Chapter 10

Story by Lycandope on SoFurry

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#11 of Layers

The final chapter of Layers. A man finds a female werewolf fursuit that changes his life.


What does one wear when one knows one is going to transform into a massive werewolf killing machine later in the evening? And, yes, that works as both a "werewolf that is a killing machine" and a "werewolf-killing machine" except not a machine, per se. I don't need Thomas suddenly appearing in a puff of disgusting, putrid stench to tell me that "Surprise! You were a robot all along! Lolz!" I can handle a lot of stuff but I think that would be my breaking point. So, what does a young sexy werewolf lady wear? Something you don't particularly care about? Something that rips easy? Something with easy movement? Oh gosh. I can see myself showing up in one of the cute new skirts I bought, scowling and growling and kind of tossing my hips back and forth all sexy and sassy. Freedom of movement, less fabric to tear when changing and, hey, check out my ass and legs! I'm sure it'd go a long way into terrifying the bad guys into submission.

Bad guys, huh? Last week the bad guys were the people in my own company - the ones harassing me to release credit holds on customers so they could try to sell shit to them. That was that. Bad guys exist in books and movies and are so far away from my life that it might as well be another country. Okay, I suppose there are bad guys in real life. Terrorists and drug lords and gang members and so forth. It happens, right?

I have some time before Tyler comes back and it sounds like Elaine and Stephen are getting in some time alone so I just sit naked on my couch. I can feel the cold air coming in through the gaping holes of the front door but this body of mine runs hot and I'm assuming that's the werewolf side. It's a nice addition, especially with the cold slowly creeping in at nights. I feel my longer, thicker hair against my right ear and my hand automatically goes to tuck it behind the ear. It's funny how quickly that little habit took hold. I pause and wonder, though. Is it Hannah taking over or is it actually just me getting used to having hair like this? My reaction or the ghost of a reaction from Hannah? I never liked theoretical philosophical questions of the whole "Is this really reality" and the thought kind of upsets me so I put it aside. Until and if I feel her changing my actions then she's dead and I just happen to look exactly like her. I sure the hell am not going to start thinking of how I'm living in her skin. This is me. This is who I am now.

When I look down my body, I see perfection. Or, near to it. Hannah was a beautiful woman. I'm hunched slightly and I can see the very tip of my vagina. The clit guy. The awesome guy. My favorite little guy, actually. My tits have a very, very slight sag to them but that's because they're so damn big and gravity is gravity. Huh. I think the left one might actually be slightly bigger than the right. That's normal, right? Sometimes? I cradle the bottom of both of them with my long fingers and gently rub against the soft skin. I feel their heft when I lift up. My nipples are down a bit and pointed off to the sides. They're currently a bit flat and that's pretty cool. When my nails scratch against my tits, I have to twist a little on the couch. I like the way that feels and I watch the darker skin around my right nipple tighten, pushing the little guy out. I can feel the skin move around when I watch and concentrate on it. That's also nice. Mesmerizing, even.

Another thing I enjoy is the muscles along my stomach. I haven't done a single sit-up but running my hands slowly down my side feels like I'm rubbing a slightly padded rock. Even hunched over slightly, I have very little extra skin bunched up. Below my belly button are fine blond hairs tracing down to my sparse brown pubic hair. The little blond hairs are slightly ticklish when I gently run my fingertip along them. I wonder if the blond is from my male side since I used to be blond or if it's normal for the small hairs to be different color. My pubic hair is a finger-width line that fans out slightly above my clit. That hair is almost like a bristle.

I can smell the scent of my vagina even if my legs weren't open and bare. I'm hoping that's also a werewolf thing and I make a note to ask Elaine about it... if it doesn't start a conversation about stroppy vaginas. It's almost a different scent each day now that I've had it for more than a day. Very subtly different but sometimes stronger and sometimes more faint. I pull my legs up to my chest and the scent becomes stronger. My legs are smooth against my chest and I don't feel any strain like I would've had as a man. I'm way more flexible and the absence of a penis seems to let my legs bend more easily. It's hard to describe the difference but I remember a slight pull against different muscles when I was a man. My legs have those little tiny blond hairs, too so I guess it's a normal thing. In a strange way, I really look forward to finding out all the "normal" woman things that happen. Messing with my hair, maybe learning how to do makeup, trimming my fingernails and, well, hell, who knows? Being a woman. Hopefully it's not all creepy dudes staring at you in the stores and things like that.

I glance around but there's nobody there so, with my knees bent and against me, I extend my right leg out and up. And up. All the way vertical and it doesn't even hurt. Okay, now I'm impressed with myself. The muscles in my thigh look like they were etched in marble - solid and perfectly formed against pale skin. I push my toes straight up and my calf muscles shift. I bring the leg slowly back down again. And then up, watching the way everything works. I'm enjoying this. I haven't spent enough time just looking at myself as a woman. Too many creepy wizards and hypnotized squirrels and hot naked men and women. Well, one of each of those in particular. The hot naked man and woman. The view straight down my body is like something out of one of the few wet dreams I've had. And, sure, I'll admit - I turn myself on. A lot. If the mood was different, I'd probably be masturbating furiously right now. It's just hard to get myself over the edge sexually when there's a little girl in danger and Hannah's killer suddenly on the stage. Still, I look down and try to capture the view for some night when I'm possibly alone and in the dark and want to play with myself. Like right now but not right now.

And then, werewolves. I assume that's why Thomas' little divining rod led him to me. I have a thing for werewolves so his sticks or bones or whatever the fuck they were said "Hey, try this guy. He's a fucking creep and gets off on werewolves." Not that I'm complaining. No fucking way. I'd say it's a toss-up whether the werewolf part of me is a bigger draw than the female part of me. I think the werewolf edges the woman out but the more I'm in her body, the more I wonder if that is completely true. Of course, I have yet to find a bad thing about... oh, right. Period stuff. That's supposed to suck really bad, right? I've known some ladies over the years that have said they barely feel it but the vast majority seem to rank from "Ouch, that sucks" to "I will murder you if you talk to me this week." What kind was Hannah? Will I get whatever kind she had or does any of my biology come into play?

Hell, is any of my biology left? Are there any little strands of my DNA wandering around Hannah's body affecting things or is it my consciousness placed in her body and that's that? That might explain the odd thoughts at the beginning. Wondering what having a cock in me would feel like and everything else. My old brain mapped into Hannah's brain and then merged together. Huh. That's actually kind of creepy when I think about it. When I think that my own body maybe just, what? Dissolved? Or is it like, shit, what was that comic I read when I was a kid? Miracle Man? Miracleman with one word? Where he swapped his normal body with a superhero's body and it was an actual body swap? With his normal body transferred into some weird dimension? Magic is weird shit and that's just accentuated by Thomas. If that's what happens to everyone that dabbles in magic then count me the fuck out. I'm not even sure he's alive any more. It looked like he was just an empty shell of a host to a bunch of creatures.

So, here I sit on the couch. Naked. Wondering whether my male body is hanging up in an interdimensional closet. I poke at my forearm a bit. Thick muscles under a slightly soft padding of smooth skin. No way there's a weird fucking layer of fur under there. And where do all the muscles come from? Actually, I could almost understand changing into a werewolf in real life; it's the changing back that makes no sense. I get bone growth and all of that because that can actually happen with real people. Just, you know, way way more slowly. What I can't see is how the wolf's jaw goes away. How does it know to put everything back just the way it was? Where do the bones and muscles and fur and tendons and skin and everything go?

Tyler is coming back. Now that I've smelled him again earlier, his scent is remarkably easy to track and I pick him out of the background smells two minutes before he knocks politely on the door. My voice (Elaine says it's a really sexy husky female voice and that I should be a phone sex operator) sounds too abrupt in the relative silence when I tell him to come in. The man moves the door to the side and sidles past it. His eyes lock on to my body and then immediately look away.

"S... sorry," he tells me. I can almost hear the whimper in his voice. I think it's gotten worse since he's met me.

"I'm naked. You're a guy. I'd think there was something wrong with you if you didn't look." I stand and look at him in the corner of my eye. Sure enough, he sneaks a couple more glances my way and my nose tells me he's very interested in what he sees. I'm surprised he's not exploding with all the hormones he's putting out. "But, I suppose if I want you to focus at all, I should get dressed."

"I mean no disrespect but you are beautiful. I haven't seen a female werewolf since I left my parent's house and, maybe I don't remember right or maybe it's because you're an Alpha but I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He's still not exactly looking at me. Not exactly.

"Huh," I tell him. I hope I'm hiding how pleased I am by the compliment but, he's a werewolf too so I doubt it. "There's lots of pretty girls around. I've seen them. Hey. Speaking of which - if you fuck a girl does she automatically change? Always?"

"No. It's, umm, it's different than that. It's kind of easy for an Alpha to change a normal and way harder for anyone else. You have to be in your wolf form and basically murdering the person to have it work. Nobody's quite figured out how to make it work perfectly each time because most of us don't go around killin' people. Those that do get chased down by other pacts. Not many people believe we exist and we want to keep it that way. Fastest way to get us found out is by killin' people. And then it doesn't always go right. It doesn't take for some people."

I look at him curiously. "What do you mean, it doesn't take?"

"They die. They might start changing but they're either not strong enough or maybe not right for it and they just die." Tyler swallows. "Sometimes it can even happen to kids born to werewolves. My brother died like that. The hormones or whatever the fuck finally came in, like puberty or whatever, and his body couldn't take it. He was just seven. Good kid. Way smarter than me." I don't need to smell his pain to know how bad it is when he looks away to the corner. "I miss that little jerk a lot."

I never know what to say when people do that. What are you supposed to say? Usually I just go with "I'm sorry" because I don't know what else to do. That doesn't sound right here so I just nod and head to the bedroom.

Stephen is clothed and sitting in the corner with Elaine on his lap. She has her eyes closed and the corner of her mouth is turned up in a slight smile. She's leaning back against Stephen with her head on his collarbone. He's humming a simple tune over and over while running his fingers through her hair. I can't help but smile at the view. Smile and, yet, feel a slight pain. Despite everything, I am an outsider. I aggressively inserted myself into the lives of these two amazing people like I was the most important thing in their world. It is my house and my room and they're my lovers (possibly more) but I feel like I'm intruding on a very, very personal moment. As quickly and quietly as I can, I grab some slacks and a blouse and panties and leave.

Now I feel a bit depressed. Just a bit but it's certainly there and it takes effort to ignore the unhappy thoughts. So, I try concentrating on what lies ahead. What I have to do is make sure all involved come out in one piece and with all their pieces still attached. Because I'm the Alpha and that's apparently what Alphas do with all their muscles and werewolf-y-ness. And, no, the urge to pee and the slight ache in the lower part of my belly is just because my bladder is full and not at all because I'm slightly terrified of failing everyone. It's just that I remember what it felt like to go up against an actual werewolf and I almost died. The memory is still fairly fresh and still makes me want to throw up a little bit. I'm not like Stephen or Elaine; I don't go feral and crazy. I'm still mentally in control and my brain seems like a liability in that case. I pull on the panties and slacks, ignoring the way my boobies jiggle and shake as I almost crash into the wall while off-balance. The blouse simply slips over my head and takes a few tugs to make it fit my curves just right.

The door to the bedroom creaks open and it's a testament to how worried I am that I didn't hear Stephen moving around. He's standing at the doorway with the door cracked. "Can we talk to you for a moment?" He asks.

"Yeah," I tell him. Is it Hannah that's make me see him as attractive? Is it only her biology or thoughts or whatever making me see Stephen as desirable? As a man I'd have been able to look at him and say "Yeah, he's handsome" and that'd be that. I don't think it's the bond created from me changing them and it's probably not because his dick feels amazing inside of me. Probably not. Maybe. Sometimes I wonder if women think about sex as much as I do. Another note to ask Elaine.

Elaine is sitting on the bed in a pair of blue jeans and a red t-shirt that says "Keep Calm and Smile On" because, of course she is. Below the words is the fading smile of the Cheshire Cat. It's such her kind of shirt. Stephen is also in jeans but his shirt is a simple black Polo shirt. Someday I'd like to get him to dress in a Hawaiian shirt just to see if he melts. Or cracks. Stephen sits on the bed next to Elaine but neither of them offer me a spot so I stand. That hurts a little, too. I'm apparently in a touchy mood right now. Possibly oversensitive.

"So," I start. "What's up?"

Stephen glances at Elaine and then me. "We were wondering: when this is all over, would you move in with us?"

Now that takes me completely by surprise. I expected them to tell me they changed their minds or they hated me or I was a pain in the ass or anything other than that. "Wha- are you sure? Are you sure you want me to?"

Stephen answers again while Elaine just watches me. "Yes, we're sure. We've talked some together here and there and your place is too small. No offense. And, why have two places separately when it's cheaper and easier to have one? Otherwise, we'd always be coming here or you'd always be coming to our place and it'd just be a waste. I'd have waited to ask but Elaine thought it was important to know now. If you wanted to stay with us, that is."

Elaine's face is still not changing. They have to know I'll say yes without even being able to feel my sudden surge of happiness. "I... I'd love to do that. I'd love to move in with you both. If you don't think I'd be in the way or anything."

Elaine's face twitches and she sputters "In... In the..." Stephen's hand rests on her leg and she stops.

"I really doubt you'd be in the way. I'll want to talk, well, not rules but just talk things out when it happens. Relationship stuff, you know? And how it'll all work and all of that. We've had lovers but never anyone that actually stayed with us. So there'll be bumps and mistakes and everything but we'd like you there with us. We'd," Stephen coughs a little and his eyes shift. "We'd like that a lot, actually."

Fuck it. I hug the fucker. I just go to him and awkwardly wrap my arms around him with my head against his. I feel Elaine shift around between us and then she's joining in with her small arms. "Thank you," I tell them. "When this is all over. I have a couple months left on my lease but I don't mind paying extra for a while if I get more chances to see you two. If you're really sure and you're not just being pushed into doing this. Because, if that's the case then I'd rather we didn't. I don't want that thought bothering me with everything else."

Stephen and Elaine share a glance before looking back to me. Stephen speaks again. "Hear me out before you say anything, okay? Part of it is. Part of it is because of the pull we feel towards you. The bond that crazy guy was talking about. We can't do anything about it and it's impossible to ignore. But, and this is the important part, we think you're worth it. We're both incredibly attracted to you and, well, we've had a few casual relationships with women before and we enjoyed them. Mostly. Most of them. Not the crazy ones. But, we've always felt like something was missing. Casual stuff is fine but it just lacks in passion. We've grown to enjoy having someone else with us and you make us feel happy and safe. We'd love to have you with us. And to see where it goes."

The thought of the bond playing any kind of role hurts more than I want it to but he sounds sincere otherwise. I feel... fulfilled with them around. Elaine is hilarious and adorable and playful and brings out a kind of happiness that I'd never felt. Stephen is solid and serene and wise. He's seen a lot and has a ton of life experience and I feel like he could help me grow into a better person. I'll be honest with myself. I want to be where Elaine was earlier. I want him to wrap his arms around me and hold me tight. I'm wound up and nervous and scared and mentally exhausted and, Alpha or not, I want his arms around me. Calming me. Centering me. So, yes. Yes, I could see myself living happily with them. Growing and changing and learning and loving.

I hug Stephen tighter and then give him a quick kiss. He's still not used to it and I feel a blush come from how easy it was for me. Easy yet different. I see him less as "another" man and more as a beautiful person that I'm very attracted to. And then I break away and crush Elaine against me. She's small and strong and smells amazing. I let her go when I hear a whispered "I can't breathe" from her and I stand and look away from both with tears at the corner of my eyes. I'd like to think that it's the new body that is making me more emotional but perhaps it's just the situation. I've never really felt as close to anyone as I do with these two.

I clear my throat and study the door away from them. "So, uhh, we should go then. I'll just wait outside."

Stephen calls to me before I leave. "Hey. One other thing. This stuff that's about to happen. It's all on us. You're not making us come. I know how it feels sometimes. Like you're responsible for everything and it's all on your shoulders. As a lawyer, I certainly know the feeling. But, I'm coming because there's no way in hell I let some maniac kill another kid and, well, Elaine..."

"I'm coming," Elaine says. "Because I couldn't live with myself if Stephen or you got hurt. And I saved you once even if I can't really remember it. I'll do it again if I have to. Because you're both mine."

I look back at them now. Both of them are watching me so seriously. "And," I tell them. "There's no way in Hell that I'll let anything happen to either of you. It's four against two and I'm supposedly a badass. We'll swoop in, save the girl and rid the world of one terrible person and then see if we can do something about this James fella." I grin at both of them and tuck a loose piece of hair behind my right ear. "Now, let's go, yeah?"

They follow me out and we all step into my small living room. Tyler is still sitting but he stands when we gather. "How far away is it, Tyler?" I ask.

"About 8 miles. Can," he pauses and looks down. "I'm sorry, I heard you all talking inside. Can you really try to save James? He's a piece of shit but he's my piece of shit friend and I think he's just fucked up right now. We never had nobody we could talk to about things."

"Hey," I say. "I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't even want to hurt this Scott guy. At all. I'd love to smack some sense into your friend, grab the girl and then run before Scott shows up. I just don't think he'll stop until we deal with him. And, you're right, this isn't any business of the cops. He'd probably just murder them. Or get caught somehow and change in front of them. So, we'll go and see what we can do. I'll drive. Tyler, you sit in front and navigate."

As I'm pulling away from my poor broken front door, I decide I need a new car. It just feels cramped and old and embarrassing with all of these people in it. Especially Stephen and Elaine. I spend five minutes just apologizing for how dirty the car is and how I've never had anyone sit in the back seat and, should I push my seat forward? Is everyone okay back there? Elaine, sitting behind me, finally just pats my shoulder and I stop talking. Of course I'm not nervous.

No, fuck it. I'm terrified. Okay. Elaine and Stephen don't seem to have problems changing and this Tyler guy was born a werewolf. It's second nature to him. But, me? What if it doesn't work and that's the difference between everyone surviving? I don't want to fail. I couldn't handle anyone being seriously hurt because of me. I'd never be able to live with myself. And then what if I change but I'm still mostly me? The me that's never been in a real fight? What if I'm slow and awkward? Now I have to pee. Well, it feels like I have to pee and my heart is slowly ticking faster and faster. Great. Sweating, too. I can even feel it under my boobs a bit. Ew.

The miles melt away as we pull into the older industrial part of town. We're close to the river and surrounded by mostly abandoned warehouses and old refineries. When the town was founded, this was the heart of it. But, new technologies and changing commerce slowly moved all the big businesses away. The city has plans for renovating the area to bring in new business. Fifteen year old plans that have yet to have any bites. The city just moved on. Now the buildings rot and rust without anyone to take care of them. And it smells bad. Very bad. Chemicals and mold and rust and dead things.

I don't want to be here. Do I have to pee? Like, actually pee? Or is that because I'm nervous? I can't figure out what my bladder is doing exactly. I probably don't have to pee. Probably. Tyler points left and right and I slow down as we get closer. I dodge piles of broken glass while weaving around gigantic potholes left behind by semi-trucks and other heavy equipment moving on the road. My eyesight is a hundred times better than when I was just a man but I can still only mostly see shadows through the broken windows of the buildings around us.

"Here. Right here," Tyler says. "Don't park too close or James'll hear us."

No. It's too soon. And maybe I do have to pee. Fuck. It can't be that. My stomach is sour and knotted and I'm sure it's just stress and worry. I pull into the parking lot of a massive abandoned warehouse and then park as far away from the entrance as possible. The company name is gone except for the faded letters "NESC" still showing in faint white paint. Two street lamps flicker and hum at opposite corners of the parking lot. I step out of the car and wrinkle my nose against the stench in the heavy, still air. To the east I can see the proper city. Far to the east and lit with the warm glow of a thousand lights and people going about their normal, happy business. Grass and tall weeds grow between cracks in the parking lot around us.

"Ew," Elaine says, the disgust evident her tone of voice. "It smells really bad out here. Super bad."

"You get used to it," Tyler tells us. "Come on. And leave all your keys and wallet and stuff. If we have to fight, you don't want to lose any of your shit. Especially if we have to run for it suddenly."

That makes sense and is something else I wouldn't have considered. So, contrary to everything I've ever been taught, I leave my keys and things on the driver's seat and then leave the door unlocked. Can a werewolf outrun an old car if they go full speed? I hope to never find out. I start walking towards the building and the other three fan out behind me. Their trust is both empowering and scary at the same time. I guess if this were a MMORPG, I'd be the tank? Big bad Alpha on his... her way.

The closer I get to the double door entry, the more I think I hear something. A voice. A female voice. In pain and saying something. I look at Tyler but he just looks back at me. I don't think he can hear it. And then, the doors are in front of me. Definitely a female voice. Young. Repeating herself. Something short over and over. Do I rush in? Do I go quietly? They're waiting on me, dammit. I opt for quiet and gently press the bar for the door and wince as it quietly squeaks. A few weak lights swing on long cables and my eyes strain to make out all the details at once.

There. There's the girl. Standing with her back against a concrete wall. Still alive.

Oh.

Oh shit. There are two of them. Two werewolves. This massive looking werewolf is standing in front of the young girl, growling with his lips pulled back to show his teeth. A much smaller werewolf stands far to the side. Something in me knows that the larger one is Scott. Some sudden ache in my heart makes me groan quietly at the red and black werewolf. I need to-

Before I can do anything else, Scott lashes out with a massive paw and the girl's dress is in tatters. Blood spatters the wall to her side and I can see her body through the large tears. Her bra hangs from her left shoulder and there's a large cut in her stomach and the right side of her right breast. She's developed enough that I'm not sure she's as young as I initially thought. Maybe even 18 or 19. The girl collapses to her knees with her arms around her stomach. Blood wells around her thin arms and falls to the ground around her.

With no hesitation, Scott grabs the girl's pony tail and pulls her head back. His cock is bare and out of his sheath. The smooth pink skin of the shaft and head nearly glisten in the light. With his free hand, he holds a large paw just beneath the knot at the base of his penis. The girl's eyes are wild as the werewolf presses his cock against her lips. When she refuses to open her mouth, he roars and throws her to the ground. She falls to her hands and knees and Scott's claws rip open the back of her dress and then he simply tears it completely off of her. I see bleeding claw marks all over her back. Her panties are expertly ripped and now she's completely naked, torn clothing on the ground around her, soaking in her blood. Scott goes to his hands and feet above her. He's easily four or five times her size and his massive cock looks ridiculous as it lays against her bare ass. She tries to scuttle away from him but his right hand pins her and pushes her neck down. He pulls back and his dick follows until it's pressing against her opening.

Stephen is on the move, followed a half-second later by Elaine. I shake myself out of the trance I'm in and start running. The warehouse is huge and there's no time.

Scott fairly splits the poor girl open and she shrieks as he enters her. His thick cock spreads her pussy lips open and he howls in triumph before clamping his teeth down on her shoulder. We're less than half-way there now and I can smell her blood and Scott and James' excitement in the air. Scott stands, pulling the girl with him. His right arm is holding her to his furry chest while his left cradles her under her left leg. His left hand grips her right thigh as he holds her in place. He pulls out of her and I see blood around his cock. The girl is just opening and closing her mouth from the pain. I pray she passes out.

Elaine is in the lead. Far in the lead. She's human but she goes to her hands and feet and then back to her feet as she runs. Her red hair streams behind her and I watch the tops of her ears grow into points and then continue growing out. Light red fur spreads from her hair and down the side of her face and then her neck, disappearing under her t-shirt. Her right shoe splits at both sides and I see thick black claws tipping each toe. A small clacking-crunching sound rings out each time her nails strike the concrete ground. A thin line of fur runs out from the short sleeves of her t-shirt and down her forearms. Veins stand out on her arms as her muscles expand. Skin darkens under her fingers and on the palms of her hands until thick black padding covers her developing paws. Fingernails splinter and are pushed aside by deadly claws as she falls to her hands and feet for the last time. Her face is completely covered in fur now and a line of drool flies behind her as her teeth grow into a lengthening muzzle. Her cute little nose turns black as the skin changes to a pebbled texture and then flattens as her face pushes out. Black lips pull back over a row of flesh-rending teeth no longer made for anything except killing. I watch as her nipples harden and then press against her shirt, growing breasts flattening as the fabric stretches. Three more rows of nipples grow down a line and then expand. The last set of nipples become exposed as her chest expands. Small red hairs push through her sweaty belly between her breasts and the smaller set of tits grow to a-cup size.

Patches of sweat cover the red fabric of the back of her shirt. I can see the bones of her spine pressing against the shirt as muscles shift beneath her skin. A small tear in the neckline soon rips straight down the middle of her back and front just as red hairs fairly explode all along her spine and shoulders, covering her back in a soft coat of red fur. Her larger upper breasts swing free as she bounds towards Scott. The fur along Elaine's back races up to her shoulders and then around her front, enveloping all four sets of breasts until just her nipples and the curve of her breasts are showing. Her growing back muscles bunch and release as she digs her claws into the ground to run.

A small popping sound signals the growth of her tail. A furry stub pushes out of the top of her pants and then continues growing, flicking and wagging as it does. Small rips along the sweat-soaked legs of Elaine's jeans expose more red fur and sleek muscle. I can see the strain in the seat of her pants as her hips and ass grow out to accommodate her new legs and tail. Finally, the top of her jeans tear and push apart. Her long, furry tail is high and proud above her strong, wide hips. The tuft of fur around her crotch nearly hide her now black pussy lips. Shreds of her clothes still cling to her thighs and calves as she runs even faster. She's growling through her full muzzle. Death is in her eyes.

The girl in Scott's arms is shaking in his grasp. I can smell her pussy at this distance and she's soaking wet despite herself. Her nipples are hard and she's actually reaching back to grab at Scott. I don't think she's mentally all there right now and when she braces her feet against the back of his tree-trunk like legs, I become sure of it. God dammit. I can smell her scent subtly changing. Becoming wolf-like. Her blond pubic hair is thickening, growing down to her inner thighs. The girl's pink small pussy lips darken and then turn completely black as she grunts and pulls herself down harder onto Scott's cock. Her pussy completely disappears behind a tuft of new fur and then the fur grows up and around her belly button. Small dark circles appear just above her belly button and then push out into two hard little nipples. Two more grow above those and then two more above those. The girl's modest breasts are becoming engorged and she twists on Scott's cock as they grow. Fur pushes up her belly and between the new rows of tits growing on her stomach. Fangs draw blood on the girl's lips when they grow out and cut into her. The red smeared lipstick covering her lips nearly fades to nothing as the girl's nose and lips turn black, signaling the start to her muzzle.

Stephen is ripping through his clothes, changing faster than Elaine. His shirt is already gone and his hairless muzzle is dripping blood as canine teeth push aside his human teeth. His chest hair vanishes beneath a carpet of fur that circles around to his back and then down to his pants. Stephen's forearms triple in size before they become completely covered in fur. The thick black padding on the palms of his hands are already in place and claws tear through fingernails, anchoring themselves to the new, stronger bones of his hands. He growls and nearly stumbles when his tailbone cracks and expands, nerves that didn't exist before attaching to his werewolf's tail as it grows.

I'm falling behind. Even Tyler is changing and just ahead of me. I can feel the wolf at the back of my mind, growling and raging and wanting out. I can feel her roaring anger. I can almost physically feel her straining against the chains holding her in place. What do I do? What am I supposed to do? How do I just make it happen? How do I make the wolf just take over and do her thing?

Oh.

The wolf.

The wolf is me. She's not a separate thing. It's not Hannah. It's me. It's part of me. That's what was different earlier. That's why something felt different.

I don't push now.

I relax. I relax this stupid control I've tried to have. This control that says "I am a man. This is not my body. These are not my urges. This is because of Hannah. This is because of the woman's body. This is not me. This is not my fault." It is me. All of this is me. I accept it. I accept that I think Stephen is amazing and hot because he IS amazing and fucking attractive as hell. Not because I'm riding in a woman's body. I desire him because of what he means to me. Not because of phantom hormones from a dead woman. It's a part of who I am now. It's me.

And the wolf? The wolf is my raw personality, stripped of any niceties or societal influences. She is the primal me.

She is me and I let her all the way in.

I feel the heat spreading through my body now. We're over halfway to Scott and he finally sees us. I read the fury in his face a moment before he sees me and confusion hits him. Confusion and... terror? I see all of this before a pain in my skull makes me grunt and look away. I see my nose and feel the pain in my jaw as my face cracks and moves. My hearing goes temporarily before the heat turns into a burning sensation on my scalp. When my hearing come back, everything becomes louder, more defined. I taste blood as new teeth cut my tongue to ribbons. I spit and some teeth go with the bloody globs that fly out of my mouth.

I can't... two feet is weird. Going on two legs is weird. I go to my hands and feet and that doesn't feel right, either. The concrete is hard against my hands and they're too short. Too short until the heat spreads to my legs and I feel the thin material of my pants split. Cool air surrounds my sweating skin. My ankles crack and I feel joints popping in my feet. My poor shoes, so simple and small, explode around my feet. Claws cut into concrete when my feet touch the ground again. My lengthening feet pull my pinkie toe back as my legs reshape into something more suited to running on all fours. More tears around my pants as my thigh muscles feel like they double in size. I'm suddenly ahead of Stephen and Tyler and two body lengths behind Elaine. I stumble briefly when my hips break and heal. The only way I know my pants are nearly all the way gone is because I feel cool air on my pussy and legs and it feels amazing. I'm burning hot enough to melt. I want to stop and tear my shirt off but I know I can't stop. We have to get to Scott before he kills the girl.

My shoulders itch badly and I almost stumble again when my shirt rips down the back. I feel the hairs growing along my spine and neck. I feel the cool air swaying through hairs that didn't exist a moment ago. My tongue lolls out of my mouth and I wrap it around my muzzle to lick the drool and blood off of my lips. I feel pinches down my stomach and I know my other nipples - the wolf's nipples are growing in. Skin bunching and puckering as the tiny nipples grow fat and then push out as tiny breasts grow around them. My own heavy breasts are growing and it kind of hurts because of the way they're just flopping around freely without my shirt holding them in place. I don't even know how large they are now; I just feel the itchy and painful and, yet, pleasurable feeling of being naked and free and running as fast as I can. The cool air on my pussy lips stops when the fur creeps down my stomach and around my crotch and thighs. I feel the claws of my hands and feet actually cut into the concrete and I want to laugh and growl and roar at the same time. And then I do growl when my tail pushes out. It's not a comfortable feeling. My center of balance is suddenly thrown off as the stub grows into a puppy's tail and then the tail twitches to the left and hard to the right and I'm suddenly straight again. I feel like I could dance on the head of a pin with my wolf's tail providing counterbalance to my movements.

I'm fast as hell but I still can't quite reach Elaine. I look up to see the girl on her knees in front of Scott. She's got one of her hands on the man's ass and her other hand wrapped around his massive cock. Her long wolf's tongue is eagerly lapping at the man's thickness, cleaning off both blood and cum. I can see thick ropy white cum oozing out of her pussy, tangling in her fur and leaking onto the ground. She takes his head in his mouth and her tail nearly thumps at the ground as she pulls her hand off of his ass to play with her clit through the fur.

Elaine leaps for Scott and the werewolf shoves the young wolf girl away, hard. Her head slams into the concrete and she collapses in a heap. Scott roars, crouching. Ready. And then James slams into Elaine's side and they both go tumbling. I saw his jaws close around Elaine's stomach when he hit and, for a moment I'm terrified that she's badly hurt. For a moment. Because now it's my turn. Scott is directly ahead of me. I jump at the same time he does. He looked huge before but, now... now he doesn't look quite so scary. Not quite. Except his mouth looks like a shark's open maw and his claws are like daggers. He hits me first and I feel the air slam out of me. There's a burn in my side where his claws have sunk into me. Unlike my non-fight with James and Tyler, I see Scott's free hand coming around to hit my face. My muzzle. Whatever. I reach for his wrist and I'm somehow fast enough to grab it. My other hand goes for his throat but I end up hitting him in the jaw.

I can feel Scott's engorged, sticky cock pressing against the soft, short fur of my belly. He's huge and still hard and still dripping with cum. I bet Hannah enjoyed the hell out of sex with him and that monstrous penis. And then, the thought is wiped when we both slam into the ground. It. Hurts. Concrete against fur and skin and it almost feels like I jammed my tail. A sudden yelp escapes my lips. Instincts take over and I flip Scott over as we roll. In the corner of my eye I see Stephen hit the wall near the girl as he tries to turn to follow Elaine and James. I guess the feral wolves aren't exactly graceful either. His tail flicks and he pushes himself off the wall and the floor and then is gone in a blur.

Scott's jaws snap at my face and I swipe at him before realizing he still has his claws in my side. I'm reminded of this when he drags them down my side and against my hips. Blood gushes out of me and the pain is intense enough that I'm howling in pain. I accidentally let his other hand go and am rewarded by Scott nearly taking my left tit off of me. The large one on the top. He misses my nipple by barely an inch. I grab the hand that's stuck in my hip and I feel him flex hard against my grip. I try to grab his other hand but he's too fast for me so I grab his throat. The rough padding on the palm of my hand doesn't let me feel much of his skin but it's there and I can feel the muscles in his throat and hand tensing and moving as he twists. And his cock is still hard. I will never, ever admit this but my pussy is right on top of his dick and it's pressed between my lips. And it feels hot and fucking good because we're moving around and I'm basically grinding on this baseball bat sized dick. And the funny thing is? I'm fucking turned on more than I've ever been. I feel the wolf loving this. The struggle. The fight. I feel the sudden relaxing of muscles inside of me and now my pussy's drooling at the thought of this psychopath's cock. I wonder how full I'd be if he shoved it hard into me. The wolf is practically panting for it. She paradoxically wants to take him and ride him hard but also wants to be forced into submission with her (mine) ass raised in the air and mounted. It's the fight and the she-wolf and the smell of sex and wolves and blood and I'm so riled up that it's... it's...hard... think... Getting... hard... to...

I roar and feel a sudden immense strength flood into me. Adrenaline or some werewolf thing is feeding my muscles and I feel something crack inside of Scott's wrist. His free hand is on my forearm and he's frantically trying to get me off of his throat. I feel heat and anger and raw sexuality and I want to rut and fuck and fight and kill. Mate. I want to mate. I want my mates. Mates?

I see Elaine holding her side and stumbling. Trying to get up and falling again. She has a very, very bad wound on her stomach and I see something glistening through her paw. Something purple and fat like a sausage. The fur around her muzzle is covered in blood and James has a large patch of skin and fur missing from his upper left arm. I can see a broken bone through the thick muscle of the werewolf's arm and blood is spurting out of the wound. Elaine sits hard on the ground then rolls over to her side, holding her stomach. Her legs are kicking out over and over and she's snapping at the air in pain.

It's hard to tell expressions with a wolf's muzzle but James looks almost as if he's gloating as he stands over Elaine. I almost feel sorry for him when Stephen barrels into him. Almost. Now I just feel sorry for Tyler. James possibly had a chance before. Before he hurt Elaine. Now... now I think he has nothing. Stephen is larger, faster and stronger than James. So much so that it's almost comical. James is struggling with his one good arm to strike at Stephen but Stephen just snatches the man's hand mid-strike and pins it. And then, good calm Stephen clamps his muzzle on James's shoulder and bites. Hard. I hear the bones break and Stephen is still biting. James' howling is cut off when Stephen grab's the werewolf's throat and nearly crushes it. James is kicking and trying to toss Stephen off of him but Stephen is still worrying at the man's shoulder. Blood is covering both men and Stephen's entire head and chest is shockingly red. Stephen's ears twitch back as he gives a final pull back with his jaws. James' arm comes away from his body and the wolf beneath Stephen is trying to scream in pain through the iron grip Stephen has around his throat. Stephen pulls his head back into a triumphant howl before bending forward to tear a bloody hole out of James' throat. I watch Stephen eat a chunk of the man's throat before I turn to look for Tyler.

Tyler is standing over the young girl's prone body. She's shivering again and half-human. Her body is covered in bruises and blood and she's bleeding from her half-muzzle. With every tremor, another wad of Scott's cum leaks out of her now bare pussy. She's pulling herself into a fetal position as she moans and twists. Patches of fur cover her body down to her still wolf-like feet. Her pussy lips are still the jet black of the wolf's pussy.

Stephen is now holding Elaine in his lap. The gesture is incongruous with the werewolf's form. From the little I can see, Elaine is not moving.

I feel my grip on Scott's throat lessen and I'm pulled back suddenly into my own fight. I look down at this man. This wolf. The cause of all of this. Elaine... I feel sympathy for the young girl but my mate... my mate...

Tendons stand out in my arm as I renew my grip. I think I feel his other hand break but I'm concentrating on his face and his throat. Closing. Closing my grip. His eyes are reddening. He takes a huge gulp of air and then I find just the right angle to close off his airways. His free arm is clawing at me now. It hurts but not as much as the visual of Elaine hurts. Not as much as the thought of Elaine dying hurts. There's a small 'crick' sound deep within Scott's throat and he's suddenly panicking. Panicking and gasping. I let his broken wrist go and claw down his chest, tearing through one of his nipples as I cut him open. His back arches and he tries to twist his body to throw me off. I claw at his stomach hard, digging deep within him. There's some resistance but my claws are sharp and I'm stronger than he is. The inside of his belly is slippery with blood and organs. The smell is oddly appealing. All I see now is red. Red and blood and Elaine lying on her side, unmoving. I don't even realize I have my muzzle in Scott's belly until I taste flesh and copper on my tongue.

I don't stop. The she-wolf is howling inside of me. Pushing me. Feasting on Scott. I feel his still engorged cock against my muzzle as I tear into his intestines, biting and clawing and swallowing flesh. Elaine on her side. Red. Pain. Blood. I dig my claws in and pull as hard as I can. Scott's chest cracks open and I shove my muzzle deep into his chest. His heart still beats as I bite into it. I pull as I bite and it comes free of his chest. I sit back on my haunches, tail limp and bloody on the ground. My tits are covered in blood and my pussy is burning with the desire to fuck something. I am rage. Raw rage and aggression and heat. I swallow Scott's entire fucking heart as he dies beneath me.

I smell my mate. I smell him. I want him. I will take him. I will take his knot into my swollen pussy and ride his cock until I'm screaming from orgasm. I will... I will... Elaine. Elaine is there. She... she's hurt. Elaine... my mate... my mate is hurt. She... No. I'm me. I'm me.

I stand and nearly fall over. It's difficult to think. The wolf is still there and she's a whirlwind of emotions. I push and push until I can think straight. Tyler is holding the completely human girl in the corner. He's still a wolf but she's not awake to see it. Stephen is holding Elaine and watching me. I see him in there. In his eyes. The calm, brilliant golden eyes. Watching me. Wondering what I will do.

And then I see Elaine's chest move. She's breathing. She's fucking breathing. Her hand falls away from her stomach and it is whole again. Bloody but healed. I want to cry but I can't. The wolf won't let me.

We fucking did it. Scott is dead and the girl is still alive. James... I couldn't help him. Not after what he did to Elaine. If Stephen hadn't killed him, I'm sure I would have. The anger was too great. I will deal with Tyler when I can. But, for now, we fucking did it. I stand, tail down and back and look around me. I feel my wounds itching as they heal. The brown fur covering me is matted with blood and I can still taste Scott's heart on my tongue. I'm still riled up.

I take a step towards Elaine and Stephen and it is that step that saves my life. Scott and James's bodies burn into sudden nothingness, leaving behind a whiff of sulfur. Glowing red circles suddenly surround Stephen and Elaine and Tyler and the girl. I'm stepping out of the circle as it appears beneath me and I yelp in pain as it turns black and vanishes.

"Well," a voice rings out from the corner of the warehouse. "Well, well, well." Thomas steps into the room and even in the dim lights of the warehouse I see a faint black cloud of death surrounding him. He's missing an eye now and I can't see into the hole where his eye socket should be. "That was a mistake. Yes. A lucky mistake for you. Yes."

I can't talk as a werewolf. I could change back but I would be horribly vulnerable. Human and woozy from the change back. So I hunch slightly, ready to charge.

Thomas laughs. "Hah! No, you don't want to do that. No. Not while I have the rest of them. Not while I have your pack. No. So, a lucky mistake but this still works. I still have you, don't I? A cage not of the demonic sense but of the moral and humanistic sense. Yes. Far better. Far more fun."

Stephen strikes out and then pulls his hand back in a growl. The fur on his paw is singed black where he struck the invisible walls of the circle.

"Struggle all you like, young dog. Death magic, even though they were already dead, is the strongest. Not even a wolf such as you can break out of that. You'll starve before the hellfire powering that prison fades. Now," Thomas turns back to me. "Now we get down to business. I hoped you would die in the attack. That would make this all so much easier for me. So much easier. I could perform the same surgery and, viola! I could look for a more willing subject. So much easier. But did you make it easy for poor Thomas? No. No, you didn't. And now look."

It would take me five seconds to reach the strange man. Five seconds. An eternity. He would probably just close the circles or do something to kill everyone. Too long.

"So, here is the deal. Surrender the skin to me. Surrender it to me and I'll take it and leave and you'll all be free to go. You may even survive. In fact, perhaps this makes it easier for me after all. Alive, I can simply break the lock on the skin. Dead, I have to cut it off and inscribe it again. So, so, so. Maybe this is better after all. Well?"

I growl at the man. Now I wish I could talk. Now I wish I could argue and barter.

"I assume you know what will happen if you say no? Your pack will die, Alpha. And then you can see if you're fast enough to kill me before I leave. Perhaps you are. Regardless, your pack will die first. All I'm asking is for the skin. That's all I want and you have my word of honor that I will let them go. My personal word. Just kneel and let me bind you."

Give it up? Just like that? Give all of this up? Go back to being me? A male? A human? Hannah gave all of this to me. If I let him take it back... even if I do live... then what? What then? Go back to being normal? Give up this life and go back to that?

I can't. I can't do it. I can't. I've never lived such a full life like this. The feelings, the sensations, the raw power and sensuality... all of it would be gone. I'd be less. So much less. I could... if I fight, Stephen and Elaine die but they're just feral werewolves. Not even human. They wouldn't feel a thing. I wouldn't have to be guilty because they're just wolves. Not human. And Tyler? I don't even know him. Or the girl. Hell, the girl will probably die from the strain anyway. They all die and I walk away. I might even kill Thomas and then I'd be completely free. Completely free to run and start over. I can't just give this up. I can't just go back to being plain.

Stephen is still watching me. Unmoving. His eyes are steady on mine. He knows. Even feral as he is, he knows what I'm thinking. He knows what I'm struggling with. So, why? Why isn't he raging? Why isn't he howling at me to give it up? Why is he just fucking staring at me with those fucking eyes of his? Why doesn't he just give into his fucking rage so I can try to kill this fucking asshole and only remember the feral side of him? Why does he have to be so fucking calm even now? If I didn't know any better, I'd say his eyes were understanding. Why?

Why won't he tell me what to do? Oh god. Oh god. I don't want to die. I don't want to lose this incredible piece of me. I can't. I can't do this. Nobody would ever have to know. Nobody... Oh god.

I kneel and look down at my knees. My beautiful fur is tangled so badly with sweat and blood. I gently stroke through the fur on my legs, untangling what I can. I feel my tail against my ass. I feel the way my pussy pulses from the need I felt earlier. I close my eyes to let this memory last as long as possible. In the distance, I hear Thomas cackling and then cursing followed by the sharp scent of blood. Tainted blood, it smells like. I hear a sudden hum all around me and I know I'm caught. Thomas shuffles over to me and, when he stops, I open my eyes and look up at him. He steps back sharply and then titters to himself.

"Oh gosh. Yes, caught. Hah. Scared me for a second. But, what beautiful golden eyes. Hannah was always so beautiful and strong and proud and it looks like she still is. Worry not, I'll keep my promise. As soon as I break the lock on her skin and leave, I will break their circles. They'll be free. I promise. I just won't promise that you'll live through this. You might want to close your eyes." Strangely enough, his voice becomes almost gentle. "I'll be as quick as I can. Close your eyes, Hannah."

I don't.

I'm not Hannah.

Thomas stares at me for a moment and then nods. He looks along my body as if trying to find the seams. He points at various spots and then makes a complicated gesture. His single eyes flashes with a moment of impossible pity and then he slams his right fist against his open left hand.

Every single nerve in my body screams in agony. I've never felt anything like it. I've never felt such pain in my life. The world is screaming around me and all I see is red and every nerve in my body is a molten point of pain. And then, I feel nothing.

The world flashes around me. I remember darkness. And cold. Growls and bumps. Somebody touching me. Screaming. Voices. Words. Pain. Through it all, pain. I'm talking. Feverish. I'm lying down. Now I'm in the corner of somebody's bedroom, rocking and crying and screaming and in pain. Lying down again. Covered in blankets filled with biting ants. Somebody over me. Light. Water. Pain. Speaking in tongues. Thomas in front of me, pity on his eyes, his fist in his palm. Pain. Thomas watching me. Watching. And then, he opens his fist and I open my eyes.

I'm in bed. The sheets are soaked in sour sweat. It's not my bed and this is not my room. My whole body aches. I can't feel anything except the pain throughout my body. My lips and throat are dry and it feels like I've been crying. A small patch of sunlight shines through heavy curtains on the single window in the room. I twist and moan but stop moving when the pain comes back. Something moves and suddenly Elaine is in front of me. Her eyes are red and watery. She reaches to touch my head but then stops and pulls her hand back.

"Are," she whispers. "Are you awake?"

I try to answer but I can't so I just nod my head. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.

"I'll get you some water and some more pills. You still need to rest. You need to sleep."

I blink and she's there with pills and a glass of water. I try to tell her I must've fallen asleep but nothing comes out. She smiles tremulously and a single tear rolls down her cheek. "This will hurt," she tells me. "But you need to take the pill and sleep." She reaches behind my head and props me up. I gasp and try to lie back down but I'm weak and can't move. I nearly choke on the water and pill when she gives them to me. She lays my head gently back down and when I open my eyes again, there's no sun coming through the window.

Time passes like this. I wake and Elaine is there to give me another pill. Over and over until, finally, I'm able to talk.

"Elaine," I say. I cough and my stomach hurts enough that I wonder if I'm going to throw up. "What happened?"

"No," she tells me. "You still need to sleep. Let it wait."

"No. Tell me, Elaine. Tell me."

I see the concern and indecision on her face. Her eyes are red and looks like she's been crying again. "We," she starts. "We feel your pain. Stephen and I feel it. Literally, we feel the pain of your suffering. It hurts so much. Tyler doesn't know why we can feel it. He's never heard of it happening. He's... He... We don't remember what happened that night. Stephen and I were changed still. Tyler can remember it. He said... He said Thomas showed up. He didn't know him but he described him. He says he trapped us all but not you. Not you." She stops to look at me again. "Please. Please, don't do this yet. Wait for another day."

I shake my head and mouth 'no' at her.

Elaine covers her eyes and swallows hard. "Tyler said Thomas made you give it back. Made you give Hannah back. You kneeled and Thomas did his magic and then left. And... you..."

I know then. I move my hand under the covers and I can feel my manhood. The smooth, taut skin I had when I was a woman has been replaced with the hairy rough skin I have as a man. It feels like I lost weight from when I was a man so I've probably been here a while. I nod at Elaine again, too tired to cry about it right now.

"Tyler says the skin... Hannah's skin... just fell off of you and you were there. Just you. In so much pain. I can remember part of that, even with the change. The pain of it. So much of it. It woke me up and I can remember some of it. Thomas left and we could move again. Tyler says Stephen picked you up and they almost got into a fight with what to do with you. Tyler changed back and we got into the car and drove you to our house. It's been a little over two weeks since then."

Two weeks, I think. Two fucking weeks and I'm still in this much pain and still this weak. And a man again. I feel no wolf prowling in the back of my mind. I feel nothing. My sense of smell is nothing and I can barely hear a single bird chirping outside.

"Stephen worked carefully with a friend on the force and they were able to pin the crimes - the one with the girls vanishing - on Scott. They're still looking for Scott but not so much anymore. The girl lived. She just turned nineteen and she's with Tyler right now. Oh, and Tyler is here. He doesn't want to leave until you're better. He's teaching the girl about the werewolf stuff. She's going to stay until she understands it better. I think they make a cute couple but Tyler refuses to do anything with her. Says it'd be taking advantage of her because she's confused right now. He's a good guy." Elaine is gently rubbing my arm through the blanket and it doesn't hurt very much. It's an odd counterpoint to how much she's rambling.

"Are you," I ask and then stop to breathe. "Are you still a wolf?"

Elaine bites her lower lip and looks away. She nods.

"Am... am I?"

She's still looking away but she closes her eyes and shakes her head. I can't cry about that yet, either. Tears are freely rolling down Elaine's face and her lips are trembling. "I'm," she stops and sobs a bit and presses the heel of her hands against her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. If we hadn't been there..."

I shake my head and try to reach for her but my hands are under the blanket and I'm too tired to get them out. "No," I tell her. "No, don't. Don't feel... don't feel bad. Tired. Tired, Elaine." I don't remember falling asleep but I do.

I spend the next month slowly working my way up to solid food. My joints still ache but I can stand and go to the bathroom by myself and I consider that a win. Stephen visits sometimes to talk but not as much as Elaine. I think they figure Elaine will be easier for me to relate to and is more cheerful for me. They're possibly right. Tyler stops in now and again to check on me and he's always awkward when he does it. He can't quite look at me and he tries to tell me what he's doing and how the girl is doing. Her name is Heather, apparently. It seems she's adapting surprisingly well to the wolf although there have been near misses and some very close calls, sexually. He says the feral stage for a turned werewolf can take a year or more sometimes.

I often sit and cry. The loss of either things - being a woman or a werewolf would've been an enormous blow but, both of them together is crushing. Stephen has had the front door of my house repaired and has been paying for my rent. He also went to my work place as my "legal representative" and informed them of the terrible accident I was involved in that led to Scott's location. I'm somehow a minor hero because Stephen spun a tale to his cop friend that I saw Scott assaulting Heather. I guess I got out and tried to stop him and was beaten within an inch of my life. Heather backed up the story completely - even conveniently leading them to Scott's warehouse. The story goes that she woke up in the warehouse and escaped, making her way into town until Scott found her again. And then I found both of them. It's all very neat. I'm told my boss is holding my job for as long as I need.

I still feel the pull of Stephen and Elaine. I still feel their pull as if I were their Alpha. And, they still feel my pull. After a month and a half in bed, I begged Elaine to have sex with me. Not because I wanted her but because I wanted to see if it would turn me back into a werewolf. Yes, I think she's beautiful but that's not what I wanted. I want the wolf back. I yelled at her when she said no. I thought of using the pull I still have in order to make her do it but I couldn't bring myself to go that far. The next day, she came back with a syringe full of her blood. Tyler said that if there was nearly a foolproof way of doing it, it was injecting pure, fresh werewolf blood.

It didn't work. Stephen tried the next day and that didn't work, either. Even Tyler tried. Nothing worked. I felt nothing and they smelled nothing on me. Just a pure human. Tyler says he's never seen anything like it. He says I should've either changed or died trying by this point. He could see it failing with one try but not with three separate werewolves trying. Especially not a pure blood.

I'm trying to get better so I can leave. I don't think I can handle being around them anymore. Not with who they are. Not still feeling that pull but still being just a man. Not with them having the life I wanted. I don't think I can do it.

On a particularly bad night, Stephen visited. I hadn't left the room in three days and I ignored Elaine when she tried to talk to me. So, in walks Stephen and he sits and he just looks quietly at me. I can't look him in the eye. I can't. Not him.

"I know, you know," he says. My heart skips several beats. "I remember that part of it. I remember hearing Thomas talking to you. Tyler says you just kneeled down and let it happen but I know what happened. I could smell what you were thinking. I could smell the emotions cycling through you. I know you hesitated."

I feel the shame burning deep inside of me and I wondered if I would be well enough to just leave that night. "So why are you letting me stay here," I ask. "Why haven't you kicked my ass to the curb? If I had left, you all would've died."

Stephen nods. "Yes, we would've. And I know how close you came to making that call. Look at me."

"I can't," I tell him.

"Look at me, goddamn you!"

I have never heard that much anger in Stephen's voice. I have never heard him like that. Not Stephen. It shocks me enough that I look at him. Against my will. And then I can't seem to look away.

"You had an amazing gift. You had something you always wanted and something you never even knew you wanted and it changed who you were. It made you better. It made you into something incredible. It made you rethink who you were. And, in one single moment when faced with a decision that would take all of that away, you wavered. You took it all in and looked at all the sides and you paused. Should I hate you for that? Should I hate you because you thought for one second that maybe you could just walk away and let us die? No. No, goddammit. I admire you more for it. Because you looked at it and you didn't just take the knee-jerk easy hero way out. You didn't just say 'Of course I'll give it up because I'm the good guy!' You're flawed and you're human and you still looked at your choices and decided to give it up. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

I shake my head, hypnotized by his passion.

"You... you honestly weighed our lives against yours and you still gave yours up. You could've died and you still did it. Knowing that the best option you could have was to lose all of the wonderful gifts you were given and possibly live. That simply living would be the best case scenario. You..." Stephen's eyes are suddenly watering and red. "You kept your promise to me."

I'm crying now. I can't help it. I'm balling in front of this man because I thought he would hate me. Because I thought I would lose them both. Because I thought I could do without them, that I could walk away in front of Thomas or I could walk away right now and that I would be okay without them. I can't. Now, hearing all of this, I can't walk away. I don't notice when Stephen wraps his arms around me. He's sitting behind me now with his arms around me. He's so warm. For a little while there, I'd forgotten what it was like to be cold and then, as a human, I was rudely reminded. But Stephen is so warm around me. Holding me and gently rocking me. So strong and warm. I'm shaking from trying to hold the tears in and it hurts my chest and stomach but, above all of that, I hear him starting a simple song. Humming gently to me. Slowly, the tears stop and I just let everything go and relax in his arms. His heartbeat is strong and steady behind me.

His humming stops and his voice is a whisper. "Please," he tells me. "Please don't leave us now." I feel his hand on my cheek and I nuzzle against it and it feels right. Slowly, I turn in his lap and look at him. Those same eyes from that night. The same eyes just watching me, waiting to see which way I would go. Not giving me a hint of what he thinks I should do. My beautiful Stephen.

Slowly, I lean forward and kiss him. Lightly, on the lips. As a man. No, as a person loving my mate. This is not a man in front of me. This is a soul that I have come to love. I feel no repulsion from him. I feel no hesitation or disgust. I just feel the scratch of his five o'clock shadow and his lips as they open for me.

Stephen pulls back and runs his thumb along my chin. "I love you."

The tears are threatening to come back so I lay my forehead against his chest and breathe in his smell as deeply as I can. When I'm calm again, I whisper the words back to him. "I love you, too."

That night, Stephen and Elaine joined me in bed and it is the first night I slept without dreaming of red pain or Thomas.

Over the next several months, we rediscover each other. Slowly. As mates. As a man, I never thought I would love the touch of another man but I find, unsurprisingly, that Stephen is exactly who he was when I was a woman. His touch still fills me with desire for him. I catch myself staring at his crotch quite a few times, remembering what it felt like in my mouth. Remember the taste of him. Remembering the way he would groan and hold me when I sucked on him.

He still makes those noises. I was nervous the first time I touched his penis again. Even with the kisses we'd been sharing lately, I worried that I was crossing a line. I thought he wouldn't want it. But I could feel the need building in me now that I was healing. The ache deep in my balls that tells me how wound up I am. And so, one night with all three of us on the couch watching some random action movie, I put my hand on his thigh. When he didn't flinch, I slowly moved my hand to his pants and rubbed him lightly. He was hard in a minute and growling from my touch. I felt Elaine scoot away to the side but my thoughts were far away from her. Stephen... my mate... was here. And while I no longer had a pussy for him, I had other ways to please him and I ached for his touch. So, I rubbed him a little harder. When he didn't stop me, I reached my hands into his pants to touch his cock.

I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten how warm it was. The head of his dick is quite pointed these days and, reaching down, it felt like he had a golf ball sized knot just above his balls. Perhaps a little smaller than that but it was definitely there. His foreskin is nearly a sheath around the knot and his length. I'd say he was thicker than before but I was a different person then and my measurements might be off. The head of his cock easily clears the top of his pants and I can tell it hurt to be restrained. So, I unzipped him, careful of catching skin in the zipper. I'm a guy. I know how that hurts. And then, I got to my knees in front of him. When I felt his finger under my chin, I resisted until he asked me gently to look at him.

His eyes were half golden and he looked down at me with lust in those golden eyes. His voice was gruffer and more gravely than it should've been. "You're beautiful," he told me.

I look back down and feel the heat rise to my cheeks. I am hard and aching for him. I feel the pulsing of my dick in time to my heartbeat and so I slip my hands into my pants to touch myself while I lean forward to Stephen's cock. His foreskin is slightly loose. I wrap my hand around his cock and gently pull the foreskin down and down further until it's touching his small, hard knot. And then I pull it down below the knot and let go. Unlike human foreskin, it stays in place beneath his knot. His skin was more smooth and pink than it should be as a human but that was okay. In fact, it was kind of hot. Old werewolf fantasies kicking in there. I lick up the length of him, holding him from the base of his cock, under his ball. I nibble on his knot to feel how hard it is and then gently lick up his shaft again. He is incredibly hard and, with my nose right there, I smell his pre-cum as it pools out of the tip of his huge cock. I look up at him and watch his eyes as I lick him clean. It's a major turn-on for me when a woman does it so I assume it's the same if a man does it. Memories of myself as a woman came back briefly but I put them aside. I'm me and I love this man. With his tip clean, I wrap my lips around his cock and gently work him over with my tongue.

I don't need to close my eyes and think of myself as a woman. I don't need to think anything different at all. All I need is to hear the low, quiet growling in Stephen's voice as I slowly and carefully find how far I can take him into my mouth. Which, sadly, isn't very far. My gag reflex is different as a man than as a woman and he's huge so when I feel the wolf-like tip near the back of my throat, I'm done. Gagging is not sexy. I pull back and, rather than trying to force it, I just suck on the top of him. Back and forth, holding my mouth open just enough that my teeth don't touch him. My jaw is starting to ache but I try to ignore it. I don't want to stop yet. Not yet. I want to taste his cum again. Just the thought of it makes me rub myself harder. I should've unzipped my pants but I'm not going to take a break to do it. God. His smell is driving me wild. I start pumping his cock faster with my hand while swirling my tongue around his smooth, tapered head. Faster and faster. My jaw really hurts now and it's hard to ignore the pain but I suddenly feel Stephen's hand gripping my hair. He's grunting and I feel him tense. Shit. Shit. I forgot how-

The sudden flood of Stephen's cum makes me choke. He feels it happening and tries to pull me off but I grip him tighter and try to relax my throat. He's warm and salty and thick and there's so fucking much of it. I try to swallow every time he tenses and that helps. My own orgasm takes me by surprise because I'd simply forgotten about it. I'm still stroking myself reflexively and I just feel the sudden release and a spurt of cum that hits my shirt. My dick swells a second time and then I'm done. Stephen tenses once more but I don't feel anything hit the back of my throat. I pull back but not before lightly rubbing the very tip of him with my tongue. It takes a lot of willpower to do it but I look up at him shyly. His face is flushed and his canine teeth are more pronounced. He's looking at me with... with... love. And happiness. And lust. He runs his fingers through my short blond hair and I smile at him. The taste of his cum fills my whole mouth and it's just as amazing as I remembered.

There's a rustle on the other end of the couch and Elaine stands. She's got her red hair pulled back in a simple ponytail and she's blushing furiously. She's got pajama pants on (rocket ship pattern and weird green aliens, naturally) with one of Stephen's old t-shirts. "That," she says. "Was incredibly hot. If you two don't mind?" Elaine hooks her thumbs into her pants and eases them down. Becoming a werewolf has made her incredibly toned. She's still slim but the line of muscles in her thighs shift as she wriggles her ass playfully. She watches me closely while she does the same little show with her panda bear panties. Her lower stomach has a line of red hair from her trimmed pussy up to her belly button. I'd be surprised if she had an ounce of fat on her. Elaine twirls slowly for me as she pulls her shirt over her head. Her ass seems larger than when I first met her. Oh, and her hips, too. She's definitely filled out post-wolf.

I crawl-walk to her on my knees but she holds up a finger. "No. It's my turn." I stop and she goes to her hands and knees and crawls to me. Her eyes are locked on mine so I watch as flecks of gold appear in her eyes and then more and more until her eyes are a beautiful molten gold color. She gently places a hand on my chest and pushes me until I'm lying down. With a playful smirk, she tugs my pants and underwear completely off. A large part of me wants to hide my manhood but I stop myself before it happens. I have to move around to help her get my shirt off but we do and I'm naked and, well, lesser than when I was a woman. Just an average shaped man. Elaine lies above me and I feel the warmth of her radiating from her body. Her kiss is sudden and sweet and intense and I prick myself on her too-sharp teeth. She's purring deep in her throat as our tongues twine around each other. My hands reach for her back and I knead my fingers into her flesh. She flexes back at me and then lowers herself, pressing her wet sex against my semi-hard cock.

Elaine breaks the kiss and then moves her head down to nuzzle at my neck. I feel a sharp pinch and then a quiet 'sorry' as she nibbles me. Slowly, rhythmically she pushes her hips down, back, up and forward. I can feel myself growing completely hard under her ministrations and she growls her approval. My fingertips feel fine hairs along her back and I wonder if that's new or if I just haven't noticed them before. Holding herself up with one hand, Elaine reaches back to grab my cock. She rubs herself against the head of it and then slowly eases herself down, hissing out in appreciation as her tight pussy eagerly grips my length. With my time as a woman and the months spent resting and healing, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a dick again. I'd forgotten how it felt to press into a woman and feel the depth of her. I'd forgotten the slippery heat of a woman riled up. Elaine's modest chest is in perfect position for me to lean forward and take a nipple in my mouth so, with care for my still aching body, I do. She's slightly salty from a light sheen of sweat but she moans and shudders as I suck and bite at her. I remember how I liked my nipples played with and I try to alternate between lightly rubbing around her erect nipple with my tongue and biting and pulling at it with my teeth. I swear I feel her breast grow larger as I suck at her. My body finally tells me I've strained too much too soon so I lie back down. Elaine goes to her knees above me.

Her breasts are slightly larger than just a moment ago and the hair around her pussy is thicker. Her four canine teeth are protruding from her mouth and there is a slight bit of drool at the corner of her lips. She's working her ass back and forth, up and down as she rides me. I see the tell-tale signs of her wolf's nipples growing - six darkening circles that pucker and pull and twist and push out around small areola and then out again into small breasts. The happy trail is extending up her belly and between her breasts as she growls and grunts through the small changes. Elaine's left hand touches her bottom tit and she tweaks it with her clawed fingers. With her other hand, she presses the hard black padding under her index finger against her clit. I'm momentarily jealous of her because I definitely remember what that feels like. Her growls are deepening and her fingers are jerking harder against her breasts and clit. Her previously smooth rhythm falters now and again from the multiple sensations.

Elaine falls forwards to her hands, claws digging into the thick carpeting around us. She's no longer gentle. No longer slow. Her ass is pounding me up and down and it's almost painful. Painful but amazing as I feel her pussy tighten. Her breathing is ragged and I know what's about to happen. Her orgasm makes her throw her head back into a silent howl. I grab her ass as she shakes from the shock of it and I pull her down hard as I push up. She's gasping now. Growling, nuzzling my neck. She lies down on me and I feel all eight of her breasts and the fur along her belly as I use my hands to work her hips up and down on my cock. I'm aching from my last orgasm and it almost feels like I won't cum a second time but Elaine bites my neck hard and I suddenly feel myself almost there. I yell out in pain and slam her down hard and I feel the head of my dick hit something deep inside of her pussy. And then, we're both cumming. Elaine has her teeth in my neck and I feel the inside of her clenching over and over against my cock, milking me for the last bits of my cum.

She's fucking heavy. Elaine is half transformed and laying against me, breathing hard. I want her to move but I don't want her to leave. I don't notice when her changes reverse but when I feel her hand against my chest, it's just a hand. I can barely feel the rough padding on the bottom of her palm as it fades away to wherever the changes go when they turn human.

I feel my face burn at a sudden thought and I almost don't say anything. Almost. But I want to and so I force it out. "Stephen," I begin. I certainly am not looking at him when I say it. "Do you... do you think we could try it from behind some time? Gently?" He doesn't answer at first and I have my eyes closed because I'm embarrassed as hell. I suddenly feel his presence next to me and then his lips brush mine as his large hand touches my dick. I jerk from the unexpected touch.

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, I think we should. And then one of these days I'll go to my hands and knees for my mate." He kisses me again and ten minutes later we all end up in the bed, giggling and laughing and loving each other.

A pigeon knocks on our door a week later. We were just starting to settle into a routine when Elaine hears a quiet pecking at the front door. She opens the door and looks confused for a moment before looking down to see a small gray and white pigeon with a tube tied to its leg. "Awww," she whines. "Why couldn't it be a rabbit or a squirrel again?" Elaine holds the utterly docile bird and carefully unties the tube. When she does, the pigeon's eyes go suddenly wild and it struggles in her hand. She sighs and tosses it outside and then brings me the note.

The message is short: "The skin no longer works." I don't know whether to be happy or sad or indifferent. No, that's a lie. It hurts to be reminded of what happened and what I lost. It hurts a lot. I ghost through the rest of the day and the next before I remind myself that it doesn't matter anymore. Elaine and Stephen and I share a powerful bond still and we're all learning exactly what that means and who we are. I've learned so much and grown so much that I can't be anything but thankful for the experience.

Two weeks after the pigeon and it seems Elaine was right about Tyler and Heather. They're spending more and more time together and she's convinced him to take some classes at the local community college. It's a warm summer night when Tyler calls to ask if he could come over to talk to everyone. Thirty minutes later, he shows up with Heather and we're all in the living room together. I'm sitting with Stephen and Elaine on the couch while Heather and Tyler sit on the smaller love seat. He still looks awkward for some reason.

Heather is pretty and I catch myself looking at her clothes and shoes and the little details of her face. Slight acne issues and her makeup is a little off. Oh god. I'm a terrible person. I'm definitely blaming this one on Hannah. Heather's got blond hair and a heart-shaped face with little dimples in her cheeks. She seems quiet and a bit shy but I can see a small spark in her eyes and I wonder if it was there before all of this happened or if it came because of it. After sitting uncomfortably for a couple of minutes, Heather pokes Tyler in the side and he shakes himself.

"So, ummm..." Tyler steals a glance at me and then talks to the floor. "So, I was wondering. You guys have a pretty big house and I was wondering, ummm, if, you know. If we could stay with you. We'd totally stay out of the way and pay our side. I'm starting a part time job doing some welding work and I can pay my way."

Heather looks at me when she talks. "I'm going to be mostly gone at the university but it's not too far to drive."

Nobody is asking the question so I do. "Why? You two are a couple, right? Don't you want your own space?"

Heather blushes but answers. "It's... it's hard to explain. I hated living with my parents. They're okay but they drive me up the wall. I mean, I lived with them for eighteen years and I just wanted to get out and do my own thing. And then... and then after that night... I felt different. I feel this odd loneliness. Something is missing. I haven't been sleeping very well and sometimes I just wander around the house but I can't remember why. I keep looking for something. I finally asked Tyler about it. He says... he says I'm looking for a pack. I... this is all still really weird for me. But, already I feel more at ease just sitting here. I didn't notice anything until we moved out a few months back. I feel safe here. We both do. I'm not trying to play a sob story and emotionally blackmail any of you into letting us stay but we wanted to ask."

I look at Stephen but he just looks back at me. And I feel Elaine's eyes on me. And Tyler's. And Heather's. "No," I tell Stephen. "It's your house. Don't look at me to make a decision. I think it's fine but it's your house."

The bastard winks at me and grins. "Well, if you're fine with it then so am I. We can help move you back this weekend." He stands and puts his hand out. "Welcome home."

The handshake turns into a massive sappy hug merry-go-round and Heather actually cries a little bit. It's a good moment and I can physically feel the emotions in the room. Heather isn't the only one tearing up because I feel sudden tears and a lump in my throat.

Later that night, I seclude myself in the bathroom. Stephen's house is huge but I don't feel right hiding out in one of the bedrooms or the study when I need a moment to myself. So, I typically use the second bathroom to just sit quietly and reflect. I still feel like an emotional wreck from earlier and there's an undercurrent of sadness running through all of it that makes my chest ache. Pack. Pack, they said. But I'm no wolf. I'm just me. I feel the bond as strong as it was when Stephen and Elaine first changed but that's all it is. I know they love me and I feel like I have a solid place here without a hint of pity but the difference still hurts. Sudden hot tears fall from my eyes and I cry as quietly as possible. It hurts more than I think it should. My face feels hot and my heart is aching. I bend over to try to stop the shaking and then press the heel of my hand against my chest.

And then I stop.

With trembling fingers, I explore the left side of my chest. And then, I stand and stare at the mirror. Not wanting to take a chance to believe but not willing to just ignore the possibility, I lift up my shirt.

My left nipple is three times the size it should be and there is a dark areola surrounding it. I feel the flesh around my right nipple tighten as it darkens and then puffs out slightly. Small blond chest hairs fall out around the developing areola and, as I watch, my right nipple swells and thickens until it matches the size of my left nipple. When I gently touch the new soft, sensitive flesh, I do so with fingers longer and smoother than they should be. Fine brown hairs grow out around the areola. I feel muscles and tissues tugging and pulling deep within my chest.

With eyes open in wonder, I touch the small hairs on slowly swelling breasts. Brown rather than blond.

Brown.

A storm of hidden scents suddenly fills my nose and sounds crash into my ears. I hear Elaine moving pots around at the other side of the house. It sounds like one of the pots hits the floor suddenly and then I hear running. I smell Elaine coming. I smell her. Elaine almost breaks the door down before she remembers how to open it. She stares and her eyes are wide.

"You," she stutters. "You're... You... I can smell you again."

We hug and cry as the deep pain starts. From the shadows at the back of my mind, I hear a mental huff sound as the she-wolf makes herself known again. I feel a very solid "Where the hell have you been?" question directed at me from her and I wish I knew how to answer.

Elaine holds me tightly as the changes accelerate and I can't tell if I'm laughing or crying or screaming or shouting with joy.

She's come back to me. My she-wolf has come back to me.