But one fateful night spent with a stranger in a hotel room changed her life irrevocably.

  (Small Fry Chapter 8)

          Sitting here in the attic, I could feel the cold seep through the cracks.  I sensed it was getting late without looking at the time.  I wasn’t wearing a watch and I couldn’t see any clocks however, I felt the darkness approach by the chilled air dropping further below freezing.

          I staved off the cold by keeping the top of my woollen jumper over my nose, as well as the sleeves over my hands.  But I couldn’t stop reading Jessica Riverclaw’s words, I found her story engrossing.  The similarities yet differences in our lives, were fascinating. 

          I must admit, sometimes my head can get lodged up my arse, with my supernatural differences as the Last Circulator and first female Lokoti Werewolf.  So it was nice seeing outside the square I live in, by reading about somebody else's problems.

          Jessica had been an everyday human, with her own career, friends and a life, before she met Flint Riverclaw.  But one fateful night spent with a stranger in a hotel room, changed her life irrevocably.  Sure, she kicked up a fuss at first, then the 1990’s career woman simply did what had to be done.  So did Flint Riverclaw. 

          I could guess what the pack thought at the time, by bringing in an outsider.  But Flint’s best friend John Wisetail and his family, simply made the best of the situation.  They welcomed Jessica with open arms, which helped smooth over the rough edges of her transition.

          When Flint learned that his diabetic wife couldn’t have more children, did he curse the heavens above?  Nope!  Instead, he counted his blessings that his wife and baby were alive.  I could tell he would have cherished both for the time they were with him.  What made the story of my ancestors a sad one, was that Flint ended up outliving them both.

          I remember the stories told by my grandfather Emanuel Riverclaw, whom had been Flint's grandson.  Towards the end, Jessica widowed Flint, dying from a diabetes related illness when she was 59 years old.  Before she died, she'd been made a grandmother by her son David mating with Clara Winter.  Flint would have been 105 years old at the time of his mate’s death, although he would have had the appearance of a man in his fifties.  True to Lokoti Werewolf behaviour, he didn't take a second mate after the death of his first.  

          Sadder still, David Riverclaw died at the age of 32, when he saved his son from getting hit by a logging truck.  So Clara moved in with Flint, to have his help with raising her son who went through the change after his father's death.  At the age of 18, Grandfather married my Gran and Flint stayed on, to help raise my mother and uncle, as she prepared the tribe for the oncoming war.  It was thanks to Gran's foresight as a Circulator, which ensured the tribe became self-sufficient whilst the outside world was in chaos.  It was shortly after World War Three, Flint Riverclaw was murdered by looters in 2063, which he and the pack fought to keep off tribal lands.  

          I was holding history in my hands... the actual lives of people who were served with bad luck however, they lived in love.  Did they mope and sulk?  Well, maybe for a little while, but they climbed back onto the metaphorical bike and pedalled on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For over two centuries, my body, heart and mind had been his and nothing but his.

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

I watched his departure and felt guilty that after 273 years of marriage, the pregnancy made him question whether or not, I still loved him. 

We seemed to be at an impasse... Declan wanted things to remain the same whereas I welcomed the changes.

I believed him when he spoke of his bloodlust-fuelled jealousy at the baby encroaching on what he saw as ‘his territory’. 

For over two centuries, my body, heart and mind had been his and nothing but his.  Whenever he felt this was drifting, he would act like the anchor to pull me back in, by yelling or acting out for more attention.  If something else threatened our marriage, like the attacks by European Vampires, Voodoo Witch Doctors, or even other European Werewolves, trying to take what was his?  He would indulge his bloodlust, by removing the threat in a bloody rampage.  

However, with this baby issue, I sensed his bloodlust wanted to attack the threat to his territory, but he couldn’t because it would injure me.  Then with his role of Second, he was caught in the middle of my family.   He was honour-bound to follow our First, which forced him to obey not only the pack, but also the tribe.

Disheartened, I left the cold air outside for the warmer atmosphere of inside. 

In the fire place, the last couple of logs were slowly burning away with the tiny flames licking at the charred wood. 

Wearily, I sat against the metal safety gauze which felt nice and warm.  My mate always kept a fire going in winter even if we had central heating.  He knew I liked to sit close to it, if I wasn’t sitting close to him instead. 

I’m 297 years old and right now, I truly felt my age.  Less than two months ago I nearly lost my husband to old age.  Now he claims pregnancy instead of death, is tearing us apart.  As a Lokoti Werewolf, my biological bond to my European Werewolf mate, wanted to let out a mournful howl at the distance growing between us. 

Oh Mum, oh Dad, oh Gran and oh Grandfather… how I miss you all.  I could really use your words of wisdom, right now.  If it wasn’t for this pregnancy, we could be with you, inside the space time continuum.  Instead, I sat alone in my quiet house, as I glanced around the living room, with its bits and pieces of family memorabilia. 

Next, my eyes wandered over to my small wooden staircase.  Those stairs led to the upper part of the house.  In the upstairs hallway, is the attic hatch.  In the attic, sat boxes and the trunk full of family history, including the diaries.

Hmm… I may not have my mother or grandmother here, but I had the words of my great, great grandmother. 

I stood up and left the warm spot by the fireplace and headed upstairs.  In the small hallway, I pulled the chord to open the attic hatch, with the ladder unfolding before me.  I climbed up into the cold, dusty, small space and pulled the other chord, for the attic light.

Then I headed over to the red trunk, opened it, pulled out one of the diaries and sat back down, on top. 

To encourage the central heating to follow me up, I left the hatch open.  But it was so cold up here, I had to pull the sleeves of my jumper down over my hands to keep warm.  Then like a native of Alaska, I pulled up the top of my jumper over the bottom half of my face, to keep my nose warm. 

Like this, I opened the diary and looked upon the pages which had turned yellow with time.  The handwriting which was written in blue biro now looked a little green.   There were spots of mould on the edges, as well as one or two water marks, but it was still readable. 

The first thing I saw, was the name at the beginning of the diary; Jessica Tandy.  She had been the mate of Flint Riverclaw, the Lokoti Werewolf in the family where my glowing turquoise eyes came from.  They were the couple in that framed photo I saw.

When I turned to the next page, I saw an old and faded photo was stuck down with sticky tape.  It was a picture of a slim, blonde woman, posing next to an overweight one with short, dark hair.  They looked like they were standing in a city somewhere, which could have been Seattle by the skyline.  Written below was, JESS & CHRIS 1999 AND FRIENDS TO THE END. 

I noticed by flicking through the pages, there were several more photos throughout the book. 

The last photo on the last page had the friends posing with a ten year old boy, standing between them.  The three were standing on a large, wooden veranda outside of a familiar looking, log cabin.  Then I realized why it rang a bell, it was my grandparents old house!  It looked so different, being one story instead of two.  Now, it was the house that the widowed Forrest and Caesar Riverclaw, lived in. 

Upon closer inspection, the ten year old boy in the photo looked half Lokoti by his long, straight, black hair, but he had his mother’s blue eyes.  I read the scribble at the bottom of this picture; CHRIS, JESS & DAVID, 2010.  It would have been Flint Riverclaw who took this photo of his son, wife and her friend. 

I went back to the beginning of the diary, to read the first entry which was dated the year 1999... the end of the 20^th Century.   But looking at their fashion, it wasn’t really that different to the 24^th Century.  Many Lokoti including my mate and I, still liked to wear flannel, denim or suede, because they were hardy and warm.  I had to smile to myself at how the Lokoti lived, like we existed in our own little world, whilst following the old ways.

I gave a quick stretch, before snuggling deeper into my white, woollen jumper and then I began to read…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched him expand into his huge, hulking, hairless European Werewolf body.

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

I watched him expand into his huge, hulking, hairless European Werewolf body.  His hands and feet grew into claws, which left heavy imprints in the snow, as his skin hardened into hide over ripples of supernatural muscle.  His bones creaked and cracked, as his bipedal human body adjusted to a four-legged form, with his skull growing a short, stubby snout over razor-sharp jaws.  His eyes were glowing green with his circular pupils turning into narrow slits.

He fell forwards from standing in an upright position on his hind legs, to all-fours.  But before he could run away, I instantaneously phased to stand directly in his path.   I appeared in a bright flash right in front of him.

“Declan!” I cupped his beastly head in the both of my hands.  My dark blue eyes desperately tried to hold his glowing green ones.  “Declan please, let’s just talk about this.”

He snapped his dangerous jaws to try to make me move aside, but I refused to budge. 

NOT NOW! - he thought my way.

“I’m not going to pack my bags and leave.  You just scare me sometimes, especially when I see your behaviour is the same as your kind.  But ultimately I trust you, I do.”

LIKEWISE, B - He emitted a dissatisfied growl, as he replied –YOUR ONE-TRACK MIND DOESN’T JUST SCARE ME, IT PISSES ME OFF!

“Then let’s talk about this -” I tried again. 

But he rose up onto his hind legs so he could tower over his wife.  Like this, he was almost twice my height and three times as wide.  However, I stood my ground, as I looked upon his monstrous appearance.

ADMIT IT, IF YOU EVER HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ME AND THE BABY – he thought bitterly –  I WOULDN’T GET A SECOND GLANCE!

“No…” my eyes watered from my emotional pain as well as the icy air, “…Declan, you’re my mate always and forever.”

THAT’S SUPPOSEDLY WHY YOU CHANGED ME INTO A CIRCULATOR, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SIGN OF THIS! – he let out a vicious snarl.

“Then lets go inside and talk about this properly.”  I pleaded, as I started to shiver.  “C’mon Declan, please?”

This gave him pause when he saw me rub my arms to stave off hypothermia.

He picked me up in his two front claws, to lift me into a tight embrace.  I appreciated being squeezed against his hot, hard body, whilst I struggled to wrap my arms about his huge, hulking shoulders.  His hot, wet tongue even licked my stinging cheeks.  But just as I was starting to warm up, he lowered me to my feet again.

GO INSIDE AND SIT BY THE FIRE – he left as his parting thought.

Suddenly, in the speed of light, he bolted off on all-fours out of the snowy yard.  I barely managed to catch a bush quake, from where he brushed past.  The snow sprinkled off the leaves to join the rest on the ground beside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You saw what other male European Werewolves were like and you immediately cowered from me.”

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

It wasn’t long afterwards I instantaneously phased the three of us back to tribal lands.  Ki picked up his medicine bundle he had left in our lounge area, as Declan crossed his arms and glared at him.  I wasn’t sure why at first, but I soon found out. 

“I suppose you’re going to give Caesar the news of what you saw in the Viewing Room today?”  My husband asked knowingly.

Ki paused on his way out the front door, to look his way.  “Yes, I’ll be stopping by Caesar’s house on my way home.”

“Isn’t that just peachy,” he grumbled.

“What’s wrong?”  I queried, looking from my husband to our Medicine Man.  “Why do you have to tell Caesar what you saw?”

Ki looked from me, to my husband then back my way.  “He’s not only our First, but he’s your family, Aunt B.  After our check-ups, I give him updates of both the mother and baby’s progress.”

“What?” I looked taken aback.  “Doesn’t privacy or confidentiality mean anything around here?!”

“YOU’RE pissed off?”  Declan arched his eyebrows.  “I’m the one who’s about to be branded a baby killer!”

This made me feel bad as I sensed my mate was starting to feel like he was being punished for a crime he hadn’t committed.  It seemed like we were taking one step forwards then two steps back, with this pregnancy.  Having so many people involved let alone the parents-to-be, only made things worse.

“Ki,” I walked up to him, so I could look him right in the eye as I said this. “I DON’T have any bad feelings about this pregnancy.  Also, I don’t have any warning feelings that I’m in danger from Declan, either.  So can you please stop running to Caesar and blabbing about us?!”

I could see my words affected him as he momentarily looked on, guiltily.

“I’m sorry Aunt B, but I’ve been given a direct order from my First to tell him everything that occurs with this pregnancy.”  He said softly, before he passed my mate a knowing look.  “Uncle Declan appreciates this, especially since he’s Second.  When our First gives an order, we follow it.”

The two exchanged a long look, before my mate said, “Let Ki go.”

Then our Medicine Man along with his medicine bundle departed via the front door.  I watched him go before I looked defeated, towards my mate.

“How come every time I speak up in your defence, you side with the pack over your wife?”  I asked, hurt.

“Then how come you side with the baby over your husband?”  He returned.  “You saw what other male European Werewolves were like and you immediately cowered from me.  B, you looked at me today like I was a monster, when all I’ve done was try to keep you safe.”

I marched over to where he was standing so our eyes could clash, as well as our words. 

“Declan, I got scared because I saw you do exactly what those other male European Werewolves did; you tried to eliminate your young!”

“No B, I tried to protect my mate.”  He said firmly.  “If I was acting like the males of my species, I would have knocked you up and disappeared.  Then I’d come back after the baby was born and I wouldn't care if you lived or died, when I came to eliminate my young!”

We stood there in a tense manner, with the both of us so angry, neither of us could back down.  Or so I thought, until after a moment he abruptly turned around.  He walked towards the backdoor whilst undressing.

“What are you doing?” I watched warily.

“I’m going hunting,” he spoke as he stripped.  “I’m so angry right now, I have to tear into something!” 

“Hunting?”  I echoed.

“While I’m gone, I’m sure you’re going to pack your bags and run away as usual.  Right now, I’m so sick of this pregnancy that I wouldn't care if I returned to an empty house!”

“Declan -” I started after him, but he flung open the door and stepped naked, out into the snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I swear by the Lokoti Wolf, this has to be the most difficult pregnancy yet, I’ve had to oversee.”

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

The Medicine Man looked on in alarm, as he kept a protective hand on my shoulder.  Poor Ki, he was probably wishing we were home right now, so he had the back up of the other Lokoti Werewolves.  In fact, so was I.

Declan stood up angrily as he growled out, “But as usual, I hold myself back.  For you B, I continue to hunt animal and not human.  For you B, I’m letting you keep this child.  For you B, I’ll allow this child to live.  So don’t go all ‘dingo ate my baby’ on me!”

With that, he spun on his heel and stalked off down the corridor.  We watched him depart, before Ki collapsed exhausted, beside on the floor.  He too leaned against the wall as he let out a weary sigh.

He admitted, “I swear by the Lokoti Wolf, this has to be the most difficult pregnancy yet, I’ve had to oversee.” 

My heart pounded and I said vacantly, “You’re telling me...?”

“The most difficult pregnancy for the tribe’s most argumentative couple,” he shook his head.

“Thanks a lot!” 

“Aunt B, have you or Uncle Dec, ever considered relationship counselling?” He passed a tired look.  

“Oh sure!”  I scoffed.  “I can imagine our sessions now with the non-Lokoti counsellor.  Yes, Werewolves exist and yes, we’ve been married for nearly three centuries.  However, getting knocked up has affected our relationship.”

“It doesn’t have to be with a non-Lokoti counsellor off tribal lands.”  Ki shrugged.  “You could go to one of those marriage groups the Tribal Elders hold now and again in the Meeting Hall.”

“Oh yeah, I can see Declan now; sitting there, growling under his breath and scaring away the other couples.”  I snickered.

“Sometimes I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking.  His mood swings thanks to his bloodlust-fuelled temper, are volatile enough.  Then you walk into the room and it’s like throwing petrol onto a fire.  Tell me Aunt B, with all of your fighting, how do you usually work things out?”  He wondered.

“Well…” I wondered how to put it politely, “…make-up sex.”

“I see,” his eyebrows rose. “I suppose that would be typical in a marriage with two Werewolves, let alone one with a European Werewolf.”

“He’s usually not this bad,” I tried to apologise. “But this pregnancy has really thrown him.  We were supposed to evolve to the space time continuum, but that’s been put on hold.  Declan’s not only the father of my child, he’s the man I pictured spending eternity with.  So if he’s not up to fatherhood, I’m screwed.”

“Now you do sound like a Lokoti Werewolf,” he smirked, “the biological bonding between Werewolf and mate.”

“Man it sucks!”  I huffed, as I crossed my arms.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he passed a cheeky grin. “Jenny and I are still enjoying the physical side effects.”

“Shut up!”  I gave him a shove.

“Hey, that hurt!  Watch it with your new strength.”  He chuckled, as he rubbed his arm.  “I think I preferred it when you were hyperventilating.”

Then we both took a deep breath, held it and let it out as a loud sigh, as we stared back into the Viewing Room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“From 1000 BC to 2363 AD, there’s less than a hundred cases, of both European Werewolf mother and European Werewolf child surviving?”

(Small Fry Chapter 4)

“I just can’t believe it...” Ki looked like he was still in shock, “…I’ve never come across a species that would seem so – so – so programmed, to destroy itself by means of sexual reproduction.  I mean, the mortality rate for both mother and young, it’s astronomical!  I thought the European Werewolf lust was so strong, because it was to ensure its species survival?  But it appears to be another method to kill.”

“OK, give me some statistics here.”  I prepared myself for what was ahead.  “What happened in the cases of Roberta and Marcus, as well as Michelle and Leo?  Were they ever pregnant?  Did they go through labour?  Did children occur?”

“Roberta and Michelle were impregnated dozens of times.  But Marcus and Leo, used the method I wanted to use on you to end the pregnancy each time.”  Declan spoke in a low voice, with his back turned.

“Since 1000 BC, there have been billions of instances of female European Werewolves being impregnated.  But actually going through with the pregnancy, drops to a third.  Or, surviving the pregnancy, it drops to a third again.  Then the infant Werewolf reaching maturity, drops to another third.  So we went to something like less than a hundred times, of both the mother and child surviving procreation.”  Ki prattled off with wide eyes.

“Less than a hundred...?”  I gaped.  “From 1000 BC to 2363 AD, there’s less than a hundred cases, of both European Werewolf mother and European Werewolf child surviving?”

“Correct,” our Medicine Man rubbed his face again, from stress.  “I won’t even tell you what happened to the human mothers, which were impregnated by a male European Werewolf.”

“Dead every time?”  I guessed.

“Correct,” he repeated, whist staring at the floor.

“I thought human women wouldn’t survive the experience of being with a male European Werewolf, anyway.”  I looked on, blankly.

“From what we saw, eighty percent of the time they didn’t.”  His face paled, before he shook his head.  “Amazing…it’s like even European Werewolf sexual organs have the bloodlust.  Instead of reproducing, they kill.”

“So as I always thought, most European Werewolves are created by bite or blood transference, rather than sex.”  I summed up.

“Yes.”  He said stiffly.

“Well, it kinda makes sense.” I tried to put it objectively.  “The different breeds were primarily created from the prey that survived an attack by the First Werewolf.”

“All except Lokoti Werewolves,” he added on.  "We’re the only breed NOT descended from the First Werewolf.  We were created from the biological and spiritual convergence of Lokoti Wolf and human.”

“You never know,” I tried to joke, “the changed prey ended up reproducing with members of the canidae family, which includes wolves.”

Our Medicine Man’s face fell, “That’s not even funny, Aunt B.  Allow me to remind you that a Lokoti Werewolf has NEVER lost a mate in childbirth.”

Declan snarled in displeasure at our conversation, as he turned around and stormed off down the corridor.  I remained in my seat and watched him go, as I sensed he had to walk this off.  Right now, he was feeling angry and embarrassed of his breed’s family history.

I turned back to Ki, “What about the male European Werewolves who impregnated the female; did any remain through the pregnancy?  You said Declan was stronger because of it, what about them?”

“Um, we didn’t really see what happened to the males.”  He mused.  “The presentation was centred on females through the pregnancy or the birth.  Often, they were alone without the father with them.”

“C’mon,” I stood up, “let’s do some more research.”

“Just give me a minute,” he faltered.  “I’m still getting over the last history lesson on the fate of the females.”

“I’ll start on the search parameters and I’ll meet you in the Viewing Room.”  I organized, before I headed that way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Small Fry Part Two

Cover Design by Isabel de Sequera

Cover Photo by Nina Ackerman

Lucia becomes an older sister as B and Declan delight in their domestic bliss.  However, raising half-breeds and training them not to hunt human is nothing compared to being hunted themselves.  Whereas the parents and the pack prove willing and able to fight, B's visions as a 'Light Person' are darkened by what looms ahead. 

The Lokoti National Park turns into a battle ground, as the warfare of fang vs. claw takes place.  Friends and family members are lost and the tribe is changed forever.  After the grief, further tragedy strikes with the arrival of B and Declan's third daughter.  Although it seems Declan's nightmares have come true, B's real strength shines through. 

Will be available from 24 December 2014 at 

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, Smashwords, Oyster & Scribd 

I glared back, “Because this baby is half Lokoti Werewolf, so she’s got my genes too.”

(Small Fry Chapter 4)

“OK, lets talk about this.”  I sighed, as I put down my empty mug.  “Let’s get everything out into the open and deal with it now, so we can just move on.”

“Maybe we should,” Ki said flatly, “preparations are certainly going to need to be made.”

“Instead of panicking and crying out, ‘oh my god we’re all going to die’, let’s review the first fact that I obviously live through this pregnancy.  The second fact is, I will be having girls.”  I looked up at Declan, thinking this would make him feel better.  “The third fact, what you just saw in there happened to OTHER females.  It’s not going to happen to me.”

“How can you be so sure, B?!”  My mate whirled around in anger. “I just saw female European Werewolves die in childbirth, women with twice your strength!”

“Was the male European Werewolf who knocked them up, with them?”  I asked knowingly.

“No -” he began, but I cut him off.

“Were any werewolves male or female, around to share their blood with the injured mother?”  I asked again.

“No, usually the mothers were alone and gave birth in hiding.”  He answered.

“So there you go.” I said simply.  “I’m not going to have this baby alone, so if I need blood, I’m sure my mate or pack will back me up.”

Ki spoke distantly, “The female European Werewolves weren’t just impregnated by the males of their species, but also by humans.  However, their babies still developed as full-blooded European Werewolves.  We saw a couple of images of the baby, morphing into its larger European Werewolf shape whilst inside the mother.  It ruptured the amniotic sack, as well as split the mother’s stomach wide open, which in most instances killed both.” 

“But that’s not going to happen to me,” I said firmly.

Suddenly, Declan roared in anger, with his face bright red and tears streaming from his eyes.  “HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE, BIANCA?!”

The volume not only made me jump, but it also made Ki snap to.

“Uncle, please.” He said quietly.  “Yelling at Aunt B isn’t going to solve the problem.  We have to remain calm.”

I glared back, “Because this baby is half Lokoti Werewolf, so she’s got my genes too.”

Our Medicine Man rubbed his face, “I asked the computer to show us your future, so we could confirm your pregnancy will have no complications?  However, it said it has difficulty calculating your future at times.  It said a white light from an unknown energy source, blocks your timeline, so it can’t predict your path.  All it could say is that you have three children, which are all girls.  It said it saw you in the distant future, when the girls were grown, but it couldn’t project what the deliveries will be like.”

“What good is this frickin’ smart computer, if it can’t tell us THAT?!”  Declan growled out.

Then he kicked an unused couch so hard, it squealed across the floor several meters away!

“Vincent used to say the same about trying to predict my future.”  I sighed. 

“When you’re six months along, I’ll put the pack on alert.”  Ki took a deep breath.  “As soon as we sense your labour, you’ll have fourteen male Lokoti Werewolves on standby as blood donors… as well as Declan, of course.”

The father of my child turned back around to glare tearfully out at the storm.  It had begun to rage outside, drenching the land in a thick downpour as its strong downdrafts blew fiercely.  We saw the vegetation bend and flex in the gale, as its’ roots struggled to hold on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Declan looked distraught at his species history with sexual reproduction whilst Ki looked disgusted.

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

When my fifteen minutes of peace were up, I was joined by two shell-shocked males. 

Declan looked distraught at his species history with sexual reproduction whilst Ki looked disgusted.  Since Lokoti Werewolves are exceptionally protective over their mates and young, anything untoward in this area was frowned upon.  From the look on our Medicine Man’s face, his frown was so ingrained, I thought it would give him new wrinkles.

“Hot chocolate?” I offered to cheer them up.

The two looked like I had just offered to put a simple band-aid on a broken artery, gushing out.

“B, did you know this already?”  Declan asked accusatorily.  “Is that why you didn’t stick around?”

“No,” I spoke calmly, “I just had a bad feeling that’s all.”

“A bad feeling…?  A BAD FEELING?!”  His voice rose.  “When you swore to me that first morning that you’d live through this pregnancy, you LIED!!”

“No I didn’t!”  I said indignantly, as I sat up straighter.  “I did NOT lie about MY pregnancy!  I didn’t want to come here to do the search, nor watch the results with you, because I knew they wouldn’t be pretty.  I SENSED it would have been dire at best for other females, but I KNOW it’s not dangerous in my case.”

“How can you know?”  His face screwed up in pain.  “How can you know this isn’t going to happen to you?”

“Because our daughter will be the eldest, remember?”  I pointed out.  “If I don’t live through this, I can hardly give her sisters now, can I?”

Ki slowly sunk onto the couch next to mine, as he stared vacantly at the lush vegetation outside the glass wall.  He truly appeared to be suffering post traumatic stress, whereas Declan was furious.  The Medicine Man who would occasionally counsel his patients, looked like he needed to recover. 

Altogether, we watched the bright sunlight disappear, as the light green sky was darkened with oncoming storm clouds.  I thought the flashes of lightning were poetically timed with the men’s moods at the moment.  The thunder was so loud, the rumble could be heard as well as felt, through the protective dome.

Declan stood with his back turned, as he watched the lightning rip across the blackening sky.  His human blue eyes switched to his glowing green colour in anger, which made him look like he could be a native of Taurus Six.  His dissatisfied growl rumbled out just like the thunder outside. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All his long life, Declan was careful not to turn any human by bite or contaminate with his blood.

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

Over the next fifteen minutes, I sat curled up in a corner of a couch, in one of the three Observation Lounges.  I even sipped on a hot chocolate I had one of the food synthesizers create, in the Mess Hall.  The lounges were positioned by the outer dome wall, which gave an excellent view of the alien surroundings. 

Taurus Six had perpetual storms and the dense clouds created the constant lightning, which shot across the sky.  Occasionally, the hot sunlight from the binary star system did get through, but on any given day there could be up to five hurricane-force downpours.  The nitrogen generated from the lightning, as well as the regular rainfall, coupled with the hot light from the binary stars; gave the planet thick, tropical vegetation as well as a rich, oxygen atmosphere.  However, it was impossible for humans to colonize the planet, because of the ionized atmosphere the storms created, which wouldn’t allow spacecraft to safely traverse.  Then there was also the problem of the ships flying through the unstable nebula, the planet was inside.

As I sipped on my beverage, I enjoyed the stillness of the base.  I didn’t mind the solitude, as I liked the hum of the environmental systems which maintained the comfortable temperature and light.  Right now, I preferred it to what Declan and Ki were seeing in the Viewing Room.  My ominous feelings as a Circulator were still singing songs like, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

I knew it wouldn’t be a pretty picture, European Werewolves and sexual reproduction.  It would attribute to how Declan was created, as most European Werewolves were; by bite or the transference of blood.  When he was three years old, he was mauled by the European Werewolf which killed his father and attacked his pregnant mother.  Declan almost died, but my Lokoti Werewolf grandfather, saved his life by sharing his blood.  Then he was trained by the pack not to turn into the man-eater which nearly destroyed his family.

All his long life, Declan was careful not to turn any human by bite or contaminate with his blood.  He was adamant he should be the last of his kind.  The humans he had bitten, he tore apart, so there wasn’t anything left to change.  In these instances, the Police allocated the murders to an ‘animal attack’.

So instead of seeing the depressing statistics, I amused myself by staring out at the tropical landscape.

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“Computer, we need to research pregnancy in relation to European Werewolves.”

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

“Circulate systems and Hodge Endeavor are operating within normal parameters.”  She promised, before she picked up what I was typing in.  “You are requesting to do a search using the Viewing Room?”

“That’s correct,” I replied, “the boys need to find out something.”

“Will Declan be running the search?”  The computer guessed.

“Yes.”

“Declan, as a new member of the Circulate, I am aware you are unfamiliar with Circulate systems.  Should you require any information or have any requests, I also respond to voice commands.”  She offered.

He looked on in surprise, “Er, thanks.”

“You are welcome.”  The computer acknowledged.  “Would you like B to program the search parameters for you, or would you like to give the verbal commands?”

I gave him an encouraging smile to go ahead.

“Yeah alright,” he straightened with the responsibility.  “Um, I need to find European Werewolves in relation to pregnancy.”

“Please specify the time period you would like me to search,” the computer requested.

“Um, do I have to?”  He looked confused.

I took over again, “Computer, we need to research pregnancy in relation to European Werewolves.  We need to find out what happened to the mothers as well as the offspring.  The search parameters are wide with no set time frame.  From prior records when the different breeds of Werewolves were established, begin there and track through to the 24^th Century.  Show us any and all European Werewolves in the area of procreation.”

“Working,” the computer began to process.  “Would you like to begin your research from the time European Werewolves were able to morph to and from human form?”

“Huh?”  My mate gawked.

I explained, “Up until 1000 BC, European Werewolves always remained in their supernatural form.  It wasn’t until then they were able to change between human and other.” 

Declan and Ki exchanged puzzled looks, not only by this piece of trivia, but at how I knew this?

Then I spoke to the computer, “Yes please.”

“The search is complete.”  The computer advised.  “Would you like to view as well as record, the following results?”

“Yes please,” I ordered.  "Download a copy of the report onto my laptop.”

“Your laptop?”  Ki looked around.  “But you didn’t bring your computer with you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I told him.  “The Circulate Mainframe can send information to it via text message or email.”

“You can download through time and space?”  He looked impressed.

“Yup,” I stood up from the console and started to leave.

“Hey, where are you going?”  Declan wondered.

“I don’t think I want to see this.”  I said, to their further astonishment.  “I’ll be in the Observation Lounge waiting for you when this is finished.”

They watched me go as the computer chimed, “Declan, would you like me to begin the presentation now?”

“Um, yeah OK.”  He said uneasily once I had left.

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Once upon a time, the Circulate was made up of 696 humans, those who could either calculate time or move through it, in the form of its’ Circulators.

  (Small Fry Chapter 4)

In a bright flash of light, we disappeared from our living room to reappear in another, in a corridor of the futuristic stronghold of the once powerful Circulate.

The headquarters was inside a massive glass dome, which housed late 25^th Century technology.  It had black floors, open ceilings to allow natural light in, frosted-over, sliding glass doors, and computer interfaces adorning many surfaces.  The computers were touch screen, with see-through casings filled with crystallized circuitry.  Indeed, the computer core of the Circulate Mainframe which was a ‘smart computer’; looked like a giant, rotating crystal pyramid, with a myriad of lasers hitting it to access the ingrained information.

Once upon a time, the Circulate was made up of 696 humans, those who could either calculate time or move through it, in the form of its’ Circulators.  The Calculators chose to place the second headquarters on the terran-class planet inside of a green nebula, on the other side of the galaxy.  It was to protect the secret of the society’s existence, since the nebula was too unstable to navigate space ships through.  The only way the headquarters was accessible, was for Circulators to phase via the Gate or instantaneously phase, directly to the planet’s surface.

The secret society left their mortal existences behind in the Final Phase, to evolve as energy to the space time continuum.  After their departure, it left behind only my Circulator mother, who met a long-lost cousin who was a Calculator.  It was Mum, Vincent and my Gran - who was the only Circulator let alone human, to have been to eternity and back - who trained my abilities as a Circulator.  With my family’s departure, now it was just Declan and I, as the last of the Circulate to use the empty headquarters.

“This way,” I headed for the nearest entryway.

As Declan and Ki followed me through the automatic, sliding glass doors, they noted on the lit up panel beside which read; VIEWING ROOM.

Immediately, the female voice of the Circulate Mainframe, greeted us.  “Welcome to the Viewing Room, Circulators Bianca and Declan Sabre.”

“Huh?”  My mate looked taken aback.  “How does it know that you changed me?”

“The Circulate Mainframe knew of your oncoming transformation, for years.”  I smirked.  “It is monitoring our timelines, don’t forget.”

Our Medicine Man looked suitably impressed, as well as by the futuristic technology.

The room had a glass top, circular desk which went around in a ring.  On top sat three crystallized computer consoles, which were spread around.  In the centre of the room, was a large, upside down, crystal pyramid, hanging from the open ceiling.  Three Calculators used to sit here, monitoring Earth and the entire Universe, when the Circulate still had all of its members.  In the three sides of the pyramid, different scenes from humankind’s history were on display.  One depicted the Roman Forum during Imperial times, the other was of the Forbidden City in the 16^th Century and last of all, were the Lokoti Tribal Lands of the era we had just departed.

“Hey that’s my house,” Ki pointed at the picture.

“The Circulate Mainframe always has its eye on tribal lands, as it keeps tabs on my whereabouts.”  I said breezily.

“B, would you like me to report on Circulate systems and Hodge Endeavor?”  The computer offered.

            “No thanks, not today.  I’ll get a full report the next time I come, unless there’s anything urgent?”  I said as I sat at the closest computer console.

 

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