***
Alex Krycek, shivering and desperate, crouched in the darkness, with rain streaming down on him as he turned his face up to the moon.

*****

An animal had attacked him; he'd thought it was a dog as it ran toward him but once it was closer he knew it was a wolf. He'd gone down hard under the weight of the animal, striking his head soundly on a rock and blacking out.

When he woke all he could think of was Walter. The drive to get to Walter was so strong he didn't question it; he just did it. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Anyone seeing him would have taken him for mad.

*****

Walter wasn't home; Alex had no idea where he might be so he knelt in the darkest corner he could find to wait for him. When the rain started, he sought shelter, but there was not much to be had without breaking the lock on the gate to get into the back yard. When the moon broke through the clouds, he would look up at it, so very beautiful and seductive. Something wasn't right but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

He knew it was Walter's car as soon as it turned into the quiet cul- de-sac. He rose cautiously and waited to be seen. The lights swept over him and the car braked abruptly.

Walter looked out into the night, seeing the man waiting in the drizzle. The wet clothes clung to Alex, outlining his thin frame, dark hair plastered to his forehead, and the shiver that ran through
him could not be a good sign.

Walter hit the control for the garage door and drove inside. Getting out of the car, he turned to find Alex standing next to the door, still outside.

"Well, get in here before you drown."

Alex hurried into the garage as the door started to roll downward. Walter led him into the laundry room.

"Get out of those clothes, I'll go get you something to wear."

Walter watched just long enough to see that his order would be carried out before heading inside to his room. Digging around in a drawer, he came out with a pair of pajamas that his sister had given him at Christmas. They were a plaid flannel his sister said would compliment his eyes.

He stopped at the linen closet and grabbed a thick towel. When he got back to the laundry room, Alex was naked and shivering harder. He dropped the pajamas on the dryer and held out the towel.

"Get dry and put these on and I'll make you some cocoa. Are you hungry?"

"Yesss." Alex's teeth chattered as he answered.

Walter turned and entered his kitchen. Throwing his coat over a chair, he put the kettle on first then opened the cabinet to see if he had any cans of soup. Finding nothing there, he opened the freezer and pulled out a small freezer container.

By the time Alex wandered into the kitchen the kettle was whistling. Alex pulled out a chair and sat trying to pull his feet up under him. Walter noticed the gesture as he turned with the cup of cocoa.

"Here drink some of this; I'll get you some socks."

He went back to his room and quickly got a pair of thick wool socks for Alex to wear. When he got back to the kitchen, Alex was sipping at the chocolate.

"Thanks, Walter."

"Here put these on. I have some soup that I can heat for you, or maybe bacon and eggs?"

"Anything will be fine."

Walter reached up and tugged his tie down, removing it and tossing it on the chair with his coat. Getting out of his jacket, he rolled up his sleeves; soup first, to warm him and maybe an omelet to fill him up.

Walter warmed the vegetable soup in the microwave as he made himself a cup of tea. Walter had finished his tea before Alex was through with his soup. Taking his mug to the sink, he glanced at Alex.

"I'm going to put your clothes in to wash, then I'll make us an omelet."

"That sounds good. Thanks again, Walter."

Walter started the washer; adding detergent he allowed it to fill as he emptied Alex's pockets. A money clip with several bills he didn't bother to count, a pocketknife, a cuff link that he recognized as his own – he hadn't even missed it – and a small tube of lip balm.

The jeans went in the washer; he picked up the underwear and tossed them in, then picking up the shirt, he started to pitch it in too and stopped. There were several long tears down the chest and what appeared to be bloodstains.

Hurrying back to the kitchen he urgently asked, "Alex, have you been hurt?"

"I was jumped by a wolf; I fell, hit my head on something, and was knocked out. I'm not sure how long."

Walter reached out to open the front of the shirt Alex had on. Alex looked puzzled, but made no move to stop him. Walter's fingers traced the four ridges of scar tissue down the almost hairless chest.

Alex looked down, a gasp coming from his mouth. "What…but I couldn't have been out long enough for wounds to heal."

"Alex, what's the date?"

"It's June the ah…" Frightened eyes looked into Walter's. "It's not June is it?"

"No, Alex, it's July."

Walter sat abruptly. This was too much. He'd been letting this man-child into his bed for sometime and he'd never before asked him questions about where or how he spent the time when he wasn't there. Now he had to ask.

"Where were you? A month is a lot of time to go missing. Do you remember anything after the wolf jumped on you?"

"I was in Maryland; the car broke down, so I started walking. It was late, but the moon was full; I saw his eyes reflecting the moonlight as he ran toward me. I thought it was a dog so I stood still. Then he jumped and knocked me off my feet."

Walter stood up again to run gentle fingers over Alex's scalp, finding a ridge of scarring there as well. Sitting back down, he took one of Alex's hands in his.

"Okay what is next thing you remember?"

"I woke up and wanted to see you. So I ran until I got here and I waited for you to come home."

"You ran here from somewhere in Maryland?"

"I guess; I don't know."

"I think you need more to eat and then sleep."

Walter stood up and Alex reached for him, wrapping his arms around his waist and putting his head against Walter's stomach. Walter let him hold on, Walter's own hands rubbing down over Alex's back. After a couple of minutes Alex let him go.

Walter went back to the laundry room and picked up the socks, finding traces of blood above each heel. He made up his mind to get Alex in the tub for a good soak and wash before letting him into his bed.

A couple of hours later, he held his now clean Alex against his chest. He had bandaged Alex's heels after finding that they had blistered and then bled. He wanted to sleep but he was too concerned over the man in his arms.

Finally, just before dawn he drifted off. For the next week Alex slept, ate and gradually healed. The two had resumed having sex mid-week. But even that had a different feel to it. Alex would inhale deeply, as though Walter smelled different, better somehow. And he growled, a noise that had never come from his mouth before.

Alex had been there for a week when Walter came home one night to find him waiting naked. He pounced on Walter, growling and nipping at him. Walter had chuckled and led him to the bedroom. He undressed quickly as Alex pulled and tugged at him.

They fell onto the bed together and Alex rolled Walter over. Walter smiled as Alex pressed full length on his body. He could feel Alex's dick pressing against him, seeking entrance.

"Alex, wait we need…"

Alex growled and thrust forward, entering Walter roughly, bringing a gasp from him as the burn and pain spread outward.

"Alex, fuck! That hurts."

Alex was in another universe; he didn't seem to understand what Walter was saying. He rutted and panted above Walter, forcing his body to yield. Walter struggled, trying to get Alex off him, but it just seemed to make Alex pound into him harder.

So he went limp, and as soon as he did Alex's movement slowed, became gentle. Walter's pain was soon replaced with pleasure as Alex's dick found Walter's sensitive places. The hard cock stroking over them again and again soon had Walter whimpering.

Alex pulled them up so that they were kneeling. Clutching Walter's hips, Alex rocked them both as he fucked him for what seemed like hours to Walter. When the moon came through the window Alex threw back his head and howled.

Walter felt the hot come flood him as sharp nails raked blood trails along his hips. Walter's cock picked that moment to erupt, spraying the bed. Alex pulled out of him, allowing him to fall flat on the bed. For several minutes there was only the sound of panting.

The bed shifted, Walter rolled over, getting ready to yell at Alex for being so fucking rough.

The sight that greeted his eyes dried up any words he had been about to say. Alex was gone. Crouched at the foot of his bed, gleaming in the moonlight was the biggest most beautiful wolf he'd ever seen. His fur was black, his eyes green.

Walter slowly reached to turn on the light. The wolf moved forward to lick at the scratches on Walter's hips. Walter watched as the wolf methodically cleaned each of the long lines on the exposed hip. Then the long slender nose nudged at him. He turned the way he was being pushed, only to have the wolf clean the other marks.

Walter felt as if he'd stepped into the Twilight Zone. When the wolf settled down next to him and put his head on Walter's shoulder Walter finally spoke.

"Alex?"

The wolf lifted his head, grinned and licked the side of Walter's face.

"Why do I think that I'm in deep shit here?"

The wolf gave a soft growl, nudged Walter's arm out of the way, curled in closer to him and rested his head on Walter's chest.

Eventually Walter slept, only to wake in the morning with Alex next to him and four perfectly healed scars down each of his hips.

Alex gave him a brilliant smile before kissing him. Yep, he was in deep, but he had no desire to go back.

The end.