She Belongs to Them Both

Chapter One Xiahe, Gansu Province, China, near Tibet The beast was freeing itself. The creature that had invaded his body and soul now scraped and clawed at his insides. Jie fought the change with every ounce of strength he possessed. In the three years since he’d been bitten out on Sangke Prairie, he’d managed to keep his hated alter ego at bay. Tonight, the full moon’s light pulled at his soul with more force than ever, as if the universe itself were angry with him for the creature’s imprisonment. He exhaled, sinking his bent knees into a deeper meditative stance, his arms crossed in front of him at the wrists. He would stand all night in the wu chi position, if that’s what would center him. Whatever it took to ward off the ever-strengthening demand for transformation from man to ravening beast. He’d already pulled the shade tight and hidden in the corner where the moon’s light didn’t quite reach. Grievously, however, the woven grass shade over his window could never be thick enough to shield him from the silvery light whose rays seemed to penetrate his skin. A shot of burning pain seared his gut. He sucked in his breath, pivoted his upper body and began circling his hands, making graceful arcs, one after the other. Releasing his chi had, until now, kept the beast at bay. Tai chi, the simple, graceful martial art form he’d mastered as a boy of eight, had been a savior many times in his life. The pain spread into his chest, fanning outward like evil wings. That deep gnawing hunger the beast carried began to claw at his belly. For the first time in three years, tai chi was failing him. The beast was winning. Jie stepped out with his right foot, preparing for a bo stance. Before his heel touched down, another jolt of pain sent him toppling over. The flames of transformation spread down all four limbs and into his back, like fire through dead leaves. All he could do now was lie helpless until the process had completed itself. Slowly, he raised a trembling hand in front of his face, watching his nails sharpen and lengthen. Smooth ebony fur sprouted on the back of his hands and fingers. More was growing rapidly all over his body, forming a thick coat on his back, chest and thighs. He groaned, straining against the agony of change from human to wolf. The power of speech receded, leaving him able only to utter the sounds of the animal. An unearthly cry formed deep in his throat, his only release from the pain. His howl reverberated through the tiny cottage, swallowed up by the vast prairie of waving grasses and dry winds. To his horror, he watched the sound emanate from his own elongated snout, past sharp incisors meant to rip apart his prey. His trousers slipped off as the beast’s slimmer musculature replaced his legs. After what seemed an eternity of torture, the pain and burning receded, leaving him limp, panting. When he’d caught his breath, he rolled over and lifted himself onto all fours, shaking himself vigorously, like a dog that’d just had a bath. The sudden smell of fresh meat assaulted his nostrils, aggravating his deep hunger. Licking his chops, he turned. Li Yun Po stood in the doorway, watching him, a large bowl of raw cubed beef in his hands. The old man’s gaze penetrated his. No smell of fear emanated from his godfather at all. Li had been a father and a teacher to Jie since he was a boy and his parents were professors living away all the time in Beijing. When Ming An and and Tzu Chai were killed in Tiananmen Square, Li had been the one person in his life to whom Jie could turn. The only other person who knew his secret. Li bent over and set the bowl on the dirt floor. He rose up again and looked at Jie. “Here, my friend,” he said, his soft gentle voice carrying across the room, “I know how you feel about killing. I thought to save you that suffering.” The wolf growled defensively but deep inside where Jie remained, he knew that Li had sacrificed much of his own comfort to pay for this food. His love for the old man deepened, the man who’d taught him tai chi so many years ago. Jie trotted over to the bowl and snapped up a cube of meat. The taste of the food unleashed his ravenous hunger and pure instinct overcame him. Mindlessly, he attacked the large pile, feeding wildly on his godfather’s kind offering. “That’s right, my dear friend,” Li said, “Feed now and when your moon has passed, I have something important to tell you.”