FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Apologies for this taking longer than expected - this is a big chapter of the story and I ended up having to split into two parts - and even this part is three times longer than most of the other chapters!

As always, comments mean more to me than any 4- or 5-star rating. I love to hear what you guys think about where the story's going. Enjoy!

_ - HP_

"I'm a little uncomfortable about this, Michael," said Tommy's mother on the car ride to the state park where the gathering was being held. "I mean, it's fine that Thomas will finally be able to meet other people like him, but what about us? We're going to stick out like sore thumbs."

"I feel nervous about this too, Helen, but we don't have much of a choice right now," Mr. Ainge replied. "Thomas needs to learn how to control himself. We obviously didn't do a good enough job teaching him. At least now we know there's a community out there that we can go to for help."

"But there's going to be so many of them tonight. Who knows if they'll just decide while they're out running wild that we look like a snack to them?"

"Helen, don't be ridiculous. If there was any chance of that, we wouldn't have been invited."

"You're being awfully trusting of them, Michael."

"And you're being awfully paranoid." Mr. Ainge turned on the car radio for a while, neutralizing the argument.

Tommy, for his part, sat quietly in the back seat of the car, listening to his Walkman, watching as the highway and its surroundings began to take on a late afternoon glow. The past few days had been difficult - even though Ryan had been let into his circle of friends, his own feelings for the younger boy had chilled considerably. He couldn't fathom how the others were so willing to treat Ryan like one of their own, when just days ago they were treating him like a leper. Ryan was still staying in character himself, acting like a weirdo in front of everyone else. Tommy hadn't yet revealed to anyone else in the pack that it was an act - he didn't want to put everyone any more on the edge than they already were.

The car pulled into the entrance to the park. They stopped at the ranger station to check in - even from inside the car, Tommy could sense the ranger's aura - and made their way deeper and deeper into the forest. After a 15-minute drive through the winding paths of the forest, the Ainge family pulled into a large campsite.

Tommy's stuck his head out of the window, marveling at the scene. Dozens of people - mostly men - were milling about, setting up lawn chairs, lanterns, horseshoe stakes, drink coolers, and a multitude of barbecue grills. It was almost like a family campout - except, he noticed, for the conspicuous lack of tents and sleeping bags. Tommy could feel the aura of everyone around him, practically singing out to him to join them, and if his dad hadn't kept the car doors locked he probably would've jumped out while it was still rolling. Even in their human forms, Tommy could sense that these were all kindred spirits, fellow werewolves who'd been through the same changes he'd undergone over the past few months, and he was eager to meet them all. When the car finally came to a stop, Tommy leaped out of his seat, exited the car, and dashed into the clearing, breathing it all in.

"This is incredible!!" Tommy shouted, spinning around to gather in all the sights.

The noise and the running alerted the others in the pack to Tommy's presence, and they all turned around to see the 12-year-old boy for the first time. "Hey, he's here!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Almost immediately, the twenty or so pack members who were nearby came up to Tommy, giving him what felt like a hero's welcome. The greetings were simultaneous.

"Nice to meet you, Tommy!"

"Glad you could make it!"

"Welcome to the pack, Tommy!"

"Great to have you with us!"

"Thanks for joining us tonight!"

When Tommy's parents finally caught up to the mob, his father laughed. "Looks like you're the guest of honor tonight, Tommy."

"Hey, you made it!"

Tommy and his parents turned to see Anthony and Justin, latecomers to the welcome wagon but no less pleased to see them. "Welcome to the gathering, guys," Anthony said as he shook Michael's hand. "Glad you were able to join us."

"It's our pleasure," Michael replied. "We hope we're not too much of an intrusion."

"Oh, nonsense. You're just as welcome to our gatherings as Tommy is. Although if you do feel uncomfortable, you can always just drop him off here and then pick him up in the morning. Things do get a little 'hairy' up here."

"Oh?" Mrs. Ainge piped up.

"Nothing too dangerous of course," Mr. Grey explained. "But one of the reasons we have these gatherings is because it gives the wolf side of us something to do. There are some elements of werewolf society that humans might consider a little out of the ordinary; that's why we usually don't invite humans to these things. You may want to stick around for this one at least, though. You should learn about the lore too for your son's sake."

"What's all this about 'lore', anyway?" Mr. Ainge asked.

"Lore is just the catch-all term for the history, sociology, and biology of the werewolf race. It's something that's passed down from generation to generation, always spoken, never written down. Tommy has a lot of catching up to do in that regard, and it would help him immensely if you heard some of it too."

"We don't have any plans for tomorrow, so I guess we can stick around for the night. Right, Helen?" Mr. Ainge elbowed his wife in the ribs.

"I guess," Mrs. Ainge sighed in resignation. "But I'm still a bit nervous about what's going to happen tonight. I mean, you're not going to want us to turn into werewolves too, are you?"

"Helen!" Mr. Ainge tutted.

"Hey, I like being human. No offense."

"None taken," Mr. Grey said back. "Turning a human is a pretty serious matter in our world. Our existence depends on secrecy, so creating new werewolves just for its own sake makes for a lot of loose ends that don't help us with that at all. That said..." Anthony gave Tommy's father a meaningful look. "If someone is willing to learn the lore, and they bring something useful to the pack... there's no hard and fast rule that doesn't allow it."

Tommy looked up at his dad, wondering if he would actually be willing to go through what he's done.

"But right now, I'd advise against it," Mr. Grey continued. "Like I said a few days ago, the best protection you can provide for Tommy is the fact that you're both human. If you give that up, you're just as much of a target for Linus as your son is."

Michael nodded. "Understood."

"Right now, I suggest you acquaint yourself with as many members of the pack as you can. Moonrise is in a little more than an hour, and by then you're not going to have much luck engaging in a conversation with anyone. Oh, and Tommy?"

"Yes, Mr. Grey?" Tommy answered.

"Justin has a little present for you. Go find him and get it before moonrise; it'll be a big help."

His curiosity piqued, Tommy took off in search of his friend.

As he wandered through the campsite, Tommy couldn't help but take everything in: the smells and sounds of a wolf's natural habitat were intoxicating to him. He met other pack members that hadn't said hi to him when he first arrived; they were equally cordial and remarkably excited to see him. He began to wonder how much of a celebrity he'd become in just a few short days, but remembered how unusual his story was. Not long after, he caught the smell of his friend Justin, and in following it happened upon the Junior Alpha and the other boys, hanging out near a sycamore tree. Justin clearly noticed his scent too, and turned around to meet him.

"Hey, Tommy Boy!" Justin said cheerfully.

"Hey guys!" Tommy said back. "I'm finally here!"

"Yeah, seriously," Andy said sarcastically. "We all wondered when you were finally gonna show up to one of these things."

Tommy brushed off the remark and looked over at Justin. "Your dad said you had something for me."

"Yeah, we do. But first, you need to do something for us."

"OK, what is it?"

"You've gotta take off your pants and your underwear."

"What??" Tommy yelped. "Screw you guys! I'm not taking off my clothes in front of all of you!"

"Tommy, don't worry about it," Travis chided. "It's not like we're doing this to see you naked or anything."

If only you guys knew... Tommy thought.

Not wanting to waste any time, Justin reached into a plastic bag and pulled out a pair of athletic shorts, tossing them at Tommy. "Here, OK? This is why you need to take your pants off."

Tommy inspected the shorts. They looked like an ordinary pair of shorts, the kind someone might wear while playing basketball. It wasn't until he checked out the backside that things finally made sense. Halfway down the rear of the garment was an opening sealed with velcro. He pulled it apart, stuck his finger through it, and worked out its purpose.

"Now you won't have to pull your pants halfway down whenever you change," Justin instructed. "Just make sure you leave it open before you change so your tail can slip right through. And you're gonna wanna go commando during a full moon, too."

"What about the rest of my clothes?" Tommy asked.

"Your shoes and socks should be off to keep from tearing into them," Justin explained. "The kids usually leave a shirt on, but you probably know how itchy it can get when you're wearing a shirt. Most of the adults only wear the tailshorts - if they wear anything at all."

"You mean...?"

"Think about it, Tommy," Andy said. "Wolves don't wear clothes, so why should we? Most of the stuff we wear would get torn to shreds if we left it on anyway."

Tommy chuckled. "Mom and Dad are gonna freak out when they see everyone running around naked."

"Nah, my dad's told everyone to leave some clothes on tonight, just so your parents don't get too creeped out." Justin paused for a moment, then got an impatient look on his face. "Well, what are you waiting for? Put the shorts on!"

Sheepishly, Tommy began to undo his fly. With that out of the way, he slowly pulled both his jeans and his briefs down together. Before Ryan had ever entered the picture, Justin had been the inspiration behind Tommy's self-abuse, and now here he was stripping right in front of him. He might have gotten a boner from it all if he wasn't so embarrassed. Thankfully, none of the guys there reacted all that much to Tommy being naked below the waist. He awkwardly bent down, trying to keep both his rear end and his groin concealed, as he snatched the tailshorts back off the ground and slipped them on.

Jose giggled. "Man, you're gonna be in for some big surprises tonight the way you're acting right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked, annoyed.

"Don't worry about him," Justin explained. "It's just funny how you're trying to keep yourself covered up. Trust me - by the third or fourth gathering you go to, you won't care who you strip in front of."

The shorts gripped Tommy's waist loosely, like a pair of swim trunks. "Feels kinda nice."

"You'll get used to them after a while." Justin gave Tommy a somewhat sinister grin. "Just don't get too attached to them."

The boys made their way back to the main site, where the lanterns had been lit up, offsetting the twilight that was beginning to engulf the clearing. Almost a dozen charcoal grills had already been fired up, coolers full of steaks, burgers, and chicken sitting beside each of them, waiting to be cooked. The buzzing of activity that was going on when Tommy and his family first arrived had dimished considerably, with everyone now branching off in different directions, finding their own personal space to transform in peace. Tommy rejoined his parents, still talking with Mr. Grey at the time, to show off his new clothes.

"I never thought of that," Tommy's mother mused, noticing the velcro in the back. "I guess I should do this for all of Tommy's clothes?"

"That's not necessary," Mr. Grey replied. "He's not gonna need more than two or three pairs of shorts like that to get by. Obviously, he's not going to be wearing things like this to school."

"Yeah, I think our son has gotten all of his schooltime accidents out of the way," Mr. Ainge joked. "Isn't that right, Thomas?"

Tommy nodded meekly, thinking back to what caused all of the drama from the past week.

"Guys, moonrise is in about 10 minutes," Mr. Grey said. "While you are more than welcome to join us for the night to learn more about our culture - in fact, I encourage you to do so - the transformation is something that you may not want to have happening around you. If you'd like, you can wait in the car until we're ready to gather."

"And when will that be?" Mr. Ainge asked.

"Oh, don't worry," the alpha replied. "You'll know."

"All right. I guess the next time we see you, Thomas, you'll be all furry again." Michael crouched down to make eye contact with his son, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You be careful tonight, all right? Stay close to the other boys. You don't know this area as well as they do, and I don't want you getting lost."

"Sure, dad," Tommy said compliantly.

"Good. Your mom and I will be in the car. Good luck." Tommy's father gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, echoed soon after by his mother. As the two of them walked back to the car, Tommy looked up at the alpha.

"Mr. Grey, why haven't I see Justin's mom anywhere?" Tommy asked.

Anthony looked back at Tommy with a degree of shock. "Where did that come from?"

"I was just curious. I thought I'd get to meet her tonight too."

Mr. Grey sighed. "Sadly, she's no longer with us. She died not long after Justin was born."

"Was she... killed?"

Mr. Grey could only look silently at Tommy for several seconds before nodding slowly. "She was."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, that's all right," the alpha interrupted. "It's important for you to know what happened, because it's one of the reasons keeping the secret is so important. Paladins don't care if you're a man or woman, an adult or a child. In the eyes of a Paladin, every werewolf is a monster." Mr. Grey looked at his watch, and quickly slipped it off his wrist. "It's almost time. You stay here; I'll find my own place to change." With that, the alpha walked away, leaving Tommy alone, in the middle of the campsite, looking up at an increasingly dark sky.

Tommy's mind flashed back to the first few times he'd changed. How it frightened him, then excited him, then frightened him again when his parents found out. Being alone for so long with a power that he couldn't explain or control. Finding a friend in Ryan, then having it ripped away from him when he learned that Ryan's father was a Paladin. And now, finally, there were others like him, people who he could share this with, who accepted him for who he was. As he gazed at the emerging stars in the sky, Tommy inhaled deeply through his nostrils, revelling in a sense of smell that was relaying almost as much information to him now as his sense of sight once did.

It was his first time experiencing the transformation outdoors. He almost wanted to just change on his own and not wait for the moon to finally trigger it, but for some reason he felt the wolf inside him resisting, not wanting to reveal itself until the time was right. He waited impatiently for what was about to happen. The minutes passed anxiously, with Tommy hoping to feel any indication that he was about to unleash his true form to the world - and it took him completely off-guard when it did begin. Nothing, nothing, nothing, then suddenly the biggest rush of energy he'd ever felt in his life. The magnitude was so great, he couldn't help but double over, grunting in surprise.

It wasn't pain. Not pain, just total intensity, flowing through every vessel of his body. He felt like a supersonic jet taking off. It was the same metamorphosis he'd undergone countless times already, but being outside, being in the open, being surrounded by others going through the same transformation, amplified and multiplied the sensations he was feeling a hundredfold. With no worries about who would hear or see what was happening, the wolf inside of him was free to vocalize, to grunt and snarl and bark and moan with impunity. Fur billowed out across his body, and it felt magnificent. Claws thickened out on his fingers, and it made him squeal with pleasure. The tail spilled out of his backside, poking out the hole of his tailshorts just like his friends said, and it was glorious. His feet were free to contort and stretch into digitigrade form, and it tickled like nothing before. If he had a mirror, he'd be able to see that the stinging sensation in his eyes was a side-effect of them turning from green to gold for the first time. And then, his favorite part of the change, that moment when his skull and teeth crack and snap, his muzzle slowly, ever so slowly growing out of an ordinary human face, teeth becoming fangs, tongue elongating, ears curling up and peeling back on his head. His boyish prick was already stiff in the middle of all this, so when his sheath began to construct itself his length stayed out, acquiring the delicate taper at the end, the engorged knot at the base, and the delicious cherry-red color that spread across all six and a half inches. When the tip of his lupine cock poked up out of the waistband of his shorts, the brushing of the elastic against his tip sent him flying over the edge, and as white ribbons of gooey, sticky semen rocketed out in front of him, Tommy fell on all fours, arched his neck up to the sky, and howled thunderously in declaration of his true self.

His howl was soon joined by another, from what sounded like a quarter-mile away. Then another, and another. One by one, the pack announced themselves to all within earshot. As Tommy caught his breath and regained his wits, he wondered if the other werewolves went through the same sensations he did. That would explain why nobody wears any clothes, he thought to himself.

It wasn't long before they all started to return to the site. Every single one of them in lupine form. Some had shaggy, tan hair that looked like it was in desperate need of grooming; others had short, tight fur coats of brown and grey. Some with long, pointed muzzles; others with short, stubby ones. It was as varied as any group of humans, but with more features to play with. Then two figures emerged from the darkness who had nothing in common with the rest of them. It wasn't until they got within 50 feet of him that his mind finally came out of the clouds and realized that his parents were coming to meet him again.

"How're you feeling?" Tommy's father asked.

"Are you kidding?" Tommy replied loudly. "I've never felt so amazing in my whole life!"

His dad looked over at the puddle and streaks that hadn't dried yet a few feet away. "I can see that."

Moments later, a wolf with midnight-black fur and a clear air of authority walked into the middle of the clearing, commanding the attention of the other wolves. "I hereby call this gathering to order, and I welcome the newest members to our pack." Mr. Grey then looked at Tommy and his parents, and presented them with open arms. "Michael, Tommy, and Helen Ainge: I welcome you all to our pack. Even though two of you are human, you have proven yourselves to be friends of our kind by accepting your son's true nature and protecting him from those who may threaten him. Tonight, you will begin to learn the werewolf lore ; the teachings necessary to ensure that you and your son know what you must know, to keep the secret intact, and to keep him safe. As the alpha of this pack, I bestow honorary werewolf status to you both, and all the privileges and benefits associated with being a member of our pack."

Tommy's parents may have expected a more animalistc response to the decree, but instead they were met with a very human reaction - a round of applause from the other wolves. Mr. Ainge waved in acknowledgement as Mrs. Ainge managed a nervous smile.

Anthony's tone became much more informal after that. "All right guys, let's get some meat on the grill!" That command was met with a huge cheer.

The barbecue feast that Tommy and his parents enjoyed was heavy on the meat and light on everything else. Bread, salad, and mashed potatoes were available, but they seemed to be there only for the humans in attendance as most of the wolves were practically in competition to see how many pounds of beef and chicken they could hork down. Once all the food had been devoured, everyone gathered around the bonfire that had been built, as the alpha took his place in front of the fire to deliver his sermon for the night.

"I want to start by recognizing our human guests again," Anthony began. "For most of us, we take our werewolf heritage for granted. Even those of us who've entered our ranks by misfortune did so as an adult, and were able to seek out others like us by sensing our auras, and were brought into the pack in that way. But imagine being someone like Tommy here, beginning to manifest, feeling totally different from everyone else, sensing auras but not knowing what they mean, and having no knowledge of how lycanthropy works. And imagine being a couple, adopting a child not knowing what he is, then discovering one night that your son is the stuff of myth and fairy tales. It still fascinates me to think that after he discovered Tommy was a werewolf, his dad would actually take him into the garage each night and teach him how to control the change, how to speak in wolf form, and all the things that we know almost innately. Now, he had no idea what he was doing -" several in audience chuckled at the line "- but he put forth an effort I never expected to see from a human, even one with the aura. So to both of you, I just want to tell you that we all appreciate just how willing you were to help your son out in such a difficult time."

Another round of applause came.

"Tonight's lore is something that all of us in the pack know very well, but it's important for those being brought into the pack to know. It's a story of our existence, our history, and our resilience in a world where others have faltered.

"Nobody knows exactly when or how the existence of werewolves began. Some theorize that it was a curse brought down by God against those who laid with animals. Others believe that it was a byproduct of the Greek gods, turning humans into wolves as punishment or mere trickery. Others still think that werewolves grew and adapted alongside humanity, a separate branch in the winding tree of evolution. But there is one thing that we do know: in the beginning, werewolves were every bit the bloodthirsty monsters as they are portrayed today in fiction. Even during an age when men hunted and killed for survival, werewolves were especially savage. But as civilization began to spread, and once nomadic tribes began to settle in across the world, the brutality of the werewolf race was considered a scourge on the planet.

"Werewolves in those eras often remained in their lupine forms for days at a time - and indeed, the only difference between a wolf and a werewolf 10,000 years ago was its size. It wasn't until Alexander the Great began consolidating the Holy Roman Empire that werewolves realized that their savagery would be a road to extinction.

"And so, much like any other species that is under constant threat, we evolved. The werewolves who were better able to control their forms, control their changes, and most importantly control their human behavior were the ones who would integrate with society, while the more barbaric of our kind saw their packs decimated. Natural selection had taken its course, and by the Restoration, our kind had learned to blend in with the rest of humanity enough to no longer live in perpetual fear. But still, we resolved to keep our existence a secret to the rest of the world. As the Salem Witch Trials, the internment camps of World War II, and the Red Scare have taught us, all the world needs is a perceived enemy and the persecution will start up all over again.

"That is why these gatherings exist. It is the only way we have to teach our young ones how to harness their lycanthropy, and the only was we can pass news from one pack to the next. Nothing is ever written down or recorded; paper doesn't know who's reading it, and videotapes don't know who's watching them. The lore I am giving you all is the same lore you will give to your children, and the same lore they will give to theirs. It is these teachings that have kept our kind alive and self-sustaining for thousands of years."

Mr. Grey then turned his attention to the Ainges, addressing them directly.

"There is another purpose for these gatherings beyond just passing the lore on to others. It is also to give the wolves inside of us the rare opportunity to be free. Nothing that we do should be considered evil, or wrong; it is simply our nature. And while we mean no harm to any humans, we understand that some of our activities would be frowned upon by human civilization. Because lycanthropy is transmitted sexually as well as through traditional means such as by tooth or claw, we use these gatherings as a chance to commune with each other in ways that we cannot do with normal humans without infecting them. If this makes you at all uncomfortable, we understand, and you are under no obligation to take part. One of our pack members has a trailer that you can spend the night in while we engage in our animalistic urges. But do not shelter your son from his true nature. Our animal and human sides exist in harmony, precisely because we afford our wolf forms the chance to be free on these occasions. To stifle those urges would be like shaking up a bottle of soda - sooner or later, the pressure gives way, and the result is a lot messier than it would've been to let the air out naturally."

Tommy's parents gave each other an unsure look. Even Tommy's father, who'd been supportive of the whole thing up to this point, looked uneasy about what the alpha was describing. "Mr. Grey," Michael said sheepishly. "I understand your reasoning, but Thomas is still only 12 years old. He's too young to be..."

"Mr. Ainge," the alpha said sternly. "Your son is safe in our care. He will never be forced to engage in anything that he doesn't want. Justin and I will see to that. Much like in human society, there are very strict rules within our lore that forbid anyone from being used against their will - especially the young ones. That said, I do encourage your son to take advantage of what tonight gives him the chance to do. This will help keep his desires at bay during the rest of the month..." Mr. Grey looked straight at Tommy to deliver the final line. "And considering the circumstances, we need to make sure he doesn't act out with anyone else."

Mr. Ainge sighed plaintively. It was clear that he wasn't fully on board with what the alpha was describing. But with several dozen other werewolves sitting around the bonfire, all of whom had been brought up this way, it wasn't his place to tell them otherwise. Instead, he looked over at his son. "Can you do me a favor, Thomas?"

Tommy looked up at his dad.

"Whatever you do tonight... don't tell us about it."

Several knowing chuckles came from the pack.

"All right then," Mr. Grey announced. "This gathering is adjourned. Enjoy the night, everyone."

Tommy watched as all of the wolves darted off in all directions. There was no telling what they'd be doing for the rest of the night, even though he had a few guesses based on what the alpha was saying in his speech. Before he could do anything on his own, though, he felt an arm grabbing him and pulling him away from the bonfire. He was taken about a quarter-mile away, to a field of trees shielded from the moonlight.

Without the fire nearby, Tommy's eyes needed time to adjust to the darkness. Fortunately, he soon learned that his wolf form possessed a fairly decent form of night vision. And whatever information his sense of sight couldn't give him, his sense of smell was more than capable of providing. Once he and his apparent abductor finally stopped for a moment, Tommy looked and saw Justin, the junior alpha of the pack.

"So, Tommy Boy..." Justin said in a raspy voice, "you ready for your first night?"