by Eve Langlais
Everything about that day with Bobby was flooding back into her brain as she stared at the elk’s intelligent eyes. Did this animal really understand her? Or was she reading too much into it?
“What are you?” she whispered, losing herself in the elk’s gaze.
“Celeste!” her daddy screamed from behind the trees. “For the love of God, Celeste, where are you? Baby? Celeste!”
Celeste jumped and turned her head, looking for her daddy. He was still a ways away, hidden by the thick growth of trees, but by the sound of his voice he was heading right for her.
“My daddy!” she squealed. “He’s here to save us.”
Celeste spun around to face her elk and stifled a scream as she was met with the shock of her short lifetime. Her elk had vanished, and in his place was a naked little boy. He had very dark eyes, like two pieces of coal were smoldering inside them. His dark hair was shaggy and hung low, nearly obscuring his beautiful eyes.
She was too shocked to speak. He was crouched down in front of her, a huge grin plastered on his cute face. Celeste felt a rush of emotion as her heart swelled like it did when she flipped through her older cousin’s teen magazines. Who was this boy and where was her elk?
“Who… ” she started to say, but he giggled and cut her off by diving forward, his lips meeting hers.
Her first kiss was like nothing she had envisioned; it was better. She felt her whole body tingle as she tried to stifle her own giggle. Finally the boy pulled his perfect lips away from her and winked before spinning and running faster than any boy should be able to into the woods.
“Wait!” she called. “Come back! Who are you?”
Just as he disappeared past the tree line, her father burst out of the one behind her.
“Baby!” he yelled, scooping her up off the ground and squeezing her so tight to his body that she thought she might suffocate. “Don’t ever do that to me again, baby! You almost gave Daddy a heart attack!”
Tears were streaming down his red face, pooling in his bushy black beard.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said, trying to fight back her own tears. “I saw a bunny.”
“If you want a bunny, I’ll buy you one, baby! Please don’t do that to me ever again. Daddy couldn’t live without you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Let’s go home.”
He spun around, quickly heading back towards the stream and their home. Celeste buried her face in his shoulder, trying to forget the whole ordeal. The strange feeling she had had earlier was gone and the world had returned to normal. She was safe and warm in Daddy’s arms. She hazarded one more glance in the direction the little boy had run. Just as she and her daddy reached the stream, she saw the boy poke his head out from behind a tree, still laughing.
Chapter Two
Bray froze; there was something close by. He could smell it traveling to him on the cold fall wind. Old Man Winter hadn’t quite made its way to his home, but every day Mother Nature threatened to drop the cold white snow that always rendered him blind against predation.
He stiffened up and looked around, trying to figure out the direction the scent was coming from. The wind was swirling too hard and the leaves were crunching as the wind blew them, leaving him confused and alone.
With a loud snort he lowered his impressive antlers and began to stamp his back foot, warning any animal that was stupid enough to try him. He was bigger than any elk anyone had ever seen, close to the size of a moose. The werewolves knew well enough to leave him and his pack alone, but the regular old gray wolves weren’t quite so smart. He’d skewered enough of them with his sixteen–point rack that you’d think the lesson was learned; alas, it was not.
His large rack let everyone know he was king bull among the elks in the Pine Bluff National Park. The only one that could rival him was his younger brother Dallas. Together they were the strongest bachelor group in the park and they always boasted the most impressive harem. Bulls came from miles away to challenge them, but they always found themselves limping away, waiting for next year’s rut.
Unfortunately his power and strength made him a perfect target for hunters. Generally the hunters weren’t allowed into the park where the elks lived, but as of late he had heard rumblings from the humans about overpopulation. The elks had moved pretty deep into the park, far away from the homes and roads, but the hunters followed them wherever.
Almost on cue, a shot rang out through the forest, splintering the point of one of his antlers. The hunter had been going for his head, but was apparently a very bad shot. Bray’s head shot straight up and he caught sight of a man about forty yards away, nestled in between two bushes. He was readying another shot, but Bray wouldn’t give him a chance to get it off. Instead, he lowered his head and charged straight at the fat old man. The hunter’s eyes grew wide with fear and he began to fumble with his gun, trying to raise it to deliver the killing shot.
All of these humans were the same. They were big, tough men when they could shoot at a helpless elk from a distance, but when Bray turned his attention to them they became slobbering babies crying for help. The man continued to fumble with his gun but finally gave up, slinging it over his shoulder and spinning to run.
Bray kept his chase on, running the fool down as best he could. He finally reached the hunter, catching the man in the back with his antlers and knocking him to the ground. The man rolled over and called for help, but Bray would not let him go. He reared up on his back legs and brought his powerful hooves down on the man’s chest and stomach, driving all the air out of the hunter. He heard a satisfying crunch as one of his hooves landed squarely on the man’s ribs.
With one last mighty slam he brought his hoof down on the man’s jaw, knocking him unconscious.
Bray stared at the hunter for a few more minutes, considering finishing him off for good. No. He was not a murderer and he couldn’t bring himself to kill the man. What he would do was leave him there to silently suffer. Bray grabbed the man’s rifle between his teeth and eased it off his shoulder, preparing to take it with him. The elks had tried to gather every hunter’s rifle they could. His harem was like a small army, one day ready to turn on the hunters who thought they could kill an innocent animal for sport.
There was no sport in using a gun on a defenseless animal and one day, if they ever decided it was time, they would prove that to the filthy hunters.
Bray turned and trotted away with his newly acquired weapon, leaving the man to his newly acquired wounds. Maybe the hunter would think twice before bringing his gun into Bray’s domain again and threatening him or his harem.
It wasn’t a long journey back to the flat, open lands where his herd was hanging out today, but what he saw when he arrived threw him for a loop. His brother was sitting on a rock, shifted into human form and covered in mud. It was obvious he had been rolling in his elk form and spraying himself so that he would be more appealing to the females in the harem.
Most of the cows were shifted into their elk bodies, just lazing about or chewing on grass. However there were three, his brother’s favorites, surrounding him on the rock. Their hands were probing all over his chiseled body, traveling up and down the length of his abs. One had a strong grip on his brother’s rigid shaft, working it with coordination that a human female just couldn’t have.
It did not bother Bray that his brother was busy getting ready to mate with the females; after all, it was the rut and that was what they did during the rut. But after his experience with the hunter he didn’t think it was wise to be so brazen with their transformations in public.
At first his brother did not notice him; he was too into the pleasuring he was receiving from his female companions. One of them, a pretty brown–haired girl who was usually kind of mousy, was leaning over his chest, her tongue working its way across his pecs. Another one, a stunning blonde with curves that made even Bray ache to lose himself in them, was above Dallas, her large breasts surrounding his head, which was thrown ba
ck in ecstasy. Finally there was another brown–haired girl with an absolutely stunning body who was working the shaft of his cock with amazing speed and dexterity. The entire time she was licking her lips as her eyes centered on the bulbous purple head.
Respectively they were named Lily, Blossom and Tulip. But everyone else called them Dallas’ flowers because they were always around him. Bray wasn’t sure if the nickname was funny or eye–roll–worthy, but he wasn’t a jealous bull so he didn’t ever use the nickname. He had his own favorites, but he tried to give equal attention to everyone in the harem. After all, he and Dallas both ended up mating with all the cows.
Just as he arrived, the hunter’s gun still in his mouth, Blossom looked up and jumped back, giving a short yelp as she saw him. This caused the other two to stop what they were doing and look up, both of their eyes falling on his broken antler and then the gun in his mouth. They both began to back away, leaving Dallas alone and still blissfully ignorant.
“What the hell, ladies?” he asked, looking around at them. Sometimes Bray thought his brother was an oblivious fool, and this was one of those times. “I thought this party was just getting started.”
Tulip was pointing at Bray, her mouth hanging open. Finally Dallas’ eyes landed on Bray and he exploded off the rock, dropping down in front of Bray and hopping from one foot to the other in surprise. His once–needed erection had now gone soft as business erupted in front of him.
“Jesus, Bray!” he squawked. “What in god’s name happened to your antler?”
Bray dropped the rifle on the ground and shifted, rising up over his brother and drawing the eye of every female in the vicinity. At six foot five and close to two hundred seventy pounds, he was an impressive sight, even for a human. He easily towered over Dallas, reminding everyone who was really in charge.
“A hunter shot me, obviously,” Bray said. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I was just…” Dallas trailed off, looking back at his flowers.
“You were about to have a goddamn orgy right out in the open,” Bray finished for him.
“So?” Dallas asked, looking incredulously at the ground. “It’s the rut and it’s my right to mate with the cows in our harem.”
“It is your right,” Bray said, trying to remember himself. “But right now it’s not wise to do so, not with the hunters coming.”
“I didn’t know the hunters were back,” Dallas said, his eyes landing on the gun that lay at Bray’s feet. Dallas’ nostrils flared and his lips curled back in revulsion as he looked over the murderous creation.
“They are,” Bray said. “I’ve heard rumblings from some of the bulls who have challenged me.”
“I thought they were just trying to throw you off so they could steal our harem,” Dallas said. Dallas rarely took on the challenge of another bull; it was usually up to Bray to intimidate and run any intruders off.
“I thought they were blowing smoke as well,” Bray said. “But the threat has returned.”
Dallas looked off into the distance, his thoughts trailing off. Bray knew he was remembering the last time the herd had grown overpopulated. When the hunters had come and killed their other brother, Husky, and reduced their bachelor group from three to two.
“We have a plan,” Bray said. “You know that. We have to gather everyone up and go.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Dallas asked, glancing around nervously. “To travel that close to the humans?”
“It will have to be,” Bray said. “We have no other choice, brother.”
“But that close to the humans, we’re forced to be more careful. This year’s rut will be awful if we can’t shift freely.”
“Would you prefer to be killed by a sniveling, cowardly human hiding in the bushes? Is that how you would prefer to die so that you can fuck whoever you want, whenever you want?”
“Of course not,” Dallas said, glancing at the ground. “I will follow you, brother.”
“That’s the way it has to be,” Bray said. “We have to return to the area outside the old neighborhood. It’s the only way to keep the hunters away from us. They’re not allowed to hunt in that area of the park.”
“But what of the humans? If they see us shift…”
“We’ll just have to be careful.”
Bray had turned to begin gathering up his things, to prepare for the long journey back towards civilization, when he felt a strong hand grip his shoulder. He turned to see Dallas looking at him, a fire in his eyes.
“Brother, this isn’t because of her, is it?”
Bray quickly slapped Dallas’ hand off, his jaw clenching with anger. He knew the caterpillar–like veins in his neck must have been bulging because Dallas quickly backed away.
“Do not speak to me about her.”
“I understand. She was your first kiss. The first cow who ever attracted you.”
“She’s not a cow, she is human.” Bray looked at the ground, not wanting to have this conversation. If Dallas pushed it, then he would regret it.
“You know we’ll be close to her when we go, brother.”
“We don’t know that. She could have moved from that house long ago. It was fifteen years ago.”
“You’ve seen her since.”
“I have not had contact with her.”
“And yet you talk about her every time the rut ends, brother. You know you can never have a life with her. She would never understand what you are or what our way of life is. It would not work.”
Bray looked up again, and this time the look in his eyes definitely warned Dallas off. His hands went up and he backed away, afraid he was about to be punched down by his older brother.
“Just gather up your things and spread the word,” Bray said, pointing at the flowers who had gathered behind Dallas. “You three do the same.”
They didn’t argue; they immediately went to the task he had given them. Dallas stared at his brother for a few more seconds before pushing his long black hair out of his face and setting off on his task. Bray was the king stag in this harem, and everyone knew it. Fully grown adult elks were generally called bulls, but Bray had taken to calling himself a stag much like the male deer did. In his eyes he was a cut above the other bulls and had to differentiate himself somehow. ‘Stag’ always seemed so much more regal, so much more kingly. That’s exactly what he was: king of his domain.
Chapter Three
“Dad, I don’t want you around on Saturday night!” Celeste whined. “Can’t you just go out with friends or go to your study?”
“If my little girl is having a party, then I’m going to be here to supervise,” Randall Braun warned. “I’m not going to have any Spin the Bottle or makeout parties on my watch.”
“You are so lame, Dad,” Celeste said, rolling her eyes. “Nobody has parties like that anymore. This isn’t the 1950s!”
“How old do you think I am?” Randall asked. “I’ll be here and I’ll be grilling burgers. It’ll be a good time, and I don’t want to miss my little girl’s sixteenth birthday party. Besides, there will be other parents here too.”
Celeste felt all the blood drain from her face. Other parents? What was he thinking? He had invited her friends’ parents to stay? This was going to be the worst party ever. She might as well never go to school again, because her social life would be ruined.
She spent the rest of the day in her bedroom sulking. It was early October so the air outside wasn’t too hot or too cold, meaning she could leave her window open. She could hear her dad on their giant deck arranging tables and chairs while listening to crappy old rock ‘n’ roll while singing along. Was he hell–bent on ruining her life?
Finally Celeste got up close to party time and stared out the window. Her dad was still down there humming along with his music and starting the grill. She looked up at the forest in the distance, the one she had gotten lost in as a little girl. It always calmed her to look at the nature park behind her house. She didn’t have a fenced–in backyard; instead, s
he had an expanse of grass that was about the length of a football field before the tree line hit.
There was a hill in the distance that poked out over the trees. Occasionally she would catch some hikers or an animal on the hill and they always looked amazing against the backdrop of the perfect, tranquil country sky. She had promised herself that one day she would learn to paint and she would immortalize that beauty on canvas. Thus far she hadn’t even made the effort.
It was dusk and the hill was as beautiful as ever. The sky had turned an eerie orange bleeding in with the purple of the night sky. A few stars were starting to show, giving everything an overall dreamy feeling. Celeste smiled as she remembered the feeling she had had as a little girl when she met the strange little boy in the woods. It seemed like an eternity ago, but she’d never forget feeling like she was in a different world.
As she stared it occurred to her that the same feeling was beginning to creep back into her mind. She could feel it in her heart. Suddenly her father and his terrible music felt a million miles away; it was just her and the hill in the distance. She had never ventured far enough to climb the hill. As a matter of fact she’d never had the courage to go past the stream after the day she was nearly lost. Even now, when her friends came over and wanted to explore, she’d refuse to pass the stream, lying to her friends and telling them it was private property beyond that point. It always seemed to work, although sometimes they’d give her a knowing look–silently calling her a coward.
She wanted nothing more than to float out her window and fly across the beautiful landscape until she landed on the hill. She would kick off her shoes and feel the grass between her toes. Maybe there would be flowers she could roll in and smell as the cool night air washed over her.
It would be a place of peace and harmony so the bees buzzing about the flowers wouldn’t bother her, they’d just buzz a hello and go on their merry business. Maybe other animals would join her. A friendly wolf that wanted her to rub his tummy or a majestic songbird that wanted to shower her with his lyrical harmony. Although the animal she hoped for more than anything was a powerful elk with huge antlers that wanted nothing more than to sit next to her and let her rub him behind the ears. Then maybe he would transform, into the man of her dreams. All on that perfect hill.