{"id":380,"date":"2014-10-29T22:21:59","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T05:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=380"},"modified":"2014-10-29T22:26:47","modified_gmt":"2014-10-30T05:26:47","slug":"hunters-moon-ch-03-tf-f-werebat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=380","title":{"rendered":"Hunter’s Moon Ch. 03 [TF \/ F \/ Werebat]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of 4. \u00a0Heather begins to change as night approaches.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Heather,” Teri whispered.\u00a0 “Are you awake?”<\/p>\n

Bright morning light peeked around the edge of the thick, red curtains of their east-facing window.\u00a0 Heather groaned as her eyes fluttered open.\u00a0 Her body felt heavily and useless, as if she were buried under the thick, old quilt.\u00a0 Her freckles stood out in harsh contrast against her pale skin.<\/p>\n

“It’s almost noon, Heather,” Teri continued to whisper.\u00a0 “I’ve already had breakfast and explored the town a bit.\u00a0 Do you still not want to get up?”<\/p>\n

Still?<\/em> Heather thought wearily.\u00a0 Speaking seemed to take too much effort.\u00a0 But I’m just now waking up.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I think we should just stay here today.\u00a0 And maybe I should have the doctor come over and take a look.\u00a0 Just to make sure you’re okay.\u00a0 You look a little off.”<\/p>\n

“No,” Heather said softly.\u00a0 The young woman willed strength into her body and she slowly sat up.\u00a0 It took an enormous effort to move and she found herself breathing heavily while she lay against the wall with her eyes closed.\u00a0 “Just.\u00a0\u00a0 Just give me.\u00a0 A second.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

“I dunno, Heather.\u00a0 You look like death warmed over.\u00a0 Look, I’ll just talk to Elena and she’ll call the doctor.\u00a0 He’ll just-”<\/p>\n

“No,” Heather said firmly.\u00a0 Her eyes opened and Teri slumped in front of her.<\/p>\n

“Okay.\u00a0 Heather,” Teri replied.\u00a0 Her voice and expression were far away.<\/p>\n

“I said we’ll go to the castle and I meant it.\u00a0 I’m fine,” the young woman growled.\u00a0 Her head throbbed as she forced herself awake.<\/p>\n

“Yes.\u00a0 We’ll go,” Teri answered.\u00a0 “You’re fine.”<\/p>\n

“Just go ahead and get your stuff ready and I’ll finish wake up.”<\/p>\n

Without a word, Teri went to her bed and began packing.\u00a0 Her movements and mannerisms were mechanical.\u00a0 Heather closed her eyes briefly and then forced her legs out from under the blanket to stand.\u00a0 Everything seemed too bright and the air itself felt heavy against her body.\u00a0 She turned from the window to pack her things, barely holding back yawns while she did.\u00a0 When was the last time I slept so late?\u00a0 And still felt so tired? <\/em>the young woman wondered.\u00a0 She felt slow and dumb and wanted to crawl back into bed.\u00a0 The only thing keeping her going was the thought of how sad Teri would be if she missed going to the castle.<\/p>\n

Heather turned and found Teri sitting quietly on her bed.\u00a0 Her bag was packed and the young woman stared at a small spot a few inches from Heather’s head.\u00a0 Slowly, the small woman blinked and her personality seemed to flood back into her.\u00a0 Teri shook her head and then stretched.<\/p>\n

“Oh!” Teri said.\u00a0 “You’re almost packed.\u00a0 Wow, I’m out of it; I didn’t even notice you getting up.”<\/p>\n

Heather stared curiously at her friend.\u00a0 “Yeah.\u00a0 I’m tired but hungry and I’d like to get going.\u00a0 I know how excited you are.”<\/p>\n

Teri smiled.\u00a0 “Lunch is some fancy sandwiches.\u00a0 And potatoes with gravy.\u00a0 And steamed carrots, I think?”<\/p>\n

“That sounds really good,” Heather said.\u00a0 Her stomach grumbled in agreement.\u00a0 “We’ll come back up for our bags afterwards.\u00a0 I’m starving.”<\/p>\n

When Heather stepped onto the landing at the bottom of the stairs, every single person turned to stare at her briefly.\u00a0 Heather shivered.\u00a0 They’d all turned as if they were one person and their eyes seemed dead.\u00a0 One by one, they blinked and turned back to their conversations.\u00a0 Heather picked a spot far away from everyone else, unnerved by their stares.<\/p>\n

“I’ll get some food for us,” Teri told her friend.\u00a0 “Just wait here.”<\/p>\n

Heather nodded.\u00a0 She caught herself glancing around the room.\u00a0 As more people came downstairs, she noticed they chose seats far away from her.\u00a0 It seemed subconscious and possibly meant nothing at all but families sat directly next to other families and single women chose to willingly sit next to other men.\u00a0 A bubble of empty seats fanned out in front of her.\u00a0 Heather chastised herself for her paranoia as Teri walked back from the kitchen with two large plates of food.<\/p>\n

“Oh, thank god,” Heather said.\u00a0 The young woman ate quickly, tearing into her sandwich before touching her vegetables.\u00a0 Some of her strength returned but, despite the late wake-up and food, she still felt tired.<\/p>\n

“I wish I could’ve afforded to come in the summer,” Teri said.\u00a0 “You’re positively glowing with paleness.\u00a0 I think your red hair is slowly leeching all the color out of your body is what’s happening.\u00a0 When you’re all old…. well, older, you’re going to have translucent skin and really, really red hair.”<\/p>\n

“Meh,” Heather said, waving her fork.\u00a0 “It’s a curse.\u00a0 Red hair, pale skin.\u00a0 Something something milkshake, something something yard.\u00a0 Also, thank you for not wearing your Team Edward shirt.”<\/p>\n

Teri blushed.\u00a0 “I left it at home.\u00a0 I almost brought it but I thought I’d look stupid wearing it.”<\/p>\n

“Well, not stupid,” Heather said.\u00a0 “Overly enthusiastic fangirl with a hard-on for vampires, maybe.\u00a0 Still, I totally thought I’d have to find it and hide it from you.\u00a0 So, thank you.”<\/p>\n

“Yeah,” Teri grinned.\u00a0 “You owe me.”<\/p>\n

“I’ll go pay if you’ll get our stuff.\u00a0 Deal?”<\/p>\n

“Deal,” Teri said brightly.<\/p>\n

Heather stood from the table.\u00a0 Every single conversation ended as she stood.\u00a0 The young woman looked at the other end of the room but everyone seemed focus on their food.\u00a0 She rolled her shoulders and made her way to Elena.<\/p>\n

“Hello again,” Heather said.\u00a0 “I’m here to-\u00a0 are you all right?”<\/p>\n

Elena’s smiled faded as Heather approached and something like fear hid behind her eyes.\u00a0 “What?\u00a0 Oh, yes.\u00a0 Yes, I’m fine.\u00a0 Just a bit under the weather at the moment.\u00a0 I’ll take your card.”<\/p>\n

The older woman’s hand trembled as she held it out.\u00a0 Heather gave her the Visa card and watched as the older woman fumbled trying to run it.\u00a0 It took four times until Elena was able to slide the card through the reader next to her outdated computer.\u00a0 She laughed nervously at herself and handed the card back.<\/p>\n

“Are you both well this morning?” the older woman asked.\u00a0 Her eyes darted around the room.\u00a0 “You slept in late this morning, I noticed.”<\/p>\n

“Yes,” Heather said slowly.\u00a0 “Just tired.\u00a0 Still tired.\u00a0 Are you sure everything is okay?”\u00a0 She could hear and feel her heart thrumming through her forehead.\u00a0 Slowly and surely it beat.\u00a0 The sound was almost distracting.<\/p>\n

“Hmm?”\u00a0 The old woman had taken two steps back while they talked.\u00a0 “I’m fine, dear.\u00a0 I hope you both enjoyed your stay.\u00a0 Please don’t forget to leave a good review for us when you make it back to the States.”<\/p>\n

“Sure,” Heather said.\u00a0 She heard a thump behind her and turned to see Teri struggling with their suitcases.<\/p>\n

“I’ll call Mikhail for you.\u00a0 Your friend spoke to him earlier and he’s agreed to give you both a ride.\u00a0 He’s a very nice man and you’ll be safe with him.”<\/p>\n

“Thank you again,” Heather said.\u00a0 “For everything.\u00a0 Take care, Elena.”<\/p>\n

The older woman smiled absently and quickly stepped away.\u00a0 She held her right hand tightly in her left but both shook noticeably.\u00a0 Heather frowned before turning to help Teri.\u00a0 Beneath her coat and between her shoulder blades, fine red hairs sprouted in a faint line up to her neck and grew even more faintly across her shoulders.\u00a0 Her ears twitched and swiveled minutely.<\/p>\n

“… who … that…” someone whispered directly in her ear.\u00a0 Heather turned quickly, sure that someone was standing at her side.\u00a0 Her heart leaped in her chest.\u00a0 The thrumming increased and, mixed in with the sound were fragments of whispered words, too low to make out.<\/p>\n

“Ready?” Teri asked loudly.<\/p>\n

“Y- yeah,” Heather answered.\u00a0 “Let’s go.”<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

Heather bit back a curse as she stepped outside.\u00a0 The air was cool but the sun was bright and it knifed through her head.\u00a0 “Jesus, that’s bright.\u00a0 Fuck.”<\/p>\n

The air grew heavy around Heather, pulling her down.\u00a0 The young woman sagged against the front of the inn while she covered her eyes.\u00a0 The dull thudding of her heartbeat was lessened, replaced by icepicks stabbing through her forehead.<\/p>\n

“Hey,” Teri said, her voice full of concern.\u00a0 “You sure you’re okay?\u00a0 Isn’t light sensitivity a sign of a concussion?”<\/p>\n

“I’m fine,” Heather hissed.\u00a0 “Just inside too long or something.\u00a0 I’ll be fine once my eyes adjust.”\u00a0 Beads of sweat broke out along her hairline as a wave of faint nausea rolled through her body.<\/p>\n

“Well, our ride’s here.\u00a0 If you’re not feeling better before the castle, we’re going to stop and find a doctor.”\u00a0 Teri opened the door for Heather and the young woman quickly stepped into the car.\u00a0 The side windows were tinted and Heather’s relief was immediate.\u00a0 Teri loaded their bags into the trunk of the car while her friend huddled against the car’s door, eyes closed against the light coming through the windshield.<\/p>\n

Heather slept fitfully in the back of the car.\u00a0 She found it difficult to rest as she alternated between being feverish and too cold.\u00a0 The line of red hairs continued growing down her back, small red hairs lifting along her spine until they reached the small of her back.\u00a0 Her tailbone reshaped deep within her body and a single new bone formed, pushing against the skin about her ass.\u00a0 The skin moved slightly, back and forth before settling.\u00a0 The young woman’s hips swelled almost imperceptibly against her jeans, adapting to the changes happening within her body.<\/p>\n

Teri gently touched Heather’s shoulder.\u00a0 Heather groaned and opened her eyes.\u00a0 Teri sucked in her breath and drew back.<\/p>\n

Heather’s normally pale blue eyes were fully black.<\/p>\n

“Teri?” Heather asked sleepily.\u00a0 She blinked twice rapidly and the blackness faded, drawn to the center of her eyes.\u00a0 “Are we there?”<\/p>\n

“Y- yeah,” Teri answered, shaken from what she’d seen. Impossible,<\/em> she told herself.\u00a0 Your eyes are just playing tricks on you is all.<\/em>\u00a0 “How are you feeling?”<\/p>\n

Heather stretched with a high pitched squeak.\u00a0 “Better, actually.\u00a0 Still tired and a little out of it but better than this morning.”<\/p>\n

“All right.\u00a0 Mikhail is going to wait here for us so we can leave our bags.\u00a0 He’s our ride over to our room after this.\u00a0 I got us booked at, oh my gosh, ready?\u00a0 Transilvanian Inn!\u00a0 How awesome is that?”<\/p>\n

“Hah,” Heather said weakly.\u00a0 “Of course you did.”\u00a0 The young woman hissed as she stepped out of the car.\u00a0 The sun hung full and heavy and impossibly hard to look at.\u00a0 Just before she’d turned away, Heather was almost certain that it’d been a dark reddish; an open wound in the sky.\u00a0 She quickly stepped into a shadow provided by the imposing castle.\u00a0 Teri chattered around her, squealing in delight at various parts of the landscape and the castle itself.<\/p>\n

A crowd gathered as the next tour time grew close.\u00a0 Heather found herself again glancing around.\u00a0 She felt sure<\/em><\/strong> that everyone was watching her.\u00a0 Staring at her.\u00a0 Slowly, she found herself drawing away from the crowd.\u00a0 The slow thud of her heartbeat had begun again and she hadn’t noticed it’d stopped back at the inn.\u00a0 Heather swallowed.\u00a0 Did I drink anything at the inn?\u00a0 I can’t remember.\u00a0 Why am I so thirsty?<\/em><\/p>\n

“Heather!”\u00a0 Teri called out.\u00a0 “There you are.\u00a0 I got us tickets and they’re starting.\u00a0 Let’s go.”<\/p>\n

Heather nodded, following her friend at the back of the crowd of tourists.\u00a0 Heather swallowed again as a dull ache formed behind her eyes.\u00a0\u00a0 The thrum of the heartbeat increased in response.<\/p>\n

“Do we have any water?” Heather asked.\u00a0 Her voice seemed to catch in her throat.\u00a0 She felt as if she’d gone weeks without drinking anything.<\/p>\n

“No.\u00a0 But, we’re stopping near the gift shop first.”<\/p>\n

“Can you-”\u00a0 Heather stopped.\u00a0 As she crossed the threshold into the castle, the air changed around her.\u00a0 She felt like she’d walked into the middle of a summer thunderstorm.\u00a0 The small hairs of her arms and the line of red fur along her back and shoulders lifted in response.\u00a0 She expected to feel sparks of lightning but nothing happened and nobody else seemed to notice.\u00a0 Gravity seemed to warp around her, pulling her towards the middle of the castle.\u00a0 And down.\u00a0 Briefly, unnoticed by anyone else, blackness flooded Heather’s eyes before vanishing again.<\/p>\n

“Heather?”\u00a0 Teri said quietly.\u00a0 “Is everything okay?\u00a0 Heather?”<\/p>\n

“Yeah,” Heather answered.\u00a0 She stared around her and her voice was faint.\u00a0 “Yeah.\u00a0 Everything’s fine.\u00a0 Can you grab me a bottle of water?”<\/p>\n

Teri vanished into the small gift shop at the entrance.\u00a0 The tour guide spoke to the crowd of people but Heather paid little attention.\u00a0 The thrum of the heartbeat was impossible to ignore.\u00a0 It came from everywhere.\u00a0 She’d realized it wasn’t her own heartbeat.\u00a0 Hers beat in time but paled in comparison to the heavy beat surrounding her.\u00a0 The young woman licked her lips and swallowed again.<\/p>\n

Slowly, the rounded tops of her ears pushed into points, sliding through her hair.\u00a0 The edges of her ears curved forward and then stopped.\u00a0 General sounds – the sounds of footsteps and coughing and quiet voices grew louder.\u00a0 As she turned to face the tour guide, the woman’s voice was as clear as if she was standing directly in front of Heather.\u00a0 The young woman turned to a child at the front of the crowd.\u00a0 The little boy was shuffling his feet and pulling at his father’s shirt.\u00a0 As with the tour guide, the child’s whisper became clear and loud.<\/p>\n

“Here’s your water,” Teri said.<\/p>\n

Heather jumped, startled at her friend’s sudden appearance.\u00a0 She realized now that she’d heard Teri’s footsteps but they’d been lost in all the other new sounds begging for attention.<\/p>\n

“Thank you,” Heather whispered.\u00a0 “I’m- I’m going to stay in the back.\u00a0 Why don’t you go to the front so you can listen?”<\/p>\n

“Are you sure?” Teri asked.\u00a0 The young woman desperately wanted to be closer but obviously didn’t want to make Heather feel bad.<\/p>\n

“Yeah, go, go.”<\/p>\n

The tour began but Heather still paid no attention.\u00a0 Between the invisible, intangible live wires strung through the air, the cacophony of sounds and the overwhelming thrumming noise of a gigantic heart, she lost herself in the moment.\u00a0 The young woman floated from exhibit to exhibit.\u00a0 The bump at the small of her back pushed further until a vestigial tail lay nestled against her now rounded ass cheeks.\u00a0 The fur along her spine thickened slowly.<\/p>\n

Heather drank from the water bottle but found her thirst only partially slaked. However, as the tour went on and the sun sank lower, she found herself growing in strength.\u00a0 Where she’d been weak and tired before, she now grew restless and energetic.\u00a0 Red fur grew up from the collar of her jacket, hidden behind her hair.\u00a0 Heather sniffed at the air.\u00a0 A faint, cloying smell had begun to permeate the area.\u00a0 She found her mouth watering in response to it but couldn’t figure out what it was.<\/p>\n

The sun touched the horizon as the group made its way up the stairs to the third floor.\u00a0 Heather felt a sudden pressure against her body.\u00a0 Something touched and pushed at her.\u00a0 Pulled and tugged at her.\u00a0 She turned to her right but whatever it was stayed in place, far in the distance and yet somehow connected directly to her.\u00a0 It filled her and she felt a small bit warmth from it.\u00a0 A strength of mind and body as if she was drawing on it.\u00a0 Four smaller, but similar touches brushed against her body.<\/p>\n

When Heather turned back to the group, she froze.\u00a0 Everyone was turned to face her.\u00a0 Teri was at the front of her group and her normally cheerful smile was gone, replaced by a slack nothingness.\u00a0 Heather stepped to her left and the group followed her.\u00a0 Goosebumps broke out along her arms and back.\u00a0 Beneath her coat, her nipples tightened as the outside force and the electricity in the castle clashed inside of her.<\/p>\n

The eyes followed her.\u00a0 Watching her.\u00a0 Their gaze bothered her.\u00a0 They crept under her skin until she felt like they were hunting her.\u00a0 She lashed out and her eyes blackened to midnight.<\/p>\n

“Stop looking at me!” Heather howled. Her small, nearly blunt canine teeth cracked and reshaped, growing to tiny points.\u00a0 The entire crowd of people turned around as one.\u00a0 Heat and rage boiled along Heather’s veins.\u00a0 Her lips pulled back as she snarled at the people in front of her.\u00a0 Invisible lightning coursed along her body.\u00a0 Light, red fur crept around the back of her neck and up to her jawline.\u00a0 She was so thirsty.<\/em>\u00a0 Heather’s eyes focused on Teri and, slowly, she pushed the anger away.\u00a0 The castle.\u00a0 The castle is doing this to me.\u00a0 I can feel<\/strong> it in the air.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

“Teri, we’re leaving,” Heather said.\u00a0 She turned and walked, sure that her friend was following without even needing to hear her footsteps.\u00a0 Stairways and hallways and passages faded behind Heather as she gnashed her teeth.\u00a0 She reached the entrance and crossed without hesitation.<\/p>\n

The electricity and feeling and pull of the castle barely faded.\u00a0 Heather roared and spun, facing the sprawling building.\u00a0 Teri stood at the entrance, her eyes and expression still blank.\u00a0 The young woman could also still feel that external force pushing and pulling at her like the ebb and flow of water on a lake’s shore.\u00a0 As it had in the castle, other light touches of power brushed against her skin.<\/p>\n

“Let’s go,” Heather rasped.\u00a0 The young woman grabbed the car door’s handle and it crumpled beneath her fingers.\u00a0 The door whined alarmingly as she pulled it open.\u00a0 Heather lay back against the seat, breathing slowly to calm herself.\u00a0 Mikhail sat still in the driver’s seat, as frozen as Teri was now that she sat beside her friend.<\/p>\n

“Go,” Heather told the driver.\u00a0 “The… Transilvanian Inn.\u00a0 Where Teri told you to go.”\u00a0 The driver started the car, shifted and left without a word.<\/p>\n

Heather breathed deeply.\u00a0 She hated the anger she felt.\u00a0 When she was younger, she’d often found herself in fights with boys and other girls.\u00a0 She’d been a tomboy and the other kid’s had made fun of her constantly.\u00a0 Over time, she’d found herself snapping too easily, getting angry over unreasonable things.\u00a0 Eventually, it became bad enough that she nearly took her own life.\u00a0 It was a wake-up call for her to turn her life around.\u00a0 It’d taken time but, slowly, she’d worked on her responses.\u00a0 She’d hated losing control and she’d been proud of herself when she’d first noticed a difference.\u00a0 Teri had been invaluable in helping her.\u00a0 She was always cheerful, ridiculously optimistic and had a bad joke ready at any moment.<\/p>\n

Now here she was again.\u00a0 Snapping.\u00a0 Letting the emotions get to her.\u00a0 Feeling the loss of her control.\u00a0 The young woman breathed and calmed herself incrementally.\u00a0 She noticed that as they drove further from the castle, the rage faded.\u00a0 Yet, she could still feel it at the back of her mind.\u00a0 The other things called out to her, pulled at her, filled her with unreasonable confidence.\u00a0 But, no anger.<\/p>\n

“Wha-” Teri said next to her.\u00a0 “Wait, wow.\u00a0 Umm, am I really out of it or what?\u00a0 I don\u2019t’ remember getting in the car.”<\/p>\n

“Yeah,” Heather said.\u00a0 She turned her head to the window and grimaced.\u00a0 She hated<\/em><\/strong> lying to her friend.\u00a0 “You looked a bit rough.\u00a0 Too many people and too much excitement, I think.\u00a0 We left a little bit ago.\u00a0 I think maybe I’m not the only one worn out by the trip.”<\/p>\n

Teri yawned wide, hiding her mouth behind her hand.\u00a0 “And tired.\u00a0 Sheesh.”<\/p>\n

The sun curved above the horizon.\u00a0 Deep red and black lines raced across the sky as the sun set.\u00a0 Mikhail drove quietly, whether by compulsion or out of indifference to his passengers Heather was unable to tell.<\/p>\n

It was dark by the time they arrived at the inn.\u00a0 Teri yawned and tried to work up enthusiasm over the new building but finally ended up simply following Heather up to their rooms.<\/p>\n

“Jet lag, I think,” Teri said.\u00a0 “Finally caught up to me.\u00a0 And all the excitement, right?\u00a0 I’m just- I’m just going to go to sleep.\u00a0 Wake up early and make up for the early bedtime.”<\/p>\n

“Me, too,” Heather lied.\u00a0 She felt incredibly awake and distracted by the world around her.\u00a0 “Goodnight, Teri.”<\/p>\n

“Goodnight, Heather.\u00a0 Thanks for going with me today.\u00a0 I owe you one.”<\/p>\n

Heather nodded quietly.\u00a0 Her long, curved ears eventually caught her friend’s light, even snores.\u00a0 Heather closed her eyes.\u00a0 She could point directly to the castle if she wanted.\u00a0 She could also point to the strange, large force that pulled at her.\u00a0 And all (nine, she counted automatically) smaller touches far in the distance.\u00a0 Black coloring flooded her eyes until no other color was left.\u00a0 She swallowed and her throat caught.<\/p>\n

THRUM THRUM THRUM THRUM<\/em><\/p>\n

Heather opened the window and unlatched the shutters.\u00a0 The dark, outside world was full of colors and smells and sounds.\u00a0 Crickets chirped, frogs croaked and birds sang their goodnights.<\/p>\n

The bright, hot smell of blood called to her.<\/p>\n

Heat flooded her body and she moaned, licking her dark lips.\u00a0 Her small canines grew, pushing at the surrounding teeth until they jutted from beneath her lips.\u00a0 Fur raced from her jawline up to cover the side of her head and then down her throat and between her breasts.\u00a0 Heather ripped at her nightshirt, leaving her small chest bare in the cool night air.\u00a0 Red fur raced down her hard stomach, disappearing beneath the waistband of her pants.<\/p>\n

Leaning from the window at the third floor of the hotel, Heather jumped, spreading her arms wide.\u00a0 Thick, leathery skin grew from her armpits, racing along the bottom of her arms and the side of her body.\u00a0 The young woman’s biceps bulged as her black wings grew out to her wrists.\u00a0 Her fingers cracked, growing wider and longer as thick, black claws burst from her fingertips.\u00a0 Bone-like structures lined her new wings.\u00a0 Wind rippled along the thick skin. \u00a0She could feel it against her wings.\u00a0 Her<\/em><\/strong> wings.<\/p>\n

Heather flexed her arms and the wings billowed like sails.\u00a0 The young woman soared along the ground until she angled beat her powerful arms.<\/p>\n

She was airborne, screaming through the sky.<\/p>\n

Thick red fur crept around to cover her expanding chest.\u00a0 Her previously small, pert breasts grew heavy and full until they hung beneath her, covered with fur.\u00a0 Her small tail lengthened, pushing at her cotton sleeping pants until it was free.\u00a0 As with her wings, thick, black leathery skin grew from the base of her tail, down to her thighs.\u00a0 She spread her legs and turned, pulling her wings into an S-shape.\u00a0 Heather spiraled in the air, screaming in pleasure.<\/p>\n

Claw marks appeared at the tips of her wool socks.\u00a0 Slowly, the holes grew wider until the black claws completely pushed through.\u00a0 The socks strained as her feet widened, muscles thickening to push at the bones.\u00a0 Thick padding grew from the bottom of her feet and the socks finally tore, leaving her new flexible paws exposed to the night.\u00a0 The air rustled past the mane of fur along her back.<\/p>\n

Heather’s lips pulled back into a snarl.\u00a0 Her jaw popped and cracked, pushing away from her face as a short muzzle formed.\u00a0 Her nose pulled flat and wide against the tip of her snout and she screeched out a shrill cry of pain.\u00a0 Her ears grew longer, tufts of fur sprouting along the tips as they curved and expanded.\u00a0 Deep within her throat, her vocal chords split and reformed, new muscles attaching.\u00a0 Her screech went beyond human hearing.\u00a0 Animals in the forest nearby scattered out of pure, raw fear. \u00a0She tracked them as they moved, pure black eyes and large, curved ears spotting every movement.<\/p>\n

With powerful beats of rippling muscle along her back, shoulders and arms, she pulled higher into the sky.\u00a0 The village shrank beneath her and she hovered briefly, upright.\u00a0 Her furred breasts weighed heavily against her.\u00a0 She kicked her clawed feet once, twice until she was free of the pants she’d worn as a human.\u00a0 A long, wide grin formed on her muzzle.\u00a0 She dove, utterly silent.\u00a0 Mist formed tiny drops of water on her fur before flicking away against her speed.\u00a0 She felt her excitement in her bare, furred sex and in arcs of lighting from her chest.\u00a0 Her tail and wings shifted, bringing her again parallel to the ground.\u00a0 With a deft, natural flick of her arms, she twisted her body and landed, sliding against the rough stones on her paws.\u00a0 Sparks flew where her claws scraped the ground.<\/p>\n

Voices called out in the night as a young man stumbled against a well-lit building.\u00a0 The man called back to his friends and then walked in a crooked line down the street.\u00a0 Heather’s ears twitched but caught no other people nearby.\u00a0 Her arms were at her sides, heavy wings folded against her body and legs.\u00a0 She followed the man silently, powerfully muscled legs completely silent as she moved on padded paws.<\/p>\n

The man left the center of town, heading towards the farms that surrounded the area.\u00a0 Heather crouched, body against the ground, heavy breasts with nipples brushing against the dirt road.\u00a0 Suddenly, she kicked off.\u00a0 Huge plumes of dirt and rocks lifted into the air as her black wings beat the air.\u00a0 She flew low and silent until she crashed into the oblivious young man.\u00a0 He cried out as they tumbled against the wet grass and ground.<\/p>\n

Heather’s fangs found their marks and the man fell silent.\u00a0 Euphoria flooded his system as Heather drank from him.\u00a0 The young man’s blood fairly steamed in the cold night air.\u00a0 Heather’s spit kept the wound from closing and she drank at her leisure.\u00a0 The man twisted under her, listing his hips while his fingers roamed ceaselessly against the thick red fur covering her powerful body.\u00a0 He gasped and moaned as a lover would.\u00a0\u00a0 Even as his heartbeat grew faint, he never once cried out in pain.\u00a0 The man died in her arms, eyes open and mouth slack with pleasure.<\/p>\n

She’d thought she’d felt power earlier at the castle but, now, drinking the man’s lifeblood, she realized how wrong she’d been.\u00a0 It was impossible to quantify.\u00a0 She felt as if she could do anything she wanted.\u00a0 That nothing could stop her.\u00a0 The world was small and pitiful and, she alone sat at the top.<\/p>\n

Along with the rush of power, she realized what the forces were earlier.\u00a0 A massive colony of bats was the large force pulling at her outside of the castle.\u00a0 She saw them through their own eyes.\u00a0 Flashes of shapes as their cries echoed in the air.\u00a0 Beyond that, several smaller colonies of bats and packs of rats tugged at her.\u00a0 Heather exerted the smallest part of her will and the colonies surged forth in a frenzy, feeding off of her blood thirst.\u00a0 Hunt,<\/em> she told them.<\/p>\n

Heather lifted her bloody muzzle, deep black eyes surveying the nearby forest.\u00a0 She grabbed the corpse, easily lifting him one-handed.\u00a0 A few minutes later, animals crashed through the forest, wild with fear.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

Soft gray light cast a haze across the edge of the world.\u00a0 Heather stumbled between buildings, her strength draining from her.\u00a0 Her ears, shorter now but still pointed, twitched as she caught people preparing for the day.\u00a0 Long, sharp fangs protruded from beneath pale lips.\u00a0 She couldn’t stop running her tongue along them.\u00a0 So out of place in her mouth.\u00a0 Her small tail, shrunken back to little more than a nub twitched fitfully beneath a long, thick line of red fur running from the small of her back to her shoulders.\u00a0 She was larger now and she spared a pained smile at Teri’s comment from the previous day.\u00a0 \u00a0I filled out after all, I guess.<\/em><\/p>\n

Too tired emotionally and physically to even cry, Heather stood naked beneath the window to her room.\u00a0 Curtains fluttered through the open window.\u00a0 The young woman sighed and kneeled.\u00a0 Looking up at her window, she grit her teeth and leaped.\u00a0 Muscles like steel cable flexed, pushing her easily through the air even in her weakened state.\u00a0 She landed impossibly light against the window frame.\u00a0 Crouching, stealing a quick glance at Teri’s sleeping form, Heather stepped into the room.\u00a0 She closed the window, tossed her torn shirt under her bed and made her way into the small bathroom.<\/p>\n

Steam filled the bathroom.\u00a0 Heather lay in the bathtub while the showerhead cast a stream of hot water over her.\u00a0 The faint smell of blood and wet fur surrounded her and she couldn’t help the sudden intense craving that coursed through her.<\/p>\n

The young woman explored herself slowly.\u00a0 Her breasts were larger but not quite as big as Teri’s.\u00a0 They lay heavy and flat against her wider frame.\u00a0 She was as lean as she’d been before but, beneath her skin her muscles felt like rocks.\u00a0 Her finger traced down her stomach to her mound and the soft pink flesh between her thighs.\u00a0 She touched herself carefully and sighed.\u00a0 The memory of taking the man played through her mind, brought forth by the simple pleasure of a touch between her legs.\u00a0 Pleasure from killing that man,<\/em> she thought sourly.\u00a0 Her stomach twisted at the thought just as her mind lit with cravings for more.<\/p>\n

Her thighs seemed normal until she flexed them.\u00a0 Corded muscles stood out and her calves flared.\u00a0 A loud, nearly metallic scratching caught her attention.\u00a0 Looking down further she noticed thick black claws still tipped each of her toes.\u00a0 As the morning wore on, she found her body growing heavy.\u00a0 She knew it wasn’t from exhaustion.\u00a0 The sun was rising and it stole her strength as it stole the darkness.<\/p>\n

Heather could remember every single moment of the night before.\u00a0 She’d felt a total loss of control, as if she’d been riding along in someone else’s body.\u00a0 But, it was still her and she remembered every sight and sound and smell.\u00a0 She was terrified.\u00a0 Not because of what she’d done but because she’d enjoyed it.<\/p>\n

She’d felt like a god.<\/p>\n

Not enjoyed<\/strong><\/em>, a small voice told her.\u00a0 Enjoy<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 You enjoy it. \u00a0You still want it.<\/em>\u00a0 Heather bowed her head.<\/p>\n

“Yes,” she whispered.\u00a0 Despite checking for bites, she must’ve been infected in the cave.\u00a0 She’d knew that now.\u00a0 Something called forth by the moon or something else.\u00a0 And, still now, she could feel the colonies of bats teeming in the darkness.\u00a0 Calling for her guidance.\u00a0 Rats covered the entire city and only her will kept them from coming to her to pay homage.<\/p>\n

She touched her chest and felt the reassuring strong beat of her heart.\u00a0\u00a0 She’d worried briefly whether she’d died, as vampires were supposed to do but her heart still beat.\u00a0 Not all the myths are true, perhaps,<\/em> Heather thought.<\/p>\n

The water had turned cold but Heather barely noticed; she’d only realized when the steam had stopped.\u00a0 Her body protected her as it had during the night.\u00a0 Keeping her warm and healthy and strong.\u00a0\u00a0 With a sigh, the young woman pushed herself up.\u00a0 Her legs shook to hold her weight and so she sat while she toweled herself off.\u00a0 She caught her reflection in the mirror.\u00a0 Her fangs still protruded from her mouth, sharp and perfectly white.\u00a0 The young woman tried to push her lower jaw out to hide the fangs but they threatened to cut into her flesh and grinded against her lower teeth.\u00a0 She sighed and relented and instead found herself fascinated with how she looked.<\/p>\n

She looked alive.\u00a0 Predatory.\u00a0 She exuded an easy sensuality that hadn’t been there before.\u00a0 A self-confidence born of the gifts given to her.\u00a0 And, another myth gone.\u00a0 I have a reflection.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heather collapsed against the wall and the room spun around her.\u00a0 “Fu- fuck,” she gasped.\u00a0 Reaching a shaky hand up, she opened the bathroom door.\u00a0 When she realized she could no longer stand, the young woman crawled to her bed.\u00a0 Pulling herself up and into the small but comfortable bed, she breathed a sigh of relief.\u00a0 Sleep took her just as she’d covered herself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of 4. \u00a0Heather begins to change as night approaches. “Heather,” Teri whispered.\u00a0 “Are you awake?” Bright morning light peeked around the edge of the thick, red curtains of their east-facing window.\u00a0 Heather groaned as her eyes fluttered open.\u00a0 Continue reading Hunter’s Moon Ch. 03 [TF \/ F \/ Werebat]<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[22,282,286,287,283,281,285,138,21,30,276,284,194,93,9,57,280,279],"class_list":["post-380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-status-updates","tag-blood","tag-breast-expansion","tag-compulsion","tag-corruption","tag-dracula","tag-female-bat","tag-hypnotism","tag-infection","tag-magic","tag-mental-changes","tag-muscle-growth","tag-myth","tag-slow-changes","tag-tf","tag-transformation","tag-vampire","tag-were-bat","tag-werebat"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42NMN-68","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":382,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380\/revisions\/382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}