handle the things that were denied to me in childhood, there's a process I'm going through. Besides having to deal with my father in a few days, I'm stressed. I decided to go out with you because it would be easy, I thought.” She spoke sincerely. “You don't demand much.” Her tone was low, and Cindy smiled.

“I like being known for being easy to get along with, I know I'm kind of… Warm.” She said, blushing slightly. “I just like physical contact.” She justified, shrugging awkwardly.

“It's not a problem for me.” Kate's hand landed on Cindy's forearm, and the girl gave a small, cheerful giggle and placed her hand on top of Kate's.

“I like our new friendship, Kate. You’re kind, Kitsunes aren’t usually the target of so much kindness.” She said, and Kate looked curious. “We were hunted for a long time, in many places there was physical exploitation and well…” She didn’t need to tell Kate that there was a lot of sexual abuse in Kitsune history.

“I’m sorry, Cin, I promise I’ll always protect you.” Kate spoke softly, and Cindy nodded and leaned in, practically snuggling against the brunette. “Let me know if anyone hurts you, I’ll protect you.” She spoke protectively and carefully put an arm around the redhead’s shoulders.

“Thank you, that’s important to me. The guys say the same thing, but it’s always good to have more people, it makes me feel safer.” She spoke softly and stepped back with a smile.

“Feeling safe is something very essential.” Kate spoke softly, and Cindy’s hand went to hers.

“Going to see your father is scaring you, hm?” The redhead asked softly.

"Holy crap you know, how am I going to look him in the face after he's given me silver for twenty years?" Kate whispered, and Cindy, who only vaguely knew the story, sighed and gripped Kate's hand more firmly.

“You are brave, and strong, and you are not alone. We are here.” She spoke sincerely, and Kate gave a soft smile.

“Thank you.” She spoke softly, and the two then began to talk. And it was funny talking to Cindy, she talked a lot and was tactile, so walking through the streets was almost a festival of small, cheerful sounds and little squeals.

They walked for almost two hours through the city, Cindy pointing out some places she liked to go and especially talking. It was more Cindy talking and Kate listening than anything else, but it was still good. It was good for Kate to see that she had the ability to make new friends and that now, being healthier, she was freer.

“Thank you for today! It was really great.” Cindy said when they stopped near where the younger girl's car was parked. “Do you need a ride?” She asked curiously.

“No, no, I'm going to pick up a bone for Lucky and I want to run home. Rio gave me some directions on the less busy part of the city, and since I'm…” She made a large gesture. “I prefer to go home later in the evening, so I’ll eat something and then go.” Cindy nodded.

“Sounds nice, stay safe, okay?” And with that, the younger girl stood on tiptoe and hugged Kate affectionately around the neck. The brunette hugged her around the waist and pulled her close, which made the kitsune purr softly.

That’s when Kate felt eyes on her, and as she moved away from Cindy and watched her get into the car and drive away, she let her eyes wander down the street and saw a Yelena who didn’t seem very happy, with her arms crossed and her eyebrows furrowed. Kate tilted her head to the side and started walking towards the blonde.

Yelena’s eyes weren’t really very happy, and Kate, for some reason that only the supernatural itself could tell, could smell jealousy emanating from Yelena like waves. She stopped in front of the blonde and gave a slight smile, but received a furrowed brow and a small grimace.

“Do you have patients now?” Kate's question didn't come with a hello, or something that would sound even worse, an apology. It was a simple question that seemed to disarm Yelena.

"No." The answer came, and Kate nodded and made a small gesture with her head toward the clinic that was two blocks away. And Yelena was tense, walking with slightly stiff shoulders but still walking.

"I was going to see you." The statement was casual enough when they arrived in front of the clinic and the two went inside.

"You seemed happy on the date with the girl." Yelena said in a clearly displeased grumble.

"Cindy is my friend." Kate said bluntly and sincerely. "I know it seems romantic from the outside, the way she hugs or touches me, but it's not. Cindy is my friend, that's the first point, the second point is that she's affectionate, if you see her with Cho, Becky, or Billy you'll see that she does the same thing, she likes hugs, she likes physical contact." Kate didn't hesitate to make it clear. "The third point is that Cindy is Aro and Ace, meaning she has no romantic desires and no sexual desires, and she made it very clear to me that she doesn't have any kind of interest of that type in me, and I made it clear to her that I have no interest of that type in her." The statement made Yelena stop and her shoulders relax. "I don't play games, Yelena, I'm not playing double or triple games, I'm not texting you flirting and going on dates with other people." She spoke and saw that Yelena became slightly awkward. "I understand your jealousy about that, it was unexpected, and I failed to let you know that I was coming here to see Cindy and then see you, I'm sorry." She shrugged slightly awkwardly at her own mistake, and this seemed to completely disarm Yelena.

"I—" The blonde opened and closed her mouth, not knowing exactly what to say, and then frowned. "I don't expect a report of what you're doing or not doing." She spoke very uncertainly. “I don’t want to control you.” The words were spoken quickly, and Yelena seemed stressed by the assumption.

“I don’t think you are, I could very well have made that communication, it would have saved you from feeling so uncomfortable seeing Cindy and me saying goodbye, I should have given a warning. I’ll do better.” She spoke sincerely and took a half step closer, taking advantage of the fact that the clinic was empty and not even Phantom was very interested in participating in the situation, since he was busy sleeping. Yelena cleared her throat, uncertain of what to say, and Kate gave her space to think, then there was the not hesitant, but still small touch of Yelena’s fingertips against Kate’s wrist.

“Sorry, my reaction… It was a little overreacted, I think.” She spoke softly. “I have… Some skeletons from my past relationship that are still new for me to deal with, after I became single again I haven’t had anyone I wanted to date or had… Chemistry with like I have with you. I think I let my insecurities scream a little.” Yelena spoke very softly and Kate nodded.

“I understand you, I really understand you. That’s why I prefer direct and straightforward communication. Cindy and I are friends and I’m only romantically interested in you. I know there’s a lot going on all the time in our lives, you’re very in demand and no, that’s not a complaint, but you’re very in demand at work. And I have a lot of issues that I’m dealing with and I still can’t be totally open about it, we both have our insecurities, but we can just try to be as honest and straightforward as possible about what we’re feeling and thinking. A problem can only be solved if it’s talked about.” Kate spoke and saw Yelena swallow hard.

“God, that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me.” She grumbled. “I was jealous.” She muttered.

“Totally valid, if I’m being honest. But Cindy is too young for me. I like older girls.” This eased the moment a little, and Yelena nudged Kate with a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m a year older.” She grunted and then frowned. “How the hell did you go from a bony shoulder to a strong shoulder so fast?” She asked, and despite the bluntness of the question, it only made Kate laugh.

“I’m on a very intensive treatment, I think. I’m gaining weight, and since I’m exercising, it’s helping me a lot.” She spoke sincerely. “Teddy wants to drag me to the gym next week, I’m already internally crying just thinking about it.” She complained, kicking the ground lightly, and Yelena rolled her eyes slightly.

“You’ll enjoy spending time with him.” The tone was very sincere, and Kate nodded.

“Yes, it will be good. I’m freaking out pretty much about traveling to New York tomorrow.” Kate spoke and sighed. “Talking to my father is my new nightmare.” She confessed and saw how Yelena’s head tilted and then the affectionate gesture. The blonde pulled her into a hug without hesitation, and Kate felt herself melting against the blonde, her face against Yelena’s head and her arms around the woman’s shoulders, and she sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing.

“I’m sorry that this is something so difficult.” The words were soft, gentle against Kate’s skin.

“It’s just… A lot happening, I guess. Finding out that he lied to me and my mother for twenty years is a little terrifying, knowing that he hurt me like he did is something that… Stains… Stained a lot of what I feel for him and I feel like…” She searched for the words. “Something like… Trying to reconcile what I feel about him being my father and the pain he caused me.” She whispered.

“It’s a struggle, Kate, the thing about a person having two wolves inside them and all that.” And that analogy made Kate let out a slightly amused snort at the irony of the phrase.

“I think that’s a very good analogy for the moment.” She said, giving a somewhat tired laugh. “I might be a little absent when I’m in New York for a few days, honestly it’s going to be crazy. I need to sort out some marketing stuff for the book, I need to sign the 500 books that were made into a limited and special edition, I need to do an interview and then I want to talk to my dad and go get the rest of my things. My mom is going with me but still, God, it’s going to be hell.” She grunted the last part.

“Bring me a little something and we’re even.” Yelena said, and Kate appreciated the change of tone.

“I’ll buy you a teddy bear.” Kate teased, and Yelena gave an amused laugh.

“I’d accept a postcard, a keychain, but a teddy bear also sounds good.” The blonde spoke and stepped back slightly, looking Kate in the eyes. “Are you hungry? I was going to get something to eat.” She offered softly, and the two looked at each other, and there was this shiver that clearly ran down Yelena’s spine from the way she moved when their eyes met. “Kate.” The warning sounded low but still didn’t seem too strong.

“Can we get something to eat and then spend time together?” Kate asked in an offer that seemed to combine the two ideas that were happening there.

“Spending time together would mean the two of us making out intensely in my break room?” Yelena’s tone was low and husky, and Kate almost felt herself swallowing hard, if it weren’t for the heat that suddenly appeared in the center of her stomach.

“Yes.” It was blunt again, something Kate noticed she was being more direct and decisive about.

“God, yes, let’s get food.” Yelena grumbled in a clearly controlled tone and moved toward the door. “Shall we?” Kate’s eyes were on Yelena’s back, and the blonde groaned softly. “Kateee…” It was a provocative tone, and Kate just shoved her hands in her pockets and took a step forward.

It was confusing for Kate, there was her wolf, and there was the conception of ​​her wolf being a pup, and at the same time there was this latent sexual desire there. And that’s when she realized that it wasn’t currently about the wolf being a pup, but about how her bond with the wolf was. Kate suddenly stopped walking and made a low, pondering sound.

“Is everything alright?” The blonde asked after taking two steps forward and stopping to look at Kate.

“Yes, yes, sorry. I just had a very strange realization.” She grumbled, and Yelena looked amused as Kate started walking again.

“Want to talk about it?” The offer was gentle.

“No, it’s not really that important, just that mental click that sometimes happens and you stop and think: aaaah now that makes sense. It’s about something Agatha explained to me and only now my brain seems to understand the reference.” She said, shrugging, and Yelena nodded.

“Agatha knows how to talk in circles sometimes, I guess it’s expected that it’s confusing.” She commented casually, and Kate nodded.

“Yes, I love Agatha, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just don’t understand. I ask Rio to decode it for me sometimes.” She grumbled, and Yelena gave a low laugh.

“Using your wife as a translator, sounds wise.” She teased.

“I’m a very wise person, Yelena.” The tease was easily answered, and there was another laugh.

“What do you want to eat?” She asked as they entered the restaurant quietly, some people greeted the two of them, and Kate noticed that no one seemed to really care if people walked together or ate together, it was a curious small-town spirit.

“I wanted pasta and red meat.” Kate said, approaching the counter and looking at the menu.

“The usual, Yel?” The young man at the counter said with an easy smile and then looked at Kate. “Oh, hello, sorry, I didn’t see you with Yelena. I’m Bob.” He had messy brown hair and a gentle smile.

“Hey, Bob, I’m Kate. Nice to meet you.” She spoke easily to the man and smiled in return.

“Bob owns this place, he’s been running it for a few years.” Yelena offered.

“My mother left it to me and my… sister.” The word sounded strange, and Kate looked at him curiously. “She left, and I’m running it, I like the restaurant.” He said with an easier smile.

“It’s a very nice place. I write.” The brunette offered casually.

“Ah, that’s nice.” Bob said easily. “Yel—” He started but was cut off.

“Bobby, can I have a piece of pie?” One of the men at the counter spoke up, and Bob sighed slightly and forced a smile.

“Sure thing.” He said, approaching, and Kate turned her eyes back to the menu.

“What’s your usual?” She asked the blonde curiously as she flipped through the menu.

“I like to order the rib sandwich.” Yelena said softly. “But I’ll go with whatever you want.” She contemplated, and Kate looked at her with her head tilted and her eyes slightly squinted. Then Bob approached.

“Sorry for the delay.” He said awkwardly.

“No problem, Bob, can we have two rib sandwiches please?” Kate asked gently, and she saw how Yelena looked at her intrigued. “What do you want to drink? I want a bottle of water, please, God knows I need to stop drinking soda.” She grumbled, and Bob chuckled softly.

“Iced tea, as usual, Yel?” He ordered, and Yelena was still staring at Kate, who was casually looking at the desserts. “Yel?” He called her, and that made the blonde’s eyes leave Kate.

“Yes, tea sounds good, do you have lemon tea today?” The veterinarian said after clearing her throat.

“Yes, I made some earlier today. Would you like dessert?” He asked, and Yelena shifted slightly.

“I shouldn’t.” The grumble made Bob frown, and Kate looked up at the menu and saw how uncomfortable the man seemed.

“Yelena, you can treat yourself, you haven’t ordered any dessert this week.” Bob spoke gently, and Kate wondered what the situation was involving sweets there.

“Bob…” Yelena grunted, crossing her arms.

“What do you think about sharing a lemon pie?” Kate offered after a moment where neither of the other two spoke, and both of their eyes went to her. “I’m ate a lot, if you only want a small piece I’ll take the rest or we can split it in half.” She said, shrugging casually, and saw Yelena’s shoulders slump and she nodded. “Great. And a lemon pie, please, Bob.” The man smiled at this and nodded.

“I’ll prioritize you guys, I know Yel is still working.” He said and went to the kitchen window to order the meals and went to wrap the pie, get the water bottle and put the tea in a travel mug.

“Are you two friends?” Kate asked lightly.

“Yes, for a few years.” Kate saw that there was something more there, but Yelena was a little uncomfortable and Kate didn’t want to push too hard on it. So she casually asked about a patient she knew who was hospitalized and Yelena started talking about how the dog was doing. Which served to occupy the time until the sandwiches were ready and they went back to the clinic.

“Can I ask what happened there about you and the dessert?” Kate asked when they entered the clinic and Yelena closed the front door, there was a hesitation, a small pause in Yelena’s speech as the blonde guided the two to the office and they sat at the table.

“My ex was a little controlling about my eating, it gave me a little triggers.” Yelena said unwrapping the food. “I had eating disorders for almost my entire relationship.” She spoke softly.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Yelena, it’s okay.” Kate offered, seeing the blonde hesitate.

“I had an eating disorder for a while, especially forced by how abusive the relationship itself was. I needed to be thin and pretty and that kind of thing. But I’m a field veterinarian, half my time I have some kind of animal poop on my shoe, dried blood on my work clothes, and I’m exhausted, so it was hard to maintain what was demanded of me and what I could offer.” She spoke, lightly playing with the end of the bread.

“I’m so sorry.” Kate spoke softly and placed her hand on Yelena’s wrist. “I could talk about a million things, about how fucked up the situation was or how I really wish you hadn’t gone through an abusive relationship.” Her tone was gentle. “But I can say that I know very well what it’s like to have issues with your own body and how anxiety and trauma make some things difficult, but if this helps in any way, I think you’re perfect.” Kate spoke, looking into Yelena's eyes, and saw a hint of uncertainty there. "I'm serious, you're beautiful, you're super hot, and I definitely don't want to change anything about your body." The blonde swallowed hard at that and looked away for a moment.

"Are you serious?" She asked, small, vulnerable, and Kate saw how her hand tightened slightly.

"As serious as a heart attack." The words sounded light, almost playful, but it served to pull Yelena out of the somewhat terrible cycle her mind was clearly going through. The blonde laughed and rolled her eyes with slight disdain. "Honey, I piled on top of you in a tiny bathroom, and I literally had to go outside to avoid continuing to be enveloped in lust and arousal." Seeing Yelena's cheeks light up was glorious, and Kate wanted to pat herself on the back for having managed to pull the blonde out of the dark moment.

"My god, you're a pervert." Yelena said after a second, much more lightly.

“When it comes to you? Yes.” This made a short laugh emerge from the blonde and the somber tone faded.

“I still think you didn’t need to choose the same lunch as me, you could have your pasta.” Yelena spoke shyly.

“You told me you have picky eating habits and like to stick to the same foods often, I wasn’t going to take you out of your comfort zone because you decided to join me for pasta, a rib sandwich sounds perfectly delicious and will satisfy my craving for meat.” She spoke firmly and saw how Yelena’s cheeks warmed. “And for the record, you don’t need to order the same things as me, I want you to eat what you like, okay?” The request echoed and Yelena looked at her and lightly bit her lower lip.

“Okay.” Yelena said a moment later.

“Great, then we can share the lemon pie and you and I can make out like crazy in your break room.” This made Yelena blush and give a slightly awkward smile.

“That sounds like a great plan.” She whispered, and Kate unwrapped her own sandwich.

The meal went smoothly, they continued chatting casually for a while, exchanging little stories, and Yelena was asking a lot about Kate's books and creative process. But there was this layer of tension that was slowly building between the two with each bite and each sentence exchanged.

Then came dessert. The two shared a piece of pie with a very intense exchange of glances. And it was sensual, Kate wanted to think about things other than how beautiful Yelena was or how attractive she was, or how she really wanted to kiss the woman, something that went beyond those thoughts, but neither of them seemed to really be outside of this kind of intense and completely mind-controlling cycle.

So when the lunch trash was thrown away and the two took turns washing their hands at the office sink, there was this tension that increased exponentially between them.

They stopped and looked at each other, it wasn't shy, quite the opposite, it was intense, it was powerful, and when Yelena extended her hand in an invitation, Kate didn't hesitate to accept.

The blonde took a step to the side, pulling Kate down the hallway that led to the office, where there were several doors. One was labeled feline ward, another canine ward, then isolation, surgical room, and the last two were one with a stockroom sign and the other with just two warnings: restricted entry and knock before entering.

When they stopped in front of the last door, Kate gave a playful smile and knocked twice on the wood. This made Yelena's slightly serious look break into a breathless laugh.

"Oh my god, you're an idiot." The blonde said, rolling her eyes in amusement.

"I love your smile, you have dimples." The phrase was so unexpectedly sweet that seeing Yelena's cheeks flush a soft red was precious to Kate. But anything she might have added, whether a compliment or a tease, was cut short when Yelena pulled her into a room that was reasonably simple, but had a comfortable bed.

And Kate felt like a teenager being led into the room of the girl she liked. It was a slightly silly feeling, considering they were both practically thirty years old. But still, Yelena turned to her and Kate moved forward without much thought.

The brunette's two hands touched Yelena's cheeks and pulled her up slightly, Kate being taller. And without hesitation, the blonde stood on tiptoe so that their mouths met.

And the moan, from whoever it was, that echoed through that room was ridiculously obscene. Yelena's hands went to Kate's wrists and slowly moved up to her shoulders, fingers touching her wrists, then forearms, arms, and shoulders. Where Yelena gripped tightly. Kate simply ran her fingers through the blonde's hair, and Yelena just moaned against her. The soft texture of the blonde hair, the scent of Yelena's skin slowly brushed against Kate's nose, the blonde was pure warmth, softness, and temptation.

"Kate..." The whimpering of the name was sexy, and Kate found herself pushing Yelena back onto the bed. It wasn't really a deliberate action, but rather driven by the almost maddening desire that pulsed for Kate.

"Yes?" The tone was provocative, almost as if daring Yelena to say what she wanted. Then the brunette pulled away briefly, just enough to open her eyes and look at Yelena. It was glorious to see Yelena's dilated pupils and how she looked like a delicious mess.

"Oh my God." The blonde groaned, clearly forgetting anything she might have wanted to say. And she focused on pulling the brunette closer, and the kiss deepened with tremendous ease.

Yelena sat up in bed, which caused Kate to lean forward, but there wasn't time for Kate's natural awkwardness to occur. She was quickly pulled onto Yelena, and when the blonde's head hit the pillow with Kate on top of her, their bodies awkwardly fitted together, a hoarse moan echoed from Yelena as Kate adjusted herself slightly.

"You weren't kidding about making out in the break room." She said hoarsely against the blonde's mouth, trailing kisses down the woman's jawline towards her ear.

"I don't usually joke about making out." Yelena said softly and moaned, tilting her head to the side and back as Kate lightly sucked on the curve of her jaw. The brunette's mouth slowly moved up to her earlobe, and Yelena's hands moved up Kate's body to settle against her shoulder blades.

Yelena's fingertips dug into Kate's sweatshirt, and the sound of her nails scraping the fabric was almost deafening to Kate, who was listening intently and sensitively to any sound Yelena made.

"Thank goodness, playing around with make-out sessions was going to be sad." Kate said, kissing Yelena again. Their tongues met intensely, and again there was the scratching against Kate's back, and the brunette gave a low laugh, breaking the kiss. "Are you a scratcher, Yelena?" She asked provocatively and pulled away to look the blonde in the eyes. She saw how Yelena blushed more deeply and eased her nails away from the fabric.

"I hadn't noticed I was digging my nails into you, did it hurt?" The question came very timidly.

"I don't mind your nails on my back." Kate said with a slightly dirty smile. "Besides, I think it's sexy that you're trying to grab me with all your might." She purred and saw how the blonde's mouth opened and closed.

“I’ve always been a bit… A scratcher.” She said shyly. “I try to keep my nails short when I’m in a relationship….” She whispered. “It wasn’t planned that you and I would meet today, so I didn’t cut them as I had planned.” Kate’s eyebrows rose slightly, and she stepped back a little more so she could look at Yelena.

“What is it, darling?” The question came softly when she saw Yelena look away a few times and bite her lower lip. A small nervous habit, Kate had noticed. “I like feeling your hands on me, your fingers and your nails. I’ve never been particularly against marks and scratches. Just don’t scratch my eye, and it’s fine.” This made Yelena snort slightly.

“The cornea is very sensitive, Kate, ulcers are dangerous. They can cause blindness.” Yelena’s tone was suddenly very serious, and Kate looked at her amused.

“Lucky only has one eye, darling, I’m aware of how dangerous ulcers can be for them.” She spoke, adjusting herself on her knees and giving a small giggle. "So professional." She teased with a purr, and Yelena gave a small, amused sigh, and it was wonderful to see her eyes smiling as much as her mouth.

"You're an idiot." She said clearly in a playful way, and Kate gave an amused laugh.

"One of my most evident characteristics. My idiocy." This made the blonde laugh loudly and shake her head.

"Of course, because that surpasses sweetness, attentiveness, delicacy, and a sense of humor." Yelena said sarcastically, and Kate's smile widened.

"Look at her, all full of compliments." The brunette's teasing sounded, but Kate quickly found herself silenced, the teasing dying on her lips. Watching Yelena sit up and grab her own t-shirt and pull it over her head, leaving her only in a plain black bra, made Kate's mouth open and she swallowed hard.

“Looks like the cat got your tongue, Kate Bishop.” She purred provocatively and bent her knee, then stretched her leg next to Kate’s hip, which made the brunette stand between Yelena’s thighs and there was that filthy look. “Come here, I’d like you to give me some marks so I can remember you during the days you’re a famous author in the big city.” Kate’s eyebrows rose and she opened and closed her mouth.

“Are you sure about that?” The question was almost stuttered and Yelena felt it.

“Just don’t mark my neck, but everything else is a free zone.” She spoke firmly and confidently. “And I don’t want to take off my bra.” The information was given and Kate nodded. “Are you that shocked, Kate Bishop?” The question came and Yelena gave a light laugh.

Yelena was an image of pure sin, her white skin contrasting with the black bra and the tattoos. The bird on her wrist, the bat on the other, the scalpel on her forearm, and Kate could see that there were two Russian words, one on each side of Yelena's ribs in a beautiful block letter.

"I just didn't expect..." She pointed at Yelena. "My poor self-control." The whimpering came, and Yelena laughed loudly. But the laughter turned into a moan when Kate leaned in and kissed just above the waistband of Yelena's pants.

The moan lengthened as Kate's tongue lightly grazed the available part of Yelena's hip bone, she felt the warmth of the blonde's skin against her mouth, against the skin of her cheeks and lips and tongue, and it was delicious to taste the woman, to hear the small gasping sounds and how Yelena's breathing quickened.

Kate looked up and saw that Yelena had her eyes closed, her lower lip gently bitten, and her hands were on the mattress. The soft sound of her nails scratching the blanket was almost deafening, especially accompanied by the frantic rhythm of Yelena's heart, which seemed like a drum guiding Kate.

Then there was the slow suction of the skin. Kate didn't want to leave such a strong mark there, so when there was a snap of the lips releasing the skin, there was a small red mark that would soon disappear. She then began to move up just below Yelena's navel and felt the muscles tensing and trembling as Yelena took a deep breath and held back a gasp.

"Don't hold back your sounds... You like to scratch, and I like to hear your sounds.” Kate whispered against the center of Yelena's belly, and there was that gasp and moan.

“Are you a fan of dirty talk, Kate Bishop?” The question came breathlessly, and Kate lightly scraped her teeth against Yelena’s ribcage, below the two tattoos, which made a small moan sound.

“I’ve always liked dirty talk, Yelena, I thought that was clear from how much I write about it in my books.” Kate spoke, still with her mouth against Yelena’s skin, and there was that small moan.

“Does that mean…” Yelena spoke and gasped again and arched slightly. “If I say I want a mark that lasts for days, so I can see it every time I change clothes or look in the mirror… Will that excite you more?” The question came, and Kate growled lightly against the blonde’s stomach and then moved up, ignoring the covered breasts, to the blonde’s collarbone.

“Do you want the mark of my teeth or do you want a hickey?” She lightly licked the left collarbone, and Yelena moaned, arching.

“Both, God, give me both.” She pleaded in a miserably needy tone, and Kate didn't even have a chance to provoke a response.

She felt the skin warm where she began to suck, then felt the blonde arch when there was the brush of teeth. The sound of skin against skin and how the sound of sucking was muffled by the skin, Yelena groaned in fits and gasps, and there were hands closing against the blanket and legs tightening around Kate. She sucked for a moment and pulled away, seeing the purple mark blooming on Yelena's skin, and then went down a little closer to the curve of her right breast.

And she licked the skin in slow circles, her hands went up the outside of Yelena's thighs and she bit. The bite was accompanied almost automatically by a moan that resembled Kate's name and with the woman arching against her.

It was maddening, and when the brunette pulled away to see what she had done, Yelena was a small map of tiny red marks that would soon disappear on her stomach, ribs, and hips. And there was the hickey on her collarbone and the mark of Kate's teeth against the upper curve of her breast. And Yelena looked like an image of sin.

Her messy hair was thrown against the pillow like a small golden sea, her eyes had dilated pupils, and her breathing was ragged.

Kate ran her hand up the blonde's stomach, brushing the tips of her fingers and resting her hand in the center of the blonde's chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly there, and Yelena bit her lower lip lightly.

"You're so sexy biting your lip like that." The brunette's tone was heavy, laden with sexual energy. "You give me so many ideas with your mouth." She whispered and moved up to brush the tip of her index finger against her lower lip.

"God, you talking like that…." Yelena whimpered and then opened her mouth, brushing her tongue against the tip of Kate's finger and then tilted her head forward to suck on the tip of her finger. "It makes me want to forget the little rules I have for myself about sex before I get to know someone better." She whimpered as Kate slowly pulled her finger from her mouth and brushed her lower lip again.

“I promised you more dates for something like this, Yel.” Kate whispered and leaned in to kiss the blonde slowly. And that’s when she pulled away from Yelena upon hearing a sound outside. Her head turned and she frowned and felt her ears vibrate with the sound of a key turning in the lock. “Someone’s entering the clinic.” She spoke softly and Yelena’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Someone? How do you know that?” Yelena’s question went unanswered, to Kate’s relief, who didn’t want to explain how she knew someone was entering the clinic. Especially that there were footsteps approaching.

“Yelena, your cat tried to bite me, again.” Natasha’s voice was mocking. “Are you sleeping?” Kate heard footsteps coming toward the room and Yelena moved quickly, getting up just as the door began to open and with a flat hand on the wood she pushed the door shut. “Hey, sestra!” Natasha grumbled.

“Damn it, what a habit of barging in without knocking.” Yelena growled. “Wait.” She ordered with a bark and Kate got up from the bed, pulling Yelena’s shirt and stretching the material out to her. “Thank you.” Yelena grumbled and Kate smiled and shrugged slightly

“Are you with someone there? Yelena! Yuck!” Natasha shouted through the door and Kate held back an eye roll, she found it funny.

“You’d know if you knocked before trying to come in.” Yelena barked and grunted.

“I’ll wait for you to get rid of your sex buddy, I’ll be at your office. God forbid I see someone naked with my sister again.” Natasha spoke and Kate heard her walk away and mutter something to herself, which Kate might have heard but didn’t pay attention to, and then there was the office door closing.

“God, sorry about that.” The blonde grumbled and brought both hands to her face in an act of frustration. Kate approached and pulled the blonde’s hands away from her face and looked at her.

“Ah, there’s my pretty girl.” She spoke softly and saw how the blonde’s cheeks lit up red. “It’s okay, I thought it was funny. But your sister is still terrifying. She’ll hunt me like I’m a duck, won’t she?” She asked playfully and that made the blonde roll her eyes. “And she’s armed.” Kate grumbled.

“It’s funny that you’re afraid of Natasha, she’ll tease you and maybe threaten you, but she wouldn’t shoot you.” Yelena said confidently. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to cut our time together short like that.” She said softly.

“It’s okay. I need to get home before dark, I haven’t packed my bag yet and I have a small meeting with Agatha, Rio and a few other people.” She said softly and leaned in to kiss Yelena. “Should I text you as soon as I get there? It’s getting dark earlier because of the winter and I’m leaving very early tomorrow for New York.” She said and kissed Yelena quickly. “I’m going outside, will you lock up after I leave?” She asked softly and Yelena sighed and nodded.

“Yes, I… Come on… Let me know when you arrive, leave, arrive, that kind of thing. God, I don’t want to sound controlling, I just worry.” Yelena said softly and ran her hands through her hair.

“I’ll let you know when I get home, when I leave for my trip, when I get there, and everything else. I don’t mind keeping you informed if it will make you more comfortable.” Kate spoke with an easy smile and saw how Yelena’s shoulders relaxed slightly. The two walked to the front door of the clinic.

“Have a safe return home and a good trip tomorrow.” Yelena said, leaning against the side of the door, and Kate smiled at her, holding the latch and opening it.

“I’ll bring your stuffed animal.” Kate said softly. “See you later, Yel.”

“Bye, Kate Bishop.” And with that, Kate closed the door behind her. She felt a little unhappy about having to leave, but still, obediently, she put her hands in her pockets and started walking home. It was still light to transform, she would have to do that when she left the busier surroundings. But with a sigh, the lycan returned home.

Chapter Text

Leaving Westview meant leaving behind the quiet residential streets, the houses with gardens, and the forest. And it was especially strange to leave behind the silence of the back road that led to Wanda's house and the small signs and quiet streets.

Kate had always enjoyed traveling through Jersey, the woods opening up into countryside, a lake in the distance, a few lonely gas stations, and the diner with a neon sign that had seen better days, and then hitting a major highway was almost mentally exhausting. With the cars, horns, and the screeching of tires on the asphalt, Kate, who was more in tune with the wolf, felt the unpleasant smells of going to a megalopolis like New York.

"How are you?" Eleanor's voice pulled her from the introspection that the trip, even a short one to New York, had brought her. New York was an hour away on a day without traffic like that, and another 30 minutes to reach Manhattan. It was a bit of traffic, and it was a bit surreal to see the change happening live outside the window.

“I’m coping, I guess that’s the word.” Kate spoke softly. “It’s strange coming here. With so much noise and movement, I understand what Rio meant when she said wolves usually move to smaller towns. It’s a little… unpleasant.” Her throat clearing made Eleanor shift and sigh.

“I’m so sorry.” The words were heavy in the car and it was a very open apology, sorry for this, sorry for so much suffering.

“It wasn’t your fault. And we’ve already talked about it, Mom, please stop blaming yourself.” Kate spoke gently. “You’re already forgiven.” It was a calmer tone and she heard her mother’s heart slow down slightly.

“I know, I know, I just… I’m nervous about how this conversation between you and your father is going to go. He and I… We’ve already talked.” Kate knew this, it had been a difficult day when Eleanor returned to Wanda’s house devastated.

“Me too, I was talking to Yelena about it.” She spoke and froze slightly, not having told her mother about it.

"Yelena? Natasha's sister, right? The one I met that day." Eleanor did a small mental rewind and then stopped at a traffic light already inside New York and she looked at Kate who was looking away. "Kate…." It was a prolonged tone, Kate knew that tone and she blushed slightly and looked further away. "Katherine." The tone became firmer and Kate swallowed hard.

"Yes?" The question sounded and Kate didn't need to look at her mother to know there was a raised eyebrow.

"Look at me, sweetheart." The tone was very firm and the term sweetheart weighed on Kate's decision to turn her head and look awkwardly at her mother. "Are you sleeping with Natasha's sister?" The question came without much shame, without fear, without beating around the bush. The two had already overcome the fact that yes, Kate had a sex life and Eleanor had very little shame in bringing up this kind of subject.

“No.” Kate said, and her mother didn’t seem convinced or impressed. “Yet…?” She added, clearing her throat. “We kissed.” The tone was shy, and Eleanor’s eyebrows rose. “But we decided to wait and get to know each other for uh… sex.” She knew her mother, she knew when there was a silent request for details, and Kate cleared her throat again. “I just… I don’t know how to explain it.” She mumbled.

“Try. We have twenty more minutes until we get to the apartment.” It was a simple tone, without much pressure, and Kate bit her lower lip, trying to put into words how everything with Yelena was… different. “For God’s sake, daughter, you’re a writer.” Eleanor’s words came five minutes later, and Kate groaned.

“It’s difficult!” She said dramatically. “I just… Ever since the day I took Lucky for his vaccine, I just… I feel this strange attraction to her. I don’t know if it’s because my senses are more sensitive, if my wolf took a liking to her, I don’t know. I just know she attracts me.” Kate said in a murmur. “And sometimes I think she feels the same way. I felt her looking at me and staring at me, and then I don’t know… We spent time together when we met in town one day, and it was good. We talked, and I listened to her, she listened to me. It was nice.” Kate continued, not seeing herself stop talking. “Then a cat bit her, and I was in town and I smelled blood and followed the scent and found her with a kind of patched-up wound, so we went to the house and I bandaged her up and…” Kate paused. “There was this kind of…” Moment. She took a deep breath, trying to find a way to express it.

“Kind of?” Eleanor gently prompted, and Kate sighed.

“She flirted, I flirted, and before I knew it we were talking about kissing.” Kate scratched the back of her neck lightly. “And we kissed and I just…” She grunted. “I felt kind of out of control with that wolf pull on her, we kissed a lot and then stopped because we were in Wanda’s bathroom.” Kate muttered. “But she asked for my number and we’ve been texting. And I saw her yesterday.” She spoke softly.

“Before or after seeing Cindy?” Eleanor asked as she always did, calm, composed, elegantly curious.

“Afterwards, I spent a good amount of time with Cindy and went to see Yelena.” There was a pause that lengthened as the street of the apartment where Kate grew up came into view. “I think I might really like her. Deeply.” Kate spoke, and Eleanor, who was entering the garage, sighed and gave a small smile.

“Everyone speaks well of Yelena, that she’s hardworking, that she’s dedicated, and that for a while she was very sad. If you two like each other, Kate, I’ll say what I always say. Be emotionally responsible with yourself and with her, but especially allow yourself to live. You deserve to live.” Eleanor spoke, and Kate swallowed hard.

“I’ll do my best.” She whispered, and Eleanor smiled at her.

“I know. Now, let’s go, let’s talk to your father and then let’s go to the hotel.” They decided to talk to Derek first, to get it off Kate’s mind.

Kate took a deep breath and sent a quick message to Yelena letting her know she had arrived in Manhattan and was going to talk to her father. It was something heavy, and she didn't see if the blonde saw the message quickly. But she got out of the car, moving towards the elevator.

"How did the apartment issue turn out?" Kate asked softly as the elevator slowly ascended to the second-to-last floor.

"It will stay with your father, so we're going to remove our things." Eleanor spoke in a more somber tone. "But I got the house in the Hamptons." There was a pause. "Your father will get the penthouse in Tribeca, and I'll get the townhouse." There was another pause. "We decided that the loft in Soho and the country house in Hudson Valley will go to you." She said, and this made Kate's head turn quickly to her mother.

"What?" The question came in shock.

"What you heard was a requirement of mine. That you have real estate and financial security." She said, and Kate frowned.

"That's almost 12 million dollars in real estate." Kate spoke firmly, and Eleanor nodded. She had always known that it was her father who was rich, not her. That's why she worked so hard to sell her books, to have her own security, and she was completely caught off guard by this turn of events.

"And you will receive a third of the company in advance. Half from me and half from your father." Kate blinked a few times.

"Tell me you'll be able to continue managing... I don't want to." She spoke softly, and Eleanor nodded. "You're crazy." The grumble came, and Eleanor said nothing, especially since the elevator opened and they found themselves face to face with the place they had fled some time ago.

The rich, classic decor and the damn reddish-brown door that Kate slammed shut as she left the house, irritated by her father's mediocre confession about the silver.

She swallowed hard and felt obligated to lead the entrance to the house. Eleanor had protected her fiercely, fought hard, been Kate's shield for weeks since everything blew up. And it was her turn to fill the role of leader, of protector. Like an alpha. Her mind projected it.

She wasn't the same person who left that house that day. She was more herself than ever. A wolf without shackles.

And that's what made her grab the doorknob of the door that she somehow knew was open. She turned it and the door opened.

And there, sitting on the living room sofa, was Derek Bishop. Pathetic. That was the word that came to Kate's mind. He had always been a handsome man, wavy hair cut in a way that gave a little volume to the waves, usually clean-shaven, blue eyes like Kate's and tall stature like Kate inherited. But there, he looked like a pathetic mess.

Dirty hair, face with a disheveled beard, dark circles under his eyes, and unlike the formal clothes he always wore, he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and when he noticed Kate, he stood up. The step he took toward her made her take one back. And that made him freeze.

“Kate…” The tone was small, the usually baritone voice sounded a little broken.

“Derek.” Kate didn’t sound confident, she sounded uncertain. But the name was a weight.

“I… didn’t think you’d want to talk to me.” He spoke softly.

“I shouldn’t… Talk to you.” Kate saw how Eleanor didn’t interfere, keeping close. “But look at the mess you made…” Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Daughter—” He began and she raised a hand, interrupting him.

“Don’t call me that. For God’s sake, you lied for twenty years.” She spoke and saw how he shuddered. “I’ll give you a chance to tell me your side of this story.” It was demanding, and Kate stood at the door.

“Kate, I didn’t mean to—” he began, and Kate felt a surge of anger.

“Don’t lie.” Her voice echoed, powerful, latent, and completely hers. And she saw how he shuddered. “Tell me. I at least have a right to this truth.” It was demanding, and she took two steps inside.

“You first transformed when you were eight years old.” Derek spoke softly. “A pup, that’s what they called you. You stayed a wolf all night. And I was panicking, trying to figure out what happened.” He spoke and swallowed hard. “I didn’t know what to do, so…” He whispered.

“So what, Derek?” Eleanor spoke firmly, and stood beside Kate.

“I remembered a bar conversation I had years before that. One of the guys from the company swore his girlfriend was a vampire or something, he said there were creatures in the most hidden part of Queens. And then I went there. I asked for help. I said I needed help and a lady looked inside the car and saw…” He swallowed hard. “Saw Kate and pointed to a place.” He started speaking faster and ran his hand through his hair and beard. “So I went there, a woman said you were a lycan and that the change was normal. I freaked out, said it wasn’t normal and that I didn’t want my daughter like that.” He stammered. “The woman got angry and sent me away. When I was walking back to the car, a man approached me, said he could make you normal, and I agreed.” Derek continued, and Kate felt her hands tighten. “He took me to a place and pulled out a syringe, said silver would solve the problem, and we injected it. You became a child again.” He spoke, and Kate was horrified, but it was Eleanor who broke the silence.

“You injected something you didn’t know what it was into our daughter because a stranger said it would help?” She was just as horrified as Kate.

“It worked! She became human again, and then I started researching. The silver worked, with its… Side effects.” He stammered.

“The silver was killing me! I was sick for years. Years! Years of my life ripped away from me when I could have been healthy!” Kate screamed, almost hysterical in her anger.

“I did it for your own good, Kate! You were becoming a monster! The wolf was a cancer!” He spoke very confidently of his own words.

“Being a wolf is part of me! Not a tumor that needs to be ripped out.” Kate said exasperatedly. “Do you at least regret it?” Kate grunted, and she saw how he hesitated.

“I did it thinking of your well-being. Your safety. You being a normal person.” He spoke with furrowed brows. He then took another step forward, and she stepped back.

“No. You have no right to approach or touch me.” She growled.

“I am your father.” Derek whimpered. “We can solve this. Fix it. We can find another way.” He spoke almost pleadingly.

“Another way than what?” Eleanor interjected again, and Derek seemed almost, but not quite, embarrassed. “Suppress the wolf?” Her mother’s tone was horrified.

“Kate can be normal. Cure her.” He insisted, and Kate saw how he was caught up in that fantasy of wanting to save Kate from something he created as a monster.

“I’m not sick to be cured.” Kate spoke in a slow, deliberate tone. Furious. “You made decisions for me my whole life, I trusted you. I allowed it. I thought you loved me—” She began, but he cut her off.

“I love you!” Derek shouted, desperate somehow.

“Someone who loves doesn’t try to suppress the other person’s part, Derek!” Kate said, and he swallowed hard and looked at her. “If you loved me like you say, you would have discovered that being a lycan isn’t a curse, it’s who I am! You wouldn’t have tried to kill me for years! Because that’s what you did. You tried to kill me.” She spoke the last sentence slowly in a deadly furious tone.

“It was for the greater good. You always dealt well with the side effects…” He tried, clearly confused.

“The symptoms of poisoning Derek. That’s what Kate had. Symptoms of poisoning.” Eleanor spoke coldly.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” The sentence was terribly honest, and it confused Kate deeply. How could Derek's love be so close to a lack of common sense that it put her at risk?

"I could have died." Kate said, and saw how he flinched.

"I didn't want to, daughter..." he whispered. "I just wanted my little girl, without the monster—" And that made something snap inside her.

"Don't call me that!" Kate yelled, and her hand hit the front door, which slammed shut without flinching, a surprise reaction from all three. Eleanor with the noise, Kate with the sudden strength, and Derek with it all. "Damn it, I am sorry." Kate said, looking at Eleanor.

"It's okay." Eleanor said softly.

"See, these are things you deprived me of learning to control. Of learning to be. A wolf my age would already have total control of strength, senses, transformation. But you stopped me. You made me sick. You manipulated me. And the worst part?" Kate said, hurt. “I allowed it. I trusted you. And I loved my father like my hero, and you destroyed that. I think of you and I feel afraid. I look at you and I’m afraid of how you’re going to hurt me again.” She spoke, her voice breaking. “You acted like you loved me." she whispered.

“I love you, Kate, I love you.” He spoke with a trapped voice.

“If you really love me…” she said slowly. “You’re going to do something for me.” It was indeed a little manipulative, but she said it was Agatha’s influence.

“Anything, Kate…” He stammered.

“You gave me silver all these years and you think that was protection…” Kate began. “You saw my suffering and still decided it was necessary.” He cringed at that. “If you really want to show you love me… I need time, Derek. I need distance to heal. I can’t forgive you now, and maybe never, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you… I just need to protect myself.” She spoke and saw how his shoulders slumped.

“Kate…” He began softly.

“Respect her request.” Eleanor intervened, and Kate saw how he looked at the two women in his life with despair.

“I’m going to get my things from my room. Let me in and out. Maybe someday… We’ll talk again. But this is goodbye.” Kate said, and he paled, took a few steps back, and sat on the sofa. He put his hands to his face and stammered something Kate didn’t understand.

“Go get your things, daughter.” Eleanor instructed, and Kate swallowed hard, moving to her own room and quickly putting clothes and items into large suitcases she had. It wasn’t something that necessarily needed attention, she just needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. 

The house smelled of old silver, and she remembered Lilia saying that Kate had sweated silver her whole life, and that probably permeated the house. So the persistent nausea of ​​being there was easily explained by that, especially in the room where she had lived her whole life.

Half an hour passed, and even with her lupine senses, she didn’t hear any conversation coming from the living room. It was a tense silence, an unpleasant silence that was happening there. Eleanor stood with her arms crossed near the door, and Derek looked utterly defeated. But Kate guided the suitcases out of the room, down the hallway, and to the front door.

“Shall we go?” Eleanor said, and Kate nodded. “I’ll be back when you’re not here to get the rest of our things, Derek.” That was the final word, and if the man looked at them, Kate didn’t see him, already leaving through the front door without hesitation, carrying two suitcases with her and Eleanor another. Neither of them truly broke the silence.

********

They were in a nice hotel, not overly fancy, but one that had two separate rooms. As much as Eleanor didn't mind sharing space with Kate, and vice versa, the younger woman appreciated that Eleanor was making an effort to give Kate space and individuality. The bathroom was shared, which wasn't a problem. But Kate, she felt restless, as if the wolf was somehow trying to get out.

She sighed and walked to the small, but still existing, balcony that overlooked New York and decided that she would ask for advice from someone who could really help, it was better than gnawing at her own arm in the most metaphorical way possible.

The sound of a ringing phone echoed in her ear and she grumbled slightly, feeling hypersensitive to all of this, but it was what it was. She knew that going back to the house where she grew up would be difficult.

"Kate, is everything alright?" Rio's soft voice echoed and Kate felt her body tense.

"I don't know." The answer was soft, it was slow, and Kate felt restless. “I went to see Derek and the house was permeated with silver, I feel my wolf wanting to scratch to get out, but I can’t afford to transform now, I need to leave in twenty minutes at most to get to my meeting on time.” She spoke in a very slow, controlled tone.

“You returned to a place that traumatized you, Kate, it’s normal for the wolf to want to come out to protect you, there’s still a rupture of consciousness even though you’re more unified, in moments of crisis the wolf may want to take over.” She then heard someone saying something to Rio. “Agatha said she gave you a vial.” The older woman commented.

“Yes, it had a blue liquid inside, it’s in my carry-on bag.” Kate said, feeling a headache slowly setting in.

“Okay, take the vial and put an amount equivalent to a bottle cap in your palm and rub it on your chest and stomach, it’s a calming ointment. She thought you might need it because of returning to the house where you sweated so much silver. It will help to settle the feeling a little.” Rio spoke in a firm, instructive tone. “And try to do something to relax in those few minutes you can, a coffee, a tea, meditate, something.” Rio instructed again, and Kate sighed.

“I will.” She replied quietly.

“Your feelings are valid, Kate, your unease is completely understandable. Just try to stay calm, and if you can, stay in wolf form for a few hours tonight, it will help.” Rio was maternal in her tone and very clearly concerned.

“Thank you, Rio.” Kate spoke softly. “I’ll apply the ointment and try to find something that helps me relax a little.” Her tone was low, still tense.

“Okay, the pack is with you, call any of us, okay?” She offered, and this brought a smile to Kate’s face.

“Thank you, I will.” Then they said goodbye, and Kate went to her carry-on bag, pulling out the approximately 120 mL bottle that was there. She appreciated that Agatha had taken her time to do something that would help her. It was a smooth, thick blue liquid, and when Kate put a portion in her hand, she felt the mixture of scents. The beeswax base was the first thing Kate noticed in the texture, then the scents of chamomile that Nicky loved so much, valerian that Wanda always had around the house, lemon balm that Eleanor had recently learned to appreciate, passionflower that Lília was always smelling and which she claimed helped with insomnia, and then lavender that Agatha so enjoyed. It was as if that ointment was a small piece of the pack. A little vanilla for Alice. And when Kate rubbed it on her chest, she felt some of the anxiety that was growing dissipate.

Kate then squeezed the cell phone in her free hand and grunted. She knew what she wanted to do to pass those fifteen minutes, but she didn't know if it would be well received. With a small growl, she stood up and went back to the balcony. And again the cell phone was placed to her ear with the irritatingly high-pitched ringtone.

"Hey, how are things?" Yelena's voice sounded slightly hoarse, as if she had just woken up.

"Were you sleeping?" Kate frowned at this and heard a yawn.

"Don't worry, I'm awake now." The tone was gentle, still slightly sleepy.

"Yel... Is everything alright?" Kate could hear her own worry seeping in, and there was a moment of silence.

"There was a hit-and-run yesterday, I had to perform emergency surgery on a dog, it was... A long night." Yelena sounded, and Kate sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." It was sincere, if Kate could preserve Yelena's sleep, she would.

"I mean it, don't worry." The voice sounded more awake, and Kate could hear the blonde moving, the sound of blankets slipping, and she felt herself blush.

“I need a distraction.” Kate spoke softly, and there was a pause. “The conversation with my father was awful, there was shouting, and I realized that he thinks everything he did for me was right, it was a form of salvation, and I’m torn between a horrible feeling of loss and an inexplicable anger.” She spoke softly and swallowed hard. “It’s like something inside me is scratching to get out, almost like a poetic liberation from something I was deprived of being to something I can be, and it’s making me restless.” Kate swallowed hard and closed her eyes. “I feel like a butterfly that was prevented from having its complete metamorphosis at the right time, and now that it has happened, it suddenly needs to learn to use its own wings instead of crawling, and that’s… I feel like I’m going a little crazy.” She even found herself poetic in her comparisons, but that was how Kate felt at that moment.

She even found what she felt beautiful, it was something new for her as a writer and as a person to feel. This almost unsettling mix of feelings — she finally understood how Lys felt in her book, the idea of ​​being something that can never truly belong and be — was something she could finally relate to more deeply.

“I need a distraction, please.” The request came, and Kate swallowed hard, feeling an urge to write those feelings down in such a visceral way that it would be like tearing the words onto a sheet of paper, and yet, she couldn’t immerse herself in that feeling, there was too little time.

“I’ve always liked the color white, in general…” Yelena began to speak softly, and Kate found herself immersed in the blonde’s voice. “Part of me has always liked finding beauty in small, pure things, white and immaculate things on some level.” It was as if Yelena herself was diving into a memory of some kind. “I had a Samoyed that I had the pleasure of raising from puppy until he was 13 years old, his name was Jacob. One of the most loyal dogs I’ve ever had, very similar to Fanny in that respect. And he was impeccably white, with his brown eyes and black nose. Jacob loved to roll in the mud, it was a nightmare.” Yelena said, giving a small laugh that made Kate smile. “It took me a few months with Jacob to understand that purity exists even under a layer of mud, that he was still the same dog underneath all that mess that sometimes stained his fur for months. I think Jacob unintentionally taught me that it’s okay to have stains and different processes.” She spoke softly. “It’s okay if you feel like a late bloomer, Kate.” The phrase echoed and Kate sighed.

“You don’t mind that I’m a little like Jacob? A mess, stained with mud?” She spoke softly and there was this pause.

“I no longer seek the immaculate perfection of something white, Kate.” The phrase echoed, and there was a sigh. “I deeply appreciate that you’re honest about being messed up about some things, that level of honesty is something I appreciate.” She spoke, and Kate could hear Yelena’s heart beating in the background, if she focused enough. “And you picking me up is something I appreciate even more.” She spoke so softly, and Kate felt that something there was so important but still unspoken for Kate to fully understand.

“I really like you, Yelena.” Kate said, looking at the New York skyline. “I like your voice, I like your smell, I like the way you say my name, and how our eyes seem to be drawn to each other like magnets.” She continued, and there was a small sigh and what Kate presumed to be a shiver.

“Don’t say things like that when you’re in another city and I’m working, it makes me think things that are very inappropriate for the time.” There was that soft trembling in the blonde’s voice, and Kate closed her eyes again.

“I only speak the truth, I could write or recite for a long time things that I appreciate about you.” She spoke softly.

“Please no, I won’t be able to behave and we’re here to distract you, not for me to get turned on.” The small pauses between the words made everything more charged.

“Yelena.” Kate called softly and there was a gasp.

“You’re always on my mind, when I’m awake I think about you and when I go to sleep I dream about you. You’re slowly driving me crazy.” Yelena spoke and it didn’t sound like a complaint. “You have three more days in New York and I need not to go crazy thinking about you and every time I see the mark of your teeth on my skin….” Yelena’s tone had dropped a few tones and there was that silence that said so much. Kate closed her eyes and felt the restless wolf inside her, but this time not out of discomfort.

“I want to see you when I get back.” There was a small fire mixed with a moan, and Kate took a deep breath. “Yelena, behave yourself until I get back.” She spoke, and this time there was a disgruntled moan.

“Don’t ask me that, it means I won’t be able to touch myself.” The confession made Kate’s stomach clench, and she held her breath for a moment.

“Yelena.” The tone was firmer, and there was a whimper. “I’m not going to ask you not to do it, but it’s torture because I don’t have that option. I have my mother in tow until I get back.” She spoke softly, in a slightly frustrated tone.

“I’ll deal with your sexual frustration when you get back.” Yelena didn’t seem to hesitate to say this, and Kate sighed and heard the bathroom door opening and closing, this meant her mother was ready.

“Shit, okay, uh… Text me, okay? I need to go, my mom is ready.” Kate said with a grunt.

“Dirty messages?” Yelena teased.

“God, Yelena. Yes, and any other kind of message you want to send me. I’ll be back in three days.” She spoke softly, and Yelena sighed into the phone.

“Okay, stay safe, please text me when you can and call me when you want.” She spoke in a less filthy tone, and Kate nodded without answering, then cleared her throat. “See you later, Kate Bishop.”

“I will. See you later, Yel.” She spoke just as the sliding balcony door opened, and then the phone was put in her pocket, and Kate sighed, which made Eleanor approach.

“Is everything alright?” The question was gentle.

“I miss Yelena.” Kate muttered, trying to encompass her own sexual frustration. “Shall we go to the agency first or the printer?” Kate asked softly, and Eleanor made a thoughtful sound at the change of subject.

“Let’s go to the agency first. Bobbi wants to talk.” She spoke quietly and Kate nodded, moving toward the door. “And Kate?” The call came and Kate stopped at the door and looked back. “I like seeing you emotionally involved again, it’s good.” This made Kate’s cheeks blush slightly and she said nothing. Just going out of the room.

********

Kate felt like she was about to tear her own skin off, especially as they were finally approaching Westview again. She felt absolutely restless, ready to jump out of the car.

“Mom, stop the car.” She spoke in a demanding, yet still delicate tone, without being rude to Eleanor, who glanced at her quickly and then pulled over onto a side road.

“Is everything alright?” Eleanor asked worriedly, almost anxious at the speed with which Kate unbuckled her seatbelt and began to get out of the car.

“I desperately need to run.” She spoke in an anxious tone and leaned against the open car window as she closed the door. “We’ll meet at home later.” Her smile made Eleanor relax slightly.

“Okay, please come back in a piece.” Eleanor gave this reassuring speech, which made Kate understand that it was indeed a vote of confidence. In the past, the woman wouldn’t have let Kate go out alone, especially to travel the distance between Eastview and Westview.

“Thank you for trusting me, I’ll be back, I’ll have my cell phone with me. The bracelet is with me.” She indicated the thin leather strap that sometimes glowed with Agatha’s purple magic faintly, and Eleanor nodded.

“If you take too long, I’ll send Tommy to look for you.” She spoke in a mock threatening tone, and Kate nodded with a smile, and then the car began to move away, and Kate stretched, feeling the nature surrounding her easily.

She loved the smell of the forest and began to move among the trees, where it would be safe to transform. She was a large wolf, and she didn’t want trouble. So when she slipped further into the center of a clearing, where the sound of the road, even though it wasn’t busy, was muffled by the column of trees and leaves, she let the wolf out easily.

It didn’t hurt anymore, transforming was a pleasant burning sensation, like when you have a very intense physical moment, and it was enjoyable. For Kate, there was this parallel between transforming and the feeling that remained after an intense night of sex. It was a good relaxation. She herself would never say it out loud unless someone specifically asked what it felt like to transform. Some things could remain private, in her opinion.

Kate had a systemic adoration for running through the forest in wolf form. She passed a small stream and felt a shiver from the cold water with wet earth, and it made her feel alive, she felt alive whenever she could just be a wolf.

She loved feeling the world around her so alive, with small animals, small sounds that even her most sensitive human self couldn't quite hear. She liked the idea of ​​tasting the smells as she could as a wolf, when she transformed, the vomeronasal organ expanded, and she had a myriad of new tastes that she could experience as a wolf.

It was then that a particularly alluring smell and taste hit her as she passed near a clearing, this time walking calmly. It was a sweet taste, but not like chocolate or sugar, but still naturally sweet, that electrified Kate's body in a way she didn't know how to explain.

A mixture of smell and taste that was new to her and yet gave a very unique sensation of something she already knew, a strange feeling that it was something Kate knew.

She instinctively turned towards the smell, she was closer to Westview than she should have been going, but still, Kate's curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to understand where that smell and taste were coming from.

As she began to get closer, she noticed the nuance, the sweetness was something more vanilla-like, and that's when she realized it was a person who was attracting her in that way. The soft smell of coconut shampoo and conditioner, the soft smell of a soap she couldn't define. All of this slowly formed a signature scent, there was a slight smell of sweat and it was like sensing someone in a very different way than she had experienced until then.

A subtle warmth rose again through her snout, her nostrils, and when she breathed through her mouth she felt the stronger taste. Almost as if the smell and taste were drawing curves and contours. The feeling that Kate knew that scent grew stronger, especially with her heart racing slightly as she got closer.

It was almost like a hunting instinct, but it wasn't exactly that. Then she felt she was very close, she circled some trees that were on the edge of Westview and then she saw. Finally she saw who was attracting her from almost a kilometer away and she felt frozen.

Sitting in a clearing with a cup of coffee and in the calm, was Yelena. With headphones on, which made it clear that the blonde hadn't heard Kate in her wolf form approaching. And Kate allowed herself to observe Yelena for a moment. Then a shiver ran through the blonde's body and that's when Kate understood that Yelena's prey instinct had echoed and she noticed herself being watched by a predator.

It was then that the green eyes opened, and she saw how Yelena froze. Her scent took on a tone of fear, which was expected considering Kate's size and how intimidating encountering a black wolf in a forest can be. But Kate didn't move, she kept her eyes on Yelena, without approaching or indicating that she was intimidated or apprehensive, it was more like a curious animal, and Yelena swallowed hard, slowly lowering the metal cup she was using to drink her coffee.

She saw how the green eyes almost scientifically analyzed the animal in front of her, and Yelena didn't try to move. The eyes went from the paws to the face and then widened slightly as if understanding something that was beyond Kate's comprehension.

"I'm not a risk to you." The blonde spoke in a calm, restrained, low tone, as if searching for rationality behind a figure as imposing as a gigantic alpha wolf. Kate looked at her for a longer moment, as if testing Yelena's patience, but still, she didn't move. So Kate slowly, to preserve her own safety and Yelena's, backed away. She heard the blonde's small, relieved sigh. "Holy shit." It was a small grumble that came from the blonde, and Kate allowed herself to start running towards Wanda's house. It was an extremely unexpected encounter.

********

“It’s good to see you again, Kate.” That was the greeting, a warm hug from Wanda that pulled Kate close, and the brunette, recently returned to human form, allowed herself to wrap her arms around the older woman affectionately.

“I wanted to have arrived sooner, but I got distracted in the forest.” Kate spoke gently, and Wanda stepped back and looked at her curiously.

“Your mother and Agatha went to the city.” It was simple information. “What’s going on in your mind?” She asked, guiding Kate into the house.

“Can you explain a little about lycan bonds? As an alpha, am I any different?” She asked softly, and Wanda made a thoughtful sound, going into the living room, and Kate found it amusing that two tea sets and a kettle began to float towards them. She always found Wanda’s magic fascinating.

“The lycan bond is very emotional.” Wanda began explaining. “lycans, unlike animals, even though we informally call you Wolves, are rational, and that brings emotions into the mix, and emotions create bonds. Wolves are affectionate, physical touch, emotional warmth, loyalty, and fidelity are important to you. Generally, not not always, but in the vast majority of cases, wolves are monogamous. And they tend to stay with one person they click with for the rest of their lives.” She pondered.

“And what about the issue of soulmate bonds?” Kate asked curiously.

“There are several theories about soulmates. In Plato's Symposium, we have the introduction that souls were once complete, with two faces and four arms, and are divided and seek to find each other.” Wanda spoke casually. “In Hinduism, we have the idea of ​​individual souls where two can unite during the journey of reincarnation and connect deeply. In Spiritism, we have the idea of ​​souls that meet again in various lives through a spiritual affinity and connection.” She pondered. “For us supernatural beings, our idealization and theory is something like soul mirrors.” Kate frowned, attentive to this. “Soulmates function as mirrors on many levels. This means that they reflect the deepest and most hidden parts of the other, both the lights and the shadows. Meeting a soulmate can be challenging, as it forces a person to confront their own weaknesses, limitations, and unresolved aspects. And for us, it’s not just a romantic or affective matter, but soulmates can also be spiritual mentors or partners in a shared life mission. Mirror souls would be those who, while not being twins in the classic cultural sense, share essential characteristics and create a significant impact on each other’s emotional or spiritual development, as if they were catalysts for growth.” Wanda spoke and served tea. “But make no mistake, Kate, it’s powerful and it’s special and it’s unique. Soulmates like Rio and Agatha are rare.” The explanation came, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“I… I met someone and I feel like my wolf is…” She pondered the words. “I’d say connected, but considering what you told me, I don’t know if that word fits, but maybe curious and intrigued.” Wanda’s eyebrow rose slightly, but she remained neutral. “And I panicked a little, projecting that it could be something like Rio and Agatha.” She teased herself.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Treat it like a real connection, maybe that’ll be easier.” Wanda offered, and Kate nodded.

“And it’s still early, I don’t want to be the lesbian, U-Haul.” This made the redhead laugh slightly.

“That kind of thinking makes Natasha and I move extremely slowly.” The redhead’s eye roll made Kate look at her intrigued.

“Natasha seems extremely closed off.” She offered uncertainly.

“She’s like a fortress.” Wanda said, sipping her tea. “We’ve been dating for almost six months, and it’s something… Inconsistent but at the same time very solid.” This made Kate take a sip of her tea and look at Wanda curiously. “I feel very alive when I’m with her, it’s good, it’s powerful, and at the same time she can go days without showing up or texting.” She contemplated.

“And that makes you insecure?” Kate offered.

“My marriage to Jarvis, or Vision as everyone liked to call him, started well until the end. He was bothered by many things about witches, especially the rites, and the fact that he was human didn’t help much. Dating someone outside the circle is always difficult.” Wanda spoke softly. “We divorced because he cheated on me.” The sentence came and Kate’s eyebrows rose. “We literally had to pull Rio off him when that was discovered, Rio almost killed him.” Wanda said this clearly.

“Oh…” Kate reacted restrainedly to this.

“Yes, it was bad. But we divorced and I found out I was pregnant.” She rolled her eyes. “I was young, I was foolish in my twenties, but they gave me my two boys.” Wanda spoke softly and smiled.

“Then there’s Natasha.” Kate offered.

“I don’t think she’s cheating on me, honestly she’s too loyal for that. But yes, insecurity is a word for how I sometimes feel. Sometimes I feel like I could be disposable. And that also makes me climb walls, so it’s an eternal push and pull, her trying to find points where I’ll give in and me doing the same to her.” Wanda sighed.

“I think…” Kate began and stopped.

“Please, tell me your opinion, everyone has a strong opinion on this.” Wanda said, almost agreeing.

“I don’t know your relationship like the rest of the pack, and maybe my opinion is a little… biased.” Kate began gently. “You both have scars, I don’t need to know details of her life.” Even though Kate internally knew about the orphanage and Russia. “To see that someone hurt Natasha a lot, and maybe it’s not even fear of you, as you are, but rather of the vulnerability that liking someone can give her.” She said, and Wanda tilted her head. “Loving someone, or allowing yourself to get to know someone deeply, is opening doors for you to be hurt, it’s on some level saying here are the ugly parts, and asking the other person to be kind. And maybe for Natasha… She lacks the example that doing this won’t hurt her.” She spoke and cleared her throat. “My point is, you two need to talk. Very honestly about what you want, because in the end, if you both don’t give in and don’t decide to walk this path together, which yes, can be tortuous, the end has already been decreed at the beginning. And that’s unfair to both of you.” Kate finished and looked at her own cup for a longer moment. There was a small snort mixed with laughter from Wanda, and that made Kate’s eyes rise to the redhead.

“You’re not the first to tell me to talk to her, but the first to perhaps expose why she’s so closed off.” Wanda spoke softly. “You’re right about all of that. And I need… To gather the courage to talk to her as she deserves, honestly and sincerely.” The redhead's tone was low. "It must be more than half a dozen good conversations, good sex, and absences, right?" Wanda said, and Kate coughed slightly.

"Natasha is terrifying, I don't need to think about you two having sex." This made Wanda laugh sincerely. "Uh, I want to go to town, if that's okay." She said, offering a slightly awkward smile.

"For that... Someone?" Wanda asked, her eyes slightly playful.

"Yes, I promised I'd visit when I got back." She said sincerely, and Wanda nodded.

"Do you want my car?" She offered.

"No, no, it's getting dark, I'm going to run along the trails Rio showed me and walk to the city downtown." Kate said, and Wanda nodded.

"Stay safe, let me know if anything happens." She said casually, and Kate moved out of the room, pulling out her cell phone.

Kate: I'm back, can I come see you?

It took a minute for a response to come from Yelena, and that made Kate smile broadly.

Yelena: Please yes, I'm just finishing up some IV fluids on one of the hospitalized cats, meet me here at the clinic and we can go to my house.

And with that, Kate changed her clothes and moved out of the house. Sending a selfie to her mother letting her know she was going to see Yelena. Eleanor just asked her to stay safe.

Then she changed and began the short run to the edge of town. It was getting dark earlier and unlike New York, Westview was a reasonably dark area. Which made Kate's transition through the rural part easier.

She walked through town with her hands in the pockets of her jacket, it was light and peaceful. A cool night that she herself didn't feel very cold. A new feeling considering that the silver had made her feel cold for many years.

Kate whistled lightly as she walked down the block towards the clinic and saw Kitty come out of the store with a sigh.

"Long day? Hi Kitty." Kate spoke with an easy smile, and the young woman looked over her shoulder and smiled.

“Something like that. It was quite a day.” She said and smiled at Kate. “Taking a walk?” She asked curiously.

“Stretching my legs, I traveled to take care of things and just got back. I missed the small town.” Kate’s smile was easy.

“The small town grows on you, doesn’t it?” Kitty said, laughing lightly. “But have a good night, Kate.” She said, walking away.

“Good rest, have a good night.” She watched as the young woman turned the corner of the block and closed the distance to the front door of the clinic, knocking twice.

“I’m coming.” Yelena’s voice sounded from inside, and it would be muffled to a normal person, but Kate heard it clearly. “Goodness, if it’s an emergency I’ll come out screaming, I locked it twenty minutes ago.” She heard the woman probably muttering to herself. And then the door opened and the two looked at each other. “Kate.” It was an almost breathless tone from the blonde.

And Kate herself, she would admit to herself, acted without thinking. The door opened and there was Yelena, in her black scrubs, her hair messy, her eyes tired, and so beautiful. Kate moved forward, her hand pushing the door open and then slamming it shut, and she just pulled Yelena by the nape of her neck into a kiss.

The moan that echoed from Yelena and how she clung to the lapels of Kate's jacket were enlightening. Especially with the two of them walking backward until Yelena's back hit the wall beside the hallway.

"God, I missed you." Kate murmured against Yelena's mouth, lowering her lips to the blonde's cheeks and then to her earlobe.

"I missed you too." The blonde groaned, panting, slipping her hands inside Kate's jacket and touching the brunette's ribs over her t-shirt. "You're hot." The blonde said, pulling away suddenly and placing her hand on Kate's forehead with a furrowed brow. “Are you feeling unwell?” It was the question that echoed, and Yelena, driven by her caring, medical self, began to pull Kate toward the doctor's office.

And Kate wanted to laugh, without even being able to answer the blonde, since a thermometer was shoved toward her.

“I hope you don't use the traditional method.” She said, and Yelena grunted and huffed.

“Put the damn thermometer under your arm.” The blonde's grumble was almost disgruntled, and Kate, very used to this sort of thing happening, placed the thermometer without hesitation. “I'll repeat the question, Kate Bishop. Are you not feeling well?” She asked with steady eyes.

“I feel perfectly fine. Even more energetic than usual.” She said thoughtfully, and her eyes fell on Yelena's calendar. And there it was. The full moon would arrive in two days. “Oh…” Kate said without thinking, and it made sense that she was hot. It was the moon fever starting.

“Oh? What is oh?” Yelena looked worried and the thermometer beeped, she glanced quickly at the reading. “You have a slight fever.” She spoke slightly anxiously.

“Okay…” she saw as the woman moved to get some kind of medicine or something. “Yel.” She called and stood up, carefully holding Yelena’s hands. “Do you remember I said Lucky had to learn to be kind?” She spoke softly and Yelena looked anxious. “I’m still dealing with some minor health issues and the slight fever might be related. But I feel fine. I promise to tell you if I start to feel unwell.” She spoke softly and saw as Yelena relaxed her arms slightly.

“You promise?” She asked softly.

“Yes, I promise.” Kate’s tone was soft and gentle and Yelena relaxed slightly. “How are you?” The question sounded soft and Kate sighed as Yelena’s arms went around her waist in a loving gesture, but she smelled of anxiety. “Honey, would you be happier if I took an antipyretic?” The question was gentle, and Yelena responded by nodding affirmatively against her collarbone. “Okay, I just need a Tylenol.” Kate spoke softly and saw Yelena move to look at Kate attentively, and the brunette smiled slightly.

“It’s not a case of terminal illness that you’re not telling me about, is it?” The question was sudden, and Kate’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I read A Walk to Remember too much in my teens.” Yelena grumbled, and Kate gave a small laugh.

“No, dear, I don’t have anything terminal. In fact, I’m recovering perfectly well, even faster than expected.” And that was due to the fact that Kate transformed very frequently and liked to spend time in wolf form, which helped the silver wear off faster according to Rio.

“Okay, great. Here. A Tylenol.” Yelena moved to the desk drawer and pulled out the medicine, handing one to Kate and then extending the water bottle she kept there.

“You’re a very well-prepared woman.” Kate teased lightly but took the medicine and water.

“And you’re very obedient when it comes to taking medicine.” She spoke with furrowed brows, perhaps slightly surprised.

“Eh, years of obeying my mother, I’m well-trained.” Kate said, shrugging and pulling Yelena closer by the hips, causing their bodies to meet and the two to look at each other. “Did you finish the IV?” She asked gently, and Yelena sighed contentedly at the contact.

“Yes, it was a few minutes before you arrived. I was waiting for you so we could go to my house.” Yelena grumbled lightly and snuggled against Kate’s neck, hugging her. “How was New York?” The question echoed softly as the two pulled away and began to close the clinic. Lights were turned off, and Phantom was sleeping at the reception desk.

“It went well, I signed the books I needed to sign, I talked to Ororo about the next production, since it’s still in progress and my previous books had a sales increase because of an influencer who did a good review, we’re talking about trying to speed up production.” Kate pondered the statement calmly. “She doesn’t want to rush me, but there was this suggestion that we should ride the wave of the positive review, but the book is still far from finished, I got to the middle chapter this week.” She continued talking, watching Yelena set the alarm and then lock the door, and the two started walking, with the blonde leading the way, to the blonde’s house.

“So, what would the deadline be?” Yelena asked sincerely.

“I have another year and a half of production, but we’re talking about, if my muse allows me, publishing next year before the second half of the year. So that would shorten my timeframe to a year or something like that, it’s doable… I’d say, the second book I wrote in something less than 11 months, but still. It’s book number three, it’s a bit massive in content and especially lore. I’m deeply covering the politics of the island lands and the production of the Insuz, so it’s a complex process and I’m studying geology to better understand the idea.” Kate spoke and kicked a small pebble.

“Wait, wait, the island lands, which you briefly mention in the first book?” Yelena said, her eyes wide. “Kate, I don’t want spoilers, I’m still halfway through the first book.” She whined.

“Uh… Sorry? I promise to speak in riddles from now on.” She offered, and Yelena mumbled something and nodded, pulling her house key from her pocket and walking toward the door.

“Thank you. I like reading the book without spoilers.” Yelena opened the door, and Fanny, who was lying on the sofa, approached with a small, joyful tap dance. “Hello, girl, how was your day?” Fanny whimpered and snuggled against Yelena, which made the brunette smile slightly. Kate watched as Yelena took off her shoes and repeated the gesture, leaving the shoes in the corner of the room, and then heard a whimper.

“Hello, Miss Longbottom.” Kate spoke softly as she felt a nudge of a snout against her leg. The lycan leaned in, gently stroking Fanny's ears and then her cheeks. “Who's the good girl?” She spoke softly in a loving gesture and heard Yelena's heart race slightly, which made her eyes travel from Fanny to the blonde who was leaning against the door frame of the room and watching the exchange. It was a two-story house, with an entrance hall. The door was made of light wood, and there was a small hallway leading to the living room, which Kate could see from where she was. An archway led to the living room, and it was a spacious room with a sofa facing the fireplace and television, and a large window facing the street with the curtains drawn. Kate moved when Yelena entered the room, and she could see the kitchen door open.

It was a kitchen at the back, which apparently had an exit to the backyard, with golden-brown wooden furniture, and it was clearly modern and planned. There was an attached dining room, as far as Kate could see.

"What do you want for dinner?" Yelena said, walking towards the kitchen, and Kate could see the stairs leading to the upper floor. There was a door attached to the room that was probably a bathroom.

"Anything you want." Kate commented casually. "Where's your car?" she asked curiously, not seeing the car in the garage or at the clinic.

“It’s undergoing routine maintenance, oil change, inspection, that sort of thing. It should be back with me tomorrow morning. I did some morning appointments, but luckily my outside appointments aren’t that frequent.” Yelena said, pulling some cheese, bacon, and pasta from the refrigerator. “I hope it’s okay if I make macaroni and cheese.” She offered.

“Sounds great, how can I help? I’m not an extremely versatile cook, but I know how to make things and cut.” She offered and moved to wash her hands.

“Do you want to cut the bacon while I cut the cheese?” Yelena offered, and Kate nodded, being handed a cutting board and a knife. “You won’t cut yourself, will you?”

“I don’t make promises, but I’ll be careful.” Kate said playfully and saw how Yelena looked at her with furrowed brows. “I can’t guarantee there won’t be any accidents, I’m notoriously clumsy, but I tend to be very careful with knives.” She offered, and the blonde nodded, which left Kate with the piece of bacon and the table to use.

“Cut it into thin strips, please, I prefer crispy bacon rather than very thick ones.” Yelena requested, and Kate nodded without really arguing, she didn’t mind. Kate had genuinely been very easy to please with food since she was little.

There was this comfortable silence for a moment, Fanny lay down under the table, her head near Kate's feet, and the two women seemed simply happy to be in each other's company.

"Oh, I brought you something!" Kate said suddenly, making a grumbling sound. "I'll bring it to you tomorrow, I left it at home." She grumbled.

"What? My stuffed animal?" Yelena asked playfully, putting the water on to boil. Then the bacon was handed to her, and the smell of bacon starting to fry filled the kitchen.

"Yes, and no. I bought a small stuffed beaver that's wearing a t-shirt that says: New York, which is, interestingly, the state symbol." Kate said with an amused expression.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. I'll love it." Yelena said cheerfully.

"But that's not what I brought you." Kate said, leaning on the counter next to Yelena, watching her cook.

"Oh? And what is it?" Yelena asked distractedly, while seasoning the food.

“I brought you a collector’s edition copy of my first two books. And the first two of this current collection.” She spoke casually. “The hardcover version. That way you can return Natasha’s and have your own.” The offer came quietly, and she saw how Yelena froze slightly.

“Oh… Kate, you didn’t need to, I know they were specific editions.” She spoke softly, uncertain of receiving something like that.

“It’s nothing special, I get some for myself, my mother has hers, and Teddy’s are separate, I thought you’d like to have them. I’ll even sign them.” Kate teased.

“Thank you, Kate.” It was small, and Kate smiled at her.

“One of my expressions of affection is gifts, so get used to it.” Kate teased lightly, and Yelena grunted and rolled her eyes.

“I like to express myself with physical touch and acts of service.” She said, shrugging, and Kate nodded.

“Sounds perfectly fine.” The brunette's tone was relaxed, and they began to chat lightly about Yelena's last few days, and the meal was filled with simple, small conversations. It was nice that the two of them could fill the silences and at the same time appreciate the silence together.

When they sat on the living room sofa, the idea was perhaps to cuddle, but Fanny made the decision for them. She climbed on top of Kate, placing herself against the brunette's chest, who just laughed and agreed to run her hands along the sides of the Akita's body.

"You're a needy little ball, I'd say." She teased the dog, who whined and snuggled further into Kate's hands.

"She's always been very sweet." Yelena commented softly. "I have her tattooed on my calf." The random information came, and Kate looked at her in surprise.

"I saw that you have some tattoos..." Kate said softly.

"Some..." Yelena seemed to count for a moment. "Twelve."

"Twelve isn't some, it's several." Kate teased, and Yelena blushed slightly. “The ones I’ve seen… So far, it’s been the ones on your wrists, forearm, and ribs.” The last word made them both blush slightly as they remembered the intense moment they shared.

“Do you want me to tell you about the others?”

“I like to find out for myself if it’s okay?” Yelena nodded. “Why a bird and a bat?” She asked softly.

“They represent duality, day and night. A small sparrow, they have diurnal habits. And bats, they have nocturnal habits. It’s the duality of that.” Yelena said, and Kate nodded.

“I think the one on your forearm is self-explanatory.” She said, and moved a hand from Fanny’s ears to Yelena’s tattooed forearm and gently traced the tattoo upwards, feeling the blonde’s shiver.

“I got it right after I graduated. I've always liked operating, the peace that a surgical center gives me, and even though the post-operative periods are complex in their own ways, I’ve always enjoyed the act of operating. There’s a peace in it that I can’t explain.” Yelena spoke softly.

“I think I relate, I feel something similar when I’m immersed in writing, it’s like the outside world disappears, the problems disappear, and there’s only me and my words.” The brunette contemplated, and Yelena nodded.

“Exactly, it’s me, the animal, and what needs to be done. It’s easy to compartmentalize, I think, and I’ve always loved operating.” She spoke with an easy smile.

“And the rib tattoos?” Kate’s question came accompanied by her hand brushing just below the tattoos, and Yelena closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shuddered at the touch.

“They are two words in Russian, to represent family. In the case of Natasha and I being adopted by Alexei and Melina. And the word for belonging. I finally feel like I belong to myself, to them as a daughter and sister, and…” Yelena cleared her throat. “I did the second one, belonging, when I managed to become an American citizen. The process was long and difficult, but it was like a guarantee that I belonged here.” She spoke softly and Kate nodded.

“I felt that way when I got my Italian citizenship.” Kate spoke softly, understanding the feeling. “I think for you it’s a little deeper considering that for many years you didn’t feel like you belonged anywhere…” She contemplated, and Yelena nodded.

“You have Italian citizenship?” The question came softly.

“Yes, a few years ago, we managed to prove that my mother’s grandfather came from there. There was a strange law about women not passing on citizenship by blood until 1948, crazy like that. But my mother’s family is Italian, my father’s is London. But we couldn’t get citizenship for me.” She said, shrugging slightly. “I enjoyed the time I spent in London with my…” She cleared her throat. “Dad.” She said and frowned. “Derek.” The correction came, and Yelena leaned in, lightly brushing her nose against Kate’s cheek in a loving gesture.

“I’m sorry he messed things up so badly for you.” She spoke so sincerely, and Kate nodded.

“Me too… But…” She cleared her throat. “Who did your tattoos? Was it here? In Eastview?” Curiosity went hand in hand with the need to change the subject.

“Actually, it was in Ohio.” Yelena said playfully. “My tattoo artist is my dad.” She said playfully. “I have some piercings too.”

“Your tattoo artist is your dad?” Kate focused on that first.

“Yes, after he retired, he decided to start a new job and he’s always been quite the artist, I’d say. He’s completely tattooed, chest, legs, arms. So when I wanted my first one, the scalpel, he tattooed it for me. Usually when I go there and decide on something, I get it done at the end of the year when we go for Christmas to where they live.” Kate blinked a few times and nodded.

“Isn’t it kind of crazy, your dad being your tattoo artist? Did he do the piercings too?” She asked curiously.

“Tattoo artist, no. But him doing my piercings would be crazy.” This made Kate tilt her head to the side curiously, and Yelena blushed. “They’re on my nipples, Kate. I don’t need my dad seeing my breasts.” Kate’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Wait, what?” Kate said, and this made Yelena’s cheeks light up even more, and she gave a nervous laugh.

“I have both nipples pierced, it’s been a few years now.” Kate blinked, and her eyes went to her breasts covered by her t-shirt and bra. “My eyes are up here.” Yelena teased.

“I’m aware, and they’re very pretty, but I’m trying to see if I can see anything.” Kate grumbled, and Yelena giggled.

“I hope that at some point in the future I’ll be without my bra and t-shirt so you can get a closer look.” Yelena said, and Kate blushed and cleared her throat.

“I really hope that happens soon.” She said and sighed. “Your dad didn’t get the piercings, and you only have two? Who did them?” She asked, trying to maintain her composure, and saw how Yelena became a little more sober and less playful.

"My ex. One of the few good things that came out of that relationship." She said, shrugging. "But only the nipples are still there, I had them on my lip and septum, but with animals around, that becomes a small risk of being ripped off." This made Kate shudder.

"God forbid." She muttered and then moved Fanny off her chest, which the Akita didn't like, but adjusted itself next to Kate, and then the brunette's thumb lightly touched Yelena's lip, searching for signs of the piercings.

"It was a labret." Yelena indicated, and Kate looked for the small, almost invisible scar just below the lip.

"Ah, here..." She said, feeling and seeing the small mark, she felt Yelena's breathing quicken slightly with the soft and subtle touch.

“Kate…” The call was gentle, and the two looked at each other, green eyes meeting blue ones, and Kate could actively see how Yelena’s pupils dilated and how the blonde lightly bit her lower lip and looked into the brunette’s eyes and mouth. It was an almost magnetic attraction, the two were being extremely well-behaved considering how intense their attraction was.

“Hm?” Kate asked, adjusting herself slightly on the sofa cushions, listening to how Yelena’s heart raced slightly and how her scent subtly changed to something more provocative.

“I really missed you so much.” The blonde adjusted herself on the sofa so that one leg was tucked under her, and her hand slowly moved up Kate’s arm.

“Oh? Really?” The tone was provocative, and Yelena grunted slightly, especially when Kate’s eyes sparkled with a playful air.

“Don’t tease me.” The blonde complained, and Kate leaned in slightly.

“I’m not teasing you, I just like hearing you say you missed me.” Kate teased, letting her breath brush against Yelena’s lips and watching the blonde’s eyes close and her shiver slightly. “I missed you terribly myself, Yelena.” She purred the blonde’s name slowly and heard the small moan that escaped the woman.

“Oh my god, you’re a tease.” The blonde grunted and the brunette gave a small, low laugh, but that was cut short when the blonde moved quickly. Her hands went to Kate’s shoulders, pushing the brunette hard against the sofa cushions, and the lycan could only succumb to Yelena’s fiery intensity.

The woman practically threw a knee on each side of Kate’s hips and positioned herself on top of her. And there was that small second of suspension, where Kate’s body almost short-circuited from how much her senses were stimulated.

She had touch first, feeling the pressure of Yelena’s thighs against her and the blonde’s hands gripping Kate’s jacket tightly as she pressed her against the sofa. Her vision filled in on the blonde’s torso, the t-shirt hugging her waist and rising over her breasts, strong shoulders, and the blonde’s neck until she lifted her chin and could meet the green eyes.

Yelena's scent, just like in the forest, seemed to take Kate by storm without hesitation, and when the brunette breathed lightly through her mouth, it was as if the blonde's taste seeped into every taste bud of hers. The blonde's heart seemed like a light, accelerated rhythm against Kate's eardrums, and she, who was beginning to understand how to filter the sounds of the rest of the world, found herself simply immersed in that thump-thump of the blonde's heart.

She saw how the blonde's gaze descended across her face, and Kate felt almost hyper-aware of everything around her, of how soft the sofa cushions were, of how Yelena breathed a little faster than usual, how the blonde lightly licked her lower lip.

She saw Yelena's chest rise and fall in a deep breath, as if all of that was almost too much, the tips of her fingers lightly released Kate's shoulders, smoothing over the muscle there, and there was a slight tension and then release. Yelena's hands slowly slid down Kate's arm, feeling her biceps and triceps, then moved back up.

When the blonde leaned down, Kate craned her neck upwards, but there was no lip contact, just a small, nervous lip bite from Yelena that made them look at each other, exchanging warm glances, almost as if it were a small study of reactions.

"I feel like my self-control is slipping away, but at the same time you seem to give me solid ground." Yelena whispered and lightly touched the zipper of Kate's jacket in a small act of affection and nervousness.

Kate reached up, not touching the blonde directly at first, but the touch came with a brush of fingertips along the blonde's cheekbone, then moving up to her ear and slowly pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I like being solid ground." Kate spoke softly and gently held Yelena's cheek, her hand sliding lightly down the blonde's neck, over her shoulder, feeling the arm that was slightly outstretched from being on Kate's shoulders. "I want you to feel good." The small confession came gently, her voice lightly brushing against Yelena's skin. "I want you to feel desired." She continued and saw how Yelena's breathing quickened slightly. "I want you to feel safe." There was this brief pause, almost two heartbeats.

She saw how the small, corner-of-the-mouth smile appeared on Yelena's face and transformed into a smile that could only be described as shy. Yelena's fingertips brushed against Kate's neck, and she adjusted herself slightly in the brunette's lap, shifting her weight slightly between one knee and the other. Then there was this brushing of the blonde's hands against Kate's chest, in a loving gesture.

“I feel good, I feel safe, and I feel especially wanted. And for a while, I haven’t felt this wanted, not like I feel when your eyes are on me and you’re being gallant in whispering sweet words in my ear.” Yelena’s voice sounded almost in a breath, slightly hoarse, heavy with desire. “I want so many things…” The blonde whispered against Kate’s mouth.

“I told you, Yelena, you can want it. And you can get it if you ask.” The brunette returned to the teasing that started it all, the teasing that made Yelena ask to be kissed in Wanda’s bathroom, and she saw how Yelena’s body trembled with a shiver.

“You love hearing me ask and beg you, Kate?” Her name slipped out like a small sin between Yelena's lips, and Kate leaned in, turning away from the blonde's face and going straight to her neck, where she let her nose brush up, smelling the blonde's scent, feeling the heartbeat that pulsed there, and how the woman tilted her head slightly to the side to make room.

“I’m too weak for your voice.” The brunette spoke softly. “And hearing you ask like a good girl is maddening.” She whispered, testing the theory that Yelena liked the compliment, and there was that little moan that echoed from the woman.

“Oh my god, call me that again.” Yelena demanded, pressing herself closer to Kate, this time the blonde’s breasts resting almost under Kate’s chin, as she rose to her knees to adjust, and Kate felt her heart race, her hands went to Yelena’s waist and squeezed the blonde lightly, which made a small, breathless moan escape the blonde.

Kate’s hands slowly slid down Yelena’s thighs, feeling the woman relax on top of her and gasp. The two looked at each other, and Yelena seemed defiant.

“Be a good girl and ask.” Kate spoke in a measured tone and saw how the blonde’s head fell slightly back.

“Oh my god, Kate.” Yelena spoke and ran her hands through her brown hair, and Kate felt her heart race even faster. “You want me to beg so badly? You want your ego soothed?” She asked provocatively, her tone a little dirty, and it was the kind of challenge Kate had seen in Yelena before.

“My ego, darling?” Kate said and gave a small, husky laugh. “I just want to hear you beg…” She said and moved her mouth to Yelena’s earlobe, where she lightly grazed it with her teeth. “Because that’s what good girls do, they say what they want, they show how much they need and want it.” It was the provocation that made them both ignite.

“Damn, damn.” Yelena rubbed against Kate and gripped the brunette’s nape firmly. “Kiss me, touch me, God, I’m going to explode.” The blonde gasped and they looked at each other. “Please, please.” The tone quickly turned slightly pathetic in need, but it was almost glorifying to see a woman as strong as Yelena relinquish power to Kate like that.

“God, you’re such a good girl.” The compliment came without Kate thinking much, and she leaned in to kiss Yelena’s neck slowly, which made a long moan from the blonde echo through the house, and Kate’s hands moved to Yelena’s lower back in a teasing motion that slowly moved up her back.

“Yes, please…” Yelena gasped and threw her hands up. “Take it off, please?” She asked softly, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Not yet. I’ll choose when.” Kate then pulled the blonde to her, and she loved having that kind of power in that situation. It was exciting, it was erotic, and having Yelena gasping and moaning was wonderful.

“God, you’re going to kill me with pent-up lust.” She whimpered.

“You won’t die, darling, you’ll just get perfectly worked up for me.” It was the answer Kate could give, and it seemed to be more than enough to elicit a discontented yet erotic groan from Yelena like a sigh.

"I hope you keep all your promises, Kate Bishop." The blonde spoke and gently tugged at Kate's hair, pulling her away from the veterinarian's neck, and the two looked at each other. "I'll be very upset if you don't." She grunted.

"Demanding, but I will keep my promises." Kate said, laughing lightly, and ran her hand up Yelena's back to the nape of her neck. "Come here." She pulled her closer, and their mouths finally met, and the moan that echoed from Yelena was delicious to absorb.

Needy, longing, and deep against the brunette's tongue. That's how Yelena sounded. Like a feast. And Kate pushed her tongue against the blonde's, feeling the texture and how the woman's mouth was warm and soft at the same time.

She licked Yelena's lower lip and pulled it between her teeth, then kissed her again, this time running her fingers down the woman's nape and gently pulling her hair, which made Yelena moan intensely against Kate's mouth.

"God, yes..." The blonde gasped in the small space that occurred when Kate slipped her free hand under Yelena's shirt. "Touch me, touch me, I'm burning for you." The blonde spoke in a filthy confession, and Kate felt the wolf scratching slightly to get closer to Yelena.

Kate's hands went to Yelena's t-shirt, pulling the fabric up without much hesitation, and again Yelena threw her arms up, making room for the t-shirt to be removed. The blonde tossed the t-shirt away, without either of them really seeing where it went, and Fanny, poor Fanny, quickly moved away when things started to get intense.

Kate's mouth went to the bite mark on Yelena's collarbone, and she sucked lightly there, which made the pain a little more intense, and the blonde groaned loudly, something that seemed like Kate's name being broken. The brunette's hands went to Yelena's waist, brushing the soft skin there, and then moved up so that her index fingers brushed against the tattoos.

"God, this feels good." The blonde spoke softly, and Kate felt the woman's skin tingle, and she smiled contentedly against Yelena's collarbone, lightly brushing her teeth against it.

"If I want to see your piercings, can I?" The brunette asked softly.

"Not yet." Yelena grunted. “I’m working on self-restraint like my therapist recommended. God, I hate that bitch.” The sentence made Kate laugh against Yelena’s skin and step back to look at the blonde with amusement.

“Self-restraint?” She asked gently and curiously.

“I would have been fucked by you in that tiny bathroom at Wanda’s house if I wasn’t actively trying to control my impulses.” She said in a grunt. “My therapist thinks it’s good that I have self-control and that I learn to time things. If I let you suck my tits, I’ll let you suck my pussy.” The statement made Kate gasp and step back slightly, and the arched eyebrows made Yelena’s cheeks flush slightly red. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She whispered, feeling self-conscious.

“Hey, hey, no.” Kate held her back from getting off her lap. “I would totally suck your pussy in that tiny bathroom.” She spoke and saw how Yelena looked at her and then allowed herself to be comfortably placed back in Kate's lap. "I don't mind that you want to work on self-restraint, darling, I will always respect your pace and your choices." The tone was soft and Yelena took a deep breath. "If you want to take things slow, we'll take things slow." She repeated and Yelena shifted slightly.

"I'm tired of my vibrator and my fingers." She grumbled and Kate gave a low laugh.

"God, I love that you're so fiery and sexually confident." She spoke sincerely.

"Don't make fun of me." Yelena said with furrowed brows.

"I'm not. I think it's sexy. I've always liked powerful women, and you would totally be a queen in a post-apocalyptic world." She spoke with a smile. "Can I keep kissing your skin?" She asked gently.

"Yes, please." Yelena spoke, blushing but gasping as Kate's mouth touched the center of her chest and began to slowly move up her neck. "It's ridiculous how turned on I am by you." She said, moving to rub against Kate. "Is dry hump considered a lack of self-control?" The answer would be maybe yes, but Kate didn't care.

"We'll ask your psychologist later." Kate said, pulling the skin of Yelena's collarbone between her fingers.

"Definitely." The blonde then leaned back on the sofa, her hips moving forward, rubbing against Kate's stomach and moaning loudly. "God, yes, I really want to come like this." The blonde said in a dirty tone, and Kate nodded.

"I really want you to come for me like this." She said, and then the two kissed, Yelena's hands plunging into Kate's hair, pulling her and holding her against her mouth, and Kate gasped, moaning against the blonde's lips and biting her lower lip lightly.

Yelena then began to actively rub herself, seeking friction, and every time Kate's hands touched her body, she moaned and rubbed herself forcefully against the lycan's stomach.

It was sexy, and they really looked like two horny teenagers. And it was nice to have this intense moment of perdition between them.

Yelena arched her back and Kate kissed the curve of the blonde's breast, and for the first time she felt against her chin the light shadow of a touch of Yelena's pierced nipple and she moaned at that.

"God, I'm going to suck on your breasts as much as I'm allowed." The brunette grumbled and left a hickey on the curve of the breast she was licking.

"Don't say that, I have little self-control." Yelena spoke haltingly and between moans, and Kate was sure that this goddess had reached a new level of sensuality.

"Moan my name." Kate demanded when her nose met the scent of Yelena's arousal and she moaned.

“Kate…” The tone was breathless, frantic, and very much on the edge. The blonde sped up, and the brunette grabbed her hips, pulling her harder against the base of her belly, and the blonde's skin prickled. “I'm going to come, baby, I'm going to come.” Yelena quickened her movements, and Kate bit her shoulder, not enough to draw blood or leave a deep or lasting mark. But enough to make the elastic of orgasm snap and break.

Hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and absorbing Yelena coming was a privilege. That's what Kate thought. It was a spectacle, the woman arched, Yelena's breath caught, and then a strangled moan escaped her, almost like a little song to Kate's ears.

“Jesus, you're so hot.” ​​Kate whimpered, and Yelena clung to her tightly, starting to move again.

“I need one more, touch me, touch my breasts. I need to come again.” It was almost desperate, and Kate didn't mind the tone of voice or the demand.

She moved her hands from Yelena's hips to her bra-covered breasts and squeezed without hesitation, searching for the nipples through the cups and brushing her fingers forcefully over what she could finally feel as the piercings.

"Like this, God, just like this." Kate watched her adjust again, her knees opening wider and the center of her denim dress colliding against Kate again. It was exciting, it was so new to have so much sexual energy directed at her after being without a partner for almost five years, and Kate moaned.

"Good girl, God, you're amazing. You're so hot." She found herself speaking against Yelena's skin as she kissed the blonde's shoulders and neck, trying to guide the woman to a quick orgasm.

"I'm so close again." And it really was very quick. Yelena dug her nails into Kate's nape, arched her back, and moaned again, her orgasm less intense than before but still very present. The scent of sex filled Kate's nose, and she felt like she was in a little paradise.

"God, it's wrong for me to say this when we're making out, but I want to eat you so badly." The blonde whimpered at the brunette's words and pulled her into a kiss.

"Soon, soon, God. Soon, for God's sake." Yelena said, taking a deep breath.

And like a hot knife cutting butter, Kate felt it before the sound happened, before the vibration happened. Yelena's cell phone lit up and started ringing, and Yelena's moan was almost animalistic in her displeasure.

"Your cell phone..." Kate offered, as if offering something without knowing exactly what to say.

"Yes, damn it, I hate this phone sometimes. I swear to God, if it's an emergency, I'll cry." She spoke, dismounting from Kate, clearly trembling, and sat down heavily, leaning forward and looking at the identifier. “Sestra, what’s wrong?” The tone was a little harsh, and Kate could hear the conversation.

“Geez, who put your panties in a twist?” Natasha’s voice was low to normal ears, but to Kate it seemed clear, and the blonde looked at her and grunted.

“You never call, you’re more in favor of showing up unannounced in a suspicious way.” Yelena grunted. “What happened?”

“Wow, a sister can’t want to see the other anymore.” Natasha sounded dramatic. “I… I decided to call before showing up because you have your new mysterious fuck buddy.” Kate could see Natasha’s eyes roll.

“I told you to stop using that term.” Yelena barked lightly and brought her free hand to her face and squeezed the bridge of her eyes. “What happened?” She asked in a gentler tone, and Natasha sighed.

“I just… I didn’t want to be alone.” The words echoed clearly from a slightly painful place. “Wanda and I talked, and it wasn’t very nice.” She spoke, and there was a pause.

“Did you bite?” Yelena’s question seemed to come from something recurring.

“As always, I bit before listening, before trying to understand where she was coming from and all that. The woman is a saint, but even saints have limited patience. She left, and I just… I don’t want to be alone.” Yelena sighed and looked at Kate, who was looking at her attentively.

“Do you want to come over, or do you want me to come over?” The question was painfully displeased, but still masked, Yelena’s expression said sorry, and Kate just gave a slight smile and nodded.

“I can come over, it’s still… Wanda’s perfume here, and it’s depressing me.” Natasha said, and Yelena sighed. Kate saw her give in before even deciding what words she wanted to use.

“Bring vodka, if we’re going to cry your sorrows out, bring vodka. And you can sleep in my guest room.” Yelena spoke casually and looked at her own nails.

“Okay, I’ll get a bottle of decent vodka and go.” It was smooth and Yelena nodded.

“I have lemon, don’t worry about that.” The blonde said and grunted. “Knock on the fucking door before you come in.” She said dryly.

“So that you have time to kick out your fuck buddy?” The redhead sneered.

“Natasha.” Yelena’s warning tone was clear, and there was a pause where Kate could see how the redhead detected that she was treading on thin ice by calling Kate a Fuck Buddy.

“Sorry. I’m going.” The redhead spoke in a low tone, and the phone call ended.

“God, I’m so sorry about that.” Yelena said, running a hand over her face after placing her phone on the cushion beside her. “Natasha and Wanda had a fight or something.” She spoke softly.

“Wanda is confused about what Natasha wants with her.” Kate said, and Yelena looked at her curiously. “Part of it is my fault, I advised Wanda to try to talk clearly about expectations and desires. But clearly it didn’t go exactly as I thought it would. But she warned me that Natasha was a fortress and she herself was a little defensive about herself.” Kate lightly scratched her chin. “Your sister is a cock blocker.” She grunted and sighed. “But I understand, I wouldn’t want to be alone in a situation like that either.” Kate then stood up and moved to pick up Yelena’s t-shirt and held it out to her.

She pondered for a longer moment and made a thoughtful sound that made Yelena’s eyes focus on her intently.

“I need to ask something that might be kind of… Stupid.” Kate spoke and Yelena scoffed.

“Ask.” She shrugged slightly.

“Is Natasha playing games with Wanda? Something like I want this person but I’m not in a place to commit to her or I don’t want to commit to her? This hot and cold thing?” She asked and there was a moment when she paused and continued. “Because if that’s the case considering the divorce and how Wanda suffered, it would be cruel and I would ask that you please help Natasha see that this would be cruel.” She spoke and fell silent.

“It’s a bit of a stupid question.” Kate froze for a moment as Yelena stood up. “But totally valid from your point of view if I put myself in your position.” Yelena sighed and wrapped her arms around Kate. “I don’t really know what she wants with Wanda, they happened unintentionally, a friendship that became something more. Natasha is sometimes difficult to read or understand, but I’ll try to talk to her about being fair to Wanda about what she wants and feels. As you said, the hot and cold game can be cruel.” Yelena cleared her throat. “I’m so sorry our night was cut short.” It was a tone that really said a lot about how sorry she felt.

“It’s okay, please try not to be late tomorrow.” She teased. “Drinking vodka on a Thursday.” She nudged lightly and Yelena laughed.

“We’re Russians.” She shrugged and smiled, biting her lower lip slightly.

“The excuse of the century.” Kate leaned in and kissed Yelena slowly.

“Do you need a ride?” The tone was purring and Kate pulled away and laughed lightly.

“In your invisible car?” She teased, and Yelena grimaced.

“Can I ask Natasha?” The blonde’s offer came gently, and Kate looked clearly horrified.

“I’d rather be burned alive like the witches than have your terrifying sister very hurt driving to Wanda’s house.” She spoke in a slightly sharp tone, and that made Yelena laugh.

“Okay, I get your point.” She said, still laughing.

“And honestly, I’m finding it funny to be your mysterious fuck buddy.” She said and saw how Yelena’s expression closed slightly.

“You’re not a fuck buddy.” She spoke firmly, as if defending a statement firmly. “Fuck buddies are for things that don’t have a connection, and I have a connection with you. Don’t we?” She spoke the last sentence insecurely.

“Just like a star exerts gravity on a planet. I’ve already defined in my mind that you are like a sun and I am just a planet spinning, spinning.” She spoke calmly and pulled Yelena to her. “Yes, darling, we have a connection, a very strong one, actually. But I’ll still laugh whenever the words ‘fuck buddy’ come up.” She spoke sincerely, and Yelena sighed.

“I can accept that.” She snuggled into Kate. “Are you going home?” The question was soft.

“Yes, I’ll see if Agatha is still at the bookstore. If she is, I’ll bother her, if not, I’ll go home.” She said, shrugging and kissing Yelena’s forehead. “I’m going before your sister sees me.” The tone was playful, and Yelena nodded and walked with Kate to the door, but there was this wrinkle of something the blonde hadn’t said. But they said goodbye, and Kate started walking home, she would walk like a wolf.

Chapter Text

She arrived home and there was this smell, and Kate hadn't yet learned many details about smells like perhaps a lycan her age should know. But it was a striking smell. Almost the smell of a mind forcing itself to be silent, a salty note, an almost metallic fragrance like damp iron. And the smell of something more calcareous, like dry salt on skin. She stopped on the porch and tilted her head to the side, feeling a pull to follow the scent.

Then she walked around the house, walking slowly and touching the woodwork with her fingertips, guiding herself without really needing to. And the scene she saw was… Sad. Overwhelmingly sad. Wanda was sitting in front of the small altar that was there for the Goddess of Magic and Goddess of Chaos, the two patrons of the coven, and there was a lit red candle and Wanda there, sitting cross-legged, her hands resting on her knees and dry tears on her face, and Kate felt her heart clench.

Wanda's red magic swirled lightly around her, as if following the pattern the redhead was trying to bring to her meditation, but the furrow in her brow said a lot about how she was failing, and especially, Kate had seen Wanda meditate before, she tended to float, and that wasn't happening, with the redhead perfectly anchored to the ground, it showed the brunette that there wasn't enough magical fluidity.

Kate approached, not caring if she made noise or not, but thinking she was quiet enough, she knelt behind Wanda and without hesitation, wrapped her arms around the redhead's arms, pulling her close, and it was painful. Wanda's hands moved to Kate's forearms, holding on tightly, and there was this heartbreaking sob.

"Oh, sweetie..." Kate spoke softly and pulled her against her chest, Wanda's back against hers, and the redhead's head fell slightly forward in a tiny, silent cry that clearly held back feelings. "Don't hold back, I'm here," Kate said gently.

“I don’t want you to get hurt by my magic.” Wanda stammered between sobs.

“Your magic won’t hurt me, allow yourself to feel, Wanda, it’s okay.” Kate spoke with a confidence she didn’t truly feel.

Wanda’s magic was unpredictable, to say the least, and Agatha said it was aggressive when mixed with feelings. But still, the small, suppressed cry that escaped Wanda caused a wave of magic to echo from her body, shaking the leaves of the trees, rattling the windows of the house, and in the distance, far in the distance, Kate heard a car alarm beeping. The magic wave probably shook the car.

But she was unharmed, she moved to pull Wanda practically into her lap, and the redhead snuggled against Kate’s neck, crying copiously.

“Why does it hurt so much?” She whimpered, and Kate hugged her tightly.

“Because it’s important, and important things sometimes hurt.” Kate spoke gently, as if cradling Wanda like a small child, which was almost ridiculous considering Wanda was nearly ten years older. But still, at that moment she realized how much the redhead had been hurt by her own past and how Natasha had wounded her. The wolf wanted to growl at the idea that a pack member had been so hurt, but Kate restrained herself from simply tearing Natasha Romanoff in half.

She understood it as a protective action from an immature wolf, and she swallowed that urge, it wasn't about that. Wanda didn't need an avenger in her name, and there was the Yelena factor. Yelena would be upset if Kate killed her sister. She thought that, and it seemed to be enough to calm the wolf.

There wasn't much conversation, and Kate's ears heard the balcony door opening. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Tommy, Billy, and Eleanor were there. Kate shook her head negatively and gestured for them to come inside. There was a moment when the twins resisted, but Eleanor spoke softly and guided them both inside, glancing quickly at the scene in the backyard. With Wanda in Kate's arms.

"Natasha—" Wanda began and sobbed.

"I know." Kate spoke softly. "Well, I don't know the details, but I know you two argued." She spoke gently, and Wanda turned to look at Kate in confusion. "She called Yelena, and I overheard the conversation." The brunette spoke, and there was a furrowed brow, and then the realization flashed in Wanda's eyes. Understanding that the someone Kate had mentioned was Yelena.

“Oh…. I understand…” The tone of surprise came out slightly, and Wanda took a deep breath and looked away. “I went to ask her what exactly she expected from us. And she was brutal, I think some part of her short-circuited with the question, she treated it as a demand, a requirement, and she said cruel things to protect herself and I… I lost my patience, I think, I got tired of being used like a toy.” Wanda spoke, and Kate internally didn't think that for Natasha the redhead was a toy, but she also understood where that thought came from. “I told her that if at any point she decided to be honest with herself and with me, she should look for me, but that she should leave me alone if there were no answers or if she didn't want anything with me, that I wasn't a bed warmer.” The words were spoken softly, but weighed on the situation like an anchor. “I wasn't very kind, I consider.” And Kate understood the phrase that even saints have a limit to their patience. Wanda was a very composed woman, very elegant in her way of being, very calm.

“I think it’s fair that you lost your temper, you’re not a character from a 70s sitcom, Wanda, feelings have their outlets, their reasons, their origins and ends. You told me that it’s okay to feel angry, that it’s okay to feel scared. They are feelings.” She said, running her hand down Wanda’s back in a caring tone. “Come on, let’s go inside, it’s cold.” Kate said, practically lifting Wanda by her forearms with sheer force and putting an arm around the redhead’s waist.

Wanda didn’t resist, she allowed herself to be guided into the house in slow steps. Tommy, Billy, and Eleanor were in the living room, and when the two slowly walked down the hallway, all three of their eyes went to them. But Kate shook her head slightly and began to guide Wanda upstairs.

The woman’s room was the largest in the house, with its own bathroom, a queen bed, and was impeccably beautiful. The bed was neatly made, with small details reminiscent of the coven, Wanda's family, and things that were indistinguishably the redhead's.

"How about taking a shower?" She offered gently and saw Wanda shudder, noticing the dirt on her hands and knees, and she nodded slightly.

Wanda moved to the wardrobe, grabbing clean clothes to sleep in, and then went to the bathroom. Kate sat on the bed and scratched her chin lightly, pulling out her cell phone. The first message was to her mother.

Kate: Wanda and Natasha had a fight, she's okay, but she needs some time, please have the twins go to their rooms, Wanda is fine.

She sent it simply, without beating around the bush. She and Eleanor had the advantage of being practical when needed, and this was definitely one of those times. Then she drummed her fingers for a moment and decided to text Yelena.

Kate: Wanda is devastated, she was crying in the yard. A mess.

She paused for a moment and grunted to herself.

Kate: I hope Natasha is at least honest with her, Wanda was crying pathetically in the middle of the cold. I'm with her and I'll help however I can, but God, this broke my heart, Yel. I'll probably spend the night with her, I don't want her alone right now.

She stared at her phone for a while, seeing no response from anyone, and sighed, running her hands through her hair and putting the phone on the bedside table. She heard small noises coming from the bathroom and the door opened.

Wanda was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, both in a soft shade of blue, and the woman looked just pathetic. The two looked at each other for a moment and Kate got up from the bed and opened her arms. Which automatically made the redhead move and snuggle against Kate's chest.

"I'm sorry about that." The redhead spoke softly against the brunette and Kate squeezed her close.

"Do you want me to sleep with you?" The question brushed against the apology, and Wanda shifted slightly uncomfortably.

"I don't want you to feel obligated to keep me company," Wanda said awkwardly.

"I'm offering. I'm warm, according to Rio." She said, looking intently at Wanda, who nodded shyly. "Okay, I'll take a shower and get my charger, and I'll be back in ten minutes." Kate said softly.

"You can shower here." Wanda offered, and Kate looked at the bathroom and then at the redhead and nodded.

"I'll be right back." She said gently, watching Wanda walk to the window.

It would be difficult. Kate didn't know much about dealing with Wanda in that kind of mood, but she would do her best. So she went to the room in quick steps, passing Tommy and Billy's room, the door of older brother's room was open, and the two twins were there.

“Kate, how is she?” Billy asked, and she saw how anxious they both were.

“Sad, she needs some time. We’ll try to talk to her tomorrow, okay? I’ll stay with her now, I don’t think it would be good for her mind to be alone.” Billy and Tommy nodded at Kate’s statement, and she saw how the brothers, always bickering, sought support from each other at that moment.

But it wasn’t the time;ç, they had each other, and Kate was just one. She moved to the room, grabbed clean clothes and her phone charger, and went back to Wanda’s room. When she passed Billy’s room, the door was closed.

She entered the redhead’s room and saw that she was in the same position, and Kate thought it best to allow Wanda to be introspective in the meantime. The phone was plugged in to charge, and the shower Kate took was extremely quick, even by her standards. But feeling minimally clean, she went out to her room in her shorts and loose t-shirt.

“I’m hot.” The brunette spoke, trying to bring Wanda into the moment. The redhead's eyes focused on her, and she saw how magic swirled around the woman's irises, but they soon turned blue. Wanda blinked a few times and looked at her.

"The full moon is coming." she said softly.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind sleeping with a stove next to you." She offered a slight smile, and Wanda gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, but they still moved to the bed, and Kate waited to see which side Wanda would choose. And then she lay down on the opposite side. The room light was magically turned off, and they were enveloped in soft darkness, where only a few outside animals could be heard, and Kate could hear Sparky snoring in the distance. Wanda shifted from side to side, and Kate sighed.

"Wanda, do you want to hug?" The offer was made, and there was this slight moment of waiting, where Wanda rolled onto her and settled on Kate's chest. And the brunette just sighed and hugged her. “I’m so sorry Natasha hurt you so much.” She spoke gently. And Wanda didn’t respond for a long time.

“Are you dating Yelena?” The question was soft, still sudden, but very soft in tone.

“It’s recent, we’re getting to know each other.” Kate decided to be honest. It was a day of many sincere conversations. “She and I clicked, I think, we work well, but it’s still early days. And our night was cut short because Natasha called her and was going to her house.” She spoke and squeezed Wanda lightly. “But I’m here for you now.” The tone was protective, and Wanda sighed and allowed herself to relax against Kate.

“You’re actually quite warm, the moon fever is going to be intense for you.” She whispered.

“Yelena made me take a Tylenol, but I think the effect has worn off.” Kate said, shrugging slightly.

“Medicines have a very short effect on controlling temperature. But you’re warm.” This was said with an almost satisfied sigh, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Sleep, darling, tomorrow will be an easier day.” She spoke gently. And Kate felt the need to bury her nose in Wanda’s hair, an instinct that came from the wolf seeking contact as a way to anchor itself to the redhead’s pain. So, with her arm firmly around Wanda and her nose against the redhead’s hair, Kate allowed herself to imitate the redhead and fall asleep after the woman had fully relaxed and slept.

********

What woke her was the inherent feeling of danger. Kate's eyes snapped open, she was being the biggest spoon for Wanda, who was fast asleep. And her head snapped up, sensing the change in the atmosphere, as if the house had become deeply tense.

She heard quick footsteps in the hallway and muffled voices that she couldn't quite understand because they were talking over each other. And she felt the wolf's ears flatten and the deep desire to growl and protect Wanda.

Kate got up and realized it was morning, the birds were singing, and that's when Yelena's scent reached Kate's nose. She moved in silent steps to the door and opened the bedroom door, which made the movement in the hallway understandable.

Eleanor was clearly keeping Natasha from approaching the room. Yelena was further back and was the first person Kate really saw. Her green eyes seemed apologetic, and Kate didn't see anger there, but unlike Yelena's calm and gentle eyes, there was Natasha. Clearly irritated to see Kate leave Wanda's room. But Kate, with a calmness greater than she thought she would have, gently closed the door behind her and took two steps forward, raising her chin defiantly and positioning herself as a barrier.

"What the hell is this?" Natasha growled, and Kate felt her body tense.

"No." Kate's tone was dry, practically brutal in its dryness, and Natasha frowned.

"What the hell—" She spoke and tried to approach, dodging Eleanor, but Kate's hand was placed firmly on Natasha's shoulder.

"I said no." The words were brutal, icy as an ice cube, and Yelena moved forward.

"Are you sleeping with Wanda?" Natasha's question was confusing, and Kate understood why.

"Not in the way you're thinking." She said dryly. "After yesterday's horror show, Wanda didn't want to be alone." Natasha's displeasure was glaring. “You can’t just barge in uninvited right after breaking this woman’s heart. I won’t let you.” Natasha’s mouth opened and closed. “Sort out your own mess before you try to mess Wanda up even more. She cried for hours. Hours, Natasha. If there’s anything she deserves, it’s respect.” She watched the green eyes go from the door to Kate. “Be mad at me all you want. But I won’t let you talk to Wanda less than twelve hours after you decide to act like a jerk.” She spoke in a low tone. The wolf actually wanted to hurt Natasha, but she held back. “Yelena, take your sister away.” The tone wasn’t a request, it was a demand, and the veterinarian approached and grabbed Natasha’s wrist.

“Come on, sestra, let Wanda have some time to herself.” She spoke gently and looked at Kate.

“I want to talk to Wanda.” Natasha spoke in a more restrained tone.

“You can want whatever you want, but she has the right to lick her own wounds in peace. She deserves at least that courtesy after yesterday, Natasha. Go away. I don’t want to have to remove you, and I promise you, I will if necessary.” She spoke in a much deeper, denser tone, her blue eyes gleaming slightly, and there was this energy that Kate didn’t really see, but felt, crackling around her.

“Kate.” Eleanor’s warning tone sounded firm, and Kate looked at her mother and nodded.

“It’s alright, Mom.” The tone was much gentler for the older woman, and she looked at Natasha, raising her chin again, and there was a slight furrowing of Kate’s brow. “Go away.” The tone was commanding, without beating around the bush, and she saw Natasha hesitate, but then Yelena pulled her closer and the two walked down the hallway. Kate stood in front of the door with the firmness of a guardian, and she saw how the blonde looked over her shoulder and Kate gave the blonde a small, tiny smile, which was returned simply.

Kate only allowed herself to relax when she heard the car engine and the sound of the tires pulling away on the gravel road. She took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly, and she felt like a guard dog, waiting for the next situation.

"Honey." Eleanor said, approaching. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them." She said gently.

"It's not your fault." Kate said, running a hand over her face. "God, what a horrible way to wake up." She muttered to herself. "I'm going back to Wanda." She spoke gently. Eleanor licked her lips as if she wanted to say something, but then nodded.

“I’ll have breakfast ready, I’ll be in the office I rented downtown. I need the stability of a place outside the house to work.” She spoke gently.

“That sounds good, I’ll stay home for the next few days. With the full moon coming, I know that being with the pack is best for me right now.” She spoke gently, and Eleanor nodded.

“Call me if you need anything.” The older woman spoke gently and approached, hugging Kate. “I’m proud of you for controlling your wolf, I know you’re protective.” The compliment was kind, and Kate hugged her mother and smiled.

“Thank you for being my support during this time.” The reply was made in a loving tone, and the two walked away. “Have a good day at work.” She whispered, and Eleanor walked away in quiet steps, and Kate turned to the bedroom door, opening it gently and seeing Wanda sitting on the bed with her hands clenched into fists on the sheet.

“Natasha—” Wanda began and stopped.

“She’s gone.” She replied firmly and moved to sit in front of Wanda. “I wasn’t going to let her invade like that, you’re not a toy.” Kate spoke very firmly and saw how tears welled up in Wanda’s eyes, and she sighed. “Oh, darling.” It was loving, and Wanda allowed herself to approach and hug Kate around the neck.

“Thank you, I’m not ready.” Wanda spoke, shedding slow tears onto Kate's neck. "I'm so tired." She whispered, and Kate gave a small sigh.

"Come on, let's lie down a little longer, it's still early." She whispered, and Wanda nodded silently, and again in the same configuration as the previous night, Wanda lay on Kate's chest and was embraced.

"You're a furnace." Wanda spoke and lightly whispered a spell that forced Kate's temperature to decrease, and the brunette gave a small, discontented grunt at the shiver.

"A warning beforehand would be nice." She said, shrinking briefly, and Wanda gave a small, low laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't think much." The redhead said awkwardly, but Kate pulled her closer.

"Eh, at least I'm being a less steaming pillow." She said in a light tone. "My mother will leave breakfast ready, and then she'll go to work. I presume the twins went to college." She contemplated.

“I should be working, but I’m taking today off.” Wanda said with a sigh.

“Do you want to spend the day together, or would you prefer some space? I can stay hidden and write.” Kate offered.

“I thought you were going to see Yelena.” Wanda probed.

“I’ll text her, she was with Natasha. I’ll need to talk to her about Natasha’s accusations that I’m sleeping with you in a less than platonic way.” She grunted. “But Yelena didn’t seem angry with me, just sad about the overall situation. There will be time, you’re my priority right now.” She spoke sincerely, and Wanda sighed and yawned.

“Okay, I’ll… Take a nap before I decide anything.” She said, and Kate didn’t say anything, just gently stroked Wanda’s back in a gentle, affectionate way that guided the woman to sleep.

And Kate, wide awake for her own good, pulled out her phone. And saw a series of messages from Yelena there, starting from the previous night and going up to a short time ago.

Yelena: Natasha had a drunken realization that she really likes Wanda, what a mess, let's see how she wakes up early tomorrow. Stay with Wanda, she's sweet and deserves support. You're right about Wanda having suffered a lot already, I know she'll appreciate your support.

The first was less than twenty minutes after Kate texted Yelena, which relieved Kate at the thought that Yelena might be jealous.

Yelena: Natasha is completely drunk and stumbling over her own feet, I hid the car keys, she threatened to hotwire or walk to Wanda's house. A stupid drunk, I'll keep her at home. An idiot.

Yelena: And she passed out on the guest bed, at least this little peace, I'll try to get some sleep.

These were messages in quick succession, with the half-hour interval between each one, the first coming almost at two in the morning. Apparently Yelena had a very long night with Natasha.

Yelena: My sister is a fucking idiot, she woke me up. At 6:30 in the morning because she wanted to go talk to Wanda. I told her to fuck off.

Kate laughed at this, imagining the scene of a very angry Yelena with Natasha waking her up and the message had arrived at 6:35. This explained Yelena's tired appearance.

Yelena: My idiot sister decided to go to Wanda, she went on foot. The idiot. I'm going after her in the car, I don't know if I'll catch her in time, but I'll try to stop her from going. God, I'm so sorry, what a fucking mess.

Kate really wanted to kiss Yelena just for the way the blonde handled the situation, and then when she was still thinking about how to thank the blonde, there was a new message from Yelena.

Yelena: What a mess, my god, I'm so sorry she accused you of sleeping with Wanda. Natasha is so stupid when she's trying to protect herself. I scolded her, told her what she was doing was unfair.

She decided to respond without much hesitation, Yelena wasn't angry with her, which was a big deal considering the overall situation.

Kate: I know we don't define labels, but I wouldn't cheat you like that. I'm seeing you and only you, and I don't want to see other people. Wanda needed emotional support yesterday… She cried a lot. She feels like a toy in Natasha's hands, who, when she gets tired of her, puts her aside, and that's a horrible feeling. To feel used like that, when I got back to the room she was crying. It broke my heart.

Yelena: I don't want to see anyone else either, and I didn't believe you slept with Wanda. You warned me you'd stay with her.

There was a pause for a moment, and she saw Yelena typing again, and Kate felt relieved by the affirmation that they were somehow exclusive.

Yelena: You were very brave to stand up to Natasha like that. My sister usually doesn't give in. Which is a blessing and a curse at the same time, depending on the situation, today was just unpleasant.

There was this tone that Kate couldn't fully read, something Yelena hadn't told her yet, but there would be time. Wanda needed company, and apparently Yelena was managing Natasha.

Kate: I thought I'd have to fight with her to make her leave, I didn't want to, but I would if necessary… I'm going to spend a few days away from the city, avoid confrontation with Natasha, and stay with Wanda and my mother. I need to write too… Will you be upset if I go a few days without seeing you?

Yelena: As long as we can text and call, I'll miss you, but I agree that avoiding Natasha now is wise. She tends to shift to anger easily.

Kate: Maybe Natasha needs to learn to work on self-restraint.

Kate's provocation was answered with a laughing emoji and a longer moment of silence.

Yelena: I'll recommend my therapist to her.

Kate Bishop, I'm going to have coffee because I left home running after my very stupid and very hungover sister. We'll talk later, text me when you can, and I'll do the same.

Kate smiled at this, feeling that there was peace in that moment with Yelena. It was a good sign of how crises would be resolved between them. She really liked how Yelena acted and was.

**********

Two days had passed, in an extraordinary peace, if Kate was sincere.

The situation with Wanda brought this new moment of intimacy between the two, where there was an understanding. Kate found herself becoming much more than someone who needed help, a mentor figure to Wanda, to someone who was seen more deeply.

"She trusts you." Lilia said as Kate sat on the floor in front of the woman who was slowly braiding her hair.

"Hmm?" Kate sounded softly, unsure of what it was about, as she was reading a book that had been gathering dust among her things for years.

"Wanda." Lilia said softly and stopped running her fingers through Kate's hair. "She doesn't trust very easily, but she clearly trusts you." There was a soft pause. "Trust is something witches don't do much, there have been many betrayals. Perhaps one of the main reasons we witches trust lycans so much is loyalty. You are loyal when you align yourselves with someone." She resumed working with Kate's hair. “Eleanor told me you were very powerful defending Wanda, that it was impressive.” She commented softly.

“I felt my wolf rumbling to get out, wanting to tear Natasha in half. But I held back. I had never felt so capable of hurting someone as I felt there.” She spoke softly. “I feel my body much stronger.” The flexing of her hands was unconscious.

“Alphas are the strongest physically, even you in human form being strong by human standards. In your wolf form you are impressive. Maybe less fast than Rio for example, but still strong as an Alpha should be. Many lycan abilities transfer to the human. It’s interesting.” Lilia commented and Kate sighed.

“I don’t want to lead the pack.” She voiced this concern. “I like following you and being protective if necessary.” She whispered and Lilia smiled and rested her chin on Kate’s head.

“It’s perfectly fine to want that, Kate. And witches are long-lived, so you won’t need to worry about that.” She spoke gently.

“I have a kind of silly question.” She said, clearing her throat. “If I get involved with a human, romantically, is there a chance I could turn that woman into a lycan?” It was phrased softly, and to Lilia, who was easier to communicate with for some reason.

“Oh, no, no, dear. Lycanthropy is genetic and not contagious.” Lilia said, and Kate felt her body relax slightly. “But there are caveats.” This made Kate look at Lilia. “Emotional and physical bonds are big for lycans. Yes, you can have one-night stands, frivolous liaisons, but still, generally wolves are specifically attracted to the other part. By types, energies, scents, and when they find a partner, they usually stay with that person for years. Of course, they are relationships, and they have successes and failures, but still, wolves are faithful.” She spoke calmly.

“And the caveats are?” She asked softly.

“You, as a wolf, and especially as an Alpha, tend to be possessive. And don’t get me wrong, wolves are generally attracted to those who appreciate that.” She indicated Rio and Agatha, who were talking near Wanda. “The two are a perfect example. Rio always wanted to have her own family, and Agatha, who was never allowed to belong to anything, found the greatest source of stability in Rio. Then we have the caveat of marking.” She spoke, and Kate, who had closed the book, turned completely to Lilia.

“Marking like… Peeing on someone’s foot?” Kate said with a grimace, and Lilia’s laughter was absolutely sincere.

“No, no. Not like that.” She said, and Kate blushed slightly. “But I understand where your comment comes from. Animals mark with pheromones in their urine.” She explained quietly. “lycans mark with pheromones on their skin, especially their mouth and nose. So kissing, biting, and things like that, mark the human as theirs. Don’t see it as something purely animalistic, it’s especially true among lycans. There’s a hierarchy, a human with a wolf is treated more carefully. Humans are fragile, you’ll know how and when to bite or mark in a way that doesn’t hurt.” She explained, and Kate related it to her biting Yelena and nodded.

“And smells? I… Kind of smelled Wanda’s sadness?” She offered when she wanted to ask about Yelena.

“It’s normal, smells create markers for you. Over time you’ll learn the nuances of each pack member and people close to you. Rio, for example, can find Agatha by her heartbeat in a crowd a hundred meters away. And by smell it can be up to a few kilometers, we’ve never tested it.” She commented thoughtfully.

“How interesting…” Kate said softly. “Are there risks?” she asked, intrigued.

“Not really. Wolves are very careful with their mates. Overall, with their reservations, they are very good with their mates and pack members. There are problems like Rio's father, for example, but today they are on okay terms.” Kate nodded at this.

“Okay, good. That’s good. I don’t want to hurt my partner.” She spoke sincerely, and Lilia touched her face.

“You’re sweet, Kate. Sweet, loyal, loving. If you hurt someone, it will be because of normal mistakes and flaws of real people, not because of malice. Relax your heart about it.” It was affectionate, and Kate rested her face against Lilia’s hand.

“Thank you for the kind words.” She spoke softly.

“How are you feeling about tonight? First day of the full moon.” She inquired curiously.

“Excited, I feel ready to run. But Rio asked us to wait until night. I know she’s giving up bonding time with Agatha, I’m grateful.” She spoke sincerely.

“That’s a good reason. It will be the first moment of such a strong bond with the wolf, we don’t know how much this will affect the maturity of your wolf, so there’s general curiosity. And having a mature wolf by your side will be good.” She spoke calmly, as Lilia usually was.

“Bishop. Night is falling, are you going to stay there getting brushed by Lilia or are we going to run?” Kate moved quickly, standing up and giving a small smile to Lilia, who nodded, and Kate took two steps forward, letting the wolf out.

The transformation was quick, simple in its own act, and Kate, now much more accustomed to being on all fours and being a wolf, moved forward with ease. Rio gave an amused laugh and transformed.

There was an eye roll from Agatha, but there was still that look of amusement, of acceptance, especially when Rio bumped into Kate and started running.

“I’ll meet you at the cabin.” She said, and Kate heard the amusement. “Two idiots.” She said playfully to Lilia.

Kate and Rio continued playing, dusk was falling gently. It was a beautiful early winter night, and Kate was loving running on a cooler day.

That's when she playfully bumped into Rio, and the two rolled down a slope.

“I fell underneath.” Kate growled in wolf form, and then a cracking sound caught their attention.

Kate had never seen a bear so close. It was immense with dark brown fur, and it stood on its hind legs to be menacing. The two moved to stand side by side, and Kate felt the Alpha's impulse again.

The growl that came from her was powerful, echoing through an area of ​​the forest, and the bear looked at the two, who adjusted themselves into a fighting stance. Rio was further back than Kate, whose fur stood on end, chest puffed out, and the growl that came from her again was powerful. Kate took a half step back to gain space and distance from the sharp claws.

The black wolf's ears went back, and again a new growl came from Kate. The bear hesitated for a moment and then backed away, which made Rio and Kate take another step back, and then the bear, after moving far enough away, turned and left.

“Holy shit.” Kate spoke, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, and sat up, feeling the adrenaline rush through her body.

"Damn, it's been a while since I've encountered a bear." Rio grumbled, lying down next to Kate. "A minute to recover." The grunt was answered with a snort from Kate, who lay down next to Rio. "I wanted to talk about Wanda." Rio commented casually, and Kate rolled onto her back and made a sound of someone paying attention. "Do you think the pack should interfere with Natasha? Your mother commented that you were very, uh, the word she used, that you looked like a spring ready to attack Natasha." She spoke, and Kate lay on her side and grunted.

"I think Natasha needs to get her head out of her own ass." Kate grunted. “I wanted to hurt her, yes, but I managed to contain any homicidal urges. I think being more in touch with my wolf, at this moment where we are becoming one, makes my protective instincts stronger. But she was devastated, maybe if Natasha doesn't realize that she's being bad for Wanda, yes, we should interfere. But at the moment, Wanda got tired of being a fuck toy and gave Natasha the option of talking to her properly or leaving her alone.” She spoke and sat down. “We must respect Wanda's individual decision.” Rio made a thoughtful sound and yawned.

“Right. Agatha was very restless. We all felt the wave of magic and the last time that happened it wasn't very good. You did well to anchor her to reality, Wanda tends to have moments of dissociation.” Rio began to explain softly. “She gets lost in her own power, and can often plunge into dreamlike trances for days, the last time it was a nightmare to get her out of it. But Vision had died and she, despite everything, she loved that piece of shit.” The grunt sounded and Kate snorted.

“Wanda is learning to respect herself, I think, a slow process I would say. But she seemed quite determined to put an end to the situation with Natasha, we should trust her.” Kate spoke and Rio sighed.

“Yes, we should.” The older wolf spoke and stretched. “Come on, let’s take another walk, I want to be on top of the hill when the full moon arrives.” The idea of ​​seeing the moon cheered the younger one and Kate stood up, yawning and walking beside Rio.

She smelled Yelena when the wind shifted and she turned her head, and instinctively began to walk towards the woman and Rio didn’t really argue or say anything. But it was when the two emerged from the line of trees into a clearing that they saw and froze.

Quick as military and police training gave her, the rifle that Natasha was handling was pointed at the two of them and Kate felt herself freeze for a moment but quickly slipped in front of Rio, her ears back in a clearly defensive and protective position.

“Back up, Kate.” Rio instructed. “Slow steps.” She spoke softly. “To them, we’re just wolves, and we’re a risk.” The words were very gentle, and Rio took a step back.

The sight of Natasha with a hunting rifle made Kate’s heart race, her eyes went to Yelena, who was leaning casually against a tree. And Kate could see in her peripheral vision that the two were shooting at targets trapped in trees, not animals.

Natasha smelled of fear, she smelled of apprehension, and Kate growled, her ears pressed against the back of her head and her fur standing on end, clearly feeling at risk. The gun was pointed at Kate, and there was this moment when Kate thought she was going to be hit by a shot, but it was Yelena who moved, walking from the tree she was leaning against to the gun and pushing the gun down.

“Yelena.” Natasha spoke quickly.

“Go away, it’s okay.” Kate saw the blonde speaking to her and Rio. “Go.” She indicated the trees, and Rio's snout made contact with Kate's ribs.

"Come on, let's not push them anymore." Rio requested, and Kate maintained eye contact with Yelena and even took hesitant steps back. When the two emerged into the middle of the trees, now with cover to avoid gunfire, they heard Natasha.

"Holy shit, the size of that thing." It was a slightly frightened tone.

"They were walking, you don't need to threaten wildlife with a weapon, sestra." Yelena sounded displeased.

"I got scared, I didn't want to threaten anyone, but the size of that wolf." The grumble came, and this time Rio pulled Kate, lightly biting the skin of her neck.

"Let's go, Nat." Yelena's request echoed distantly as the two continued to walk away.

"Let's go to a more enclosed area, today is being too chaotic for our own good." Rio spoke, and there was no further discussion. The two walked towards the hill, and then they could see Eastview in the distance. If Kate squinted a little, she could begin to see the halo of light pollution from New York.

Rio sat down beside her, and they remained silent, simply observing the world unfolding around them: the sound of the wind, the smell of resin from the trees and the animals that were there. The sound of cars in the distance and of animals in general, the feeling of the dry earth and grass against their paws, and the natural beauty. It was good. Especially when the moon began to rise, and Kate felt energized.

"I'm going back home." Kate said after a long time of the two of them standing there in silence.

"I'm going to the cabin. You have great control of your wolf, just try to stay transformed for a few more hours, it will help. We'll see each other in a few days, but if you need to, ask Tommy to come to us." She instructed, and Kate made an affirmative sound.

“Yes, I’ll stay close to Wanda, maybe go to town during the day if I get bored, but that’s normal, I’ll call Agatha if anything happens.” She spoke calmly and the two walked together for another kilometer, until they parted ways. Rio went to Agatha and Kate went home.

*******

“Natasha pointed a gun at you?” Wanda’s phrase, her eyebrows furrowed, echoed with slight shock.

“She pointed a rifle at a gigantic wolf, not at me like Kate.” The brunette reinforced, and saw Wanda’s eyebrows furrow and she grunted.

“I—” She began, running a hand over her face. “Natasha is driving me crazy asking to talk every day. She doesn’t know what ‘space’ means.” The tone wasn’t entirely disgruntled, but rather somewhat frustrated.

“Yelena said she realized she likes you a lot and thinks she wants to mend the situation.” Kate shrugged. “But not even the younger sister knows what’s going on in the older one’s mind.” She commented, and Wanda sighed.

“I understood that from the amount of pleading that’s happening in those messages.” Wanda grumbled and crossed her arms. “But I’m still hurt, and I don’t want to be the one to explode on her.” Wanda's tone was very reminiscent of Tommy's, and that made Kate giggle. And the look of uncertainty about what the brunette was laughing at brought a smile to the younger woman's face.

"Tommy has your personality when he's sulking. It's cute." She said, and Wanda blushed slightly. "But I understand what you mean. However, I think Natasha needs more of a dose of reality, and expressing feelings is always healthier than holding them back. Take your time to deal with this and then talk to her when you're ready." She suggested, and Wanda sighed.

"I know, everyone has told me something along the same lines. I just feel pressured, and I don't like it. I'm going to tell her to leave me alone for a longer time." The comment was made, and Kate nodded, but before the brunette could say anything, her phone rang, and she frowned when she saw it was Yelena. She pointed the phone at Wanda, who nodded and picked up her teacup to drink.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Kate's tone was casual when she answered the phone.

"Hi, are you busy?" Yelena sounded stressed on the call, and Kate tilted her head to the side.

"No, I'm having tea with Wanda." She offered uncertainly.

"Can you come help me?" The question didn't sound like Yelena was in danger, but Kate stood up.

"Uh, sure. Wanda, can I borrow your car?" The question came, and Wanda nodded. "Where are you?"

"At the clinic." And then there was Karolina's voice in the background, something Kate didn't quite understand because it was medical jargon. "I'm coming, Karoline." It was a more worried tone.

"I'm leaving, I should be there in a few minutes." Kate said, already pulling off her shoes and hanging up the phone. "Wanda, Yelena needs help with something, I'll be back later, okay?" She spoke gently, and Wanda nodded.

"It's my day off, I'll stay here, go." She gave instructions, and Kate fished out the car keys and walked to Wanda's car.

The drive to the clinic was quick, Kate wasn't really very slow, so when she parked, she got out without hesitation, slammed the car alarm, and entered the clinic.

"Yelena?" The request rang out loudly.

"In the surgical center, come here." Yelena's tone was high, and as Kate walked down the corridor,

The smell of fresh blood hit Kate's nose as she began to approach, the ferrous, warm, almost metallic smell in the air that seemed to cling to her nose. Then there was this damp, sweetish smell with an acidic undertone that she didn't quite recognize. The smell of wet wool was similar to the smell of wet dog, and there was this undertone of pheromones and hormones, with bitter notes. When she pushed open the door to the surgical center, she saw the scene.

Yelena was practically halfway up her forearm inside a large dog, Karolina was wearing gloves next to her. And she looked at the scene with wide eyes.

"Thank God you're here, wash your hands and put on gloves, we need help with the puppies." Karolina spoke quickly and Kate blinked twice, but went to the sink.

"Natasha should be arriving soon." Yelena said. "Karol, we have another one." And then the puppy was taken out and Kate recognized the damp smell that she didn't know what it was, it was amniotic fluid from the placental sac where the puppy was. She then sped up washing her hands and dried them as quickly as she could, putting on gloves and watching as Karolina cleaned the puppy's snout and wrapped it in a towel.

"Rub firmly, don't force it, encourage it to breathe." The puppy was pushed into Kate's hands and she swallowed her nervousness, starting to imitate Karolina who, to Kate, seemed to be giving the puppy she held in her hands a few jolts.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Natasha spoke, pushing open the operating room door forcefully and heading straight for the sink. There she washed her hands, pulled out a pair of gloves, put them on, and then looked at Kate in confusion. “Bishop.” Her tone wasn’t very cheerful, and Kate glanced at her briefly.

“Sup.” It was a somewhat crude way of answering, if Kate were to say it, but she was busy. Then there was this moment when the world seemed to stop for a moment, the puppy took a deep breath and then began to cry. “Oh my god, it's alive.” Kate stammered.

“Great, he’s crying, keep drying him.” Karolina said, and then the puppy in her hand began to cry. “Finish drying him and put him there, there’s an electric blanket and a thermal blanket.” She indicated a plastic box and Kate nodded.

“How many are there, sestra?” Natasha asked, already picking up a puppy.

“The x-ray showed 12, but there may be more.” Yelena grumbled. “I have one more.” Kate, who had left the puppy she had before in the place indicated by Dani, moved and picked up the puppy that was still in the pouch. “Burst the pouch with the scissors that are there and start the process again.” She gave the instructions and Kate nodded, already moving, the amniotic sac was cut and she began to rub the puppy.

Kate lost track of time, with three helping Yelena, the pace of work functioned almost like clockwork, removing the puppy, clearing airways, drying and stimulating. It was a back and forth. And when Yelena handed the last one to Kate, she felt her heart stop.

"Yel, it has no heartbeat." Kate spoke quickly as she picked up the puppy and Yelena's eyes went up to her. There was no questioning or doubt that Kate was telling the truth.

"Karoline, start resuscitation." She instructed and Karolina left the puppy she was holding with Natasha and moved.

"I'll clean itd snout and use this ambu bag for mechanical breathing and you start the compressions, fingers here and fast." The instruction came and Kate did not argue, beginning to compress the small chest with enough force to move the puppy's blood through its small body.

"Come on, puppy, come on, breathe." She grumbled, and it was less than a minute, but to Kate it felt like an eternity. “Breathe.” She spoke in a low, but still demanding tone, and then there was the small sound of a heartbeat. “It has a heartbeat.” That seemed to surprise Natasha and Karolina, but Yelena just looked at Kate without saying anything. And then, with a little encouragement, the small cry sounded. “Oh my god, yes.” She said and continued rubbing, which made the crying increase, and Kate felt her heart racing.

And there was this silence, while Kate watched the puppies like a hawk, always making sure they were covered and cared for, and Yelena closed the surgical incision.

“I’m going to reception, call me if you need anything.” Karolina spoke softly, and Yelena nodded without looking at anyone, focused on closing the dog.

“How did you know he didn’t have a pulse without even holding him properly?” Natasha echoed in an almost inquisitive tone, and Kate looked at her briefly, shrugging.

“I just… Knew.” She offered without wanting to expose herself too much.

"Oh, sure, because you're a psychic." Natasha scoffed lightly. "Always knowing everything." Clearly, it wasn't about the puppy.

"Natasha." Yelena's tone echoed, and the two women looked at the blonde. "Leave Kate alone, she's not to blame for your current situation." Yelena spoke firmly.

"She conveniently shows up to help with this birth, mystically guesses that the dog had no pulse, and I'm projecting hm." Natasha scoffed sarcastically.

"She came because I asked." Yelena said, and Natasha frowned. "Kate isn't to blame for your problems with Wanda." Yelena's tone was cold, and Kate looked between her eyebrows and sighed slightly. "I've been trying to help you deal with your feelings about this for four days, don't take it out on others, Natasha." Kate saw how the redhead tensed and looked at Yelena and then at Kate. Her eyebrow rose in defiance, and Kate cooed the puppy softly.

"She was in Wanda's bed." The tone was not satisfactory.

"I told you, I didn't sleep with Wanda, I don't appreciate the accusation." Kate's tone was displeased but calm. "And even if I was, Natasha, you never wanted exclusivity with Wanda, always dodging it." She grunted and saw how Natasha's eyebrows furrowed. "If you really like Wanda, I strongly suggest you get your head out of your ass and stop attacking one of the few people who is telling Wanda to take time for herself and then talk to you. Wanda is not a toy, and I am not a punching bag." She didn't raise her voice but saw how Natasha's hands clenched.

"Do you need more help?" The redhead spoke to her sister in a tense tone. And Kate felt the anger and at the same time the sadness echoing from Natasha. Clearly, these feelings were confusing for the redhead, and Kate, despite being patient, would not be used as a means for Natasha to vent her anger on someone.

“No, you can go if you want.” Yelena spoke in a slow tone, and there was a sigh. “I just need to move Candy.” The tone was small, the dog must have weighed a good 50 kg, if Kate was honest, it looked like a mix of Rottweiler and something else.

“I’ll carry it.” Kate said and saw how the two Russians looked at her. And she moved to the side of the dog. “How do I pick it up without hurting it?” She asked gently, and Yelena looked intrigued but cleared her throat and instructed very clearly how Kate should pick it up.

“Do you want help?” Natasha offered, clearly surprised when Kate picked up the dog easily and shook her head.

“Where do I need to go?” Kate spoke without really feeling the weight of the animal, it was large and ungainly, especially numb from the anesthesia, but Yelena opened and closed her mouth. “Yel, where?” Kate spoke in a sigh, and the blonde nodded.

“This way.” She started walking and Kate followed without much trouble, and then the dog was placed in the cage further down and Yelena handed her a blanket to cover Candy. “I need to check on the puppies, she needs to be supervised until she wakes up.” Yelena indicated and Kate sat on the floor without ceremony.

“Okay, I’ll be here, is there anything specific I need to watch for?” Kate offered softly.

“Uh-” Yelena began and cleared her throat. “If her breathing changes significantly or she seems stressed, call me, she could go into post-surgical shock so we need to watch her. If she opens her eyes, blinks, growls or anything like that, it’s normal.” Kate nodded at this.

“Go check on the puppies, dear. I’ll stay here.” She spoke softly and saw the blonde nod positively and then move out of the room. There were no other patients there, it was a quiet day of routine appointments, Kate assumed Candy was an emergency.

Kate was sitting cross-legged, one forearm resting on her knee, that hand holding her phone as she scrolled through Instagram. Her other knee had an elbow resting on it, and Kate's face was resting in her palm. She was switching between watching Candy and watching a reel or two.

She heard footsteps approaching and knew it wasn't Yelena, the scent wasn't Yelena's. Then she saw Natasha's boots beside her and glanced up briefly.

"Yelena is calling Candy's owners." Then the woman sat down beside her and looked at the dog. "God, I don't know why people breed dogs like that." She muttered and sighed, and there was a tense silence between the two.

Kate briefly observed how tense Natasha's shoulders were, how the woman seemed to be rehearsing to say something, but still didn't really have the courage to start. Then Natasha ran her hand through her hair, messing up the red strands and sighing.

"I'm not—" She began and grunted. “I don’t see Wanda as a toy, like you insist on saying.” The tone wasn’t combative, but rather slightly irritated and tired.

“I didn’t define it that way, I’m repeating something Wanda told me she feels. She feels like a fuck toy.” Kate’s tone wasn’t provocative, it was neutral, truly sincere. “She’s very down, Natasha. As much as you tell me you like her, tell me you don’t see her as a toy. Actions often speak louder than words, and in your case there were neither words nor actions.” She spoke not in a demanding tone but saw how Natasha’s shoulders slumped slightly.

“My sister said I’m taking my anger out on you.” She grunted.

“She’s not wrong, but I’m not as passive as Wanda, I’ll defend myself and I’m notoriously less patient than her, so if you bite me I’ll bite back.” They heard a growl and Kate’s eyebrows furrowed, Candy’s eyes widened.

“Some dogs have a defensive response when they come back from anesthesia.” Natasha explained. “And what do you think I should do about Wanda?” The question came slightly reluctantly, but Kate sighed.

“For a few days now, she’s been licking her wounds and needs time. You bombarding her with calls and messages is making her anxious. Send a simple message saying you want to talk and that you’ll wait for her to initiate contact.” Kate shrugged slightly. “Let her make the choice to initiate contact. I honestly doubt Wanda Maximoff will keep you in the dark about things for very long. She likes you, even if you hurt her deeply.” There was a short pause. “Agatha says Wanda’s biggest flaw is the boundless kindness of her heart, so you have a chance to at least have a moment of sincerity. And honestly, Natasha…” Kate’s eyes went to the redhead’s green ones. “If she gives you another chance and you do this kind of thing to her again, I’ll hurt you.” The tone wasn’t threatening, it was a simple, direct, and straightforward warning. “She’s my family.” And she saw Natasha lick her lips and take a deep breath.

“I don’t want to hurt her again.” The redhead spoke slowly.

“Great, keep that in mind.” Kate then looked back at Candy, her eyes returning to her phone, and she made a small sound of amusement at a video she was watching. Then she saw Candy’s tail begin to wag slightly, her eyes more focused. “Hey, girl, how are you feeling?” She asked softly, and there was a small grunt. “I know, surgery is awful, isn’t it? But your puppies are fine, you can rest.” She offered gently, and the dog snorted and closed her eyes. “Rest, you’ve been through a lot.” She spoke softly, and then Yelena appeared with the plastic box full of puppies.

“She woke up? They’re all fine here, but they need to eat.” She said, indicating the puppies. “They’re a little drowsy from the anesthesia.” She indicated, and Kate pushed herself aside, the cage door opened, and Yelena called Candy, who opened her eyes and wag her tail slightly, then one by one the puppies were placed against her and began to settle in to nurse.

“Ah, so cute.” Kate spoke in a soft tone, and she saw Yelena's smile.

"Thank you for coming when I asked." It was a clear tone of appreciation, and Kate smiled at her.

"I'm happy to help." The tone was gentle, and Yelena sat down next to Kate, between her and Natasha, and sighed, bringing her hands to her face and taking a deep breath.

"God, I'm exhausted, emergency C-sections are the worst." She grumbled and leaned toward Kate, resting her cheek on the brunette's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Kate spoke softly and saw how Natasha looked between one and the other. "Have you eaten?" She asked gently.

"Not yet, but I need to watch them for a while before that. Karolina went to lunch, and I'm on guard duty." Yelena said with a sigh, and Kate nodded.

"I'll get you food so you don't have to worry about leaving them unsupervised. I hardly know what to do if I needed to." Kate spoke, and Yelena adjusted herself and looked at her.

“You don’t need to.” Yelena tried, and Kate made a small sound.

“Helping also means feeding those who can save lives. I’ll be right back, do you want anything, Natasha?” The question echoed casually, and Natasha looked at Yelena and then at the brunette again.

“No. I’m going to the station in a little while.” She said, frowning.

“Okay, if I don’t see you before I get back, have a good shift.” Kate said, stretching. “I’ll be right back.” She said gently and moved outside, slowly seeing the front door unlocked, and then Phantom meowed at her. “Hey, dude.” She greeted and scratched the cat’s chin, which purred. “I’ll be right back.” The comment was made, and Kate moved towards Bob’s restaurant.

The restaurant was pretty much the same, it was a little later than lunchtime and emptier. She saw that Bob was talking to a tall, brown-haired woman with green eyes who had several tattoos and some piercings. But Bob turned to Kate easily.

“Hey Kate.” He greeted with an easy smile.

“Hey Bob, how are you?” She asked with a soft smile and looked at the other woman, giving a small shake of her head. “Hello.” She said politely.

“Kate… Uh… This is my sister, Ava.” He introduced.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kate, as Bob said.” She said softly. “Bob, can I have two lemon teas and two rib sandwiches and a slice of the pie of the day, please?” She asked casually and saw how the woman frowned.

“Your usual, Kate?” He asked amused.

“It’s a great sandwich.” Kate said casually.

She then pulled out her cell phone to type a message, and there was this strange energy emanating from Ava that Kate tried not to mind too much, even though the woman hadn’t even spoken to her. It seemed like she didn't like Kate. It took five minutes for a bag to be placed in front of Kate, and she smiled at Bob, paying with the electronic card on her cell phone.

“See you later, Bob.” She said with an easy smile to the man. “Ava.” She greeted casually, and moved out with the food bag in her hand, heading back to the clinic. “Weird woman.” She grunted to herself, but soon the exchange, or rather the lack thereof, was set aside when she entered the clinic and saw Yelena standing in the inpatient ward door with the water bottle. “Where do you want to eat, darling?” The question was casual.

But Yelena’s action was not, she moved without hesitation, both hands gripping Kate’s cheeks, and their mouths met fiercely enough for the brunette to be pushed back as Yelena’s tongue invaded her mouth.

The grunt that escaped Kate was almost animalistic, she felt much wilder with the full moon. The bag was haphazardly placed on the floor, and Kate ran both hands around Yelena’s waist, pulling her closer.

Their tongues intertwined as Kate moved to seek a little more privacy in that tiny hallway. She pushed Yelena through the door of the feline ward, and Yelena's back hit the wall hard, which brought a groan from the blonde. One of Yelena's legs rose and wrapped around Kate.

The brunette, much more moved by the heat of the moment, acted without really thinking. Both hands gripped Yelena's thighs, pulling her up, around her waist, and Yelena groaned against her.

"Oh my god, Kate." It was a needy, almost necessary tone, and Kate's mouth went to Yelena's neck in a warm act of desire. As Yelena's hips moved upward, seeking friction, it was suddenly as if the blonde remembered where she was, and she pushed Kate away from her neck by the shoulders and lightly banged her head against the wall. "We can't do this here." She whimpered. "Oh my god, I'm going to die of unresolved horniness." The tone was needy. “I want you, how I want you, but not yet.” Yelena needed to wait, and Kate respected that, so she slowly put the blonde down and bit her lower lip lightly, then licked it.

“I bought your favorite.” She said, and Yelena sighed tremulously.

“You’re amazing. I’m starving.” Yelena said, pulling Kate by the hand outside, grabbing the bag with her free hand, and the two went to the canine ward where Candy was. “Thank you for coming.” She said casually, but it sounded important.

“It was a pleasure to help, even though I thought we were going to lose the last puppy.” She said softly, opening the sandwich, and Kate’s stomach made a noise. “Clearly we’re hungry.” She joked, and Yelena laughed.

“Clearly. Let’s eat, Kate Bishop.” Yelena teased, and the two began to eat quietly together.

The meal was peaceful, there were some sounds from the puppies and Candy grunting here and there, probably sore from the surgery. But neither of them really broke the silence. Until Kate pulled out the cream cheese and strawberry pie and, with the small spoon that came with it, offered a piece to Yelena.

And it was erotic, it was absolutely erotic how the woman accepted the spoon. As her mouth opened and embraced the spoon, she heard the blonde's heart race, saw how her pupils dilated, there was no physical touch but Kate squeezed the spoon lightly and then that little moan of pleasure.

“You sound like a sin to be committed. It's been very difficult not to jump on your bones.” Kate's tone was heated, even dirty.

“Not in front of the children.” Yelena teased, her cheeks flushed and trying to deflect the attention.

“Exactly, Yel, not in front of the children.” Kate made a playful gesture and Yelena gave a low laugh.

“It's not my fault if I'm naturally hot.” ​​She said, shrugging.

“Yes, I know. But contain your sounds, the last time you moaned like that you were coming on top of me.” Kate whimpered, and Yelena coughed slightly and gave an awkward smile.

"Noted." Yelena said awkwardly, and Kate put a piece of pie in her mouth.

"Will Candy have to stay in the hospital?" She asked, casually changing the subject.

"Until early evening. Her owners live on a farm, so they'll come pick her up at the end of the day. I like to keep her under observation for at least half a day after surgeries of this magnitude. It was demanding for her." Yelena said and accepted another spoonful of pie.

"I've never done this before, it's kind of crazy." Kate's tone was slightly surprised. "I understand what you said about the surgery taking the rest of the world out of our minds. My only focus was the puppies, it was a really cool experience." She said in a cheerful tone, and Yelena looked at her with slight joy in her eyes.

“I’m glad it didn’t traumatize you. I needed more hands, I called you and Natasha.” Yelena spoke and cleared her throat. “It was good…” there was a pause. “Knowing that I can count on you in these cases.” She spoke softly, and Kate, who was looking at the puppies, looked at Yelena and frowned.

“Someone did a pretty big number on you.” She spoke softly and reached out to touch Yelena’s cheek. “I will always do my best to be there whenever you need me, Yel. Even though I clearly don’t know how to help as effectively as Karolina or Natasha, if I’m instructed, I have a high chance of success.” It was gentle, and Yelena sighed lightly.

“Sorry, I’m learning to trust myself and especially others.” It was a vulnerable tone. “It’s been a few years since I felt the desire and urge to connect with someone. It’s kind of new for me.” Kate smiled at Yelena and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

“One step at a time, it’s okay. It’s been a while for me too, about five years. Illyana and I broke up, and even though it was an amicable breakup, we were together for about two years. I didn’t want to get into a relationship as I felt sicker and a burden.” Kate said, becoming vulnerable. “I think these years have been good for both of us to mature. And for me to finally get on the healing path.” She commented gently, and Yelena sighed.

“I’m glad you’re healing.” She commented gently. “Would you like to go to the river tomorrow?” The question was soft. “I try to take half a day off every week so I don’t go crazy. I wanted to go swimming.” She asked and blushed slightly.

“Oooh, I like swimming. I went swimming with Rio and Nicky yesterday.” In wolf form, but Yelena didn’t need to know that yet. “There’s this part of the river that’s kind of a river inlet, from what Rio explained to me, honestly I don’t know, but it’s very calm and there’s this rope swing that’s a lot of fun.” He spoke with amused excitement and Yelena nodded.

“Oh my god, it’ll be perfect. Can you come here after lunch, I’ll bring snacks and we’ll go?” She spoke very excitedly and it was glorious to see Yelena so happy.

“Yes! Agreed.” Kate said and the two smiled and there was a longer period of quiet conversation. “Honey, I need to go home, I kidnapped, just kidding, I borrowed Wanda’s car.” She said awkwardly.

“That’s okay, I totally understand, you came running and I appreciate that.” Yelena stood up and Kate did the same, then the blonde threw her arms over Kate’s shoulders and kissed her gently. “Thank you for that.” It was a soft whisper.

“No problem, honey.” Kate said smiling and kissed Yelena lightly. “Tomorrow at two here? Is that okay? Lunch is usually around one at Wanda’s house.” She said thoughtfully.

“That’s perfect.” Yelena said gently. “I’ll walk you to the door.” And with that, the blonde walked with Kate. The brunette gently kissed Yelena’s cheek and smiled, opening the front door.

“Bye, darling.” The tone was soft and warm. “Bye, Phantom.” The cat, hearing his name, meowed, and that made Yelena laugh lightly. Yelena leaned against the door frame and, with her green eyes following her, Kate got into Wanda’s red SUV and returned to the redhead’s house.

Tomorrow she would have a date with Yelena. She thought happily.

********

Kate was excited, that was the key word for her at that moment. Excitement. She loved the idea of ​​exploring nature with Yelena, of taking the short trail to the cove, of swimming with the blonde in the river, and that excited her deeply.

Hours before leaving, the two were exchanging messages, almost energizing each other with the excitement of going on a little getaway together. Yelena sent photos of the drinks and snacks she had bought and made, and Kate complimented her on it.

The backpack she chose was simple, a black backpack with wide straps that was big enough to fit three bath towels, sunscreen, a water bottle, insect repellent spray, and clean clothes.

She was wearing a loose purple t-shirt over her black bikini top. And the bottom was basically a matching boyshorts and loose, soft gray shorts. She stuffed a pair of sandals in the bag and put on her socks and sneakers, since they would have to walk to the cove.

Sunglasses were hung on her head, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Kate was much stronger than when she arrived there, the silver had really done a fierce number on her.

And she understood what Agatha meant about physical strength. Although Kate didn't have extremely defined muscles, not even lycan biology could overcome her lack of dietary discipline, she felt her muscle fibers working to gain strength. The gym with Teddy was doing wonders for her, and she loved spending time with the boy. So between walks with Billy, gym workouts with Teddy, and running in wolf form, her body was indeed gaining muscle mass very quickly.

And perhaps for the first time in a long time, Kate felt good about herself. Something new for her, something she had rarely felt good about in her own skin.

So having this feeling along with Yelena in her life was something that was actually exciting her every day to explore, and as Eleanor would say, finally Kate felt like she was really living.

Of course, there was still silver in her system, an unhappiness that with each shift into wolf form, each day, each full moon would diminish until it became laughable to think that she, an Alpha lycan, was affected by silver. She moved slowly to the lower part of the house, there wasn't much activity there. The mother was at work, the twins were at class, and Wanda was avoiding the city as much as she could. Kate didn't really know what Wanda did for a living, if she were to be honest.

"What do you do for a living?" The question rang out, and Wanda looked at her with amusement.

"I work at the bank. We first came here because Jarvis received a management offer at the bank. And I had a degree in economics and passed the selection test a year later to work in back office. I like it, I can do it remotely, like this week. So I review financing contracts, loan agreements, and things like that." She shrugged slightly.

"Impressive." Kate said with a small pout in an impressed expression. "That explains the nice house and the comfort." She pondered.

“I make 80,000 a year after taxes and everything else. They increased my salary significantly because of the risk of me leaving after the divorce. Nobody wants to come to the ends of the earth, as they said, and there are already many rural contracts here, which requires someone at a senior level.” she explained, and Kate nodded.

“I’m glad you have a comfortable life here.” Kate said smiling, and Wanda smiled at her.

“Are you going out with Yelena?” The question was gentle.

“Yes, she wants to go swimming in the river. And it’s good exercise. The full moon is at its peak, and I feel itchy.” Kate explained, and Wanda nodded.

“You like being in wolf form, just be careful with involuntary changes, especially in public.” She said calmly.

“You can count on it, boss.” Kate joked. Wanda laughed.

“Go, pup, have fun.” She said playfully, and Kate left with leisurely steps.

She was going to walk to the clinic, a leisurely twenty-minute walk. If it weren't so clear, she would use wolf form, but priorities.

She walked along the secondary road that only provided access to Wanda's house. And it was quiet, with many small birds singing. Then she saw the round, brown body of a marmot. The small animal looked both ways across the road and then began to cross, completely ignoring Kate. And the brunette pulled out her cell phone to send a video to Yelena.

"Look who is going with their day, pretending I don't exist…” She said while recording and sending the video to the blonde.

She was very excited to go out with Yelena. It was something she naturally wanted and enjoyed, and especially combined with going swimming, it made Kate very excited about the idea.

As she began to enter the more urbanized area, she enjoyed listening to the sounds. There were people chatting quietly, many of them saying hi to Kate, who was beginning to integrate more into the small community. Trees and fields began to give way to suburban houses with yards and electric poles.

She walked past the school and from afar she could see the children studying, the wind was slightly chilly but nothing unbearable. It was a rare warmer day, much to Yelena's delight, as she really wanted to go swimming.

Her sneakers made a soft sound on the sidewalk, and she smiled when she saw one of the ladies on the street watering the flowers while the radio played in the background.

There was always someone cooking something, whether it was bread, pie, or cakes. So, for Kate's sensitive nose, it was always a myriad of pleasant smells of spices, fillings, and dough.

She adjusted her backpack slightly on her shoulder, twisted her finger on the strap, and whistled casually. And that's when she saw Bob and his sister, Ava, standing in front of the restaurant.

"Good afternoon, Kate!" Bob said with a wide smile.

“Hi Bob, hi Ava. How are you both?” She spoke in a light tone, and Ava rolled her eyes at her slightly and crossed her arms, an attitude that Kate chose to ignore.

“We’re fine, today’s pie is lemon.” He offered, knowing that Kate liked the pie.

“Oh, man, what a shame I’ll miss it.” She pouted slightly. “I’m going hiking today and going to the river, I think I’ll only be back at night.” She pouted, and Bob smiled at her.

“I’ll save a piece for you.” He offered.

“Yes! Thank you, Bob, you’re the best.” Kate said, smiling broadly, and Bob blushed slightly. “Now, I’m going, I don’t want to keep my hiking companion waiting. She’s a little temperamental.” She winked playfully, and Bob laughed. “See you later.”

“Have a good hike, Kate.” Bob said, and Ava abruptly entered the restaurant. What made Kate smile at Bob and swallow her surprise at Ava's passive-aggressive act. It didn't make sense to her, and therefore she wouldn't waste energy on it.

She walked to the clinic in long strides, full of energy, and smiled when she saw Yelena inside, taking notes. Or at least trying to, since Phantom was rubbing against Yelena as she tried to write.

The blonde gently pushed Phantom aside, but it was in vain. The cat promptly burrowed into Yelena's hand again, and Kate could hear the resigned sigh of the veterinarian who dropped the pen, gave a soft smile to the black cat, and began to run her fingertips along the cat's sides.

Kate pushed the door open and saw the green eyes rise to her, and there was this small gleam of joy that soon turned into a wide smile.

"Hello, Kate Bishop." The tone was warm, cozy, and still a little dirty.

"Hello, Yelena." Kate spoke, and there was this moment of broken expectation.

Phantom heard Kate's voice, meowed very loudly, and stepped down from in front of Yelena, walking towards Kate with his tail raised and already purring.

"Oh..." Kate spoke softly. She bent down to get closer to Phantom, who began to rub against her, bringing a smile to Kate's face. "Hello, Mr. Phantom." She said, running her hands over the cat and picking him up in her arms. As if for the first time, he snuggled between Kate's chin and neck, bringing a smile to the brunette's face. "Such a loving boy." She said, and the purring filled the room.

She stroked Phantom's back and took a few steps closer to Yelena. Then, still with the cat curled up against her, Kate leaned in and gently kissed the blonde's lips.

"I'll steal Phantom so you can finish this." Her tone was affectionate and gentle as she indicated the medical record the blonde was writing.

"I'm fascinated by how much he likes you." She spoke softly with such an easy smile. “I just need a few minutes, maybe ten or fifteen.” Yelena spoke shyly.

“I’ll stay with Phantom while you wait, or do you need me to do something specific?” she asked gently.

“Could you feed him? In the office, in the cabinet under the scale, there’s a bowl with his food, 3 spoonfuls.” She instructed, and Kate nodded.

“Sure, Phantom, do you want to eat?” She offered the cat some food and walked to the office. Phantom jumped onto Yelena’s desk, and Kate chuckled softly as he began to meow loudly when Kate picked up his aluminum bowl and the food bowl.

The three spoonfuls of food were put down, and Phantom began to eat while purring, and Kate watched him. She felt joy when the cat finished eating, and Kate washed, dried, and put away the food bowl.

“Let’s go, Phan.” She called, moving out of the office. And she saw that Yelena was biting the end of the pen cap, and then she sat down, and Phantom sat on her lap. And she stood there, running her hands down his back.

“Shall we go?” Yelena asked several minutes later.

“I can’t. I’m stuck.” She indicated the cat, and Yelena gave a low laugh.

“Looks like we’re doomed.” Yelena joked, and then Phantom stood up and stretched slowly, then climbed down from Kate’s legs.

“Freedom! Now we can go.” She said playfully and stood up. Yelena laughed lightly and then pulled a backpack from behind the counter. “Ready?”

“Yes, I’m wearing my sports crop top over my swimsuit.” She said smiling, and Kate tilted her head to the side curiously. “The colorful tattoos are on my upper back, I avoid the sun as much as possible, and the crop top has UV protection.” She explained, and Kate nodded.

“Sounds good.” She smiled, and the two started walking to Yelena’s car.

“Good, if you need first aid, we have a full car.” She spoke in a slightly playful tone, and Yelena grunted.

“Let’s avoid it, please.” She replied playfully. But still, the two began to chat quietly as the car moved, and it was necessary for the trail after a fifteen-minute drive. She liked the forest, and being in the forest with Yelena was an extra point of fun and pleasure.

“I really love walking in the forest.” Kate said in a light and playful tone.

“Me too.” Yelena said, looking up.

“I like being here with you even more.” Kate flirted and saw how Yelena’s cheeks blushed slightly.

“You have the sweetest words.” She whispered.

“And the truest.” The tone was very sincere, and she lightly bumped her shoulder against Yelena’s, which made the blonde laugh.

When they arrived at the river inlet, it was a beautiful place. The river seemed to breathe deeper there. Kate felt it before she saw it; the damp scent of the still water mixed with the sap of the trees was stronger than any perfume. The wind carried hidden nuances of wet earth, fresh moss, and an ancient animal trail that had passed by the bank days before.

The U-shape of the terrain created a kind of natural shell. On the side where they were, the ground sloped gently, and she felt the variation in texture under her boots. From the packed earth that gave way in loose grains, gravel, and finally the cooler sand near the edge. The other side rose again in a steep slope, and at the top, the smell of old wood betrayed the immense tree.

The rope swing moved with the wind. The creaking of the fiber against the branch reached her ear clearly, as if it were too close, even coming from above. And each time the wind passed through the leaves, Kate could distinguish the rustling of each group of branches, the water gently lapping against the stones, and even the almost inaudible tinkling of insects hidden in the undergrowth.

They walked to the water, the reflection of the calm water, the sunlight flickering in golden patches. But for her, what mattered most was the life around her: the smell of fish, the buzzing of insects, the pulsating heat, and Yelena's scent beside her, more present than anything else.

"God, what an incredible place," Yelena said, taking off her jacket and pushing down her pants, admiring Yelena's ease and lightness.

Then, as the blonde began walking towards the water, she saw Fanny's tattoo on one of her calves. It was a line tattoo, just the outline of Fanny's beautiful face and the black snout. And on the other calf was what Kate easily identified as Phantom.

She smiled, watching the blonde plunge into the water, and then gave a very feminine and high-pitched grunt.

"Damn, the water's cold.” She said, swimming lightly on her back, and Kate laughed amusedly. The brunette's t-shirt came off easily and was placed next to Yelena's clothes, then she finished undressing and began to walk calmly towards the water. And yes, it was cold. But Kate appreciated the temperature.

“I thought it would be worse.” Kate teased, and Yelena laughed and pushed a wave of water at the brunette, and she laughed.

Kate should have known the blonde was the challenging type. There was that glint of teasing in her eyes.

“Who swims faster?” She asked, and Kate saw the challenge.

“Let’s find out?” The nudge came, and Yelena positioned herself beside her.

“On three.” She said focused, and Kate gave a small laugh. And then the count came. And the two began to swim.

And Yelena was fast, but Kate had the advantage of being a lycan at the peak of the full moon. So the speed at which she swam gave her a small lead to win.

“Looks like I’m faster.” She teased, and Yelena grumbled.

“Looks like it.” Yelena said, and Kate swam to the blonde and then pulled her into a kiss, which made the blonde laugh against her. “I really liked this place.” The comment was soft. “Can we walk to the swing?” She asked, and then the two began to swim slowly back to the shore.

"Rio said that there was more water flow here and that it became calmer over time. She taught Nicky how to swim here." She said as the two got out on the sand and started to go towards the swing hill. "Do you want me to push you?" She offered playfully.

"I don't know exactly if I'll need to. But let me see." She said, and Kate nodded and took a step to the side and watched with joy.

"I thought I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to have my hands on you." The flirtation came, and Yelena stopped preparing to swing and looked at Kate with amusement.

"Come here." She called, and Kate approached, and Yelena's hand went to Kate's neck and pulled her into a slow kiss.

The rope between the two only existed while their mouths met, their tongues danced between them. Yelena's moan was filthy, and her nails dug into Kate's nape lightly, and the kiss stopped naturally.

"Did you see that we could see the full moon?" Yelena said hoarsely, indicating the sky, and Kate turned and looked at the moon, feeling its influence on her.

"It's wonderful, isn't it? How the full moon appears during the day." Kate said with a sigh and smiled. "You know... One of the things I love here in Westview is that I can see nature in its purest form. I can see the stars and especially the moon. In New York, there was no time, and especially the light pollution doesn't let us see anything." She grunted, and Yelena nodded.

"I love the calmness of the small town." The blonde said softly. "The animals are my favorite luck. The groundhog video was so cute." Yelena's smile was bright, and Kate kissed her cheek.

“Show me how far you can reach in the lake, darling.” She spoke in a playful tone, and Yelena rolled her eyes in amusement.

Watching Yelena swing freely was incredible. Her hair was tousled by the wind and the movement. Her eyes smiled, as did her mouth, and it was wonderful.

The crop top was black, still showing her stomach and lower back, and her legs were working to make the blonde gain more and more height.

When she let go of the rope and began the parabola to reach the water, it was beautiful. The blonde didn't try to do anything extravagant, but screamed in a playful laugh, and then the sound of her hitting the water cut through the laughter.

“Oh my god, that was fun!” Yelena said loudly and began to swim to the shore. Then Kate looked at the moon and smiled, feeling like a happy wolf, feeling happy.

“You are amazing.” Kate said, her eyes slightly widening in golden delight. She could smell the river water on Yelena's skin, the blonde's wet hair dripped onto her shoulders, and she smiled.

"That was really cool. Will you push me?" She asked, and Kate easily gave up her turn to Yelena, who nodded.

"Of course." She said cheerfully and positioned herself behind the rope, and Yelena gave a joyful little squeal.

"Thank you, baby!" It was almost childlike joy, and Kate just chuckled softly and prepared herself.

Yelena adjusted herself, and then Kate began to push the blonde firmly. And then she increased the force, and when Yelena was at the peak of the highest point of the parabola, she threw herself. And this made the blonde go a few meters further than the previous jump, and when the blonde broke the surface of the water, she emerged with a playful laugh.

"Your turn!" Kate then grabbed the rope and swung a few times and then jumped into the water, landing just before Yelena.

"That's really fun." Kate said, amused.

“Kate Bishop, that launch was mediocre.” The blonde teased, and Kate made an offended sound.

“How audacious!” The brunette then swam over to the blonde and playfully threw herself at her, which made the blonde laugh. “Is that a challenge, Yelena Belova?” Kate said in a mocking, yet still very playful tone.

“You want it to be a challenge, Bishop?” Yelena’s eyebrow rose, and she laughed. “Come on, let’s go up there. I want to get some water and jump again.” Kate looked suspicious, but the two swam to the shallow end, and then Yelena’s backpack was opened, and a water bottle was pulled out. The blonde took a sip and offered some to Kate, who accepted without hesitation.

The water was cool, and it was fun to drink while looking at the blonde with a playful tone.

“You’re like a ray of sunshine.” Yelena said gently.

“A sun talking about a small flame, I’d say.” Kate flirted lightly, and Yelena bit her lower lip and smiled. Then she held out her hand and the brunette accepted, being pulled onto the swing.

"I doubt you can go further than me." Yelena challenged in a playful tone, silly even in its childishness, but Kate smiled broadly, amused by it.

"Go first then. Give me your best jump." Kate purred playfully and Yelena puffed out her chest in amusement. Then she went to the swing and swung several times to jump very impressively far.

"Your turn!" She said something, swimming to the bank with ease.

"Let's see if I can beat your record." Kate said, adjusting herself on the rope swing. The small embankment that gave the large rope swing room to work opened up at Kate's feet, which were sticking out of the ground.

She began using her whole body to move, feeling the kinetic energy building up in the rope as the swing happened. It was exciting, especially with Yelena's laughter in the background that seemed to motivate her even more.

She then launched herself, and the feeling of freedom was incredible. It was almost like when she ran as a wolf for the first time. And the mixed sensation of that made her close her eyes in the brief moment of free flight.

She felt her body hit the water and then rose to the surface. And Kate took a moment to understand why Yelena was staring at her with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open in clear shock.

She felt her wet fur and looked at her own paws and the only thing she could think was: shit.

She had transformed without realizing it.

Chapter Text

Kate stared at Yelena with wide eyes, took two steps back, swallowed hard, and sat up abruptly. Her heart and mind were in such a panic that she couldn't transform back. The blonde looked at her, her mouth still open and blinking in shock.

"You..." She spoke hesitantly and stopped, then Kate lay on her stomach on the wet ground and covered her snout and face with her paws. "Oh my god, this is so cute." Kate heard but remained frozen. "Kate? It's that you? Can you understand me?" She asked, taking two hesitant steps closer, and the only thing Kate could do in her wolf form was whimper. "Please, look at me?" Yelena asked, and there was a moment of pause as her paws left her face and she looked at Yelena. Kate felt completely insecure at that moment. "Can you... go back to human form?" The question came, and Kate nodded and swallowed hard.

Kate then closed her eyes, allowed herself to visualize her human form, and took a few deep breaths. It was difficult to reverse an involuntary transformation like that on a normal day, and with Kate's anxiety as high as it was, it was a little more difficult. 

She tried once, twice, and on the third time, she found herself sitting on the wet ground in her human form. Kate looked away and took a deep breath, trying to find some way to explain, justify, demonstrate that she hadn't hidden it out of malice.

"So..." Yelena spoke, and Kate cleared her throat and stood up, not looking directly at the woman, and there was a sigh. "Okay, what do you think about sitting down and talking?" The request came gently, and that made Kate look at the blonde. "Please?" Again the gentleness, and Kate nodded, moving closer to the backpacks. The towels were spread on the ground, and the two sat down. "I—" Yelena began, but was suddenly cut off by Kate.

"That's not how I wanted you to find out." She spoke quickly and then looked at the river.

“And how did you want it to be?” Yelena asked in a delicate, yet slightly insecure tone.

“It’s something… New to me, it’s my first full moon as…” Kate cleared her throat. “A werewolf.” She added, and Yelena made a soft sound. “I wanted to tell you in a less…” She gestured. “Dramatic.”

“I thought you might be a witch, like Wanda.” Yelena spoke, and Kate looked at her.

“You know about Wanda?” The question came, and Yelena made a positive sound.

“Superficially, and more by connecting the dots than by a direct confession, I treated a kitsune once that was injured, and he explained a little about the supernatural world to me. It was a… Shock at first, as you can imagine, but honestly, I never saw much difference between non-supernatural people and those who are.” Yelena looked away for a moment. “I thought you had magic, and that’s why it was difficult for you. He asked me to keep as a secret, I never told anyone and never found others supernatural and Wanda herself never told me directly.” She commented in a very gentle tone.

“Theoretically, a werewolf, or wolf as we casually call them, has their first transformation at around 8 years old.” Kate looked away. “When it happened the first time…” She stammered slightly. “Silver is extremely toxic to our physiological systems, it’s bad enough for humans, but it can be deadly for werewolves.” She explained, looking back at her own hands. “My father thought it was a good idea, and a great idea, to find a way to ‘cure’ me when it happened the first time. Someone he’d never seen before said, ‘Here, this injection will help, it’s silver.’” She heard Yelena’s heart race. “For twenty years, my father injected a monthly dose of silver into my body, claiming it was a medicine to cure whatever I had.” She whispered.

“He poisoned you.” Yelena simply stated in a low tone, and Kate nodded.

“On the last full moon, my wolf went berserk, I transformed, dissociated from my rationality, and started running through Central Park in despair. My neighbor — who I didn’t know until then — was supernatural… She kind of knocked me out.” She paused briefly. “And then we found out about silver. Carol recommended Wanda to help me, and my mother and I didn’t hesitate to come. And it was… A journey, I’d say, to begin to understand what was happening to me, what the silver was doing to me, and how things really were.” She cleared her throat again and sighed. “When I said I was sick for a while, that’s what I meant. I had 12 grams of silver in my body, binding me, hurting me, slowly killing me. The witches’ magic helped, they removed almost 9 grams of silver from me, and I’m slowly metabolizing the rest.” She continued, breathing deeply and clenching her hands, unable to look at Yelena, but she could hear the blonde’s heart racing. “My father tried to kill me with the excuse that I was sick and that there was a monster inside me.” She whispered. “My wolf, which should have been complete, mature, and perfectly able to be who it is, was tied up, restrained, and things like that happen. Involuntary changes, hypersensitivity with the wolf's senses affecting the human form, and it's… Horrible that you found out this way. I wish I could have talked and shown you, explained everything before a 50 kg wolf suddenly appeared in front of you.” Kate took a deep breath, and there was a longer silence. And then there was this realization in Yelena.

“Was it you in the forest? Both times?” Yelena asked softly, and Kate cleared her throat again.

“Yes.” She began and held her breath for a moment. “The first time was kind of unintentional, I smelled you and started following you, I was curious because my senses were more heightened and it was the first time something like that had happened. That an unfamiliar scent had caught my attention. I found you, you looked at me, I looked at you and realized I was a gigantic wolf and I was scaring you, so I left.” Kate said, and Yelena shook her head slightly.

“And the second time, you had someone with you.” She said, stating the facts.

“Rio.” She said, and there was a small “oh.” “Agatha has magic, Rio is a wolf like me. But Rio is a wolf who matured in the right way, so she doesn’t have the problems I still have. But she’s helping me understand what’s possible or not, what I need to do or not, how to walk safely in the forest, how to somehow try to make up for what has been prevented for twenty years.” Her tone was low, and if it weren’t a quiet place, she didn’t know if Yelena could hear. “I smelled your scent, this time knowing it was your scent.” She shrugged slightly. “I wanted to see you briefly, but I crossed the tree line and Natasha, quite rightly afraid, pointed the gun at two wolves. Honestly, it was terrifying, so we left. It was the first day of the full moon.” Kate lightly squeezed her fingers and played with the edge of her swimsuit’s boyshorts.

“I’m not angry.” Yelena said, and that made Kate’s eyes rise to Yelena. “I sincerely understand why it’s difficult to talk about this, you’re a giant black wolf, but you’re also a cute and clumsy person.” She spoke softly.

“I’m cute and clumsy in wolf form too.” Kate tried to joke, and there was a small, low laugh.

“My mother says I’ve always been more sensitive to what’s different, that even without knowing it, I sought out what’s different. And that wasn’t always a good thing.” Yelena said, looking away, and Kate held her breath. “But I… When I met you, I felt this inexplicable familiarity, I was at ease with you and I wanted you very much.” The last part was a small confession. “I know it’s not the way you wanted to show it to me, but I’m glad it happened.” Yelena paused. “Can I see your wolf form again?” The request came and Kate nodded.

And transforming this time consciously was easier, less terrifying, and she stood up and stopped in front of Yelena, electric blue eyes meeting curious green eyes. The black fur was still a little wet, and then Yelena reached out her hand, hesitating a moment, and Kate leaned forward, her muzzle touching the tips of Yelena’s fingers, and then there was the touch, still slightly hesitant, but it occurred against Kate’s cheek, feeling the whiskers, and Kate wagged her nose slightly.

“Sorry, the whiskers are sensitive. I believe your physiology is similar to that of a wolf?” She asked, and Kate made a so-so gesture in response. “I’m fascinated. If I saw you without knowing, honestly, it would be impossible to identify you.” The blonde touched Kate’s ear gently. “Can you return to human form?” She asked, and Kate transformed back.

Kate stopped in front of Yelena, and then the blonde patted her side lightly. This made Kate sit down.

“I have several questions…” Yelena said shyly.

“I’ll try to answer with everything I know, which isn’t a large arsenal of knowledge.” She said awkwardly. “You can ask anything you want.” Kate reaffirmed, and Yelena nodded.

“How does it work? Do you transform when you want… Or do you have no control?” She asked, and Kate made a pondering gesture.

“Involuntary transformations are more common for immature wolves, like in my case, but strong emotions can still bring it on, especially the feeling of protecting.” She said, considering the times this had happened. “But most of the time, the vast majority in fact, it’s voluntary. I think about my wolf form and I transform.” She explained gently.

“And does it hurt?” The new question came accompanied by furrowed brows.

“With the silver in my body, yes, it felt like it was tearing. Nowadays there’s discomfort. As long as there’s silver, there’s pain.” Kate lightly ran her hand over the natural mark on her hand. She saw Yelena’s eyebrows furrow as if she were pondering.

“Your mind remains rational and well… I don’t know if that sounds offensive.” She spoke in a slightly grumpy tone, and Kate gave a small, low laugh.

“Yes, the mind remains the same, the senses are altered, and it’s absolutely strange to see the world with the absence of colors that wolves have.” She considered.

“It’s dichromatic vision.” Yelena explained, and Kate looked at her curiously. “Canids in general see in shades of blue and yellow, which makes red-green not very distinct. There are only two types of cones in the retina, humans have three.” Yelena explained softly.

“That explains why some colors look kind of faded. The sky and water have a soft shade of blue, leaves and grass look kind of grayish-yellow. But I confess that seeing in low light is incredible.” She said playfully, and Yelena gave a small shake of her head.

“Does that exist in the human version too?” The question came curiously.

“Not really, what’s most sensitive as a human is mainly my sense of smell and my hearing.” She commented shyly.

“That explains how you knew there was someone at the clinic door and that the pup had no heartbeat.” The realization dawned on her, and Kate nodded. “Are there rules for what happens when you tell someone you’re a werewolf?” The question came moments later.

“The supernatural society has existed side-by-side with humans forever.” She spoke softly. "In antiquity, there's the Greek myth of Lycaon, a man punished by being forced to live in wolf form, but as far as we know, he was a werewolf who transformed publicly, and because he was unknown, it became divine punishment. The Norse and Germanic peoples had a somewhat shamanic idea of ​​embodying the strength of an animal, and we assume that a berserker who turned into a wolf was a werewolf. In medieval Europe, there were many regions with wolves and packs of werewolves, and at the same time there was the problem of witches being persecuted, and historically, witches and wolves tended to form packs or villages of coexistence at that time. There were more witches, more werewolves, more vampires who lived in reasonable peace, but then the Catholic idea of ​​sin and curse began to persecute especially werewolves and witches. From what Wanda told me, in the 16th century there was a French man who was a psychopath and liked to kill people in wolf form. And when Romanticism came and Gothic literature appeared, the idea of ​​vampires..." "Witches, wolves, which are the most well-known in common human culture, became what they are today. Probably some werewolf told details to some human and then the myth was created.” Kate explained, and Yelena's mouth opened and closed.

“Vampires? There are vampires?” She asked, shocked.

“Yes, but they're not like the ones in Cult culture, they need blood, yes, but practically all of them have some human who donates blood to them.” She shrugged. “I don't know that much about them.” Kate said and cleared her throat. “I only ask that you don't comment on us, there are still some rare groups of “monster” hunters, I don't want to put the people of the city at risk.” She said, and Yelena's eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“I won't tell anyone.” She said quickly and in a very serious tone. “You said you still have silver in your body…” There was no question, but it was there.

“A few grams, trapped between the meninges, in the spinal cord, in the brain.” Kate spoke and cleared her throat. “Which explains a lot about why I’ve always had headaches and backaches, not to mention the tremors.” She pondered to herself. “But with the transformations, my body is slowly metabolizing, we assume it will take another year of consistent transformations for this to be removed. Agatha is keeping track.” She spoke gently.

“You mentioned hunters…” Yelena looked away for a moment.

“It’s nothing like Van Helsing, or an ancient order that hunts beasts, or anything like that, the church doesn’t act like that anymore, which helps a lot. But there are people who are heirs of hunters and the culture of killing monsters still exists, they are rare nowadays. And Rio told me that they are very unprepared and someone supernatural versus an ordinary human, it usually ends badly for the human.” Yelena nodded and cleared her throat.

“I need to ask this, if I don’t ask this, my therapy would be failing me.” The statement was accompanied by a small nervous laugh. “Am I in danger in some way?” She asked and Kate found it a very sincere question.

“No.” Kate spoke firmly. “Werewolves are very protective and I wouldn’t hurt you.” She spoke with furrowed brows.

“I mean hunters. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” The statement caught Kate slightly off guard.

“I don’t think it’s really a problem, the hunters, it’s been more than three centuries since there have been consistent groups.” She spoke softly. 

“Does the full moon make you lose control or something? Is that some cult culture thing that I feel is wrong?” Yelena bit her lower lip slightly, and Kate looked at her for a moment.

“Imagine that between my human and wolf forms there’s a door, a door that I actively go through when I want to transform, or that sometimes — if it’s involuntary — opens.” She explained as Wanda had explained it to her. “On a full moon, the effort to open that door is practically nil, it’s always unlocked on a full moon. We call it the veil, the veil between wolf and human becomes thinner, which makes it easier for the animal and human forms to intertwine. But that’s all, I remain just as rational.” She made a short gesture with her hand.

“That’s very interesting.” Yelena seemed genuinely fascinated, and then she cleared her throat. “Wouldn’t it be easier to find another werewolf for a relationship?” The question didn’t sound brutal, but rather insecure.

“I like you.” Kate spoke firmly at first. “And wolves are rare these days, there aren’t many, and those that are born are within packs. I still haven’t discovered where lycanthropy comes from in my family, there’s no one we know who’s a werewolf. We’re researching.” She continued. “And I wouldn’t change anything about you, Yelena, you’re perfect as you are. Being a wolf or being human doesn’t change that.” The first touch on Yelena’s hand was soft, hesitant in itself, but their fingers intertwined.

“Would you have tokd me in the future if it weren’t for today?” The question came with her cheeks still slightly flushed from the compliment.

“Yes, I was waiting for things to become more solid, we’re still getting to know each other. Ideally, I would wait a few months to see how we would progress, but it happened now. Does that change anything for you?” Kate sounded slightly uncertain.

“No, well, yes.” Yelena spoke firmly and then gave a light laugh. “I really want to touch your wolf form, I find it fascinating. I’ve never been very close to wildlife medicine.” She said, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Not sticking a thermometer in me is okay.” This made Yelena giggle and shake her head.

“Your joke from that day gets an extra layer of humor now. No, no thermometers.” Kate chuckled softly and nodded.

“I’ll be a good guinea pig.” She teased, and Yelena pushed her aside, and they both laughed lightly. When the laughter subsided, the blonde licked her lips slightly.

“I have confessions.” The blonde spoke softly, and Kate looked at her curiously. “Uh… Here.” Yelena then sat with her back to Kate and pulled her crop top off her body. She was wearing a plain black bikini top, but that wasn’t what caught Kate’s attention.

It was the tattoos.

There were smaller ones, which she allowed her eyes to take in the details. A small red star made only of lines, the double helix of DNA, and a red hourglass that, like the star, was only lines. And then next to it was something that Kate could say was almost an image of her wolf version. 

Kate stared at the design etched into the skin as if it were about to move at any moment. A black wolf, entirely shrouded in shadow, shared the space with geometric lines that seemed to break its face into fragments, as if half of it had been born from mathematics and the other half from wild instinct.

The eyes, two points of an electric blue, almost uncomfortably intense, shone from within the ink, hypnotic, as if looking directly at her, piercing through any defense.

Above, three pine trees stood like sentinels, and between them small moons, full and split, orbited in a silent dance. There was a contrast that held her attention: on one side, the controlled chaos of geometric shapes, circles, hexagons, and patterns reminiscent of beehives or broken crystals, on the other, the raw realism of the animal, its dark fur and firm, almost suspicious expression.

She swallowed hard, her hand rising without her thinking, slowly tracing the division between realistic wolf and geometric wolf, and she saw Yeena's skin prickle.

"How?" It was a silly question, if Kate were honest, but it was all she could think of and come up with.

"I can't say exactly..." Yelena replied softly. "I have recurring dreams about this wolf, always in a forest, always under a full moon, always the same black fur and blue eyes. I think what shocked me most about seeing you was the resemblance. It seemed like the recurring dream had become reality." Yelena spoke softly, and Kate frowned, trying to search her mind for something that wasn't as overly creative as what her writer's imagination could conjure up.

"And the other three?" She ran her finger along the hourglass, followed the contours of the DNA, and then the star.

“The hourglass is Natasha, it was the symbol of the military group she was part of when she turned 20. The star is my father, he always liked stars and the color red, and the DNA is my mother.” Yelena’s voice had indeed dropped an octave with Kate’s soft touch.

“When did you get the wolf?” She asked softly.

“It was my second tattoo, I started dreaming about it repeatedly when I was 19 or something like that, but if I think about it, the wolf had already appeared in dreams before. I’ve always had a little fixation on it since I was little.” Yelena pondered softly and Kate leaned in, resting her chin on the blonde’s shoulder to listen. “One day I asked my father for a design, he scribbled something similar to this, but it wasn’t right, the blue wasn’t right. It took us a while to find what I wanted. It’s my biggest tattoo.” She spoke gently and that’s when Kate noticed the small deer on the blonde’s nape.

“And this one? What does it mean?” It wasn't Kate's fingers that brushed against the tattoo on the nape of her neck, but rather her lips, and Yelena shuddered and gasped.

"Hope, renewal. The deer is almost always linked to cycles, renewal, spirituality, and openness to the future. It was the last one I got, after my abusive relationship ended." Yelena spoke softly, and Kate nodded against her.

"I have a very important question, Yel." Yelena nodded at this. "Can you look at me first?" And with that, the blonde turned around, and the two looked at each other. "You're the only non-supernatural person outside my pack who knows about me." The words were spoken delicately. "And my father, but we don't count on him." There was a nod from the blonde at this. "Anyway, you're the only one outside the circle that helps me who actually knows about this. The pack is like a family, they're people I see as family." Kate made a small grimace to herself. "I've written five books, and I'm going in circles." She muttered to herself. “The point, the point is… You knowing this, and even though it will hurt if that’s the answer, I’ll accept the no…” Kate stumbled again.

“Ask, Kate Bishop.” Yelena spoke not mockingly, but slightly amused.

“Do you still want to continue exploring what we have so far? Continue building something? I understand if the fact that I’m a werewolf is a problem, and if the answer is no, I’ll just ask that you keep it to yourself, I don’t want to put anyone at risk—” A finger of Yelena’s touched Kate’s lips and the two looked at each other.

“I even find it slightly gallant that you’re giving me an easy way out.” The blonde spoke and Kate froze. “But I pass on this opportunity to escape.” She continued softly. “I don’t care that you’re a werewolf, that’s a lie…” Yelena spoke and corrected herself, and Kate’s eyebrows rose. “I think it’s very cool and amazing.” Yelena’s cheeks flushed slightly. “But no, Kate Bishop, I don’t want to stop seeing you, getting to know you, and spending time with you. I think this has only added another layer that I find impressive and I want to understand more.” Kate felt a smile spread across her lips. “I want to know more about you, your wolf, your pack, the supernatural culture, and all of that. So yes, I want to keep seeing you, okay?” The blonde’s voice was soft, and Kate nodded. And there was this moment of prolonged silence between them.

“Can we go to your house?” Kate’s question sounded almost hurried, and Yelena looked at her in surprise. “This is a well-known cove, and I don’t want to expose myself too much, so you can see my wolf form, and I can kiss you.” She spoke, and Yelena laughed.

“Now, Kate Bishop, you’re speaking my language.” Yelena stood up with a wide smile. “Let’s go.”

*********

Kate sat motionless while Fanny diligently sniffed her. It was almost ridiculous to be in wolf form in Yelena's living room with Fanny inspecting her. Fanny's black snout was practically on Kate's neck, and there was this clear doubt in the Akita's expression about what the hell was going on there. But Yelena had gone to the bedroom to get a measuring tape, apparently, she very scientifically wanted to collect data, which made Kate laugh, but also patiently wait for the woman to return. And then, Fanny, who had been in the yard until then, entered through the doggy door and came face to face with Kate.

The dog first froze, then sniffed the air, and with Kate standing still, she moved forward and began to walk around Kate, sniffing, and now she was clearly sniffing as closely as possible. Her ears twitched slightly uncertainly, and it was as if Kate's scent was there, but the absence of the human figure that Fanny liked so much made her confused.

Fanny made a disgruntled sound and nudged Kate again, this time against her ear, and the black ear twitched slightly, making Kate whimper softly at how intrusive Fanny was being.

"Fanny, stop bullying Kate Bishop." Yelena spoke loudly, and it was almost hilarious how the Akita snorted, turned her back, and walked away. Kate looked at Yelena and then at the dog for a moment, tilting her head to the side. "A 53kg wolf, that's a huge dog." Yelena grumbled, and Kate rolled her eyes in wolf form, which made the blonde laugh. "Okay, now stand up." She ordered.

And Kate stood up, getting on all fours and yawning, then shaking her head slightly, and Yelena looked at her with amusement. Then the measuring tape was used, Yelena noted the measurements and looked impressed at the phone screen.

"Okay, you can return to human form." She said proudly, and Kate transformed back. “That’s very strange to watch.” She grumbled.

“Rio made a slow-motion video and it traumatized us all.” Kate pulled out her phone, selected the video, and handed it to Yelena, and the expression of horror was so genuine that she could only laugh.

“I never want to have that image straight from hell in front of me again.” And that made the brunette laugh with pure amusement.

“Completely horrible. Yes.” Kate said and licked her lips slightly.

When the two returned to the city and went to Yelena’s house, there was a collective movement for the two to get ready. Then Kate used the hallway bathroom for a quick shower, and Yelena went to her own room.

“So….” Kate cleared her throat. And that made Yelena, who was looking at the wolf’s measurements on her phone, raise her eyes and stare at the brunette. “You know how wolves mark places with pheromones in their urine and all that, right?” She didn’t let Yelena answer. “Werewolves mark with physical touch, my hands, my face, all skin-to-skin contact generates pheromone markers. It’s how many werewolves involuntarily mark a pack like theirs. There are affectionate touches that slowly mark people.” Kate cleared her throat slightly. “And for uh… couples. There are bites.” Yelena’s eyebrow rose in curiosity.

“Fiction style and mating bites?” The question made Yelena blush. “I’ve read things like that in stories.” She justified herself.

“It’s something like that, but without the non-conventional rampant need for marking, like in many things. But there’s still a marking. Me biting you here will mark you as mine.” She brushed her finger gently along Yelena’s trapezius muscle. “You biting me in the same place does the same for you. But unlike in fanfics, it’s not a bond of life where you die if I die and blah blah blah. That’s an exaggeration. But yes, a marking that serves especially as a notification for other shapeshifters. Wolves, nagas, kitsunes, Velka and Thalon. Who have more acute senses. And maybe vampires, but I don’t know about the latter.” She contemplated.

“Velka and Thalon?” The question echoed curiously, and Kate found it really amusing that Yelena focused on unexpected things. She could have asked about the bite, but her brain automatically went to something she didn’t know.

“Cats and birds, respectively, are more common in Europe, but Agatha said there’s a strong Velka community in Salem and a Thalon community in San Francisco.” Kate explained, and Yelena nodded. “But Europe is more common, especially Nordic countries, they are more isolated.”

“And this bite… hm…” Yelena began and pondered for a moment. “I like being bitten and marked, Kate… We’ve talked about it, and I… I don’t mind other shapeshifters knowing that I carry your scent and your marking. But I don’t want it to sound like I’m forcing a label we don’t yet have. I don’t know if that makes sense.” She spoke and gently played with a strand of hair.

“For the record, I really wish we were girlfriends.” Kate said and gave a small squeal when the blonde suddenly nudged her by the shoulders.

Unexpectedly, Kate found herself with Yelena sitting on her lap, one leg on each side of Kate, and the two looked at each other.

"I really want to be your girlfriend." The words rang out, and Yelena's smile was bright.

"Am I going to be promoted from fuck buddy to girlfriend?" The brunette joked, and Yelena threw her head back and giggled.

"You were never just a fuck buddy." The blonde said with a smile.

"I know." Kate said with an easy smile. "Girlfriends then?" She asked softly. Yelena smiled and nodded with a slow smile.

"First relationship where the proposal comes before sex, we're so conservative, Kate Bishop." The blonde teased lightly, and Kate playfully touched the hem of the blonde's t-shirt.

"I know we thought about it when we came here. But I don't want to hurt you because the veil is thin, and I don't have much awareness of the strength I possess in this situation." She said, and Yelena put her hands on Kate's shoulders and smiled.

“I know, I can wait, we’re adults.” Yelena said, rolling her eyes slightly, then leaned in to kiss Kate slowly.

The brunette’s hands went to the blonde’s ribs in a firm touch, fingers spread wider, slowly moving up and feeling each little valley and rise of the ribs, and this made a low moan sound from Yelena’s throat.

Their mouths parted and Yelena threw her head back, especially to pull Kate against the skin of her neck. And it was sensual, Kate’s already sensitive senses seemed to revel even more in Yelena’s scent, and their teeth grazed lightly.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have to wait more until I can suck on your piercings.” The brunette said dramatically, and there was a laugh mixed with a moan coming from Yelena.

“We can fix this.” The blonde whimpered as Kate lightly sucked on her collarbone, and then there was a hip thrust from Yelena against Kate. “Does it still count as waiting if I’m the one making all the effort and you’re just standing there?” The tone was foul.

“I’d say yes.” Kate grumbled, starting to pull Yelena’s shirt up, and as she went to get past her breasts, Kate’s head snapped back and looked at the front door with furrowed brows, which made Yelena look at her in confusion. “Natasha.” The information came, and Yelena grunted discontentedly.

“Fucking hell. I’ve never been a dick blocker for her, but again she’s being one for me. Three times. Three. Stay there.” Then there was the knock on the door, and Yelena pulled the shirt down and grunted in discontent. Kate just relaxed on the sofa and leaned back against the cushions. The door was forcefully opened, and this seemed to startle Natasha.

“My god, you walk around with your panties in a severe twist.” Natasha said with arched eyebrows.

“You keep stopping me from having sex, sestra.” The conversation took place as Yelena went back inside the house, and Natasha took a hesitant step inside, then she looked at Kate there, and the redhead's head went between the two.

"Hey Natasha." Kate spoke softly and tried not to feel self-conscious about the firm look she received.

"Wait, wait a minute, your fuck buddy is Kate Bishop?" The question came, and Kate, unlike Yelena who grimaced, just laughed about it. She found the nickname funny.

"I told you to stop using that nickname." Yelena's tone wasn't friendly, and she sat stiffly next to Kate. "And you need to stop laughing every time she says that." The comment to Kate was grumpy, and the brunette shrugged.

"I think it's funny." Kate said and leaned in, lightly brushing her nose below Yelena's earlobe. "Relax, I appreciate the protection, but it's honestly okay." She spoke softly and saw the shiver on Yelena's skin, and Yelena held back a small sigh.

“When did this start? You and Kate Bishop fucking.” The redhead asked, feeling like she was on thin ice when Yelena glared at her.

“You talk like things only need to be physical.” Yelena said, and Kate looked between her sisters, not wanting to get so deeply involved in the situation.

“It’s been years since you’ve dated anyone, I thought you were finally getting laid.” Natasha replied, shrugging. And she saw how Yelena’s body tensed.

“I think we clicked.” Kate chose to reply, and the redhead’s eyes focused on her. “Yelena is easy to talk to, she’s fun, she has the best smile ever and laughs at my jokes, I don’t think anyone needs much more than someone who appreciates her for who she is.” Kate spoke softly and saw how Yelena relaxed slightly. “I know it seems sudden, but we’ve been getting to know each other for a few weeks, and yes, I know, there was no information from her to you, but no offense, Natasha, it wasn’t your problem.” She saw how the redhead tensed.

“But is my relationship with Wanda your problem?” Kate wanted to poke her own eyes but sighed.

“It became my problem when Wanda was tearing her heart out because you were an idiot.” Kate spoke and saw Natasha’s eyebrows furrow. “The moment someone in my family is hurt, it becomes my problem. Just like if Yelena hurts me, it will become Wanda’s problem.” She then turned briefly to Yelena. “Please don’t do that, Wanda is scary.” She whispered, and Yelena shook her head slightly and laughed.

“I don’t plan on.” Yelena spoke softly. “But yes, sestra, Kate is right. I don’t need to go into all the details, but she and I clicked, and we work well, I’m happy.” Yelena spoke softly. “It’s not like last time.” The person who abused Yelena in the past.

“Yelena…” Natasha spoke softly.

“It’s completely different, there’s not the control that was there, Kate is kind.” There was a pause. Kate leaned in and kissed Yelena's cheek.

"I'll go to the backyard so you two can talk, okay?" She said gently. "If you need anything, I'm within earshot." It was a way for Yelena to know that even in the backyard, Kate could still hear the conversation, but it was also a way to get Natasha to open up about her concerns.

"Okay." Yelena said softly, and Kate got up and went to the kitchen, exiting through the back door. Fanny was there and approached with a canine smile.

"Hi, girl." Kate said softly, sitting on the deck and letting Fanny nestle between her legs in a loving gesture.

"Kate Bishop?" Natasha's voice was no longer shocked, but questioning.

"I like her." Yelena said, clearly defensive. "She's not like..." The absence of the name and the tense silence made Kate realize that it was again the much-mean ex.

"I hope not, sestra, you were heartbroken when it happened." Natasha said softly. “If you want to sleep with Kate Bishop—”

“We’re dating.” Yelena cut in, and there was silence. “We decided today that we’ll use the label of girlfriends.” She spoke again in a more insecure tone. “I really like her, Natasha.” Yelena spoke softly.

“Sestra…” Natasha began but was interrupted.

“I like her, I haven’t allowed myself to like anyone in recent years, I haven’t allowed anyone to get close, even more so… She broke through my defenses with a gentle smile, a caring soul, she’s thoughtful and takes care of me.” Yelena spoke, and Kate ran her hands more firmly through Fanny’s fur. Yelena knew she was listening. “She doesn’t say bad things about my body, my schedule, my job. She encourages me to eat, Natasha.” The tone was tiny, and Kate heard Natasha sigh. “She came when I asked, without hesitation, without asking, she just came.” And that was spoken, followed by silence.

“If she hurts you, I’ll hurt her.” It was a warning, just like the one Kate had given Natasha earlier.

“We don’t need another administrative process, seatra, you already have a stain on your record, we don’t need another one.” Kate frowned when she heard this, and Natasha sighed.

“It was deserved.” The tone was stubborn.

“Deserved or not, it delayed a possible promotion for years. I don’t want that again, the legal process and then the settlement were already too much trouble.” Yelena grunted and sighed. “And I don’t think that will happen to Kate.” She spoke sincerely.

“No awkward feeling this time?” The question came from Natasha softly, and Kate sighed slightly.

“No, I feel safe with her.” The sentence was followed by silence, as if it weighed heavily.

“Okay, bring your girlfriend inside home, I’ll try not to be a jerk.” Natasha seemed to have given in, and Yelena chuckled softly.

“You’re always a jerk.” The sentence came, and there was a snort. Fanny then relaxed against Kate, and the brunette gave a low laugh, with the dog practically sitting in her lap. Then she heard footsteps coming toward her, and Kate looked over her shoulder as the door opened. “Come in, Kate.” It was a soft call, and Kate tried to slowly stand up so Fanny could move.

“No?” She asked the dog and then chuckled softly, slipping her arm under Fanny and picking her up in exactly the same way she would carry Lucky or Phantom, with her front paws resting on Kate’s shoulder and her arm supporting her hind legs, and Fanny seemed to revel in being carried, her furry tail wagging rapidly.

“This is a ridiculous scene.” Natasha said with a slightly amused tone, and Kate shrugged.

“She didn’t want to get off my lap.” And with that, Kate sat up, with Fanny quickly adjusting to tuck her snout between the brunette’s neck and shoulder. “Lucky and Sparky do the same thing.” She indicated, shrugging.

“Your girlfriend smells like a dog, sestra.” It was a tease, a joke, but the reality of the statement was so blatant that Yelena laughed and Kate just shook her head, chuckling softly. The blonde’s laughter caught Natasha off guard, who seemed merely confused.

“I’m lucky she likes dogs.” Kate said playfully, and Fanny whined when Kate stopped scratching her back. “So demanding.” The brunette grunted and then looked at the cell phone on the table, hearing what Agatha called an electronic pre-ring signal, and she reached for her phone before it even rang. And a second later the phone started ringing. Rio’s name came up and she tilted her head to the side. “Hey, how are you?” The question was soft, Rio wasn’t a big fan of phone calls on normal days.

“Yes, I’m fine. But can you pick Nicky up from school? Agatha is in Eastview buying books and I came with her but…” There was a grunt. “Someone delayed the packing and we’re going to be late.” The tone was barking, and Kate heard a pathetic apology from a man in the background.

“Uh, sure. He’s leaving now, isn’t he?” Kate saw that it was almost six on the clock next to the television. “I’m in town, I’ll pick him up.” She spoke softly.

“Yes, thank you. He’ll stay with you at Wanda’s until we get home. I’ll text the principal to let her know.” Rio said with a sigh. “It’ll still take us an hour or two.” The tone was unhappy.

“It’s just me at home, I imagine my mother should arrive soon, but she had a virtual meeting with headquarters in Shanghai, so it might take a while because of the time difference.” Kate considered. “I’ll find something to entertain the little rebel.” This made Rio laugh.

“Thank you, Kate.” The tone was kind.

“Sure, no problem.” Kate said, and the two said goodbye, and she gently put Fanny aside and looked at Yelena. 

“You need to go.” It was a soft voice, not a demand.

“Nicky needs a responsible adult, it’s a crime to think I’m up to that.” This made Yelena laugh and roll her eyes.

“You adore the boy.” The response made Natasha look from one to the other.

“He’s the best little guy ever.” Kate said smiling and Yelena gestured to the door. “See you later, Natasha.” The tone was friendly and Natasha was practically sprawled on the living room armchair, with one foot on the coffee table, and just nodded, and Yelena walked with Kate to the door in leisurely steps. “He’ll probably want to run home.” She gestured to herself.

“Rodeo, I see.” Yelena joked. “Let me know when you get there, okay?” She asked and leaned in, kissing Kate gently on the lips.

“I’ll let you know, but I must warn you, the little rebel likes a bit of a mess, so maybe there will be cake crimes in Wanda’s kitchen.” This made Yelena chuckle softly. “I’m letting you know, have fun with Natasha.” She pecked Yelena’s lips.

“Have fun with Nicky, see you later.” And with that, Kate started walking towards Nicky’s school, leaving Yelena behind.

*********

“We’re going to play American football, in a fun way, at school tomorrow.” Teddy said as Kate stopped lifting the bar and took a moment to breathe.

“Okay?” Kate said, slightly out of breath, and looked at the boy. “Do you want me to cheer for you, Teddy?” She joked, and Teddy chuckled softly.

“No, actually I need a player.” This made Kate look at him curiously. “The opposing team is down a player, and it’s kind of a charity game, and it’s still a local one, to cheer up the kids and raise donations for next year’s school supplies.” Kate blinked at him a few times.

“Are you telling me that they have to do a charity event every year to raise money?” She repeated, and he nodded.

“We serve the entire Westview area and even smaller towns. It’s not a notoriously wealthy area, so yes…” He said softly.

“I understand. Well, I can make a donation.” She offered, and he made a puppy-dog face. “I’ll play, I’ll try not to hurt anyone. You know my strength is a bit off." she grumbled.

“Great! Thanks, Kate.” He said playfully, and then they went back to training.

Kate then took a quick shower in the gym’s locker room, and she and Teddy walked out together.

“Teddy, we’re going to do the interview, but I also promised to wait for Yelena to get out of the clinic. Can we do that at Bob’s restaurant?” The question was casual, and Teddy looked at her with furrowed brows.

“Yes, sure.” He said lightly. “Will she meet us there?”

“If she finishes before us, yes.” Kate said, putting her hands in her pockets. And walking with Teddy was easy. Unlike Billy, who was noisy, talkative, and lively, Teddy was quiet, calm, and even reserved. But he was still company that Kate greatly appreciated.

“Hi Kate, hi Teddy.” Bob said with a wide smile.

“Hey, Bob, how are you?” Kate asked, smiling. “We’re going to use the corner table, okay?” She then offered.

“Sure thing, coffee?” And there were a few sentences exchanged between the three, and Kate sat with her back to the door. She knew that if she kept looking at the door, it meant her attention would be on waiting for Yelena to arrive.

“So, Kate….” Teddy began to speak a moment later, in a serious posture, and this made Kate smile amusedly. “As the founder of the fan club, I want to thank you for agreeing to an interview, it’s been a few years, hasn’t it?” He asked shyly.

“I think it was four years ago?” Kate pondered, and Teddy smiled. And out of the corner of her eye, in the empty restaurant, Kate noticed that Ava and Bob were paying attention.

“We opened a question box and selected the most recurring ones…” he said and cleared his throat. “What has changed in your life since the last time we talked for the fan club?” He asked curiously.

“I think practically everything?” Kate gave a low laugh. “I moved to a different city, and coming to a smaller city completely changed my rhythm. I sleep better and consequently write better. If I'm being very honest, my personal life has taken a really nice turn for the better.” She said smiling, and he nodded. In general, Kate wasn't known for giving away many personal details, and she appreciated that he didn't insist, even though he now knew a lot about her personal life.

“The fan club has practically doubled its followers in recent years, we're very close to hitting the one million mark. Last time you were surprised by the numbers, does it still surprise you?” He asked curiously.

“I always find myself shocked at how my books have hit an unusual curve for LGBT literature. Today I’m considered a successful author with 1.3 million copies sold. And knowing that you guys in the fan club are close to reaching 1 million followers terrifies and delights me at the same time. But it’s still kind of utopian, I often feel like just the fanfic author who started writing something she wanted to read very early on.” She shrugged shyly and Teddy nodded with a smile.

“And I hope the numbers increase.” He spoke clearly cheerfully. “We recently did a fanart campaign, small fan-made reels of scenes from the books, and you kindly gave the winners a special edition of your first book.” He slowly built up the question. “What’s it like to have this kind of attention?” She noticed how Bob and Ava were paying attention, but it was the sound of the door opening and the smell of Yelena that caught Kate’s attention.

“Hey, Yel.” She spoke when she heard some footsteps, and Kate heard the amused snort, but the blonde still put her arms around Kate's shoulders and rested her chin on the brunette's head.

"Did I take too long?" The question was kind, and Teddy answered.

"No, actually, we're just getting started." He said, and Yelena then sat down next to Kate and smiled at Teddy. "Kate?" He asked softly.

“Right the answer, hmmm .” She thought for a minute. “I like the attention this way, the drawings, the animations, the fanfics, I think overall we’ve managed to build a very safe community. So it’s always rewarding to see how people appreciate my work and I always try to value the efforts. So please don’t stop tagging me in things, I may not comment often but I always like them.” She spoke sincerely and Teddy gave a small laugh.

“You even reposted the meme they made about Lys, Percy and Katry meeting.” He joked.

“I love that meme, it’s saved as a little treasure in my personal file. I always laugh.” She said amused.

“Which meme?” Yelena asked curiously and it was Kate, not Teddy, who pulled out her cell phone and showed the saved image and Yelena gave an amused snort. “That meme, yes, I love that meme.” Yelena said smiling and took Kate’s coffee to take a sip.

“Now about the fans, are there any unexpected messages?” He asked curiously.

“I think there always is.” Kate scratched her chin slightly. “Earlier this year, someone sent me a video of a marriage proposal. This girl, Jess, did a series of reels talking about how her girlfriend was a fan of the books, so she showed the whole process of creating a little place like in Prata for the proposal. And she talked about how imagination transcends barriers, and it was amazing.” She said, smiling. “I sent them a wedding gift.” Kate shrugged slightly.

“That’s sweet of you.” Yelena spoke softly.

“I think it’s very important that artists, with their abilities, of course, support their fans. Mine are a loyal audience, I have people who followed me from fanfiction to my first book. And that’s special to me. I’ve made friends in other countries with my older readers, and I try to support them. I may not be as present as I’d like, but I try to repost things, I try to answer comments, and be present without it interrupting my private life. It took about two years teaching them what was okay and what wasn’t, but most of my readers today know what I’m like.” She spoke calmly.

“And what inspires you today?” Teddy asked curiously, it was a question that always had varying answers.

“I think that along with the changes in city and lifestyle, I’ve had a significant change in how my family nucleus is composed, how today I have influences from incredible women and incredible guys who help me be better than I was. And hearing their stories, seeing their little mannerisms, understanding the dreams, desires, and wishes of these people who, even though so recently included in my life, are very important to me, is something that inspires me a lot. I can count on sincere opinions and kind words, something I’ve always valued a lot. I don’t know if there’s a greater inspiration than feeling valued and loved.” The words echoed softly, and she saw Yelena give a gentle smile.

“I think all we want is to feel loved and valued.” Teddy spoke in a very gentle tone.

“It should be kind of a natural function of the LGBT community to shelter, love, protect. We suffer so much prejudice in so many different ways. Sometimes it’s painful to see that there’s prejudice within the community itself. Non-binary, bisexual, trans people, all suffer prejudice inside and outside the community. And I, as an artist, as an author, as an example on some level, want everyone to feel welcome.” Kate’s response made Yelena’s hand go to her wrist, and the brunette looked at the blonde with a small smile.

“As a gay guy, I can say that regardless of whether your books are about a lesbian couple, there’s a lot of representation within them. And the beautiful construction of relationships has always made me feel a warm feeling in my chest. I say for myself that the universes you create are a safe place for me.” He spoke, and Kate held both of Teddy’s hands, without saying anything, just giving him a smile. She knew there were problems between Teddy and his family, in the last interview, the boy had told her about it, and now, with the friendship they had, she had more details. "Is there any advice you'd like to give to the younger fans?" This made Kate rest her elbow on the table and her face in her hand, letting out a small, thoughtful hum.

"My advice is that everything will be okay." Kate spoke in a soft tone. "Even when everything seems really bad, really dark and confusing, everything will be okay. That they believe in themselves, that they lean on those they love, and that yes, everything will be okay. There are no ready-made answers, unfortunately, but believing that everything will be okay is something that has carried me for many years and is still a recurring thought whenever something is not good, I repeat that everything will be okay." There was a worried look from Teddy, and Kate heard Yelena's heart race slightly. "A light question now?" She offered, and Teddy gave a small, nervous laugh.

“Okay, let’s get into the lighthearted question zone.” He joked, trying to steer the mood of the situation higher. “Do you prefer a quiet night at home or going out for an adventure?” He asked playfully.

“I think an adventure followed by a quiet night. Or a quiet day and a nighttime adventure. I like exploring the world, now I have hiking partners so I can go for walks in the forest and that’s a lot of fun. I like nature. So let’s say I prefer adventures in nature followed by quiet moments. It’s all about balance.” She replied playfully, and Yelena gave a small snort and rolled her eyes, which made Kate smile at her.

“And your comfort food, is it still cake?” Teddy asked curiously.

“Chocolate. Yes. Time has only made me wiser in choosing good chocolates for my cake.” And that made Teddy laugh.

“The best cake.” Yelena muttered softly, and Kate heard because of her wolf hearing, and she lightly bumped her shoulder against Yelena in a teasing gesture.

“I chose this question because I thought it was funny.” Teddy said, clearing his throat. “What’s the strangest habit you have that nobody would guess?” He asked, and Kate blinked a few times.

Digging in soft earth in the shape of a wolf, sitting in the middle of town trying to identify smells, counting the heartbeats of the people she can focus her hearing on.

Kate cleared her throat, blushing slightly, and she saw Teddy’s amused look. Then she looked at Yelena, and the blonde seemed curious.

“It depends on what we consider weird.” She said awkwardly. “I’m a slightly weird person, but recently I’ve been trying to catch up on reading Agatha Christie’s collection and failing miserably at guessing who the killer is.” She said in a slightly dramatic tone.

“It’s practically impossible to guess who the killer is.” Teddy grumbled.

“Yelena got the last two right.” Kate said, and Teddy looked at the blonde.

“What? It was obvious.” She grumbled, and Kate laughed amusedly.

“Only for you and your genius, we normal people can’t get it right.” Kate teased, and Yelena grunted.

“You can write universes, and I discover book killers. Sounds like a good deal.” She said with a dramatic sigh.

“Yes, please don’t steal my writing assignment, it’s one of the few things I’m good at.” She whined, and Yelena glared at her.

“Be kind to yourself, Kate Bishop.” The little scolding came, and the two looked at each other.

“Yes, ma’am, my lady.” The reply, delivered with a smile, made Yelena chuckle softly.

“Idiot.” She whispered, and Kate lightly nudged Yelena’s ribs. Then the brunette looked at Teddy again.

“You two are cute.” Teddy said with an easy smile. “But Kate… Do you feel like you’ve changed a lot since you started getting public recognition?” He asked curiously.

“I wish I could say I get a lot of recognition, but no, I don’t. It happens when I go to other cities, the gay community in San Francisco is very present when I do promotion there, then there’s the gay community in L.A. But usually the recognition comes from people going to book events. My mom usually says we’re too ordinary to suffer brutal recognition, but when it happens, it’s usually simple, someone wants a photo, an autograph, a minute of conversation. My fans are great and very special.” She spoke sincerely. There have never been any real problems.

“Uh…” Teddy read the question and hesitated. “What have you learned about yourself in the last few years that has surprised you the most?” He said and then added. “We don’t need to talk about that…” He suggested, and Kate understood and appreciated his consideration for this very intimate moment in her life.

“I can answer that.” Kate said softly. “In the last few months I’ve learned a lot about myself, and inevitably that makes us change. I feel more comfortable in my own skin, more secure with myself, and especially happier. The changes in my personal life have been positive for my relationship with myself. I have an amazing family, wonderful relationships that I’m building, more friends, more people, and especially nowadays I have a peace with myself that I’m experiencing for the first time in almost 30 years.” She spoke softly and felt Yelena’s hand against hers in a gentle, affectionate touch.

“So, if I asked you to describe your life today in three words, what would they be?” He asked with an easy smile.

“Peace, recognition, and healing.” Kate spoke softly, and Teddy gave a gentle smile.

“All we need, isn’t it?” He said, and Kate nodded. “The silly interview question is, when was the last time you laughed until you were breathless?” He asked playfully.

“I have someone in my life who, if they weren’t a veterinarian, would be a comedian.” She said and winked at Yelena. “I laughed this morning at a photo I received that, if I think about it a little more, I’ll start laughing.” She started laughing and cleared her throat, and Yelena blushed.

“That’s always good to hear.” He said playfully. “And our classic last question, is there anything you’d like to tell the fans directly?” He asked, and it was a chance for spoilers.

“I’ll be opening a poll in December, on the release date of Gold, for a very important poll that may or may not define Lysthea’s future.” She said and tried to keep a serious expression when Teddy’s mouth opened and closed. Then the recorder was turned off, and he blinked a few times.

“What does that mean?” He asked, his eyes wide.

“I can’t say, I promised not to give Yelena any spoilers.” She said seriously, and Teddy groaned.

“That’s mean.” He complained.

“I’m known for being cruel.” Kate said, and there was a double grunt from Teddy and Yelena.

“You’re the sweetest creature in the universe.” Teddy said, and Yelena nodded.

“Cruelty isn’t part of your personality, I’d say angst is.” Yelena said, and Kate gave an amused laugh.

“It’s something I’m struggling to decide, both options are good, the fans will decide.” She shrugged. “Was that it, Teds?” The question was gentle, and he nodded.

“Yes, yes. I’ll see you at the game, okay?” He said playfully. “I need to go home and also call Billy.” He said, scratching his chin.

“Want company home?” Kate offered Yelena, who nodded. “Okay, the coffees are paid for, and I’ve done my professional task for today.” Teddy chuckled softly at this, and the three stood up. And that's when Kate noticed Ava's heavy gaze on her. She tilted her head slightly to the side and felt Yelena's hand pulling hers to help her walk. "Bye Bob, Ava." She said politely, and then the three walked away from the restaurant. Teddy went in the opposite direction as Kate and Yelena started walking.

"I need to make a confession." The blonde spoke softly, and this made Kate look at the blonde.

"A naughty confession?" The question was asked playfully, and Yelena laughed.

"No, no." Yelena seemed slightly uneasy, and Kate gave her time to speak. "Ava is my ex." The sentence made Kate stop walking and look at the blonde with arched eyebrows, her mouth opening and closing. She looked back towards the restaurant and then again at Yelena. There were many feelings.

Kate didn't know all the details of how bad it was, but she wasn't stupid, she picked up on details, and there were the things Yelena had told her in private. Kate opened and closed her mouth and then cleared her throat.

"Let's talk at your house, okay?" She spoke softly, and then the two started walking. She saw that Yelena was tense, but they were still a few blocks away. The next six minutes were a little tense and strange, if Kate was honest. She could smell the panic slowly settling in Yelena, but still, Kate was somewhat shocked, and the minutes of walking were good for her to quiet her mind for a moment.

Fanny greeted the two with joy, and yet, Kate saw how tense and restless Yelena was. She followed the woman with her eyes, seeing how the unease was settling in even before Kate could say anything.

"So..." The speech was paused, trying to be relaxed about it, and she saw how Yelena tensed up. "Ava is your ex." She stated the fact, and Yelena looked to the side. "Can I have some context, dear?" The affectionate nickname made Yelena's shoulders relax slightly.

“When Natasha and I moved here, I had just graduated, Natasha had left the army. Things were a little strange, maybe, the city was smaller back then - yes, that's possible - and being bisexual here is a bit difficult, maybe.” The blonde spoke softly. “I met Bob, who had recently inherited his parents' restaurant, and with him came Ava. I was 26, the world was still a bit silly, I think. And I was innocent.” Kate nodded at this. Yelena had just turned 32 and she knew that the previous relationship had lasted a while. “Things with Ava were… Fast, incendiary in a way that Natasha tried to warn me at the time wasn't good. She had many red flags that I ignored, in innocence, in foolishness, and even manipulation on her part.” Yelena spoke, holding her hands lightly.

“I told you, darling, you were the victim, it's not your fault.” She spoke softly and saw Yelena look at her.

“With Ava came a lot of control. And to relieve the pressure she put on me, we moved in together after only a few months of dating.” She spoke softly. “And that derailed the situation even more, the control through messages and calls became control inside the house. I was emotionally punished for wanting things, or doing things.” She spoke softly.

“Like what?” Kate asked in a tone that was a mixture of concern with furrowed brows and the inherent curiosity of a human being.

“You know about the food part, I didn’t eat sweets because she said I would get fat and with that came the ‘nobody will want you but me’. The ordinary manipulation of the psyche.” Yelena spoke and Fanny snuggled against the blonde, offering support. “Sex was something that became almost torture on some level, it only happened when she wanted, the way she wanted and I always ended up being left out, it wasn’t about me, or about us, but about her.” Kate’s eyebrows furrowed at this. “There was the gaslighting about my work, about her hating that I could go out in the middle of the night to help animals, or accusations that I was giving too much attention to the owners. It was always difficult.” She paused, and Kate opened and closed her mouth, searching for something to say.

“Was there anything good about it?” The question echoed so softly that Kate could barely hear herself.

“Phantom and Bob.” Yelena shrugged. “Ava adopted Phantom in an attempt to please me about a pet, he’s older than Fanny, Fanny came later.” She spoke softly. “And Bob strongly condemned what Ava did to me, they have a very tense relationship when it comes to me.” She spoke and sighed.

“I… Did she physically hurt you too?” The question came dryly, but Kate’s eyebrows were still furrowed, and her hands were slightly clenched.

“Sometimes.” The whisper came, and Kate felt a tightness in her chest, the growl that escaped her was much more visceral and uncontrolled. The wolf was furious, she was furious. She stood up with a growl.

"I'm going to kill her." The tone wasn't friendly, and she saw how Yelena's eyes widened, and then the blonde's hand grabbed Kate's wrist, pulling her to sit down, and Kate looked at her, seeing the apprehension there, the fear, and like a dog that had been scolded, Kate's posture shrank, trying to make herself smaller, less threatening somehow. "Sorry, I don't mean to scare you." She spoke softly, and there was a moment when Kate took a deep breath.

"The wolf?" Yelena asked softly.

"I..." The brunette stammered and turned to Yelena, then touched the blonde's face carefully. "It hurts me to know that you were hurt like that, that there was this mistreatment, this lack of respect and care for you." She spoke softly, looking at Yelena with affection. “My wolf is protective, he wants to protect you, it especially wants to hurt whoever hurt you. But this tooth-for-tooth reaction comes from the immaturity of my control over my wolf, a consequence of the late connection as it is.” She gently brushed the tips of her fingers across Yelena’s face. “You are perfect as you are, Yel, with qualities, flaws, human, and perfectly perfect in your imperfections. You shouldn’t be deprived of what makes you happy, of sweets, of your work, of your choices, of sex where you want your pleasure to be the main focus.” Her tone was low. “Ava is an idiot.” She grunted and waited a moment to ask something she wanted to know. “How did it end?” Kate asked softly.

“With me ending up in the hospital with her hurting me, nobody believed that she, poor thing, had hurt me. Only Natasha, but that was the end. She left to prevent Natasha from killing her, my sister has a great punch, I must say, after all the legal trouble that ended in a settlement I was able to live in peace.” The tone was soft, embarrassed. Kate heard Yelena's small, emotional tone.

"I'm so sorry, darling, I promise to protect you with all my heart." Kate spoke softly, unsure of what to say, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"And she automatically hates you." Yelena rolled her eyes, and Kate raised her eyebrows. "Bob is a big gossip and he accidentally told her that you and I are close, and today we were both at the restaurant. Ava is many things, but she's not stupid, she'll find out we're together." Yelena spoke without hesitation.

"Well, because I'm not going to hide you, I'm not going to diminish us because of an idiot. If she wants to hate me, so be it, I recently discovered that I can hit really hard, if she tries to hurt you again she'll find out." Kate spoke in a very firm tone, and Yelena sighed.

"She'll be on the team tomorrow, try not to kill her." The request was made without much force, and Kate grunted slightly.

“No promises. What a fucking jerk.” She muttered, and Yelena looked at her with a mixture of fascination and amusement. Then she moved to sit on Kate’s lap without much hesitation and looked the brunette in the eyes.

“Would you hurt her in my name, Kate Bishop?” She asked softly.

“If I find her in the forest and I’m in wolf form, I’ll make her pee herself.” Kate promised with a grunt, and Yelena sighed.

“Don’t put yourself at risk. I’ve spent days convincing Natasha to leave the wolves we found alone.” She spoke softly. “Don’t put the pack at risk because of my idiot ex.” The words weighed heavily, and Kate felt the weight of it echo, and Kate’s tense shoulders slumped.

“You’re right.” She spoke a moment later and sighed. And the acceptance seemed to surprise Yelena. “I won’t do anything unless she does something first. If she tries anything against anyone in my pack, I’ll react.” Kate spoke softly. “She’s certainly no more terrifying than a bear.” This made Yelena’s eyebrows arch.

“A… Bear…” There was a lip-licking.

“Rio and I found a bear the day we found you two in the forest. We fell rolling in front of it while playing tag. The bear reacted defensively, and Rio and I reacted defensively. There was no conflict, but the size of that beast was terrifying.” Kate grumbled.

“Kate Bishop, you need to be careful in the forest.” Yelena scolded firmly, and Kate blinked a few times.

“I’m sorry?” She offered. “I promise to be more careful?” She offered again.

“Please.” Yelena’s tone was soft, and then there was a long yawn from the blonde. “God, I’m sorry, today was a complicated day.” She spoke in a slightly sleepy tone.

“How about we eat something and you take a shower and then we go to sleep?” Kate offered softly. “Or better yet, I’ll make something for dinner while you take a shower.” She stated easily.

“No, I don’t want to bother you.” Yelena frowned uneasyly.

“It’s not work, I want it.” And with the ease of a werewolf who had finally regained her strength and energy, Kate stood up, which made Yelena give a playful little squeal and giggle. “I’ll take you to the bathroom.” She said provocatively, and Yelena clung to her with amusement.

“Kate, I can walk!” It was a playful tone, amidst laughter, and Kate ignored the comment, making heavy footsteps with her mouth and carrying Yelena to the bedroom. But Kate stopped at the door and gently placed the blonde’s feet on the floor.

“Delivered.” She said playfully.

“I thought you were going to leave me in the bathroom.” Yelena teased, running her hand over Kate’s collarbones in amusement.

“I haven’t been invited in yet.” The teasing came back, and Yelena rolled her eyes.

“You’re a werewolf, not a vampire from Vampire Diaries.” Yelena grumbled and pushed the door open. “I’ll even let you stay in the bathtub with me—” The words were sensual and ended in another yawn, which made Yelena look at Kate with slightly red cheeks.

“Tempting, but you smell hungry and tired. Go take your bath and meet me in the kitchen. I’ll have food.” She made a dramatic gesture as if she were a villain from a story. “And the plan will be complete muhahaha.” And that made Yelena snort and laugh playfully with a wide smile on her face. “I’ll feed you and we can cuddle.” The falsely evil tone continued and Yelena laughed again.

“Okay, you convinced me, it’s cold and you’re warm.” The blonde said, entering the room. “I won’t be long.” She offered.

“Take all the time you need, I’ll wait for you while I convince Fanny that I’m cooler.” She teased, and Yelena snorted playfully.

“Impossible.” She spoke, closing the bedroom door, and Kate laughed, moving to the kitchen.

Yelena was a person of healthy habits, so preparing the salad with the vegetables, leaves, and greens that were there was very easy. Kate cut some cubes of white cheese to put along with it and small pieces of toast. 

And even though Kate wasn't a very skilled cook, she knew how to make a good Alfredo pasta, so starting to create the meal was easy. Fanny was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, watching attentively and reacting every time Kate spoke to her.

"Is she trying to bribe you?" The question made Kate look from the stove to the door, and the brunette opened her mouth, feeling speechless. "Kate?" The call came, and Kate cleared her throat.

"You're wearing a very thin tank top and no bra." It wasn't a complaint, but an observation.

"You can see the piercings, can't you?" Yelena teased, and Kate grunted.

"Unfair, unfair that I still can't suck on them." She said, complaining, and Yelena chuckled softly.

"I'm so sorry to be on my period." she said awkwardly.

“Don’t apologize for something natural.” Kate said calmly. “I’m dramatic, but yes, I can see the piercings and they’re nice.” Kate sighed dramatically. “I’ll continue making dinner like the poor werewolf I am.” She said, and Yelena laughed, approaching.

“Poor? You’re practically a millionaire.” She said in a mocking tone and approached Kate, kissing the brunette’s cheek. “Thank you for making dinner.” It was soft and gentle.

“I know, you want me for my money, body heat, and cake-making skills.” Kate said in a light tone, and Yelena laughed.

“Damn, she figured out my plan.” The two looked at this and laughed amusedly.

“Go sit down, problem, I’ll serve the food. Get the salad from the fridge and something you want to drink. Uh… I’ll drink water, I haven’t drunk enough water today.” She grumbled to herself, and Yelena made a sound of easy acceptance.

Dinner was a lighthearted affair, with Yelena mostly talking about her day and Kate asking questions about what was being said. It was sweet to watch the blonde excitedly chatting about work, animals, and sharing little anecdotes from her day. When the dishes were put in the dishwasher and they settled down after brushing their teeth for bed, Kate just sighed, feeling Yelena snuggle against her.

"You're so warm." The blonde whispered against Kate's neck and sighed as the brunette's hands moved down her back.

"I'm your personal warmer." Kate teased softly, and Yelena chuckled slightly.

"I like it when you say you're mine." The confession came in a sleepy tone.

"Well, I like saying I'm yours." Kate said and kissed Yelena's forehead affectionately. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight, baby." And it took minutes for Kate to feel Yelena's breathing slow down and her heart beat slowly in a deep sleep.

*********

"Excited for the game?" Wanda's voice was soft as she sat across from Kate with face paints, wetting a thin brush to draw a small, colorful mask on Kate that would be used as a team determiner — whatever that meant. Since everyone would be wearing black and white, Kate was wearing a black T-shirt and white pants — crazy, in her opinion, to wear white.

"Eh, whatever, really." Kate spoke sincerely, and that made Wanda look at her with amusement. "I'll donate, my mom will donate as Bishop Security. American football was never really my thing to watch or even think about playing. It wasn't something my sick self thought: wow, I really want to do this someday. You know?" She shrugged. "But it's for charity. You guys will be there, Rio will be on the other team, so at least I know I won't kill one person. And I'll try not to kill Yelena's ex." She snorted the last part, and Wanda stopped moving the brush lightly and looked at Kate.

"She told you about Ava, hm?" The tone was soft. “Yelena didn’t talk about it for a long time, we know it was bad. Did she tell you how bad it was?”

“For the most part, yes, she told me that she was hospitalized because Ava hurt her, but there weren’t any sordid details, so to speak. Yelena had already opened up a very closed part of herself, which was this abusive relationship. I didn’t want to push her or be overly curious.” Kate spoke sincerely, and Wanda nodded.

“It wasn’t pretty. I was starting a friendship with Natasha. We were together at her house when Yelena called to say she was going to the hospital in Eastview. It was… Bad. I went along because that’s what friends do. Yelena was hurt. There were exams, there was conversation with the police, but it didn’t really yield results. Yelena wanted to let it all go and stop Natasha from killing Ava. We respect that, but we’re still careful. Ava, in general, isn’t very well-liked in the city.” Wanda said and went back to painting.

“I wonder why…” Kate’s sarcastic tone made Wanda laugh.

“And you… You slept at her house the day before yesterday, didn’t you?” The question was curious.

“Yes, but she wanted company, her hormones were a little crazy because of the end of her menstrual cycle.” She shrugged. “Still no sex.” The sigh Kate gave made Wanda laugh amusedly. “But what about you and Natasha?” she asked curiously.

“We will talk today after the game. I feel less furious, more able to talk.” She shook her head slightly and then indicated the mirror. “There, you’re ready to represent the crows of Westview.” The tone was playful.

“At least they’re not the lambs. That would be ironic.” And that made the redhead laugh.

And with that, Kate went downstairs and got into Eleanor’s car. Wanda would go with Billy and Kate with Eleanor, for some reason.

“Why are we going in two cars?” She asked curiously.

“Billy will use Wanda’s car, so two cars.” Eleanor explained calmly. "When am I going to be introduced as Yelena's girlfriend's mother?" she asked suddenly, and Kate coughed slightly.

“Soon. I’ll probably spend the night with her this weekend, and tomorrow we’ll both go home for lunch.” Eleanor nodded.

“Great, I don’t want to have to corner you.” Kate stopped and looked at her mother with amusement, and Eleanor laughed. But the drive to the school’s soccer field was uneventful.

Teddy was an assistant teacher there, he helped with physical education classes while he was still finishing his degree, and it was good. It was good for Teddy, who loved children, and for the children, who had such a kind role model as Teddy.

“It’s a shame there’s so little investment in this school.” Kate said as she and Eleanor got out of the car.

“Yes, but I’m talking to the investors at Bishop Company about investing here.” Kate nodded, she knew there had been an administrative division of the company, Eleanor was chosen to manage all the organizations outside of North America, that is, the Bishop Company, and Derek was left with the largest companies, the technology and development branch, Bishop Security and Bishop Tech, which were mostly based in the US and Canada. This made her father happy and especially the investors happy. Derek was the engineer and Eleanor the administrator, it was always this combination that made money and divorced or not, none of the shareholders wanted to let Eleanor go.

"Did you manage to convince Pepper to leave you alone with the idea of ​​you coordinating Stark's operations?" She asked, walking beside her mother and seeing a man with a broken arm, sitting in the stands and looking at the field, and something about that man made her stop for a moment.

"Pepper will never stop, she wants to administratively kidnap me." Eleanor said, and then the pack began to approach.

"Hey, what are we looking at?" Rio asked curiously and followed Kate's gaze. “Ah, that’s Wally, he’s not much of a talker. I think we’ve exchanged two or three polite sentences in the last ten years.” She commented casually.

“He’s trying to tie his shoe.” Kate said with furrowed brows. And she saw how Yelena and Natasha approached.

“Hey.” Yelena spoke softly and Kate looked away from Wally and looked at Yelena.

“Hey, darling.” The tone was soft and affectionate and Yelena blushed slightly. “Hey, I’ll be right back, okay?” She offered, already moving, and she felt the group follow Kate as she walked over to Wally.

Wally was a somewhat worn-looking man, he wore slightly baggy clothes and seemed thin, and his broken arm didn’t seem to help his current situation much, his brown hair was sprinkled with gray streaks and he was clearly frustrated trying to tie his shoe.

“Hey, can I help you with that?” Kate offered suddenly and the man’s eyes went up to look at Kate and he seemed awkward.

“I don’t want to bother you.” He said shyly.

“It’s no bother, I’m offering. Let me help you tie your shoes.” She offered with a slight smile, and Wally nodded, still awkwardly. And Kate bent down to tie his shoes calmly. “I’m Kate. Kate Bishop.” She offered as she stood up.

“Wallace Xavier.” He said, offering his unbroken hand, and Kate accepted without hesitation, and that’s when she had that very specific feeling she had when she was near Cho or Rio or Cindy. She frowned and sat down next to Wallace so she could speak close to him.

“You’re a shapeshifter.” She said softly, and she saw how he tensed. “I’m a wolf.” She offered, and saw how he looked at her and then at the field.

“Velka.” He offered softly. “I noticed that you and Dr. Belova smell alike.” He said shyly. “She took care of me a few times in feline form, she’s kind and willing to take care of stray cats.” He spoke awkwardly. “Things are tough financially, you can imagine…” Wally continued.

“People are kinder to animals than to other people, hm.” Kate spoke softly and he nodded. “I’m sorry Wallace, the world can be a bit of a cruel place. But Yelena knows me, she would help you even without being a feline.” The conversation flowed smoothly and gently. “I also needed help, there’s a good community here, I can help you integrate if you want.” She offered and he swallowed hard.

“That would be nice, my family…” He stammered and sighed. “There were three of us, we lived far from here and one day my daughter had an involuntary transformation and well… My wife tried to protect her from humans and…” She didn’t need to hear everything to fill in the gaps. “I came here after that and I feel kind of lost these last few years, losing them…” Kate’s hand went to Wallace’s shoulder in a friendly gesture.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t fix this, even if I wish I could, but I can… I can be your friend if you’ll accept, Wallace.” She spoke, and there was this moment of connection, a kind act like Kate always tried to give to others that seemed to resonate deeply in a wounded soul.

“That would be nice, Kate, I don’t have many friends.” He spoke softly.

“Great, come on, let’s go with my pack, they’re nice. Just, uh, the smaller redhead doesn’t know about us completely.” She said, indicating the group, and Wally stood up shyly. And with that, the two began to walk towards the group, who were intrigued by the situation. “Hey guys, this is Wally, he’s going to sit with us.” Kate said, and there was a moment that sounded like a silent ‘why’. “What’s the expression, birds of a feather flock together?” She spoke firmly, and Wanda was the first to realize that Wally was supernatural.

“Sounds good, come on, Wally. Grab a soda, let’s watch these crazy guys play ball. Kate Bishop, you need to go to the field.” She pointed to where the teams were. “And you too, Rio Vidal.” She scolded them, and the two werewolves looked at each other.

“Geez.” Rio said playfully and kissed Agatha’s cheek. Nicky was with the school kids in a cheerleading squad near the field.

“I’ll go with you, I’m the field medic. What a stupid idea.” Yelena said, rolling her eyes, and then the three started walking. “He’s a…” The blonde asked between silences, and Rio looked at the two of them.

“Velka.” Kate spoke softly, and there was a hint of recognition from Rio, who looked between the two women and nodded.

“Lonely?” Rio’s question was as gentle as Kate’s words.

“His family was murdered in another city, and he’s kind of lost.”  Kate spoke softly, and there was a slight moment of tension in Rio's shoulders.

"Damn it, I never paid attention, fuck, I'm upset with myself." Rio grunted and shoved her thumbs into the waistband of her pants, moving angrily toward the field. And Kate sighed.

"You took care of him a few times in the past." Kate whispered to Yelena, who looked at Kate with furrowed brows.

"Oh…" There was a hint of surprise. "I wouldn't know."

"I don't think he wanted you to know, but I told him you'd help, no matter what." She spoke gently.

"Of course, we only have one doctor in this town, and he's usually out and about, if someone needs help I'll help." Yelena grumbled.

"Okay, let's be kind to Wally, he's been through a lot from what I could tell." Yelena nodded at this.

"Okay, I'll sit with the coach, try not to kill anyone." She said smiling. “We don’t want to have to send people to Eastview Hospital.” She spoke softly.

“Of course, I’ll do my best. I promise to try.” The two stopped and looked at each other. “A good luck kiss.” Kate playfully pointed to her own cheek. Yelena rolled her eyes, and then came the moment of greatest proof for Kate that Yelena wasn’t embarrassed by the two of them or afraid of Ava’s reaction.

The blonde’s hands went to Kate’s cheek, avoiding touching the painted part, and she playfully pecked Kate’s lip, and the two looked at each other for a moment.

“Good game, don’t kill yourself.” The blonde pushed Kate lightly, and the brunette saluted the blonde, who just giggled.

“Yes, Captain, my Captain.”  She spoke cheerfully and moved to the team, made up mostly of parents of the students. Teddy was on the opposing team, and so was Rio.

She quickly made friends with a few people and felt Ava's eyes, who was at the back of the field with Bob on the other team. She didn't seem very happy, but Bob waved to Kate cheerfully, something Kate easily reciprocated.

Then the coach and physical education teacher walked to the middle of the field and blew his whistle, which made everyone stop talking and look at him. He gestured for everyone to come closer, and it was a mixed-gender sports field, so it was marked with paint so that the game at that moment would be understood. Teddy had said that all grass sports were played there.

“Alright, everyone, pay attention for a second!” Coach Gonçalves said with a wide smile. “First of all: this is a charity game, it’s for fun, not an official championship. So let’s keep the spirit of the party, nothing personal.” He said, pointing to Rio. “I’m talking about you, Vidal.” Rio shrugged and stuck his tongue out at the coach, who just laughed. “Now, the rules: No fixed NFL positions, everyone plays where they feel most comfortable. The field is smaller and marked with paint in the scoring zones. If you cross the end line carrying the ball: point! It’s not rocket science.” He indicated with his hand. “It always starts with the quarterback’s pass. You can throw or hand the ball. No bumping into each other like in a professional game, okay? Let’s try to avoid concussions, even with helmets. There will be two 15-minute halves, with a break in the middle for water, laughter, and the cheering of the little ones who organized themselves for this.” He indicated the children who were clearly excited. “Regarding the scoring, you crossed the field to the end zone: 6 points. If you want, you can try a simple conversion with a short pass worth 1 extra point. And please, if someone falls, we stop. If someone misses, the game continues with laughter. And if someone makes a nice play, everyone applauds, regardless of the team. We are here for the children and to raise money for the school. So give it your best, but play fair. Agreed?” He asked, and Kate looked at Teddy and made a ‘I’m watching you’ gesture. The boy gave an amused laugh and stuck his tongue out at Kate.

“Ready to win, Bishop?” One of the women she had briefly known spoke, and Kate laughed.

“Yes, I’ll stop Rio from killing us all, you guys score points.” She knew that Rio was the most frantic to win there, the brunette’s competitive spirit was always strong. There was collective laughter, and then the two team leaders approached the center of the field, where the coach flipped a coin to decide who would start playing. “I’ll stay on defense, okay?” She asked, and there was a collective nod, which made Kate go to the back of the field, protecting the end line. She wasn’t that big a fan of American football, but she would help.

The other team started, and Teddy and Rio were apparently a good team together. She watched as the ball was passed from one to the other, and she started to move when she saw they were getting closer. In a reasonably athletic leap, Kate intercepted the ball and fell rolling. In a quick movement, she threw the ball to a member of her team and saw how quickly disarmed the opposing team would lose their rhythm. She then pointed at Rio and stuck out her tongue, which made the brunette giggle.

Kate watched for a moment as the other group advanced and saw the ball cross the field in a beautiful throw made by Rio. She began to follow the ball quickly, walking diagonally, and when she jumped to catch it, she felt someone making a reasonably violent tackle under her legs, which were still in the air.

Kate, who had been prepared to land perfectly on her feet, felt her body being thrown upwards, her feet completely losing their position for proper landing, and it would be a painful fall. She could foresee this, so, as Teddy had taught her, she tucked her chin to her chest and closed her elbows, releasing all the air from her lungs and falling to the ground hard.

“Time, time!” She heard Teddy shouting and then people approaching.

“Kate?” Yelena’s voice sounded, and Kate opened her eyes.

“I’m fine.” She spoke softly, sitting up and shaking her head slightly. The helmet was removed, and she noticed Yelena looking at her with concern, a flashlight flickering slightly in front of her pupils.

“Are you dizzy? In pain?” The question came in a worried tone from the blonde, and Kate blinked a few times.

"I'm fine." Kate spoke softly, and she stood up, seeing that there was a small commotion.

"Ava made a brutal tackle on you." Yelena spoke softly.

"I'm fine, we can continue." Kate spoke loudly, and that made the commotion subside. "I'm fine, darling, I promise. I'm tougher than I look." She whispered, and Yelena nodded, still slightly uneasy, but Kate put on her helmet. "Now it's my turn." She spoke softly and turned to the coach. "We can continue."

Chapter Text

Kate felt her body trembling with adrenaline. She walked to the front of the field, and one of the mothers in the group looked at her curiously.

"Pass me the ball, okay?" She asked, and there was a slight hint of surprise but an easy acceptance, after all, Kate was more than willing to stay on the defensive line.

"Decided to stop hiding at the back of the field?" Ava said, and Kate firmly ignored the woman speaking to her. Then the whistle blew, and Kate started running.

She easily dodged one or two parents who were slower than the others and noticed Ava coming at speed towards her.

"Long pass!" The man who was the quarterback shouted, and Kate began to accelerate, which opened a firm distance between her and Ava. Kate might not be faster than Rio, but she was faster than an average human.

Kate saw Rio running towards her, attempting an interception, and it was as if the two of them were in wolf form. Rio's eyes gleamed with amusement, and when the two collided, it weighed heavily, of course it weighed heavily. 

Rio wasn't a weak woman, but still, Kate was a stronger wolf, and a taller human, so with just physical strength she began to push Rio back, to pass the ball and her body for point counting.

Rio grunted, trying to hold Kate with as much force as possible, but her feet slipped on the grass, and when the whistle blew, Rio let go of Kate and grunted.

"Unfair!" She pointed at Kate, who stuck her tongue out at the older woman, then turned to raise her arms in celebration, and that's when she clearly saw Ava very quickly advancing towards her, ignoring or not having heard the whistle. She was in a position to grab Kate's legs.

The werewolf simply dodged, with the ease of someone playing tag in a forest, and with one hand on the back of Ava's neck, she pushed her against the ground, and it was a fall that was anything but unglamorous, and Ava bounced on the ground.

"Damn it." Kate heard someone say as Ava stood up and turned to Kate, this time in a much more offensive stance for hand-to-hand combat.

Kate's head was pulled out of the line of the punch, a stupid idea since she was wearing a helmet, but Kate grabbed the protective grille of Ava's helmet and pulled forcefully towards the ground, which made the woman lose her balance and fall to the ground face down, and Kate did something she always saw being done to suspects being arrested, one of her knees went directly into the middle of Ava's back, pinning her to the ground forcefully, Kate didn't bother to be gentle at that moment.

"Stay on the ground until you calm down." Kate spoke in a firm voice, a tone that didn't leave much room, and it was just enough time for Alice and the coach to approach.

Even though Alice wasn't in uniform, she was still a police officer. And since she had no connection to Yelena or Kate, at least no family ties, she could intervene if necessary.

"Kate, let her go." Alice spoke in a firm tone, and Kate looked at her and stood up, taking two steps back. Ava stood up as if the humiliation of being held down was too great, and there was this grunt, the helmet was removed and thrown aside, and Ava's furious eyes met Kate's. The younger woman stopped beside Rio and Teddy, the older werewolf seemed very unimpressed, and Teddy was clearly ready to intervene if necessary.

She even wanted to advance towards Kate, but Alice stepped in front and looked firmly at the woman. Alice's posture made it clear that this would be a clear no, and that it would definitely be stopped by the police officer.

“It’s a school charity event, Ava, if you don’t know how to behave, you’d better leave.” The coach spoke in a firm tone, and Kate crossed her arms, not at all impressed.

“She threw me to the ground and I’m the one to blame?” Ava grunted.

“If I really wanted to throw you, you would know.” Kate spoke in a dry tone. “Unlike you, I respect other people.” She grunted. “I’m going back to the defensive line, coach. While you deal with… This…” Kate spoke disdainfully and turned around and started walking without giving Ava a second glance.

“An idiot.” Rio said with a grunt. “But I thought it was very funny you burying her face in the dirt like she was an ostrich.” This made Teddy, who was walking alongside, laugh.

“You knew that this behavior has never been observed in any ostrich, right?” Kate spoke and looked at Rio, who tilted her head to the side in clear curiosity about how Kate knew that fact. "That's what our vet told me." she joked lightly.

“Your veterinarian, I have a sexy librarian, Teddy has a little nerd.” Rio said, and it was Kate’s turn to give an amused laugh.

“I like this distribution.” She said and separated from the two, going to the back of the field again. She glanced briefly at Yelena and saw that the blonde tilted her head to the side, almost in a silent question of how she was. Kate nodded and saw how Yelena’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

On the other side of the field, a conversation was taking place between Ava, Bob, and the coach. Alice was nearby with her arms crossed, listening, but then it seemed that they reached an understanding. Ava went to the opposite diagonal from where Kate was and seemed to have been placed on the defensive side, and Bob, the small, awkward one, advanced to the offensive line.

“Idiot.” Kate grumbled to herself, and then there was another play, this time with Teddy running towards her. Teddy was a former player, and when Kate lunged at him, he dodged, and she fell rolling.

"Are you alright, Bishop?" Rio asked playfully when he noticed Kate was laughing. A hand was extended, and Kate took it, being easily pulled up.

"Who would have thought Theodore was so slippery?" She said playfully, and Teddy approached.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, initially worried.

"You're very skillful, I bow to your skill." Kate joked and gave him a little punch on the chest, which made Teddy blush and scratch the back of his neck.

"I just have practice." He said awkwardly, and then there was the halftime whistle. "Come on, let's get off the field, get some water, and watch the kids perform. They were inspired by the cheerleaders." He spoke playfully, and Kate casually walked alongside Teddy and Rio. Unlike the other two, who went to the bench, Kate walked over to Yelena and took off her helmet, which messed up her brown hair.

"You're a mess." Yelena said softly, running her hands through Kate's hair, tidying up the small mess.

"I rolled on the ground like a tomato." Kate said, making Yelena chuckle softly and shake her head.

"She tried to tackle you, from what I saw." Yelena said, indicating the bench, which made the brunette sit down without hesitation. Then Yelena's hands touched Kate's neck as if searching for or probing her, the tips of her fingers touching each side in a firm but still present touch. "Are you in pain?" The question was soft and gentle.

"Nah. I'm fine, it was nothing." Kate said softly, and Yelena handed her a bottle of water, still looking suspicious. "So thoughtful." Kate teased, leaning toward Yelena provocatively.

"Don't tease me." Yelena spoke softly.

"I'm not. I like you being protective." Kate said with a smile, and the blonde sat beside her, her cheeks slightly flushed. The werewolf realized that this was probably something Ava teased and was cruel about, but Kate truly liked that Yelena was so careful with her.

"She was very aggressive." Yelena's tone held apprehension, fear of what she had already experienced, and Kate understood, she wouldn't downplay it. Then the brunette's hand, even a little dirty with grass and soil, touched Yelena's, and their fingers intertwined.

"It's okay, she won't hurt you." Kate spoke softly.

"I'm afraid she'll hurt you." Yelena whispered, and Kate nodded.

“I’ll be fine, darling. She’s lucky I haven’t retaliated against her so far, except for throwing her to the ground. If she tries again in another way, and even more aggressively, I’ll force myself to use more force than I’m using now. And believe me, she doesn’t want that.” The last words were soft, and Yelena sighed, leaned in, and rested her head on Kate’s shoulder.

Kate then looked out onto the field, which made Yelena follow the movement, and she smiled when she saw the children organizing themselves for what looked like a cheerleading routine. There were some adults coordinating, and it was cute.

The children were excited, the music was loud, and Kate smiled at the scene. One of her arms circled Yelena’s shoulders and pulled her close, which made the blonde sigh slightly and snuggle against Kate.

“It’s cold.” The blonde grumbled, pulling up the zipper of her jacket. And that made Kate snuggle Yelena closer to her. “You’re a furnace.” The blonde whispered, and Kate gave a low laugh, but buried her nose and mouth in the blonde's hair.

"Our basal temperature is 38.5ºC." Kate spoke softly, and this made Yelena look at her.

"So you didn't have a fever that day." She stated.

“No, but you felt better because I took a Tylenol.” Kate shrugged. “A fever above that is 39.5, according to what I was told.” Yelena adopted a thoughtful tone of acceptance and nodded.

“Anything else I need to know about your physiology?” She grumbled.

“Just that I’m always warm and…” There was a lowering of the tone. “My physical resistance is 3 to 4 times greater than that of a standard human.” She spoke softly and saw the shiver run down Yelena’s neck and the blonde closed her eyes.

“Noted.” Yelena said and cleared her throat, blushing slightly.

“So many inappropriate thoughts, Miss Belova.” Kate spoke softly and Yelena’s hand gently held Kate’s knee and there was a sigh.

“You have no idea.” Yelena’s tone didn’t leave much room and there was a small, low laugh from Kate against the blonde.

“I hope Natasha is busy with Wanda today and leaves us in peace.” She said playfully, and Yelena gave a disgruntled groan.

“If there’s a fourth block, I’ll tear my hair out.” This made Kate chuckle softly, and her hand slowly slid down Yelena’s back in a gentle caress. “Can you please stop teasing me?” The tone wasn’t really demanding, and the two looked at each other, and Yelena sighed, shifting slightly. “The game will continue, please try not to get hurt.” She sighed, and Kate nodded, standing up and covering a sudden yawn.

“I’ll do my best.” She moved onto the field and noticed that there was one less player on each side. And Ava’s absence was glaring, especially since Kate was keeping an eye on her to avoid getting hit. But Ava wasn’t there. “Did we lose one?” She asked one of the other adults.

“The other team lost a player, so Norma is on the bench, much to her delight.” Roger, one of the parents, spoke, indicating the woman who was happily seated. And Kate just nodded.

And really, without Ava there, the second half was much more fun to play. Bob even managed to score points — Kate may or may not have let him pass — and he was very happy about that.

In the end, the game ended in a tie, which worked out for everyone. Nicky ran up to Rio with his arms raised, and Kate thought it was cute that he was wearing black shorts under a pleated cheerleader skirt.

“I love your skirt.” She said, approaching him, and Nicky gave a wide smile.

“Ash lent it to me!” He pointed to a girl in the stands with a cast on her arm. “She broke her arm and couldn’t participate, the doctor said it was dangerous.” Kate nodded at this, and Rio put Nicky down and gave Kate a little punch on the arm.

“Good game, I finally got to go all out on someone.” She teased provocatively.

“I’m still a bit out of sorts, so I had to hold back quite a bit.” Kate said, shrugging slightly. Rio nodded and smiled at Kate.

“And what are the plans for today?” she asked curiously.

“Hm… Wanda and Natasha are going to talk, my mom has a meeting with Taiwan that will last all afternoon, I don’t know about you guys.” She paused and saw Rio’s amused look. “I’m going to spend the afternoon with Yelena and sleep at her house.” She said casually, and Rio chuckled softly.

“Sounds like a great way to burn off some energy. Have fun. I’m going to Eastview with Nicky and Agatha, we want to go to the movies.” Rio spoke softly, and the little boy ran to Agatha, who was sitting between Wanda and Natasha. There was this layer of tension between the two redheads, Natasha kept looking at Wanda, and Agatha was unhappy in the middle of that mess.

“Agatha is going to explode.” Kate commented, and Rio looked at his wife and made a thoughtful sound. I'm

“She’s worried about this conversation, so she’s putting on this tough face to hide her concern.” Rio commented softly, and Kate made a thoughtful sound, but her train of thought was quickly interrupted by a touch on the brunette’s back. She felt Yelena’s cold hand and smelled her.

“Hey, do you need me to carry something?” She turned around, practically pulling Yelena’s backpack onto her shoulder.

“I was going to say no, but you decided for me.” Yelena said playfully, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Seriously, how are you guys not cold?” She grumbled, and Rio chuckled.

“We’re warm-blooded.” Rio said playfully, and the group started walking toward the rest of the pack.

“Where’s Wally?” Kate asked suddenly as they approached.

“He’s with your mom buying a hot dog.” Natasha spoke, indicating the two who were talking, and Kate tilted her head to the side at Eleanor's clear interest in talking to Wallace, but she decided to brush it aside when the two began to get closer.

“It was a great game, daughter.” Eleanor spoke with an easy smile to Kate. “I would just skip the confrontation.” The tone had a hint of disdain but was still calm.

“I just defended myself, the way you taught me.” Kate shrugged slightly and then held Yelena’s hand. “You two already know each other, but…” She cleared her throat. “Yelena and I are dating, so you don’t need to corner us, Mom.” She said, blushing slightly, and there was a small laugh from Wanda.

“I had to corner Billy, it wasn’t pretty.” Wanda said playfully, and Kate looked at her curiously. “Two naked boys wasn’t my idea of ​​a sight on a Saturday afternoon.” And that made Kate laugh.

“Are you going to the barbecue?” Wally asked Kate curiously.

“Yes, I just urgently need a shower.” She said, indicating the mud stains. “See you there, Wally?” The little nudge made the man stir slightly and nod.

“Yes, yes, it would be nice to have company.” He said awkwardly.

“Great! Then we’ll meet later, the barbecue is later in the evening, right?” Kate said, looking at Rio.

“At 6 pm, yes, in the gym. It’s cold, so they’ll do it inside. Teddy and Billy went to organize things.” Rio said calmly. “It’ll be nice to have you with us, Wally.” She sounded friendly, and Kate sensed the guilt of never having approached the man who was clearly alone.

“We’ll meet there.” Wally said awkwardly, but he seemed happier. Kate really thought about what Agatha had told her a while ago, shapeshifters aren’t meant to be lonely. The mere idea of ​​now having friends and a group cheered Wally up, who seemed less downcast.

And with that, the group split up, and Kate found herself walking slowly with Yelena toward the blonde's house. It was indeed colder, and Kate didn't want to wear the jacket she'd borrowed from Eleanor's car while it was dirty, so the small backpack with a change of clothes also contained the jacket.

"So, are you cold?" Yelena's question was playful, and Kate gave a low laugh.

"Not when I'm near you." She teased, which made the blonde laugh.

"Idiot, I'm serious." Yelena's smile was wide, and Kate loved that she had little wrinkles of joy beside her eyes when she smiled like she was smiling.

"I am, it needs to be colder for me to feel it, of course, but I think what weighs more is that I feel hot. Summer will be a little torture." She grumbled.

"Dogs can regulate their temperature, are you going to have a change of coat?" This was such a sincere question that Kate stopped to wonder if she had heard it from someone.

“I don’t know…” She said uncertainly, and Yelena giggled.

“I’m so curious about everything.” The blonde said, and Kate smiled at her and leaned in to kiss Yelena’s forehead.

“It makes me so happy that you’re so curious about everything.” She commented softly. “When I found out, I was afraid I would have difficulty finding people different from me who would accept it.” She said sincerely, and Yelena gave a sweet smile.

“I’m curious, I like the idea, and I told you, I’ve always liked what’s different.” She said, and the two entered Yelena’s house.

“Cindy is a kitsune.” Kate informed softly, and this made Yelena, who was taking off her jacket, look at the brunette curiously. “Cho is a Naga. Uh… respectively a fox and a snake.” She commented and cleared her throat.

“Is that why you were going out with Cindy that day?” Yelena asked curiously and with less jealousy.

“Yes, since she’s a young kitsune, Rio thought it would be good for me to spend time with her, and if I’m being very honest, Cindy is very sweet. Kitsunes have suffered a lot in the past, especially because they are tactile and affectionate, they have suffered a lot of abuse and are a small community. I promised to protect Cindy from invasive and malicious people…” She spoke and saw how Yelena’s breath trembled.

“I didn’t know.” She said, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s not something that’s talked about much.” Kate spoke sincerely. “Like I said that day, Cindy is sweet, I like her, she’s a good friend.” Kate spoke sincerely, and Yelena sighed and moved closer, putting her arms around Kate’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry I was jealous.” She mumbled awkwardly.

“Jealousy is a feeling like any other, Yel. We talked about it, cleared things up, and everything’s fine.” Kate said, pulling Yelena by the waist against her. “And it’s a little sexy that you’re so possessive of me.” The tone was low and still dirty enough for Yelena to give a small, awkward laugh and gasp, standing on tiptoe and kissing Kate slowly.

"You need to take a shower." The blonde grumbled when she felt a bit of dirt in Kate's hair. And the blonde seemed unhappy about it.

"I told you I rolled on the floor like a tomato." Kate said playfully, and Yelena pointed inside the house.

“Shower, Kate Bishop.” She ordered, and that made the brunette laugh.

But obedience came easily. Yelena went with Fanny to get something to eat, and Kate went to the bathroom in the hallway. She still didn't feel entitled to use the one in Yelena's room, for some reason she couldn't quite pinpoint, but the shower was hot, as Kate liked, and she really appreciated that there was water pressure, which was pleasant.

When she came out of the bathroom, her hair was slightly damp after drying with a towel, and she was wearing clean clothes, so that made her feel less of a mess. She walked calmly to the kitchen, seeing that Yelena was making something for lunch, since they were going to spend the afternoon together.

Kate's arms carefully circled Yelena's waist, so as not to scare her, not to hurt her, and to be gentle, as the brunette felt the blonde always deserved to be treated. She heard Yelena sigh, and then the blonde relaxed against Kate's chest, in a soft and affectionate act of surrender.

“How are you?” She asked gently, nestling her face against the blonde's neck.

"A little anxious, I guess." Yelena spoke softly. "I'm afraid I'll have to rush out in the middle of our afternoon because I have a dog hospitalized. Rufus isn't doing very well, but the owners want to try everything before a possible and probable euthanasia, I don't know if we'll get the solutions and answers they want." She spoke softly, and Kate made a thoughtful sound, seeing that Yelena was still starting to organize what she wanted to do for lunch.

"Would you feel more comfortable if you went there now and we took a look at how he's doing?" This made the blonde spin in their arms and the two looked at each other and Kate's eyebrows furrowed at the look she received.

"You want to go to the clinic now, to see one of my patients?" The question sounded extremely surprised and Kate blinked a few times.

"You would see the patient, I'll bother Phantom." Kate spoke playfully, and Yelena looked at her again, tilting her head to the side, and then there was this slow moment of realization.

“God, I’m all fired up with Ava bothering you today.” She grumbled and ran a hand over her face. “Yeah, I’d be more comfortable if we went to the clinic to see Rufus.” She spoke softly.

“I’m not Ava, darling, I like watching you work, it’s impressive.” Kate said with an easy smile, and Yelena’s cheeks flushed. “And you seem undecided about lunch.” She nodded toward the many ingredients, and Yelena blushed.

“I don’t know what I want to eat, I took everything out of the fridge to see if I had any ideas, but my head can only think of pizza.” She grumbled, disgruntled.

“Do we have ingredients for a pizza? I think the pizzeria only opens at night.” Kate pondered, scratching her chin lightly.

“You want to make a pizza?” Yelena’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, bacon and cheese, that’s the one you like, isn’t it?” She spoke very softly. “If it has cheese for me, I’m already happy.” She added.

“You’re too sweet for me.” Yelena grumbled, starting to put things away in the refrigerator, and Kate frowned. When Yelena passed by her putting away the last things, she gently pulled the blonde by the wrist, and the two looked at each other.

“You’re important to me, my girlfriend, and above all, one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met in my life. You deserve sweetness, you deserve care and kindness, Yelena.” This made Yelena’s shoulders tremble slightly, and she stepped forward without hesitation, embracing Kate by the waist.

“I just… I’m learning that it’s okay for you to make concessions for me. My therapy this week was difficult, and we talked more about how I learned to prune myself, to cut back on things I wanted and liked in order to fit in with others. Having you do everything to accommodate me, to be affectionate and make concessions for me so easily, and I feel a little guilty, I think.” This made the brunette step back so she could look at the blonde.

“Guilty?” She asked softly.

“I feel like I’m forcing your hand. But my therapist said it’s a reflection of what happened to me.” Yelena whispered.

“I’m not being forced, Yel. I want to make you happy. If you want to have pizza for lunch, we can make pizza. We’ll have a salad to balance the carbs and get some fiber.” Kate said calmly. “A lettuce salad has never been anyone’s enemy.” This made Yelena chuckle softly and shake her head gently.

“Okay, that sounds good.” There was a short pause. “Can we go see Rufus? Fanny can come along.” And hearing the name and the word “come” was enough for the Akita to tap her feet lightly in joy and move to pull the leash from the coat rack and walk over to the two of them with the leash in her mouth. Which made Kate chuckle softly.

“Looks like Fanny decided for us, come on, let’s go for a walk.” She said, grabbing the leash and attaching the collar, and Yelena gave an easy smile. As the two women and Fanny left the house, Yelena’s fingers intertwined easily with Kate’s.

********

Kate gasped, it was the only sound she could make, which wasn’t even louder than her back hitting the wall of Yelena’s hallway firmly. But it didn’t hurt yet, the physicality of the situation didn’t hurt. She just grabbed Yelena by the ribs, pulling her against her as their mouths met in a kiss that was frenetic and unexpected, but still the epitome of desire between them.

They had just arrived at the house, and Yelena pushed her firmly as soon as Fanny’s leash was released from the collar. And there was no gentleness, Yelena was intense and Kate loved that. She loved how powerful, intense, fiery and decisive the woman was.

With the natural strength of her own body, the brunette turned them both around, pushing the blonde against the wall, and the kiss intensified. Kate loved the smell of Yelena's skin, the taste of their tongues dancing, how warm and soft the blonde was against her hands, and the sounds, Yelena had the best sounds.

"Can we eat after we have sex?" The blonde moaned breathlessly as Kate's mouth moved down to her neck and bit lightly.

"God, yes." And Kate didn't hesitate to grab Yelena's thighs and pull her up. Yelena's small, amused squeal made the brunette smile, and she began to guide them both to the bedroom. The blonde's legs wrapped around Kate's waist as their mouths continued to meet wildly, Yelena's hands digging into Kate's hair intensely, pulling the strands lightly.

When the bedroom door slammed shut behind Kate and Yelena's feet hit the floor, the blonde grabbed the werewolf by the collar of her t-shirt, pulling her forward forcefully and making Kate take a few steps forward.

"Yes, just like that, please. I forbade Natasha from showing up." She growled against Kate's mouth, and the brunette gave an amused laugh. But still, the laugh broke into a moan when Yelena's hands slipped inside the t-shirt.

"Yelena…" She whispered hoarsely, and the blonde could only groan.

"Please, please." The blonde whimpered and took a step back, pulling the blouse she was wearing away, the t-shirt following right behind, and Kate swallowed hard as the bra was ripped off and she could see the long-awaited nipple piercings. And Kate's mouth dropped open. Not only at the finally revealed sight of Yelena's bare breasts, but especially because the overall image was magnificent.

Yelena's hair was tousled, her skin prickly with excitement, her nipples hard and pierced with the small silver ring. Yelena smelled of excitement and desire, her heart pounding frantically, and when she unconsciously bit her lower lip in provocation, Kate was sure the blonde was wet.

"Oh my god." She stammered, unsure what to say, and the two looked at each other.

She saw the slight hesitation, and that was enough to push Kate to move. Her hands went to the hem of her own t-shirt, pulling it over her head quickly, and then her hand went to unbutton her bra, and she heard the small, inaudible sigh that Yelena gave.

Kate's thumbs moved to the button of her pants, unbuttoning them quickly and pushing the jeans down her legs, and that was enough for Katr to stop moving and stop taking off own clothes.

“Kate…” Yelena’s whimpering was almost pathetic and yet very exciting, especially since the blonde’s eyes were fixed on the black boxer shorts the brunette was wearing. “A boxer?” She asked hoarsely.

“They’re comfortable.” She shrugged slightly. “And you seem to like the image.” Kate purred softly and Yelena blushed.

“You’re hot, Kate Bishop.” The words made the brunette blush slightly.

“Ah, the pot calling the kettle black.” Yelena laughed at Kate’s phrase and approached slowly. And Kate swallowed hard, the slow pace was sensual and Yelena’s hands touched Kate’s shoulders gently, passing over the muscle there and down to her elbows in a slow caress.

“And what will my wolf do now that he has access to my breasts?” Kate didn’t know exactly what in the phrase that triggered the growl that echoed from her chest, Yelena’s eyes widened slightly and darkened with desire. Kate's hands quickly went to Yelena's waist, pulling her close until their skin pressed together, causing the blonde to groan hoarsely. "Kate..." She whimpered, and Kate began walking toward the bed, her steps pushing Yelena back quickly.

When the blonde fell onto the bed, Kate placed one knee between the blonde's legs and leaned in, without hesitation, without fear, only with unbridled desire guiding the movements.

Her mouth found the nipple and she moaned. The taste of Yelena took over her and there were a myriad of physical reactions from the blonde. How her breathing quickened, how there was a slightly restrained moan, how her muscles worked to arch against Kate's mouth.

Her hand moved up to the other breast and Kate delighted in the tactile sensation of the small metal arch against her finger. She pulled away from the nipple she was sucking with a pop that made the blonde gasp.

"Kate... The way you touch me..." The whimper was sexy, husky, a tone or maybe a tone and a half hoarser than usual, and the accent dragged slightly.

"How do I touch you?" The brunette teased, guiding Yelena further back on the bed and kneeling with both knees between the blonde's legs, her hands spreading across Yelena's ribs, and the blonde gasped. "Answer the question, Yelena." She purred softly, and her green eyes darkened even more.

"As if I were precious, as if I were the most beautiful thing you could ever touch." She spoke, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Great, I'm touching you the right way then." Kate said without hesitation, and the moan that came with her mouth touching just above Yelena's navel was delicious. She gave an open-mouthed kiss to the skin, slowly moving upwards, millimetrically as she licked and kissed. "You deserve to be touched like the precious thing you are, you deserve to feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, the most desirable, the most perfect of all." Her hands moved up to Yelena's breasts as she trailed kisses between the soft mounds. “Because that’s what you are, perfect, magnificent, the most beautiful woman of all…” She whispered a hair’s breadth away from Yelena’s mouth. “I’m so lucky to have found you…” She leaned in and lightly kissed Yelena’s parted lips. “I’m so lucky that you looked at a messy, broken figure of a wounded wolf and thought I was worth it, that just shows that your heart, your soul, your whole being is as beautiful as your physical self. And that’s precious, Yelena, you are precious. A unique star in the whole universe.” She saw how the blonde’s chest clenched, how she swallowed hard.

“You already have the girl, Kate…” It was an almost defensive reaction born of insecurity.

“I don’t compliment you because I want you, I compliment you because I see you that way.” Kate spoke and paused. “I want you, don’t get me wrong, I want you so much—” Her sentence was cut off by Yelena placing a finger on her lips, and the two looked at each other, and Kate opened her mouth, sucking Yelena’s finger, which made a filthy moan sound from the blonde.

“Show me how you want me. Touch me. Possess me.” The words hung heavy for a moment, and Kate had Yelena’s finger pulled from inside her mouth. “Finish undressing me, Kate Bishop.”

And that brought a rush to the brunette, her hands hurriedly pulling Yelena’s clothes off, dropping them on the floor, and it was glorious to see the naked woman on the bed. The messy hair, the clear excitement, and the way she just opened her legs, displaying herself so freely to Kate was wonderful.

“I’m going to eat you now.” Kate informed, she didn’t ask permission, she just positioned herself between Yelena’s thighs and licked, without fear, without hesitation, and the moan that echoed from Yelena was filthy. And she felt proud that there wasn't a moment for Yelena to respond or argue.

Kate moaned against the skin and her tongue began to work slowly between the folds, around the lips and teasing the clitoris lightly. Yelena's hands gripped the blanket that was stretched over the bed and she arched, moaning hoarsely.

"Oh my god, Kate..." Yelena's nails scraped the fabric and the brunette looked up, their eyes met and she saw how the blonde's head was thrown back in excitement. "Yes, like that, suck me baby..." She stammered between moans, Kate pushed her tongue inside Yelena and then moved up to suck the clitoris slowly.

Yelena's legs rose to open wider and Kate quickly wrapped her arms around her thighs, pulling her to her shoulders and she pressed herself even deeper against Yelena's folds.

Feeling Yelena come was like seeing a deity descend to earth. She arched her back, her skin prickled, she took on an alluring scent of hormones and pheromones being released towards Kate, her breath caught, and there was that hoarse, deep, rich moan that echoed from Yelena. The taste that filled Kate's mouth was purely blonde, and the brunette couldn't help but moan against the wet folds.

Yelena's hands went to Kate's hair, pulling the brunette up, and the two kissed deeply, it was intense and sensual. Kate's hand slipped between them, gripping Yelena's folds with lust.

"Again?" Yelena asked between a moan and a gasp, and Kate nodded.

"Again, with my fingers and then with the strap-on." She spoke hoarsely and moved to kiss Yelena's neck. "Can I mark you?" The request was hoarse and dirty, and Yelena threw her head to the side without hesitation.

"Bite me." It wasn't a request, it was a demand, and Yelena moaned loudly when Kate's teeth found her trapezius muscle. "That's it, mark me, I want everyone to know I'm yours." And that sent a wave of possessiveness through Kate.

Her fingers slowly slipped inside Yelena, two of them easily going in, and the blonde's legs wrapped around Kate's hips, swaying to allow the fingers to go deeper. It was intense, Kate could feel how wet and tight the blonde was around her, and it was hot, exciting, and maddening.

"Ah, finally, fingers that aren't mine." Yelena said hoarsely. "I was thinking about how you would fuck me, and that made me touch myself, I came so much thinking about you..." The blonde whimpered. "One more finger, please, one more finger." And again, Kate could only obey the sensual command. The third finger slipped inside Yelena, and the thumb went to her clitoris, making the blonde's moans rise in pitch.

Yelena was deliciously vocal, she was noisy about her pleasure, and it was driving Kate even crazier. She pushed her fingers firmly inside the blonde, searching for the spots that made the tones higher, the scent of pleasure stronger.

Kate tried not to let her animalistic side take over, it was difficult because the pull the wolf felt toward Yelena was almost overwhelming, so she bit the blonde's collarbone as gently as she could, but still, there were finger marks, there was the bruise that was forming there, and that didn't seem to bother Yelena, who arched her back, moaned loudly, and squeezed Kate's fingers, coming hard.

The brunette stopped moving and continued just rubbing Yelena's clitoris, pushing her to come for longer, and it was delicious. Kate's hand was wet with the blonde's orgasm, and it took a long minute for the internal muscles to loosen. The blonde, who was almost frozen in an arch of pleasure, just let out an obscene moan, and there was another squirt against Kate's fingers.

"I need... I need a moment." The blonde spoke tremulously, her skin completely covered in goosebumps, and when Kate pulled her fingers out slowly and deliberately, the blonde moaned intensely.

The brunette had the unbridled pleasure of being able to look at Yelena there, still trembling slightly, shivering with pleasure, sweating from the intensity of the moment, her eyes almost closed but still trying to look at Kate, her pupils dilated. The smell of sex mixed with the smell of Yelena's shampoo filled Kate's nostrils. And the werewolf could appreciate the image of the teeth marks against her neck, against her trapezius, against her collarbones.

"Kate..." The hoarse voice seemed to close the completely messy and deliciously impressive image that was Yelena there, and the sound that echoed from Kate was almost impossible to describe.

"You are the best sight I've ever had in my life." The brunette spoke, and Yelena's mouth opened slightly. "Oh my god, look at you..." She spoke, her eyes wandering over the blonde's body. "I want to make you come again." There was no ceremony, no beating around the bush, and Yelena's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"And you, darling?" The tone was husky, and the blonde bent her legs slightly, rubbing the insides of her knees against Kate's hips in a teasing gesture.

"What about me?" The brunette asked playfully, letting her fingertips brush against the outside of Yelena's thighs in a small teasing gesture with her nails, and the blonde gasped.

"Aren't you going to come?" the blonde asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. And Kate nodded.

"When I satisfy my hunger for you." And she heard Yelena swallow hard. "Where's the toy?" And the two looked at each other for a moment, their green eyes drifting to the closet.

"In the third drawer of the first door." She whispered, and Kate stood up, walking without much preamble to the closet, opening the indicated door and the drawer, and she pulled out the strap-on that was under an old t-shirt.

“Your toys are far away.” She said casually, noticing a small vibrator and a tube of flavored lubricant, not Kate’s favorite thing.

“The ones I use often are by the bed.” The blonde said, making Kate’s head snap up as she looked at Yelena.

“And the ones you use often… How often are we talking about?” She asked, approaching, with the strap-on dangling between her fingers like a small gift. Then the underwear Kate was wearing were pushed down, and Yelena gasped. “Answer the question, darling.” Kate purred and put on the strap-on. It was black and medium-sized, Kate made a mental note to replace the toy in the near future.

She saw Yelena blush and then rolled onto her side in bed, turning to the bedside table toward Kate, and for a moment the brunette’s eyes went to her breasts, which looked just tempting from that position. And then the blue eyes rose to the two toys in Yelena's hand, a small purple cylindrical vibrator and a dark blue penetration vibrator that was larger than the strap-on, and the blue eyes rose to the green ones, waiting for the answer.

"I used it last night." She spoke hoarsely, and Kate took a step forward, which made Yelena's eyes fall to the strap-on.

"We need a new strap-on." The brunette said and saw how Yelena put the toys in the drawer and lay down on the bed again.

"Oh, we need a new one?" She asked in a dirty way, and Kate gave a low laugh, approaching and opening the drawer, pulling out Yelena's toy.

"Yes, one that's the same size as this one." Kate's hoarse tone made shivers run down Yelena's skin.

"Don't you like the idea of ​​something being bigger than you inside me?" The question was asked innocently, and Kate's eyebrow rose in challenge. “I approve of the idea of ​​buying a new one, but if it’s a little…” She said, gesturing with her hand towards something small. “Bigger.”

“Maybe you’d like the idea of ​​me being something big fucking you.” Kate’s words made Yelena bite her lower lip and gasp.

“I really like the idea of ​​you stretching me.” Kate gasped at this and moved even closer to Yelena. This caused the tip of the toy to lightly brush against the blonde’s skin, and there was a moan.

“We’re definitely going to buy a bigger toy.” She grunted.

“We can go to Eastview, unfortunately we don’t have a store here.” The blonde’s voice was hoarse, and Kate nodded.

“Yes.” The monosyllabic answer made Yelena’s eyebrows rise, and the blonde gave a satisfied smile seeing how messed up Kate was with the idea.

“Come here, I would be bold in my position of choice to be fucked, but it seems perfect you between my thighs and our mouths together.” The blonde sounded husky, low, and Kate saw how she opened her legs and invited Kate in with a gentle touch on the inside of her thighs.

She moved without hesitation, adjusting herself between Yelena's thighs and looking at her carefully. 

The tips of her fingers brushed against her thighs while her blue eyes descended from the green ones, passing over her breasts, belly, and observing how wet and ready Yelena was for her. Kate's touch was gentle against her clitoris, and a small sound of pleasure echoed in the room.

“Are you sure?” The question came softly, not out of doubt that Yelena wanted penetration or anything like that, but rather a way to reaffirm the consent present there.

“Yes, I'm sure I want you inside me again.” The blonde spoke with her eyes shining between excitement and joy. “Thank you for asking.” She whispered, and Kate smiled at her, the two were on the same page, and that was good.

Kate's hand went around the toy, gently guiding it to brush against Yelena's entrance in a soft, gentle gesture, and there was this little gasp as the penetration slowly began.

Kate leaned forward to support her hand beside Yelena and pushed inside her, their eyes locked, and Kate paused when she saw Yelena frown slightly. And then she continued when there was a tiny nod of approval.

"Is everything alright?" The brunette asked gently as their pelvises aligned, and there was a moment when Yelena let out a breath and shuddered.

"God, yes, I love penetration, but I really appreciate that you were gentle." She spoke and adjusted herself, her legs rising around Kate's hips, and this moved the toy slightly, which brought a small moan from Yelena.

Kate leaned in, their breasts brushing together, and she kissed Yelena slowly, her hands sliding up the blonde's thighs until they met. Their fingers intertwined, and she began to move as the woman beneath her instigated the movement, which was intense.

It wasn't a frantic take like Kate thought it would be, and there would be time for that later, at the moment it was about connection, about the two of them finally being in that intimate position, in that moment without hidden secrets, and it felt good.

The way Yelena squeezed around her, her thighs trembling with the effort, and her hands gripping Kate's fingers tightly. And they both moaned with each thrust, which, despite being short, seemed to touch Yelena in deep places.

"Kate..." She whispered in a small purr. "Baby..." Their hands untangled, and Yelena grabbed Kate's nape and back, digging her nails in, and then the blonde's mouth went to Kate's neck and moved between there and her shoulder, and there was a brushing of teeth that was almost a plea for permission.

"That's it, bite me, I'm close to coming..." The brunette grunted with the effort of her hips, and even though it didn't tire her that much, it was still controlled so as not to hurt Yelena. When Yelena's teeth closed there, biting firmly, she felt her body become uncoordinated. She fucked Yelena hard, which caused the blonde's orgasm to derail along with hers. There was a hoarse moan from Kate and a muffled one from Yelena.

The two fell limply onto the bed, with Kate still on top of Yelena, panting, and the blonde moaning softly. The brunette leaned on and pulled out slowly, which made Yelena shudder in a small secondary orgasm. The strap-on was removed and thrown to the side of the bed, and Kate rolled to lie next to Yelena.

"That was a great first time." The brunette said, still breathing heavily, and Yelena laughed, nodding her head and rolling to lie on top of Kate.

"Uh-huh... Nap, pizza, and laziness." She mumbled hoarsely.

"We have the barbecue." The brunette reminded her, and Yelena grunted.

"Nap, barbecue." She spoke, and Kate laughed at the correction.

“Shall we skip lunch?” The tone was playful.

“It’s three in the afternoon, Kate Bishop.” Yelena said playfully. “The barbecue is at 6.” She said almost mockingly.

“Name one barbecue you’ve ever been to in your life where the food was served punctually at the start time.” Kate’s challenging tone caused a moment of silence to stretch out.

“Damn, okay, nap, pizza, and barbecue.” She grumbled and snuggled against Kate’s chest. The brunette gave a playful laugh and wrapped her arms around Yelena firmly and affectionately, which made the blonde sigh, and the conversation didn’t continue, especially because Kate heard Yelena’s heart beating slower as she drifted off to sleep.

********

They walked hand in hand through the school parking lot, their hands shaking between them, and Yelena was finding the little childish moment of Kate shaking her hand between them and humming a children’s song amusing.

“You look like you’re 5 years old.” She joked, it wasn’t a complaint.

“Respect me, I’m 6.” Kate said, laughing softly, which made Yelena giggle.

“I like this lightness.” She said, moving closer and putting an arm around Kate’s waist. The brunette automatically put an arm around Yelena, pulling her close, the height difference was enough for the two to fit easily into that position.

The sound of children playing inside the gym, the sound of voices, and the smells made Kate stop moving for a moment and shake her head slightly, focusing on what she could, and she grimaced.

“Is everything alright, darling?” Yelena’s tone was soft, and Kate turned her head to bury her nose in the blonde hair, focusing for a moment on Yelena’s beating heart, the warm sensation of the blonde against her, the smell, and the way she was held close.

“Yes, just… Too many sounds, smells, it overwhelms me sometimes a little.” The words made Yelena stop walking and forced Kate to stop walking as well, so she adjusted herself to be able to look into her blue eyes.

"Breathe for me, slowly." Kate felt her ears ache like a stabbing pain, and she closed her eyes and felt Yelena's hands on hers.

"What's happening?" Jen's voice sounded distant as Kate tried to regulate her breathing.

"It's a sensory hypersensitivity crisis." Yelena spoke, and Kate felt like she was inside a glass jar, everything was a little stuffy.

That's when she suddenly felt arms around her, squeezing her tightly, tighter than a normal human could manage. The scent of Rio overwhelmed Kate's senses, and she felt heavy for a moment, but there was a second touch. Someone snuggled against her side, and there was the scent of Yelena.

“Breathe, Kate Bishop.” Wanda’s voice didn’t sound in Kate’s ears, but rather in the brunette’s mind, and it was a strange sensation, having someone speaking inside her mind. She knew Wanda was a telepath if she used her powers for that. “Pup, you need to take a deep breath.” There was this mental nudge, and Kate finally managed a deep breath, which came out tremulously from within her, and she breathed again.

Slowly her ears started working again, there was a ringing that echoed in her ear for a long moment. Her eyes opened, she didn’t remember closing them, and she held her breath for a moment, releasing it slowly, and there were a reasonable number of people around her. The coven was almost entirely there, with the absence of Lilia and Billy, but there was Agatha pressed against Kate, Rio against her back, and Yelena’s worried gaze in front of her.

“How are you?” Alice’s tone was gentle, and Kate felt her tense body relax slightly.

“With a ringing in my ear.” She spoke and cleared her throat. “But better, thank you.” And with that, Agatha stepped away from her and looked at her with furrowed brows, Rio then stepped away and Yelena looked at her with concern. “I’m sorry.” She said, clearing her throat.

“Stop apologizing for something you can’t control.” It could have sounded like Agatha, or Wanda, both of them would have said it easily, or even Rio. But it was Yelena who spoke. “It’s not your fault if your senses are adjusting to an acceptable level because of the silver.” The statement made Agatha look at her curiously.

“Fascinating, you told her.” Agatha’s tone was curious to Kate and the brunette grunted.

“I transformed involuntarily, it was a… trip explaining why there was a 50kg wolf in front of Yelena.” She grumbled and Rio gave a low laugh.

“I told you it could happen.” The normalcy of Rio and the coven in general about how this happened and that was it, was fascinating, and Kate nodded.

"Yes, yes, but she knows, it's okay." She spoke and felt her body slightly aching from the tension of the sensory crisis. "I hate when this happens." She said in a low groan, and Jen approached and put an arm around Kate's back and shoulders.

"It happens, it will happen a few more times, it's normal for pups and it's normal for someone who was forbidden from maturing like you, I know it's awful and I won't downplay how unpleasant it is. But I can assure you that everything will be okay." She spoke gently, and Kate nodded, letting her head fall slightly to the side and resting against Jen's.

"Thank you for the reassurance." She whispered, and there was that soft, maternal smile from Jen. All the women there were older than her, it was funny, and the feeling of belonging was strong. "Where is my mother?" She asked curiously.

“She was talking to Wally and Billy the last time I saw her." Rio said casually. And then there was this nod from Rio. “I feel guilty for not realizing that Wally was a loner, I’m trying not to mentally punish myself about it, but I know the feeling of being alone, even if in my case it was short until I reunited with Agatha, but still… A shapeshifter without a pack is heartbreaking.” She spoke, and there was this moment where Kate, who always saw Agatha and Rio as two women who loved each other very much but didn’t show it so much in public, had that sweet moment between the two of them.

Agatha approached and pulled Rio by the hand, resting her face against the shorter woman’s head, and there was this affectionate act, this brushing against the back of Rio’s arms that Agatha never did with anyone. The woman wasn't the epitome of physical affection, a flaw forged by her abusive mother, and Kate understood, but it was beautiful to see that spark of caring and protecting in public still there in Agatha.

"We all failed him, and we're going to do better." Wanda, who was nearby, spoke softly. "It's hard to read suffering from a distance, Rio. Now we know better, and we shouldn't punish ourselves for something we can't change, the past isn't changeable." Wanda's tone was wise, yet gentle and sympathetic, and there was a collective nod from the group.

"So... Seriously, are we going to sulk when we have food being made?" Alice spoke in a friendly, light tone, and there was a small collective laugh, Alice was known for constantly being hungry.

"I'm the werewolf, and you're the one with the hunger of a wolf." Kate grumbled, and Alice laughed, pushing Kate aside as they started walking.

"I'm a growing girl." Alice said, and that made Kate laugh and shake her head playfully.

Then she looked at Yelena, who was casually chatting with Rio. She paused for a moment, allowing the two to align, and Kate's hand easily found Yelena's. There wasn't much fanfare from the brunette, but she saw Yelena's quickly surprised and then softening look.

They entered, and it was the purest feeling of sisterhood Kate had ever felt. The camaraderie among those women was something Kate admired, she felt embraced freely. There was no judgment in the coven or the pack, and that was something that deeply pleased Kate.

"Kate!" Nicky's voice rang out, and Kate laughed when she saw him being held by Cindy. He was being affectionate, and the call made the brunette pull Yelena along with her.

"Hey little brother." Kate said, and Cindy let him run the short distance of a few meters between them. Nicky hugged Kate tightly around the waist.

"Are you okay? You fell hard in the field." He spoke worriedly, his sweet brown eyes looking at her, and it didn't sound like a question but more like a statement.

"I'm tough, shorty." She said, trying to ease his worry, and nudged his eyebrows, which made him laugh and squeeze her. "What do you think about giving Yelena a big hug too? She likes hugs as well." She offered. Yelena had confessed that she didn't quite know how to deal with Nicky, the absence of children in her life made her a little uncertain, and Nicky didn't need two invitations. He stepped back and looked at Yelena with a wide smile, and the blonde shyly opened her arms, which made the boy hug her and squeeze.

"She's warm!" Nicky said excitedly, and Yelena blushed slightly, and Kate could only give an amused smile and then look at Cindy.

"Hey, little fox." She said amicably, and Cindy gave an amused laugh. And then she approached without really saying anything, just settling into a loving hug with Kate, her head fitting under the brunette's chin, and it was friendly, almost familiar the way the two hugged. "How were your exams?" She asked softly, pulling away, and Cindy held the hem of Kate's sweatshirt in a form of contact.

"They were fine." The answer was casual, and then Kate saw that she looked between her and Yelena and gave a wide smile of someone who understood what was happening. "Oh, oh, you two are..." She said and stopped and looked at Nicky. "Nicks! Would you like to do me a favor?" The request sounded kind, and the boy moved away from Yelena, with whom he was having a quiet conversation, and looked at Cindy curiously. "Could you get me a glass of soda?" The tone was a request, and Nicky nodded.

"Lemon or Coke?" He asked eagerly, and Kate loved that boy.

"Lemon, please." Cindy said, and Nicky sped off to the soda table. “He’s easy to please.” The kitsune’s tone was calm. “So… You two…” She gestured between the two with her fingertips, and Kate laughed.

“Cindy, I know you two know each other, but here’s my girlfriend, Yelena. And Yel, this is Cindy, I told you about her.” She introduced, and saw Cindy jump for joy.

“That makes me so happy!” Cindy then pulled the blonde into a tight hug that caught the blonde off guard, but then her green eyes looked at Kate, who smiled slightly. “You found someone great, Yelena! I’m so happy for you both.” Cindy’s tone was so sincere and so kind that Kate saw Yelena melt in the hug. Her shoulders relaxed, and she put her arms around Cindy.

“I brought your soda!” Nicky said, and that separated the two women, and Cindy easily started talking to him. Kate and Yelena looked at each other, and the blonde's eyes went to the kitsune that was affectionately playing with Nicky's hair, and it seemed that the blonde understood what Kate meant by the woman being physically affectionate.

Talking to Cindy was a festival of small touches, Yelena, for a moment, felt out of place in the touches. Cindy played with the zipper of Yelena's jacket, touched the blonde's hands and arms while the two talked, and Kate was dividing her attention between taking care of what was happening between the two women and talking to Nicky, who was recounting at length how it was to train for the presentation.

Eventually, the small group of conversation moved, Cindy went to talk to Billy and Teddy, and Nicky ran off with other children who invited him to play tag.

"So…" Kate began casually and gave an amused smile.

"You were right, I have no reason to be jealous of her, she's like a puppy." Yelena grumbled and hugged Kate around the waist. "She's sweet and harmless." The words were soft towards Kate, and the brunette hugged her tightly.

“I told you, Cindy is a very kind soul.” Kate said, pulling Yelena toward the soda table, as it was a children's party there were no alcoholic drinks.

“She’s thoughtful and yes, tactile, like I said, just like a puppy.” Her tone was a sigh, and Kate looked at Yelena curiously. “I feel guilty for reacting with so much jealousy, she’s so sweet.” Her tone was almost disgruntled with herself, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“It’s okay, I promise, and Cindy is indeed a very sweet person.” Kate said, grabbing a glass of soda for Yelena and one for herself.

Everything was fun, if Kate was very sincere, she and Yelena were talking to several people, and it was good to integrate her relationship with the blonde and the social groups she belonged to.

Then suddenly, without much warning or anything like that, a high-pitched, ear-splitting sound that felt like her eardrums were tearing rang out from the speaker. Kate put her hands to her ears, and one eye closed in pain as she tried to figure out what the hell was happening with the half-open eye.

And there was this kind of domino effect reaction in the group. She saw how Rio and Agatha cowered, Rio being more sensitive to sounds, cowering and covering both ears with his hands, just like Kate. Cindy and Wally were cowering, perhaps even worse for them.

"Kate?" Yelena's voice sounded muffled by the high-pitched tone.

"The sound." She spoke haltingly and saw how Yelena's eyebrows furrowed as she looked around for where the speakers were plugged in. Yelena stepped back quickly, and that's when she saw that Wanda also had her ears covered and Eleanor was beside her trying to offer some kind of support. Billy and Teddy entered the gym, they had gone to get ice, as Kate understood it, and it was as if Billy entered a small torture chamber. He went in with Teddy and froze, covering his ears and taking two steps out the door.

Teddy glanced at her boyfriend quickly and then around, trying to understand what was happening. And that's when Kate saw something that caught her attention in a striking way because of what it could mean.

Ava was huddled in the corner where she had been sitting with Bob. She wasn't covering her ears, but she looked uncomfortable, in pain, just like all the other supernatural beings. The sound was cut off abruptly, and it was a relief to the ears of a large group of people. And Kate smelled fear before anything touched her body. Her eyes went around, and she saw a small cluster of children in the corner.

"Nicky." She said, moving quickly, still a little affected by the high-pitched tone, but not caring much about her own well-being. She walked past the children and saw that Nicky was lying on the floor in a fetal position. Wanda once said that supernatural children are much more sensitive, and she touched him gently. "Honey, can you open your eyes?" She asked in a low tone, and his brown eyes opened and filled with tears. "It's okay, honey, it's okay..." She said, pulling him to her, and Nicky broke into a frightened cry against Kate's neck.

The older woman held him carefully, lifting him up, and her eyes first met Yelena's, who was holding the power cord for the speakers in her hand and had a worried look on her face. Kate may have recovered faster because of the adrenaline of understanding that Nicky might need help, or because, besides Billy, she and Yelena were the ones furthest from the speaker, but still, having a child crying against her was not how she thought that barbecue would go.

Kate sat down in the first chair she found and hugged Nicky tightly. He was crying copiously, his voice trembling with fear against her neck, and she just held him and whispered small words of comfort.

"Oh baby..." Rio's tone was gentle, caring, and Kate looked at her. Nicky clung to Kate's neck, and the brunette slowly ran her hand down his back.

"What was that?" She asked Rio, who had a small grimace.

"A sound frequency that can happen in speakers sometimes, rare but sometimes." Rio said, and Kate nodded, holding Nicky, who was a little calmer.

"How are you, dear?" She asked softly, and Yelena approached with careful steps. It was a small mess of supernatural beings helping each other and humans not knowing exactly what happened.

"A little better..." Nicky said, sniffing slightly. "Sorry." He said softly.

"Don't apologize, it was uncomfortable and it hurt." Kate said gently. "It's okay to cry, little brother." She spoke softly and he nodded, getting off her lap while still sniffling slightly, and hugged Rio around the waist.

“Everything’s alright now, my little prince.” Rio spoke gently to Nicky.

“Where’s Ma?” He asked softly.

“Helping Wanda.” This made Kate’s eyes quickly scan around, and Yelena gently indicated the corner of the gym where Wanda was talking to Agatha. She frowned, and perhaps Kate’s worried energy made Wanda’s blue eyes look at her, and there was that small, gentle smile that said everything was alright now.

“You’re so worried about everyone that you haven’t stopped to think if you’re alright, are you alright?” Yelena asked, gently touching Kate’s wrist.

“I’m fine, now that the infernal sound has passed.” She mumbled, and then one of the human parents approached Yelena.

“What happened?” He asked, confused.

“Some people are more sensitive to ultrasonic sounds, the box was resonating a frequency that left several people feeling pain. Everything’s alright now.” The ease with which Yelena said this made Kate look at her with raised eyebrows, and it wasn't necessarily a lie, but it was still easily said, and the man nodded.

"Well, the event is kind of coming to an end, I think we can finish early." He said with an awkward smile, and there was a collective nod from the three of them, and he stepped away to organize this.

"That's one way to end an event." Rio said, sighing. "I'll take Agatha and Nicky home, if you need me, just call me?" Rio spoke directly to Kate, who nodded.

"Yes, yes, I'll stay with Yelena." She informed her, and Kate took Yelena's hand, pulling her towards Eleanor and Wally, who were talking quietly.

"Are you okay?" The older Bishop sounded gentle, and the man gave an awkward smile.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine, it was just... Strange. It's been a while since something like this happened." He said thoughtfully. "Hi Kate, how are you?" His tone was concerned for her, and Kate gave a gentle smile.

"I'm fine, Yel turned off the speaker, which helped." She said, lightly bumping her shoulder against the blonde's. "Our heroine of the day." This made the blonde huff and roll her eyes.

"I unplugged a speaker, nothing too grand." Yelena grumbled, and Eleanor gave her a light tap on the shoulder.

"Still, it helped, and it was an important act, don't underestimate yourself." She said, and Yelena blushed slightly and cleared her throat. "Are you going to Yelena's house?" The question sounded to Kate, who nodded.

"Yes, do you want me to pick up Lucky from home?" She asked sincerely, knowing that the dog was still hers and not her mother's.

"Only if you want, but he doesn't bother me, you know he's a loyal companion on difficult days and a little joy on good days." She spoke with a shrug.

“Tomorrow we’re having lunch at Wanda’s house, I don’t think it’s necessary to take Lucky unless that’s what you want.” Yelena spoke softly.

“I just don’t want to burden you, Mom.” She spoke sincerely, and Yelena nodded.

“You don’t, relax. You don’t need to solve the world’s problems, and Lucky definitely isn’t a problem.” Eleanor touched Kate’s face gently and affectionately. “Go with Yelena, have a good night, and we’ll talk more tomorrow at lunch. If I need anything, I’ll call you.” She spoke casually, and Kate smiled slightly.

“Okay, have a good night, Mom. Wally.” She spoke, and then after a gentle moment of exchanging goodbyes, Kate and Yelena started to leave for the car.

Kate took a deep breath as they left the gym. Westview was entering its winter, so there was a frosty smell in the air. The winter plants were releasing pollen, giving off a different scent, and the sky was starry and cloudless. There were crickets and some animals making sounds. Kate's eyes followed a bird flapping its wings in the sky, and her gaze drifted further away. Her vision adjusted to the slight darkness, and she saw the image of Bob and Ava, who seemed to be arguing in hushed tones. This made Kate pull Yelena closer to her.

"Come on, Ava and Bob are arguing over there, and I want to avoid trouble." She said, pulling Yelena towards the car easily, and the blonde sighed.

"She looks like a damned ghost." She muttered, and Kate looked at her with amusement.

"You know ghosts exist, right?" The comment made Yelena, who was starting the car, stop moving and look at her, turning her whole body toward Kate.

"What?" she asked in a dry, still uncertain tone.

“Ghosts, they exist.” Kate said, and she saw Yelena rest a forearm on the steering wheel and lean forward, blinking a few times. “Some exist without a physical body, just a physical connection to the physical world, like an item or a memory. Some uh… Take bodies to remain alive in another body.” The blonde licked her lips and blinked again, clearly absorbing the idea. “Kitsunes guide these spirits across the road of death and finally die, some take a long time, others not so much. But ghosts exist.” She cleared her throat at the end of the sentence.

“So…” Yelena seemed to ponder for a moment. “Anyone can become a ghost?” She asked, intrigued.

“Theoretically yes, but usually it’s people with unfinished business or things like that.” She said, shrugging slightly.

“And banshees exist?” Yelena’s question was curious, and she blinked a few times, remembering the last lesson she had with Wanda and Agatha about it.

“Rarely, they are spirits that become aggressive. They were more common when there were violent deaths, especially against witches. Agatha told me that they are spirits that usually come from people who had some level of magic — trained or not — but enough to be able to expel feelings like sound waves and cause harm.” Yelena’s explanation made her turn forward and frown, thinking for a long moment.

“Could they be children?” The question was soft, low, and uncertain, and Kate frowned.

“It’s very rare, but yes, it can happen. Children are usually easier to let go of, according to what Rio told me about the green magic that surrounds life and death.” The explanation was soft, and Kate tilted her head to the side. “What are you thinking about?” She asked gently.

“When I was little… In the orphanage.” She pondered and leaned back in her seat, her hands lightly gripping the steering wheel. “There was this little girl, Kristina, who I still thought was an imaginary friend.” She spoke thoughtfully. “I used to hide in the bell tower often when I needed a moment, even though I was little. And this little girl would sometimes show up to talk, I don’t remember much about her. But I remember everyone saying the bell tower was haunted, and that there was no Kristina. And Natasha doesn’t remember seeing this girl, as I described her once, at the orphanage. So I think…” She said, shrugging and not finishing the sentence.

“That it might have been a ghost.” Kate said, and Yelena nodded.

“The last memory I have of her was her saying that the day she was going home had finally arrived. And I thought she had been adopted but…” She spoke hesitantly and bit her lip. “What if she crossed over? You know?” She pondered. “I don’t have many memories of our conversations, but I remember that she, at least for me, existed.” She spoke softly.

“Cindy told me that many ghosts sometimes just want to be recognized as a person, that often what holds them back is the feeling of being invisible, of somehow being worthless to others, and that because Kitsunes are so warm, they end up attracting ghosts, and this recognition from a Kitsune can make the ghost detach itself.” Kate’s explanation made Yelena nod slightly.

“Sometimes I was the recognition Kristina needed.” She pondered, and Kate made a small assertive sound.

“You were children in an orphanage, I think that’s a lack of recognition as a person in itself, based on what you told me about the orphanage being bad.” Yelena nodded. “Sometimes Kristina was a spirit trapped in the bell tower that you helped move on.” She offered, and Yelena sighed.

“Maybe…” The car was then started again and the silence stretched for a moment, there were only the lights that were still on in the city through the window, the stars and the comfortable silence.

“Can I ask nosy questions?” Kate’s words rang out as Yelena parked the car in the garage.

“What kind of nosy questions?” Yelena asked amused, with the two already getting out of the car.

“About Ava.” The words made Yelena look over her shoulder and nod as if to say continue. “Context…” She said, entering the house with Yelena, and Fanny came to say hi. “She reacted to the sound.” This made Yelena stop and look at her with her head tilted.

“It could mean many things, right? Normal human beings can react to sounds.” She contemplated, understanding what Kate wanted to suggest with the phrase.

“I know, but it seemed…” She contemplated how to construct the thought. “The entire group of supernatural beings that were there reacted, Nicky had a brutal reaction, Billy reacted when he entered the gym, and she was in the uncomfortable corner even though she didn’t have her hands over her ears or appear more debilitated.” She contemplated further, trying to cope with the feeling that Ava might be supernatural and no one noticed or ever knew. “Did you notice anything in the past that might be strange about her in that sense?” She asked, and Yelena gestured to the sofa, where the two sat.

“It’s hard to say, there were a lot of toxic behaviors, and between toxic behaviors and acting weird there isn’t much space I think, especially when they overlap.” She spoke contemplatively. “But what do you think Ava is?” Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“Honestly, I don’t know, there are so many small groups of supernatural beings, and Agatha said there isn’t an encyclopedia, in her words.” She rolled her eyes, and that made Yelena chuckle softly. “Have you ever seen her react like this to a sound before?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

“No, but if I’m being honest, we didn’t spend much free time together. I was always keeping myself busy to avoid spending too much time with her.” There was a pause from the blonde, who grunted. “Most horrible relationship, the more I think about it, the more horrible it becomes. She seemed like an emotional leech, if I’m being honest, it was exhausting. Near the end, just being around her was exhausting even when she wasn’t doing anything.” Yelena spoke sincerely. “Do you think she might be supernatural?”

“She might be, or as you said, or she might just be a human being with sensitivity to ultrasonic sounds. Honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint a single thing or line of behavior. Wanda says there are many other types of supernatural beings who easily pass for normal humans, like witches, for example. Nicky is a child with magic, and if you don’t know, he’s just a little boy.” She spoke sincerely, and Yelena nodded. "But I don't know, I had this weird feeling when I saw her huddled in the corner in visible pain." Her hand lightly scratched her chin as she contemplated the idea in general.

"You looked like you were being tortured, it was horrible to watch." Yelena whispered, and Kate sighed.

"It hurts, it hurts a lot. And I was still far from the speaker, Wanda was close... It was clearly horrible." Kate sighed. "There are natural things that, just like for humans, generate alerts and discomfort for supernatural beings as well. They are sensations of self-protection, like the discomfort someone feels when swimming in an open sea, there's always the feeling of being prey." She spoke sincerely, and Yelena nodded.

"Self-preservation is an instinctive reaction of any animal to risks, and it's natural and expected." Kate nodded at Yelena's statement, and the two were sitting on the sofa. Yelena slowly moved to straddle Kate's legs, and the two looked at each other. “Are we done talking about this or are there any other questions?” She asked, tossing her hair to the side, and her heated gaze made Kate swallow hard.

“I did, but my brain is simply on a 404 not found.” The sentence made Yelena laugh and rest her forearms on Kate’s shoulders.

“For a writer, your brain collapses very easily.” It was a provocation that came with a filthy smile and a husky tone.

“Unfair, unfair, ma’am.” Kate said, running her hands over Yelena’s thighs and up to her buttcheeks, appreciating the muscles and how sexy the woman was. “I have the epitome of beauty, the Greeks would write hymns to your name.” She paused and frowned. “I could write a hymn to your name.” The grunt made Yelena laugh again.

“Well, you can always improvise, you know I saw your interview with Teddy, how you improvised the line from the improv challenge about the soup.” Yelena teased lightly, and Kate stepped back and looked at them with narrowed eyes at the challenge. "Challenge accepted?" The question made a small, defiant growl sound from Kate, and that made Yelena laugh hoarsely.

"One minute." Moved by the challenge and Yelena's challenging smile, Kate's brain seemed to push into a higher gear, and she then pulled the blonde closer to her, her mouth kissing the blonde's neck. There was that moan, and the woman's head fell to the side to make room.

"Distracting me won't make you win the challenge." It was a joke, they both knew that, but Kate was competitive, and Yelena knew it.

“It’s not a distraction when I want to whisper in your ear.” The brunette spoke in a low tone and felt the blonde shudder. “A Greek chant for a goddess, hm…” She pondered for a moment and didn’t let the woman answer. “Oh Yelena, the universe breaks into silence when you breathe.” She began whispering against the woman’s earlobe. “Your smile bends constellations, your touch outshines the sun.” She felt the woman shudder. “No goddess, no myth, no hymn compares, for you are not a story to be told…” She continued whispering in a husky tone. “You are the reason stories exist.” The shuddering of the blonde’s body was enough to make her pull away and look at Kate with warm eyes.

“That’s unfair.” She complained, but the husky tone, the dilated pupils, and the scent of excitement told a different story to Kate.

“Oh, really?” She whispered and slipped her hands under the blonde's t-shirt, pushing it up.

"Damn, yeah, I'm not that capable of writing verses like this." The t-shirt was thrown off. "I'm just a—" The sentence was cut off as Kate sucked on Yelena's breast in a teasing gesture. "God, Kate." The blonde's hands went to the brunette's hair, the bra was opened without much preamble.

Kate licked lightly, moving the nipple piercing gently, and she looked at Yelena with longing eyes, the green eyes were half-open and the woman's mouth was in a perfect O which Kate found completely sensual.

"Yes?" The answer was provocative, playful, and Yelena grunted, writhing slightly. She suddenly stood up and her hands went to the button and zipper of her pants, and Kate felt her eyebrows rising with the ease with which the blonde simply pushed the clothes down, throwing them across the room when they finally came off her legs.

Kate licked her lips in desire as she watched Yelena. The tattoos always stood out against the white skin, the small scars, marks, and stretch marks that only made the image even more attractive. She loved how Yelena's body had curves, every little detail that made her a real woman, tangible and honestly very hot.

"Kate Bishop." The tone was commanding, and Kate's eyes traveled up Yelena's body, longing to meet those green eyes.

"Again, yes?" She spoke and relaxed on the sofa, her arms rising to rest on the backrest. There was that longing look from Yelena that went up and down Kate's body.

"You're too dressed." The blonde sounded demanding, and Kate's eyebrow arched. She spread her legs wider, just to give a more relaxed air, and that made Yelena's body tremble.

"And what are you going to do about it?" It was challenging, still commanding, slightly dominant, and she saw how Yelena was caught off guard by the words, but then the blonde's eyes narrowed in defiance.

“Aren’t you going to get naked to fuck me?” The question came defiantly, and Kate gave a filthy smile.

“I think you might as well take my clothes off.” It was a provocation again, a push and pull that she saw made Yelena open and close her hands.

“Kate…” The tone changed to a more tearful one, and the brunette simply unzipped her jacket, and the two looked at each other.

“Be good and take my clothes off.” She purred and saw how there was this moment where Yelena seemed to ponder whether she would challenge, whether she would obey, and what she wanted to do. But then her eyes traveled down the center of Kate’s body, and the blonde shifted slightly.

“Are you really going to boss me around?” The question was husky, clearly driven by excitement, and Kate slowly licked her lips, which brought her green eyes to her lips.

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” It was a question, but it sounded more like a statement, Yelena’s skin prickled, and she saw her shudder. The low whimper that came from the blonde was enough for Kate to know that this new dynamic was something the blonde really liked.

"Do you want me to be good to you?" The question came whispered, still hoarse, still horny but with the question circling Yelena's eyes.

"You're a good girl to me, Yelena." The statement left no doubt and there was that low moan that echoed from Yelena, as if the compliment touched her deeply.

"Am I really good to you?" She asked and moved closer, playfully touching the two lapels of the jacket lightly, and Kate adjusted herself to make room for the jacket to be removed.

“Very good for me, a perfect girl.” Kate whispered, taking advantage of the fact that as she leaned forward to have her jacket removed, she moved closer to Yelena. She sensed Yelena's desire intensifying, and then the blonde's hands pulled Kate's shirt off her body, and Kate helped pull her pants down. “How can I please my girl?” She asked, and when the question touched the woman, she saw Yelena freeze for a moment and swallow hard, her green eyes looking at the blue ones with questions there, and at the same time, Kate seemed to be the answer.

The blonde moved, her legs returning to be one on each side of Kate's hips, and she adjusted comfortably in the brunette's lap, and the two looked at each other.

“Do you want me?” Yelena's question was husky, accompanied by a slow touch of her fingertips along Kate's shoulders, chest, and ribs.

“As much as someone who needs water after a stay in the desert.” Kate spoke softly, and there was this aura of sensuality. Yelena once again tossed her hair to the side, and her hand moved up Kate's chest, reaching her hair and holding the strands at the nape of the brunette's neck with reasonable firmness, preventing Kate from getting closer with her mouth against the blonde's skin.

"Do you desire me this much, Kate Bishop?" It was a purr, a provocation, and Kate, who already knew this, had the reaffirmation that invariably the submissive one always had the power in the dynamic. And that made Kate certain, Yelena chose to submit, chose to be fucked, and there, she was proving that she was the one who defined the rhythm and what happened.

"With all of me, my skin throbs for you, my breath quickens for you, for your scent, for your taste, for your sounds. I desire the warmth of your skin, the sight of every part of you." She whispered, and there was that deep moan from Yelena.

"And you want to control me? Dominate me?" It was a question with an implied context easily understood by Kate.

“The power is yours, Yelena, yours to give, yours to take, yours and yours alone.” She spoke and saw how the blonde melted, her legs opened wider, and she rubbed herself fearlessly against Kate's stomach. “Do you want me to control you in sex? To dominate you and give you pleasure on my terms?” The question echoed hoarsely, and there was a moan.

“Yes, God yes, you touch me so well, so perfectly.” The blonde sighed and gripped the back of the sofa with both hands. Kate's mouth didn't hesitate to descend to the nipples, which she quickly found herself passionate about sucking and licking. She gently pulled on the piercing, and this made the blonde moan hoarsely. “Let me ride your fingers, please?” The whimper came, and Kate didn't hesitate to give in.

The hand went up the outside of Yelena's thigh, passing over the hip bone and scraping the short hairs there, and dive between the lips of Yelena's pussy without blinking, and she moaned to the blonde as she felt how wet and ready the woman was.

“God, you’re so hot.” ​​She gasped, and Yelena nodded without really seeming to hear what was said.

“Fuck me.” The order came, and then melted as it rubbed against her clitoris. “Please fuck me.” And Kate still didn’t move, which made her green eyes open and the two looked at each other. “Kate…” The growl came, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Yes?” The teasing was part of both of them, and Yelena whimpered and then adjusted herself to rub against Kate’s hand.

“Be a good wolf to me.” Yelena’s tone was commanding, but there was a layer of pleading. “Please, baby…” She whimpered, and Kate swallowed hard, two fingers rising without her really controlling her own reaction much. The penetration was slow and gentle, and Yelena moaned, throwing her head back and nodding quickly. “Yes, that’s it, just like that.” She spoke hoarsely, her mouth falling slightly open, her breath heavy, and then Kate's hand was squeezed against herself as Yelena sank into her fingers.

"Looks like we've overcome the no-sex phase." The brunette said, leaning in and lightly sucking on the skin of Yelena's collarbone.

"Thank God, if I had to go without sex any longer I would die." The speech was broken, and Kate gave a low laugh, but Yelena's hands tightened around her, and she felt the blonde's nails digging into her shoulder blades.

"Ride my fingers." The order came accompanied by a light bite on Yelena's collarbone, and Kate's mouth moved up to lick and suck the mark on the trapezius muscle where Kate's teeth had already wandered and left a mark.

“Fuck, yes!” Yelena groaned loudly, and adjusted herself slightly to better support herself on her knees. With two fingers inside Yelena, Kate's free hand gripped the blonde's butt cheek, squeezing and lightly scratching, which made the woman's hips sway forward and then begin to move back and forth without much hesitation.

And the sounds, Yelena's sounds were the best sounds possible. The blonde moaned with each backward movement, and gasped with each forward rub. Kate's fingers were deep, and whenever Yelena moved back, she bent her fingers to be able to rub against the blonde's front wall, and it seemed to be maddening. And Kate felt the small, roughest spot inside the woman subtly with each movement.

“I'm going to come.” The blonde informed, and Kate appreciated the warning even as she felt Yelena's pussy squeezing her tightly.

“Then come for me.” The brunette kissed the center of Yelena's chest, which made her hands burrow into her hair, pulling and pushing her head against the blonde's skin. And there was the broken moan that seemed like a failed attempt to moan Kate's name, and Kate loved hearing how the woman shuddered, feeling how she sweated and squeezed Kate's fingers inside the wet folds, how the scent of Yelena's pleasure filled the room, how her skin warmed and tingled. Yelena was a sight.

"God, you're a magnificent woman." She whispered against Yelena's mouth, and the two kissed slowly. 

"This magnificent woman needs help getting to the bedroom." The blonde said in a laugh broken by affection and a moan as Kate's fingers gently left her. 

"Anything for you." Kate said, easily picking Yelena up in her arms and heading to the bedroom. Yes, anything for Yelena, especially when the woman smiled relaxed and trusting Kate as she was. Kate was a happy woman there.

Chapter Text

Kate was walking down the city street with Lucky on a leash. They were taking a stroll, a peaceful walk. With Lucky being more active, and especially Kate being more energetic, the two usually made the walk from Wanda's house to the city with ease.

She saw the way he walked, ahead, with the leash loose and in cheerful steps. Lucky had always been a happy dog, and having a tennis ball in his mouth made him even happier. They walked calmly to the square near the restaurant, an open area with some benches where Kate liked to sit sometimes. But today was the day to play ball with Lucky, which made the dog very happy and Kate very amused.

They went to one of the benches, Lucky was released from the leash, and the ball was picked up by Kate. There was that little moment of teasing, and Kate, with measured force, threw the ball far away. Lucky took off running, his golden fur swaying, and he, somewhat awkwardly and disjointedly, stumbled, fell, and got up as if nothing had happened and continued running towards the yellow ball.

She chuckled softly and then waited for Lucky to return, he always came back more slowly than he ran toward the ball. When he arrived, she easily caught the ball and threw it again.

"You're a great boy, Lucks." She said as he approached, still full of energy, and Kate gave a low laugh. "How about gnawing on a bone?" Kate asked, and that made his ears twitch, and he began to tap his feet lightly as Kate pulled out her backpack and pulled out a smoked bone for him. The dog took the bone delicately and lay down under the bench where Kate had her backpack resting. "The best dog." The brunette muttered to herself with an easy smile.

For many years, Lucky was Kate's faithful companion. Her parents worked, and besides being a great dog, he was officially an emotional support dog, so he would go to classes with Kate. Then, during her doctorate, it was Lucky who kept Kate going, Lucky and his gentle kindness. 

In the writing classes that Kate taught, he was the one who would lie under the table and rest his head on the brunette's leg when she felt anxious. So he was and still is a good support system. Even though at this point in Kate's life, he was more Eleanor's emotional support dog during the divorce.

She pulled out her cell phone while he was making small grunts as he happily chewed, a bone that size he probably wouldn't finish, but knowing Lucky, he would be entertained for the next twenty minutes or so.

Yelena: What are you doing today?

The message was there in Kate's cell phone notifications, they had exchanged "hi" messages a short time ago. Yelena had a horrible night of orthopedic surgery, from what Kate understood from the spaced-out messages of the night, and she had woken up a short time ago.

Kate: I'm with Lucky at the park, we came to play ball and now he's eating a bone while I'm sunbathing. Apparently my vitamin D is still a little low. Even though my vitamin C and B complex are better.

There was a pause during which Yelena was probably on a call, and there was no response, so Kate casually sat there, fiddling with her phone, sunbathing, and waiting for a reply. That's when she saw Lucky lift his head and whimper. She looked in the direction he was looking and saw a figure walking, slightly dazed. Kate saw Lucky drop the bone and stand up, acting very similarly to when she herself had a crisis. The dog whimpered and began to walk slowly towards the person.

That's when Kate saw the person's body collapse onto the soft grass. Kate frowned and started walking, her phone still in her hand and her backpack left behind on the bench. Lucky walked beside her and reached who Kate recognized as a man first.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" She said, trying not to move the person too much, and there was a groan. "Damn it." In a quick movement, and taking advantage of the fact that the conversation with Yelena was open, she just called without hesitation.

"Hey, honey, I'm finishing up a call, is everything alright?" Yelena's voice was soft and low.

"Baby, I'm here with someone who just fainted in the park, they fell face down, how do I avoid hurting them and check if they're okay?" She consciously knew that Yelena was a veterinarian, but the blonde also had first aid training that the firefighters provided, since many times she was the only one with any kind of medical knowledge in the city.

“Arry, wait a moment, okay? It’s an emergency.” She heard Yelena speaking, and then the blonde seemed to leave the office. “Karolina, call the emergency services and ask for an ambulance to the park, the one on Santa Angélica Street, Kate has someone passed out. Honey, try to roll this person gently, without twisting the neck, we need access to the face and airways.” She spoke, instructing Kate on how to do it, and then obediently and gently, she rolled the man onto his back.

“Oh, shit, it’s Bob.” She said into the phone, and there was a curse word, and then there was the sound of the ambulance approaching. “Bob? Bob, it’s Kate, are you listening to me?” She said, trying to see if there was any level of consciousness.

“Does he have a pulse, is he breathing?” Yelena’s voice gained a new layer of concern.

“Yes, he’s just very pale. There’s no visible blood, nothing I can see.” Kate said and closed her eyes for a moment, letting her lupine senses take over. “He doesn’t seem to be bleeding internally, his heart rate is a little fast but not too much, he has a smell that I can’t identify.” She spoke on the phone and then heard the two paramedics approaching. “The paramedics are here.”

“Bob has an emergency contact bracelet, it should have Ava’s name on it, she’s the one in charge in case of problems.” Yelena’s voice was rather serious. And Kate followed the care. She relayed what she heard, that Bob’s blood pressure was low, so they moved him to the ambulance and Kate walked alongside Lucky, answering questions she knew how to answer and after a few minutes of care, Bob woke up.

“What happened?” The man’s voice was a little slurred, tired and seemed dejected.

“Bob, you fainted, Kate called us.” The thing about living in a small town, everyone knew each other and the paramedic, who Kate thought was called Louis.

“I’m a little… Tired since yesterday.” Bob spoke with a sigh. “Sorry guys, I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow in Eastview to see why I’ve been so tired.” He spoke sincerely.

“Look, we can take you to the hospital…” Louis offered, and his colleague, Fred, nodded.

“No, no, my insurance will go crazy if that’s what it’s all about.” He grumbled. “I’m okay, I just need to go home, and tomorrow I’ll go with the Andersons to Eastview.” He said, and there was a small nod of acceptance, and Bob signed a denial of service.

“I’ll walk you home.” Kate said, still with the phone to her ear.

“Come here later, baby.” Yelena’s tone was low, and Kate made a sound of acceptance and hung up the blonde.

“No need, Kate.” He said, already getting out of the ambulance and stopping in front of Kate, who was worried.

“Yes, there is. Lucky, go get my bag please.” She gave the order, and the dog, trained to fetch things, ran to the bench and grabbed the backpack by the strap. It wasn't very pretty and dragged on the ground, but Kate didn't mind. The backpack was dropped on the ground, and she smiled at Lucky. "Good job, boy." She praised him, and he ran back to the bench, this time returning with his bone. "We can't forget your bone." Her grumble made Bob chuckle softly, and she put the slightly drooled bone in the bag inside her backpack.

"It's okay, I promise, I'm just very tired. I don't know if the damn thyroid problem hasn't caught up with me yet." He said, giving a low, self-deprecating laugh, and the two began to walk slowly.

"Do you think that could be it?" She asked softly, putting the leash on Lucky, and the two continued on their slow path.

"Probably, the doctor already had me under observation for hypothyroidism, my last exam was close to the minimum limit." He said and sighed.

“Okay, so you’re not having a syncope.” She said, and he laughed awkwardly.

“No, I hope not, sorry for worrying you. Explain this to Yelena, I know she’s worried and she’ll be mad at me for not going to the hospital.” He said and gave an awkward smile.

“She’s a very careful person, of course she’ll be worried, but her anger isn’t directed at you per se, it’s the way she’s worried.” Kate said gently, and Bob nodded.

“Yes, I know, but still. I’m afraid she’ll be mad at me.” This made Kate laugh softly and nod, then they arrived at the restaurant without much delay.

“And when did this tiredness start?” She asked, and Bob greeted the employees and said he was going to rest because he felt unwell on the street. There were expressions of concern, but Bob gently brushed it off, saying he would go to the doctor the next day.

“Ever since Ava came back, if I’m being honest.” He said, running a hand over his face as they climbed the stairs to Bob’s apartment, which was upstairs from the restaurant. “She seems to drain my health.” He grumbled, and this made Kate’s mind give a small warning, it was the second time she’d heard that.

“Yelena said the same thing, that it seemed like Ava drained her health when the two of them were together, even without saying anything.” She said, and Bob nodded.

“My sister has that talent.” He gestured for Kate to come into the apartment.

“Always?” Kate asked curiously.

“Eh, she got a little crazy over time, I guess. But my life has always been somewhat troubled. Ava becomes more and more exhausting every day and more… An emotional vampire? Is that the term?” He said, laughing derisively. “It’s like she’s a hurricane and I’m a house there’s no escape from.” He said, sitting on the sofa and gesturing for Kate to sit down.

“A troubled life?” She asked softly.

“It was always difficult. Ava… It got worse in adolescence. I think my depression was terrible at that stage, so it might just be my somewhat distorted reading of the situation.” He spoke thoughtfully. “Our parents divorced after my first suicide attempt, my father wasn’t very good to us, then he died and Ava came back to live with me and my mother. And my depression worsened, my mother’s worsened.” He spoke thoughtfully. “Then Ava went away to study, and things became more stable. My mother and I found a good doctor and we were under control and medicated. Then I went to Los Angeles for a work period there with a friend of mine, John, and Ava came back to live with our mother.” He scratched his chin slightly. “Then my mother had a sudden illness and died.” He spoke in a low tone. “I took over the restaurant and Ava started dating Yelena and it was that awful thing. Ava and I had a falling out at the end of her relationship with Yelena and she left. And… It’s awful, but my life is better without her around.” He spoke almost like a secret.

“And why did she come back?” Kate asked, curious but still worried about the assumptions her mind was making.

“She went bankrupt, her business burned to the ground and she asked me for help. And she’s my sister.” Kate understood this and nodded. “She plans to leave at the end of the year, but the end of the year is still a long way off. She’s going to drive me crazy until then. I'm trying to convince her to go to Eastview, open a shop there, but she’s resistant.” He said and ran a hand over his face. “But anyway, sorry for venting about my emotional vampire sister on you.” The tone was awkward.

“It’s okay. Seriously, I don’t mind listening. But if you need help, let me know.” She spoke sincerely and he nodded.

“I’ll go, thank you Kate, I promise I’m fine, just tired, I’ll eat something and sleep.” He said and Kate nodded.

“Okay, Lucky and I will get out of your hair.” She said and they said goodbye and Kate saw that he did seem better. But still, her mind had ideas that she found herself shaking off. “Don’t go there Kate.” She said to herself leaving the restaurant and walking with Lucky the short distance to the clinic.

She entered the clinic and Phantom was lying by the window and the moment he saw Kate, he stood up and meowed. Practically showing off and demanding affection without actually approaching. Lucky, in turn, went directly to Karolina who was at the counter.

“Hi Kate.” She said and focused on Lucky, speaking to him in an almost childlike voice.

“Hi K.” Kate said gently and then petted Phantom. “Hi boy.” She said softly to him. It was then that Kate's eyes caught the soft glow emanating from Karolina's hands as she was distracted talking to Lucky. Then, as if realizing what was happening, the light faded, and she looked at Kate in fright.

"Kate…." There was hesitation, fear. Karolina smelled of fear, and Kate adjusted herself to face the younger blonde woman, and it was pure panic. "I-Kate-You…" She stammered and paled.

"Are you a Peri?" The question was asked softly, with Kate approaching the service counter. And she saw how Karolina's mouth opened. "You're dating Nico, I assumed she told you, but you didn't say anything because of Yelena." She continued and saw how confused the girl became. "I'm a lycan, Karolina." Then there was relaxation, the overwhelming relief that washed over the woman was evident.

“Luminara, actually. Peri are very rare these days, we’re similar in powers, but unlike Peri, I can’t fly using the energy I absorb from the sun.” Karolina said, and Kate leaned on the counter. “Peri absorbs radiation and transforms it into bursts of plasma and light, in Luminara’s case, I absorb light, literally light without transformation, and with that I can generate bursts of light and heat.” She said, demonstrating, and a light pink light came out of her palm. “I’m very controlled, but when I’m happy I sometimes forget that I need to control myself.” She said awkwardly.

“I thought Nico had mentioned me.” Kate said, and Nico shook her head.

“She doesn’t talk much about other people’s lives, the worst gossip in the world, but Billy mentioned that there was a new lycan who was working with silver poisoning.” Kate raised her hand.

“Silver poisoning, present.” This made the blonde laugh slightly and nod.

“I’m glad you know this about me now.” She spoke sincerely and then looked at the door where the office, consulting room, and everything else was located. “Yelena…?” The questioning tone was there.

“She knows about me, she’s slowly learning about other supernatural beings.” Kate said and gave a small, low laugh. “I can tell her if you prefer, but she’s very quiet.” Kate spoke gently, and Karoline squirmed slightly.

“Yes, I get nervous having to tell others.” It was indeed a somewhat anxious tone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll break the news to her. Is she in the consulting room?” Kate asked gently.

“In the room, she’s tired, poor thing, it was a huge surgery, she even called a second veterinarian friend of hers from Eastview to help, it was a horrible accident.” Karoline said and sighed. “Luckily, they both managed to stabilize her, and James went home in the morning, his boyfriend came to pick him up, as far as I understand. I arrived here, and he was sleeping on the sofa.” She indicated the sofa. “A six-foot-tall man sleeping on a two-seater sofa is ridiculous.” She grumbled. “But he said Steve was coming so…” She shrugged. “Anyway, Yelena is sleeping or just lying down, she was worried about Bob.”

“Bob is suspected of having hypothyroidism.” She said, and then Karoline nodded.

“That explains it.” She spoke softly and then turned her attention back to Lucky. “I’ll keep this piece of marshmallow here so you two can be together. There’s nothing planned for today, but if there’s anything, I’ll let you know.” And Kate nodded, moving to the break room with quiet steps. Her backpack was on her shoulder, and Kate knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in, Karolina.” Yelena’s tone was slightly sleepy, but Kate opened the door and saw that Yelena had her arm thrown over her eyes and was yawning with a hand to her mouth. She closed the door gently behind her. “Is everything alright?” Yelena's tone was heavy but still awake, and Kate placed her backpack by the door and held the key.

"I'm perfectly fine." The words caused Yelena's arm to leave her face, and she propped herself up on her elbow to stand.

"Kate." The tone wasn't necessarily surprised, but it was cheerful.

"Hello, princess." The tone was a purr, and Kate twisted her wrist to lock the door. "First, Bob is fine, he had what he suspects was a hypothyroidism flare-up and has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, he's at home resting and he's safe." She said, taking off her shoes and approaching Yelena in slow steps, then she knelt on the bed, and it was a delight to see Yelena open her legs for her to adjust, even under the sheet.

"Is there a second point?" She asked in a hoarse tone. "I'm glad Bob is okay despite the possible diagnosis, he's been dealing with this for a while now." She spoke, clearly relieved by the news.

“I have a second point, but I need to ask, why did you hire Karolina?” She asked playfully, and the blonde frowned slightly.

“She had graduated from high school and wanted to learn about animals, she never had the money for veterinary college, so she took a long course to be an assistant and all that.” She spoke, confused by the question. “Why?”

“Remember when you told me that you always liked the different and that seemed to attract you without you knowing?” Yelena’s mind seemed to pause for a moment, especially because Kate pulled the sheets off the blonde and the two looked at each other.

“No….” The tone was amused and even incredulous, as Yelena’s brilliant mind made the connection.

“She is what she herself defined me as a Luminara, a being that absorbs sunlight and can emit it in the form of light and heat. She had a moment of losing control of her power in front of me, the poor thing almost short-circuited.” Kate spoke, and her hands touched Yelena’s knees, pushing her legs apart and adjusting better between them. “Then I told her about me, and said I was going to break the news to you.” Kate’s touch moved up to the inside of Yelena’s thighs, and she saw the shudder, felt the muscles vibrate, and the scent of excitement lightly filled her nose.

“I’m the equivalent of a lightning rod for weirdos.” The term came after the two had recently watched Wednesday, and Kate gave a small, husky laugh, and the brunette’s hands moved up to the waistband of the soft pants Yelena was wearing and gripped firmly. “Kate Bishop, are you trying to get into my pants?” The question was asked with Yelena already lifting her hips and letting the pants be pulled down easily.

“I want to eat you.” It was declarative and especially blunt, and Yelena groaned hoarsely and brought her hands to her face.

“How am I supposed to stay quiet?” It was a grunt, but not a denial, especially since Kate smelled Yelena getting wetter and gasped when the brunette’s mouth connected to the entire thigh and sucked on a purple mark there.

“That seems to be your problem, princess.” It was provocative and still playful. “I can put my hand over your mouth if you want.” And there was this moment of suspension, where Yelena’s body tensed slightly and Kate thought she had said the wrong thing.

“God, yes, put your hand over my mouth and stop me from screaming when I come for you.” The submission came so easily that Kate nodded almost without knowing what to say. But still, Yelena’s panties were pulled down at record speed and dropped beside the two of them.

And there was no hesitation from either the blonde or the brunette. Her legs were spread, one of them rising onto Kate's shoulder, and the brunette's mouth descended directly to the wet folds.

It was hunger, Kate felt a hunger for Yelena in an absolutely blatant and desirous way. She felt a frantic desire to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and practically every part of herself connected to the woman at every moment. And even though the two were enjoying dating and getting to know each other, there was this absolute hunger Kate had for Yelena.

It wasn't just driven by haste, it was mainly driven by desire, by wanting. By the scent of Yelena's desire, by the taste of her skin, by the warmth of her folds, by the panting sounds that Kate's hand promptly muffled without much fear. The palm of her hand found Yelena's mouth and covered her lips, and there was this soft bite from Yelena against the skin of her palm, and the muffled moan, which wouldn't leave the room, echoed loudly in Kate's ears.

"That's it, moan into my hand." The brunette spoke and looked up, seeing the chest, still covered by the t-shirt, jut upwards as only the tip of Kate's tongue traced around the clitoris. 

Yelena's hands moved quickly, one gripping the wrist of the hand that was in her mouth, the blonde's nails digging into the skin of Kate's wrist, and there was that burning sensation that Kate appreciated having with Yelena as desperate as she was. And the other hand went to the brown hair, gripping the strands and pulling every time Kate casually teased the blonde's clitoris.

When Kate's tongue flattened over the clitoris, there was that muffled murmur from the hand, which sounded very much like Kate's name. The blonde's hand pressed the brunette's hand against her mouth harder and she arched deliciously.

Kate continued licking, feeling every part of the folds, feeling the blonde get wetter, the little sounds that echoed from her, as the ribs rose and fell, and Kate, she was reveling in it. Yelena was a haven of desire and surrender, and the lycan loved immersing herself there.

The tongue sank inside Yelena without much ceremony, and learning that Yelena loved penetration and felt as much pleasure as she demonstrated was maddening. There was this deep layer of desire between the two that neither of them could really control in any way.

The muffled sounds of Kate's name echoed, and she pulled away slightly so that her free hand could trace the skin of Yelena's leg with her fingertips, until two fingers went inside Yelena, feeling the walls tremble and embrace the fingers that promptly became wet.

“God, you’re paradise, look at you. Trembling with lust, wet, open, so willing to be fucked and eaten by me. I’m so lucky.” She purred and continued pushing her fingers inside. “You swallow my fingers with desire, with lust, with a hunger I can’t explain. You’re so ready for me, aren’t you, baby?” She continued speaking in a low, deep, lustful tone, and Yelena arched her back, trying to wave Kate’s hand, which was firmly held over her mouth. “I feel you so close to coming, will you come for me like the good girl you are? You deserve every ounce of pleasure, God, you deserve to be worshipped like the work of art you are. If someone told me that the goddess of beauty, love, art, and desire had descended to Earth, I would be certain, without a doubt or hesitation, that you were that divine physical version.” She continued talking and thrusting, listening to the muffled moans, the grunts, the small breaths that seemed almost arrhythmic through her nose, and she felt, saw, drank in how the blonde arched and how the moan echoed, still muffled to the rest of the world but absolutely loud to Kate's lupine ears.

The hand that was gripping Kate's wrist, which was forcing the hand harder and harder against her mouth, pushed the hand down and Kate yielded without hesitation to give space to the blonde. The fingers were still inside Yelena and she adjusted herself so she could look at the blonde.

"Fuck, what I wouldn't give for the strap-on deep inside me and you kissing me." She whimpered and shuddered, biting her lower lip so that the moan of the fingers being removed from inside her wouldn't echo too loudly. "I feel weak." She said, letting her legs fall open and her arms relax at her sides.

"Now I think you can sleep a little longer." She spoke again between Yelena's legs, slowly caressing her thighs. "I can fuck you with my cock later." She spoke casually, and Yelena's head lifted slightly.

"Is that a promise? Because I'll hold you to it." Yelena said, still breathing faster. "If you keep touching me like that, I'll want to go again." She whispered, and Kate chuckled softly, running the tips of her short nails against the woman's thighs and watching her shudder and get goosebumps.

"You can hold me to it however you want. I'm very willing." She purred and raised both hands to slowly move towards Yelena's pussy.

"Kate..." The tone was a call, and the blonde shuddered when the tip of Kate's finger brushed superficially against the lips of her pussy, and then Kate brought her finger to her mouth and put the tip in her mouth. Which made her green eyes darken, and Yelena squirmed. “This is unfair, I’m working and you’re teasing me. I should be sleeping.” Yelena said in a whiny tone.

“Nobody’s stopping you.” And it was a blatant lie, especially since Kate leaned in and in a teasing move toward her pussy, but then veered to find her hip with her mouth and she licked and scraped the tip of her teeth against the crest of the bone there, which made Yelena groan and then both her hands slapped against her own mouth.

“Kate Bishop!” The tone was firm, but not punitive or anything like that, rather it seemed more willing than desirous, Kate’s mouth slid to just above the pubic hairline and then up toward her navel and there was another muffled moan.

“Do you want to sleep or do you want me to make you come again?” The brunette asked, her mouth at Yelena's ribcage, and Kate's hands moved up to push the t-shirt up, making her breasts appear, and she moaned in lust. "Damn, I love your breasts." She said and bit a nipple, her tongue playing with the piercing there.

"God, yes, make me come again, but take off your clothes, I want your skin against mine." She spoke in a very fast, breathless, and hurried tone, and Kate nodded, letting the nipple pop out of her mouth with a delicious sound that made Yelena groan hoarsely.

Kate stood up and pushed the clothes off her body almost hastily, but even she had to hold back a moan when Yelena rolled onto her stomach on the bed and stretched out for her tongue to trace the center of her belly.

"Tell me you'll come home with me afterward and we'll fuck in every way I can think of… I'm so horny. God, my libido went from zero to a thousand, Jesus Christ." She whimpered, and her mouth moved up to the lower part of Kate's breasts.

“Yelena…” Kate’s hand plunged into the blonde strands of hair, and Yelena moaned against the nipple, which she decided to suck slowly. She pulled the blonde’s head back, and they both gasped. Kate gasped at the break in contact, and Yelena at the roughness that she particularly seemed to enjoy with Kate.

“I love that you treat me like this.” The blonde’s voice was hoarse and deep. “With so much affection, so much dedication, so much desire, and yet, in a rough, animalistic way, deeply immersed in lust.” The blonde purred softly and moaned with another tug. “It’s the perfect mix that makes me feel seen, desired, cherished, and still wanton but not ordinary. I feel special.” Yelena ran her hands over Kate’s shoulders. “My wolf knows exactly how to take care of me.” There was a growl that echoed through Kate in a vibration. “My wolf.”

This seemed to press a possessive button in Kate, who pushed Yelena onto the bed, moving on top of her. And the brunette's mouth didn't hesitate, going straight to the spot that quickly turned into a small park of Kate's bites. The bite that landed there was strong, stronger than the last ones, and Yelena's hands went to different places.

One to her own mouth to try to stop the obscene, deep, and loud moan that wanted to echo, and the other to scratch Kate's back hard. It was a marking, they both knew it, it was a brutal possessiveness of Kate's wolf, who, despite still maturing, was a very controlled wolf, but when it came to possessing Yelena, it lost control.

The taste of blood and the smell of blood overwhelmed Kate, she had torn Yelena's skin with the bite, and that made her suddenly pull away.

"I'm sorry, Yel!" She said, almost horrified by herself, but there was this break in Yelena that Kate tried to understand. The blonde pressed herself against her, her mouth still covered by her hand, her eyebrows furrowed, and there was the distinct scent of an orgasm that vibrated through Yelena's body like a prayer or perhaps a curse.

"Fuck me. Fuck me." Yelena didn't seem to compute or understand that Kate had actually bitten her hard enough to draw blood. "Kate Bishop, fuck me now." Kate's eyes widened at this, and she quickly brought her fingers to rub Yelena's clitoris. "Fuck me." The growl echoed without much space, and two fingers plunged deeper into Yelena.

The blonde was soaked, practically dripping onto Kate's fingers, and she quickly pushed in a third finger, and this seemed to satisfy Yelena, who quickly pulled Kate by the back. Her fingers dug into the brunette's shoulder blades, and the blonde's mouth went to Kate's neck and shoulder, but unlike the lycan, the woman began to actively mark with each thrust.

“Yelena…” Kate called, realizing there was this layer of something she couldn’t quite identify, but Yelena wrapped her legs around Kate’s hips, pushing her fingers deeper into the blonde.

“That’s it, fuck me, fuck me hard, baby.” Yelena groaned hoarsely, and Kate swallowed hard, worried about the bite, and began thrusting her fingers forcefully inside the blonde. “That’s it, feel how ready I am for you.” It was muffled by the skin of Kate’s neck that Yelena was pressed against, the blonde’s hips moving with lust, and the brunette simply allowed the situation to unfold first.

The fucking was quick, intense, and when Yelena’s nails scraped Kate’s back hard during orgasm, the brunette didn’t mind, but the blonde still groaned softly against her, arching, whimpering, and exploding in an orgasm that was absolutely filthy.

“God, you fuck me so well.” The blonde said, relaxing on the bed, and Kate pulled away to look at Yelena and swallowed hard. There was this energy — maybe it was the only way Kate could define it. Her eyes widened as she looked at the bite mark on Yelena's trapezius muscle, and it was bizarre to watch the bite wounds close and only small, whitish marks, like an old, almost invisible scar, form.

"What the hell…" She said, leaning in to look closer.

"What happened?" Yelena spoke in a soft, relaxed tone, and then saw Kate's confused look.

"I bit you, I literally drew blood from you and—" She said confusedly and sat up in bed. "We need to go talk to Rio or Wanda or Agatha. Any of them." It was a realization. Kate didn't know why, but she knew there was something involving the wolf.

"Are you okay?" Yelena said, sitting up confusedly, and Kate nodded, still confused. "I feel perfectly fine." She stated softly, which seemed to relieve Kate on some level.

“I-I-I don’t know—” Kate stammered. “Yel, I literally bit your skin open, you were bleeding and now you’re healed. Either you or I are developing healing powers that I don’t know about or something, we need to talk to the coven.” She spoke firmly, and Yelena nodded without really knowing, but glanced at the clock that was next to the bed.

“I’m going to take a shower, do you want to take a shower?” She offered, and Kate looked at her with furrowed brows at Yelena’s easy way of speaking. “I came, my legs are weak, my thighs are wet from coming, I’m not going to your pack smelling like fuck, no matter how good it was.” Kate’s mouth opened and closed, and she nodded, following Yelena to the bathroom.

“Good point.” She muttered and just saw Yelena look over her shoulder.

“Come on, stud.” And the ease with which Yelena simply brushed away any ‘possible new powers’ and decided to act one moment at a time made Kate just sigh and smile slightly. Yelena was indeed one in a million.

********

Kate carefully analyzed how the situation was unfolding. Wanda was gaping, literally, half-open, and the woman was sitting in the armchair opposite the sofa with her eyebrows arched.

Yelena and Kate were sitting facing the redhead, side by side, and for a brief moment the fluttering movement of Agatha Harkness walking from side to side behind Wanda made Kate's eyes dart from side to side.

“Repeat it for me, slowly.” Agatha said, and Kate looked at Yelena and then at the brunette.

“I bit Yelena and suddenly the wound healed?” She offered, and it was almost fascinating to see the level of exasperation swirling around Agatha, while Wanda licked her lips slightly and leaned back in the armchair again in a more relaxed manner.

"You were fucking and you suddenly decided to bite your girlfriend?" Again Agatha, and if it hadn't been so filthily thrown in Kate's face, she would have laughed at the question, but the tone, the tone made it clear that it was a question that was half serious and half shocked.

"Basically, yes." Kate said, shrugging. She heard Yelena's heart race and glanced briefly to the side, seeing the woman blush.

"Why did you bite her?" Agatha's question was followed by Kate biting her lower lip, then licking it, and clearing her throat.

"She likes to bite and I like to scratch?" Agatha looked directly at Yelena when the blonde answered. "I like to be bitten and she likes to be scratched? It's not exactly rocket science." The blonde spoke and crossed her arms, and Kate again wanted to burst into laughter, but she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through her nose.

"So... She healed, what could that mean?" Kate asked, and what made all four jump in their places was the door opening brutally and slamming against the wall, and Rio's small but robust figure appearing.

"I'm here, I'm here." She said, and the door slammed shut.

"The door, Rio, don't abuse the door." Wanda said in a reasonably dry tone, and Rio stopped, looked at the door and at the redhead.

"Sorry, Maximoff, but I received a 'come to Wanda's house urgently' message from my damn wife, the door can handle it." She growled and looked at Agatha. "What happened?" The question came with a clear look where Rio assessed if Agatha was alright.

"That one over there." She pointed at Kate with a stiff finger, and Rio's gaze followed her arm, hand, finger, and then Kate. "Bit that one over there." She then pointed at Yelena. "And the bite healed after a spontaneous orgasm." This made the two girlfriends look at Agatha in clear surprise.

"We didn't talk about that." Yelena spoke, but Kate focused on Rio. Rio's mouth opened and closed, her brown eyes focused on Kate like lasers, and she blinked a few times.

"Are you having dreams?" The question was direct, without beating around the bush, and Kate frowned.

"I'm a writer, I dream more than half the time I'm sleeping. Be specific." She spoke slightly confused.

"Recurring, Kate, you know what I mean." And that made the brunette fidget, and the attention of the three women fell on her.

"It doesn't make much sense." She cleared her throat.

"Rarely does." Rio's tone was still a little shocked, but gentler. "Tell me what it's like."

“I’m sitting in a desolate place, but not in the saddest sense, it seems… A kind of volcanic crater, the sand is black but still soft. I can’t see myself, but I look ahead and see this mirror of clear water, completely transparent. For a moment I can see the bottom, but then the sky seems to gain light, it becomes blue, the water becomes completely blue. I look up to see the sky and I see my reflection, but it’s not clear.” She thought. “It’s me, I know it’s me, it moves like me, but it’s completely dark, like an image that burned into a film.” She remains silent for a moment. “In this place the weather changes, from a blue sky, it becomes a cloudy day, with heavy gray clouds, then it rains. But I don't feel wet and there is still my reflection in the water and in the sky. There is no sound, there are no smells, and when the world turns blue again, I see, in the reflection of the sky, a second reflection of someone, someone who isn't there, but if I try to move towards that person, following the edge of the lake and looking at the reflection in the sky, it's as if I never reach them. I blink and I'm back in the same place.” The silence that fell there was profound, and Kate felt Yelena's hand in hers, in a gentle support because neither of them knew exactly what they wanted to say.

“These dreams are often highly symbolic, Kate.” Rio spoke and looked at Wanda. “What do you think?” She asked the redhead.

“It translates a lot of something prior to consciousness, in instinctive layers I would say.” Wanda spoke softly. “There are more obvious elements, the crater is the vestige of a destructive force that is gone, the sand may be a transformation of pain into fertile ground.” Wanda began, and Kate focused on her completely. “The fact that the place is desolate, but not sad, shows that there is no fear in the void, but rather acceptance.” Agatha nodded to this.

“And the water mirror?” Rio asked, casually sitting on the arm of the other armchair in Wanda’s office.

“It’s a classic symbolism of the unconscious and of emotions.” Agatha said and sat down next to Rio.

“It’s clear, which indicates emotional clarity, but the reflection is distorted.” Rio said, and Kate glanced briefly at Yelena with a question in her eyes, who shrugged, also confused by the conversation between the three older women.

“Perception is always fluctuating, which makes sense with the changes.” Wanda continued. “The arrival of the blue shows the true color, and also the climate changes are corroborated by the changes that have occurred…” Wanda pondered softly.

“And the burnt images?” Agatha asked curiously, and Kate knew that Wanda was more focused on dreams than the other witches.

“A fragmented version. There is a line of interpretation, it could be the incomplete wolf, perhaps the trauma not fully integrated, which is justified by the silver. However, I presume it is still an adjustment of recognition, and that may change over time.” Wanda cleared her throat. “The most important thing, I think, for us is the appearance of the second reflection, it is someone who is not there, that is, a reflection that does not come from her.” There was a nod from the three older women.

“And you, do you have recurring dreams?” Rio asked softly to Yelena.

“Much less symbolic than Kate’s.” Yelena cleared her throat. “Mine is actually as literal as possible.” And that made Rio nod her head. “I’ve been dreaming about Kate’s wolf since I was young, less frequently, but when I turned 19, or maybe a little before, every night the wolf would visit me in some dream, sometimes even simple dreams like being in a market and I’d look and the wolf would be there. Always there, I never managed to touch it, they weren’t lucid dreams, but many times I found myself following the wolf. The situation always turned into a forest, the moon was always full.” She spoke, and Wanda nodded.

“The human counterpart is always less metaphorical, I would say.” Agatha spoke, and there was a sound of Rio.

“The human counterpart? What does that mean?” Kate spoke, and there was this moment when the three older women looked at her, but it was Wanda who spoke.

“It usually happens among supernatural beings, but there are outliers, even though there’s very little data, I would say that in a group of 10,000 cases, you are the third.” She spoke, and Yelena grunted.

“You’re going in circles. Apparently, you’ve known what’s going on from the beginning.” She said with a snort, and Agatha stood up suddenly.

“I’m sorry you’re frustrated—” Agatha didn’t seem to feel much and it was more of a passive-aggressive tone. “But cases of soulmates between supernatural beings and humans are extremely rare, as Wanda said, we wanted to make sure all the symptoms were there.” She said, crossed her arms, and walked to the window. And there was this… Suspension for a moment, where the phrase repeated itself in Kate’s mind.

“Between humans and supernatural beings—” The brunette spoke and winked. “Souls—What?” She asked loudly and looked at Rio, sure she was imagining things.

“It’s very rare when it happens, Kate, to be honest, Agatha and I are already a very rare outlier.” Rio began and looked at Wanda.

“Soulmates, different from what we have in religious or philosophical culture, it’s not exactly what the myths say.” Wanda began and Kate nodded.

“They are mirrors, you told me.” She said and Yelena leaned forward slightly, curious.

“Yes, they are like mirrors, reflecting deep and hidden parts of each other, lights, shadows. It’s an internal challenge, of weaknesses, of limitations, of what hasn’t been resolved, but still. Soulmates are catalysts.” Wanda spoke softly. “It makes sense if I analyze you two objectively. Two women who have gone through horrible traumas, with terrible breaches of trust, but who are very willing to love, care for, and protect. It makes sense, very often soulmates have similar experiences during life, not identical, but which end up culminating in the same point.” She spoke and looked at the two of them. “You both had and have self-image problems, but you still don't hesitate to put yourselves in the position of caring and protecting, you are loyal, you are faithful, and you are sweet.” She continued.

“Just because Kate and I have similar styles of seeing life and being traumatized does that mean we are soulmates? That way Bob and I would be too.” Yelena spoke, and the blonde's statement made sense if it weren't for the other topics.

“There was also the recurring dreams, the way we connected from the beginning. The bite.” Kate spoke softly. “I told Wanda that I felt connected to you in a way that I couldn't explain.” It was low, almost a whisper.

"What does being soulmates mean?" Yelena asked Kate quietly, but Agatha answered.

"Everything." The words made the two younger ones look at the witch, who had sat down again and had her hand on Rio's leg. "You find a partner for your life, a partner for your story, someone who doesn't see you broken or hurt, but sees you in the best possible way and tries to help you become a better version of yourself." She spoke and looked from Rio to the two of them. "You find affection, loyalty, you find a friend who can laugh and be yourself, who won't punish you for being who you are or want to change you. You find a home, a family, a part of yourself that always seemed to be echoing alone and that now seems to have found a resting place." She spoke softly, perhaps the softest tone Kate had ever seen Agatha use. And there was this silence that stretched on.

"I'm not going to get Yelena pregnant like you did with Rio, am I?" The question was asked in a slightly shocked tone, with the idea that had sprouted in Kate's mind, and Yelena looked at her with utter horror in her eyes, and Rio burst into laughter.

"God, no, you don't have magic, Kate. What made this happen is that she didn't have full control of her magical powers, it was her magic that thought: what if we have a child? Don't worry. It's like Wanda deciding to have twins." The two girlfriends' eyes went to the redhead, who blushed.

"Does that mean you can get Natasha pregnant?" Kate asked, and Yelena snorted.

"Only if Natasha had a uterus. She had to have a total hysterectomy, she had Endometriosis , and that forced her to retire from the army." Kate let out a small "Ah." and then nodded.

"No surprise children for you." She indicated Wanda, and there was this moment of silence.

"She can always get pregnant." Rio said, and there was a horrified look from Wanda.

“God forbid.” Wanda said it with horror, and Kate laughed. A war of words ensued between the three women.

“You know, for years I thought you three were together.” Yelena said, pointing to the older women, and Rio’s eyes widened as she licked her lips.

“It happened a few times.” The older lycan said, and Kate felt a pain in her neck as quickly as she looked from Wanda to Rio.

“What?” She said, seeing how Agatha’s cheeks flushed, Wanda’s cheeks were as red as her own hair, and Rio had a devilish grin.

“It was casual, especially during the full moon cycles that coincided with Halloween. Wanda was single, Agatha and I wanted a third person, it seemed to fit. It was a crazy week.” Kate’s mouth opened and closed, and then Agatha brought her hand to her face and grunted.

“And Natasha was mad at me for sharing a bed with you!” Kate’s tone was shocked, and Wanda covered her face with both hands.

“Why are we talking about this?” She grumbled against her palms, and Kate relaxed on the sofa.

“Because we like to gossip, and we’re trying to absorb the shocking and unexpected fact that Yelena and I are soulmates.” Kate spoke, and there was a slight fidget from Yelena.

“Is it shocking? Are you… disappointed?” The question was asked, and indeed, the way the brunette spoke could be interpreted as bad. Kate glanced quickly at the blonde and then frowned.

“Can I talk to Yelena alone, guys?” She asked without taking her eyes off the blonde, and there was a movement from Wanda and a grumble from Agatha that seemed like agreement, but then the door closed behind Rio with a delicate click. “It’s not bad, Yel, I’m not disappointed. I’m shocked, it’s completely different from being something negative.” She spoke softly and sat sideways on the sofa so she could look at the blonde.

“It seemed bad… That it was me.” The blonde spoke insecurely, and it was a glaring trigger that Kate could read. And she reached out to touch Yelena’s face, and that made the green eyes look at her.

“My dear, just because I’m surprised by the revelation doesn’t make it a bad feeling.” She paused for a moment and her thumb lightly rubbed Yelena’s cheek. “We’ve been dating for a month, a little more than that, it’s a heavy thing to put in a relationship. But at no point have I been disappointed, sad, or in any negative way that it’s with you.” She whispered and touched Yelena’s face with both hands. “The dream of any romance writer is that their romances become real, that the love that is written in lines and ink becomes something that that person has. And I found my soulmate, something that was rare when the supernatural were more numerous and that today is practically as rare as the birth of a new fundamental particle.” She spoke gently. “I have my fears, of course…” She whispered.

“Fears?” Yelena’s face pressed against Kate’s palm, and there were tears in her green eyes.

“If I’ll be good enough for this title, if I’ll be able to heal from the silver to be a complete partner for you, fear that you’ll feel like you’re being pushed into something you don’t want again…” Kate spoke softly.

“I feel safe with you.” Yelena spoke softly. “I know, it hasn’t been long, and maybe I’m the epitome of fast-growing relationships with women.” This made Yelena snort slightly. “I’m afraid I might be too little or too much to handle, but I’m not afraid that you’ll be good for me, that you’ll be a good partner. I just…” She seemed to choose her words carefully. “I don’t want it to be like it was with Ava, I don’t want it to be rushed or forced that we live together because we’re soulmates, I like getting to know you as we are, I like our pace, and I don’t want to change that.” She spoke sincerely.

“I don’t want that either, I want to learn about my wolf, about you, about our connection, and I’m still healing, I need to learn how to deal with things now that I can do things, many activities I used to outsource because I couldn’t do them, and now I can, I’m learning about myself too, and I think the pace we’re taking is good, it’s the best we can do. We see each other often, we talk frequently, but there are still agendas to fulfill, commitments and everything else.” Kate spoke maturely, and there was this relief in Yelena.

“Does being soulmates explain why I’m horny all the time?” She asked with a grunt. “We’re here talking about something important, about how we’re going to take our relationship with this new discovery, and I’m here thinking that now we can go to my house and have sex.” She spoke slightly embarrassed, and Kate gave an awkward laugh.

“It’s probably the wolf reflecting in you, on some level, Rio said that wolves are very sexual and this is a physical expression of affection.” She said awkwardly. “But hey…” She lightly touched Yelena’s hand. “A while ago we didn’t know each other, we were just two souls walking around without seeing each other. But you know, without any warning, without expectations, we met along the way. They say that encounters change everything, and I know this was one of them.” The tone was gentle, and Yelena leaned in and kissed her lightly.

“Shall we continue without letting the weight of the title of soulmates think about us? I like being with you.” She said, and it was a very fair, very sincere request, and Kate nodded.

“Yes, dear.” It was gentle and kind. “You want to go check on your dog, and I want to talk to Wanda about some questions I have, and then I can come to your house later. What do you think about in two or three hours?” She offered, knowing that Yelena wanted to check on the dog they had operated on and that they both needed some time to process the situation.

“Yes, that sounds good. You can just come over, I’ll let you know as soon as I leave the clinic.” She said with an easy smile. “Thank you for being understanding.” She whispered, and Kate nodded.

“I also want to take a shower and get some clothes, I didn’t pack any.” She rolled her eyes, and Yelena gave an amused laugh.

“You want to use Wanda’s nice shower, the one at the clinic is awful.” She grumbled, and Kate nodded.

“Yes.” And that made Yelena laugh, and the two left Wanda’s office with ease.

*******

“So… How are you feeling?” The question was almost psychological, and Kate gave a low laugh.

“Completely shocked, but not scared? Does that make sense?” Wanda replied thoughtfully.

“It does, we decided to keep this matter between the three of us, unless you start telling us.” She informed her gently, and Kate nodded.

“I appreciate the description.” The small wink to Wanda made the redhead laugh softly. “But that wasn’t why I asked us to come here to talk…” She offered awkwardly.

“Right… If that wasn’t what you wanted to talk about, what was it?” She asked gently.

“Is there any way to know if someone is supernatural without them saying anything?” She inquired suddenly, and Wanda made a thoughtful sound.

“There are always involuntary displays of powers.” Like Karoline, Kate thought. “But usually not.” Wanda cleared her throat. “Supernatural beings have learned over generations to remain silent from the public. We are a stronger and closer community today. We try to help people, and usually when there are people of the same type, like shapeshifters, they recognize each other by smell, or witches by magical vibrations, but other types are more difficult. For example, Becky, I would never have known if she hadn't told me.” Kate nodded. “What's on your mind?” She asked curiously.

“I think Ava might be supernatural.” The grimace Wanda made was enough for Kate to sigh. “I know, I know, I'm also a little skeptical about that possibility.” She said and huffed, and Wanda made a thoughtful sound.

“Tell me why you think that?” It was kind, not punitive or cruel, but simply a factual question that sought to understand a line of thought.

“Yelena talked to me a lot about their relationship, and what struck me was that Yelena presented physical symptoms. Like tiredness, emotional exhaustion, burnout on many levels, and she felt herself spiraling into depression.” Kate spoke, and Wanda nodded. “She defined Ava in the relationship as an emotional parasite, sucking energy from her without even speaking.” The point continued to be made. “Bob told me the same thing.” This made Wanda’s eyebrows arch slightly. “He used the term emotional vampire, and told me that when Ava is around he feels drained. And he told me that both he and his mother were diagnosed with depression. And that the best phase of his adult life with that diagnosis was when Ava was away.” She cleared her throat. “At the sound event, at the barbecue, I saw her uncomfortable, not like me or Rio, or you, but uncomfortable. And I brushed it off thinking it might just be a normal human reaction, but every moment it seems like everything piles up.” She spoke, giving voice to what her mind had brought together. “It might be a symptom of being a writer, I invent correlations between things.” But Wanda didn’t share Kate’s self-deprecating laugh.

The redhead had her eyebrows furrowed and she stood up, moving to the collection of books she had on the office shelf, her fingertips brushing the hard covers and spines of the books for a moment until she found one that looked like a notebook. She walked to the table, sat down and opened the book without really saying anything. Kate just stood there silently.

“There are a few historical options that could fit with what you described. Assuming Ava is a person with supernatural powers, active or dormant, with or without control.” Wanda spoke and Kate felt less foolish for suggesting it, especially since Wanda was taking the doubt seriously. “I don’t know if she can be one of those or not, and again, there’s a lot of missing data of other kinds. And she might just be a horrible person with no justification for being horrible.” She mumbled the last part.

"Let's assume she has powers of some kind or level." Kate spoke softly. Wanda nodded.

“She could be a Nephilim, which despite the Judeo-Christian folklore and the Book of Enoch calling them half-fallen angels and half-humans, are actually supernatural aberrations.” She spoke and cleared her throat. “All those we are going to talk about now are rare, they are exceptions, they are outliers in terms of supernatural powers and manifestations, Kate.” The brunette nodded. “Nephilim are supernatural remnants, with heightened perception and especially a magnetic presence, which is usually not good. All the stories, because we don't have facts, we only have accounts and narrations from unreliable narrators. Everything we have about this refers to this type of supernatural being as someone who has a glow, an absence of control over something within themselves that affects people around them. Some narrations say that they have partial clairvoyance, energy manipulation, and that they absorb things they don't possess. Which could be a justification for what you told me.” Kate listened attentively and nodded.

“I don’t know if it seems to fit so well, if I’m being honest, but again, the narrators of what you’re telling me aren’t reliable.” Wanda nodded at the phrase.

“There are the Jinn, many unusual ones of the type I’m going to describe, the Shadow Jinn are the opposite of Arab and Islamic culture, there they are creatures made of smokeless fire, which exist in parallel planes. In our assumption, she would be a Shadow Jinn, probably a half-heir or even more diluted. All of these no longer exist, so if she is something of the sort, it’s of diluted blood and fragmented heritage, which doesn’t give complete powers.” She spoke thoughtfully.

“Which explains why she supposedly has no control.” Kate contemplated. “A Shadow Jinn, what is that?” She questioned.

“Right, unlike a Fire or Light Jinn, who feels emotions like heat or cold, or light and dark. Shadow Jinn absorb and that’s all, in general, they were considered weak Jinn.” She said, shrugging slightly.

“Maybe? I don’t know, it would explain the tiredness and emotional exhaustion.” She spoke contemplatively, and Wanda gestured yes, but turned a few pages of the book that Kate recognized as Wanda’s writing. “You did extensive research.” She pointed gently.

“I’ve always been academically curious, and over time I’ve compiled information from various books.” Wanda spoke with a focused gaze and a clearly distant mind. “We have two more options. A Lamia, a name based on the Greek culture of the woman cursed by Hera who became a nocturnal monster.” She pointed and ran her hand over the writing. “Described as someone hungry for energy, feeding on attention, desire, or even vitality. But with an incomplete form, Lamias were murdered a long time ago, a partial bloodline could explain it, that crude justification of manipulative behavior, feeling desired in order to exist. It may involve mental influence, slight absorption of vital energy.” And Kate adopted a thoughtful tone, it could be, if she were sincere.

“And the last option?” She asked curiously.

“A Mora.” Wanda spoke softly.

"From Slavic mythology?" Kate asked, and Wanda nodded.

"Born from trauma, curses, or unresolved deaths, a Mora is associated with suffocation and nightmares." She spoke softly. "Moras are dreamlike, meaning they don't control their powers, it happens instinctively, unconsciously. A Mora drains vital and emotional energy, usually entering the dreams of others. They are emotionally cold, because connecting requires not draining. Generally, the powers can be a dreamlike invasion that results in emotional drain. Moras were eliminated by other supernatural beings because they were dangerous." She spoke softly. "The quote I have is that a Mora's hunger for connection can be love, but it's a love that kills when it feeds." She quoted and contemplated. "Moras have no control over their powers. One of diluted blood would have even more difficulty realizing they have powers. And most importantly, Moras don't do this to live, but rather out of unconscious compulsion." And Kate frowned. “Any of the four are dangerous.” Wanda spoke softly.

“She seems like one of the last two, but especially… The last one seems so close.” Kate whispered. “Bob is exhausted, Wanda, he fainted in the street.” She spoke, and there was a frown.

“I’m going to study some kind of amulet for us to use, a block against dream invasions. She, if that’s what it is, does it unintentionally, and if it’s intentional it’s even more dangerous, assuming Ava is a diluted-blood Mora.” She spoke and pondered. “All four are supernatural aberrations, Kate, they usually present themselves in pure-blood forms, meaning a child of two supernatural, there are evident physical alterations. We’ll keep an eye on Ava, if she starts acting strangely. She’s been absent, according to what Agatha said.” Kate nodded.

“I’ve seen her very little, Bob is trying to convince her to go to Eastview.” She spoke sincerely.

“Just try to stay safe and keep Yelena safe, okay? I’m going to research an amulet, it’ll take a while because I have a lot of background material and I’ll need to talk to Agatha, she might have more ideas since her magic is a rare blood absorption magic.” Kate nodded at this.

“Okay, I’ll try to write a little, take a shower and go to Yel’s house. She’s at the clinic getting a dog bandaged and something involving a parrot. I don’t know.” She said, shrugging, but showed Wanda the picture of the parrot, who smiled slightly.

“She’s sweet with them.” The parrot was perched on Yelena’s shoulder and the blonde was laughing.

“She’s the best.” Kate said gently and Wanda smiled at this.

“I like to see you happy, Kate.” The tone was gentle and kind and Kate smiled.

“I like being happy. How are things with Natasha?” The question came curiously and the redhead sighed and gave a slight smile.

“We’re working things through, she’s more honest about what she feels and thinks. And I feel safer. Less of a toy.” Wanda spoke, and Kate nodded, listening attentively. “But there are still many layers, she’s so closed off, and wanting a sudden, brutal change is cruel of me, so we decided we’re getting to know each other again, something like going back to the point of going on dates, but I don’t want a title without her being sure of what she wants. She’s respecting that and opening up. But it is what it is, slow.” She spoke sincerely, and Kate nodded.

“If nothing else works out, date my mother.” She joked, and Wanda laughed and shook her head with a wide smile.

“That would be a little dream, a wiser Bishop for me.” She teased, and Kate laughed. “But your mother is unfortunately heterosexual.” It was said dramatically.

“A horror, I know.” Kate joked in return.

“I think Wally is interested in her, and they’ve been talking quite a bit. Whether it’s a friendship or something more, they seem happy.” Kate nodded at this, noticing the slight pattern that was happening.

“I think so, I don’t know, she doesn’t talk about it much in general. Maybe it’s an overreading on our part, I’m leaving my mom alone. She deserves time for herself in this case.” Wanda nodded. “Wally’s nice.” The shrug was sincere and again the redhead nodded.

“Yes, let the adults handle it as they want.” She said and the two laughed, starting to leave the office. “We’ll be home if you need us, it’s cold, take a coat and please try not to tear Yelena to pieces.” She teased clearly playfully and Kate grunted.

“Don’t tease me about that, she said something super hot and my wolf bit.” The tone was growling and Wanda looked curious. “She likes to call me ‘my wolf’ and I freak out every time she says that.” She was embarrassed and Wanda gave a genuine laugh.

“That makes perfect sense, relax. It’s all right.” Two gentle pats were placed on Kate’s forearm and the brunette walked away grunting slightly, much to Wanda’s amusement.

*******

She was walking through the forest in wolf form. There was a tranquility in walking there in winter, things were quieter, and Kate appreciated the silence of the forest at night. She was walking with calm steps. Her ears delighted in the small sounds, and she found it amusing to snort and see the small vapors come out of her nose. If she could laugh like a wolf, she would have chuckled.

But she continued walking through the less busy part of the city. There were empty streets, and then she entered the town square, which was the closest to the forest. That's when she heard the sounds of footsteps and lay down on her stomach on the ground, getting as close to the ground as possible to be as invisible as possible. She heard the person's heart race, and the sound of metal scraping against fabric occurred. Kate didn't necessarily need to be very clever to understand that it was a weapon being drawn from a holster.

She sniffed, as deeply and quietly as she could, and identified Natasha's scent — the scent of fear. And she assumed that Natasha had seen her in wolf form. She really needed to tell Natasha this, but to do so she wanted to talk to Yelena first. With Natasha's extensive training and Alice's absence to control the redhead, she was dangerous.

Kate strained her ears, realizing Natasha had her back to her and quickly turned behind the tree. Then she stepped back from the tree and adjusted her backpack on her shoulder.

"Is anyone there?" Kate's question was loud, and there was the sound of shoes turning and Kate heard the redhead's heart race. "Hi?" Kate's words were repeated and there was a clearing of her throat.

"I'm here." Natasha's voice was slightly hoarse, clearly laden with tension, and Kate stepped out from behind the tree and looked at the redhead.

"Oh, hi Nat!" She spoke as casually as possible. "You scared the shit out of me." Kate's tone was accompanied by an uncomfortable smile and she glanced at the gun. “Uh… Could you…” She indicated the weapon, and that's when Natasha's eyes, which had been focused on Kate, looked at the weapon, and she quickly lowered it.

“Sorry, Kate.” There was a moment of awkwardness. “I thought I saw a wolf.” She spoke sincerely, and Kate nodded.

“The dark can be deceiving.” She offered casually.

“What are you doing walking around here in the dark?” Natasha's question was very fair.

“It's a quick way to the city, I came by a trail that Rio showed me in the forest, shortening the walk by a few minutes.” She spoke sincerely. Which was true, but it also added the layer that by this path, she could come in wolf form.

“And you didn't see anything… Suspicious or strange along the way?” She asked curiously.

“It's winter, Natasha, the animals are quiet in winter. Bears hibernated, and the wolf packs went to warmer areas.” She spoke softly to the redhead. “At least that's what Yelena told me.” The tone made Natasha's shoulders slump slightly.

"Yes... I... Sorry, I thought I saw something and didn't mean to point the gun at you, I'm on patrol." She indicated herself and Kate nodded.

"I'm going to Yel's house." She indicated and Natasha sighed.

"My car is over there, I can give you a ride." She offered, and it was a slight attempt to compensate for the gun, and Kate nodded.

"How are you?" Kate asked as the two walked to the patrol car.

"Tired." The redhead commented softly. "I keep being punished for something that happened years ago, and it tires me sometimes." She became vulnerable, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

"Punishment for you punching Ava?" She asked, and the redhead looked at her. "Yelena told me." And that made the redhead nod.

“Yes, I still have a stain on my record, and my captain is lenient on that point, even though I have psychological clearance and have taken anger management courses and everything they require. One week a month I'm on night patrol, usually the rookies' job.” Kate looked at her with her head slightly tilted. “I never liked working the night shift, weird things happen.” She complained, and Kate licked her lips slightly.

“At midnight, even shadows gain a soul.” Kate said, and Natasha looked at her. “It's an old European saying.” She said awkwardly. “I personally prefer a Southern American one: Midnight is the time for the living to pretend to be dead.” She quoted, and Natasha grunted.

“That doesn't help me feel at peace with things moving in the dark, Kate.” She muttered, and Kate sighed.

“The supernatural doesn't care about what isn't theirs, Natasha. The unknown won't hurt you.” The statement was accurate regarding supernatural beings in general not harming ordinary people, it was unusual for a supernatural being to get into a situation where they would hurt a human.

“You talk as if you know.” The redhead spoke slightly uncertainly, and Kate wondered if Natasha knew anything about witches.

“I’m a medieval book writer.” She joked, and then Natasha parked the car. “Thanks for the ride, have a good patrol.” And there was a slightly grumbled reply from Natasha, but Kate moved to Yelena’s front door, ringing the doorbell, and she heard from inside.

“Come in, Kate, it’s open.” It was low, even for her and a normal human it would be something that couldn’t be heard. But she saw Natasha’s car drive away and opened the door without hesitation, entering the house and leaving her backpack near the door, her shoes were taken off, and she locked the front door. Moving to where her nose indicated Yelena was.

And look, Kate fully intended to talk about what happened. To tell about Natasha, but she walked to the bedroom, where she heard Yelena’s voice coming. And she even took a breath to say something, but then the door opened and she froze.

Yelena was the image of sensuality, the blatant sexual desire, and Kate felt like she was entering a hot greenhouse, the heat emanating from Yelena was spiritual. She felt excited, her body tense with anticipation, but her blue eyes — now darkened with desire — traveled down the blonde's body.

And it wasn't about the semi-nudity, or the blatant desire. But about everything that was there. There were small LED candles lit around the room, creating this shadowy atmosphere, and the shadows gave Yelena this impressive texture.

There was a scent of excitement, even a slight nervousness, Yelena's heart raced at the eye contact. But still, she didn't move. And the blonde lay stretched out on the bed, one leg bent with her foot resting on the bed, her bare legs rising to a ridiculously small pair of panties that were made for teasing and to be removed.

Then her stomach, which trembled slightly as Kate's eyes traveled over it, and there was this bra. That would be the ultimate definition of sin. It was a shadow of black, but made of transparencies. Which left Yelena's hardened nipples in plain sight, as well as the piercings that Kate noticed had been replaced by two straight ones. And Kate had this privileged view of the breasts, because the blonde had one arm up, holding the headboard of the bed.

The green eyes were dark, longing, and Yelena was biting her lower lip without much hesitation. The two looked at each other and Kate swallowed hard in anticipation, especially since there had been the lip licking.

"I was waiting for you." Yelena's husky tone made Kate's skin crawl.

"Oh, really?" The answer came out a little shaky, and that made the blonde smile and nod, it was predatory and Kate liked the feeling of being someone Yelena wanted in that way.

"I want to be fucked by my wolf." The words made a low growl escape Kate.

And the two had talked about that nickname, about how it deeply affected Kate, and Yelena stated that she liked the nickname and pushing those buttons on Kate. The blonde nodded slightly, and Kate's eyes followed the movement, and she saw the strap-on hanging on the bathroom door, and there was a movement of Kate's eyes between the object and Yelena.

"A new one?" She asked curiously and moved closer to the strap-on now, and she gave a filthy smile. "Oh, you bought one in my color." It was purple, a little bigger than the previous one, and Yelena definitely heard Kate's complaint about the harnesses, these were more comfortable.

"I picked it up when I went to Eastview this week, I ordered it at the beginning of last week." Yelena purred, and Kate picked up the strap-on and took it to the bed, placing it at the foot of the bed and looking at Yelena with lust. It was almost maddening to see, smell, and absorb how wet the woman was.

Kate, standing at the edge of the bed, slowly unzipped her jacket and, to Yelena's delight, watched her undress. The jacket was dropped to the floor, then Kate's pants were unzipped, her t-shirt was pulled off her body and fell without much hesitation.

Kate's skin was always warm, but it seemed warmer than usual. She pushed her pants off, her stockings followed, and then there she was in black panties and a bra, and Yelena gasped, a small moan swallowed, and her legs closed slightly.

"Open your legs." The words were hoarse, and this made the moan that had previously been controlled echo. Yelena's legs fell open, and she arched slightly.

“I know you like to eat me out, but I want to be fucked.” She spoke softly, and Kate looked at her curiously.

“Yel—” The question was cut off with a gasp from the blonde.

“I know, you love to eat me out, I know you love to prepare me for penetration, and we talked about how this was a sensitive point before. But not now, now I’ve spent the day thinking about you bending me over, fucking me, marking me as yours. I’m dripping down my thighs, I’m throbbing for you. Please, fuck me.” Kate swallowed hard, the desire felt like a thick drink in her throat, but she didn’t flinch. Her eyes remained locked with Yelena’s, and she took off her panties and bra, and there was a gasp. “Damn, you’re so hot.” ​​And that made Kate’s cheeks blush slightly, but she picked up the strap-on and put it on, adjusting the straps, and then she reached for the bedside table, opened the first drawer, and pulled out the lubricant.

“Take off your panties for me, unless you want me to fuck you while you’re still wearing them.” It was a statement, and Yelena shook her head, raising her hips and pushing her panties down her thighs.

The moan that echoed from the blonde was filthy, especially as she stared at Kate’s hand moving up and down the toy, spreading the lubricant.

“Good girl.” The compliment echoed through Yelena, who spread her thighs without hesitation and looked at Kate with almost unrestrained desire. And if Kate hadn’t heard from Rio that this degree of sexual desire was normal, she would have found it almost unusual that there was this transcendent energy between the two. But soulmates desired each other deeply, and in the case of soulmates who were romantic and sexual, this translated into physical desire, as heightened libido, with lust and the need for physical connection.

Kate adjusted herself on her knees between Yelena’s legs, and the two looked at each other. There was a small questioning in Kate’s eyes, which she only saw as the blonde nodded without actually being vocal.

“Are you sure?” Kate requested consent in a husky voice, and Yelena moaned.

“Honey, fuck me. That was the first thing I asked for.” The blonde complained in a breathless tone and moaned as the toy brushed against her. “Yes, fuck me.” And there wasn’t much conversation after that.

The toy slid into Yelena with shocking ease, and the blonde moaned, arching against Kate. The brunette placed her hands beside Yelena and supported herself on her elbows, adjusting to kiss the woman slowly, and the moan that vibrated on her tongue was purely erotic.

Yelena was a wellspring of eroticism at that moment, her skin covered in goosebumps, the scent of lust, the heat emanating from her, the way she looked simply beautiful surrendered to Kate, and the sounds, the delicious sounds with each small movement of the brunette’s hips.

Their tongues met in a kiss that quickly became frenzied, desirous, driven by a deep lust, and Kate gasped as she found the position that gave her delicious pressure on her clitoris.

"Fuck, just like that..." She moaned and felt Yelena's hands on her back, scraping her nails along the brunette's spine, and Kate gasped at the sharp pain, but still not enough to hurt her skin.

"Kate, baby..." The blonde raised her legs and crossed them behind Kate's back, seeking deep contact of the toy with the inner walls, and they both moaned as the change of angle gave more pressure to both of them. "I'm going to come, baby..." She groaned hoarsely, and Kate nodded.

"Yes, cum for me." Kate growled and pushed harder inside Yelena, it was a pleasure to see the woman writhe as she held on against Kate and how there were sounds. Yelena was a living work of art, and Kate delighted in knowing every little sound, every little movement. And when the blonde came, it was a marvel to watch.

Her body vibrating with lust, the force with which the woman tightened around her, arms, legs, vaginal walls, everything seemed to keep Kate inside her, and the brunette froze, feeling her body accelerate, feeling the wolf wanting to emerge somehow, and when Yelena released her, she growled and the two looked at each other.

"On all fours." It wasn't a question, it was a demand that came in a low growl and made Yelena's eyes widen, but when the toy came out of her, still delicately, the woman moaned and nodded.

“Yes, God, use me.” She spoke without blinking, rolling onto her stomach and groaning hoarsely as Kate’s hands pulled her hips up and both hands cupped Yelena’s butt, the blonde’s head hitting the mattress with her cheeks spread open, and she moaned. Kate’s mouth dropped to one of her cheeks, biting the muscle there and bringing a moan from Yelena that she dedicated to Kate, then her mouth moved and her tongue rose, brushing against her clitoris, her folds, and provocatively climbing up to Yelena’s coccyx, which made the blonde arch her back. “Oh my god, yes…” The whimpering moan was thrilling to hear, and Kate adjusted again, guiding the toy with one hand and opening Yelena’s folds with the other, and as she plunged deeper inside the blonde, the moan was broken and muffled by the mattress.

Yelena's hands gripped wherever they could, one on the pillow beside her head and the other firmly striking the wooden headboard of the bed, and Kate nodded as Yelena's nails scraped firmly against the wood and as the other hand's fingers turned white.

"You know…" She spoke and slowly pulled and thrust so slowly that she could see Yelena's muscles working. "Yelena?" The call was a form of control, and the blonde gasped.

"W-what?" The blonde stammered the answer and tried to look over her shoulder, but Kate pushed harder inside her.

"Ah, good, you're listening." She purred provocatively and ran both hands down Yelena's back, tracing the tattoos. "I expect answers when I talk to you, understand?" It was a provocation, a probing of the submissive and dominant dynamic the two were playing.

"I-yes… I understand." She stammered, her head falling between her shoulders as she tried to somehow support herself on her forearms. Kate released the bra that was still there, holding on as best she could, but the clasp came undone and it fell loose, which was enough for Kate to run her hands down the blonde's ribs and emerge, holding the two soft mounds with firm, yet still soft, fingers.

"Did you change your piercings? Why?" She asked curiously, twisting the two nipples slightly, and Yelena moaned loudly, especially since this was accompanied by a firm thrust of the toy.

"I thought—" She began and moaned and tried to start again. "I thought you'd like it and—and—Oh my god, Kate—" She moaned loudly, especially because Kate raised her hand and grabbed Yelena's hair in a ponytail and pulled it back a little. "That's it, pull my hair, fuck my pussy…" It was a sexy whimper, and Kate smiled to herself.

"Answer my question." She growled and thrust forcefully inside Yelena.

“Fuck—fuck—I thought you’d like it!” She spoke in a high-pitched tone, and the moan accompanied the heightened tone of pleasure. “God, yes, like that, baby, please baby…” She spoke, moving back with each advance of Kate with the toy.

“So you wanted to please me, huh?” The question was a tease, and Kate smiled when there was an attempt at a nod. “Use your words.” The growl sounded, and Yelena gasped.

“Yes, I want to please you, I want you to find me beautiful and sexy. I want you to desire me!” It was a whimper, an attempt to answer that sounded coherent, but it seemed like just broken words that Kate had to connect between moans.

“You please me, you’re perfect, so beautiful, so sexy. My first thought of the day, my last thought of the night, you’re everything I want.” It was delicate, still deep in lust and desire, but especially in devotion, and Kate’s hands remained where they were. One on the blonde's breasts and the other in her hair while she continued fucking.

But suddenly she pulled the blonde up, making her only kneel and using supernatural strength to guide Yelena to move as she wanted, so the two were on their knees, with the toy going in and out of Yelena. The blonde threw her head back, resting it on Kate's shoulder, and the brunette's two hands squeezed her breasts with desire, with lust.

"You come so beautifully for me." The brunette purred against Yelena's ear and sucked on her earlobe. "Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I'd have a woman who wanted me as much as you do." She lightly bit the shell of her ear, and Yelena tried to keep her moans under control, but she was clearly losing control.

"Kate—I'm close…" The blonde tried to warn, and Kate gave a low laugh against her ear.

“I know, I can hear your heart racing, feel your muscles working for me, I can smell how wet you are, I can taste your orgasm on your skin, see your nipples hard for me and how your legs tremble.” It was the epitome of teasing, and Kate slowed her hips slightly, just to make the blonde moan. “You beg me with your whole body, you beg for release, you want to surrender to me?” She purred against Yelena’s neck, and the woman threw her head to the side.

“Baby, I’m yours, I’m all yours, I want you, I’m yours. I want to be yours every moment, please, baby, please…” Yelena’s hands gripped Kate’s forearms, and the brunette grazed her teeth against the trapezius muscle that bore the mark of her teeth. “Bite me, bite me, show me that I’m yours, again and again, God, I love belonging to you.” Yelena was lost in pleasure, in such a visceral surrender that Kate felt the heat of an orgasm approaching her forcefully.

"I'm going to come with my mouth on your body, my teeth on your skin and your taste in my mouth, your sounds in my ears, your scent taking over me, your heat possessing me. I am yours, Yelena." The words seemed to be what was needed to make the blonde explode in a deep, intense orgasm that seemed to echo in Kate.

She felt her eyes closing and there was this moment when she felt transcendent in some way. Her body was taken over by an orgasm, the taste of Yelena's skin in her mouth and the light touch of the bite that didn't quite tear the skin but would leave a clear mark. And this connection with Yelena seemed to touch something inside her that she didn't even know existed.

Her eyes closed and she had the almost dreamlike glimpse of a vision of herself in the recurring dream she was having. The water mirror, and she looked up and saw Yelena there, looking directly at her. Kate reached out, and it was as if the sky fell on her, or she ascended to the sky. The tips of her fingers touched Yelena's reflection. No longer a burned figure, but clear evidence that it was Yelena.

The pull she felt seemed to transfer to Yelena. The two pressed themselves together as tightly as they could, Yelena's back against hers, their hands touching, fingers intertwining, and both arched their backs.

It was like a connection that transcended physical bodies, and they didn't fall onto the bed because Kate slammed her hand firmly against the headboard to support herself, and her other hand embraced Yelena tightly around the stomach, holding her close.

“Oh my god, what was that? My body is vibrating…” The blonde whimpered and gasped heavily, as if trying to regulate herself, and Kate felt her body swaying slightly, her eyes were closed and she breathed tremulously, her hand moving from Yelena's stomach to her heart, feeling the strong and rapid beats.

“I think it's the connection—” Kate said, and there was this new vibration of a shared orgasm. Yelena moaned, Kate moaned, and the two spiraled into an orgasm that they could barely hold steady on their knees.

“Lay me down.” Yelena said breathlessly, trembling, and Kate let her fall face down on the bed and moved slowly to withdraw from inside the blonde. Which made the woman explode in another orgasm as soon as the toy came out of her. Kate rolled onto her back and Yelena moved, still trembling and panting, to lie against the brunette.

“Oh my god.” The blonde moaned between gasps, but which seemed to be becoming more spaced out. Kate felt herself vibrating and closed her eyes, trying to focus on calming herself. "Did someone say this could happen?" She asked in a hoarse tone, her voice clearly worn out from so much moaning.

"Rio commented that the sexual synergy could be greater, and Agatha said there are manifestations, whatever that means, she didn't specify." Kate said, breathing heavily, and the two pressed themselves closer. "You broke through the mirror of water, I saw you." She began, trying to explain.

"I know." Yelena's words brought silence. "I saw you. In your dream, exactly as you described earlier today. And I reached out my hand, you approached as if the worlds had collapsed into one another, and then I saw you in wolf form, your snout in my hand, and I came." She said, and Kate pressed her closer.

"You touched the wolf, and I finally saw through the mirror." She stated softly.

"It seems we finally met as we should." Yelena spoke and placed her hand on Kate's heart. "It feels like being at home." she whispered, and Kate hugged her tightly.

“Home.” The brunette affirmed, and the two remained embraced, simply there, enjoying the reality that surrounded them. They were soulmates, each other's home, and that alone made everything perfect.

Chapter Text

Kate was sitting with a mug of blazing coffee in her hands, comfortably seated in Yelena's kitchen chair. The baggy sweatshirt she was wearing was gently loose on her thighs, and Kate was wearing soft fabric shorts that she had definitely stolen from Yelena's wardrobe.

The blonde, in turn, was feeding Fanny, half-crouched, and when she stood up, Kate yawned, which made the blonde yawn, and then Fanny.

"We're completely sleepy for 10:30 in the morning." Kate spoke not grumpily, but in a clearly sleepy tone.

"We slept straight through after..." She didn't finish the sentence, and Kate loved seeing how Yelena's cheeks flushed when it came to verbalizing that yes, they had an extremely intense sex session with incredible connections. "It amazes me that we're sleepy." She said and yawned, which again started the dog-human yawning cycle. "Was it quiet for you to come yesterday?" Yelena asked, taking the sandwiches out of the sandwich maker and placing them in front of Kate.

"Thank you." The words came. "Yes, but Natasha pointed a gun at me." This made Yelena's eyes rise from observing the sandwich cut she was making, and the blonde's eyebrows furrowed. "She's notoriously good at noticing that there's a 50kg wolf walking around." She spoke softly, and there was a moment of pause. "You, well, in her case, what exactly did you know about the coven before you found out the details?" She asked, and Yelena made a thoughtful sound.

"We thought they were Wiccan. Wiccan culture used to be stronger, but we have some kind of prior contact, so we thought yes, there were rituals, yes there were details, they had meetings, and in the grand scheme of things, the coven is a fundamental part of the community we have here, but we didn't think there were real powers. Even though they talked about magic, about rites, about things like that." Yelena paused to think for a moment. “We never thought they were actually witches like in fiction, with real powers and magic.” Kate nodded at this.

“I need to talk to the coven about revealing this to Natasha. It’s… notoriously dangerous for her to be armed and so good at noticing when I’m around. In the park, she was ready to attack me, and even though I understand it’s defensive on her part, it still…” She made a slight wait-and-see sound.

“Dangerous.” Yelena nodded. “I can only calm her down to a certain point. She’s always been restless, and the post-war PTSD is always heavy on her mind, making her seek enemies in the shadows, but I don’t want her to shoot anyone.” Yelena sighed. “If a shapeshifter is hit, does it stay in animal form or revert to human?” The question sounded curious.

“Depending on the level, for example with silver, I varied a bit. During crises, my body wanted to transform, because it metabolizes faster in that form, but it was extremely painful.” Yelena placed her hand on Kate’s wrist, and her eyebrows furrowed. “But for example, when you took care of Wally, he was injured, but you still didn’t notice because he remained in cat form.” Yelena nodded. “Agatha says that the level of pain stimulates one or the other, it depends a lot on what the situation demands, she told me. There are cases of shapeshifters returning to human form, or remaining in animal form.” She scratched her chin lightly. “I don’t want to get shot to find out.” The grunt escaped, and the blonde’s mouth formed a small line.

“Please don’t.” She whispered. “Talk to the coven, if they want privacy we can just tell them about you. Avoid all the trouble of getting shot.” ​​The tone was one that sought to resolve the situation, and Kate nodded.

“Yes, dear.” The response was automatic, and Yelena giggled, which made Kate look from the table at the blonde with a small, curious glance.

"You look like a husband from the 50s. Yes, darling." She mimicked, and Kate smiled and gave a small, amused snort.

"I am a perfect 50s husband." She retorted, and Yelena laughed louder.

"A perfect gentleman during the day and an animal in bed at night?" The tease came with a lip lick.

"I am your animal in bed." Kate retorted with a filthy grin.

"Good thing, I'm a little slut for you." The statement was made lightly, and Kate looked at her with amusement.

"Have we reached the point of degradation?" She asked lightly, and Yelena shook her head.

"No, I only use that word playfully." The statement was made, and Kate nodded. "Degradation and humiliation went hand in hand with Ava." Vulnerability came, and Kate sighed and reached out to touch Yelena's face.

"You're a perfect girl, I won't yell at you or be cruel, you deserve sweetness, affection, and dedication." She spoke so softly, and Yelena gave a slow smile and kissed Kate's palm.

“I was thinking, how are we going to deal with the absence when you have to go to the book events?” She contemplated for a moment afterward.

“Video calls, phone sex, missing you and neediness.” Kate spoke, and Yelena’s eyes rose to her with amusement. “I’ve been thinking about that.” She grumbled. “I usually keep a press tour somewhat restricted.” Kate contemplated. “New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.” Yelena nodded at that. “And then I go on the overseas circuit, London, Paris, and lastly Sydney. I have a good share of sales in Australia, so I try to include the city in the tours. It usually lasts 3 to 5 weeks, we keep the average at 4 weeks. Domestic trips are quicker, but going overseas always requires some time.” She saw how the blonde squirmed slightly.

“So a little over a month without you.” It was just a statement, but Yelena smelled of discomfort.

“I’m sorry. I can try to have a break between them. Two weeks domestic and two international?” She tried to offer a compromise, it was very difficult to change the cities already chosen, and Yelena grunted.

“Would that be next year?” She asked, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

“Next year-end or at the latest next January. I don’t want the window to take so long, and I’m writing a lot, which has made me noticeably advance in the book. Who would have thought that talking to Nicky would give me so many ideas.” The grumble of the last part made Yelena laugh.

“I don’t know yet if I prefer two weeks away, one with you, and two more away, or straight through. Can we review this when it’s closer to the release?” She asked, and Kate nodded.

“Of course.” The tone was delicate and made Yelena smile shyly. “I want to finish this book by the end of March and start the last one, interestingly, I knew how I wanted the saga to begin and how it would end.” She said playfully.

“I saw the poll you opened on your Instagram, tough choice.” The blonde playfully fiddled with her fork. “I voted for B.”

“A good choice.” Kate smiled. “Magic Awakens is always fun to write. The poll is open for two more days, only God knows the result, I’m waiting for this particular scene, it’s from the next chapter I’m writing, I already know how this one ends, but I need to write it. Get it out of my head and onto paper.” She grumbled and Yelena gave an amused little laugh.

“Oh, this week I’m giving a lecture at Eastview College, about general veterinary medicine, what it’s like to treat many different animals and that classic conversation. I’m a regular speaker there.” She spoke shyly and Kate gave a wide smile.

“Can I come watch?” She asked excitedly at the prospect of supporting her and Yelena tilted her head to the side. “Sex in the hotel, watching you be amazing as you are, learning a thing or two about your profession. Sounds good to me.” It sounded almost shy, and Yelena giggled, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Sex in a hotel, huh?" The tone was provocative, and Kate blushed. "Sounds good, darling, won't it delay you?" She asked softly.

"No, I have my phone and the documents saved in the cloud to write during preparations. I find your profession fascinating, I want to learn more about it." Kate said, nodding her head. "Oh, I created a character based on you." She said suddenly, and Yelena, who was taking a sip of coffee, coughed.

"What?" She asked, still a little choked up, and coughed again.

"A character, based on you." Kate repeated more slowly, and she saw how Yelena's eyes narrowed and the blonde's foot pushed against her shin in a clear sign of displeasure. "Violence!" The dramatic tone made Yelena snort a laugh and smile. "You can't have spoilers, she's important for the next book." Kate spoke and saw how Yelena's arms crossed and then how the blonde accepted, after all it was she who asked Kate to hold back the spoilers.

"Does she already have a physical look?" This was something the blonde always asked.

"Not yet, she hasn't actually appeared yet. Want to suggest something?" The offer came and she saw how Yelena's eyes sparkled.

"Yes! Put her in green leather armor if she wears armor, or something green." The blonde spoke in a slightly excited tone, as if she were controlling herself. "Brown hair and... and... one green eye and one blue eye?" She offered shyly.

"You know that heterochromia in my world means she will be a child of magic, right?" The blonde gave this a thoughtful tone and held the mug with both hands.

"What if she wears an eyepatch over one eye?" It was timid and Kate's eyebrows rose.

"Like pirates, one eye for dark environments and the other for light ones?" She asked, fascinated by the request, and Yelena nodded even more shyly. "Sounds great, eyepatch, green armor, brown hair, and total heterochromia. Anything else?" She asked with an easy smile.

“Can she have a cat?” He was even more shy.

“Of course, a loyal companion, I’ll even teach him commands. What will the cat’s name be?” She asked and saw how Yelena’s gears turned.

“Wolf.” The words came a moment later and Kate’s eyebrow rose in amusement. “So when she says she has a wolf everyone thinks it’s a huge dog, but it’s actually a tiny white kitten.” The words made Kate laugh.

“I’ll appreciate writing that glaring nuance. Thank you, dear.” Yelena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave Kate a very shy smile.

“Thank you for letting me participate.” She offered and Kate gave a small smile.

“Always, dear.” It was kind and the two went back to eating. The conversation turned to more mundane matters, Yelena was saying that Fanny’s shedding was happening and that she needed to brush the Akita.

After an hour together, Kate moved home and Yelena went to the clinic to check on the dog she was taking care of. And Kate felt at peace and comfortable even with the realization of being Yelena's soulmate.

*******

She saw how restless Wanda was, it was unusual, but still expected that the woman would be slightly anxious. She saw Wanda shift slightly in her chair, her hands gently squeezing and then loosening.

“So, should we?” Jen's voice sounded calmly and Kate glanced briefly at the woman and then back at the redhead who was slightly tense.

“I don't mind, as long as she keeps her mouth shut.” Agatha said and Alice squirmed slightly.

“I don't know if I like this idea. She's my field partner.” And it was quite fair that Alice felt this discomfort. Kate's eyes briefly went to Lilia.

“I don't mind, but I understand the reasons that make Alice and Wanda restless.” Lilia commented and her eyes went to Wanda.

“What are you thinking, Wands?” Kate asked softly.

“I don’t know, when I exposed my magic to Jarvis it was kind of ugly, my problems with him started there.” She spoke in a low tone. “But I needed to because I got pregnant, I lost that baby but still…” She spoke and cleared her throat.

“Do you think this could cause problems with Natasha?” Rio asked gently.

“Maybe, that’s what the books say, the more people know, the more risk we run, I don’t want to have to change the coven because of the exposure.” And it was a fair thought.

“We can always kill her.” Agatha said and all heads turned brutally towards Agatha.

“We’re not going to kill anyone, Agatha.” Rio said in a firm tone and Agatha pouted at the brunette. “I mean it, no murders.” Rio added and Agatha sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Okay, we’re not going to kill Natasha.” It was almost disdainful, but still accepting.

“Please, don’t talk about killing the sister of my—” The sentence died in Kate’s throat and she cleared her throat. “My girlfriend’s sister." And Agatha’s eyes looked at her, an eyebrow rose, and Kate knew that the almost slip of saying soulmate instead of girlfriend had almost happened. “We can…” She thought for a moment. “What if I just tell her about myself? See how she reacts and all that? I imagine that because of Yelena, she’ll be more controlled.” Kate offered, and Billy, who had been quiet until then, made a small sound.

“I think we can try. What does your vision tell us, Lilia?” He asked the witch, who closed her eyes and snorted.

“It’s much more metaphorical and interpretive than yes or no, William.” Agatha’s tone was dry, and Billy muttered something.

“I can’t define anything about it.” Lilia then took a tarot deck out of her pocket and began to shuffle, then she opened the cards and made a thoughtful sound. “It will depend on many factors, I can’t give a precise reading.” She said and sighed. “I vote for Kate to tell first and if the reaction is positive, then we’ll tell about us.” She said and Agatha sighed.

“Everyone in favor of Kate telling first, raise your hand.” One by one they raised a hand and Rio was the only one who didn’t. “Rio?” Agatha asked and Rio crossed her arms.

“We’re putting a pup at risk, I’m not happy, but I’m outvoted.” Rio said completely displeased and there was a collective nod.

“Do you want to be there too?” Kate offered to the older woman.

“The point is to use you as a channel for exposure, exposing Rio would make a mess.” Agatha said and Rio growled.

“And putting the pup alone is an excellent idea.” She said ironically and almost mockingly and Kate knew the shit was about to hit the fan when Rio stood up. “She’s not a lone wolf.” The tone wasn’t friendly and Kate wanted to shrink when Agatha stood up.

“She volunteered to protect the coven.” Agatha spoke dryly. “Witches died much more easily than wolves.” And that was clearly the wrong thing to say, because there was this instant regret from Agatha about how it affected her wife. “Rio—” Agatha tried, and Rio growled, she actively growled.

“So that makes wolves meat for offerings.” She growled, and Kate looked between one and the other, no one really dared to interfere in the fight between the two soulmates. “Since my kind is disposable… I’m going to the forest.” Rio said, turning on her heels and leaving, the door slamming shut so hard that the picture on the wall trembled.

“Agatha…” Lilia began softly.

“I know.” Agatha’s tone was tense. “That’s not what I meant.” She grunted.

“What did you mean?” Kate asked, it wasn't aggressive or defensive, it was just a simple question, and Agatha's eyes, always so blue, glowed slightly purple. "Control your magic, Harkness." Kate spoke firmly, and she saw how Agatha clenched her hands and tensed deeply, but her eyes returned to their blue color.

"Witches were a larger group, we were hunted more and often died first, wolves are more resilient, more physically powerful." Agatha spoke and then sat down heavily. "I don't even know what I meant." She spoke dryly and brought her hand to her face.

"I don't mind putting myself forward, talking to Natasha." Kate spoke softly. "But I also understand Rio's reaction." She began, then amended. "Historically, wolves are always the first to die when it comes to protecting the pack, it's a genuine fear." She spoke, and there was a pause. "Rio's mother—" Kate began, then stopped, and she saw how Agatha's eyes closed.

"Shit. I had forgotten about Celine.” Agatha brought her hand to her face again and squeezed her eyes shut.

“What happened to Rio’s mother?” Billy asked curiously.

“She was killed…” Wanda spoke softly, and Billy tensed. “It was a winter night, they lived in Yukon, Rio was still small, smaller than Nicky. She lived with her parents’ pack, so the whole family was close to Rio…” It was so low that Kate could feel the story perpetuating itself within her. “There was snow, there was cold, there was the scarcity of food that the Alaskan and Canadian winter brought…” Kate closed her eyes, feeling a chill.

“Then came the hunters…” Lilia continued, and Billy looked at her. “During the night, it’s always in the night…” The woman’s tone was somber. “Cruel with their weapons, seeking skin, meat… People are cruel when they want to survive…” She continued very quietly.

“With hunger, fear, cold… Came cruelty.” Wanda continued, and her son's eyes met hers. "Rio's father was shot, with the pack leader wounded, there wasn't much to be done. He demanded a stampede." The tone was so low that Kate felt a cruel chill run through her body.

"But men and monsters don't give up..." Lilia spoke so softly that Kate felt another chill. "With the pack fleeing, hunters coming after them..."

"Did they know they were supernatural?" Billy asked in a whisper.

"We don't know, nobody knows..." Kate spoke in a hoarse tone.

"With the hunters coming... Rio's mother made the decision to sacrifice herself." Wanda spoke, and there was a moment of silence.

"Wolves die first." Billy repeated anxiously.

"Wolves are protectors, they will put themselves in front of danger to protect others, a wolf's family comes first." Agatha whispered, clearly hurt by the pain she herself had caused Rio.

“Her mother was murdered…” The young witch’s tone was low, and there was a somber feeling of loss among the pack.

“Magic saved Rio’s father, but the loss of Celine embittered everything. Every day, Rokal became more and more tense and even abusive at times, the pack split apart when…” Lilia stopped and looked at Agatha, who didn’t move. “When he started beating Rio, who defied him.” Billy held his breath.

“Rio deserted the pack, found Agatha, and well…” Kate spoke and bit her lower lip. “I’m going after her…” She spoke softly, and no one moved to stop her.

“The scars never go away, William.” Agatha spoke in a somber tone. “No matter how much we try to erase and forget, trauma has no excuses or uncertainties, it just exists.” The phrase came from a personal point of view, everyone there knew, but Kate didn't look back, she left through the front door of the house, seeking the scent of Rio. "Scars never disappear, we just learn to live with them." Those words were the last thing Kate heard, almost as if spoken to the wind.

She walked a few hundred meters as a human, then automatically transitioned into wolf form, her nose began searching for scents she could track, like Rio's, but it seemed the older brunette was moving too fast through the forest, and Kate followed at a slower pace, trying to give Rio time to process the feelings she was having and be able to talk.

She understood, Agatha's comment was painful. Wolves were historically the first to die protecting other supernatural beings. They were called the shields, those who took the blows of life and hunters. The almost total obliteration of hunter families was especially due to the organization of the wolves.

It was a sacrifice, Kate read, it was a painful sacrifice. Many wolves died, but there was an exchange. Lycan blood for the peace of the supernatural beings. Nowadays there were very few hunters and with less information than anything they had in the past. The hunting libraries were destroyed and looted by the supernatural beings, so with mostly oral knowledge the hunters didn't have much of a chance.

With oral tradition being the primary form of knowledge, the lack of adequate weapons, and especially how supernatural culture had blended with pop culture, it was easier to imagine a "hunter" trying to corner a vampire with garlic than actually being effective.

In a conversation with Yelena, the blonde asked if wooden stakes worked, and Kate jokingly replied that anyone with a stake in their chest would die, which made Yelena laugh and accept that, yes, pop culture was very outdated. And currently, Yelena's informal sport was to seek comparisons and laugh at how absurd the idea of ​​salt on the door to ward off spirits and things like that was.

That's when a bitter smell, a mixture of smells, touched her nose, and she automatically, in reaction, shook her head. The metallic and still acidic smell, like wet iron mixed with the smell of a hospital. The smell stuck to the back of her throat. Then there was this smell of old dust, as if Kate were entering a place abandoned long ago, almost like wood dried by time and forgotten, like a wind that leaves no trace. Then there was the salt, almost like tears, like sweat, but it was cold, the smell of adrenaline like someone running without looking back. And Kate, she stopped and turned towards the smell, not only intrigued but also on alert as to whether it could be happening with Rio. There was this strange feeling of danger echoing.

She walked slowly, trying to understand what was happening, as she passed through a clearing and walked a few more meters into the trees, she saw it. And despite everything she knew, the image itself was painful. And on some level it broke her heart because it was the purest image of loneliness and fear.

Ava was there, sitting on an old log, her hands on her face, her hair slightly messy, and as much as Kate hated that woman, there was this feeling of parallels. Kate understood on some level that moment of despair. Ava seemed… Lost, confused, and especially alone. And on many levels, Kate understood these feelings that echoed from the woman.

She didn't have time to choose whether she wanted to get closer or not, whether she wanted to return to human form or not. There was this… Scream… But without sound. Ava's mouth opened, she clutched her own chest as if she were having a sudden heart attack, then this overwhelming wave took over the clearing where the woman was.

It was like a blast of air, as if Kate had dived thousands of meters and the water had hit her from all sides with the force of the end of the world. She felt her muscles spasm, twist, and she walked backward in wolf form, trying to distance herself from it.

It was as if her heart was being crushed between hands that squeezed very tightly, she felt tears in her eyes, her mouth went dry, and that's when she saw, still a little hazy, but clear. How lost Ava was at that moment, her eyes closed, her hands gripping her own shoulders and pulling at her shirt. And there was this mist.

Kate couldn't define it any other way than as a mist, which seemed to move toward the woman, and that's when she realized, part of that mist was coming out from between Kate's own lips, as if something inside her was being sucked out.

She heard impact sounds of something falling to the ground beside her, she looked to the side, feeling herself starting to get dizzy, and there was this clearly dead squirrel, then there were more falling sounds, around Kate and especially around Ava. Birds piled up as if they had simply died suddenly, she took a few staggering steps backward.

Ava fell forward, panting, and her eyes snapped open. Kate saw, even from a distance, how her entire eye — iris, pupil, and sclera — had turned red. The woman blinked, confused, and made a horrified expression at the sight of dead animals around her. Kate felt grateful to be hidden behind trees and bushes. She staggered, trying to get away, when she saw Ava running off in the opposite direction. But at that point, Kate saw the mist following the woman, and she felt her breath catch. Her lupine legs gave way, and Kate's body hit the ground hard.

She struggled to breathe, feeling her heart race to try to compensate for the respiratory decay she was experiencing. Kate tried to shift but couldn't return to human form, or at least she didn't feel like she was able to transition from one form to another in a fixed way, and she felt like she was going back and forth to human form for a while.

Her muscles began to tense and twist, as if Kate's entire being was fighting to stay alive. Her vision began to become increasingly dotted with black spots, and when darkness embraced her, it was almost a relief.

*********

Waking up was less dramatic than she thought it could be. She was lying on her back in bed and opened her eyes, the light hit her and she closed them again. Her head felt like it was pounding with incredible force.

And for Kate, who was finally used to not feeling chronic pain and discomfort, it was extremely unpleasant. She opened her eyes again and then became aware of how tense her body was, how heavy everything was, and for a moment she felt as if the silver had returned in its entirety.

She turned her head slightly toward a small sound she heard and held her breath when she saw who was sitting there. In an armchair that wasn't from Kate's room, with a book in her hand and her eyes far from the printed letters on the paper, her elbow resting on the arm of the armchair and her face in her hand. Her hair was unmistakably red and her green eyes seemed distant, as if pondering the answers of the world.

"Natasha?" Kate's voice echoed hoarsely, almost unrecognizable to her own ears. Green eyes focused on her, and there was a brief assessment.

"You've been unconscious for four days." The sentence was delivered in a neutral tone, and Kate tried to get up but shuddered. Natasha sighed, put down the book she was reading on the arm of the armchair, and moved to help Kate with two firm hands. With Kate sitting against the headboard, Natasha offered her some water, which Kate accepted, still a little shaky.

"I'll call the others, stay here." It wasn't a very gentle tone, but rather firm, and Kate nodded, taking the half-glass of water she was given and taking a deep breath.

Quick footsteps sounded down the hallway, and the sight of Yelena practically bursting open the bedroom door made Kate jump slightly. The blonde and the brunette looked at each other, and there was a moment when tears welled up in their green eyes.

"Thank God." She spoke haltingly, and Kate didn't have a chance to say anything. Yelena practically threw herself down next to Kate and hugged her, not tightly, but firmly, like someone who wanted to make sure the other was alive. Then Yelena pulled away and held Kate's cheeks, and the two looked at each other, and there was this concern in the blonde's eyes, and Kate frowned slightly. But the movement of people entering the room made her blue eyes go to the door.

Soon she saw Agatha, Rio, Wanda, and Eleanor. Natasha was further back, and Kate sighed slightly and tilted her head forward, touching her forehead with Yelena's.

"Everything will be alright..." She whispered an affirmation she wasn't sure she could give, but Yelena lowered her hand to touch the center of Kate's chest and feel her heart beating, and there was a small sigh.

"How are you feeling?" Eleanor asked quietly, approaching and stopping beside Yelena, with a hand on the blonde's shoulder in silent support. Kate reached out to Eleanor and held her mother's hand, while the other touched Yelena's wrist.

"A little weak, trembling even…" She hesitated and looked down briefly. "How did you find me?" The question lingered, and there was this movement. Natasha moved back to the armchair, Agatha and Rio stopped in front of the foot of the bed, and Wanda sat on the opposite side from Kate.

"We spent a day searching." Natasha broke the conversation. "Do you remember what happened?" She asked almost in a police-like tone, and Kate tensed. And she looked at Rio, almost as if seeking instruction, clarification, and with apprehension.

"She knows." Rio spoke gently. "Natasha found you in wolf form." She spoke and hesitated. "Actually, in a form that was alternating between one and the other, we had to ask for help from someone who knew how to search in human form when magic and my wolf senses didn't help." This made Kate pull away slightly from Yelena's touch and look at Rio with furrowed brows.

"You were in some kind of suspension, we thought…" Agatha began and stopped.

"You thought I was going to die." She replied, and there was a nod from Rio as Agatha pursed her lips and looked away.

"They called me for help, and it was… Enlightening to understand what was right under my nose the whole time." Natasha spoke not dryly, but in a more restrained way. "I'm… Working through the fact that there were so many lies around me…" She spoke clearly hurt and wounded. "My close friends, my sister… My… Girlfriend. It was a hard blow." She continued, and Kate looked at her. "It took us practically 24 hours to find you, you're notoriously hard to find being a black wolf on a cloudy winter day." She spoke, and Kate looked at Natasha, then at her mother, Yelena, and then Wanda.

“When Natasha found you and notified us by radio, Tommy brought you here and it was… It’s been difficult to stabilize you, we still don’t quite understand what happened, but with the combination of healing rites and well…” She looked at Agatha and then at Yelena, and there was this moment of tension.

“What happened?” Kate asked firmly.

“Your life energy was almost depleted, as if…” Agatha hesitated. “It felt like I had at some point tried to absorb you, which I didn’t, despite the accusations.” She spoke clearly resentful, and Kate saw how Agatha glared at Rio.

“I apologized.” Rio whispered.

“It doesn’t hurt any less.” Eleanor said, and there was a moment of slight tension.

“We used Yelena as a catalyst.” Rio said, clearing his throat, and Kate looked at Yelena and the older lycan.

“We did the opposite of what Agatha would have done, we transferred some of Yelena’s life energy to you using blood magic, considering that you are soulmates, her energy was the only one that could be used.” Kate looked at Wanda and then at Yelena, at her mother and at Natasha.

“We all know, daughter.” Eleanor spoke gently.

“I was going to tell you, I just…” Kate began and hesitated, looking down, then her eyes returned to Wanda. “She’s a Mora.” The words hung in the air for a moment, and Wanda seemed to be the only one who truly understood, and Kate seemed to have at least kept this conversation private.

“Are you sure?” Wanda’s question sounded low, and Kate squeezed her hands slightly.

“I was looking for Rio, like I said I would…” She began to narrate slowly. “That’s when a bitter, sour, and strange smell touched my nose. It smelled like fear, like loneliness, and like pain. I was afraid Rio was suffering, and I started moving toward the smell, trying to understand why it was permeating the area I was in.” She continued, not looking at anyone. “Ava was sitting alone in a clearing.” The name made Yelena tense. “I don’t think she saw me, I don’t think she saw anything for a while. She was… terrified, maybe that’s the word.” She spoke softly.

“Terrified of what?” Natasha asked dryly.

“I can’t say… I didn’t get close, I even thought about getting close… I felt… Touched, maybe that’s the word, she looked like me when I had the silver.” Eleanor’s hand squeezed hers. “Suffocated, in pain, lost. And I thought about helping, but I didn’t get past the line of the bushes. She let out this soundless scream, as if something was squeezing her from the inside out, I felt it…” She closed her eyes trying to remember what happened, it was still a little hazy.

“What exactly?” Agatha asked, and her blue eyes met the older woman’s.

“As if the air was squeezing me from all directions. I saw this mist forming, as if it were condensing around her.” She spoke softly, and Agatha tensed. “When I realized it, I had this mist coming out of my mouth and nose and going towards her, and I felt…”

“Draining.” Agatha said, and Kate nodded.

“I tried to move away, then I heard the first thud, a squirrel fell dead beside me, then several more thuds, many around Ava. Birds, small rodents, and I felt weak. I moved further away and Ava had her hands on her shoulders, as if she were clinging to consciousness or the notion of something, she stopped suddenly and… She seemed terrified, completely terrified by the image of dead animals around her. She ran away and I tried to start moving, but I felt the connection with myself failing.” Kate spoke softly, hesitant to share this pain. “It was as if my wolf and I were losing connection, as if…” She stopped.

“As if you were dying.” Yelena whispered and Kate nodded.

“I felt relieved when I fainted, I felt my body tearing apart internally, it was terrifying.” She spoke softly.

“It was as if you had ceased to exist for a moment.” Wanda spoke gently. “As if her life force was no longer traceable, your scent had vanished and Yelena…” She looked at the blonde.

“Yelena, what?” Kate frowned and looked at the blonde.

“I felt like my heart was breaking.” She spoke softly. “Like it was being ripped from me, and I knew it was something about you. I…” She looked at Natasha and then at Kate. “I abandoned the clinic and left Natasha in the middle of our coffee, and I came here. They… They heard me, Agatha summoned Rio with magic and then we started looking for you…” She whispered. “It took us 23 hours to find you, Kate…” She spoke very quietly.

“You were alternating between forms, wolf, human, a weird mix between the two, when I found you. Tommy brought you here, and they started working on trying to heal you, and I finally came out of the dark.” Natasha’s tone was somewhat hurt at the end of that. “Even though I understand the reasons.” She added, looking at Wanda.

“Four days.” Kate said hoarsely. “I’m so sorry.” She said, slightly embarrassed.

“It’s not something you could control, Kate.” Eleanor spoke firmly but still lovingly. “All you told me was that you ended up in a situation where you had no control over what was happening. Ava hurt you.” She spoke more rigidly.

“I don’t think it was on purpose.” Kate said, and Eleanor looked at her firmly. “I honestly don’t think she did it on purpose.” She repeated.

“Supposedly… A mora needs vital energy to stay alive.” Wanda said in a serious tone. “Mora are dreamlike, they don’t consciously control their powers. It happens instinctively, unconsciously, a Mora drains vital and emotional energy." Wanda said thoughtfully.

“In dreams." Agatha said. “We’ve never heard of anything like this.” She indicated Kate.

“I don’t think the narrators we’ve had in the research done so far are reliable." Kate said, and Rio brought her hand to her face and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I agree with Kate on that point. Right now we need to try to find a way to deal with Ava." she said sincerely.

“I say kill her." Agatha said, and Natasha grunted.

“You know I’m a police officer, and you’re confessing to an idealization of homicide, right?” She said dryly, and the two looked at each other.

“Honey, if I wanted to kill, there are no police officers in the world who would stop me or arrest me." Agatha said completely mockingly.

“Agatha.” Kate's tone was firm, and it made the woman's eyes linger on her. "We're not going to repeat the past with someone who can't control her own powers. We don't need to stoop to that level." Kate spoke so heavily that she saw Agatha hesitate and purse her lips, and there was this moment of realization for Rio and Wanda as they understood that Kate was referencing the previous coven's attempt to kill Agatha.

"Right, we didn't kill her." Agatha scoffed with a hand gesture. "But still, we have an out-of-control Mora in the city, who probably almost killed Yelena, is slowly killing Robert, and almost killed Kate. That's without considering half the wildlife she killed." It was disdainful, and there was a sigh.

"Is there a way to block her powers?" Yelena asked, and Kate saw the unease in Wanda and Rio as they looked at Agatha. Then there was an exchange of glances between Wanda and Agatha.

"She's going to go crazy." Agatha spoke, and Wanda made a thoughtful sound.

“Yes, she will, but just you and I can’t do a binding as it would be necessary.” She spoke, and Rio grunted.

“We’re really talking about binding Ava’s powers like he did with Jen.” She looked at her wife. “Like you did with Jen?” She grunted.

“It wasn’t on purpose, you know, and we undid it as soon as we understood that I was the one responsible. And I apologized.” Agatha scoffed slightly. “But yes, protecting the city would require Wanda and the coven to use a lot of energy.” Then she looked at Natasha. “How secretive would I have to be in kidnapping Ava?” She spoke, and the redhead’s eyebrows rose.

“What?” But it was Kate who spoke, shocked by the idea. “Why kidnap?” She was slightly horrified.

“I doubt she’ll come willingly, Katherine.” Agatha's tone was almost brushing it aside. "We need to convince the coven that binding Ava's powers is the best thing to do. She may be a horrible person, but part of her cruelty is because she's a Mora, and honestly, she's going to kill someone sooner or later." She spoke and looked at Kate, seeing the woman uncomfortable. "What?" The question was curt.

"I think she killed her parents." She whispered and saw Natasha lean in.

"And you think that because?" The redhead asked dryly.

"From what I've heard, her father suddenly died when she was living with him, and her mother was slowly consumed by depression." She looked at Yelena briefly. "You and Bob also show similar symptoms, the tiredness, the lack of energy, the depression." She whispered, and Yelena closed her eyes.

"So... Ava may have already claimed victims without realizing it." Eleanor spoke, seeming to be the neutral voice there. "The idea is what, to kidnap the woman, block her powers, and let her continue her day as if nothing happened?" She asked, and Agatha shrugged.

"Billy and Wanda can erase memories. We could…" She looked at Natasha.

"Since I'm being complicit in this conversation, tell me the whole plan." The redhead said uncomfortably.

“We pick her up at night, perform the ritual, erase the memory of the kidnapping, and return her safely home. Tommy can come and go without being seen.” She spoke and pondered.

“We just need to get Bob out of the house.” Kate said, and Yelena ran a hand over her face.

“I can do that, I’ve owed him a trip to the bar for weeks.” She grumbled. “Bob is light as a feather, he’ll get drunk on a few shots, and I can put him to sleep at my house.” She muttered. “Damn it, I’m planning a damn kidnapping.” She grumbled, and Kate nodded uncomfortably as well.

“I honestly think it’s necessary.” Agatha said, shrugging. “She’s clearly short-circuiting her powers.” She said, and Eleanor sounded again.

“She won’t die from having her powers turned off? Aren’t we doing the same thing Derek did to Kate?” She asked, and Kate tensed and closed her eyes.

“Ava is uncontrollable, not because she lacked training, but because her powers are uncontrollable. A mora feeds compulsively and, to a lesser extent, out of necessity to survive.” Agatha spoke sincerely. “I know it sounds very similar to silver in a wolf, but the truth is…” Agatha hesitated for a moment. “She’s suffering. Because of a compulsion she doesn’t understand, that she doesn’t control, she’s like an addict who can’t stop using because she can’t even understand what she’s addicted to.” She spoke softly. “If she’s blocked, she can start to regain control of her own narrative.” She said, looking at Eleanor.

“Moras aren’t supernatural like everyone else.” Wanda said, and Kate sighed.

“They’re aberrations.” She said, and Wanda affirmed.

“Not in a cruel sense, but in the sense that they’re rare and a genetic lottery, they’re shaped by a destiny they didn’t choose.” Wanda said, and there was a silence that lasted a long time.

“Damn it, I’m going to be an accomplice in a damn kidnapping.” The policewoman said, and everyone looked at her. “From my point of view, we’re taking the gun away from someone who shoots instinctively, it’s not good. No, it’s not. It’s not fair. Fair wouldn’t even be the right word, but I’d rather deal with a binding than a homicide.” She spoke hoarsely, and there was a nod.

“We’ll talk to Jen, Billy, Tommy, and Alice.” Wanda said and stood up. “And you, you need to eat, you need to sleep, and stop giving me damn heart attacks.” She spoke almost grumpily and left the room, which made Kate’s eyebrows rise.

“Uh… She’s a little angry, as we can see.” Rio said, clearing her throat. “Come on, let’s leave Yelena and Kate alone for a bit, the soulmate bond helps.” Eleanor kissed Kate’s forehead and walked away, with Natasha getting up last and following behind the other women.

*******

Kate shook herself, which made Nicky laugh at the small cloud of dust that formed from the movement. Kate then stretched, her paws going forward, her head jutting towards the ground, and she yawned, which made Nicky yawn too.

“I’ll call just one more time, come eat.” Agatha’s voice rang out, and both Nicky and Kate looked in the direction of the voice and began to walk.

Natasha’s eyes actively assessed the scene, clearly paying attention to the lycan and child’s walk, perhaps it was still bizarre to Natasha, which was understandable. But when the two reached the area where the group was gathered, Kate detransformed, and Rio looked at her attentively.

“How was it?” The question echoed.

“Normal, actually.” Kate spoke and looked at Rio, who was noticeably sitting far away from Agatha, and Wanda still seemed upset on many levels with Kate, who after a few days was trying to manage everyone's feelings about what happened, even though Eleanor claimed it wasn't her fault. Kate didn't really have much of a choice at this point. "So…." Kate began and saw how Yelena's eyes, who was talking to Eleanor, focused on her. "Let's talk about why everyone is…" She gestured to Rio, Agatha, and Wanda.

"No." Wanda's dry reply made the brunette sigh and move closer to Yelena, Nicky instinctively following the brunette, which made Kate sit between the blonde and the boy.

"They fought." Nicky whispered to Kate, leaning in to rest his head against the brunette, and the lycan put an arm around the boy.

"I'm sorry about that, darling." Kate whispered back and then looked at Yelena.

And normally, family lunch, as Kate liked to call it, was more relaxed, it was light, but still with Billy, Tommy, Kate, and Yelena trying to keep the atmosphere light, and mostly succeeding, on their side of the table, there was this palpable tension between Wanda and everyone else, and especially between Agatha and Rio.

“Go talk to them.” Yelena instructed, and she looked at the blonde. “Go, I’m talking to your mother.” The gesture was kind, but Kate was still brushed off to go to any of the older women. And she saw how Agatha stood with her hands in the pockets of her overcoat, looking at the forest and a little further away from everyone. Perhaps starting with the most difficult one was wise.

Kate stood up and kissed Yelena’s head, ran her hand through Nicky’s hair, and nudged Tommy lightly, which made the two boys laugh. And then she stopped beside Agatha, hands in her pockets and shoulders side by side.

“Come.” Kate spoke casually and took a step forward, and there was this moment of slow sigh, and then Agatha started walking towards Kate. They moved away and went to the altar of the Goddess of magic that Wanda had in the backyard.

Kate casually bent down and lit a candle that was there and the two stopped watching the candle burn for a moment. Kate pondered that Agatha was a wary cat, but still, she wouldn't open up without being pressured a little.

"So…" Kate began and Agatha crossed her arms. "What's going on between the three of you?" She asked without really looking at Agatha directly, but she saw how the woman tensed up in her peripheral vision and how she smelled discomfort.

"We had a fight." Agatha said and Kate didn't move, didn't speak, and then she saw how Agatha, the always so closed-off Agatha, yielded slightly. "Rio accused me of draining your powers on some level, I retorted saying that you didn't have magic and I had no reason to." She spoke and pursed her lips. “And as much as I understand, it was a reaction to what she saw in the past…” The words died slowly. “Wanda is angry because it was my insensitivity that caused the situation to happen and she is… Dealing with her own feelings, she and I notoriously don't sit down to braid hair and talk about feelings. That’s Lilia’s job.” Agatha scoffed and Kate glanced slightly at the brunette.

“You and Rio have been exchanging barbs recently.” She stated calmly and Agatha gave a small, almost inaudible grunt.

“She’s stubborn.” The retort came and Kate looked at her slightly sideways and not very impressed, and Agatha shifted uncomfortably. “And I speak without thinking.” She added discontentedly after a while. “Rio and I… We used to fight frequently, she had expectations that I didn’t want to meet and I feel like I’m in that situation again.”

“What expectations does she have now?” The question drifted from Kate to Agatha, and the woman uncrossed her arms, then crossed them again in a clearly defensive posture.

“She refuses to see that the city is at risk because of Ava, she claims it’s a one-off risk and thinks binding Ava’s powers is an excessive stance. And she’s angry with me because I indirectly made you go after her.” The tone was low, unhappy, and still irritated.

“You indirectly made me go after her.” Kate pointed without accusation and saw how the woman tensed. “Am I angry with you?” The rhetorical question came. “No. Am I angry with Ava? No. I understand it was an unfortunate coincidence, that if you hadn’t been cruel with your words to Rio, Rio and I wouldn’t be in the forest, therefore we wouldn’t have found Ava.” She spoke slowly.

“So it’s all my fault, Katherine?” The tone was growling, and she made to move.

“Stop being a bitch.” Kate’s dry words made Agatha stop. “If I hadn’t found Ava, and we weren’t aware of what’s happening. What do you think would have happened, Agatha?” Kate’s tone was harsh. “Yelena is walking around with a dream blocker, just like Bob. Do you realize that they both could have died because no one noticed that Ava has powers unconsciously? Now we know. And that doesn’t make me angry with you, it doesn’t make me angry with Ava. I’d rather be at risk and you protected than for us all to be walking around blind.” The words made Agatha relax her arms at her sides.

“You’re a child, Kate, you shouldn’t be fighting this kind of battle or being on the front lines.” Agatha spoke in a low tone.

“I’m an alpha, I’m a protector, it’s my nature. To care, to protect, to preserve. And you are my pack. The coven, my mother, Yelena, my family. What kind of wolf would I be if I didn’t want to protect my family?” She spoke softly.

“It’s not a pup’s role to protect.” Rio spoke suddenly, and both Agatha and Kate looked at the shorter brunette.

"It's not your job to decide what I can or can't do, and especially it's not your role to decide for me." Kate spoke so brutally that she saw Rio's eyebrows furrow. "We have a plan on how to help Ava, we have symbols protecting us from the unconscious drain she's doing, but this head-biting between you and Agatha doesn't help at all. Be better." Kate spoke brutally sharply.

"I'm always giving in." Rio said, and Agatha looked at her with furrowed brows. "I wish you would give in a little." She spoke in a more neutral tone.

"I am giving in! I accept a lot of the craziness that happens, I accepted staying in Westview, I accepted depriving myself of my powers to protect us." Agatha spoke dryly. Kate looked between them and tilted her head.

"Do you love each other?" The question made both women look at her.

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Agatha said with a grunt.

“It’s a yes or no question, it’s not rocket science.” Kate answered directly, and they both said yes, Agatha with a slight grunt and Rio slightly exasperated. “Then be better to each other.” The words weighed heavily. “Honestly, you are soulmates, and it seems like a lot of you have let that be the focal point. We are soulmates, so we have to put up with each other’s crap. Be better partners to each other.” This made them both stiffen and say nothing. “You love each other, you are family, but no relationship survives just because there is a soulmate connection. Be better to each other and sort out your shit. You have a young child. And don’t think Nicky is stupid, he knows you’re fighting.” She spoke, and there was this moment of suspension where Agatha gave in.

“Can we… Talk?” The voice was soft to Rio, a much gentler tone than Kate had heard in a while, and Rio sighed and looked at Kate and then at Agatha.

"Yes, Aggie, we can talk." She spoke and indicated the forest, which made the two walk slowly.

"Two idiots." Kate muttered and moved to return to the group, she looked around and didn't see Wanda but then sighed. "Where's redhead number 2?” The question echoed and Yelena looked at Kate with a small smile that was returned.

"She went to her room, headache." Natasha didn't seem really happy, but she answered and Kate nodded, turning on her heels and walking towards the house.

She let her fingertips brush the wallpaper as she climbed the stairs and there was a little magic echoing through the house, she could feel the hairs on her arms standing on end, but still she walked without hesitation towards Wanda's room. Her knuckles met the wooden door with two audible, but not necessarily loud, knocks.

"I want to be alone." Wanda's words sounded strange to Kate's ears.

“Can we talk?” Kate’s question echoed, and she heard a moment of silence from inside the room, followed by a deep breath.

“The door is open, Kate.” It was almost as if Wanda was giving in, but Kate didn’t hesitate. Her hand gripped the doorknob, and the door opened. The brunette stepped through the door frame and closed the door behind her, leaning against the wood.

“So… What’s going on?” Kate asked delicately.

“Natasha is angry with me.” Wanda said with a sigh.

“If we’re going to be honest, she has her reasons. But from what I see, she’s also trying…” Kate offered, and there was this discontented tone from Wanda.

“I didn’t mean to expose my magic.” The tone was drier, and Kate approached. Wanda was sitting on the bed, and Kate sat beside her.

“I’m sorry.” This made Wanda’s eyes rise to her. “It was inevitably my fault.” She spoke softly, and Wanda brought her hand to her face.

“It wasn’t your fault, it was the situation. It doesn’t make me any less angry about everything that’s happening. You’re at risk again, Ava is an unconscious drain on life energy, Natasha is angry with me because she found out I’ve been lying to her since we met, and I’m…” Wanda stopped and closed her eyes. “I’m angry with you, and I know my anger towards you is completely unfair.” Kate let her continue speaking. “You weren’t to blame, but you almost died, and I couldn’t fix it…” That’s when the sentence was suddenly broken, and there was this sob.

It was a heartbreaking sob, Wanda’s eyes filled with tears, and she began to cry, and Kate did the only thing she could think of: she put her arms around Wanda and held her carefully, tenderly, and kept her close. In a firm grip, a grip that tried to somehow say that she was there, that she hadn’t died.

“You saved me, and I know it was painful, it must have been awful, but you saved me.” She spoke gently, and Wanda clung tighter to her.

“I’m a liar, Kate, I don’t know how to deal with facing Natasha and her sad eyes, I don’t know how to deal with the fact that Ava is terrifying me, I feel my sanity slowly slipping through my fingers.” Wanda spoke, and Kate held her tighter, practically making the woman sit in her lap.

“Natasha is dealing with what she discovered, Wands, she’s dealing with it slowly maybe, but she’s still dealing with it. Everything will be alright, and about Ava, we have a plan, we’ll tie up her powers and we’ll all be safer.” Kate spoke softly and just held Wanda, who was crying. “I’m sorry to worry you and make you so angry with me.” She spoke so gently that Wanda sobbed.

“I don’t want my family at risk, Kate, I don’t want my girlfriend angry with me, and that’s what I have right now.” She spoke against Kate's neck, who only sighed and held her.

"I know... It's going to be okay." Kate tried to soothe her, not really knowing what to say. And she stayed there with Wanda crying softly against her, whispering words.

It took almost ten minutes for Wanda to actually fall asleep. Kate tucked her into bed and then covered her, allowing Wanda, who was indeed very emotionally drained, to get the sleep of the righteous. She left the redhead's room with slow steps, her hands in her pockets, still the tear stains on her sweatshirt, and when she went downstairs, she practically bumped into Natasha.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Kate saw how Natasha's eyes went to the tear stains on her clothes, how heavily emotional the situation seemed, and Kate pursed her lips slightly.

"Get your head out of your ass." Kate spoke in a low tone. It wasn't threatening or angry, but it was a low tone. "Get your head out of your ass about what was kept private." She saw Natasha's mouth open. "Spare me." The phrase weighed heavily, and her red eyebrows furrowed. "When you have a secret that can be used to kill people you love, that can be used to manipulate, hurt, humiliate, then you'll understand why Wanda, why the coven, why I and a large group of other people didn't tell about ourselves. When you understand that hatred, lack of information, ignorance, and fear kill people like us, you'll understand why nobody told you before." Kate saw Yelena slowly walking to try and interfere. "If you're willing to let go and understand that self-protection isn't a crime..." She paused for a moment. "Wanda is sleeping in the room, if you want to be good to her, go to her." She spoke, and the two looked at each other, and there was this extended moment where Yelena was indeed there in a position to interfere if necessary.

“I’m handling it the best I can.” Natasha spoke, for the first time, less angry, and more vulnerable. “I talked to Rio, to Alice, and I understand a little more… I…” There was this shame in Natasha. “I’m sorry, I’ll be good to her. To all of you.” And that made Kate nod.

“Great, I’d hate to have to punch my girlfriend’s sister, and she said you hit really hard.” Kate said, trying to make the moment less heavy, and Natasha gave a small, slow laugh.

“You’d get beaten up by me, Kate Bishop.” Natasha said, rolling her eyes.

“The only woman I get spank up by is your sister.” And the sentence made Yelena, who was tense, break into a laugh.

“Kate clearly doesn’t need to take getting spank up by a pretty woman so seriously.” Yelena said casually.

“Go be with her, okay? Say sorry, forgive if you think you should, but with Ava’s situation, she’s already a bundle of nerves, if we can ease that for her, it helps.” And Natasha nodded at Kate’s statement. The redhead moved to climb the stairs and stopped halfway.

“Thank you, Kate.” It was sincere, and Kate thought that finally, finally Natasha had understood that the world could be less difficult if she allowed herself to. Kate nodded at this, and when Natasha climbed the stairs, she pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.

“What an emotional mess.” She grumbled, pulling Yelena to her by the waist.

“It’s a mess, but we can’t solve anything for now. Agatha said they want to do the ritual on the waning moon, which means in a few weeks, we’ll have our first full moon with the soulmate connection, I’m curious how that’s going to be.” She said, and Kate gave a low giggle.

“We’re going to spend so much time in the bedroom.” The brunette whispered against Yelena’s neck. “Please don’t forget to wear your amulet, okay?” She asked, and Yelena nodded.

“I won’t, do you have any idea how happy Bob is with the friendship necklace?” She said, rolling her eyes. “I swear, that man doesn’t look like he’s in his 30s.” She teased.

“I loved that you just decided that the amulets, because they looked alike, were a friendship necklace. It’s so childish and yet so cute at the same time. I thought it was so sweet.” Kate said, smiling, and Yelena rolled her eyes.

“Bob is a little silly, but he’s sweet, and with the necklace and the hypothyroidism diagnosis, he’s feeling better. It helps not having the life sucked out of you along with a chronic illness, I’d say.” Kate nodded at that and kissed Yelena quickly.

“Come on, let’s stay with my mom a little longer and then we can go to your house if you want. Lucky and Fanny can sleep cuddled up.” She said playfully.

“And us too, I hope?” Yelena spoke hoarsely.

"Yes, God, please." Kate whispered back, and Yelena gave a wide smile, pulling Kate by the hand into the living room.

********

There was this special joy in walking with Yelena down Westview Street, hand in hand, and Kate found it funny that the necklace Wanda gave her to protect herself from Ava's absorption was still working. It was cute because it was a small black hourglass.

The blonde was wearing a slightly loose-fitting gray T-shirt that left one shoulder exposed through the scissor-cut collar, making the strap of the sports bra underneath deliciously visible. Yelena was wearing tight black pants and comfortable black sneakers. To complete the look, she had a warm, dark green sweatshirt tied around her waist.

"You're staring, Kate Bishop." The blonde said casually as the two walked, and the brunette didn't feel shy or intimidated by Yelena's comment.

"And you blame me for staring at the most beautiful woman of all?" Kate said, pulling Yelena to her and hugging her in the middle of the sidewalk. "I have the right to observe every detail of my soulmate, don't I?" She whispered hoarsely and felt Yelena's hands slip under the light purple sweatshirt Kate was wearing and place themselves over her t-shirt, her nails lightly scratching.

"You know, we decided to get out of the house a bit so we wouldn't be having sex all the time, and you saying that makes me definitely question how wise that choice was." She grumbled against the brunette's neck, and Kate chuckled softly.

"It's completely silly of us to decide that." She spoke softly. "But you wanted ice cream, and I never say no to ice cream." Kate echoed very lightly, and this made Yelena pull away and look at her with affection and amusement.

"What if I want sex with ice cream then?" And Kate saw that it was a whispered joke, a playful question since sex with food had been ruled out some time ago.

"I say we'll need a waterproof sheet and a shower afterward." The voice was low, and this made Yelena, who was still hugging Kate's waist, throw her head back and giggle.

“It’s good to see you happy, Yelena.” A female voice sounded close to them, and the two moved away to look to the side, and Yelena blushed slightly when she saw a few meters away. The small, white-haired, dark-skinned old lady smiled at them.

“Mrs. Hans! I didn’t see you.” Yelena said awkwardly and moved to hug the old lady carefully.

“Always so delicate.” The woman said and turned to Kate. “We don’t know each other.” It was a slight requirement, and Kate gave a small, awkward smile, but approached and extended her hand.

“Hi, I’m Kate, Kate Bishop.” She offered, and the lady looked at her hand and then into her eyes.

“I’m from New Orleans, Kate Bishop, there we hug and don’t shake hands.” She said and pulled the brunette by the hand, hugging her tightly, and Kate made a small, amused sound and hugged the old lady. “My name is McKenna Hans, or as the children call me, Grandma Kenna.” She said, stepping back. “Would you like some tea?” Kate looked at Yelena, searching for some kind of reassurance, and the blonde gave a shy smile.

"Of course, Mrs. Hans." She said awkwardly, and Kate just gave a soft smile, and with that, the two entered the lady's small but very cozy house.

With the ice cream set aside, at least temporarily, Kate found herself sitting on a two-seater sofa, side by side with Yelena, a cup of tea in her hands. McKenna walked over to them in slow but firm steps and placed a plate of shortbread cookies in front of them. And she was attentively listening to Yelena and the woman talk.

Kate liked seeing how Yelena was invariably popular around town, people liked her just for who she was, and that was incredible, especially because Kate believed that Yelena was the person with the sweetest soul in the world and deserved all the affection possible.

"My husband, Argos, looked at me exactly the way you look at her." The woman's words made Kate's eyes leave Yelena and look at McKenna.

"Oh?" Kate sounded slightly shy, and there was a smile.

“Yes, the sweet and devoted way, as if she were the center of your universe. It’s sweet to see that happening again with other people.” She continued, then paused and looked out the window. “You know, Yelena…” The tone was thoughtful.

“Is everything alright, Mrs. Hans?” The question was gentle and even concerned.

“Yes, perfectly fine.” The smile she gave Yelena was gentle. “It’s different being in a relationship where we are the center of the world for the person, isn’t it?” She asked so softly.

“It’s my first time, I can assure you of that.” Yelena spoke and gently held Kate’s hand.

“lycans tend to be much kinder than humans.” The statement made Kate, who was looking at Yelena, freeze and look at the woman. “My Argos came to the United States from Germany, quite a change for a little black boy who had just awakened his powers.” She began to narrate slowly. “I met him when we were 15 years old, he was always an awkward boy, a little silly even, playful, loved other animals, was so kind to children. And I, the middle child of a family of 6 children, saw a kind heart in him.” She stirred her tea slowly. “And I fell in love with him easily, even though he never looked at me the same way or in any way beyond friendship. He was the tutor of my two younger brothers, teaching them chemistry. He was always so good at it…” Yelena’s hand squeezed Kate’s.

“When did you find out about him?” The question came softly and whispered by Yelena.

“Many years later. We were twenty, and we’d been friends ever since. He was my brother’s best friend at the time and… Understand, it wasn’t necessarily his fault. I got lost in a dense wooded area, the foolishness of young people who think they know what they’re doing. Then I don’t know how much time passed, Argos said it was one day… Or something like that… I saw this wolf, gray, robust, approaching me. I remember I panicked and fainted, and when I woke up, Argos was carrying me to the city hospital in his arms. He smiled at me and said he came looking for me.” McKenna seemed lost in memory. “Then days later, from that day. ‘The wolf, it was you, wasn’t it?’ I asked.” She continued narrating.

“And what did he answer?” Kate whispered.

“He asked why I thought that, and I was honest. I said the wolf had the same kind eyes he had, the kind eyes I fell in love with. And I think that’s when he understood that I loved him.” She gave a small, low laugh. “He kissed me. The gentlest kiss I had ever received in my innocent youth. He said he was afraid to tell me, that he wanted to be close to me no matter what, and that yes, he was the wolf in the forest.” Kate felt Yelena’s hand open and close against her fingers.

“Kate transformed unintentionally.” She said, opening up, and McKenna looked at the brunette with a small smile.

“Did the excitement get to you?” She asked, amused. “That happened to Argos sometimes, spontaneous transformations, the poor guy almost went crazy when our first boy was born.” She said, laughing lightly.

“The silver, actually…” And that made McKenna’s eyebrows furrow and look at her. “When my father found out, he started giving me silver, it inhibited the wolf, but it made me sick… I’m still recovering from it.” She whispered.

“I’m so sorry, my dear, lycans are amazing, loyal, kind, so gentle. So generous in putting themselves at risk for those they love.” McKenna spoke with a sweet smile.

“Argos… Did he pass away?” Kate asked, almost hesitant to question.

“A few years ago, he had a bad heart. Wolf or not, the body works as it does. He was blessed to die in his sleep, he gave me four good sons and two good daughters. I lived a complete, full, and good life with my Argos.” She spoke with an easy smile.

“And how did you know about Kate?” Yelena asked curiously.

“When you live with a supernatural being, or a community like the one we have here, you easily learn to see the signs after a while. Kate reminds me of my youngest, Arsegos, he was always a happy little puppy.” And that made Kate blush slightly. “Don’t be ashamed, you seem to be a good wolf, a loyal wolf, and you make Yelena happy. Your joy makes her happy.” That made Kate look at Yelena briefly and smile.

“She makes me happy.” Kate whispered, and McKenna smiled wider.

“That’s what matters.” And that's when the church bell rang. "Oh, it's already so late?" She said and sighed.

"Would you like to go to mass, Miss Hans?" Yelena asked, and Kate saw how the lady nodded.

"We can accompany you there." Kate offered, and there was that smile.

"See, kind. Keep that one, Yelena, this is a good one." McKenna said, and it didn't take long for them to start walking to the church. It was unexpected, completely unexpected, but when the lady, in her 92 years, entered the church greeting people and talking to the priest, Kate just tilted her head slightly to the side.

"She has good eyesight." Kate commented casually.

“I’d say good instinct and attention to detail. How about we buy a batch of ice cream and head back home? Lucky and Fanny must have destroyed my yard.” Yelena joked, and Kate laughed. “And we can use the toy afterward…” The dirty talk echoed lightly in Kate, like a wave of desire.

“By all means, lead the way. Ice cream and sex is perfection.” And that made Yelena giggle playfully, but still, their hands met, their fingers intertwined, and the two began to return to the original path they were taking, with the slight change of going to the market instead of the ice cream parlor.

And again, it was good, it was good to walk hand in hand with Yelena, receiving smiles and sweet comments. Yelena was the best, and indeed, Mckenna Hans had a point. Kate looked at Yelena as if she were the center of the universe, because for Kate, Yelena was the center of the universe, the reason why the world was more beautiful and more colorful. Kate loved her with all the strength of her being.

“I love you.” The phrase echoed without Kate practically noticing, but Yelena stopped moving and looked at her abruptly.

"What?" The question came, and Yelena's mouth was open.

"I love you." Kate repeated, slightly blushing but without hesitation. "And I know it's early, but I also know that I love you." She said awkwardly.

"Damn." Yelena's voice rang out, and Kate wanted to shrink back. "Of all places in the world, Kate Bishop, you said that in front of the ice cream freezer." She said, indicating the packs. "I love you too." The phrase was said moments later, and Kate gave an awkward smile.

"Yay." She said shyly, and saw how Yelena's eyes darkened.

"Sex first, ice cream later." She grunted, grabbing the ice cream and Kate's hand.

*******

It started with Yelena's shin moving up and down Kate's calf. It was a slow tease, a provocative brush while the blonde casually chatted with Becky and Cindy.

Kate was keeping a close eye on Karolina and Nico's conversation as they talked about the vampire's powers. It was a small, casual gathering at Teddy's house.

The boy was playing video games with Billy and Cho, and it was good because everyone was having fun, and it was great to see the group together. Because of classes, exams, and work, there wasn't much free time, so getting the group together was always fun.

"Is she driving you crazy?" Cindy asked Kate when Yelena walked away to go to the bathroom. "You seem so restless." It was a playful tone.

"The full moon starts today, and apparently that messes with libido doubly." Kate said, pressing her hand against her eyes, and Becky gave a low laugh.

"I don't think she does it on purpose, pushing your buttons, I mean." The undead girl said casually.

“No, she doesn’t. But it doesn’t make it any less maddening. Not with the full moon in the sky, even though it’s the first day, my wolf already feels energetic and bursting with energy. I woke up transformed in my bed today. I ran for two hours in the forest before returning home. Wanda is teasing me slightly, but we know how she is.” The sentence was spoken and Karoline, who was casually sitting next to Nico, gave a little laugh.

“Sweetly concerned.” The blonde said and Kate nodded.

“Yes.” Kate sighed and smelled Yelena approaching and then her hand going up her shoulder to the nape of her neck.

“Shall we go? It’s getting late for a weekday…” Yelena said gently and Kate nodded.

“Of course, dear.” Kate said, getting up. “Guys, it was so nice spending these hours with you and eating pizza, we need to keep scheduling get-togethers like this.” She said and then one by one they said goodbye to the group.

Walking down the empty city street was almost comforting in its silence, but it always left Kate slightly uneasy and attentively observing everything.

"You seem attentive to anything emerging from the shadows." Yelena said casually.

"I'm a New Yorker, my love." she said as if it were obvious, and Yelena gave an amused laugh.

"The paranoia of the big city." the two said, turning the corner toward Yelena's house, and Kate nodded, but neither of them spoke much until they reached the front door. "Do you want to eat something—" Yelena's sentence was cut off as Kate firmly pushed her against the front door.

"You, my love, are a damn provocation." She growled, making Yelena's head tilt upwards. Kate's mouth went to Yelena's neck, and the blonde moaned.

"I didn't do anything…" The blonde whimpered, and Kate pressed herself against her. But Yelena's hands plunged into Kate's hair, and she groaned against the bite she received at the base of her neck.

"Not thinking, but yes, you did… The touches on my thighs, your leg brushing against me, how you leaned in to speak in my ear with that husky tone that reminds me of your voice when I finish fucking you…" Kate growled, and her hands moved to Yelena's breasts.

"Fuck, let's go inside…" Yelena whimpered, her hand banging on the door latch, and the two practically fell inside as the door opened. Kate grabbed Yelena by the waist and pushed the blonde back, two steps. She found the door blindly, her hand banging the door shut, and with a quick twist of her wrist, she locked the door.

"Take off your clothes." Kate's voice was heavy with sexual desire, and the two looked at each other for a moment. "Yelena." The name came out hoarsely in a growl, and Yelena shuddered. The blonde's hands moved to the T-shirt, pulling it over her head and throwing it to the floor. Her fingers plunged into the jeans and pushed them down, and Yelena stood there in her bra and panties.

She took two steps back, and Kate moved, her hands holding Yelena's pants and T-shirt, then she picked up the bra that fell to Kate's feet, and the two looked at each other, there was this challenge. Yelena took three more steps toward the room and took off her panties, and Kate just looked intrigued to see what she would do.

"Be a good puppy and get it." Yelena said provocatively, it wasn't mean, it was a very sexual provocation, especially when the panties hit Kate's face directly. The scent of Yelena's arousal embraced Kate's nose, she held the panties with her free hand, and it was evident that Kate breathed deeply.

“On three… Run.” Yelena’s eyes were electric, and her smile affirmed her lust and amusement. “One…” And Kate hadn’t understood the first time Wanda said that Rio and Agatha liked to run to the cabin on full moon days, but now she understood, there was this animalistic side that Kate perceived to be more active. “Two…” lycans were hunters, and at that moment Yelena was a very willing prey. The blonde tensed, ready to run. “Three.” And with that, the blonde sprinted to the bedroom. It wasn’t a particularly long run, but Kate sped after her.

There was an amused scream from Yelena when Kate’s body hit hers in a tackle, the blonde’s clothes fell to the bedroom floor, and there was this brief glimpse of two furry heads looking through the crack in the door. But neither Lucky nor Fanny seemed interested in understanding what was happening, and Kate was too focused on grabbing Yelena and adjusting her on the bed.

“Hmmm… Looks like you got me.” The speech was filthy, and Yelena groaned when Kate's mouth found her collarbone, and she arched her back. The mouth moved down to her breasts and bit there too, leaving a purple mark right at the top of her breast. "Is my wolf marking its territory today?" She purred and ran her hands through Kate's hair, pressing her against her body, and the brunette growled again.

"Mine." Kate grunted against Yelena and adjusted herself on her knees so she could reach into the first drawer of the bedside table. The strap-on was removed and placed beside the two of them on the bed.

"So willing to fuck me." Yelena groaned and spread her legs without hesitation. Kate moved, Kate's clothed body slammed hard against Yelena's, and this made the blonde groan.

And there was this level of desperation and hunger that Kate couldn't quite pinpoint, but it still existed. The blonde pushed her back to her knees, their hands, in a collective effort, opening Kate's jeans and both pushing the pants down below Kate's butts, leaving her practically still dressed.

But Yelena didn't care about that, she wrapped her legs around Kate's hips, pulling the brunette against her, and there was this obscenity, this pure moment of lust, almost impure, profane, filthy, and especially lascivious in having her hips squeezed by Yelena's thighs and the blonde throwing her hips up, rubbing her pussy against Kate's pelvis.

It was almost absurd the level of lust that was there at that moment. Kate was still dressed, with her t-shirt and pants half pulled up to mid-thigh, the two were rubbing against each other.

It was intense, it was filthy, and especially, neither of them seemed to care about it. Kate growled, Yelena's hands were held firmly against the mattress and the two looked at each other, again there was a growl, more feral, more animal and Yelena whimpered.

"Baby..." She spoke, her voice broken by moans with each rub of Yelena's pussy against Kate's skin.

"You're so desperate to come, my love..." Kate's voice was hoarse, deep in her moment of connection with Yelena and the wolf itself. "Such a needy little girl..." She spoke hoarsely, their mouths met and their tongues moved in a sensual dance.

“I’m going to come like this… Fuck, I’ve never felt like this…” Yelena said, suddenly pulling away from Kate’s mouth, throwing her head back, and it took a few more hip movements for Kate to feel the blonde’s body trembling against her, her spine arching, the scent of an orgasm filling the room, and how Yelena wet Kate’s skin.

“God, you’re magnificent.” Kate said hoarsely, pulling away slightly, but Yelena, with impressive speed, rose on her elbows and looked at Kate forcefully, almost as if the blonde had her own wolf inside her.

“Put your dick in and fuck me.” The words weren’t a request, they were a demand, and Kate’s eyebrows rose at the words. “Kate.” Again a growl, and Kate stood up, slowly taking off her clothes.

“Look at her acting like she’s in control of the situation.” It was a provocation, especially when Kate's pants finally fell down, but still, there was this dry tone coming from Yelena, a disgruntled tone and a completely bossy tone.

"Katherine Bishop." The full name made Kate freeze and look at the blonde with eyebrows arched in surprise. "You better get that dick in and fuck me like you want puppies inside me or I won't be responsible for my actions." It was visceral, raw, and completely depraved.

"I thought we didn't want puppies—" The sentence was cut off as Yelena turned over in bed and got on all fours, and Kate's voice died.

“I want you to fuck me like you want to give me puppies, not get me pregnant. I’ll kill you if you get me pregnant.” The blonde growled, and it was very unusual for Yelena to be acting so brutally aggressively, but Kate opened and closed her mouth. “Am I going to have to fuck myself?” The voice echoed, almost angry, but Kate felt the growl escape from within her without really controlling it as she saw Yelena’s fingers going to her own folds.

“Touch yourself and I’ll tie you to this bed.” She grunted, a powerful growl, and Yelena groaned and arched her back.

“Yes, alpha.” The whimpering that came made Kate groan hoarsely.

“I want one thing before I fuck you with my cock.” She demanded, and Yelena looked over her shoulder. Kate sat in the middle of the bed, her back to the foot of the bed, and spread her legs, which made a dirty moan escape Yelena. “Come ride my pussy.” She purred. “And then I’m going to fuck you like you want your alpha to fuck you.” She growled, and Yelena rolled over quickly.

“Damn, yeah, yeah, let me show off for you.” She whimpered and adjusted herself.

One of Yelena’s legs slid under Kate’s, and it was very sensual. There were sensory touches that Kate delighted in feeling. Yelena’s thighs were warm, slightly damp with arousal. And with the feeling of dampness came the smell, that almost sweet and slightly sour smell that Kate associated with the smell of Yelena’s pleasure. The sight of the blonde with her legs fitting between Kate’s, and how she arched in pleasure when their pussies met was glorious. Kate could taste the kiss they exchanged and could still feel a little of Yelena’s arousal. And the sounds, Kate was sure that Yelena made the best sounds in the world.

“God, you are my moon. My own divinity, my wolf howls only for you, my love.” She purred and moaned as this made Yelena’s hips twitch slightly and rub together.

“Oh, fuck, Kate…” Yelena whimpered. “Keep talking.” She demanded in a broken tone, and Kate gripped Yelena’s hips, the two began to move slowly against each other, and the sensation of their soaked folds rubbing against each other, as Yelena’s clitoris met Kate’s, was almost maddening.

“Do you want to hear how I want you?” She purred, and one hand rose to play with Yelena’s nipples. “Do you want to hear how you possess me? How every thought, every breath I take, every moment my paws touch the ground, my being is all yours?” It was a slow tease, and Yelena nodded. Her hands supporting her back, she began to grind harder. “Your orgasms nourish me, your voice is my downfall and my salvation, your taste is an aphrodisiac. My thoughts are always with you when we are apart, your taste is perpetuated on my skin, on my tongue, I can smell you on my skin, on my clothes, anywhere I am away from you, I seek your scent, your gaze, your warmth. You have me in every way…” She spoke, and Yelena touched Kate's face with her hand.

The brunette kissed Yelena's palm with lust, yet still tenderness and dedication. It was intense, the moment they were living was raw, visceral, and still intense in their love.

“I walk with the wolf through the forest, searching for you… I found myself walking towards the city more times than not, my wolf whimpers for you, I want you all the time. I want you all the time, Yelena Belova.” She growled and bit Yelena's palm lightly.

“I love you!” Yelena said, arching her back and quickening her hips.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard I’ll make you walk funny for days, I’m going to fuck you and mark you as mine, my girl. My woman.” She growled. “Come for me, my Yelena.” And that was all it took for Yelena to break into a magnificent orgasm to watch.

Kate felt her body tensing, almost in an orgasm caused by Yelena’s, and she knew it was the soulmate bond screaming between the two. The blonde fell limp on the bed and Kate felt energized. She stood up, holding the toy firmly and putting it on.

“Open your mouth.” The tone was hoarse and Yelena turned her head as she was panting towards the ceiling, she rolled onto her side and Kate pushed the toy between her lips without much hesitation and Yelena groaned hoarsely. But Kate watched the hips go back and forth, the silicone plunge into Yelena’s lips and the dirty moan that echoed from the blonde.

The toy was pulled out with a pop and the two looked at each other, for a moment. Yelena's lips were red, slightly parted as she breathed deeply, and Kate grunted.

“Get on all fours.” It was a demand. Despite how wrong pop culture was about practically everything, the lycans’ preference for more animalistic sex during the full moon was real. Yelena rolled onto her stomach and positioned herself on all fours on the bed.

“Possess me, alpha.” The tone was hoarse, needy, and yet so powerful. Kate settled behind Yelena and held the blonde’s cheeks, just to watch how wet she was. But Yelena didn’t seem to be getting any of this pause, she pressed her chest against the mattress, her head to the side, and growled. “Fuck me.” She spoke sharply, her hands going to her buttcheeks and pulling them, practically leaving the entire soaked cleft exposed to Kate. “Show me why you’re my alpha, my wolf. Fuck me, Ka—” The brunette’s name was cut off abruptly.

The toy dove into Yelena like a hot knife into butter. The name was broken and became an almost raw moan, but Yelena released her own cheeks and braced herself on her elbows and forearms on the mattress, pulling herself up higher, and she thrust her hips back against the toy as Kate began to thrust.

"Make me feel you for days." She growled, and Kate brought a hand to Yelena's hair, gripping it tightly and forcing the blonde's face against the mattress. It was about pleasure, it was about a love that transcended, but it was also about an animalistic need to take and be taken.

"Stand still." She growled and didn't give Yelena a chance to really move much, her hips began to move forcefully. Kate took a deep breath and let the lupine energy transcend through her, it wasn't a transformation, but it was still rough, it was wild, a connection she had with her wolf intimately and that she was letting flow between her and Yelena.

And it was brutal, there were no other words but brutal. The bed banged against the wall with each violent thrust of Kate's hips against Yelena's. The blonde moaned with each push and whimpered with each pull from inside her. And it was almost insane to realize that a woman as strong as Yelena was there, submissive to Kate. And Kate, sweet and so calm Kate, was hammering the toy inside her forcefully.

They were both drenched in sweat, their bodies moving with full force, almost as if moved by an energy beyond them. That's when she saw the moonlight, the glow that filled the room, and she felt almost the urge to howl, but still. She leaned over, pulled Yelena with one hand that circled her cup and held her chest, and pulled her to her knees.

"Look at us, fucking in the moonlight." She growled against Yelena's ear. "Come for me." And Kate didn't hesitate, she bit, hard, firmly, exactly where the mark of mating was. Yelena burst into a magnificent orgasm, and Kate, with two more firm thrusts, came forcefully.

"Fuck, I love you, I love you, I love you…" Yelena whimpered, shuddering, and the two lay down on the bed. The blonde turned, the toy falling out of her, and her mouth found the same spot on Kate. And they were still charged with orgasm when Yelena bit Kate's neck, with blood, saliva, and passion, and the two exploded in a new orgasm together.

"God, I love you." The brunette whimpered as Yelena lay on her chest.

"I love you too. Take it off…" She grunted, pushing the straps of the strap-on, and when Kate obediently did so, the blonde snuggled against her. "I feel destroyed." She gave a playful giggle. "That was so good." She sighed.

"It was so intense and delicious…" Kate sighed and kissed Yelena's head. “You’re going to walk weird and I’m going to be a little sensitive where the strap-on hit.” This made the blonde laugh lightly.

“Poor us, sore from sex.” The blonde said playfully. “I love you, Kate.”

“I love you too, Yel.” The answer came whispered and the two just stayed there, embraced in the moonlight.

Chapter Text

“So…” Natasha’s tone made Kate’s eyes lift from the computer screen and look into the redhead’s green eyes with a small, intrigued look.

“Looks like there’s a question there.” She offered, and Natasha rolled her eyes hard. The way that woman was sarcastic and ironic always amused Kate deeply, but still, there was a genuine curiosity in her green eyes.

“I have some questions.” She began, and Kate nodded. She saw Yelena briefly poke her head through the kitchen door, watching intently to catch any nonsense her sister might say.

“And I might have some answers.” Kate replied, and there was a giggle that only she could hear coming from Yelena, and Natasha looked at her with her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Your father… Is he in prison?” The question made Yelena’s mouth drop open against the kitchen door, and Kate raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

“As far as I know, no.” The brunette didn’t answer tensely, but rather rather sincerely. "It's been a while since I've spoken to him, so I wouldn't know, and my mother is just dealing with him through lawyers." Kate explained slowly, and Natasha made a thoughtful ‘hm’.

"He tried to kill you, didn't he? From what Yelena told me about the silver and everything else." And it was a valid question if Kate were to ponder it, perhaps Natasha was the only person with enough guts to ask it the way it was being asked, but Kate still respected the redhead's objectivity.

"He tried, but there was no legal complaint from me, there was no investigation, no police involved, for him to be in prison, the law would need to be aware of his actions. So, no, my father won't go to jail for systemically injecting silver into my body for over twenty years." Kate said and cleared her throat. "I know it might seem unfair or even frustrating..." She continued. "But he did what he did in a failed, bad, and very disproportionate attempt at protection, and I consider the guilt and consequence of his only daughter not speaking to him to be enough for now." She shrugged and saw Yelena now leaning against the kitchen door frame.

"So we're going to let karma happen? But with Ava, are we going to bid up her powers without her knowing?" And that was the point of the matter, Kate thought, Natasha was curious about the moral ambiguity of the situation between Derek and Ava.

"I know it seems like a double standard, and really, looking at it in a more black and white way, yes, it does seem like a double standard. My father, like Ava, made mistakes, had toxic behaviors, and made morally wrong choices. My father systematically abused the trust I had in him and put me at risk. Ava systematically abused the people around her and put them at risk. But there's a very big point you need to consider..." Natasha nodded at this, listening. "Ava doesn't control her powers, and as bad a human being as she is — and believe me, I don't think she's a good person - I also don't think she's entirely bad." This made Yelena look at Kate with a tilted head. "No one is made of solid colors, of pure goodness or pure evil, there are layers, and especially being a Mora, her powers aren't controllable. They exist like anything else that exists, it's an instinct, let's call it that, a need she doesn't require to survive, but it's as if she's addicted to a pleasure she can't stop." Kate continued calmly. "I know that Wanda and Agatha, two people who have already had problems controlling the magic that is intrinsic to them, if they could, would go to great lengths to teach Ava to control her powers, whether she was a bitch to Yelena or not. But it's not teachable. And if we want Ava to have at least some kind of control in her life, some kind of peace of mind, she needs to be blocked." The tone was sincere, and Natasha made a thoughtful sound.

"So what limits whether or not powers can be restrained, if there is such a thing as morally acceptable, is the lack of control." she stated.

"I'd say yes, I don't know so well, Wanda might be better at explaining this than I am." And that sentence made the redhead sigh.

"She gets angry when I ask, I think there's still a very long layer of self-preservation there, which I understand and can't judge, but still..." She hesitated.

"It makes you insecure." Kate said, and Natasha nodded. "Wanda had... problems with Jarvis when her powers appeared. When she got pregnant the first time, it was a very powerful 'you betrayed me' issue coming from him, because he was unable to get Wanda pregnant. And she had to tell him about her reality-bending powers to fulfill a dream they had, which was to have a family. And Jarvis didn't handle it well, he resisted believing it even after seeing it with his own eyes, and that shadow of accusation greatly tarnished her confidence in sharing what she controls and is capable of." Kate spoke gently.

"She doesn't talk much about Jarvis, I remember the divorce was ugly. He took a good portion of the money and the previous house they had, so he sold the house and moved away to another place." Natasha contemplated, and Yelena continued observing, a choice that Kate appreciated because it gave Kate and Natasha space to get closer.

"Yes, she doesn't talk much about him. She doesn't talk much about the little girl they lost, it was... cruel for her. Until the moment the twins' pregnancy happened, and according to Rio, Wanda's joy returned to her. And she found fulfillment as a mother, even if fulfillment with a partner didn't happen." She contemplated.

"So I don't fulfill her in that way?" It was a low tone, an almost insecure tone, and Kate sighed.

"I don't know, Natasha, honestly your relationship is a bit messy, it's stabilizing out of the omissions now. You're someone with many layers, she's someone with many layers, and you two are people who don't want to share things too deeply. It's difficult to deepen bonds when both sides are afraid of making themselves vulnerable." She began and cleared her throat. "There's blame on both sides and especially barriers on both sides." The tone was gentle, and she glanced quickly at Yelena.

"So what do you suggest I do? Not all of us are lucky enough to have a soulmate like you and Yelena or Rio and Agatha." She grumbled, completely frustrated, and it was a very valid feeling.

"Maybe start talking about things." Yelena spoke, and her sister's green eyes went to the blonde's. "Make yourselves vulnerable, talk about Russia, talk about the orphanage..." There was a pause. "Talk about Dreykov and the war, sistra." Kate sensed the deep tension in Natasha's voice.

"He's dead, why are we going to talk about him?" Her tone was a defensive growl, and her blue eyes darted from side to side.

"He abused you, he abused both of us in different ways, pretending to be our father's friend." Yelena spoke softly, not dryly but vulnerably. "And we both know it was worse with you." The younger sister walked over to the other and sat down beside her. "Talking about it makes it less terrifying." She whispered.

"He did unthinkable things, sistra. He's dead, he died in prison. Reviving Dreykov is…" She spoke in a tone as low as Yelena's.

"Reviving the monster." Kate said, and they both looked at her. "Talking about it makes it real, makes the monster real again, and makes distancing harder." She commented slowly.

"You told Kate?" Natasha's tone was vulnerable this time.

"No, we never got around to talking about it, but she's not stupid and can read between the lines." Yelena spoke slowly, and Kate rolled her eyes slightly.

"I participated in many support groups when I was in college, a form of sisterhood perhaps. I never had anything like that happen to me, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from a man, so to say that I have complete understanding would be foolish." She spoke softly.

"Doesn't your father fall into the abuse category?" Natasha spoke suddenly, and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

"Power, emotional, and physical. Yes. I hadn't categorized it that way yet." Kate spoke slightly tensely and looked away for a moment. "So, as someone who has been in similar positions..." She spoke sincerely and looked into Natasha's eyes. "If you can't share with Wanda, who you supposedly love, who can you share your pain with, Natasha?" She asked and saw how Natasha's eyebrows furrowed and she twisted slightly.

"I'll try to talk to her about these things." She spoke after a long moment, and Yelena nodded to her sister.

"Try." And there was a pause. "Do you want to take Lucky and Fanny for a walk?" The offer was so spontaneous, and Natasha nodded, and Kate watched her grab the leashes and the dogs and leave the house without really saying anything. "She handles it better by having something to do, something to occupy her hands." Yelena spoke sincerely, and Kate stood up and opened her arms, which made Yelena snuggle against her.

"Dreykov?" The question was soft.

"A friend of our father's, he was part of our lives for many years. Natasha arrived at the age he preferred, and well... you can imagine." Yelena spoke softly, and Kate nodded, still pressing Yelena against her.

"And you?" She asked softly.

"It never went that far. Natasha wouldn't allow it. When my father found out, he almost killed Dreykov, and the police managed to investigate and get evidence. Natasha recorded it." She spoke with a tone of disgust. "So there were a few times it was recorded and that was enough for more victims to come forward, he got 97 years in prison. A year after that, he was murdered by another inmate. To hell with that son of a whore's soul." Yelena spoke softly and Kate squeezed her close.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you both, it's horrible and I'm really sorry." She spoke gently and Yelena sighed.

"I cope better because of therapy, she doesn't cope as well as we can see." Yelena said, trying to brush off the discomfort. "I don't want to continue this topic." She said in a pleading tone.

"Do you want help in the kitchen?" The offer came, and Yelena gave a soft smile at Kate's easy acceptance of the change of subject.

"I accept your company if you promise not to grope my butt." She teased, trying to joke and bring the lightness back.

"I can't make promises of impossible things, my love." Kate said slowly, and Yelena giggled.

"I know, I'm addictive." Yelena said, and Kate moved to hug the blonde from behind and kiss her neck slowly.

"Completely, and if it weren't for your sister coming back in a few minutes, I would have eaten you against this counter." She purred, and Yelena groaned, throwing her head back.

"Do you promise to do it later?" The blonde asked hoarsely.

"I promise." Kate spoke, stepping back and giving a slightly dirty laugh.

"Great, now help me cut the bread, I want to make croutons." She ordered, but there was a whiff of excitement.

"Ay, ay, captain." And that made Yelena laugh and shake her head playfully, and Kate obediently cut the bread.

*********

Kate loved her desperately, with her whole being, with the wolf howling inside her, with the full or waning moon in the sky. She loved Yelena with all her might.

So having the woman as she was at that moment was glorious, it was a profound expression of the feelings they had, of the soulmate connection, of the way of wanting so intrinsic to Kate that it was as if she needed Yelena to breathe.

Understanding that the soulmate connection was so deep and that these feelings were normal took a moment or two for Kate to be able to immerse her fingertips in those feelings. She had always been someone emotionally intense, every artist is in their own ways - intense, deep, immersed in their art. And she felt, much like writing, that Yelena was part of Kate's art, part of that deep expressionism that she carried within her. It was almost painful to be apart, it was almost maddening to be near without being able to touch, and it was glorious, absolutely glorious to be able to feel Yelena's skin against hers, Yelena's scent filling her nose, the warmth of her skin, the taste of her mouth and tongue, to hear the magnificent sounds that came from Yelena.

And it wasn't just about the physical, about the wonderful sex they had almost every night or day - it depended a lot on the free time they had - it wasn't just about that. Kate loved the way Yelena found her jokes funny, the little silly things Kate liked to say and do, she loved the laughter, she loved hearing Yelena talk about the things she liked, the little anecdotes the blonde liked to tell, she loved Yelena's love for animals and the delicate care that each small or large creature received in Yelena's hands. She loved the gentleness, she loved the intensity, and loving Yelena became almost second nature to Kate.

"Oh, god, Kate... Fuck..." The broken sound was sensual, driven by a delicious tension, and Kate, sitting on Yelena's living room sofa, could only revel in the scene itself.

They were naked, the idea was to have sex on the sofa. Yelena had this recurrent fantasy of fucking on the living room sofa, and Kate was more than ever willing to do anything and everything Yelena wanted.

So it all started with kisses, slow kisses, with Yelena pushing Kate against the sofa and straddling the brunette's thighs, one of Yelena's favorite positions.

But there, in that moment, it was glorious. The brunette suggested the strap-on, in a desire to fuck Yelena as the full moon approached and the wolf became more possessive.

And Kate didn't quite know who had the idea of ​​Yelena sitting with her back against Kate's chest and the strap-on deep inside her. But still, it was wonderful.

"It's a little unusual for me to be staring at myself." Kate spoke in a purr, playfully teasing as she gently bit the curve of Yelena's shoulder blade and ran her teeth over the wolf tattoo.

"You have your dick deep inside my pussy and you're worried about my tattoo?" The blonde didn't quite grumble, but Kate still held her still, her hands gripping Yelena's hips firmly. "Can I move?" She whimpered, and Kate chuckled softly.

"Not yet. You wanted to try playing with your inner muscles, I'm waiting for you to relax." Kate spoke softly and licked the ridges and valleys of Yelena's spine, which made the blonde shudder and arch.

"Fuck, this feels good." She whimpered, and Kate chuckled softly again.

"I can feel you clench, and I have no feeling in this dick." Kate teased, and Yelena squirmed slightly. "Relax, my love..." The instruction came from the brunette in a soft, subtle, and gentle way, and she felt Yelena's deep breath, who then finally relaxed against Kate.

The brunette rested her cheek against Yelena's back, she was taller but not tall enough to be able to lean against the blonde's shoulder in this position. Yelena was fully seated on Kate's thighs, which made her much taller.

"Great, now I want you to squeeze your pussy." She whispered, and there was that moan from Yelena, and the blonde threw her head back.

"Kate..." It was a sexy whimper, and Kate felt a shiver echo through her body, but she just ran her hands over Yelena's thighs.

"Relax and squeeze again." That's what Yelena wanted to try, that kind of stimulation, so the strap-on was curved, touching Yelena's walls deliciously, and again the blonde broke into a hoarse moan. "One more time." And she felt Yelena's abdominal muscles work, trying to keep up the rhythm of relaxing her inner muscles and then tightening around the strap-on. It was extremely sexy, and to Yelena's pleasure, Kate scraped her teeth across the blonde's skin, making the woman shudder deliciously in the Lycan's lap. "Good girl." The compliment made a sharp moan escape Yelena. And Kate wasn't sure if Yelena would come like that, but she was determined to try hard to make it happen.

"I don't know if I'll come like this..." The blonde gasped. "But it's nice, not as good as if you were fucking me, but nice for a warm-up." Her tone was husky, and then Kate nodded deliciously as Yelena spread her legs wider, which changed the angle of the toy inside her.

The woman placed her hands on Kate's knees, and God, she loved that ass with all her might, and seeing the pussy embracing the toy and how wet the silicone was when it came out of Yelena was delicious.

The blonde sank down without much hesitation, and the moan, that broken, staccato moan that Kate loved, sounded filthy throughout the house.

"Damn, you're a delicious sin." Kate purred and supported Yelena better with her hands, using lupine strength to help the woman move up and down on the cock slowly.

"I love that you control me like this, with your strength and yet so gentle." The blonde spoke haltingly, and Kate felt the woman's nails against her knees. "When—" She began and groaned loudly. "When Rio told me that the full moon—" She then began to move her hips back and forth, making the words more broken. "That the full moon would make me more horny, I laughed..." She groaned loudly. "Kate..."

"You laughed?" The question echoed as Kate left small purple marks on Yelena's back.

"Yes, because I thought that if I—" The groan broke as Yelena tightened around the toy. "If I felt more horny, I would explode." And that made Kate purr against Yelena's back as the woman continued to move back and forth.

"But you're so horny this week before the full moon..." Kate whispered, and Yelena groaned loudly.

"Fuck yes..." The blonde gasped and tensed. "Put me on all fours and fuck me." The order came, and Kate didn't hesitate to hold Yelena firmly by the waist. The two spun around on the sofa, and Yelena rested her hands on the arm of the sofa, moaning loudly when the first crack of skin against skin sounded from Kate's strong thrust. "Fuck, like that, just like that, my wolf... Fuck me..." Yelena scraped her nails against the sofa fabric, and Kate's hands moved.

Both hands gripped her breasts, pulling the tense nipples through the piercings, and this made the blonde moan and come against the toy, but Kate knew Yelena's body deeply at this point in their relationship. She placed her hands on Yelena's hips and began to pull the toy to the tip and push it back inside the blonde slowly, but still firmly. In the last two inches, she always made a drier movement, pushing it all the way in with a snap.

"Ah, like that, fuck, you know exactly how to fuck me..." Yelena was deliciously vocal today, and Kate just growled against her and pulled the blonde forcefully against her.

"You're such a good girl to me, loving being fucked like this, you really like it when I'm rougher with you, don't you?" She said, plunging her hand into the base of Yelena's skull, pulling the blonde's hair in the way that always made her wetter, and the moan that echoed was filthy.

"Damn, yes, I love that you know exactly how to turn me into a puddle..." The blonde opened her legs a little wider and leaned her torso forward, which gave Kate a magnificent view of the blonde's ass. Kate lightly ran her fingertips over Yelena's ass, teasing the skin and still pushing hard inside the blonde, in shorter thrusts that made the blonde moan in high-pitched tones with each impact against the front wall.

When Yelena's moan suddenly changed, Kate knew she had found the G-spot with the toy. She focused like a laser on repeating the movement, and Yelena melted against the sofa, her mouth pressing against her own forearm as Yelena's reaction became impossibly high, and Kate nodded with delight as the blonde melted against the sofa like caramel.

"Baby, I'm going to..." And Yelena didn't really have time to finish the sentence, she moaned very sharply, her nails scratching the fabric of the sofa, and she arched like a violin string being pulled, then her body trembled completely, the woman froze and fell limp onto the sofa after a few seconds of her body being completely tense. Kate saw how she held her breath for a long moment and then released it and breathed deeply, panting and trembling.

"One more?" Kate said, recognizing the signs that Yelena was still energized for more sex, even though the orgasm had been huge, the full moon made the frequency of the two become extremely high.

"Let me lie on my back." The blonde groaned when Kate simply nodded without saying anything and pulled the toy out of her. And Kate watched with lust the small stain under the blanket that the two had placed on the sofa to protect the upholstery.

"Just look at you." The brunette said hoarsely, her hands running over Yelena's thighs, and it was always delicious to see how willing the blonde was to be fucked.

"Ah, you like looking at me?" Kate shuddered at the tone and especially at Yelena's leg rising and resting on the back of the sofa while the other opened. It was a sinful invitation.

"You're a masterpiece." Kate purred and ran her hands up Yelena's stomach, squeezing the woman's breasts, and Yelena gasped and arched.

"I'm yours." The voice was husky, provocative, and Kate practically purred Yelena's surrender.

"Mine, huh?" They both liked this provocation, this game of possessiveness, Kate had a great desire to possess, and Yelena liked to feel like she belonged. It was the perfect union between two people who were made for each other.

"Yours, only yours, god... Fuck me, baby." The request came, and Kate adjusted herself, holding the toy with one hand, and she used the tip to tease Yelena's clitoris and open her labia. The moan that echoed from the blonde was delicious, and Kate shuddered as she began to push inside. "That's it, baby, that's it... My wolf... My alpha." And that made a half-grunt moan escape Kate. There was this delicious tension whenever Yelena gave in to praising the wolf in that way. Kate couldn't quite explain why being called her wolf and her alpha made her body crackle with desire, but still, she quickly pushed the toy inside Yelena, and that made the blonde moan loudly.

"You love it, don't you? Pushing me like this, making me lose control." Kate growled, running her hands under Yelena's back and holding her shoulders firmly, then she pulled half the toy out of the folds and pushed it with all her might inside Yelena.

"Yes, yes, god, I love that you take me like this..." Kate grunted at Yelena's vulnerable, surrendered, yet completely fiery and powerful tone. Yelena's leg lifted off the floor to wrap around Kate, while the other remained resting on the back of the sofa.

Kate moved to pull the leg up and rest it on her forearm, keeping the blonde open and ready to be fucked deeply. And then she began to push and pull inside the blonde, slowly but still strong and powerful. With each thrust, the sound of skin slapping echoed through the room and was accompanied by a moan from each of them.

"I want you to come with me." The brunette growled and released Yelena's leg, moving to the small matte scar that the blonde now sported on her neck. She began to suck on the mark, and it always seemed to be an erogenous zone for Yelena.

"I will, I will, just tell me... Just tell me when..." The blonde whimpered and dug her nails into Kate's back. And the stinging of the scratch from the eight fingers that were digging in there was both exciting and painful at the same time.

The pain made Kate bite Yelena's neck, and she felt how the blonde held back her orgasm as best she could, but it was still intense, they both had this small weakness for pain, shared in that way.

"Maximum speed now?" Kate asked, and Yelena nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes, keep sucking my neck." The blonde gasped, and that made Kate's hips start to accelerate. The slow, strong fucking turned into Kate hammering the toy inside Yelena, still in short but powerful thrusts, and even the sofa was groaning from the effort of remaining stable.

"I'm going to cum." Kate gasped and kissed Yelena deeply, her tongue slipping into the blonde's mouth and muffling the moan that echoed from the woman. "Cum with me." And that seemed to be enough to push them both to orgasm.

Yelena's nails dug into Kate's back, her heels pressed against Kate's buttocks, the brunette's mouth pressed against Yelena's, their tongues practically intertwined, and Kate's fingers gripping Yelena's shoulders. And the two climaxed intensely, almost as if one body and soul plunged into the other.

Kate fell limply onto Yelena, and the two were breathing deeply, still trembling and letting out small gasps and sighs. Yelena ran her hands down Kate's back, feeling the muscles there, and it took a moment for all the blonde's muscles to relax.

"You can come out..." Permission came gently, and Kate pulled out, making the blonde moan in a tiny final orgasm. Kate watched as the folds of orgasm oozed out, and she lightly touched the inside of Yelena's thighs.

"You're beautiful like this, with your pleasure dripping onto me." The blonde blushed slightly at Kate's words and then gasped.

"I feel beautiful when you look at me like that." Kate took the toy and placed it at the bottom of the sofa, then lay on top of Yelena, gently giving small kisses on the blonde's face, neck, and mouth.

"You are magnificent, the most beautiful woman of all, I love you so much." She whispered and saw how Yelena melted at the affection, the touch, and the demonstration of love.

"Hmmm, I love you too, if I wasn't beaten I would totally want to be fucked again." And that made a small laugh emerge from Kate.

"Your libido is through the roof." She said playfully.

"Yes." Yelena didn't seem shy about it.

"Penetration is a no-no?" Kate asked slowly.

"I don't know if I can handle more internal stimulation right now." The blonde seemed displeased and then gasped as Kate began to slowly kiss her neck. "Love..." The tone was almost uncertain but broke into a hoarse moan as her mouth began to descend, slowly passing over her breasts and nipples. "Oh, fuck yes, I think I can handle that..." She arched slightly and Kate just looked at the blonde with warm eyes.

Her mouth continued to descend slowly until it found the wet folds, and Kate licked slowly, tasting Yelena's orgasms and purring dirtyly against the blonde.

"I love your taste." She spoke hoarsely against her wet pussy and Yelena's hands went up to hold Kate's head, not to guide her, but just so they could have that sensual contact.

Kate's tongue flattened against Yelena's pussy, slowly licking from bottom to top and between her lips. Yelena's moan was hoarse, low, and still deeply obscene.

Kate wrapped her arms around Yelena's thighs, making sure she was in the most comfortable position possible to eat the blonde, then she pulled away and made a thoughtful sound.

"What's wrong?" The blonde gasped and let out a small squeal and moan as Kate, with sheer physical force, quickly lifted Yelena. "Oh my god, Kate!" The blonde said in a mixture of surprise and desire.

Suddenly Yelena was on top, with Kate comfortably lying on the sofa and the blonde practically mounted on Kate's face.

"I'm going to be a perfect seat." And with that, the blonde moaned and gripped the back of the sofa with one hand and the arm as Kate pulled her closer and her mouth began to eat Yelena slowly but still deeply.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, my god..." Yelena whimpered and began to slowly rub her pussy against Kate's mouth. "I don't want to hurt you..." The blonde whimpered and Kate pulled her closer to her face, she didn't care about drowning in Yelena's pussy and wanted to make that clear when her tongue flattened again against Yelena's clitoris.

It wasn't exactly a request for Yelena to let go, Kate grabbed the blonde's hips and forced her to move more firmly against her mouth and Yelena threw her head back, moaning loudly and letting Kate set the pace.

And when Yelena let go, and allowed herself to follow what Kate wanted, it was glorious, feeling Yelena's pussy going from her chin to practically rubbing her clitoris against Kate's nose.

The woman threw her head back, releasing more weight on top of Kate and began to gain speed in her back and forth against Kate's tongue and lips.

"I'm going to cum, baby I'm going to cum..." Yelena whimpered and gripped Kate's hair tightly. "Suck my clit please..." And Kate didn't hesitate, her mouth closed around the clit and she began to suck firmly, her tongue quickly passing over the small suction space and Yelena didn't take long to moan loudly, a hand hitting her mouth to try to keep the sounds quieter as she shuddered, practically soaking Kate's chin and mouth completely with the orgasm that echoed from within her.

Yelena moved so that the two could lie down on the sofa, she practically lying against Kate's chest and their legs intertwined while Yelena breathed deeply trying to catch her breath. Kate ran her hand over her chin and then licked her palm and made a sound of pleasure.

"Damn, you're licking my orgasm off your chin." The blonde said slightly surprised and then moved to lean on the arm and licked Kate's chin provocatively and the two kissed slowly.

"I'll make you come again if you keep teasing me like that." The brunette grumbled, not unhappily but provocatively.

"No, no, off-limits for now. Let my poor pussy have a moment to recover." Yelena said playfully, and Kate made an almost pathetic sound.

"But love, your orgasms..." She said dramatically, and Yelena laughed hoarsely.

"You made me come one more time than I thought I was capable of. Let the pussy rest." She said playfully and still slightly bossy, giving Kate's belly a tiny little tap, and the brunette made a dramatic gesture.

"Okay, I'll let the pussy rest." She said playfully, and Yelena gave an amused laugh.

"God, since we met, my libido has been crazy." She said playfully and snuggled closer to Kate. "It's like my body can't keep up with my horniness, it's maddening." She grumbled, not in a complaint. "I need a vacation so we can fuck for days on end." The tone was light and Kate chuckled softly.

"Vacation, to be able to travel? No. To be able to do things that we can't do in our daily lives? No. For what: to fuck like rabbits." And that made Yelena laugh.

"Yes, I'm glad you understood the spirit of the idea." And that made Kate laugh and hug Yelena tightly.

"I love you." The tone was affectionate, devoted, and loving.

"I love you too." The blonde replied with an easy smile and loving eyes.

********

Kate was sitting next to Jen and Alice. There was a tense silence. They were in Agatha and Rio's cabin, which was more secluded than Wanda's house and less busy in terms of road traffic. Billy and Tommy would arrive any minute with Ava, and that was making everyone tense.

She saw how Natasha was further to the corner, near the fireplace, Rio was on guard at the window, Agatha and Wanda were talking quietly about the ritual, and Lilia was calmly reading the tarot.

"Was this done to you?" Kate asked, breaking the silence. Jen sighed and ran her hand over her jeans.

"In the past, yes." Kate saw how Agatha shifted uncomfortably. "Although I understand now that it wasn't Agatha's intention against me, it was still her magic. Her magic is excellent for binding, all siphoning is great for retaining energy." She contemplated.

"It wasn't Agatha directly, from what I understand?" Kate commented, and Alice sighed slightly.

"No, it wasn't. There was a time when witches could, so to speak, sell spells. What Agatha did was rune-ify a piece of paper, and that paper was used against Jen." Alice explained, and Kate frowned slightly, confused, and it was Agatha herself who sighed.

"Binding spells, sigils, and restraints are powerful magic, not necessarily forbidden, but frowned upon, so to speak." Agatha began somewhat dramatically. "When we were young, there was a little joy in the peculiar, a view that Wicca — as all witches end up being classified by the non-supernatural world — became popular." Agatha made a long gesture.

"That thing about candles for this or that, using a quartz stone in your underwear?" Eleanor, who was sitting further back with a book, spoke, and Rio gave a snort mixed with laughter.

"Yes, the idea of ​​lighting leaves and smudging the house, using synergistic stones to modulate energy. All of this has a magical background, yes, from different cultures, from different forms of real magic, some work, others don't. Generally, non-magical people can't do much, despite the power of natural rites, they still need a magical spark to be able to work effectively." Lilia spoke gently.

"Like your tarot readings, for example? A non-magical person can follow the path of divination, but it's like seeing through glass, isn't it? I remember you commented on something about it, the ability to see beyond the glass is what magic gives." Kate said, remembering the conversation she had with Lilia. "The order of the cards is correct, the reading is not." She repeated, and Lilia nodded, smiling.

"Very good, Kate, you are more attentive than Agatha." She teased the other witch, and Kate gave an awkward smile. "Yes, magical arts are still beautiful, they are still often done in the right ways by normal humans, but without at least a spark of magic it is practically impossible for them to work." She explained, and Kate nodded.

"But what was done to me was that Agatha actually did a biding on a leaf rite, she wrote the runes on a willow leaf, and sold that magic. It's not a well-regarded practice, neither today nor before." Jen sighed lightly.

"It was one of the things that started the witch hunts, wasn't it?" Eleanor commented, and everyone looked at her. "Billy explained to me that the exposure during the Catholic raids against witches began when witches started doing services for the surrounding towns, healing rites, prosperity rites, etc..." She blushed slightly.

"Yes, it started like that, and since then the act of selling magic or providing magical services is frowned upon." Agatha resumed speaking. "Back then I was a young woman who didn't really want to be controlled by anyone, and as free as I was under Lilia's tutelage, I had free time, plenty of magic, and I needed money. Not good reasons, but still, young people and their foolishness." Agatha shrugged slightly. "A man heard about my services, informally, it wasn't like I put it in the newspaper." She grunted.

"I do magic at home, bring your love back, bind other people's powers, and if you ask nicely I turn fools into frogs, call..." Kate said, and Rio, who was just listening, laughed loudly, and even Agatha seemed amused by it.

"It was more word of mouth, but yes, something along those lines." Agatha gestured to Kate. "This man approached me, saying he had a problem with a witch. And honestly, I thought he meant it figuratively, so for a good price. Which at the time I should have suspected, I performed the runic rite. And he never came back and I thought that as always it was just a ridiculous idea from a foolish man." She made another gesture of disdain.

"But it wasn't." Jen spoke softly. "I delivered babies, with my healing and water magic, bringing life to life is always easier and that was a problem for the good Dr. Andre Koskovo." Jen spoke darkly.

"There were fewer laws in the 90s, medicine was in its infancy with various forms of legislation, and there was a lot of freedom for home births. But at the time, the town I lived in was small, and he was the only doctor there. And births always made money, unfortunately, many profited from bringing life. He lost birthing contracts to me, and I became a problem because I reported him to the medical board a few times for malpractice." Jen spoke softly, and Kate saw Alice's hand touch Jen's, their fingers intertwining. "Then one day I got a call, an emergency birth. I went to the place, and I remember saying I was going to get water from the kitchen, the normal procedure. Then something hit me. He held me down and said I would never again use my demonic magic to steal a man's work, and he touched me with the runic leaf." Jen's lips pursed. "Suddenly my magic had vanished." She spoke in a tone that Kate didn't need to fully understand to read the pain.

"And how was it to break that?" Eleanor asked slowly.

"I met Agatha through Alice. At the time everyone kind of knew each other indirectly, Lilia was the most well-known, a witch who read the future and her apprentice. Then they came here and Alice convinced me to ask Lilia for help, to find out who did the binding." Jen spoke and sighed.

"Imagine my surprise when I found out it was me." Agatha said dryly. "She was furious with me, rightfully so, I never blamed her for being angry with me about biding the magic. But..." Agatha looked away.

"I accused her of magical prostitution, a cruel way to put it. I know. At the time Agatha had a strange reputation as a witch killer and although Lilia said that Agatha wouldn't do it on purpose, everyone was afraid of her. But..." Jen cleared her throat.

"Jen was overcome with anger, frustration, fear, and all of that turned into impressive courage. She grabbed Agatha by the shoulders and repeated the words of breaking the bond. 'You hold nothing, you have no power, you will free me.' over and over agay.”  Lilia repeated, and a shiver ran through Jen and Agatha.

"My powers returned and I..." Jen shifted slightly. "I hit Agatha with all the strength I could muster." She said, embarrassed.

"Jen's ring opened a cut on my face." Agatha showed the small scar that was there. "Anger combined with magic... It was a magical wound. It took years for it to heal properly." The sigh was slow.

"It wasn't necessarily intentional, and Agatha told me: now you understand what doing something without knowing the consequences means. And that weighed heavily on me, and she was right in her manipulative and twisted way." Jen spoke, and Agatha rolled her eyes, but there was a small, teasing smile between the two. "We decided to leave all that behind and become a coven." And the younger Lycan saw how Agatha looked away.

"What did you do?" Kate asked Agatha curiously, and everyone looked at the purple witch curiously.

"The dear doctor may or may not still be trying to figure out why he can't get his soldier up, even with surgical procedures." And that made everyone look at Agatha with arched eyebrows.

"You made him... unable to get an erection?" Natasha's words echoed.

"He manipulated me into using my magic against another witch. No one does that except myself." Agatha said dryly.

"So you got revenge for yourself and Jen." Kate pointed, and there was this moment when Agatha and Jen looked at each other, and rarely had Kate seen Agatha's gaze soften towards Jen. The two were friends, but it was a somewhat strange relationship.

"No one hurts my coven." Agatha's words echoed, and she raised her chin. "No one hurts my pack." She repeated, and Kate could read how grateful the woman was when the headlights of Wanda's car illuminated the cabin. But still, Kate knew how heavy both statements were.

"Thank you, Agatha." Jen spoke softly, and Kate saw how the purple witch simply nodded.

The cabin door was opened by a hurried Billy entering, wearing black clothes, a cap, and a hooded shirt, and Natasha gave a hoarse snort.

"Damn, discreet as a damn spotlight." She spoke sharply, and Billy looked at her with arched eyebrows.

"I'm goth, woman." He retorted and pointed to himself. "I was wearing that outfit earlier today. I just stole Teddy's hat." He grumbled, and then there was the image of Tommy, entering with Ava unconscious in his arms.

"How did it go?" Kate asked calmly.

"Completely calm, I got in with Billy without any real problems, Bob actually has a spare key on the doormat." Tommy rolled his eyes and adjusted Ava in his arms. "She woke up and kind of got scared, Billy magically put her to sleep and we left." He said, shrugging. "We got in and out without anyone seeing us, the streets at night are quiet." Natasha nodded.

"Yeah, the worst shift, the city is dead at night." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Except for supernatural beings running around, people kidnapping other people, and Yelena getting Bob drunk." Eleanor said playfully, which made the redhead look at the older Bishop and huff, but still seemed amused. Kate noticed that Natasha seemed to have a soft spot for Eleanor.

"You have a spot, Eleanor." Natasha muttered, and Kate looked between the two with amusement.

"Are you hitting on my mom?" The question was mocking, and Wanda, who was nearby, actively threw her head back and laughed.

"She's always liked older women." The redhead's joke, who was actually a year older than Natasha, rang out, and the younger redhead looked with a mixture of horror and shock.

"I'm not hitting on your mother!" She said loudly, and Eleanor seemed amused. "I'm not, Wanda!" The tone was horrified, and the witch gave an amused laugh.

"I know, but teasing you is a free space." Wanda said and gestured to Billy and Tommy. "Let's begin, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can return Ava to her home and to her life." And that seemed to be enough to get everyone moving. Kate, Natasha, and Eleanor, the three non-magical members of the group, headed out into the backyard. There, Kate saw Agatha pick up a gardening tool and draw a circle.

"We're going to perform the Seven Knots chant, we all learned it at some point." Agatha said, and there was a sound of agreement among them all.

Kate watched attentively as a very cohesive group formed.

"Rio, north representing earth." Agatha said, and Kate realized it was much more for her, Natasha and Eleanor than anything else. "Lilia, in the east representing air. Jen in the west representing water." The three women moved to the indicated cardinal points. "Alice in the south, being fire." Tommy adjusted Ava in his arms and waited patiently. "Billy between Rio and Jen, being northwest as the mixture of his powers." Billy swallowed hard and moved. "Wanda between Alice and Lilia, fire and unpredictability." Northwest Kate mentally pointed. "And finally, me. Between Alice, fire, and water, in the southwest." Blue and Red forming Agatha's purple magic.

"Ava goes in the middle of the arcane circle." Billy indicated his brother, and Tommy passed by them, placed the woman there, and strode away.

"I'll wait inside." He grumbled and moved into the house.

"And now?" Natasha asked curiously, intrigued even, and Kate sat on the floor, without much wandering. Eleanor remained standing, and Natasha was apparently restless to sit down.

"Did everyone bring it?" Agatha said, and there was a nod. One by one, Kate watched, Billy pulled a thin satin ribbon the color of his magic from his sweatshirt pocket, and one by one the women pulled out a ribbon each with the color of their magic, and Natasha tilted her head to the side.

"The magic of the seven knots is a rarely performed magic, used to ground the powers of another being. It must be used with care and only in cases where that person cannot control their powers." Lilia spoke slowly.

"Seven knots we make." Wanda spoke slowly, and slowly seven knots were made in succession on the ribbon.

"The witches' hands must be joined and their minds focused on one objective." Jen spoke, and there was tension there, but still, focus. Kate heard the coven's heartbeats slowly slowing down.

"Their hearts are getting into the same rhythm." Kate said, swallowing hard, and then their hands met. The hand with the ribbon met the hand of the other witch who didn't have the ribbon, forming a circle. Then a resonance echoing from each one's chest began to vibrate in a deep note.

"From earth to air the thread rises..." Agatha began, and Kate felt the shiver of magic beginning to be evoked.

"Seven knots, one heart." They all echoed, and Kate saw how the magic of all of them began to rise from the ground.

Natasha's mouth opened and closed, and it was truly a sight. Eleanor placed her hand on Kate's head as if she wanted to steady herself somewhere, but Kate saw the tears there and she pondered that she probably remembered how the witches tried to save Kate from certain death.

"Fierce power, return to calm..." Wanda spoke slowly, their hands went from clasped to palms connected, and the witches leaned forward.

"Seven knots, one heart." They all echoed again, and the magic of each began to form a magical chill.

"By the trembling earth..." Rio echoed, and the tone began to slowly become more echoed, the green thread of magical energy from Rio tied itself to Lilia's yellow.

"Seven knots, one heart." The echoing happened again.

"By the fire that purges and unites." Alice brought her magic more firmly, the protection of the fire united with the green and yellow threads.

"Seven knots, one heart." Kate felt her heart race with the power echoing there.

"By the water that seals and guards..." Jen spoke, and Kate saw that there were tears in Jen's eyes, it was a painful rite for her, especially considering the woman's past.

"Seven knots, one heart." The magic threads of Lilia, Rio, and Alice joined with Jen's.

"By the air that moves and transforms..." Lilia spoke in a powerful voice.

"Seven knots, one heart." They all echoed as Agatha and Wanda's magic tied to the others.

"With knot and magic, we bind you." Billy echoed as firmly as possible.

"What is done is done." Agatha echoed.

"No power is lost." Wanda added.

"No power is broken." Rio continued, and Kate swallowed hard.

"Let the circle reclaim." Jen echoed firmly.

"Seven knots." Lilia spoke loudly.

"One heart." Alice spoke, and the seven knots of the coven's magic were completed.

"We are seven, and seven is the seal. Seven knots, one heart." Everyone echoed the last phrase, and Kate saw how the magic descended in a straight line to Ava's chest.

And it didn't seem to hurt, it didn't seem like suffering, but rather something like freedom. Kate wondered if there would be any mark or anything like that, but probably not. Otherwise, Jen would know beforehand that she had been tied up. And the magic there wasn't runic, Wanda had said that runes left marks, but echoed magic didn't.

Ava's body floated an inch off the ground, and then there was that sigh from the woman. Kate saw how that sigh, that little mist, left her and seemed to re-enter, like something being held back. Ava's body fell gently to the ground, floating back to its initial position, and the witches' magic vibrated in the air for a few moments, echoing that powerful rite.

Kate looked at Natasha and saw the woman's mouth open and close, her eyebrows furrow, and her arms fall limply to her sides.

"The first time is always amazing, isn't it?" She spoke softly, and Natasha looked at her.

"I didn't see the rites performed on you and Yelena." The redhead's reply came softly. "That was incredible." She spoke so softly, but still, Kate saw how Wanda's and Natasha's eyes met.

"Yes, they are incredible." Kate said and stood up, looked at the women and then at Ava. "Is she alright?" The question was asked, and Jen bent down to slowly assess the unconscious woman.

"Yes, she's fine. She won't notice the binding so explicitly, she'll probably feel much more at peace than she ever has. From what we've read about Mora, they're consumed by a desire they can never satisfy, she'll feel at peace." Jen continued.

"Tommy." Wanda's voice called, and the boy stuck his head out the door. Kate wanted to laugh when she saw a McDonald's french fry hanging from his mouth.

"Did you bring this for me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, and Tommy rolled his eyes.

"I brought fries and milkshakes for everyone." He said, quickly moving and placing a small cup of milkshake and a small french fry in each of their hands.

"Sweet!" Kate exclaimed excitedly, stuffing a french fry into her mouth.

"Are we done here?" He asked, and Kate watched the scene with amusement. He nudged Ava with the tip of his shoe, and Rio gave him a firm slap on the chest.

"We hate her, yes, but we don't treat her like shit stuck in a shoe, Thomas." She spoke so sharply that Tommy blushed.

"Uhh, sorry. I'll gently leave her in her own bed. How long does your sleeping beauty last here, bro?" He asked, and Billy rolled his eyes hard.

"She'll wake up tomorrow with her alarm clock as usual, or during the morning at the normal time. I just made her not hear or feel being moved and all that." Billy spoke almost disdainfully. "Take her home, I don't want to risk the magic dissipating before then." He asked.

"It takes me a few seconds to get to her house." Tommy said and took the rest of his milkshake, going inside the house and returning with his hands already washed, and he picked up Ava easily. "I'll meet you at home." He said and winked at everyone, disappearing like a small silver lightning bolt.

"Damn, he's fast." Kate said, and Rio nodded in agreement.

"He always has been. Shall we go for a run?" She offered the younger girl, and Kate tilted her head to the side. "I don't exercise my magic that much, and when I do, I feel the need to stay in wolf form." The younger brunette nodded without really hesitating.

"We'll meet at home, Kate." Wanda said, turning to Natasha. "Are you leaving or coming with me?" The question made the women look at each other, and Eleanor gave a small laugh.

"I'll wait in my car for whoever wants a ride." Eleanor said casually.

"I'm out." Alice grumbled, going over to Eleanor.

"I'll go with you." Jen added, and Kate wanted to laugh at how the three of them had run away from the situation.

"I'm going home, Cindy and Nicky being together for too long tires me out." Agatha said dryly and spun around without much preamble, walking away.

"Agatha, wait for me!" Billy said quickly, running after Agatha.

"She's dramatic, isn't she?" Lilia said casually. "I'll take a ride from Eleanor, see you later." The blonde said playfully and moved out of the house. Which left Kate, Rio, Natasha, and Wanda there.

"Looks like we're going to run." Kate said, clearing her throat and looking between Natasha and Wanda. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, that leaves very few things off the list." Kate said and pulled Rio by the hand. "Change the sheets!" She yelled, and there was a groan from Rio.

"Not in our bed, use the air mattress!" Rio managed to yell when the two moved out of the line of trees. "Damn it, I don't need two redheads having sex in my bed." She whined to Kate.

"At least you've already fucked one of them, maybe a foursome would be fine so this moment of discomfort passes faster." Kate said. Rio stopped walking, Kate continued walking and looked over her shoulder, seeing the indignant but still playful look on the older woman's face.

"Run." And Kate's laughter echoed through the forest, as she transformed and began to run very fast away from a river that was accelerating exponentially toward her.

********

The panting was wonderful, hearing Yelena pant like that was always divine, always wonderful. The blonde was on the bed, her hands gripping the headboard tightly while Kate was already naked and kneeling between the blonde's thighs.

"You're so excited." The brunette purred and ran her hand down Yelena's legs, watching the wet stain on the light blue panties grow. "Look at you, dripping for me." She purred and her hand moved to the toy, going up and down the silicone and Yelena moaned again.

"I want you." The words were dirty, tension-laden information and Kate gave a small giggle.

"Oh, really?" She asked in a dirty way, smelling Yelena's arousal, hearing the blonde's heart race at the question.

"Yes, God, I want you so much..." The whimpering echoed and Kate held the toy, then gently tapped it against the clitoris still covered by the panties and Yelena let out an obscene moan. "I'm dripping, can't you see how wet I am? Why do you keep teasing me like this? You want me so much, I want you so much... Baby... Please?" The tone was a mixture of teasing, pleading, and a little frustration.

"I like teasing you." Kate simply stated, and Yelena squirmed.

"You've been sending me dirty messages since early this morning, you convinced me to touch myself at work but didn't let me come... This isn't teasing anymore, it's torture." Yelena spoke dramatically, even though the statements weren't so far from reality, the blonde had consented and agreed to the teasing, she herself wanted to see how much she could endure during the day.

"Ah, poor little thing..." Kate teased slowly and saw how her green eyes warmed and her hands opened and closed. "Don't let go, or I'll tie you up." The growl that came out of Yelena was almost amused, and Kate gave a wide smile. "I'm the dog between the two of us, my love." Again, an eye roll.

"You're a Lyncan, not a dog." The tone was a small grunt, and Kate gave a low laugh, her fingertips playing with the waistband of Yelena's panties, and she saw the shiver that formed on Yelena's stomach and rose until her nipples hardened.

"I really liked those black piercings." She commented casually and let her fingertips slowly brush up Yelena's skin, and the blonde moaned and gasped.

"Fuck, you love to tease me." The tone was whiny, and Kate gave a low chuckle. "I bought them thinking of you." The words were spoken, and Kate made a small appreciative sound.

"They're wonderful." Kate then leaned in and let her tongue lightly brush the tip of her nipple, and the moan that echoed was filthy. "I like that they're straight, I really appreciate them against my tongue." She circled the nipples and played with the piercing, which made the blonde arch her back and still obediently remove her hands from the headboard. "You're being very good to me, good girl, Yelena." The moan that echoed was needy, and Yelena nodded her head quickly.

"I'm yours, only yours, your good girl." Yelena gasped like a small prayer, and Kate moaned against her.

"I know, only mine. God, I'm lucky to have such a perfect woman as mine." She whispered and slowly moved her mouth up Yelena's skin to the Mating mark that was now permanently on the blonde's neck, and she licked the scar lightly, a stimulus that always made Yelena wetter, her heart race, and her shiver with pleasure.

"Ah, fuck, it's so sensitive..." She said, referring to the scar mark, it really was very sensitive. Kate only needed to kiss there for Yelena to start getting wetter and wetter. And that was exciting.

"What do you think about taking those tiny panties off you?" Kate teased hoarsely, and Yelena nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes, preferably so your cock can fuck me deep." The blonde said, still gripping the headboard, her fingers tightening as she put her feet down and raised her hips enough for Kate's hands to slowly push the panties down. And it was exciting.

The panties moved slowly, almost as if detaching from Yelena's wet folds. There was that hoarse moan from the blonde when the pressure against her pussy changed slightly and the cooler air touched her warm, wet skin. And Kate could see with lust and pleasure how messed up the panties were. The blue fabric loosened slightly beside her, and she moaned at the smell. She looked at Yelena's panties and then at her pussy and gasped.

"Damn, I love your smell." She said and saw Yelena's cheeks flush deeply. There were still small prudishnesses present in Yelena, and this was one of them.

"I don't know why you like it so much..." She spoke softly, insecure even, and Kate looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Because it's your smell, it's all the olfactory markers that make you you, it's the smell of your skin, your physiology, your sweat, it's the smell of your desire for me. It's erotic, I'm a lycan, my love, my nose is sensitive, my ears are sensitive in human form. I can hear your heart racing, your body working in your arousal, and knowing that I..." She pointed to herself. "I can do that with you, that level of arousal, that amount of pheromones released in my direction, it's maddening." She saw how the blonde swallowed hard and looked Kate up and down. 

"I find you maddening." Kate heard the whisper. "I'm constantly aroused, constantly wet, it's insane that you push me to this level of arousal." It was so low that only a Lycan's ears could hear it.

"You are my soulmate, my love, our souls are drawn to each other, and the fact that we are romantic soulmates makes this attraction become sexual, romantic, emotional on deep levels." She spoke and settled between Yelena's thighs, pulling one knee up and slowly kissing the inside of the blonde's thigh. "You were used to pennies of attention, drops of attraction, drops of appreciation. I want to shower you with affection, show you how much I want you, how you are my priority. Your pleasure, your happiness, your comfort, are my priorities." She spoke, slowly moving her mouth upwards. "So yes, my girl, your scent drives me crazy, your taste is stuck to me like a tattoo, like a memory I'll never forget." And that made a hoarse moan escape Yelena. "I'll show you how much I want you." She promised, and Yelena's only reaction was to throw her head back and moan in a deep gasp as Kate's tongue passed between her lips.

"Ah, fuck, baby... I love you." She spoke hoarsely, her hands gripping the headboard tightly, and Kate heard the blonde's nails there.

"I love you too." Kate's purring against Yelena's folds made her gasp even more.

"I want your cock." The words were spoken more dryly, holding back the clear near-orgasm that was there, in the curve of Yelena's pleasure.

"Don't you want to cum in my mouth?" The question was asked when Kate pulled away curiously.

"I love your mouth, I really love your mouth, but my period is coming and I get sensitive, I want to be fucked with all the force my alpha can muster." She said, and Kate's eyebrows rose as she settled between Yelena's thighs. "I can't explain it, but it helps me have less cramping." She said, shrugging, and Kate made a small pout of acceptance and nodded.

"A rodeo then." She teased, and Yelena laughed.

"That would evoke me riding you like you're a prize stallion." The phrase made them both laugh, and Kate's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"That can be arranged." She said playfully, and Yelena rolled her eyes in amusement.

"I thought you were going to show me why you're an alpha—" The sentence was cut short by the toy hitting Yelena's clitoris.

"You're being too bold for a good girl, behave yourself." It was a provocation, they both knew Kate was weak to Yelena's provocations.

“Make me." The challenge was there, explicit, and Kate raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

One hand remained on the toy, and the other slowly moved up Yelena's body, her fingers placing themselves around the blonde's neck in a possessive act, and Yelena, very confident in Kate's fine control of her strength, arched her head back.

"That's it, choke me." She spoke hoarsely, and Kate looked into Yelena's eyes seeking confirmation. "Green, baby, choke me, not too much but enough for you to show me who's boss here." She spoke hoarsely, with a dirty smile and a filthy look.

"Fuck." Kate growled, and her fingers tightened slightly, she would have to manage her strength very carefully so as not to hurt Yelena. She then guided the toy with her free hand into Yelena's folds and gently pushed inside, which seemed like excessive care because the toy slid in so quickly that Yelena only gasped and nodded.

"That's it, fuck this pussy, it's yours." And that brought a low growl from Kate, her fingers tightened a little more on Yelena's throat, and the hoarse moan vibrated through the brunette's fingers.

"If it's too much, you grab my wrist and I'll let go." Kate said, easing the pressure, and Yelena licked her lips and nodded.

"You can go a little further, my breath was almost cut off, but don't hold on for too long." Yelena instructed the limit and Kate nodded.

She then pulled the toy out so that only the tip was inside and pushed it back in. And then a slow fuck began, Kate pulling the toy out and slowly returning it to her.

There was the maddening sound of skin meeting, in a wet slap, and Yelena arched her back, Kate's hand tightened around the blonde's throat and then released after she counted to five. She wouldn't keep the pressure on for too long and didn't want purple marks on Yelena's neck, it would be hell to explain that.

Even though Yelena said Kate could go a little further, she didn't, she just sped up her hips and increased the force of the thrusts. Yelena was moaning in fits and starts, especially hoarse when Kate's fingers held the pressure for seconds, and the moan became sharper when she released.

"That's it, good girl, you're close, aren't you?" She purred and Yelena nodded. As she could, Kate released the blonde's neck and rested her forearms beside the blonde's body, kissing her deeply.

"Baby..." Kate heard the small gasp as she placed her head next to Yelena's, lightly sucking on Yelena's earlobe and biting it.

"Come for me." The blonde shuddered and shook her head. "No?" She asked, lifting herself slightly and continuing to thrust.

"I want to come with my wolf." Yelena whimpered, and Kate's eyes warmed.

"Your wish is my command, my queen." She spoke and adjusted herself to find the angle where the base of the toy provided the most stimulation against her. She sped up, and Yelena nodded, her mouth slightly open between moans.

"Yes, yes, come inside your girl." She spoke hoarsely, and Kate groaned hoarsely.

"Damn, yes, you're going to come with me, aren't you?" Kate asked, and the blonde She nodded. "Great because I'm close." The voice sounded hoarse and she began to speed up.

And coming with Yelena was magnificent. As Kate gasped and stiffened to come against Yelena, the blonde tightened her legs around Kate, her hands gripping Kate's arms with her nails, and there was a moan and scratching against the skin as Yelena came hard, arching and then falling limp on the bed.

Yelena's premenstrual sensitivity didn't allow for very long fucks, so Kate rolled to the side and allowed herself to catch her breath.

"God, best sex of my life." Yelena mumbled and rolled over, throwing one leg over Kate's stomach and breathing heavily.

"Best sex ever." Kate said, still breathing deeply, and Yelena laughed softly, releasing the strap-on and allowing it to be put aside.

They were hugging, snuggled up and relaxed. And that's when Kate turned her head toward the street, her head tilted to the side and she frowned.

"What is it?" Yelena's question was soft and husky, half sleepy. And Kate couldn't say that she thought there was someone at the door, because the doorbell rang.

"I was going to say I thought there was someone at the door." She spoke and cleared her throat, and Kate saw how Yelena grunted and rolled over.

"All I wanted was to get dressed after sex." She grumbled gruffly but easily pulled out a t-shirt and shorts. Kate put on the t-shirt that came with her, and Yelena gave her a pair of soft shorts that she promptly put on.

Kate yawned slightly, and Yelena yawned in response, and the two went downstairs. Yelena went to the door, and Kate looked at the dogs in the living room. Lucky was sleeping on his back, and Fanny was lying on her side on the sofa.

"What that fuck are you doing here?" Yelena's tone was angry, and it made Kate take two steps into the hallway with furrowed brows, and she wanted to growl, actively growl, when she saw Ava over Yelena's shoulder.

"I—" Ava began and looked at Kate, and the brunette saw how the other woman tensed up completely. "I-I don't want to take up too much of your time or Kate's." The name still wasn't said very amicably, but there was still that moment when Yelena looked over her shoulder to see Kate and she pursed her lips.

"You can speak without coming in." The phrase was powerful, Yelena firmly positioning herself as someone who wouldn't allow herself to be ordered around.

"Okay..." Ava cleared her throat and Kate approached Yelena, one hand touching the blonde's waist and pulling her slightly closer, in a protective act. "I wanted to apologize." And of the thousands of things Kate thought binding Ava's Mora powers could do, this wasn't one of them.

"You want to apologize?" Yelena seemed caught off guard by the curveball as much as Kate.

"Yes." Ava spoke and cleared her throat. "Look, I know it won't erase, it won't make you forget, and it definitely won't change everything that happened between us." She started. "Between you and me, Yelena, or how I reacted to Kate in recent months." Ava said, and neither woman had the courage or reaction to stop her from speaking. Honestly, Kate thought Ava needed to get something off her chest, so be it. "I know it won't change anything, that the past remains as it is, and that the consequences of everything I did continue to mark you and me." It was said in a way Kate thought was very sincere. “But I wanted to apologize, and maybe for the first time in my life admit that I was a shitty person to you and that you didn't deserve it." Yelena's mouth opened and closed, and Kate cleared her throat.

"What do you plan to achieve with this apology?" She asked, protective but still curious.

"Nothing." Ava shrugged, and she seemed sincere, uncomfortably sincere. "But I don't know... I had a fucking epiphany today and contemplated that I was a horrible person to many people, I was horrible to you Kate, I was horrible to Bob, and especially I was horrible to you, Yelena. And that's mean of me, and I can't change what I did, I can't alter the past or make anything different, but I can apologize." She spoke and looked at the floor briefly. "I'm leaving, I just wanted to get this off my chest before I leave, I don't expect you to forgive me or that this will change anything between us, no." That was a tiny memento of silence. "I just want to get this off my chest so I can start over far away from here." She spoke, and there was this tension in Yelena, and then the blonde spoke softly.

"Where are you going?" She asked, and it was a way of focusing on something Ava was throwing at her, Kate realized.

"Chicago, I have a friend there who offered me a job. I don't plan to come back, so I won't bother you." She said, shrugging almost disdainfully. "Anyway, I'm sorry for everything I did to you, even if it's unforgivable and all that. I was a fucked up and horrible person, I know. Bob told me I should leave to rebuild, and he's right, I'm leaving tonight." There was a moment of silence between Ava and Yelena as they looked at each other. "Goodbye, Yelena." She spoke softly and took two steps back, then turned and left, and it did seem a little bizarre.

Kate cleared her throat and pushed the door closed slightly, the click of the door closing made the blonde turn and look at Kate with furrowed brows and a slightly open mouth.

"Could the binding have done this?" She asked, clearly shocked, and Kate totally understood the feeling.

"Wanda said she would finally feel free, maybe so?" Kate replied uncertainly.

"Damn, that was fucking weird." Yelena said, clearly shocked, and Kate nodded.

"At least she apologized?" Kate offered, and Yelena looked at her, still slightly horrified.

"Yes, that seemed to come straight out of the fucking twilight zone." She said hoarsely.

"Yes..." Kate continued slowly. "She's leaving." She reaffirmed, and there was that deep breath from Yelena.

"Thank God." She grumbled and ran a hand over her face.

"Shall we take a bath?" Kate offered the only thing she could think of, and Yelena groaned softly.

"Will you wash my hair?" The question came from a place that sought contact and care, and Kate gave a soft smile.

"Yes, I love washing your hair." She said and extended an arm to Yelena, the blonde promptly walked over to Kate, putting an arm around the brunette's waist and snuggling under Kate's arm.

It was unexpected, but still, Kate felt that this was a positive change. Not only for Yelena, but especially for Ava. As cruel as the past had been, Kate wished Ava peace. And the distance would do Yelena good. The brunette kissed the side of Yelena's head quickly.

"I love you." She whispered, and there was that small sigh from Yelena.

"I love you too."

*******

"She seems happy." Kate heard Eleanor saying to Rio. Kate was in wolf form, playing with Nicky, Lucky, and Fanny. And Kate internally chuckled, realizing that all the names ended in "y."

"She's healthier now. According to our last assessment, there's only one gram more of silver in her body, which makes everything easier, only one is manageable." Rio said casually, throwing a leg onto the bench, and Kate rolled around on the floor with Nicky.

"Kate, can you come to the kitchen?" Wanda's voice echoed in Kate's mind, and she froze for a moment, but then shook and nudged Nicky with her nose, indicating Lucky, and she began to move. Naturally, as if breathing, she managed to transition without really thinking much into human form.

"Bathroom time." Kate teased Nicky, who looked confused, and he just nodded and continued playing with the other two dogs. Then Kate entered the kitchen and tilted her head to the side when she saw her. Wanda looked better, but still, the two looked at each other, and there was a sigh from the older woman. "Is everything alright?" The question echoed as Kate approached, and Wanda just hugged her around the waist, as if seeking security somehow, or some kind of support.

"Natasha asked me to be her girlfriend." The words were spoken against Kate, and the brunette pressed her against her.

"Are we happy with that?" The question sounded softly.

"Yes, we are, but she did it in front of Agatha and Tommy and they both laughed at me." The answer was given and Kate made a thoughtful sound.

"They're two idiots, loyal and loving, but idiots. We love those two idiots." This made Wanda laugh lightly and walk away and then indicate the cake that was on the kitchen table. "Ah, I understand now why you did telepathy. Is the wicked basement ready?" She asked amused.

"Yes, you were right, leaving the three of you out there with Nicky distracted him perfectly." "Do you want to invite the little one to your birthday celebration?" She asked with an easy smile.

"Yes, he's so excited, he's talked a lot about starting to be part of the coven." Kate giggled and Wanda picked up the cake and started walking to the lower part of the house, the basement would be used because Nicky wanted to 'be a witch' and the basement was the place for the rituals. Nobody minded that the little birthday party was happening there. Kate walked outside and saw Nicky playing on the floor, breathing deeply and laughing lightly.

"Nicky." Kate called and the boy looked at her curiously. "I have a surprise for you." She said and he stood up, tilted his head to the side and ran towards Kate.

"A surprise?" He asked loudly and curiously. "Yes, what do you think about your mama and my mother coming along to see?" It was the moment, and he nodded. Which made the two older women approach. "A surprise, isn't it?" "What could it be?" Rio asked, feigning ignorance.

"I don't know, but how about coming here and closing your eyes?" Kate offered her arms, and Nicky promptly stretched his arms upwards and was caught in Kate's arms. He then covered his eyes with his own hands, which made Eleanor giggle.

"He and Kate are so alike at this age it's ridiculous." The older woman said, and Rio gave an amused chuckle.

"Siblings from other mothers." Rio commented, and they started down the stairs. Then Nicky was placed in front of the decoration. "Open your eyes, darling." The older lycan offered, and when Nicky's eyes opened, Kate heard his heart race.

"Surprise!" The rest of the pack shouted, and Kate smiled at the decorations. Alice, Billy, and Natasha bought or made—Kate wasn't sure—the gothic decorations. Then there was the classic witch theme that Nicky loved.

"Happy birthday, my little prince." Rio said, and Nicky gave a He let out a high-pitched squeal and hugged his mother tightly.

"Thank you, thank you!" He said so excitedly and then ran to the rest of the group, hugging them one by one.

"Kate, you never got to meet my brother." Wanda said, pulling a boy who had gray hair and blue eyes like Wanda's. "This is Pietro." She introduced him.

"Hey, I've heard a lot about you." The boy said with an easy smile.

"You're Wanda's twin brother, right?" Kate said, and he nodded. "It's so cool to finally meet you, she said you travel a lot." She commented, and he nodded.

"I like to explore the world, I try to spend time in different places, the advantage of being a speedy is that I can take long trips quickly." He commented, and in a few moments Kate and Pietro were talking. That's when a little squeal from Nicky made everyone look at him.

"Aunt Lena! This is amazing!" "So cute!" He said, gently holding the small, fluffy white kitten that Agatha had allowed Yelena to adopt for Nicky in Eastview. "Does he have a name?" Nicky asked curiously.

"Not yet, I thought it would be nice if you chose a name for your familiar." Kate felt a very loving smile spread across her face at Yelena's undisguised joy in making the boy happy.

"My... familiar?" Nicky asked, looking at Agatha.

"Every young witch needs a pet to be their loyal companion, like I had Scrachy and Wanda has Sparky. And now you need to choose a name for this little cat." She said, crouching down to her son's level. "I want you to close your eyes." She spoke so softly that Kate, who had never seen the witch-familiar bonding ritual, simply took a step closer.

Nicky did as his mother instructed, his eyes closed, and he gently held the kitten, whose eyes were closed and purring. Yelena had chosen the most affectionate kitten from the Eastview kennel's litter.

"Great, my little prince. Now I want you to feel that warmth you feel when Alice taught you to light a candle with your magic." Agatha sounded very gentle, and Kate approached Yelena, the Lycan's fingers intertwining with the blonde's. "Take a deep breath, imagine you want your magic dancing, like you did in the football game, flowing like the wind when you stroll on your mama's back in wolf form." Kate heard Nicky's heart slow to a slow, rhythmic beat, and he took a deep breath. "Now let those feelings out of you like air leaving your lungs." Nicky exhaled, and then Kate saw the light shining on his chest and then the thin line, which gained shape after a moment.

It was a golden-green color, the magic line danced slowly among everyone there, as if Nicky's magic, now in physical form, could finally meet everyone present.

"He has divination." Lilia spoke softly, genuinely surprised, since divination was an art that was slowly disappearing among the witches, except for Rio, who was beside her.

"And green magic." Alice commented, and Kate saw how Jen's hand held Alice's.

"Now, visualize your familiar, feel how its fur feels in your hand, how cute it is with those big yellow eyes, send your magic to it." Agatha instructed, focused on helping Nicky connect with the familiar. The magic circled the kitten, which purred, and then touched the center of the animal's chest. "What's your familiar's name, Nicky?" Agatha asked softly.

"Moony." Nicky said with his eyes closed, and Kate wanted to laugh that the cat's name was basically moon.

"Open your eyes." Agatha instructed, and Nicky's eyes opened, and Kate saw the magic still circulating there, making the brown eyes gain the color of magic, and then the kitten rubbed against Nicky, and he giggled.

"Hi Moony!" He said cheerfully. "Thank you, Aunt Lena!" He said loudly and practically leaned all the way against Yelena.

"You're welcome, shorty, I'm glad Moony makes you happy." She said sincerely and then hugged Kate by the waist.

"She's so cute!" Nicky said and walked closer to Alice. "Look how cute she is, Aunt Alice!" He said, and Alice just giggled and held the cat, who was happily being passed from hand to hand.

"She's kind of floppy, isn't she?" Pietro asked, amused.

"She's half Ragdoll, from what the shelter told me, so they're naturally kind of floppy." Yelena said, shrugging. "She's the gentlest of the litter, the quietest, and still playful. She used to steal Kate's socks." Yelena said, laughing lightly.

"Yes, a very good kitten. She likes to play and cuddle, she slept in bed with us these last two days. Since I'm warmer, I was more attractive, so she slept next to my head." Kate shrugged.

"Look at this." Yelena then pulled out a picture of Kate and Moony sleeping together, and Pietro chuckled.

"So cute." Pietro said lightly. "Nicky! Pick a place in the world for us to go for a walk later." He said loudly, and Nicky gave another little squeal. "Tommy and I will take you for a walk later!" He said excitedly, and Agatha sighed, but Rio nodded, clearly, it was a moment when the purple witch gave in.

The birthday party continued, and Kate was leaning against the door with a piece of cake on a small plastic plate, eating with a small, cheerful sound. "Can you imagine something like this in our future?" Yelena's question made Kate's eyes go to her.

"Birthday parties?" Kate asked uncertainly, but she could hear Yelena's heart racing.

"Maybe for our little one?" The question echoed, and Kate's mouth opened and closed.

"Well, Russia isn't that far away for us to adopt a little child, is it?" Kate offered, she knew Yelena wanted to adopt, and that made the blonde's heart race.

"Yes, it's not that far." The words were soft, and the blonde hugged Kate around the waist. "I love you, Kate Bishop." She spoke so softly that only Kate could hear.

The brunette then put an arm around Yelena and squeezed her close, in a loving and affectionate gesture. They would eventually adopt a child, and before that, Kate wanted to marry Yelena and, yes, start a family.

"I love you too, Yel." The tone was soft, and she kissed the blonde's forehead. "I can't wait for all the steps we'll take together." She spoke so kindly, and Yelena sighed.

"I couldn't have asked for a better soulmate." Yelena said, and Kate blushed slightly but hugged her tightly.

"Hug!" Nikcy said and hugged the two women suddenly, which made Yelena and Kate laugh, but Nikcy kept squeezing between them. "Best birthday ever!" He said loudly and cheerfully.

"It's great when we're with family, isn't it?" Kate asked, and Nicky nodded quickly.

Yes, family, with her mom, with the coven, and with Yelena. Kate was with family, one with her wolf, and life was good. She looked at everyone fondly and sighed. Yes, life was good after all.

~the end