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LYKOS Second Skin Chapter 7 (Subject 1012)

The heavy, raspy, rattling growl of the bus engine echoed through the cabin, vibrating every seat, every bolt, every window fixture and every passenger. It had been the same worn, desperate sound for the last two hundred miles, but in the city limits the stopping and starting was getting to be more annoying than the constant tone had been on the highway. The one mercy of the bus ride had been that the air conditioning was working, though it would no doubt make the transition worse. The air outside was ninety degrees and the low was expected to be no less than eighty eight. The sunlight struck at the bus's polarized windows, trying to breach the barrier but to no effect.

Sitting inside, about a third of the way back, one young man was pressed to the bus frame, hazel eyes gazing out into the sun parched city beyond the highway. The skyline was amazing with a cluster of skyscrapers in the distance, a more sprawling urban landscape unfolding around it. A eighteen wheeler rumbled by outside the bus, the sudden change in light forcing Luke to look at his reflection for a moment before the city returned outside.

Luke was twenty years old, his dishwater blond hair held back by a red bandanna tied around his head as a headband, the hair sticking straight up in the front. His skin was well tanned, though he had a few freckles across the bridge of his nose and his hazel eyes had a glint of gold to them. His yellow tank top was sun bleached and his shorts were well worn. His finger ran back and forth on the metal frame of the bus as he thought about the journey he'd taken, the miles he'd traveled, and just what he'd gotten himself into.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bus started to slow down. Luke felt his heart thumping in his chest, picking up speed. This was it, this was what he came to do. He stood up before the bus even stopped, his body sensing the minute changes in inertia. He grabbed his red duffel bag from beneath his seat and moved down the aisle. The grizzled driver didn't even complain, being too tired and too overworked to mount any form of protest. The bus pulled to a stop and the front door hissed open.

Luke nodded his head to the driver as he passed. Long distance bus travel was no pleasure, but it was the only way many had to take their lives in new directions and Luke was grateful. He glanced back at the bus that had been his home for two days before he stepped down the metal steps and set foot outside. A wave of heat washed over him, his skin soon glistening with sweat. He blinked, trying to let his eyes adjust to everything.

"Good luck kid, welcome to Houston!" The driver said before the doors hissed shut behind him and the bus started to lumber along again, pulling back into traffic. Luke felt suddenly very alone as he looked across the cement promenade, past the fountains and up to the massive skyscraper rising toward the heavens before him, the entire building coated in a thick steel honeycomb of hexagons over reflective glass.

Luke took a breath and pushed forward, moving through the pedestrians walking up and down the promenade as he moved toward the front doors. As he approached, Luke's ears perked, his nose tingled, and he got a whiff of a unique smell, a smell he had come to know well. Someone around him, someone in that crowd, was a werewolf too. Luke's heart kept beating quickly in his chest as he got near the doors, realizing there were table set out and people in dark blue suits behind them, talking with the many people coming to the building.

"I can help the next person over here!" The voice was faintly British, coming from a young woman with caramel brown skin, her dark hair pulled back into a thick ponytail. Luke looked around, seeing other young men and women lined up, filling out forms. Luke moved up to the woman that had called out to him.

"Uh, Hi, is this..." Luke hesitated. The woman smiled.

"Are you here for the lycanthropy research trials?" The woman asked. Luke blushed and nodded, feeling a little relieved. It was so strange admitting it out loud, but part of him felt so much more relaxed not having to hide his true nature.

"Yeah..." Luke said. The woman smiled.

"Alright, that's perfect. My name is Lily. I'll just need a few details to admit you to the program. If there is something you don't know, that's fine. We can fill in some blanks later. Name, please?" She asked.

"Luke Miller." he replied, glad his bandanna was soaking up some of his sweat.

"Age?" Lily questioned.

"Twenty."

"Blood type?"

"A-positive, I think. I mean, I'm not sure." Luke said.

"That's alright, we have someone inside to confirm." Lily smiled, "Pack status?"

"What?" Luke asked, looking a little startled.

"If you are part of a werewolf pack, are you the leader, a follower, or an Omega?" Lily asked, her voice sweet, the accent making it somehow all seem more... normal? Luke felt very beside himself, but he knew none of this was going to be easy. He'd left home, he'd come to Texas, he was signing his life over in the hopes that he'd be part of finding an answer, a solution, a cure.

"I am a Beta, a follower." Luke said. Lily nodded, writing it down.

"Any allergies?" She asked. Luke gave a tired, sarcastic smile.

"Like chocolate, silver, and strange rare plants?" Luke asked.

"Those too, but we're finding a percentage of our research participants are allergic to peanuts and shellfish." Lily replied. Luke looked a bit surprised. He'd been surprised by how much better his body worked after being turned into a werewolf, he didn't realize there were people out there still suffering common ailments like that. What if lycanthropy just made them worse? But Lily had asked him a question. Luke blinked, focusing back on the moment.

"Uh, no. Not that I know of... Maybe I need to sign up for that test too." Luke said. Lily smiled softly, scribbling down some notes before she grabbed a blue and black plastic ID card and slid it through a device attached to her clipboard before she handed it to Luke.

"Welcome to Futurza, Luke Miller. You are Research Subject One-Oh-One-Two." She smiled. Luke took the card and looked down at it. The interlocked F, T and Z that made up the Futurza logo was barely visible, only showing up when the light hit the card just right. He could see the letters that made it up, but at the same time it looked almost like some kind of circuit or hieroglyphic. Lily stepped back and opened the door for him.

"Thanks Lily." Luke said as he moved through the door, stepping into the Futurza Lobby. As the door shut behind him, the air swept in, flushing away the heat. The temperature dropped more than twenty degrees, nearly stunning Luke. He inhaled and exhaled, walking forward again, his footsteps echoing on the obsidian colored floor. His enhanced hearing picked up the sound of the water spilling down the edges of the textured glass panels that rose up out of the fountains running down the center of the lobby.

Luke knew the lobby was usually pristine and empty, but today was no ordinary day. More tables ran down either side of the expansive chamber, interspersed between the potted trees. Large screens on the walls showed the variety of commercials that had been playing around the country, minus the hypersonic tone at the start of each one. One of the best parts of the bus ride to Houston had been not having to hear the sound none of his human family members could hear.

"May I have the next group of participants over here please?" A voice called out. It was deep but pleasant, well spoken but rich in tone. Luke looked around before spotting a scientist that was waving other individuals over. He was tall, maybe even more than six feet tall. His black hair was braided into a long plait, resting down the back of his white coat, and his shoulders seemed fairly broad. Luke had to guess he was in his late thirties or early forties, but it was hard to tell with his islander ancestry.

Luke moved up into line, following after the others. There were one or two younger than him, and several older than him. They each proceeded to the table, stretching out their arm. One by one, the scientist cleaned their arm, applied a rubber tie off, took a sample of blood and wiped it off before sending them down to their next destination. Luke wasn't sure if knowing a needle was coming made it better or worse, but eventually the person in front of him moved on and Luke stepped up to the table.

"Alright, let's finish getting you checked in. Can I have you swipe your badge here?" The scientist asked. Luke numbly slid it through the reader. It chirped, filling out a file on the display. The scientist smiled, "Well, Luke, this is going to sting a bit, but I promise I'm a pretty good aim. It won't take long." Luke looked up at that, feeling at a disadvantage until he spotted the scientist's name tag pinned to his jacket.

"That's great, Haku, I'm trusting you not to let me down." Luke said wryly. Haku chuckled at that and nodded, tying off Luke's arm, cleaning the site, tapping the skin and going for it. Luke winced a little but didn't flinch, and he watched with morbid curiosity as the vial filled with the deep, dark red blood. In a few moments the vial had filled and the scientist pulled off a label and stuck it on the vial.

"There." Haku nodded, taking the rubber tie off of Luke's arm, "And you're healing up already." he said. Luke looked down, watching his skin knit together, leaving no trace of the injection. Luke looked back up suddenly.

"Is that faster or slower than most werewolves?" Luke asked. Haku looked a little surprised by the question but smiled.

"Actually, it's a little faster than average, but it's different for everyone." Haku admitted, "If you head to the elevator, they'll get you set up with a room assignment."

"Thanks Haku." Luke said, giving another weak smile as he left the table behind and started walking toward the elevator. He looked around, seeing the sea of people just like him... Werewolves, Direwolves, lycanthropes from across the country all coming to the beacon shining out from the darkness, the chance to learn more about themselves, to try and take some aspect of their fate into their own hands. He just hoped that he'd be one of the ones to get the cure first.

****

The elevator opened up onto the tenth floor, allowing Luke to step out. Several more research participants were heading up to the eleventh and twelfth floors. Unlike the crisp, cool and stark design of the lower levels, the tenth floor seemed almost like a college dormitory. The walls were white plaster, the carpet was a dark blue utilitarian carpet, and doors ran the length of the hallway.

Luke looked down at the file card he'd been given, then back at the walls, moving down door after door until he finally found his. He glanced around, seeing no one, and then swiped his card through the reader. The door clicked and he opened it before stepping in. At once he had three sets of eyes look up at him. Luke blushed a little, finishing moving into the room before shutting the door behind him.

One set of eyes came from a blond teen sitting on the bottom mattress of a bunk bed in the far corner of the room. He had round glasses on that seemed almost too big for his face, but then again so did his clothes. If Luke couldn't smell the scent in the room, he would have doubted the kid was a lycanthrope.

Another of the room's occupants was drinking from a water fountain set in the back of the room, adjoining what Luke could only assume was a bathroom. He was dressed in more urban clothes, red and black jersey and shorts, a gold chain hanging from his neck. His hair was brown and wavy, complimenting his cinnamon tone skin.

The last individual was young too, his skin a bit pale but his hair dyed brilliant shades of turquoise, teal, and violet with a few streaks of black to break up the color. Luke was actually surprised. In his own pack, he'd been fit and healthy but certainly one of the smaller wolves, but here... he felt almost like he'd been put with the runts of the litter. They were all under six feet tall, and none of them had as much muscle as he had. It was a little bit surreal. He licked his lips a bit.

"Hey, uh, I'm Luke. Subject one-oh-one-two." He introduced, subconsciously reaching up to run his hand over his hair, making sure it was still the way he had styled it. The young man by the water fountain nodded.

"I'm Enzo, that's Ian-" he said, pointing to the boy with glasses, "And my colorful friend here is Milo."

"Hey." Milo said, his voice a little deeper than Luke would have expected.

"Hey." Luke replied with a soft smile, "So were you all from the same pack?"

"Oh no." Ian said, looking up from the bed, "We're from all over... Honestly, this is the first real good sleep I got since the eclipse."

"Some of it was maybe too deep a sleep." Enzo replied before looking back to Luke, "This bed over here is free if you want it, though if you want any of the others we could move." Enzo said. The speed of his body movements and the self deprecating seemed super nice, but very selfless. Luke shook his head.

"I'll take what's open. You guys were here first, don't want to be unfair." Luke said. Enzo nodded at that, looking a bit relieved. Werewolves could be territorial after all. Luke dropped his duffel bag onto the bottom bunk on the right side of the room, though he didn't particularly feel like unpacking. There wasn't much in there that he felt an attachment to. This was a fresh start, and he was going to make the most of it.

[Friday, September 4th]

Deep, even, perfectly rhythmic thumps punctuated the steady whirring of the treadmill as Luke ran, adding on another several meters to his already impressive total. As usual, his bandanna was absorbing any extra perspiration, but his loose tank top and shorts had kept him cool as he worked out. A few wires trailed out from under his shirt, running back to the machine keeping track of his heart rate, pulse, respiration, oxygenation and other vitals.

The makeshift gym was full of young men and women from different subject pools, though each group had their own coordinator. The number of participants limited how many machines could be used at once, though. At the moment the treadmill next to Luke was occupied by Milo. He'd been hesitant at first, but when he saw Luke was giving it his all, he had volunteered. Luke was a bit impressed by his stride, although his attention had drifted to his other two roommates. Enzo had already finished his prescribed workout and was sitting on a bench, scanning the room for any morsels of food that might have been left out, and Ian was looking particularly anxious.

A triple chirp came from the treadmill as Luke reached his prescribed goal, and no less than three steps later, Milo's chirped as well. The machine shut off and the coordinator moved over to start removing the sensor contacts. He looked over at the screens, making a bit of a noise before grinning.

"You boys stayed in pace with each other for the entire test... That is pretty remarkable." The scientist said. Enzo looked up, his hair falling over one eye.

"Does that mean we get breakfast now?" he asked. He hadn't been particularly pleased that they'd headed to tests before eating.

"In order to make sure that metrics are being recorded properly, we need to calibrate your diets to your physical output. Food will be provided as soon as all members of your group have completed your assignments." The scientist said. Enzo's eyes shifted to Ian. Luke hopped off the treadmill, rubbing his stomach were the contacts had been stuck.

"Well, you heard the man. You can use my treadmill if you want, it's a pretty good one." Luke said, looking to their bespectacled roommate. Ian looked up, his eyes a bit large behind the glass.

"A... Are you sure? I don't... I don't really want to." Ian said reluctantly. Milo looked at Luke, then Enzo and then back. The scientist's eyes narrowed a bit and he opened his mouth to say something, but Luke moved over, resting a hand on Ian's shoulder.

"I know this is all hard and scary and weird... I know it is. None of this is normal. But... we came here for a reason, right? What's got you most worried about this test?" Luke asked softly, his hazel eyes soft and considerate. Ian swallowed a little.

"I guess, it's two things. I... I don't want the wolf to come out. I hate transforming." Ian admitted softly. Luke nodded.

"Well, yeah. I don't think most of the people here wanted to become werewolves. But none of us transformed, right? I'm here, Milo's here, Enzo's over there with his growling stomach... But we're okay. You will be too." Luke smiled. Ian gave a little smiled back, though it faded as he thought of his other reason.

"I was a terrible wolf for my pack." Ian admitted, "I was the smallest, the slowest. I could never keep up, I couldn't hold my own. The Alpha didn't like me at all. I don't want to make you guys mad." he said meekly. Luke shook his head.

"You won't make us mad no matter what you do. You're one of us now. Your stupid old alpha's long gone. All they need are some numbers. It doesn't have to be record breaking, and there's always time to do better next time. I'm sure you'll be fine." Luke said. Ian smiled again and nodded, reaching up to pull his glasses off his face. He handed them to Luke and stepped up onto the treadmill.

The scientist looked relieved and moved to lift the young man's shirt up, applying fresh sensor contacts. Ian swiped his ID card through the treadmill, linking the data to his file. Once the scientist was satisfied with the vitals coming back, he turned on the machine. Ian's feet came down, one after another, until he had a slightly uneven but acceptable pace. The treadmill hummed as it moved, the numbers climbing on the display.

Luke moved over to grab one of the bottles of water from a table, popping the lid and tipping it back. He took a few gulps and then let some of the water pour across his face. As he shook off the excess moisture, he realized Milo and Enzo had moved over to stand on either side of him. Luke blinked and lowered the bottle, looking at them. Enzo had focused on the glasses Luke was holding for Ian.

"What kind of werewolf needs glasses?" he muttered under his breath. Luke's brows narrowed as he looked at him.

"That isn't nice... Listen, this is a fresh start for all of us. I don't know about you, but it sounds like Ian and I both left some pretty crappy pack mates back home. We're in this together, so we might as well be supportive. We can make this feel how we want it to." Luke said. Enzo shrunk back a little and nodded.

"You're right, of course." Enzo said, "I just mean, why didn't the bite help him?"

"Actually, the effects of the bite are across a pretty wide spectrum." Milo replied, looking at them both from under his multicolor bangs, "Some werewolves can't get piercings or tattoos or hair dye or anything because their body repairs too fast. For others, the changes are just the basic senses." he explained. Enzo looked a bit stunned that such sage wisdom had come from a teen that looked like a raver. Luke shrugged.

"If there are any answers to be had, I'm pretty sure this is the place that's going to get them first. We just have to stick with the program." Luke said, looking up as Ian looked over at them anxiously. Luke gave a thumbs up and a smile and Ian went back to running, his speed increasing a bit after the positive feedback.

****

The door to the room swung open as the four returned from their battery of tests. Laughter echoed as Luke and Milo shared tales of their clumsy first days as wolves, but Enzo had bolted ahead when he noticed there were four covered trays on the table in the middle of their room. He skidded across the floor and snatched off the lid to the tray with his number on it. At once a savory scent hit the room of eggs and sausage, although the smell was a bit better than the sight. The portion was a little lackluster.

"Breakfast..." Enzo said, sitting down to dig in. Luke shut the door behind him and walked over, sitting down in front of his own tray. Milo opened his, seeing chicken breast instead of sausage or egg, and there was a side of vegetables.

"Or lunch?" Milo asked. Luke uncovered his tray, seeing a dish that was virtually identical to Milo's. Ian settled in his chair, shifted a little and then slid the cover off his tray before freezing. What waited for him was a bowl of oatmeal with little cups of sugar, cinnamon, and milk. A frown quickly crossed Ian's lips. Luke's eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and mild irritation.

"I don't even remember filling out any food cards." Luke said.

"They said at the test that it would be based on our physical output." Milo replied. Luke shook his head.

"Sure, calories maybe, but we shouldn't be getting such drastically different food. Maybe we can make this better... Let's just put everything-" Luke paused, looking at Enzo who had already cleaned his plate. He took a breath before continuing, "Okay, let's put what's LEFT together, and then divide it three ways." Luke said. Ian blushed at that.

"You don't have to do that. You two did a lot more than me at the gym." Ian said, "You have more to make up."

"No, it's fine." Milo smiled to Ian, then Luke, "It makes sense. We're sort of like a pack, right?" The question prompted smiles from the others.

"Yeah. I'm sure these Futurza people are still figuring things out themselves. They have a LOT of wolves to look after. We should just agree when we get weird bumps in the road like this, we'll make the best of it together." Luke said. Enzo nodded.

"I'm sorry, I should have waited. I promise next time I'll do better." he said. Luke shook his head.

"It's okay. You were starving. I think we all kind of were. But if we potluck our food next time, you'll get to try more stuff." Luke said, realizing he sounded kind of like his dad when he said it. He shook the thought out of his head as he moved, grabbing his knife and fork, bringing the two chicken breasts onto the same plate. Two chicken breasts for three people came out to two thirds of a chicken breast, but the easiest way to measure was to cut each piece into three and give everyone two. He divvied up the meat, then the vegetables, and gave everyone a small plop of oatmeal before handing out the plates. This time they dug into their food, feeling more confident in their abilities to problem solve.

[Wednesday, September 9th]

The lights in the room had been turned off for the night, though a line of bright light spilled from under the door, giving enough illumination that the four young men could still make out the outline of their bunk beds, the table and the couch that made up their room. Luke laid on his back, thinking about how grueling the day had been. The weight machines, the rope climbing, and finally the swimming. At least with the swimming it had given his muscles a chance to sort of reset.

Luke was having a hard time falling asleep, even this many days in. His brain never seemed to shut off. Each day was full of so many tests, so many questions, and there weren't any answers coming in. Their meals continued to be strange and eclectic, but once it was all put together and divided fairly, it wasn't so bad. If anything, the tests seemed to be doing Luke well. His tank tops were fitting tighter as his pecs grew, and the lack of sleeves really showed off his defining arms. He'd never been so clear where his biceps and triceps were.

A quick sniff of the air gave Luke all the confirmation that he needed that the other boys were taking to the tests well too. Before lights out, Luke had spotted Enzo admiring the soft brown mustache that he had started to grow, and Ian's blond hair was getting a bit longer and softer, the general look of tension and fear he always had softening. Luke felt bad that he'd had such a rough start, although honestly, they all probably had. Luke slowly shifted at that idea, rolling onto his side as he heard movement.

In the dim light he saw Milo climb down from his bunk and move over to the water fountain, getting a drink. Luke listened, hearing no changes to the heartbeats or breathing of Enzo or Ian either. Luke smiled a bit at himself. It was like camp. They were all too excited to sleep, weren't they? Just trying because that was the thing they were supposed to be doing. Luke stretched out, dangling his arms off either side of his mattress.

"Hey, are you guys still awake?" Luke whispered.

"Yeah..." Ian said after a moment.

"Me too. This place is so quiet, it's almost too quiet to sleep." Enzo smirked. Milo padded back across the carpet after getting his drink, but to Luke's surprise, he climbed in onto the lower bunk, stretching over Luke before plopping down on the narrow sliver of mattress between Luke and the wall. Luke blinked a few times, but Milo settled down comfortably. Luke's lungs filled with the teen's scent, the smell of mild spice and muted woody tones, like a fall day after the life had drained out of the leaves.

"So, were all of us bitten on the blood eclipse?" Luke asked.

"Yeah... I was in a mall." Milo said.

"I was too, I mean, not a mall, but during the eclipse." Ian said.

"Not me... I got bit during that attack those werewolf hunters did on the airport a while back. When they were going after the wolves, they got frenzied. I turned the next full moon and had no idea what was going on, but some Keepers found me the next morning." Enzo explained.

"You probably figured things out faster than me. I kept thinking I was going to turn into one of those big, dark, monster looking wolves. I was terrified. I didn't want to go to sleep in case that's when they came out." Luke said.

"Yeah, I mean, that's the only kind they showed on the news... I was scared too, but I was in school and... my ears popped out." Milo said. Luke's jaw dropped.

"You got wolf ears in school?!" Luke asked, "That must have been so... cute." he grinned. Milo smirked and rolled over, straddling Luke.

"Oh yeah, like some big purple haired puppy." Milo said, leaning down to start lapping at Luke's chin. He licked and slurped, his tongue abnormally long and wet. Luke tried to wriggle away from it, but Milo pressed down with his waist, starting to grind against him. Luke slowly resisted less and less until he was pushing his hips back up, feeling a soft tingling coming from his chin where Milo was licking. His eyes fluttered shut at the most pleasurable sensations.

"What about you, Ian?" Enzo asked, blushing in the darkness as he heard the bunk across the room starting to lurch a little.

"It wasn't that great... My pack was pretty crappy. It's a lot better here." Ian said, listening to the sounds across the room before he reached up, tapping the underside of Enzo's mattress, "Although it might be better over there. Let's go." Ian said before he slipped out of bed and walked over. Enzo swung his legs down over the edge of the bunk, dropped down to the floor, and moved over too. Luke gasped in surprise as another person started climbing onto his bed, and then a third. Ian laid down on Luke's right side, and Enzo had to more or less drape himself across the others like a blanket.

Milo's licking had been relentless, though as he slowed, he felt something soft, wiry, even bristly against his tongue. He pulled it back into his mouth and leaned down, brushing his cheek against Luke's chin and felt... hair. Hair had sprouted from Luke's chin, just from the affectionate licking. Milo felt his erection grow longer and harder, pinned against Luke's, weighted down by the two extra bodies on top of them. A quirk shot through Milo's heart as he started imagining just what else he could help bring out of Luke... and just how handsome he would be.

[Saturday, September 19th]

Beeps, chirps, chimes and an entire chorus of other sound effects spilled out of the handheld gaming device Milo was focusing on, lying stretched out along the length of a bench, although his shoulders were resting on Luke's left thigh, and he had crossed his legs so his right leg acted as a pillow for his rainbow haired friend. Luke's arms were spread out across the back of the bench, waiting for Enzo and Ian to finish with the most recent test.

They had gone two at a time, doctors positioning both cameras and video recorders as they worked with the two werewolves. On an appropriate cue, the doctors started peeling off a sticky plastic membrane that had been applied to their upper arms. As the membrane was removed, both boys winced a bit - both from hairs being pulled out, and air hitting the compromised flesh beneath.

Underneath the cover, their skin had reacted in a variety of ways to a battery of minute injections. It had been an allergen test, one of the many tests being applied uniformly to all test subjects. The sticky cover had been necessary to keep their werewolf immune systems from simply expelling the allergens. The cameras snapped away, documenting which spots had turned into sores. Milo had several, some mere irritations and a few others that had gone deeper. Without the membrane, though, the serous fluid drained from the wounds and soon the skin started to heal back together.

Ian looked down at his arm, seeing only one sore spot - the spot that every single one of them had demonstrated, silver. The other three roommates had two spots that they all shared, the other being wolfsbane, but it seemed that Ian was hardier when it came to allergies. Luke shifted and Milo murmured, not ready to give up his comfortable spot against Luke's lap, but as the blond got up, he swung his legs out and sat back upright reluctantly. Luke moved over.

"It'll be okay in a few seconds. I know it stung at first." Luke said to them both. Ian smiled, already feeling fine, and Enzo nodded, believing his friend.

"I know, seeing you guys go through it first was kind of good? I mean, I guess it got us ready for what was coming." Enzo smiled. The doctors transferred the data to the archives, the pictures and video coupled with their test subject numbers before the screens went blank.

"Walter, can you sterilize the equipment for the next group?" The primary doctor asked.

"Yes Doctor Poulson." His assistant responded, moving to dispose of the membranes and start scrubbing down everything. The doctor moved over to the gathered group of boys before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a plastic card that was forest green on black, holding it out for Luke.

"What is this?" Luke asked, accepting the card, looking at it curiously.

"You boys have been cooped up for more than two weeks at this point. You've taken part in every test we've asked of you, and quite honestly you're thriving. We know this process hasn't been easy, but we want to give you a chance to stretch your legs, to let your wild side out a little, for boys to be boys." Doctor Poulson said.

"And that little card will let us do that?" Ian asked, reaching up to adjust his glasses.

"Our tests are sensitive. There are a lot of variables we have to keep stable for the results to have any meaning. We can't let our subjects loose in the wild, but we've created the next best thing. The Arboretum will be opening in a few days. That card will take you boys down so you can be among some real trees, dirt, ferns, a little slice of nature." he said, "We'll let you know when it's ready."

"What's an arboretum?" Milo asked, brushing his turquoise and teal bangs back.

"It's a garden, well, sort of." Luke said, reaching up to run his fingers over the two inch tuft of blond hair that had grown out from his chin over the last week.

"It used to be just trees, but more recent arboretums are botanical gardens with trees and other woody plants." Ian corrected.

"It'll still be a few days before everything's ready, but it should be something to look forward to. Now, if you boys will head back to your room, we've got to get ready for the next test." Doctor Poulson smiled. Luke nodded, heading for the door, the other three boys falling in behind him. The doctor watched them go, the door swinging shut. Walter looked up slowly.

"Do you think they know yet?" He asked. Poulson shook his head.

"No... But it should be fascinating to see what the responses are when they find out." Poulson murmured.

[Thursday, September 24th]

Floor by floor, the elevator descended lower and lower. Luke stood at the doors, his reflection bold against the stainless steel metal before him. Luke's spine had stretched, bringing his height up to a solid six feet tall. The blond hair on his head stood up taller, his goatee dropped down longer, and his tank top barely hung on to his more defined frame. Every test, every trip to the gym, had helped him to work on his body. His pecs were meaty and firm, his arms were built, and his legs had thickened to help support all that weight.

With Luke's vitality to serve as inspiration, the rest of his pack had prospered well. Enzo had shot up, almost catching up to Luke's height. His brown hair had gotten wavier and longer, and in addition to his soft mustache, he'd grown a short patch of hair on his chin as well just like their fearless leader. Milo's Technicolor hair had grown longer, but he'd shot up like a weed, hitting six foot four in a matter of weeks.

Even Ian was looking healthier. His skin wasn't pale anymore, his cheeks had filled out, his hair was shaggier, and thick blond stubble covered his cheeks, chin and upper lip. If he kept on at that pace, he might be the first one to grow a full on beard. The four had become inseparable, although there hadn't been much choice given their accommodations. All four shifted a little as they felt the momentum of the elevator change before they slowed to a stop.

A single tone of the elevator sounded before the doors rumbled open and a wave of fresh, natural smelling air rolled in along with the sound of distant bird song and a fine, faint mist. Luke's jaw dropped open a little as he stepped out, looking around. It was as if the elevator had dropped down into the middle of an actual forest. The elevator shaft rose up toward the 'sky', but the ground around it was uneven, rising and falling with natural slopes and crevices. There were ferns, vines, wildflowers, and huge tree trunks that looked to be at least fifty years old, if not more.

Luke took another step out, his hair ruffling slightly in a soft breeze. The other boys stepped reluctantly out of the elevator, experiencing their surroundings behind their leader. Ian turned, looking one way and then the other.

"What time is it? What day is it?" Ian asked with a bit of fear in his voice, looking at the horizon through the trees. The sun was setting, the skies taking on ruby hues as a fiery orange spread across the clouds above.

"We just dropped into Narnia, and that's your first question?" Milo asked.

"This isn't just an arboretum." Ian said, "I... feel the moon." he whispered, slowly getting paler. Enzo nodded softly.

"I feel it too." he said, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out. His eyes slipped shut for a moment, but when they opened they had shifted to a brilliant gold. His ears started pushing into points as the teeth in his mouth grew sharper. Milo had been flexing his fingers, relaxing and contracting until he felt the numb stinging as the nails softened, growing thicker, pushing forward and sinking into his digits before it all coalesced as dark brown claws.

"It's too soon for that. The full moon isn't for a few more days." Luke said.

"You're right, but I still feel it." Enzo said. Luke opened his mouth to speak, but a clawed hand grabbed him by the chin and turned his head. Milo's gold eyes gleamed as he leaned in to steal a kiss. Luke moaned softly, especially as a clawed hand tore at his pants, reaching in and fishing around before wrapping around his shaft. Milo started to stroke him off and Luke was barely able to resist before he pulled back.

"We... We can't do this here, can we? It's still some sort of test." Luke panted. Milo looked hurt, but licked his lips.

"They wanted us to stretch our muscles, for us boys to be boys. This has to be what they meant." Milo said earnestly. Luke said nothing for a moment, grunting a little, throwing his head back as his own ears pushed into points. His body wasn't entirely under his control. He felt his fingers ache as his claws pushed out longer, his lips distending as his teeth sharpened. The blond tuft of hair on his chin grew longer as soft willowy furry sideburns grew out of his cheeks.

"Maybe... Maybe you're right. Maybe... we have to let loose." Luke said. Milo growled with a grin at that and moved forward, but yelped as Enzo's clawed hand pushed against his chest, knocking him to the side.

"You've been hogging him all week." Enzo said, "We should get our turn."

"I haven't been hogging him, I'm just the first one brave enough to make a move." Milo replied. Ian, however, had started to bristle. His back arched, his position changed.

"Do you smell that?" he asked. The others froze. The air had a tart smell to it, the smell of iron. Luke moved forward, following the smell, letting it grow stronger and stronger until his golden eyes spotted the source; a dark red, almost brown drizzle of blood across some of the waxy leaves nearby.

"Everyone, be careful." Luke said, advancing forward. He pushed the leaves to the side to see a bloody footprint, a human one... although the next footstep was different. The pieces of the human foot were still there, but it was almost like they were being pushed out of the way as the first paw pad emerged. Then the next step was wilder, mostly paw but with disturbances on the side. The trail got rougher with each step until Luke saw something crumpled up under a log and the smell of blood got to be too much.

"We need to go get someone, tell someone that-" Enzo froze, all four of them hearing a twig break. Gleaming red eyes glinted in the setting light as the wet, huge, dripping, grizzly form of a Direwolf slowly rose up onto all fours, flicking out its soaked tail, its dinner plate sized paws spreading out in the fresh dirt. The massive, monstrous creature opened its maw to let out a horrific, hot, slightly rancid snarl.

"We have to get you out of here." Milo said, reaching for Luke. To all of their surprises, though, it was Ian that pushed past them all. Luke tried to grab his smallest roommate, but Ian wriggled out of it, placing himself between Luke and the Direwolf.

"I am not letting you hurt my friends... I am not letting you hurt my new pack. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and you-won't-attack." Ian said, his voice dropping in pitch with each punctuated word. A deep, resonating growl began building in his chest, a chest that was growing rapidly. In moments a sickening, audible crunching came from his ribs as they started to push apart. A crackling came as his vertebrae began to spread, growing larger and longer and thicker.

Enzo and Milo nearly slid back in shock, but Luke was frozen in place, watching as Ian stretched taller, his clothes getting tighter by the second. Even the Direwolf seemed taken aback, watching the runt of the litter, the blond pipsqueak expanding. Ian's brown shirt grew tighter and tighter as his shoulders widened, his chest thickened, and his stomach rounded. His midriff slid into the open as the shirt seemed too small, but that was nothing compared to the pants.

What had been baggy khakis became high waters, then capris, then nearly shorts as more leg oozed out of the cuffs. Ian thrashed slowly, throwing his head back. His blond hair grew out longer and longer, cascading down the back of his neck all the way to his shoulders. He snarled, his mouth pushed open by too many fangs. The blond hair erupted from his cheeks, blending with the stubble that was already there to make a fine beard before the hairs started growing upward, moving too fast. They coated his cheeks, surrounded his eyes, slipped over his nose. Even his ears grew furry as he felt the power flowing through him.

Snapping and popping sounds came from his shoes next, though his feet were just as loud as they widened and reformed. He grunted hard, his pants bursting outward as a bushy tail emerged from above his ass cheeks, stretching louder with each passing moment, swaying from one side to the other. His clothes tore, revealing fur covering his back and chest. He fell forward, one clawed hand shooting out to brace himself. As he landed in the three point stance, his shoulders exploded outward with more power.

With each breath, the creature's lungs grew. More mass packed onto his growing frame, forcing him to hunch down lower and lower, counterbalanced by the growth extending from the base of his spine. Ian had been so afraid to transform, and the reason was clear. Milo shrunk back, seeing something just like the monster that had bitten him during the eclipse. While the others had taken the bite and turned into werewolves, Ian had become something closer to their attackers - not quite a Direwolf, but still a dark wolf like the beasts from the ancient stories of Demeas.

Ian's last hand dropped down into the dirt, cracking and snapping and popping as his fingers blunted, his palms grew, fur swept over the back and his claws stretched longer. The creature shifted its weight as his musculature changed. It no longer supported him standing on all fours, instead favoring a quadruped stance. His elbows, shoulders, knees and hips reconfigured but by bit. What was left of his clothes shed off, revealing a body that was still packing on dozens of pounds a minute.

The fading light wasn't moving as fast as the color fading from Ian's fur, the blond draining away to a pale misty grey. The beast's chest rose and fell with huge breaths, saliva dripping from fangs so long they nearly extended past the jaw. The creature rose up, looked at the Direwolf and then snarled, flecks of saliva spraying across the bloody beast's black muzzle. The Direwolf hesitated, looking at behemoth before it before it turned and slunk off into the trees, decided that its prey was too well protected.

Ian threw his muzzle to the sky and let out a loud, reverberating howl that stretched out through the trees - and bounced off of distant artificial walls. The echo was wrong, the first true hint that where they were had been built, rather than found. Every tree, every plant was there for their benefit, placed with a plan in mind rather than letting nature take its course. But that was something barely at the edges of Luke's awareness. Instead, he rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Ian's huge furry grey body.

"That was amazing!" Luke said with a grin. Ian shrunk back from the attention at first, and Milo looked quite scared for a moment, but Ian turned his huge head, his muzzle opening wide before an immense tongue plunged into Luke's mouth. Luke nearly gagged, but he carefully adjusted to start to suck on the tongue a few times before he broke the kiss, patting the big head of their 'smallest' member.

"He saved us..." Enzo said.

"He did, but in his position I know any of you would have. We're in this together, right? We're roommates." Luke grinned. Milo shook his head.

"It's more than that now. We're... pack mates." Milo said. Luke looked a little surprised but Enzo smiled and nodded.

"And where better to figure that out than beneath the full moon." he said, feeling his heart race, watching as dark soft hairs grew out over the back of his hands and his knuckles, feeling stubble pushing out of his cheeks.

"But it isn't a full moon. It's not the right time of the month." Milo protested said, grunting more as he felt his own muscles expanding.

"Maybe, or maybe we lost track of time... Look over there." Enzo said, pointing through the trees to a lush, warm, creamy yellow-white full moon creeping up higher toward the sky. Luke turned, looking at it with suspicion. He could feel a draw, a magnetism, a gravity, a connection - but other than that, it felt wrong. It was just like the forest around them - artificial, and hollow. But, as imperfect as it was, he could still feel it, straining to have an influence - and that influence was growing stronger by the second.

Milo's claws dug into his hand as he tried to fight the change, but the burning rage in his chest turned into a tingling that spread up his neck, his cheeks, settling in his ears. Fur sprouted across them as they pushed into points, but more blood flowed in as they started growing larger, rounder, thicker. Soon his rainbow hair parted as two wolf ears extended out from the side of his head, twitching.

"Milo!" Enzo said, moving over. Milo lifted his head and let out a roar as his face pushed forward, his jaw distending, his nose pushing out, growing a muzzle as his fangs lengthened further. Fur sprouted from his cheeks, his arms, his legs. His clothes grew tight and the already very tall young man stretched taller still. He swiped a clawed hand at his pants, tearing through the fabric before his manhood emerged.

Enzo's jaw dropped, but Luke's eyes widened even more. Milo's shaft was already an impressive ten inches, but as they watched it grew longer, thicker, bloating by the second. The blood rushed into the tissue, changing it from pink to red, then purple. The mushroom shaped head extended longer, taking on a point, flaring at the sides. Milo's shirt split at the shoulders, tearing down the back as the pants sloughed off.

The panting, heaving chest of the furry beast was still clearly on two legs, a complete counter to the feral looking grey wolf next to them. Luke looked at them both, though he was feeling... strange, disoriented, dizzy even. He looked over at Enzo and could tell he was green around the gills as well. Enzo dropped forward, heaving hard, his lips unable to contain the mouth full of fangs he had. His ears grew furry, getting larger as a bushy brown beard unfurled from his face. His eyes grew golden and he quickly wrestled off his shirt, pulled at his pants, and kicked off his shoes before he destroyed them.

Luke moaned, seeing yet another handsome man, a fine specimen as Enzo emerged as his partially shifted form. Luke's head was throbbing, looking at them all, a bit baffled. He had met them as three meek omegas, but they had filled out and matured, they had grown more confident, acting like betas. And now they showed three different forms of lycanthropy; a feral dark wolf, an anthro werewolf, and the hybrid form that a wolf in the peak of emotion could manifest.

"Is this... the experiment? A test of us? A test of this place?" Luke panted hard, grunting as he felt his spine lengthening, his chest extending more. Enzo moved over and reached up, caressing Luke's cheek with a clawed, hairy hand.

"Maybe it doesn't matter. This is better than the life we all left behind, and you're a better alpha than we've ever had." Enzo said. Luke's eyebrows lifted up even as they thickened, the bony ridge above his eyes pushing out to give him a more Cro-Magnon look as his goatee grew longer, a line of white dipping down the center of the blond hair.

"I'm not an alpha..." Luke murmured, even as his shirt grew impossibly tight and his hairy stomach began to emerge from beneath the bottom hem.

"Sure you are." Enzo said, "You made us feel safe, you made sure we were taken good care of, you shared your food with us so we all were fed, you kept us in line, and you helped us grow." he grinned.

"Literally..." Milo added, his voice a deep bass. Luke looked up, pleased to see that the towering werewolf still had a shag of Turquoise, teal and violet hair despite his change.

"Let us love you, let us show you our thanks, let us treat you like the Alpha you are." Enzo said, reaching to rub Luke's stomach.

"Here? They are almost certainly watching us." Luke said. Milo grinned, his fangs glistening in his muzzle.

"Let them watch." he said with a grin. Ian apparently sympathized, rubbing his muzzle against Luke's thigh. Luke looked down and then gasped as he felt Ian's big, rough tongue start lapping at his groin. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, let alone thinking. The loose pack he'd fallen in with had been close out of necessity, but this was something more, and it felt... good.

Luke quickly stripped what remained of this clothing, casting it aside, showing off his shifted body. Patches of fur had blossomed across his chest and around his elbows. Claws extended from his toes, his legs were gangly. His ears were pointed and furry, and in moments the changes pushed out more and more until, like Enzo, he was a hybrid. He shuddered, fur blossoming from his cheeks, pushing out into a soft and wooly manifestation of a beard, his eyes gleaming a bright golden color.

Milo moved to go kiss his alpha, but Ian's huge paw knocked the anthropomorphic wolf to the ground, sliding over him before coming down, grinding and humping against him. Milo blushed, returning the favor, pressing back up... but he wanted more out of this exchange. Ian shifted, feeling Milo wriggling around beneath him to change directions before Ian felt what it was like to have a wolf tongue pleasuring his own manhood. The grey wolf began panting, enjoying the sensation immensely, his eyes turning toward Luke.

In one fearsome, dangerous moment, Luke felt his cock engulfed by the dark wolf's feral maw. He closed down his jaws carefully, sucking and slurping messily as he bobbed forward and back, his own shaft being basted by an eager pack mate beneath. It was an impressive sight to see, for Enzo. Never before had he seen three forms of werewolves interacting at the same time. The strange feeling the fake moon had given off was still there, though weakening by the moment, but the benefits it had opened up were still there and Enzo wanted to take part.

The young man looked back to his roommates, his pack mates, to his band of fellow wolves. Seeing them licking and sucking and working together was incredible, but this was his group, not just a spectacle. He took a step, then another, coming up behind Ian. His hand reached down, brushing the thick, bushy tail out of the way to reveal a very large tail hole. Enzo reached down, giving his own meat a few strokes to let it harden a little more before he pressed forward.

Ian's eyes rolled into the back of his large head as he felt Enzo's hot, hard cock press against his ring. Like any Omega, he'd taken more than his fair share of lovers before, but this time was different. This was something he actually wanted, something he yearned for. He pressed his hips back, forcing Enzo's cock deeper. Enzo froze for a moment before he grabbed onto the furry hips before him and started rocking back and forth.

It was messy at first, the four young men trying to find their balance. There were awkward impacts, moments of hesitation, but slowly they started to find their rhythm. Thrusting forward from one would pull away from another, only to slam back with momentum and friction. Ian did his best, spit roasted from both ends and being lavished from beneath. He gyrated forward, back, up, down, bouncing from point to point as the glue that held them all together... but in that chaos there was a respect, a love, and an equality that was infectious.

Luke panted hard, working into the maw his cock was nestled in. He felt such a heat, a power, a prowess. The strange feeling of the arboretum was an afterthought because what he was sharing with the others was true, natural, and built over time. They had built it together, thread by thread with the stories and the food and the time they shared. This was his pack, these were his men, and he loved them all.

The Alpha shuddered, feeling his balls throb and ache and pulse before suddenly his cock quivered, erupting with jets of his hot, thick seed. Luke moaned, grabbing onto Ian's head for support, his thumbs stroking the dark wolf's tall ears. Ian let out a deep rumbling growl of pleasure as he gulped at his Alpha's cum, suddenly rewarding Milo with his own. Milo tried to swallow, but the cum leaked out all over his muzzle, soaking his face in seconds. The orgasm was powerful enough that Ian's ass pulsed, tightening, contracting and massaging Enzo's cock, forcing his shaft to respond with an orgasm of its own.

In that brilliant moment, the nervous systems of all four werewolves clicked into place, locking together, cementing their bond. In the strangest of places, under the strangest of circumstances, they had become one pack, one family, and there was no going back now. They had made better lives for themselves one experiment at a time, and the results were conclusive.

**** Cool air filtered through the air systems, funneling into the Futurza Annex building connected to the back of the tower. Unlike the steel and glass design of their showpiece, the Annex was an exploration of geometry. The outer edge of the building was one open square hallway with reinforced ribs every twelve feet and angular columns descended from the ceiling down to the floor, created a triangular walking space down the center and workspaces on either side. All of it was painted in a matte grayish black, contrasted by the lighter gray glossy cement floor. Large screens were mounted high on the walls, casting blue light as data populated the displays, while glass cabinets on the lower walls housed samples.

Naomi's heels clicked on the cement as she walked down the hallway, looking at the various work stations set up along the perimeter. Some used desks and computers, others had piles of tablets. At the far end of the hall where the walkway took a ninety degree turn, a bank of monitors showed views of the arboretum under the tower. Naomi had come in person to survey the compilation of the data, to see what results were being garnered. She looked over and spotted a familiar researcher and advanced quickly.

"Doctor Poulson. I did not receive your update today." Naomi said. The man looked up, his short blond hair falling over his eyes a bit. His lids were puffy, showing a lack of sleep. He shifted nervously, seeing his boss approaching with the speed of an ancient predator.

"I am so sorry. I have been working on it... I do have some charts and statistics, but I was trying to garner some measure of actual... metrics." he said. Naomi's lips tightened slightly before she forced a smile and a simulated light to her eyes to express some form of sympathy.

"That seems to be a problem that is going around. I've already spoken with fourteen different project heads, and they all seem concerned about our ability to gather metrics." Naomi said, "Why don't you tell me in brief what you can without worrying about specific numbers. I will count it as your update for today." she said. Poulson nodded quickly, looking relieved. He moved over to the computer and brought up a cross section of files.

"Overall, the biochemical testing was quite helpful. The biggest problem is that we can't detect any change to their genetic structure, their blood factors, even their hormones for the most part. There is an increase in metabolism, immune response, healing speed, and the hormones responsible for muscle health - all without any cause other than what you and I know." Poulson explained.

"But you said it was helpful." Naomi said, trying her hardest to remain patient.

"And it is!" Poulson said, "They are all allergic to silver to some degree. The larger breed, the Direwolves, have fewer allergies but weaker healing compared to the other breed, the common Werewolves. There is also clear evidence that their social standing influences their biology."

"How so?" Naomi asked, her synthetic patience shifting into genuine curiosity. Poulson brought up the pictures of eight individuals.

"These are two of the experiments under my department. The first, here, included three Alpha wolves and a Beta. It took several days for them to adjust to each other, but when the new order was established, there was a decrease in muscle mass and bone density in the subjects that no longer were leaders of their respective packs. In this test, three Omegas were placed with a Beta. The Beta rose to Alpha, the others stepped up as well. There was a dramatic increase in muscle mass and one density in all four."

"So we can't scientifically isolate what is causing the changes, but we can observe them mathematically." Naomi said. Doctor Poulson nodded eagerly.

"I know you have teams working day and night, but it might be wise to bring in Anthropologists and Sociologists, scientists that use deductive reasoning to understand social groups." Poulson said. Naomi nodded slowly.

"I think you're right, but... I need you to continue your work as well, doctor. Werewolves have an enhanced sense of smell, right? They can identify and track scents, which means they put off a scent. I need you to find a way to create a wolf-sniffer to identify werewolves." Naomi said. The doctor took a breath, thinking for a moment.

"I might be able to, but I will need some help. Haku Iona has some insights that I've been meaning to follow up on, he might be the best candidate." Poulson replied. Naomi nodded.

"I'll have him reassigned at once. His work cataloguing the samples is almost complete anyhow." Naomi said, "For tomorrow's report, I'd like the conclusions you've reached on the experiments under your division as well as a primer for the next phase of work. Is that something you'll be able to manage?"

"Oh yes, there won't be a problem like today. I'll have it to you ahead of schedule." Doctor Poulson replied. Naomi forced a smile again. Having it on time at least would be nice.

"Carry on Doctor, the world is depending on us." She said, stepping out of the work station. Once more her steps were punctuated by the steady impact of her heels on the cement floor as she passed several more workstations and rounded the corner at the end of the hall, passing by the bank of video monitors.

Several angles had been set up in the arboretum, capturing a variety of glens and cozy grottos. One camera kept track on the synthetic moon they had mounted, ensuring that it was in the correct position and the complex emitter behind it was correctly oriented. On the screen, a bit of static flickered before a zig-zag scar of blue light began to tear through the air in front of the false moon. It barely showed up on camera, but several stories down and many meters beyond the Annex, the real thing was far easier to make out.

The blue light appeared like a scar in mid-air, fine particles of light falling out of it like a mist. The scar hung there, translucent, glowing, pulsating with energy before reality attempted to heal itself, just like the werewolves had in the tests. The blue scar slowly closed back on itself, the light fading away - but not the wound. The scar remained in mid-air, floating in front of the false moon. The distortion was faint, barely visible, like an eyelash floating on an eye. It was an affliction that could only get worse.