Winter Coat

Grabbing the front of her bra, Susan pulled. Her biceps bulged beneath thick fur and the fabric snapped, freeing her engorged breasts. Susan growled at the release. She kneeled, sitting back on her legs and the length of them felt unusual. As carefully as possible, Susan cupped her breasts, feeling the rough padding on her smooth black skin. And then, she ran her paws down her stomach. Something was happening on her lower stomach. Susan felt a peculiar sort of pulling deep within the pit of her stomach as things moved around. Susan leaned back and newly formed hard stomach muscle flexed in the overhead light. She was entirely lean now, her stomach full of hard. In two lines down the side of her stomach, six circular patches of skin darkened slightly. In the center of those patches, the skin turned nearly completely black and she felt them push out. Nipples, she saw. Susan grabbed her larger breasts and pulled them to the side as she watched six new nipples twist and grow from small patches of areola. She moaned, carefully biting her lip with sharpened fangs and, unable to help herself, she touched one of the new nipples. At first she felt nothing but something tugged in her gut and she moaned again as the nipple hardened, responding to her touch.

Susan felt a different kind of prickling sensation on her lower stomach. She gently pushed the band of her pants down, exposing her mound. Light gray fur grew around her crotch, slowly at first and then faster. The fur poured up her body, surrounding the new nipples and then in a line up her chest and between her upper breasts. A soft sigh escaped her lips. It felt as if a lover's hand was trailing along her secret spots as the soft gray and black fur spread over her body. Her lower nipples disappeared beneath the fur but then reappeared as tiny breasts pushed them out. Susan placed her paws on her thighs and then spread her legs. Something caught deep in her throat and a raspy, growly purr rumbled deep within. She kneaded her thigh muscles and they twitched under the attention. As if responding to her touch, her thighs expanded, skin and yoga pants stretching to accommodate muscles easily doubling in size. She could feel her ass growing and the combination of her thighs and ass thickening pushed at her pussy lips.

Susan's claws came out of her sheaths as she rumbled her deep purr, reveling in the sensations in her lower body. I like this. Feels nice. Feels nice. More. Want more. Susan slowly wriggled back and forth, spreading her larger ass cheeks open and closed over and over. Focused thoughts became more difficult but she hardly noticed. More, she thought. Flexing slightly, her claws came all the way out and she traced a claw tip from the crotch of her pants and up to the band. The thin material separated easily, exposing her wetness. She purred louder and then cut the rest of her pants away from her body. The light black skin of her legs was vanishing beneath a growing carpet of gray and black fur. Densely defined muscles flexing as she sat up on her knees. Susan groaned and fell to her hands. Her upper breasts hung heavy and full and furry to the ground below her. She dug her back claws into the floor and stretched, luxuriating in the feel of her new muscles. In the size of her new body. Her black yoga pants fell to the floor in tatters around her.

Muscles and tendons and bones popped in her back as her upper body widened further. She licked at her lips and felt the roughness of her longer tongue. Fur grew up from Susan's neck and along her cheeks. The fur on her neck grew longer than the rest, curving outward. Brighter colors flared around her as her pupils squeezed into vertical slits. Susan mewled in slight pain as her jaw cracked. The skin on her upper lip separated slightly and then puffed out as her jaw pushed away from her face. She spat and bloody teeth fell to the ground. Fangs pushed through her torn gums to join her canine teeth. Susan's smooth black face disappeared under gray fur. Lines of black fur traced along her eyes and to the side of her face. Her ears twitched as they grew in length and size, light fur growing out to cover them. Small white hairs grew from the inside of her ears as the ears themselves grew to points, tipped in pure black fur. Finally, long white whiskers pushed painfully from the skin over her mouth.

Susan stood, feeling her breasts settle against the fur of her chest. She held herself up on the kitchen countertop as she tried out her legs. My legs? Why? Fur on me? Something. Wrong. Is wrong. Something. Who? Why? The fur along her belly was slightly lighter than the rest of her body. Standing on the tips of her feet felt right and the fur on her ears nearly brushed the ceiling. Susan tried to look behind herself when she felt skin moving above her ass. Unseen to her, fur and skin pushed out from her tail bone. A small nub of a tail grew out and she felt the fur from it sliding against the fur on her ass. A small four inch tail flexed behind her. Susan cocked her head in confusion at it. What? What that? Thing? Hungry. Food. Hot. Much hot.

The cabin seemed foreign to her eyes. Some things rang familiar to her but nothing made sense. It was shapes and odd things to her eyes and mind now. And too bright. She smelled food but nothing she wanted. Susan padded around, ducking under light fixtures until she reached the door. Out. Go out. She looked at the door and knew she was supposed to do something. Something was supposed to happen so she could go out. Susan pushed at the door and then growled when nothing happened. Let out. Go out. A small part of her mind pushed her to play with the doorknob but she fumbled at it, unsure of what to do. Finally, she growled, dug her claws into the floor and pushed. The door cracked at the hinges and she fell with it. Reflexes kicked in and Susan tumbled to a roll, coming up on her hands and feet. Good. Good, she told herself. Out.

The snow fell in heavy sheets and Susan reveled in it. Steam rose in clouds around her shortened muzzle and it tickled her whiskers. Scanning the ground and trees, she bounded quietly into the night on thick, padded paws; a silent streak of gray and black.

-----

Susan woke to a sucking, bone-chilling cold. Her head was pounding and her entire body ached. She groaned and opened her eyes. She was lying on her side in the middle of the cabin and the fireplace was dark. Wind howled and she turned to see the front door missing. Small piles of snow covered the entryway. Something tickled the back of her mind as she looked at the door but she couldn't figure out what happened.

"I'm naked. What the hell?" Susan said through chattering teeth. She pushed herself up and then hugged her arms around herself. "What happened? Oh, Jesus it's cold." Susan took a step and then stopped as her feet brushed against something. She looked down to see the remains of her yoga pants. Bending down, she picked them up and held them to the light. Another piece of her mind tugged at her as she looked at the tears and holes in the fabric. "What..." Looking around the small area, she noticed gouges in the wood of the floor. Susan bent to touch one. They were as big and long as her index finger. Over and over, five of them. Like... "Like fingers," she said.

The hairs on the back of Susan's neck stood at attention as she made her way to the fireplace. She worked fast, thankful that her parents had a similar setup at their house and soon the fire was burning nearly too hot. She could remember getting out of the bed and then going to the kitchen but there was nothing after that. Nothing... "Snow," she said, slowly. "Lots of snow. Deer?" She could remember a small deer, staring at her in the snow. A dream? She wondered. Susan massaged her slightly aching breasts but stopped when she caught herself rubbing at a spot on her lower belly as well.

"All right, enough messing around," she told the empty room. "Let's get to it." Susan pulled on her winter pants and then found her long sleeve shirt in the kitchen. She fingered the holes at the bottom of the shirt and then shrugged, pulling it on, shivering as the fabric slid along her hard nipples. She dug around to find a small, ancient broom and then spent the next half hour cleaning up granola, snow and wooden shards. She found the door buried under snow just outside of the empty doorframe. The doorknob was bent slightly and there was a large dent in the middle of the door where the aluminum frame bulged outward. Small warning bells went off in her mind but she couldn't quite figure out why. Chunks of wood were still attached to the hinges on the door so Susan gently set the door back in place as best as she could. Finding the right angle, she let go and the door stood awkwardly, shaking slightly against the wind.

-----

Susan was stirring a skillet full of scrambled eggs when she heard the roar of an engine. Breaks squealed and a door opened and shut. Susan felt a sliver of panic. She'd cleaned up but the door-

The door came off the hinges, hitting the hard wooden floor with a crash and Susan heard a muttered curse. She came around the corner to see Chris standing, staring at the broken door. The man looked up at her and his eyes were wide. "What in the world happened?"

Susan could find no words. With all the cleaning she'd done, she'd made no time to consider what she'd tell Chris. "I... I don't know. I woke up and it was like that. Broken on the floor."

"Just like that? And you didn't hear anything?" Asked Chris. "I mean, it's completely ripped from the hinges."

"No, nothing. I swear."

Chris took several quick steps to her, looking in her eyes. "Are you okay? Nothing happened to you, did it? Are you feeling okay? Here, let me see your eyes."

Susan pushed him off. "I'm fine. Nothing happened to me. I just woke... I woke up and it was like that."

Chris looked the young woman up and down. No way she did that, he thought. No freaking way. He turned to the door and picked it up, setting it back in the frame. When he did, he stopped and turned back to Susan. The dent is on the inside. How... Chris stared for a moment at Susan and then he gently set the door back. "Well, I've had a bear sniffing around my trash now and again so maybe... I'll fix the frame a little later. I have some tools and wood so it should be fine. But are you sure you're fine? Your side isn't hurting you?"

"Yeah. I'm totally fine. I even made some pancakes and eggs. To pay you back."

"Why aren't you-" Chris started but then stopped. Why aren't you freaking out about this more, he wanted to ask. "Well, it smells good. I'll take some. I'm sorry it took so long. I got the trees out then had to pull two people out of snow banks and then help a couple of stranded hikers." Chris looked down and then blushed slightly, looking away. Susan's nipples pressed hard against her shirt. Do I say something? Am I supposed to? Fuck. I've been alone for too long out here.

"It's fine! It's your place. Here, show me where the plates are and I'll get food served and we can eat. Then you can take me to get my car." Susan turned back to the kitchen and Chris followed. His eyes strayed to her ass and he forced them back up.

Chris watched Susan as she set the food on the plates he handed her. Her short black hair was thick and curled slightly above her shoulders. She obsessively combed her fingers through her hair to tuck the few straggling strands back into place only for them to stray again. Her brown eyes twinkled in the light (although he allowed himself some poetic license there) and she had high cheekbones just below a small curved nose. Her chin had an extremely light dimple and he found his eyes drawn to her lips. Full and beautiful and hiding nearly straight teeth; her left front tooth seemed slightly crooked. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her. Her skin was the color of caramel and he wanted to run his finger along her jaw line. You're a creepy bastard, he sighed to himself.

"I hope the eggs aren't too dry," Susan said.

Chris blinked and then took his plate. They both made their way to the small round table he used for a dinner table and desk. Awkward silence stretched between them as they sat and poked at their food.

"Do you think-"

"Maybe I'll-"

Both spoke and stopped at the same time and then shared a small laugh. Chris motioned for Susan to go first while she did the same for him and they laughed again. She has such an easy, beautiful smile, he thought.

"I was just saying," continued Chris. "Do you think you'll head back out after we get your car going? There's the bed and breakfast two miles away and I'm pretty sure Sallie has some extra rooms. If you still needed to clear your mind, I mean."

The corners of Susan's mouth turned up slightly. "Well, I was going to say that maybe I'll stick around here for just a little bit, if you wouldn't mind someone kicking around? I could maybe steal some paper and write a bit or something? I like to keep a journal because it helps me organize a bit."

Chris nodded. "Yeah, definitely. I have a few books too, if you get bored. It's probably a good idea anyway because the snow is getting worse. Plus, I haven't slept in a day and that's not safe on the roads. If you don't mind, I'll sleep and we can see what it looks like tomorrow morning? I'll just grab a few hours."

"It's your place. Go for it. Just show me the books and paper and I'll be set."

After a brief tour, Chris was snoring loudly on the small bed and Susan stood by the small bookshelf, digging though the books. Over half of the books were guides or true stories on wilderness survival. Very few were fiction and most of those were of the Old Yeller and White Fang variety. "Could it get more cliche?" Susan whispered quietly. She made her way to the small desk to find some paper. When she pulled a few loose sheets away, she uncovered a small round picture frame. Inside was a picture of a smiling toddler - a little girl. Susan stared and saw little pieces of Chris in the girl's face. She brushed the photo with a finger and then took the paper and a pencil to the couch. Two hours later, the pencil slipped from her fingers as she fell asleep to the crackling and snapping of wood burning in the fireplace.

-----

There was warmth in her dream. Warmth and the reassuring comfort of the soft snow. Hiding her, quieting her steps. Letting her sink in to hide herself from her prey. Feeling the snow melt in clumps on her fur as she lies in wait. Cat eyes built for tracking movement in the brilliant contrast between pure white and dark night. The quiet forest is alive to her senses and she hunts on padded hands and feet, lean long body tracking, creeping and then stopping. A small doe stands alone, breath steaming in the cold night. It lifts its head and turns to look at her. She's still, breathing into the snow to hide her existence. The doe's tail is up. She's transfixed but knows something is wrong. She'll run. I'm leaping, yowling in the air as my claws dig into the doe's side when she tries to bolt. My teeth find her neck and they're sharp. I taste red meat and blood and my short gray fur is drenched in both. I'm excited. My blood is up. I feel my nipples aching and hard and my sex is wet. The chase. The chase is half of it. I feast, purring and growling as I bite and pull. Tearing with my claws. Releasing the warmth and the juices. I bury my face in the doe's belly and-

-----

Susan gasped awake and her mouth tasted of blood. Her dream slipped through her fingers and all she was left with was a sudden arousal. Her breasts and nipples ached for touch and she could feel the juices within her pussy. Susan idly rubbed a nipple before realizing she wasn't alone and then she yanked her hand away, shifting uncomfortably.

Chris lay on his right side, facing the couch. His mouth was open but he was no longer snoring; simply breathing loudly. His left arm hung low to the ground and his blanket had come half-off. Susan stood and walked to him. After dealing with young clean-shaved men in the tech field for four years, she found herself appreciating Chris' beard. And the way he looks at me, she thought. Not trying to figure out what my place is or why I'm there or how to fuck me over to get some promotion or kudos from some boss. I hadn't realized how much I missed that; how much I missed being seen as an actual person. She wanted to trace her finger along the wrinkles in his forehead. He's handsome.

Susan pulled Chris' blanket up and tucked him in. She found her pencil and sat back on the couch but spent the time simply staring blankly. Scenes from her life played in the back of her mind. Always moving, moving, moving. Trying to push and find her place. Sleepwalking through one relationship after another while-

"Oh, you're up." Chris said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"I don't- Do you have a clock?"

Chris turned and they both looked. The small round clock above the fireplace read a little after four pm and Susan's stomach grumbled in agreement. How long did I sleep, she wondered.

"Wow," Chris said. "Later than I thought. I hope you weren't too bored?"

"No, not at all. I slept a little too. Still tired so I think I can sleep tonight. And hungry. I saw some hamburger meat the freezer. I could thaw some out-"

Chris held up his hands. "Nope. You're a guest and you made breakfast. I'll make dinner. I already have some chicken thawed so I'll make a little chicken pasta thing. Is that okay?"

Susan smiled. I've been doing a lot of that today, she realized. "Yeah. Chicken sounds great."

Dinner was quickly made and Susan kept Chris company. Both shared horror stories from their childhood with Chris winning over the retelling of "How I lost four baby teeth and nearly my eye to a forklift."

They both sat at the small table again, laughing over a story of Susan eating a worm mud pie (out of pure hard-headedness, she assured him) when she was a child.

"Hang on, I think I have some wine if you want some. What was it? Red with chicken? Well, now that I think about it, it doesn't matter. I only have red wine."

"I'm in," Susan told him. "Nothing like a fireplace and wine and good company to keep warm during a snow storm."

Chris poured the wine into plastic cups as Susan made fun of him for it and then she stared at him as he took a sip.

"What is it?" He finally asked.

Susan blushed. "Ah. No, nothing. It's just... I haven't felt so relaxed in such a long time. I needed this pretty bad, I think. And you're a gracious host. So, thank you, kind sir."

Chris smiled and felt heat rise to his cheeks. "My pleasure, ma'am." He reached his cup out and Susan met his with hers and they both laughed at the gesture.

Dinner passed quickly and the two soon found themselves on opposite sides of the couch, sipping what wine was left. The wind howled around them and they shivered from the occasional daft that made it through the broken door.

Chris nodded toward his radio. "I'm surprised I haven't had any calls tonight. People must be staying away because of the storm."

"Well, good," Susan told him. "Because I think I'm not the only one that needs a break."

"That," Chris said, feeling the wine warm him. "Is a fact."

The silence between them was no longer awkward as they simply sat and enjoyed each other's company. Finally, Susan spoke. "Is... I saw the picture on your desk. Is that your daughter?"

Chris looked at Susan and then away at his desk. He started to speak and then stopped, swallowing. With his face still to the side, Susan saw tears glisten at the corner of his eyes. Oh no, she thought. What did I do?