FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun was high in the sky, shining in its glory. Its rays shone down on the city and its inhabitants, though the beings in this city were far from normal. The only figures left roaming the streets were creatures of myth. Minotaurs, werewolves, and gryphons roamed the city, destroying much of what was in their path. Almost all of the original inhabitants had fled the city, or been killed in the chaos. All of the survivors, the few that remained, were either leaving, or getting picked off by the beasts. All, except for the pair walking down one of the side streets.

One was a young man, early twenties, with black hair and a lean build. He wore a red sweatshirt that was a few sizes too big, and dark jeans that had seen better days. He was carrying a backpack over his shoulders as he walked, it seemingly being the only thing holding the sweatshirt to his form. He was walking along the sidewalk, chatting with an odd companion.

Next to the young man was a girl, but some of her features were...off. She was about the same age as he, but with a mix of animal and human features. Her face was stretched farther forward which formed what looked to be the start of a muzzle. Her nose was rounder, almost like a wolf's, and was darker than the rest of her face. Her teeth were sharper and a little longer, and her fingers and toes had short claws on them. She wore a small t-shirt and cargo pants, both of which had a few tears and many dirt and gravel splotches. Her eyes were scanning the buildings and street as they walked and talked, her slightly pointed ears twitching at every sound.

"Getting anything out of the ordinary?" The young man, Caleb, asked. It had been two days since they had left the safe haven of an abandoned apartment. To the disappointment of them both, they had run into many obstacles that had stalled much of their progress. "Jay's place should be getting closer."

"Nope. Nothing so far. I know you're nervous about your friend." The girl, Amelia, replied. She looked over at him and he looked back. She smiled. "I'm sure he's fine! After all, you said he was always good in emergencies, right? I'll let you know if I catch on to anything strange."

Caleb smiled weakly. He wanted to believe her, and he was holding out hope that Jay was alright. But there was still that little voice in the back of his mind telling him to expect the worst. He looked at her face, the sharp-fanged smile not terrifying him anymore. Over the past few days, the obstacles they had encountered hadn't all been from outside dangers.

After her first full change, things had gone smoothly for the remainder of the day. That night, however, when they found a safe spot to rest, she had trouble reverting to her original form. Both of them being exhausted from the long trek, a third of the way through the city, they decided it would probably be alright if she didn't change back. They thought that she may even revert while in her sleep, and they could continue on in the morning, unhindered. Unfortunately, they were only partially correct.

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While she had reverted to her original human body as she slept, she had been thrown into another nightmare that night, not too far off from her original one where she had killed Caleb. In this nightmare, she was behind an invisible barrier that forced her into the role of observer. In front of her was another "her", but in full werewolf form. She was atop a large hill in the distance, overlooking the city. The city was burning, much like in her first dream, only this time the flames bent to her will. The hill was adorned with a gilded, golden throne upon which she resided in all her werewolf glory. She was covered in jewelry: diamond and ruby piercings, a gold necklace, and platinum rings adorned her clawed fingers. Near her, sitting on the ground was Caleb. He had a collar around his neck, and was shackled to her throne. Her werewolf self was watching as he was being pounded by a beefy minotaur. She smiled a wicked smile, sticking her large padded fingers into her wet snatch. She masturbated as he was brutally fucked by a too-big cock, and he squealed in pain as the creature ejaculated in him. In this nightmare, she was watching, unable to intervene, as her werewolf body tortured him for fun, enjoying his pained screams.

"No! Let him go! You fucker!" She had screamed as she pounded on her invisible obstacle. The deep, overpowering voice from her original nightmare returned in full force to taunt her yet again.

" Amelia! Open your eyes! This** is the future you are destined for: to be a queen among mortals!**"

"I don't want this future! Fuck you if you think I'm going to give in to you!" She continued her efforts to break through.

" Ha! This is the future that will come to pass, Amelia. You cannot control this, no matter what you try."

She scoffed, ignoring him as she felt the barrier begin to give a little bit.

" You are unique, Amelia. And you are a big** part of my plan. Give in! Or the first I will take will be your beloved friend...**"

With that, she was finally able to break through the barrier. She instantly awoke covered in sweat, and her hear pounding. With her adrenaline on high, her body instantly began to change in the real world.

Her eyes shot open, already changing from hazel to a glowing gold. She grit her teeth as her bones and muscles grew, popping and reshaping her body. In her panic, her animal instincts had been taking control, perceiving everything as a threat. Even her friend, who had awoken from her thrashing around. He had tried to calm her down, to bring her human mind back to the surface, but it hadn't worked. He had been pushed back, and she had cut him with her claws. He had several cuts on his stomach, small amounts of blood escaping and getting soaked into his shirt. As her muzzle grew in, he had taken his opportunity to escape and hide nearby. Shortly after her change had completed, she set out to find him.

It hadn't taken long, but he had been hoping that she would be in control by the time he was found. He was fortunate enough that she had regained her human mind when he was discovered, though he took a little convincing. She had freaked him out, and she managed to calm him down by speaking to him, something she had gotten pretty good at the previous day. As she helped him to his feet after calming him down, the biggest progression of her growth appeared.

She changed back, willingly. As he watched, her form shrank before him. An intense look on her face, she concentrated all of her mind on reversion, and she successfully returned to her human form. Naked and exhausted, she collapsed in front of the young man. He rushed to catch her, asking what the hell happened.

"I had another nightmare...'Amelia! Give in or we will take your friend from you' to paraphrase." She gasped, trying to regain her composure.

"Amelia...Is that your name?"

"Yeah...yeah that's my name" She paused. "What's yours?"

"I'm Caleb." He chuckled a bit as he helped her to her feet. "Nice to 'meet you'."

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They continued on their way, avoiding the occasional monster. At one intersection, they had to hunker down and wait while two minotaurs fought it out in the middle of the street. Apparently, despite Amelia's dreams saying these creatures were all of the same essence, there was still inner turmoil. That was good for them, at least they hoped. The fight ensued for the following half-hour, until one minotaur got the upper hand, and threw the other one down one street on the intersection before charging after him. Caleb and Amelia took their chance, rushing past toward Jay's apartment. After a few blocks, Amelia stopped, lifting her nose to the air. She had a befuddled look on her face.

"What is it?" Caleb asked, hopeful.

"Hm..." She inhaled once more. "Smells like...you?"

"What? What does that mean?" Caleb asked, confused.

"Well...it smells like your...um...hoodie..." She blushed a little, embarrassed by her memory of his scent. "That was how I found you that night. But now it smells like it's coming from the third building on the right..."

Caleb, in his rush and fear of the many dangers around every corner, hadn't been paying close attention while they were walking. They were almost at Jay's apartment, and it was the third building on the right. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along, eager to make sure his friend was okay.

"Caleb, wait!" Amelia said as she was pulled along. "We need to be careful! That wasn't the only scent I picked up."

Caleb wasn't listening, heart pounding at the possibilities that awaited them ahead. Was Jay alive? Maybe he was dead...Or maybe he wasn't even in the city when the event went down? He was supposed to meet Caleb, but his work was outside the city...

Amelia pulled away from his grasp, and he turned around, the motion bringing him back to reality.

"Stop!" She said in a hushed tone. Her slightly pointed ears twitching atop her head. "I know you are excited, but we can't throw caution to the wind here. There is another scent, but I am unsure what it is."

"That means it isn't a werewolf or a minotaur. So, we should be good." Caleb insisted.

"OR it could be a different monster that we haven't seen thus far. We just need to be careful. Just...let me lead the way, at least?"

"Alright. But let's hurry!" With Amelia taking the lead, they continued on toward Jay's apartment complex. They were one street away, and Amelia stopped to check their surroundings.

"Smells are still there...It's like they're static objects, not people or creatures. Unless someone or something is waiting patiently for something..." They continued on and into the lobby.

Jay's apartment was on the fifth floor, so they took the elevator up to the fourth as a precaution. As the doors opened, Amelia stopped Caleb before he got out.

"I think this is a trap. Something's just...not right."

"Look, we can't back out now, not when his apartment is right there. He could be in there, and we would do better as a group of three." He suggested. Amelia thought for a moment, before kicking off her shoes and exposing her bare feet. Caleb wasn't sure what she was doing. "What's that for?"

"Just a 'precaution'" she replied as she removed her shirt, reaching for the button on her pants. "Just don't want to ruin another pair of clothes."

Her form fully exposed, Amelia focused, bringing the wolf to the surface. Caleb watched as her body rapidly changed, muscle and fur replacing her lean figure with a hulking one. Her change quickly completed, her glowing amber eyes opened and locked with Caleb's.

"Rrrrreadyy" She growled, moving toward the stairs. Caleb followed, more confident in their chance of success. She walked slowly up the stairs, listening carefully for any movement. Nothing, not even birds. As they reached the top of the stairs, Caleb pointed to which door was Jay's. Moving closer, Amelia paused, her ears flicking towards the wall. She turned, leaping onto Caleb and tackling him to the ground.

"Look out!" She shouted as she pounced him. As she dove, gunfire erupted from the room next to Jay's, bullets spraying through the drywall. They went through the wall on the other side of the hallway, missing Amelia and Caleb by a few inches. The gunfire ceased, and Amelia charged through the wall, destroying it in a cloud of dust and wood fragments. A muffled shout of surprise was heard as the man on the other side finished reloading his weapon. He raised it as Amelia charged him. He got a few shots off before she was upon him.

Amelia howled in pain as two of the rounds went through her shoulder. She managed to get to him before any more found their mark, and she ripped the rifle from his hands. He reached for his sidearm, but she was too quick. As his hand pulled the pistol from its holster, Amelia simultaneously grabbed his wrist and throat with her hand-paws. She squeezed his wrist until it started to pop, the man letting go of the sidearm in while groaning in pain, fearing she may have broken a bone. She lifted him off the floor, held to the wall by her wrist on his throat. Muffled swearing was heard from behind the mask before Amelia reached up. With a snarl, she pulled the mask from his face to reveal a chiseled face, the pale white skin contrasting with the short beard and dark brown eyes.

"Fuck you! Fuckin' beast! Lemme go!" He shouted as he beat on her arm with his fist, trying to break free. Amelia reached up and wrapped her other hand around his throat as Caleb entered the room. His eyes went wide when he saw what was going on.

"Shit! Let him go! Let him go!" He said, frantically. Amelia obeyed, dropping the man to the floor. He rasped and coughed, trying to catch his breath as he rubbed his throat. Amelia stood over him, obstructing his access to Caleb.

"What...the fu-" The man said as he regained his composure, his eyesight returning to him to show him a familiar face. "Jesus, Caleb! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Nice to see you, too, Jay." Caleb responded as he moved to help his friend to his feet. Amelia moved away to allow Caleb a clear path. "I could ask you the same thing. What happened to meeting at the museum?"

"Well..." Jay scratched his head, moving over to retrieve his gear. Amelia stared daggers at him as he made his way toward his weapons. She was sure Caleb was safe, but she wasn't sure he wouldn't try to shoot her, given the chance. Her shoulder was almost fully healed, but she wasn't sure how she would fare against a hail of bullets. "My unit was deployed for an emergency target neutralization assignment. High-value target, some form of terrorist. Sorry, I should have called or something..."

"I'm just glad you're okay" Caleb said with relief. He looked around, seeing no one else nearby, nor any signs that other people had been there. "Uh...where's the rest of your squad?"

"We got split up. Huge fuckin' bulls started throwing stuff at us, and we got separated in the ensuing fight. Those damn werewolf things didn't make it any better." Jay said angrily. He looked over at Amelia, her eyes still locked to him. "Speaking of...what the hell are you doing here with that?"

"Hey! She's a friend!" Caleb said, suddenly pissed off. "She saved my life! Show some respect!"

Jay was taken aback by his friend's sudden outburst. His eyes darted between Caleb and the large, beastly werewolf standing close behind him.

"Can you...uh...can you at least tell her to quit starin' at me?" Jay asked nervously.

"I can leave" She replied, turning calmly to Caleb while Jay's face went white. "Give you guys some time to enjoy yourrr rrreunion?"

"I-I-it can t-talk?!" Jay stammered.

"Yes, I can." Amelia crossed her arms, gesturing towards Jay. "Is he always this way?"

Caleb chuckled softly.

"You aren't exactly 'normal' to see every day, y'know? Except for me, anyway." Caleb said.

"Are you sure we can trust her? I mean, she's a --"

"Friend, Jay. Like you and I. I trust her. Like I said, I wouldn't be here without her. She's done more for me than I deserve, honestly" Caleb said, blushing a little bit.

"I don't know about more than you deserve..." Amelia whispered under her breath, turning her head. She was happy her fur was thick enough to conceal her blushing cheeks.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"N-nothing! Just...thinking aloud."

There was a pause. No one was really sure how to proceed from here. At last, Jay sighed, relaxing a bit. He walked over to Amelia, who was became a little tense, ready for whatever he had to throw at her. Well, almost anything...

"Well, Caleb clearly trusts you. And I'm not one to question his judgement." He extended his hand. "Name's Jay. Sorry we got off on the, uh, wrong foot."

"Amelia." She said, wrapping her paw around his comparatively small hand. "Pleasurrre to meet you."

"Sorry about your shoulder" He looked astonished at her already closing wounds. "Whoa...Anyway, you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here? Why didn't you evacuate with the rest of the civilians?"

"Well...when shit hit the fan, so to speak, I got grabbed by a gryphon and carried off. She saved me." He gestured at Amelia, who was now looking out the window for any indications of threats. "Then, we were trying to find a safe place to rest, and dealing with the whole werewolf thing." Amelia's ears flicked at that last statement, but if it got her thinking, it didn't show. "Then we were trying to find you. Wasn't expecting you to be waiting here in ambush though. When did the military get here?"

"Yesterday. My unit and I got split up, so I camped out here. I've been watching those werewolves, and I thought you were one of 'em comin' to rip my head off. I was kind of right, I guess" Jay joked. Caleb chuckled nervously, but Amelia remained stoic. "Anyway, we should probably get out of the city while we can. I can at least try to escort you two to one of the bridges out of here."

"What about your unit?" Caleb asked.

"They can handle themselves, I'm sure" Jay said, almost as if he were trying to convince himself more than Caleb. He moved toward the door. "We'll probably run into them on the way, too."

Caleb followed behind Jay, gesturing to Amelia. She nodded, moving up next to him as they exited the apartment. Instead of heading for the elevator, Jay moved toward his own apartment. He gestured for the other two to stay put while he went inside, shutting the door behind him. From the outside, Amelia and Caleb could hear rustling, banging, and scraping. A *THUD* was heard, followed by a few choice expletives, before the door opened to reveal Jay with some equipment. He moved to Caleb first, handing him a pistol with two extra magazines of ammo, with one already in the gun.

"Here. I always keep a spare on hand, just in case." Jay said as Caleb graciously accepted the weapon. Despite how ineffective it could be, Caleb had been feeling exceedingly vulnerable without a gun. Though he wasn't ready to admit it, he hated relying on Amelia for everything. Jay turned to Amelia, opening his large backpack so she could see inside. In the pack, there was a large object, wrapped in foil and paper towels, that was in a zip-locked plastic bag. "Um...I don't know what you eat but uh...got some meat for you."

"Thanks! Really." Amelia sincerely replied. Her changes took up a lot of her energy, and she was happy that Jay had thought ahead. Her ears twitched and she whipped her head toward the stairs. "We may have overstayed our welcome. We got werewolves, three...halfway up the second floor."

"Shit!" Jay said. He readied his rifle and Caleb readied his pistol. In unison, they all moved slowly toward the elevator, Amelia staying between them and the stairs. She stopped.

"One of them stopped. Two on the stairs, almost here." The elevator was still on their floor, and she pushed them onto it once the doors opened. "Start heading for the bridge. I'll catch up with you."

"Bu-" Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but found himself unable as Amelia pressed her muzzle against his mouth, her long tongue swirling in his mouth as she passionately kissed him. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Despite the danger nearby, Caleb was enveloped in the moment, unable to process what was happening as a warmth filled his soul. Caleb started, before returning the gesture, embracing her as he did. After a moment, they released each other. Amelia winked.

"I got these two. I will meet you at the brrridge."

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Amelia stepped back, and the elevator doors closed. Caleb had a concerned look as the metal blocked his features from view.

They'll be fine. Amelia thought to herself. She turned and crouched low, ready for the approaching danger. There was scrabbling on the steps as the werewolves reached her floor. She snarled as they charged her.

One of them leapt into the air, mouth wide as it pounced at her. She dodged to the left, bringing her paw up and digging them into its underside. It yelped as it fell, the gashes bleeding heavily as it crashed to the floor. While she was distracted with the first one, the other charged into her side, biting down hard on her midsection. Amelia went down with a cry.

The werewolf pinned her down with its mouth, pressing its claws into her hip. Her breath coming in bursts, she dug her claw into its eye, causing it to howl in pain as it released her. She stood up quickly, despite the damage done to her, and prepared for another attack. She was temporarily distracted as gunfire and expletives erupted from below. Cries of pain and anger could be heard, and Amelia was beginning to worry. She couldn't stay distracted too long, though, as the first werewolf had recovered, and was rushing her again. She stood fast, turning and grabbing its open maw. Her padded paws slid against the floor as she was pushed back by the force, but she kept hold of its face. It clawed at her arms, but she ignored the pain. Summoning her strength, she pulled on each jaw in separate directions. Before long, there was a loud *CRUNCH*_ followed by a wet *_splat* as she removed the top of its head. With a triumphant howl, she turned to the other werewolf, murder in her eyes.

Its eye had already healed, but Amelia rushed it anyway. Their bodies met in a flash of teeth, blood spraying as each got hits in. At one point, Amelia drove her claws into its gut and, grabbing its shoulder, she threw it against the wall, and it collapsed in a bloody heap. Breathing heavily, she moved over and removed its head. As she dropped it to the floor, she registered that there was no gunfire coming from downstairs. In fact, she couldn't hear anything from the floors below. Quick as lightning, she began her descent of the stairs. When she got to the ground floor, she searched for any sign of Caleb and Jay. She had a faint scent of Caleb, and of the werewolf. Her lip curled as she growled, angry at herself for letting this happen.

She took off after them, ducking and dodging between the abandoned cars in the road. She scraped to a halt in front of a subway entrance. Sniffing the air again, she found that Caleb and Jay had both gotten closer. But now there was a different smell in addition, but not the werewolf. That was still there, but not nearly as strong as before. She descended into the subway, running along the platform. Before long, she came to a security office. The door was off its hinges, laying against the wall surrounded by broken bits of wall. She entered the room, but what she found wasn't what she was expecting.

Jay and Caleb were trying to comfort a young man, who was shivering in the center of the room. He had a thick jacket on, courtesy of Jay, but Amelia could see he was nude underneath. He looked to be around eighteen, with spiky black hair. Tanned skin contrasted his darker hair, and he was covered in blood. He looked up when she entered, his eyes going wide with fear.

"What's going on?" She asked, moving to Caleb and giving him a small hug. He smiled, before answering.

"This" He said, gesturing to the young man. "Is the werewolf we were fighting."

Amelia looked at the man, shivering and nude, like she was when Caleb found her. She looked at him, noting how he was instinctively holding close to Jay, who was still comforting him.

"Look, man, we're all fine. It's okay!" Jay was saying, hugging the man around the shoulders. "You're gonna be alright, man."

The young man was leaning into his chest, crying softly and mumbling about being dangerous, and not wanting anyone to get hurt. Caleb and Amelia locked eyes with each other for a moment. Wordlessly, they both came to the same conclusion.

She and the young man were the same.

Amelia's expression changed from anger to compassion. She approached the young man, and knelt by his side. She put a paw on his shoulder, fear still filling his eyes.

"Look at my face" She said. He didn't move his head. She reached down gently with her other paw, cupping his chin. Lifting his head, his eyes met hers. "You are in good company."

Amelia began to change back, her muscle and fur shrinking away. Her muzzle cracked back into place as it became shorter, her body returning to its human state. As the young man watched, the large werewolf disappeared before his eyes, instead being replaced by a young woman with dark black hair, and calm hazel eyes. She was left panting after her body's exhausting transition, but she managed a smile.

"You...are like me..." She managed between breaths. "You'll be alright."

Caleb reached into his pack, pulling out some fresh clothes. He moved to Amelia and helped her to her feet, her fight and subsequent reversion taking their toll on her. They moved towards one of the walls, Amelia stumbling as they walked. She looked over at Caleb, and he had a concerned expression on his face.

"Think you may have overdone it a bit" He said. The security office they were in was quite spacious, and even had a couch. He moved toward it, all but carrying Amelia, and lay her down on it. "You've gotta be more careful!"

Amelia just smiled tiredly. She had a warm feeling in her chest, finding it cute that Caleb was worried about her. He helped her get the pants and shirt on, but that was all before she lay down and fell straight to sleep. Covering her with his jacket, Caleb walked over to check on Jay and their new unnamed friend.

"How is he?" Caleb asked, leaning against the wall. The young man had his eyes closed as his head rested against Jay's chest-plate. Caleb smirked. "Seems like you've made a new best friend."

"Huh..." Jay chuckled. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head. "What was it like? When you and she met?"

A pause.

"Pretty much just like this. She was on a rooftop, though. And she had saved me from a gryphon before she turned back into a human. Other than that, though...fucking identical."

Caleb slid down the wall. He rested his hands on his knees as he fidgeted. Jay was staring at the ceiling, the gears in his head turning rapidly.

"Was she...all up on you?" He glanced at Caleb and gestured to the man resting on his chest. Caleb thought for a moment.

"Not...really? I mean, she didn't wake up until the next day. Probably sometime in the afternoon, but she found me really quick. Changed a little bit and chased me down."

"So, that means..." Jay sighed. "That means that they are probably like our 'guardians', y'know? I'd hate to use the term 'guard dog', given the circumstances, but he hasn't let go of me since this started. And I was closest to him when he changed back, so I was probably the first person he saw when he woke up. Plus, if she couldn't stand being away from you for less than a few hours..."

"Whoa..." Caleb pondered Jay's words. It was possible that he and Amelia were bound in a similar way as master and pet, though he didn't like to think of it in that way. She had always put herself in front of danger for him, keeping him first in line ahead of even herself. He chuckled. "'Guard dog', huh?"

"Yeah..." Jay chuckled as well. It quickly turned into giggling and soon transitioned to full-blown laughter. His voice was soon joined by Caleb's own, both of them laughing rambunctiously. Neither werewolf stirred from their slumber.

After a few moments, the laughter tapered off. Jay sighed.

"How did we get here, Caleb? What fuckin' series of events had to be perfect for us to get right fuckin' here, eh?" Jay moved to stand, the young man groaning as his sleep was disturbed. Jay picked him up, moving him to a better spot and putting a rolled-up sweatshirt under his head as a pillow. He moved to sit in one of the unbroken chairs at the security desk. The monitors were all still operational, and Jay could see most of the subway station.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Caleb. I'll take first watch."

As Caleb was about to protest, he yawned. Maybe Jay was right, he should get some sleep. He moved over to the couch, positioning Amelia so he could lay next to her. Jay laughed again.

"Aw! Look at the little love birds!" He said, mockingly.

"Shut up" Caleb said back, stifling his own laughter. He put his head down on the cushions, and fell quickly to sleep.

___________________________________________________________________________

Amelia awoke to a strange warmth on her back. She blinked a few times in the dim security office. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and the rest of her senses awoke, she registered her surroundings. In the chair, slumped over and loudly snoring, was Jay, still in his military gear. Close to him was the other werewolf, who was sound asleep still, by the look of it. To top it all off, Caleb was asleep behind her, his arm resting over her as he softly snored. She relaxed a bit, leaning back into him and closing her eyes.

Several moments passed, and she was unable to fall back to sleep. She felt as if something were nagging at her. A thought deep in the back of her mind, like an underlying idea that had been ingrained into her. She carefully rolled to her side, doing her best to get comfortable while not waking Caleb. She settled on her side, facing him. Looking over him as he slept, she smiled. He looked so peaceful, so uncaring in his slumber. It was then that her thought came to the forefront of her mind, and her smile faded. She slid off the couch, quietly making her way out of the room. Unknowingly to her, she had accidentally stirred Caleb from his rest.

He groggily opened his eyes. He barely had enough time to see Amelia leaving the room. At first, he was worried, but he figured she probably just needed to use the restroom or something. Besides, she was a werewolf. It isn't like she couldn't take on whatever was out there. Somewhat comfortable with that thought, Caleb rolled over and closed his eyes, trying to get a little more sleep before they needed to leave.

Amelia's bare feet slapped quietly on the stone floors of the subway. She moved around through the passages they had already come, soon entering the open area of the station. She looked toward the stairs, debating with herself. She should have run away long before, endangering Caleb wasn't what she wanted, but she was too selfish in her own mind, and decided to stay by him, because he comforted her. He loved her, and she him.

She began walking toward the shut down escalator. She should have left so long ago. She never should have stayed, not after that first dream. She stopped by the busted entrance to one of the restrooms. The mirror on the wall was still mostly intact, and she caught sight of herself. She walked towards it, getting closer and closer until she was face-to-face with her reflection. She stared into her own eyes, seeing the faint yellow glow. She hadn't mentioned it to Caleb, or to anyone, but she was feeling pent up. As if she had too much energy, and she wanted to let it out in the wildest way she knew how. Transforming. She enjoyed it more than she believed she should. The power. The lust.

She shook her head, driving the thought from her mind. As she stared, she changed her face. Her eyes switched from a faint gold to a bright amber. Her mouth filled with sharp teeth as her jaw extended a small amount. Her ears pointed slightly, her sense of hearing growing better than it already was. She stared at her reflection, taking in every detail of her face. She brought a hand to her face, placing two fingers on her cheek, before covering her mouth and feeling her short muzzle with her palm. How could she subject Caleb to this? She was a monster, and she sure looked the part, even if she wasn't fully changed.

She made up her mind. She was leaving. She couldn't bear to think what she would do if she lost control. She leaned away from her reflection, taking in a deep breath. She held it for a moment, before releasing it. A single tear rolled down her cheek as sadness crept over her heart. She wouldn't even go back to say goodbye. He would try to convince her to stay, and then-

"Amelia?" A voice called from around the corner. She choked. She couldn't have this conversation with Caleb. He would never let her go. "Amelia, you there?"

She paused her crying. That wasn't Caleb. That was-!

"You alright in there?" A rifle barrel peeked around the side of the rubble. The rest of Jay's body quickly followed as he assessed the situation. Seeing only Amelia in the room, he lowered his weapon. She was topless, and he averted his eyes. He positioned himself so he was facing the hole in the rubble, and the broken escalator, but he could still talk to her without muffling his words.

"What do you want?" Amelia sternly questioned. Tears were still in her eyes, but she sounded angry. No...determined.

"You've been gone for almost twenty minutes. Figured you went for a piss or something, but twenty minutes would be a world record, I think." He replied. "C'mon. If you're done, let's get back to Caleb and Dex."

"Dex?" Amelia was confused.

"Yeah. The other werewolf? That's what he said his name was. Er...that's the name he said in his sleep, anyway." Jay shifted his weight a bit, so his shoulder wouldn't fall asleep. "Let's get back. We can still get some more rest before we need to go. So-"

"Go. I'll catch up with you" She lied. Unfortunately, Jay saw straight through it.

"Oh, I'm sure you will." He said sarcastically. "I'm also sure you weren't thinking about leaving us, and that you were crying over a lost beanie baby."

"A what?"

"It's a toy...Whatever, it isn't important. What is important is that we need you. And from what I can see, you were about to run off." Jay turned and faced her, staring into her eyes. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Amelia stared back. She reached up and wiped the tears from her face, sniffling a bit.

"I'm leaving." She said. "You won't stop me."

"I can't stop you physically, but at least let me know what's up. Caleb will want to know why his girlfriend just up and left."

A lance of pain hit her heart at the word "girlfriend". He really did love her...

"I'm a monster." She said after a few moments. "A beast that can't be controlled. And he's safer without me around. You all are."

"Bullshit. What do you think makes you a monster?" He looked at the mirror behind her. "The way you look? Is that what you think? Sure, you're fucking scary. I won't sugar-coat it. You scare the piss outta me, but not because of how you look."

Amelia opened her mouth to protest, but Jay continued before she could speak.

"You scare me because you are so focused on saving Caleb that you don't think about you. You've stepped in front of danger for him several times already, so what changed?"

"I think I'm losing control...I...I can't stick around. I might hurt one of you. Or worse."

"We'll deal with that if it comes around. Maybe you haven't worked yourself far enough yet. Like having too much caffeine before bed. You need some way to expel that energy. Besides..." Jay walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Caleb won't last ten minutes without you." He grinned.

Amelia sighed. He had a point. Caleb only had a small pistol, and they had been seeing more and more monsters as they had been traveling. She was his best chance of surviving.

"Alright. Let's go, before I change my mind."

Jay nodded, turning and raising his weapon. He moved to the opening, before gesturing to her to follow. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, and they made their way back to the security office. Jay quietly opened the door, and they slipped inside. Dex was awake, and had a panicked look on his face until he saw Jay. Instantly, he relaxed. Jay put a finger up to his lips, signaling for Dex to stay quiet.

Amelia returned to the couch where Caleb was sleeping. She lay down next to him, draping her arm over his waist. He shuffled a bit in his sleep.

"Where were you?" he asked. Amelia paused.

"Bathroom."

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They awoke to the sounds of explosions. Everyone jumped up, sleep a forgotten past-time. They grabbed their gear and rushed for the exit. A few moments later, and all four of them were out on the platform, running towards the stairs. They broke out into the sunlight, the bright rays causing them all to cover their eyes as they grew accustomed to the natural light. They began toward the estimated destination of the explosion. Just as they passed two blocks from the subway, there was a *WHOOSH*_ overhead._ Jay stopped dead in his tracks.

"No. NO! Fuck! You motherfuckers!" He screamed, startling the others. Caleb was about to ask what he was yelling about, when there was another explosion. This one was farther away, roughly where they were originally heading. Caleb came to a startling realization, one that Jay had already come to understand. The military were destroying the bridges, blocking entrance or exit from the city. Essentially, they were in quarantine with a bunch of monsters.

"Shit..." Caleb said under his breath. He turned to Amelia, who had a confused look on her face. "They blew up the bridges. We're stuck here now, the water is probably guarded as well."

Amelia's heart sank, her face going sullen. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come to her. She looked to Caleb for encouragement, to her companion for hope. But he was just as downtrodden as she was. They had been on the run for about a week, dodging monsters and fighting them when stealth wasn't an option. They were all exhausted, and had been hoping that they were on the final stretch. The "Bridge to Salvation" that would finally allow them to say they escaped death. Jay, understandably, was the first to regain his composure.

"We can't stay here. We need to move, find somewhere to use as a base of operations. We need to make sure it can be defended, and that it's tall enough to see all around us. Maybe we can find something that the military missed. Another exit, or something." He said, gesturing for them to follow as he began toward a nearby skyscraper. Though he sounded optimistic, he was just as downtrodden as they were, but he didn't want to show it. He was leader of his squad in the military, and he was going to act as leader in this group as well.

The rest followed Jay as they moved toward the building. They were across the street from the entrance, when a minotaur spotted them. With a mighty bellow, it charged at them. Jay ducked to one side, dragging his werewolf by the shirt, while Amelia tackled Caleb to the other side. Unable to change direction due to its momentum, the minotaur blundered past. It crashed through the entrance of a nearby building, shattering the glass entry doors. The group gained some semblance of composure before the minotaur was back in the street.

They were surrounding it, Jay and Caleb with their guns at the ready. Amelia was already partially through her change, claws and fur rapidly covering her growing form. The young man was also changing, but not to the same degree. He put on a bit of muscle, but didn't gain too much size overall. His feet stretched, changing his stance while claws grew on his toes and on his growing fingers. His face pushed out a small bit while his ears pointed, his teeth sharpening. His eyes glowed amber as he opened them, completing his change.

The changes were over in a matter of moments, while the minotaur plotted his next move. He was looking left and right, sizing each of them up. He snorted, reaching for a nearby car. He tore the door clean off, before turning to Jay and his wolf. It raised the door to throw it, but instead of throwing it at Jay, it threw it at Caleb and Amelia instead. Even for a blind throw, it was accurate, and Amelia barely managed to shove Caleb out of the way. She took the brunt of the hit though, going down with a yelp as she felt something crack in her torso. She rolled a few feet back before stopping. She was clutching her chest, pretty sure she had cracked a rib. She had lost her breath from the hit, and her vision was blurry. As she looked up, trying to get to her feet, she heard a stomping. She could vaguely see the minotaur running at her.

In her weakened state, she tried to move to the side, stumbling a few feet before falling. She groaned in pain as she landed, turning her head and seeing Caleb and Jay engaging the minotaur. It had stopped charging her, turning its attention towards them instead. She was regaining her vision, when the situation got much worse.

Caleb and Jay had been firing when they could, the young werewolf doing hit-and-runs as they reloaded. But the inevitable eventually happened, and Caleb ran out of ammo. The minotaur instantly changed tactics, running exclusively for Caleb and ignoring the other two. Despite the damage they were doing to him, the minotaur stayed focused on Caleb. He was dodging well, weaving and dodging when he could. He tired out first, though, and the minotaur charged him one last time.

Time slowed down for a moment, Caleb seeing everything in his life flash before his eyes. His childhood, his friends. Family and co-workers. His first girlfriend. Amelia...There was more than a bit about her, a little more than some of the other memories. He realized, in that moment, that he had lived a good enough life for him to be satisfied. Lacking the strength to dodge the behemoth in front of him, he staggered to one side. He accepted his fate.

The minotaur bellowed in pain as blood sprayed from its eye. Just after the hit, a *CRACK* was heard from behind Caleb. The minotaur stumbled, but still managed to hit Caleb in the shoulder, catching him with one of its horns. Caleb screamed out in pain as the horn pierced his shoulder and he was carried into the air. The minotaur whipped his head to the side, launching Caleb through the air. He landed with a *CRASH* as he hit the windshield of a car not too far away.

Amelia watched in horror, and in shame that she wasn't able to help her love in his time of need. He lay limp on the hood of the car, blood spilling from his shoulder. As she looked on, Amelia felt a rage building in her. Not just strong anger, or normal rage, but something that overpowered her consciousness. Pure fire erupted within her, her vision going red. With a terrifying snarl, she charged the beast.

___________________________________________________________________________

Her head was pounding. Her ears were ringing. She felt wet, like she had been in the rain. But she also felt sticky, like there was syrup on her. She opened her eyes, groaning as light hit them. Her vision was blurry for a moment, then cleared and allowed her to take in where she was.

Rubble surrounded her on all sides, a medium-sized opening above her pouring sunlight into the crevice. She inhaled through her nose, smelling something similar to copper. Looking down at herself, she found the source of the smell. Her form was nude, since she had transformed in her clothing to fight the minotaur, but she was covered in blood from head to toe. It was as if she had showered in the stuff, and she .

She tried to sit up, her muscles screaming at her as she collapsed back to the cold ground. Her head still pounding, she tried to recall what had happened. She remembered fighting, and cracking a rib, but she couldn't remember much after that. Weakly, she put her hand on her midsection, pressing where she had been hit. She winced as there was still pain, but not nearly as much as before. She sighed, even that small motion used almost all of her energy. She just lay there in her little hiding spot. She closed her eyes, trying to get some rest. Maybe she'd remember something in the morning.

___________________________________________________________________________

Rain splashed into the hole where she slept, rousing her from her deep slumber. Amelia sat upright, still sore and tired, but rather mobile. She looked out the hole, seeing dark clouds overhead, lightning flashes brightening up the black sky. She stood up, groaning at her soreness. She clambered out of the hole, rolling down the small hill of rubble it was perched atop of. She lie still for a moment, before pushing herself up. She stood, searching for any landmarks. After a moment, she spotted the highrise from the day before. From when she and Caleb...

Caleb! He had been hurt, and she had gone to help, but she blacked out. She felt a fire welling up in her, but she kept her cool, and extinguished it before she started changing again. She was already weak and sore, and another change likely would only make that worse. She slowed her breathing, trying to think of a plan. The rain would make it difficult, but she needed to find Caleb's trail.

She needed to save him.