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The Nose Knows By Lykanos Wulfheart

Abby's soft, pale shoulder lay bare, the maroon blanket pulled back just enough to expose the delicate beauty of her skin. As his princess still slumbered, the beast had an urge to fill. Bill was feeling romantic that morning, his large, werewolf frame tucked below the bedsheets. A gentle lick up the side of her arm was enough to stir his damsel.

In a groggy hush, she inquired, "And what do you think you're doing, huh?"

From behind, the wolf-like head arose, grey and white fur surrounding his cheesy grin. "Why, I just wanted to take in your scent this morning." His muzzle retreated back out of view before the cold, moist nose pressed against her back.

"C-cold," she squealed as she lurched forward, not escaping the werewolf's sniffer. Slowly, Bill worked his way up, little whiffs tickling at his wife's flesh. A massive, white paw slid over her arm as he moved across the shoulder blade, slow and seductive.

Stopping in the middle of Abby's left shoulder, he took in a few quick puffs, breaking his smooth advance. "That's odd," he said as he delicately touched the freckled skin with a single claw. Giving the discolored speck a long lick, he sniffed at the area yet again.

"Honey, what's going on? You're starting to worry me." Leaning to look over, the burly fingers held her in place.

"Hold on," he said as he sniffed around her spine, then back to the spot in question. "There's a spot here. It smells a little... weird. Not a good weird." Scooting himself up in the bed, he sat as he waited for his lover to do the same. "I think you should get it checked out, Abby."

Abby pushed her messy, auburn hair behind her shoulder before stroking at the fur of Bill's forearm. "Oh, it's probably nothing. You're just being paranoid."

Resting his jaw on her, he sounded a little spooked. "It didn't smell right, hon. It smelled... like something bad, I think. Please. I'd feel a whole lot better if you got it checked out." Pivoting to place his hands on her shoulders, he proceeded to lower his muzzle and give his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. "Pwease."

Abby couldn't help but smile at the display. Booping his black snout with her finger, she couldn't resist his charm. "Aww, alright. I can't beat the puppy dog eyes. I tell you what. I'll see if they have an opening today or tomorrow. Sound good?"

After licking her cheek, he nodded. "Sounds good. Now, I'd better let you get ready for work. Wash all that slobber off."

"What slobber," she asked as the wolfman cracked a grin.

"This slobber," came the words as his tongue shot out and licked a big, slimy streak up the side of her face.

"Ewwww, you brat!" She wiped at the cheek before locking a hand to each side of his face. "Two can play at this game!" With her dainty human tongue, she licked his wet nose and continued up the bridge of his muzzle, stopping between his eyes. "Serves you right," she shot back as she threw off the covers and stuck out the thing she had just used to dampen his fur. "Time to get ready." As she walked away, she purposely wiggled with a feminine charm meant to tease her partner.

"And this is why I love you," he called after, flopping back into bed when she disappeared into the bathroom down the hallway. His smile remained plastered to his face until sleep overtook him once more.

***

Abby returned in the evening, met by Bill's call from the basement. "I'll be up in a bit, hon. Just need to finish some coding. Fifteen minutes, I promise!"

Leaning against the frame separating the kitchen from the living room, she talked down the open doorway under the main stairwell, leading down into her husband's man-cave. "I'll get some food going."

When his time was up, Bill snuck up the stairs and behind his lover as she flipped the burgers. The scent was enticing, the onion and cheddar cubes worked right into the meat as it sizzled on the stovetop. Embracing her as she cooked, the brown hair, blue eyed man kissed the side of her neck. "Welcome home. So, how was work?"

Twisting around to give Bill a proper kiss, Abby had to look up, the five inches of difference quite noticeable, yet nowhere near as bad as when he was in his furred form. "It was good. A bit slow."

Rubbing at her shoulders as she focused on the meat, he could feel the band-aid poking out from the top of her bra strap. Gently, he slid a finger at the edge of it. "Oh, hey, did you get that spot looked at?"

"Yep. They had some openings, so I did it on my lunch break. Should know in the next few days. The perks of working at the hospital."

Resting his jaw on her right, he snuck another smooch onto her undefended cheek. "Thanks, hon. I'll feel a whole lot better knowing."

With a chuckle, she tended the food. "Oh, you'll feel a whole lot better after a couple burgers."

Licking his lips, he talked with his jaw glued to her shoulder "Oh yea. You know me too well."

The next couple days went by as normal, no thought given to what may be. The biopsy had been merely for their peace of mind. On the third day, Abby had her results. When she texted her husband she was vague, saying that she'd let him know when she got home with some dinner. Along the way, she picked up two rotisserie chickens from Hy-Vee along with some other groceries.

When she stepped into the house, Bill was waiting at the kitchen table. "So, is it good news?"

She had purposely brought in the cooked birds to hide her scent, not wanting her hesitation to be picked up by the skilled lycanthrope. "Patience, buster. Help me get the groceries in and I'll let you know. Not before." Setting dinner on the table, she wiggled her fingers mystically at him. "Suspense," she whispered as she led him back out to the car.

Following behind, he muttered, "No fair. Blackmailing me into grocery duty."

Looking back with a wink, she said, "But chicken."

Still quite hungry, he knew she'd won. "Good point."

Bringing everything else in with that trip, Bill put it all away before joining Abby at the table. He was already digging into his chicken like a Viking brute when Abby dropped the news. "So, for the biopsy. They did find something, but it's pretty minor."

Stopping mid-bite, Bill seemed worried. "What'd they find?"

With a soft sigh, she explained, "It's a stage zero melanoma. That means it's just on the surface of the skin, easy to remove."

"Stage zero..." Dropping his food back into the black plastic container, he was pretty sure he knew what that meant. "That's cancer, isn't it?" His concern grew as he spoke, the worry wearing heavy on his face.

"It's early stage skin cancer, yes. But there's nothing to worry about. I have an appointment for tomorrow evening." Taking one of his sticky hands in her own, she tried her best to calm him. "It's an easy in and out procedure. They'll cut around it and that'll be it. I'll just have a little scar there, that's all."

Bill's eyes lowered as he took it all in. "Cancer... Wh-what if it comes back? Can it come back?"

Rubbing the back of his hand, she lowered her gaze as well. "There is always that risk, but since we caught it early, it's very unlikely. I'd just need to go in each year for a supplemental examination. No big deal."

He really wanted to say that it could be a big deal, but he held off. He was scared. She was scared. He didn't want to make any more of this than it was, as much as it terrified him. Kissing the back of her delicate skin, he squeezed the fingers as he said, "We're in this together. I've got your back, no matter what."

The sentiment got to Abby, a single tear running down her face. Squeezing back, she wiped it away and licked her fingers clean. "I know you do. Now eat your chicken, mister."

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he went back to munching. That night, he couldn't sleep. The thought of his wife fighting such a horrific force wore on his mind. Looking over at her dainty frame, he caressed her arm with his fuzzy paw.

The longer he debated it, the darker his options turned. To himself, he mumbled, "I could do it, but she'd never forgive me." They had talked about it before, early on in the relationship. Although she loved him for his lycanthropy, among other things, she did not want it for herself. She liked being human and feared what that power may do to her. He respected her decision, but the werewolf blood would destroy the cancer and prevent any such ailments in the future. The process was fairly easy, too. Turning a human wasn't as simple as the movies. It didn't happen from a bite or a scratch, part of why their marriage remained so natural. The way to spread the gift, or curse, was a blood transfusion. Usually a pint or two would suffice, the transformee taking about ten days before they could gain the full effects.

It was possible to force it on her, but he'd never forgive himself if he did that. However, he also couldn't lose the love of his life. When she stirred in the morning, he waited. Her arm snuck across the white of his chest as she said, "You look tired. Did you sleep?"

Sounding as if he'd been caught eating out of the trash, he gave a pathetic, "No." Slipping his paw over hers, he felt guilty even asking. "Hey, Abby? I was wondering... I know you didn't want to before, but what if you became a werewolf?" Turning to face her, his eyes never met, the shame keeping them as low as his ears. "You wouldn't need to worry about this kind of thing ever again. Please, at least consider it?"

Stroking at one of his drooped ears, she spoke kindly. "Hey, hey. It's going to be alright, I promise. I did consider that, but, just like before... I couldn't. I love you and what you are, but it's just not for me. I couldn't handle the guilt if I ever hurt someone."

Still crippled by his conscience, he managed to look up into her hazel green eyes. "I... I could help you through the transition. Teach you how to handle it. I promise I'd never let you hurt a soul."

Her other hand moved to pet the fur of his cheek, gentle, short sweeps meant to calm. "I know you would, but I can't. Please, you know how I feel."

A soft whine escaped his throat as his gaze lowered once more. "I know and I understand. Sorry for forcing the issue. I know it was selfish to ask... I just..." Tears streaked down his fur as he finished. "I just can't lose you, Abby."

Swiping at the beads of sorrow, the auburn beauty pulled his forehead into her own. "Hey there. Come on, don't cry. It's going to be fine. That cancer will be gone by this evening and everything will be back to normal. Now hush." Holding him until his ears lost their limpness, she gave a quick hug before leaving the bed and tucking him back in. "Now you get some sleep. That's an order, fuzz butt."

Wiping at the pooled moisture, he laid back. "I'll try my best." Abby responded by pointing two fingers at her eyes, then to his, as if to say "I'm watching you". It was enough to ease his mind, rest overtaking him before she finished her shower.

***

Bill woke up late, sleeping until almost noon. As much as he tried, he was unable to focus on work. The stress and internal struggle stole his attention as he sat at his desk. His basement office looked professional, greyish pink carpet and soft blue walls. The desk faced the stairwell and a wooden door remained closed off to his right, hiding the furnace and water heater.

Staring at his monitor, his worry slowly manifested into irritation. Elbows on either side of his keyboard, he raked his fingers through his mid-length locks, huffing with annoyance. "She's getting cut open and there is nothing I can do to help her. The only thing I have to help and it's not even an option!" An audible growl parted his lips as his eyes locked on the tin can at the edge of his workspace. Labelless, the cylinder held his pencils and pens. It was no match for the enraged finger that flicked it across the room, writing utensils spraying along the floor. With a thud, it hit the wall just under the banister, leaving a welt in the drywall. The can, itself, fell to the ground, a huge dent in the center of it.

Pushing away from his desk, he stormed upstairs. Making sure he had his keys, he snarled to himself, "I'm going for a run." With a slam, he locked the door and headed out. When he made it to the woods, he sent Abby a text to let her know what he was doing. It read, "Going for a run. Should be home by nightfall. Hoping for the best. Love you." Ending with a wolf face and heart emoji, he sent it before stripping down and shifting.

The next several hours were spent as a wolf, forcing himself to focus on the scents and the sounds instead of the dread. He had worn himself out by the time the sun started to set. Changing back and dressing up, he made his way home, twigs still in his hair and dirt on his face.

On the way back, he checked his phone. Abby had left a voicemail. In her sweet tone, she said, "Everything went well. It's all been taken out. Local anesthetic was all they used, so I'm fine to drive home. Might take a nap while I wait for you. Have fun and come home soon. Love you, too."

Creeping in quietly, he spoke in a hush. "Abby, you awake?" With no reply, he assumed she was resting upstairs, the couch in the center of the living room left vacant. Closing the door as gently as possible, he slunk up the stairwell and crept to the bedroom.

She looked peaceful as he entered, her pale, freckled skin peeking out of the maroon covers. She was breathing softly, tuckered out from her long day. Sneaking over, he knelt down by the bed as he caressed her exposed shoulder, slowly working the covers back to see the bandage plastered over the wound. The subtle actions were just enough to stir Abby from her slumber. "Bill? Hey." Slipping a hand to the side of his dirty face, she spoke in a waking stupor. "You look so sad."

Putting his hand on hers, he fought back the need to weep. "No, no. I'm just happy to hear that you're okay. How did it go?"

She smiled as her thumb stroked his smudged cheek. "It went well. They got it all. You saved me, you know. It could have been worse." Leaning over, she kissed his forehead before slipping back under the covers. "I'm very lucky to have my very own cancer-sniffing dog."

Streams of emotion poured from his eyes as he tucked his face against her. There was so much he wanted to say, but all he could squeak out was, "I love you, Abby."

Sleepily, she petted his hair, pulling out the twigs and offering her tender comfort. They remained like that for the better part of the night, silently showing their love for each other.