The Scent of Desire

When you've got dozens of draft stories that are *this close* to being done, and you get an idea for another... You drop everything to bring that new story to life. Madness.

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Hunting is what finally got Mother and my little sister caught. First it was Lily, trapped in an alley by the Trackers, killed without any mercy or feelings or humanity. Despite the Trackers being human, they didn't act human or even humane. Mother was inconsolable, and during the next Tide she went out hunting the Trackers. She killed four of them that night. And seven the following month. Killing them was her sole purpose in life after we lost Lily.

The Trackers knew we were in Jacksonville, so they came from far and wide. Mother took out three more on the next Tide, but they wounded her badly. Even after the Change she was still hurt, still in pain. The next month, she was determined to go out hunting again. I tried to stop her, but she was in so much pain, emotionally, psychically, and physically, that she wouldn't listen. I tried to follow her, but when she doesn't want me to find her, she was practically invisible. There were not many Trackers left after what she'd already done to them, and she killed most of the remaining ones that night, but they prevailed anyways.

Then I was alone. I'd never been alone before. I had to get away from there, so I went north. All the way up into Canada. Once you get a hundred miles north of the border, the population up there thins out to nothing and I could be free. I could run all night and see no one, smell no one, hear no one. That was what I'd always enjoyed most during the Tide. Running.

Alone, I mourned my lost family for years, but eventually began to yearn for social interaction again. So I moved closer to the cities, and took Human jobs. I am more or less Human most of the time, and I don't mind being around people. Most people anyways. In these modern times there are more people, and more people means more bad people. That's what started me Hunting again. People who smell evil, who feel evil, who radiate such awfulness that I cannot help myself. I hunt them. These are the ones preying on their own kind. Pure evil.

I do my best to hide my tracks, because there are always Trackers out there, searching for me and my kind. Nowadays, if I stick to the Hunting the worst people I can find, no one seems to care. No one really wants to know who took out the drug lord or the murderer or the rapist. They're just glad that the scum has been skimmed off the gene pool. But I still have to be careful.

In earlier times, Mother and Lily used to Hunt for the thrill of it. They hunted loners and outcasts. The homeless, the lost, the weak. Those were people that few would mourn the loss of, but to me they were innocents. I could not touch them. So I turned to Hunting the kind of people that not only would not be missed, but whose death would actually be celebrated.

I stayed away from the big cities, and moved from one small town to the next. I got good at surfacing with a new identity every decade or two. But things changed and with the modernization of bureaucracy it became harder and harder to disappear and show up with a new identity somewhere else. That just meant I had to learn new skills, like forgery, identity theft, and hacking. Learning new things keeps you sharp, keeps you aware, keeps you alive.

I was in a small town a hundred kilometers from the outlying suburbs of Toronto. Pretty close, but not too close. I'd been there for twelve years, working as a librarian and volunteering at the local food bank. When the Tide rose in me I was close enough to the open countryside to run. I was careful where I went, and careful not to leave traces that would lead Trackers back to me. There were not a lot of evil people around, so I was hardly ever driven to Hunt. Life was good. But Evil comes to all places, eventually. When it did, I Hunted them.

When there was no reason to Hunt, I ran. That night was one of those. It was a cool and perfect evening. I put miles and miles under my paws, delighting in my speed and silence. I was so caught up in the exhilaration of Running that I missed the scent of Man at first. Just as I realized that I could smell someone, I ran straight into them.

We fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, both of us crying out in surprise. I'd run into a campsite, complete with tent, fire ring, and a food barrel strung up in a tree. I was on top of the Human I ran into, so I pushed myself up onto my arms and looked down into a VERY surprised male face.

My ears had been tucked back in embarrassment and shock in that first moment, but when I pushed myself up, I flicked them forward. A natural reaction for me. But a surprising one for the poor guy I was pinning to the ground. I could tell. The look on his face was one of shock. I tensed to leap up and spring away, because I knew that his reaction would be one of terror. Meeting a werewolf up close and personal was quite traumatic to the average Human. But he was anything but frightened.

The look on his face went from surprise to awe. And his hands came up to hold my sides, just above my hips. He wasn't scrambling away in abject fear, screaming and running for his life. No, he looked up at me with rapt fascination as he held me gently.

"Wow." he whispered, a long, sighing, quiet sound that went with that look on his face. I could see his eyes searching mine, my face, my ears, and my mane. Then they swept down and his jaw dropped. I don't have big boobs or anything, but they're nice and firm, and are more than a handful. There wasn't much to see in the dim flickering light of the fire, what with the layer of short pale grey fur covering my chest and belly. But my nipples were pretty obvious, as they were pink and hairless, and they stood out in sharp contrast against my fur.

I started to try and get up. He clutched at me for a second, then let me go and began to scramble to his feet as well.

I turned to leave and he said "Don't go! Please."

There was none of the terror I expected in his voice or manner. And I couldn't smell any fear on him. Actually, I could smell something. Something new. Something interesting. He was excited. I'd never encountered a reaction like this from anyone before, not during a Tide nor during my Human time. I hesitated at the edge of the firelight.

He turned and sat down by the fire on a section of log. Perhaps making himself appear less threatening? Now he was getting nervous. "Can you stay? Just for a while? I-I won't hurt you."

Hurt me? Hah! Unlikely. Even if he was armed, which he wasn't, I'd smell it if he was, a few gunshot wounds wouldn't slow me down. They'd heal up fine when I Changed. I turned to leave, but something in his voice and manner stopped me. I stepped back into the ring of firelight and squatted down on the other side of the fire from him. "Who are you?" I asked him.

His eyes went wide again, and he swallowed before answering. "Frank. Frank Bench. You can talk."

I perked my ears up and tilted my head to consider his words. He sounded... awestruck. His heart rate was way up, and he was starting to sweat. Not because of the temperature. It was a nice cool night, and the fire was bright but not very big. I tasted the air, but all it told me was that he was nervous and excited.

I laughed. "Yes, I can, Frank Bench. My name is..." I thought for a second. What should I call myself? Not my real name, nor my current Human alias. I told him "Annabel." My words were slurred by the shape of my mouth and my snout, but I was confident I could be understood. Not that I got a lot of practice speaking during the Tide.

"Annabel? Wow. Are you- What are you?"

"Can't you guess?"

"I, uh, a wolf girl or something?"

"The correct term is Wolfen, but werewolf will do." I figured that word would probably end this conversation.

"Wow. You're, um..." He looked uncomfortable.

"I'm what?"

"You're beautiful."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I could smell the rapture he was feeling. I could see his body language practically shouting the truth of his words at me. That was where his reactions were coming from. I'd never been called 'beautiful' before. At least not by anyone other than Mother, and you know how mothers are with their children. I could have been the homeliest runt in the pack and Mother would still have called me beautiful. But another person? A Human? Calling me beautiful? Unheard of.

I blinked at him. "Thank you." Now I was suddenly shy. My boobs were quite visible in the firelight. And the way I was squatting here meant he could probably see between my legs too. Well, too late for modesty. "No one has ever called me beautiful."

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Most people run screaming from me. You're - different."

"I-I'm a Furry."

"Furry?" He looked about as hairy as a typical Human. Not furry at all. Not like me.

"You know, uh, a Furry. We, uh, we dress up like animals, and stuff." He sounded embarrassed now. And I could scent his nervousness. Some fear was creeping into his manner. But it wasn't the normal kind of fear I was used to seeing and smelling.

"Dress up? Like in costumes?" I always got a laugh at Halloween, because if the Tide was in me I could have had the best costume ever and scared the shit out of everyone.

"Yeah, we have like, conventions and parties and stuff. I, uh, oh shit, I..." he fell silent all of a sudden.

"You what? Tell me about it. I never heard of 'Furries' before." This was intriguing. How had I never heard of this? Then again, Humans have a penchant for fetishes, and I have a habit of being isolated, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

"Well, you're like my dream girl. Like a vision, like everything I ever wished for but could never find. Not even among the Furry community."

His dream girl? Now I recognized that scent, that undertone that had been slowly building ever since I looked down at his surprised face. He was aroused. By me. The fearsome beast girl, who'd torn dozens of men to pieces over the nearly two and a half centuries I'd been alive. This Human wanted me as a lover. What was I supposed to do now?

Run away, obviously.

But I couldn't. Even in my Human form, my senses were much more acute than a normal person. And I never got this particular vibe from anyone before. Now, with the Tide, my senses were orders of magnitude more sensitive. And what I was picking up from Frank was far beyond anything in my experience. He'd said "Wow" a minute ago, and right now my brain was saying "Wow" too.

So, instead of running, I talked to him.

"What is it about me that intrigues you so?"

His eyes searched me, my eyes, my ears, my face, my breasts, and my tail as it curled around my hips to cover my sex. All of me. I could see the movement of his eyes and I knew exactly where he was looking.

"Everything. Your eyes. Your tail. Your mane. Why do you have a mane? Are you um, part lion or something?"

I laughed. "I'm female, and I have pretty long hair when I'm in Human form, and that translates into a mane with the Tide."

"The tide?"

"The moon. When she's full, she draws the tides higher, and raises the Tide in me. That's when I Change."

"Oh. Okay. Um." His eyes now looked at the ground at his feet. His body language showed an inner turmoil, as if he was preparing to take a huge risk. But not a physical one. That would have been obvious to me. The risk he was preparing to take was not physical.

"Are you trying to ask me an embarrassing question?"

He looked up suddenly and blanched, noticeable even in the semi-darkness, fear outlining his features.

"Can you read minds?"

"No. I read your body language, your heart rate, and I smell your sweat, your pheromones. You want to ask me something, something you're afraid to ask."

He relaxed, sort of. Or maybe his anxiety shifted from one source to another. I waited. I was afraid too. Afraid to even speculate on what he was going to ask. But I knew anyways. I kind of wanted to ask the same question. But I couldn't. I shouldn't even be here! I needed to run away!

"Can-can I touch you again?"

When I'd been poised above him, and his hands were on my sides, It had been a most curious experience. No one had ever touched me like that before. I had been alone during the Tides for so long, I never knew what a touch could convey. And like all my other senses, touch was boosted too. It had felt good to have his hands on me like that. Better than good.

Part of my brain was screaming for me to run, but I fought down the urge. I wanted, no, I needed to feel that again, to feel his hands on me. Just once - but on purpose this time. The fleeting contact from earlier needed confirmation. I had to know.

I rose slowly to my feet. My tail swished, and I saw his eyes flick down to my crotch. I curled my tail around my hips again and fought the urge to cover my breasts with my hands. Taking a deep, slow breath, I stepped carefully around the fire and knelt beside Frank. He turned to face me, eyes wide, jaw open in amazement.

His scent filled my nostrils. There was a particular tang to it that drew me on. I reached out and took his hands in mine. We were both staring at our joined hands. His were like any other Human hands I'd seen before. Mine were the different ones. Palms tough like the pads of a wolf's paws, fingernails like claws, and soft fur over the backs of my fingers and hands.

Frank shifted a bit, and I looked at his face. His eyes met mine and he gasped. I guess that up close like this I was a bit more Wolf than Human. He let go of my left hand and reached out to cup my cheek. It was a gentle touch, almost a caress.

"Wow." he whispered. I reached out and cupped his cheek in return. I'd never been this close with a Human, not even when I was in my Human form. I had always been a loner, by necessity. That screaming part of my brain still gibbered away in my head, telling me to run, but once again I ignored it.

Both of his hands now went to my face, then my neck, and over my shoulders. When his touch slid down my arms and ended up back at my hands, there was a look of absolute wonder on his face. I could tell he wanted to ask for more. He wanted to touch more, to see more. Just the way he held himself telegraphed his desires.

"Can I, uh-"

"Go ahead. Touch me." I knew exactly where his hands wanted to go. And I was not wrong.

His touch was delicate, careful, and deliberate. He stroked his hands down my chest and over my breasts. When his fingers bumped over my nipples one by one, it was like little bolts of lightning were being fired into my nerves. I reached out and tangled my fingers in his hair. It was almost shoulder length, dark and thick. And it felt wonderful slipping between my fingers.

His hands moved back up over my breasts, against the grain of my fur, every follicle sending it's tiny message of stimulation through my nervous system. Those hands came up, and went behind my neck to bury his fingers in my mane. And that bit of stimulation triggered something inside me. Something I'd never felt before. He didn't realize that my reflexes would interpret his move as a sign of dominance. I didn't even realize that, until he did it.

There were no thoughts, it was an instinctive reaction. I clutched the hair in my hands tightly and pulled his head back, exposing his throat. My jaws were on him the next instant. Not biting, just holding him there. Dominating him. He gasped and let go of my mane.

Aghast at my reflexive behaviour, I immediately pulled away from his throat. My tongue came out and I licked him, right across where I'd had my teeth a moment ago. He tasted so good! That cloud of pheromones he'd been wafting at me was now on my tongue. Frank whimpered in my grasp, but didn't move otherwise.

I pulled him further back and looked him in the eyes. "Be careful. I think you've found a sensitive spot there."

"Sorry. I-I won't do it again."

I thought about how it felt, and how quick my reaction was, and how good he smelled and tasted. "No, Frank, please do that again. Harder." Then I growled. At the sound of my low growl, I felt him shiver. Then his hands were back, sinking deep into my mane. He did as I said, clutching at me, wrapping thick bunches of my hair in his fists. I growled again, deeper and louder, and tightened my own grip on his hair.

With a quick motion I had him on his back on the ground. The fire behind me threw a deep shadow over him, but I could still see enough, and scent him perfectly well. In a situation that should have terrified him, he was filled with excitement instead. No, not excitement. Desire. That's what that scent was.

Pinning him to the ground, I carefully took his throat in my jaws again. All the tension seeped out of him, as he surrendered to me. I have to admit that I was a complete novice at this kind of thing. Simply being old did not grant me knowledge or experience. As a lifetime loner, I knew nothing about sex except what I'd read about in books, saw on a screen, or heard through an apartment wall. That meant I was operating mostly on instinct and fiction.

The ground was bare and rocky, an uncomfortable proposition even for me, and doubtless even worse for Frank. I lifted my jaws from his neck, licked him gently where I'd held him, and said "Do you have something more comfortable for us to lie on?"

He nodded. "In my tent."

I shook my head. "No. Out here. Outside." There was no way I wanted to be in his tent. I couldn't stand being cooped up when I Changed. That's why I Run. A tent wouldn't block much sound, but it blocked scents really well. And that would never do.

Frank nodded again and turned his head to look at the tent. I felt the play of muscles as he did so, and knew his next words would be to let him up so he could fetch his bedding. I let him go and shifted aside just as he opened his mouth. It took him only a minute to crawl over and unzip the tent and pull out what we needed. A mattress pad and a sleeping bag. Not very big for two but better than the ground. And they smelled like him. I was already beginning to enjoy that smell.

I sat down on the bedding and leaned back on my paws. The look on his face was priceless. "You can see all of me, but I can't see much of you." It was a cool night, but I wanted to see him. And I wanted to taste him.

He swept off his shirt an instant later, but hesitated when it came to his pants. I wondered if I'd made a mistake, but he sat on his log and started unlacing his boots. It didn't take long for Frank to strip down to his briefs. Again he hesitated as he stood in the flickering light of the fire. I spread my legs a bit and shifted my tail away from my sex. Now he could see me, all of me. That little enticement was all he needed, and he eagerly stripped off his shorts.

Frank was fully erect, and the pungent scent of his arousal grew stronger. He wasn't a big as I expected, but then perhaps that was a good thing. I know that Human women have pain or bleeding when they mate for the first time. Perhaps that was true for me as well. A smaller male would be easier to deal with.

Suddenly I realized that that was what I was doing. I was planning on mating with this Human. That frightened me a bit. It was a bad idea, I thought. Very, very bad. Run away! screamed that inner voice. I silenced the voice, and smiled up at Frank, then shook my mane out behind me. I watched his reaction to that movement. I knew at that moment he would do anything I asked.

"Join me?"

He knelt beside me and gazed into my eyes. I wondered what colour they were. I'd never looked in a mirror during the Change, so I wasn't sure if they were still the same mild brown eyes I had as a Human. His were blue, pupils wide with arousal. The scent of desire poured off him, enveloping me in a miasma of sexual tension.