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“Listen, Ken, I'm telling you that it's just not possible. I understand where you're coming from, but the fact is they're designed that way, especially the first gens."

My frustration had reached a point that I couldn't hold my temper back, “Just what the hell do you mean?"

I could hear Jack's exasperated sigh over the phone before he continued, “What I'm getting at is the corporal's service ends with yours. For God's sake, half your damn leg's gone and the right one was barely pieced back together. Be glad their loyalty works that way."

How the hell was I supposed to be glad? “I don't give two shits about my own problems right now, this isn't fair to her!"

“It's as fair as it'll damn well get!" The truth of the matter hit home at that moment; this wasn't a fight I could win. “You were chosen as a pathfinder for the program precisely because you're flexible enough to handle whatever issues get thrown your way, Ken. The things we learned from you two go far beyond whatever you could possibly think. Look at it this way Sergeant, just like you and I, they're going to need something to transition into after their service is up. The demis helped clear that path to an extent, but we're dealing with people that aren't even slightly related to humans. You're just taking the next step before anyone else."

* * *

“Turn left, just after the tree," I pointed to what looked like little more than a worn path just beyond the large oak tree covered in leaves of green with a few hints of yellow mixed in. Fall was beginning to make itself known, but we had at least a month before the weather turned cold.

Nance squinted for a moment, her gray furred ears going back slightly. “At the gravel?"

“Yeah, it goes in fairly deep, but it's level enough for the trailer to make it through to where the land's cleared." I visually traced the trail up past the tree line as far as I could before it melded in with the rest of the woods. “At least that's what I remember."

“Hmm," was all she said as we turned off the two lane road and onto one of the more eccentric purchases I made shortly after my enlistment.

The trailer threatened to bottom out several times as we drove past tree after tree, even at the careful snail's pace we were moving. Well after all signs of civilization were hidden from view, we emerged into the center of the land I bought years ago. I had intended to make it something of a little getaway, my own personal space in the world. I never got the chance to work on it like I wanted, but conditions change far faster than anyone can truly prepare for.

“This is it, at least as far as the trail goes," Nance announced as she brought the truck to a stop. Her blue-gray eyes scanned the cleared meadow, sizing up what would become our residence for the next six months or so. The wolf had been a constant presence by my side for the past seven years, a partnership born from the trial program I'd been volun-told to take part in, and one she'd elected to continue even after my discharge at the expense of her own career.

“Having second thoughts?" I half joked as I opened the door of the pickup. Part of me still hoped she'd say yes given her decision to leave the service was the only thing we ever really argued about. Sure there were heated discussions over the years, but we had never seen a situation so differently.

That bit of prodding earned a slight growl before she responded, “I'm not even going to honor that with an answer." It was a topic well worn between us, and one she wasn't going to let surface again.

Rather than push the issue, I just shrugged and took in the scenery as I stepped out. The woods were a mixture of pine and spruce, their evergreen scent lending the air an extra bit of freshness in the chill of the late afternoon. The clearing had been sown with a variety of grasses and wildflowers the last time the trees had been harvested from the property several decades ago. The woods spanning out across the clearing were far larger and older than what we passed through, the logging company had replanted saplings apart from the trail they left behind and the space before us. There was supposed to be a creek that ran along the northern edge of the property, but I never really explored out that far since I'd only ever been on the land a handful of times.

Nance made her way from the truck and stretched after the hours long trip. Her fluffy furred, light gray tail waved at a measured pace while she sniffed the air, nose held high. Standing fully upright, she was a good five inches taller than myself, though she relaxed to her more comfortable hunched posture which put her eye level with me. Even after several months, it was odd seeing her out of fatigues. The loose fitting cargo shorts and black tank top weren't exactly a large departure from her usual attire, but it reinforced the fact that both of us were civilians now; though her case was a little less clear cut than my own.

They called Nance a first generation wolf, well the first generation of her kind deemed suitable for deployment anyway. The program was nearly a reversal of the creation of the demi-humans. The key difference between it and other research of the time was not basing any of the work from existing human DNA. This was a distinction made to skirt rather obvious ethical issues, ones that were contested in court nearly as soon as things went public. I was told the process was like fast forwarding evolution, that careful modeling had been done during each step, that all generations were treated humanely, and a litany of other reasons for why the wolves weren't another case of science being taken too far. It turned out the most compelling argument was the fresh faced, albeit fuzzy, private standing at perfect attention waiting for a chance to prove herself when I was first introduced to the program. At the time I couldn't do anything more than give her that chance.

“Sergeant?" Judging by the questioning tone, she noticed I'd become lost in my own thoughts.

I waved her concern off, “Nothing, just thinking is all. We've got a fair amount of work to do before we can take the evening off, starting with priming and checking the well and setting up camp so we're not bunking in the truck bed. Best get to it."

* * *

Even with months of physical therapy, I still got sore and my legs tired out much faster than they used to. Nance, however, had the long term stamina of her lineage to draw from, the same as always. I pushed myself to try and keep up, at least matching her in terms of effort if not results, but I was tanked after we finished pulling the last of the framing lumber from the truck.

Once we set the last beam down, I stood and arched my back with a few pops and creaks sounding off during the motion. After taking one last look at our progress, I nodded and said, “Seems like a good place to stop for today. Thanks for the hard work."

“Glad to help," came her graceful reply.

Our dinner consisted of sandwiches, turkey and ham cold cuts with Swiss cheese, since anything too heavy after traveling wouldn't settle well on our stomachs. After a quick stop by the well to get my arms and hands rinsed, I headed into the tent and sat on my own cot, slid the legs of my shorts up, then rolled the sleeve of my prosthetic leg down to free it from what remained of my left shin and calf. The limb was about as comfortable as they could possibly make it, the wonders of 3D printing and careful load measurements eclipsed anything that could be done by hand; it was practically a work of art. My right leg was about the furthest thing from art, but I was glad it was still mainly flesh and bone in spite of the deep scars.

Nance followed in after me, ducking through the tent flap and giving herself a small shake after she entered. We had a large, two room, canvas walled tent. The front room was used to store our gear and as a general living space while the side compartment was set aside for sleeping. It was a far cry from the advanced structures we had in the service, but outside wasn't a blazing hot desert either. I'd rather deal with the sounds of the insects and wildlife as opposed to machinery and infantry any day.

“Thinking again?" My attention was called back to Nance giving me a rather wide, toothy grin as she sat on the side of her cot. “You've been doing a fair amount of it recently."

I chuckled at her observation, perhaps the change of pace was a bit much. “Well, it's all just a bit different, you know? We're not out in some sandy inferno, and we're not having to worry about live rounds while we try to get some shuteye. For once, we can relax a bit."

I got a small shrug in response, “Hmm, maybe."

“Seriously though," I set the prosthesis down on the cot beside me and began rolling the liner off of my leg. “In our seven years together, all that time, I don't think I've ever seen you on something besides high alert."

Nance stiffened a bit as the focus shifted to her. There were topics the wolf didn't like discussing, mostly about herself. “You've said as much before."

I set the liner down and pulled a cleaning cloth from my travel bag. “And you've always refused to really talk about it. Look, we've got nothing but time and some busy work for the next while, so at least consider letting me be a sounding board, alright?"

After a few measured breaths, she gave a long sigh. “Things are... complex, but they always have been, so it's nothing new." At the look I gave her she quickly added, “I'm not refusing, Sergeant, but there's a fair amount to being, well, me."

I managed a small moral victory in that moment. I trusted her completely, you had to with the places deployed to and the work we did. I knew she did too, but she hadn't ever gone beyond things that impacted our mission readiness in our talks. That she admitted there was a side to her beyond Corporal Nance was astonishing. “Take all the time you need, but do me one thing, alright?"

I got an ear pivoted in my direction, showing her curiosity, “And that is?"

“Drop the 'sergeant', okay? We don't need ranks out here, so it's just Ken now."

That got a sidelong smile accompanied by an exasperated huff. It was partially an act given her tail thumping behind her, “I'll think about that one too, Sergeant."

* * *

The next morning brought a decent amount of stiffness and a rather chilly morning as I poked my head out from under my insulated warmth. Nance almost never bothered with blankets in the traditional sense, her fur coat dealt with all but the harshest of colds. Instead, she kept them precisely folded underneath, making as soft a spot as possible to lay on.

I could see the ends of her feet laying off the corner of the cot with the toe pads of each splayed widely as she stretched. After a few moments, she pushed herself up off the cot and shook with a motion that started with her head and traveled nearly the entire length of her body, ending at her tail tip. The gray wolf's fur was slightly fluffed as she turned her head in my direction, “Getting up?"

I pushed the blanket back and sat upright, taking a moment to pull my shirt straight as I looked toward the travel bag. “Yeah, I'll be up and about in a moment," I said while trying to keep a yawn from overtaking my voice. The sun was just beginning to fully come up, and while I wanted to get an early start to the day, my body protested at the idea.

Nance gave me a quick nod and took a clean pair of cargo shorts from her bag before stepping out of the room. I envied her ability to just be up and ready. Even taking my leg out of the equation, wolves just stood, stretched, shook a bit, and off they went. Humans had all the pesky morning rituals of getting changed, brushing their hair, shaving if needed, and so forth. Several minutes later I emerged from the tent, a bit more awake but in need of caffeine.

I made my way over to the trailer and rummaged through it until I found the box of self heating coffee cans. It wasn't the best coffee by any measure, but the convenience was hard to beat. I pressed the bottom of the can and gave it a good shake until steam started coming out through the small vents, then set it down in the truck bed.

Nance was off walking around the cleared area, scenting the air every once in a while as she made her way around her new territory. It was something she'd always done whenever we'd be sent off to some place new and she found the time to do so. As a precaution I would walk with her, at least after the first time she scared the piss out of some poor private that hadn't even seen a demi before. Here though, she could take it all in without having a human chaperon shadow her movements.

I waved once she looked in my direction and called out, “Find anything?"

She shook her head and went back to her walk. Though she had every bit the intelligence and reasoning as any human, she was still undeniably a wolf. Her nose had saved us on more than one occasion, and I knew she was mentally noting all the different scents, where they led, and what they told about the animal life that roamed here. While we planned on storing up shelf stable foods and canned goods for the winter months, we also wanted to live off the land as much as possible, and the information she was gathering would help us do so.

I walked back to the truck bed and carefully took a sip of the coffee. It was pretty much as I remembered, not great tasting but hot enough to help take the chill off the morning. Most importantly, it wasn't decaf.

* * *

I added a little more dirt then pounded it flat before setting the paving stone back in place and checking the level again. It was the last of the support pads for the outer edge, and we were keeping up with the schedule I had set. We planned on building out the box frame for the floor of the first room and getting joists in place. If we still had time, we'd start in on the support posts, but I didn't want to push things. The camp shower would stay warm for a while, but rather than shower in cold water, we'd end the day before the sun sank below the tree line.

We settled on building the cabin near the center of the northern tree line. The well was reasonably close by and the southern slope of the property would allow us to put in a septic system later on. For now, the plan was to build a simple outhouse to the south about two hundred feet away from the well. The ground water ran deep, a fact confirmed by the company that I contracted to drill the well, far enough down that contamination wouldn't be a risk.

Once we'd gotten the outer framing in place and the joists started, Nance headed off to dig our initial pit armed with a shovel and her own arms. By the time I finished getting the joists fully nailed in place and secured with the galvanized hangers, I saw the wolf heading back. Her hands were stained brown and small bits of dirt clung to her blunt tipped claws. I questioned whether the shovel was actually used in the process at all, or if she just started and finished the hole manually. Whatever the truth of the matter was, she seemed happy with the results, or maybe just had fun while digging.

I set the hammer down on the temporary post that held the corner of the floor up before turning back to her, “All done?"

“Except for putting up the seat. I've started on the pit for the outhouse about twenty feet from the temporary hole. Want me to do that?" We had a seat in the trailer that amounted to an enclosed bench with a hole in the middle of it and a small privacy tent to go around it.

“No, I'll get that done. Besides, you need to get your hands cleaned up and I still need a shower." I glanced up at sky as I added, “Time's up for today." Solar showers heat water well enough, but they cool off rapidly once out of the sun's rays and it was dropping behind the treetops.

“You get to your shower. I can use the well water as is." As she headed towards the trailer she called over her shoulder, “Need help?"

I tried not to get irritated and managed to keep my voice level, “No, I got it." Showering was one of the more difficult parts of life without a leg, but I managed well enough using a shower bench in my apartment and thought about how to apply the lessons learned out here. Before I started on anything, I checked the thermometer of the shower. It was just barely above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, a bit on the cool side, but still warm enough. I gathered up two towels from inside the tent and a clean leg liner from my travel case.

* * *

The week passed by in much the same fashion as we worked on the cabin. We finished building out the support posts, insulated and completed the floor, then moved on to the front and back walls measuring seven and eleven feet respectively. We built in space for a large, bay window in the front that'd give us a nice south facing view of the property. The roof was a single slope design made with ribbed metal. We installed our door on the east wall and the west wall was where we installed the sheet metal chimney flanges for a wood stove. The last piece installed was a heat shield in the south west corner where the wood stove would be inserted.

During the week, I took three drives to the nearest building supply store for materials and stocked up on additional food stuffs while Nance stayed behind to keep watch over the camp site and monitor the wood stove as we put it through its burn in cycles. I think part of it also had to do with reactions from civilians to her appearance, but she never voiced anything. By the weekend, we finished staining the exterior and had the window installed. It wasn't large, a single ten by twelve room, but we could always add on extra structures like a storage shed and we had space to expand the cabin by adding a room along the northern wall.

After I secured the chimney to its standoff, we both stood in front of the cabin and examined our handiwork. I'd done little projects in my teenage years and helped with a few home repairs for my parents, but I never tried anything on this scale before. Without Nance, I don't think I would have even attempted as much, let alone actually get anywhere in doing so.

I turned to the wolf with a wide grin, “There's still the inside to finish off, but it'll be plenty warm as we work. Like it?"

Nance stood silently, her ears pricked forward and alert as her fur fluffed itself against the cool breeze. She took a breath, her mouth beginning to form words, but instead she stopped and just nodded. I was worried at first, but then I felt her tail strike my leg once, then again and again as it picked up its pace. I looked down to see the appendage going a mile a minute.

I glanced back up at her face, “So, that's a yes?"

The answer was me being wrapped up in the tightest hug I ever experienced. I'm sure I both felt and heard my ribs creak as she rested her muzzle on the top of my head, but the price was a small one for the short glimpse of joy from the wolf.

It was a small gamble, but I did need to breathe, so I used what little air was left in my lungs to ask, “You alright?"

Nance inhaled then exhaled sharply and released me from her vice-like grip. “More than alright, Sergeant. I was trying to keep from licking your entire head and face, it's what wolves do."

I looked up to see a mischievous glint behind those blue-gray eyes. “Something tells me you're still contemplating it."

Nance shrugged and the tension finally left her body, “Instincts, Sergeant. I've spent seven years holding back the worst of them." I got a nudge from her furry elbow as she turned her gaze back to the cabin.

I chuckled at her antics, but something told me that behind the jokes was a kernel of truth that she still didn't want to speak about.

* * *

“Alright, let's get this place warmed up," I said with genuine enthusiasm. There was still plenty of stuff to do to really make the cabin cozy, but within the four walls was the space we built and it was our first night having a solid roof over our heads. Use of the stove also meant being able to heat water for the camp shower, and opened a myriad of cooking possibilities.

With the stove's air dampers opened all the way and some firewood and a bit of kindling gathered up into the firebox, I took out the stick lighter and lit the flame against some of the pine straw and a few dried cones. After a few seconds and a bit of smoke, the flame started to glow brightly so I shut the box and leaned back.

Soon the heat from the stove raised the temperature in the cabin to dangerously comfortable levels, at least in terms of getting any more work done. Honestly, I didn't plan on it but the crackle of the fire and the soft glow from the stove was a siren song of relaxation after a week of concerted effort. Nance sat beside me, heavy lidded with her tail swishing across the floor. I leaned forward, closing the intake dampers a bit. It'd take a while to get the settings right but there was plenty of time to learn the intricacies of it and it'd change as we got the interior finished anyway.

While there was a strong temptation to just curl up on my cot, I still needed to fetch my travel bag from the tent. With a resigned sigh, I pushed myself up from the floor. “I'm going to grab the bags. Need anything?"

Nance shifted herself to look at me as I headed toward the door. “Maybe one of the drop cloths from the trailer." At my look of confusion, she nodded at the large, bay style window. “Curtains."

I nodded in understanding, “On it."

* * *

I had the drop cloth stuffed in her travel bag, along with a small hammer and finishing nails since there was plenty of room for it all. Nance always traveled light, the wolf needed surprisingly little beyond the attire required by whatever mission we were being sent on. In this case, a trio of cargo shorts and tank top outfits. She also carried her medicines, a combination of vitamin supplements and pills taken on a three month cycle that was unique to the wolves.

I opened the door and pushed my bag through, followed by her own, then shut the door behind me. We did little more than carry the cots in and unfold them along the back wall before lighting the stove, so she had moved them side by side and was folding her blankets in the particular manner that she liked.

I set her bag on top of my cot and pulled the drop cloth and tools out. I first tacked down the side closest to the wood stove, making sure the edge of the cloth was well away from the heat. Then I put an additional four nails in along the top, ending at the other corner of the window with a fair bit of the cloth piled up on the side. It wasn't perfect, but it was safe, so I rolled the end to tidy up the look of it. With that done, I checked on the stove and its heat shield, making sure the wood behind it wasn't getting too hot. I followed the installation guides as best I could, but with fire, it always paid to be extra careful.

I turned just as I heard the sound of Nance piling onto her blankets. I'd seen her happy before, but rarely had I ever seen her look as content as she did snuggling into the fabric.

I sat down on my cot with my knees over the edge, the beginning of my nightly ritual dealing with my prosthetic. As I started rolling the sleeve down, I couldn't help but glance back at the wolf and comment, “Someone's happy."

Nance opened one of her eyes, the firelight reflecting off its surface, “Of course I am. Forgive the phrasing here, but I can't put it any other way: It's our den. One we made."

I hadn't expected the intensity of her answer, “I didn't really think of it, but yeah, you're right." I turned back to my leg, getting the socket pulled free. “Wolf thing?"

“One of many, Sergeant," came the soft reply mixed with bit of shuffling.

After I finished rolling down the liner, I sat back in the cot. Nance had curled over on her side, facing away from me. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut, but I wanted to see the wolf truly happy and free of whatever held her back. “Hey, talk to me."

Only the crackle of the fire responded..

“Nance, I can't guess here. I'll only get it wrong and that won't help." I needed something to go on, anything. Out of desperation I added, “I'm not a wolf..."

A frustrated huff sounded from the other cot as she rolled over to face me, “I know that, Sergeant. You've no idea how painfully aware I am of that fact."

“Okay," I had to think fast, “But that's not much for me to go on."

Nance closed her eyes, “I know that, too. Listen, I'm not just a first generation wolf. I'm the first generation. They spent uncountable hours training me, drilling into my head that others will see a wolf, and only that. Everything they taught me was to show humans that I am more. You, Sergeant, told me after I overheard a private calling me a monster that we'd work damned hard to prove I wasn't. That they might see me as just a wolf, but that you'd make damned sure that we never gave them the chance to verify it."

I sat slack jawed for a moment before responding, “Shit, Nance, I wasn't saying for you not to be a wolf. I wanted to let your actions, your skills, everything about you be what they saw. Yes, you are one, but you're not just one."

“But that's just it. I couldn't even be one. Yes, I have a nose and ears that function far better than yours. Any human's, the demis included. But beyond that? Beyond what I have?" Nance sat upright, her ears buried against her hackles, “Ken, we weren't even allowed to have a place of our own. That basic thing was denied us. Every few months we'd be shipped off to another god forsaken place. We'd be moved to another unit just to see what else we could do. Do you even remember the day of the accident?"

I shook my head, “No. The last thing I remember before waking up was getting on the plane."

“Right." Nance took a deep breath, trying to force herself to calm down. “The day after that we were sent as part of a sizable convoy. They said the route was secured. Our job was to deal with anything that managed to get through but we weren't heading the operation and they split us between the two lead vehicles. Ken I smelled the explosives and told that corporal to stop."

I had a bad feeling that I knew where this was going.

“But no, by his estimate he outranked me. And in his words, 'no fucking bitch was going to order him around' given the MRAPs cleared the road and we had eyes on the route. I radioed you and yanked him clear out of his seat. We stopped, but not before rolling into the blast range. When that happened, they knew. So they blew one of the charges." A bit of a growl crept into her voice as she continued, “The only thing that saved that man's life was my temper as everything in the front row went. You saw it happen because your driver listened to you."

“So a ways down, another set of charges?"

She nodded, “Had we not stopped, they'd have pinned half the convoy in and flanked us from their tunnels before we could respond. But with the lead Humvee disabled, they had the road mostly blocked and still could fire against us as we withdrew. Even with my ears ringing and the screams, I could hear you shouting over comms for air support and suppression fire from our fifty cals and the M240's. None of us knew there was a second charge on the opposite side. Your vehicle took point in trying to cover us until they could organize the extraction. It blew just as you started firing."

Those details were never shared with me, but I spent a fair amount of time trying to avoid dying in the ER.

“After I recovered, and under the fur there's plenty that you can't see, they wanted to take one more thing away. My one pack mate. You. That was the one thing I'd fight anyone for. They asked me to stay in, they said you wanted me to move on, but... We don't abandon our pack, not like that."

She took a deep breath, “If you ask me what I want, then the answer is simple. I want to live here, hunt with you, laugh and live with you. Make this place our home, our den. You've told me to be a wolf, and I'll do that, Ken. For the first time in seven years, I'll do that."