FSE

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Hours passed as I threaded my way through the verdant underbrush, and the short, low swings of my machete made the going easier. A few green stains marred the white fur on my front and darkened patches of the rust-colored fur almost everywhere else. The black fur on my forearms, exposed to the worst mess from the viridian carnage, were thoroughly matted.

Part of me envied the humans' lack of fur, especially as the late afternoon heat and humidity had me panting to stay cool. Having my genes patterned after a fox had its ups and downs.

Every so often I stopped and whistled the tune Diana and I shared, though it was more her way of keeping track of me than a summons. I wasn't too worried about the lack of response. If she didn't answer my calls, she'd eventually make her way to the fire at my camp.

After finding a clear stream, I decided to get started on that while it was still light out.

Driftwood and dried branches provided most of the fuel, along with a few chunks of synthesized charcoal to keep it burning through the night. My gear took mere minutes to stow, and a short while after that I had a secure perimeter. I devoured a protein bar before settling down to expand on my observations from earlier in the day.

A buzzing alarm on the proximity sensor announced the presence of a visitor. At first, my hand sank to the stun pistol at my side. Raptors were the apex predator on the island now that the bigger ones were dead or in captivity, but they were still practically twice my size, so I chose caution over complacency. Then, my ears perked as a trilling whistle sounded from a stone's throw away. I answered, and a couple branches cracked beneath the talons of my favorite raptor.

"Hello, Diana," I said, waving as the sleek raptor entered the clearing. She easily reached four meters from snout to tail-tip. Taut muscles shifted under her dark tan hide as she circled around the growing flames. She was a creature of grace and lethality--a pure predator, one who could kill me in a single leap.

Fortunately, we were on very good terms.

"Al-eks-ander." The syllables were foreign to her, and difficult, but she always made the attempt to say my name. "You return. I am pleased."

"Pleasing to return," I replied in her tongue. I kept my lips stiff and voice guttural to better mimic the sounds; at the very least, my muzzle did a better job of it than human mouths. "I brought no kill. The Patriarch took it." In halting terms, with her occasional correction, I explained my encounter with him earlier in the day--the huge, scarred beast of a hunter had barred me from observing his clan. The fresh carcass I'd brought had only bought my continued survival.

"He fears you," she replied after some consideration.

"Fears me?" I double-checked my memory of the translation. "How?"

Diana cocked her head--her version of a shrug. "I left the clan. You and I shared much meat and learning. If others shared with you, he fears they would follow. Then, clan grows weak." Her snout bumped my shoulder. "Patriarch would kill you."

I nodded, and rubbed over her muzzle. "I hunt only learning."

She sat next to me, and rumbled something like a purr as I kept scratching and lightly massaging her scaled hide. Then, her slitted pupil fixed on me. "No. We must hunt meat. You will learn our ways. Would this please you?"

An invitation to hunt was basically a trial to join a pack, which was a huge step forward--even if it was a rather small pack. On the other hand, some of the scientists who 'managed' my research already claimed my involvement was disrupting the natural social fabric of the clan, though their low opinions extended to my fellow 'hybrids' as well. Diana splitting away would only fuel their arguments, and now she was inviting me to hunt with her.

But, according to the others, I was using the 'Jane Goodall' method of observation. Even if my interactions biased the results, I was the first in several decades to get close to them. Remote observation had only given glimpses after humans were driven off the island. They wanted to know how this species, resurrected with early, imperfect genetic engineering, had developed intellect, sapience, and the beginnings of civilization. I was their best option. This opportunity was worth it.

"Yes, it would," I replied, and lowered my head to touch my forehead to her neck. It was an affectionate gesture, with a shade of submission I hoped would be proper. A little thrill ran through me as she rested her head atop mine. "Will you hunt tonight?"

Her chuffing sort of chuckle filled my ears. "No. Already hunted, already ate." She pulled back, and nosed at me. There was some sort of plant the raptors chewed for roughage, which also kept their palates clear and their breath tolerable, even for my nose. I was grateful for this as her exhales tickled over my fur. "You eat, now."

"I eat." I rummaged through my supplies and pulled out a small package. "How will we hunt tomorrow?"

She cocked her head. "You will bring me prey. I will kill it. We earn our meat."

I had to grin at that, and bit off a chunk of the jerky in my hand. I knew better than to offer her any. Not long after we'd met, I had made a fire just outside her clan's territory. She had followed me out of curiosity, and my first warning of her presence was her tearing into camp, knocking over the spit of half-cooked meat, and berating me for wasting it in the fire. It had taken more than a few tries to explain my need for cooked meals.

Eating it raw, like my animal roots, sometimes seemed a little more convenient.

"And then?" I asked. She had an endgame in mind, and from the glint in her golden eyes, she was being cagy about it.

She butted her head against my shoulder. Conversation over. "Eat. Sleep. Then hunt. Worthy raptors make a strong clan."

I nodded, and burned the wrapper before making sure she was settled in to sleep. Only a few raptors in her old clan hadn't been wary of the flames, and she particularly enjoyed the warmth. And maybe, the company that came with it. For the present, she settled on her side and curled up, keeping her back to the flames. I was unsure if she'd accepted my unspoken offer of hospitality in my camp, or if she considered my camp part of her territory and had silently offered _me_the right to sleep here.

Knowing her, it was the latter.

I tidied up camp, slipped into my hammock, and let the sounds of the jungle--the less worrisome ones, anyway--lull me to sleep.

"Run!"

I kept following Diana's trail through the underbrush. Even though I couldn't keep up with her at full tilt, we were still making good time--though her pausing, finding the scent, and darting off had repeated innumerable times, and it was already past noon.

"Stop." She tilted her head to eye me a moment, then sniffed at the air again. "Prey is close."

"Good," I murmured, panting from both the exertion and the heat. It would take more than brisk exercise to slow me down, though. "When we find--"

A slight but sharp hiss cut me off, and I fell silent. Some of my questions had been readily answered, but the recent ones had met a similar response. Until now, I'd stopped trying. It was a show of dominance I'd observed in larger packs; experiencing it was something else entirely.

It was a shame I couldn't record everything.

"Prey moves," she growled, drawing my attention back. "Slowly. You hunt."

I opened my mouth, then reconsidered, and nodded. She had taught me a great deal by answering questions, but now she had to command, and I had to obey.

For a long moment, she gave me an intense stare, then tossed her head northwards. "I wait there. Go--" She said something I didn't recognize, then chuffed_at me--I must have frowned. "Circle around. Hunt prey from there. Prey moves, you move _there. Prey should not find you by smell."

After a few clarifying gestures and a repetition of the unknown word, I added_downwind_ to my raptor vocabulary.

"Hunt downwind. Go. Bring prey to me, and we eat tonight." She seemed to melt into the underbrush without leaving a trail--I'd rarely seen her move so quietly. If I wanted dinner, I had to do the same.

I headed in the direction she indicated, keeping my eyes peeled. Not that that'll help, I thought. By the time I could see what we were hunting, it could see me, and even staying downwind wouldn't help with my relatively bright fur. I needed a new plan.

I needed to think and act like a hunter.

My vulpine features weren't just for show: I had heightened senses of hearing and smell, greater running speed, better balance, and some remnants of primal instincts. Many in the general public assumed I was engineered as a two-meter-tall bipedal red fox. They weren't exactly wrong--I was definitely a hybrid, but the base template was homo sapiens. My genes were closer to human than most of their evolutionary ancestors. However, just because I wasn't exactly an animal didn't mean I lacked natural tools and instincts for the hunt.

So I took a deep breath, perked my ears, and let my thoughts take a backseat. The entire forest was alive around me, with birds, insects, and small critters doing everything they did. It was too much, and not important. I blocked it out. I needed to find something bigger.

My ear twitched._A footfall on fallen leaves._My nose turned. _Musk, earthy, big and alive._I opened my senses again. The sounds ahead and to my right were softer, muted, as if something was present. Something ordinary, nonthreatening, but large enough to bring pause to the wildlife around it.

Sight was useful only for avoiding sticks, dried leaves, and anything else that would betray my approach. I stopped just behind a bush, and pulled out a small mirror to peer around it. It took a few moments to find my quarry: a short-furred, stocky creature. It looked like a warthog without tusks. It was probably engineered for the island; in other times, it might have been worth a quick study.

For now, it would make a good meal.

I was tempted to pull out my stun pistol--a clean shot would leave it vulnerable to a quick knifing, and an overcharge would kill it outright. But, Diana had given me orders: bring prey to me. She was the leader of the hunt, and going against her authority was poor form at best. At worst, it could be seen as a challenge or rejection of her command, either of which would end badly for me. She knew I couldn't catch it, but at least I could chase it.

I looked at the paths the creature was likely to take, braced myself, and charged out of cover.

A shriek pierced my ears as the beast bolted. I pursued; it was fast, and nimble, but not enough to break free. It still tried to zigzag through the underbrush--I had to cut around a tree, then leap over a patch of long, leafy fronds. My padded digitigrade hind-paws pounded the ground, my bushy tail whipped back and forth to keep me balanced, and my hands batted away branches and hooked on tree trunks to help on the tighter turns. It tried to dodge right, and I cut across, steering it back to the north.

I was doing well, I thought, but for all my own speed, agility, and endurance, I still only had two legs.

I shouted, both to keep it running and to alert Diana. It unexpectedly turned, again, and the correction cost me a little more distance. My chest burned, and my muscles tensed in protest at the all-out sprint. The beast was at least seven or eight meters away, now, and gained even more as it tore across a clearing. I doubted I could find it again, let alone keep up with it, once it reached the brush on the other side.

I took a deep breath, pleading with my body for just a few more seconds of speed, but then I saw a familiar shape behind the fronds.

Our prey had nearly reached the clearing's edge when Diana tore her way out of the brush, leaping straight into its path. It dug its paws into the ground, desperately trying to change course, but the scaled huntress slammed into it. Her head was like a blur as she clamped jaws around its neck and twisted; even from across the clearing, I could hear the _snap_of its neck.

She planted a wickedly-taloned foot on the beast's body and regarded me with a cocked head as I jogged to a stop a few paces away. I felt a little self-conscious while I braced my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath--hopefully she didn't think of me as weak. But then, she stepped closer, and nuzzled over my shoulder.

"You hunted well," she said, offering a sort of churring sound. "Strong hunt, strong chase."

I nodded, and hesitated before patting her shoulder, thinking over the proper contexts for touches on hunts. She surprised me by nuzzling my hand, then headbutting me when I didn't immediately apply scratches. So I did.

"You lead a good pack," I said. "And the kill was yours."

"Ours," she corrected, and I lowered my head in deference to her authority. "Now, we bring kill back to den. Your fire."

I assumed she meant it as a temporary gathering point before staking out more permanent territory, and smiled at the thought of sharing my space with her for a little while longer. Then I noticed her expression, and tried not to laugh; our kill was sizable, with enough meat to tide even a couple raptors over for more than a day. Unfortunately, we were a raptor and a vulpine biped, and neither of us had planned on carrying a carcass that weighed nearly as much as I did.

Fortunately, I had a hunting knife, a bag, and passable experience in field dressing game animals. I closed myself off to the gore and smell as I cut into the beast. Diana wanted me to save a few pieces from the head and the guts, but was otherwise okay with leaving bones and offal behind--or so I thought before she made a snack of the latter.

I couldn't say I shared her palate, but the more I cut into the meat, the more I imagined the dinner it would make. It had a somewhat tougher texture than farm-raised animals, but it didn't lack for thick strips of fat. A slow roast would leave it tender and dripping with juices. The discarded remains would make someone else's meal. Hopefully they didn't go looking for the rest, but then, my stun pistol was at full charge and I had Diana besides.

I offered her one of the more tender cuts, and her muzzle brushed my fingers as she took it. Blood matted the dark fur on my hands and arms, but running water wasn't far away.

"We go?" I asked, hoisting the meat-filled bag over my shoulder. The texture was interesting, but at least it wouldn't leak or start smelling.

Diana chuffed, and eyed around the clearing before flicking her head back in the general direction of camp. I hadn't surveyed this stretch of the island, as it was past even the furthest hunting parties of my previous charges. I trusted her to lead.

We made good time back--I'd suspected most of our travel time was tracking prey in meandering paths, but I still held a faint note of surprise as we reached the familiar perimeter. I suspended the bag separate from the rest of my--our--supplies, and then made a beeline towards the nearby stream with her.

I watched her take a few long gulps of water, then shake her muzzle back and forth in the water to rinse it clean. Her grooming ritual would take a few minutes, so I busied myself with washing my hands, arms, and anywhere else that had specks of blood or untoward dirt.

I shook the water off my hands when I was done, then turned to see Diana padding closer. She was chewing the green 'breath mint' plant; I hadn't noticed it grew by the river. Without the blood coating her muzzle, she'd transformed from fierce warrior to--well, she was still a fierce warrior, but she looked much more presentable. Beautiful, even, with the sleek perfection of her form.

"What happens after a good hunt?" I asked, slowly standing.

She sniffed at me, then tilted her head. "We eat well. But, you cannot join my pack."

My ears wanted to fall flat, but I forced them to stay relaxed. "Why?"

A grin split her muzzle, and she chuckled. "Because you must join my clan first."

Now my ears fell flat. Joining a clan was a huge honor, one that only came to outsiders with a great deal of trust--and I certainly doubted most other clans, including her former Patriarch's, would have allowed me in. Our friendship was close, but apparently the hunt had been the tipping point.

Of course, it was also a nightmarish headache of paperwork and second-guessing every bit of research I collected from here on out. My supporters would have concerns about bias. It would certainly galvanize my opponents. I had no idea what to tell either of them.

I took in a breath, and looked at Diana. Her gold-yellow eye, with its slitted, predatory pupil, searched my face. By all rights she should have demanded an immediate response, or taken my hesitation as a sign of weakness, but for all her instincts and cultural upbringing as a huntress, she understood I had more at stake. She was more of a friend than I'd ever realized.

That alone cemented my decision.

"I would be honored," I murmured, bowing my head.

"I am glad. Clan is very, very small." She nuzzled my shoulder, and my neck, and I petted over her scales in return, chuckling. "Need more hunters. And a strong consort, for--." She said another unfamiliar word.

I tilted my head. "What word was that?"

She repeated it. "Male and female, they meet... no, I shall show you." She chuckled again and turned in place, then looked over her shoulder. I thought she was just lifting her whip-long tail to keep from hitting me until I realized she was_hiking_ it, and by that point she'd lined up her hips with mine and taken a half-step back, pressing her rear flush against me. She hadn't leaned back too hard, but it was enough that I had to grab her haunches to keep my balance.

It was a very compromising position, which I'm sure was the point of her little demonstration.

"I, ah... I see," I said, swallowing against a suddenly dry throat. She had a sly look on her face, and wiggled a little, just in case I hadn't gotten the hint. The warmth of her scales easily bled through my thin pants, and the hide on her underside was soft, and it all felt a little too good to let last. I stepped back, thankful--or was I a little disappointed?--she didn't follow me back. "Mating," I said, now that I knew the word.

She chuckled, lowering her tail before I ended up staring, and turned back around. "Many new words for you, today."

I exhaled, and had to chuckle a little myself. "Yes, yes there are."

"Good. You are learning to be a raptor." Her muzzle briefly touched mine, surprising me almost as much as the previous display, and then she gestured towards the camp with her head. "We must return. You must tend your things, and... _cook..._your pieces of meat."

She turned and trotted into the underbrush, leaving me to trail behind and ponder what had just happened.

The shadows grew long as I finished recording all my observations. The clan invitation remained in a personal folder until I had more information. Diana's game of charades stayed out of the books entirely. The raptor herself was sleeping between the stacked firewood and the unlit fire pit, letting the sun provide all the warmth she needed.

By the time she stirred and opened a slitted eye, I was setting up the fire and spitting some of the meat. I offered her one of the raw chunks, and she churred before grabbing and swallowing it. She sat idly by, waking up, while I stoked the fire to a comfortable height and set the meat to cooking.

"You will join my clan after eating."

I nodded and sat next to her. "What must I do?" I'd suspected the invitation wasn't the entire ritual involved--I hadn't been invited to the clan gatherings where new members were inducted, since I hadn't been part of the clan. It was a regrettably patchy part of my research, but at least I could fill in some of the gaps.

Her gaze was inscrutable. "Another test of worthiness. Much easier," she added, though I'd been careful to keep my expression neutral. Perhaps she had learned to read my poker faces, too. "More pleasant."

I tilted my head, and with her approval reached over to pet her scales. "A pleasant worthiness test?"

She looked at me another moment, then simply turned her head and nuzzled my arm. A secret, then. Every minute or so I had to pause and keep turning the meat, and the rich scents had my mouth watering. Even Diana was sniffing at the air; cooked meat wasn't her preference, but she did keep trying it.

If my cooking, hunting, and learning could win over such a lovely raptor, perhaps being part of a clan would be beneficial for my research after all.

I passed her several small morsels from the bag, which she devoured with gusto, and let my own meat cool a few minutes before digging in. It was slightly tougher than farmed food, but the effort of killing, preparing, and cooking the meat only added to the rich, juicy flavors. It was all I could do to eat slowly and not wolf it down whole like my companion.

The meal went as quietly as the cooking, and when I opened my mouth to ask after the clan ritual, she cut me off with a _chuff_and headbutted my hand for more attentions. I was all too happy to oblige, scritching and petting over her scaled back and sides. She started nuzzling my shoulder and neck, then down to my chest, where she expressed mild displeasure at my vest.

"Um," I said, chuckling as she nipped at it and grumbled. It wasn't a big deal to shrug it off and toss it onto my supplies. Between her presence and the fire it was more than warm enough, and apparently she wanted to go through the motions of grooming me.

That theory held up until she kept nuzzling and licking over my chest and belly, with slow and deliberate motions that almost felt sensual. I'd seen similar behavior from mated couples, usually not long before they moved out of sight (but not out of earshot); but, I'd also seen plenty of grooming behavior with close pack members. I tried not to read too much into it.

Although, if I were a raptor, Diana would be the one I'd choose. Even as a fox I could more than appreciate her sleek, muscled beauty, with her dark tan hide and her piercing eyes. More than that, she had a strong spirit and adaptive mind, two traits that would serve her well as a leader. More so than the powerful but nigh-inflexible Patriarch. I wondered what it would be like to help her build a new clan from the ground up.

She was regarding me as I looked over her. "Your test," she churred. Her muzzle brushed mine, and my heart jumped into my chest a moment. "A clan needs strength."

I nodded, wondering if this was part of some ritual. "What must I do?"

"Stand." She followed me up, and padded a tight circle around me, as if appraising what she saw. Her tail touched a pant leg. "These. Remove."

"Um. May I ask--."

She wheeled to face me, and the rest of my question died on my lips at the strength of her glare. But, it softened, and she nodded towards where I'd tossed my vest. "Remove. You must... be fur, nothing more, like a true hunter. Born into clan."

It was a strange request, but I stripped and put my pants next to the vest. A light breeze rippled over my back, while the heat of the fire warmed my side. I was completely exposed--which was the point, I imagined, like leaving behind everything that came before, or revealing oneself to the world. I could ask about the specifics later.

Diana cocked her head to examine me--I realized she'd never seen me without clothes unless I was bathing. So I stood there, trying not to feel self-conscious about being ogled by a raptor.

"I look, then your test begins." She took a step closer, mostly eyeing my legs. "Curious." Another step, and her muzzle was barely a hand's length away. The warmth of her breathing stirred the short, fuzzy fur of my crotch, and I was torn between offering to answer questions and trying to pretend it wasn't happening. But then, it _was_happening, and considering raptors walked around naked it wasn't such a horrible thing if she was curious.

"Your mating part."

It wasn't quite a question, but I still nodded. "Yes. It's how I mate." She tilted her head as she examined my sheath, and I felt a little surge of defensiveness. "It gets bigger."

She snorted, amused. "Male raptors, too." Between her breath and the odd closeness of the situation, a hint of red poked out of my sheath. Then, she raised her head level with mine. "Good. Your test now. A strong clan needs a strong consort. Are you ready?"

My throat went dry at her tone. "Ready?"

Her muzzle touched mine again, and I nearly missed her whisper. "Yes. You are strong. You must join my clan as consort."

The ground sank out from under me. She didn't just want me to be a regular member of her clan, she wanted me at her side--hell, closer than that. The implications were innumerable. I was flattered, to be sure, and charmed that she would choose me. But, it would destroy any hope of my research being taken seriously. I couldn't just falsify the position given to me in my official reports. My would-be role had inherent power dynamics and biases. Science had to be accurate.

I would have no supporters. My opponents would crow victory, strip my titles and position, and blacklist me from ever being part of any real scientific study--if they didn't claim some loophole and have me arrested. I stood at the precipice of the end of my career, with the gatekeepers of science on one hand and a two hundred kilogram killing machine on the other.

"Diana," I said, slowly, not sure how to word things in my own tongue, let alone hers. "I..."

She looked at me. For the second time that day, she should have rejected my indecision. Even though she could never fully understand my culture and society, she knew the weight of the decision. Did the scientists know? Or did they just see barely intelligent beasts to be studied, cataloged, and summarily ignored once the grant funding ran out?

I knew. I could answer that in a heartbeat, and the suppressed embers of resentment boiled to the surface. Hell, most of the ones opposed to me were the old guard: they grew up in a time before human rights became sapient_rights, and saw me as something lesser. Something too bestial to ever_truly be one of them. I had more in common with the raptors--was it such a leap to effectively become one?

The embers of resentment became the flames of rebellion. I matched Diana's gaze. She was a sleek and beautiful huntress. I knew enough about raptor anatomy to figure we were physically compatible; if I was to burn, then at least I could enjoy as much time spent with her as I possibly could. I leaned in to touch my muzzle to hers just as she had done before.

"Yes," I murmured. "I will serve you as consort."

She trilled and licked my snout, then rubbed her head all along my chest. "Good. Good," she repeated, holding close to me, then looking up. "Then we mate." A pause, and her tone grew soft, and more considerate than I'd ever heard from her. "Are you ready?"

I smiled. "Yes." The wheels in my mind still turned--mating didn't seem like the most ideal joining ceremony, and I hadn't seen that in her previous clan. From her keen look and enthusiastic touches, I wondered if the 'ritual' was just a pretext. Despite our differences, we were both a little too interested in what was about to happen.

If that were true, my research was definitely too corrupted by bias. Oh well.

She licked my neck before looking at my crotch again. She brushed her smooth snout over my sheath, adding a few slow strokes of her tongue once my red foxhood started to emerge. I rested a hand on her head and let out a little groan from the sensitive caresses.

"Good," she said a few moments later, admiring my length as it grew to full mast. "You will do well." Then, she turned, and hiked her tail for the second time--except this was the real deal. I saw the narrow slit under her tail, and with her encouraging churr I spread her with my fingers. At first it seemed like only one opening, but in the dimming light I could see her proper entrance, slick and inviting.

Despite my decision to dive in, my heart still hammered in my chest. I was no virgin, but this was the near-complete unknown. My notes on raptor sexuality were laughably poor. All I had was my eagerness, the rather pleasant sensations as she tightened around the intrusion of two of my fingers, and the way she pressed back into my hand as I rubbed back and forth inside her.

But, I'd made the promise, and I had to take the leap. I kept teasing her for a few more moments while I lined my shaft up with her hips--fortunately, she was crouching level with me--and got into position. The kiss of heat on the flat head of my cock invited me deeper.

So I pushed forward, and entered her.

There was a little resistance as I slid inside. I would have paused at her hiss, but she leaned back, taking me deeper. Heartened, I worked my hips back and forth to coat my length in her slick juices--and there were plenty of them; the rational side of my brain wondered if female raptors were naturally productive, or if she'd been fantasizing about this long enough to be more than ready for me.

Either way, it made my first exploratory thrusts smooth, and a shudder ran through me at the firm grip of her lightly textured and ridged walls. My hands gripped her haunches just as they had before, except this time I was all too deliberate, leaning my weight against her, daring to take some control and set my own pace.

Warmth spread from my chest and out into my limbs, and my whole body felt like it was close to vibrating. I reached up and grabbed her tail, pushing it forward, and my bold move paid off as she lowered her front half even more--enough so that when my next thrust met the push of her hips, I hilted in her. Some trick of her ridges on my cock magnified every single sensation, like I was even deeper than I thought.

The science mattered little if being with her could feel this damn good.

Diana turned her head just enough to fix a slitted pupil on me, and her lips curled in a pleasured growl. My own chest vibrated as I replied in kind--it was a deliciously animal sound, one of many I'd suppressed over the years in an effort to act 'civilized.' It hadn't seemed like a loss until tonight, until I put some force behind my thrusts, until the raptor shivered under me, _around_me, caring little for our differences so long as we shared the same pleasures. The rich, musky scent of our mating filled the air.

I kneaded her scaly haunches with my fingers, feeling the taut muscles shift and twitch, marveling at her power and beauty both. Hell, she was half again my body size, and yet she'd wanted me_as consort, wanted _me_to bury myself in her again and again while she panted and pressed back against me. And I wanted _her. I couldn't match her speed, strength, agility, or grace, but I could give her everything I had. So I did. I planted my padded feet, held tight, and fucked her. Her eyes closed as she arched her back, groaning; I let out a strangled gasp of my own as she squeezed around my growing knot.

It took a few tries to keep the bulge in her, but when I managed a properly firm thrust, the pop was joined by her sharp, heated yelp. Lurid grinding and humping followed as we tried to make the pleasure last while still enjoying every bit of it. My fingers dug into her hide from the spikes of heat rushing through me.

My breath caught in my throat, too, as one of the surges didn't fade; I thought it was the end, but I didn't go over the edge. It was like every nerve in my body had lit up, holding me right on the brink of a mind-shattering climax, leaving my muscles to tense and ache as her velvety hot and_dripping_ wet walls caressed my entire length.

Another surge, and I couldn't keep quiet: the low groan in my throat straddled between wanton lewdness and desperate pleading. Diana shuddered, seeming so close to her own release, and it was all I could do to just hold on and keep moving as my knees shook and toes curled. I wanted to do it. I wanted to tie her, to grip her tight and fill her with my gift. We couldn't breed, but that just meant we could do it over and over, as many times as we had the energy.

I tensed up, again, feeling my claws dig into her scales and anchor me in the ground. My knot had all but locked us together, and I'd never felt so hard in my life. I gritted my teeth, wantonly thrusting, feeling the tension spread through every fiber of my being.

And then, it snapped.

I shouted, wordless, writhing against her backside as the very heights of pleasure hit me all at once. It wasn't until my throbbing shaft shot the first ropes of seed into her that she joined me in a feral screech, clamping down on me as if greedy for every last drop I had to give--and so I obliged, tongue lolling out as my balls tightened and emptied into her. Both of us grew more still as the pleasure hit its peak, simply bracing against each other and sharing the most intimate sensations.

The spasms deep in me started to subside, then, and I breathed, letting my fractured thoughts reassemble at their own pace. Perhaps if we got comfortable, she'd let me stay tied to her until it went down on its own, which was plenty of time to relax, and maybe talk a little about our next steps.

Then, another pulse of pleasure bloomed in me, giving way to an odd tickling feeling under my fur. I frowned, and was about to smooth my coat down--and I suddenly doubled over as my muscles tightened. I rubbed my nearly-bruised snout, frowning, but all I could do was hold on to her back.

The adrenaline hit when I saw my hand and fingers lengthen.

The same not-quite-stretching sensation spread through the rest of my bones, and my joints started to pop. I forced myself to keep breathing somewhat naturally and think of causes: something psychoactive in the meat, maybe, or a lucid dream of sorts. Diana and the rest of the camp were the same, at quick glance, but there were no other rational explanations.

Nothing that would cover the hot, itchy prickles all over as my fur shrank back into my skin and hardened.

Whatever was happening didn't feel _wholly_unpleasant, which kept my panic manageable. The sensation of my bones grinding and growing did set my teeth on edge--then I realized my muzzle was changing, too: growing bigger, wider, and the teeth even sharper.

"Diana, I--." Whatever I was going to say got swept away as I lost my balance, stumbling back and falling on my side. Her voice reached my ears, or at least I thought it did; everything was consumed in a dull ringing. I couldn't smell or taste anything identifiable, for that matter, and my vision blurred a moment later.

Perhaps a stroke, some sort of aneurysm, was playing hell with my senses in my final moments. But, no--my heartbeat was rapid but growing stronger, I could still pull air into my lungs, and even if it was hard to feel the ground under me, I could feel every change happening in my body. My fingers and toes merged in pairs, and their claws grew curved and sharp. My legs lengthened, and their muscles grew thick and coiled with power. My tail, no longer bushy, got thicker at the base and tapered to a sleek point. My soft fur melted, and as I felt the scales forming, I realized what was happening.

It was impossible, but my senses were returning, and all of them confirmed one thing.

I'd turned into a raptor.

My lungs opened up, and I took a deep breath--deeper than I'd ever experienced. Smells and sounds came back to me: the former were sharper in some respects, like the lingering scent of raw meat that set my stomach to growling; the latter were far duller, but without external ear structures, I wasn't limited to listening in whichever direction they were pointed.

I opened my eyes, and felt the slight shift as my new pupils adjusted to the light of the fire. My old ones were practically round, a compromise between the animal traits and the human need for familiarity, but these were very much slitted and built for predation. Colors were different, depth perception was poor unless I looked straight down my muzzle, and every shift of the leaves in the trees around the camp caught my attention.

At least the new body worked.

"Al-eks-an-der?"

The voice was very familiar, even to my changed ears. I lifted my head, and took a moment to get used to the new anatomy before looking around for the source.

Another raptor! A scent--female! Behind me!

I blinked, forcing back the flashes of information and instinct, and regarded her. Diana. That was Diana, my friend. The raptor whose clan I'd joined. The raptor I was consort to. I could still smell the scent of our mating, and of her--it was oh so sweet and alluring. She repeated my name--had been repeating it--and I worked my new tongue and muzzle, trying to figure out how to speak.

Finally, I managed. "Di... Diana." I huffed, shaking my head, as if making absolutely sure this wasn't some weird dream. "What, what happened?" My words came slowly, but it seemed I could speak.

She _chuffed_and paced a few steps back and forth, tail whipping behind her. I'd never seen her so nervous. Hadn't even known nervous was possible for her. "We mated, and it was incredible. But then you... changed." She tilted her head, leaning a little closer and sniffing. "You are a raptor now? How? Did your tools do this?"

I shook my head, but it was an awkward gesture. "No. I don't know." I wracked my brain for answers. Nanotech, maybe? It was the only thing that could affect me on such a scale, but it took weeks to ensure even a small alteration to my genetic code. Swapping species entirely without killing me, let alone retaining my thoughts and memories while still remapping my brain, should have been impossible.

"I don't know," I repeated. "But it's me, Diana." I glanced at the fire, and would have smiled if I knew how. "No more ruining meat, I suppose."

She stared a moment, then let out a huffing sort of laugh. "Yes, it is you." Only then did she pad closer, and slowly run her snout over my new scales. I didn't blame her for being cautious--I had been panicked enough while changing, but watching me change must have been no small shock. "Will you stay this way?"

"I don't know." I tried to stand, and was suddenly confronted by my different limbs, a new center of gravity, and every other change. With trial and error, and a little support from Diana, I finally managed to find my feet and balance--both of which were threatened by a new sort of spasm doubling me over. Hunger. Hollow, gnawing hunger, which struck full force now that I was using the body that needed fuel.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was concerned again. It was easier to pick up on the nuances of her language, now, though whether that was a quirk of the changing or not remained to be seen.

"Food," I gasped, stumbling my way towards the bag of raw meat. It wasn't until I was almost under it that I remembered suspending it from a high branch. Then it jerked, and dropped: Diana must have found and cut the rope. So much for security.

A graceless fumbling of my fore-claws--much shorter and less useful than hands, though still dextrous to a degree--opened the seal, and at the first whiff I stuck my muzzle into the bag and dug in. I'd never liked the taste of raw meat before, but this was better than the most expensive steak I'd ever tried. The mini-preservation system had kept the contents cold. It didn't matter. I needed it all.

I barely managed to tear myself away from the last few pieces even though I'd devoured twice as much meat as I'd seen Diana eat in one sitting. The worst of the hunger pangs faded, and I moved closer to the fire, feeling the cold of the meat settle like a rock in my stomach. She joined me, licking my face clean, churring softly. I nuzzled her in return, and let my thoughts rest for a few minutes at least.

It wasn't long until my stomach growled again, and when she declined the last of the bag's contents I emptied it. The camp's food stores were a little more difficult to get at, but I knew how to open them, and then I was slitting open pack after pack of dried jerky. I even downed a few of the vegetables and pastas as my cravings shifted.

Diana watched at first with curious hesitation, but helped open some of the packages after I explained what little I knew for sure: my new body was larger, but the transformation hadn't created mass out of nothing. I was definitely skinny and shorter, though as I shoved fuel into my body I could feel my strength growing.

Finally, I felt sated enough to store the remaining food. Walking down to the river's edge meant learning how to drink in the new form. Other needs became apparent not long after. After one more drink, I stumbled back to the camp, managed to drag a log onto the fire without burning myself, and settled down next to Diana.

She curled up against me, and I nuzzled her before sleep took me.

Morning came, and with it, more hunger. I'd already ravaged the supplies with a midnight snack, and I polished off the last few pieces of jerky in the storage unit without entirely satisfying my stomach. However, I felt a lot stronger, and I could already tell my muscles were filling out. I even felt taller--though that could have been a trick of the light.

"Good morning," Diana murmured, rubbing along my side.

I nuzzled her, and as she passed me she teasingly drew her tail up my neck to flick off the tip of my snout. Now I could see her in an entirely different perspective: her rich, healthy scales, the vibrancy of her eyes, the well-muscled haunches and what lay between them. I'd been sating needs all night and morning, but this was shameless want.

Unfortunately, hunger came first.

"Are you ready to hunt again?"

I nodded. "You'll have to teach me how to hunt like a true raptor." It felt good to finally speak their--our--tongue with the proper anatomy.

A laugh and a sidelong glance. "Oh, we'll have plenty of time for that, my consort. You'll get to learn _all_the ways to be a raptor. Now, run!"

She darted off, and I followed, listening to my new instincts as my brain flawlessly commanded my new limbs. Soon I was keeping pace with her, hurtling through the forest at speeds my old form could never have matched. Hunger gnawed at me, but we caught a scent within minutes, and after a few quick lessons I got to rip open the fresh kill with my scythe-like talon and tear into its hot, bloody meat--after deferring to Diana's choice of the first cut, of course.

It was delicious, but small, and we set off again to bring down something bigger. Our muzzles touched as we ate our proper fill, and once we'd stripped the meat from the beast, we returned to the stream and then to camp.

The _how_of my change still vexed me. There were other concerns, too: whether this was a permanent change. If I could expect a raptor's lifespan. How to explain it to the scientists, let alone continue my research. It was reassuring, in a way, that I was still _me_despite the transformation.

But then, Diana churred at me, and flagged her tail to the side. Want_turned to _need. Once I figured out how to position myself, we joined again, and our snarls and groans filled the air. We couldn't breed--I didn't know if I was fertile, and she wasn't in season--but that hardly stopped us from enjoying it. I went to nip at her neck, but then she twisted and bit mine, asserting her dominance, and that alone pushed me over the edge so I could properly fill her.

Nothing unusual happened afterwards, which both relieved and further confused me. We settled down after cleaning each other, at least until she pushed me on my back. Her yellow-gold eyes simmered as she gave my cock a slow, tantalizing lick.

The science could wait a while.