The Beast of the Woods

Callum sighed. He could see there was no point arguing.

For the rest of the afternoon, he scrubbed each pig until they shone white. He also cleaned out the sty and made sure the water trough was full. Later that night, he lay down on the itchy blanket Wallace had tossed him and tried to sleep. His last thought before drifting off was wondering what the Beast was doing.

*

Maybe he was tired out from the day's events, but Callum had a strange dream. He was standing by the stream in the woods. It was night. In the light of the full moon, he could see the Beast crouching down to drink. In the moonlight, the Beast's fur looked soft and inviting. He tried reaching out a hand to touch it. But he couldn't move his hand, his head, his feet. Slowly the Beast stood up straight, gazing directly at the moon. The water shone on her chin. Then she looked directly at him. Her eyes were deep and somehow... glistening. After a long moment, she turned and scampered off into the trees. Callum tried to follow her but couldn't move a muscle. He opened his mouth to call out, but what came out was a harsh banging sound.

He opened his eyes, but the banging continued. Squinting, he peered around. Then he saw bending down into the sty was Beckett.

'OUT! NOW!' he roared and banged the sty again.

'Whuh...,' Callum said sleepily.

'Get him out,' he heard Beckett saying.

The next moment, Callum felt something seize hold of his ankles and yank him out of the sty with such force he felt his legs had been ripped out of their sockets. In a daze, he saw Merek leaning over him with a smug expression.

'Where are they?!' Beckett yelled to his left.

Peering at him, Callum saw the orchard keeper was furious.

'Where are what?' he asked defiantly.

Beckett's hand lashed out and delivered a vicious slap to Callum's face.

'Don't test me, boy! The fruits! Where are they?!'

He looked quite demented. Spit was flying as he yelled.

'What's going on here?' said a stern voice.

Wallace had run outside, not bothering to dress. He had thrown a coat over his nightclothes.

'What has this boy done now?'

Breathing heavily, Beckett said 'This boy stole fruits from my storehouse. Twenty-three of them.'

'Is that so...?' Wallace said slowly. 'Well, that's not much of a loss for you, is it? What with the whole town giving you their every worldly possession?'

As Beckett seethed, Wallace asked 'But what would he even do with all that fruit?'

'We saw him sneaking up the hill,' Beckett said. 'Probably went to have a secret feast while the rest of us starve!'

'Hmm... Callum's been going there for his first hunt. It doesn't seem likely.'

'Well, we'll soon find out,' grinned Beckett, looking wild.

'What do you mean?' Wallace growled.

But the next minute, his question was answered. There was a cry from the direction of the shed where Callum slept.

'I have it!' called a figure, running towards them. As he got closer, they saw it was Rowan. In his hand, he had Callum's empty pouch.

'Good lad,' grinned Beckett as he reached them. 'And?'

Rowan nodded. 'There are fruit stains inside. And it smells of peaches.'

'There you have it!' cried Beckett triumphantly. 'Care to explain that? Not to mention, Rowan here saw the boy himself in my stores, and told me so when I had him over for dinner last night.'

'Already decided the contest results, hm?' said Wallace, raising his eyebrows.

'Indeed. No one's haul has been close to satisfactory. Rowan will marry Elise. They'll make a fine match. Elise will be happy, and I daresay Rowan will be too.'

Rowan smiled sheepishly.

'Of course, everyone can still hand in their hauls. I'll accept them graciously as wedding presents,' Beckett laughed.

'Now, about this boy,' he continued. 'As his guardian, I'll have you settle the debt.'

Beckett grinned.

'I think your flock of pigs will do.'

'No way!' Callum shouted. 'Half those fruits were going rotten anyway!'

Merek silenced him with a punch to the jaw.

Wallace was unmoved, however.

'I'm afraid not, Beckett,' he said coolly. 'Callum is an adult now. He can settle his debts himself. The pigs are not his to give.'

Beckett's face darkened.

'Fine. Then we'll start with labour. Three years should do. Or I can break one of his legs and make it one and a half. You have a hammer, I trust? Otherwise Merek will happily do it himself.'

Merek grinned savagely. A shadow flickered across Wallace's face.

But before anyone could do anything, Rowan said 'Wait! Callum can pay the debt!'

'How? Sell his hair?' Wallace growled.

'No, I saw him. In the woods, with the fruits. He was with a Beast!'

There was a shocked silence. Beckett looked quickly at Callum, who was too late to hide his look of fury.

'...Well, well, well!' Beckett grinned. 'This changes things. A Beast, hm? And just how did you find one?'

'He was tempting it with fruit,' Rowan said.

'Callum, is this true?' asked Wallace urgently.

Gritting his teeth, Callum slowly nodded.

'It looks like you're in luck then,' Beckett laughed. 'Merek, let him up'

Merek scowled but did as his father said.

'If you used my fruit to tempt a Beast,' Beckett declared, 'then the Beast belongs to me.'

'Now Beckett...,' Wallace began.

'If you go and hunt this Beast, and bring it back to me,' Beckett continued, ignoring the butcher, 'I'll not only consider the debt paid, but you can marry Elise instead and can keep a portion of the profits.'

'What? No!' Merek yelled. 'I don't want him in our family!'

His father kicked him viciously. 'Quiet boy. Or you won't get so much as a silver.'

He looked at Callum.

'Get going,' he ordered.

But Callum shook his head.

'I'm not killing for you.'

Beckett's lip curled.

'I'm not playing games, boy,' he growled 'Get going before I lose my temper.'

'It's murder,' Callum said.

'If you don't get moving,' Beckett said threateningly, drawing a knife from his belt, 'it certainly will be.'

'Hey!' Wallace said, stepping forward.

But the next second, Beckett had spun around, pointing the knife at him.

'SHUT UP!' he screamed 'SHUT THE HELL UP! OR I SWEAR I WILL!'

'Stop!' yelled Callum.

'Then get me that Beast!' Beckett yelled. 'Until you do, Wallace can wait here with my knife at his throat'

'All right, all right!' Callum yelled. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

'I'll go.'

*

Twenty minutes later, Callum was trudging miserably up the hill. Behind him were Merek and Rowan with drawn knives.

'If he tries anything,' Beckett had told them, 'you're to put an end to him, there and then.'

He had Wallace tied up in the sty, while he strode up and down the yard impatiently.

Callum was bitterly regretting having ever met the Beast. If he had just brought back a rabbit, this never would have happened. This was all the Beast's fault.

Callum sighed. He was lying to himself; he knew it. This was all his fault for stealing the fruits and trying to pretend he was anything more than the village runt.

And whenever he imagined having never met the Beast, he felt strangely sad. He was wondering about that when he realized they had reached the edge of woods. He stopped. Behind the trees, he could see a lightening sky. The sun was rising.

He remembered the first time he was here, spear in hand. And he remembered the times he'd woken up at the edge again and wondering how and why he'd got there.

Now he wondered if he knew.

'Hurry up,' growled Merek behind him.

Callum turned to them. One thought stood sharp and clear in his mind.

'No,' he said firmly.

Merek stared at him. Then he snarled. Rowan looked pleading.

'Die then. The village will be all the happier,' Merek said.

Çallum smiled. 'Not everyone.'

Merek advanced on him, knife raised. Rowan followed slowly after.

Callum stood there waiting.

But they never reached him.

For at that moment, there was a crash of breaking branches behind him. With a savage roar, the Beast leapt out of the trees and lunged at Merek and Rowan. The two boys gaped at the creature.

Then Merek screamed, and turned and fled, dropping his knife. Rowan stood frozen for a second longer, before he spun around and sprinted down the hill after Merek.

The Beast turned to Callum, a savage light in her eyes.

'I didn't come to hurt you!' Callum said frantically, holding up his hands. 'I just came so- .'

But he didn't get any further, because the Beast pounced on him and forced him to the ground. Callum struggled, but the Beast was at least 300 pounds. One clawed hand held his wrists above his head. One powerful leg kept both of his pinned down, while the other was stuck out for balance. Her fangs were bared, and she leaned down to tear out his throat.

So this is it, Callum thought. He shut his eyes.

But nothing happened. No tearing, no ripping. Just the Beast panting.

Callum slowly opened one eye. The Beast's face was close to his. He could feel her warm breath. She opened her mouth, and he could see a line of saliva dribble down. He recoiled in disgust, but the Beast grabbed his jaw with her free hand. Slowly, she forced his mouth open. She then leaned in so the saliva dripped straight into his mouth, and forced it shut. Callum wanted to cough as the saliva swirled in his mouth with a strangely sweet taste.

He forced himself to swallow, and the moment he did, the Beast released and sat back on her haunches expectantly. He coughed, the taste still in his mouth.

'Why did you- ,' he spluttered, then stopped.

A feeling began to grow in him. His body became hot all over. Hot, hot, burning! Callum gasped and fell to his hands and knees as the burning intensified. His body racked with pain as the burning went deeper until it felt like his bones were melting. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a rasping cry. Suddenly, a wave of sensations swept through him at once. He felt his bones reforming and lengthening, he felt his muscles swell and expand. He felt his hair start to thicken and grow down his back. His body began to grow rapidly. He seemed to surge upwards as he grew taller, and his chest expanded, ripping his shirt to pieces. His pants were next as his legs became long and muscular. He felt a cluster of sensations around his groin. His back prickled as thick fur sprung up down it.

And in moments where Callum once was, stood a male Beast.

His body now rippled with powerful muscles. In place of his old hair was rich bluish-black fur, and a softer downy version grew lightly on his chest. He felt fangs where his front teeth were, and his hands were tipped with claws. He stood at least twice as tall as he did before

He was also naked. The tattered remains of his clothes lay at his feet. Strangely, this didn't concern him, and he enjoyed the warm breeze as he examined his new body.

He heard a movement behind him. The female Beast had got to her feet and was walking slowly towards him. He now towered over her, and she seemed to smile up at him. She barely came up to his chest.

She took his hand and turned him around, so he was facing the woods. She then ran forward to the trees and looked back at him. They looked at each other for a moment, before she turned and disappeared.

Callum hesitated only for a second. Then stepping over the remains of his clothes, the new Beast leapt into the woods, following her.

*

They ran through the trees. Callum felt exhilarated by the feeling of freedom. Their powerful legs carried them faster than he could've imagined, and the edge of the woods was soon far behind them. Ahead, the female Beast bounded through the undergrowth with ease, and Callum hurried to keep her figure in sight.

They followed no path, simply running and leaping where the woods took them. Callum soon learned to read the forest floor and began to catch up with the female.

In no time at all, they were deep in unmapped woods, and Callum could hear the rushing of the stream. The female Beast reached the stream first and waited, panting, for Callum to catch up.

Then she knelt down and began to drink. Callum was thirsty too, but some force, some instinct made him wait and stay standing as the female drank her fill.

When the female had finished, she looked up at him and seemed to smile again. She stood up and Callum bent to drink. He took far larger gulps now. When he had quenched his thirst and stood up, the female took off again. Callum followed her through the undergrowth, going deeper into the woods than he had ever been.

The trees were getting taller, and they weaved their way through them, the female slightly ahead. Finally, they pushed through a series of thick bushes and Callum saw what was on the other side.

There was a flat area with no undergrowth. The branches of the trees were high up, creating a wide space. And in that space was a large group of Beasts.

The Beasts sat in groups next to trees. Male and female, old and young, there seemed to be no end to them. They all looked up as the female entered the clearing and made noises of greeting. Then Callum stumbled into view.

There was a silence. Then the whole colony burst into excited noises and leapt up all at once. They crowded around Callum, looking him up and down. One of the Beasts tried to touch him, but the next second, the female had lunged forward with a snarl. She stood between Callum and the rest, fangs bared. The other Beast, an older female, drew her hand back. They all began making noises, the female included. Callum wondered if he had caused some sort of family argument.

But everyone quietened down eventually and began moving towards the centre of the area. The female tugged insistently at Callum to make him follow.

The Beasts were all sitting or crouching in a circle, in the centre of which was a pile of the purple apples. The female pulled Callum down next to her, but he noticed that no one else sat near him. Everyone began feasting on the apples.

Callum reached out and grabbed one. Biting into it, the sweet juicy taste filled his mouth. Somehow, it tasted even better than before.

Next to him, the female had already finished three. Looking at her, Callum became aware of a smell coming from her. It was one he'd smelt before, a sweet musky smell. Only this time it caused strange feelings in him. He sniffed, and it filled his nostrils. A quiver ran over him, and he began to breathe quickly.

He looked at her crouching form and began to once again notice the slim waist, the slender legs, the soft fur. He made a strange sound. The female quickly looked at him, then continued eating.

Callum reached out a hand and touched her fur. He made the sound again. She made a louder one and quickly got up. Leaving them all behind, she disappeared into the undergrowth.

The other Beasts watched as Callum got up and followed her.

He could see her walking ahead. He saw the sunlight slide over her rounded shoulders, her soft fur as it bounced slightly. He saw her toned rear and long slender legs as she picked her way easily through the undergrowth.

And a burning feeling he had never felt before flared up inside him.

As he walked after her, he felt something between his legs and looked down. With all the changes his body had undergone, he had barely noticed his penis. But now he could see it had more than doubled in size. As he watched, it grew as blood began rushing into the shaft. It grew and grew until he had a fourteen-inch pole sticking out from his waist. There was no hair down there now, so he could clearly see it was a darker tone to the rest of his body and lined with thick veins. His balls had swollen to the size of the apples they had eaten and were about the same colour.

As he stared at his new penis, he noticed the sounds ahead had stopped. He looked up and saw the female was staring back at him, and at what was between his legs. She smiled and began running ahead.

Suddenly, obeying an instinct so powerful it could not be denied, Callum took off after her. His penis swayed back and forth, and his balls bounced against his powerful legs as he ran. He covered the distance between them in seconds and seized the female in his arms. She looked up at him, panting, a wild look in her eyes. The scent was overpowering, and his penis twitched painfully, pressed up against her stomach, her breasts pressed against his. They stood there for a moment longer, staring at each other. The female smiled and wriggled out of his grip. For a moment, Callum thought she was going to run. But she got down on her hands and knees and raised her rear to him. The meaning could not be any clearer.

Callum grabbed her ass in his powerful hands and raised it up even higher. The female's pussy was glistening, and his cock throbbed. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him on what to do next.

But a part of him hesitated. She was a Beast, a wild animal. If he did this, he could never go back to the village. Did he really want this?

Then he looked at himself. The thick fur on his back, his towering physique, his powerful muscles, his enormous cock. He was a wild animal too.

The female looked back at him, wondering what the delay was.

Keeping a firm grip on her ass with one hand, Callum grabbed his cock in the other. It was so thick that he couldn't get his hand around it.

He positioned it at the entrance to her pussy. Then following every instinct in his body, he thrust forward, spearing the female Beast.

The female let out a scream as Callum's cock invaded her. He was worried he wasn't going to fit and hurt her. But her pussy stretched, accommodating his massive girth as he pushed forward. It felt incredible, beyond anything Callum had imagined. Muscles gripped his cock tightly on all sides. Eventually, Callum could only get halfway in before he was forced to withdraw. The Beast grunted as Callum slowly pulled back until only an inch was left inside. Then he thrust again, reaching farther inside. And again. And by the fourth stroke, Callum succeeded in burying himself completely inside her.

Now an animalistic urge overtook him, and he began thrusting harder and harder. The female began to cry out with pleasure as Callum bore his full weight to drive himself deeper. He seized one of her legs and raised it, allowing his swollen balls to bang against her engorged clitoris, sending shockwaves through her.

Suddenly, her arms collapsed underneath her, and she lay there moaning in ecstasy, completely at Callum's mercy. Callum's nose was filled with her scent, driving him even wilder. He grunted as he pounded harder and harder, to the point where her feet lifted off the ground on each stroke.

Suddenly, her body began to shudder, and she let out a long moaning cry. Her pussy convulsed around his cock, sending jolts of pleasure through him and making him thrust faster.

The cheeks of her ass rippled as his pelvis slammed into them. The head of his cock was banging against her womb. A slight doubt entered his mind at this point, no doubt from his human side, but it was immediately pushed aside by his far more powerful primal instincts.

But it had made him remember Merek's boasts of his conquests, and the positions he had taken women in.

Callum withdrew his cock from the Beast with a sucking sound. She looked back at him in disappointment. But Callum flipped her over to her back, and positioning his cock carefully, thrust into her again. She understood immediately and raised her lower half up to allow deeper penetration. But it was hardly necessary as Callum grabbed her waist and held it in a firm grip.

Now he could see her properly. His cock was so thick that it formed a long bump in her stomach as he pounded in and out. Her breasts bounced wildly, and he reached out a hand to grab one. It was firm, and the brown nipple was as hard as a rock. The Beast moaned as he fondled them. They seemed to swell under his fingers. Callum began clenching the muscles in his ass, causing his cock to twitch inside her. The Beast writhed and let out a strange gibbering cry. Her legs were spread wide, allowing complete access to her pussy, which Callum pounded mercilessly.