Layers Ch. 07

"Okay," I say. My voice is a bit shaky. "I'll just get a pregnancy test and we'll use condoms and, yeah. Birth control. Okay. This is okay. I am okay. I'll be okay." Elaine's eyes obviously see the lie but I've got nothing else. I'll deal with what comes and just roll with it. That's all I can do. "I'm sorry for crying. I feel stupid."

"Shhh, it's okay. It's a big huge deal suddenly. Let's just check out and go. Maybe we can grab some food, too? I'm starving. And we'll talk. I'll tell you all about the stroppy vagina and how easy it is to muck it up. Oh! And then we can go to Macy's and grab some panties. Yes? Panties? Can I watch you try them on?"

I laugh and feel better. The worry and stress loom large in the back of my skull and my stomach is full of acid but, well, hell, a week ago I was just a guy living out my life. I will take all of these issues in stride if it means I stay like this. Any day of the week. I'd bear the pain of the change from man to woman every single day if that's what it took. "Wait, 'stroppy'? What the hell does that mean? What's a stroppy vagina?"

Elaine makes an ambiguous hand motion. "Stroppy. You know. Cranky. I read it once and I love the way it sounds. Try it! Stroppy. It sounds English and fancy so I use it when I can. And I think it works perfectly fine with vaginas. Wait until you've had a yeast infection for no good reason and then you'll see what I mean. Effin' stroppy. Is a thing. Stroppy." More vague hand motions follow her faux accent (English? Cockney?) when she says the word.

"Oh my god! Stop with the stroppy! My vagina is magical and so far from stroppy that it's... it's... fuck. Magical. There. I hear 'stroppy' and think of like, I don't know, thick white goopy stuff. I don't want to even think about it."

"Well, there is that, too. Sometimes. Kind of. You'll see. Vaginas are amazing things but they move in mysterious ways. I mean, not really move but they're odd. And mysterious. And stroppy. But also kind of awesome."

I storm off while Elaine giggles quietly and makes her little wavy hand motion that is apparently needed to accentuate the stroppiness of said vaginas. Freaking women.

Here's something new - when I go to check out, I purposefully pick the register with the old skinny woman rather than the younger scrawny boy. Part of me wants to pick the boy's register just to see if he stares and to stare right back but the larger part doesn't want to deal with it. Unfortunately, I have to deal with an entirely different kind of harassment with the lady. Behind her stained white counter with an old style register, the lady stands in what looks like a potato sack painted with flowers. She has her hair pulled back fairly tightly and her half-circle glasses sit on the tip of her nose with a chain barely holding the glasses in place. She smells like old woman, mold, stale old forgotten sex, bad breath and prunes. Oh, and something that makes me angry. I'm guessing by the way she's frowning (she has about 15 million forehead wrinkles), pursing her lips and looking between myself and Elaine that she thinks we're lovers. And she doesn't approve. Oh, I get it. Tall, strong lady, smaller lady. Stereotypical. Right in this case but for the wrong reasons. She stares a bit more and then slowly, very slowly checks us out. Not like, checks us out checks us out but scans our items. Slowly.

Past me would stand patiently and semi-embarrassed. But I don't like the judgment. I don't like the way she's thinking about me and my mate. I don't like the way she's mentally treating us like shit. I can imagine the crap going through her mind and I don't like it. At all. So, I hook my arm around Elaine and feel her startle for a moment before she snuggles closer. Her heart is beating fast in time to my anger.

"Hey sweetheart," I tell her. "Rather than getting something to eat, why don't we just go home?" I watch the lady the entire time. She hesitates and I see her mouth move in something that looks suspiciously like she's mouthing the word 'slut.' My lips go back in a snarl mixed with a grin and I tighten my hold on Elaine. I feel her fingers dig into my side in response. "And then, maybe I can eat you out instead. What do you say, beautiful?"

Before Elaine can answer, the old lady simply drops our clothes and walks off. She opens a small 'Employees Only' door and I hear the muted buzz of some angry, low conversation from inside. I can almost pick out words but I don't need to - the lady's tone is very angry. After a bit, a dour middle-aged man with a paunch walks out of the room and heads towards our register. Without an apology or explanation, the man picks up the clothes on the counter and continues ringing up the purchases. He never looks up the entire time. With the last item (my dress... MY dress... weird) scanned, the man takes Elaine's card, runs it and hands her the receipt. The man tells the counter in front of us to have a nice day but I assume he's talking to us rather than the counter because I'm nice like that.

I grab the bag of clothes and we leave. I'm actually excited to try everything on again. Oh crap. Okay. I'm excited to try on the dress and skirt for Stephen. There. I admit it. I want to wear the dress with whatever bra and panties we find so I can look like a proper, actual woman for my man. For my mate. My other mate. Jesus. Did I seriously think 'my man' like it was no big deal? Now I'm thinking of that thick penis of his and it's alternating between his human dick and that knotted wolf's cock and, dear god, I want them both. Badly. Suddenly. I inexplicably suddenly want to feel his cock spreading open my pussy lips. I almost gasp at the sudden need of it.

I put my hand on my chest, between my breasts as I refocus. And then a sudden shouted "HEY!" brings me entirely back into the present. The two men from earlier are closer. They were just walking down the street but the older one is stopped and looking our way. I feel the wind at my back. Taking my scent towards the two men. They're about three hundred feet away and there's nobody else around the area. A single car passes in the distance two streets away.

The older man drops to his hands and feet and runs. Clothing tears away from his body to expose fur growing through the gaps. He doubles and triples in size while I watch. In an instant. Clawed feet tear through his Converse sneakers and I catch a glimpse of his dick before black fur grows to hide it away. His friend reaches and yells for him before throwing down his jacket and running, his own change tearing his clothes apart.

So fast. I've never seen anything in real life move so fast. I see small sparks where his claws strike the concrete. My heart rate is spiked and I hear Elaine scream behind me.

Elaine.

There has been a few times in my years on this planet where I've been actually afraid for my own life. As a teenager, I panicked while swimming in a large lake and almost drowned. When I was a child, I stepped out in the street to chase a ball and I watched as a speeding car came within two inches of hitting me. Both times I was terrified. Not in the sense of being scared while watching a horror movie. No. I mean actually terrified. I felt the black gulf opening before me and had a taste of what it would mean to die. Both times.

This thing coming towards us with a clear intent to kill is another one of those times. I'm terrified. I can taste my own death and it's a mixture of bile and blood and oblivion. I am a human. I am six feet tall and probably much stronger than a normal woman my size but I am nothing compared to the drooling, raving beast that is barreling my way.

I don't want to die.

And then I remember. I remember what my uncle told me when he pulled me from the edge of the river - it is how you handle your fear that is the clear difference between bravery and cowardice. I think he got that from somewhere else and I'm very much paraphrasing it but I've never forgotten the basic meaning. I repeat it to myself sometimes when facing a challenge.

I don't want to die. I really, really don't. But, more than my own life, I don't want Elaine to die. I changed her and she changed me. She had worked her way into my life and my heart and the thought of her being harmed or killed does this thing to me. This thing where I feel a mini panic attack and my heart skips a beat or two. And I feel the wolf in the back of my mind growling at the possible loss of her mate.

I sprint towards the werewolf and I feel how strong I am. Even as a pure human, I am incredibly strong and light on my feet. Elaine yells for me but all I can hear is my own breathing and the thud of my feet on the ground as I tackle the creature. Well, no, not tackle. It's immensely strong and it slams into me. We roll together and I try to get my arms and legs around its body so it can't strike me. For one glorious moment, I have it. I have my arms under its armpits and it's growling and snapping at me uselessly. And then it flexes and breaks my hold. I fall away and immediately feel a burning pain along the side of my stomach. I didn't see its claws move but I see my blood fling away from the tips of the thing's black claws. I think I scream. Or yell. It hurts bad. The sun goes black and I feel rough skin against my face. Rough padding. And claws. And then I want to throw up. My ears are ringing and my head hurts. Oh. Okay. He's slammed my head- I black out for a moment as the side of my head hits the concrete again.

Thoughts are hard. I want to sleep and throw up and cry. And then I feel the boiling rage. The wolf is coming. Finally coming. I feel a surge of adrenaline and a little tell-tale burning sensation that lets me know I'm changing. Too late. A few more kisses from the concrete and I'll be dead. Too late to change.

I wince when the sun suddenly blooms into view. A red blur flies over me and then vanishes. The pain in my head winks out and I roll onto my stomach. I'm growling and I feel my canines scratch against my other teeth as they grow.

Elaine. Elaine is there with the other werewolf. My beautiful mate - my beautiful red she-wolf has her fangs into the other wolf's shoulder and she has a grip on his left wrist as she suddenly slams him down to the ground. He pushes and she moves back, faster than he can follow. Elaine's red and dotted-white muzzle is a mix of crimson blood and black fur. She's growling at the man (wolf) on the ground and I see her body tensing for another leap. The werewolf on the ground has his right paw against his shoulder as it makes a hacking-cough noise to spatter blood on the ground. It staggers to its feet and crouches, ears back. Elaine jumps but is taken mid-flight by the second werewolf. This one is smaller than the first but still black-furred. And still larger than Elaine. Elaine and this new wolf land hard and slide along the ground. I wince at the trail of blood and fur they leave behind. He hit her so hard.

My nails are growing out and I can see the fair skin on my forearm darkening with a growth of fur. I'm trying to force the change to happen faster but I have no idea what I'm doing. It's always just happened before. Elaine and the new werewolf are up and facing each other. The first wolf is on its knees and trying to stand with shaky legs. Elaine growls, stalking slowly towards the second wolf. She's got her arms down to her sides and her red tail is held nearly straight out behind her. She's sleek and small compared to the two males but still taller than I am as a human. She's the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. I wince as my spine cracks under the strain of muscles growing. Come on! Come on, you stupid wolf! My shirt splits and I feel my freed breasts touch the hot concrete.

The second wolf is walking backwards while Elaine follows. Her slow dance ends when the second werewolf reaches the first. The smaller wolf growls low and crouches beside his fallen comrade. And then, he grabs the first one by the back of the neck and pushes him down, hard. The first one yelps and growls but stays where he is - prostrate on the ground. The second wolf touches the ground with his free palm and lowers his head. Slowly, he picks the first wolf up and they stand. With his head still down, the second wolf makes an odd nod to Elaine and then pulls his friend away. They back away and then turn to run. The first stumbles once or twice before vanishing out of sight.

My change has stopped. I didn't ask it to do it but I watch my claws pull back into my body and I know it's reversing. Elaine pads over to me and butts her head gently against mine. I reach up and carefully touch the side of her muzzle, pushing it against my face and then rubbing against her back and forth. I smell the blood on her and feel the stickiness of it mixed with her fur. When she pulls away, her long thick tongue laps at my face to clean it off. I stand and immediately topple over. My side hurts badly and I can't decide which way is up. Elaine catches me and easily holds me up. Her thick red fur is soft against my breasts and, right now, I just want her to fold me up and hold me tight. My head is still swimming. We have to get out of here. Even as empty as this area is, someone could drive past.

We're further onto the street than we were a moment ago so I look for the nearest alley and point. It takes a moment for Elaine to understand but she eventually does and then we walk towards the space between two old buildings. Well, Elaine walks on the pads of her feet and I get gently dragged with her. Once we're deep in the alley, I push away from Elaine and sit back against the wall. She whines and lies down on my lap. Jesus, she's heavy. And soft. And warm. And hugely comforting. The fur on the tips of her ears tickle my breasts but I ignore them and stroke her muscular back. She's careful with her claws and I'm thankful for it. Her thick tail is tucked between her legs and she has her eyes closed while her husky breathing slows. My side hurts less and my head is starting to even out. The hearing in my left ear is gone but I think I can hear a faint whining sound with it so I hope it's not too long before that's fixed.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I bury my face in the fur of Elaine's shoulder and cry. Tears of relief and frustration and terror. I almost died. Elaine could've died. And I couldn't do anything about it. She changed where I couldn't. My body heaves as I cry in quiet restraint. Elaine changes under me. Slowly. Painfully, it seems as she whines with every cracking sound. I hold her tightly, letting my concern and love for her wash away the terror and shame I feel from not being able to protect her. I feel her muscles shift and contract, bones moving in horrifying ways. I wonder that I don't remember the changes so well but I'm thankful that I don't because it's terrible to watch.

Where does the fur go exactly when it pulls back? How do our bodies know what is the werewolf and what is human? Is it some virus? A science thing? Magic? Is the hair just under the surface of the skin? No, that's nonsense. We'd feel it. It just pulls back and goes away. Just like Elaine's tail pulls back into her body, fur vanishing with every tug on the base of her spine. Muscles shrink under the heavy sheen of her sweaty body. She's gasping and whining and kneading at my body for comfort. It hurts but I take it because I know she's in more pain. Plus, the faint red lines her claws leave seem to vanish quickly. Fast healing. I'm like a sexy Wolverine. With tits.

Eventually I'm able to pull Elaine into my lap to hold her. Her face is the last to change back and she whimpers with each crack of her skull and jaw. Her body is slick in sweat and she feels like she's burning from fever. It's a strange sight to see a small woman with a hairless wolf's muzzle but I still find her beautiful. Mostly. Mostly beautiful. I'm sure I look just as odd so I'm not going to start judging.

Five minutes after she's fully human again, Elaine's eyes flutter open. "H... hey you..." She whispers. Her voice is weak but she smiles and I hug her tightly.

I'm about to cry again. I feel them at the corner of my eyes. The tears. "Oh god, Elaine. You were so incredible. I..."

The petite woman in my lap leans over and vomits violently. Blood and food and black fur and some pinkish, greyish thing that looks like skin and muscle spew out of her mouth. She's shaking and in a full body cold sweat. "I... I... That... I remember... I remember some of it... Is that... Is that fur? Mine?"

"No, honey. Not yours. The other one. You saved us. You should've seen it. You saved us." I hold her head to my shoulder and find myself rocking slowly. My voice is low and quiet while I talk. Her human body is soft against my chest. I'm very, very aware that she's naked and my tits are out. In any other situation, we'd be breaking things around us as we fucked like rabid wolves. I see the light bit of red bush she has around her pussy and her small breasts are squished against my larger ones. She's naked and sexy as hell but thoughts of making out and fucking are so far from my mind that they might as well be nonexistent.

"I'm... I'm sorry for throwing up. 's gross. Sorry. Mouth tastes bad."

"We'll get you cleaned up. Come on. Let's get home before someone sees us. Come here with me." The world is where it's supposed to be when I stand up and I pick Elaine up with me. She's so light in my arms now and she's still out of it enough that she doesn't bat an eye at being carried. I peek around the corner and wait while an older man walks across the street to the thrift store. After another few minutes, I run for my car. My keys are still thankfully in my pants so I'm able to unlock the door and carefully put Elaine in the passenger seat. I almost jump into the driver's side before remembering her clothes and purse. It takes a moment to find them but I do - torn clothing covered in light red fur. Her purse has a hole in it - probably a claw - and it looks like her cell phone is broken. I take all back with me to the car.

Elaine is out of it. She tosses and turns in her seat, mumbling to herself. I get a huge amount of double and triple looks on the drive home - truck drivers riding higher than my car. Naked pretty red-headed girl in the driver seat and Amazonian large-breasted woman in the driver's side. My shirt is in tatters from my near transformation and my breasts show through. After the second guy in the truck whistles and honks, I get mad and just rip the shirt off the rest of the way. Fuck them. If they want to look, they can look at all of me. I just wish I had something to cover Elaine. She's shivering and sweating, tossing and turning as if in the middle of a bad dream.

When I finally make it home nobody is around and I make a mad dash to the door, tits swinging in the breeze. I thought going commando as a guy was odd but being in the open air with my breasts not covered is really, really odd. I kind of like it. A lot. It just feels different. Natural? If I weren't distracted by everything right now I'm sure I'd have thoughts of sex outdoors. In the woods. Or a park. Against a tree. With Stephen's dick pressed against my hot opening. Moaning and pressing back on him. Wanting to feel him filling me up. Wanting to feel his hard knot against my pussy, threatening to open me wide until we're connected and locked in - fuck. There I did it anyway.

Shirt. Shirt. Shirt. Gotta find a shirt. I grab a loose top, struggle to get it on and then rush back out. And then back in again to grab a towel. And out again. I wave like a crazy person at a passing car. I don't even know them but I'm in that hyper "I'm not doing anything wrong!" mode where I overcompensate.

Elaine is smacking her lips and sitting up, blinking and looking at everything. She grins weakly at me when I wrap her in a towel. She hooks her arm around my neck and kisses my cheek while I carry her inside, cradled in my arms.