When the food arrived he let the conversation run short, he was famished and did not even bother trying to speak until after they ate their fill. He was so hungry, his body seemed to absorb the food like air. Satiated at last, he waited for the waitress to return, slipping her a card and asking for coffee and a few slices of pie and to give them some privacy. During the meal he had thought about her story, how sad it felt, even if he has spent his life alone she was forced into a life she did not want. The story seemed no different than any other tragic tale but he felt this instinct to help her.<br/>"Do you know how to do all that stuff you mentioned, willingly control your shape into that wolf? Is that what all we become?"<br/>The knowledge of him in the half man, half wolf form was unknown to him, despite the attack last night.<br/>"How hard is that to do by yourself? Years of practice? Stay with me, we can travel or if you prefer to be rooted we can...I mean you and I, not we...just stay in this town...I have traveled for so long to understand what was wrong with me. I have seen the world change before my very eyes...it's not the greatest place in the world."<br/>He stopped himself and took a deep breath, not continuing until he was calm, hard to do since there was so much running through his mind.<br/>"Maybe we can take it one day at a time...I'll take care of you and when you want to leave you can..."<br/>His hand had reached out to take hers, the one with a burn.<br/>"How did this happen?"