Desperate Mission
The platoon moved through the woods the way only soldiers can - quickly, urgently, but also with a sense of quiet caution. The air was oppressive - almost unbearably hot and humid, even under the protective canopy of the trees. They brandished their...
Home from the Office
"Honey, I'm home," Eli called out as he walked through the front door. It had been a long week, and the Siamese cat was looking forward to spending a quiet weekend with his wife. He paused for a moment to sniff the air. He could just barely detect a...
Office Indiscretions
My ears twitched in frustration as I gazed at the computer screen. It was already past nine o'clock. I had stayed several hours late at work every day this week in an attempt to finish the big project we'd been working on for months. Unfortunately, as...
The Quickie
It was still early enough to be dark when he awoke to all of the pleasant and familiar sensations of the morning. He felt the chill of the late winter air. He felt the warmth of his wife's body pressed against his own under the soft cotton covers. He...
The Morning After
The early morning light streamed in through the bedroom window, falling on the golden retriever's face. He stirred, and moaned in pain as his hangover hit him like a hammer between the eyes. Blinking through the haze, he stretched, only to be surprised...
Turning the Tables
Hare was a great trickster. He had outsmarted every hunter on the plains over and over again, becoming a legend in his own time among both predators and prey. It was said that no one could match his speed, no sound could escape his ears, and no one...
Real Cowgirls Ride Bareback
Carter sprawled on his back, drifting at the boundary between sleeping and waking. Most days, the big Clydesdale horse would have forced himself to get out of bed and get moving, either to go to work or do some chores around the apartment. Not today,...
The Wolf's Desire
One of these days, when you walk through my front door, I'll force you up against the wall and tell you how I can't wait any longer to have you. You'll protest, of course, but I'll silence you with a passionate kiss. You'll struggle; you'll try to...
Not Quite Prometheus
In the late 1940s, an alien spacecraft crashed on Earth. No, it didn't crash at Roswell. Absolutely nothing crashed at Roswell, though the rumors did serve as a useful distraction for the conspiracy theorists and other people who would get in the way...
An Abuse of Power
Sargon awoke from a peaceful slumber. The early morning light shone in through the large windows of his chamber. His three wives snuggled against him on their massive bed, surrounded by pillows and sheets. The lion sat up and stretched. The red locks...
Marital Bliss
A typical minivan pulled into the driveway of a typical suburban home. There was nothing special about the car; it was the type of vehicle people only buy if they have young children of a certain age. Similarly, the house was fairly unremarkable. It...
Surviving the Snowbound Slopes
Snow and ice coated her fur as the red fox trudged up the frozen slopes. She was tired, hypothermic, and suffering from altitude sickness. Because she had spent most of her life in lower, warmer climes, she was completely unprepared for the challenges...