Unchained

The hum of a well tuned engine turned her head and she smiled, showing her teeth. Susan. The brakes squeaked slightly as the car stopped. A car door opened and then slammed shut. Elizabeth padded over to the door and stood, hands at her sides. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. Through the stench of chemical and rotting food she smelled blood. Flesh. Drool formed at the side of her mouth. Food. She was so hungry. The back of her jaw itched from the smell of the woman walking to her death.

Susan stopped outside the door for a moment before opening it. She had no time to scream before Elizabeth's massive hand grabbed her by the neck and forced her to the ground, crushing the vertebra in her neck.

CHAPTER 10

Cole and Elijah were a mile away before they smelled the woman again. Cole heard the her give an address to the taxi driver and they'd followed by bus and foot since then, stopping at the entrance of the gated community to talk over what they would do. Several wrong buses and Elijah's stomach made them later than he would like but they were here now.

Neither of them could hear anyone nearby so they found a bench across from the small community to sit and discuss their options.

"We need to talk to her. What if this is her first time?" Elijah asked.

"It's... I don't think so. And there's something wrong with her. She actually scares me a little."

"It has to be her first time. Did you see how small she was? You remember what I was like before you found me? If she'd changed before she wouldn't be so small."

Cole had to admit that made sense. But still... something was different about her. Everything about her went against the little he knew about their kind. If she had changed before she wouldn't have been so small. She was too old for it to be hereditary and her first change. Nothing made sense about this strange woman.

Cole turned his large, muscular hands over and over while he thought things through. The moon was full but even without it, he could see so clearly. He remembered his first time changing and how confused and angry he'd been the whole day. Even twenty years later he could remember the sense of power that came with it - the feeling of immortality and strength. And loneliness. His father had left years before when Cole told his parents he was gay. His mother took a while to understand but stayed with him. Careful inquiries led him to believe his mother wasn't like him and after the change he could smell how human she was anyway. He had called his father years later and after being hung up on many times he'd finally had time to get the words out - "I'm not human."

His father hadn't hung up that time. Not immediately. Minutes passed before he answered. "I didn't know if... I..." and then he hung up. It was a long time before he answered Cole's phone calls after that but at least Cole knew he wasn't the only one.

Now, in the past year, he'd actually had a breakthrough of sorts with his father. Perhaps a couple decades of thinking things through or maybe some life experiences had softened him. His father actually called him once or twice a month. They were short phone calls but he was decent and actually sounded like he cared. Cole enjoyed the calls more than he wished to admit - it took a long time to forgive his father.

He thought about calling his father now and asking about this woman but put the thought aside. He needed to do this on his own.

The woman's scent grew suddenly stronger and different. "She's changing." Cole said.

A moment later Elijah caught the smell as well. "We need to help her. She's alone out there." He stood but Cole put his hand on Elijah's arm as a black car passed by and stopped at the gates of the community. The gates opened slowly and the car drove through.

"Maybe... maybe that other smell isn't bad. Maybe she's hurt in some way. Cole, we have to help her."

Cole ground his teeth. "We don't know anything about her. What if she's dangerous? What if..."

"What if she hurts someone and people find out about it?" Elijah asked, his voice rough. "You want to let her die? Or... or worse? Come on, man."

Elijah's right, he thought. I've always been too cautious. Maybe it's not as bad as I think.

Cole stood and gripped Elijah's shoulder. "Okay. Okay, but let me do the talking."

The wall around the gate was protected by simple dull spikes along the top. Both of them pulled themselves easily over to the other side, landing quietly on the grass. A few dogs barked in the distance and they could hear adults calling for the kids to come to supper and a group of older kids playing basketball. It took a moment to get their bearings and figure out the direction of the smell but then both men set off walking at a normal pace. Better to blend in if they walked casually. Elijah was still in his workout gear from the gym but Cole was dressed for business casual.

They passed a couple of kids tossing a baseball back and forth and two parents with their toddler trailing behind. Cole watched them pass. Elijah put his hand on Cole's neck and rubbed gently. Cole bumped back against him and they walked on.

They passed the second house before they smelled the sharp scent of human blood. A lot of human blood. Elijah looked at Cole before sprinting off.

"Elijah, wait!" Cole yelled. "God dammit!" Cole shrugged off his work shoes and socks and ran after Elijah. He was bigger and faster but too far behind. He could feel his feet change shape to dig into the ground. His hands flexed and hair stood at attention around his body. A quiet growl started deep in his throat to escape past teeth sharper than they were a moment ago. His ears flexed and turned, listening for trouble. He wanted to fall to all fours but he kept upright and prayed he made it there before anything bad happened. A tugging on his spine warned him his clothes maybe not survive the trip.

He could see Elijah ahead of him - a blur of speed. The smell of blood was much stronger and he could hear bones breaking. The house with the black car, he thought. The one that passed us earlier. I smell death and it's not human.

Elijah was almost inside when Cole's pants burst at the legs, his calf muscles bulging and flowing with orange and black. He would normally revel in the change but his heart was going crazy. Elijah was almost there. Danger! He reached his hands to the concrete of the road, feeling his claws dig into the rough surface and the padding on his hands rubbing against the ground. He pulled himself along and the burst of speed from his change doubled his speed. He watched Elijah slam into the open door. He was just twenty feet away. Almost there. Almost there... Fur was flowing from his chest to his neck and face and down his back. His pants completely split and the buttons on the front of his shirt popped off. The tattered clothes streamed behind him as he ran. He was growling loud and clear now, thankful nobody was nearby to see him.

The growl turned into a roar as he watched Elijah fly back through the door, blood spraying the night air. He was changing too, but too late. The frame of the door splintered and the door itself broke at the top hinge. Cole had time to notice large claw marks down Cole's chest seconds before he was through the entryway.

The house was a bloody mess. The entryway was carpeted in blood and the broken remains of a human woman lay in front of him. The tigress was crouched a few feet away. Her massive body was black and orange and bloody red. Thicky ropy flesh hung from her teeth as she growled at Cole. He leaped for her, arms wide. He felt his tail finish its growth and whip around behind him when he turned himself in the middle of a jump.

His shoulder slammed into her face and he was vaguely satisfied to hear a loud crunching sound. He had never fought another of his kind but other instincts took over. Her arms closed around his body as they rolled into the house, breaking everything in their path. His mouth fought for her neck but her arms closed around his body and squeezed. She was so strong. Maybe as strong as he was. His breath left him in a rush. Her hold was awkward since his arms were under hers and free. He put his knee in her gut hard and twisted, pulling himself out. He tried a stabbing motion for her throat but she grabbed him and threw him to the side. A glass cabinet shattered beneath him and he felt a million little cuts before his body kicked into to reject the foreign pieces and heal him.

Her nose was still bleeding. Something about this bothered him but he couldn't place it and didn't have the time to spare. She stood, ready to tackle him but he was faster and more experienced with his body. He twisted and dived, claws out for her stomach. Unfortunately, the wall collapsed under his feet and he missed, falling short of her. She reached for him but he was already rolling, trying to find purchase. He made it up just as she tackled him.

She was as tall as he was. Cole only had Elijah and himself as reference but from them he knew that when changed, they were taller than they were as humans but still proportionate. This woman should be at least a foot shorter or more than him.

Time slowed. He watched her black furred left hand come around to slash his face. He started to bring his arm up. His lips were pulled back in a roar. The flat of her hand brushed his whiskers. His arm was almost up. Her bloody left hand smashed into his cheek just as he got his own arm up. He pushed her away before he could claw him but he could taste blood in his mouth and his jaw burned. Her right hand was coming around. He ducked, putting his left hand behind her right ass cheek and his right hand against her side, just under her large furry breasts. He pulled and pushed and she went down, arms flailing.

His mouth was at her stomach, biting through flesh before he felt her elbow strike the top of his head. He bit again, tearing her stomach but the elbow came down harder and his vision swam. She hit him again and pulled at one of his arms, loosening his grip. Two of his teeth were loose and he thought one might be cracked. He also couldn't think straight and the vision in his left eye was blurry. He tried to bite again but she was gone.

He blinked several times until his vision was back. His gums itched as his teeth realigned and healed. There was a large hole where a window used to be. The tigress was gone.

Cole turned to the door. He heard concerned voices nearby getting closer. A siren sounded in the distance. He stumbled over the dead body to find Elijah on the steps in front of the house. His chest was bleeding through his shirt. Still bleeding, Cole thought. He should be healed by now.

He became aware of the taste in his mouth and almost vomited. Rank. Disgusting. It was the female's blood. The tigress. He spit several times and then scooped up Elijah, putting him over his shoulder. He felt as light as a feather but there was a heat coming from his stomach and blood dripped from his wound.

Cole turned and ran into the night.

CHAPTER 11

Elizabeth slammed through the wall, breaking through wooden studs, glass and drywall in her haste to escape. Her nose was still bleeding and she had to check her stomach to make sure it was still there. She loped through the nearby trees with one arm around her middle. So much pain. The fight was confusing to her. Everything was confusing. Too many sounds. Too many smells.

She was so hungry. She licked her lips and growled at the sweet taste of blood on her tongue.

The stand of trees was small and soon she was at the wall surrounding the community. She pulled herself over gingerly, careful of her stomach. She stumbled at the top and fell. Her tail swung wildly and she landed on her side, almost blacking out from the pain in her stomach. She rolled to her back and stared.

The moon stared back.

"Diseased." It told her. "Cesspool."

She hid her face in the grass and groaned, the sound coming out as a low growl. Her face felt better and one of the holes in her stomach had closed but she couldn't move. She dared not look at the moon. Slowly, she turned onto her stomach, her huge breasts temporarily confusing her. She crawled, willing the moon to go away.

"Unclean." It whispered.

She passed out twice while making her way back to the city. When she woke the second time she was near a park. A homeless man sat near a tree, drinking from a bottle in a bag. Her tail lashed quietly behind her as she hunkered to her hands and feet. She watched and listened but heard nobody else. A quick swipe nearly severed his head and then she feasted, intoxicated with the warm flesh and blood.

Three more homeless people died that night, with only bones and pieces of flesh and clothes to mark where they lived.

When the sun rose, Elizabeth woke naked in a pool of dirty water under an overpass. Her whole body ached from her toes to her head. When she sat up, her head swam and she threw up. She closed her eyes against the sight of what come out of her stomach. The ground was saturated in blood.

She huddled on the gravel, drawing her thin legs up to her chin. It was so cold. The nipples of her small breasts stood thin and hard on her chest. Memories of the night were unclear but pieces of it came back to her. She closed her eyes and sobbed.

"Susan. Oh my god, Susan." She whispered between gasps. "Everything... Everything I had is gone... I... Oh god..." She tried throwing up again but nothing came out.

Elizabeth crawled through filth to make her way back to the street. It was early morning and only a few cars drove by. She hid herself in the wet grass. There was a Target store across the street from her.

"No money." She laughed. "Not anything." She wanted to cry again.

In the corner of the empty parking lot she saw a large metal donation container. She bit her lip and slowly made her way to it, hiding her nakedness. The opening at the top of the container was too small for her to fit through. She carefully walked around the thing until she spied a large door on the side - locked with a rounded metal lock. She almost broke down crying again. Her teeth were chattering and her body was covered in goose bumps.

She searched the grass around the parking lot until she found a large rock. It took over ten strikes before her tiny arms could break the lock. Her fingers and the palms of her hands were bloody by the time she was finished. The inside of the container smelled horrible but she found some clothes and a few pairs of shoes. Nothing fit her right. The clothes and shoes were too big but she made the clothes work, tying the pants with strips of cloth and by wearing two shirts. None of the shoes would stay on her feet. She refused to wear any of the panties.

She sat on a curb, unthinking, just staring at her knees. Her stomach rumbled but she ignored it. She could hear people far away. Talking, laughing. The laughter sounded too high, too fake. The voices sounded full of sarcasm and spite. Colors seemed off. The grass next to her looked like it was mixed with blue or maybe light brown. The sun was too pale. She could see a bird high in the sky and see it clearly but it looked washed out. Its cry was pinched and too loud.

She gripped her fingers, unsure of what to do. She needed to eat but everything smelled badly. Pollution, the stench of people and filth and trash - everything filled her nose and turned her stomach. Thinking of food made her think of Susan again. Her stomach turned but she also felt herself salivate a little. It horrified her. Throughout everything her mind kept turning to the man she was supposed to meet. The investor. She had no idea why she cared or why it mattered any more but her mind kept turning to this man she'd never met.

The first day, she tried to steal food from a farmer's market but got caught. By the second night, she prayed to change again so she could give herself to the beast and feed but nothing happened. She hadn't changed since the night with Susan.

It took three days before she could keep down the scraps she found in dumpsters.

CHAPTER 12

Elijah's chest wound took a week to heal. Cole took the week off and stayed with him constantly, trying to feed him. He dribbled water down Elijah's throat when he could and put glucose tablets under his tongue to dissolve. Sometimes he would get him to take a few swallows of broth.

The bleeding didn't stop until the second day and Elijah lost twenty pounds. Elijah didn't wake until the morning of the seventh day. Cole wasn't religious but he came close to praying. He'd never seen a wound take this long for them to heal. Almost everything they dealt with took seconds for their bodies to fix. They never got the cold or flu anymore. Nothing should hurt him like this.

When Elijah's chest healed, it left a scar. Four ragged claw marks diagonally across the chest, between his nipples. Nothing ever left a scar on them. Ever.

Cole wanted to be up. He wanted to be tracking this bitch to pay her back in kind. Seeing her in person made it that much more clear. She wasn't like them at all. She looked like them but she wasn't. During sex Elijah and Cole scratched each other and sometimes it got rough but healing from that was almost instant. This was completely different. Whatever she was, it wasn't natural.

When Elijah woke up, Cole bought over ten pounds of steak and hamburger meat. Elijah ate most of it. They stayed awake through most of the night talking about what happened and about other random things. Cole's father called one of the nights Elijah was asleep so Cole told him about it. His father had actually made some hints about visiting some time. That bit of news got Elijah to smile for the first smile since he woke up.

When they were both finally tired, they cuddled in bed. Elijah complained that Cole was trying to kill him by crushing him to death but Cole was too emotional to joke back. He never thought they could die. Until this day, he never considered it.

Two years ago, Cole found Elijah working at a construction site. Cole was taking a lunch break and a sudden smell in the air brought him two blocks over to Elijah. He was just a scrawny twenty-two year old kid wearing a dirty wife-beater and eating a bologna sandwich on his own break. It was nearly impossible to resist the urge to jump him right then and there but Cole held back and waited. He waited until the kid was done with work and waiting at the bus stop before he approached. They barely made it to the next alley before fucking each other's brains out. The change took the kid hard but Cole helped him through it.

Afterwards, Cole had been terrified that the kid was straight but hormones from the change forced him into it. Elijah set him straight the next morning - he'd known he was gay since middle school. He'd moved to the area a month ago and hadn't really started looking for a relationship yet - finding a job was more important. Nothing had worked out so he was working construction until he could find something better. Going from a scrawny kid to Superman gave him the idea for being a fitness trainer.

It was hard not to fall in love with a handsome, overly optimistic young guy and Cole didn't resist. Finding someone like him had been the most amazing thing in his life. He didn't even mind the fourteen year age gap.

The thought of all of that disappearing tore Cole apart. When he wasn't burning with rage he was crying quietly at the side of their bed while Elijah was sick. The ground around his chair was littered with broken things. He couldn't seem to keep his hands still but anything he held would get crushed or broken.

On the eighth day, Elijah had already gained back nine pounds but the scar remained. Cole thanked whatever it was that made them the way they were - whatever healed them so quickly was finally working on Elijah again. And if Eljiah's laugh didn't come quite so easily now, it would in time.