FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 27

Despite a six hour Saturday shift, Sophia felt ebullient as she turned the handle to her house. Smiling, she glanced over her right shoulder at the snow capped Tetons to the east. The day's light was just starting to fade and the air temperature had grown noticeably chillier. As the door swung open, the now familiar scents of stale beer and liquor greeted her as they rode the warm air. What she did not expect was the long cardboard box sitting in the entryway, partially blocking the hallway, nor the aroma of new plastic. She jumped as the unexpectedly loud roar of a crowd boomed from the living room.

"Sophia!" Her dad exclaimed eagerly from the living room as she stepped in. "Our early Christmas present was delivered today!"

Early Christmas present..? Sophia took a few steps forward and looked towards her dad's favorite chair.

He raised a hand holding a large remote she hadn't seen before and waved at her. Her dad's eyes darted back towards the television and he pumped a fist as the crowd roared again. Standing to either side of him on metal rods were dark gray speakers. Off to the side, resting against the wall, was their old television and TV stand. Stepping up to the threshold of the living room, she leaned to look at where it had once sat. In its place was a much larger television sitting on a new TV stand with a football game on.

"What do you think?" he asked enthusiastically from the living room.

She stared at him, unsure of how to respond, "it's nice I guess."

"I got a full entertainment system!" her dad beamed. "It was on sale for the holidays so I thought I would treat myself... and you of course. So, early Merry Christmas!"

"Isn't this really expensive..?" she inquired tentatively.

"Ah, don't you worry about that," her dad waved his hand dismissively. "I've got it all figured out."

He took a drink from the beer can in his other hand and continued, "Oh, I invited some work friends over. They should start arriving soon; you can hang out here with us if you want!"

Sophia glanced down nervously, "that's okay, I have... other plans."

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

"Hey babe, could you get that?" her dad requested.

Sighing, Sophia turned and opened the door to find a blond and gray bearded man around her dad's age standing there in a bulky tan coat. She smiled politely despite the overpowering scent of cigarettes and motor oil on him.

"This the Jones house?" he asked, looking her over in a way that made Sophia's skin crawl.

"Ron!" her dad called from his chair. "Glad you made it! Come on in!"

The man grinned and stepped into the hallway, forcing Sophia to take a few steps back. He closed the door behind himself, and Sophia suddenly felt claustrophobic in the small hallway. She could feel Wolfgirl urging her to find somewhere to hide.

"Hey Eric!" Ron greeted boisterously. "Your girl's cute!"

A lump formed in Sophia's throat even as she forced a smile.

"Hey, hey, she's much too young for you!" her dad chided him. "Come see the new member of the family!"

"I'll be in my room," Sophia mumbled as the man started to take off his coat and boots.

Still in her own coat and boots, Sophia clomped quickly towards the relative safety of her room. Closing the door, she was perturbed to find she could still easily hear the television booming from the living room. She had barely gotten her backpack off when she heard the front door open and another male voice echo through the wall.

Great, she stripped off her hat and gloves. Just what I need. Well, I have somewhere better to be anyway.

Leaning back against the door, she pulled off her boots one after the other. Dropping them next to the door, she took off her coat and laid it down on her bed. Kneeling, she grabbed the plastic bag she had been keeping her new winter stuff in from under her bed. Pulling it out, she tossed it on the bed.

Let's see, she opened the bag and started pulling out its contents. Snow pants, balaclava, thermal underwear, jerky...

Her stomach growled hopefully as she pulled out the beef jerky.

I suppose I should save the jerky; it's pretty expensive. She jumped as the door slammed on the other side of the wall and several male voices again boomed through the wall. But that means I have to go out there.

Reluctantly, she opened her bedroom door again. The guys cheered loudly from the living room as the game announcer called a touchdown. Picking up her pace, she beelined for the kitchen.

She had just opened the fridge when she heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen. Looking up, she saw her dad enter, chuckling about something or other.

"Could you hand me the big red bowl of guacamole, sweetheart?" He asked her nonchalantly.

"Uh sure," she replied, seeing and grabbing the bowl he described.

"You should meet the guys," her dad suggested as she handed the bowl to him.

"I might in a bit," she told him noncommittally, scanning for something quick to prepare. "I just want to eat and be by myself right now."

Spying a package of hotdogs, she grabbed it and shut the fridge. There were only two hotdogs in it, but it would be enough. Stepping over to the counter, she set them on it while she grabbed a plate. Meanwhile, her dad had retrieved a large party bowl and was in the process of tearing open a bag of tortilla chips. Opening the microwave, she set her plate on the turntable before sliding the hotdogs onto it. Her mouth watered at the smell of the salty meat.

"You're welcome to some guacamole," her dad offered as he removed the plastic wrap. "I whipped it up earlier."

"Maybe later," she declined with a polite smile, trying not to flinch at the biting aroma of onion and jalapenos. "I'm sure it's delicious."

"No need to be shy, they're great guys!" he insisted as she grabbed a bag of buns from the pantry.

"Fuck the refs!" someone yelled from the other room as several other voices groaned.

I'm sure, Sophia anxiously flipped her hair back over her shoulder as she filled a glass of water.

The microwave chimed and she grabbed the plate of sizzling hotdogs from it. Grabbing a pair of buns from the package, she set them on the plate.

"Enjoy your party," she told him flatly and started walking out of the kitchen.

"Nothing on your dogs?" he asked her, mild surprise evident in his voice.

He would notice that... she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Not feeling like it today," she stopped and shrugged.

"Hey Eric!" a voice called from the other room. "You're missing the game!"

"That your girl in there?" Ron yelled. "No need for her to be shy!"

Something in Ron's voice put her on edge and her mouth reflexively pulled into a snarl. Her dad stopped what he was doing and stared at her. Before her dad could say anything, she darted for the hallway.

Fifteen minutes later, she had scarfed down the hotdogs and was starting to feel uncomfortably warm underneath her winter gear. Grabbing her freshly prepared backpack, she headed for her door and frowned.

Is someone smoking..? The telltale scent of cigarette smoke tickled her nose. Maybe I really should just go live in the mountains with Shadow.

Taking a steadying breath, she yanked open her door.

What. The. Hell? Her anger spiked as the noxious smell of nicotine and tar seared the inside of her nose.

In the living room, she could see three other men besides her father. Aside from Ron, there was a guy who looked only a few years older than her and a burly man who was around her dad's age. Both Ron and the man with the beard had lit cigarettes in their hands. All four turned their heads towards her as she entered the hallway.

"Hey babe!" her dad called out casually before noticing her winter gear. "Where you headed?"

"Out," Sophia replied tersely. "Where it doesn't reek of middle-aged guys, cigarettes and beer. You're letting them smoke?"

"Watch your tone!" her dad admonished sharply, his expression becoming angry.

"And don't expect me back!" she bit out before opening and slamming the door so hard the windows rattled behind her.

Asshole! She fumed as she stomped down the house's front walk. I'd much rather spend my time with someone who actually cares about and respects me.

At the end of the driveway, she turned right and headed down the sidewalk. As the distance between her and her house grew, her anger ebbed. Within her, she could feel Wolfgirl growing restless as she sensed freedom and the unshakable feeling Shadow was waiting for her resurfaced. As her thoughts turned to the wolf, her frown transformed into a sheepish grin as she remembered some of her... activities from the night before and the role Shadow had played in her fantasies.

What is wrong with me? Sophia bit her lip as a feeling of warmth ignited and spread below. I'm human! I should find such ideas too disgusting to even imagine! It simply isn't right!

She stumbled as her legs suddenly felt rubbery.

I'm not entirely human anymore though. Her entire body felt like it was tingling and her heart was beating rapidly. I'm a wolf-girl and he's a wolf. Besides, it's not like we're going to actually... do anything.

Stopping at the intersection, she stopped and looked around her. Apart from her, the streets and sidewalks were empty. Confident no one would interfere, she headed north. The road continued on for a few feet before giving way to the same grassy field behind her house. As she stepped off the pavement and onto the frozen snow-covered earth, Sophia allowed herself to be displaced by Wolfgirl.

The night was moonless and away from the houses, the available light was minimal. Wolfgirl moved as fast she dared across the frozen field in the darkness, each step sinking into several inches of powdery snow. The wind was blowing strongly, but her prep work over the last week was paying off. Her snow pants and coat may not have been the thick layers of fur she desired, but they were adequate. Even so, the occasional sting of ice landing on her exposed cheeks was a constant reminder she wasn't a true creature of the wilderness.

A gust of wind carried the enticing scent of some small animal to her nose and Wolfgirl lowered into a crouch. Placing her hands between her legs, she scanned for the prospective prey. Unfortunately, the scent had only been on the wind for a moment and she continued on.

What would I have done if I actually did see something? Wolfish desire for freshly hunted meat dueled with her still human conceptions of food and horror at the prospect of killing. And what if I caught it?

As the open field gave way to conical evergreen trees, the darkness seemed to consume everything ahead of her. Her pace slowed as she was forced to carefully place each step. The only sounds were frozen branches swaying in the wind, her own footsteps and the material of her own pants and coat rubbing together.

I wish I could stay out here forever, Wolfgirl paused to savor the mountain air, angling her nose upwards. Ooh, what's that?

The scent of pine and spruce was strong of course, but she could also smell the barest hint of what she instinctively recognized as animals. Focusing on the tantalizing traces, she tried to identify what she was detecting. Somehow she knew there were multiple sources, but what they were and where they were coming from was maddeningly out of reach. That was for all but one.

Shadow? A faint, but familiar scent rose above the others and a wave of giddiness rolled through her. I can smell him!

Unfortunately, it was only the briefest hint and she couldn't determine the direction it was coming from. Sniffing the air, she tried to pick up his alluring musk again and started carefully threading her way through the trees.

Maybe if I get closer to the ground... getting to her hands and knees, Wolfgirl again concentrated on her olfactory sense. Ah! I found it!

Elated with her success, Wolfgirl let her instincts drive her. Swiveling in place on all fours, she continued sampling the air. Without consciously telling herself to, she started crawling forward. To her delight, the scent grew stronger as she progressed. Eager to be with her friend, she jumped to her feet.

"Ah!" Wolfgirl yelped as her forehead struck a branch.

Clutching her now aching forehead, she sank back onto her knees. If only I had paws!

A whine came from somewhere nearby. At least the human part of her mind heard it as a whine. Deep within the bestial subconscious now driving her a different interpretation floated up to her conscious mind:

'Safe?'

It wasn't a word so much as an instinctive comprehension of lupine auditory communication and thought. There was far more being said Wolfgirl sensed, a layered complexity she could only understand in the most rudimentary way. Even compared to her primitive ability to understand Shadow under the light of the full moon, it was painfully lacking.

"Shadow!" she grinned happily, forgetting about her stinging scalp. "I'm okay! I just hit my head."

Peering through the gloom, she looked eagerly for the wolf, but didn't see more than pine needles and branches dimly silhouetted against faintly glowing snow. In that moment, Sophia's human mind finally caught up to what her wolfish side had just experienced.

"Wait, you talked!" She announced gleefully. "Sort of!"

Shadow growled. Sophia concentrated on the sound, but she was disappointed to find it didn't sound like anything other than a growl.

"I can't see you," Sophia admitted, still on her knees.

Something pushed against her back and she let out a startled yelp. Falling onto her hands, she scrambled on all fours several feet away before pivoting, spraying snow everywhere. Muscles tense and heart beating, she stared wide eyed towards the spot she had just left with her teeth bared.

In the gloom, she could barely make out a candid shape that was sitting on its haunches. The form made an amused sounding 'chuff'.

"Shadow!" Sophia breathed in relief. "You scared me nearly to death!"

The wolf let out a series of 'arfs', chuffs and whines as the dark shape moved towards her.

Again, she tried to glean something, anything from the wolfish communication without success. Why did I feel like I could understand him a few moments ago and not now?

Her confusion was quickly forgotten as Shadow gave her an affectionate lick across her mouth. A thrill emanated from where his tongue had brushed her face and traveled through the rest of her. Relaxing, she gladly threw herself into Shadow's strong, captivating musk. Leaning forward, Wolfgirl rolled her own pitifully small human tongue across Shadow's muzzle.

Shadow let out a rolling growl, 'Missed you.'

"You've been all I can think about," Wolfgirl murmured as she brushed her cheek against the side of Shadow's furry head. "I wish I had a fur coat like yours."

Shadow whined, 'worried'.

Although she was distantly aware she could understand the wolf, she was too lost in the moment to give it any thought.

"It's okay," Wolfgirl guessed at what he was worried about. "I got some new fake 'fur' so I could see you."

She could sense Shadow was puzzled by her human vocalizations, but he seemed to understand the underlying sentiment. The wolf moved away from her and she nearly fell over trying to remain in contact.

'Follow,' Shadow rumbled quietly and the wolf's dark shape started moving away from her.

Knowing she'd quickly lose him if she stood, Wolfgirl awkwardly started following on her hands and knees. Shadow, for his part, seemed to be aware she wasn't going to be able to move quickly and kept his gait slow. His casual stride left a furrow in the snow blanketed ground and Wolfgirl followed within it.

With her nose so close to the source of Shadow's intense musk, it quickly became difficult to focus. Heat and desire blossomed within her chest and her movements became clumsy. Every fiber of her being wanted nothing more than to melt into the wolf's powerful and protective embrace.

Stay focused, unused to moving on hands and knees for an extended period, especially in snow, she gasped for air. Just have to keep moving.

After a couple hundred yards, the dense foliage started to subside and Wolfgirl staggered to her feet. Shadow was still just an amorphous shape, but at least she could walk and see him. The wolf increased his pace and Wolfgirl was forced to jog to keep up on the dark and uneven terrain.

Finally, the wolf stopped under a stand of tall trees next to a tall boulder that was leaning against several other rocks, forming a sheltered area. In front of the boulder, the snow hadn't piled up as deeply and the air was fairly still. Shadow disappeared in the darkened hole formed by the leaning rock.

'Safe', the wolf let out a rumble as Wolfgirl cautiously ducked into the shadow.

Aside from Shadow and her breathing, Wolfgirl could hear nothing but silence. Then, she heard the clicking of the wolf's claws coming towards her. To her surprise, she felt Shadow's paw gently push against her upper leg. Sensing he was telling her to sit, she cautiously squatted down. Patting around, she discovered the exposed rock they were on was bare of snow. She let out a tired, but contented sigh as she let herself sink down onto the rock.

Nuzzling her shoulder with his nose, Shadow gently pressed against her until she lay on her side. Then the wolf maneuvered himself behind her and contorted his frame around her as best he could. Wolfgirl's heart fluttered as the wolf's bulk snuggled into her. Feeling his paw stretch across her, she stroked it affectionately with a gloved hand.

'Friend... Wolf...' Shadow let out a sequence of quiet yips and whines.

It took Wolfgirl a moment to register he was 'talking' about her.

'My mate...' Shadow continued. 'Love...'