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Nick - Abandoned

Nick was hurting badly. It hurt to breathe, hurt even more to move. Inside him the beast that he fought and hated for so long wasn't struggling to get out and take control, it was struggling to keep him from slipping away. It wanted to live and in order to live; it knew it had to hide. It had to get away. Nick rolled to his hands and knee, balancing like a tri-pod while his broken leg hung painfully limp. Leaving the wolves to tend their own, Nick took his first-aid kit in his mouth and limped towards the calling shelter of bushes fifty yards away. With every painful lurch closer to the bushes the beast in him cheered and urged him forward. The bustle of the wolves fading behind him Nick limped along on his hands and good foot. Nick measured the distance one hand or hop at a time, one after another after another. By morning Nick had to stop, he was exhausted and dehydrated. The blood from the gunshot would on his hip long since stopped bleeding but was a black mess of blood, dirt, and other grunge. While he rested the beast in him seemed to speak without words, it was comforting now instead of frightening. The beast refused to let him return to human form though, it insisted that he stay as he is and for once, Nick didn't argue with himself or try to force himself to change back, instead he rested in a culvert pipe under a road.

Nick awoke slowly, the pain was still present in his hip and leg, but at least breathing was easier now. Looking to the sky outside the beast told him that it was going to rain soon and that he should find shelter. Nick limped onward, his leg burning harshly; the bullet lodged in his hip joint would stunt the healing properties of his body until it was removed. The beast didn't know nor was Nick clued in on such a revelation. Making his way to a diner, Nick waited until the lights turned off and the last employee departed after dumping the trash for the morning pick-up. The beast was starving so badly Nick felt his stomach cramping from lack of food. Crawling along the side of the building Nick hoisted himself up to his good foot. Hopping painfully to the dumpster Nick followed his nose. Half eaten hash-browns and a raw steak tasted like pure nectar. Every bite eaten Nick felt strength returning, although the pain in his hip only grew worse. Grabbing a jug of expired orange juice he bit the cap seal off and drank until his lungs burned for air. Hanging on the side of the dumpster Nick listened to the beast talk in his head, it still told him to run and hide, escape the pain, hide from those that hurt him, hide from the hurt. Nick scoffed at that for a moment, since the hurt was in his hip, and no matter where he went, the hurt would be there.

Limping back to his first-aid kit and using the provided light from a lonely streetlamp, Nick washed the wound out with alcohol first then with hydrogen peroxide. Inside the wound was raw and painful. It hurt to look at, much less touch, but Nick could feel something in there keeping his hip joint from seating properly. Grabbing a stick to bite down on, he steeled himself for what must be done. Biting the stick harder Nick clenched his eyes shut tight and forced two fingers into the wound. Blinding pain made him vomit and howl in agony. He moved his fingers in search before he found it with his claw tips. Tugging firmly but losing his grip, Nick felt himself starting to pass out. Begging the beast for strength to stay conscious Nick tried again, gripping the hard nub between the claws of his thumb and forefinger. He began wiggling it side to side before finally working it loose. Pulling his fingers and the bullet from his hip Nick felt strength leave him suddenly. His hand faltered and slumped to his side while his world turned to black, Nick succumbed to the black embrace of sleep. While he rested flies landed and tickled his healing wound, a stray cat licked blood from his fur and fingers. The cat gave way to a rat that crawled up Nick's leg and bit down on the still exposed flesh. The beast reacted before Nick knew what happened, as the blinding flash of pain subsided he felt himself chewing something metallic tasting and crunchy. Looking to his hand to find about a quarter of the remainder of a rat in his hand, the heavy taste of blood in his mouth and a feeling like the beast was standing protector over him to keep him safe. Looking at his wound Nick was glad to see the bloody hole that had been over the joint of his hip, had almost entirely closed up. It still had a bit of raw exposure but it no longer had the ache of a red hot drill-bit spinning in his bone.

Carefully he moved his leg, it was numb and gave him a tingly soreness from the joint, but at least he had two functioning legs again. Breathing slow and deep he looked around for a clock, something to find the time with. Drinking the last of the expired orange juice to quench his thirst Nick took stock of what he had left. From his first-aid kit he had four Band-Aids a partial roll of medical tape, a sports bandage, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter with no flint or fuel. There was also a toy clown and a note to buy more medical supplies. Aside from the bag, he had a near quarter of an eaten rat, an empty plastic orange juice container, an empty alcohol bottle, and empty hydrogen peroxide bottle and what looked like a somewhat mangled silver bullet. Shrugging his shoulders he ate the rest of the rat figuring that if he was going to get some exotic disease, a whole rat was no worse than a part of the rat. Looking around one again Nick recalled where he was at. He was more or less ten miles from the clearing and another thirty from home. He remembered the diner only because he took pictures of it and sold them to make enough for gas, his ears drooped in memory of that. A guy bought his pictures for fifty dollars, then claimed they were his and sold the pictures as Americana art for thousands. How could Nick fight that the artist that was famous and He, himself, Nick was just nobody. He was a person with no future and no way to be noteworthy.

Easing to his feet, Nick walked a few steps, he still had a minor limp, but he could walk now instead of crawl. The beast in him was happy because Nick was heading towards shelter when the first drops of rain began to stir dust on the ground. Nick limped his was to a older salvage yard, crawling into a suburban, Nick curled up on the backseat and fell asleep listening to the rain fall in the night. At the logging clearing the wolves cursed the rain for washing away the scent trail and blood that lead down the hillside towards a creek. The trail was lost among the downpour and they knew it, Alpha knew it as well yet he would keep looking. The bloody razor blade and hobby knife said that Nick was fighting his inner beast for control, the same inner beast that all werebeings have; the one thing that was probably keeping him alive now. By mid-morning the rain moved on but the damage was already done. Any trail that may have been was gone. Alpha followed the path of least resistance which would have been easy for a wounded body all the way to a county fence that stretched for a mile in either direction. The only path across the road was a culvert pipe half chocked with sticks and other debris. Beyond that was nothing until route seventy-three and the Dancing Moon Diner that marked the farthest most of the pack lands to the north.

Nick stretched with a wide tongue curling yawn, groggy but feeling awesome. The beast in him was still sleeping which would have made a shift back to human easy, except for a lack of clothes would have made it more of a hassle than benefit. Easing from the suburban and taking his first-aid bag with him, Nick explored the salvage yard. He could smell something was here, vaguely familiar but also alien. The more he searched for it the more of it he smelled until a growling from behind him made the hairs on his tail stand on end. Turning his head to look back at a growling dog several feet behind him, it was inside a van and looked very hungry. Nick eased up onto the hood of a older wrecked pickup truck, keeping his eyes on the dog The beast in him said they were faster and stronger than the dog, that it would be easy to fight, Nick thought otherwise. Keeping his eyes focused on the dog he looked it over, taking mental notes that seemed to confuse the beast in his head, until the beast seized on one detail. The dog had a collar and the collar was attached to a chain, the chain was pulled tight from somewhere within the van. Nick eased back down from the truck's hood to test his theory, the dog jerked, growling louder but it was stuck. Straightening up Nick smiled and the beast in him encouraged him to go kill the dog and eat it, Nick refused. Walking closer to the dog, whose growls got even more threatening, even though its tail moved to tuck lower between his hind legs. The beast indicated to him that it was scared, the closer Nick got the more the dog shrank away from him and the less menacing the growls became until it was cowering at the front of the van. Nick could see that the chain was looped around the steering wheel and secured with a lock. With no water or food in sight, both nick and his inner beast got angry that someone left this dog to die alone.

Nick climbed into the van while the dog pressed itself lower to the floor and began to whimper. Nick crooned and chirped softly to try and soothe the dog but it only whined louder until he reached it. Finally he was able to feel the dog, it had once been a loved pet, but it had been here at least three days or more. Opening he collar Nick stepped from the van and walked away, leaving the dog free of the cruel collar keeping it trapped. Nick explored more of the salvage yard before finally reaching the front office. A look through a window showed that the office was empty. Testing the back door, Nick found it was unlocked. Carefully stepping inside he looked around. The office was dirty, but still had power as indicated by a humming refrigeration compressor to the soda machine. Looking around with a bit more boldness Nick found a goldfish tank with floating goldfish that smelled at least a week old. Without thinking about it further he began to drink form the tank and slurped down the fish without a second thought. In the office was a man lying on the floor, the smell and flies told him the man was dead without having to check for signs of life. No obvious wounds meant it was most likely a heart attack or stroke. Carefully he took out the man's wallet, a credit card and six hundred and eighty-four dollars in cash. A check of the pockets produced nearly three thousand more dollars in cash. While he was down looking at the money Nick spotted a safe on the floor. Shrugging his shoulders he tried the handle to find it locked tight. Looking at the man's driver's license and a try of the birth date proved fruitless. Looking up he saw numbers written along the underside of the middle drawer of the desk. Nick heard the faint clicks of tumblers falling correctly before he opened the safe to find ten stacks of hundred dollar bills and a binder that listed cars, prices and dates. Shaking his head Nick left the binder but took the money and a pistol he found wrapped in a rag.

Outside the office Nick heard the click of toenails on hard surface, the dog followed him. He had to admit it was a nice looking dog, kind of like a German shepherd but all white. It barked at him then whimpered. Nick looked at the dog then the man then back to the dog before he stood up, which made the dog back away quickly from the office door. A gym bag hung on the back of the office door and Nick made good use of it, stuffing the money, his first-aid bag and the pistol inside it then placing the bag on the desk. Stepping over the body Nick began rummaging through the desk drawers, two boxes of bullets, a box of magazines for the pistol, each one loaded. Nick stopped when he found a wooden case in the bottom drawer. He opened the case to find six police badges. Looking up to the door when the dog whuffed at him again.

"Yes, I think this guy was a bad guy too, let me finish cleaning him out and we'll go ok?" Nick said to the dog which seemed to understand since she, Nick noticed, went to the front of the building.

Nick listened to the distant sound of water being lapped up told that the dog found something to drink somewhere in the building. Closing the case Nick searched a few more drawers to find a yo-yo, a box of paper clips, a red swing-line stapler and a box of staples. Placing his treasures into the bag as well, Nick stooped to grab the keys that were attached to a belt loop on the body. Swinging the keys on his finger nick proceeded to the drink machine with one thing in mind, a chilled cherry flavored cola. Using the barrel key he opened the machine and was very surprised to not find any drinks. Instead he found a few bars of gold, gold coins, silver coins and more money. Nick looked back to the dog while it sat in a beat up looking chair looking at him.

"What?" Nick asked the dog only to get a bark in reply.

The dog barked and wagged her tail looking at him part expectantly.

"Yep, no drinks in a drink machine, but we have money, lots of money." Nick said as he scratched his chin.

The dog barked and turned a circle in the chair only to slop down with her head over one of the arms.

"Yea, you're welcome to." Nick said as he left the drink machine to find a heavier duty bag.

Grunting under the weight of the gold and silver, Nick figured he was easily the proud owner of at least a million or more in cash and precious metals. The dog looked at him again before it barked and was wagging its tail before making a hungry whine.

"I don't have any food alright in the past day I've had four gold fish and a rat." Nick said to the dog as he opened the front door of the salvage yard central office to carry his newly acquired loot to the tow truck he spotted outside. "I don't have anything." Nick said with a less than enthusiastic sounding voice.

The dog watched Nick as he came and went, only sitting up when Nick stopped and looked at her.

For the dog the new man was strange looking and smelled funny, but the new owner had let her go from where she was chained and didn't hurt her like the other man did. She knew that the new man had a tail and he smelled interesting but he just wouldn't hold still long enough to smell. The dog also knew she was hungry, but she waited to be fed like she was taught.

"Look, you can stay here if you want, but as soon as I get that tow truck out there started, I'm leaving. So if you know where your food is, now's the time to show me." Nick said to the dog before telling himself that he as talking to a dog. The beast in him also gave Nick the question of what was so wrong about talking to an animal.

The dog barked again then hopped from the chair and walked briskly to the last door Nick never checked because it was locked. With a sigh and thinking that he was already up for robbery and burglary, soon he would add auto-theft, what was stop him from breaking open a locked door? A single kick to the hollow core office door cracked the lock out of the door which swung open quickly from the force. Inside were tools to strip car parts, a bag of dog food and the nose burning stench of gasoline stored in several large drums. Nick held his breath to get the dog food, dragging the bag out while the dog disappeared for a minute only to reappear with a metal food dish which it dropped then stood over tail wagging expectantly. Grabbing the food dish Nick scooped out two handfuls of the food then slid the bowl towards the opposite wall to keep the dog out of the way. The beast in him made a peep about the food and how hungry it was and that made Nick hungry too. The dog food was virtually tasteless and dry until the dry food started to mix with his saliva to make it taste something like meat would have nightmares about tasting like. But it was food, and the beast was happy to eat it and at this point in time Nick wasn't going to argue further. After eating two handfuls himself Nick took the bag to the tow truck then took the empty food bowl to the truck as well. On his final sweep, the phone rang, Nick stopped to listen as the answering machine picked up.

"Frank, it's Jerry. I have two more coming that need to disappear pronto. I'll drop them in the usual place. You're cut is in the trunk of the blue one. Figure you're out in the yard with that dog. You should have killed it you know because it can be traced, not everyone has a white Alsatian and the police will be able to track it back to the owner. Anyway, erase this when you hear it, I'll be there in five minutes."

Nick looked at the dog, then at the dead body of Frank. It was too late to try and get the tow truck started. Nick slammed the front door, slammed the office door and hid in the store room holding a crow bar, ready to cave the man's head in. The beast in him was agitated and wanting to hurt sometime, the dog whined next to him. Outside they both heard the muffled crunch of gravel under tires, a heavy squeak of a gate opening and an engine lugging as it passed by. Nick stayed where he was, ten minutes later the same engine passed by again, stopping briefly to close the gate before going away. Nick exhaled slowly, then peeked out of the door, listening for any sound other than he louder buzzing hum of a refrigeration compressor. Venturing out to inspect the office area then out into the salvage yard, nick followed the fresh tire tracks to a crusher machine. Scratching his head at the cars since the cars looked ok almost brand new. Nick looked at the dog then back to the cars.

"Looks like ol' frank is in the disposal business alright" Nick said with a smirk. "Let's do this one last thing and send Frank away as well, what do you say?" Nick said to the dog who only answered with two barks and a wagging tail.

Nick looked in the blue car and found Frank's cut of the disposal fee. Pocketing the ten thousand before he found the ignition keys, the car started and drove beautifully, although the bullet holes would have made it whistle at highway speeds. Driving back to the office Nick backed the car as close as he could to the back door. Going inside he grabbed Frank by the arms to drag the four day dead body to the car. Grunting from the smell and effort Nick rolled Frank's remains into the trunk of the car before driving back to the crusher. Ignoring his conscience about committing another felony, Nick pried the trunk of the red car open to find four black jump suits, two AK forty-sevens, another pistol and a shotgun. Nick looked at the dog while it tilted its head to him and made a low 'whurruf' sound to him.

"Yea, Frank is a bad man. So is Jerry, but I need clothes and there needs to be something connecting these guys to whatever happened." Nick said as he took the guns from the trunk followed by a jump suit to try on.

The jumpsuit was uncomfortable and hot to wear with fur on much less a tail. But it fit and that was what mattered. Until the beast indicated that Nick would look like a bad person too wearing it and be hurt. He wadded the jump suit up to throw it back into the car's trunk with a mild curse that the beast was right. In his head he felt the beast cheer that it was happy to have out smarted Nick. Nick went to the crusher to figure out how to work the thing. Climbing the ladder to the control booth Nick sat in the controller's seat only to see a cardboard note signed by Jerry that read that he wanted the wheels off the cars and to remember to drain the gas tanks this time, since the highway patrol was stopping any trucks with leaking cargo. Nick climbed back down and looked around before he moved the cars closer together deciding that burning them would work. But first he had to get the tow-truck started. Carrying the weapons with him while the dog happily walked beside him Nick thought about what to do, he could just do as Frank did, get rid of the cars and stay collecting money. Or he could get the cops out here let them investigate, but he would be out the money and probably face allot of questions about his relation with frank and Jerry. He may even be put in prison, which the beast in him didn't like the sound of at all, and Nick had to agree that prison was not good. Placing the weapons on Frank's desk Nick sat in the chair to think. This was apparently a one person business; Jerry apparently didn't feel the need to even know Frank was alive to work. Frank had no other employees that would challenge him, according to the log of cars. Jerry wasn't coming by every day, more like every week only once one or two cars drop off every time with dollar amounts. The log went back years, so it was a successful disposal business. Nick looked at himself in a mirror, he had to decide what to do for himself. He felt it was also time to talk with his inner beast, since it was the only one that could communicate, even if it was very simplistic.

Nick closed his eyes and called to the beast in his head. It appeared, looking allot more bestial than Nick appeared now although it didn't look as frightening as he remembered it being the first time he confronted it. His inner beast just looked at him and Nick looked at it, before he could speak it held a hand then drew on a floating backboard that Nick always imagined he kept his mental notes on. The beast's scribbles were bad, but it drew a relatively good picture of Nick's human face with a heart drawn beside it that was underlined, it pointed at the face then the heart then itself. It tapped its chest again then drew a line from the heart to Nick's face, while its tail wagged quickly.

"Are you saying that you love me?" Nick asked his inner beast which nodded emphatically yes.

The next picture the inner beast drew was a crude drawing of a man with two triangles for ears and a stiff board like tail coming from the butt. It then pointed at Nick and tapped the picture of the man thing then Nick's facial portrait.

"That is me correct?" Nick asked.

The beast back flipped and nodded quickly. Another drawing of the man showed him with sharp lines coming from his side and leg and he had a frown on his face and what looked like a tear of sadness.

"Am I sad?" Nick asked.

The beast rocked its head and upper body before it cupped a hand to his chest and made raspy breathing sounds then limped in a circle and whined mournfully in pain.

"When I was hurt?" Nick asked and the beast wagged and nodded.

The next drawing showed a cruder drawing of another person thing that the beast pointed to then began to tap its chest.

"That's you right?" Nick asked and the beast nodded before back flipping again.

The drawing continued for a little while, it showed the second person thing lifting Nick up and carrying him away from snarling wolf faces and angry jagged lines. It showed the tunnel they slept in, the beast protecting Nick from a squiggly line and a funny looking four legged thing. The next was the diner and more jagged lines from Nick while the beast touched him and looked sad. Then it drew nick holding something and both of them smiling before the drawing of Nick looked to be sleeping, protected by the beast. The beast made a drawing of a rat and the beast feeding it to Nick, then both smiling faces. They walked together to a another hole to sleep, then it drew the dog then another picture like the beast was offering the dog to Nick to eat but apparently the drawing of Nick shook its head. It drew dead fish and a water tank and Nick smiling as the beast drank water and ate the fish. Then a dog food bag with Nick and the beast eating from the bag and both were smiling. The beast drew a phone making odd squiggly lines, then it drew a dead looking Frank face and the face of the beast and Nick both frowning at the face of Frank. The beast drew a cage and both faces of the beast and Nick frowned at the cage to, except for the beast's frown was very, very frown like. Then the beast drew Nick again and the beast hugging Nick, pictures of hearts and smiles while they were near a box with allot of squiggles on it. The beast sat down and let Nick look at the board to figure it out.

"Ok, let me know if I have this right. You love me allot, and this is me when I was hurt, and you were helping me." Nick said as he followed the pictures with his finger. "You took me away from the anger and hurt to a safe hole to sleep; you protected me while I slept from a, dog?" Nick asked and the beast shook its head. "A coyote?" Nick asked again unsure of what the dog thing was, while the beast nodded.

"And a snake, I think. Then we went together to the diner where we ate and drank something. I was still hurting and that made you sad and you helped me to not hurt anymore. Which made you happy and me happy right?" Nick asked again.

The beast wagged and lowered itself down to make a chirruping sound to Nick.

"You caught a rat and fed me the rat so I would be happy, and then we walked together to the junk yard here, we slept, then you wanted me to eat the dog but I said no." Nick stopped when he realized that the beast actually listened to him when he refused to eat the dog. "What made you listen to me that time?" Nick asked.

The beast underlined that it loved Nick and it underlined a smiling Nick face.

"So, you like it when I'm happy and not fighting with you?" Nick asked

The beast nodded and drew a much bigger heart with all the telltale marks of shining bright.

"I take that as a yes." Nick said as he looked at the pictures more then chuckled about the gold fish and drinking the water. "Yes, I don't like frank either, he's dead and I still don't like him and because I don't like him you don't like him right?" Nick asked and the beast nodded.

"I love the dog, so let's not eat the dog." Nick said then the beast drew a likeness of the dog with a heart and a smile face indicating it loved the dog too, now.

"The cage is obvious. Is, is that why you would fight me to come out?" Nick asked as a memory of his second change coming back to him.

The beast nodded and snarled silently at the drawing of a cage, before it crossed out the cage heavily. The beast began bearing hard with the mental chalk to cover the cage with zigzag lines of hate, while very frowning faces were also drawn around the cage to indicate hate.

"I didn't know I'm sorry." Nick said as he felt bad for it until the beast hugged him and licked his cheek to forgive.

Nick stroked his inner beast along the head and neck as he remembered the second change. He had been scared and hated what he became and decided to lock himself in a cage before the change happened. He didn't know his inner beast and was angry at it and scared of it. The beast was furious at being trapped, it raged for a full day before it turned inward to face Nick inside his head. Nick was scared of the monstrous beast and the savage fury it had. It was angry at him for trapping them in a cage. It wanted out but knew the only way out was with Nick's knowledge. It knew Nick was smart, it knew what Nick knew. It was much as Nick, as Nick was it. But they were not as one, because Nick fought him so much and so strongly they became different. Nick began to remember from the beast's point of view. It was very mad but scared that it would never be allowed out. It hated cages, but it would listen to Nick. It loved Nick and would be with him no matter what. It would protect him, feed him fight and make sure Nick stayed alive. It liked Nick's idea that for three days he would be allowed to be free. Three days and two nights the beast could take over and do whatever it wanted, if and only if on the last day it gave Nick back their body. The beast had to make sure it didn't stray far from home so Nick wouldn't be outdoors nude miles from home or civilization. The beast agreed and yielded to Nick to open the cage. The beast waited for Nick to open a door then give it control back. Nick blinked as he was startled by the memory of that moment from the beast's point of view. The beast was sad that Nick didn't like running with him, that Nick never knew the fun sights, sounds and smells the beast showed him. The beast didn't like that Nick was scared of him, of what Nick thought the beast did to other people. The beast was sad and only wanted to make Nick happy. The beast wanted to share the smells, sounds and sights with Nick, show him new places that it thought Nick would like to see and take pictures of.

The beast had always watched Nick while he worked, it learned how to use the computer, the cameras and it made a very nice picture for Nick of him sitting on a rock looking out at the ocean from this old house before Nick moved them away. The beast thought it was nice to be alone with Nick in the wild but the beast was also sad that Nick didn't want to be in the wild with him. The beast was happy that Nick never got rid of the picture and the beast never told him that he made it for Nick as a gift that Nick would like. Since the other gifts the beast got for Nick only made Nick angry and they would move again. Now that the beast showed Nick he loved him and would protect him. Maybe Nick would let him stay out longer since he was suppose to let Nick have the body back now. The inner reflection ended when the dog barked and pawed at Nick's leg.

"What?" Nick hissed as he woke from the nap, still able to feel the beast hugging him.

The dog just groaned and turned three circles before barking again.

"Are you hungry again?" Nick asked before he looked at the clock, it was nearly eight o'clock. He had been napping for five hours but no closer to deciding what to do. Nick knew he would have to talk again with his inner beast and begin recalling memories it had, that were no so much as memories but emotions and sensations as well as images.

Nick fed the dog again, and ate more of the dog food for him self. Cup of water from the bathroom sink while he decide how to proceed. The business was profitable, and no one really had to know that Frank was dead and gone, the only person that would say something would be Jerry and it wasn't likely that a person that helped in the crime enterprise would say something. Nick decided to stay at the salvage yard for a while longer. Going outside Nick found a front end loader and taught him self how to operate it, the cars were easy to pick up and hold in the air using the loader while he removed the wheels and punched a hole in the gas tank to drain it into a barrel. Dropping the blue car into the crusher Nick started the machine. The sides folded up and rocked folding the car in on itself before they closed. More crunching of metal and the machine opened up to show a rough cube about two feet by three and a half feet by two feet was all that remained of Frank and the blue car. The grapple arm was harder to work but Nick managed to figure it out; the red car was next and actually made a cube of roughly the same size. With more practice Nick got better with the controls and the operation. Nick drove the loader out into the salvage yard to find the van the dog had been chained inside of. When he brought it back the dog growled and bark viciously at the van. Dumping it into the crusher Nick destroyed the van into a cube.

"You and me, dog." Nick said as he shut everyone off for the night. "We walk away from the past tonight."

For the next three days Nick worked on the tow truck and cleared off many of the nearly demolished cars and trucks. He met a scrap buyer that paid him cash for thirty cubed cars, which Nick was only too happy to be rid of. The former white van, the blue lump of metal that was attracting flies the red lump of metal and twenty-seven other rectangular cubes of metal that were formerly cars, trucks or parts of cars and trucks. By now Nick had taken a liking to the dog and his new life as an owner of a salvage yard that was his only by causality. He even met Jerry, who really didn't care where Frank had gone to so long as he was still able to count on someone to take and dispose of his 'clients' used cars. Nick borrowed Frank's former car to drive into town and recover his computers, cameras and other gear only to discover that someone had already taken it and his TV. Nick grabbed clothes, his pillows, blankets and other things that would be useful, he also took a shower since it had been nearly a week since he bathed last. The beast in him wasn't happy about smelling like soap, since it insisted that Nick smelled good already. Nick for his part felt better about letting the beast out nightly to run around the salvage yard with the dog, it was comforting and gave him time to think while the beast either chased or was chased by the dog. When he wasn't working on the tow truck he was busy cracking his way into Frank's bank account and adding himself as an allowed user so he could write checks on the dead man's behalf.

Nick finally got the tow truck started and driving after replacing everything that could have possibly been keeping it from running he now had something to go get his truck from the logging clearing. Driving carefully since the tow truck was nothing like Frank's Cadillac. It accelerated like a steam ship, stopped like barge and handled like it was on ball bearings. To say it was dangerous was an understatement but it chugged along like a truly unstoppable force, and for a moment it was when Nick hit the brakes and the pedal went to the floor and stayed there. A panic working of a parking brake later, then more time with a paper clip to replace a cotter-pin and the brakes worked again. When Nick arrived, his truck was where he parked it almost a week and a half prior. Even the keys were still in the ignition, the sig556 was still in the back but nothing else was around. It didn't matter anymore anyway. All he wanted was his truck; it was as faithful as the beast was, although much less temperamental. He spent nearly an hour figuring out how to hook up his truck to the tire lift and twenty feet to realize that he needed to straighten the wheel and make sure it stayed straight. Much careful driving later and Nick arrived back at his new home.

Nick enjoyed having a dog, especially one that slept with him and was a physical reminder that he wasn't alone in the world. He noticed that she began to act oddly around him a few days earlier and now she seriously wanted attention. The beast in him knew what it was and wanted badly to help the dog out and Nick at the same time. In the beasts own crude way it let Nick know that the dog was in heat and saw Nick as her suitor. At least in his changed state and most likely human as well. For nick it wasn't a simple matter of being with a girl, this was a dog, only thing human about the dog was they ate the same meals twice a day and that was it. She went around on four legs while he could run on all fours but preferred two legs. He sat scratching the dog along her back and side, sniffing her fur while she made low groans of delight when itchy spots were scratched. He let his thoughts drift back to shortly before his first change, this girl at a costume party he had been invited to. She was horny and drunk and Nick was feeling his wild oats, serious kissing led quickly to them both slipping away to a quiet spot. More deep kissing and caressing while they stripped each other out of their costumes. Nick began feeling hot at the time, but so very aroused, that girl was ready and he pressed her against the wall and took her hard and savagely. He dumped his load in the girl once but he was still hard. Nether of them noticed his fur coat growing in as he pressed her against the wall again, this time facing away from him. His thrusts were faster, stronger, she began to grunt and huff, telling him to slow down while he pressed his chest firmly to her back to pin her in place. Nick closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't bite her but he certainly gave her a beastly experience. She began screaming and thrashing when she saw him changing reflected in a mirror. He panicked and pulled out before bursting through the bathroom door, after that was blank until the next morning when he woke up miles away, a few feathers stuck to his lips and still partly shifted. Getting home was hard and by the time he did the sun was going down and he shifted again this time it hurt and he fought it then and lost eventually to the change. Nick smiled then liked how he was now, he could shift easily, almost in a few steps and he would be furred, a few more and he would have a tail and paws, after that a full coat and all the power the beast had.

Nick sat on the back deck of the office, watching the sun set with the dog he finally named Bibs. Ruffling the Bibs's back Nick smiled while he stroked down the side to her belly. Nick looked at himself and considered his options it had been a while since he last had any sex that wasn't self pleasuring. Technically he was part animal so it wouldn't actually be bestiality. He doubted seriously if he could actually impregnate Bibs and even if he could, they would be animals for the most part. The beast in him seemed to like where the thoughts were leading but stayed down since it was Nick's turn for fun. Nick stroked Bibs along her side and back before he ringed her tail with his fingers. Rubbing his hand up her leg to trace his finger over her puffed folds, he heard a distinct whine of canine arousal before she flopped and rolled to her feet. Bibs sniffed his cheek and neck, then down to his crotch and his exposed sheath and balls to be gin licking. Shuddering slowly Nick grunted an tried to shoo the Bibs's nose away from his crotch but the pleasure from her tongue was making his toes and tail curl. Nick gasped loudly when he felt the touch of her tongue over his pointed very bestial shaft. Panting heavier he rubbed and kneaded along the Bibs's back. He could see her tail curled in a side arch. Leaning towards her Nick followed his nose until he felt the ehat of her sex tingling he tip of hise nose. Nick was thinking of why he shouldn't do what his body was craving, what Bibs as craving. Nick curled his tongue to lick; the shock of taste was powerful as he curled his tongue back to rub his tongue along the roof of his mouth. The beast in him helped translate the messages as fertility, heath receptiveness and a host of others that all equaled the same thing. Bibs was ready right now and he was the only male available to service her needs. Nick felt muscles in groin relax while others tensed and he felt himself slide further from his sheath.

Losing himself in a haze or pleasure Nick rolled easily to all fours. Sniffing and licking over Bibs's folds while her own tongue coaxed him to full exposure. She barked low then turned to walk a few steps away before stopping. Nick followed with a heavy swinging swagger between his legs, he could smell himself and Bibs mixing in the air in front of him. Moving up to her rear he pressed his chin to her hips while she squirmed her tail aside. With little further invitation Nick felt himself slide atop Bibs's back and his arms close around her waist to pull her further back beneath him. Several quick prods until he felt her heat against his tapered point. Punching forward with a firm growl he felt himself surrounded by an incredible heat and tightness. He drew back then pushed in again harder. Nick buried himself on his third thrust all the way to his hilt. Bibs stared ahead as he rocked his hips briskly back and forth, pumping Bibs with a feral fury and desire to sew his seed within her belly. Nick was lost to the sensation of taking Bibs he failed to notice Jerry drive up and open the gate. Headlights lit him and Bibs up but he couldn't stop himself from taking Bibs but he could watch as Jerry slowed down to take his and Bibs's picture, saying something about having caught a stud in the act for Nick to worry about later. Jerry drove on to drop off another pair of cars then left. Instead of killing his mood Nick pushed faster and harder. Nick lifted a hind leg to slide further atop Bibs while he pushed himself firmly past her suddenly tighter opening.

Huffing as he felt himself sheathed fully within Bibs. Nick tried to pull back only to feel that he was stuck, the shock and fear was over powered by the intensity of the pleasure. Pumping swiftly in shorter strokes he could feel his balls tightening, drawing tighter until he bit Bibs on the neck hard enough to let her know she was his. The first firm buck of his hips brought a deep whuff from Bibs before he started feeling his maleness twitching firmly inside of Bibs. Nick unloaded years worth of desire and fertility into Bibs and she took it all. Nick barked a very vulpine cry of pleasure while Bibs barked her own. Nick could still feel himself twitching and squirting inside of Bibs even after ten minutes, he was exhausted and just let the beast in him guide his movements until he felt the ground beneath his hands and an odd sensation of his dick bent backwards a hundred and eighty degrees while still firmly held inside of Bibs. Peering back at Bibs to watch her pant in blissful pleasure, Nick followed suit. He dared not try to move fearing his legs would fall from underneath him. Thirty minutes later he and Bibs separated without much back loss. She cleaned herself then him while he followed his nose again to lick Bibs along her slick folds. His tongue teasing her inner muscles to twitch and clench tight and for a moment Nick hoped she would bear him many fine young ones. He tasted his own seed and Bibs's arousal mixed together.

In the morning he woke feeling absolutely fantastic, Bibs looked peacefully sleeping. Nick lay looking up at the morning twilight remembering the night, he took Bibs four more times before they both could not go any more. Nick grinned as he stretched then got up to get breakfast. He checked his email and found a message from Jerry with a picture of him mating with Bibs, although the words with the picture were 'If she gives you pink pups, this will be why.' That day turned out to be a lazy one, no part sales or scroungers, which afforded him more time to practice his towing skills. Bibs was even more his shadow and that night he repeated the night before except for only three times before he and Bibs were happy to just run around the salvage yard and play tug of war with a short knotted rope. At closing time a customer arrived to purchase a whole car which was distracting but workable. Just after dusk settled in an older model Thunderbird was selected, paid for and loaded on the customer's trailer. While the customer commented about Bib's, Nick noticed that the customer's dog was also very male and had a smug satisfied look, but he let it pass.

Nick fell into a routine in the following weeks he even started selling parts on-line. People were happy to pay the shipping cost for a car door or an entire front clip from a car or truck. Some days Nick spent time talking with his inner beast the more he spent time with it, the better the beast's communication skills became. Although it had a burning question now to asked for when they ran from those wolves the first day. It wanted to know why. Nick had to say why. Talking to himself he recounted the day.

"I had been following a story of a werewolf sighting in the area. At first I think it was us, but the witnesses said it was giant, grey and brown wolf. A few others reported a black and white wolf others said it was like a giant timber wolf. All of them were from the diner all the way to the cape. From the highway to the river, campers, hikers, even loggers all said they were in that area." Nick said as he brushed Bibs's coat and patted her belly before telling her that she was getting fat. "Anyway, I go up and I start looking around that cleared off landing site I find a couple good footprints, way too big to be a normal wolf. I snap a few pictures look around a bit then I set up a trap camera or two. I come back the next day, the trap cameras are torn down and cracked open and the only thing missing are the memory cards. I spent all day up there and didn't see anything. The next day I go up and still nothing, the third day I hear like this party going on it's not far so I think someone's camping out and having a party. I had cameras so why not go and maybe a bit of photo work, I get to the edge of this cleared off area and look through my camera and I see a werewolf. It's carrying a deer over its shoulder. I snuck back to my truck, get my rifle, make sure I have ammo just incase it gets ugly, of course I'm out of ammo." Nick said before he rubbed his face.

"I drove into town, went to Phil's, the hunting supply place and by four boxes of the cheapest two twenty-three I can find. Go back to my truck load up all three mags and head back to the clearing. I liked those woods because you've run around there lots of times." Nick said to his inner beast, before he continued the story. "Anyway I snap like fifty pictures and I must have activated the flash by mistake because suddenly, Alpha stopped what he's doing and looks almost dead at me. I stay crouched until I see him sniffing the air, he starts coming towards me and I have to run. So I jump up, get one last picture and I'm running as dead fast as I can. I can hear them coming after me. If they broke open my trap cameras, 'what would they do to me' I figured. I shoot two and a half mags but they keep coming. After that I get to my war wagon there." Nick pointed at his 4runner "They are almost on top of me, I get away but Alpha tracked me down." Nick said as he scratched Bibs a bit more. "I was stressed about that because I had proof, solid real proof in pictures that were far too good to be faked. But the Alpha knew where I lived, then the change the next morning. I come home from dropping those pictures for that lady and doing a bank run and find he's got my pictures. Plus he wants to meet me up there at that clearing." Nick said as he began feeling a bit upset about what had taken place more than a month ago.

"I just knew I was a dead man walking. If I didn't go up there he and the pack would come get me, I couldn't run away, anything." Nick's inner beast gave as much comforting support as it could which helped Nick to feel better. "After trying to blow my brains out I figured that if I was going to be dead anyway, I had might as well face it on my own two feet instead of cowering in a corner. Turns out Alpha was actually a pretty decent guy and I think we hit it off, until. Well, you know the rest." Nick spoke more to his inner beast than to Bibs, who was currently enjoying a good belly scratch. "Bibs, you're fat for sure, been blowing up like a balloon," Nick felt his smile run away from his face as he looked at Bibs's belly again.

"No, no way." Nick said as he felt his body start going into panic mode which was also stirring up his inner beast to fight or run. "I mean... There isn't any way I could have done that, could I?" Nick asked Bibs while he looked at her belly.

Nick hyperventilated himself and had to run, his inner beast took control and he ran. Nick covered miles that night, heading in a blind direction while Bibs did her best to follow before turning back for home. Nick was scared and it showed because the beast in him worked hard to put distance between Nick and what as scaring him. When the beast finally drew to a stop to catch its breath and drink some water. Nick was beside himself and of no help to the beast who listened to a sudden lack of crickets and other bugs of the night. The beast scanned the darkness, ears turning and nose twitching, it sensed something was watching them. But the beast could not tell friend of foe, it only knew it had to protect Nick, it swore to protect Nick. The beast stalked stealthily across the creek, ears turning to find a sound that was not there, until a crunch from a twig off to the left alerted. The beast turned his ears and head and snarled as the movement of feet and rustle of underbrush indicated a large moving body. The beast crouched for leverage as its eyes dilated to get more light. The beast learned much since Nick let him out more often and tonight it learned that it is easier to redirect a moving body than it is to stop one. It also learned that foxes, have better night vision than wolves.

Alpha was surprised to smell a fox back in his territory and decided to investigate. He followed the trails in circles for what felt like hours before he spotted a tell tale figure disappear into underbrush near a creek. Approaching from the downwind side Alpha saw that it was no ordinary fox, it was massive, every bit a werefox as Nick had been. He was within twenty feet before the stupid crickets gave him away. This one was no fool it stopped and began looking for him. Ducking to keep from being seen Alpha watched from the concealed location while the werefox moved, it kept itself low to the ground, ears turning while eyes scanned. Alpha had seen this behavior in some werewolves who went totally feral. Alpha shadowed the werefox until he stepped down and snapped a twig. The crack of the dry stick was louder than any gun shot. In the blink of an eye the werefox was staring right at him and if he didn't do something now, it would either attack or escape. Alpha launched himself towards the werefox. His loping steps carried him across the twenty feet in heart beats. The werefox didn't stand to face him instead it lunged, grabbed and twisted, it used his momentum against him and threw him as easily as a pup would throw a stone. Alpha's world turned quickly upside down while he saw the werefox twisting and pushing with its legs, guiding the larger and stronger werewolf over its body towards a blackberry thicket. Alpha thought as he felt himself moving through the air 'this one will be a handful', before he crashed into the thicket of briars and blackberry brambles.

The beast was proud of itself but would not delay, before the wolf really settled into the thicket the beast was moving again. It dove through the brush, pumping legs and leaping, stretching the lean athletically strong body to the fullest stride it could manage. Ears pinned back and mouth slight agape the beast carried Nick away from danger, although danger was following about thirty yards behind and closing slowly. The beast knew it had the advantage in the brush undergrowth due only for smaller size, but his advantage was dwindling quickly as the brush gave way to a clear cut hillside. Jumping and weaving the beast powered on, it could hear the wolf was gaining. Leaping a sharp arc up hill only to change directions again for down put three yards extra between him and the wolf but those went away quickly. Concentrating on the run and obstacles the beast read the terrain ahead and dove beneath a broken tree then skirted left. The wolf jumped the tree and for a moment lost the trail. The beast kept running hard while the wolf circled wide, coming just into view on an intercept course. The beast steered further left to widen the gap, but felt his back legs slide from underneath him at speed. Scrambling to recover, claws raking to dig in but his own speed and momentum worked against him as he slid on damp mud and fallen leaf litter. Hitting a tree top solid enough to get the breath knocked from him, the beast bent forward to push off and made it five feet before the werewolf was on him.

Bodies tumbled in the leaf litter and trampled undergrowth. Fur was kicked away, teeth gnashed and claws raked, the beast fought to escape. It did not want to make Nick sad, it fought until it was pinned firmly against the ground, the large wolf on its back keeping the beast's head firmly pressed to the dirt, a tight grip on his scruff. The rest of the wolf's body keeping the beast's pressed to the ground. Both were heaving for cooling breath. The beast still struggled but the wolf's grip was as hard as iron, the beast didn't even flinch when a growl deep enough to vibrate through its chest told it that struggles should stop. The beast growled back a warning as well. The beast struggled to get an arm out from underneath itself and maybe it would claw the attacker's eyes. A bite on the shoulder and a louder growl finally made the beast give up, it failed to protect Nick and it knew Nick would be very sad. Inwardly it cried while Nick came slowly to his senses enough to wheeze a strained voice.

"greeeet... oorrfff ... mreee."

Alpha was heaving for breath he didn't have a chase like that ever. He was just about to give up the chase when the fox's legs slid out from under it. Had it maintained grip he would have let it go to track down later. Even after capture it still fought with a ferocity that would have made it truly dangerous if it had been anther werewolf. As it was only brute strength and mass was keeping it pinned down. Alpha gave it one warning growl and heard a feisty growl back; it still had fight left, not to mention sharp teeth. Alpha looked at a patch of skin on his arm that was torn open, little cuss bit hard. A bite of his own and another growl seemed to work, at lest to get it to stop squirming. Keeping his weight on the werefox, so it couldn't draw a deep breath was necessary to keep it from cooling itself off. If it couldn't cool off or get oxygen then the fight would drain out faster. Stretched out the werefox was impressive and muscular from his struggles. It had awesome speed and stamina. The muffled grunting of a voice made Alpha smirk.

"Oh no, you're staying right there till I decide what to do with you." Alpha said with a deep slow pant in his voice. "I don't want to get bit again, took a chunk out already." Alpha said as he looked at the skin flap that was a bit larger than he originally thought.

"ruckem chrrassked fuss dimmat." Nick wheezed, his mouth pressed firmly shut and nose half buried in leaf litter, while his chest was compressed from behind. He was starting to feel dizzy and very hot. Nick cast a mental glance to his inner beast and was glad his inner beast was ready to make one last struggle for freedom. Nick smiled and told his inner beast that he loved the beast and always would.

Alpha felt the muscles tense, the werefox seemed to get energy from no where. It actually pushed him up and was able to get a raspy breath before Alpha managed to shift his weight and get it back down to the ground. The fox struggled anew and all Alpha could do was press harder down on the werefox. It jerked and grunted, muscles bowing under the strain to get free. He felt his grip loosening until the werefox stopped abruptly then tensed again. The werefox was weakening fast the second strain didn't last as long or was as strong as the first. The one after was even less so. Soon Alpha felt its body relax further and further until he felt it was safe to let it go. Pulling his hand back cautiously the fox's mouth gaped as a raspy wheezing pant started by pure reflex. The werefox was indeed handsome, and reminded him of Nick, the moon light overhead was enough to get some detail on the second werefox he's ever seen. Alpha knew he had to find a way to keep it secure to find out who it was and what it was doing out here. A guide rope from the logging crew provided an easy solution to bind the werefox's wrists and ankles. Leaving its muzzle open to pant and cool off before he fashioned a crude muzzle to keep the werefox from chewing through the spectra line. Alpha saw to his own wounds before lifting the exhausted and unconscious werefox to his shoulder for a long lug back to where he as giving prayers for Nick's soul to be at peace. It had always bothered him that no body was ever found, it even affected the pack who scoured every weekend since the incident to find the werefox's body. Alpha was determined that this werefox would not die and be forgotten, it would live. Even if he had to keep it chained up in his basement, it was going to live so it could do whatever it did. Alpha refused to let another one die alone, he was not going to abandon this one.

(*Minor corrections added forflow, and name corrections as well* Thank you for those who pointed them out, I must be blind.)