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Author's Note: This is the revised version of my original story. I had to remove some gaping plot holes. Italics means telepathic messages.

Disclaimer: All the people in the story are fictional. Most places are works of fiction, and as such do not exist. Any similarities to places and people is purely coincidental. Jason Fern is JasonWerefox, Aaron Stevens/Aries belongs to WereFox on FA. Barney Zhou belongs to me.

Hunter's Moon: The Beginning

Captain Barney Zhou's Log

September 13th 2015

0330 hours

I awoke this morning anticipating our very first HALO joint training with the SEALS. We would perform a high-altitude low opening or HALO drop from a C-130 at 35,000 feet and open our chute at a little over 400 feet. Giddy with excitement, I woke up two and a half hours too early. Seeing as I was the only officer awake in our company, I silently made my way out of our temporary quarters at the marine barracks. We would be billeted here until we got used to a desert environment. As I stealthily made my way out, I tripped on someone's duffel and ate carpet. I was lucky that no one had awoken from their slumber to laugh at my predicament. I did not know that Jason was already awake at that ungodly hour.

When I joined the Rangers just two years prior, I had no idea that I'd make an enemy out of an old family friend. Colonel Stephen "Sage" Sawyer was the best friend of my father, Dr. Lawrence Zhou. He even served as best man at my father's wedding. When I applied for West Point, I hid the acceptance letter from my father. It was Sage who mentioned the topic when he came around after one of his tours. I was in hot water a long while afterwards.

On my father's side, the military was a rite of passage. He was the only one who did not "serve with distinction" as my uncle so tactlessly put it; entering medical school instead. After some heated family discussions, he would allow me to enlist on one condition: that I get top honors in class. My years in West Point were hellish. This would look like a cakewalk when I compared it to "Ranger School". I was tops in strategy and tactics finishing with 2nd honors overall. I could see the tears in my father's eyes as he watched me receive the certificate from the West Point commandant. Due to my excellence, I was given my choice of assignments. I opted for the Army's elite unit: Army Rangers. This caused such a shock on my advisor that he was speechless for the time being when I first brought it up.

Flashback Start

January 17th 2013

West Point Military Academy

Commandant's Office

At precisely 0830 hours, 2Lt. Barney Zhou made his way to the commandant's office for his scheduled appointment. After knocking politely on the oak door, he was shown inside by Brigadier General Adonis Reed. The discussion that ensued was genial in nature until the topic of what career path would be chosen when the cadet graduated came up.

Lt. Barney Zhou's POV

I have only been inside the commandant's office twice before. Once when I was introduced to him at the start of my stay at the Academy and the second when I inadvertently blew a hole in the classroom wall. The latter was very embarrassing and humiliating. I had constructed makeshift cannon from plastic tubing and used methanol as the ignition source. The projectile was an empty ice cream tin not more than 3 inches in diameter. The hole was twice that. As I was testing my hypothesis on the explosive properties of methanol in propelling the tin through a half-inch thick steel plate, one of my classmates had replaced my fast-burning methanol with a measured amount of kerosene and methanol.

The mixture was highly combustible and explosive. A small spark would set it off. When I tipped the volatile cocktail in, it collected at the bulb at the base of the cannon. After I placed in the empty tin, I lit the fuse. To my horror, when the burning wick touched the mixture, the cannon split apart as the tin went sailing over the plate and through the wall. I was so much in shock that I found myself at the commandant's office when I was supposed to be at the infirmary for burn treatment. Perhaps I should have checked the volatile liquids first before loading the cannon. On a side note, it looked like someone fired a sabot round at the wall...

At this point the commandant cleared his throat, startling the cadet from his reminiscing. "Are you done remembering your past, Cadet Zhou?" Gen. Reed declared. The look on his face meant he had been calling the young cadet's attention for a while now without success.

"Uh, um, I'm sorry sir. I was thinking of something else" the cadet stammered out, red-faced. Great, now this makes my second wrong impression after the classroom incident, he thought.

"I figured as much son. You had that blank look for" glancing at his watch "a little over ten minutes. That could get you killed on the battlefield" he stated matter-of-factly.

"Sir, it won't happen again. I assure you that it won't" Zhou stated firmly. At this the general nodded his head and motioned for the cadet to join him in the private study.

"Have a seat, Mr. Zhou so we can begin" the general said. Taking the cue from the general, Cadet Zhou sat on one of the Victorian-style pieces decorating the study. While seated, it became apparent that the cadet was either overly nervous or needed a potty break. He was repeatedly crossing and uncrossing his legs after every question. The general quirked an eyebrow at the cadet's mannerisms but said nothing. The questions continued until the career path would be chosen.

An hour had already elapsed from the time the cadet entered the room and only two questions remained. "So, where would you want to be?" the general asked. At the puzzled look on the young cadet's face, he revised his question. "What unit will you join after graduation?"

"I'd like to apply for the Army Rangers, if that's all right with you sir" the cadet answered unsurely. The cadet then looked down at his shoes and counted the scratch marks on the leather coat. He waited for the dreaded negative answer that never came. As he glanced upwards, he thought he saw mirth in the general's eyes. This was swiftly replaced by a cool, professional attitude.

"I'll approve your application for Ranger Selection. Do your best, the tests they give weeds out the slackers" the general said as he stood up, offering his hand. The cadet immediately snapped to attention and clasped the offered hand in his own for a handshake and deal that would seal his fate.

End Flashback

September 13th 2015

0430 hours

Now, looking back at two years of hell, I'm amazed that I even made it through. Not bad for someone who blew a hole in the wall. The look on Sage's face was murderous when he saw my application for the Army Rangers. He was the hardest instructor I had ever come across. I very nearly washed out when he assigned me to the group of misfits I was to command for our 10 mile hike across the countryside. With some superb rallying on the part of First Sergeant Aries, we were able to cross the finish line without finishing last. When it came time to announce the selected Rangers-in-training after three intense weeks, I was delighted that my name had made it to the select group.

Sadly, Aries had not and he was slated to return to his old unit; 7th Cavalry. We see each other from time to time.

When Aries was told to leave the classroom where we were informed of those who had made it, I found out that it was his 2nd attempt from one of the instructors. While the rest of the accepted units rejoiced, I slipped out of the room and made my way over to the 'wash-out's area'. I found the good sergeant sitting on one of the benches at the far end of the area.

As I sat down opposite him, he spoke his mind. "We were not selected, were we?" he asked sadly, looking at the group of milling soldiers of different ranks.

"There's always next time" I told him as I placed a hand on his arm comfortingly. When he opened his eyes, I gasped. His eyes were the color of gold and they seemed to shine with an inner light. He pretended not to notice my gasp but his eyes betrayed hurt and anger (anger at whom?).

I was curious to know why he had such striking eye color; something akin to the late Elizabeth Taylor's vivid amethyst eyes. Even as I was burning with curiosity, I respected his privacy and kept my mouth shut. "I hope we see each other again sometime" I said instead, as I offered him my hand to shake. He took my hand in his own firm grasp, shaking my hand twice before releasing it.

As I stood up to leave I thought I heard him whisper "We'll meet again, human. That is certain". I thought I was hearing things and shook it off as my imagination. I should have paid better attention to him. The price I would pay later for my ignorance would be very steep.

End Log

September 13th 2015

Looking at my watch, I noted that it was now 0520. I had to make it back to the barracks to inspect the troops before we ate breakfast. Since I was a bit far from the sleeping quarters, I hitched a ride with one of the jeep patrols and made it back just as the reveille sounded on the base speakers.

0530 hours

The reveille sounded throughout the base waking up personnel who were not working the graveyard shift. In the marine barracks, Jason smiled at the number of humans who remained blissfully unaware of the werefox's presence. The human captain known as Zhou; would have to be dealt with however, if he wanted to remain undetected. The looks the human gave him meant he knew something was up.

As the werefox roused the still sleeping members of Alpha unit, he was already formulating a plan to change the wary captain into one of his brethren.

"Wake up ladies" he announced to the room, his baritone voice echoing off the concrete walls and ceiling. "We are the premier unit and we cannot be shown up by the lesser mortals scurrying about. Either get up or be dragged out of bed, your choice" he called out.

The Rangers got out of bed and assembled swiftly. They had learned not to mess with Emerald, as Jason's call sign was known, unless they wanted to complete a 50-mile hike in less than 1 hour. The ones who took too long had to repeat until they got it right.

Jason walked down the double line assembly and was satisfied with what he saw. As he was going to dress down the troops once more just for the heck of it, the door opened and in stepped Captain Zhou.

Captain Zhou had to dash to his unit when the reveille sounded. He may have been one of the early birds, but that is no excuse to let the troops go out disheveled. He arrived at the door to their quarters and opened it, expecting still-sleeping men. The green-eyed gaze of Lt. Fern looked suspiciously at him. Meeting it with a cold, steel gaze of his own, he stared the junior officer down until Jason relented and looked away.

"I have an announcement. Today we will join the SEALS for a joint training session deep within the Nevada desert. To begin, we will insert by HALO from a C-130. Once we touch sand, both we and the SEALS will make for the hidden supply caches. After resupplying ourselves, we will engage the SEALS using the MILES system. The team with the most points and most members still alive will be declared the winner" I told my fellow Rangers. If they were shocked, they did not show it. "The prize is a three week furlough. I know how many of you want to go see your families and such. So do your goddamndest to win" I continued.

"Sir, what time do we meet up with the SEALS?" asked Private Friedrich "Horn" Maserat.

"They will be arriving here at 0900. We still have time to eat and get our weapons from the armory" I said. Inhaling sharply, I caught a whiff of unwashed body. "And a bath for the unfortunate fellow who did not take one last night" I added.

When no one moved, I gave an order. "Alpha, get your butts moving. I haven't got all day!"

Only after the order passed from my lips did the Rangers start moving. Grabbing their kit for the morning ablutions, and a towel for Sergeant William "Goat" Paxton, they made their way to the bathroom to fix themselves up for breakfast.

I was left alone in the room with Jason. As he looked at me, I could not help but feel chills race up and down my spine. I went over to my bed and grabbed my morning kit as well. Jason was still giving me that predatory look. I moved closer to him, shortening the gap between us. "You got a problem with me, soldier?" I said as I stopped one meter opposite him.

He smiled showing teeth, and two elongated upper incisors I noted, and shook his head. "I'm only wondering..." he said sarcastically.

Somehow, I knew he was lying. Playing along though, I said "I'm not going to be one of your conquests, Emerald. Keep in mind that I outrank you".

He replied, "All in good time Canid, all in good time", walking out the door in his desert fatigues.

Strange, I thought. It's just like the time with Aries back at Ranger training. Could a certain myth be grounded in fact? I asked myself. One thing was certain; I would be going to the base commandant's library after our exercise and borrowing his book on mythological creatures.

0600 hours

"Get your butts moving. We might run out of breakfast if Bravo gets there ahead of us" Canid yelled to the slow-moving Rangers. The SEALS might not be there yet, but on the off chance that they were, he wanted them to be at the mess and looking splendid for the jump.

Unfortunately for the SEALS, but fortunately for the captain and Alpha team, the C-130 that was supposed to ferry them broke down at Colorado Springs the night before. They had gained an extra 8 hours of training time so they could do better than the SEALS for the joint training session. The matter was not made known to Captain Zhou until after the event had taken place. He had rushed his team for nothing.

0730 hours

Breakfast on the desert base had ended for Alpha team. The fare of sausage, eggs, mashed potatoes, breakfast roll and waffles had all been washed down with a large volume of coffee. The well-fed Rangers then made their way to the armory to gather their personal weapons and attach the MILES weapon system.

Basically, the gun itself would fire blanks while a laser would interact with sensors worn by the soldiers that would register a hit. A buzzing sound meant that the soldier was dead and needed to lie down.

At the armory, they acquired their weapons and blank ammunition. It was a peculiarity of Alpha team that they had a wide range of weapons at their disposal and they always wound up with just a handful. Most of the weapons used were the M4/M203 with holographic sight as the primary weapon, a Colt 1991 .45 pistol as a secondary and the same amount of four fragmentation grenades and four flash bangs.

The only exceptions to this rule were their sniper, Corporal Ensign "Makin" Gay who selected an M21 each and every time; XO and their CO. Captain Barney "Canid" Zhou had a predilection for an FN FAL fitted with ACOG sight and M203 underneath the gun barrel such as that used with Continental Special Forces, and a USP Tactical .45 pistol. The XO, Emerald, was rather fond of his AK-47 with ACOG sight and attached M203, the secondary was a XM1014 Benelli 12 gauge auto-shotgun loaded with either 00 Buck or a metal slug as the situation called for.

Making their way back to the barracks, both the CO and XO went their separate ways. The XO would bring the platoon back to the barracks and ensured that they would at least prime their weapons before assembling their kit.

The CO made his way towards the base commandant and his rather voluminous stacks of books covering everything from the Art of War to Zoology. Despite the odd classification system, not all the books were about military history and tactics. There would be the one or pair of books that catered to a different audience. Pride and Prejudice for instance and Mutiny on the Bounty were two such books. Also on the bookshelves were mythologies, fables and such that it oftentimes resembled a library.

It was to this library that Captain "Canid" Zhou set his destination for. Entering the base offices, he ensured that only his sidearm was with him as he made for the commandant's office. The rifle would be left with the waiting MP on duty as protocol dictated. Knocking only once on the commandant's door, the captain was bade to enter by a short, gruff voice.

Inside the commandant, Major General Redmond "Ed" Woodridge, was having his first cup of tea to accompany his carnivorous breakfast of ham, sausage and steak. The tea itself was herbal in nature and contained no caffeine whatsoever. After Canid had knocked on the solid oak door, he gave the gruff reply of "Enter".

Captain Zhou saluted his superior as soon as he had entered the room. "Sir, I would like to ask something from you" he stated uneasily as he closed the door behind him. "I would like to borrow your book concerning werewolf lore" he continued.

General Woodridge fixed him with his hawk-like eyes and nodded. "So who is the person that fired your interest to go look at this particular book?" he asked benignly.

"Would it matter sir if I told you it was just a hunch?" Captain Zhou stated slowly.

"Captain, I'm giving you permission to speak freely. What happens here stays between the two of us" he said. And my pastor was silently added by the general.

"Sir, it concerns my XO, Emerald. I have reason to believe that he possesses a lycanthropic nature which he wishes to be kept hidden from everyone" Captain Zhou tells him freely. At the general's nod to continue, "I also remember that he has acute eyesight in near pitch blackness and good hearing in a near-zero noise environment. His eyes seemed to glow at me in our quarters today sir, may I have the book please?"

"Captain, your fears are unfounded. It may very well have been a trick of the light" referring to my encounter with my XO just a little while ago. "As for his acute eyesight, he must be eating lots of carrots. The good hearing is just that, good hearing. Would you still want to borrow the book? As you can see I'm still having breakfast" he finished, gesturing at his plate. What will it be captain was the unspoken question in those hawk eyes.

Swallowing quickly, Captain Zhou replied "May I have the book? It will only be a quick read". The general's answer brought a giant sigh of relief.

"Of course, just return it within the next 4 days and all is well" answered the general as he resumed eating. "And sign the register on the way out, so I know who borrowed any of the books" he called out as I went over to one shelf and removed the book from its stand.

"Yes, sir, will just the name suffice?" the nervous captain asked.

"Name and rank is preferred. Rank only if you wish to sign in as Anonymous" answered the general.

It was with this reminder that I signed the register with my full name and rank followed by the unit I belonged to. The rather heavy, hardbound book was taken under my arm as I left the office and its occupant.

When the captain left, however, General Woodridge placed a call to Fort Bragg. A tired-sounding voice answered the phone after 4 rings. "Who is this? It's still 0430 here" the voice asked. The general replied chuckling, "It's Ed. Sage get up, so you can get your team working on the formula for your next test subject".

The other person on the line bolted awake, "Next test subject? Who would that be?" The answer shocked Sage out of the remnants of sleep he wanted to return to.

"Captain Barney Zhou of the Airborne Rangers. He is asking too many questions about our envoy, Emerald" the general replied.

Sage thought, "Oh no, not again" as he remembered what had happened to his old friend Captain Shade Mitchell. Shade had deteriorated steadily after inoculation with the test serum. It was with supreme effort that Sage brought him down with an explosive round to the head after Shade destroyed the testing facility, shrugging off the regular rounds fired at him. While he still disliked the young captain, he had made a promise to Zhou's father that no harm would come to Barney.

"Could we just use someone else, sir? I made a promise" Sage answered.

"No, he must join or he will spill the secret into the open." the general stated.

"That is not in his nature. He will keep that secret until he dies" Sage replied.

"Colonel, I don't care if you promised the Pope himself. Get your team ready. I delayed the SEALS arrival at Colorado Springs so you can make up for it. You have a little over 6 hours to get here ASAP with the new batch of serum" Ed said with finality, leaving no room for argument.

As the commandant hung up the phone, he was encountering second thoughts about his decision. He shrugged it off. "After all, there cannot be a breakthrough without sacrifice" he preached to his empty office. As if to justify his actions condemning a perfectly good human soldier to the job of guinea pig.

Meanwhile, Canid had reached the barracks with book in hand and noticed that the platoon was still standing at attention. They seemed scared of something, or someone...

Glancing at his watch, Canid noticed it was already 0830. Quickening his pace, Canid drew his pistol and moved directly towards the sleeping quarters. He switched the blanks inside with live rounds. Bringing the pistol carefully to eye level, he began to systematically sweep the area clear. As he opened the door, Jason beckoned him over.

"Jesus, Emerald. I almost shot you in the head" he exclaimed, quickly lowering the pistol. "What seems to have spooked the platoon?" he continued.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps it was the leather book you were carrying. Knowledge can be dangerous, you know" Jason said as he smirked.

"How do you know about that?" the gun was replaced in the hip holster as the captain talked with his Executive Officer. "Only the commandant knows I have it. Care to explain?" he gestured at the empty room belonging to the 2nd Marine Corps Company stationed at the base.

"Why not? I still have time to kill" Jason replied. Soon human, he thought as Canid opened the door, soon you will be part of my pack. And when that happens, you can no longer refuse my advances.

"This better be damned important. We must get ready for the SEALS arrival" exclaimed Canid as he gestured to his XO to have a seat on one of the beds. He was on tenterhooks just waiting.

"Oh, it is" Emerald said as he accepted, before continuing. "The SEALS have been delayed. It appears that their transport has suffered a mechanical problem. They won't get here until 1400 Zulu" Emerald said.

"Epic fail. They're always late" Canid muttered under his breath. Jason picked it up with his acute hearing and his smirk got wider. Canid continued his train of thought regarding the SEALS' non-arrival with Emerald and had not noticed the smirk. "Who gave you that idea, anyway?" Canid asked after mulling the last statement from his XO.

"One of the staff at Ed's office. They talk too much" Emerald answered. So much for their security, Emerald chuckled to himself.

Shaking his head at the impersonal reference to the base commandant, Canid sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you to call him 'Sir'? You'll wind up in trouble for calling him by his nickname" he spoke to the werefox officer opposite him.

"Ed doesn't mind. He likes it when I call him that" Emerald replied, smiling. I have Ed to thank for acquiring the serum for Aries, Emerald thought.

Canid and Emerald continued their seriously forgettable banter; each thinking the other was hiding something. Much time had elapsed as they conversed with each other. The platoon, standing outside in the heat, was forgotten for the better part of an hour and a half. It was only an alert NCO who noticed the situation and allowed them to take a rest so they won't suffer from heat stroke later on.

1000 hours

"... So it was cousin Elizabeth who was eating the roast turkey and not my brother Anthony" Canid was telling Emerald, who looked avidly interested. For the better part of an hour and a half, they had swapped stories about their family lives. It was Emerald who had broken the ice by saying that the tome Canid had acquired from Ed was of insufficient importance to the current mission that they would undertake against the SEALS. Canid had countered that he wanted "to get in some light reading on a certain topic that you would not understand".

Emerald countered that argument by saying he knew what the topic was and who it was about. Canid had haughtily stated "Who?!"

Emerald answered that it was he who the captain was researching about. The slack-jawed response from the captain was all the confirmation he needed. He reassured the captain that werewolves do not exist and Canid was just caught up in a fantasy. Canid stood his ground until Emerald changed the topic. Emerald said that "we have reached an impasse. Can we agree to disagree?" Canid nodded his affirmation and they switched topics.

The next one to come up was family. Emerald started by saying he would not mind the furlough, provided they won of course. He wanted to see the old homestead under a full moon's light and invited Canid to come as well if he had time.

"Sure, why not" was Canid's wholehearted response. "I can at least meet your family while I'm there" he had added.

Emerald's smirk had become a full-blown smile at the response he got from the human captain. Soon it would only be a matter of time before the captain would feel vulpine teeth at his neck as Emerald would mark him under the full moon. Canid noticed the smile and gave one of his own in return. He would pack one magazine of silver rounds, just in case a certain myth proved true. If Jason tried anything funny, he'd be six feet under.

Their conversation was interrupted by a screaming jet that had swooped low over the airbase. Both of them reached for their pistols at the same time, fearing an airborne assault had taken place.

Such an assault would have set off a large number of early warning devices and alerted NORAD's air defenses to take down the intruder long before they would have reached the base.

The looks on both their faces as they realized the error was timeless. Had it not been for the eye coloration, you would say that they were brothers at that moment.

"Come along now, Jason. That must be our very much delayed SEALS" Barney said as he stood from the cot he had occupied. Jason stood up as well, tucking the forgotten book under his arm and following Barney out the door.

1100 hours

Sage arrived at the desert airbase with a biohazard case. Inside the blue-labeled container was the new test serum, codenamed "Lucius". He had gotten this newer serum after the research team worked for the better part of 3 days non-stop. He hoped that he never had to shoot another HE round at the test subject.

And with this subject, he hoped that he would not wind up breaking his promise.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the Learjet. Outwardly, it looked like an ordinary business jet such as used by a company CEO. Only the seal of the US Army marred the unremarkable white finish.

"Not used to deserts anymore, Sage?" a voice piped up behind him, startling him from his revelry. Lt. Colonel Gene Foley nudged Sage out of the way as he made his way down the accommodation ladder. The warm and dry desert air was a welcome exchange to the almost Alaskan temperature inside the cabin.

"I've never felt this warm before. I prefer my weather this way" Gene said as he walked towards the base commander waiting by the tarmac. Sage followed his colleague out of the aircraft and moved towards the waiting Humvees.

Behind him were four doctors, each with his (or for the fourth doctor, her) own specialty.

The first one to follow Colonel Sawyer was Dr. Albert "Mage" Hillock of USAMRIID, specializing in bioengineering. The second was Dr. Ashley "Dale" Compton of Princeton, specializing in internal medicine. The third was Dr. FrançoiseDumont of Pfien Research in Toulon. And the fourth was Dr. Sarah Lee McKinsley, PhD Psychiatry of the University of Edinburgh. It was only through a concerted effort that they were able to isolate the targeted gene for manipulation.

Most of the original research at Special Operations was lost when the structure was dynamited into the Barents Sea. It was the call of NATO to destroy the facility two years ago following reports that the lone subject had gone rogue during testing of the super soldier serum. Much of the original DNA sequences encoded on the facility's computers were wiped out by the preemptive EMP missile strike. It was only through sheer coincidence that one of the staff backed up the DNA onto the Pentagon's hard line, sparing it from destruction.

"Why can't deserts be cold for a change? My hair gets all dried out" she complained to Françoise. Though a scientist, she was very particular in regards to her appearance. In civilian clothes, she could be mistaken for a runway model.

"Mademoiselle, you can't always expect perfect weather or climate to appear just for you. You are no goddess for the weather to change to suit your every whim" replied the courteous Frenchman. Though you do sometimes act like one, he thought to himself.

"That's just it. If I were in charge, all weather would be the same as my beloved Scotland" she stated boastfully. "It's the best weather for sheep" she added. It was at this last statement that Mage intruded on the conversation.

"My dear, if that were so true I'd have to dry my clothes over a fire. The desert is an unforgiving landscape and we should be thankful that we are merely transients in this field. Spare a thought for the soldiers who call this desert base home before saying what you hate about it. Or even better, trade shoes with one of them and experience it firsthand" Mage stated condescendingly. At that tone, none of the others wanted to talk and clammed up pretty fast.

"Sir, sample serum is in the case" Colonel Sage Sawyer said as he saluted General Ed Woodridge. When the senior officer returned the salute, Sage put his hand down. Letting out a breath that he did not know he was holding, Sage asked why the unfortunate captain would be the subject and not another volunteer.

"Because he is starting to snoop around classified documents. His clearance goes over mine, direct from the Pentagon. What I want kept secret, he can very well open with that top-drawer clearance of his" the general answered.

The colonel swallowed past the lump in his throat. I know that Barney can be intrusive, but to go over the base commandant's head? This is befuddles the imagination. There has to be a perfectly rational explanation, was the thought moving in his head. As the colonel was deep in thought, he got into the waiting Humvee automatically with Lieutenant Foley in tow. The four medical staffers got into the second waiting Humvee. Both vehicles made their way to the base infirmary, the medical cargo they carried would spark a conflict within the nation's armed forces.

1110 hours

Marine Barracks

"I want you ladies to take a breather. Our enemies have yet to make themselves known. Since lunch is not too far off, you can use the time to amuse yourselves" Canid announced to the room. "Furthermore, when the SEALS get here, we will hand their proverbial asses to them. Oorah?" he added.

"OORAH!" was the response from the assembled Rangers.

"Diiisssssmisssed!" came the call from Emerald. The Rangers fell out of formation and headed for their quarters. First out the door? Corporal Makin Gay, who had to go the bathroom for a mega-dump.

Canid looked at Emerald appraisingly, "Any plans when we win, Jason? You've been eyeing my ass all day"

Emerald responded, "How about dinner for two at my place? Couple of steaks, medium rare of course, with boiled potatoes and gravy"

"In the Alps? If not, throw in a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and some cheese fondue" Canid replied teasingly. Underneath the façade, Canid was playing for time. He was gauging Jason's reactions and comparing them to the ones found in the book. The book itself was a prop. The captain had already looked at that book and gathered the required information.

"Not in the Alps. Not with my salary anyway. Not all of us were born with a silver spoon in our mouths, captain" Emerald replied. Still no sign of hesitation, I like that in my prey; Jason thought hungrily, licking his lips in the process.

The captain noticed this tic though and barreled frankly through the proverbial opening. "Hungry, Jason? Save your appetite for when we lick the SEALS in our training" Canid said. A growl of someone's stomach interrupted the trains of thought of the officers, human and lycanthrope. As they looked to each other, both of their stomachs rumbled.

"Hmm funny, I kinda swore that I had a full breakfast this morning" went the thoughts in both officers' minds. Shaking their heads in tandem, the two of them headed outside to walk off the hunger. The taller one placing his arm around the shorter one.

1130 hours

Base Infirmary

Arriving at the infirmary not more than 15 minutes ago, the team had time to scrub up and assume the position for a routine vaccination against flu. The three medical doctors would assist the 5 corpsmen in vaccinating the troops. The Lucius strain of the serum was only enough to inoculate a platoon of men, so they had to choose the platoon wisely. That would have been the case normally. However, the commandant said that he had just the platoon in mind.

1140 hours

On the base speakers came the announcement of the annual vaccination team's arrival. All personnel who were not on duty had to proceed to the infirmary for the annual shot. There were a number of groans from the personnel, especially those who had already received theirs from the family physician.

Captain Zhou, Lieutenant Fern and the rest of Alpha platoon were not so happy. For Zhou, it was the thought of an induration at the injection site. Such a formation might disrupt his aim in the upcoming exercise. On Fern's case, he knew what the "vaccination" really was. It was the start of the three serum injections that would begin the transformation of the selected subject into a lycanthrope.

Alpha team would form the test bed for the scientists testing out "Lucius" or as it was formally called Lycanthropic Initiator Serum Type 21. Of the 14 members of the team, only 9 would be compatible with the viral vector used. Of the 9, just 6 would not reject the viral load outright. Of the 6, only 4 would be granted the ability to transform. Even with those four viable subjects, there was no telling what the animal forms would be. It was just going to be a wait and see approach.

Unfortunately for Alpha's CO, he would be one of the four. How he would take it would be anyone's guess. What was foremost in the minds of the scientists was the success of the serum. The possible side effects were another issue for another day.

The remaining three would be Makin, Goat, and Horn. They too would undergo the painful first transformation alongside their CO.

As for Jason, the serum won't force his transformation. It would just make his more primal instincts bubble to the surface and scare the hell out of anyone who got in his way.

1150 hours

Base Infirmary

Jason lined up Alpha platoon prior to entering the infirmary. They would go in two lines of seven men each. Barney would take the 1st squad and he would take the 2nd squad. That was the plan, anyway. In practice, Barney had a cocktail mix of the entire 1st plus two members from 2nd squad. Jason had only 4 members with him when he went for the "vaccination".

Baring his arm for Dr. Mage to insert the test serum, Canid was not happy. The serum had to be administered via the intravenous system for fast access. The polyvalent flu vaccine, on the other hand, was subcutaneous. It was a plus for the scientists that the medical screens they brought with them proved sufficient in dividing the troops from each other.

The doctor asked Captain Zhou to make a fist. When he had done so, the doctor palpated the cephalic vein to prepare it for injection. As the doctor swabbed the injection site, Canid's thoughts were elsewhere. It was only the sharp prick from the needle which returned him to the land of reality.

Barney watched impassively as the cloudy white serum was introduced into his bloodstream. What he would find out later was that the "vaccine" was a mutagenic drug that would induce a physical and mental transformation.

"Done, soldier. You can go now" said Dr. Mage as he placed a blue bandage on Barney's left arm. The blue bandage would be the identifying mark of those who had received the Lucius serum. "Next" Dr Mage called out.

1200 hours

Outside the infirmary

Jason had his injection as well and he was not in a good mood. As expected, his primal instincts were coming to the fore. It was taking some effort to not cause a bloodbath in the base. Forcing back down his feral nature, he sniffed the air for any change in scents. Sure enough he picked up on four familiar yet different scents. He smiled at one particular scent's origin. "This should make the exercise interesting" he chuckled softly.

When Barney exited the infirmary, he felt rather jittery. Knowing it was not part of the injection, he put it down to a case of nerves. How wrong he was.

Makin was not feeling so good after his injection at the hands of Dr. Dumont. The doctor had nicked the nerve that passed close to the vein. It may have been accidental for all he knew. But, he wanted to stick the needle into the jugular and watch the doc bleed. He was unsure if he could fire his sniper rifle later due to the throbbing pain.

Horn felt tired as the last drop of serum was swiftly injected into his bloodstream. Instead of rubbing his arm as he was wont to do after every injection, he wanted to sleep then and there on the exam table. Shaking himself awake, he made his way outside to regroup with Alpha team.

Goat was experiencing a numbing sensation on his right arm. Dr. Compton had injected lidocaine subcutaneously before administering Lucius into the cephalic vein. The local anesthetic had numbed the pain caused by the large bolus in the vein. He also made his way outside after injection to see if Alpha team had already reformed.

1205 hours

Alpha team waited for the remaining members of their platoon to go outside the infirmary. When the last of the stragglers appeared, they went to the mess hall for a lunch of sausage, steak, fries, and broccoli. To the dismay of the team, Bravo was already there.

Bravo team's CO, Captain Andrew "Bartie" Roach had filled his tray with a generous serving of the fries and sausages. It was a testament to his metabolism that he did not get fat no matter what he ate, as long as it was in moderation. Too much and he would start gaining weight. He gave a wan smile to Barney Zhou when the latter passed his table to head for the line. The lack of a response from the reserved Zhou was normal. What he was not expecting was for the XO, Emerald, to growl threateningly at him.

Jason saw the smile directed at his budding pack mate and growled at the sender. If that wasn't warning enough, then the feral eyes did the trick in cowing the human back into his shell.

"What is eating him today?" thought Bartie. Putting his mind off the matter, he focused on eating his lunch before he took Bravo for the vaccination at 1300.

1230 hours

Base Infirmary, Borzoi AFB

The medical research team gathered with Colonel Sawyer, Lieutenant Colonel Foley and General Woodridge. Of the 14-man team which received the serum, one was a false-positive. They were referring to Jason "Emerald" Fern.

It was known to the researchers that he would possibly have a reaction to the administered serum. Most notable of reactions could be seen in the eyes, which would glow subtly in dim light. In Jason's werefox form, that was a given. Not quite for when he was appearing human.

Five of the platoon had started showing symptoms of an interferon-mediated reaction to the viral vector immediately after the inoculation. They were removed from the running by the scientists. It would be the task of Sage and Gene to keep the remaining eight soldiers under close observation to see any changes in their personality and behavior.

1230 hours

Mess hall, Borzoi AFB

Barney's fear of an induration at the needle site proved to be unfounded.

The swelling associated with the large bolus administration was going down steadily. The swift integration of the viral vector into his circulating erythrocytes and leukocytes would speed their delivery to different areas of the soldier's body. ?-interferon was released by several circulating plasma cells to try and combat the virus. Tumor necrosis factor also went into play resetting the temperature thermostat higher than 98.60F. The outward effect was a slight fever and headache due to the vasodilation of arteries.

His body's immune defense was to no avail. Antibody and interferon production was too low and too slow to interfere with the rapid viral replication. In around 2 hours, the integration would be completed.

Until the trigger/s expressed the encoded genes within each and every cell, they would look outwardly human. Without the trigger/s, there would be no outward effects. The serum was engineered in such a way that only three triggers existed. One was acceleration through the fluid exchange with a certified lycanthrope. The second was completion of the drug regimen if the serum was diluted (not in this instance). The third trigger was the appearance of a full moon.

It was the last trigger that proved most troublesome. Often, the subject was highly volatile even when the moon was barely full. While it was ascertained that the exposure would have to take longer than fifteen minutes, soldiers on patrol were often gone for hours. What happened during the patrol would make or break the research program. Thankfully, the previous inoculated individuals only glanced at the full moon. They still exercised enough willpower to return to base and did not indulge their primal instincts while in the field.

A small breach appeared on August 13th, 2014. An SAS team sent to retrieve a kidnapped HVI deep within the Baluchistan province in Pakistan, almost lost their lives when the HVI in question transformed into a werewolf under the moon light. He took no designation to friend or foe, just slaughtered everyone within reach. Both Taliban and SAS had to put their differences aside to work together. The aftermath was horrible and painful to both sides.

They had scored a pyrrhic victory. Of the seven man SAS team, only three were still alive when dawn broke. The Taliban fared worse, losing their entire training camp and majority of their trained personnel. The Taliban had taken such grievous losses because they charged at the "monster" with everything they had. The surviving Taliban fled from the hamlet they had taken. Those who were too weak took their own lives rather than be used as test subjects.

Sadly, the three surviving SAS units were infected by the HVI. They had suffered bite marks and had direct blood contact with the inoculum in the saliva. Officially they ceased to exist, having been declared dead by their own Home Office.

This information was kept from the public to prevent a panic and the military kept great lengths to cover the incident up.

Present day...

September 13th 2015

Borzoi AFB

1400 hours

After a hearty and filling lunch that involved over three steaks each for the six susceptible individuals of Alpha team, they still felt hungry with their supposedly full stomachs. Never had they eaten that much and still felt as if they were starving. As they stood up to return their lunch trays to the proper areas, four of them were dropped to their knees by a sudden pain in the abdominal area. The pain seemed to spread upwards mimicking signs of a heart attack. The other two felt a sharp twinge of pain cross their chests and knew instinctively to call for help.

The sudden crash of metal trays onto the concrete floor silenced the entire mess hall. The pallid and heavily flushed faces of the affected froze those who turned to look at the source of the noise. Jason was beside his "cousin" the moment he had heard the crash of trays, trying to soothe the pain.

The six susceptible hosts soon developed fevers that reached 1010F each. The fevers could have rendered them unable to take part in the planned exercise. With the SEAL team not yet arriving, they were brought to the infirmary via stretchers. Only three refused to be carried in this manner: Captain Zhou, Private Maserat and Sergeant Paxton.

The partially transformed human captain was trying to walk upright and was looking like he had one stiff drink too many. He eventually had to place his arm around Jason and be escorted by the taller officer to the infirmary. Private Maserat was wearing a leather jacket to try and contain the patches of fuzz that seemed to be sprouting on his upper arms. These patches seemed to itch intensely, demanding to be scratched. Sergeant Paxton was inwardly wincing with each step that he took. He felt that his innards were rearranging with every step.

1500 hours

Base Infirmary

At the infirmary, the more experienced werefox insisted on staying with his commanding officer. In light of what he truly was, he was granted that request.

The myocardial episode subsided when Jason drew near the young captain."Shhh, it's alright. Let it flow within you. Stop fighting and accept" Jason whispered, stroking Barney's hair as he convulsed on the bed.

"Hurts ... so ... much" Barney gritted out from between clenched teeth. He was close to losing it as the serum took hold. One of the scientists hurried over to check the still-convulsing soldier's vitals. It was not looking good.

The captain's heart rate was at 200/100 with a pulse rate of 150. He was nearing the zone of cardiac insufficiency. The other three were not faring any better.

Mage could not hold his training and oath back anymore. "Get some ice. We need to cool their bodies down to take strain off their hearts" he barked at one of the staring corpsmen. When the medical officer refused to move due to shock, Mage confronted him bodily.

"Corpsman, get that ice!" he said as he slapped the warrant officer across the face. The corpsman was woken from his shock-induced look by the throbbing pain and moved to get ice packs from the ready batch in the infirmary freezer.

When the corpsman had left, Mage drew the curtains around the four overheated soldiers. "Quickly", he called out to the other scientists present, "hold them down so we can restrain them".

No one moved, on account of Jason who had his weapon drawn and the look on the werefox's face. Mage had seen that look only on one other, Aries.

A pained gasp broke the tense moment. They were drawn to Goat's labored breathing, which had suddenly stopped. The scared look on the sergeant's face was coupled with the high-pitched whine of the heart monitor. He was entering cardiac arrest!

"Get me the defibrillator!" barked Dale. Adding conducting gel to the shock paddles, he tore the uniform from the soldier's upper body to expose the chest. The muscles on the chest seemed to be contracting willfully of their own accord. Rubbing the two shock paddles together, he started the voltage at 75 amps.

"CLEAR!" he cried out as he placed the paddles on either side of the heart. When the whine persisted, he ramped it up to 130 amps and repeated the process.

"CLEAR!" he called out once more. With the whine still there, the dial was turned up once more to 250 amps. "Come on! I never lost a patient! FIGHT!" he said to Sergeant Paxton. "CLEAR!" shocking the sergeant once more before the heart began to beat in a steady rhythm.

Dale collapsed onto the chair he had pulled up to observe Goat not more than five minutes ago. Closing his eyes, he wiped the sweat that had beaded on his forehead with his fist. "My God, what have we done?" he whispered to no one.

The crisis was overcome. No one was in anymore danger as their bodies began to accept the serum.

It was at this point that Captain Zhou opened his eyes. The astonished gasp from Dr. McKinsley drew the rest of the team in close towards the captain. The brownish black irises had disappeared. In their place was a golden yellow pair that pierced their very soul.

While the research team had focused on Goat's physiological response to the serum, Jason had drawn close to Zhou. "What are you doing Emerald? Going to claim your prize?" Zhou questioned the advancing werefox. Inhaling softly, he sneezed. What the hell, he thought.

As Canid sniffed the air, he was assaulted by the pungent smell of disinfectants and cleaning agents. Amid the horrid smells were the scents of a pack, HIS pack. Deep within the captain's subconscious, a primal presence was making itself known. Canid purred and closed his eyes as the presence spread through every fiber of his being.

Jason inhaled the scent of a newly-born lycan. Technically, unless Canid transformed he was still human. This did not bother Jason who wanted to have a nip. And the scent was giving him a hard-on. "Come on Canid, let's see those lovely eyes of yours" slowly coaxing Canid to open his shut eyelids.

When Canid did open his eyes, they were a deep golden yellow hue. This development caused the lone female member of the research team to inhale sharply. When the lycanthrope's gaze fixed on her, chills went sailing through her spine. The gaze seemed to look into her soul and found her wanting.

The research team and the senior officers withdrew to the outer area of the infirmary, closing the door behind them. They then made their way outside the infirmary, shutting the door and bringing the five medical officers with them. The five staffers were told to take the rest of the day off. They would not be needed at the moment. Nodding their assent, the five melted away into the various corridors to head towards their quarters.

The remaining humans, on the other hand, retreated to General Woodridge's office for a conference. In hindsight, it was too much to expect Lieutenant Jason "Emerald" Fern to keep them updated of what happened within.

"Those eyes do not belong on a human face. He might kill us while we sleep!" Sarah Lee blurted out even before the entire group had sat down. "There was no mistaking the feral nature behind it" she added hastily.

"Fascinating! I would like to know when the serum can be mass produced" Françoise declared happily, ignoring the obvious difficulties.

"Sir, I will pay them a visit and keep watch for you. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news to the young man's father" Sage told the general. When the general gave his assent, Sage stood up from his place on the couch and left the office, closing the door behind him sharply. Outside, Sage let out a breath he did not know he was holding and made his way back to the infirmary to check on the patients and his protégé.

It was with considerable misgivings that Ed let Sage head back to the infirmary. With the full moon just 36 hours away, there might be a full-blown massacre on their hands.

"General, permission to speak freely" Lieutenant Colonel Foley stated firmly. The general gave his consent to the decorated combat fighter pilot.

"Sir, you're full of shit! You have just condemned some of the finest men to serve this country to a life of servitude as mere laboratory animals. I once stood by and watched you destroy Sage's best friend. You turned him into a monster! A monster who only thought of killing and hunting. That was the soldier you had in mind? You should have been the one we administered the serum too!" Gene said hotly, startling the scientists. Before the general could get a word in, Gene continued the fiery tongue-lashing "Is there no depths to where you would not sink to? It was your HVI that almost killed the SAS team in Pakistan! WHAT KIND OF A FATHER USES HIS OWN SON TO TEST THE SERUM?!"

Pausing only to take a breath, "No, let me rephrase that. You knew what your son had become, yet you still sent him in fully knowing the consequences. You let him be captured! YOU SONOFABITCH! All you wanted was your next promotion. Well, congratulations. You'll be the first three-star general to be executed at Leavenworth tomorrow!" Gene pulled out his Beretta 92FS from his rear holster and took dead aim at the impassive general. "Any last words, traitor?" Gene snarled out.

"A few, actually. First off, you don't have the guts to pull the trigger. Second, who will believe you? My son died a war hero and that's how he will be remembered" the general said as he approached his glass carafe filled with whiskey. Ed was stalling for time, and he knew it. The only gun within close proximity was in Gene's hands. His own was in the safe directly opposite his table. There was no way he could get there without being shot. A stand-off ensued.

==============================================================================

Base Infirmary

Borzoi AFB

1800 hours

Sage had knocked once and entered the closed-off infirmary. Inside he saw that one of the medical officers had returned to start filling out paperwork. The officer stood from his deck and saluted him smartly before returning to his current task. Sage continued on towards the inner door, but not before calling for MP's to guard the warrant officer.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and found...

==============================================================================

Air Traffic Control

Borzoi AFB

1800 hours

"Borzoi, this is Dingo. We have the SEALS onboard and are making our descent now" the pilot of the C-130J told the ATC. "Sorry for the delay, a bird flew into the engine at Colorado" he added.

"Dingo, cleared to land on runway 04 Left. Welcome to Hell's Kitchen, watch my pots now" the controller responded.

"Dingo copies, out" the pilot replied as he brought the aircraft steadily down towards the tarmac. Pressing the intercom button, he declared to the SEAL team in the cargo bay "If you'll look towards our left, you'll catch a glimpse of Las Vegas. On our right is the setting sun, all those who miss daylight wave goodbye to the sun" the pilot said jokingly.

On board the C-130, the leader of the SEALS was not happy with the interminable delays. They had planned to show the Rangers who is top dog in desert warfare. With the numerous setbacks, they would conduct the exercise under a slowly rising full moon. If it were not for the nocturnal scorpions in the dunes, the mission would be a cakewalk.

The naval pilot brought the C-130 down towards the deck. The squeal of tires coming into contact with asphalt and the sudden jarring sensation meant they had touched down. As the nose wheel gear touched and rolled on the tarmac, the pilot pressed down on his brakes while the co-pilot throttled back on the engines to bring the plane to a halt.

"Thank you for flying Dingo Air. We hope to see you again" the co-pilot said cheekily into the intercom. Flicking the button off, he began helping the pilot power down the turboprop aircraft. The jumpmaster situated at the rear of the fuselage opened the ramp to allow the SEALS to step out into the cool, desert breeze.

The commander of the SEALS, Major Paulus "Orca" Schneider led his team out once the ramp had fully deployed. Deep inside, he was itching to meet the opposing force so he could size them up and assess their threat to his operation.

"Come on gents, step lively. Those Rangers must be sunburned just waiting for us to arrive. Let's not keep them waiting any more than necessary" Orca told his platoon. They followed him out the door and onto the three waiting Humvees. The twelve man team made its way forward and split into groups of four to fit inside each Humvee.

"Driver, what's our first stop. We haven't had lunch yet" the SEALS in the second vehicle asked the driver.

"Sir, we drop your stuff off at the guest quarters and we can proceed to the mess hall. Hope you guys don't make a fool of the Ranger boys. They have enough self-esteem issues as it stands" the driver told them.

"Whattya mean, 'self-esteem issues'? They lost their CO or something?" the SEALS pressed some more.

At that the driver clammed up, he was only supposed to give as much information to keep the SEALS guessing. He worried that he said too much already.

The SEALS were wondering at why the driver shut himself up so fast and shrugged. The only reason that would make anyone go quiet would be on their superior's orders. And this particular SEAL, Sergeant Bryan "Wolf" O'Connell, loved a good mystery. To him, this would warrant further investigation.

Base Infirmary

1815 hours

Sage had stumbled onto a veritable pack sized meeting. The moment he opened the door, the soldier/lycan nearest the door held it open for him to enter and closed it when he had gone in. "Oh, my God" Sage breathed out at the sight in front of him.

The four new lycanthropes in front of him stared with three eye colors: green, blue and golden yellow. "Like what you see, Sage?" the voice came from above and behind him.

Quickly turning around, Sage came face to face with an almost eight foot high person. Well, it would be a human had it not been for the anthropomorphic wolf body and tail. "Impossible. You've grown taller" was his response before everything went dark.

Staring down at him was Captain Barney "Canid" Zhou, those golden yellow eyes of his were making Sage want to give all of himself just to please the pack. Barney had heard Sage approach them through the walls of the infirmary. The footsteps seemed melancholic and Jason had wanted him to comfort Sage.

As he moved to catch Sage before the colonel cracked his head open on the floor, Canid reflected on the events that transpired in the human's absence.

=============================================================================

Earlier that afternoon, the transformation of the four test subjects had continued even after the humans had left. Without any sunlight filtering in, what was there to stop the transformation?

It was Jason who transformed first into his lycanthrope form. He could feel the slow approach of the moon now and wanted the others to view him as he was when under the moon's glow.

Quickly shedding his uniform, he let his baser instincts come forward. As he stood on the cold, concrete floor of the infirmary, his transformation was swift and almost painless.

Jason's emerald eyes shone with inner light as his face began to stretch outward to form a fox's muzzle. He bared canine teeth that appeared to glint under the fluorescent lights of the ward. His nose blackened and pushed out some more together with his face. The jaws lengthened to accommodate more teeth as the human ones were reshaped. The ears on the sides of his head began to sharpen as fibroblasts got to work reshaping the auricles into triangular shapes.

Jason's chest and abdominal muscles began to hypertrophy, growing and bulking up to make even a professional body builder jealous. His leg muscles showed significant strength and the rippling fibers within meant he could outrun most land transports.

The feet also began to change, raising the already tall Jason to seven and a half feet. His stance reverted from plantigrade to digitigrade as tendons and ligaments moved his ankle higher up, consequently leaving him to stand on the balls of his feet.

The nails on both hands and feet began to turn black as well and started growing longer. The ones on the feet were just long enough to provide traction in snow, ice or loose desert sands. The claws at the end of his fingers were longer and sharper. Pads also formed on his hands and paws to cushion the impact when running on all fours or as a biped.

Fur sprouted all over his body coating him in a coat of orange except for his belly fur which was white. He had acquired black "stockings" on his hands and feet. A tail had pushed out of his boxers with the same coloration as that on his body, orange at the base and middle with a white tip. His ears were now on the top of his head instead of on the sides.

He began to moan as his nine inch penis began to stiffen within the cotton confines of his boxers. The cloth began to discolor as pre-seed started to drip from the engorged member. With a sharp tug, he tore off his boxers and let his genitals feel the open air. The cock was soon engulfed by a fleshy sheath growing from his abdomen covering it completely. Jason had to lean against one of the gurneys as pleasure flowed throughout his body.

The ample scrotum had enlarged to hold the now orange-sized testicles as his cock pushed out from the vulpine sheath. The human penis had morphed into something vulpine in nature. Gone was the mushroom tip, instead the tip was tapered with a bulge at the base. At its current state, Jason's manhood stood at around eighteen and a half inches long and two and a half inches thick. The knot inflated without any stimulus from Jason and he released some pressure from his balls by cumming onto the chest of the nearest soldier.

The nearest one happened to be Corporal Ensign "Makin" Gay. The hot fox cum on his chest only made him want to taste it. He brought the middle and index fingers of his right hand towards the sticky mess. As he was able to swipe a dollop, he sniffed it first before licking his fingers clean. The seed he just swallowed fast-tracked his transformation.

Makin moaned out as he felt his cock start to rise within his tight pants. Seeing as Makin was fumbling with his belt in an effort to pleasure him, Jason stepped forward and slashed the cloth into tatters. Makin pulled his underwear down to stroke his cock. As he did so, a wave of pain sent him kneeling onto the ground in tears. The pain was excruciating!

He growled out as his jaws and face pushed outward. Anyone within five meters heard bone cracking and reshaping. The newly-formed muzzle looked out of place on Makin's human body. Panting hard from the first step of the change, the corporal was unprepared for the next wave of pain. This one felt like he was being stretched in both directions.

In reality, the human's bones were growing apart. Within the long bones of the arms and the legs, long dormant epiphyseal plates started their job of elongating the arms and legs. Cracks appeared within the humerus and femurs exacerbating the pain. At the cellular level, numerous fibroblast-like cells began their job of producing new extracellular material in contrast with the resorption taken by the fibroclasts. As before, formation of pads within the palms of the hands and along the digits took place with Makin.

Makin was in agony as his change had not even gotten halfway. His teeth felt like they were sharpening into sharp points as his tongue got longer. His rational brain had shut down when the third wave of pain moved within the body.

In truth, the human's teeth were now looking more canine-like. The ears had already sharpened and moved towards the top of his head, completing the look of a fierce predator. The pain on the upper body intensified when the ribs separated and adjusted to allow more space for the rapidly enlarging internal organs.

The lower body was first spared from the change and Makin was grateful for that. Within the span of 30 seconds, that would all change. No sooner had the upper body finished its transformation, then the lower half began.

Makin moaned as a stubby lump formed over his buttocks. This lump kept pushing and soon broke the surface as a tail. The tail grew until it was a foot in length. At this point, the body was still vaguely human. There was no hair except on the head and groin.

The exposed skin began to itch horribly. With his long claws, Makin scratched at his skin. Instead of blood welling up the more he scratched, the skin was flaking off to expose brownish-black fur. With a roar, Makin tore off what remained of the skin as he stood on his digitigrade feet. He was now revealed to be a seven-foot tall weredog, an Alsatian.

Remembering the pleasure he was denied when the transformation took place, Makin grabbed his canine cock and began to stroke himself. There was no denying that the more he stroked, the more the pleasure built within his balls. Soon, pre began to drip out from the canine tip. Knowing he was nearing his climax, he built up speed and soon hit his orgasm. The weredog thrust his hip forward and released the infective seed onto the two non-transformers: Private First Class Nikko "Eagle Eye" Hawk and Specialist Thomas "Bookie" Wayne. Both of them had their mouths open and some of the dog's seed entered.

Canid, along with the remaining eight men of Alpha, was an impotent spectator of the change undergone by both Jason and Makin. His own change would take a while. The only things that had transformed for him were his eyes, ears and teeth. His senses of hearing and sight had intensified and the overhead lights were too bright for him. Seeing the shocked looks on the other two soldier's faces at being covered in cum, he made his way over.

His legs seemed to be longer when he had swung off the bed. In truth, he was a foot and a half taller than his human five feet and eleven inches. He stopped beside the two and was flabbergasted that he actually towered over the six-foot soldiers.

"You guys, all right?" he asked, snapping his fingers to break the trance. The two soldiers in question closed their mouths and inadvertently swallowed some cum in the process.

"Never better sir" replied Bookie Wayne, finally forcing his vocal cords to work. The voice came out sounding hoarse. Wayne wiped the sticky, smelly doggie cum from his face. As he did so, he scratched himself with his clawed hands. Yowling in pain, he focused on his hands. They were now covered with a thick layer of white fuzz. "What's..." he choked out before he started writhing on the floor as the transformation overtook him as well.

Bookie felt his face push out to form a muzzle. Compared with the two who had gone before him, his muzzle felt blunt and square instead of sharp and triangular. On his arms were the tell-tale stripes of a tiger. His ears retained their rounded shape but still moved towards the top of his head. Sensitive whiskers emerged within his line of sight. His teeth had also become sharp enough to slice through flesh. Newer and stronger jaw muscles ensured a bite that would crush bone, if need be.

Muscles that had been acquired through four years of army and Special Forces training suddenly swelled. His pectorals were now large enough to place two prime ribs side by side. The six-pack abs turned to eight as more muscle groups made themselves known. White belly fur sprouted to cover his massive muscled abdomen. Black lines on his face, arms, legs and back started producing the black striped fur that would be his camouflage. In all places without lines, white fur grew instead. Opening his eyes after some time, the collective gasp from the Rangers was enough to tell him that the eyes had changed as well. Set within glacier blue eyes, his slit-like pupils gave message to the feline heritage coursing within his veins.

Pulling himself upright, he spied the still struggling Eagle Eye. Their eyes met and Eagle felt a sense of acceptance. He stopped fighting the change and allowed it to continue; fully knowing that he would not be ostracized by the group within the infirmary. As fur rapidly blanketed the human figure in front of him, Bookie felt a sense of achievement.

Eagle was fighting the foreign substance within him. He did not want to end his career like this! Not when he had just been accepted to serve as a Ranger! Opening his eyes, he turned towards Bookie and was astounded to see a pure white Siberian tiger look back at him. No, he mouthed out. Deep within the private's mind, a primal force began to hold sway. The harder Eagle fought, the more painful it got. There was a presence in his mind telling him to just relax and the pain will be over soon.

One of the remaining humans turned to their not-so-wolfish CO for advice. Canid responded, "Let him be. No harm will come to you if you just let him be". The ranger was torn between helping his friend and the order of his commanding officer. In the end, all he did was say a quick prayer that the pain would end. The squad of eight men just stood and watched the transformations take place.

Too tired now to resist, Eagle gave into the presence. Seeing his chance, Bookie placed his erect, barbed cock against Eagle's anus. Lubing his cock a bit with saliva, he plowed into the virgin ass. The sudden invasion brought Eagle to a new state of alertness. He wanted to push the weretiger off him. He tried to turn around and swing at the tiger only to have his arms clamped against his sides as the tiger brutally opened him up.

"I'm not gay, I'm not gay" was the thought running through Eagle's mind. Bookie kept up a steady rhythm that got faster and faster. As he first hilted himself within the still-transforming human, he pulled his cock out until nothing but the tip remained before slamming it back with full force. This brought home the feeling to such effect that the human's cock spilt his seed onto the ground. The rapidly transforming human no longer fought the welcome feeling in his ass, he wanted MORE! Pushing back onto the tiger, Eagle was determined to make him release his seed so his ass won't hurt so much.

Bookie complied before finally hilting his swollen knot inside the private's asshole. The warm feeling around the tiger's cock caused him to shudder as he pumped rope after sticky rope into the human.

With a howl of success, Eagle Eye joined his brothers in celebrating their newfound forms. The newly-minted Bengal and Siberian stood before the remaining human members of the troop. They wanted more of them to join them.

In the midst of all this, Goat also finished his transformation. Unlike the others, his fur was short and fine. The black fur covering his body was well suited for the nocturnal desert. He felt right at home on the desert sands. Green eyes shone from within their sockets as he wanted to join in the fun, his tail swishing excitedly behind him. With a short bark, he called attention to himself as he comically tried to release his bindings. One of the human soldiers noticed the bindings and took out his combat knife.

As the human approached with his knife drawn, Goat wanted to release his cum. The leather straps holding him down had tightened considerably when he shifted into his canine form. Seeing the pleading look on the former sergeant's face, the human started setting the jackal's genitals free first. As he did so, he was treated to a faceful of spooge when the straps were cut away. The jackal looking playfully at him while he wiped the rest of the seed from his face. Gritting his teeth, the Ranger finally undid all the straps holding down the jackal.

Shaking his head at the jackal, the soldier rejoined his mates beside the bed holding the 'suspected' pack leader. For each of the assembled human soldiers, they all felt a deep sense of loyalty binding them to the lycanthropes before them. They did not resist the compulsion to obey the pack leader, willingly surrendering themselves to his rule.

Canid howled with the rest of his pack mates as they finished their respective transformations. It was his turn to transform and yet the changes were slow in appearing. His body had long finished the transformation, what remained was his head.

The medical officer in the other room shook when he heard the howls. Whatever was going on in the ward, it was better that he not get involved.

==============================================================================

It was at this point that the outer door opened to admit Colonel Sage Sawyer. The medical officer stood at attention before refocusing on the forms to be filed tomorrow. The colonel just brushed past him moving towards the door to the ward. Nearest the door was Makin and he held it open long enough for Sage to enter.

As the lycanthropes turned to face him, Makin shut the door and growled threateningly. Sage resisted the urge to wet himself at the menacing tone of the weredog behind him. It was only a voice that made him turn around, a voice he recognized.

"See anything you like Sage?" Canid asked from his seven and a half foot vantage point. The body was that of an anthro wolf. The face on the other hand, still looked human. It was the eyes that drew Sage in. Those predatory eyes looked at him and seemed to peer into his very soul.

"Impossible. You've grown taller" was all he said before his world turned black. He fell towards the hard, concrete floor. It was only the lightning fast reflexes of Canid that stopped the colonel cracking his skull open on. Feeling that he should care for the unconscious human, Canid carried him gently to one of the dry beds. Placing him down, he planted a chaste kiss on the cheek of the colonel.

"Rest here, colonel. We'll head on over to Ed's place for a debrief. And perhaps a meal" Canid said, chuckling at his own joke. The rest of the pack watched as Canid's head lost its human shape and elongated to form a lupine muzzle. Now that Canid's transformation had completed itself, the human soldiers removed their pistols from their hip holsters and loaded live rounds.

The sound of metal on metal drew the attention of the lycanthropic members. The collective growl directed at them did not deter one of the humans from approaching the Alpha Wolf. Saluting his lupine CO, he asked if they (humans) could join the lycans at the commandant's office.

"Sir, request permission to tag along" was the exact sentence spoken by the brave soldier. The giant wolf nodded his furred head and opened the door to allow the humans out.

"Come along if you must..." the werewolf told them, startling those who assumed that the pack could not speak.

"...Just don't get in the crosshairs" finished the human sergeant. "We know sir, you told us that last year". At that remark, the wolf grinned toothily at his human subordinate.

"I'm giving you a combat commission to second lieutenant. Congratulations, Lieutenant Prior" the wolf said as he offered his large, clawed hand to the sergeant. The sergeant took the claw in without hesitation earning him the unenviable position as liaison officer.

_You do know we have to keep our other selves secret from the world?_Jason told Barney telepathically.

_Is this another trait of a lycanthrope?_Barney dodged the question and responded with one of his own.

Sighing, Jason informed the new-born lycanthrope that man feared things he did not understand. A man that can take on animal forms falls under the misunderstood category, hence to be feared. Fear breeds anger which breeds contempt which begets violence and almost always leads to war.

The lecture continued for a good half hour by which time all their stomachs growled. Lieutenant Prior looked at his watch and the digital face read '19:00'.

He coughed first to grab the attention of the silent lycans. When no one so much as looked at him, he whistled sharply. This perked up the ears of the weretiger who nudged the werefox. As they all glared at the human for interrupting their chat, Lieutenant Prior shrugged off those glares.

"How about we stop by the mess hall for dinner and then rip the commandant a new one?" he suggested. The gazes softened and were replaced with curiosity. Bingo! Now to keep them occupied thought Prior.

"What a good suggestion human" their one-time sniper, Makin, answered.

"We will break for dinner" Canid said in his deep baritone.

The medical officer who was still doing his paperwork was surprised when the overhead illumination dimmed. He looked up at the wall blocking his light and realized immediately it wasn't a wall. As he made to slip under his table, the movement caught the eye of Eagle. Eagle followed the crawling figure of the officer with his gaze. Noting that the officer intended to make a break for it, he climbed onto the heavy metal table and crouched patiently.

The officer made sure to crawl under all the furniture until he reached the oak door. It opened outwards so he should have no difficulty in alerting the MPs and the other Ranger group to the danger inside the base.

"They should be able to deal with..." went his train of thought until his vision went dark as something jumped on top of him, knocking the officer unconscious.

Now, thought Eagle as he sprung into action. His leap caught the officer off-guard as he made to stand up and escape. Five hundred pounds of muscle slammed into the medical officer, slamming his head into the carpeted floor of the outer office.

As the officer slowly came to, he saw that three of the Rangers had their weapons drawn. What made it bad was the fact that the weapons were pointing at him! Mustering courage, he spat at the nearest lycan. This earned him a swipe that cut his cheek. Through the stinging pain, he accused the soldiers of treason. Treason against the nation they served and treason against humanity.

"You deserve to die for your crime!" he yelled at them. He did not notice one of the canines approach him from the rear. He continued his tirade exhausting himself in the process. It was only when all the lycans smiled at him and the Rangers put away their pistols did he realize what was going to happen.

"Dear God, no!" he whispered. The officer's life flashed before his eyes as his impending doom came closer.

Goat had the human right where he wanted him. Thinking what he wanted to the pack, he acquired the tacit approval of Canid to do what he desired to the human. Eagle gave his consent only if he got to fuck the human in the mouth. Goat agreed to share the prize.

It was only a matter of time before the human would notice one of the canine lycans had gone missing. Now, he leaned over the human and whispered in his ear.

"Death is too good for you. Let's see how you feel when you're on the other side of the fence" Goat whispered to the paralyzed human. With one swipe from his clawed hands, the human's pants lay in tatters. Another swipe tore the green cotton briefs the officer wore exposing his white pucker to the lycan.

"Mmmm, such a tight ass. Wonder what this does?" Goat said as he stuck one of his clawed fingers inside, taking care not to puncture the intestinal walls. It wouldn't do for his prey to die so soon. Pulling out his finger, he swapped it for his tongue. As his canine nose touched the delicate pucker, the human shivered.

The human was trapped against the desk. Whatever the jackal was doing back there made him shiver. Soon a hot appendage was working its way inside his anal cavity. He tried clenching the muscle to stop the invasion, to no avail. The jackal's tongue was working his ass over so much his defenses fell. When the jackal's tongue reached the human's prostate, another shiver went up the human's spine.

It wasn't fear anymore, but pleasure. A moan escaped the lips of the human as the elastic appendage struck his prostate again and again. Bending forwards so that he was now slumped over the desk, his new position gave the canine more room to explore further.

Satisfied that his prey had been opened up sufficiently, Goat positioned his erect canine cock against the human's ass. A drop of pre and the liberal coating of saliva he applied previously would be lubricant enough for his penetration. Slowly, Goat slid his cock inside the human who moaned at the large member's entrance. Pushing his cock inwards until he came to the human prostate, Goat stopped to allow the human to adjust to the pulsing member in his rear.

Unfortunately, the human was too small to accept the massive eighteen inch long and four and a half inch thick jackal cock. Every movement that Goat did brought pain to the human. His buried cock was leaking pre into the human, making him more receptive to the forthcoming climax. Steadily Goat began to pick up speed, his cock punching out shapes in the human's lower abdomen.

"Oh.... Don't stop" the human panted underneath him. From fearing the musky jackal, he now wanted more of that meat within him. The internal muscles pulled some more of the invading cock into him.

Eagle saw the glazed look on the human's face and wanted to fuck him now. Pushing two of the human Rangers enjoying the show out of his way, he placed his hard, barbed, feline cock on the human's lips. Immediately, the human began to suckle on the new meat in front of him. The same way a young cub suckles on its mother's teat.

The human was in heaven. He was being penetrated from the rear by a lycan and was suckling sweet 'water' from the one in front of him. His own cock was erect and leaking pre all over the desk.

The lycan in front of him removed his cock and stroked it, making the human hunger for the meat. Seeing the depraved look on the human's face, Eagle brutally stuffed his entire cock down the human's throat.

"Ffffuuuccckkk..." Goat said as his thrusts got faster and faster. He was close to release and Eagle wasn't done playing with the human yet. Come on, Eagle. I'm going to go dry soon, he thought telepathically.

Eagle hilted his cock into the human's mouth as Goat hit his climax. The cock in the human's ass felt like a fire hose had gone off inside. In response, the human cock also spilled its seed onto the table. The lycan seed was rapidly absorbed by the intestinal epithelia and transported throughout the human. A few heartbeats after Goat came to his climax, Eagle felt his cock spasm in the human's mouth.

The human wasn't fast enough to swallow most of the cum and it just dribbled down his chin onto his uniform. Eagle pulled his cock out of the human's mouth as he waited for the changes to take place. Goat did the same with the ass.

The fog in the human's mind began to lift with the climax of both lycans. He was horrified at what he had done and wanted to push both of them out of his orifices. It was already too late.

The semen from both lycans acted as both initiator and accelerant. Fur rapidly coated the transforming human as he tried and failed to make his escape, his legs buckling under him as the change consumed him. Muscles that were not readily apparent began to show. A leonine muzzle rapidly pushed forward stretching the face into something inhumanly beautiful. The human opened his eyes and all beheld the sapphire gems that sparkled. The ears migrated to the top of his head as a thick, red mane covered most of his chest and neck. The tail was crowned with a tuft of red hair. He lost the big toe on each foot as these were reabsorbed. Retractable claws extended from his front and hind paws to complete the overall look of a male lion.

His once human cock grew to sixteen and a half inches in length and three inches in diameter. The tip lost its mushroom head and grew tapered. Barbs along the cock's head ensured either a most pleasurable experience or a most excruciating effort. His balls were thrice as large before and now hung loosely from a tight ballsac.

Warrant Officer John Worthington never thought he'd see the day when lycanthropes would become a reality. He always thought that they were fictional. Deep inside, he had always thought of himself as lion-type person. As he looked at himself through his pack mates' eyes, he knew a deep-seated fantasy had already come true. He roared his acceptance of the gift and saw the mirth in other humans. They too would be integrated when the time was right.

"My brothers, let me not stand in your way of revenge" he said hoarsely, still unused to the leonine vocal cords.

"We do not seek revenge on all mankind" spoke Canid. Just against those who have wronged us, was sent telepathically to the pack. "Are you with me?" he called out.

"We're with you sir!" said the Rangers of Alpha team. The lycanthropes howled and roared their acceptance.

To Be Continued...