FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 5

Once the door was shut, Sophia locked it. After a moment's thought, she turned off the light in her room, leaving only the light provided by the moon. While in the bathroom and hallway, she had noticed that she had little trouble seeing with the lights off. That made sense she mused; dogs and wolves could see far better in the dark than people. Indeed, with the darkness her wolf's anxiety over being in the house immediately faded, but did not disappear. Mostly she wanted to hunt now, but that wouldn't be possible in her bedroom.

Not tonight, she silently told her inner wolf. Alright, it looks like I might be stuck this way until morning... at least I hope it goes away in the morning. I might as well take advantage of it.

Despite the chill in the room, she undid her robe and hung it on the door, leaving her completely naked again. Taking a breath, she stepped away from the door and unclipped the clothespin from her nose. Immediately, the scents the clothespin had been keeping at bay came flooding into her nose. Along with them came the lupine olfactory driven instincts she had clipped her nose to combat in the first place. This time though, she didn't try to resist them.

Dropping to the ground, she got onto her hands and knees and lowered her nose to the floor, almost touching it. She automatically began to take rapid, short breaths through her nose. Unfortunately, she soon realized this wasn't particularly effective with a still human nose as exhaling had the effect of pushing the scent carrying molecules back out of it. It also quickly resulted in her feeling short of breath. Mentally overriding the lupine instincts, she resorted to the human method of olfaction - deep inhalations through the nose. This proved far more effective and, to her surprise, she could faintly smell something she immediately recognized as her own scent. After a few moments of continued sniffing, she realized she was picking up where her bare feet had touched the floor earlier. Continuing to sniff the floor, she found herself tracing her steps from the door to the bed. As she explored, she was able to find the other places she had walked in the bedroom.

When one scent trail dead ended at the bed, she sniffed the floor for a few moments trying to reestablish it. Her nose could detect a stronger concentration of her scents and it took her a second to realize it was coming from above her. Automatically, she knelt and started sniffing the top of her bed. She then realized the stronger scents were from where she had been sitting earlier.

Its curiosity satisfied, the wolf side of her was ready to move on, but the human side of her was still in awe of the hidden world it had just discovered and she lingered over where she had been sitting. The smell she had been tracing was stronger there and covered a wider area at one time. She could even smell where her labia had touched the blanket and she sniffed it curiously. Now that she was focused on it, she realized she could somehow tell where she was in her monthly cycle - after her period, but before she was fertile. The image of the male wolf she had seen the other night suddenly flashed through her mind unbidden and she was a bit disturbed to find herself getting aroused.

Down girl, she ordered her wolf side as she hastily shoved the idea back down as her cheeks flushed. That really shouldn't be turning me on. Maybe this isn't a good idea.

Dropping to the floor, she resumed exploring her room. She picked up her scent coming from her desk chair, but as it was the same as that of the one on her bed, she ignored it. Instead, she continued to retrace her steps around her bed. On the other side of the bed, her nose caught several new smells and her wolf instincts immediately pushed her to follow them. Her nose led her straight to the discarded pile of clothing by the mirror. There, she buried her nose into her shirt, again taking rapid sniffs before her conscious mind took over.

The scents she picked up were fascinating, although they made her lupine side uneasy. Aside from her own scent, she found several others which were similar to, yet subtly different from, the one she had smelled in the hall. They were faint compared to her own, but she could definitely detect them. Her own scent was there of course, but now she had the opportunity to compare it side-by-side to the others. Getting into a kneeling position, she stared at her shirt, pondering.

Then it struck her; those were the scents of other people! The ones on it were barely detectable, but they were there. It was as though her shirt was a time capsule that had collected scents wherever she had worn it throughout her day. Where sight and hearing could only tell her about the world as it was at that moment, an enhanced scent of smell allowed her to perceive what had happened in the past. Thinking about it further, she realized the scent outside her room must have been her dad.

"This is so cool!" she said out loud, grinning. "It's like a superpower!"

Eagerly, she picked up her shirt and started taking strong whiffs to see what else she could find. Oddly, there was something different about her scent on the shirt compared to those belonging to the other people, even aside from whatever made it uniquely hers. It bothered her a little, but she mentally set the puzzle aside as she had no way of pursuing it further. Instead, she began mentally cataloging the non-human scents. She discovered the strongest scents, aside from her own, were actually the detergent used to launder her shirt and the cleaner she used to wipe down her scanner and the register belt. The wolf side of her found both decidedly unpleasant, but was intrigued by the hints of food on the shirt.

She was so engrossed in her exploration of her enhanced olfactory sense, her consciousness completely missed the sound of an approaching car. However, the wolf side of her did not and, instead of sniffing a shirt, she found herself trying to crawl under her bed. She had gotten most of her torso underneath and her butt up was sticking up in the air. Slightly embarrassed despite being alone, she backed out and looked at her window as the car's headlights struck the wall. As the car came closer and then passed, she felt the strange sensation of muscles on the side of her head trying in vain to swivel her ears to track it.

Steady Sophia, she thought. It's just a car.

Shaken, she abandoned her examination of the shirt and just knelt for a moment, breathing.

Alright, this is as new to you as it is to me, she again addressed her inner wolf. But you're a part of me and need to listen to me. If I can't trust you when you're inside me, then I can't ever let you hunt. Understand?

Of course, there was no response, but it bolstered her confidence enough and she resumed her experimentation. Moving on from the shirt, she explored the scents on her other clothes. Most of her other work clothes were similar to her shirt and she didn't spend much time on them. Her shoes, on the other hand, had an overwhelming array of scents - too many to make much sense of. The inside smelled like her of course, but she noticed there were two distinct instances of her 'smell-print' as she was coming to think of it.

Why does the stronger one smell different? She pondered, a bit worried. It doesn't seem like a sick smell, just... different. Also, I never realized how much I smelled. I really need to wash my shoes.

As she turned the puzzle over in her head, her mind registered the taste and feel of leather in her mouth and she suddenly realized she had been chewing on the side of her shoe. Forcing herself to stop over her lupine side's protests, she examined the shoe. Thankfully, she hadn't chewed very hard, but there were definitely indents from her fangs. It wasn't too noticeable unless you looked closely and people would naturally assume it had been a dog. Still, it would do her no good to chew up her things no matter how good it felt.

This really isn't good, she thought ruthfully. I can't lose control like this. Maybe I should pick up a chew toy just in case I'm stuck inside again... assuming I return to normal that is.

Her stomach growled then and she realized she was getting hungry, very hungry. The desire to hunt she had been repressing came back stronger than ever, but she focused her mind on getting to the kitchen. She glanced at the clock next to her bed.

Almost two in the morning, she thought. My dad will be home soon and he can't see me like this. I'm going to have to wait until he gets home and goes to bed.

Searching her room both visually and olfactorily didn't turn up anything edible, unfortunately. She tried distracting herself by getting to know the other smells in the room, but found both her lupine and human sides were too distracted by her stomach. Alas, the only viable option was to wait. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she heard the familiar sound of her dad's truck parking in the garage. This time, she was able to keep her jittery wolf instincts from sending her back under the bed. After a few minutes, she heard her father entering the kitchen.

She reflexively began sniffing in response to the noises, but with the door closed, there was nothing to smell. At the urging of the wolf in her, she got onto a crouched position on all fours. Goosebumps formed across her body and she could feel the fur on her back standing up. Unfamiliar muscles again tried to swivel her ears towards the door, though they remained quite firmly attached to the sides of her head. Her fingers and toes splayed out and she automatically tried digging her short claws into the floor in an action she recognized would have allowed a real wolf to either quickly attack or run. Unfortunately, her anatomy was still far from a real wolf for it to have been effective. Thankfully, the animal in the house was just her dad and neither running nor attacking would be necessary.

I must look ridiculous, she thought wryly. Good thing the door is locked or my poor dad might just laugh himself to death if he entered. If he didn't die from the shock of his daughter having fangs and fur. What will he do if I still have them in the morning? What will I do?

After a few minutes, her dad walked by her room and she heard the bathroom door shut. Air disturbed by his passing made its way under the door and reached her nose, surprising her. She could barely make it out, but she recognized the scent as the one she had noticed out in the hall earlier and later deduced was her father's. Unfortunately, along with it came the distinct smell of alcohol and she involuntarily took an unsteady step back. The smell of alcohol was never something she had liked and now, with an enhanced sense of smell, it was absolutely unbearable.

To her relief, the smell quickly dissipated and she heard the toilet flushing as her dad left the bathroom. Her dad said something she couldn't quite make out, although she thought she heard the word 'dog'. Then, there were the sounds of his bedroom door opening and closing. Once again, the house was plunged back into silence. She relaxed a bit and moved from all fours to a kneeling position. After another five minutes of silence, she was confident her dad was down for the night and it was safe for her to move again. It was a good thing too, as her empty stomach was starting to ache.

Getting to her feet, she quietly donned her robe again and quietly unlocked and opened the door. The smells of the house hit her full force again, but this time they didn't threaten to overwhelm her, though the strong scent of alcohol in the air was distinctly unpleasant. It appeared the path to the kitchen was clear and she quietly made her way down the hall. Despite her dislike for the lingering scent of spirits, she found herself constantly sniffing the air for anything unexpected.

After spending the last couple of hours getting used to her lupine instincts, she found they were far less rumbustious and were rapidly becoming just another part of her awareness. It both unsettled and pleased her that she was adapting to them so easily.

Is the human taming the wolf or is the wolf replacing the human? She worried. Which do I even want to happen?

Entering the kitchen, she laid aside her ponderings and set about finding something to eat. She opened the cabinet where the cereal was kept, eyed the boxes and then closed it. Cereal wasn't going to fulfill her cravings. She needed something with a bit more protein; she needed meat. Opening the freezer, she began ruffling through its contents. As she searched, her mouth watered as the scents of fish and meat filled her nostrils. Then, she smiled as she triumphantly pulled out the bag of frozen chicken breasts.

Pulling it open, she sniffed the contents of the bag. The smell of the scrumptious birds nearly led her to dive right in, but the cold of the bag was just enough to keep her at bay. Grabbing a plate, she threw three breasts on it and set the microwave to``defrost". While the breasts were thawing, she quietly grabbed a pan from the cupboard, lightly oiled it and turned it on high. The wait for the chicken to thaw was pure agony, especially as the scent of defrosting chicken began emanating from the microwave. Two minutes before the cycle was finished, she could take it no more.

She grabbed the plate from the microwave and set it on the counter. Leaning in close, she sniffed the plump bird meat and reached a hand for it. Instead of grabbing it and putting it in the heated oil though, she immediately leaned in and tore off a piece with her sharp fangs. Deep down, she knew this was probably a bad idea, but wolves knew nothing of such things and, at that moment, she was very content being a wolf.

Within minutes, she had eaten the entire tender breast. Still feeling famished, she grabbed another with her teeth and, this time, brought it to the floor. Getting to all fours, she used the claws on her hand to pin it in place and again tore into it with her teeth. Within a few minutes, she had downed that one too and was licking the remaining juices off the floor.

I can't believe I just ate raw chicken off the floor, she thought anxiously as she finished cleaning up the last bit of juice with her tongue and her hunger faded. It just smelled so good and... I couldn't stop myself. I hope I don't get sick.

Standing back up she saw and smelled that the forgotten oil in the pan was starting to smoke and she turned off the stove. The smell of the last remaining breast drew her attention back to the plate. Her stomach was feeling much less empty now, but she was still feeling a bit peckish and it smelled delicious. She stared at the last breast, weighing whether she should cook it or just do what the wolf was telling her. Shrugging, she bent over the counter, grabbed it with her teeth from the plate and then pulled it back to the floor.

It seems a little late to be worried about food poisoning and these teeth are amazing, she reasoned. It's not as good as cooked meat, but it's not bad either. I bet a freshly caught chicken would be even better. Wait, where did that thought come from?

Setting aside her misgivings, she took her time with each bite and let the wolf do its thing. She marveled at how her teeth rended the pink meat. Tossing her head back, she swallowed a particularly sizable piece. Soon, she was licking the last juices from her hands and the sleeves of her robe. After that, she arched her back, stretched out with her hands on the floor and yawned.

That was the strangest and most disgusting thing I've ever done, she thought as she stood back up. I'll clean up in the morning. Hmm, I'm thirsty now.

Grabbing a tall glass, she filled it with the sink and reflexively sniffed at it. When she was satisfied it was indeed water, she lowered her tongue into the glass and began lapping. She quickly discovered to her frustration that her short tongue was ill suited to scoop up water like a propper wolf. Sighing, she forced herself to drink like a human. To her surprise, she quickly downed two glasses.

Yawning again, she went back to her room. There, she again shut and locked the door before removing her robe. Sitting on her bed, she smelled a bit of the robe's fabric on her arm and licked it off without even thinking twice about it. Finally, she got up on the bed, positioned herself to face the mirror and sat down on her knees while propping herself up with her arms.

Tonight has been terrifying, but admittedly fun, she reflected, looking herself over in the mirror. I don't know what's happening to me and I'm scared, but I'm also happier than I've been in a long time. There's something else though. I feel... lonely.

It was true; while she had tentatively accepted her new wolf characteristics, she felt a longing for companionship. Not with people she realized, but other wolves. Wolves were pack animals and the lupine side of her needed a pack. No, she amended, she needed a pack. She stared out her window at the bright moon.

I don't know if this is a gift or a curse, but if it's a gift, please let me have just one more night like this, she thought towards the moon. Spending a night with wolves would be amazing.

Turning her attention back to herself, she realized how physically tired she was. Her body had gone through quite the ordeal over the past week and after eating, it was starting to weigh on her. The desire to sleep was coming hard and fast. She looked at the clock, just after four in the morning.

Before I go down for the night, I need to do something, just in case, she thought. I want proof this isn't a dream.

Over the protests of aching muscles, she got out of bed and walked over to her shelf. There, she found the digital camera she had received for her eighth birthday and pushed the on button. It had been a little while since she had used it and was relieved when she heard it powering up. For this occasion, the poor resolution of her phone camera simply wouldn't do. Remembering the camera needed full light even if she didn't, she went over to the light switch and turned it on. Against the backdrop of her door, she turned it towards herself and opened her mouth, showing her teeth.

The flash completely blinded her dark-adjusted eyes for a moment and she let out a yelp. After her eyesight recovered, she looked at the photo. Thankfully, she had held it long enough to completely capture her upper body. Her pupils were large and wholly red, but the gold of her iris was still visible. The white fur on her chest was nicely visible between her breasts. She ran her hand through it and then took a photo of her feet. Finally, she positioned it above her and pulled her hair to the side before awkwardly snapping a picture of the fur on her back.

Satisfied, she put the camera on her desk. The wolf side of her suggested the best place to sleep for the night was under her bed where she would be well hidden. However, what she really wanted was the comfort only a bed could provide. Willing her now heavily aching and fatigued muscles forward, she made her way to her bed. She clambered onto it, curled her knees into her stomach and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

Some time later, Sophia woke shivering, soaked in sweat. Her mouth, fingers and toes were aching and her muscles felt like they had run a marathon. To top it off, it felt like her bladder was about to burst. Forcing herself out of bed, she hastily donned her robe. Something struck her as wrong as she felt her way to the bathroom and she realized she could barely see in the darkness. There was also very little to smell, although she thought she could smell the barest hint of dog while she sat on the toilet. Clumsily washing her hands she looked in the mirror, her eyes were their normal, boring hazel again. Her teeth and ears were normal too. She was once again her old self and she sighed in a strange combination of relief and disappointment.

Leaving the bathroom, she made her way back to her bedroom. She managed to remove her robe, but was too tired to put on pajamas. The clock showed it was about a quarter past six as she clambered into bed. Outside her window, there was the barest hint of the coming day. The experience had only lasted a night as the story had said, but it would be one she would never forget.

One month to find out how much my life has changed, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. One long month.