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Therian Dreaming II

Chapter Nine

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

15th April 2023

All Rights Reserved.

As always, comments are gratefully received on my works, be they good, bad or indifferent – it all helps! Like what I do? Want to support me in some small way? I'm on Patreon – Cederwyn's Patreon

Kelsie ate ravenously, devouring three times her normal breakfast – Pete watching on as bowl after the bowl was licked clean. At last, laying in that adorable, but unnatural pose she had, her hind legs splayed out, forelegs in the opposite direction, Kelsie pushed away the fourth bowl and groaned.

“I've seen you hungry before - “ Pete laughed weakly, as he crouched down and picked it up. “This is a whole new level and then some – why didn't you tell me you were so hungry?"

Kelsie shuddered and moaned, her belly looking like it was with fawn, as she flattened her ears and trembled.

“Food coma?" Pete snickered, as he sat before her and rested her head on his lap, lovingly caressing her ears.

“Mmm - “ Kelsie mumbled, her eyelids sliding to half-mast. “I don't think I can get up..."

Pete rolled his eyes, then tenderly laid her head on the floor, as he pondered and crouched down, gently placing one arm under her forelegs, the other under her belly. As he stood up, his knees cracked and Kelsie winced before Pete grunted and exerted himself.

“Damn heavy doe..." He gasped, struggling under her weight.

“Not that heavy - “ Kelsie mumbled.

Pete grinned and gently carried her outside, setting her down on the sun-warmed grass. Kelsie sprawled again, then she winced as Pete gently rolled her onto her side and stroked her swollen belly.

“Urgh - “ Kelsie moaned.

“Oh, stop it, greedy doe! You know you need to tell me if you're hungry, I mean it!"

Using his dad voice, albeit gently and lightly chastising her, he tapped her lightly between the eyes with a fingertip.

“I've been thinking Kelsie - “ Pete sighed, as he laid on his side, lightly stroking from chest to udder, then ever so gently caressing her growing udder.

“Should I put a mark on the wall - “ Kelsie's cheeky giggle reached his ears.

“Oh, very funny - “ Pete snorted, then teasingly pinched a teat, feeling the hot milk squirt against his palm.

“Urgh..." Kelsie moaned, both scared and happy in equal measure. “Gentle..."

Pete snorted and turned his head to look at her. “I do know what I'm doing..."

Kelsie's mocking snort blew through her nostrils, yet her tail began to lightly whack against the grass.

“You're still too sore to feed our daughter – you're doing better – way better than I'd ever imagined... I've been researching..."

Pete felt Kelsie tense beneath his gentle stroking, her tail instantly stopping its flagging.

Pete's mind instantly brought up memories, memories he did not want to remember...

-Don't bring that up. You remember .... Well, ...do you think that's what ...?-

Kelsie's tearful sniffle snapped his thoughts out of the dark place they wanted to go.

“Hey, come on now, easy my love..." Pete whispered as he stroked her, feeling her quivering pelt beneath his hand. “I need to go to town today, go see..."

“NO!" Kelsie squealed, then struggled to stand. “You can't! You promised!"

“Kelsie!" He snapped, then felt her instantly go limp, like he'd whipped her, her tears sliding down her cheeks. “I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. You know I have to go, I need more of your medicine, some more formula for Fawnie... I promise I won't say a word about what you... we – are – but they may...I don't know, will Fawnie need a checkup? It has been a while and..."

Kelsie's quivering grew worse.

“No...please – he...he scared me... What if – if - “

Kelsie's crying broke into panicked sobbing before Pete cradled her head in his lap and comforted her as best he could.

“Kelsie, my sweet, gentle doe – it's alright, I promise. He never hurt you, did he? Sure, he might have scared you – but did he hurt you? No, he didn't. I know you're scared honey, I am too – but what...what if – what happens if you get hurt? Or worse – Fawnie gets sick? Think for a moment – what would you or I do? Neither of us truly knows what we are – who – we are! We need him my sweet – whether we like it or not. I can ensure he never needs blood tests – hell – I don't even know if what we are, would show up...."

Kelsie sniffled, trying to be brave, but her beautiful pelt rippled with her true feelings, as Pete sighed and stroked her ears, just holding her, and lending whatever strength he could.

"I'm...scared Pete, yet I do not understand..."

Pete nodded and gently stroked her, whispering soothing nothingness to her, like she was a fawn and terrified of a thunderstorm. After a few hours, Kelsie's tears stopped and she dozed on his lap. Pete gently laid her head down on the ground, then looked up in surprise. Fawnie stood on the porch, her legs quivering, as she looked from her mother to Pete and back again.

"Fawnie?" Pete called quietly, placing a hand on Kelsie's neck. "Come on, over here sweetheart..."

Fawnie quivered, taking a single step, before she paused and looked down at the grass, then bleated at Pete.

"No, my dear sweet daughter, come on - it's alright, come, come..."

Fawnie bleated again, torn between her fear and her father's command - her spotted pelt rippled, and he could almost sense her young muscles bunching, before she leaped off the patio and landed on the grass, tumbling head over tail then starting to bleat loudly in fear and pain. Pete ran to her, then scooped her up and cuddled her tightly, feeling her legs to ensure she hadn't hurt herself.

"Hey, you're alright, you're alright - " Pete smiled, cuddling her and holding the sobbing fawn. "It's okay, I know, you're still learning how to walk, but you're so brave! Your dear mother had to be carried everywhere for the first six months! You're only a few weeks old, yet so curious and adventurous - I'm so proud of you!"

Pete lifted her head, lovingly kissing her leathery nose, before he set her down against Kelsie's belly and watched as Fawnie instinctively curled up close, tucking her nose under a hind leg, her big, liquid eyes gazing up at Pete with a look of love and trust.

"Good girl, you stay here with your mother, she will protect you -"

One of Kelsie's eyes opened halfway, as she looked at Pete, then rolled to look at Fawnie, then back at Pete, her eyebrow slowly raising.

"I trust you, Kelsie, you would never, - ever - harm a hair on our daughter's head."

Kelsie trembled before she closed her eyes and went back to a light slumber. Pete watched them both, resting a hand on each of them, feeling their heart rates slow until he was certain they were both in a deep, restful sleep - their pelts warmed by the mid-spring sun, before he rose, stretched, and sighed quietly.

*

Pete spent as little time as possible in consultation with the Veterinarian, who agreed to a time and place to come to check over Kelsie and Fawnie. Pete thanked him and paid for the medication and formula - he didn't want the formula, now that Kelsie could produce milk - but he knew it wouldn't hurt, just in case.

As he left, he stopped at a set of lights, his fingers idly tapping along to the song on the radio. Unconsciously, he looked up at the light, then frowned seeing a new CCTV camera atop it.

"Well," Pete muttered to himself, then proceeded when the light changed. "They did say they were improving safety around town, so it's not a bad thing... I got nothing too - "

He slammed on the brakes, his car skidding before he gripped the steering wheel tight, knuckles crackling and he stared out the windscreen.

"Hide..." Pete gasped, his eyes widening. "No, I'm just being stupid! What happened - no, there's just... I'm imagining it, there is nothing! Stupid, silly, irrational thoughts and -"

Pete was startled, hearing the sounds of horns honking behind him, before he shuddered and drove home, thinking nothing further about what had originally pulled him to a halt.

*

A computer suddenly chirped, then other programs initialized, before sending a burst of secure code to a very specific cell phone number. A human hand reached out and picked up the phone, then stared down at it. It showed a picture, surprisingly good quality - but then he realized it'd been enhanced and scrubbed by others - of a human looking wide-eyed and innocently up at the camera.

Gazing up, the man who was dressed in an immaculate suit and tie, put the phone face down on his desk blotter and looked at the younger man on the other side of the desk.

"Confirm identification? We are absolutely certain - this is he?"

"Confirmed and triple-checked with recovered footage sir!" Spoke to the other gentleman, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal. "He - "

Holding up a hand, the seated gentleman silenced the other one.

"Absolutely no doubt..." He spoke, his voice impeccable and calm, almost like he was discussing the weather. "We do not make assumptions or leap to conclusions. We have one job, and we do it well - "

"Shall I inform Team Leader Charlie? Get them prepared and operational?"

With the slightest of trembles, the seated man turned his phone face up, then he looked down at it. It chirped, then an updated file replaced the one currently visible - outlined in crimson with attached further documentation.

His hand tightening into a first, his first true signs of the anger within him, he nodded once.

"There will be no mistakes this time - all teams have reviewed the recovered footage and studied it at length. I imagine that beast, whom it is safe to assume, he has experienced sexual intercourse with, has claimed him, heart and soul. There is no returning from the darkness - once one has succumbed. Once, we might have given a moment of second thought - it has been -"

"Over a year, sir," Spoke the second man quietly. "We lost Team Alpha in that -"

Again, the suited man held up a hand, silencing his subordinate.

"What is the status of Team Beta?"

"Team...oh," Stammering, the second man pulled out his own phone and quickly scrolled through it. "Team Beta has successfully acquired - "

He started, then looked up, his face white and his body trembling.

"Sir..."

"Status of Team Beta? I won't ask again..."

"They've acquired the – target - Sir, it is restrained and confined. They are three days out and... Sir, why didn't they - I mean..."

Another chirp come from the phone on the desk, then the suited man looked down and picked it up. He stared at the bound and shackled beast - whose mottled grey and black fur quivered as it breathed. It was neither human nor beast - some bastardized hybrid of the two - its mouth strapped shut but sharp canines visible.

"Excellent - " Spoke the suited man. "Excellent, this will do perfectly, where was this beast captured?"

"Sir? Uh... it was caught in the woods near Hamburg, it had allegedly - "

"Nothing allegedly about it - what we have here – now - at our convenience, will truly verify if these files are indeed accurate. I'm sure a week or more in our gentle care - will have it suitably motivated..."

He put the phone down, then turned it around, the other human looking down with a look of fear and revulsion...

Looking back up - was a picture of a snarling creature from the very hells itself - jaws wide, saliva dripping from its fangs, eyes narrowed in a feral, predatory glare.

A werewolf...

TO BE CONTINUED...