***

"And how would you like you’re steak?" The waiter asks as they sit across the table from each other the next night.

"Rare," Jim answers proudly as Pam wrinkles her nose.

Their waiter snaps his notebook shut and smiles. He’s young with dark sideburns and vibrant blue eyes. His strong hands place his pen back into his apron while he flashes cocky grin quickly at Pam. "Comin’ right up."

As they watch him walk back to the kitchen, Pam reaches across the table and traces the wristband of Jim’s watch. Smiling, she leans forward to take a long sip of her Diet Coke.

"I can’t stand the taste of rare meat," she says before her lips find her brightly colored straw.

"Funny, I didn’t hear you complaining last night." And Pam sprays a little bit of soda out of her mouth.

Jerking her head back, her palm covers her face and when she speaks, there’s the wet pop of her tongue hitting her teeth as she tries to talk. Looking at her husband with her now watering eyes she spies that he is smirking while Pam fumbles for her napkin, and presses it over her face.

"Coke came out of my nose," she sputters, watching as his smirk evolves into a open mouth guffaw.

"Sorry," although his tone sounds anything but apologetic. "Are you okay?" he somehow manages to ask between snickers.

"Yeah," she says as she pats her chest, "I just wasn’t expecting you to say that. . . here."

Jim merely smiles fondly at her, and shrugs his broad shoulders. "Come on, it’s not as easy to make pasta jokes. You gotta give me something, Pam."

"Excuse me, my chicken pasta is ripe for parody," she argues while mopping up little droplets of Coke on the table with her napkin. "I just don’t see how you can eat that steak when it’s still. . .still. . .mooing."

"Yeah, that’s half the fun. It makes me feel like a lion. I love it!"

Pam can only roll her eyes. Soon, their food arrives, interrupting their laughter as they playfully banter back and forth. This is one of the reason’s she loves Jim. They can talk about nothing, and still feel as though they will wet their pants with glee.

Their waiter ("Hey, you can call me Sam.") stands next to them with two sizzling trays. "I have a T-bone steak for you, sir." Sam places Jim’s animal carcass down next to his drink.

"Thank you," Jim replies and he’s already reaching for his fork and knife.

"And a chicken pasta for the lovely lady." Sam’s white teeth are almost blinding as he beams charmingly down at Pam.

"Thanks," she mutters shyly, all the while still managing to smile bashfully back at her waiter.

"Okay folks," Sam exclaims enthusiastically, "Enjoy your meal."

Pam’s too busy spearing her noodles with her fork to notice that Sam has left. She looks up from her food to find that Jim has an extremely grim expression on his face. Putting her fork down, she nets her eyebrows together tries to swallow the rest of her pasta.

"What’s wrong?" she asks, her voice full of concern.

As soon as the words leave her mouth, Jim’s jerks as if he’s just snapped out of a trance.

"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking," and as he smiles at her, she can’t help herself from grinning back.

"So, how’s your cow?" she asks as she watches his knife slice easily into his steak. Taking a large bite, he chews carefully as though he’s some food critic for the local paper.

"Mmmmm," is his answer.

A coppery aroma wafts its way over to Pam, and she’s pretty sure that the dark liquid pool surrounding Jim’s steak isn’t gravy. He doesn’t seem to mind as he happily chomps on his food. As she watches him, she realizes that he wasn’t kidding about feeling like a lion. His teeth sink into his meat with raw exuberance. The image reminds Pam of the time she watched a panther kill an animal on the Discovery Channel.

About a forty minutes into their meal, Pam pushes her plate away and takes one last swig of her drink. Sighing, she leans back in her chair. If she were a man, this would be the part where she opens her belt.

"Full?" Jim asks between bites.

"You’re obviously not," she states.

"What can I say? I’m a man," he retorts, taking another morsel of his, now, very small steak.

"Trust me, I’ve been watching you eat, and you look as if you belong out in the wild."

Just then, she leans forward and wipes a little dark smudge off the corner of Jim’s mouth with her thumb. It’s meant to be a quick gesture, however, she finds that she can’t quite take her fingers off of his warm skin. She’s sure she imagines it, but Jim’s eyes darken, and she’s certain that something primal flashes behind those green irises making a deep warm sensation flood inside of her belly unexpectedly.

Absently, she pulls the skin of her lips between her teeth as she views is facial expression. He stares fixedly back at her, and his adams apple bobs noticeably as he swallows the remainder of his meat. Pam’s positive that there are little beads of sweat forming just above his brow. Slowly, as if in a enchanted, she slides her arm back to her side and fiddles with her silverware.

"I’m full." His voice is low and throaty and it still manages to send a shock of excitement through her body.

"Well then, " she wets her upper lip with her tongue, "maybe we should ask for our check."

She glances up from her knife and fork that she’s been playing with and feels a sense of hungry power surge through her entire being. It makes her flesh thrum boldly and she knows that all she has to do is. . .

The tip of her finger faintly traces Jim’s knuckle of his wedding finger. She can feel the light whips of hair brush light against her nails. He remains absolutely still for a few moments, and taking a deep breathe, he catches his waiters eye and beckons him over to their table.

"We’d like our check now, please."

Looking at Pam, their waiter puts his hand over his heart. "Aw, already?"

"Yes," Jim’s voice is a bit more forceful.

Sam brings them their check, and Jim hurriedly scribbles on the ticket.

"Give him a bigger tip than that, Jim," she knows that Jim is too distracted to argue.

Standing up, Pam grabs her jacket and Jim puts a hand on the small of her back as they make their way to the exit. Sam takes their check and shows them out as they weave through the Friday night crowd.

"Thanks for coming, "Sam says. As his eyes meets Pam’s, he says: "I hope to see you again."

The pressure of Jim’s hand on her back is suddenly much more prominent as he guides her out of the restaurant.

They make their way across the dark parking lot to their car. Jim’s hand slips from her back to her waist, and she’s surprised to find that his pace has increased slightly. Leaning into his side, she lets her body relax as he directs her to their parking space. Walking her to her side of the door, he suddenly stops. Pam turns to face him and leans against the passenger door.

"Hmmmm," she hums as a small breeze blows past them. Her eyes meet his and she brushes a stray hair away from her face.

That troubled look at she had seen earlier is back. "Thank you Jim, that was really nice."

He doesn’t say anything in return, and it’s hard to read his eyes in the darkness of the lot. She hears that is breathing has become shallower since they left and she can feel singeing heat radiating off of him. Pam’s not sure because she hasn’t looked down, but she wonders if he has his hands stuffed into his pocket like he normally does when he’s upset.

"Hey, Jim," her voice is soft. "Are you oka – "

Her brain doesn’t seem to register the sensation of her back pushing into her door right away. Instead, all she can concentrate on is the fact that his fingers are dipping into the waistband of her jeans. Jim’s lips are covering her hastily, almost severely and her temperature boils dramatically. His lips are tinged with fresh blood and he tastes better than any steak she’s ever savored.

Groaning, she slips her hands inside the opening of his jacket to feel his heart drumming with fervent craze. Teasingly, he runs his tongue over her upper lip, and Pam’s knees begin to feel like gelatin. The salty scent of sweat overpowers her and she drastically wishes that they were somewhere more private. All the blood must have drained from her head because she is very startling aware that she is very dizzy.

"Jim! Jim," she gasps trying to not focus on his twisting lips that are trailing down her jaw, her neck, her throat. . .

Grabbing her hips, he crushes her into him. "P- Pam I can’t. . ." But then he’s kissing her again, and his arms lock around her.

"Take me home," is all she has to say.

After, they rest in utter ecstasy as the thin layer of sheets absorb the sweat on their exhausted bodies. Pam can’t seem to get her blood to cool, and her body doesn’t want to drop in temperature. Not in the slightest. She can feel Jim’s moist nose as he nuzzles the back of her damp neck.

"I love you," he mumbles lazily into her slick skin.

And as he sleeps, Pam’s wonders if Jim is holding her a little tighter tonight.

***

"You look exhausted," Jen observes one afternoon as Pam sits on top of a picnic table.

Pam looks away from her sketch book and gazes down at her friend who is sitting the bench next to Pam’s feet. The cool fall air is damp and it’s making her fingers so cold that she can’t hold onto her pencil.

"Do I?" Pam smiles.

"Yeah, has Jim been. . .ya know, keeping you up at night?" Jen giggles and Pam tries hard not to roll her eyes.

"Ye – No. I. . I mean no. Why do you say that?" she clambers, a little flustered. Now Jen is the one who’s smiling.

"Oh, come on! Remember the other night when he stopped by to pick you up? He was undressing you with his eyes, no shame at all about it, and practically shoved you into the car."

"Well, he is my husband."

"Yeah, well, based on the all the PDA between you two, I wouldn’t be surprised if you practiced your nude drawings on him," Jen snorts.

"Jen!" Pam sets her notebook down. Actually, drawing a naked Jim doesn’t sound like a bad idea. . .

"I’m just saying. . ." Jen goes back to reading her text book.

"Yeah, since when do you have an eye for art?" Pam questions her friend.

The two had met during one of Pam’s math classes at the college. Jen was nice, and knew her way around a calculator. She helped Pam pass math, and the two had been friends ever since. She had even gone as far to tell Pam: "Stick with the art, math ain’t your thing."

"Just because I study folklore doesn’t mean I don’t notice things, Pam," Jen retorts, trying to take a peek at one of Pam’s drawings. Pam quickly snaps her sketchbook shut.

"Folklore does sound interesting," she says, thinking out loud. "What are you going to write about for your midterm?"

"Guess," Jen quints and smiles a somewhat devilish smile.

"Ummm," Pam looks up and thinks, "Greek mythology."

"Boring!"

"Fairytales?"

"Nah, I wrote my last paper on that."

"Midgets?"

"Those are real, Pam."

"I know, I’m talking to one."

"Okay, keep guessing."

"Urban legends?"

"Nope."

"Goblins?"

"Gettin’ warmer. . ."

"I don’t know, Jen, what?" Pam throws her hands into the air to tell her that she’s given up.

Jen is smiling again and she scoots closer to Pam. Holding her book up, she flips it over, and Pam sees that it’s not a text book at all.

"Werewolves!" Jen exclaims excitedly, holding the pages close to Pam’s face for her to see.

Pam takes the book from Jen’s hands and studies it carefully. She see’s two images, both black and white sketches of the mythological creature. One looks as if it belongs in a comic book as the bold ink shades the dark curves of a strong beast. Its teeth are larger than its own head and it almost has a human quality as she sees how the artist drew him with the pecs and the six-pack of an man’s.

The other sketch is done in light pencil, and the style looks much older. It’s ancient style seems to help her take the drawing more seriously and she feels a small shiver runs down her spine. To Pam, this picture seems scarier than the other one. The animal looks more like a cross between a wolf and a demon as it lurks evilly under a full moon. The eyes are wide and shine like large silver dollars. Its long body stretches out over a soft road of snow, and this time, its teeth are longer and its fangs gleam as it grins insanely back at Pam.

"You’re writing about monsters?" Pam asks, confused as she reads more of the text.

"Not monsters, Pam. It’s folklore. Celtic folklore. Although, the myth of the werewolf is believed to have existed since the Ancient Greeks. And you would have known that if you had read my book." Snatching her book back from Pam’s hands, Jen turns the pages of her text vigorously.

Pam watches Jen as she admires the pictures of her class topic for a few seconds.

"Doesn’t that creep you out? Even a little bit?" Pam wonders verbally.

"What’s to be scared about? They’re not real." Jen’s eyes move back up from her book and she stares at Pam. "Why, do you know any werewolves?" she asks jokingly.

"Oh yeah, I see them all the time here in Scranton, Pennsylvania," Pam quips back, chuckling.

"Hmmm, what about Jim? He seems. . .rugged. . ."

"Rugged?"

". . .and a little hairy."

"He does have very nice hair," Pam muses, entertained by Jen’s outrageous connection.

"Come on, Pam, aren’t there times when he seems just a tad bit animalistic?" Jen is flat out laughing now, and Pam can’t help but smile.

She smiles because she thinks about the other evening in the kitchen, and how Jim had growled into her shoulder blade. He had been a little rough that night. She still has the bite marks to prove it.

"You’re right. I should probably stop telling Jim to drink out of the toilet bowl." Jen lets out a shriek of laughter.

"Yeah, some dogs got into my garbage yesterday. Hey, were was Jim last night?" she snickers.

"Peeing on the carpet again," Pam titters. And the two women giggle like school girls.

"What are you two laughing about?"

Pam jerks her head up to see Jim walking across the moist grass. The gray clouds roll overhead, and for a moment, Pam wants to draw the image of him stepping towards her, the charcoal sky darkening his eyes. Touching the spot where his teeth had sunk into her skin, she shudders, and despite to cold, her fingers start to sweat.

"Werewolves," Pam replies as he meets her. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, "says Jim as he dips his head and kisses her a little too lustily on the small patch of flesh below her left ear.

His mouth his warm against her cool skin, and her eyes flutter involuntarily for a minute. She chances a glance at Jen who is smirking and folding her arms across her chest as if to say: "See, total animal." Jim breathes a little into her skin before pulling away, and she’s miraculously aware of how chilly the weather is.

"Hey, Jen," he says pleasantly.

"Hiya, Jim," she waves.

"So, you two are talking about werewolves? Don’t you know those things don’t exist?" he teases as he places an arm around his wife.

"Oh, I don’t know," Jen sighs, "I’ve believed in weirder things. . . "

***

They decide to go camping once before the weather really goes to hell. It’s a little rainy, and a little cold, but for the most part, Pam really enjoys their small weekend away in the woods. It’s night and they huddle together next to the fire that Jim built and Pam finds that she is very easily hypnotized by the dancing flames. The deep rise and fall of Jim’s chest relaxes her as she leans back into him.

"This was nice," she soughs. "I wish we had done it during the summer."

"Yeah," he breathes in her ear. "But you know that Michael would’ve wanted to come along."

"I’m surprised that he didn’t make us go on some sort of outing."

She rotates herself so that she’s sitting in his lap. The glow of the fire cascades over his skin and he looks so handsome. . .so incredibly sexy that Pam’s heart stirs lightly inside of her chest.

"You’re growing a light beard," she says as she runs her finger along his jaw.

His voice rumbles as he rubs his cheeks over her face. She squeals and tries to escape his lap, but he’s holding her too tight and she finally gives up when he begins to place feathery kisses along her temple, her eyelids, down her nose, over her lips. His long whiskers tickle her cheeks, but she doesn’t mind, just as long as he keeps touching her like that. . .

When they separate, Pam looks up at the dark sky to see that it’s a full moon. Looking back down, she sees that he’s watching her, his eyes almost all white from the moonlight’s reflection. He smiles wickedly back at her, and his teeth glitter sharply from the fire’s gleam. Pam thinks back to the picture in Jen’s book, and there’s something so familiar in his expression that it scares her for a moment.

Her breathing hitches as he grins wider and his eyes are bright, lustful. . . hungry. She feels his nails lightly scratch over the sides of her stomach, and when he tilts his head back, she notices that his hair is wildly sticking up on end, making him look not human.

"I’m tired," Pam blurts out randomly.

Quickly, his smile fades and before he can say anything, she’s sliding off of his lap. She doesn’t look back as she heads for their tent. When she enters, she grabs her flash light and begins to change into her nightgown. She has no idea why she’s acting this way, but she’s just sliding her shirt over her head when Jim enters.

"Going to bed, huh?" he questions softly.

Behind the open flap that he’s holding open, she sees the smoldering smoke from their once bright fire. She shines her flashlight in his direction but not in his eyes as to blind him. In the dim light of their tent, he finds that he looks a little sad, but very much like the man she married.

"Yeah, I’m just. . .a little worn out," she replies as she clicks off her flashlight.

Pam hears him moving around as he changes into her PJ’s and then he’s sliding into their large sleeping bag next to her. The tent is quiet for a moment before he speaks.

"You okay?" From his tone, he sounds hurt, and Pam quickly feels guilty for how she acted earlier.

"I’m fine, I just need my beauty sleep so I can be your trophy wife," her words are kidding, but she’s not sure he buys it.

"Okay. Night Pam." He leans forward and kisses her arm and settles back into bed.

Before she falls asleep, Pam can’t believe how superstitious she is.

Later, Pam is awakened by a terrible noise. It’s seething and raw and it makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. For a moment, Pam’s not sure what the sound is, but she soon realizes that it’s grunting maddingly. The noises are coming from outside of their tent, and Pam soon hears that there are more of them. . .snapping and growling as if ready to kill.

Their harsh panting from far off is what makes Pam roll over hastily and reach out blindly for Jim. Touching his hot torso, she shakes him a little, and in the dark, she can see that his head is turned away from her, his mouth open in deep sleep.

"Jim!" she whispers urgently, "Jim, do you hear that?"

He doesn’t answer right away, and that makes her feel even more afraid and alone.

"Jim, do you hear that?" she hushes.

"Mmmm, what?" he slurs drowsily. "What is it?"

"Listen. . ." Pam strains and it seems like whatever is out there is coming closer. "What is that?"

The growling makes her clutch Jim’s T-shirt in her fists. She hears something like a mix between a snarl and a bark and she shuts her eyes tightly as if she can make it go away. Jim is so silent that she worries for a second that he’s fallen back asleep, but then he answers, still sounding sleepy.

"It sounds like wolves," he mutters.

"Wolves?" she whispers lightly. "Jim, what are we gonna do?"

"Hey," she feels him grab her hand. "They sound pretty far off. I don’t think they’ll bother us. Besides, I have a gun in our bag, and I also have a radio." He stops for a moment as he listens again. "They’re moving away from us, Pam. The Ranger around here says that they normally don’t bother humans."

"They sound angry," she sighs as she snuggles closer to him.

"They’re probably just fighting over some food that the Ranger set out for them."

Suddenly, a high, steely, crazed howl erupts in the distance and makes Pam jump and cling to Jim. He jolts a little, surprised, and then grabs onto her.

"I’m scared," she whimpers.

"Hey," he hushes in that comforting Jim tone. "I’ll protect you. I don’t think you’ll need it, though. You could kick those beasts’s asses any day."

They listen in silence as the wolves move further and further away. Their grunts and jagged breathing still make Pam shake, but Jim holds her tight, and rubs his large hands over her belly every time she starts to tremble. However, after a while, his consoling gestures starts to become more intimate as he rubs the bare skin of her hip bone with the tips of his fingers. The action makes Pam aroused and soon, he starts to comfort her with his lips as well.

Before she realizes it, he taking her fully and deeply on the floor of their tent. And Pam swears that he makes the exact same sounds as those wolves that stalk the woods.

***

Pam hasn’t had an art show in. . .well. . .ages. To be completely honest, she hasn’t had enough courage to have another one since Jim never showed up and Michael offered to buy her painting. But that was almost two years ago. Things are very different now.

So, when Pam hears about how her fellow students are going to have another art show the day before Halloween, Pam signs up immediately.

Now, she stands in front of her display and thinks about how different these pieces are from her other drawings of staples and office supplies two years before. Some of her art are the water colors that she did on their weekend away in the forest. Others are charcoal and deep, rich prisms. One is of the tree in their backyard that she had done early one morning in October. It’s golden maple leaves hang securely on the branch as the tree stands tall in her backyard. The sun had risen behind Pam as she had worked on the piece. The sun’s rays had reflected off of the orange, red, and golden leaves making the maple tree look as if it were on fire.

The other one is of Jim as he stands behind a chain linked fence. He was still wearing his work cloths the day she had drawn him doing that pose. His large hand reaches up and is gripping the fence, his fingers tangled in the massive wire. His stare is very serious and Pam loves the picture when she admires it on her wall.

"So," she hears Jim say behind her. "What do you call this one?" He points at the portrait of himself.

"I call it: ‘The Chains of a Suburban Life,’" Pam answers in a rich, arty voice. The picture is actually called "My Husband Behind a Fence" because Pam doesn’t have any symbolic message in her portrait

"And what does it represent?" Jim walks closer and studies himself.

"Well, it’s supposed to represent the actual hell that a quiet life can bring. One feeling trapped in a job, or by a nagging by a wife. The fence. . .represents. . .blockage. . . of. . . life." Pam tries hard to come up with something else clever and Jim laughs.

"This is so cool," he says breaking character. "It’s surreal to see myself up on a wall as art."

"Baby, your whole body’s art," she says only half jokingly.

"And that’s the only reason you married me, hm? I’m your muse."

"Yep."

"Pam!" she hears someone shout. Turning around she sees Martin, one of her classmates. He’s a little shorter than Jim, and has spiky blond hair and thick black glasses. He makes most of all the girls in Pam’s class swoon.

"Hey Martin," she smiles at him as he moves over to her area, She watches as he looks over her wall.

"Wow! Are these yours?" he asks. Pam nods proudly and Martin squeezes her arm. "They’re great! You really are talented. You’ve also made a lot of progress."

"Oh, thanks," she blushes as she pats his arm. "Oh, Martin, this is my husband, Jim. Jim this is my friend Martin."

"Hello," the both of them say to each other.

"So, Pam," Martin says turning back to her, "when are you going to pose naked?"

Pam laughs.

"How about never."

"What? Come on Pam, you gotta do it at least once. Something to show your grand kids," Martin grins and Pam shakes her head.

"I don’t want them to see that," she says chuckling at the image of her horrified grandchildren.

"Well, good luck becoming a real artist then," he smiles as he waves at her. Pam shakes her head again and giggles again at that odd mental image.

"He seemed nice," Jim says softly. "Is he gay?"

"Huh?" Pam turns her attention back to Jim. "Martin? No, I don’t think so. . ."

"PAM THOSE ARE AWESOME!" a familiar voice shouts so loud that she jumps a little. It’s Jason, another friend in her class.

Jason jogs up to her in his greasy jeans and faded baseball tee. Pam wonders if Jason is actually a hobo who has an eye for art. His hair is long, and his long brown beard moves as he speaks.

"Those are rockin’!" He moves closer to the one of Jim and his head moves back and forth between picture Jim and real Jim. "That’s you."

"I know it’s me," Jim smiles, but it somehow looks forced.

"Pam, you are, like, a professional," Jason exclaims turning back around to face her.

"Er. . .Well . . .I don’t know about that. . . ."

"Aw, don’t be so modest," Jason says as he moves forward and gives an already blushing Pam a quick kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to see my exhibit?" he asks happily.

"Oh, devils, witches and rock stars with tattoo of’s skulls painted over their bodies? Defiantly." Pam slowly nods and grins from ear to ear thinking that her friend certainly has his own style.

Jason raises his hand and gives Pam a high five. "Yes! I’ll see you there." And with a pump of his fist, he turns around and leaves. Pam’s still beaming when she hears Jim shuffle his feet behind her.

"Who was that guy?" he questions and Pam turns around to face him.

"That was Jason, he’s a little crazy. But he has a big personality. Better keep him away from Phyllis," Pam jokes but Jim doesn’t laugh. He only nods his head and moves a little closer to her. In one swift motion Jim reaches a long arm to and snatches a glass from the mini bar near by.

"Hey, Pam!" another man says. It’s Chris, and he’s wearing a lavender chemise with a matching tie which makes him look like a GQ model. His hair is black and curly and he has soft brown eyes that move swiftly over Pam’s art. "Those are nice."

"Another friend of yours?" Jim whispers in her ear.

"Thanks, Chris. Where are you?" Chris flashes his teeth at Pam’s question and points to the wall of painting full of scantily clad and nude women. Pam nods impressed. "Provocative."

"Yes, I was trying to make it sexy," Chris agrees. Leaning forward, he kisses Pam on her other cheek. Just then, she feels Jim’s strong arm around her. "I wish you would have taken me up on that offer."

For the first time that night, Pam can’t quite get the words out.

"N – no, no. I don’t know why everyone keeps asking me," Pam stutters.

"What?" Jim asks.

"Come on, Pam. I know you have a heavenly body. You should show it off more," Chris says leaning in and grinning at her.

"Excuse me?" Jim interrupts.

"I wouldn’t feel comfortable. . . "

". . . .because you aren’t going to look like that forever. . "

". . . and I would look totally painful sitting like that. . ."

". . .your naked body isn’t anything to be ashamed of. . "

". . . It would look really unnatural."

"Okay, what are you two talking about?" Jim finally pushes his way feverishly into the conversation. For the first time, Chris seems to take notice of him.

"Are you Jim?" Chris asks as if Jim has just popped out of thin air.

"Are you gay?" Jim replies, his words cutting.

"Jim!" Pam turns to him, hoping that he’ll see the mental daggers she’s sending him with her eyes.

Chris lets out a nervous laugh and rubs his chin. Turning back to Pam, who can feel her cheeks burning bright, he smiles and reaches out to squeeze her hand.

"Your work is great, Pam. Come by my exhibit later." Turning to Jim he adds; "Nice meeting you."

"Yeah," Jim grunts as he watches Chris walk away.

They are quiet and Pam can’t find her voice as she turns angrily at her husband. Jim is now taking a long swig of his drink, and he shudders as he swallows.

"What the hell was that?" Pam snaps. Jim shrugs, but there something burning in his eyes that Pam’s never seen before.

"I thought he was gay," Jim mumbles.

They don’t talk much for the rest of Pam’s art show. However, he never leaves her side and stays dangerously close, especially when Pam’s male art buddies come by to congratulate her. For the remainder of the night, Jim acts like Pam’s own personal guard dog, snipping and growling at any one who seems to threaten his territory.

When the show is over, Pam begins taking down her work, and the gallery is almost completely empty when Jim finally speaks to her.

"I didn’t realize you had so many guy friends," Jim states softly, but seriously.

Sighing, Pam drops her hands to her sides and glares at him. "What is wrong with you tonight?"

Jim doesn’t answer, he only stares fixedly at the portrait of himself behind the fence.

After a long stretch of silence, Pam shakes her head and resumes taking all of her pictures down. She can’t believe how’s he been acting. It was embarrassing to see her husband acting like a little spoiled boy who doesn’t want to share. Even Roy didn’t act like that.

The rooms is so quiet that Pam thinks she might suffocate if they continue not to talk to each other. Finally, she takes down her graphite portrait of Jim and that’s when she feels his breath warm in her ear.

"I don’t like them touching you," his voice is low and it rumbles possessively all over her body.

Turning to face him, she sees that his eyes are blazing with something she’s never seen before. He’s closer . . . Much closer than he was a moment ago and she can smell the faint odor of alcohol on this breath.

"What?" she whispers back, a little dazed at his sudden proximity.

When he speaks, he moving closer to her; "I don’t like them touching you," he repeats. She knows who he’s talking about and she takes a step back as he moves forward. "I don’t like them looking at you," now her back is pressed against the wall.

"Jim, "it comes out raspy. "Are you jealous?"

He stops and stares down at her. After a moment he finally nods. "Yes. I’m insanely jealous," he admits.

Despite herself, Pam chuckles a bit.

"Why?"

Now he’s moving away and running a hand through his hair. He looks angry again and Pam wishes momentarily that she hadn’t bothered to ask.

"Why shouldn’t I be?" he seethes. "I mean, I spent years watching you go home with him. Kissing him. And now you’re mine. You’re legally mine. I know what it’s like to touch you, to taste you, to have you, and then they come along and flirt with you while I’m standing right here!"

"So, I’m not allowed to have any friends?" Pam feels as if she’s about to cry.

"They don’t want to be your friend, Pam." Jim almost shouts. "They want you. They want your body. Can’t you feel their eyes on you? I had to stand here all night and watch as they sight humped you."

"Jim, I think you’re overreactin – "

"No I’m not!" Jim is moving closer to her again. "I’m a man, I know how it works. I know because it’s so fucking easy to fall in love with you! I’ve been there, I know how those poor bastards feel. And it’s not that I don’t trust you. Hell, I trust you completely. You’re the most faithful person I’ve ever met. But I don’t trust them. I will never trust them. And look at me! I went behind Roy’s back and told you that I loved you. I can see it in their eyes, when that Chris guy stared at your legs, and I saw his face drain of all its color. But you’re mine. You’re mine, Pam, and I don’t want them touching you."

Throughout his speech, Jim has completely lost control. His eyes are on fire and he moves toward her as if he’s stalking his prey. The room is spinning as she moves closer to him and places her hands on his chest. His heart throbs under her fingers and his breathing has become shallow.

"Hey," she whispers. Her lips find his jaw and she kisses him. He’s sweating but his pulse seems to die down a little at her touch. "I never knew you could be so possessive," she murmurs into his stubble.

"Neither did I," he breathes. "I’m afraid you’ll leave me. That I’ll lose you. I can’t."

"You’ll never lose me. But you’ve got to let me breathe, Jim. I promise that I’ll always love you."

And then he’s hugging her tightly. Burying his face into the crook of her neck, he sighs and nods against her collar bone.

"I’m sorry."

"I know. I love you."

When he kisses her ferociously in their car, she bite his earlobe and he groans and then his fingers are on the top button of her jeans.

"Jim?" she pants as he works feverishly on her neck. "Do you believe in werewolves?"

"No," his words hum over her throat. "Why?"

"Never mind."

Pam looks out of her widow to stare at the moon, and she wonders if being married to an animal isn’t such a bad thing after all.