The Lycanthrope Club - An American Werewolf in Japan, Chapter V (Patreon)

Consciousness returned to Junko in fragments. She became aware, in a vague, abstract manner that she was lying somewhere. She couldn't be in bed or even her room; the surface was too hard, its texture unfamiliar. She shifted her body and felt something soft, almost plush press against her shoulder and hips. Perhaps she was in bed after all. Junko turned her head and opened her eyes to check the time. Instead of the dimly glowing digits of her bedside clock she was met with the sight of a worn wooden bench with a large black backpack sitting on top; beyond lay an expanse of trees and shrubs. Stars glittered in the sky above.

Junko just laid there for a few seconds, staring, not even daring to breathe. Even as memories of her journey through the forest and terrifying transformation seeped back into her mind she was not convinced the scene before her was real; as though if she stared long enough the forest would fade away and she would awake from a vivid dream. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. 

A dazzling multiplicity of smells, odors, scents, aromas, fumes, stinks, and musks assailed her nostrils. Sharp, sour, nauseating, delectable, pungent, sweet, it all blurred into a maddening olfactory kaleidoscope so powerful it literally stung. Junko yelped and gripped her nose. She yelped again at the alien sensation of her padded paw-like hands rubbing against her snout. Breathing through her mouth, she gazed down at her body through wide, quivering eyes. She ran her trembling thumbs down along her cheeks, chin, lips and teeth. Her face, indeed, her entire head, felt...wrong. Putting aside the layer of fuzz covering it her chin and jaw had extended into a short muzzle ending in a wet leathery nose. Her lips had thinned to almost nothing. What's more, she no longer possessed any molars, bicuspids or incisors. Long, sharp fangs designed to tear and worry flesh had arisen in their place. 

Whimpering, Junko slowly released her nose, clumsily rolled over and tried to get up. Though her body ached when she moved it wasn't a particularly debilitating or even unpleasant soreness; it was a kind of dull twinge akin to muscle fatigue following prolonged exercise. As she turned she felt a sharp pain around the base of her spine. Wincing, she turned and looked over her shoulder. There was something attached to her rear end and, as she gazed down in bewilderment, it twitched. And she felt it twitch. It was long and furry. Junko momentarily entertained the possibility that some small animal before realizing it was her new tail. 

"Oh," she whispered in shock.

A gentle breeze passed through the forest. The branches and leaves above swayed hypnotically. Junko issued a soft gasp as the wind ran through her pelt. It was a strange yet incredibly soothing sensation. She gazed down at her forearms. Though it was difficult to tell with no clear comparison they looked twice as thick now. She gripped her left arm with her right hand and mouthed a silent 'wow' as she felt powerful muscles tense beneath her hide. She raised her right paw to the starry night sky, splaying her digits; they were much, much bigger and now sported sharp ivory claws that emerged whenever she flexed them. 

Mesmerized, Junko breathed in and then sneezed suddenly. The sheer volume and variety of the scents in the forest was overwhelming. Junko looked around. She was still in the small hilltop rest area. Her backpack was right where she had left it, as were Masae and Taro's possessions. But Masae and Taro themselves were nowhere to be found. 

The initial wonder of her newly transformed body faded. Junko gulped, anxiously scanning the forest for any sign of her friends. Seeing nothing, she tried to stand, but as she shifted her legs she realized something was wrong. She no longer had heels. Or, rather, she could no longer stand on her heels; they had migrated up her legs. Junko frowned and, after a few failed attempts, managed to rise wobbly to her toes. She took a few, unsteady steps forward, arms waving in the air, her old reflexes and muscle memory rebelling against her odd new posture and gait. Junko arched her back slightly and lifted her tail and felt a bit less off-balance. As she practiced walking it occurred to her that it was unusually bright outside. True, it was a cloudless full moon night but she could see everything in the rest area and well beyond with remarkable clarity. She spied her flashlight lying on the ground. She had dropped it soon after she had started changing so it was likely broken. 

The wind picked up again. Junko could not help but sniff the air and as she did detected an odd but striking scent among the medley of odors wafting in the breeze. It was sharp, musky, sour, but not unpleasantly so. She instinctively focused on it, understanding, as though the knowledge had been planted in her mind by whatever power had transformed her, that it was the scent of another like her - another werewolf. Junko turned, sniffing. The smell was coming from behind, slightly off the trail they had followed up the hill. Entranced, she followed it, brushing aside a small bush as she stepped into the forest proper. 

Junko had never been much of an outdoorsperson. That isn't to say she was a shut-in; she enjoyed wandering Inuyama on her days off and playing volleyball with her friends but rarely visited the municipal parks, let alone the countryside, forest shrines and parks surrounding the city. It wasn't an aversion so much a lack of interest. And the grueling trek up the hill had not kindled any newfound interest in the outdoors. Yet only after a minute walking through the forest she had fallen in love. The gentle, relaxing sounds, fresh, cool air, even the soft feeling of the ground beneath her padded feet - everything was so pleasant, so serene. As she ventured farther from the trail some of the more unpleasant odors faded. Before long she found herself seeking out new smells, savoring the rich earthy scent of the soil and sharp aroma of sap. Yet that persistent musky sour odor dominated her senses. 

The tree line stopped suddenly ahead as the ground gave way to a steep precipice. Below lay a wide forested valley. City lights glittered off in the distance mirroring the stars in the sky above. Junko emerged from the trees and stepped out onto the ledge. She gazed out at the forest and beyond in wonder, fur dancing in the breeze. 

"Beautiful," she whispered to herself.

She stood there for a time, captivated by the panorama. She absently sniffed the air and blinked. The musky, sour smell was still present and tugging at her attention like a needy child. She had to figure out where it was coming from. She scanned the area around the cliff and eventually her attention was drawn to an object sitting no more than a dozen meters to her right. It was well over a meter tall - maybe two - and just under a meter wide. Curious but cautious, Junko cocked her head and approached it. As she got closer she realized it wasn't an object; it was a creature. It had a thick coat of fur, pointed fox-like ears and a long, bushy tail much like Junko's own. One of its ears flicked in her direction. It stirred, and then rose on two feet, turning to face her.

For a moment Junko was transported back to Inuyama on that fateful day not too long ago when they had encountered the injured werewolf lying on the street. The being before her was not just a wolf standing on its hind legs, but something equal parts man and beast. Its head sported tufted ears, a large leathery nose with flared nostrils and large, extended jaw. Yet its muzzle was not quite as long as a wolf's and short, hair-like black fur grew from its skull. Its digits, though padded a somewhat stubby, were clearly long and articulated to grasp or even punch. Every little detail reminded her of the creature they had stumbled upon.

But there were differences, too. The creature was bigger - much bigger, in fact - than the one in Inuyama. It had a broad upper body with well-defined pectorals and taut abdominals visible above its fuzzy stomach. Its arms muscles were particularly impressive, its near-watermelon-sized biceps bulging out even at rest. Then there was its fur. In contrast to the brown to charcoal black pattern on the other werewolf this one had tan fur that lightened to a sort of whitish cream along its front and darkened to a smoky brown peppered with black streaks across its back. 

As Junko's eyes traveled down its body she noticed it was wearing some kind of crude undergarment made from a dark olive rag or cloth wrapped around its legs and crotch. 

"Hayashi-san," it intoned in a deep, rumbling voice. 

Junko yipped in surprise. How did it-...wait. There was something familiar about the voice. The timbre, its intonation...

"T-Taro-kun," gasped Junko. "Is...that you?"

Taro gazed down at his massive right paw then back up at her.

"I suppose so," he said.

Junko was at a complete loss for words. Taro's transformation went beyond the physical. The creature before her did not stoop as Taro was prone to; it stood tall, proud, almost haughty, shoulders square, nose slightly raised. Rather than avoid her gaze he stared directly at her, his burning yellow eyes boring into her. He radiated power, strength and a strange, wild elegance. 

"Uhhhh..." she said, eyes wide. 

"Forgive me for leaving you and Takahashi-sempai," said Taro, bowing stiffly. His new posture precluded him from bowing too deeply but he tried. "After I changed I...needed to come up here to clear my thoughts," he said as he rose. "I...this is incredible."

"S-S-Sure," managed Junko. 

"Are you alright, Hayashi-san?"

"I...I...yes," she said. 

"You look..." Taro paused. "Good," he said at last

"Umm...thank you," said Junko, blushing beneath her fur. "You...you don't have to use my last name, you know," she added almost automatically.

"Ah," said Taro. "But...one thing..." he trailed off, looking uncomfortable. He shifted his feet. Junko saw his tail slip in between his legs.

"What is it, Taro-kun?" she inquired.

"May I ask where your clothes are?"

Junko blinked. She looked down at her furry albeit nude body. She screamed and covered herself with her paws and turned to her side to hide the front of her body.

"I'M NAKED!" she squealed.

"I'm sorry, Hayashi-san, I didn't look at-" 

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?"

"I...I just di-"

"Well I...I..." said Junko, hugging her furry body. "I don't feel naked like this!"

Taro didn't respond this time, though he did finally look away. 

"Do you want me to find you something to wear?" he offered, still averting his gaze. "Mine didn't fit after I changed so I made this," he gestured downwards "out of my pants."

"Y-Yes!"

"Very well. But before I go...have you seen Takahashi-sempai?"

Junko hesitated.

"No, I thought she'd be with you," she said nervously. 

"We should find her first before we do anything else," said Taro. 

"I...I guess that makes sense," said Junko unhappily. She looked up at Taro and glared. "Do you still have that shirt you were wearing?"

"...Yes. I pulled it off and threw it off. It should be around her so-"

"I'm using it!" barked Junko. She winced, unnerved by her new, deeper voice. She sniffed the air and scurried off into the forest, leaving Taro, somewhat bemused, at the cliff.

"Come back soon!" he called. "We shouldn't separate."

* * *

Junko crept through the forest arms around her chest. Every so often she would pause, lower her head to sniff, then continued onwards. 

"This is crazy," she murmured to herself, shaking her head. "Crazy, crazy." 

Now that the initial awe had worn off Junko found herself continually distracted by the many minute - and not so minute - changes to her body. Walking on her toes was a bizarre experience, for one. When she stepped she put a lot more weight on a relatively small portion of her foot yet it did not feel uncomfortable or awkward in the least. That said, if she thought about it too much she'd start to wobble as though her legs had suddenly remembered they were supposed to rest on her heels. Having a tail, however, was far more bizarre. She'd gone her entire life with two legs and two arms so, unnerving as it was for them to grow fur and double in thickness, gaining an entirely new appendage was on a whole other level. She winced or yelped in surprise every time her tail brushed up against a tree or bush and shivered whenever a breeze passed through the forest, feeling the fur on it dance in the wind. And she could wag it with a little effort, though at times it seemed to move on its own. 

A snap emanated from somewhere in the forest. Junko whirled around and froze, listening, her triangular ears alert and erect. Seconds passed. Junko signed and continued onwards. 

"Just some animal," she said dismissively. 

That was the other thing. All her senses were sharper now - hearing, sight, and especially smell. Before her transformation the forest had been quiet but now it was full of sound. And though she was sure it was pitch black out now she could see well enough, albeit in shades of grey. As for her sense of smell, well, she could almost taste some of the scents, discerning minor differences in flavor and character as easily as she might distinguish a square from a triangle. It was wondrous, but overwhelming at times. Everything seemed amplified and exaggerated, too loud, too smelly; too intense. 

Junko stopped in a small clearing. Taro's scent was stronger her. She scanned the forest floor and soon spotted a tangle of clothing. She hurried over to it and scooped up a long sleeve shirt. First she tried to slip it over her head but found it too small to fit over her shoulders. She held the shirt in the air for a moment, glaring at it as though it had personally offended her, then wrapped it around her waist like sarong.

"It'll do for now," she muttered, tying it up. "I need something else for my..." she glanced down at her chest. "Did they get-...not important," she growled, shaking her head.

After leaving the clearing she sniffed the air. Eventually, she picked up a scent. It wasn't Taro, but it was very similar. Her eyes widened.

"Is it that werewolf?" she whispered. "Or...Masae-sempai."

Junko turned and headed in the direction of the scent. Minutes passed. Though the forest wasn't too dense it was situated on a hill and thus the terrain was sloped. Still unused to her new body, Junko was forced to slow down to avoid losing her footing. The scent grew steadily stronger. Junko glanced around and realized she was getting closer to the rest area; she recognized a few of the larger trees and an outcropping of boulders. Then, off in the distance between the trees, she caught a glimpse of a tiny albeit intense yellow light. Junko stopped. The light had vanished but she could make out a faint noise in the direction the light had appeared. It sounded like hoarse, heavy breathing. She hesitated for a second and then continued. 

"H-Hello?" she called as she walked. "Is anyone there? Masae-sempai? Uh...werewolf-sama?" she paused. "Uh...werewolfu?" she called in English. 

She was met with a deep, rumbling growl. She stopped in her tracks. 

A figure emerged from behind a cluster of trees and started walking towards Junko. It was huge, standing a bit taller than even Taro. But unlike Taro it had black fur that lightened to charcoal along its stomach; it also had a light grey mane of hair. Its eyes were also glowing yellow but were so intense they cut through the gloom of the night like tiny twin flares. Its eyes were framed by a savage visage that, like Taro's, looked equal parts human and lupine. As it grew closer Junko could feel the ground tremble slightly with every step it took. Junko gulped. Then, the creature stepped into moonlight. Junko gasped. Its physique was incredible - like a figure pulled from a bodybuilding manual every muscle, even under its thick pelt of fur, was clearly defined and bulged with massive power. Its biceps were the size of bowling balls, its abdominals as tight and solid as slabs of concrete, and its hulking shoulders were crowned with deltoids so thick Junko doubted they could be grasped with a single hand. It walked on thick, muscular legs attached to wipe hips. 

It also had an enormous pair of furry breasts.

Junko cupped her mouth to stifle a giggle. The creature was otherwise terrifying as hell but its giant bust, well, it was so incongruous, and the shock of seeing it after being frightened seemed to make it all the funnier. 

The creature stopped. It sniffed, nostrils flaring, and then glared down at Junko. 

"Junko..." it breathed in a deep contralto. 

"Ah...um..." snorted Junko, trying not to stare. "M-Masae-sempai?"

"...Yeah," rumbled the creature.

A snicker escaped Junko's lips. She tightened her grip around her nose and mouth.

"What?" said Masae, narrowing her yellow eyes.

"I...I'm sorry, Masae-sempai," managed Junko, lowering her paws. "It's just...just..."

"Spit it out!" snarled Masae in a way that would have been terrifying were it not for how it caused a certain part of her anatomy to jiggle.

"You're just so...big," said Junko, holding her arms wide.

There was a pause.

"Not...funny..." growled Masae.

"I wasn't joking," said Junko quickly.

Suddenly Masae roared and pounded a nearby pine with her clenched fist. There was a loud crack as chunks of the bark and wood flew from the spot she had struck. Junko yelped and shielded her face. Masae stood there for a time, paw still pressed up against the tree, panting, chest expanding and contracting. Junko swore she saw steam puffing from Masae's nose. 

"This is wrong..." rumbled Masae. She pulled her paw away from the tree and stared at it. "Rrrrggg...I feel so....RRAAAAAGGGG!" she screamed. She pounded the tree again. And again. The third time she struck it the entire trunk actually shuddered. Needles rained down from the boughs above. Junko watched silently. 

"Get away," growled Masae, turning to face her. "Now!"

Junko stepped back in fear. She glanced behind her and back at Masae. Then, she gulped, and spoke in quivering voice.

"What's...what's wrong?" 

"Idiot!" snarled Masae, pounding the tree a fourth time with the back of her fist. More needles fell as the tree creaked ominously. "Go!"

"Why are yo-"

"Rrrrggg...my body, my... it's too much!" she punched the tree again. It shook and, almost as though in slow-motion, toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash. 

"It's too much," repeated Masae in a relatively softer voice. "Too much. Everything is so loud and...and can't breathe because of all these smells and I...I can't stop moving or it feels like I'm going to explode." Masae slumped. She staggered back a meter or so and then slowly sank to the ground next to the fallen pine. She sat and clutched her face. Junko stood there for a while. Masae didn't move. 

"I...I'll go," said Junko at last. She managed a curt, timid bow and turned to leave.

"NO!" bellowed Masae.

Junko jumped and then slowly turned back to her friend. Masae was looking up at her, tears dribbling down her yellow lupine eyes.

"I'm sorry, Junko-chan," she said hoarsely. "I...the feelings are even more intense. I can't control myself. And the change," she shivered. "It was so...I never want to go through that again. Ever. I'd rather die."

A long, awkward silence followed. Junko lowered her head.

"Can...can I come over?" she asked.

Masae nodded. Junko padded over to her and, after a moment's hesitation, sat down next to her, being careful not to squish her tail as she lowered her body.  

"This is crazy," murmured Masae. "Crazy."

"...That's what I said," said Junko, smiling weakly. "This is crazy."

"What's going to happen to us?" whispered Masae. "Are we going to have to go through this every month? We can't...I can't do this."

Junko stared at her. She'd never seen Masae act like this. Yes, the circumstances were...extreme, but Masae had never been one to cry or whimper. Criticize, complain, berate, belittle, carp, even threaten, yes, but never cry. Junko didn't know how to respond. Should she comfort her? Tell her to toughen up? Should she just be silent? 

"I...found Taro-kun," she blurted. 

Masae looked up. "Oh...poor Taro-kun," she said, shaking her head. "If I'm like this...he must be a complete wreck. Where is he? Why isn't he with you?"

Junko considered her next words very carefully.

"He's...not doing too badly," she said. "I, uh, found him meditating by a cliff."

"Really?" said Masae, nonplussed.

Junko nodded.

"I...you know, I'm actually not that surprised," sighed Masae. "Everyone underestimates him. He acts like such a wimpy, goody-two-shoes, but he has a lot of grit."

"Y-Yeah," said Junko.

"How...how did he turn out? After the transformation, I mean?"

"Well...let's go see him," said Junko. "Then we can go back to the rest spot and...figure things out. Maybe the werewolf will be there waiting for us." She extended a paw. 

Masae looked into Junko's eyes. Then, for the first time, Junko saw a glimmer of her friend in the gigantic beast before her. 

"Fine," said Masae, rising. She brushed some of the pine needles from her fur. "And, uh, don't ever tell Taro what I said about him."

"I promise," said Junko brightly, getting up.

"I mean it. Don't say a word about this to him - to anyone."

"It's a secret," said Junko, grinning toothily.

Masae sniffed the air. Then, she looked down at Junko.

"That's Taro-kun's shirt, isn't it?" she asked.

Junko looked down at the garment wrapped around her waist.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I uh, needed to cover myself. I was actually looking for something else to...to..." her eyes were suddenly drawn back to Masae's impressive chest.

"What? What are you looking at?" said Masae suspiciously.

"Nothing," said Junko.