Feline Therapy Ch. 02

She still wanted to run. In fact, she yearned for it. To let loose in an open field and feel the wind against her fur while-

Ariel shook her head and mane in angry annoyance. She shoved her toes into her shoes and her forefeet strained against the opening in her shoes and refused to move. She bit her lip with her little fangs and shoved, her quiet growling growing into an inhuman yowl as she bent down, released her claws to tear into the laces and tongue of her shoes.

The fur along her shoulders and back stood at end while her eyes narrowed and she panted in frustration. Her hands relaxed and her claws pulled back, allowing her to grab her shoes and stalk to the nearest trash can.

Her calves flared as she found herself raising instinctively onto the balls of her feet. At the same time, her claws dug into the mat with each step and the tip of her tail lashed ineffectively behind her. The young woman dumped her ruined shoes into the trash and then paused as her ears flexed back and forth. She could hear the indistinctive yet loud hum and chatter of people at the front of the building and outside in the parking lot from where she stood. Yet nobody was nearby so she held her bag tight against the fur still showing over her shirt and then slipped out into the hallway.

As she crept along the hallway, her sensitive ears kept her alert. She couldn't hear the showers running or anyone in the locker room so curiosity won out and she pushed the door open to step inside.

With a glance at the door behind her, she licked her lips and her tongue dragged against her soft skin. She ignored it and stepped over to the mirrors.

The difference was immediately visible to her.

Her eyes were no longer mud brown but the color of burnt sand. Dark mirrored lines ran from the her eyes to her lips in the distinctive pattern of a cheetah's marking. She stepped in close and realized what the receptionist had seen: the skin around her eyes was obsidian - a natural anti-glare coating. She pulled her eyelid down and her fingers brushed black peach fuzz hairs surrounding her eyes.

Still watching closely, she ran her fingers along the bridge of her nose. Her nostrils were more gray than the surrounding skin and her top lip curved up slightly in the center. Unlike her nose, her lips were almost as dark as her eyes.

She glanced up at movement in time to see hairs sprouting from the backs of her ears. She brushed her hair back and flexed her ears to watch the hairs cover the skin and then continue to grow down until it merged with her mane.

"Fuck," she whispered as she finally caught a look at the thick ruff of fur on her nape. It was dark as a raven's feathers but seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. Orange spots littered the thick fur and she pushed the back of her shirt down to see how far it grew.

A scream nearly escaped her lips as she bit down hard enough to drop blood. Her tail curled out of the back of her shirt and she felt it brush the rough hem of the tank top.

Her head snapped up to the door as she heard voices coming down the hall. As quickly as she could, she grabbed her bag and left the bathroom. She left through the back entrance and darted in between cars while eyeing people as they entered the building. As she had while driving, she found herself naturally plotting a path through the vehicles in order to provide cover for herself until she jumped into her own car.

Once inside, buckled and hidden, she took a deep, shuddering breath.

"One step at a time," she told herself as she started her car and pulled out of the parking lot.

---

Ariel stopped in at her home to steal a pair of Caitlin's shoes as well as a full shirt and hoodie to hide her changes. She left before her girlfriend could come home and raced to her work to find the parking lot completely empty. A few people worked on Saturday but she'd forbade her employees from working Sunday in order to force them to take a break. And now, on a Sunday afternoon, she was grateful for that.

Despite her girlfriend's larger feet, the stolen shoes felt cramped and wrong and she kept raising up to walk on her toes.

The security team had finally overhauled their system recently and the doors opened as she approached. Even better, they'd fixed the announcement system and it no longer gave the company's tagline when she walked into the foyer.

As she walked through the cubicles, she could feel her tail struggling against the copious amounts of surgical tape she'd used to hold it down. Yet she also wished she hadn't as it had grown down to brush against her labia. She refused to admit that the sensation of it grinding against her ass and pussy was turning her on and distracting her. Still, it was hard to ignore the slowly building ache within her guts.

Being surrounded by the familiar equipment in the laboratory granted her a fraction of calm. With quick, concise movements, she drew her blood and inserted the tray into a nearby, unused machine.

And then she waited.

The machine clicked and hummed and she stared at it intently, flexing and unflexing her hands. She found the movement of her claws soothing in a strange way. The smooth, dense keratin moving against the little sheaths while pressing against the opening in her skin was unnatural yet calming. The tendon within her hand relaxed and she touched the tip of her fingers, unable to feel the slit. Her fingers would then roam over her bent fingernails. They were no long rounded but rather dented to allow room for the claws. And then she returned to flexing and exercising the tendon. All in a looping pattern as she eyed the machine.

The buzz of her phone startled her and she hissed while feeling the hairs raise on the nape of her neck. She grabbed it, automatically releasing her claws so they hooked to the edge of her phone case. As she swiped to answer the call, she felt the smooth screen against what felt like wrinkly skin.

"Hey babe," she said into the phone while staring at her hand. The bottoms of her fingers looked like she'd spent hours in the bathtub. She kicked her feet and the rolling chair she sat in glided across the floor until she stopped at one of the desks. "Are you already at work?"

She felt goosebumps rise on her arm as she watched the skin on her palm begin to protrude. At the base of her thumb and along her palm beneath her fingers, the skin pushed away from her hand while turning gray.

"I'm- I'm sorry, what?" Ariel asked as she stared at her developing paw pads. She swallowed and licked her lips, wincing as her tongue rasped against her skin. "No, I can't. I'm at work. Yeah. Running a test. I thought, uhh, since I wasn't feeling well recently I could use that to check a new test we're developing."

The young scientist flexed her hand and then closed it into a loose fist. The pads pushed together, preventing her from completely closing her hand yet forming a tight grip where the pads touched. She traced a fingernail along the skin and opened her mouth in a silent gasp at how sensitive it felt. The sensation traced a lazy line along her arm down to her thighs where she twisted her legs together.

"I'm sorry, babe," she said. She felt the phone begin to slip from her hand until she gripped it tighter with her claws. It moved against her as the pads on her right palm developed. "Can I drop by your work in a couple hours? I shouldn't be long."

A bead of sweat slid down to the tip of her nose - not entirely from the warmth of the hoodie she wore. She felt empty deep within and entirely too sensitive. Her heartbeat was an exquisite throbbing ache that reminded her of how turned on she was with every beat. As she realized the issue, she felt her ass cheeks being pushed aside. Ariel gripped the table and grinded her teeth as her tail grew thick. It lengthened and the head slipped between her pussy lips

"Yes!" she gasped into the phone. "Yes, I mean! I'll- I'll, uhhh, I'll be there tonight. Love you!"

The tips of her claws clacked against the phone as she ended the call. Reaching back, she kept her claws extended and sliced through the tape holding her tail in place. She groaned as it slipped free to press against her jeans. The soaked tip filled her little area with the scent of her arousal.

Looking back, she could see how thick it was and she felt strange looking at it. With a timid, gentle movement, she gripped it within her paw. WIspy black and orange fur covered it in patches but it was mostly skin. It felt warm and firm in her hand and it flexed back and forth as if it had its own mind. She pulled it free from her pants and sighed at the release. Her happiness caused the tip to lash around, tugging at her lower back.

The machine chimed and she released her tail. It drooped below her but she could still feel its weight and its presence.

"Alright," she told the room. Her left hand dipped down to drag through the light patch of fur on her belly. She scratched herself lightly without paying attention and began to prepare the next test. "One down."