Yule/Therion runs toward a roar in the night. Julia is in trouble, but wait! Yule's never been a battle before! It doesn't sound good, but Therion isn't worried at all. There's a lot more to his duo than meets the eye. Well, there's no better way to cool off than to go buy a shirt. Then again, should he really bother? I mean, he'll probably just take it off again, anyway.

I hope you guys enjoy the fight scene. It took me quite a while to get that scene just right. I seem to have a thing for odd couple pairings. It probably stems from my love of Shakespeare, which I've already written about. :) Feel free to comment and share with others.

Characters and plot are owned by me. If you'd like to use them, please message me for permission.

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Chapter 10—Solar Eclipse

I ran around the corner where Julia had disappeared. The gang I had seen loafing about was gone. They were probably after her. I sniffed to pick out her scent. She wasn't too far away. I headed around the corner of the block and down a lane I had passed before. I just noticed someone in a dark green hoodie duck into the third alley on the right down the lane. I followed.

Good thing that I was fast because the four of them had Julia cornered. Julia was bearing her teeth, but she was pinned to the wall by two of the members in green. She struggled to no avail as another slowly approached her. “What's going on here, boys?” I called out.

All four of them glanced in my direction. The closest one to me, looked to be an orange and cream-colored tabby with fur that went in all directions. The two holding Julia were the largest of the bunch, a Saint Bernard and a bull. The one that was inching toward Julia was the German Shepherd from earlier. “You again?” he barked, “I thought I told you to mind your own business.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I guess your mind must be wasting away from your drug fest because you clearly said, ‘Shut your face and keep walking.’ Nothing was mentioned about making sure some unnamed chickens wouldn't try to overpower a helpless tiger.”

Julia started, “Oh, I'll show you helpless, you cheeky…”

“Not helping, honey,” I interrupted her. I returned to the four, “If you’re looking for some excitement, why not come at me?” I grinned with my paws in my pockets.

The Shepherd grinned as well when he said, “Butch, Scruff,” the Saint Bernard and the tabby responded, respectively, “teach this punk some lessons in language subtlety.” The bull took hold of Julia as Butch and Scruff turned towards me.

Reality hit me, and I thought, ‘Crap! What am I doing?! Picking a fight with four college guys? I've never been in a fight! What am I gonna do?’

“Relax, Yule,” Therion said. “Stay focused and let your instincts guide you. I've been in worse situations than this and came out standing.”

The two drew closer. Butch smacked his fists together, and Scruff drew out his glistening claws. My mind was racing, ‘But how do I start? How do I tap into this instinct?’

“You've been doing it already, Yule. You've widened your stance and your claws are out.” I felt a prick inside my pockets. I noticed that my vision was a lot clearer as my heart was beating faster, carrying the blood and adrenaline throughout my body, preparing for a fight. “Just let go of your anxiety. You're already in, so there's no way to back out now. Just go with the flow.”

I closed my eyes and took a breath. I could hear the dog and cat's foot fall getting quicker. I opened my eyes and snarled, “You're mine.”

The tabby lunged at me, claws splayed. A quick strafe to my left sent the cat behind me while the dog threw himself forward in a punch. I spun around him and knocked him with the back of my fist. They tumble over each other. They get to their feet, and I beckon them to come with my paw. Both jumped at me together this time, teeth baring, heading for my face with their fists. I bend myself back; both assailants hovered beyond me. I grab both by the scruffs of their necks and slam their heads into each other.

I marveled for a moment at how simple that was, but then I heard Therion say, “Stay sharp, kid!”

I heard Julia scream, “Behind you!” I was knocked by the bull behind me and pinned to the wall, trying to crush me by putting his weight on me. My anger boiled as I growled and pushed against him. My muscles tensed and bulged as I started to move away from the wall. A quick shove sent him flying to the opposite side, creating a dent in the bricks he crashed into. The bull regained composure and charged at me again, horns first. I grabbed his horns, mid-charge, and he tried to push me back. My arms, back, and legs swelled, engorging with blood, as I held my position. I started to shift my weight around and the bull followed. With little effort, I spun him around and threw him out of the alley. I had just stopped and flinged a full, grown charging bull!

My display of power fueled my building rage as I turned to see the German Shepherd holding Julia with his arm around her neck with a knife against her throat.

“Quite a display there, Wolf,” the Shepherd cackled.

“Bastard!” I snarled. “Let her go! Your fight is with me,” I growled clenching my jaw.

“You think I'm a fool? You just took out a bull with your bare paws.”

“I guess I was right in labeling your cowardice.”

“Careful what you say,” he warned raising the blade, making sure I saw the point right at her jugular. Julia went rigid. “If I lose concentration, this might accidentally slip across her smooth little throat.”

I was frozen in place, firming clenching my paws. “What are you doing?! Hit him!” Julia screamed.

The Shepherd was grinning, backing up with Julia in tow; he was heading for the corner to make an escape. I growled and was about to break for him when I felt a bite in my shoulder and claws in my leg. I moaned and felt my rage take control. My horse instincts made me buck wildly, kicking the cat off my leg. I whirled around and smashed the dog into the wall. With his bite released, I pulled him up with one arm and threw him out the alley where the bull and cat were coming again. All three fell to the ground and groaned.

I felt fire roaring inside me. I turned towards the Shepherd, cowering now, and glared lightning bolts at him. I howled his death toll, long and strong into the night. The shepherd dropped the knife and turned to scamper away. I sprang forward and blocked his escape.

The German Shepherd yelped at my speed and gagged as I raised him into the air, my paw around his throat. “Where do you think you're going?” I snarled. My voice was deep, abrasive, and echoed.

“Please! Don't!” he pleaded.

“Don't what?!” I yelled. “Treat you with the same respect that you showed her? Show you what real fear is?!” My grip tightened, and another gag squeaked out of him. I was drunk off of the power I possessed. The world around me sparked with the flames of my indignation.

‘He deserves this,’ I thought. ‘He brought this on himself!’ I roared at his pitiful attempts to brake my hold.

“That's it, kid. You're truly tapping into your wild-side.” Therion rumbled.

Somehow, the dog was able to squeak, “P-Please! I'll d-do--eck--a-a-anything.”

Through my bloodlust eyes, I saw a tear escape from him. ‘Genuine remorse?’ I thought. My grip eased slightly.

“No, kid!” Therion roared, “Don't wimp out now! Justice must be dealt! Think about what he was going to do to her.”

‘What am I doing?’ I thought. ‘This isn't right. I can't take his life! It's not my decision!’

“No, Yule! It is your decision. You have in him in your paws. He's wronged you. He's wronged Julia. Who knows what else he's done?”

“No!” I shouted. “It's not my place to pass judgment, no matter how much of a coward he is.”

The dog's eyes glazed with fear and confusion as I brought him to my face. I could see my reflection in his eyes. It was of a beast I didn't recognize, a monster that chilled my soul. ‘I'm not this person,’ I thought. ‘I'm not the low-life that this dog in my paw is.’ I said to the trembling puppy thrashing in the air, “If I ever see fur, hide, or tail of any of you here again, you'll regret the day you ever opened your eyes.” The German Shepherd nodded as much as he could. I tossed him out of the alley near his friends, and he slid along the ground with a yipe.

His posse, witness to this moment, helped their leader to his feet. The Shepherd stood, leaning on his partners, and coughed out, “You'll—regret this, Wolf.” He looked at me, trying to flee with some pride in a threat. “You have—no idea who you're dealing with.” I growled and roared at his gang, and they fled with their tails between their legs.

My rage finally subsided, and I felt light headed. I sank to my knees, feeling mentally drained, and supported my weight with my paws. ‘I can't believe I came so close to taking his life,’ I thought. ‘This instinct stuff is invigorating, but dangerous.’

“Well, you did get through the fight, kid,” Therion said. He sounded displeased.

Feeling his dismay, I responded, ‘What I did was right, Therion.’

“You are going to regret not following through, kid.”

‘I will never take a life,’ I firmly thought.

“Sure. Hold on to that while you can, kid,” Therion gruffed. “You'll have to find out sooner or later that there are some people that you can't change.”

‘Everyone has the chance for redemption. As long as you're learning and living, you still have the chance to turn your life around.’

“Not everyone wants to be saved, kid,” Therion muttered.

“Hey,” I heard to my right. Julia was kneeling next to me. “A-are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” I panted. My voice had lost its echo and returned to the rough, baritone I was pretty sure my wolf voice was.

“Let me help you up,” she offered.

She extended her paw, but I pushed myself off the ground and stood on my feet. “Thank you, but I'm okay.” I was a little shaky from the loss of adrenaline, but I stood erect at least.

“Well, what about your wounds?” she asked.

I looked to my left shoulder, where the Saint Bernard had bit me, but I saw no teeth marks. The soft, gray fur of my shoulder only held a slight shade of red where my blood had escaped. I didn't even feel any sting from the bite. “I don't see anything,” I tried to calmly say.

I apparently failed because Julia quizzically asked, “Nothing?”

“No. Nothing.”

Julia looked down at my right leg, where the tabby had apparently sunk his claws in. “There's a bit of dried blood here,” she said caressing my shin. My tail wagged. Her paw felt nice against my shin. “But there are no scratches,” she remarked. She stared up at me in shock. I was just as surprised as she was. “Is there no pain?”

“No.” I responded.

She paused, scanning my face and my eyes, “Who are you?” she whispered.

“I guess I never did introduce myself,” I replied.

“No! I mean what are you?” she retorted. “What I just saw was…amazing! And frightening! You are so agile for such a large guy, and the way you threw that bull. You threw him like he was nothing! Then, there was you and that dog. You were so fierce and intimidating. It was like you became something else, like a monster!” Through this explanation, she paced back and forward, coming close to me and then backing off, especially when she mentioned I was a monster. I flattened my ears. It was obvious that I had scared her. Any chance I had of impressing her was gone. She continued, “But then, you stopped. You softened and showed mercy to that thug. I don't know what you were thinking, but I think you should have squeezed him until his eyes popped out.” She turned away as she said that and clenched her paw into a very tight fist. “I'm sorry,” she apologized, “it wasn't right to say that.”

“I can understand,” I said. “You're still mad that this happened.” She looked at me, her head hanging low. “I'm sorry I let him come so close to harming you. You must have been terrified.”

The tigress shook her head, “No, I'm sorry for causing trouble. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving me.”

“I'm just glad to know that you're unharmed. Um, you are, aren't you?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she perked. “I'm fine. Not a scratch.”

“Good to hear,” I said smiling down at her. She smiled back at me. I decided that so much had happened that she probably wanted to get home. She seemed to be the type that could take care of herself, especially since she struggled so much during the fight and didn't stay silent. “You live around here, or have a car somewhere nearby?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. My car is actually not too far away. I was on my way when those guys jumped me.”

“Well, I'll walk you there.” She started to object, but I interrupted, “Just to be sure you get there safe.”

“O-Okay,” she stuttered. We walked out of the alley, side-by-side. Julia turned us to the right and I saw a paved area surrounded by streetlights. ‘Probably where her car is,’ I thought. We walked over in silence. Julia looked like herself, but her shoulders were tensed and she was clutching the bag that was over her shoulder. I knew that there was nothing else I could do for her right now, except to make sure that she got to her car safe.

In the parking lot, she stopped in front of a red '98 Cavalier. “This is my ride,” she said pulling the keys out of her purse.

“Good,” I said. ‘Good? Is that all I can think of? ‘It's good to get you out of my fur.’ That sounded so indignant.’ I continued, “I mean, good that you're now safe, at your car.”

“Real smooth,” Therion sarcastically remarked.

Julia just giggled, “You're sweet…um…” she twisted the keys in her paws, “you were going to tell me your name?”

“Oh, right. I'm Y…”

“No! Not you're real name!” Therion screamed.

“I mean…Therion,” I covered. “Call me Therion.”

“Well, ‘Therion,’ I'm Julia,” she said extending her paw.

I grasped her paw and shook it firmly. I felt a surge of energy pass between us, then I said, “It's nice to finally meet you, Julia.”

“Likewise,” she replied. I looked at her emerald eyes, the same ones that had enraptured me days ago. They still held a power over me; however, I thought that this was probably the best it was going to be. I started to walk off. She stopped me saying, “Umm…I don't normally do this, but…do you wanna go get a drink?”

After all that, she didn't want me to leave yet. I answered, “Thanks, but the bars are really crowded with the college students tonight.” She looked a little crestfallen with her ears lowered and her tail curled around her. I recovered with, “Besides, I'm too young to drink.”

“What was that, kid?” Therion asked in confusion.

‘No comments from the peanut gallery right now, please.’ I responded in my head.

“I don't know what that is either,” he responded.

Julia remarked, “Too young? How old are, Therion?”

I grinned, “How old do you think I am?”

“24?”

“20,” I lied.

“20?” She perused my large, taut, shirtless body up and down, “Damn,” she muttered. I responded with a quick pose, causing a meep to escape from her. “I guess there's not much I can do about that,” she said with composure, “but let me find some way to thank you for tonight.”

“Well, I could use a new shirt,” I admitted.

“A shirt? I'd wonder why, but okay. Hop in. We'll go to the 24-hour Mark-Mart. I'm pretty sure we can find something there. Are you a 2X?”

“I think so.” It was what I wore before I had transformed. “It'll probably be pretty tight.”

She whistled, “Okay, then we're going for a 3XL, 'cuz you're pretty tall, too.”

“How tall would you say I am?” She eyed me. “Just a curious question.”

“I'd say about 6'5", maybe 6'6".”

It was good as any guess right now, “You're right on the money.”

“Alright, let's get going. Get your tail in the car.”

“Yes, ma'am.” I said, hopping into the passenger seat.

“Heh, aren't you funny,” she snided. I knew that she'd react that way. I moved the seat back as she got inside. I grinned a bit as I realized how much more legroom I needed. There was quite a difference in the two seat positions. “Sorry for the cramped space,” she said turning the key.

“No problem,” I said. “I prefer mid-sized cars anyway.”

“Really? Why's that?”

“I figure larger cars are compensating for something,” I answered. ‘Where is this response coming from?' I wondered.

Julia turned her head to me for a quick glance, not exactly looking at my face. “So by that logic, mid-sized is for…?” she asked with a curl to her lips.

“To keep you guessing,” I grinned. ‘I can't believe I'm talking in innuendo!’ I thought.

“I told ya, kid. You gotta deal with the sexual drive you have now,” Therion piped.

‘I'm only 14. My knowledge of sex only consists of what my parents said in ‘the talk,’ and I've never had a girlfriend,” I admitted.

“What about, Dawn?”

‘How do you…?’

“Same mind, remember?”

I conceded, ‘Sure, I have a crush on her, but I don't think she'd ever be with me if I asked her. She's part of the in-crowd, and I'm way on the outskirts of the out group.’

“You know, kid, you never can tell with some people. Sometimes you gotta take a chance.”

‘Like I imagine you and Cita did?’ I asked him.

He growled a little, but settled and asked, “How can you tell? I don't know for sure.”

‘Well, when I accidentally saw your memory—again, I'm sorry about that—she appeared to be in a higher social circle than you because of the differences in your clothing.’

“Astute observation, kid,” Therion responded. “Your guess is about as good as mine right now, but I don't think you're far from the truth.”

‘Well, I hope for your sake we can figure this out. I'd like to help out in any way that I can.’

“Noted, kid. You're about the only one who can help me with this anyway, but I'm not ready for that yet,” he confessed.

‘Ever the lone wolf,’ I thought. I then realized that I hadn't said anything else to Julia yet. I looked over to her and saw her gazing at me out of the corner of her eye as we headed up the hill to our destination. “Sorry, I've been so quiet. You feeling alright, Julia?”

“There's no need to try and fill silence, Therion,” she said, “and I'm alright, thank you.”

“Well, I ask because you keep eyeing me.” I smirked as I said, “I'm honored by the thought, but you should probably keep your eyes on the road.”

“Wow,” she remarked, “you're full of it, aren't you?” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled to let her know I was joking. She chuckled then continued, “No, it's just I have a strange feeling about you.”

“Like how?” I asked.

“Like I've met you before. A déjà vu of sorts.”

‘Crap!’ I thought. ‘Does she recognize it's me? How could she?’ “That's a little odd,” I responded putting my paws behind my head, trying to act casual.

“Well, this night has been nothing if not ‘odd.’”

“That's true,” I laughed nervously. I needed to find out how she was coming to this conclusion. Sure, I had helped save her life, but I wasn't sure that I could trust Julia with this information. Would she believe it? Would she keep this a secret? I probed, “What's giving you this idea?”

“Well, it's just a feeling,” she remarked.

“True, but I find that some feelings and intuitions stem from observations.”

“Heh, you seem to have a head on those broad shoulders, too.” I grinned at her comment, and she continued, “If I had to point out something, one would be your smell.”

“B.O.?” I joked.

“Ha! No,” she guffawed. “There's a familiar layer of something underneath your strong, manly aroma.”

“What would that be?”

“Kindness,” she said glancing at me, “It's a soft and sweet kind of fragrance that I've only encountered a few times in my life.”

I turned my head toward the window, and blushed a little. It reminded me of when I first met her at that piercing parlor, when I was the chubby, nerdy horse. “Yup, you got me,” I admitted. “I'm a big softy at heart.” She grinned as we pulled into a large parking complex where the popular Mark-Mart was located. I continued, “Is there something else that brought this déjà vu out?”

“Yes, actually. It would be your eyes.”

“How so?”

“I can't completely explain it, but I get a feeling when I see them. It's like I'm trying to remember something important that I've forgotten.” We pulled into a parking space, and she stared into my eyes as she parked and turned off the engine. I watched her eyes scan mine. I thought that if there were any way she would recognize me, it would be through my eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul. I thought that I should look away to keep my secret, but her stare held me captive. I felt that violent urge to kiss her like when I first met her.

She leaned in closer, and I mirrored her. “Go for it, Yule,” I heard Therion egg me.

Three seconds had passed, and our eyes were still deadlocked. ‘It's now or never,’ I thought.

I moved forward just as she moved forward, and our lips connected. It was magical. The feel of her soft lips against mine made my spine tingle. I felt fire exchange between us as we passed our breaths to each other. I could taste her, and she was exquisite. It ended all too soon. We stared at each other, and I noticed the look of surprise and joy in her eyes that mine mimicked.

She crawled over the divider and I pulled her into me. I wanted more, and she wanted it, too. Our mouths opened to receive each other again. It was just as beautiful as before, but another layer was added, passion. I put her face in my paws, forcing her down upon me, and she wrapped her arms around my wide back, feeling me up as we dove into each other. The fires passed between us along with electricity, spurring us further. I grabbed her firm butt as she ran her paws through the fur on my head. We barely came up for air. Our tongues started to explore each other's caverns. I started to pant heavily as she moaned.

We started to writhe about when she suddenly broke our hold. She stared at me with such wonder, and I became confused at my actions. ‘Where is this coming from? I had no idea that I could do that!’

She eased back into her seat as she lowered her visor to check her face in the mirror. She ran her paws through her fur a little and jumped out of the car. She closed the door after pulling her shirt down and her pants up. I lowered the visor to see if I could straighten the fur she messed up.

I saw Therion in my old body eyeing me, through the mirror. “Felt nice didn't it?” he asked raising one of his eyes.

‘Amazing!’ I thought. ‘I had no idea what I was missing out on.’

“Aha, ha! You're so innocent, kid.”

‘What?’ I thought, puzzled.

“You haven't experienced anything yet.” I saw him give a toothy grin. “I do compliment you on your tastes though. That tigress knows a thing or two.”

A knock on the window. I heard a muffled Julia, “Are you coming or what?”