# Hair of the Dog: Cry Wolf

Author: Alfa_Barf
Tags: Greentext, Halloween, Human, Second Person, Sex, Werewolf, Wolfess

[Greentext] A new tale with a new Anon who encounters a white wolfess one night. She's reclusive and cold, but maybe it'll take the affection of a human to get her to open up.  
  
This story chronologically takes place after the events of the original Hair of the Dog, but stars a "new" protagonist.

**Part 1**

\>October 27th  
\>Your friends are a little TOO into the Halloween spirit this year  
\>Apart from all the parties they want to drag you to, they decide they want to try a little urban exploration  
\>Specifically, at the abandoned “Freak Factory"  
\>A haunted house attraction long since abandoned for being too expensive to keep even the dimmest of lights on  
\>Not to mention the employee actors got a little too “grabby" and faced more than a handful of lawsuits  
\>So the building was shut down and the land remains untouched  
\>Naturally, it's an extremely popular spot for trespassers and risk takers to invade  
\>This is especially true because of how many supposed accounts of ghosts and monsters there have been from those who dared enter  
\>The stories got so widespread that the police have since added the building to their more frequent patrol routes  
\>You're a little more worried about the legal consequences than you are about running into a vampire or mummy or something  
\>They won't admit it, but your friends feel the same way  
\>When you asked why you weren't doing this on Halloween night, they scoffed at you  
\>"There's going to be more pigs than any other night, because everyone else is going to have the same idea."  
\>Your friend Haywood is the instigator and the ringleader  
\>This whole thing is his doing to begin with  
\>Your other friend, nicknamed “Sticks", pretty much goes where he's told  
\>Like you in most ways, but not as confident in objecting  
\>The sun has just set when the three of you arrive at Freak Factory  
\>You hop the rusted turnstiles and make your way to the boarded up doors  
\>The barricades are just for show, and the place is surprisingly unlocked  
\>Sticks is pissing himself before you even get inside  
\>At this point your biggest fear is running into other people  
\>Hobos, other intruders, actual serial killers  
\>The main foyer branches off in several directions, each one for a different type of experience  
\>Spooky mansion, torture dungeon, murderous restaurant (annoyingly popular in recent years), witch-filled woods...  
\>Even a few places that aren't supposed to be as terrifying, like the small theater for those who chicken out of the main thrills, are given an ominous atmosphere because of the place's derelict condition  
\>Haywood picks the mansion first, keeping a few steps ahead but making frequent checks to see if you're still following  
\>So far so good  
\>You honestly might not have had the nerve to do this alone, but with someone like Sticks around to be the biggest coward it somehow eases things up a bit  
\>As you delve deeper, you realize the scare factor of the attraction is almost non-existent with everything shut off  
\>You even have to suppress a yawn just do you don't inhale all the dust  
\>BANG  
\>The sound of a slamming door echoes from the direction you came  
\>Sticks covers his ears and even Haywood lets a startled “eek"  
\>"Mmm...who do we have tonight?"  
\>There's a sultry, but rough female voice all around you  
\>Like a starlet who yelled herself hoarse, or a strangled opera singer  
\>"Just the three of you? That's less than usual. Oh well. Fewer bodies they'll come looking for...."  
\>You hear the solid THUD of something drop to the creaking floorboards  
\>And the clacking of its claws on the scratched wood  
\>And it's getting closer  
\>There's your cue to leave!  
\>The three of you run off in different directions at first, but you and Sticks pull around to follow Haywood  
\>Your leader is already several paces ahead in a mad dash  
\>The rooms seem to have no particular orientation or sense of scale  
\>Just endless halls and cluttered set pieces  
\>It IS a horror attraction after all, and not just someone's livable abode  
\>Speaking of which...  
\>The props and animatronics come to life, blocking your route and bouncing you around with their distorted scares and grasping appendages  
\>You and Sticks struggle through the obstacle course  
\>When you turn a corner you see Haywood trying to pull open a door  
\>Before you can reach him it swings Haywood into a false, rotating wall  
\>He screams, tumbling out of sight  
\>There's no sign of a trap door ever being there  
\>The mocking laughter of the hidden voice keeps you running forward  
\>Barreling out of the haunted mansion dumps you two in a new section of the building that looks like an indoor forest  
\>The acoustics of the voice are even more unsettling as they bounce off the hollow trees  
\>"The boy fell over with a single puff, out cold. That's...dissatisfying. I hope the two of you make up for what a bore he was."  
\>The forest is even harder to navigate with its lack of a clear path  
\>You and Sticks eventually reach a chasm with several rickety rope bridges strung over a lightless void  
\>The direction you came from starts disappearing into shadow  
\>The two of you take different bridges, hoping the weight won't be too much just for a single body  
\>It squeaks and sways as you cross  
\>There's a snapping noise, and Sticks is gone with a yelp  
\>"Well, that one didn't have much to give either. He gave faster than the bridge did! HAHAHA!"  
\>You reach solid land and press onward  
\>The rest of the bridges snap and crack at your heels  
\>"Just...one...left...."  
\>You make it to a cabin; really just an entrance leading to a new horror backdrop  
\>But it looks believable, and you barely have time to shut the wooden door before you hear pounding from the other side  
\>The door rattles fiercely on its hinges  
\>"Let me in...let me in...." she sings  
\>None of the rooms lead anywhere  
\>Except the stairs to the basement  
\>Fuck  
\>Each step sounds like a gunshot as you amble down  
\>The door bursts open as you hit the bottom  
\>That's it  
\>Dead end  
\>You spin around and your heart stops  
\>Crawling down the stairs is a ghost-white werewolf, chuckling with that feminine, yet malicious voice  
\>She's covered in bloody bandages and the tattered remains of a regal dress  
\>Her lips are pulled back to show her pearly fangs, and her crimson eyes are full of hunger  
\>She rises to two legs, a good head taller than you  
\>"I want you to scream, so I can hear that musical gurgle when I rip open your throat."  
\>She takes a step forward with each of your retreating steps, until you're backed against the concrete wall  
\>There's a bone-chilling groan at your feet  
\>The werewolf slams her front paws down, as though preparing to pounce  
\>The floor gives away all around you  
\>You plummet into the darkness  
\>The last sight you see is the silhouette of the werewolf looming over you  
  
\>You don't know how long you've been out for, but your head still throbs  
\>You also don't know if the fall is part of the attraction, but now you're on a neat pile of sheets and broken furniture  
\>You moan loudly as you tumble off  
\>A chorus of rats watch you scramble to your feet, alarming you  
\>You swear at the sheer number of them   
\>Big mistake  
\>"You're still here?" the voice says  
\>It's no longer playfully malevolent, but bitter and unimpressed.  
\>"I shouldn't be surprised. I thought I heard your phone constantly trying to wake you up."  
\>Your body's sore, but you push forward into a ballroom  
\>"You took quite the drop. Just like a sack of bricks. Well, pick up the pieces and get out, if you still value your life."  
\>You don't need to be told twice  
\>But it's a little strange that she's sparing you after all that  
\>A few rooms later and you're back at the main foyer  
\>There's the exit  
\>You throw open the front doors and head out into the late night  
\>Haywood's car is gone, but he left you a copious amount of texts and missed calls  
\>"Dude, where are you?" he says when you pick up the next frantic ring  
\>Well, you're still at the house about to call a cab, apparently  
\>"Good, uh, sorry. We woke up back at the entrance and there were rats everywhere and she was still chasing us. Glad you made it out."  
\>Thanks guys  
\>You send out a ride request, and within minutes an old man with some uncomfortably sagging skin pulls up in an unremarkable sedan  
\>You drop your phone into your pocket and feel something out of place  
\>Crinkling?  
\>Digging inside, you find a weathered looking envelope  
\>[To Anon]  
\>That's not unsettling at all...  
\>You tear open the envelope, which shreds into a fine dust  
\>Sorry about the mess, Mr. Driver  
\>[Dear Anon]  
\>[Congratulations to you on your successful trial through the night! Very few make it as far as you have, believe it or not.]  
\>[You have likely noticed by now that poor Vupel didn't quite have the determination to kill you or your friends. As difficult as it may seem, she is in desperate need of companionship.]  
\>[I ask that you please return to her when you are ready. I promise no harm will come to you. Do not use the front door, or she will not give you a warm welcome.]  
\>[There is an employee entrance in the back, hidden behind a gargoyle. Just say the password “Gulchgut" and you will be let in.]  
\>[Please give Vupel a second chance, Anon. Good luck to you!]  
\>[~M]  
\>Looking through the rear-view mirror, you think you see a smile on the old man's face  
  
\>Your friends don't want to talk about last night  
\>Half out of embarrassment they got so scared, and half out of guilt for abandoning you  
\>They don't even particularly want to go out for Halloween  
\>You don't really blame them, but you don't agree with them either  
\>That fall you took must have scrambled your brain, because something compels you to actually want to go back to the Freak Factory  
\>Tonight  
\>Maybe it's to unravel the mystery of the letter, or to have some kind of closure  
\>Maybe it's from the thrill you have just looking back on your mad dash through the building and its frights  
\>Maybe it's because you're a dumbass  
\>You rest up in the afternoon and drive back out there when the sun sets  
\>You park your car out of sight of the roads and circle around the back of the building  
\>Good thing you brought a jacket, because the late October night is unforgivingly cold  
\>It's an older one; dark leather and heavily worn out in places  
\>But if you're going to be rolling around in dust and broken furniture again you're not going to want to use your good clothes  
\>It's not hard to find the gargoyle, given how out of place it looks  
\>It's also not budging one bit when you try to move it  
\>You can see the narrow groove where the door should be, but you can't reach it  
\>Was this all just a practical joke?  
\>Might as well humor your pranksters some more...  
\>Gulchgut  
\>Your heart shouldn't be subjected to this many surprises  
\>The gargoyle animates and sidesteps out of the way, turning its head enough to face you  
\>Then it goes still with the door swinging outward  
\>Welp, back in you go  
\>Your creep as silent and as slow as you can through the dark halls  
\>The employee corridors are sparse, yet still decorated to keep the theming  
\>A light to one of the rooms gushes out  
\>Aaand there goes your heart again  
\>Hesitantly, you peek inside  
\>It's a security camera room  
\>Several monitors show a live feed of the whole place  
\>Why is this all still running?  
\>You press a button on the dashboard and the perspective changes  
\>Flip...flip...flip...  
\>Please don't let anything jump out at you...  
\>Flip...flip...flip...  
\>Hold on, is that...?  
\>One of the cameras is pointing to the employee cafeteria  
\>Shuffling lazily toward a refrigerator is none other than the white wolfess  
\>Rather than her raggedy dress and stained bandages, she's wearing almost nothing at all by comparison  
\>Her gray shirt is ripped half off  
\>Specifically the bottom half, showing an ample amount of underboob  
\>You do a double take  
\>Human breasts?  
\>Furry ones, but definitely more than a handful  
\>Her “shorts" have also been torn away to its last few threads, making it practically a pair of panties  
\>The bottoms are strained to bursting when she bends over to root around the fridge  
\>Is it weird to be so turned on by this?  
\>She kicks the door closed with a stack of food in her arms  
\>There's a huge slab of meat on a thick rib, takeout boxes, a pile of fruit and veggie trays, containers of dips and sauces, and a case of beer bottles  
\>A grape bounces to the floor, and a rat appears out of nowhere to carry it off  
\>You're no rodent expert, but it seems like it was cleaning up after the wolfess more than looking for a snack of its own  
\>The rat was enough of a distraction to keep your eyes away from the wolfess  
\>She had walked out of frame, and you can't find her anywhere in the cafeteria  
\>Or any of the other rooms, for that matter  
\>Flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip  
\>Minutes tick by  
\>Flip-flip-flip-flip-flip-flip  
\>Nothing  
\>You slow down a bit to better examine each room for signs of her  
\>Flip...flip...flip...  
\>Still nothing  
\>The only view worth noting is the one where you can't see anything at all  
\>[MAIN OFFICE – OFFLINE]  
\>It's suspicious enough to investigate  
\>There's a map of the building's fire exits nearby, and it's detailed enough for you to find where the office would be  
\>You resume making your way around the employee areas  
\>Still taking your time  
\>Knowing she could be around any of the corners at any moment  
\>And she's apparently insatiably hungry  
\>It would be faster to cut through some of the attraction rooms, but you don't take that risk  
\>If she could clearly see you and your friends out there, she still might be able to now  
\>It takes a while to get close to the main office, but when you do there's an unexpected sound you pick up on  
\>Crying  
\>There's the door to the office, but also a large window  
\>It's a great view for the owner to see some of the backstage areas down below  
\>The window is almost entirely covered with shades and papers of some sort  
\>Except for a tiny slit  
\>The perfect opening to spy inside the room through  
\>And there's no shortage of things to look at  
\>Most prominently is the wolfess herself, Vupel, lounging on an oversized beanbag chair  
\>She's completely naked now, except for a silver-studded collar around her fluffy neck  
\>She's sobbing loudly while vehemently rubbing herself with one paw and pinching a rosy nipple with the other  
\>The rib from her meal is picked clean, now clenched with her back teeth as though it were some kind of gag  
\>Pretty much ALL the food she took out of the fridge is gone, and the plentiful bottles of beer are already drained  
\>A TV is playing a nature documentary with a rugged man rolling around and wrestling with (four-legged) wolves in captivity  
\>Vupel is fixated on the screen, unlikely to make out the images through her tear-filled eyes, which are even redder than just from her crimson irises  
\>Plastered all over the walls are pictures and paintings of what seems to be anthropomorphic wolf females paired with human males  
\>Some cartoonish, some realistic, some reserved and intimate...  
\>And a load of them pretty smutty  
\>Vupel thrashes in her seat as she hits orgasm, then lets the bone drop from her mouth as she continues bawling  
\>It's hard enough to watch a human cry  
\>But a lonely wolf woman?  
\>And a gorgeous one at that?  
\>Never mind how she toyed with you and the guys last night, she could have KILLED someone and it would still be a tragic sight  
\>You think back to the letter that the mysterious “M" sent you  
\>Has she EVER killed anyone?  
\>What's more, didn't the writer say she needs a companion?  
\>It's hard to wrap your head around everything you experienced last night along with the confusing new sight right in front of you  
\>There's no easy way to decide how to approach the situation  
\>For better or worse, the rats make the choice for you  
\>You were oblivious to the audience of your own; several rats sitting nearby with their beady eyes watching  
\>It's enough to coax a startled noise from you  
\>You look back to the office room, knowing full well you fucked up  
\>Vupel is staring at you, mortified  
\>Then with murderous intent  
\>"You..." you can hear through the glass  
\>"You're FUCKING DEAD!"  
\>Time to go!  
\>You bolt off toward the nearest door as the one behind you explodes open  
\>Just your shitty luck, you wind up back in the horror attraction  
\>"When I catch you, I WILL rip your throat out!"  
\>Her words echo throughout the rooms once again  
\>You're fully within her domain, watched from shadows you don't dare linger close to  
\>"What kind of death wish do you have to want to come back here? Are you some kind of 'werewolf hunter'? Did you think you would find me all tired and docile?"  
\>No longer is she taunting you with self-amusement at the things she could do to you and your friends like last night  
\>Now, the wolfess seems to genuinely want you dead  
\>Thanks, “M"  
\>Vupel doesn't talk for some time, but when you hear her voice again while running through scene after scene, the tone is much different  
\>She's not poetically intimidating, but blunt and scornful  
\>"It's funny how you humans react every time. It's so damn predictable. First, you approach my home all cocky and full of yourselves."  
\>The rolling, tombstone-marked hills...  
\>"It doesn't take long for the anxiety to show, and when panic rears its ugly head it turns into full terror within seconds."  
\>The streets of a Jack-the-Ripper style backdrop...  
\>"But the longer they last, the more they start to think, 'Hey, maybe she's just MESSING with me!' And that's the kind of prey I punish the most."  
\>A butcher's lair full of bloody carcasses and slick floors...  
\>It's all as fake as the attraction itself, but right now it's pretty damn unnerving  
\>"Because I don't do this to get a kick out of scaring humans, oh no. I do it because I HATE trespassers, and I want you all to FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
\>The emergency lights are thrown on, but in their age and state of decay most of them immediately pop out   
\>Only one remains, and it spotlights the enraged predator mere steps away  
\>"Some come back, but none of them get this far unless I LET them. If humans like you can just sneak in here like that, I'm going to have to start making sure you don't ever see daylight again...."  
\>The chains of the meat hooks jingle around you, as if possessed  
\>Vupel crouches low right before the attack, and then the ghostly monster lunges at you  
\>Suddenly, the hooks interlock with one another and draw taught  
\>The wolfess is ensnared among the webbed chains, flailing wildly to free herself  
\>"RRRGGGAAAHHH! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE YOU INTRUDERS! I HATE YOU, MEDAFET!"  
\>The chains creak as she makes one more intense attempt to break them  
\>"I HATE...."  
\>She goes limp, her head and ears hanging down  
\>Her body is still, except for her quivering lips  
\>"I h-hate myself..." she weeps  
\>What little light remains in the room sparkles in the tears she sheds  
\>Her spirit is gone, leaving the defeated body of an unclothed beast suspended before you  
\>"W-w-well, what are you waiting for, 'Hunter'?" she chokes. “Kill me or leave m-me be already...."  
\>She sniffles as she inhales, and softly howls as she exhales  
\>It's a pitiful sight  
\>You remove your jacket and clear enough of the chains away to place it over her naked body  
\>Vupel shudders at your touch  
\>You don't want to drop the poor girl, but you try your best to untangle her  
\>The chains go lax on their own, and the wolfess is gently deposited on her knees  
\>"Why...w-why are you here?"  
\>You have no response  
\>You just help her stand up and pull the jacket as closed as you can  
\>Between her weighty breasts and overall larger frame, the jacket's a snug fit on her  
\>This doesn't stop her from clinging to it like it were her own coat of fur she's trying to keep from falling off  
\>Without looking you in the eyes, Vupel turns and drags her feet out of the room silently  
\>Her ears still folded back and her tail between her legs  
\>She gave you no indication to follow her, but you've come too far to leave her now  
\>Back out to the attraction floors...  
\>Through the employee doors to the backstage areas...  
\>Your trek around the building feels even slower than when you crept around it  
\>Eventually you realize she's heading back to her “den"  
\>You resolve to at least see her back to the office before you would think of leaving  
\>She stops at the door to her personal room and gives a woeful look over her shoulder  
\>"Hey..." she murmurs. “So do you want to come in or...?"  
\>Really?  
\>Just like that?  
\>She takes your hesitation as rejection  
\>"Alright, well, I won't stop you or anything on the way out."  
\>You'd be happy to see her room, if she'll let you  
\>There's disbelief in her face  
\>But also the faintest of smiles  
\>"Yeah, well, you've already seen it. It's a dump. It's...not something I'm proud of."  
\>You get close to her, waiting for some kind of permission to console her  
\>You settle for a few pats on the back  
\>That perks her ears up  
\>"So, you have a name, or am I gonna' have to keep calling you 'Hunter'?"  
\>It's Anon  
\>But whatever she wants to call you is fine  
\>"Alright...well, Anon, I'm Vupel."  
\>She sounds pained just saying her own name  
\>"Come on in, I guess. Just don't judge me too much, please."  
\>You have to admit, it's certainly a cozy space she's made for herself, even if it's a little messy  
\>There are even more images of human-furry couples than you could see from before  
\>Some of them look slashed in a fit of anger, including the only actually framed picture in the whole room  
\>The pointed ears of a dark wolf, and an unidentifiable man  
\>There's red in the picture, but it's too vibrant to be old blood  
\>A heap of litter is shoved into a corner; one by one a rat sneaks in and pulls something back through its hole  
\>There are no real beds, just beanbags and stacks of blankets  
\>Vupel plops onto one of the seats and kicks a bottle across the room  
\>You take a spot close by  
\>"So, uh, how exactly did you get back in?"  
\>You dig through your pockets for the letter you found the previous night, but it's in your jacket  
\>Vupel finds it as she pats herself down  
\>She reads over the note, showing aggravation at first but back to her moping again  
\>You think you might already have a hint from her earlier outburst, but you ask the wolfess what the “M" means anyway  
\>She crumples up the paper and tosses it into the pile of junk  
\>"It stands for 'meddler'. Someone who just won't let you serve your time in peace, and has to butt in thinking she's helping out."  
\>You can tell her sob story is coming  
\>You seem a little more prepared for it than she is  
\>"I've always been a bit of a hothead. Kind of a black sheep of the family, too. The whitest black sheep there is. Anyway, every year monsters like me are allowed a single night to go out and enjoy the human world with almost no restriction. Take a wild guess what that night is."  
\>The wolfess grabs one of the beer bottles and tries to get one more drop out of it  
\>It drops to the floor and skitters away  
\>"I wasn't content with just that one night, so I'd sneak out when I felt like it, no matter what time of the year or for how long."  
\>She laughs grimly  
“Well, I got caught eventually.... I broke the rules and was given a choice: either be exiled in the human world until I 'learned my lesson', or never be allowed to come here ever again."  
\>The TV loops on the menu for the nature documentary  
\>"The funny thing is they were about to retract the punishment for being 'too mean'. This coming from monsters! Pfft. But being the stubborn bitch I am I decided to take the sentence anyway. A chance to be in the human world? How was that punishment?"  
\>She sighs heavily  
\>"But in order to 'protect' me from the humans, I have to serve my time in this shitty haunted attraction. I can't leave. All I can do is chase away intruders who are free to just waltz right in."  
\>Speaking of intruders, the rats come back to roll the empty bottles away  
\>Vupel snarls at them and they scamper off  
\>"And, no, I haven't killed anyone before. Maybe I've shaved a few years off some lives, but you're probably the closest I've come to actually hurting someone. Heh...."  
\>The rats poke their heads in to see if it's safe to return  
\>"I only have these guys to clean up and keep me company. They basically do all my chores for me, so when I'm not scaring trespassers I'm pretty much just sitting on my fat ass and feeling sorry for myself."  
\>It's a lovely ass, but you don't dare vocalize that right now  
\>"This whole thing started a little over a year ago. I missed last Halloween, and now it looks like I'll miss it again. I made it through a full year, and even begged the empty halls to go home, but nobody's come to retrieve me. Even that decrepit old cat spends more time helping humans like YOU instead of coming to save ME."  
\>Vupel begins shaking as she cries some more into her knees  
\>"I'm so lonely, Anon...so lonely. I don't want to be ANGRY at humans, I lov...."  
\>She stops herself  
\>There's a long silence, and Vupel shifts her legs around  
\>"You've been staring an awful lot at me, champ," she says with a sniff  
\>You didn't even realize it  
\>Once you've gotten used to her bestial features, you had started taking peeks at her exposed slit  
\>It barely registered with you she had chased you the entire time buck naked  
\>"So what's your deal? You didn't come back to hunt me, so are you just that much of an oddball or a reject you'd want to hang out with a monster?"  
\>It's hard to deny you aren't at least a little attracted to the white wolfess  
\>She shifts her legs again, and you get another brief glimpse at her pink lower lips  
\>You can see a bit of mischievousness in her eyes, but that's soon replaced with more shame  
\>"You know, if you wanted to stay the night, I'm sure I could make some room for you."  
\>That actually sounds nice  
\>You'd love to  
\>But sadly, you have other commitments you need to take care of in the morning  
\>"O-oh, right. I figured as much."  
\>Vupel looks hurt  
\>She rubs the sleeves of your jacket  
\>"Do you mind if I hang on to this? I mean, at least until I see you again."  
\>Sure, she seems to need it more than you do right now anyway  
\>"Thanks. Guess you'll HAVE to come back now, huh?"  
\>The wolfess stands up and leads you back through the employee corridors to the back entrance  
\>"It's probably faster this way in, but feel free to use the front door if you need to. I won't chase you away. Promise."  
\>The two of you exchange weary smiles before you part ways  
\>Vupel doesn't take her eyes off you for one second as the gargoyle closes the secluded door behind you  
  
\>You need to take one of your other jackets the next evening, thanks to how nippy it still is  
\>This one's a little nicer, even darker and a bit longer, and part of you hopes Vupel appreciates you “dressing up" a bit  
\>Your friends are a little concerned why you're suddenly so preoccupied at night, but with any luck they'll think you're just too much of a coward to come out again.  
\>When you return to Freak Factory, you hit a bit of a snag  
\>The gargoyle doesn't respond to your password anymore  
\>Well, he DOES respond, but only enough to shake its thick head and block the door even more  
\>Vupel said you could use the front entrance, so hopefully she kept her word  
\>As you push open the doors into the familiar foyer, you hear a seductive chuckle  
\>"Welcome back, Hunter."  
\>The door closes and locks behind you  
\>She wouldn't trick you after all that, right?  
\>Right?  
\>"I told you I wouldn't chase you away, but..."  
\>A spotlight illuminates the top of a staircase  
\>The wolfess isn't there, but her shadow is  
\>Her voluptuous, lupine silhouette  
\>"I think it's fair to let you get a chance at revenge. I'm gong to run, and you'll have to catch me if you want your jacket back."  
\>You have another one anyway, so she can keep that one  
\>"How sweet," she coos. “Well, then I guess we'll have to find some other reward if you win...."  
\>The light goes out and you can hear the fading clicks of her nails on the floor  
\>The haunted house doesn't feel as frightening anymore  
\>Now it's just a campy, run-down attraction  
\>You tear through the halls, trying to keep a bead on the wolfess  
\>You're running through thresholds, leaping over furniture, and sliding on top of tables  
\>Every so often you'll see her peel across your vision on the rafters or under the floorboards  
\>It's exhilarating to have the whole place to yourself, making your own enjoyment while ignoring the surprises and spooks of the actual building  
\>Like blasting through a nightmare to find the more pleasant dream on the other side  
\>But eventually you lose her  
\>Your direction becomes more calculated, as you don't want to recklessly wander too far away  
\>Though you're sure Vupel isn't going to let that happen either  
\>When you're guaranteed you've lost her you end up in what looks like the attraction's gift shop  
\>You see a wall filled with pictures of scared, but entertained faces  
\>They're all snapshots of guests right in the moment of one of the building's many “jump scares"  
\>A bunch of photos are of couples, especially those circling a large mirror behind the register counter  
\>You flinch as an arm drapes over your shoulder  
\>The white wolfess sticks her muzzle over the other one  
\>Your two faces are perfectly framed in the mirror, surrounded by all the other “terrified" pairs  
\>"That can be us," she whispers into your ear  
\>Her arms intertwine over your chest, and you touch her soft paws  
\>"I guess you caught me, Hunter."  
\>She grips you tightly, taking a whiff of your scent as she rests her head on you  
\>"I'm glad you came back again. Seems like my usual fare of prowlers hasn't shown up these last two of nights, so you'll have to keep me company all by yourself."  
\>Vupel's still in your old jacket, though she actually has pants on this time (some ripped jean shorts) as well as her collar  
\>She definitely wears the jacket better than you did  
\>"Guess you're gonna want a feast after that hunt. Feeling hungry?"  
\>She takes you by the hand to the employee cafeteria  
\>It's a lot more spacious than when you monitored it through the small camera  
\>A bunch of rats are eating off of cans and milk cartons as though they were dining at tables  
\>Vupel gives you some options, cracking open cabinets and refrigerators  
\>The fridges are stuffed with food, showing no vacancy despite the heavy meal she indulged in just last night  
\>"All the more reason to hate my little 'caretaker'," the wolfess grumbles. “She won't let me starve here, but it's not like I can leave to get my own grub. I have to rely on her supplying me daily. I don't even get any of the good alcohol either."  
\>She sighs as a frozen pizza is tossed into the oven  
\>"I sound pretty spoiled, huh? Having such a nice place rent-free and everything included."  
\>You wouldn't exactly call a haunted house “nice"  
\>"When you have a half-dozen siblings to compete with, you just want YOUR turn with your parent's love and attention more than anything. Now that I have my own home, the last thing I want is to feel like a needy pup."  
\>Seven kids?  
\>Her folks must have been pretty busy  
\>"Yeah, don't put that thought into my head. Nobody wants to think of their parents breeding."  
\>She drums her claws on the counter as the two of you wait for the food  
\>"I mean, especially when they're such a happy couple, you know? Makes you believe love is out there for you too, but you're still a little envious about the whole thing. 'How did they find the one', and all that."  
\>She watches the timer like a kid waiting for the school bell, growling with impatience  
\>"And even then you're sure as hell not having pups unless the fucking stars align just right..."  
\>She's muttering to herself at this point, staring off as though she's looking through the walls  
\>The ding of the oven bell shakes her out of her trance, and suddenly the realization of what she's been saying dawns on her  
\>"A-ah, forget I said anything. I'm just rambling about nothing. Food's ready!"  
  
\>The meal was pretty light on conversation, though that was partially because of how much there was to eat through  
\>Vupel easily outdid you  
\>She grabs a few more bottles of beer before the two of you head back  
\>Back to her room  
\>When you get inside she looks around uncomfortably  
\>"Crap, I meant to take those pictures down"  
\>It certainly has character  
\>You tell her she doesn't have to destroy her room for your sake  
\>"Yeah, well, I don't need the whole world knowing what a deviant I am."  
\>Deviant?  
\>"C'mon, Anon. Haven't I spelled it out enough already? Humans and monsters don't mix well, especially if it's a female monster and a human male. It's more than just a culture thing, it's pretty damn hard to have kids that way."  
\>Vupel aggressively scratches her head  
\>"But it's...hardwired into my brain, you know? I can't imagine mating with anything other than a human."  
\>It takes no more than a second for her to comprehend what she just said  
\>"Wait, I...heh, what I meant was I...gggrrrhhh...."  
\>You give her a warm smile, and the wolfess settles down  
\>She takes off “your" jacket and hands it back  
\>You refuse to accept it  
\>After all, you have another  
\>"Thanks. It's a really nice jacket."  
\>She folds it neatly and puts it aside  
\>Her undershirt isn't quite as revealing as her nightwear, but it's still pretty torn up  
\>"Listen, can you...stay the night this time?"  
\>It still comes as a shock, considering it was about a day ago she was on the verge of slaughtering you  
\>But you have no obligations in the morning and you've really enjoyed her company so far  
\>Sure, you'll stay  
\>"HA! Ha...heh, g-great!"  
\>The wolfess keeps looking down and then back up, like the most exaggerated nodding ever  
\>"I want to come clean first. I didn't think I could be picky about meeting a human. Any would do. I'd just take the first one who could put up with me."  
\>She rubs her neck in disgrace  
\>"But I think I got pretty damn lucky. You're a cool guy, Anon, and you're a saint for putting up with a bitchy, hot-blooded wolf like me. I hope you can understand I like you for who you are, and not just because of my...erm...."  
\>Her rubbing is so vigorous you can see loose hairs floating about  
\>"Well, fetish. Let's not kid ourselves here."  
\>You hold your arms out invitingly  
\>You expected hesitation or maybe a slow approach into a hug, but the second you offer yourself Vupel rushes forward and locks you in a powerful squeeze  
\>She's laughing shakily, punctuating it with sniffles every so often  
\>"Get a grip, Vupel, you're stronger than that," she mumbles to herself  
\>She tries to force a devilish grin to compensate, but there's some lingering doubt in her face  
\>"Anon, please stay as long as you can, or at least come back as often as you can. I know you have your own life and friends, but it would mean the world to me if we could spend Halloween together. I don't want to be alone through it again."  
\>Those puppy-dog eyes shouldn't be that cute on such a bestial creature  
\>You suppose you can look at it like a “winner takes all" sort of thing  
\>She made your friends puss out on the festivities, so isn't it only fair she gets to win your friendship?  
\>So, your schedule's looking pretty open—  
\>The white wolfess doesn't let you finish your answer  
\>You're locked with her in a fiery kiss  
\>It's a little cumbersome with her snout, but damn if she isn't giving it her all to make it work  
\>Your tongues mingle and her muzzle takes your whole mouth as her lips seal over your jaw  
\>Your hands explore her body: first her neck, then the small of her back, then the base of her tail and plush rump  
\>When Vupel finally breaks the kiss she takes your hands in her paws  
\>"You can do better than that, Hunter," she purrs  
\>Your hands are brought to her midriff, then she guides them up her shirt  
\>Her top rides up, and soon you feel her stiffening nipples glide between your fingers  
\>She stops your hands when your palms rest over her tits, her breasts bulging out of your grip  
\>"The meal wasn't your reward for catching me. Oh-ho no. If you're a big enough perv to bed a beast, we can move on to your REAL treat."  
\>She takes your hands out of her shirt and closes them over the bottom hem  
\>Then she lifts her arms straight up with a wink  
\>Her height advantage makes removing her top a challenge  
\>"What's wrong, Hunter?"  
\>Vupel presses up against you, her breasts smushed into your face  
\>"After all the obstacles you've gone through in this place, is a shirt going to stop you now?"  
\>You plant your lips over one of her nipples and pull on it gently  
\>She doubles over from the sudden stimulation, giving you enough of an angle to yank the shirt all the way off  
\>"Sly dog! No wonder you caught me."  
\>Technically she let you  
\>"I meant my heart, Hunter. That's not something of mine so easy to catch."  
\>She hums joyfully, then cracks into hearty laughter  
\>"The cheese on that line! Woof, it was worse than the pizza. If I do that again, you gotta be a little rough and bring me down. Like this."  
\>She throws you onto one of the beanbags and starts undressing you  
\>"Just don't overdo it. I've been a little pent up in my time here, and if you get me too hot and bothered..."  
\>She turns around and drops her shorts with a flick of the tail  
\>Her snowy rear billows out from the confinement, and you're given another look at her plump netherlips  
\>"...Then you won't be getting a head start when I make you run again."  
\>Vupel flops beside you, almost launching you off the beanbag  
\>She's leaning on her paw and directing your gaze to her piercing eyes  
\>Never would you have imagined sleeping with a werewolf  
\>Can she even be called a werewolf?  
\>You've never actually seen her change into a human  
\>But she feels better than a human  
\>Her soft fur  
\>Her earthly scent  
\>Her wild, crimson eyes  
\>Even things you wouldn't expect to find alluring, like her black nails sending chills down your spine as she grazes your skin from your hip up to your scalp  
\>You're so preoccupied with taking her whole body in you don't even notice when her paw wanders down  
\>"Now, what would you use to hunt a monster like me?"  
\>She cups your own little beanbags, and you're soon coaxed to full erection  
\>"A rod? Ha! Nope, I'd just see that as a nice bone to chew on."  
\>She leans in and licks your full length a few times, then devours it with her muzzle  
\>You can feel her tongue press your shaft against the roof of her mouth firmly  
\>Her teeth only pose as a warning to you while she sucks rhythmically, but it's that kind of threat that makes the act all the more thrilling  
\>When you start edging a bit, Vupel releases your meat and taps it with a digit  
\>"You need a silver bullet for something like me. You know, that precious white stuff all the ladies love...."  
\>It's starting to get a little cheesy again  
\>"Then what did I just tell you? Are you going to get rough now?"  
\>You tug on her studded collar, and she laughs you off  
\>"We'll work on that. I can understand why you'd hesitate about getting my blood boiling."  
\>When you continue to pull her collar she willingly rolls over onto you  
\>Her arms are draped over your shoulders, and she's curled up at the waist to rub her groin up against your own  
\>"Ready whenever you are, Hunter."  
\>She bends even more to position herself in the right way for your entry  
\>You plunge inside Vupel, making her trill in pleasure  
\>She grabs you securely and starts off your thrusting by herself  
\>If you don't take lead, she's going to use you as a human sex toy  
\>You grab whatever tuffs of fur you can, controlling the gyrations at your own pace  
\>She growls and ruffs as you keep her from domineering you  
\>The collar!  
\>You slide your fingers under it and pull her in for another kiss  
\>The wolfess whimpers as you take the reins  
\>You give her what she wants: more speed and more energy  
\>But you do it on your own terms, bringing her to submission  
\>"Unnff...hah...oh, A-anon!"  
\>Her body spasms as she's taken by an early orgasm  
\>You're close yourself, but you keep it in check  
\>Your pumping continues, and Vupel can't get much chance to recover before she's on the brink once again  
\>"A-ah-ANON! Please!"  
\>She's begging for your release just as much as her own  
\>The encouragement is all you need at this point  
\>You give her the silver she so desperately wanted as you both climax at once  
\>Vupel's clawing at your back as she's brought down slowly  
\>The two of you pant heavily, washing over the other with hot breath  
\>Still slightly rigid, the wolfess keeps you inside her as she pulls you tightly into her chest  
\>"Anon...so happy...met you...."  
\>When you're finally soft enough to slip free, she fully wraps her furry body around you  
\>"I...Anon...I think...love you...."  
\>It's as though waiting for her confession is all that kept your stamina from waning  
\>Your eyes open wide for a moment before they gradually droop shut  
\>You can hear Vupel's deep exhale of relaxation just before sleep takes you  
  
\>You never noticed the small window in the office where no picture covered, but then again you've only been in Vupel's den at night  
\>There's a beam of light shining into the room, but it's the wolfess' grooming that stirs you  
\>She's slathering you with her tongue, enjoying your taste  
\>"Morning, sleepyhead. Guess even a Hunter can't hold off the night forever."  
\>There's a noticeable musk of sex in the room, but one to feel proud of  
\>"I tried cleaning you up as much as I could, but we might need to hit the showers."  
\>Vupel doesn't let you dress before you go to the employee locker rooms  
\>Her bare body is just as beautiful as the night before, maybe even more so with her fur tousled from the romp  
\>And yet, you enjoy the nakedness together as smitten lovers, rather than just lustful partners waiting for your libido to kick in  
\>She washes you up as you do the same for her  
\>You're scrubbing her back as she makes plans for the day  
\>"Gotta get some breakfast before you need to head out. Hope you come back earlier this time, though. You need to see the place when the sun sets."  
\>Her tail wags as she rinses herself off  
\>"Tomorrow's the big night," she sighs. “I'll have to think of a good way we can celebrate."  
\>She grabs a towel to dry off, but first wraps it around your waist and pulls you in  
\>"Well, besides the obvious."  
\>With the two of you dry, you grab a bite from the cafeteria (yup, still nude) and then make the way back to Vupel's den  
\>You clearly know the way by now, but she stays a few steps ahead  
\>Waving her tail and rocking her hips for you  
\>You're also more than capable of dressing yourself, but she insists on doing it for you  
\>So you try to reciprocate  
\>She dodges out of the way, making it a short game of tag to clothe the wolfess  
\>All fed and dressed, the two of you reluctantly make your way to the main entrance  
\>You plan on bringing more of your things over so you can stay at here longer  
\>"Sounds good," Vupel says with a grin  
\>You ask if she can at least walk you to your car  
\>She tries to maintain her hopeful expression, but her brow says otherwise  
\>"I wish I could even do that. Can't leave these walls at all. Just the roof, and I've even tried jumping off."  
\>You wince at the thought, though a creature like Vupel could probably do it unscathed  
\>When you're right in the doorway, she demonstrates  
\>Her paw catches a shimmering barrier like touching plastic wrap, but you hand passes through just fine  
\>"Anon, please don't leave me. I mean, for good. You wouldn't do that, right?"  
\>You hold her firmly  
\>"Yeah, I know you wouldn't," she croaks. “I just don't know how long I'll be trapped here. I don't want to be alone anymore, Anon."  
\>Your fingers comb her fur as she wraps her head so far around your neck her muzzle practically touches your opposite shoulder  
\>"It's not about the sex, Anon. I swear. I love YOU. I...please."  
\>You don't expect to be apart from her for more than an hour or two, but she acts as though you're walking out of her life forever  
\>But you can't blame her  
\>You let her cling on until she's ready to release you, then she watches as you walk back to your car  
\>You don't want to take your eyes off her either, but apart from the driving risk you also don't want to see those sad eyes anymore  
\>You'll have to do everything you can to make sure you won't ever have to again  
\>A part of you feels alone in your own life as well  
\>People aren't asking where you are anymore, and your friends have pretty much written you off as a no-show for Halloween  
\>Fuck 'em  
\>Not like they have girlfriends anyway, let alone a beautiful white wolfess  
\>The trip back to your place is both a blur and a crawling annoyance  
\>You don't stop for anything besides what you came for  
\>You make sure to stock up a few days' worth of supplies you might need before peeling off to Freak Factory  
\>You half expect another “hunt" when you open the doors, but Vupel is ready to launch into your arms like a puppy waiting for her human to come home  
\>Wagging tail and all  
\>Without so much as a word she lifts you up and carries you off to grab some dinner  
\>She's humming the entire way to the cafeteria  
\>The rats are congregating in front of the refrigerators, but disperse when the wolfess approaches  
\>Vupel jerks open the fridge and growls  
\>"Dammit, Medafet."  
\>She turns around and shows you a fairly pricy bottle of liquor  
\>Spiced with pumpkin, of course  
\>"Hope this doesn't turn you off, but it looks like we have spies in the walls."  
\>She glares at the rats that have crept back, scattering the swarm with just her look  
\>"Must have heard me complain about the drinks here. Still not going to let me out, but fine guilting me into taking her alcohol."  
\>Well, she doesn't HAVE to drink it  
\>"But it's my favorite..." she whines, caressing the bottle. “Ugghh, why does she do this? She wouldn't have to keep sending me this shit if I could just go home!"  
\>She tosses the bottle back into the fridge before grabbing an armful of snacks  
\>"We'll save it for tomorrow."   
  
\>Vupel was right, it's worth seeing the sun set from the Freak Factory  
\>The two of you sit on the roof with the glow of twilight as your feature presentation  
\>The dinner aftermath lies strewn about, and sure enough the rats play custodian to clean up  
\>You started off side by side, but now you're sitting in her lap  
\>It's the fuzziest seat you've ever felt, one that comforts you in the shape of your body  
\>"As heartbreaking as it was to miss Halloween last year, I gotta say it was nice to pretend I was part of it. You might not have the ears for it, but there's the sound of music and happy people over on those streets when the festivities begin."  
\>She points out to the adjacent town, where decorative cobblestone and Victorian streetlamps give a traditional look to an otherwise modernized little community  
\>"But you probably won't hear it after all. We'll be making enough noise on our own."  
\>\>The wolfess leads in and nibbles you ear  
\>"Still, it'll be nice ambiance, and this time I won't feel like wringing some necks out of jealousy."  
\>Necks?  
\>Wait...  
\>You had a suspicion something was off about Vupel, and now you notice she's missing her silver-studded collar  
\>"Huh? Oh, son of a bitch. Must have left it in the locker rooms when we took our shower. Whatever, I'll get it later."  
\>You offer to run and get it anyway  
\>After all, it really suits her, and you kind of want to see it reflect in the sun's rays  
\>"Ha, suit yourself, weirdo. Just remember not to take too long getting it, because you know what will happen next, Hunter...."  
\>You dash inside and down the stairs  
\>Through the corridors and to the employee lockers  
\>The collar is sitting nice and neat on the benches  
\>A little TOO nicely...  
\>In fact, it doesn't look exactly the same as you remember  
\>The silver studs are now gold, and the accessory is sitting atop a small envelope  
\>Oh no, now what?  
\>You carefully open up the letter, anticipating more guidance from your pen pal “M"  
\>Right away you can tell it's not the same writer  
\>[You're doing good work, sport. Keep it up!]  
\>[Hope you can continue to show the girl a good time. Nobody should have to spend the greatest holiday of the year by themselves.]  
\>[Make sure you give this to her before the big night. And keep this our little secret, alright?]  
\>[I'm rooting for you, champ!]  
\>[~Vee]  
\>Well, the advice you've gotten from mysterious strangers hasn't been wrong yet...  
\>You hide the letter away and take the collar back to Vupel  
\>She's sunbathing in what's left of the evening light, with a smile on her peaceful face  
\>"There you are," she sings. “I was just about to come looking for my Hunter."  
\>She snorts briefly as you return to your spot in her lap  
\>"I've become my mother with that sappy garbage. I caught her calling dad by her little pet name she has for him, and I almost got thrown out by the scruff of my neck."  
\>You're about to ask Vupel about her parents when she squeezes you in a full-body hug  
\>"But you haven't stopped me once. You're fine with being my Hunter, right?"  
\>You manage to find her muzzle in the mass of white fur and give her a smooch on the snout  
\>She pulls you in even tighter, enveloping you in her toasty coat  
\>"Did you find it?"  
\>Oh, yeah  
\>You probably shouldn't mention the letter, like you were instructed  
\>You pull out the collar and clasp it on for her  
\>In the sunset's glow you can't even tell the silver studs are actually gold  
\>She doesn't seem to tell the difference  
\>Maybe it'll surprise her more when she finds out naturally?  
\>"Anon...."  
\>You can feel the swell of her chest as she prepares a sigh of peace to usher in the night sky  
\>But instead of a regular exhale she lets out a slow, unwavering howl to fill the landscape  
\>You can feel the reverberation through your back, nearly pushing you into joining her  
\>It's just one note, but the “OOOooo" sounds like the end to the most heartfelt “I love you" in history  
\>"I can already tell this is going to be the greatest Halloween I've ever had."  
\>You feel the same way  
  

* * *
  

**Part 2**

\>October 31st  
\>The big day  
\>Or it would be if you could go out and participate  
\>Instead, you'll be spending the night with your white wolfess lover  
\>Honestly not a bad tradeoff  
\>Vupel is a little broken up about it, but she reminds herself she won't be spending it alone this year  
\>It's late afternoon, and you check up on the wolfess to see how she's holding up  
\>She's in the cafeteria, wrangling all the rats and tying little orange and black party hats to their heads  
\>"Hold still, you little bastards!" she barks at them. “This is your punishment for spying on me and my Hunter. Now you get to spend the whole night with us!"  
\>Vupel is still oblivious to her “new" collar and its gold studs  
\>At least until she catches you staring at her  
\>"What's up, Anon? I don't think I've given you a reason to be gawking at me just yet."  
\>You cover's blown, so maybe now it's time to confess  
\>You tell her about the collar, and she instinctively touches it  
\>"Wait, WHAT?"  
\>She rushes to a mirror in the cafeteria kitchen and tugs at it  
\>"When did this happen?"  
\>Well...  
\>The wolfess grits her teeth  
\>"Let me guess, another gift from Medafet?"  
\>This time is was from a “Vee", but maybe it's just better to shrug your shoulders considering how Vupel's been reacting so far  
\>She looks ready to rip the collar off, but relents  
\>"You know, I used to think she was being spiteful, like guilting me for relying on her food and gifts. Maybe she's just being a caretaker after all. An obnoxious one, yeah, but still looking out for me."  
\>She taps on the studs, waiting for something to happen  
\>"Guess it's just jewelry. Great."  
\>That's when you actually look at her reflection  
\>Vupel looks like a cheap costume in the mirror  
\>Her eyes are goofy and spaced, and her tongue is sticking out  
\>Her body is covered in felt and cheap fake fur  
\>It doesn't have any definite curves either, just lumps where joints would be  
\>It's shocking, but also a little humorous  
\>"Alright, what's so funny, bub?"  
\>The true wolfess is exactly as she should be  
\>You explain what you see, and Vupel looks flustered  
\>"Damn that shriveled cat. Leave it to her to put an ugly glamour on me  
\>Then an epiphany strikes her  
\>"Wait, if humans see me as a costume...I could run around in their world!"  
\>But does it only work in reflections?  
\>The wolfess cycles through several different expressions  
\>First disappointment, then stern calculation, then embarrassment  
\>"I, uh, think you may be an exception. You'll see the real me everywhere but in mirrors and cameras. I'll have to explain it later...."  
\>She's back to disappointment again  
\>"But all this means jack shit if I can't leave the building."  
\>Wouldn't hurt to try again, right?  
\>"You're going to get my hopes up just to break my heart, huh? Fine, let's do it. Grab your things just in case."  
\>There's a little hope in her eyes  
\>You head back to her room for your jacket and other belongings  
\>Vupel returns wearing her torn dress and bandages  
\>"Might as well go all out!"  
\>Seems risky to be wearing what she uses to scare intruders  
\>Speaking of which, isn't she afraid of anyone breaking in while the place is empty?  
\>"Call it a hunch," she scowls, “but I think my 'caretaker' will stop them. After all, you were the last one to bother...uh, visit me. You'd think others would have shown up by now."  
\>If she says so  
\>"By the way, I grabbed some stuff from around the place for you."  
\>She hands you a pile of clothes and props  
\>There's a sleek hat, leather gloves, and thick scarf that all go with your jacket  
\>An antiquated (and fake) pistol  
\>Some kind of baroque axe or sword; it's too overdesigned to tell the difference  
\>"If you're gonna be my Hunter, you need to look the part."  
\>You make your way to the front doors, and Vupel flings them open  
\>The twilight sun is out there waiting  
\>When she tries to leave, the barrier stops her again  
\>"Fuck! All that hope for nothing!"  
\>Her eyes get misty  
\>No, you can't let her miss this night  
\>You have to try SOMETHING...  
\>You walk through where the barrier would be, pausing when you hear Vupel whine  
\>You reach out a hand and grab her paw  
\>Ready?  
\>She closes her eyes as you pull her through  
\>No resistance, no pain, no terrible sounds  
\>It's a little anticlimactic  
\>But she did it  
\>She's outside  
\>The wolfess opens her crimson eyes to the fiery sunset  
\>"I don't believe it. This has to be a prank, right?"  
\>You give her some space to take in the fresh air as though it were her first time breathing it  
\>She doesn't need to take too long for it, though  
\>"You're good luck, Hunter. Stick close, because I'm gonna need a good wingman tonight!"  
   
\>You hop into your car with the wolfess  
\>She's a little cramped, but couldn't care less  
\>She's fidgeting restlessly in her seat  
\>Now that you're out of the glaring sun, you notice the gold studs on her collar are still glowing  
\>It's weird, but at worst it'll look like some kind of costume effect  
\>The once quiet little nearby town has been transformed by the holiday festivities  
\>"SiniStreet"  
\>The roads are already filled with eager souls milling about  
\>Orange lights connect the buildings like telephone wires  
\>Jack-o-lanterns and little rubber bats can be seen at all times, no matter where you look  
\>Almost nobody is without costume  
\>You find a parking spot and Vupel shoots out like a dog at the park  
\>It already feels better than any Halloween you can remember  
\>And yet there's a brief thought of cynicism that crosses your mind  
\>Vupel DID say she would have taken the first human she could, and even though she's fallen for you specifically you can't shake the feeling of being upstaged by some of the other human men here  
\>However, it's a fear that's entirely unwarranted  
\>The wolfess has you in a headlock as you walk down the main street  
\>"So many happy people...I want to show them all who's having the BEST time! Where do we start first?"  
\>This is HER night  
\>Whatever she wants is what you'll do  
\>She releases your head so she can take your hand instead  
\>The two of you go tearing through the crowd joyfully  
\>The crisp autumn air is exhilarating as you race through it  
\>You get some amused looks from other people, but none of them know they're watching an actual wolf run past  
\>Guess that collar really works  
\>But was one of the studs always dull looking?  
\>"Anon, haunted house!"  
\>What? She lives in one!  
\>"This is different! I don't get to experience it from an outsider's eyes!  
\>A trailer truck had pulled in a mobile, janky looking haunted house for SiniStreet  
\>It's cheaply made and not scary in the slightest, but it still manages to get a couple of screams out of other partygoers  
\>Vupel is completely unfazed by the spooks, but she fakes a yell to fit in with the others  
\>Pretty soon you're laughing at her forced reactions and ignoring the entire haunted house  
\>Next is the midway with games and carnies galore  
\>You expected to lose all your money on rigged games, but Vupel's impressive strength overcomes everything from bottle toppling to bell ringing  
\>Of all the prizes she could win, she chooses a small stuffed dog with little soft horns and a spade tail  
\>"Bork bork barf barf nom," she says, bopping you on the cheek repeatedly with the toy hellhound like it's eating your face  
\>She must be dropping a hint, because you're getting pretty hungry yourself  
\>Pizzas, corn dogs, fries loaded with all kinds of junk, pies...  
\>Vupel demonstrates her insatiable appetite to other diners by devouring it all  
\>Though the sheer volume isn't what draws most of the attention to her  
\>To them it probably looks like some girl is stuffing her costume with food, shoving it down the mouth hole  
\>You wipe some errant sauce off her lips, but she grabs your fingers and licks it off  
\>"I wasn't finished with that!" she laughs  
\>Her childlike sense of wonder is intoxicating, but then you're hit with a sobering sight  
\>Three of the studs are no longer glowing as they were when you first left Freak Factory  
\>You check the time, knowing you won't like what you see  
\>It's been three hours since she's broken out of her cage  
\>"You better not be thinking of leaving soon," Vupel says as she pulls you in for a crushing hug  
\>No, you tell her  
\>She can take as much time as she wants  
\>As you pass some portable toilets she elbows you in the ribs  
\>"Nature calls. Heh, brought my own toilet paper, too. Be right back."  
\>You hang around some nearby vendor huts in the meantime  
\>One of them looks almost deserted, and everyone on the streets is completely ignoring it  
\>But the silk tapestries hanging inside are magnificent, and you feel their incredible weave  
\>Even one that's fairly plain, just a solid blood-red, catches your eye  
\>"See anything that intrigues you, dear?"  
\>One of the tapestries moves  
\>It's actually a robe  
\>Worn by a towering figure that can barely fit in the stall, looming over you  
\>She has a face of a cat, hairless and sickly yellow, with nails just as long as the fingers they extend from  
\>In spite of her appearance she has a wide, friendly grin  
\>"It's so good to meet you face-to-face at last, Anon."  
\>No, not creepy in the slightest  
\>But does that mean?  
\>M?  
\>"'M' for mmmm-Medafet, yes," the cat lady purrs  
\>Her unsettling aura is one thing, but Vupel probably wouldn't want to see you around the woman she's been bitter about all this time....  
\>"I know, sadly," Medafet sighs when you express your concerns.  
\>“She can be an angry child, but I can see where it is warranted. I take the brunt of her ire so that she spares her parents the same treatment. I've watched her family grow, perhaps a little distant at times, and I don't want to see it fractured because of a little bad blood."  
\>The cat moves her massive claws all around you, as though divining a crystal ball  
\>"I don't have much time before she returns, but I needed to see this love of hers for myself. A blessing, frankly."  
\>And you got it?  
\>Medafet's lips pull back too far for her head to be possible in a Cheshire smile  
\>"Indeed."  
\>You thank the cat woman tentatively, worried she's just setting you up for some kind of trap  
\>"Oh, and Anon? Please remember to have the girl home by a respectable time."  
\>"Anon!"  
\>Vupel is running toward you  
\>The thought of her running into Medafet here makes you brace yourself, but when you turn back around the cat is gone  
\>So are all the tapestries  
\>"What's with you and exploring abandoned places?" the wolfess says  
\>She gives you a punch to the arm playfully  
\>Another collar stud winks out  
   
\>Vupel's desire to sample everything the party has to offer soon leads to you exhausting the whole place  
\>So, it's to be expected that she wants to make another lap around the streets to take in what she missed the first time  
\>You're bouncing between food stalls when the wolfess stops cold  
\>"Hey, see that guy up on the stage?" she whispers  
\>Vupel's pointing to a man surveying the crowds while the band sets up behind him  
\>He is richly dressed, though his black locks of hair are tied into multiple tendril-like braids  
\>"One of those freaky eldritch types," she continues, wiggling her fingers under her mouth like tentacles  
\>Vupel steers you off the main street and into a side alley  
\>"Probably just runs the party, but hell if I'm going out there if he knows I'm supposed to be in exile."  
\>Would he really still care a year later?  
\>"Pfft. Monsters share a pretty tight bond. They look out for their own, but they're not afraid of a little 'discipline', especially if it's done to keep everyone hidden from the humans. If this really is HIS event, he knows there's a wolf nearby supposed to be locked up."  
\>The two of you keep to the crowds but away from the heaviest, congested foot traffic  
\>"Hey, Anon! Photo booth!"  
\>She tosses you inside and shuts the door  
\>"Nice, some extra privacy if you want to share a moment...or screw. Ha! Up to you!"  
\>She plants a kiss on your cheek, then nips at your neck  
\>Aren't the pictures going to come out with the glamour still on?  
\>"Yeah, I guess so. Or maybe it's just a temporary illusion, I don't know. But we have the memories, and it'd be funny to show your friends the goofy-looking costume your girlfriend has on, right?"  
\>Can't argue with that  
\>"Let's start with a nice one, then we'll get creative."  
\>The first couple are sweet poses, just you and your wolfess making lovey-dovey eyes and smiling warmly  
\>Though if the pictures come out the way you think, it'll be a little weird to see you making out with a costume  
\>Then you do a couple of saucy ones  
\>Like one where she has both paws up your shirt and around your neck, or another where her dress is hiked up shoving her furry rump right in your face  
\>Then you try whatever spur-of-the-moment style you can think of  
\>One where she's wearing your hat and you're gagged with her extra bandages  
\>One where you've “slain the nightmare" and have her slumped over in your lap  
\>One where the perspective makes it look like she's about to eat you whole  
\>One where it looks like you're both dead tired after a night of debauchery  
\>...Guess she wants to do another like that  
\>You pretend to poke her, like you're disturbing a slumbering beast  
\>...Another one?  
\>Vupel?  
\>That's when you notice the last glowing collar stud fade away  
\>"Anon," she mewls. “So...tired."  
\>You have to catch her from slumping over onto her face  
\>"Feels like...I'm being pulled. Anon...I want to go back."  
\>She's whining softly, as though on the verge of tears  
\>The wolfess is heavy, but with worry-filled adrenaline you manage to carry her out of the booth  
\>"Anon...so sorry...ruined the night."  
\>She's shivering and sobbing softly  
\>You whisper reassuring words to her as you try to move as fast as you can back to your car  
\>Onlookers stare at you, but they probably assume she's just another wasted party animal  
\>Their eyes follow you down the street, but suddenly they all act like the two of you don't exist anymore  
\>They're all so still, blocking your path  
\>You turn around in a panic, only to come face-to-face with the “eldritch man"  
\>You expected to see anger or something maddening if he caught you tonight, but he only looks to you with pity  
\>"I think it's time you took her home," he rumbles  
\>You nod  
\>The world wavers, and you're at the turnstiles of Freak Factory once more  
\>Every step closer to the building seems to give Vupel some peace  
\>Once you're through the front doors she calms down entirely  
\>You didn't think you would have the strength to make it back to your car (which is probably still back in town), but you can at least take her to her room  
\>You lay her gently on a beanbag chair and carefully remove some bandages from her costume for comfort  
\>"Thank you, Hunter," she chuckles weakly  
\>You give her a kiss on the muzzle and curl up beside her  
\>Vupel burrows into your jacket as much as she can  
\>Your eyes wander as you wait for the adrenaline to subside  
\>The last thing you focus on before drifting to sleep is the ripped picture of the dark wolf and red-covered human  
   
\>Vupel is awake before you, knees pulled to her chest and playing with her dress  
\>"Mornin'," she says dejectedly. “Really cocked it up last night, didn't I?"  
\>Actually, you had a great time  
\>Didn't she?  
\>"Well, yeah, it was amazing. Maybe too much so. Now I have a taste of what it's like again, and I'll probably never be allowed to go out ever after getting caught."  
\>Her eyes close and her teeth are bared  
\>"Now I wish we never went. I'm never going to have a Halloween as good as that again!"  
\>Does she mean it?  
\>Does she really want to take that all back?  
\>You pull out the photo booth strips and the little toy hellhound you had strapped to your jacket pocket for safekeeping  
\>Surprisingly you see Vupel's real form in them now  
\>"...No, you're right. I want those memories for life."  
\>She takes the strip and tears off the ones at the end, where she's no longer having fun  
\>"'Cept for these. We can forget these."  
\>The wolfess looks like her usual self in more ways than one  
\>And even though the studs on her collar are no longer glowing, you definitely think she looks better in gold than silver  
\>"Bet this was all Medafet's fault. She probably knew if the night ended on a shitty note I wouldn't want to go out again."  
\>Vupel's sour look dissolves into shame  
\>"No," she sighs. “It's not her fault. It never was, and I've been an unfair bitch to keep blaming her. She's done nothing but help me through this. I don't deserve her support. I don't...I don't deserve YOU, Anon."  
\>When you approach for a hug, she backs away  
\>You take off your jacket, never taking your eyes off her  
\>"What are you—“  
\>You lunge at Vupel and wrap her into the jacket, then into a tight squeeze  
\>"N-no, Anon. I don't deserve—“  
\>You put a finger on her snout  
\>No more tears  
\>Her laughs are strained, but full of happiness  
\>"You're right. Heh, you're right, Anon. Thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better mate."  
\>It makes your day just to hear that word coming from her  
\>She rubs the sleeves of your jacket  
\>"It's nice, but I'd like to wear the one you gave me."  
\>You hand her your older one, and she looks to her costume  
\>"Might need a wash first, but I think we should wear these later just for one more night, huh? We still have that pumpkin liquor, and I don't think the rats managed to get their little party hats off yet."  
\>She slips out of her dress and puts it neatly in the corner, then zips herself into her jacket  
\>You're tugged to your feet as the wolfess dusts you off  
\>"Breakfast?"  
   
\>It's actually lunchtime when the two of you reach the cafeteria  
\>Just like Vupel said, the rats are still running around in their cone hats, jousting with each other  
\>"Might need to start drinking early," she says, turning the bottle around in her paws. “Then again, maybe we should hold off for a little while. I'd like to talk about...well, us."  
\>The wolfess looks at you sheepishly  
\>"I was hoping I could talk you into staying with me. You know, moving in. We got everything you could need here, as long as Medafet's footing the bill. And we're not too far from your friends and family, right?"  
\>Living in a haunted mansion attraction?  
\>A little weird, but it's not like it scares you  
\>And you can't imagine leaving Vupel all alone anymore  
\>Come to think of it, you haven't even tried to leave the house since last night  
\>She smiles; first warily, then confidently  
\>"Hey, I'll take care of you, don't worry. Gotta pay my Hunter back after last night."  
\>There's a serious look on her face  
\>"No, not just last night. You saved my hide in so many ways. I was going to be a nasty, self-destructive mutt if you hadn't come along. Thanks, Anon."  
\>She flips the bottle in her paw a few times  
\>So anything you want I'll see what I can do. This is your home too, and I want you to feel like it is. We'll make it wo—“  
\>BANG  
\>The sound of the front doors blasting open reaches all the way to the cafeteria  
\>"WHERE'S MY LITTLE GIRL HIDING?"  
\>Vupel freezes up  
\>The bottle falls to the ground and the neck snaps off  
\>Pumpkin liquor pours onto the floor, and a cluster of rats comes to drink it up  
\>"Mom?" Vupel says breathlessly  
\>She takes off toward the entrance, with you lagging at her heels  
\>When you reach the foyer, there's someone waiting  
\>Another wolfess  
\>The one from the photograph in Vupel's room  
\>Dark fur, ripped jeans, a leather jacket with a plush collar, a spiked bracelet, and a gorgeous jeweled chocker  
\>She carries herself with intensity and a devilish grin, but there's also tenderness to her presence  
\>Her body is built with muscle, but there's notable softness to her wide hips and voluminous breasts  
\>A byproduct of a fruitful motherhood, likely  
\>The resemblance to Vupel is uncanny  
\>"There she is!" the dark wolfess laughs  
\>Vupel leaps into her arms, eyes welling up  
\>The white wolfess buries her face into her mother's chest, whining and mumbling incomprehensibly  
\>"Shhh, I know you are, kiddo. I already chewed your gramps out for letting you do this in the first place. Almost ripped one of his heads off."  
\>More mumbling from Vupel, this time with higher inflection  
\>"Of course! That's why I'm here! I think you've had to struggle alone here long enough."  
\>She pulls the white wolfess out of her bosom  
\>"And I gotta apologize right back, kiddo. You were ready to come home a long time ago, but I persuaded Aunt Meddy to keep you here just a bit longer."  
\>Vupel's eyes go wide  
\>"W-what?" she says  
\>"Yeah," the dark wolfess sighs. “It's my fault. I can't let the ol' cat take the heat for this, even if she did it willingly. She just wanted to be the scapegoat and keep us from being angry at each other, but we're tough dogs, right?"  
\>The mother wolfess strokes the top of her daughter's head  
\>"I guess I was hoping you could get a nice date in time for Halloween, like how I met your father. If you hadn't, I would have come get you so you wouldn't miss the big night. I swear it."  
\>The dark wolfess turns to you  
\>"And this must be Anon. Boy, I've heard a LOT about you in just a few short days!"  
\>She extends a paw for a handshake  
\>"Volfa."  
\>You take her paw, and you're pulled into her pillowy chest  
\>"Good taste must run in the family. If I were my little girl's age and hadn't met her father yet...."  
\>"Mother, please," Vupel groans  
\>Volfa just laughs some more  
\>"That's what moms do! They mess with their little girls! And I have to make up for lost time, don't I?"  
\>You're given a chance to breathe as Volfa holds both of you around the neck  
\>"You're part of the family now, Anon. From what I hear, the two of you had a pretty good time last night, huh?"  
\>"Yeah, it was amazing," Vupel says, staring into your eyes  
\>"Glad to hear it! You probably had it better than your brothers and sisters. They had to organize their own entertainment, since your father and I wanted to get away for a little...'private' night of our own."  
\>"Mom, stop!"  
\>"Don't worry, kiddo. We didn't do anything to expand the family just yet."  
\>She gives a strong slap to her belly, hitting the steel of her abs with a loud clap  
\>If wolves could blush, Vupel would probably be as red as her eyes by now  
\>Speaking of which, Volfa pulls a crimson bandana from her own jacket and tucks it under her daughter's collar  
\>Gold embroidery spells out “Vupel" near one of the corners  
\>"A little something from your father. Really brings out your eyes."  
\>It really does  
\>Volfa gives the place a look around and whistles  
\>"Not bad. Might have to convince the old man to bring Halloween here next year. There's enough space for everyone."  
\>Volfa gives her daughter a pat on the back and a gentle shove forward  
\>"Why don't you start packing your stuff up. We'll be there in a minute to help out."  
\>"O-okay," Vupel says  
\>You imagine her raunchy posters will be the first things she tries to hide  
\>When it's just you and Volfa, the dark wolfess gives you a merry grin  
\>"Thanks, Anon, for taking care of my little girl. Didn't want to embarrass her TOO much, but I know she has a thing for humans. Takes after her mother, that one. So since she's so smitten with you, I'd like to ask you something."  
\>She walks you forward, the two of you slowly making your way to Vupel's bedroom  
\>"Want to live with us in the monster world? I'm sure my hubby would like to have another human to talk to now and then, and you can always come back to visit when you want."  
\>A whole world of monsters  
\>Well, after being used to all the fake ones in Freak Factory, very little will probably spook you now  
\>Volfa pats you on the shoulder  
\>"That's what I like to hear!"  
   
\>Waiting out in front of Freak Factory this evening is the old man who gave you a lift back home the first night you met Vupel  
\>Only this time, the saggy skin on the man's face has been taken off to show the ghoulish tissue underneath  
\>Guess monsters need to air themselves out once in a while  
\>Him and Volfa are busy stuffing the white wolfess' stuff into his car  
\>You and Vupel are sitting on the front steps watching the sunset  
\>Despite being locked up for so long in the building, this is exactly where she wants to be with you right now  
\>"Would you believe me if I said I'm going to miss this place?" she says  
\>You shrug  
\>Suppose it's only natural to grow attached to places you're stuck in for so long  
\>"Well, you shouldn't. Ha! I'm ready to leave this dump behind. It was YOU who made it special, after all, and you're coming with us!"  
\>Vupel pulls you into a hug  
\>Every time the old man and Volfa turn their backs, the white wolfess gives you a lick on the cheek, like a game  
\>Pretty soon, you're suspicious Volfa is doing this on purpose for her daughter's sake  
\>"Gotta say, old habits die hard," Vupel says. “I really don't think I can stay satisfied just coming out here once per year. Really want to see more of the human world, but I can't get you in trouble, too."  
\>Volfa slams the trunk with a deafening bang, jolting the two of you out of your conversation  
\>The dark wolfess leans against the car and folds her arms  
\>"Well I didn't think your time away was going to change that," she chuckles. “Gee, if only there were some way you could freely walk around with the humans like you were one of them...."  
\>She raps a claw on her jeweled chocker, staring at Vupel's own studded collar  
\>"Maybe if SOMEONE acts reaaally nice for Aunt Meddy, she can hook them up with something more permanent to help with that, hmm?"  
\>Vupel lets out an exasperated moan  
\>"I knew it! She's going to guilt me into this, isn't she?"  
\>Volfa roars with laughter, opening the door for you and your wolfess  
\>"She definitely stays a step ahead of the curve, trust me," the motherly wolfess says. “It's how she teaches her lessons. Just be glad it's not your gramps you have to apologize to. He'd make you grovel in front of each of his heads, then STILL put you on a curfew."  
\>The passenger seat remains empty as Volfa squeezes between the two of you in the back, putting her arms back behind both your heads  
\>You can sense a little jealousy in Vupel's eyes, as though she plans on showing you who REALLY deserves to have you at her side later on  
\>Maybe Volfa's just as keen on staying one step ahead?  
\>"Well, I'm sure she thinks you've done your time as well," Volfa says. “And if you have to be cooped up for a while in the human world, I know of a nice little hideaway your father and I used to use."  
\>She pulls you both under her bosom once more  
\>"Just be sure to knock first, in case we're still in there! Haha!"  
\>"Mom..." Vupel grumbles  
\>With the two of you so close under the dark wolfess' chest, you sneak a quick kiss  
\>Vupel gives you a wink and mouths silently  
\>"Happy Halloween, Hunter."  
  
  
  
\>The end

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/r175aqkm
Part of the series Hair of the Dog
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