"I understand," he said, folding his arms around her again, and letting her hair wisp against his lips as he murmured. "I do. I've been there ... to s...rvive the horrible day-to-day -- yes, I do know, l--" he stopped, just short of saying what he had dreamed, afraid, of saying. He felt her cheek pressed against his chest, and wondered if she could hear his heart pounding as loud as it seemed to pound to him each time he looked at her. "I do know," he said, softly. "You have to wall out the hopes. I had been reassured by John and Carol that they did not mean to leave me out and that they loved me. I had some lingering insecurities.Carol said, "Dick, you're my husband. John is an intimate good friend. We don't know how this will all work out. Let's go to bed."I was exhausted and emotionally drained. Bed sounded like a good idea. However, I did wonder how the new sleeping arrangements would work out. The first question was easy, Carol would sleep in the middle with John and me on each. Any fears I might have had for her well-beingwere dispelled by her hands – her knuckles were whitefrom the intensity of her grip on the vibrator, as sheunsuccessfully tried to force it deeper inside.Her moans became shrieks as I began to roll her clitbetween the fingers and thumb of my left hand,alternately pinching and tugging her stiffened nippleswith the right. She appeared to have crossed someinternal boundary; everything I did seemed to registeras pleasure. Indeed, she was writhing. I should clarify, I’m not the one who will hurt you. It’s him.” A large black wolf appeared from around the corner, its eyes fixed on Mark. Mark began struggling again as the wolf approached, growling with its hair on end. “As you can see, my pet is in a terrible mood. I haven’t fed him in a while, and he’s quite hungry. Now, I’ll ask you again. Were you involved in the Knight’s Sheath burning down?”Mark frantically shook his head, and the wolf’s growl became a deep, guttural snarl. Its lips.