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How Not To Become Lunch: 27 - Don’t Sweat It
*ding-dong*
Jack smiled. He lay his comic down and stood up, stretching for a moment before heading out of his room. Late-morning sunlight streamed in through the windows as he descended the stairs and approached the front door. He reached toward the peephole cover as he took his last few steps; though he knew who he was expecting, someone in his position learned to always check who was at the door before opening it.
But an unexpected sound distracted him; a soft crunch of paper underfoot. Jack looked down and lifted his leg. There was a single envelope on the floor that he’d stepped on, evidently slipped in through the mail slot. He reached down and picked it up, looking it over. That was strange, the mail hadn’t come yet that day, whatever this was had been delivered separately…
“Jack?” came Fiona’s familiar voice. She’d noticed he was at the door. Perhaps she’d heard the sound of his footsteps which she may-or-may-not have memorized, or perhaps his very particular and problematic scent had already crept its way outside to her sensitive snout. He didn’t give it much thought. Hearing her voice, he undid the predator-resistant locks and opened the door. Her smiling, furry face and lightly swaying tail greeted him.
“Hey Fi,” he said, smiling back. He motioned for her to come in and closed the door behind them when she did. Mrs. Eten peeked around the corner, ever-cautious for her son as always, but her momentarily tense expression relaxed as she recognized the friendly werewolf.
“Hello Fiona,” she greeted warmly, then something caught her eye. “Got something there, Jack?” All eyes turned to the envelope in the boy’s hand as Fiona noticed it too.
“Oh, um…” Not really sure what it was himself, he opened it up and pulled out the letter he found inside. “It’s… some kind of invitation- for me.” Seeing everyone’s curious stares, he began to read it aloud.
“‘Jack, I heard about you at school, and a bit about your problem. I know how hard living with a mark can be. But I want you to know that you’re not alone. There are other survivors out there; people like you and me. A group of us meet every week to share encouragement and support for each other. The next meeting is this afternoon and I’d like to invite you to join in. I’m sure you could use every bit of help you can get. And the fact that you’ve managed to attend school means you must know a thing or two about staying alive yourself, maybe you could even share some advice with others. If you feel you can make it here safely, we’d be happy to have you. People like us don’t usually get a lot of time, but I hope we get a chance to meet in whatever time we have left. Looking forward to it, Sebastian A.’ …And then there’s directions and an address.”
There was a moment of silent consideration, broken first by Mrs. Eten.
“Well, I have to say I’m happy to hear others out there have been able to make it after getting marked.”
“Yeah, gives a bit of extra hope, huh?” Jack replied.
“How compassionate of this Sebastian to reach out like this.”
“You think I should go, then?”
“They might have some really useful advice on dealing with your mark. I’d say that’s a good reason to give it a try.”
“Yeah, like he said, we can use every bit of help we can get.”
He found himself imagining what it might be like for a moment, until a twitch of Fiona’s ear caught his attention. She’d just been standing there quietly. He quickly remembered how much he’d been looking forward to spending the day with her- away from any other predators they might have to worry about fighting off. He had to admit he felt bad about changing their plans, but he also had to admit that this was too important an opportunity to pass up. A marked prey support group? Who knows if they’d even still be around for the meeting next week?
“Well… this isn’t for another few hours,” he said, half apologetically. “Come on, Fi, we can at least hang out until then.”
“Sure,” she replied, and the pair walked off toward the stairs.
…
With those few hours passed, Jack was walking through town, following the directions on the invitation. He’d been on his way for several minutes now, and he was starting to get close. Oh, and he wasn’t alone.
“Listen, Fi… don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not gonna follow me inside, are you?” he asked.
Fiona frowned, but didn’t immediately reply. Jack could tell something was bugging her a little; something had her wanting to stick close to him- more than just the desire to hang out a bit more. It was a protective response he recognized- and one he definitely appreciated, but…
“It’s just, I’m sure most of the people there would be pretty freaked out if I showed up with a pred, since they don’t know you and all,” he elaborated.
“Yeah, it’s fine, I get it,” Fiona replied, slightly unhappy but completely understanding.
Just like Jack, she was a little bummed about the change in plans, but after what happened yesterday, she was happy to go along with whatever Jack wanted just to make things up to him. Still, he was right in thinking that she had something else on her mind too. Yesterday he’d almost been digested by a member of her own family. And if she couldn’t even trust them with him, she wasn’t about to trust a mysterious letter. She was also going to make double sure that he was safe.
“I just want to make sure this whole thing isn’t some kind of trap,” she admitted.
“You …you really think the letter could be a set up?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to say anything to scare your mom, but… maybe.”
It sounded a little conspiratorial, sure, but her own predatory instincts told her to be wary. If she wanted to eat Jack- which she totally didn’t- but if she did, and she needed to lure him away somewhere private to do it, this would be a good way to go.
“Well… I guess that is a possibility, huh? Good thing you’re here then, thanks. …Maybe you should come inside… in case it is a trap. Better safe than sorry, right?”
Fiona smiled at the show of trust. She knew he was only really worried about the feelings of the other attendees, not really about her, but it did feel good to hear him show it.
They rounded a bend, entering the final leg of their trip, taking them to the very edge of town away from most other buildings, say for the house that sat prominently at the end of the path. But a few more paces forward and Fiona suddenly froze.
“Fi? What’s wrong?”
She was silent and still for a moment, all except for her nose, which began twitching furiously. Jack was about to reach out and shake her when she suddenly spoke.
“That’s definitely not a trap,” she stated firmly.
That smell. That mouthwatering, snout-stroking, stomach-stimulating smell. Marked prey, more than she’d ever smelled at once. If she hadn’t been so practiced at resisting it, she might have rushed right toward it. She couldn’t even focus hard enough to tell how many for fear that the faint waft of scent might take her away. There was no chance this could be a trap. No predator could wait inside there for long without scarfing down whatever tasty humans were giving off such delectable aromas. She couldn’t help but imagine what treats must be waiting inside that house, down at the end of the path.
Jack got a vague idea of her reasoning by the twitching of her snout and the look in her eye.
“…Well, that’s good news. Thanks for making sure… I guess you don’t need to come in after all?”
Fiona felt the overwhelming urge to blurt out any excuse to follow him in anyway, but she caught herself just in time- mildly startled by her own instincts, but with enough self-control that she at least kept it from showing. She took a quick second to compose herself and keep the drool from leaking from her muzzle. She did her best to swallow inconspicuously.
Maybe it’s better if I don’t go inside, she thought to herself.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ll see you when you get out, huh?” she said with a smile.
“Sure, see you then,” he replied, smiling back for a moment before turning to walk on.
Fiona let him get a few paces ahead before forcing herself to turn around and walk in the opposite direction, leaving all those enticing smells behind with her best friend.
…
*guuuurgle*
“Quiet!” Fiona growled to herself- or more specifically, to her belly.
As she walked down the path, she tried her best not to wonder curiously about what her friend might be up to; learning, hearing new stories, making new friends; back in that house at the end of the road, filled with marked humans, with their delectable scents, all calling out to her to come and fill her empty-
*guuuuuuurle*
“Ugh!”
She always made it a point not to mix thoughts of Jack with thoughts of food. After all, the two did not belong in the same category. But having him walk into that cloud of heavenly scent was practically the equivalent of him walking into a buffet. It’s not like it was him that was making her so hungry, he just happened to be surrounded by a smorgasbord of tasty, mouth-watering-
*grumble* *glorp*
She grumbled defeatedly to herself.
She couldn’t help it, she was hungry- and on top of that she was bored. She kept trying to focus on the scenery as she walked through the nearby park. It was a nice day, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping- she could always catch a few birds for herself. Ugh- see, that’s the problem. With nothing to think about, all she could think about was her stomach. And the only thing she wanted to think about- Jack’s mysterious meeting- only made her more hungry.
And it wasn’t just any hunger. The smell of those marked prey had left her with a craving. She wanted a nice big bulge in her belly, something that would wriggle, something she could sit back and digest for hours. She wanted a human. And the idea was becoming more and more appealing- even if only because it would get her mind off things.
She hadn’t planned to go hunting today, but her plans had already changed quite a bit. And those changes had left her right there, in a nice park, with some time to kill and an empty belly to fill. So finally Fiona decided she might as well take advantage of it. Plus, if she came back to get Jack with a full belly, she’d be much less tempted to snack on any new friends he might have made inside.
She sniffed the air searchingly, hoping she’d gotten far enough upwind not to pick up any scents from the house. She felt her belly instantly calm down, as if it knew she had finally decided to give in. With relief, she found she couldn’t smell any marked prey, but there definitely were humans around. So she kept walking, now following her nose. She felt her belly bubbling eagerly inside her, but it stayed quiet now, almost as if it knew that a stray sound might throw off her hunt and cost them their meal.
She first came across a couple, walking down the path towards her. They looked quite nervous when she eyed them, but she’d decided almost at once that they wouldn’t do. Two humans would mean a fight, and it was much more than she could eat anyway.
The next potential meal she found was a certified easy mark: a man laying out in the grass, under the sun, his eyes closed. She considered taking him; he was almost begging for it. But he was an adult, and that was a tall order for her belly. Sure, she could handle it, but it was a long walk home and she didn’t feel like lugging that much food around with her. Plus, a second thought told her that a man that relaxed was probably a decent mage. He might have even placed enchantments to protect himself.
Luckily her nose caught another scent, a particularly potent one. She followed it down a curving path which led through a small field and into some brush. The smell was coming from her left, but traveling closer, moving in her same direction. It was a female, working up a sweat- the most natural of seasonings.
A moment later, Fiona noticed another path up ahead coming in from the left to merge with hers, and down that path she caught a hint of movement. She stepped off the trail and dropped onto all fours, continuing low in the cover of greenery. As she moved, she caught peeks of her prey through gaps in the leaves.
It was a girl, about her age, jogging in shorts and a loose shirt. Her lack of fur made it easy for Fiona to see that she was a bit on the chubby side, jiggling slightly as she went. Of course that only served to make her an even more perfect meal for the hungry werewolf, who was more than happy to help her burn off that extra body fat.
Fiona got into position at the fork in the path and ran her tongue across her muzzle as her future meal came ever closer. She noted the size of the girl’s stride and counted the steps until she would be within pouncing distance.
Three, two, one…
“Aaaah!!”
Within a moment Fiona was on her feet, standing in the middle of the path, one hand on either of the girl’s arms, pinning them tight against her side, and holding her half a foot off the ground. The scream, of course, had come from the girl, but Fiona didn’t care. She had no more need for stealth now. She smiled hungrily as she examined her meal, her teeth showing, joy leaping up from inside her belly as she imagined just how full she would be, come the next few minutes.
Her smile parted, teeth separating, revealing a glimpse of her red, ravenous maw. But it didn’t spread into the wide, gaping abyss that would swallow her human whole. Not yet. Instead, from beyond the relatively small gap between her rows of teeth, slipped her supple, spongy tongue- out into the world. She was in no rush. She could take her time; savor her meal.
The girl in her hands, already breathing heavily, began to panic in earnest as the slick muscle approached her face. Fiona felt the touch of human skin against her taste buds and smiled around her tongue as she drew it up across her meal’s face. The girl screamed, obviously terrified that at any moment the werewolf’s muzzle might open wide and she’d be slipped inside along its slippery length. But the cry was muffled now. Fiona could feel it vibrating against her tongue, and it sent a tiny shiver down her spine which came to settle in her waiting belly.
Her saliva slicked the girl’s hair back, and she came away with the ever-satisfying taste of salt and flesh and that uniquely human tang. Slurping her tongue back inside, she swallowed the sample; a sound and sight that made her prey yelp and flinch in her grasp. She let out her breath- somehow both ravenous yet satisfied- which blew across the girl’s face.
A moment later the tiny mouthful of saliva landed in her belly like a match in oil; flaring up into that predatory gleam in her eyes. She was ready for her meal. Her throat and belly longed to stretch to their potential, her stomach yearned to work its own unique magic on her coveted food and give her the joy and satisfaction that that one little swallow had promised.
Fiona opened her jaws wide.
“No- no please!” The girl stared into the widening red maw, teeth gleaming in the sunlight, strands of saliva connecting pools that threatened to overflow and promised to coat her every inch for an unwelcome trip down the canine’s throat.
And then came the unmistakable sound of a muffled, wet splat. A sound any human could instinctively recognize, even though the only ones who hear it are those destined to never speak of it again. The sound of a hungry predator, shoving your head into their greedy maw.
The protests of the girl-turned-grub were loud but muffled in Fiona’s ears; they’d fade out once she worked her meal’s head down into her throat. The jogger started to kick, but the experienced werewolf held the human’s body away at an angle, where the feet could reach nothing but open air- something she wouldn’t be able to reach for long.
Prey secure, and reveling in her predatory instincts, Fiona took her first swallow.
*gulp*
Her meal gave its expected yelp and wriggle. They always did that on the first gulp; and many with every gulp after that. Her neck swelled, and with it came a delightful sensation that both satisfied her and yet spurred her on. She wanted that feeling all the way through her until it was packed tight inside her belly. So she swallowed again.
*GULP*
Though she knew she had time to savor her meal, her instincts and empty belly urged her powerfully onwards, driving her to larger swallows. The girl’s elbows slipped straight in past Fiona’s muzzle and straight down into her throat, the outline of her meal lurching promptly into her chest where it paused, held firm but fleetingly.
*GULP*
Fiona saw the feet of her prey kicking wildly in front of her, but they garnered hardly any attention. All the young predator’s interest was directed within, as the meaty chest slipped closer to her own, and the head finally teased at the entrance to her impatient stomach, hidden away within her own fur and flesh. Her stretching gullet filled her with delight, heightened further by every little wiggle her meal-in-progress managed to make in its tight embrace.
*GULP*!
The first push of a large meal into her stomach, always a highlight of her human experiences. Her belly only barely shifted, but the flowing fur concealed the firecracker of predatory sensation that erupted within. It was an indescribable feeling that was yet common to all preds, a pleasure not quite like anything else, gratifying and enticing and wild and hungry. Most humans barely had any time at all to get acquainted with their new accommodations before-
*GULP*
The jogger girl, now much closer to food than female, felt her hips enter the humid space at the precipice of the werewolf’s throat, though the feeling was largely overshadowed by the stomach walls cramming against her face as she was stuffed inside the acrid chamber, beginning to press a noticeable lump in Fiona’s gut.
The favor of gravity began to tip as her prey’s weight balanced on the slippery slope at the back of Fiona’s throat, her gullet’s tight grip holding her meal firm, but only for a short moment before there came another-
*GULP*!
Heavy and wet, the sound of skin slipping against saliva could be heard even beyond the confines of the werewolf’s body, as gravity helped along an already sizable swallow. Fiona’s belly suddenly doubled in size, her meal’s shorts disappearing down her throat, legs kicking wildly in the space they had left. Her prey’s heavily muffled protests hardly even registered.
The swell in her throat had peeked and the pleasure held firm as her attention now shifted mainly to her belly. Her throat wouldn’t be getting any bigger, but her stomach sure would be. She reveled in the anticipation, already knowing from plenty of experience the feelings that were to come.
*GULP*
Her belly lurched and expanded further, taking in another mouthful and ever-tightening its grip on her meal. Nothing but half the girl’s shoes were left protruding from her furry snout now. Fiona could finish it all with one last big gulp, but she held back. With so much of her meal finally inside her now, the driving urge to devour had waned- just slightly. Just enough that she could comfortably drag out these last few moments a little longer and truly savor the last bits of her meal before sending it along to her belly for good.
Almost on a whim, she reached up and grabbed the girl’s shoes, tugging them off rather gently one after the other- to more ignored, incomprehensible sounds from their previous owner. She could have swallowed them just as easily, but now she could do this.
*gulp*
A tiny, controlled swallow. It hardly brought any more of the girl’s figure into the werewolf’s belly, but it brought her ankles right up to the edge of Fiona’s throat. The girl was hers now, her body completely inside, just the tiniest squeeze away from her elated belly- already quite delighted with the sizable hunk of meat currently in its grasp. From the outside it now looked like nothing more than a pred and her meal; you couldn’t even see the human within, let alone tell that it was- had been- a girl.
But before sealing the moment, Fiona took the opportunity to carefully lift her tongue- not enough to swallow, but enough to run its slippery length against the souls of her prey’s feet. The reaction was just as exhilarating as she’d hoped. A round of rowdy, energetic wriggles, all down the length of her neck and into her gloriously distended belly. If she’d been a neko she would have purred. She kept it going for several seconds until the pleasure caused her to lose focus and her meals own movements triggered and almost involuntary, final-
*gulp*
Fiona sighed in deep satisfaction as she felt her meal slide its way down her throat, closing up behind them, and packing them away finally, completely, incontrovertibly inside her belly. She stood there for a moment, feeling the glorious wriggles of her fresh feast adjusting to its new home. As the flame of predatory pleasure receded to a steady, flickering warmth within her, she again began to feel the warm sun on her fur, and hear the birds singing in the trees.
*guuurgle* *glurk* went her happy belly.
She could have just kept standing there, content, but she had an even better idea in mind. Her meal complete, she turned and started lazily back up the path she had followed, continuing along until she reached a familiar patch of open field, where lay an adult human- still uneaten and with his eyes closed.
Casually, Fiona walked out into the field and- taking after his example- laid herself and her belly down in the grass and the sunshine- at a respectful distance, of course. She closed her eyes and relaxed, taking in the day, and casually wondered how long she should wait before going back to that house to check on Jack.
Despite the change of plans, the day had turned out pretty well after all.