AFTERMATH
BY: DIANA M.

  The wolf stood and moved towards the carefully folded uniform. He looked back towards Scarlett and wuffed a question.

  “What?" Scarlett was as of yet, not up to speed on her wolf. He stood above the uniform and pawed at it, wuffing again.

  “You need help?" The wolf rolled his blue eyes and sighed. Before Scarlett could respond, he began to stretch and re-form. His front legs lengthened, and the hair began to recede. It suddenly dawned on Scarlett that the wolf was shifting back to human form; naked human form. She blushed and turned around to give him privacy. She stared at the smoke rising from the smoldering remains of Destro’s fortress and listened to a concert of snapping and popping as Duke’s bones and sinews shifted to a more familiar shape. She heard him grunt at the end. His BDU pants rustled as he pulled them on; Scarlett waited for the sound of the zipper before she turned around.

  “Thanks," Duke stood in the clearing, barefoot and barechested. His familiarity was both reassuring and odd. Scarlett felt a nervous tingling in her stomach; he was the same, and yet something new. She let her eyes wander over his body. From his feet, up his legs, across his slim hips and waist. She gazed at his chest, broad and muscular, marked here and there with scars earned from battles gone by. Scarlett felt her heart begin to pound. Her breath caught when she looked into his eyes. They were deep and still seemed to glow somewhat.

  “Red," his voice was almost a whisper. She came to and noticed that he was smiling slightly, “Red, are you OK?"

  “Duke," her voice broke, and the tears rolled as fresh memories of her capture flooded her memory, “Oh, Duke, thank God you came to get me," she couldn’t stop crying, it was beyond her control.

  He came quickly to her, wrapping his arms around her, “Shhhh, Red. How could I not? I wouldn’t leave you."

  Scarlett remembered the what her mother’s voice had said: “He is, has and will often be your only hope." At the thought of her mother’s spirit watching over her, Scarlett sobbed harder, pressing her face against Duke’s bare chest. She felt his arms tighten around her, reassuring.

  “Scarlett, they didn’t...they didn’t hurt you, did they?" She had been captured before. Duke seemed taken aback by this release of emotion. Scarlett realized how concerned he was; exactlywhat he was worried that they might have done to her. Dreadnocks were not known to be gentlemen.

  “I wouldn’t-let-them-touch-me-like-that," the words burst out between sobs, “I- kicked-Ripper-in-the-the-balls." Scarlett felt Duke’s chest convulse repeatedly. She looked up at him, and saw through her tears that he was laughing.

  “That must’ve been golden!" Duke chuckled delightedly, “Oh, I would pay to see the look on his face!"

  “It was pretty good. I think I got him really hard. He wouldn’t get near me again unless they took my boots off." Scarlett felt the need to cry begin to fade. Duke laughed harder, still holding on to her.

  “You are amazing, Red, you really are," he brought a hand up and ran his fingers through her hair, straightening some of the tangles.

  Scarlett giggled to herself, “I bit Buzzer, he’ll probably need stitches."

  “Bit Buzzer!" Duke laughed loudly, “bit him!" tears ran down his face, “Ah, Red, it sounds like you didn’t need me at all!" His fingers deftly worked themselves through a large snarl near her ear.

  “But I did, Duke." she felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach again, “they really had me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be in there," she turned in his arms and waved towards the smoldering rubble, “you saved me, again." She turned back to face him, and gazed up into his eyes. “I need you, Duke."

  Duke stopped laughing and returned her stare. Scarlett felt lost in his eyes again; the fortress wasn’t the only thing smoldering. “Scarlett, I’ll watch after you, keep you safe, even if it kills me."

  “Because you’re my Guardian, and the Little People ‘assigned’ you to me.." Scarlett felt her heart drop, “Because its your job."

  “It started out that way," Duke brought his other hand up and caressed her cheek, “but now, now there’s so much more." She felt his eyes burn into her, her heart pounded and she couldn’t seem to breathe deep enough. He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “I got lost in you, Scarlett. I couldn’t help myself." She could feel him breathing hard, “and now, Red..."

  “And now, what?" she whispered. She felt his heart thumping in his chest at the sound of her voice, “what, Duke?" She brought her arms up around his neck and found herself tickling his ear with her fingertips, “and now, Duke?" she couldn’t believe how sultry her own voice sounded. It was certainly having a powerful effect on Duke. He sighed and gently nuzzled her ear. Scarlett yearned for more.

  “And now there’s no turning back. And now I can’t stop thinking about you, all the time, and now..." She felt his hands slide gently over the folds of her robe, down her back. “and now..." he pulled her to him urgently. With one hand Scarlett teased the hair on the back of his neck, the other caressed along his jaw line. She tingled all over.

  “After all this time, Duke," Scarlett whispered in his ear. He sighed deeply, “after all this time," she slid her hand down his neck to his chest, stroking teasingly around his dog tags. “What do you want, Duke?"

  “Scarlett!" he growled pleadingly in her ear. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt the gentle scratching of his cheek as it rubbed against her. He pulled back until they were again gazing into each other’s eyes, “Red, I want...I want to..." his voice was raw and husky.

  “Oh Duke.." She closed her eyes. His lips touched hers, softly, gently at first. She felt dizzy, and let him support her. He held her firmly in his powerful arms. The sounds of the surrounding forest faded as Scarlett was swept up, losing herself in the touch of Duke’s lips and hands. She wrapped both her arms around his neck and pulled him firmly against her. His kiss, so gentle before, became firmer, possessive. Scarlett let her mouth open slightly, and she ran the tip of her tongue over his lips. Duke moaned deeply. Scarlett felt his tongue begin to gently explore her lips and teeth. His hands began to slide caressingly against her body. The image of a frenzied white wolf flashed into her mind, it was worrying the bloody neck of it’s prey.

  She pulled slightly away from him, breaking away from his kiss. He gazed at her passionately, his hands still caressing her back and neck. “Duke, you’re, you’re a," She couldn’t get the words out.

  “Don’t make me stop, Red. I don’t think I can stop," his hands kept circling, with increasing urgency. He leaned forward and nuzzled her again, whispering in her ear gently, “Red, please," She gasped as the tickle of his lips against her earlobe. “Scarlett, I CAN’T stop."

  The picture of the wolf faded from Scarlett’s mind, pushed away by the rush of pleasure his caressing and nuzzling brought. She sighed as his hand brushed lightly through her hair. “Duke...I don’t want you to..."

  He moaned again, and kissed her deeply. Scarlett let her tongue play with his, she tasted something coppery in his mouth, but was quickly distracted as she felt his hands slide gently over her stomach and under her robe. She sighed and ran her fingertips lightly down his bare back. His lips left hers, moving down and over her neck. He nuzzled and kissed and gently nibbled on and around her ear. Scarlett gasped as one of his hands found and caressed her breast, thumb and fingers lightly stoking the nipple till it hardened, pleasure so deep it almost hurt.

  In response she slid her hands over his chest and down to his stomach. There was a long scar swooping from his side to his navel where he had been injured last year. She remembered Doc telling her how extremely sensitive scar tissue could be. She brushed her fingertips along the scar. Duke groaned and shivered in pleasure. Doc was right.

  Duke cupped her breasts firmly in both hands. His lips moved around to the front of her neck. Scarlett threw her head back and moaned. “Oh Duke! Oh! Lord! Don’t stop now!" She felt herself go limp. His hands slid under her robe down her back and over her buttocks. He kissed her again, ardently, tongue pushing firmly past her lips. Scarlett felt herself being lowered to her knees.

  “Ouch!" a sharp rock poked her leg. He quickly reached under her and brushed it away. “Duke, I.." their eyes locked. They kneeled in front of each other.

  “Red, I ..." His hands grasped her buttocks firmly. Pressed against him, she could feel how excited he was. She gently ran her fingertips over his stomach; over the muscles, playfully caressing the scar. She gazed at into his eyes passionately. She smiled at him in a way she knew was seductive; a slight, amused smile.

  “Kiss me again, Duke."

  He growled, deep in his throat and kissed her roughly. His lips quickly moved over her face and throat. This time, she returned his passionate nuzzling. She felt the rough stubble on his cheeks rasp her skin as she nibbled and kissed his ear. She softly licked and bit ; eliciting low moans. She moved down along his neck and to his shoulder. She felt his hands slide down her buttocks to her legs. He caressed her inner thighs gently, fingers dangerously close to where she had grown wet with anticipation. She sighed.

  A pleasing ache pulsed between Scarlett’s legs. She felt Duke’s body shudder in response to her gentle stroking. Her fingers gently caressed and kneaded the muscles of his chest and stomach. He moaned and returned one hand to her nipple, letting the other caress gently between her thighs. She felt him lean her slowly back, he mumbled incoherently in her ear.

  “Hmmm?" She stroked his hair lovingly.

  “Can’t stop, Scarlett," He panted in her ear, “don’t want to stop."

  “You don’t have to." She lay back on the ground, sliding her arms out of the sleeves of the robe. He kneeled above her, gazing down at her naked body, “please, Duke."

  He leaned over her, she could hear him growling quietly. She thought again of the wolf; wild, dangerous, hungry. His dog tags dangled over her chest. One hand cupped eagerly at her breast. The other flexed as he slowly lowered himself on her. Scarlett wrapped her arms around him. He nuzzled and bit gently. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Red," his voice rumbled in her ear, “the things I’ve wanted to do to you," She felt a thrill run through her body, setting her on fire.

  “What stopped you?" she breathed. Again she felt him shudder at the sound of her voice. He groaned.

  “Fucking--protocol," his hand slid from one breast to the other, “damn, regulations," Scarlett brought both hands to his head and ran her fingers gently through his hair. She let her hands rest there, caressing and gently guiding as he moved his lips over her throat and down to her breasts. She held played with his hair as he softly licked and sucked her nipples, tasting and kissing as he filled his mouth with first one, then the other. She moaned softly, her back arching up to him.

  “Duke, don’t let it stop you now," she thought again of her mother’s words: Nothing can stop them.

  He nuzzled between her breasts and slowly moved over her stomach. His hair twined around her fingers. She rose to meet his lips. “Not--now," he sighed, “not anymore." His lips reached the soft hair between her legs. He lingered there for a minute. Scarlett writhed, her fingers tightening against his head.

  “Duke, oh Duke!"

  He moved up over her again. She felt him, hard, nudging against her as he returned to kiss her passionately. He pulled away and looked down on her longingly. “I don’t know how I could control myself, Red," His dog tags swung over her, lightly brushing her hardened nipples, “there were so many times I could hardly resist," he fell on her again and nibbled on her ear, letting his hands eagerly slide all over her. She sighed and caressed his shoulders, thinking of all the times they had been close; all the hugs and nudges, the sparring that lead to playful wrestling, all so seemingly innocent. Her hands moved softly down his chest and stomach to where his hardness pressed against her; she recalled how often she had wished the innocence away.

  “Can you resist now?" she asked huskily, and caressed him trough his trousers. He moaned and growled into her neck, pushing himself against her hand. “Can you resist me now, Duke?"

  He sighed, “Don’t want to."

  She unbuttoned his trousers and slowly lowered the zipper. He groaned and bit at her urgently. She took him into her hands, the skin of his shaft felt soft. Gently, she stroked from the tip to his balls, then back up again, circling her fingers playfully around the head, caressing lightly. Duke moaned loudly and pushed his trousers down, shoving until he could kick them off. He gently pushed her legs apart and rested between her thighs. The heat and wetness of her arousal temptingly drawing him in.

  “Scarlett...Scarlett, I need-" he mumbled into her ear, drunk with passion.

  The ache between her legs became unbearable, Scarlett wanted to feel him inside her. She undulated against him, moaning softly over and over again. “Duke, please, now!"

  He entered her slowly, filling her with a pulsing warmth that Scarlett was certain would push her over the edge. She wrapped her legs around his waist and brought his mouth to hers. His tongue fenced with hers as he slid smoothly into her soft wetness. He grunted when he was sheathed to the hilt. Scarlett cried out, gorged full of him. She felt him throbbing inside of her. She peppered his neck with light kisses, and whispered softly, sensually, in his ear, “I love you Duke."

  “Red," he grunted, “Scarlett," her heart jumped each time he groaned her name. He began to stroke her; pulling slowly out, and sliding gently back inside, “I--won’t--be--able--to--stop.." his hands cupped her buttocks, pulling her up to him for every stroke, “feels--too-good--to--stop."

  Scarlett closed her eyes and lost herself in pleasure; in him moving inside and above her. She moaned and sighed with every stroke. His head was nestled in her hair. She turned and sighed, “Duke, don’t hold back...mmmm you feel so right in me." He filled her again, she clutched his shoulders and moaned, “Please!"

  With that, Duke let go and began thrusting in earnest. He held himself above her and moved inside her, quickly and deeply, grunting with the effort. Scarlett thought again of the wolf. Duke was out of control, ramming himself into her, following his wild instincts. Scarlett lay back, undulating her hips up to meet his eager thrusts, carried away on a cloud of passion and pleasure. She wanted him to fill her completely with his throbbing hardness. He filled his mouth with one one hard nipple, and suckled as he pushed himself into her over and over again.

  His tongue and lips on her breast pushed Scarlett over the edge. She felt the heat between her thighs bubble over and boil through her. The world spun, and Scarlett cried out , arching and thrusting against Duke as waves of warmth washed over her. She could barely hear herself crying out his name. She lay back and floated in her own warm pleasure.

  Duke growled as he felt her come underneath him. Her orgasm had pushed him farther out of control, and he found himself lost in her. Duke thrust harder, and harder. Scarlett felt him hammer into her, and knew he couldn’t stop now if he wanted to. She pulled him down to her and whispered huskily in his ear,

  “Duke, yes, Duke." He moaned as her voice pushed him closer . She realized with a shock just how much control she had over him at this moment. “Come on, Duke," she sighed pleadingly. His growl deepened. “you know what I want, don’t you, Duke? I know you do. You can give it to me. Now," her soft pleading pushed him over.

  “Rrrrreedddd," he growled through his teeth and thrust into her one final, powerful time. She felt him convulse inside of her. Once, twice, five times he shuddered. Panting, he lowered his weight onto her again and rested, nestled against her shoulder, lost in the aftermath. She stroked his hair until he came back to her.

  “Scarlett," he mumbled sleepily, and pulled out of her. He rolled off her and pulled her to him.

  She played with his dog tags, “Tired?"

  “Um. But we should get moving soon."

  “Are they waiting for us?" Scarlett had no idea the others knew they were even there.

  Duke yawned, “Hawk has a pick up waiting for you and me in the village," he waved loosely to the east.

  Scarlett sat up abruptly, “Duke... does Hawk know?"

  “About this? Yeah, I guess. He knew how close I was to you since before he took over. I think sometimes he used it to get me to do things without thinking too hard," Duke snorted, “You know, ‘hey Duke, there’s trouble, take those totally inept new troops I ordered and haven’t trained yet and go in.’ ... ‘You’re crazy, sir’.. ‘ Scarlett’ll be there.’ ... ‘Well, gosh, OK, what am I waiting for?’" Scarlett smiled as Duke pantomimed the scene with his hands, “Although I figure most people figured something out a while ago, they just pussy footed around--"

  “No, I mean, about you. About how you can...change."

  “Oh, that," Duke picked up a rock and tossed it carelessly across the clearing, “Yeah, he knows. A few people high up know. It comes in handy, now and again," He reached up and stroked her cheek, “Colonel Sharp knew."

  Scarlett was surprised, “he did? Did they know you’re supposed to, well, watch over me?"

  Duke pulled her down against his chest and kissed her lovingly, “Only to the extent that I go crazy when you’re in trouble."

  “Did you know my mother?" Scarlett wondered.

  “No," he looked sadly at her, “No, I never did. Old Ceadrach told me about her, though. Sometimes," he looked thoughtful, “Sometimes I’ll get this, this urge, to help you out sometimes. I sort of always assumed that was her, telling me what to do."

  “Ceadrach was my mother’s guardian."

  “Yup, Old Fianna guy."

  “Fianna?" the term was unfamiliar to Scarlett.

  “I guess you could call them an Irish tribe."

  “What happened to him?"

  Duke looked up at the clouds, “He died a few years ago. Guess he felt you were in good enough hands," he teasingly caressed a nipple and smiled. Scarlett relaxed back in his arms.

  “Duke?"

  “Hmmm?"

  “Do you love me?"

  In answer, he pulled her on top of him and kissed her deeply. They pulled apart and looked into each other’s eyes, “More than I could ever say."

  Scarlett sighed happily and listened to the chattering of birds in the forest, “What now?"

  “Now, we go to the Village," Duke reached for his trousers and pulled them on as he stood up, “I don’t think you should put that robe back on." Scarlett stood up and looked down at the scratchy thing. It lay limply on the ground, sodden from the moat and dirt ground in from their lovemaking.

  “It’s all I have." She picked up the robe and held it at arm’s length in front of her, “I’m not about to let our flyboys see me in the buff."

  “Poor unlucky bastards," Duke laced his boots, “Seriously, Scarlett, leave that thing here, it’s a mess."

  “All right, sergeant Hauser, “ Scarlett tossed the robe at him, “What do you recommend I wear on this occasion?"

  Duke stood up and moved behind her, “Try this, madam. Army’s finest," he wrapped his shirt around her shoulders, “You’re just short enough that it’ll cover you up pretty well."

  Scarlett slipped her arms through the sleeves, her hands never made it past the cuffs. “Hey, this is pretty soft for military issue."

  “You’re lucky, I just broke that one in for you," Duke smiled as he did up the buttons.

  “You know, we’ll make quite a picture for the boys; you shirtless, me IN your shirt." Scarlett pulled the shirt down, trying to stretch it out to cover more, “It doesn’t leave too much to the imagination." She flapped a loose sleeve at him in mock admonishment, “People WILL talk."

  Duke slung his bandolier over his shoulder, and took her hand. They headed off for the rendezvous point, “People always do."

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