Running From Forever

by K. Aten

Keller cocked her head in thought. “Well, your body needs fuel to change, energy. You need to eat something and rest then we’ll see about returning you to human form.”

  The other woman looked at her nervously. “Wi—will it hurt?”

  She was quickly reassured. “Actually, you don’t feel pain the same in this form when you’re changing. So the change back to human will feel nothing like the change to wolf or beast form. It—” She stopped and the other three women in the room were surprised to see her blush.

  Despite the changed facial shape and features, surprise was still easy to read on Jesse’s face. “It what?”

  Keller scratched at her temple and cleared her throat. “Um, all the senses and feelings that you have in this form have to be closed back up into your human body. It’s like putting an air mattress back into the box, it never fits. This will cause a—sensory overload. And for many werewolves, it can be a highly erotic experience. In short, the change will leave you tired, hungry, and horny.”

  Annie grinned. “What she’s saying is that we’re gonna get some food in you, then they’re going home!”

  Jessie looked back at Keller. “So this is it? I don’t have to do anything else and I’m good to go?”

  “No, this isn’t it. You will have to keep developing your selfcontrol. You need to learn how to change to wolf form when you want, to control the change. You will have to practice changing to both wolf and half-wolf forms, and practice changing back. Your senses will be heightened as well as your strength and reactions, even when in human form. It actually might be best if you could speak with Louve or one of her people and get more information about what living as a werewolf is actually like. You both should so that you know what you’ll be dealing with going forward. And as an extra precaution, you should probably keep locking yourself up on the full moon for the next few months. However, I don’t think you’ll need us here after this one.” The two younger women nodded, understanding there was still much to learn. Keller went over to Jesse and unlocked the buckles on her restraints. Annie quickly helped her.

  Once she was free, the new werewolf took a few turns around the room to get used to her new gate. It was quite different. The foursome went out the door of the bedroom and into the main part of the basement. The biggest difference was that her legs bent the wrong way, and her arms seemed longer. She addressed no one in particular when she said as much. “This feels weird.”

  Keller laughed. “Of course it does, you’re wearing a new body. Try running from here up to the top of the stairs and back again.”

  Jesse looked at her with ears up and then gave a slight shrug. “Okay.” Faster than either one of the Colby sisters could believe, she turned and leaped over the couch then took the steps three at a time to the top of the stairs. Unfortunately, she didn’t know her own speed and quickly crashed into the steel-reinforced wood door. Whump. “Ow, damn!” Then a brief pause and she spoke again as she turned to look down to them from the top step. “I’m okay!” Keller snickered and Sarah swatted her arm. Jesse’s return only took seconds as she discovered why her arms were longer. It was easier to run on all four limbs than for her strange half-wolf self to run on hind legs alone. She stopped in front of them with a smile. “Wow! I’m not just stronger and faster, I can feel that my stamina is better too. And when I take a deep breath it feels like I can breathe in forever!”

  Keller nodded. “Yes, you have increased lung capacity, greater blood flow to your muscles, harder bones, and incredible hearing and sense of smell. I’m afraid your eyesight won’t be much better though. You might want to consider installing one of those oversize treadmills down here to practice running and to burn off excess energy on those days you have a hard time changing back.”

  Jesse looked at her with a bit of worry. “Will I have a hard time changing back?”

  Keller shrugged. “Some do. Let’s get some food in you and find out, hmm?”

  This statement was finally met with a smile and fervent nodding. “Oh my God yes, I’m starving!”

  The two younger women began walking up the basement steps and Annie snorted. “When aren’t you hungry, seriously?”

  “But I’m a werewolf now! A big, bad, hungry werewolf. I need to keep my strength up to be scary and menacing.”

  “Uh huh, as if! I saw you run from a bee the other day.”

  “I bet you’d be scared of me in the woods. Then I’d be the big bad werewolf and I’d eat you like Little Red Riding Hood.”

  “I wish—” They broke into laughter.

  Keller and Sarah watched the two women walk up the stairs, their bantering continuing long after then went through the door. And then as one, Sarah and Keller cracked up laughing. The laughter did them both some good but it was short-lived. Like water funneling down a drain, it slowly slipped away leaving Sarah with a pensive look. “Are they going to be okay?”

  Keller took her hand and lightly brushed the knuckles with a kiss. “Yes. They are definitely going to be okay.”

  Sarah gave her a piercing look. “Where is your big fancy scientific explanation for this one? I watched her change Keller, it’s like—magic.”

  The shorter woman shrugged. “I don’t have an explanation for it, it’s not something I ever studied. It just is, and I accept it.”

  They exited the basement and the scene in the kitchen was enough to make them pause. Annie was doubled over in laughter and Jesse was trying her best to eat a slice of leftover pizza. Sharp claws had reduced the piece to a gooey mess of pizza-ribbons. She had sauce in her fur and a string of cheese coming off her right ear. Her mostly wolf teeth were doing their best to mash together the bites she was getting into her mouth. Jesse spoke around a mouthful of half-masticated pizza. “Babe, you’re not helping at all here. Can you get me something to drink?”

  Seeing that her sister was not even close to getting herself under control, Sarah offered to help. “I’ll get it, J, what do you want?”

  “Dr. Pepper, please.” She gave the singer a smile that looked more doggy than human.

  Sarah noticed the younger woman had a bushy tail sticking out the back of the chair and chuckled to herself when she saw it wagging. She grabbed a can from the fridge, opened it and set it in front of the starving wolf without thinking. Keller held up a finger and started to comment. “Uh—” But it was too late.

  Jesse awkwardly grabbed the can and held it to the front of her mouth, then tipped it back. Her face was pulled forward into more of a snout shape meaning anything going in the front was bound to run out the sides. And it did. Like a car wreck, Keller knew what was coming and continued to watch anyway. But she did manage to stifle a laugh before it could escape. This was not the case with Annie. Cold, sticky liquid immediately poured from the sides of Jesse’s mouth and down the front of her fur. The fact that the younger woman was only dressed in a sports bra and boxers only added to the hilarity of the situation. “Sonofabitch!” Shocked by the sudden mess, clawed hands fumbled the smooth can and the drink went flying into the air. It landed with a wet clank and jerkily rolled across the floor to Keller’s foot, dribbling brown fizzy fluid as it went. Sarah could no longer hold her own laughter in as Jesse sat there with a surprised yet disgusted look on her face. Keller just reached down to pick up the can and put it in the sink. Then she grabbed some paper towels and proceeded to clean up the floor. But the time she was finished, the sisters had stopped laughing. Jesse brushed at the liquid on her fur with a paper towel that Keller had given her. After a few swipes, she decided it was a futile effort and shrugged. “Well clearly there are some more differences to get used to.” She looked back at a smiling Keller. “So how the hell am I supposed to eat or drink anything?”

  “I recommend squeeze bottles for liquids, and any kind of finger food will work. You might want to switch to calzones, instead of normal pizza, if that is what you want to eat in this form. It will be less mess with the toppings. Some people even choose to go hunting in their full wol
f forms to assuage the hunger.”

  Annie immediately made a face. “Oh, eww!”

  The new werewolf looked at her in confusion. “Why is that so gross? I used to hunt with my brother and dad years ago. Venison and rabbit are really good!”

  Her girlfriend laughed. “Is it just as good rare?”

  Suddenly Jesse caught on to the fact that when hunting as a wolf, there would be no cooking of her meat. “Oh, eww!”

  “Exactly!”

  Sarah shuddered at the thought and Keller laughed at the three of them. “Again, your senses are different in your other forms. I’ve heard that not only is the chase exhilarating but there is nothing like the taste of a freshly brought down deer.”

  The younger woman seemed to think about it for a few seconds, then shook her head. “Nah, I’m good.” She quickly scooped up another piece of pizza before folding it in half and cramming a large bite into her mouth. While a lot less messy that way, the chewing was still just as obnoxious. Annie rolled her eyes and searched the cupboards for a squeeze bottle. Once she found one, she quickly opened another can of soda and filled it. By the time she was finished, Jesse had downed her fourth piece of pizza and the new werewolf let out a loud belch. Unfortunately for Annie, it was right when the young woman was leaning down to give her the drink.

  She covered her nose and quickly backed away. “That is foul!”

  Jesse gave her another doggy grin. “Sorry, babe!” She was able to hold the bottle with one clawed hand and squeeze the cool liquid into her mouth. After quenching her thirst she set the bottle back on the table. “Hey, that works great! Thanks for the suggestion, Keller.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw the tail start to wag again and lost it. Not wanting to hurt the young werewolf’s feelings, she took herself and her laughter out of the kitchen. “I’m going to go check on Duke!”

  After finishing off six large slices of pizza, the werewolf gave a great jaw cracking yawn. Annie cleared off the table and Keller walked over to her. “Do you want to take a nap now or you want to see if you can change yourself back?”

  Jesse looked down at her sticky, pizza smeared fur and grimaced. “What I’d really like is a shower, but I can’t help thinking that I’ll smell like wet dog once I’m under the spray. How do I change back?”

  Keller pulled out one of the chairs and sat down and Annie followed suit. “Close your eyes and remember your yoga classes. Think about how calm and centered you feel when you go through the positions. Clear your head and look for that part inside yourself that feels like the old you. Focus on your hands and remember how they feel.” Sarah re-entered the kitchen but stopped just inside the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. “Slow your breathing, and slow your heart rate.”

  The same wet popping sound accompanied her return to human but there was no screaming involved. Once she was fully back in her old body, Jesse groaned and fell forward out of her chair onto her knees. Annie rushed over to her thinking that her girlfriend was hurt and froze when she looked in the werewolf’s eyes. Keller looked at Sarah and grinned. “Time to go! It was nice hanging out with you ladies. Call us if you need anything.” She quickly ushered Sarah out of the kitchen to get their things. By the time they made it to the Sarah’s old bedroom to get Duke, they could hear moaning coming from the kitchen. Sarah grew concerned.

  “Wait, what’s that sound? We should check on them, what if Jesse’s hurt?”

  With leashed dog in one hand, Keller quickly grabbed her girlfriend’s arm to prevent the woman from going back toward the kitchen. “No one is hurt Sarah, open your senses the way I showed you.”

  The taller woman stopped abruptly and closed her eyes. Just as quickly they popped open and her face flushed crimson. “Uh, yeah, it’s time to go!” There were some things a sister didn’t need to know about their sibling’s sex life.

  A FEW MONTHS passed, as did two more successful changes for Jesse. They made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family. Jessie even got to see her brother Jon on Christmas Eve. Both she and Annie were growing steadily more comfortable with their new normal. Keller was certain that she would no longer need to be chained to the wall on the nights of the full moon but both younger women were vigilant in practicing self-control and calming techniques. They continued to go to yoga together and Jesse had even taken up meditation. Sometimes Annie joined her and sometimes she simply wanted to veg out in front of the TV. Sarah was also growing more comfortable with her change and continued to be a fast learner. She spent a few Saturday nights with Keller in the office at The Merge, while Keller taught her how to feed on the emotions of the crowd. They quickly learned that things tended to spiral out of control when they both fed off the sexual energy. Now they always remembered to lock the office door and the couch was well broken in. One of the quiet evenings at home found Sarah and Keller sitting on the soft leather sofa, watching the flames of the fireplace. There was a thick blanket of snow layering the ground outside and both were cuddled together enjoying glasses of wine and the warmth of each other. Sarah brought up something that had been on her mind for a while. “What’s going to happen to Annie?”

  Keller knew immediately what she meant. It had been on her own mind for a while too. “Well eventually she’s going to have to make a choice.”

  Sarah cast a worried green-eyed glance at her. “What do you mean?”

  The shorter woman sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was a nervous habit Sarah found endearing. “I mean, the three people closest to her are all destined to live for a very long time. She won’t want to be left behind. The question is which way she wants to move forward.”

  Sarah took a sip of her wine and stared into the fire for a few minutes, thinking deeply. Finally she turned to her lover. “Which choice is better? Do you think they’re bonded like us?”

  Keller nodded. “Yes I do. I can feel it when I walk into the room with them now. Jesse emotes a lot when she’s not paying attention. Have you felt it?”

  Sarah nodded. “Yeah.”

  Keller continued. “As for what’s better, well I think that is really up to Annie. I can turn her but obviously it’s more difficult. We would have to almost kill her to do it. Frankly, I’m not sure you’re up for watching that. But as a vampire, she would be more powerful, and a perfect match for Jesse. They would be drawn to each other like a socket and plug, just as Louve and Catherine were.”

  Now Sarah ran a hand through her dark hair. “Let’s hope she waits a few years to ask. I don’t think it’s something I can deal with just yet.”

  Ready to put the serious talk aside, Keller took Sarah’s hand into her own. She began tracing the lines of the other woman’s palm, eliciting a shiver. Then Keller spoke in a fake Slavic accent. “Let me look at your lines, you have such good lines!”

  Sarah was willing to play along. “Ah, great seer, what do you see in my future?”

  A pale head bowed toward the open palm and the warm wetness of Keller’s tongue traced the taller woman’s lifeline. She pulled back and grinned at the slightly parted lips of her lover. “I predict great passionate adventure with a dangerous woman. She is a beast who will devour you if you let her. Beware!”

  Green smiling eyes met her prediction and before Keller could say another word, Sarah pulled the shorter woman over to straddle her lap. “Dangerous hmm? I think I can handle that.” With hands tangled in Keller’s hair, Sarah drew her down into a passionate kiss. Sharp teeth immediately pushed forward as tongues fought for dominance. Sarah pulled back slightly and let her tongue swirl around each sharp canine before she left the shorter woman’s mouth completely barren. Keller groaned and rolled her hips, seeking deeper connection.

  Not getting any relief, she leaned in close to her lover. Her whisper was punctuated by the light trace of a tongue along the helix of Sarah’s ear. “I think you’re forgetting the part about being devoured.”

  Sarah shivered again, a wicked smile spread acr
oss her face. “Oh, I didn’t forget. I’m counting on it!” In one smooth motion, she stood with Keller in her arms and walked her out of the living room. Keller immediately wrapped her legs around Sarah’s waist and her breath came faster in anticipation. Taking advantage of her new strength, Sarah crawled up on the bed still holding her lover and rained kissed down on her face and neck as she began to strip the clothes from Keller’s body. She doled out a kiss for every inch of skin that was revealed, and two kisses for all the new places shown.

  Keller let herself be carried away, enjoying being with Sarah as an equal. Suddenly, she found herself completely nude with a very clothed brunette straddling her hips. Sarah lightly held her wrists to the bed and Keller made no secret of her need to touch the singer’s bare skin. “You have too many clothes on, my love. Take them off, please.” She rolled her hips, once again seeking some friction for her throbbing center.

  Sarah’s eyes turned dark with lust and a newfound competitive spirit. She licked her lips and whispered to the other woman. “Make me.”

  Keller’s own eyes turned a deeper shade of blue and her nostrils flared at the unexpected challenge. Then in a move born of centuries of supernatural speed, Keller broke the hold on her wrists and ripped Sarah’s shirt open. The sound of buttons bouncing on the hardwood floor momentarily covered the sweet cacophony of panting bodies. Upon seeing the creamy breasts so near, Keller sat up and took one of Sarah’s nipples into her mouth. It was large and hard with engorged blood. She moved her head back and forth, letting sharp teeth graze over the sensitive bud and then moved to the other side.

  The minute she took the other nipple in her mouth and repeated her motions, Sarah held her in place and ground her hips down. “Yes!” Unfortunately for the singer, Keller was not to be held in place. She spun them around and grabbed the waistband of Sarah’s pants and pulled them straight off. They were loose and came down easily. The pair of underwear that remained was quickly torn free. Sarah laughed, holding back her arousal with a thin wall of sanity. “You owe me another pair.”