Endangered Species Ch. 33-40

A few men laughed while General Payne's mouth dropped in shock. "Werewolves. Like in the movies?"

"The movies are fiction. This was not." I waited for them to stop laughing. "We spent the day in the basement, then headed out after dark to find anyone in charge. We hadn't gone far before I got captured and Midshipman Newman killed."

"Why didn't they kill you?"

"I was a female of breeding age," I told them. "They were the only ones spared in the attack. Hundreds of women on base were captured and enslaved by our new werewolf masters."

"These masters, you said they are werewolves? How do you know?"

"It's hard to ignore a two-hundred-pound man becoming a two-hundred-pound wolf in front of you," I told him. "I'm serious as a heart attack here. Werewolves exist. Werewolves attacked the base and took it over, killing almost everyone at Kitsap. And warriors still hold it."

The General was losing patience with me, and his mind couldn't wrap itself around what I was telling him. "Why would they take Kitsap?"

"It's the safest place to hide from the shit going on topside. It has miles of underground bunkers built for Trident weapon storage and repair, underground maintenance and command facilities that still have power and utilities, and working vehicles. There are nearly five hundred of them holed up in the base. They send raiding parties out at night, collecting food and supplies from the entire area. They have years worth of food stored in those bunkers already. You're not going to wait them out. Hiding behind yards of soil and concrete or steel blast doors, you're not going to destroy the bunkers without using a nuclear weapon. If you do, there may be other nuclear weapons underground. Do you want to vaporize multiple ballistic missiles with an attack? You'd irradiate the Pacific Northwest."

General Payne shook his head. "A base like that has security forces, Marines, procedures! How did they get overrun so quickly?"

"The werewolves are far better suited to the post-apocalyptic world than we humans are. They heal ten times as fast, see in darkness, have far better hearing, can scent like a military working dog, and are stronger and faster than us. They can fight effectively in conditions where we cannot. The defenders had no chance."

"So, how in the hell do you beat them?"

"You don't, General. You have to find a way to live with them. You know they own the base, and I'm telling you, it is suicide to take them on. In my time there, I was able to make some headway. If I survive, I might be able to broker a peace agreement."

He shook his head. "Peace agreement? With a hostile force that has already massacred thousands of our sailors and Marines? Are you mad?"

"It's better than the alternatives. I have a unique perspective on this, General. I can bridge the gap between our people."

"Because you were held captive?"

I felt a sharp pain in my leg along with hearing and feeling a loud snap. My left leg bent as the ankle lengthened and reformed. The Major screamed and backed away.

The change was starting.

I breathed through the pain and looked back at him. "No, General. I'm becoming one of them. A werewolf bit me two days ago. Twenty minutes from now, I'm either dead or a wolf."

"NO," Major Burkett said. "Get me out of here!"

"You're in isolation, Major, and you ordered that. We can't let you out," the General replied.

I looked at her with tears in my eyes. "Stay away from me, and lock yourself in the bathroom when you feel like you aren't safe. Stay there until it's over." I looked at the General. "There's no one else in this room, General. Keep everyone clear in case my wolf comes out feral. If I don't calm down in a few hours, send people to shoot me in the head."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

Another bone broke, bringing a fresh scream of pain. "I can't stop it, General. God willing, I'll survive it and tell you the rest of the story."

Ch. 39

I was on the floor, writhing in pain. I'd shoved the chair out of the way; I wanted to stay within view of the General and a few others outside the door. I didn't need to bang into anything as my body changed. After a few more cracks as my body continued its transformation, Major Burkett's professional curiosity started to outweigh her fear. "What is going on with you?"

"It's a first for me," I said as I panted through the pain. "I've been told it takes twenty minutes and can be extremely painful. I can verify that." POP! Fuck! "When I'm a wolf, it can come out scared or aggressive. In the Pack, the Alphas closely supervise human turns. The stronger wolves can settle the new ones down."

She caught on immediately. "And you have no one to settle you."

POP! Shit, that hurt! I steeled myself to the breaks happening more frequently now, only thirty seconds apart or so. The pain from one barely faded before the next arrived, and my change was accelerating. "Exactly. You won't be in danger until I'm a wolf as long as you stay clear of me. I'll be in so much pain I won't know what I'm doing." POP! SNAP! Two in a row! Fuck me, that hurt!

My skin felt like millions of needles were poking through; looking at the back of my hand, I could see fur pushing out.

The Doc carefully approached and took my hand to check my pulse. "You've got a pulse of 180 now, Angela. You need to calm yourself down."

Another bone popped, my ankle lengthening. "Get these scrubs off me while you still can," I replied. "They hurt, and they will only get in the way."

"Those men are watching you."

"I'm sure they're looking forward to seeing a naked lady with fur popping out," SNAP! Fuck! "Everywhere. Just do it."

She found a pair of shears in one of the drawers and cut the scrubs off. I barely noticed as the changes to my body continued. They started at my hands and feet; the lower legs of the wolf were far different, so there was much to change. It wasn't long until my hips and shoulders started to reshape and realign. My chest got deeper, my waist narrowed, and a tail started growing from my back.

My spine realigned in a series of cracks that sounded like popcorn, and then it was time for my face and head. That's when the pain reached a new level, and I lost touch with reality as my mind entered the darkness.

The darkness is where I felt her.

I could not see my wolf, but I could sense her. I looked around, the inky blackness revealing nothing. I could feel the wild coming from behind me. I turned around, raising my arms, just before the wolf crashed into me.

It knocked me onto my ass, but I had a grip of the fur on her throat. She was growling and snapping, desperately trying to kill me. Newly emerged, she was scared and fighting for her life.

We'd talked about this battle with the humans. If she won, the wolf would remain feral. As we fought for dominance, I knew nobody was coming to help. I had to be strong enough to hold her off until our minds could combine.

I risked getting bitten by letting go of her throat and sliding my hands up towards her jaws. It was crazy, but it worked; my fingers could wrap around her muzzle, and I twisted my body and rolled on top of her. I moved around until I was on her back, my legs wrapping around her body to keep the sharp nails away. I pushed her head down with mine, demanding submission. "CALM DOWN," I thought to her. "We aren't enemies! Share with me!"

My wolf struggled mightily, not giving up. She fought to get free, eventually loosening my grip. I had to let her go. I rolled away before she could snap at my hands.

My wolf gathered herself, let out a howl, then leaped for my neck.

She never made it. A glowing figure appeared between us, effortlessly catching the beast and wrapping it in her arms. Her hair was white, her dress silver, and her identity unmistakable. "Calm," she said in a voice that penetrated my soul.

The wolf quieted, and I rolled up to one knee. The Goddess Luna began to stroke the fur on her back as her eyes, glowing like a moonstone, took me in. "Come here, my child."

I knee-walked closer, feeling the cold as she took my hand and brought it to the fur of my wolf. "Am I dreaming?"

"You are in my realm, my Angela. Bring your forehead to hers. She is strong and loyal, and you will need each other's strength in the coming days."

I did what she said; the merging of our minds happened without struggle or pain. It was like a new window opened in my mind, and I could feel her power. I opened my eyes to see the Goddess alone with me. "Where did she go?"

"She is in you now. You must return now. My people have lost their way, and you will show them."

"How? I know nothing!"

She smiled and covered my eyes with her hand. "You're doing fine, my beautiful werewolf. I am with you." I felt a kiss on my forehead, then blackness again.

This time was different. The smells assaulted my senses because they were so strong. I might be in a hospital dumpster from how bad it smelled of alcohol and disinfectant! I could feel the cold floor beneath me, my mouth open, my tongue hanging out as I panted heavily. Opening my eyes, I saw I was still in the room, but everything looked different. It was sharper but less colorful, and I could make out details I'd never seen before.

Details like the movement of each silver-gray hair on my front paw as my skin pulsed underneath it.

I raised my head off the ground, rolling onto my stomach as I looked around. My front legs were the same color, as were my back legs and body. I caught my breath as I looked around the room. Outside the window, the General's eyes were big as he watched me gaze back at him. Other officers rotated behind him, each taking a quick look at the new wolf.

I heard the mumbling of a prayer. I cocked my head to find the source, turning to face the door to the bathroom. I could see evidence of a struggle in the room; chairs knocked over, the bed shredded, and deep scratches on both doors from my claws. While fighting my wolf in my mind, my wolf had been destroying the room. I had to wonder how much longer I had before the General would have ordered me killed.

I got to my feet. I slowly padded over to the door before sitting down again. I whined a few times, then pawed the door three times. "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR YET, MAJOR. WE DON'T KNOW IF SHE WILL GO WILD AGAIN," the General shouted.

How could I convince them? I jumped up on the bed, turned around three times, then lay down on my stomach with my head on my paws. I watched the door, occasionally wagging my tail. It took a few minutes before the General allowed the doctor to come out. I didn't move, not wanting to scare her. I began wagging my tail furiously as she slowly came my way.

"What a beautiful animal you are," she said as she stopped in the middle of the room. She was carrying the metal bar from a towel rack as a weapon, just in case. "Such amazingly violet eyes, and that fur! It almost glows!"

My wolf basked in the praise, and I raised my head slightly and tilted it. She came closer, eventually reaching out with her closed hand, presenting the back of it to my nose. I took a good sniff, then gave her a lick. "Nice puppy."

Having someone scratch behind my ears felt fantastic. It's no wonder dogs love it. Doc sat down next to me, checking my heart rate and looking me over. I licked her chin when she finished the examination, staying put as she went to the entrance door. "General, I'm not a vet, but she appears to be a healthy wolf that weighs about a hundred and twenty-five pounds. Wild female wolves don't get over sixty. It's Angela in there, sir."

There was one thing more I needed to do, and I remembered what the class on wolfiness said about shifting from one form to the other. We had the wolf and the human in our head, and our body would follow whichever one we let have the lead. I let out a yip, then closed my eyes as the Major turned to look at me. I asked my wolf to step aside and felt my body shift in an instant back to my human form.

Thank God only the first shift hurts! I was prone on the bed. I reached for the torn-up sheet and pulled it around my body as I sat up. "That wasn't fun," I said out loud.

"You're a werewolf! I can't believe it!"

Doc was checking my vitals as I looked at the General through the window. "I'm not lying to you, sir."

He nodded. "Major, I'm letting Midshipman Summers out. We've got a lot to discuss."

Ch. 40

It turned out that "letting me out" didn't mean my freedom. A pair of female Military Police entered my room after Doctor Burkett left. They were carrying clean underwear and scrubs for me, which was nice. The guards came dressed in riot gear, including nightsticks, ballistic shields, and a set of prisoner transport chains.

The chains were for me. "General's orders," the taller one said when I raised an eyebrow at them.

"Am I under arrest?"

"Do you want to be?"

"No." I didn't ask any more questions. The tall one blocked the window in the doorway as I got dressed. I'd donned the military-issue panties and bra when my stomach growled. Loudly. "I'm starving. I could eat a horse." The pair looked at me in shock, and I realized that probably wasn't the best saying when you'd just turned into a big fucking WOLF in front of them. The shorter girl kept her shield between us, moving towards the bathroom door with her hand on her nightstick. I shook my head. "It's just a saying, Sergeant. I haven't eaten in over a day."

"Food rationing is in effect, Midshipman Summers. I will ask if you are allowed any," the taller one replied.

That was how they were going to play this? Wonderful. What had I done to deserve this? "They aren't like us," I heard in my mind.

"What the hell is that," I thought.

"I'm your wolf. They are not Pack. We need to find our Pack; we need them, and they need their Alpha."

"I'm not sure how to do that."

"SUMMERS!" I jumped a little at her yelling. "I'm not going to tell you again. Face the wall, hands behind your back."

I must have spaced out when a fucking WOLF started talking in my head! I assumed the position. The Sergeant watched me with her hand on a nightstick while the shorter one attached the chains to my ankles. There was an eighteen-inch long chain between the two cuffs. It was enough to walk with a shuffle but not to go quickly or run. Another chain wrapped around my waist like a belt and locked closed. My wrists were cuffed, with short chains connecting them to the waist chain.

All I was missing was an orange jumpsuit. "I can't believe I came all this way to be chained up like a prisoner."

"We have prisons, too," the Sergeant replied as she checked my cuffs. "You better hope you don't end up there."

They took each of my arms and led me out the door. Four more Military Police, both men carrying M-4 rifles, took positions in front and behind us. It was quite the show of force for a shackled prisoner. "Why the hostility? I haven't done anything to you."

"We're members of the 508^th Military Police Battalion," the short one said.

"We had friends stationed at the detention center at the Bangor base," the Sergeant replied. "Word of their fate has spread like wildfire. You werewolves killed them."

The General must have told my military police escort about me. My guards would need to know what I could do, hence the show of force. I had no doubt the men would shoot to kill if I shifted.

The two guided me along fast, but my feet weren't accustomed to the prisoner shuffle. I stumbled, but they caught me. "Where are we going?"

"Just walk, Summers." We ended up at a stairwell, and they led me up to the ground floor. We exited the stairwell next to an emergency exit. I could see the sunlight from the other side of the small window through the black plastic used to cover it. The guards donned dark sunglasses and hats. I got a canvas hood over my head.

I could feel the warm sun on my skin as we walked across the concrete parking lot. I could see my feet with the hood, but not much else. I counted three hundred and eighty-seven steps until we reached the stairs to go into the next building.

The hood came off once we got inside. The emblem painted on the wall was for the Office of Special Investigations, the Air Force equivalent to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service or the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. I was guided to another stairway, then down to the dark basement. A female guard was holding the door to a small detention cell open. The MPs pushed me inside, then closed the door. Once locked inside, they ordered me to place my back against the bars. The junior MP removed my shackles, then the six people left.

There wasn't much inside the cell. A steel toilet, sink, and matching bed platform with a thin plastic mattress are all attached to the concrete walls. It smelled like a sewer, and it didn't take long to figure out why. The toilet and sink had no water. "Nice digs," I said to the guard who had a desk near the door. It was made of heavy-gauge steel and locked from the outside. It didn't even have a doorknob. "Any chance of getting some food or water? I haven't had anything in over a day."

The guard looked at me, then went back to reading her book by the light of two candles. Guess not.

I had hours to myself, and I used it to relax on the bunk and talk in my head to my wolf. She was insistent on getting out of here but was practical enough to see it wasn't happening anytime soon. I could feel her reaching out to the people she knew were in her Pack, but it didn't work. "If only we had a chance to bond," she told me.

"Soon," I promised.

I heard a commotion outside, followed by the sliding of a steel bar. The door pulled open, and the guard at the door snapped to attention and saluted. "How's the prisoner," General Payne asked her.

"Quiet, General," she said.

The General walked over, the room lighting up with the flashlight his aide carried. I was standing at attention but didn't salute. I wasn't in uniform, and the Navy doesn't salute uncovered as the grunts do. He grabbed a chair and sat on the other side of the bars. "At ease, Summers." I went to parade rest, but he motioned to the bed, so I sat down. He had a few other officers with him, but not the same ones from before. This group had a Colonel and a Major with Ranger tabs on their shoulders, and the Major was in battle gear with a rifle and pistol. "I'm not sure what to do with you."

"I'm not a threat to you, sir. I'm trying to help."

"I'd like to believe that. I really would."

I needed him to get out. "How can I ease your concerns, General?"

He ran a hand through his thinning grey hair. "Your story is farfetched. If I hadn't been there to watch you change, I'd have you in the looney bin now."

"It wasn't a lot of fun for me, either." I looked at the Major. "You're leading a unit out to check out my story."

"I have to know if a major military base is under the control of a hostile force," the General replied. "Major Perriman is with the 75^th Ranger Regiment. He'll be leading a platoon on a reconnaissance mission. I'm going to leave him with you. His team departs in an hour. You will pass along as much information as possible about the base and its defenses in that time. If your information turns out to be accurate and helpful, you will live. If you lie to us?" He shook his head. "Many already think you are the enemy and don't trust you. That would seal your fate."

It was too much. "Your men will die before they can get close enough to do anything," I said. "You still don't understand what you are facing! These werewolves can see in the dark, move without noise, communicate using telepathy, and scent your approach like a guard dog! They'll detect your approach and ambush you before you can react."

"My men are the best of the best," Major Perriman objected. He wasn't a big guy, maybe five-eight and a buck-forty, but he had the look of a man who'd seen combat. Army Rangers were badass and had no quit in them.