FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Claws raked across my head, and I yelped. My focus sharpened to each set of sharp, glowing eyes. I shielded my eyes with one arm and batted off birds with the other. They aimed for my eyes. A peck made the jar ding in my pocket.

I could hear them. I could feel them. Birds were attacking us and attacking each other. Everywhere around us, it was complete chaos.

Shadow's paw found mine and hauled me through the roiling, feathery mass. The white landscape rushed beneath my footpaws. What was he doing? I kept trying to cover my head with my paws, but one paw was being held away by a black wolf, dragging me along. My other paw fended off a few pecks. My mind couldn't focus between the claws, screeches, and caws. There was only the fear and the sharp pain. I smelled blood.

The claws and beaks were gone.

Caws and chirps continued on the outside of the unzipped sleeping bag we huddled under. Shadow had sat us crouched down and had thrown a sleeping bag over us. I could feel dulled jabs and pokes through the bag. Wings buffeted the bag from the outside. The caws seemed hardly muffled.

My black wolf pulled me in close to where my whiskers were deep in his fur. I could feel him shivering with me.

A glow-eyed crow was visible under the edge of the sleeping bag. Its beak hung open, and it shifted its wings as it saw me under the bag. The black bird flung itself forward, beak agape, eyes shining with an eerie light. I startled and yelped, feeling a sharp jab to my footpaw. Shadow kicked the crow away and pulled the sleeping bag more securely around us.

I muffled a whimper, as we clung to each other, trying to make ourselves as small and still as possible.

It was over.

Wings flapped, then it was silent around us. Still. Quiet. Only our own frightened breathing broke the silence. A caw sounded, muffled by the bag. Several nearby caws and chirps sounded in response.

Moments passed, interrupted by my heartbeat. "What was that?" I breathed into Shadow's ear. I was shaking, but not from cold.

"I don't know," he whispered back, "but this cheap sleeping bag saved our furry hides again. Well, I got cut a bit."

"Me too." I could feel stinging cuts while his ear hairs tickled my nose and lips. I clutched my paws into his t-shirt, twisting the fabric. His paws were firm around my waist and back.

Another long moment passed, full of caws and chirps. It was growing hot under the sleeping bag. "Is it over?" I breathed into his ear. It flicked against my nose.

"I don't know, but I still hear crows." He shifted, moving the sleeping bag. A crow cawed, answered by others.

"What? Don't move!" I griped in a hushed voice.

"Wait on it," he paused, and I could dimly see his ear straining above my nose. "Nothing happened, see?"

How was he so assured of things? "You're saying it's safe to come out?" I asked in a normal tone.

He paused, listening to any reaction from the crows from my words. Nothing. He pulled a corner of the unzipped bag up.

Still nothing.

Gritting my teeth, I crawled out from under the bag and stilled. After a moment Shadow followed, then froze. A nearby crow twitched its wings, nearly sending me out of my skin.

But it didn't attack. All around us on the roof were birds. There were birds fluffing feathers and birds relaxing. They seemed ordinary and oblivious to anything having happened. None of the birds' eyes were glowing. The strange light was gone. Black, beady eyes watched two canine furs gawk at them.

Shadow took a step towards a crow. The wolf's head was slightly turned, ready for a quick escape. The big black bird cawed at him, then leapt into the air, flying away from Shadow. By instinct, other birds joined in flight. Crows on the wing, and other birds aloft. They drifted and dispersed towards the corpse heap and trees lining one side of the parking lot, leaving lots of feathers. Broken and still bird bodies lay scattered a little ways from the collapsed tent. A few dying birds struggled weakly.

The various smaller birds flew divided from the crows, then separated further towards the nearby trees. Crows began to feast and make racket at the corpse heap again, drawing crawling zombies. Smaller birds started to sing into the still air. It was so easy to hear them now that there were no sounds of furs bustling around, no sounds of traffic.

I wiped a paw over my forehead and it came away streaked with blood. I had minor cuts up there. Shadow also had cuts, but appeared to be okay.

A large, black crow feather was in front of me and I picked it up, staring at it as if it would give me answers. The feather was ordinary... shiny and smooth. I stared after the birds for several minutes with Shadow silent beside me. But the birds... none of them showed any interest in the rooftop, or in us. Birdsong filled the air, brightening the afternoon.

As if zombies and insane furs weren't enough, the Curtain and the frosted glass and water were not strange enough, this was something again. Yet another new thing.

It was new. Insensible. My mind denied it, denied it all. It was funny, a joke. I knew it was all a joke. It couldn't be real. Somehow we'd escaped serious harm. My footpaw was sore from the crow's peck, but it was so minor. Inconsequential.

I plopped my rear to the rooftop near the crate at the edge and snickered. "It's ridiculous. What next, dragons and unicorns? How about dinosaurs and demons?"

What was wrong with me? I felt like laughing. I was sick to my stomach. Shadow gave me a strange look as he rested a paw on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and gulped. The song rose in my mind, taunting me with nonsense. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself together. Breathe, focus....

The wolf sat next to me and we leaned into each other, gaining comfort. Fox and wolf fur mingled, and he warmed me, body and mind. I lay my chin on his shoulder and breathed into his neckfur. I felt his neck shift as he watched the parking lot below. We were both silent, listening to birds and waking zombies. I idly fluffed the black feather with my fingers. What did it all mean? The world was mad, insane. We were pressured from all sides but must continued on. Would it stop? Could it stop?

I opened my eyes and shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and my ears. "Tent. Let's set up the tent," I managed.

Shadow shivered. "You think it's okay setting up out here?"

I shrugged and let the feather drift down past the edge of the FurShopper facade. "Violent birds, we might be able to deal with. They seem calm now. Maybe this only happens one time."

Shadow looked doubtful, but moved towards the tent. I was nervous about setting up out here, but I felt far too stressed to think. Not much had changed, right?

The small, green tent still lay spread out and ready to be set up. It was easy to assemble. I could have done it myself, but I was glad to do it with Shadow. It took moments before the limp fabric became a shelter. Shadow looked tired as we finished setting up. He sat heavily on the white membrane, needing rest.

Patting my pockets with sore paws, I felt my past and future items were still intact. I pulled up on the sleeping bag, covered on one side with holes and escaping stuffing. At least the other sleeping bag, left by the hatch, should be untouched by birdy attacks. I let the sleeping bag drop.

"I'm going back for more gear. You stay here, Shadow," I said, easily pushing him back down as he tried to rise. The strength and fight had left him. "I'll be fine, and I should always be in sight. Okay?"

Shadow stared up at me a long moment, but nodded once.

After a weak grin and a brush to wolfy cheekfur, I began my trek to the far side of the store. I could feel Shadow's eyes on me. Mom would have been pleased at all the exercise I was getting. Kaylee would have enjoyed running across this strange landscape covered in scattered skylight hills and air-conditioner cliffs.

I looked around as I walked, trying to see what damage the birds had done. Luckily, none of the dead birds were close enough to stain our tent area; at that point they had been more intent on attacking us, not each other. There were scattered feathers on the white expanse near the tent. Were they contaminated somehow? An uneasy thought since I had just handled one. I could see dead birds towards the side of the store, from where they had approached. What had caused all this mess, and why had it stopped?

It was pointless to dwell. I was at the roof hatch and should be worrying about how I was going to carry all the gear back. I slung Shadow's backpack across my back, gathered the stained bat, the intact sleeping bag, and the blanket-wrapped supplies. I could feel the bulging softness in the supplies blanket and the two pillows. My family's camp gear box would have to wait until the next trip.

Trying to juggle my load, I wandered back, exaggerating my weaving between bulging skylight covers. Their bumps scattered across the white expanse, outnumbering the large air-conditioner units. The bumps were... igloos and the AC units were glacier cliffs. I was a bird - a sane bird - flying over them.

Shadow stood up to greet me, looking relieved.

"I never went out of sight, right?"

He shrugged and held out his paw into which I passed his backpack. He took it with a sigh of relief. Something about the beat up backpack was important to him. I passed the bat to him as I considered it. I poked my nose to the far side of the FurShopper, indicating I was heading back for the rest. Shadow sighed with a half-smile and ear flick.

Moments later, back at the hatch, I grabbed the camp gear box from my family's house. I walked back, humming that stupid song, on the way to where the wolf waited for me. My footpaw was feeling sore after being pecked and walked on.

"What now?" I asked, setting down the box. I touched my forehead, but no fresh blood was there. I'd only gotten minor cuts. Shadow's cuts had also dried.

"I vote for a nap," Shadow said, hiding a yawn behind a black paw.

With a nod and a smile, I crouched to unzip the tent. I was halfway through the entry when I felt Shadow throw an arm over me and lay his head on my back.

"You smell good, Tyler."

I harrumphed. "I probably smell dirty," I grumbled, though my tail was wagging, brushing hiim.

"A little, but beyond that, you smell like you."

I smiled. He was tired. "Here, hand me the stuff. I'll set it up inside."

"Uh-huh," he managed through another yawn. The bird-torn sleeping bag I lay down, unzipped. The second one went on top. Shadow watched me through the tent doorway as I pulled out the pillows from the wrapped up blanket and set them on the sleeping bags. The afternoon was warm enough; we could use the single blanket as a cover or go without. I stuffed a mesh tent pocket with the family photo, the cat angel, and the jam jar. The supplies went in a corner to sort through later. Testing the bedding, it felt soft enough.

"Okay," I called, sitting inside. "Wipe your paws before you come in!"

Shadow snickered and zipped up the flap after himself. The backpack and bat he set along the side. He turned with a grin to lay down. Black paws grabbed me and pulled me down next to him when I was too slow. "If I'm yours, then you're mine, and you're sleeping with me," he insisted groggily, giving my nose a lick.

My tongue licked his cheekfur up to his soft ear. I nuzzled into his thick ruff, smelling wolf, feeling my tail swish happily behind me.

His breathing was already settling when I pulled the blanket over our hips and snuggled in close, facing him. Sleep was quick to draw me in too.

***

I woke to a faint scritching at the tent surface, and I jumped awake. Were the birds back?

"Tyler? Shadow? Are you in there?" some fur called.

"Yeah?" I called, blinking and trying to clear my head. One of us had kicked the light blanket off in the warm tent. How long had we slept?

"It's Rusty. I wanted to check on Shadow's bites. I also found some antibiotics for him to take."

"Don't need them," Shadow grumbled.

I slowly sat up and unzipped the tent entrance, sticking my head out. The mouse was alone. "Hi, Rusty. Sorry, there's not enough room for three." I gave Shadow a nudge, "Get out, Shadow. Rusty really needs to check."

"Tyler can do it," mumbled the black wolf next to me. He yawned and shifted to go back to sleep.

"No, Shadow," I insisted, turning my back to the entrance and rubbing his uninjured shoulder. "You need them checked. Rusty's the closest thing we have to a doctor. He'll know what to look for."

Rusty nodded, peeking in past the tent flap. "I do need to check them and change the bandages. I'm going to all those who got injured to check them." Rusty tilted his head. "You have fresh cuts. What happened?"

"Birds attacked us. Curtain thing I guess," my words trailed off as my eyes dropped. Why did it feel embarrassing?

Rusty nodded, aparently confused. He looked pointedly past me, "And Shadow?"

"He's got some cuts too, but we're okay. You should take a look at Shadow though." I shifted. I could trade places with Rusty.... No. I wanted the tent to be ours, our safe place. "Out of the tent, Shadow. There's better light for Rusty to check your injuries."

Shadow made a single grunt into his pillow. I paused, then with an evil grin, gave Shadow's footpaw a tickle. He didn't respond, but I kept it up a few more seconds. He tried to hold back a giggle and a twitch. The wolf grunted and swatted at me, but I didn't stop.

"Fine," he said sitting up, trying to fight a smile. He couldn't manage a severe look.

I grinned my triumph and gestured for him to get out of the tent. I gave his tail a stroke as it passed through. I followed after, still smiling.

Outside, the sun was a bit lower than when we had set up the tent. We had not napped long. Birds and zombies filled the peaceful air with distant noise. The light made the roof surface bright to my eyes.

"Could you check this one first?" I stood and asked Rusty, pointing to Shadow's shoulder bandage that clearly needed changing. "It's showing blood, I hope that's okay."

Rusty made a neutral noise. "Find somewhere to sit. Hmmm, that crate will do."

Shadow pulled the crate further from the store front's raised facade and settled onto it. His eyes were wary as he watched Rusty approach.

It dawned on me. He had been wary when I had treated his wounds that first day. He hadn't seemed to care after, but his distrust of Rusty was clear. The mouse had apologized for his early treatment of us. Rusty was a nice fur. However, Shadow had little trust to give.

I rubbed Shadow's uninjured shoulder. "Rusty helped patch you up after that attack. It's okay Shadow, he only wants to help."

Rusty picked up on Shadow's body language and stepped in cautiously. "Shadow, I'm going to check your vitals and remove the bandages, alright? Let me know if anything hurts too much, and I can slow down." He became even more cautious when he saw Shadow tense as he got closer.

Rusty checked Shadow and carefully removed the first bandage. Shadow grimaced, but didn't make a sound as he stared at Rusty with wide eyes. Shadow's eyes turned and locked onto mine. I held him in my gaze, nodding and feeling I was giving him some measure of confidence. Rusty gently checked Shadow's other bandages, leaving most open to breathe.

"It looks good, but I wanted to give you this antibiotic ointment. Bites from furs can transfer various types of bacteria. And who knows what's in the muzzles of those things. This... should work for you," he said, passing Shadow a small squeeze tube.

"I put a fresh bandage on his shoulder, and the rest need to breathe. I removed the bandages on the other stitches. Don't get the stitches wet for 24 hours, then lightly wash them and use this ointment 1-2 times a day. Take these pills every 12 hours for the next four days." He passed Shadow a small pill bottle. "If you notice any discharge or strange colors, come see me. Take it especially easy for the next day or so. Rest up. There, that sounds pretty good!" Rusty looked proud as he surveyed his work. "Just remember the pills and ointment, and I'll check them in two or three days."

"This is supposed to help?" Shadow asked, his eyes hooded with distrust as he eyed the pill bottle.

"I'll make sure he uses it." I nodded to Rusty as he glanced to me.

While Shadow frowned at us, Rusty dug into his bag and continued, "Those small cuts you two have shouldn't be a problem. Use these to cleanse them." He passed me packets of wound cleaner towelettes. "Let me know if they start to bother you. Make sure he takes it easy for a few days. We'll take the stitches out in a week."

"Okay. Where are those?" I asked. I had not paid attention, while Helaina and Rusty had first bandaged Shadow up.

"This one," Rusty pointed to Shadow's left forearm. "And this one, here," Rusty pointed to Shadow's left hip. "It was tricky to stitch up, but it should heal fine. There was a third bite, here, but it never made it very deep."

I stared at the third bite, bandaged on his right shoulder and too close to his neck for my comfort. It was where the bloodied bandage had covered. Would he still be here if it had been a deeper bite?

Shadow gave muted grimaces as he tried to hide his responses to Rusty checking him a last time. "They feel weird" Shadow mumbled. "The bites feel wrong...."

The mouse shrugged. "You're probably hyper-aware of them from the supposed implications and fear. Worry will make them seem stranger than they are."

Shadow growled softly, "I've had wounds before. Bites before."

"Yes, I can see," Rusty looked worried. "I'm not sure what happened to you in the past, but your fear will only make things worse." He turned to me, flicking his thin tail. "Try to keep him as calm as possible."

I gave a firm dip with my chin.

"He must have fought them off pretty wildly to get all those and still come out of it." Rusty gathered his gear together, humming a popular tune. He checked the single bandage a last time.

Rusty's hum sounded terrible against the song in my head. "Hey, Rusty? You know a lot of songs?"

"As much as any fur, I suppose," he said, not looking away from his final examination.

I smiled. "Have you heard this one? It's been driving me nuts since yesterday."

I hummed a little bit of what was circling my mind.

Rusty shrugged. "Not sure, let me hear that bit again?"

I hummed it again.

Rusty shook his head. "No, that must be a different song. It didn't sound anything like the first."

I was confused. There was one song. I hummed the same part again.

Shadow shook his head. "It's different."

Rusty shrugged. "I don't recognize any of those songs."

I glued my jaws shut. Something was wrong here, but I didn't know what. They couldn't both be in on a joke at my expense. Shadow might do it, but he'd be laughing by now. They both brushed off the tune I'd hummed.

Well... there was enough on my mind without worrying about some ridiculous earworm. I reached over to set my paw on Shadow's thigh as Rusty packed up his gear. I rested my head on his uninjured shoulder and closed my eyes. I spent a moment there, feeling the slight shifts a living body makes. Shadow's paw appeared on my head, stroking slowly. I opened my eyes in time to see Rusty wave his goodbyes and walk towards the hatch.

I waved back. "The pills we can start this evening so we're not waking in the middle of the night to take them. Let's get the new cuts cleaned up."

A heavy head weighed down mine on his shoulder. "The cuts are fine, Tyler."

My nose was buried in his neck fur. Shadow in every way was more important than some tune. I didn't want to move. "No," I sighed, pulling my head from it's furry comfort nest. "For the just in case, we should get them clean," I insisted, opening the first little packet.

I dabbed the towelettes at my cuts. I couldn't reach the ones behind my shoulders. "Shadow, can you get the ones on my back?" I asked, pulling up the back of my shirt.

He smiled and moved behind me as I leaned forward. The rakes and cuts stung a bit with the medicine.

"Your turn, Wulf. I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Bright, golden eyes rolled, but he allowed me to poke through his head fur for the bird cuts. After the first two were treated, he said, "Did you just call me 'Wulf'?"

I grinned, dabbing at the next cut. "Yeah. I figure I can call you that any time, and furs will think I'm just saying 'wolf'."

White teeth flashed as he snickered back a laugh. "I don't know... you think Helaina will pick up on it?"

I rolled my blue eyes, "No way. She'll think it's some pet name." I moved to cuts down his back.

"It is a pet name." He accepted a few towelettes and treated some on his own.

"Is not... well, it is. But I don't-"

"As long as I can call you Foxy," he smirked.

I disliked the name, but I found I didn't mind it as much from him. I breathed a big sigh. "Fine. You're my Wulfy." I finished my work and grinned at him, resting my black paw on his midnight thigh. Shadow's fur had an irregular patchwork pattern. If we could make a quilt of the same design....

I snickered. My patchwork wolf. Mine. Mine alone.

"Laughing to yourself... Foxy?" Shadow asked with a grin.

"Just thinking I could have you instead of a quilt," I replied honestly, tapping a finger against his fur.

"I would last longer than a quilt." He patted his green shirt-covered chest.

"Yup!" I agreed, leaning in close.

Shadow stretched his arms up in apparent relief. "I feel fine. It's just," he paused and appeared to be searching for words. "Those bites do feel... strange."

"Probably because they're deeper and healing," I smiled and bumped my nose into his ruff.

He yawned, stretching out big jaws. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Suits me too," I mumbled as Shadow crawled back inside the tent. I watched his big tail slip into the tent and couldn't help a smile.

We settled in, Shadow again pulling me close to him when I didn't move fast enough. He nuzzled in behind me and slipped a paw over my waist to hold me close to him. He wiggled closer, then quickly relaxed.

Wolf breath sighed into my nape fur. "This is how it should always be," he mumbled, nudging his nose and his tongue to my skin.

I relaxed too and listened to his breathing even. I could hear zombie vowels and growls, but they were becoming secondary. A new background noise to the world, as ordinary as a refrigerator running.

The quiet - well almost quiet - afternoon was pleasant in the tent. I glanced down at Shadow's arm circling my waist, seeing it had picked up a green hue from the tent. With a smile, I let my eyes close. I could feel my wolf breathing behind me. I had claimed him, and now he was mine. As each breath left, I thought "mine...mine..." until I fell asleep.

***

When I finally allowed myself back into the world, the sun's angle on the tent was low. With a shuddering stretch, I tried to get myself together. A warm, breathing mass was behind me in the tent. My black paws pulled a wolfy arm closer around me.

I wanted to stay like this. I didn't mind the zombie noises. I didn't mind the crows cawing in the distance. I didn't even mind that it was a little too warm in the two-fur tent. Lying there, not bothering with cares or thoughts to the future was my sliver of heaven. I sighed, letting the afternoon quiet fill me.

"Finally awake, are you?" asked a voice near my ear. Shadow's tongue tickled my ear's guard-hairs as he licked firmly. His nose lowered to nudge my shirt aside and nibble at my shoulder.

My muzzle gave a happy, relaxed smile, and I drew his arm closer to me. As I blinked sleep out of my eyes, he licked slowly over my cheek. I lay there, holding the black arm around me close.

He pulled at me firmly and nipped at my neck, making me shiver. Shadow sighed into my nape. "I hate to think that you got hurt... you got bit here. It's so sensitive."

I tried to hold back a shiver at his nipping. "Bradley bit me to get my teeth loose from his arm. Then he wouldn't let go, and I was scared. But this feels nothing like that. It's...." I shifted restlessly.

"Hmmm, for you it's a little arousing?" he chuckled. I could feel his heavy muzzle on my shoulder glancing down. I could feel him trace the bite marks with his finger. He growled behind my ear, "I hate that he hurt you."

I grimaced. It would heal, but I would never forget the feeling of being helpless, at someone's complete mercy. The fear and horror at not being able to resist.

My past resistance was not important. Shadow was the important part in my life. My horror could easily fade, I regretted nothing I had done. I had gotten a wolf out of the situation. Those two morons at the front of the assault had gotten a bloodied arm and a good face-down with a large bull.

I grinned, feeling the tension of the past days melt away. "It's over now. I get to keep you. That's what matters."

Shadow dug his fingers into my fur, rubbing blunt claws against my skin. I turned to face him, and he allowed my turn through loose arms. I looked into his eyes as they appeared over my shoulder like a sunrise. His face brightened. Grinning, our muzzles glued together under our noses as our lips buffered our teeth.

As I closed my eyes, I could feel a wet nose pressed into mine. A tongue probed at my muzzle, and I let a shadowy wolf enter with a little whimper of joy. I brought up my paw to rest on his strong neck, sucking lightly at his tongue.

He chuckled into my muzzle and wiggled closer to me, pulling me right up against him. Well, of course he was hard. I could feel the press of it against my hip.

I sighed into his muzzle, feeling weighty myself. "Hmmm, we should go down for food."

"Nope." He didn't pause, but went for the juncture of my neck and jawline. Teeth nipped firmly.

"Aren't you hungry?" I breathed, leaning my head back to give him clearer access.

"Oh, yes. For you. But you're not going to get away this time." He pulled back a bit, grinning with golden eyes wide. My breath caught for an instant before he was back in my neck again. A line of fine nips drew my neck's contour.

I could feel my own tip press against him, through layers of clothing to near his bellybutton. My head was spinning with excitement and arousal. One last protest occurred to me, the one that had been circling my mind. I put my paw up, "You injuries... Stitches. I-"

"We won't strain them," he mumbled, digging his nose into the base of my neck, where my collarbones tried to meet.

"Don't strain them..." I echoed, turning into a long sigh as I clutched at his shirt. I turned my muzzle and found an ear to nibble the edge of.

"We'll take it easy," he breathed into my neck dip, he bumped his hip into me.

It took me a few more hip bumps and me bumping back to put my thoughts together. I moved my paw down to rest against the lump in his shorts. "Uh-uh, Shadow. You stay still."

He managed to still, but continued to nuzzle into my neck. I reached between us to release our shorts, and I helped him slip down his coverings towards his knees. With a wiggle of my hips, I slipped mine to above my knees too. The air cooled my most sensitive skin, and I warmed his with my paw. He reached for mine, but I guided his paw lower for him to grip us together.

"Stay still," I panted. "You're to take it easy." I shifted so my top leg could drape over his and we could be closer. I moved my paw to cup us both high on our hard cocks.

His panting nose nodded, rubbing through my neck fur.

I began a steady rhythm with my paw. I felt Shadow tense a little as he tried not to react. Tried not to move. The arm under him inched forward so his paw could cup the side of my neck. I nibbled on his ear and closed my eyes, focusing on the rhythm of my paw and the slight whimpers I could hear from Shadow. His low grip on us twitched reflexively.

I could feel his little involuntary movements, and my paw was wet with precum. I knew he was close. Shadow's breath was heavy at my throat, and his paw at my neck gripped slightly. I was panting in his ear, Shadow was whimpering out his need into my neckfur.

There was a lot of both our pre, smoothing the glide of my paw. I felt Shadow's paw shift lower to hold pressure behind our unformed knots. My hips twitched and I felt my knot rapidly fill. I could feel Shadow's knot press against mine as it grew.

My eyes clenched shut and I came with a long whine. I heard Shadow growl and whimper. Something shot against my abdomen. Shadow's paw gripped us together, especially behind the knot. I shifted my restless top leg, drawing him closer. Shadow shifted his muzzle deeper into my neckfur with a groan.

The height of intensity passed, and I felt Shadow sigh into my neckfur. He began to lick slowly at my neck. I kept my eyes shut and relaxed. After wiping my paw off on my nearby shorts, I moved it to stroke Shadow's strong neck.

It was quiet and calm again. Long minutes passed. Background 'ordinary' noise could be heard, but was unimportant.

"You didn't bite into my neck," I realized aloud into the green tent.

Shadow made some vague sound. He licked a few more times, and when I didn't say anything else, he mumbled, "Why? Did you like me doing it?"

I blushed hard up to my ears, and felt my cock twitch. "I miss it.... I don't know. Maybe I like it."

He was quiet at my neck and still. "I thought it was too rough for you. I didn't like losing my control."

I closed my eyes and imagined all the times he'd bit into me. "It always seemed a part of you. Felt like it was what you needed. Instinctive? And... the echo of how it felt was... interesting." I struggled in myself to apply words to how I'd felt each time. "Um... I felt more a part of you? Yours? I felt connected?"

I could feel grinning teeth at my neck. "It's okay, I understand. However you feel, you don't mind it?"

"Yes!" I was relieved. I wasn't sure I actually 'liked' it, but I didn't mind it from him... or something.

"I just want you to be honest with me if I'm too rough," he said sternly, giving our knots a little squeeze.

With a little gasp and release of fluid, I nodded.

I began licking his ear. Steady licking. Shadow nuzzled and licked at my throat, his head bowed under mine. Long minutes passed and our knots shrank.

I snuggled in closer as he pulled his paw off our knots and rested it on my hip. Our moist parts mashed together.

"Did we strain anything?" I asked, worried, looking him up and down in the green-tinted light.

"Nope. I took it slow, and didn't want to worry you." He looked up from deep in my neck

"Good. I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt you."

He chuckled, "Now you know how I feel with you." His head returned to nest in my neck again.

I closed my eyes, but didn't sleep. The ambient noise around the roof was calming. I could ignore how things were outside. Numbness to our situation was growing. It was becoming ordinary. All of it.

"Hmmm?" Had I heard a mumble in my neckfur?

"Are you hungry?" He gently nibbled up the side of my neck.

I realized the light was fading and I was very hungry. Between the events of the last few days and the overall stress, my hunger had taken to hiding. It was back with a vengeance. "So hungry," I complained and turned my muzzle down, towards him. I caught him watching me. "What?"

"I could eat you," he grinned, propping himself up with his elbow.

"Nope, not filling enough." I sat up.

Shadow licked his lips. "I don't know," he trailed off and eyed me hungrily. He leaned close and nibbled on my ear, making pronounced munching sounds.

I snickered. "We need real food, and you need to take it easy. Why don't you wait here, and I'll go down. I'll see what they have for dinner."

He sat up with a growl, "No!"

I jumped. He looked very serious.

"I don't care how badly I feel, I'm not letting you out of my sight again." He glared at me, daring me to refuse. Then he pulled me towards him by my shirt. "We won't do that again. The only way you'll get rid of me is if you chase me away."

I gazed into his intent, bright eyes. He wasn't scary, only very serious. I could see fear deep in him. "Okay, but we take as many breaks as you need. Don't push yourself if you start to feel bad."

He nodded and relaxed. He opened the tent to leave. I smiled and batted at his tail as it slowly wagged in my face.

Outside the tent, I squinted at the sun, low in the sky and reaching out for the land with orange rays. It was peaceful. Birds sang evening songs and zombies cooed to them from below. I hummed under my breath as I zipped the tent back up. Standing up, my hum became a whistle and I reached towards Shadow.

Whump. Whump. Thummbp.

Scrrrrrtch. Krrrrrrr.

I flinched, my paw jumping back to me. I almost bit my tongue in shock, trying to be silent. Shadow stared past me wide-eyed.

Scuffling and scratching noises came from behind me. Zombies howled. I didn't want to look. I had to look. In my doom I would look.

Behind me, there was the edge of the store. Beyond the edge of the store, in the distant parking lot, there were no zombies. A glance over the storefront edge showed a mass of zombies. A mass clawing, struggling, straining to reach up to the top. Bright glowing eyes, brighter than the usual glow. Hard, sharp eyes in snarling, grimacing faces. Dead gore spattered against the wall. Dead furs threw themselves against the storefront, piling on top of each other. Struggling, reaching.

They weren't making any progress, though they were trying to clamber on top of each other to reach us.

We stared down at them. The couldn't reach us, but what had stirred them up so much. Were they different again today?

"I've never seen them so worked up before," said Shadow, looking unnerved.

I nodded. I hadn't either.

Though we were already spotted, we drew back, out of sight. We sat by the tent, listening to them clamor.

The things below calmed, but my heart was racing. "What was that?" I asked, wide-eyed.

Shadow gave a visible shudder. Some part of him was still fundamentally bothered by the zombies.

It was quiet below. The usual 'refrigerator' noise continued.

I rose and went to look over the edge. I heard zombie grumbles and growls from the zombies below, and a few tried to scratch the wall towards us. The usual reaction. Nothing extraordinary.

Shadow got up and wandered my way. He slowly joined me, looking scared.

The dead reacted a little more to extra fresh meat, but nothing out of the ordinary.

We stared for long moments. As long as they could see us and weren't distracted by something else, they kept trying to get to us. But it was uncoordinated, more of the dead still wandered the FurShopper parking lot.

"What's changed?" I wondered out loud. "They're the same as before."

"You whistled?" Shadow whistled a few notes.

Nothing changed in the zombies.

"No, that couldn't have been it." I whistled a few random notes.

Nothing more than usual. Just the same zombies giving dedicated, though not energetic effort to get to us.

"Guess that wasn't it," mumbled Shadow.

I paused, feeling cold all over. He was right. I hadn't whistled random notes. I had whistled -those- notes. The song in my mind rose, almost as fast as my fear.

I whistled several seconds of the ongoing mystery song.

Instantly, muzzles and noses turned towards me. Glowing eyes shone brighter, and there was a look of desperation to the rictus snarls. They howled and groaned.

The excitement pulled in the undead from the parking areas. They tried to pile on top of each other to get to us... to me. They tried to pile up, but with the lower layers straining and not supporting, the structure couldn't hold. They couldn't get up the high facade. Putrid gore spread on the FurShopper wall. I could smell them, the horrid stench I thought I'd gotten used to.

I shook my head in shock. What was it? Shadow looked towards me; his gaze... what did he see? What was that look? My eyes widened, and I stumbled back a few steps.

Shadow blinked and the look was gone.

Tears welled in my eyes, my ears drooped in dismay. Shadow stepped close to pull me in. I accepted his arms wrapping around me as I shook in mute shock.

I didn't want to admit it. That stupid, ridiculous tune rose strongly in my head, denying me peace. That whistle....

The the tune in my head. What, by all that's furry...?