FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ring, ring, ring, ring...~

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Whether you are a commoner, a rich man, a transient, or Jesus Christ, no one enjoys having to wake up to the cries of an alarm. This particular alarm, programmed into a smart phone, was suddenly silenced by the angry finger swipe of Jared O'Keefe. Jared was an average male of humble origins, living in a small one bedroom apartment in No Where, USA. After sauntering out of the creaky twin bed he hated and into the nearby half-bathroom adjacent to his bedroom, he wrenched the broken medicine cabinet open with a grunt. His cheap tooth paste soon stung his gums hotly while the mint tickled at his gag reflex. Quietly contemplating the universe, he stared at his reflection in the hazy mirror. Deep brown eyes stared back at him, shadowed with the dark semicircles of exhaustion. His gaze drifted lower only to be met with the sad disappointment that he was still a slightly flabby, aging human with poor genes. He wasn't a gargantuan, but he wasn't exactly the most appealing man in the world. He'd like to think his personality made up for it, but in reality he was a grumpy introvert.

With his teeth cleaned, hair brushed soon after, and body washed with a warm rag, Jared left the bathroom and quickly sought out his daily uniform. Worn pair of denim overalls, long sleeve grey shirt, and thick workman's boots were never a welcoming sight, but at least they promised the reward of a steady pay check each Friday afternoon. Jared worked at the local turkey factory on the line checking for quality control. It was hell, and the smell left one going hungry with loss of appetite. Nonetheless, this was a job, and he would take it rather than leave it. The only sad truth was that he played a very small part of the bigger process, so his replacement should he quit would be quick and heartless. So, he took the crap his supervisor gave him, and let the small stuff go.

The truly happy part of his day would come after work. After everything he had to deal with, he could always rely on his one true friend to shoulder his weary head. Veronica Miles, owner of Heaven's Booth Diner, always kept a hot bowl of his favorite soup waiting for him to warm his stomach. The two of them had been friends ever since middle school. She had moved into town one month after the summer had ended, so she was having a hard time fitting in with all of the other people their age. He found her wandering the library one afternoon, and he helped her locate a copy of her favorite book. They found their interests in literature matched, and from then on they had been friends. Jared would deny it until his dying day, but he had definitely grown fond of her. The problem was he had never found the courage to approach her, and by the time people began dating she had become smitten with the school's number one ass hole, as young girls are wont to do. Instead of causing drama, he pushed down his feelings and remained her friend, supporting her through the eventual heartbreak and simply being there for a friend instead of making aggressive moves on a vulnerable young girl. Today, she was a single woman, a great business woman, and still his most cherished friend.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Jared left his shoddy apartment with his keys, cracked leather wallet, and a bottle of cheap spring water. The building he lived in was a few rat holes away from being condemned. Each step set loose dust from the termite damage in the walls and ceilings. A rather angry neighbor on the second floor was yelling foreign profanities at his wife, accented by the resounding slap of flesh on flesh. Jared ground his teeth and hurried by hoping to drown out the cries that followed with the loud thumping of his boots. When he found himself standing on the street outside, he was relieved to see the sun hadn't broken the skyline fully yet. The orange hues were breathtaking to the east side of town, which happened to be the direction he had to walk. Living only five blocks from the factory had a double edged blade of pros and cons. The pro was a swift and safe journey to and from work. The cons were the smell the factory set loose on the neighborhood. He figured that at least Heaven's Booth Diner gave off enough pleasant aromas to counter the factory, so he wouldn't complain...often.

Jared idly peeked into the front windows of the diner as he walked by. The only lights on were the fog lights outside and the kitchen lights behind the front bar. Veronica was no doubt back there waiting for her staff to come in and get the day going. By 7 am the place would be crowded with the usual older crowd for their steak and eggs, fresh breads, homemade donuts and fresh pie. The thought moistened his mouth, and distracted him long enough to walk right into a mail box bolted to the side walk. He cursed Pavlov silently before hurrying on his way to work. The factory he work for loomed over much of the neighborhood, much like a dark specter rising out of the mist to loom over helpless villagers in some horror film. It was reasonably clean, but the red bricks had long since been stained dark by the pollution of the factory and weather over the years. Eyeing the employee entrance, something filled him with dread, a foreboding of something bad.

After pushing through the heavy double doors, he found the usual line of men and women standing in line by the time clock. A friend of his, Erik Wong, happened to be the last person in the line, which worked out fine for him. Wong was one of the few people he didn't hate, even if he did work in the management office with the rest of the bastards who pushed the workers around. He called him Wong rather than Erik because the man was a very traditional Chinese gentleman. It felt disrespectful to call him by a name assigned to him once he had entered the country as an infant with his parents. Wong wore only the finest Middle American shirts and slacks. His black hair was always trimmed and spiked professionally at the local barber for that clean look management loved. Jared respected Wong because the man focused on working, rather than flaunting his position. He was fair, good mannered, and had a head for numbers like no one he had ever met before or after. While Jared prided himself on being a levelheaded decision maker, Wong was always the man with a plan. He knew that if the racist bastards in charge ever gave Wong's ideas any attention, he could triple the efficiency of the factory and they wouldn't have had to cut the health insurance the workers lost two years ago.

"Ah, good morning Jared, I see that you chose to come early as opposed to on time. While I am glad that you are never late, I do like to see this kind of dedication. You have been here long enough to supervise your line you know? You just need the drive!" Wong greeted Jared with a friendly smile and dramatic flair, but not as loud as he usually greeted him considering the long line of their peers. Wong was eccentric and at times very dramatic, but he knew how to behave in a crowd.

"Oh you're a funny man Wong, real talent. You know without some kind of college education under my belt I will always be a meat sniffer. Higher ups don't want to lose a talented set of eyes like mine on the line anyway. Who would keep the turkey from shipping out hairless without me?" Jared replied with faux enthusiasm.

"Joke all you want my friend, but I know I have heard my coworkers mentioning a few names. Yours was tossed around a bit. If you keep up this kind of work ethic, you may be surprised." Wong retorted with a grin.

"Whatever man, as long as I get my pay to keep the lights on at my place, I'll be fine working the line. It isn't the worst job here, and certainly not without perks. I like the discount meat we can buy from the factory shop." Jared spoke casually and shrugged.

Wong was about to respond again, a cheeky grin plastered across his slightly tanned face, but the horn blew to signify the beginning of the shift. The line began to move rapidly, so Jared kept his eyes on the line to make sure he didn't bump anyone. When he reached the cards, he was surprised to see that a sealed envelope had been placed in the slot where his time card usually rested each night. He grabbed the envelope and idly wondered why his card wasn't with it. Wong watched his friend from the side and questioned the random letter; however he felt a strange nagging sensation at the base of his neck. He felt like ripping the envelope from his friend's grip, and the sensation only intensified when he noticed a small flash of pink when Jared pulled the paper apart.

When Jared removed the letter, everyone nearby grew quiet. Some of them knew him, while others simply knew of him by his reputation for being a quiet and decent sort. The letter was brief, and Jared found his grip on the paper slipping as the document dropped to the floor. Wong carefully stepped over to his friend and gathered the papers so no one would be nosy. He knew right away what had happened, and knew that soon security would notice the strange behavior and act on the threat. When the two were back outside, the putrid stink of turkey meat being processed had already started to fill the air. Truck loads of fresh meat were filling the narrow street leading to the back loading areas as well. Despite all of this, the world seemed eerily quiet.

"Listen, Jared my man, just... just go on home and have a day off. I will see what I can do okay? There must have been some kind of mistake here. We need our good workers. Maybe have a cup of strong coffee over at the diner, yeah?"

Jared didn't respond right away. It wasn't that he didn't hear Wong, nor did he think the guy was fooling with him. No, he was in shock, shock that he had just been fired by some pencil pushing crud sniffer upstairs. He felt rather numb at that moment, not wanting to say anything that he might regret to one of his only friends. After composing himself he gave Wong a firm nod, shook his hand and left the area before things became uncomfortable. Wong watched his unlucky friend leave with a heavy heart, but he felt determined. He wanted answers from his coworkers and bosses, and he would have his answers. The heavy door slammed open from the force of his strong push, and the workers nearby knew to stay away from the Asian powerhouse Erik Wong

Jared walked slowly, as a man is wont to do when they have no purpose behind their steps. He wondered for a moment if he should just start running, and keep on running until he couldn't run anymore, like his favorite character Forrest Gump. It was tempting, to just leave the piss-hole neighborhood where he lived from paycheck to paycheck. Saying goodbye to his lousy neighbors, crummy plumbing, and horrid landlord... it would be a dream come true. No more turkey smell, no more rat infested hall ways, no more drug dealers near the corner store... Jared almost smiled, until he remembered that every silver lined cloud has a dark center. He would have to leave behind Wong, a good friend and great partner in crime. He would have to leave behind Veronica, after so many years of being her dedicated BFF. Those two were once in a lifetime people, and even if he had to struggle for a while, he would do it to keep them a part of his life.

It was about that time, while his mind had wondered that he walked headlong right into that same damned mailbox from earlier. The sun was up by now, giving the street a good view of his embarrassing failure. Thankfully no one had been looking, except for a very familiar set of green eyes. Jared had been grumbling about the post office needing to remove their cursed boxes, only to freeze up when he heard giggling floating in his direction from the diner nearby. He spun around, almost too quickly, and faced his new enemy, only to blush rather heatedly and scowl in mock anger at Veronica Miles. Raven hair left to grow naturally long so the wind caught the silken threads and waved them tantalizingly at passersby, an athletic figure the envy of women everywhere, and a set of dazzling green eyes filled with mirth painted a picture of unyielding beauty. Jared had a respect for this woman that could rival his opinion of Wong, hell if he were honest he had absolutely no idea why the hell she socialized with him of all people.

After her parents retired early to Florida, she remained to take over their small business which had always been a success right from day one. Veronica only boosted that success with her caring attitude, unquestionable business sense, and incredible beauty. Women came to gossip, men came to ogle, teens came to socialize, and elders came for their early bird specials. The woman just knew people and how to please them, and she did a damn fine job of it. In fact, if she were ever to admit it, which she wouldn't, she would say the only person she never truly knew how to please was Jared. Jared would never complain if he didn't get what he needed, he would never ask for much, and rarely ever seemed very preoccupied with himself whenever anyone sought his attention. He was such a mystery to Veronica, but that made him more appealing to be around. It did get rather boring always knowing what others were thinking.

"Still tripping over mailboxes I see. What the heck are you doing here at this time anyway Jar? Wong's folks back in the motherland heard the shirt horn." Veronica teased playfully, beckoning him into the diner's front door.

Jared said nothing as he walked up the left set of stairs to the shining glass pane door of the diner. The place always seemed to shine like brand new. Veronica knew something was wrong right away since Jared never let a joke go by without at least laughing a little. He looked down, and the atmosphere seemed to gain weight when he grew near. If this were anyone else, she would already know what was up, but again the reason for his sullen mood eluded her. She had a small hunch, but with Jared it was better not to assume anything. Her staff in back saw Jared enter, as well as the state of his mood. Coffee was already sitting on the counter by his usual stool when he sat down.

"Thanks, Julio." Jared said gently, taking no time swallowing down a quarter of the warm mug. It burned, and the taste was bitter without cream, but this is what he needed.

"Jared, honey, what's going on?" Veronica sidled up next to him in the stool to his left, and spoke softly so other patrons wouldn't overhear.

Jared said nothing, but he did remove the opened envelope from his pocket and set it in front of her. He still didn't want to say the words out loud, because acknowledging it was the only thing needed before he would break down. Would he miss his job? Hell to the no, to the fourth power. But, he was now without pay, which would mean he would be out of his apartment soon. Work wasn't easy to come by these days, especially in a small rat-hole town like the one he lived in. He didn't have the resources to move anywhere to find more work. When Veronica read the letter through a few times, she eventually set it back down on the counter and slid it back to him. It took a few moments for her to do anything, but her first action was to grab his hand and hold it snugly. Jared squeezed her delicate fingers gently, acknowledging the warmth of her friendly gesture. The weight he had felt on his chest seemed to lift at least a little, and he knew it was because the woman he secretly adored was there for him when he needed her.

"Don't worry honey, this doesn't mean a damn thing. Everything is gonna be all right, you hear me?" Her voice was gentle, but the tone left no room for argument.

"Yeah V, I know" Jared replied simply, not knowing anything else to say.

"Look, if you need any help, I can..." Veronica started, but was silenced by the sudden fierce look Jared gave her.

"No Veronica, don't. This is my problem, and I could never ask you to do anything to help with it. You have no idea how happy I am to know that you would even offer, but what kind of man would I be if..." Jared trailed off slowly and his determination faltered, eyes falling to stare at the reflection in his dark coffee.

"What kind of man would he be? What does his pride have to do with not losing his home? What the hell does he have to prove to anyone? What does he have to prove to...me...?" Veronica's mind froze, but then rebooted and began to run a mile a minute.

As her emerald eyes drifted over Jared's hunched form, something seemed to flicker in her mind. She remembered back to their childhood, when young Jared had always stood up for her before she became popular. Friend's always have your back, but there was something about how... protective he had always been. Then her thoughts drifted to her first girlish crush, Mike Evans. Mike and Jared never got along, and she worried that Jared would stop being her friend. Instead, he seemed to resolve his issues and supported her right through the whole thing, from the first date, to the week of crying after the bastard broke her young heart. Never once had Jared pushed her off onto one of her female friends. He was always there, always behind her one hundred percent, but there were times... Veronica remembered the looks of longing that she sometimes saw on his face. Whenever she would mention her newest crush she would notice moments of sadness that would instantly wash away in favor of cheerful supportive smiles. Perhaps all these years of wondering why she didn't quite understand Jared were her own fault. She prided herself on always being able to read between the lines when it came to people, but when it came to Jared it seemed she had taken the man at face value, taken all of his actions for granted. She suddenly felt very cold inside, and her grasp on his hand slowly released.

It might have been only a few moments, or an hour, but eventually Veronica was awoken from her reverie by the gentle nudging of one of her waitresses, Barb. She looked around at the busty brunette and seemed to lose her own voice a moment before finding her words to speak, "I-I'm sorry Barb, what's the matter?"

"I should be asking you that sweetie; you were spacing out something awful just now. What was wrong with Jare-bear? I haven't seen him so down since they closed the Taco Bell on I-44. Poor thing left in such a hurry, he forgot to wait for his change for the coffee." Barb replied in a worried voice. She knew how hard up her favorite customer was so it was very unlike him to leave behind anything he might need for the bills.

Veronica spun around to look at the now empty mug, and empty stool. Jared was nowhere in sight, not even out front in the parking lot. She let her own feelings get in the way of his again, and now he had run off to be alone. No doubt her moment of inner reflection had been misinterpreted as something akin to disappointment, or her lack of response may have been seen as a lack of interest in his problems. Either way, she felt like she may have made a mistake, and she wouldn't be able to rectify it until after work. She could only hope that he would answer her phone call after her shift ended at five. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't be hearing from Jared for quite a while.

Jared had decided to take the long route home, wasting time as he wandered the path of life. He argued that there were plenty of people down on their luck, and worrying about himself made no sense since others had it worse. That kind of selfish thinking was wrong, and wracked him with guilt knowing that he still couldn't let go of his own problems and continued to sulk. This downward spiral left him feeling bitter, cold, sad, angry, and thirsty as all hell. He bought a large bottle of gold rum on his way home as a small forced retirement present with the last twenty bucks he had on him. It wasn't going to be good tasting rum for such a cheap price, but the taste wasn't what he needed. Right now Jared wanted to be numb and forget all those bastards back at the factory who never gave him a chance. Not to be known for his good decisions at that time, he decided that on his walk home he would get a head start on being numb. This was a terrible idea, but when depression settles in, there aren't many good ideas.

Two sets of eyes were following Jared's every move as he walked, swigging a gulp of his medicine every few moments. The scent of his rum soaked mouth was putrid in his wake, but this worked out perfectly for his pursuers. The first set of eyes were a dazzling red, larger than normal, and hidden slightly behind what could only be a thick bang of long hair, draped more likely down past their chin. The second pair of eyes were and eerie yellow, very unnatural, yet beautiful in their cold glare. Any other possible identifying marks were hidden by the darkness of shadows, of which they were heavily hidden within as they stalked their current prey. Jared, in his liquor haze, saw nothing and felt no presence lurking nearby, and besides that a mere human would never have the kind of perception to register their location.

"Are you sssssure about thissss one?" The voice echoed softly from the golden orbs that had narrowed slightly from the burning scent of the air.

"We're following orders; we just have to bring him in. If he fails, the egg heads are the ones who are in trouble. Besides, can you blame him for this? We have been observing this one for a while and things have taken a strong downward spiral of late. These humans have a cruel system." A second voice whispered from the red eyes that were burning with a simmering rage.

"You are right I sssuppossse. He does have the traitsss of a leader. He just needs a purpose and motivation. When do we move in?" The first voice replied while relaxing their glare to a more curious stare.

"We wait until he had returned home. That drink will have him out like a light. Dummy hasn't had a drink in years, so he is a bit of a light weight." The voice was amused with their own remark as hinted by a light chuckle, which was shared with their partner.

The two sets of eyes vanished as if they were mere illusions, and so the day went on. Jared found his way home even as his sight began to blur. He was glad for the lack of focus, but he knew he would regret this in the morning. Veronica would be ashamed of him if she saw him like this, which caused him to groan and take another self-pitying swig of the nectar of God. By the time he was marching up the stairs to his hole in the wall, the burning of the booze had become less taxing, so his sips and gulps were much more frequent. His fumbling with the keys lasted five minutes before he finally secured the key and opened the door. His couch looked welcoming, despite the holes and stains that had accumulated over the years. Gravity finally took his body down when he stumbled over his own work boots. Jared groaned as one of his knees had struck the wood floor, but silently thanked God that his head had missed the old wooden coffee table. The rum bottle tumbled away from his loose fingers after he realized the golden nectar had been drained, and he cursed under his breath. Hopefully when he needed the bathroom later he wouldn't slip on that damned thing.

"All right... I'm fucked up. I don't even..." Jared heaved softly, groaning as he held back the familiar sensation of rebellion within his stomach, "Better sleep this off..."

Much like a marionette whose strings have been cut, Jared fell limp on the edge of the couch. His weight was enough to nearly slip and fall to the floor, but a set of gloved hands suddenly caught his torso and laid it down gently. These hands led up to a body completely covered by dark clothing. Black pants, black boots, black coats with large hoods, and those dark gloves painted a rather frightening appearance to any onlooker. And standing to the side by the now locked door was an identically dressed individual with a more feminine figure that the masculine intruder currently securing Jaden's wrists and ankles. This binding was completely unnecessary, but protocols were not something to toy with. A downed possum was never to be taken lightly, as they say back home. The feminine figure by the door let their red eyes scan the apartment to get their first close up look inside.

"This place is a shit hole. The landlord here should be shot. Do you think we ought to pack anything here? I don't see any photos or personal things anywhere. Seems like one lonely guy." The feminine figure spoke with an equally light and feminine tone.

"Ordersss are to leave thingsss how they are. Too much would be involved if he dissssssappeared with all of his persssonal affectsss without alerting hisss friendsss. It isss a blessssssing we found him like thissss, considering we would have had to fight him and maybe break a few thingsss. Now it looksss like he wasss probably jusssst lossst or sssomething. Call in for a ssspacial rift." The more masculine figure spoke with a strange accent that seemed menacing, even as the tone was more positive than negative.

There was a moment of hesitation, but he didn't have to repeat himself after he heard his partner speak into her communication device, "Command, Recon and Retrieval team Alpha Six reporting confirmed acquisition. We need a rift opened up for three bios, location lock on this device, confirm?"

The response came back over both their devices clear, "Confirmed Alpha Six, rift opening in five. Standby and congratulations on your success. Command is eagerly awaiting your return."

The male carefully hoisted the sleeping Jared up over his shoulder and made sure to keep his stomach comfortable. His partner circled around and checked on their prisoner, watching his sleeping face frown in discomfort. One of her gloved hands rose up and removed the glove from its counterpart. The now exposed hand was bizarre and completely non human; in fact they seemed more like... paws? The slender fingers seemed more curved, and each section was more round. At the point of each finger dark and curved claws extended about a half inch and were smoothed over to remove the danger of accidental cuts. The palms seemed to have pads of rough, sand paper like patches. To complete the picture or animalistic nature, the majority of the hand was shrouded in short black fur.

Jared seemed to relax when the soft furred hand caressed his cheek that had become hot and red from the amount of liquor coursing through his body. This reaction seemed to please her, which her partner found slightly amusing. He was about to tease the female, but found his voice catch when a bright flash of light seemed to spread across the only patch of clear wall in the living room. He made sure to readjust his passenger gently before walking over to the rift. It was like looking into the blackness of space itself, with fractals of light glinting left and right, all focusing on the center. His gloved hand gave the black patch an experimental touch, satisfied by the strange waves that seemed to spread from the epicenter of his touch. The rift was stable and ready. His partner took up position behind to make sure nothing happened to their captive, and followed after her taller counterpart once she was certain Jared made it through okay. Her red eyes glanced back into the dreary apartment before she finally vanished along with the doorway they had summoned.

After what felt like an eternity, Jared began to wake from his drunken dreams. What a nightmare he had! He had been flying without control of where he went, leaving behind his friends and life, his arms reaching out to grab anything without success. Now as he woke he groaned at the throbbing in his skull. Cheap rum and no water would leave a man with a terrible dehydration headache, and he knew swearing against ever doing it again was a fool's errand. He would go and do this again the next time life decided to bend him over a table and deliver him another pounding. Right now he just wanted to get some water, maybe go get some soup at the diner, and grab a newspaper to look for work. What shook him out of his mental checklist though was the lack of comforting massaging fingers on his forehead. He knew by now his arm would have risen to soothe the ache, but he felt his arm restrained. That's not a good sign.

When he discovered all of his limps in a similar situation he opened his eyes only to find them covered by dark cloth, 'Ok Jared, what the hell did you do this time? Okay, get a grip you idiot, there has to be a reason you are like this. You went to Jimmy's and got a bottle of Hang Man's Rum, and then you took the back way to get home. You started drinking, moron, and blacked out like the moron you are. Maybe you met a woman on the way who was into something kinky? No god damn it my luck isn't that good. No, you got home and the sun was definitely still up. You fell on the couch; your ankle feels a bit swollen so that's for sure accurate. WHERE THE FUCK AM I RIGHT NOW!?'

_ _

As Jared became panicked and filled with dread, his breathing began to quicken and became much shorter. If his vision hadn't all ready been blacked out by a blindfold he would have noticed his vision fading. Suddenly he felt something plush touch his cheek, and it felt strangely familiar. It was enough of a distraction that he calmed down his breathing, his wits slowly collecting from the hellish mess he had moments ago fallen into. He wasn't sure what was touching him, but it wasn't threatening. He decided to be more relaxed, but his guard was still up. His expression must have been an odd one of conflicting emotions because a voice soon spoke to sooth him, while also sounding amused as if observing a child.

"Be calm Jared, you have nothing to fear from this place. You are safer here than anywhere you have ever been. Here, drink, it will take the pain away." This voice was definitely feminine, and dare he say it was beautiful.

Soon his lips were touching the smooth contours of what he guessed was a bowl. The curve of the edge was far too great to be a cup, and the water that soon filled his mouth poured forth more sloppily than a narrower cup mouth would have provided. He assumed the use of the bowl was due to a lack of readiness for such a need, but he was just thankful for the drink. When his thirst had abated, he let his head fall back slowly, allowing the water to momentarily drip onto his neck and chest. He shivered, and was horrified to realize he was stripped bare on this... whatever he was on. He began to squirm and felt the smooth surface beneath him rubbing against his bare flesh. It was so cold, like an operating table. That wasn't the best thought in the world at all.

Finding his voice now that his whistle had been properly wet, he spoke carefully and tried to appear calm, "Whoever you are, would you care to explain to me just what the hell is going on here?!?"

Yeah, totally calm.

The chuckle that followed was subdued, embarrassed? He couldn't tell for sure with his eyes covered, "That is a little hard to explain... but we may have sort of... abducted you. I know that sounds bad, but really we just want to help you out!"

Her rushing to calm him down was obviously in response to his renewed panicked breathing. Who would not be freaking out like a madman when being told bluntly that they had been abducted? Abducted! What the hell had abducted him!? What was that thing that had touched his face just moments ago?! Some freaky alien was going to tear him open and use his guts for play-dough and he wasn't supposed to be panicking?! His struggling increased tenfold and he could feel straps being tightened here and there. He would not give these bastards the satisfaction of submitting to their sick and twisted experiments. He would fight on through this until he was put down like the rabid dog he was going to behave like. That was until he felt a gun barrel like object pressed firmly to his neck. The next moment he felt a prick, and then he knew no more.

The dreams that plagued Jared's sleep were unlike any horrors he had seen before. He dreamt of fire, a burning that manifested itself in his chest and spread as if fed by wind. It was quite unbearable, and left his crying out into the abyss of his black dreams. He imagined that should he ever die, this was certainly close to how it would feel. Instead of pain, he was plagued with a deep sadness, one inspired by thoughts of his own death and memories he would lose. He wanted nothing more than to stop breathing and let his light fade into the darkness. As if to defy his wishes intentionally, he could not stop the sensation of breathing. He would try to hold his breath, but it seemed as if God's hands were keeping his lungs from stopping. He hated it so much, and yet knew that he should appreciate this at the same time. Where had the determination to live gone? Where had his defiant spirit that wanted to fight these sick bastards gone? He knew this must have something to do with whoever had taken him, and it sickened him that he was subjected to their devices. His vivid dreams then began to become more lucid and he fought against the darkness to try and wake. He had to see what was going on.

If someone were to ask Jared how long he had been under, he would never be able to give an answer. It could have been an entire lifetime, or just a few moments. Regardless, when he first began to stir from his impromptu nap, he felt like he had been through a washing machine after being beaten half to death and then cut several thousand times with paper. His skin was crawling something awful, but he didn't dare to scratch that itch for fear he might tear open multiple wounds. After what felt like hours, he found the strength to open his eyes to the blinding lights above him. Muttering a soft curse, he closed his eyes again and muttered something about stupid fluorescent bulbs. This drew the attention of someone nearby and he heard their footsteps approaching casually. He wanted to yell for them to go away, but his throat was once again a dry and iron tasting mess. He was at this person's mercy for now, and he hated it.

"So, it seems the patient has finally woken up. This is good news; you've been asleep for the better part of a month." They said while scribbling on something with what sounded like a pen or stylus.

'A month? Holy hell, how could I have been here so long? Why was I asleep for such an extended period of time?'

_ _

"Don't move too much, I need to give you a complete physical soon, but the healing stimulants haven't quite kicked in fully yet. Now that you're awake your metabolism should kick in and speed things up. Give it another ten minutes, I will fetch you something to drink along with some supplement pills to get your vitals back where they need to be."

The footsteps retreated again to another part of the room, and then vanished completely after the sound of a door shutting echoed through the quiet room. Jared took stock of the situation quickly in his head to try and make a plan of attack. It wasn't easy to focus with his body in so much pain, but as time passed he realized he could feel his body repairing. It was unlike anything he had ever felt, like his skin was sewing up with threads, and his muscles were stitching themselves up as well. His arms seemed to flex idly when the medicine had finished its work there, followed by a tightening of his thighs and calves. When the pain had finally stopped Jared tested each muscle group he knew of. There were parts of his body he had never used before that felt like he had spent the month working on gym equipment to strengthen. Feeling confident, he opened his eyes again and found his vision clear, almost... better? Certain colors seemed to have dulled while others had brightened surprisingly. He brought his hand up to rub his eyes and then froze. It felt so rough on his face, but then again his face felt unusually soft.

'Why does this feel so familiar... rough hand... soft face...wait does that softness feel like plush? Oh....my...........God!'

_ _

The door opened then, and the person overseeing his health found his patient screaming bloody murder while scrambling across the floor toward a corner. Jared had fallen from his rest bed and dragged his blankets with him to the corner to cover his modesty. The man's once pale and unhealthy skin had been replaced by thick, soft black fur. His bones in his face and legs had been morphed and shaped into strange angles. His hands had taken on a very paw like shape with rough patches of padding on the palms. His finger and toe nails had been replaced with wicked black claws. This was like one of those bad movies where the teenagers were transformed into werewolves or vampires or something. Jared couldn't catch his breath; he was hyperventilating trying to come to terms with his new body. As much as he tried to deny the changes, every movement he made reminded him that his brain was controlling this beastly thing.

"What the fuck did you do to me?! What am I?!" Jared screamed with a voice that echoed with authority and strength that he didn't remember from his original.

He locked his gaze onto the now shaking form of his physician. Whoever they were, they bore a strong resemblance to a feline, a house cat to be specific. It was almost certainly female, and had a fur coloration that matched to the standard for calico breeds. It, or she, was shaking in fear from hearing his authoritative voice being so forceful and commanding. He felt slightly reluctant to behave, but he also realized that he didn't have all of the facts. This was a goddamn shock to put all shocks to shame, but he was better than this. He couldn't fall apart at a time like this. He grunted harshly at himself, causing his supposed doctor to flinch, but she relaxed when she noticed his demeanor soften. When next he spoke it was much calmer and less accusatory.

"I'm sorry... this is a lot to see when I wake up after being told I was asleep for a month... I'm scared... and I don't know what's going on... and now my body is all strange and I was in a lot of pain. I don't know what to think, what to do... how to feel about this..."

The cat woman seemed to understand his words more than he did, if her solemn look were any indication. She slowly walked over to stand before him and he found himself fighting not to crawl away in fear. She sat down with a graceful flow of her legs and then crossed them in a very non threatening way. He could see her waiting for him to calm down, and something about her concerned eyes made him relax. There was still a carnal part of him snarling to let loose and curse, scream profanities, and all together be a complete ass. Jared made sure to shut that bastard inside him up with a stern talking to in his own mind. When the feline began to speak, he found her voice very soothing. This female had been at this for a long time, or he assumed anyway, because her manner of handling this seemed too perfect.

"Listen, Jared, I understand that this is a lot to take in. I need you to trust me now, because you could be hurting yourself really badly right now. I need to make sure your body is healed properly, and I can't do that with you down on the floor. I am going to ask you to stand up with me and sit back on your bed. We don't have to rush as long as you don't move around too much right now. I'm right here when you're ready to be a good patient for me."

Jared came to the very sudden realization that her playful tone and pleasant demeanor were both relaxing and irritating. He didn't much like being talked to like a child, but at the same time he was appreciative for her taking his feelings into account instead of being rude and cold about her job. In another life the two of them might have been good friends, but with the circumstances surrounding this meeting he highly doubted the two of them would socialize any time soon. He was their prisoner and guinea pig after all. After he had thoroughly sat and stewed like a big boy, he decided playing the fragile child had become boring. Slowly he stood, and was quickly aided by the helpful feline doctor now standing beside him. Begrudgingly he accepted the help and soon found his butt planted firmly on the uncomfortable hospital bed that he had woken up in.

To his horror he had to give up some blood, which he gave without protest on the grounds that fighting against a needle would never end well. The testing after that was very noninvasive. His reflexes were tested, several muscle groups were examined, x-ray pictures were taken with equipment in a room located just off the side of the initial recover room, and he was asked to perform several physical exercises to be sure that none of his muscles had weakened. Jared found himself more energized, alert, and much stronger physically. Things he found troublesome before were done with ease, and things once impossible were now within his grasp. Whatever they had done to him was clearly more than a simple cosmetic operation.

"You've been very helpful Jared, thank you for putting up with all of this. I know you have questions, but I am not authorized to answer anything that you might want to know. There is an agent, one of the two who brought you here, coming down to see you now. Whatever questions you have you may speak to them about it. I will tell you one thing though; we have been searching for a long time to find someone like you. I know that may not be much of a consolation, but it was worth noting what you mean to everyone here. Also, before I got, I have to say... I love your coat."

On the last happy note Jared endured what would be, by his count, the fifth time his doctor took it upon herself to stroke the fur that grew out of the top of his head. When he was first brought to a bathroom to provide a sample of urine for testing he found his looks to be rather... fetching. He had the strong angular face of a wolf, no doubt about it. The fur on his head had grown thick like hair or a mane and naturally spiked forward despite multiple spots of petting from his doctor. A red streak had grown into the fur as if dyed, which the doctor explained was a very natural side effect of his procedure. He didn't mind it much, though he did worry that others would think him one of those high maintenance metro sexual men who put up a fuss over his looks. He had nothing against metro sexual, but he most certainly was not one of them. He missed his brown eyes that had always been complimented for being very deep and warm, but his new icy blue eyes were a very nice contrast to his oppressively dark black coat.

Jared noticed his doctor had stopped her playful ministrations and left in a rather rushed manner. She seemed almost embarrassed by her own actions, though he couldn't understand why. He assumed that what she had done was not a normal way to behave with others in their society of animal people, but how the hell would he know that? When next the door opened he looked up to see two identically dressed animal people enter. The first person he took notice of shocked him to say the least. This clearly male individual had black skin tight clothes covering every inch of him save his head, which just happened to be shaped suspiciously like a Goldie's tree cobra. His coloring was flawless, and Jared could just see the hints of a typical cobra hood. Despite being very similar to one of the most aggressive snakes on earth, he wore a pleasant smile and a glint of glee in his bright golden eyes.

Beside the snake man stood a female, judging by certain curves and assets that he was most certainly not checking out, dressed in identical black clothing. The uniform was clearly made for flexibility and movement rather than standing about or engaging in a fight. Her neck was exposed letting Jared take notice of her fur coloration, which was mostly a dull orange, but her neck and upper chest clearly sported the softest looking snow white fur he had ever seen up close. He could tell her species of animal was most definitely similar to the common red fox. As he observed her closely with his intense blue eyes he took note of her ears twitching and lowering. His scrutinizing gaze obviously made her uncomfortable, which oddly he found himself pleased with. These two bastards are the ones who did this to him after all.

"Well Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, ready to explain why he fuck I am no longer human? Excuse my fox paws, but I am not in a great mood right now." Jared spoke and made sure to keep his powerful voice calm, but the malice was certainly there.

The snake male seemed amused, more likely by his use of a common French translation joke. Meanwhile, the once embarrassed female fox now sported puffed up cheeks and an indignant glare that spoke volumes of what she would like to do for being the subject of his ridicule. Seeing that his partner was about to explode, the snake stepped forward to handle their greetings.

"Jared, it isss good to sssee you awake and well. The month hasss been long and many were worried for your well being. We persssonally oversssaw your recovery and treatments to ensssure that you sssurvived. I am called Nyoka. Thisss young lady is named Elu." Nyoka spoke softly trying to force his tongue to stop extending his S sounds, without much success.

"So, your names are snake and beautiful, not much imagination there I see. At least they sound interesting on paper. Oh don't looks so shocked, plenty of people know multiple languages." Jared ended with some cheek when he noticed that gob smacked expressions.

Nyoka narrowed his eyes as he observed Jared closely. There was no way that Jared had been a linguist based on the data that they had collected on him over the last few years. His genes were what had attracted them to him based on blood stolen from the local clinic. He realized then that they had truly not paid much attention to his past, assuming that his entire life had been stricken with failure based on his occupation choice and lack of motivation. He didn't know how his partner was feeling, but his stomach sank with a sense of guilt. He had judged a book by its cover instead of examining the story within. Meanwhile Elu stood stock still. It was not unrealistic to find someone knowledgeable in many languages, but this man had been living such a simple and poor life that she never dreamed he would be one such person. She felt a foreboding that she would be surprised many more times before the end of the day.

"Look, this is real fun, you know, staring at your unbelieving faces, but I would like some answers and I would love a pair of pants. Just between you and me, that doctor you assigned to me was a little too interested in certain aspects of my transformation. Also, I would like you both to know that I may or may not want to see how many punches it would take to crack your skulls into thirty individual pieces." Jared spoke clearly and slowly, trying to snap the two ding bats out of their stupor. It worked, and he was amused by the sudden fearful look in Nyoka's eyes, and the drooping embarrassed ears of Elu, "Question number one, what the fuck did you do to me?"

"I think that is my cue to start talking. I don't know if you remember my voice from before," of course he did, that damn pretty voice from the room where he was tied like a damn bondage video, "...but I was the one who injected you with a sedative to calm you down before your procedure. I am one of the heads of the Acquisition and Acclimation department here on Clearwater Island. To put it simply, we acquire who we need, and acclimatize them to our way of life. As I am sure you are aware, we are very strange, and generally human beings would not react well towards us. So, we go out and take those we need... by force. It is not the best way, but it is our best option right now. We performed a clinical alteration to your basic DNA with the use of highly advanced technology and pharmaceutical innovations. Aside from a few small and insignificant genes, you are now ninety nine percent identical to our people. More specifically, you are identical to members of the Lupine clan here on Clearwater."

"Okay... that leads me to question number two, what the hell are you... we?"

"We are members of a race of humanoid animals known simply as animalian. Like humans, we come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and we speak many languages and need many different things to survive. Clearwater Island is the central island for mammalian and reptilian clans, and is the biggest in a large archipelago located in what humans refer to as the Bermuda Triangle. We have been on Earth for many generations; our ancestors settled here many thousands of years ago after having to flee our home planet. Records of the cataclysm have been lost to time, but what we do know is that we were the cause. Since then, we have lived in secret after tragedy struck our most prized settlement of Atlantis." Jared had already heard enough to want to wake the fuck up from this strange nightmare so he quickly waved his hand about in the air to silence the beautiful vixen whom he realized had begun to sink into a lecture.

"Okay that is way too much information pretty eyes. Let me recap. You guys are the descendants of aliens. You were the ones who had originally built the most advanced city on Earth that many consider to be a myth written by a wack job that is named after a celestial body. You now live on a secret island chain in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle where you steal people to turn into your kind. Am I with you so far?" Jared asked while pinching the bridge of his much larger snout, squinting his eyes shut in mild irritation.

"Well... yes... but when you say it like that it sounds really bad..." Elu started but was silenced by the most intimidating growl either her or her team mate had ever heard.

"That's because it is bad! It is very fucking bad! You can't just take people and use them for your sick medical tests and shit! I had a life! I had family! I had friends! I had my own life!" Jared had started out simply yelling, but by the time he had finished he was growling each word out of his mouth with such ferocity that he could barely keep his tail from wagging.

Jared noticed that Nyoka had reached into his back pocket, and with his now hyper sensitive ears he could hear the soft thud of metal on metal as he readied a sedative gun. Faster than either of the agents could react, he sprang forward and slammed the cobra into the solid wall behind him. The material of the wall shattered around the impact and he felt Nyoka cough, the scent of blood now heavy on his shoulder. With the stronger of the two agents now subdued he turned his fierce glare on Elu. The girl immediately shrank back and her gaze seemed to sink to the floor. Jared idly wondered why, but somehow he instinctively knew that the pretty vixen was submitting in the presence of a strong male. The thought sickened him, but for now he would use this momentary lapse in her behavior to his advantage.

"Fetch me a pair of pants, now." Jared ordered Elu with a booming voice of unquestionable authority.

Elu moved with purpose gathering the pants he would need from a supply closet nearby. They were simple blue shorts made for jogging or running. They would fit, barely, but he had no time to pick and choose. He needed to move, and lingering left open opportunities for others to discover him before he could make his move. He did not expect Elu to kneel beside him to offer him aid in dressing himself. With his arms occupied holding the dazed Nyoka in place, he reluctantly stepped into the shorts offered. Elu slowly lifted the garment, taking care not to rub any of his fur the wrong way. Jared felt her hands linger longer than needed here or there, but his instincts seemed to be telling him not to react. In a way he understood that he had given her permission to touch him when he ordered her to get his clothes, even if the notion was ridiculous to him. With his shorts now in place, he felt Elu gently lay her head against his thigh. Her hands did not roam anywhere inappropriate, but he still felt completely awkward with a grown woman nuzzling his leg like a pillow.

She did well, praise her and dismiss her service. Now is not the time to claim a female.

_ _

'Where the hell did that thought come from?'

_ _

Jared snapped out of his thoughts and looked down into the expectant red eyes of the vixen Elu. She seemed ready for something, and somehow he knew exactly what she wanted. He dropped Nyoka rather unceremoniously to the ground where he groaned in pain. His right hand then gently patted the top of Elu's head, his fingers tangling in her thick locks of orange fur, claws barely grazing the sensitive scalp beneath. The pleasant sound of appreciation she made caused him to smirk slightly, which he found odd. Instead of dwelling on it, he shook off those strange thoughts and spoke.

"Well done Elu, now see to your friend. I did not intend to do him damage, but he threatened me." Jared spoke softly, but the rumble of bass in his tone was enough to motivate the young vixen into action.

Jared left the two agents to their own devices and quickly found the hall outside. It was quiet and empty, a sign that the area had been quarantined for his recovery. He found this strange, but then he remembered the doctor telling him how important he supposedly was to these... people. His legs found their purpose once more as he ran full speed toward the end of the hallway. Like any medical facility, this hell hole had been painted with far too much white. He knew that it helped keep things clean in some way or another, but damned if he was going to enjoy it himself. He found a directory sign with a rough map of the area. He was on sublevel three, and the nearest elevator was a short hall away. He moved quickly from there searching for the blue doors. The eerie silence was starting to make him jumpy, but his nose and ears were actively searching for any sign that anyone was near. When he caught sight of the blue doors of the elevator he grew anxious and tapped the call button several times.

By now the female will have her mind back. Move quickly. No one can master an Alpha.

_ _

The twin doors slid open slowly and he dove in slamming his hand on the ground floor button. The strange voice of his instincts was driving him to move faster, have purpose. He had never felt so driven before in his life. Was this how it felt to be motivated? Was this the drive Wong always told him that he needed to succeed? He snapped out of his reverie when the elevator stopped at floor B1, and his overly friendly cat doctor stepped in. She seemed surprised to see him, which he assumed was due to him being unaccompanied. He wore a neutral expression to try and put her mind at ease, but he could feel her eyes boring holes in the side of his head.

"Listen doc..." Jared began only to be interrupted smoothly.

"Angel, my name is Angel." The feline offered gently with an amused voice.

"Angel, right, well look I know this seems odd. I am alone, and I am only wearing shorts. I am willing to pretend we didn't see each other on this elevator if you are willing to forget you saw me. You were very gentle with me when I first woke up and I won't forget your kindness. My instincts are currently going crazy telling me to order you around. I don't want to do that." Jared felt that being honest with this one was for the best. She was a doctor, a professional, hopefully she would understand.

"Ah, you are experiencing the instinct boost. Due to the chemicals used during your procedure you'll be having trouble keeping those in check for several days. With you it might be weeks. Don't feel badly about any strange urges you experience. In fact, despite what you may think, the people you affect will enjoy the feeling that you give them. You see, we are animals inside, plain and simple. Our instincts are suppressed by our need to feel evolved, but as a professional I know how our biology works. It is similar in ways to human interaction. Sometimes humans behave in ways that others find strange or wrong. They do not understand that their bodies are trying to act on instincts rather than logic. Consider this a second puberty that will only take days to pass rather than several years." Angel dictated in a sagely, professional manner.

"Angel... There is no changing back, is there?" It was less of a question and more of a pleading statement. He knew the answer, but hope is a horrid drug.

"I'm... afraid not, Jared. There have been no successful reverse procedures. In fact, because of the danger, we have barred all practice of the reverse operation indefinitely." Angel confessed, not wanting to keep such a thing from her patient.

Jared seemed to fold in on himself. He leaned against the back wall of the elevator letting the information sink in. No Veronica, no Wong, no mom and dad, no sister, no normal life... it was like a bad dream. He dug his nails into his arms to draw blood, trying desperately to wake himself. The pain was so terrible, because it confirmed that he was most certainly awake, and that he was indeed alive. How could someone simply take his destiny from him? This was his life, but they had dictated a future for him that destroyed his connection to the past. When the elevator stopped, the doors opened and he heard Angel gasp sharply. Before he could look up he felt a pinching pain in his arm, his stomach, and both legs. That was when his body exploded with new pain. It burned, and his body lost all manner of functionality. All of his limbs became limp and spasms wracked his body. As his vision failed, he could faintly hear shouting between Angel and another more rough, male voice.

And once again darkness consumed him.