Flipping Out - Ch 2
(A Society of Weres Story)
Chapter 2
Matt sat on the couch, feeling annoyed, and wondering what the hell he was doing here. True, he had gotten into the Society here, but it didn't feel much different, and he had no idea what to really expect.
After several minutes of empty silence, a woman entered the common room, digging out change out of her pocket to get herself a soda.
She was pretty, for a female. She inclined her head once in polite greeting, and left with her soda.
It went on for a half hour with varying types of females and males of all types. Matt was starting to get the feeling that it wasn't just a roommate-picking thing. He had an inkling that it dealt with something Weres did -- one of their customs that he wasn't aware.
His unease at feeling out of place started to increase with more people being polite and leaving. Matt had made up his mind to leave in a few moments, or to at least look around. It wasn't exactly thrilling to sit in a common room and stay there by himself.
He ran a hand through dark brown hair, then scratched the back of his neck idly. Truth to tell, he was getting bored. The people here were polite, but most of the guys that he considered attractive just didn't quite click with him.
Yes, they talked more with him, and acted more friendly than he was used to, but he didn't really mind. He liked flirting with guys but the ones he had met were just that -- friendly and attractive.
He vaguely wished that the Elder Holms would come in and strike a conversation with him...
* * *
The Elder smacked against the punching bag, growling softly and grunting as he vented his frustration.
Loud thwacks echoed throughout the small gym as he tried to relieve his growing twitchiness.
With every punch, he got more on edge, and felt his teeth grind against his enlongated canines.
He had a savage urge that every punch's target was everyone who dared flirt with Matt.
A younger Were slipped inside, and observed the Elder for several quiet moments.
Elder Holms was panting softly and sweating slightly. His eyes had gone slightly yellowish, from his gray-green color. He snarled once, swinging a clawed fist at the heavy punching bag, sending it flying off the chain several feet away from him.
The other Were's eyes widened at the sight, and stepped back, making a noise.
He froze, registering someone in the room with him.
His nostrils flared wide, inhaling the new scent, and identified him as Roger. He exhaled deeply, giving him several moments to revert back to normal then turned around.
"Hello, Roger. What can I do for you?" He matted his hair and face with a towel to wipe away the sweat. He had a genial smile on his face, betraying nothing at the moment. His eyes had reverted back to it's normal color. He stretched his legs and arms, cracking his taped knuckles.
Roger was nervous. The sight of him punching that bag out made him veer on the side of caution. Elder Holms also intimidated and attracted him at the same time. He wasn't sure how to break the news. He spoke quietly, stumbling over his words. "Um... The new guy? No one's clicked with him yet."
Elder Holms stood there, suddenly silent with surprise. "He hasn't hooked up with any Were that drifted into his view?"
Roger put two fingertips together bouncing them off each other and nodded, his shaggy hair bobbing. "He gets into flirty conversations with the men who are interested, but his...pheremones aren't strong enough with any of them around."
Elder Holms didn't know whether to jump in joy, or feel nervous as a giddy schoolboy.
He settled for a neutral expression, or at least he'd try to muster one. "Perhaps I should see what I can do. We can't parade him in front of the entire Society. That'd embarrass him too much."
He scritched one side of his muttonchops and looked thoughtful. His mind latched onto a possibility even if he would never do it before he made Matt his...
"Hmm. I could give a tour of the Society, and see if anyone clicks with him."
Roger frowned, then nodded. It made sense -- there were only a limited pool of Weres that had wandered into the common room -- not everyone. And he thought he could smell a scent of relaxation that had suddenly appeared from his news.
A strange thought ran through Roger's mind.
Did the Elder want to induct the new person?
That thought disturbed and intrigued him. It wasn't written specifically in the news that it was forbidden for an Elder of a Society to induct a new potential, but... it wasn't encouraged either.
It was relatively rare, but it had happened occasionally in the past... It wasn't his business though, but he was curious to see what came about this...
Roger inclined his head once in respect, and left the Elder alone in the gym to his thoughts.
Elder Holms breathed a sigh of relief. He had learned enough meditation to control his pheremones and was glad that it had appeared to work for the most part in front of Roger. He wasn't quite sure why he was feeling irrational about this boy, but... he had a vague inkling as to why. He just hoped he was wrong...
He thought he would never get over his late mate who died ten years ago of an accident.
Elder Holms shook those mournful thoughts off -- he still missed him, but life had gone on, and he would always remember him fondly in his heart.
His first emotional impulse was to run into the common room and...
Elder Holms savagely bit off that thought before he could continue his fantasy. He would walk to the common room as befitting the head of this Society of Weres, not a randy cub spoiling for his first mating.
There would be time for everything.
* * *
Matt was feeling slightly annoyed, as he got to his feet. Whatever test this was, he was strongly considering that it wasn't really worth it just to talk to people. No one had 'picked' him for a roommate, which vaguely irritated him. He had considered himself a nice and decent guy...
He halfway expected more from the test that Elder Holms had given him. As if his unspoken thought was heard, Elder Holms stepped into the common room in front of Matt.
Elder Holms held a smile that looked halfway predatory and halfway cheerful. Matt wasn't quite sure whether to flee or stay. As it was, Matt was held in place by the yellowish-grey eyes of the sexy older man.
He held a hand out to Matt, who took it in his, and found his hand being clasped tightly by both of the Were's hands.
Matt was starting to feel uncomfortable with the prolonged contact, but didn't feel like protesting -- not when those yellow-grey eyes searched his face.
The silence was broken by Elder Holms' voice. "...Please. I can give you a tour later, if you wish. I would like to take you to dinner to celebrate..."
He inclined his head slightly then continued speaking. "...That is, if you are willing?"
Matt swallowed hard -- his mouth suddenly went dry, and he barely managed a nod.
This guy was asking him out? He was postively certain that Elder Holms was interested in him...
...A sliver of caution threaded its way into the forefront of his mind.
"...Um... Just to make sure -- this has nothing to do with being accepted here...? I mean, it's umm, not favoritism?"
Elder Holms growled out a gravely laugh. "Oh, no. You are accepted. Yes, I am interested in you, and no, it doesn't have any bearing on your acceptance."
Matt's knees went watery when he heard the laugh. There was something about this guy that made him feel good inside, but he felt like he was about to tread deep waters.
Matt stuttered slightly while speaking. "S-sure... I-I'd like that."
Elder Holms grinned widely. "Good. Call me Shawn."
Matt blushed, his cheeks a faint pinkish hue, as he stammered. "Oh...okay. Shawn."
Shawn smiled at Matt, and held his hand out in a rather exaggeratedly formal manner. "Nice to meet you, Matt."
Matt felt silly, but the grin on Shawn's face was infectious and he couldn't help grinning in return. He took Shawn's thick hand in his, and shook it.
"Nice to meet you too."
Matt noted that the older bear's hand had been warm -- pleasantly warm. He gazed into Shawn's eyes, and was startled to see them change from deeper yellow to pale grey-green with a hint of yellow.
Shawn didn't move, but smiled wider, and it filled Matt with a good-natured warmth inside.
There was nothing predatory about him this time.
Their clasped hands didn't let go for several moments longer, but Shawn loosened his grip first, and was privately happy that Matt hadn't let go. It meant there was hope, even if the boy was a bit confused.
* * *
Shawn treated Matt to dinner at a fine Italian-style restaurant.
Both were understandably nervous. Shawn felt jittery, yet sublimely calm when around him. Matt tried not to stare at the older man, but doubts began running through his mind.
Was he really getting preferential treatment? If he'd sleep with the older Were, he'd get ensured a position in the Society? Or was it just that he was very interested ? He realized that he didn't know that much about Were sexuality -- his health class hadn't covered much of that aspect.
He had no doubt that Shawn was a nice guy, if a little intense occasionally whenever they'd look at each other. He found it a little easier to hold a conversation once he found he had a few things in common with the older Were.
By dessert, Matt was thoroughly enjoying himself, all traces of his initial nervousness gone.
Shawn on the other hand, was starting to enjoy himself as well. Even though his urges were becoming more insistent, he managed to shove them aside in favor of getting to know him. By the time dessert had arrived for them, Shawn was becoming more and more intensely certain that he didn't want to simply induct him anymore, and knew that it was a big step.
He glanced at Matt eating his chocolate cake, and vowed silently to give Matt complete freedom to choose, even if it killed Shawn to let him go. That was the risk he was willing to take, but he hoped that Matt would go through with it.
* * *
Shawn was nervous to say the least. He had convinced Matt to join him for a nightcap at his spacious apartment in a neighborhood that was relatively free of crime due to a sizeable Were population.
Matt had felt strangely drawn and reluctant to leave the older man's company -- there was something about him that he didn't know how to explain, but he knew he didn't want to end the date yet.
Shawn wriggled the key into the lock, cursing when it got stuck, and managed to unlock it.
Pushing the door open, he gestured toward the apartment. "Here's my home away from home." Shawn had a twinkle in his eye. "Enter if you dare. I promise, I don't bite..."
Matt chuckled faintly and hesitated, feeling like an enormous step was about to be undertaken.
Shawn smiled brightly. "At least, not unless they ask!"
Matt relaxed -- the older guy was just teasing him. He walked into the apartment feeling a little apprehensive, but not exactly about Shawn. There was something about this situation that felt a little funny, and he wasn't sure what to do. At least he didn't feel like he was here under any drugs.
Shawn trailed in behind him, closing and locking the door.
Matt gazed around the apartment -- relatively spartan with a leather dining room -- couch, and two plush chairs. A painting of something he couldn't identify hung on the far wall above a fireplace past a coffee table.
Shawn turned Matt to face him, and held his hips in his hands, then drew him closer.
Matt could feel palpable tension forming between them, since he could only see grey-green eyes shifting to glowing golden yellow. Shawn suddenly had his lips on Matt's own, hungrily kissing him and growling softly.
Matt was stunned, but his body reacted nearly automatically; his arms tightened around Shawn's neck, drawing him closer.
Soon, Matt surprised himself with his own passion as he moaned. Both were ravenously hungry for the other, as their making out grew more heated.
Matt hadn't realized that they were in Shawn's bedroom until Shawn was practically pushing him onto the bed. He suddenly panicked a little, breaking the heated kisses, and panting heavily, then scooted backwards.
His back felt oddly drafty. A quick glance at himself showed he was still clothed, and sporting a stiff one.
Shawn suddenly looked like a lost pup when he saw Matt's reaction.
Matt blinked as he took in more details on Shawn's appearance. It appeared like he had bulked up, tightening the shirt almost beyond capacity, and his furry hands had become clawed. If he had gazed any lower, he'd have noticed a sizeable bulge threatening to burst through Shawn's pants.
Shawn was panting loudly, and actually whined in his throat. He took one kneestep closer onto the bed, and paused, sniffing at Matt.
Matt felt oddly exposed. He darted a hand behind his back, and found part of his shirt ripped. He started to feel slight fear.
"Wait. Wait..."
Shawn's behavior was confusing him partly because it seemed like he was in heat -- for Matt, at any rate. But he truly didn't know exactly what would happen. Meribel never really told him about her dates beyond what they did. He recalled that she never quite explicitly mentioned what happened during sex with her.
Shawn curled up his lip, snarling slightly in frustration. His voice had roughened and dropped several octaves deeper as he spoke. "I must have you."
Matt saw slightly longer canines showing prominently. A sliver of fear pinpricked his stomach.
Shawn took a deep inhale through his nose, then he suddenly regained his senses, forcing back the bestial passion. His eyes slowly paled back to grey-green, and the teeth actually grew shorter. He also shrank slowly back to his normal size along with his hands.
He growled huskily and tore his gaze away from Matt. "Dammit. I didn't mean to go that far."
Matt sat there, cushioned by the pillows right behind him, with his arms crossed. He tried to analyze his feelings to verbalize them, although he suspected Shawn could tell. "I'm confused. Um, I like you a lot, but... what's the deal? I keep feeling like there's something more I don't know about here."
Shawn growled again, turning himself and thumped onto his butt on the bed, not facing Matt. He hung his head, and crossed his arms, feeling confused and remorseful.
"...I meant to talk to you about it, to explain what was going to happen, but... I wanted you so badly that I kinda lost control. I didn't mean to..."
Matt rubbed his arms, feeling conflicted. On one hand, he enjoyed the stroking of his self-esteem from Shawn's comment, and the other, he was plainly confused.
Matt knew that Weres possessed extraordinary strength even when they went through a partial change. He'd witnessed Meribel throw a mugger once across the street when they had attempted to pick her pocket.
Matt spoke cautiously, his eyes boring into Shawn's back. "Talk to me about what?"
Shawn sat there without saying a thing for a minute, then he spoke quietly. A hint of shame could be heard in his voice. "Your induction. It's a delicate process, and it's entirely your choice whether you want to do it or not. I cannot force you. I nearly just did without your knowledge."
[To Be continued]