Layers Ch. 09

Elaine's eyes are huge. Has she seen me transformed while she was still human? She looks over at Stephen (still on the floor) and then back to me. Her cheeks are flushed and there' s a slight sweaty sheen to her face. "It's," she swallows. "It's... you're beautiful. And Stephen... It's taking everything I have not to follow you two. It's really... it's really hard to ignore your smell and the urges. Really hard. Both of you. Oh my gosh. I never knew. Is that what I look like? How come you're still okay? How come you're not freaking out? Oh my gosh. You're magnificent."

I step to her and cradle her cheek with the raspy black padding on the tips of my paw. She's so tiny right now. So small. I can smell her struggle. She smells vaguely like sour sweat and her pupils are dilated. I can't imagine how hard it is for her right now. How hard it is to ignore me and Stephen at the same time.

The man looks up briefly before bowing his head again. "I'm sorry," he tells me. I'm sorry for coming to your home, Alpha. It's against everything I was taught but I didn't know what else to do."

I... woof at him and he continues as if he understands.

"You're... Jesus, you're big. I don't think I've ever met another wolf like you. Fuck. This was such a bad fucking idea. I thought the big guy there was bad enough but, Jesus. I have to talk. Can you..." The man swallows and peeks up at me again for a moment. "Can you change back so I can talk to you? Please?"

Well, shit. Can I? Maybe... maybe there... I relax. Somehow. In a not-exactly-relaxing kind of way. The wolf growls in the back of my mind but I let something go and relax and the change follows behind it. In reverse. It hurts. A lot. Enough that I find the nearest wall and press my forehead against it. The fur pulls back into my body and then goes god knows where else. Muscles hum and twist in my body in sickening ways, snapping bones as they go. Joints pop out of sockets that no longer fit them. I think my jaw is the worse one until my spine does something that makes me drop to my knees. I almost pass out at that one. I'm sweating all over and shaking. My tail hangs limply on my bent leg and it looks kind of gross without the fur. Very gross actually. Just wrinkly skin and bones. But, soon, it pulls back into my spine and I can't hold back the moan that escapes my lips. My breasts shrink with my chest as if they were being pulled tighter. Finally, the changes stop and I dry heave next to me. My stomach is in knots and I feel like I just did a million sit-ups. And pull-ups. And ran 20 miles barefoot.

Elaine looks even more wide-eyed. "Where does all the hair go?" She asks. "Is there like a layer of hair under your skin? Oh my god. Is there a layer of hair lurking under MY skin? Oh my god. Oh my god." She's not really freaking out but I can see that she's intensely curious about it.

"I," I gasp. "I don't want to do that again soon." I stand on shaky legs and head over to the bathroom closet to pull a beach towel from the bottom. It fits around me nicely and I stumble back into the living room. Stephen is still a werewolf and is glaring at the man from the side of the couch. "Elaine, why don't you go sit with Stephen. I think he could use some calming down and his wife should be perfect for that. Just don't get frisky, yeah? We all know where that goes."

Elaine nods and goes to sit by Stephen. She pulls his head into her lap and idly caresses the top of his head while whispering to him about how much she loves him even if he smells bad right now. And how she'll get him a good little doggie bed for the bedroom and a water bowl and a collar and call him Spot. I think there's something wrong with her but I wouldn't ever want her to change.

I look at the man by the open door and then nod toward the chair opposite the couch. "Why don't you sit?" I tell him. "Gimme a second with this door." I either have really thick feet now (possible) or there's no tiny slivers as I don't feel little tiny stabby things as I bring the door back over to the doorway. I kind of just lean the door against the frame and it stays there. I look at Stephen and sigh. Elaine is scratching him under his furry chin and he's drooling slightly while she coos at him. When I sit on the couch, I spread my legs scandalously far apart under the towel. "So," I tell him. "How about you start over?"

The man nods and brushes black hair away from his eyes. He's got patchy stubble on his cheeks and looks way younger than he probably is when he cleans up. "I'm, well, I'm Tyler. I know it's bad shit to break in on an Alpha's territory but I didn't even know you were here and it's a really small community. I thought I knew all of us. And Alphas are, well, you guys don't exactly hide usually. So, I'm really fucking sorry to do that."

I wave the stuff away. "Right, okay, there's time for questions later. Why are you here?"

"I... there's a wolf I follow. I didn't have a choice. James and I grew up together on the streets. Ran away from our parents when we were young and kept running because if your parents are wolves you have to run fast and long to get away from them. James is fucking retarded but he used to not be as bad. He's the one that hit you."

"I remember. I remember very well."

"Yeah. Yeah, I bet you do. You're lucky to be alive. I don't know why you didn't change but he wouldn't have stood a chance if you had. Anyway, he used to be okay but a little while back this new guy shows up and finds us. He just takes over. Not an Alpha but he's not the kind of guy you cross. He's scary as fuck and out of his mind. Mostly I just try to stay away and it's been us stealin' shit for him but he's got some hold on James or talks to him different or something because he's all fucked up talking about how we got this power but we don't use it right and all that shit. How we always runnin' and hidin' when we should be standing up for ourselves and taking whatever we fucking want. It's not right. It's not right but James ain't as smart as me and this other fucker has his claws deep into him."

Stephen is slowly changing back and I can see it out of the corner of my eyes. He's moaning and grunting from it while his body shifts. "All right," I tell Tyler. "So?"

"So, whatever. I'm used to people like this. Like my parents. Do this. Don't do that. Do what I fuckin' say or I'll break your head open. But, listen, I was a dumb kid when I ran away. My parents were assholes but they wasn't like this asshole. He's..." The kid stops and looks at the hands in his lap. I wait. And wait some more.

"He what?"

"He's killin' kids. Girls. I caught James with this girl, couldn't be more than sixteen. He was bringing her to the guy. We had it out but he's stronger than me and I left. I didn't know what to fuckin' do. Stealin' is one thing but killin' people? Killin' fucking kids? No way. No fucking way, man." His hands are gripped tight enough that they're purely white. He's still not looking at me. I can smell salt before I see tears leaking out of his eyes and dripping into his lap. "It ain't fuckin' right."

Little girls. Why does that ring a bell? And what kind of sick... "Why? Why's he doing it? And why come to me and not the police? What do you want me to do about it?"

He looks up and his eyes are red from the tears. "You know we don't go to the cops about this shit. Ever. And what do you mean, what do I want you to do about it? You're the Alpha. You take him down. It's what you guys do. There's not another one of you within a hundred miles at least. I go back and I'm dead. James ain't no friend of mine anymore and Scott is out of his fuckin'-"

I'm on my feet before I know it. "Who? Who did you say?"

Tyler shrinks back in his chair before me. His eyes are wild with fear. "S... Scott. The other guy is Scott. This new guy. Came into town almost five months back. Scott. Big crazy fucker."

I look at Elaine and she looks scared as well. Stephen has his eyes closed in pain and whatever else happens when those two change back. He's trembling slightly and his lips are dry.

"Scott? Does he have an accent? Canadian accent?"

"Y... yeah, it could be. He talks funny sometimes but I never asked. You don't ask guys like that where they're from. The weak just listen and do what they're told. That's how it's always been. You know that."

I growl and step forward. "No, I don't fucking know and that's now how I do things. I've only been a wolf for a few fucking days."

"You-" Tyler swallows. "You're fucking lying. Sorry. But that's impossible. That's impossible. Alphas are born, not made. You don't... you can't..."

I look over at Elaine and she nods. I sit again. And I tell him. I leave out little things but I tell him about Thomas and the box and the suit and everything that happened. It takes longer than I thought it would and the man gapes at me the entire time. I don't know what's the bigger surprise for him - that I was a man or that I wasn't born a werewolf. An Alpha.

"That," he pauses. "That's some crazy ass shit. Are you fucking with me? Tell me you're fucking with me. Please tell me. I know I ain't smart but that's just..."

I shake my head. "The reason why I didn't change to fight this morning is because I don't know how to do it. It just happens and I go with it. Something feels different now but this isn't me. I didn't even think this was real stuff a week ago. I was just a simple guy a week ago."

Tyler is shaking his head back and forth. "I'm screwed. I'm so fucked. Oh my god. I'm so fucking screwed."

A quiet voice gasps from Elaine's lap. "Y... you said little girls." Stephen's eyes are open but he's in pain and his voice is soft. "Was..." Stephen's swallow is painful. "Was one of their names Alanna?"

Tyler looks at me before answering. I cock my eyebrow and nod. "I don't know, man. I think James said something about a Sarah but I was so fucking mad that the change hit me before I could say much of anything and then we were fighting it out. I don't remember nothing about an Alanna. I don't even know how many times this sick fuck has done this. But, I know I can't go back to him. I can't go back to him now. I'll die before I do anything else for that fucker. I'd run back to my pack on the East Coast but that's my parent's pack and it's a toss-up whether they'd kill me or take me in."

Scott. The Scott. Right here. Possibly the one murdering the little girls around the area. The one that murdered Hannah and started this whole thing. Scott. And now this guy shows up and wants me to do something about it.

I look at this Tyler guy. "Did he bring the little girl straight to Scott?"

"No, Scott stays out until way late. He won't be back until like midnight."

I sigh. I ponder. And weigh options. And, then: "There is a coffee shop two blocks away. Go get yourself something to drink. Come back in about thirty minutes. I need to talk to Stephen and Elaine. But, be back or I'll come find you. I'm not Scott but I'll fucking hunt you down if you run tonight."

Tyler's face goes white. "Y... yes, ma'am. I'll come back. I will." And, with that, he goes. Stepping around the door and then putting it back into place as he leaves.

I pull the towel off as I stand and then I go to the kitchen to grab a large glass of water. I bring it with me and hand it to Elaine. It takes a bit of arranging but I insert myself under Stephen so his hips are on my lap. And then I realize what a stupid idea that was because I'm still naked. We're both still naked.

Stephen sits up partially and sips at the water from the cup Elaine is holding. She sets the cup down and then strips down to nothing before laying her head down on Stephen's hip. I feel her small breasts against my thigh as she snuggles into a comfortable position. Her hand finds Stelphen's hand and they twine their fingers together. A happy, warm little puppy pile. I stroke both of their backs quietly for a while and the effect is incredibly soothing. My mates. I feel complete with them.

After a while, I speak up. "I have to do this, I think. Even if it weren't for the little girl, I'd have to do it. I think I can control the change so I'll be okay but I have to go to this guy and finish this. And pray the little girl is still alive."

"I'm coming," Elaine tell me, without hesitation. "We both are." I can feel Stephen nodding his head against me.

"I'm feeling better already," Stephen tells me. His voice does sound stronger. "I'm not letting there be any chance for that little girl to be hurt. Or for you to get hurt."

"Me to get hurt again, you mean? For Hannah to be hurt again?"

"No," he rasps. "It's you. You're not Hannah. You never were Hannah. I want to protect you."

Stephen and Elaine unfold around me and Elaine sits off to the side. Stephen sits on his knees and my eyes are quickly drawn to his dick. His pubic hair is dense but short and his penis looks even slightly more wolf-like. The head is definitely tapered a bit more like a wolf's penis than a human's penis and there' s a very, very slight bulge where his wolf's knot would be. I feel my insides loosen as I grow wet at the memory of being knotted by him and I wonder if that lust will ever go away. His arms and chest look stronger than when I first met him. And his shoulders - his shoulders are lined with muscle. I guess the transformations have at least some lasting effect. His eyes shine quietly in the light as he stares at me and my heart skips a beat.

Stephen leans in and his lips brush mine. I grip the back of his hair and pull him in harder for an actual kiss, my mouth parting for his tongue. My male brain is all quiet on the "You're kissing another guy!" front. I don't care. I don't even know when I stopped making excuses about having a woman's body. I just love the guy. And he kisses like a raging fire and it makes my cheeks burn and my pussy wet. I try to pull him down to my breasts but he pulls away and shakes his head. I whine slightly and then do feel the male part of me get a bit embarrassed.

"No," he tells me. "Not right now. I want you badly but we have to do this thing now." He stands and catches his breath. His dick is pounding and hard in the air before him. I want to reach for it. I have to physically restrain myself from reaching for his dick because I want to put it in my mouth. I want to run my tongue along the length of him and cup his balls while playing with the head of his dick. And, again, the male part of me is silent. And eager. It's not a male and female part of me anymore. It's just me.

Elaine reaches for my face and turns it to her. Her kiss is light and sweet and full of unspoken words. I lose myself in her kiss and, for some reason, I feel tears starting. Why? Why with her? Because of our conversation? Because of this morning? We hug and her nipples press against the inside of my heavy breasts. My desire for her is only muted by the strange sudden flood of emotions. She's warm and soft and I want to lie with her for hours. I don't even care if we talk about scrunchies or clothes as long as we're touching and talking.

She stands as well and I notice Stephen has left the room. I hear him rummaging around for clothes and Elaine goes to join him.

I stand alone and consider the scene.