The Lycanthrope Club - Indiscretion, Part I (Patreon)

The roadside diner was a relic of an era past. It resembled an oversized, undercarriage-less train passenger car decked with chrome and neon. Bright yellow and red awnings lined the windows and main entrance. A large red neon sign (currently unlit as it was daytime) reading 'Choppy's' in cursive 50's style font lined the roof just above the front door. Additional signs - some neon, some vinyl - were affixed behind the windows. The whole effect would have been quite striking, if somewhat gaudy, were it not for the thin yet unmistakable patina of grime, rust and general dilapidation.

Melinda regarded the establishment from the parking lot for a few more seconds before deciding that they would, in fact, be eating here. The aroma of hot grease and charbroiled hamburger was making her drool.

"Whoo...that smell is making me hungry!" exclaimed Lily, echoing Melinda's unspoken sentiment.

Melinda glanced back at Lily. The recently eighteen year old Hispanic girl had toned down her ordinarily extravagant - at least in Melinda's opinion - combination of eye-liner, mascara, glitter, blush, bronzer, lipstick and gloss for the trip, having only applied a token layer of make-up before they had left. She wore a fashionably shabby denim jacket over a white blouse above a pair of black suit pants that clung to her ample hips like a second skin, her curvy form further emphasized by her black mid-heel pumps. Her hair was its usual long, curly, bouncy brown self.

"Yeah," said Melinda. "Hopefully it'll drown out all the other smells. Remember that place out by the freeway near the farm?"

"Mierda, don't remind me," said Lily, shuddering.

"Sorry," laughed Melinda. "I'm sure it won't be that bad inside."

"Here's hoping," sighed Lily.

The two girls made their way across the small parking lot, trotted up the short flight of stairs leading to the main door and entered the diner.

It was noticeably more welcoming inside. The tables, chairs, booths, checkered floor and counters, while worn - with the occasional crack or tear - were clean. The front counter featured many of the accouterments one might expect in a vintage diner - plush stools, laminated menus, ketchup and yellow mustard bottles, squat salt and pepper shakers, a mechanical cash register and even an old-fashioned, coin-operated miniature jukebox. Despite the low ceiling and narrow single aisle the place did not feel cramped. Some unseen radio played a cheerful tune Melinda couldn't quite identify.

The diner appeared empty until a somewhat heavyset man wearing a white apron emerged from the kitchen. Though balding, he possessed a thick, bushy mustache. He regarded the two girls with a perfunctory nod.

"Hey," he said. "It's just me right now so we might be a bit slow."

"No rush," said Melinda, smiling. "Can we, uh-"

"Just take a seat where ever," said the man, gesturing vaguely.

After a moment's consideration the two girls sat at one of the booths. Lily examined the menu. Melinda did the same. The radio continued to play, occasionally interrupted by a sound from the kitchen.

"Well...?" queried Melinda after a minute or so.

"Probably just burgers," said Lily, looking up over her menu. "Four ought to be enough."

"Hah!"

"Speak for yourself miss-once-ate-two-bucks-in-a-single-night."

"I didn't eat all of them!"

"Yeah, technically, I guess with the antlers and all..."

"I know you helped yourself to some of the leftovers," said Melinda sourly. "So no, I didn't eat all of the second deer. Can we just drop it? There are more important things to talk about."

"Like, what that guy will think when the two of us order enough food to feed a family?"

"No! Well, uh, let's limit ourselves to two burgers..." Melinda cleared her throat. "I meant the...video. The investigation."

"Oh," said Lily, her expression changing. "I, uh, thought we were just going to sniff around the woods near the freeway."

"It's a big area," sighed Melinda, putting down the menu. "The video is two weeks old. And it rained Thursday. Even with your nose I'm not 100% sure we'll be able pick up a trail."

"And we're still not 100% sure it actually was a werew-"

Lily went suddenly silent as the man sidled around the counter. He walked up to them and pulled a small notepad and pen from his apron.

"What'll it be, ladies?" he asked.

He took Melinda and Lily's orders and did not so much as raise an eyebrow at the number of entrees each girl requested. He took their menus, thanked them and ambled back into the kitchen.

"What else could it have been?" said Melinda once he was sure he was out of earshot.

"Maybe a bear? A really big guy?" said Lily, shrugging. "That video was blurred as hell, Melinda. I'll say it agin: I think you're being paranoid."

"I'm not being paranoid," said Melinda. "And it wasn't what it looked like - it was how it moved. No bear or person moves like that on two legs. Don't tell me you didn't notice it."

"Yeah, yeah," said Lily. "But we're nearly a hundred miles away from Pinebrook. And we checked with every club member. No one was even near that forest."

"Unless someone was lying," said Melinda darkly.

"Who would dare lie to the great and powerful Melinda Cooper?" gasped Lily dramatically, clutching her cheeks.

"Cute, Lily."

There was a pause.

"Y'know, at least half of the club is still...kind of afraid of you, Melinda," said Lily slowly. "Especially after that whole thing with Anne."

"Like she didn't deserve it after what she did to Cassandra," said Melinda. "And it's not as though I actually hurt her." She gave Lily a look. "And a little fear isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Okay, now you're starting to scare me a little."

"Come on, Lily, I didn't mean it like that," said Melinda wearily.

"I'm just saying maybe you need to tone down the all-powerful alpha bitch thing, Melinda," said Lily. "And this is coming from someone who's BFF with Cynthia Carpenter."

Melinda's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to respond but then, her expression softened. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Look," she began. "Up until now we've known the identity and address of every single werewolf. Every time there was a sighting or incident it was simply a matter of going through the roster and making calls. Even after Pauline and Dante moved out of state we kept track of everything. This is the first time we have no idea who's behind a incident. Either someone is lying, someone forgot something or-"

"Or it isn't a werewolf," supplied Lily.

"...Yes, that's a possibility too," conceded Melinda reluctantly. "But there's one other possibility." She leaned forward "What if it's a werewolf who...wasn't created by anyone in the club?"

"Huh?"

"The werewolf that bit me is dead," said Melinda, further lowering her voice. "We know that. But what if it wasn't the only one out there?"

Both girls were silent for a time. The radio played obliviously on.

"That'd be...interesting," said Lily, nodding thoughtfully.

"If there are any others out there, they're verygood at hiding," said Melinda. "I don't buy Heidi's theory that there's another secret society of werewolves, but maybe one or two more survivors...who knows?" she sat back in her seat. "That's why we're here."

"Well...I'm still not convinced it's real," said Lily after a time. "What's that saying...the simplest explanation is usually the right one? I really hope it's just a bear or something since it'll cause us the least amount of grief."

A few minutes later, the cook emerged from the kitchen carrying a large round metal tray. Faint wisps of steam emanated from the top of the tray. Melinda and Lily's noses twitched.

"Here you are, ladies."

The portly cook started placing their orders on the table. Each entree was nestled within a yellow plastic basket with a side of fries. Melinda waited with bated breath.

"Uh, 'scuse me," said Lily suddenly.

"Yeah?" said the cook, looking over.

"I said no pickles on mine," said Lily.

"There ain't any," grunted the cook, nonplused.

"Yeah, there are."

"Come on, you haven't even taken a bite."

Lily peeled the upper bun and twin patties from one of her double cheeseburgers and, sure enough, smothered in a generous layer of sticky white mayonnaise, three green slices could be seen clinging to the lower bun.

The chef looked down at the cheeseburger than at Lily with a puzzled, irritated expression.

"How did y-"

"I have a very good sense of smell," said Lily. "Also, I really, really don't like pickles. So, if you could, like, make me anot-"

Sighing wearily, Melinda reached forward and swapped her entrees for Lily's.

"Hey!"

"We basically ordered the same thing but mine don't have any," said Melinda, pushing her burger in front of Lily. "I'll eat yours and you can eat mine. I don't mind pickles."

"But 'Linda-"

"I'm starving, okay?" said Melinda. "Let's not draw this out and just eat; it's no big deal. Don't worry about it, sir," she said, now addressing the cook.

"...Fine," said Lily, rolling her eyes.

"Okay then," said the cook, still slightly dazed by what had happened. He placed the last item on their table and left without further comment.

"Show off," hissed Melinda as raised one of the burgers to her mouth. "And I know you don't actually mind pickles!"

"I could've gotten us a free second lunch," protested Lily.

"No such thing," quipped Melinda before taking a bite.

* * *

The stench of exhaust and asphalt grew fainter as Melinda trod up the grassy incline. She glanced back at the freeway, shielding her eyes from the blaze of the late afternoon sun. Traffic was practically non-existent, with only a scant few vehicles visible ahead and behind. She then looked down at her car, currently parked along the shoulder. She bit her lower lip. What they were doing was probably illegal - and they knew patrolmen haunted this stretch of the freeway - but given how quiet everything was, they might be left alone long enough to do what they had come here for. She continued up the slope, passed the tree line and entered the forest.

Melinda brushed aside some low-hanging branches and stepped over a patch of mud. The foliage was thick but negotiable. She gazed around, sniffing, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the woods. It was all very familiar, in a way. She slipped through and around a patch of tall shrubs and spotted Lily standing in the center of a tiny clearing. Melinda brushed some twigs and leaves from her arms and approached her.

Lily stopped sniffing the air. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to Melinda.

"Anything?" asked Melinda.

Lily shook her head.

"Nada."

"Crap," said Melinda. She glanced back the way she'd come. "I know we parked where the video was taken. Do you think we're in too deep? Maybe it, I dunno, curved around instead of heading straight this way," she said, making a circling motion in the air with a finger.

"Maybe," said Lily doubtfully. "But honestly, Melinda, if it came within a hundred yards of this spot I would have picked up something."

Melinda put her hands on her hips and looked around the forest. Her lips tightened.

"I hate to say it," she eventually sighed. "But I think we're going to have to wolf out."

"This close to the freeway? This early in the day?" said Lily in slightly surprised, slightly gleeful tone.

"It's quiet enough," said Melinda. "Come on."

With that, she removed her exceptionally worn but intact faded pink backpack and placed it on the ground. Lily shrugged and did the same with her blue backpack. Both girls untied/unzipped their shoes. Next, they removed their jackets. Melinda unbuckled her belt and tugged off her blue jeans. Lily slipped out of her pantsuit. They both removed their blouse and stuffed their discarded clothing and shoes into their respective backpacks. A slight chill ran down Melinda's now exposed skin but she barely noticed. Without embarrassment or hesitation she reached behind, unhooked her bra and tucked it into her backpack. Lily, meanwhile, slid out of her purple satin panties, folded them and stuffed them into her backpack. After removing the rest of their undergarments the girls bent down and took off their socks.

Melinda felt something sharp prod her left foot. She shifted her stance slightly and glanced down at her naked form. Apart from her modest breasts there was hardly a trace of fat on her body. Toned, sinewy muscles flexed with her every move. She looked over at Lily. Although Melinda had long ago grown indifferent and accustomed to nudity - both hers and others' - she blushed slightly at the sight of Lily's voluptuous light brown figure.

"Alright," said Lily. "After you."

Melinda nodded. She flexed her shoulders, rolled her head, took a deep breath and exhaled.

There really wasn't a word for what Melinda did next. It would not be inaccurate to say she willed herself to transform yet this would imply the act was largely mental. In fact, to Melinda, felt more like flexing a muscle - an invisible, incorporeal muscle that encompassed her entire body. Some of the club members described it as 'waking up' - as though the werewolf inside slumbered until roused by the full moon, anger, fear, lust or volition. Whatever it was, Melinda had spent many, many hours and days practicing and had gotten damn good at it.

A sequence of sharp, visceral cracks filled the air as Melinda's arms and hands suddenly swelled to nearly twice their former size. Thick, black fur erupted along her back and arms and spread. Her palms darkened and thickened as leathery pads formed while sharp claws burst from her fingertips. Her entire body pulsed as she gained a foot in height. Veins throbbed along almost every square inch of her skin that hadn't been consumed by fur. Melinda grit her teeth. A thin trickle of drool escaped her ebony lips as the transformation migrated down her body, causing her legs and feet to stretch, contort and grow. Before long she was standing on the balls of her feet, her heels a physiological afterthought. Her body pulsed again as she grew another foot in height and gained many more pounds in muscle. A long, bushy tail emerged from her backside. Then, her nose, mouth and jaw jutted outward and grew in tandem. Sharp fangs replaced molars, incisors and canines. Her ears narrowed into twin triangular tufted ears that promptly traveled up her head. Finally, her eyes brightened to a fearsome yellow, glowing with an inner light.

Melinda resisted the urge to howl. Instead, she just growled, stifling the curious reflex as one might a yawn. She shook her mane and gazed around the forest with amplified senses, ears twitching, nostrils flaring.

Lily was not quite as adept at transforming as Melinda. It took her longer and, unlike Melinda, her change was punctuated with groans, gasps and the occasional curse. She did not grow quite as tall or massive as Melinda either. She gained, perhaps, a foot in height and instead of acquiring a powerful, brawny musculature her body grew lean, sinewy and toned - like an Olympic sprinter. Yet she retained a vestige of her curvy form. In particular, an impressive, albeit furry, bust. Her fur was dark grey lightening to grey along her stomach.

Lily howled as her transformation climaxed, but only for a second. She cupped her muzzle as though she had done something impolite.

"Geez, what took you so long?" said Melinda mischievously, her voice now a resonant contralto.

"Like I'm going to rush things for you," said Lily, her voice similarly deeper but still feminine.

"Alright, alright," said Melinda, waving a paw. "Let's see if it helped."

Lily nodded. She lifted her nose to the air and sniffed it for a few seconds. Then, she fell on all fours and sniffed the ground.

"...I think I smell something," said Lily, looking up. "Could be a werewolf but it's super faint."

"Okay, let's sweep the area," said Melinda, scooping up her backpack. "Either of us find anything-"

"I know the drill, Melinda," said Lily, who then lowered her nose back into the needle and leaf strewn forest floor.

Melinda snorted but said nothing more. She turned and trotted deeper into the woods, stopping after a good hundred yards. Like Lily she fell to all fours and pressed her nostrils to the dirt. The gestalt aroma of the forest sharpened and then gradually fragmented into dozens of individual odors. Melinda mentally sorted through each one - tree resins, clay, rotting wood, leaf tannins, geosmin, deer scat, squirrel urine, honeysuckle, mint, clover - nothing unexpected. She trotted a few feet forward and stopped, still sniffing. She repeated this process a couple of times, pausing every so often to lift her head and smell the air.

Fifteen minutes passed. Then, Melinda caught a whiff of something very, very familiar yet subtly alien. She froze. Then she started sniffing more intensely, searching for a spot where the scent was thicker. And found it.

Melinda lifted her head and howled. A second or two later her call was answered.

"You found something?" said Lily after she had arrived. She was carrying her backpack.

"Yeah, it's definitely a werewolf," said Melinda excitedly. "And I don't recognize the scent."

Lily trotted over to Melinda's side and took a single whiff of the ground. Her yellow eyes widened. She padded around the area, sniffing, and then looked back at Melinda and nodded.

"I got a trail."

With that, Lily turned and trotted deeper into the forest. Melinda hurried after her.

"It's...old," growled Lily as she walked. "But not too old. Maybe...a week?"

"Just focus on following it," urged Melinda.

Lily led Melinda deeper and deeper into the woods. The pair circled around trees, bounded over small creeks and burrowed through thick undergrowth. Overhead, shafts of sunlight shimmered in the air. Time passed. Then, the trail started to curve. It wasn't leading them back to the freeway but didn't appear to be going further into the forest either. This continued for nearly half a mile. At some point Melinda picked up the scent of oil, car fumes and asphalt but it wasn't nearly as concentrated as before.

"I think there's a road up ahead," barked Melinda.

"Yeah, I know," said Lily. "Keep low. We're almost there."

Eventually, the trees parted ahead to reveal a small, two-lane road cutting through the forest. There were no sidewalks and the shoulder consisted of twin thin stretches of gravel. On the opposite side of the road between the trunks and greenery, Melinda spied something long and thin sticking out of the ground but couldn't quite discern what it was.

The two girls stopped and crouched a couple yards from the shoulder, hiding behind a thick mass of broad-leafed greenery.

"I don't hear any cars," whispered Lily. "I think we're good for now."

"What's that?" asked Melinda, pointing at the object beyond the road.

"It looks a like trail marker," said Lily quietly. "There must be a nature trail or park around here."

"Hmm."

Melinda looked both ways down the road. She didn't hear anything and trusted Lily's ears over her own, but was still reluctant when she rose from the bushes and trotted over to the road. Lily was bolder and scampered across the pavement to check the other side.

Melinda sniffed the gravel around the road. The scent was strong here. But there was something else...

"Nothing over here," called Lily from the opposite side. "It might have followed the street road here but I'm not getting anything in either direction.

"That's because this is where it got in or out of a car," said Melinda eventually, rising. She pointed a claw down at the gravel. "I can smell the rubber here, here and here. Someone has been parking their car along the road."

Lily hurried over and a single sniff was all she needed to confirm Melinda's assessment.

"Dead end," sighed Melinda. "I guess we could do a stake out here. The full moon is only two days away. They might come back."

Lily hadn't looked up. She was staring down at the gravel and dirt around it.

"Lily?"

Saying nothing, Lily padded over to a patch of grass growing along the edge of the shoulder and dipped her hand inside. Curious, Melinda leaned forward. Lily rose. She was holding something small and white in her paw-like hands.

"What is it?" said Melinda.

Lily carefully uncrumpled the tiny slip of paper and stared at it.

"It's a receipt for...wow, a lot of ground chuck and other stuff...at someplace called B&N Meat Market," she said.

Melinda hesitated. It was probably a bit of trash, but still...

"How much meat?" she asked.

"About as much as we order every week," said Lily, giving Melinda thoughtful look.

Both girls considered this. Around them, an evening breeze made the grass ripple and the branches sway. The light was starting to dim.

"Could be a coincidence," said Melinda in a skeptical yet hopeful tone. "How old is it?"

Lily ran a claw along the receipt.

"Uh...March 13th."

"That's...that was the day before the last full moon," said Melinda, grinning toothily.

"Still a coincidence?" said Lily, returning her grin.

"Yeah, could be," said Melinda. "But one worth looking into."

The two girls disappeared into the forest, heading in the direction of the freeway.