Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I just play with 'em and hand 'em back, none the worse for wear.

Author's Notes: This chapter is for Ranger1s, who asked. (Heck, I hadn't heard a peep from anyone since I posted Chapter 7, I didn't think anyone was still reading this ridiculously lengthy tome!)

Story Notes: Highlander/due South crossover, with a cameo here and there from Hellboy, and a few other cameos the sharp-eyed might spot.

SequelTo: Geometry: Chapter 11, Day At The Beach

That evening after Fraser and Ray dropped Marina and Diefenbaker off at the wharf; she coaxed Dief into the tub and gave him a bath, apologizing for the indignity the entire time, then took a thorough shower herself to get rid of the remaining lake water, sand, and wolf fur. Once that was done, Mina toweled her hair dry, threw on jeans and a tank and got back to business.

The last twenty-four hours had been more sheer fun and pure unadulterated happiness than she'd had since her exile, but she had an Immortal to track down and possibly rescue, and a pack of rogue Watchers to track down and possibly kill. If any of the jerks on this detail were on the team that murdered Darius, she might even take a little time and kill them slow. Very slow. The old adage 'if you're captured, never let them give you to the women' would take on a whole new meaning if she got her hands on those bastards.

Ye gods, better not let Ben or Ray ever hear that. Falling for cops did have it's down side, even if they were truly in love with each other, not her. It hadn't escaped Marina that while Ben and Ray had voiced their love for each other, neither had said the same to -or about- her.

Still, Mina reminded herself firmly, take what you have and be grateful for it; don't spoil what you do have by being pissy over what you don't. An Immortal knows better, even a fairly young one. Hell, her century day hadn't been all that long ago, and good friends were hard to come by in any lifetime.

And the search would make for a busy evening, even if she didn't have any real hope of finding Saladin tonight and would have to wait until after nightfall to begin. Chicago was a big city, and with a half-mile range on her ability to sense another Immortal, a grid-pattern search of the whole city would take time. But an air search would be a helluva lot faster than a ground search.

Diefenbaker was up on her bed snoozing as he waited for her to finish dressing, and he'd obviously waited until his fur dried after his bath before hopping up on the bed, as the duvet wasn't damp. Ye gods, she could really learn to like Canadians- even the wolves were polite!

She hadn't anticipated having Dief along tonight, but when Fraser asked Dief to watch over her while they packed up the rest of Ray's apartment that evening, she sure hadn't minded. Truthfully, if she was going hunting, backup was far from being a bad idea. Provided a) Dief didn't mind flying, and b) she could get the wolf to keep his mouth shut about their search... and okay, so it was way past time to c) come clean to her best friend.

"Hey, Dief? You get airsick?"

An answering negative yip.

Thank the gods above and below for that weird, wild, wacky mission all those years ago with the B.P.R.D., the one that left her with a crescent moon mark on the underside of her left wrist that only showed up under the light of a matching crescent moon and the ability to understand some -not all, just a select few- unusually intelligent animals. Mostly whales, dolphins and the odd Siamese cat, at least until she encountered Diefenbaker and fell head over heels in love.

She plunked down on the bed nose to nose with Diefenbaker and his ears. She loved those ears, so alert and responsive even after being silenced, twitching with delight at her lingering caresses.

"I need to tell you a few things, love. Do you want to go hunting with me? Thing is, you can't tell Fraser and Ray, because... well, I'll tell why while we hunt. But if you don't want to keep secrets from them, I understand, and you can hit the third floor and visit Theresa and the other girls while I search. I don't want to force you to keep secrets from your friends if you don't want to."

Diefenbaker growled his displeasure and informed her tartly that they were pack, thank you kindly, and wolves mate for life, and he would run at her side on the hunt until the day he died. She would do the same, would she not?

"Bloody damn right I will! I love you!"

The feeling was mutual. And if she had secrets to keep, so did all humans, and he would carry hers as he carried Fraser's, and Ray's. That being settled, shall they run together now? The moon was rising and if her hunt was not successful tonight, they would try again when the moon rose tomorrow. Forever, if necessary. That was what the pack did, that was what being pack meant.

"I love you, Dief," Marina repeated, burying her face in his neck ruff and hugging him tightly. "I think I would have died of loneliness without you."

Diefenbaker licked her cheek. The wolf knew. He understood. Her pack was sundered and she was alone, but he wanted her and last night his pack had accepted her as one of them, and that was that. And he would prefer 'mate' to 'friend' when they were alone, or among the pack, as the pack would understand even if other humans did not.

She drew back, startled. "Mate? Your mate? Me?"

Diefenbaker cocked his head at her, puzzled. Was there a question about it? He had thrown litters before, yes, but he had never encountered a true mate before her. He was as caught between worlds as she was: not truly wolf, not truly dog, as she was not truly human. But in her, he had found his One. He had chosen. The differences in shape, the fact they could not breed, these did not matter. Hearts and minds mattered. If she so chose, they would run together. Forever.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Diefenbaker..."

Dief licked the ear he could reach thoroughly; counting on the premise that the tickling that amused Ray so -despite his loud complaints- would do the same for her. It did, she laughed and tumbled them sideways, warm and comforting in a rumpled, slightly damp heap. A puppy pile, all tangled limbs and close-pressed flanks.

"You've known all along I wasn't human? I didn't realize."

He knew, he had smelled the differences, smelled the endless turning of the seasons in her blood. He did not care. Humans lived in the past, in the future. Wolves lived in the now. As did she.

"Wow." Marina snuggled closer. "Why didn't you ever say anything before?"

Diefenbaker nuzzled her. Why? Because Fraser and Ray had needed time to know her, time to decide if they wished to accept her into the pack. She needed time to decide if she wished to be pack. Wolves understood patience.

"What if they didn't want me?"

Then he would have forced his two pack-mates to accept that they were the One for each other; and when he knew Fraser and Ray would run together forever, he would have left their pack and he and she would have made a pack of their own. But he much preferred this way. Four of one pack were much stronger than two pairs; stronger in the human world and stronger still in the north world beyond. They made a good pack. Strong. Wild. Proud.

"Are you sure Fraser and Ray want me for the pack?"

He was sure. They were human -they would think about it too much, and fret needlessly- but he knew them better than they knew themselves, and they wanted her for the pack desperately. Wanted her as much for each other as for herself. She was their bridge, the connection they craved but were unable to forge for themselves.

Mina combed her fingers through his ruff, the soft underfur tangling and shedding off onto her palm. "Yeah, I understand that. It's easier for them to love each other when I'm there. Not so scary."

And that was why she was his One. Because of all the females he had encountered, human, wolf or dog, she alone made the pack stronger by her presence, bound them tighter together, instead of pulling them apart. Which was as it should be. Were her heart and mind easier now?

"Yeah. Thanks, Diefenbaker."

Dief opened his jaws and placed his fangs around her bared throat, pressing down, marking her for his own. He loved her. She loved him. Nothing else mattered. And would she like to hunt now, or sleep first and hunt when the moon was high?

"Now, lovemate. Time to seek those who slaughtered my old pack. And if the hunt is successful, it will be time for killing."

See? She was thinking like a wolf already.

Mina chuckled, the sound low and vibrant. "Wait'll you see the kind of wolf I ran with before you, lovemate. Come with me..."

They took a quick detour to the archive room behind the pantry and Marina retrieved her katana -just in case they got really unlucky- and led him down the hallway past the library, past the dojo, through the pool and into the unused portion of the fourth floor. It was mostly open space, empty and echoing, clean, but the wide scarred plank floors were bare. There was another freight elevator on the far end, a large one, with a faded sign the read 'danger- out of order'.

Mina ignored it and put her hand up against the security panel, waited for the palm-scan and when it was accepted, tapped in another 16-digit security code. This security portal would open to no one but her, not even to Methos, the system's designer, and like her wall-safe it required both a thermographic palm-print and a security code. She was taking no chances with what was hidden here. It was too damn dangerous.

Curious, Dief rumbled a question as the doors closed behind them and the elevator sank soundlessly.

"It's one of the reasons I bought the wharf," she explained. "I needed a place to hide it, someplace where I could do aerial takeoffs and landings but not be seen. It took me a while to rig it, and we had to set up some fairly elaborate camouflage, but it works like a dream."

The elevator doors slid open and the smell of lake water filled Dief's nose, other smells, too, the sharp, acrid smell of airplane fuel, and a strangely cold smell he had never scented before. He whined a question as they padded out into a very unusual den.

"It's dry ice, lovemate. Dump it in water and it makes fog as it dissolves. Instant fogbank that leaves no traces, so we can takeoff without being seen."

Interesting. Might he examine this place?

"Sure, it takes a few minutes for the fogbank to build up enough to hide us."

Dief huffed his non-understanding, but from his mate's tone he would understand soon enough, so he was content to explore. Very large, this place, on the same level as the stable for the humans' metal beasts, but the parking level was built on ground, whereas this place was built on the huge wood posts that sank deep into the lake. He could smell the tar and creosote that kept them from rotting. The wooden floors under his paws rang hollow and he sniffed his way around the perimeter, keeping a mindful eye on the open water near the immense bay doors that opened out into the lake.

What was this place intended for, Dief rumbled.

Marina punched a large red button and a faint humming started, followed by several splashes and a much stronger concentration of that strange cold smell like used breath. Mist began to wreathe and eddy around the bottom of the doors that led to the lake.

"It was a dry-dock, originally. When you open those bay doors, you can sail a ship right into the warehouse, winch it up out of the water and work on it. When I was looking at places to buy here in Chicago, the most important consideration was a place to store Airwolf. I realized this would be perfect. In stealth-mode, I can fly Airwolf right up into the building without anyone realizing it. Even if anyone hears something, they think it's just one of the elevated trains going by."

This was important? A secure den for her sky-wolf?

"Very important." Marina walked over to the helicopter and hauled open a door. "You see, lovemate, Airwolf is a secret many humans would kill for, a weapon most humans would use to hurt each other."

Dief growled. And this was why the sky-wolf was part of her pack? That she might protect it from such?

Mina pulled out her flight suit and stepped into it, sliding the sleeves up over her arms and shrugging it into place as she zipped up the front. "Yes. When Airwolf's guardians grew too old for the hunt, they gave it to me to keep."

Because she would never grow too old?

"Yes. And because they knew I'd make sure it was never used to hurt good people, just to hunt down evil ones."

Like he, Fraser and Ray hunted down evil humans?

"Yes. Except sometimes the humans use their laws to protect the evil ones and the good humans can do nothing to stop them?"

Dief growled his agreement and displeasure. It tormented his pack-mates when that happened, made them feel helpless.

"Exactly. Airwolf is made to operate outside those laws, lovemate. Outside all laws, which is why it's is so dangerous, and why no one can know. Which is why I have to ask you to keep it a secret, even from the rest of... our pack. At least for now."

Diefenbaker paced over and nudged her hand. Why did her voice falter when she spoke of the pack? The pack was her strength, not her weakness.

Marina stopped her exterior check of Airwolf's hull and ran a hand over Dief's ears as he moaned his exquisite pleasure at her touch.

"I suppose because I can't believe in my heart Ben and Ray want me as part of the pack. I know you do, but I can't make myself believe they do."

Diefenbaker nuzzled her hand, licking the inside of her wrist. Time would bring her certainty. They would bring her certainty, with the words humans needed when their hearts were too scarred to believe on their own. Fraser and Ray had hearts like hers; she could not be pack if she did not carry those same scars, as they were necessary for understanding.

"I hope so, lovemate... I just can't make myself believe it."

Enough. Time to hunt.

"I love a guy who won't let me mope." Marina dropped to her knees and kissed Dief's nose; stood up and hauled open the cockpit door with a flourish. "Jump in," she invited gaily, "and see how I run when I need to get away from people."

Dief's 'thank you kindly' was such a sly parody of Fraser Mina wished Ray could have heard it- he'd die laughing.

The wolf leaped into the cockpit willingly and began nosing around as Marina jogged over to an ordinary door set into the huge steel doors that faced out over the water. A quick peek outside confirmed a thick mist was rising off the lake water, and the breeze blowing in carried a chill tang, like a cool wind off the lake.

"Perfect." She punched the power button for the door controls and loped back over to the helicopter. Airwolf's hatch closed behind her as Mina dropped into the pilot's seat and started her preflight check. Navigation board hot, infrared and night-augmented scanning up, engine levels perfect, -thank you, Dom!- computer flight systems online, stealth mode up and running; weapons board powered down, thank the gods for that these quiet days... all systems go.

As the rotors started turning, Marina hit the onboard controls for the exterior water doors and they rolled open, making almost no noise, she'd put a lot of time and effort into making this as soundproof, silent and invisible a hiding place as possible.

The faint eddies of mist under the water doors swirled into miniature tornadoes as the helicopter lifted a few feet off the floor and hovered there. When the doors were clear, Mina eased the stick forward and Airwolf slid out of the hangar graceful as a hummingbird. She had to be extra-careful maneuvering in and out of the bay doors, there was only about five feet of clearance on each side and the winds kiting off the lake could make for dicey turbulence. Once she was clear of the doors, she hit the door close sequence, letting them slide shut silently behind the helicopter as she hit the throttle and skated Airwolf out over the surface of the lake.

The feel of skimming over the wave tops, the rotors cutting a flat wake behind them as they shot across the lake, was like coming home. Once they were half a mile out, she hauled back on the stick and felt Airwolf leap for the heavens. Her heart leapt with it and to her surprise, Dief howled in excitement. Marina grinned in delight when she glanced over. The wolf was sitting in the copilot's chair, paws planted on the arm facing her to hold himself steady, and ears -gods, she how loved those ears!- quivering with anticipation, tongue lolling out a wolfy answering grin.

He had never run so fast, the wolf panted. They were outracing the wind! Faster! Faster!

"You want faster, you got it!" Marina crowed. They were out over the lake, the radar showed no nearby aircraft or boats, high-level commercial air traffic was light and they were running under full-stealth... she gave in to temptation and pushed Airwolf full-out. After all, it was good to run the engines flat-out occasionally... The wind-snap as they cracked the sound barrier was a thrilling shudder, and she whooped as the sonic boom rumbled across the empty surface of the lake. Dief howled again and Marina howled along, pitching her howl to match Dief's so they harmonized.

At the velocity they were traveling they'd in Canada in minutes, so she dropped the speed regretfully and swung the helicopter into a slow arc back to Chicago.

Dief rumbled approval, it was all right to exult in the speed and thrill of the hunt but it was time for stalking now. How did a sky-wolf stalk?

"This time I'm going to be doing the stalking. I can feel the presence of another Immortal, lovemate. Like a sound no one else can hear, a prickling along all my senses... we'll just skim quietly over the city and hope I catch a sign. If I get a ping, we mark the location and check it out from the ground tomorrow."

Let them be about it, then.

"Yes, dear," Mina chuckled, wondering once again who really was the alpha in this wolf pack...

***

Back at Ray's apartment, he and Ben were packing, and Ray was talking a mile a minute. Spending the last day and night with Marina had been such a revelation, such a wildly unexpected, mind-blowing erotic joy that Ray was flying high on the rush and loving every minute. Running down temporarily, Ray finished tossing his clothes from the bureau into garbage bags, tied the last one off and flopped down on the stripped bed.

"So whadda you think a' all this, buddy?"

Ray rolled onto his stomach and watched Fraser pack the last of the contents of his closet shelf into boxes, tidy and organized and fitting twice as much into one box as Ray ever could.

"In what respect, Ray?"

Ray rolled his eyes in disgust at his partner's evasion. "Jeez, Frase! Whadda ya think?"

Silently acknowledging the halfhearted evasion, Fraser folded the flaps of the last box closed and sat down on the bare mattress beside Ray, rubbing his eyebrow.

"Truthfully, I feel happy, Ray. A trifle scared, perhaps... but happy."

Ray rolled onto his side, his blue eyes softening. "Yeah, I ken get that, buddy. Pretty scary stuff, bein' in love."

Fraser stiffened. Ray reached out and cautiously laid a hand on the small of Fraser's back.

"Big bad L-word got ya spooked, Ben?"

The feel of Ray's hand against his spine was wonderfully reassuring. A portion of the nervous tension surging through him drained away.

"I... yes, Ray. Badly scared. I don't do well, with... love."

Ray flinched. Hearing Fraser say that, you'd think the poor guy had a mouthful of ground glass in his throat. He watched as Fraser cracked his neck and stared down at his hands, those big, broad, capable hands that Ray was crazy about.

"Take it easy, Frase," Ray soothed, trying to figure how to calm his best friend without that mile-thick Mountie armor going up. If Frase ducked behind that, this conversation was dead in the water and that was not what Ray wanted. He and his partner were about to dive into seriously deep waters here, and given their truly shitty track records, one thing they both needed to know was the other had their back. No matter what...

"Frase, buddy, come on, talk ta me here." Jeez, how to do this? Frase was teetering on the edge of something; Ray could see it. Fraser sure as hell seemed like he was into what they were doing when they were doing it, but...

"Ya havin' second thoughts? Didn't ya... like it? Bein' with Mina?" Ray swallowed hard and bit the bullet. "Or didja not like... bein' with me?"

"No!" The fierce denial ripped out of Fraser so hard Ray surreptitiously checked for blood on his friend's lips. "Don't think that, Ray. Being with you and Marina was..."

Words failed him. For all his vaunted vocabulary he could find nothing that encompassed his feelings, Fraser realized. He had no referents for what happened, no way to articulate how strongly he responded to the staggering level of intimacy and trust Ray and Mina shared freely with him. He craved it like a man dying of thirst craved water- as necessary for life. Denied deep emotional connection all his life, once given access to that connection Fraser was terrified he would lose himself in his desire for it. His disastrous relationship with Victoria was proof enough it could happen.

"Hey, take it easy," Ray soothed. He got some wary when Fraser got wound up like this, his buddy dealt with unstable emotion by walling it off and not dealing with it, which generally resulted in a freakin' meltdown when the pressure got to be too much. Ray figured mind-blowing sex shoulda been a safety valve -it sure was for him- but apparently for Fraser the cure was as dangerous as the problem.

"Frase, what's got ya so scared? Jes' tell me."

Fraser cracked his neck and tried to compose himself. "I am not sure I can articulate it, Ray."

"Jes' take a shot," Ray proposed. "Say it however ya like."

"I want this," Fraser blurted out. "This life with you, with Marina. It's everything I've ever wanted and it terrifies me."

"It scares ya? Why?" Ray ran his hand up Fraser's back and began rubbing small circles on his nearest shoulder. The muscles under his palm stiffened and then reluctantly relaxed a fraction.

"Because..." Fraser swallowed hard. "Having had it, losing it would... destroy me, Ray. You are the closest friend I've ever had in my entire life, Ray. You know me better than anyone, and having been so... close to you... I would have no wish or will to live if I lost you now."

That rocked Ray hard. Fuck, who knew Fraser felt like that about a loser like him? Friends, sure, fuck-buddies, okay, but this? This sounded a lot like commitment-with-a-capital-C, and Ray was all over that, and hell, he knew Fraser well enough to know the Mountie wasn't into temporary liaisons either. Awright, time to be honest. He'd been thinkin' the same damn thing all day about Frase and Mina, maybe the way to talk Fraser down was to let him know he wasn't alone in this. They were partners, always would be. Same duet, just a different tune.

"Kinda funny ya said that, buddy," Ray replied. "'Cause I been thinkin' the same thing all day."

Startled, Fraser turned and stared at his friend. Ray grinned halfheartedly and squeezed the shoulder his hand was resting on.

"Surprised?" Ray shrugged, his expression sheepish. "Ya shouldn't be. Yer the best partner, best friend, ever, Frase. This duet we got goin', it's greatness. Better even then when it was me an' Stella. I don't wanna... I, uh, kinda thought... when you finally got sick a' Chicago and took off fer the Yukon Territories, I was gonna ask ya..." He stalled, embarrassed.

"Ask me what, Ray?" Fraser was staring at him with that unnerving laser-beam focus he used analyzing evidence.

Ray rubbed the back of his head and shifted nervously on the bare mattress. Fraser felt bereft when the hand on his shoulder fell away.

"I was gonna, uh, askyatatakemewithya." Ray spit it all out in a rush as his hand tightened on the mattress fabric so hard the knuckles were white.

Fraser untangled the rush of words and his eyebrows rose in surprise, and he raised a hand and skimmed a knuckle over that risen eyebrow.

"You wish to return to Canada with me?"

"Don't much care where we go," Ray confessed, blushing furiously and looking anywhere but at his partner. "Just so long as we were there together, ya know?"

Fraser had to swallow hard yet again; his throat kept trying to close from all these overwhelming feelings. "You wish to remain with me?"

"Wanna stay yer partner, Ben. Forever." Ray looked at his friend and those gold-flecked blue eyes were naked with longing, silently begging for reassurance. "I know I'm, ya know, damaged an' everything... an' I wrote th' book on bein' a needy fuck, but... I love ya, Frase. Not symbolically or nuthin'. Just... luv ya."

Fraser couldn't speak. Simply couldn't, the breath was frozen in his lungs. Where on God's green earth did Ray get the courage to say these things? To take that terrifying first step? He could never have done it, Fraser thought dazedly. Not ever.

But Ray deserved an answer and his partner always did better with body language than with words, so... Fraser raised a shaking hand and caressed Ray's cheek, feeling the rough scrape of stubble under his palm. Curling his fingers around Ray's jaw, he pulled his partner closer, catching the sudden wild flare of hope in those wonderful blue pupils... he could spend a lifetime drowning in those argent depths. That was the last thought Fraser managed before his lips brushed Ray's and all thought vanished in a rush of feeling. Of need. Of pure and unadulterated joy.

That awfulness tightness in Fraser's throat vanished when Ray's lips opened willingly under his and he murmured, "I love you, Stanley Raymond Kowalski," into that warm wet mouth. Watching Ray's eyes close in ecstasy made Fraser's gut clench with want and his kiss deepened involuntarily, all that hunger tinged his moaned exhalation and Ray responded with outright abandon.

Several minutes later Ray realized the dizzy sensation wasn't just from kissing Fraser, he'd kinda forgotten to breathe for a while there. He and Frase were stretched out together on the mattress, and if there was a better place to be than in a bed with Benton Fraser sprawled all over you, Ray didn't know what it was. Okay, maybe sprawled between Marina and Fraser. And Fraser was touching him, stroking his face and shoulder and arm with one hand and holding Ray's head tight against his shoulder with the other, all the while murmuring endearments in husky-voiced French that dripped sex.

Damn, that turned Ray's crank hard. Ratcheted him right up into overdrive. Who'd a figured Fraser would be interested in his skinny ass when Mina wasn't around? Let alone wanna whisper sweet talk in his ear after telling Ray he loved him. Sure, Fraser loved him -Ray knew that- but in love with him? That was different, way different. This was 'til-death-do-us-part type stuff, cause Fraser didn't do casual sex and neither did Ray. Fuck, as far as Ray was concerned, just show him where to sign...

"Hey, Ben?"

Fraser didn't stop licking the hollow below Ray's ear, but he did murmur, "Yes, Ray?" as calm and focused as if they were working on a case. All that tension had faded away after Ray's wordless acceptance of his declaration and left only a Zen-like serenity and clarity of purpose. For the first time in his life Fraser was perfectly sure he was doing the right thing.

"I love you, Benton Robert Pinsent Fraser," Ray got out with difficulty. What Fraser could do with that tongue oughta qualify it as a lethal weapon, 'cause it sure as fuck was killing Ray. Fraser shuddered and his hands clamped onto Ray's biceps as he rolled over onto his partner, holding him down as Ray arched up against his body.

Serenity fled in the face of wanton desire. Fraser moaned into Ray's throat, rubbing against that long lean body, all those hard muscles under him felt so perfect. So right. His. Ray was his. His partner, his pack, his everything. Fraser licked the hollow under Ray's jaw, mouthing a wet line down the corded muscles in his neck down to his shoulder. Lost in desire Fraser sank his teeth into Ray's triceps, sucking hard, blindly marking his mate, driven to brand Ray with his mouth. The urge to throw back his head and howl in triumph at claiming his love screamed in his mind, in his blood.

Ray moaned back and pushed up, rubbing his erection against Fraser's torso, clamping his hands on Fraser's hips so he could grind harder. He was hard as a rock and being pinned under his partner was fucking great. Ben was gnawing at his neck; biting and holding him down so hard he'd have bruises in the morning. Knowing he'd stripped Ben to his primal self was staggeringly erotic, Ray was gasping for breath and writhing against an alpha wolf lost to everything but the urge to mate.

The last sane thought that drifted through Ray's mind was Jesus H. Christ, Ben was mad with lust for him. For him, Ray Kowalski. Ray was shuddering and shivering with the urge to be taken, to be possessed. He didn't even care how. As long as it was now. Just looking at Ben's eyes, black and wild and hungry and not a single vestige of civilization left, was enough to keep Ray shivering on the verge of coming.

"Fuck, Ben," Ray muttered roughly, half begging, half demanding. "Just take me already."

That snapped Fraser's last bit of control. He snarled and sat up, dragging Ray with him and stripped off Ray's t-shirt and jeans with ruthless efficiency, dropping them wherever they fell. He didn't care about his own clothing; he yanked down the zipper on his jeans, shoved his boxers down around his thighs and fell on Ray again.

Ray. Lean and gold and willing, open and begging for whatever he felt like taking. Spread out beneath him in a wanton sprawl that told Ben without words there was nothing he could want that Ray wouldn't give gladly. It was more than Fraser could stand. His mouth fell on Ray's nipples, sucking hard, grinding his impossibly swollen cock against Ray's pulsing erection. He could hear Ray's pulse thundering in his ears, beating under his mouth, throbbing against his skin; hear Ray's moans of pleasure vibrate against his breastbone. He fumbled for Ray's hands and twined their fingers together, using the grasp to hold Ray down, needing to feel Ray trapped beneath him. Licking his way down those lean ribs, tracing each bone ridge, led him to Ray's bellybutton and Fraser drove his tongue into that divot, fucking Ray's navel with frightening single-mindedness.

The raw sound that surged out of Ray was indescribable. The smell of sex was pouring off Ray, swirling thick and heavy in the air. Ben tracked the source of that scent determinedly; following it down the tiny golden hairs on Ray's belly that led to the springy curls surrounding his cock. Ben buried his nose in that wiry silk and sucked in the smell, letting it fill his head as he rubbed his cheek against the wild combination of soft skin and hard cock. Paradox. It was the essence of Ray. Poet on the inside, fighter on the outside, sharp spiked hair that was so soft to the touch, tough guy attitude juxtaposed with a kind loving heart.

Ben filled his lungs with that scent again and again until it permeated his blood, bubbled in his veins like nitrogen narcosis, made him drunk on Ray. Ben planted his hands on Ray's hips and tormented himself with the feel of Ray's cock against his cheek, rubbing against it with excruciating gentleness. He mouthed it, tasting the skin, the faint salt of sweat under the sharp tang of soap. The first lick started at the base and Ben dragged his tongue all the way from root to tip, listening to Ray's breath hiss out of his lungs. He repeated the action until Ray's cock glistened with moisture. Pearls of pre-come oozed from the head and Ben teased them off the tip with exacting care, never touching the head itself, just pulling each tiny droplet off with his tongue.

Ray was panting, short gasps that carried half articulated words like God and more and please and Ben and love you. The last made Ben suck Ray's cock down in one wet greedy gulp, trying to devour him whole. Ray arched right up off the bed with a strangled howl, thrashing his head back and forth and tearing holes into the mattress with his fingernails to have something to hold onto. Ben sucked that rigid flesh hungrily, swirling his tongue and hollowing his cheeks in his craving, devouring Ray like he'd always wanted to. And he couldn't stop; unable to believe the sweaty sticky hot glorious reality of it until Ray sobbed out his name and came so hard he didn't have any air left to gasp.

Fraser ground his hips against Ray's calf and came right behind him, jerking and spurting all over the mattress and not caring. He'd licked Ray's cooling come off Marina's thighs and loved the way it tasted, but the sheer heat of it firsthand made his brain crash and his body convulse. This was ecstasy, divine heaven on earth and a sharp pleasure all the sweeter for having gone so long unfulfilled. Releasing Ray's cock from the prison of his mouth was only bearable because he knew he could do this again. Ben pillowed his head on Ray's hip and ran an unsteady hand down a sweaty thigh dusted with gold down.

"Ben," Ray rasped out as he reached down and stroked the short dark hair at Ben's nape, reveling in the feel of the plush mink strands.

"Yes, Ray?" Ben murmured, his words husky and thick with obscene self-satisfaction and erotic satiation.

Ray would have shivered if he could have moved. That whiskey-and-honey voice was Benton Fraser stripped down to his elemental self. Primal and gorgeous and holy shit, Ray wanted to fuck him again right now. Unfortunately, moving was out of the question. Even breathing was a stretch. How cool was that?

"We finish packin' in the mornin'," Ray told him groggily, staring up at the ceiling and trying to jumpstart his mindblown brain. Holy Christ, he'd been married for fifteen years and when Stella booted him out Ray figured that was it for his sex life. He didn't do casual sex so hellllooo celibacy not so nice ta meetcha. Instead, he'd had the best sex of his life in the last twenty-four hours. Male and female. What a holy fucking kick in the head that was at thirty-seven...

"As you wish, Ray." Ben leaned over and nuzzled one of Ray's balls, just because he could, rolling the sphere over his tongue and dreamily exploring the texture. Perhaps he should devote a few hours to memorizing the variations of the flavors of Ray. It would, he reflected, be a far more enjoyable study than mud...

"I can't even move," Ray observed, weirdly fascinated by Fraser's absorption with his taste. His muscles felt like liquid Jell-O but his brain still thought Ben nosing around down there was all kinds of hot. "Jeez, Ben, I think my heart stopped fer a minute there." He grinned and chuckled, low and contented. "So yer gonna teach me how ta do that, right? 'Cause Ben, that rocked."

Fraser leaned back and regarded Ray innocently. "As you wish, Ray." His tongue flicked out and moistened his lower lip.

Ray whimpered in pure helpless lust. Oh, Jesus, Fraser was lying between his thighs, looking like a debauched angel off the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and promising him lessons in sucking cock. That kicked off another X-rated train of thought. What else would Ben like to do? He and Stella got pretty experimental with their sex lives during her college and law school years, and the thought of getting fucked by Ben was enough to make his cock jerk hard with renewed interest.

Fraser regarded that twitch, intrigued. "Ray?" he asked innocently, wearing that butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth expression that Ray knew was a total and complete fraud. "What were you thinking just now?"

With a monumental effort, Ray managed to lift his head and grinned lecherously down his torso at Ben. "Ya wanna know what I'm thinkin' after sex? That's a chick question, Fraser-buddy."

"Nonetheless, I am curious."

"Why ya ask?"

Fraser raised his eyebrows. "It was such an intriguing reaction, I would like to ascertain the cause that I might repeat it. If, in fact, I was a causative source."

Ray grinned. "Oh yeah, yer th' cause, buddy."

Ray was teasing him, Fraser realized. He could respond in kind. And what a wonderful realization that was. He trailed a finger along Ray's softening cock. Ray moaned.

"Ray," Fraser murmured against his thigh.

"Yeah, Ben?"

"I must insist on an answer to my question."

"Insist?" Ray's chuckle vibrated against Fraser's forehead, resting against Ray's belly. Whatcha gonna do if I don't?"

Fraser growled under his breath, rolled off the bed and stood up, stripping off his clothes with rough dispatch. Once he was standing naked over Ray, Fraser watched his partner's eyes darken and dilate with lust again.

"I want an answer, Ray," Fraser demanded slowly, licking his lower lip and staring down with eyes hot and hungry already. That first orgasm only took the edge off his hunger. He wanted more, and Ray was irresistible lying spread out, naked and his open, dissolute posture silently telling Fraser there was nothing he couldn't want, couldn't take, couldn't do.

Ray was struggling for breath as sweat started beading on his skin from the heat of Fraser's gaze. Alpha wolf was back. Fuck, Fraser was so unbelievably sexy like that, his uncut cock stirring already while he stared down at Ray like he was in serious danger of being ravaged.

"Ain't talkin', Constable," Ray got out somehow. "Make me." His hips squirmed against the mattress, silently begging for attention. Oh Christ, Fraser's fixated look was more than he could stand. "Make me," he repeated, wanting to push Fraser harder, wanting Fraser to stop staring and touch him. Hard. Urgent. Greedy.

"As you wish," Fraser replied hoarsely, swiping his tongue over his lower lip and leaving it sheened with moisture as he sank down on the bed, kneeling over Ray's golden, welcoming body. He ran his nose across Ray's collarbone from shoulder to shoulder, drawing in Ray's scent and filling his senses with that scent he loved.

Ray moaned. Shivered. Got hard. Shit, he'd gotten off three times already today and he wasn't a teenager any more, how the hell was he already stupid with desire?

"Tell me what you wanted, Ray." Fraser's voice was dark and heavy with lust, dripping sex and primal hunger as that calloused palm slid around Ray's cock. No hesitation, no uncertainty, just inhuman resolution and tenacity. "Tell me what got you hot." His mouth slid down the cut of Ray's chest muscles, tasting the fresh sweat off Ray's skin.

His tongue circled Ray's flat brown nipple and Ray whimpered. All that practice licking stuff gave Fraser a tongue that could scramble your brains. Thank God. Thinking was terrifying. That heavy body holding him down was so good, made him feel so safe, so protected and sheltered and loved. He was more than Ray could stand. All that milky-white skin was hot against his body, impossibly strong muscles pressing him down into the mattress until the fabric felt imbedded in his back.

How much better could it all get? Each time they made love today dug deeper into Ray's guts, twisted him tighter around these two people. He'd never be whole without them again. His life would be barren without this. It was so scary, so hard to let go and know his heart was irretrievably wound around someone else's again. It hurt so much the first time. But he couldn't fight it anymore. He couldn't. Not when it was all he wanted. Ray shut his eyes and let himself freefall, let Ben take control and spiraled down into passion. Into love. Just let go and let himself feel.

"Did you want me to touch you? Suck you?" Fraser hesitated, that heated concentration wavering a moment and then he leaned in close, whispering into Ray's ear as his hand gripped Ray's hip. "Or did you want me to fuck you, Ray?"

It was too much. Hearing Fraser talk dirty in that smutty, hungry dark voice made Ray shiver with longing. His mind was melting down, leaving him a tangle of writhing wants, needy, eager and wanting more than anything to feel Fraser inside him. Wanted it hard. Powerful. Fast. To have Fraser take him. He wanted Fraser coming in him, shaking, shuddering and howling his pleasure while Ray moaned his helplessly.

"Yeah, Ben," Ray whispered in a daze, eyes huge and haunted and hungry and all but black. "Wantcha in me. Let me feel you in me. Make me yours."

Fraser's whole body trembled. "Ray..." he whispered, suddenly stripped bare. Ray was so open under him, arms caressing his sides, Ray's legs winding around his, Ray's hips pushing up against his thighs, Ray's erection rubbing against his slick with sweat and pre-come. Ray wanted this with a passion that Fraser could barely fathom the depths of. Ray wanted him. It devastated Fraser.

"Ray," Fraser muttered, suddenly crushing his partner in a hug fierce and possessive, wanting Ray to know nothing would ever tear him away. Fraser would kill before he would allow anything or anyone to take Ray away. Ever.

Even stupid with lust Ray got it, knew just what Frase was feeling, he'd felt the same way about Stella once upon a time. But Stella never understood him, never understood what he needed. Well fuck that, Ray thought. He knew Fraser, got Fraser way down deep where it mattered.

"Yours," Ray muttered into Fraser's shoulder, his hands skimming down his partner's ribs in soothing strokes. "All yours, as long as you want me, I'm yours. Never leave ya, never. I'm yours, Ben."

"Ray..."

"Sssh, s'alright, 'm here, ain't goin' anywhere."

Ray started kissing Ben, soft nips and nuzzles on his neck and shoulder, quick wet swipes of tongue leaving damp streaks that felt cool in the air-conditioning of Ray's apartment.

Ben's muscles gradually eased out of their frantic clutching grip, Ben's mouth began fumbling for Ray's and fastened over it, nipping and sucking at Ray's exploring tongue.

Ray rumbled satisfaction and settled down to serious necking, learning every square centimeter of Ben's lips and mouth by heart. Christ, but Ben could kiss, that laser-like concentration was so unbelievably hot when it was fixed on him. Ray reached down and twined his fingers through Ben's, coaxing Ben's palm to start gliding over his body. Ben shuddered and followed his lead, loving the sensation of touching Ray where he wanted to be touched.

When his palm brushed over Ray's left nipple Ben whimpered and trailed a wet line down from his mouth to settle over that nipple. Tongued it, learning the taste and texture, learning the subtle variations of skin and the range of sounds Ray made when he nipped the tip, when he circled the areola with wet and breathed a hot breath over it, then a cool puff of air to make it crinkle up into a hard bud.

Ray moaned and eased Ben's hand down to his hip, and Ben pulled it free and wrapped it around the narrow, hard swell of Ray's buttock muscle, squeezing the firm flesh.

"Ray," he husked out, longing to do something he'd only dreamed of.

Ray wiggled around until Ben's hand slipped into the crease of his ass. "Yeah," he panted, squeezing Ben's fingers between his cheeks, "do it, do me, fuck me, Ben. Hard. I wanna feel ya all th' way in me..."

Ben shuddered, all over, gripped in primal lust. Oh yes, he wanted to be in Ray, so deep in him... there were no words for it. Yes.

He moved, focused on his goal now. He flipped Ray over onto his stomach in one quick move, enjoying the long lines and planes of Ray's back, loving the way Ray shuddered and opened for him, legs sliding apart wantonly.

Ben ran his hands down either side of Ray's spine, enjoying the feel of the flat, lean muscle, kneading his buttocks just to hear Ray moan and rub against the mattress pad, just to enjoy the sight of Ray spreading his legs wider, silently begging for more.

He licked his lips and leaning down, pressed a kiss against the base of Ray's spine, settling into a comfortable sprawl between those spread legs. After all, he planned to be here a while, they might as well both be comfortable. And he wanted there to be no artifice about this, no sly teasing, he wanted Ray to know what he was going to do in no uncertain terms, wanted to tease Ray with the thought of being fucked until he was begging for it. Strange a word he could barely speak at the best of times seemed so appropriate here. It was primal, it was mating, it was right.

And so he stroked his hands over Ray's lovely ass, spread his cheeks wide with deliberate strength and licked right over that tight pink furl, hard.

Ray shuddered and moaned, pushing up, but Ben was leading the dance this time, thank you kindly, and he pushed Ray's hips back down and held them there, using his superior weight to pin Ray firmly. He licked again, teasing that opening, slicking it wetly and rubbing the flat of his tongue over it until it began to pulse under his tongue. Ray's hands were fisted in the sheets and he was breathing in short, sharp pants.

Yes, that was delightful, to see Ray subsumed in pleasure he was creating. Ben started circling the opening, dipping his tongue into it a little deeper each time, feeling the pressure of Ray's muscles straining against him. Ben nearly growled in satisfaction, teasing and licking and lapping until Ray settled into a an almost leisurely rhythm of humping the mattress, then without changing the rhythm narrowed his tongue into a point and breached Ray hard with it in one firm penetrating thrust.

Ray strangled out a cry that might have been his name and bucked hard, but Ben had the advantage of weight and position and breached him again, thrusting deeper each time as Ray sobbed his name in breathy gasps.

Ben smiled in pure satisfaction and slid a finger into his mouth, slicking it wet with spit and rubbing circles around Ray's perineum, playing until Ray managed to growl out, "Quit teasing, ya bastard!"

Ben chuckled but allowed his partner this request and slid his finger into Ray; going in past the knuckle on the first try Ray was so eager and open. Ray moaned and pushed back, the muscles flexing and pulling him in deeper. Ben eased his finger back out a little and frowned. He had no intention of hurting Ray, and merely using saliva would prove inadequate in short order. Fraser mentally reviewed the contents of the bathroom medicine cabinet he packed for Ray and realized there was little that would suffice for this purpose.

"Ray, I'm afraid..."

"Bedside table. Bottom drawer," Ray groaned. "Stop an' I'll fuckin' kick ya in th' head, dammit..."

Ben smothered a truly reprehensible smirk with difficulty as he eased free of Ray's body. Really, Ray was so irresistible like this. He leaned over the edge of the bed and explored the drawer in question.

The varied contents made him abruptly revise much of his opinions about what Ray might or might not be willing to try. Good heavens! Stella must be quite a bit more... experimental than her reserved exterior would suggest if these... items were relics of their married life together. Ben struggled briefly with his curiosity and lost, but when he cleared his throat with difficulty and turned to inquire about the provenance of the drawer's contents from his partner, he found Ray lying on his side and smirking so hard Ben knew he'd been set up. And had fallen into the trap completely.

"See somethin' ya wanna try?" Ray teased wickedly, his gaze sparkling with arrant mischief.

Well, Ben could certainly not let Ray think he'd gotten the better of this exchange.

"Several things," Ben replied blandly, reading the labels of the dozen or so tiny bottles of edible lubrication gathering dust in the drawer along with a set of handcuffs padded in soft black suede, a slim, bright blue vibrator shaped like a dolphin, and at least two items he simply could not identify, although the yellow rubber duck was certainly thought-provoking!

With difficulty, Ben restrained himself to examining the tubes of lubricant. They were obviously intended for single-use, and the similarity of the packaging indicated they were probably sold as a multi-pack. What a variety! Clearly he was not conversant with the multitude of sexual aids available today. Then again, when had he ever had a use for such items? Perhaps some clandestine market research was in order... he would have to see about procuring a personal computer for their new home, as his and Ray's positions as law-enforcement officials would necessitate mail-order as their method of purchase. Ben reined in his burgeoning curiosity and told himself he could consider the matter in further detail later; Ray was waiting, and he had several quite tasty options available right now for perusal...

Chocolate, raspberry, mint, banana -ugh, what a lurid shade of yellow- peach, cherry, grape, watermelon, tangerine, blueberry... cinnamon! That would provide a delightful compliment to the already alluring taste of Ray. Decision made.

Ben scooped up the tiny tube and pushed the drawer shut, deliberately not commenting on the other contents, knowing Ray could not fail to start fishing for a reaction. But when Ben turned back his mouth dried up and suddenly coherent thought was exceedingly difficult. Ray was stretched out on his side, one long-fingered hand wrapped around his swollen cock, lazily stroking himself as he stared challengingly at Fraser.

Fraser closed his eyes briefly and swallowed hard. Dear God, how had it taken them so long to get here? How could they ever repay Marina for freeing them to be partners in the truest sense of the word?

"We need to buy her a present," Fraser said hoarsely, reaching out and drawing Ray into his embrace, pressing an unsteady kiss against that wicked, sulky mouth.

"Yeah," Ray agreed, his wet fingers leaving a trail across Ben's hip as he pulled their groins together, rubbing his leaking erection against Ben's rigid one. "She likes jewelry, did ya notice? She's always wearin' somethin' different... weird-lookin', old stuff."

Ray knew precisely what he was talking about without the need for explanation... yet another facet of their partnership to be treasured. Exquisite. Ben snapped the breakaway tip off the tube and dropped the broken nib of plastic blindly on the bedside table as the pungent sweet scent of cinnamon permeated the air. He pulled back long enough to squeeze a glistening line of the substance across his fingers.

Giving in to curiosity, Ben touched the tip of his tongue to the clear gel and sampled the flavor. It was perhaps a trifle sweeter than his personal tastes ran, but when Ray reached out and sucked Fraser's first finger into his mouth, replicating with his mouth what that other deft hand was doing to Fraser's cock, he could do nothing but rasp for air and growl like Diefenbaker.

Ben pulled his hand out of Ray's mouth -what a monumental effort that was!- but slid slick fingers down Ray's side and over the lean muscles of Ray's buttocks. The pulsation of Ray's furl had ceased while he was distracted, but his first finger slid all the way in without difficulty this time, helped along by the slick gel. Fraser felt Ray shove hard against his torso, and pushed in deeper, loving the feel of Ray's erection grinding against his own.

"More," Ray muttered against his neck, riding his thigh rhythmically, the muscles clenching around Ben's finger in the same beat. Even in this Ray was a harmony of graceful movement. Ben slid his finger out, lined a second up against it and let Ray push down on both, letting him control the depth and strength of his own penetration.

But Ray sank down all the way, right against his palm, muttering yeah and more and harder, dammit. Fraser marshaled his wits, recalling passages from the Gay Karma Sutra and several plates from Gray's Anatomy and twisted his fingers, reaching for a rounded, smooth... ah, yes, there.

Ray strangled on an indrawn breath and bit down on Fraser's shoulder, gasping and shivering, eyes wide and wild as Fraser stroked that rounded surface deep inside his body. Panting, shoving himself back against that exploring hand with short, sharp jerks, Ray wound his legs around Ben's waist and tried dizzily to decide which felt better, shoving forward against Fraser's smooth skin and hard cock or pushing back against those way-too-capable fingers. Especially since Fraser was... oh, fuck, what was he doing? Awareness crashed down on Ray- Fraser was scissoring those fingers, stretching him. Getting ready to fuck him. Ray whimpered in sheer, stupid lust and realized this was Ben's show now; any control or rational thought on Ray's part was gone, gone...

Concentrating wholly on Ray's scent, Ray's taste, Ray's gasps and cries and involuntary muscle movements, Fraser knew quite well when Ray gave himself over to his partner's hands. It was almost enough to make him come right there but he ruthlessly suppressed the reaction and drew back a trifle, fumbling one-handed for the tiny tube of gel. Squeezing the thick cool liquid directly on his erection, Fraser used the shock of reaction to back his own intense arousal down to a manageable level as he smoothed the gel over his cock, smearing another dollop over Ray with fingers that shook as he fought to retain control.

Even so when he set the hard head of his cock against Ray's wet, hot opening, the urge to plunge in one fast stroke was overwhelming, Fraser fought it back tooth and nail and as sweat broke out all over his skin in a wet wave, he eased just the head into Ray. Ray's moan of sheer pleasure was nearly his undoing, raw ecstasy and incredible need twined together. Shuddering, he eased deeper into Ray, feeling Ray thrash and moan under his weight, legs tightening around his waist, hands grabbing his forearms hard enough there would be bruises there tomorrow.

This was not the best position for a first time, Fraser thought dazedly, but he needed to see Ray's face, needed to kiss Ray and feel that hard ridge of cock against his stomach. Needed to see the blessed-out rapture he was causing his partner. When after an eternity he was all the way inside Ray, he rested a minute, struggling for breath, for control.

"Ben," Ray breathed, hoarse and hungry.

"Yes, Ray?" Control, control, he would not rut at Ray like an animal...

"Now."

"God, yes," Fraser gasped and slid out, slid in, feeling Ray's body protest his withdrawal and welcome his return with every thrust. More power, more speed, a fraction more each time, as Ray's body accustomed itself to the intrusion until they were moving together in hard, fast, pistoning movements. It didn't last long enough, that perfection of moving together, the heat and the friction and sheer stunning knowledge they were finally fucking brought them rushing to climax in a headlong freefall.

Ray's legs tightened with crushing strength around his waist, Ben sank his teeth into Ray's shoulder as Ray convulsed and came hard all over his stomach but he was so close, so focused on Ray that Ben felt his release like it was his own and came too, driving into Ray's ass and holding him tight against his body as liquid white heat burned from him into Ray...

Ben collapsed as the last trembling shudder wrenched out of his skin, leaving him wringing wet with sweat and sticky with Ray's come from groin to chest. Ray's arms were holding him close in a firm grip that Fraser knew was precisely the way Ray would hold him every night for the rest of his life. It was bliss.

"I love you, Ray," Ben murmured into his partner's sweaty neck.

A low, satisfied chuckle was his answer. "And I you, Ben... yeah..."

* * *

High above Chicago, bored with dodging police helicopters, after several fruitless hours of searching both Marina and Dief were startled when they got a ping. But what shocked Marina was Dief obviously felt the buzz too. His ears snapped up and his hackles bristled as Mina felt the familiar prickle along her skin, the peculiar ringing sound no one but another Immortal would hear. She checked the location and started circling the area; they were down by the warehouse district on the fringes of the projects. Irrelevantly Mina wished the Watchers had a way of recording the individual variations of Immortals, while she could distinguish the difference between Methos, Connor and Duncan, the hum off a strange Immortal was just that- a hum. She could feel him or her but had no way of telling who it was.

"I want radar fingerprinting for Immortals," Mina grumbled. A stray thought hit her. "Dief, love?"

The wolf swiveled towards her.

"How do wolves distinguish individuals? By smell? Dolphins use sound -clicks and whistles- and echo location, do wolves have an equivalent?"

Diefenbaker laid his ears back in surprise. She was asking him this?

Puzzled, she nodded as she narrowed the search pattern, narrowing the location down to a few city blocks before starting a tighter sweep.

"Sure, why not?"

Benton and Ray rarely asked such questions; he was rather unused to it.

"Men," she sighed. "Gotta kick 'em in the head to make them see."

Dief huffed a sly laugh. Did she have such a low opinion of the male of her species?

"Not without good reason," she chuckled. "And our packmates are better about it than most, lovemate."

Dief rumbled in approval and stretching, swiped a quick lick over her neck just below her ear. She could call him that more often.

"You got it." She triangulated the last vibe on the grid map and marked the spot, and checked the time tick. "Crap. It's almost three in the morning, love. Let's call it a night. We'll take a look there on Monday... I doubt we'll have time to check it out tomorrow. I've got a Sunday lecture at the University that'll eat up most of my day, and Ben and Ray are moving in. Can you stay with me Monday without making Ben and Ray suspicious? I'd like you to come with when I check it out."

Dief rumbled assent. He would do so. He did not like her hunting alone. Not when she was tracking such dangerous prey. Marina reached and ruffled his ears.

"Don't know how I got along without you, lovemate."

Poorly, he imagined.

"True enough!" Laughing, Mina turned Airwolf towards home. "So how do wolves recognize each other?"

Diefenbaker settled down into the copilot's seat and began explaining the mechanics -and intricacies- of pack hierarchy as they flew through the night, the city lights spread out below glimmering like inverted stars.

* * *