Surprisingly, after David allowed Crissa to caress the soft fur on his head, and before she could more affectionately stroke the thick coat of his back, he rose onto his four wolf feet and shyly stepped away from her. In his beautiful eyes she could see he was conflicted by their meeting—somewhere between human and animal. He slowly and silently walked back to the entryway of the living room. And there, before passing through it on his way out the front door, he turned and looked at her once more. It was a longer, more insightful stare, as if saying to her, "It's necessary I leave you now, Crissa. Be patient. Trust me and accept my ways"
Crissa rose and went quickly to the living room. She stood at the open front door, watching him run wildly and gracefully in the direction of the nearby forest. Though she was disappointed to not spend more time with him—to feel and better understand his mind while in his rarefied state, she now totally understood it. His eagerness to not dwell long with her. It was about their union not being natural in their opposing states—wolf and human. She realized he was thinking both as a wolf and a man at that memorable moment. But mostly as a wolf. Perhaps there were feelings and actions in his instinctive apparatus, for which he was tapping into now, that would not permit him to employ his awareness and sensibilities as an incomplete man. Yet, the fact that he came to her; allowed her to touch him affectionately; and leaned warmly against her, said so much to Crissa and how he would be behaving under the effects of the full moon.
Before leaving the cabin, Crissa filled the bowl of water for him and raked together, as best she could, the half-eaten food strewn on the floor. Most of it, he had not even touched. What would he eat, she wondered? The thought disturbed her somewhat as she walked back to Diane's car.
* * *
"So Crissa! Sit down! I have to hear about your summer," Diane beamed across her real estate office desk. "It had to be great."
Crissa laid the car keys on Diane's glass-top and sat uncomfortably in the chair across from her.
"Well, it was interesting . . . Complicated, I'd have to say."
Crissa could see from her comment a string of questions were building up behind her friend's usual cheery but now perplexed face. It was an expression that begged more—none of which she wanted to give, nor had the time to answer.
"Complicated, as in difficult?" Diane asked.
"Oh, you know. A summer romance. . . And well, knowing me . . . just all new territory, there."
"Oh my gosh! Our little Crissa is growing up!"
Diane's usual elated expression delightfully returned.
Crissa blushed a bit. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Some guy you met there?
"Well, sort of. He's from Alaska, actually?
"Alaska? American?"
"Yes. I know. But he's sweet."
"Now we have to discuss this more, little sister . . . How about. . ."
"I promise we'll get together soon, Dee. I also want to hear how you got this job. How it's going."
"Love it all! Being out of school is like heaven, Crissa. I'll be getting my own apartment soon."
"That is so cool. For me, it's just back to the books."
"Yeah, but dorm life, right?"
"Yup."
"Could be fun, though. Roommate?"
"Yeah, she's nice. California girl. Former cheerleader. The whole social package."
"Oh, my gosh, Crissa! You're definitely going to have fun, then."
"We'll see. It's all just too new right now.
Crissa stood up and looked back outside at the street where she would have to catch a taxi.
"Look, Diane, I actually have to meet with a professor this afternoon. Back on campus. I'm trying to waive a first year biology class."
"Well. I guess so. You were a straight A student, Crissa."
"OK. But university's very different, I see. It's not going to be easy."
Diane stood up from behind her desk.
"So everything was OK with the car today?"
"Perfect, Diane. I owe you a lunch sometime. And we'll definitely have that talk, I promise."
"Great, sweetie! I'll be waiting. Give me a call soon, OK"
"I will."
Crissa stepped over to give her friend a quick hug. She then went out of the office onto the boulevard to grab a taxi and return across town to the peninsula's end.
* * *
When Crissa got back to the dorm it was already 4:30 in the afternoon and she had actually promised Trisha she would join her in her aerobics class at 5:00. Reluctantly, she went up to her room in a rush carrying the bag she had brought from home containing her work-out clothes and shoes.
"Hey! You made it," Trisha said, already wearing a new set of tight-fitting exercise clothing, this time of a different color scheme. "You still feel like the class?"
"Sure, Trish. I've just had a difficult day. Getting some things from home and stopping by to see a high school friend."
"Great. We still have time. The gym's not far."
"Hang on," she said, running into the bathroom with her clothes. She came out wearing a pair of light green gym shorts, white knee socks, worn trainers and a cotton T-shirt with "Cougars"—the name of her high school sports team on it.
Trish smiled at her, amused.
"What?" Crissa said, self-consciously, pulling tightly across her front the wrinkled T-shirt.
"That's cute! Were you on a sports team at your school?"
"Me? No way. We just wore this outfit during gym class. It's really all I . . ."
"It's perfect, Crissa. Don't worry. I like the little cat."
She was referring to the growling animal as an insignia, emblazoned on the Tshirt.
"It's a cougar," she said correcting her.
"Like . . . a mountain lion?"
"Yeah exactly."
"Wow. Do you have those up here? In Canada?"
Yeah, we do," Crissa said, grabbing her book bag with a towel and her campus ID card thrown into it.
"So. I'm ready!"
"Because . . . well, I know you have . . . wolves up here." Trisha said this emphatically as they both descended the stairway. "And I guess they can be pretty dangerous . . . Right?"
Crissa felt her mouth suddenly become dry.
"They can be. Yes."
"Well, I'll keep that in mind," Trisha responded laughingly, while the two began to walk toward the sports center.
"But they're also . . . pretty amazing creatures," Crissa offered in defense. The words seemed to fall out of her, unrequested.
"Well. You should know, I guess. . . You've studied them right?"
Crissa continued to walk with her head down—disturbed and deep in thought.
"You might say . . . I still am," she added under her breath.
* * *