A New Life

The cougar whistles at the rabbit waitress after she hands him and his friend -- a ferret -- their drinks.  She looks away, flustered, trying to avoid eye contact as she beats a hasty retreat.  The cougar grins as he watches her leave, staring at her cute ass and fluffy tail; all of it tucked away in a red Santa’s Helper costume, with the skirt cut just a bit too short.  Over the noise of the music, the pair’s cat calls go unnoticed by the bouncers on the far end of the room.

“Man, Dazzle has some of the hottest chicks,” the cougar says with a smirk.  “I’d do every last one of them.”

“Same, man.  Same,” the ferret remarks.  His eyes dart towards the two security members in the distance, causing him to frown.

One of the guards, a bull, stood at the gold standard for “burly security guard” -- grey suit, tie, sunglasses, and a scowl no one could miss.  The other, a she-wolf, returns the ferret’s glare.  Her attire differs from the bull’s, choosing a tight black lycra top and matching shorts over his formal wear.  The straps of an eyepatch are visible underneath her glasses.  The scars across her arms and chest make her look more intimidating than the bovine, despite the extra head of height and fifty-or-so pounds of muscle he has on her.

“Dude.  That wolf lady’s been staring us down all night.  You think she’s watching us?”  The ferret points a finger in the lupine’s direction.  The cougar follows that finger and scoffs.

“Enh, let her.  We ain’t done anything wrong.  Trust me, this place doesn’t give a shit what you do as long as you don’t break anything.”  The cougar arcs an eyebrows suggestively.  “I know you’re still thinking about what’s under that hot chick’s skirt.”  The ferret grins back; the cougar can read him like a children’s book.

It isn’t long before the rabbit waitress returns, asking sharply if the pair wants another round.  The cougar’s hand finds its way to the rabbit’s rear, giving it a firm slap.  She yelps, hopping away from the cat’s paw.

“Come on, don’t pretend you didn’t like that,” he says with a shit-eating grin.

“Look, I’m just trying to get through my shift,” she replies, clearly disturbed by the sudden grope.  “You’re making me very uncomfortable.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, babe.  We’re just paying customers.  What’s wrong with us being a little friendly with the help?”  The ferret chuckles to himself as the rabbit’s ears fold over, trying not to blush out of embarrassment.

“Um, I’ll...be back with another round of whiskey,” she says quickly, turning away as fast as she can.  The cougar’s eyes follow her to the back door instead of the bar, slipping outside.  The feline grins as he motions towards the door.  The ferret hesitates for a second.

“Whoa, dude, I-I dunno about this,” he complains.  “Hitting on the girls is one thing.  Following them around is another.”

“Stop being a wuss,” the cougar replies.  “She’s just being shy.  Trust me, once we introduce ourselves properly, she’ll be all over us.”  He stands up, finishing the last of his whiskey before he walks towards the rear door.  The ferret freezes up for a moment, but eventually stands up to join his friend.  His eyes fall back toward the entrance and at the wolf.  Her eyes are still on him, but she doesn’t move.  Not wanting to draw the bull’s attention as well, the ferret picks up speed.

The bunny leans against the wall of the dead-end alley.  She hastily puffs on a cigarette as she rubs her grey-furred arm with her free hand, trying to stay warm.  The two men walk up to her, causing her eyes to go wide.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here --” she starts, but the cougar is on her before she can say another word.  His hand presses against the wall above her shoulder, the other squeezing at her hip.

“Come on, don’t be shy,” he quips.  The ferret is right next to him, a lewd smile on his face, his excitement apparent as his courage builds.

“No!  S-stop it!  I’ll scream!” she shouts.  The taller, stronger feline leans in, sniffing at her neck, before dragging his tongue across it, causing her to squirm.

“Oh, you want this.  I can smell it.”  The cougar’s claws begin to sink into her dress, tugging at her skirt.  She winces her eyes shut as she hears the fabric begin to tear.

Behind them, a voice rings out; feminine, yet harsh.  “Hey.”

The cougar looks over his shoulder at the she-wolf standing behind them, showing no discomfort towards the frigid cold.  He puts on a knowing grin.  “Don’t mind us.  We’re just saying hello.  We weren’t going to do anything she didn’t want to do herself --”

“Shut up,” the wolf growls, her hands folded over her chest.  The ferret looks her over -- she looks much stronger than the club’s dim atmosphere let on.  She’s taller than him, too, and nearly matches the cougar’s height and physique.  “Back off, and go back inside.”

“Hey, we’re just having a -- a little fun, that’s all!  Can you blame us?”  This time, the ferret spoke up, trying to assuage the wolf’s temper.

The wolf isn’t convinced.  She takes a step forward, one that sounds -- and feels -- heavier than it should.  “Last warning.  Trust me, you’re not going to like how this ends for you.”

The feline sighs, standing up to his full height.  He turns around to face the wolf, staring her down.  “Okay, look.  I know this is your job, but we’re regulars here.  Paying customers.  It’s your fault you make all the women here too hot to resist.  Now go back to that bull of yours and give him a handy or something.  God knows he could use it.”

Now it’s the wolf’s turn to sigh.  She takes off her glasses -- and her eyepatch.  The ferret recoils as she does.  The eyepatch isn’t just for show; the scarring around her right eye punctuates the killer scowl on her face.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she snarls.

The cougar lets out a laugh as he takes a step towards the rabbit, intent on ignoring her threat.  Suddenly, a sharp bang, identical to a thunderclap, leaves his ears ringing as he winces his eyes shut.  When he looks back, the wolf is gone -- or rather, all but one part of her.  A large pair of grey feet stand where the rest of her once stood, pressing against the building walls on either side.  He gasps, looking up -- and up.  God, she has to be fifty -- no, sixty -- feet tall.  She stares down at the cat angrily, giant hands resting on her hips.

“Holy shit!” the ferret exclaims, falling on his ass as he scrambles backward.  The faint smell of urine fills the air, causing the she-wolf’s nose to wrinkle.  The cougar scrambles away as well,  his back pressed against the wall.  Her gaze falls to the frightened bunny, her voice soft, yet thunderous, and bone-shaking.

“You okay?” she says.  The waitress nods.  “Good.  Get back inside.  Let Marcus know I’ve got this under control.”  The bunny slowly walks back towards the door, navigating around the two terrified perverts as well as the she-wolf’s paws, before slipping back inside.  She returns her attention toward the pair once she hears the door shut.  “Now that that’s settled, what say we have a little talk?”

Before either of them can reply, the she-wolf goes down to one knee, a heavy thump following the impact.  The cougar tries to escape, running to get around her leg; her other knee comes down mere inches away from him, causing him to stop in place.

“Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily,” she barks out.

Her eye falls toward the ferret, who manages to rise back up to his feet, a glint of steel in his hand as he draws a knife from behind his back.  She rolls her eye back.  “Oh, please.  I’ve had worse papercuts than whatever that toy of yours is going to do.”

He swings the blade wildly as she lowers her right hand, swiping ineffective at one of her digits.  She presses the top of her middle finger against the bottom of her thumb.

“Alright, have it your way,” she mutters.

The lupine woman flicks her finger forward, catching the mustelid in the chest.  He drops the weapon, flying backward into the wall with a crunch before falling down in a heap.  He twitches a bit, groaning in pain, but doesn’t get up.  The wolf can hear him breathing -- he’s alive, but down for the count.

“Gonna have to talk to Marcus about weapon checks again.  He’s getting sloppy,” she utters.  With one pervert down and out, she returns her attention to the other.  Her entire body casts a knowing, looming shadow over him, blocking out his view of the night sky.  His eyes widen in terror as she reaches over to pluck him from the ground, squeezing him roughly into the palm of her hand.  She rises back up to her full height as the feline closes his eyes, fighting back the urge to scream.

When he opens them again, she’s staring right at him, her face filling his entire vision.  He retches, barely holding back his bile.

“Now, where were we --” she starts, before pulling back.  Now the cougar has a knife, which he grasps in both hands, shaking violently as he tries to keep himself balanced in her palm.  Another sigh follows.  “Really.  You saw how well that worked out for your buddy, not to mention you’re much higher up in the air than he was.  You sure you want to keep pissing me off?”

“S-stay away!  I’ll...I’ll cut your eye out!” he screams in terror, flinging his weapon around.  His knife sinks into her left index finger, slicing a cut into her skin.  She doesn’t register the contact, pinching her fingers around one of his arms and squeezing down -- hard.  A roar of pain follows as a pop can be heard; the knife falls away and down to the ground below with a clatter as the cougar stares at his arm, certainly sprained, if not broken.  He looks into the wolf’s grey eye, defeated.

“Done?” she growls.  He nods.  “Good.”

“Oh god,” the cougar whimpers.  “Are...you’re going to eat me, aren’t you?  That’s what you shifters do, right?”

The she-wolf stared at him blankly, before pressing her other hand against her face.  “Ugh, no.  You’d already be in my mouth if I wanted to eat you.  Besides, I’m sure you’d give me food poisoning.  No thanks.”

“T-then...you’re going to let me go?”

“Hell no.”  She moves her hand, pointing her finger at the feline, her claw sharp, glistening in the moonlight.  “I told you we were going to talk.”

“W-what --”

Suddenly, that claw thrusts forward, jabbing him painfully in the chest -- and keeping him pinned to her palm.  “You were molesting poor Jessica.  She’s only been here three months, and the boss had to work really hard to get her into that outfit.  Plus, we don’t take kindly to handsy guests.  So when our waitress tells you to leave them alone, you.  Leave.  Them.  Alone.”  She stabs that claw into his chest with each pause, making her point lethally clear.  “Got it?”

The cougar nods, his eyes fixated on her deadly clawtip.  His fight has abandoned him -- he’s nothing more than a squabbling kitten now.

“Alright.  Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time for the two of you to leave.”

“B-but I said I’m sorry --” A piercing gaze from the wolf’s good eye cuts him short.  She stoops down low to collect the ferret in her other hand, keeping the two of them separate.  The ferret lets out a pained groan, but doesn’t complain further.  Her footfalls are heavy as they thump on the wet concrete, navigating herself out of the alleyway and towards the parking lot behind the building.  The cougar risks looking down; his stomach violently convulses as he snaps his eyes away and up at the sky, struggling to keep what remains of his dinner inside of him.

“Hey.  Which one’s your car?”  The she-wolf addresses the cougar again, her tone cross.  He doesn’t respond.  “Don’t start playing dumb, now.  I’m not letting you out of my sight until you two idiots are a mile down the street.”

Mustering the last of his courage, he looks over the edge of her palm and down at the ground dozens of feet below.  He points quickly at a dull grey sedan, a two-door.  “T-there.  That’s the one.  Oh, God.”

“Good.  Now, let’s...wait a minute.”  Suddenly, the she-wolf stops.  She brings the cougar up to her muzzle, giving him a sniff.  His heart catches in his throat as her lips curl back into another snarl.  “You’re drunk.”

“N-no!  I’m not...w-well, not too drunk that I can’t d-drive --”

“Oh, I’m not going to be responsible for your plastered ass killing someone tonight.  We have a little policy when it comes to drunk drivers.”

Her grin returns -- this one wicked, almost sinister.  Her foot lifts up on the ground, toes flexing once as she dangles it over his car.  She’s turned her palm slightly so that he has no choice but to watch.  Any attempt to stop her, futile as it would be, would lead him to tumble to the ground below.  His eyes widen, and his voice rises to a feverish squeak as her foot comes down.  His car vanishes underneath her step as metal distorts, glass shatters, and dark liquids pool around and out from her sole.  When she lifts up, what remains of his car can only be described as a pancake.

“M-my...my car!” he yells at last.  “What the hell did you do that for?”

“I told you.  You’re drunk, and I’m not letting you drive.  Be glad your car’s the only thing I’m flattening tonight.”  She leans down, dropping the cougar onto the ground before he can protest again.  He’s dropped a few feet in the air -- not enough to cause any harm, but certainly enough to make his landing awkward and painful, especially with his attempt to break his fall with his already-busted arm.  The ferret is dropped in similar fashion, still unconscious.  The cougar scrambles towards his pancake-vehicle, tears in his eyes.  He rises up, completely furious.

“You bitch!  I’ll sue this place into the ground!  You can’t do this to a paying customer!”

The she-wolf’s hands are on her hips, her voice suddenly cold, distant.  “I can do whatever I want to an asshole who thinks feeling up our staff is his right as a paying customer.  If I really wanted to be mean...I’d do this.”  Her foot rises up again, coming down swiftly next to the cougar, the force enough to knock him off his own feet.  His car once again finds itself underneath her sole, squished down further into the concrete.  “I should have let you get inside first.  You’d get to see all of this up close.”  Her toes scrunch down, spreading the snow around as the car truly becomes one with the asphalt.  “I suggest you take your idiot friend and get out of here.  Now.”

That was enough for him to take the hint.  The feline returned to his friend, using his uninjured arm to help the ferret to his feet.  “B-but we’re twenty miles away from my house, how am I supposed to --”

“I don’t care.  Start walking, otherwise I’m changing my mind about eating you.  There’s always a first time for everything.”

All the color drained from the feline’s face as he began to take his limp friend and scramble away down the street as fast as his legs could carry him.  The she-wolf let out a groan as she lifted her paw up, looking at the ruins of the car.

“Shit.  The boss is going to kill me.”

The lupine woman waits until both cougar and ferret are out of sight before she lets herself shrink back to normal with a sigh.  The sound is just as thunderous as her expansion as once-displaced air is forced back to fill the space she once occupied.  Collecting the pair of glasses and eyepatch she left at the door, she returns to the club, loud and boisterous as ever.  Jessica, the rabbit, looks over at the wolf with relief.  She allows herself a small, surreptitious smile as she nods towards her, before taking her place back with Marcus at the entrance.  She leans against the wall, staring ahead.

“So.  They gone?” Marcus asks bluntly.

“Yep.”

“I forgot to check if they had weapons, didn’t I.”

“You did.”

“Sorry ‘bout that.  Knives or guns?”

“Does it matter?”  The wolf smirks.

“Heh.  Guess not.”

The two stare in silence for a time.  Marcus speaks up.  “What did you do to their car?”

“...would you mind telling the boss to order a towing company tomorrow?  Tell them they may want to bring the heavy equipment.”

The bull lets out a sigh.  “The boss’s gonna kill you, you know that?  He’s gotta pay for that shit.”

“Hey, I’m good at what I do.  Haven’t heard of a drunk driver out of our establishment yet.”

Marcus shakes his head as the night continues to drag on.  “I’ll take the next asshole we get tonight.”

The she-wolf grins.  “Appreciate it.”

“Couldn’t ask for a better partner, Karen.”

“Start checking for weapons and I’ll say the same of you, Marcus.”  Karen grinned toothily.

*************************

The she-wolf groans as she fumbles for her keys.  The night proved to be more difficult than she expected, as the cougar and ferret were just the first ejections that she and her partner had to make.  Apparently, holidays plus booze meant a lack of common sense.

When she opens the door to her apartment, she’s met with a welcome surprise.  A short, somewhat plush albino rat woman sits on the couch in the living room area, reading from a small book.  She looks up from her reading material at the bleary lupine and grins, stroking back a strand of strawberry blonde hair.

“Welcome home, Karen,” she exclaims, placing the book down wrap her arms around Karen’s waist.  Her head barely reaches up to Karen’s chest.

“Hey, Serenity.”  Karen allows herself a wolfish smile, embracing the rodent back.  “Isn’t it a bit past your bedtime?”

The rat looks up, pouting.  “Hey, you know the rules.  Serenity outside the apartment, Marcie inside.”

“Okay, okay, sorry.  You know my brain stops working after 3 AM, cut me some slack.”  There’s no anger or animosity in Karen’s voice; rather, the tone is playful, admonishing herself more than her girlfriend.  “You didn’t answer my question.”

Marcie grins.  She’s dressed in a soft, lacy nightgown that matches her alabaster fur.  “You know I’ve always been a night owl.  And besides, it’s Christmas!  I’ve never been able to sleep on Christmas Eve.”

“Oh, that’s right.  I forgot.  Huh.”

“You forgot?  And after I went through all the trouble of getting you your present.”  The rat pouts again, her long pink tail snaking back and forth.  The corners of her mouth twitch as she struggles not to smile.  Despite their difference in height, Karen knew better than to challenge Marcie when she had her mind made up on something.

“Oh, come on.  You know I wouldn’t forget.  Now, hit me with that present.”  The she-wolf grins, her tail wagging to and fro as Marcie is unable to keep her charade going.  Giggling, she walks over to retrieve a small white box, handing into Karen.

“I hope you like it,” she exclaims.  Tugging at the ribbon, Karen opens the box, her good eye widening as she lifts off the lid.  Inside is a black choker, made of firm leather and adorned with numerous loops around the length, each loop ending with a dangling silver spike.  A larger silver loop was affixed to the center, devoid of any extra accessory.

“Holy shit.  This is awesome!”  She pulls the choker out, sliding it around her neck.  She grins as the metal dangles against her fur.  “You knew just what I wanted!”

“You’re always on the hunt for things that make you look badass.”  Marcie grinned devilishly, looking up at the she-wolf.  “There’s a second part to your present.”

“Oh?  Can I see it?”

“Not yet.  Let’s save that for later.  After you give me your present.”

The she-wolf barked slightly, rubbing the back of her head.  “O-oh.  Well, it’s not quite finished yet…”

“Oh, I don’t care.  I’ll love it no matter what.”

“If you say so.”  Karen walks past her girlfriend and further into the apartment, surrounded by simple yet functional furniture and fixtures.  Heading for the first door down the hall, Karen reaches into her back pocket, producing a key, only to discover the door knob turns without resistance.  She shoots the rat a knowing look.  “You didn’t peek, did you?”

Marcie’s bespectacled eyes glanced to the side, looking innocent.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

With a smirk, the she-wolf opens the door, turning on the light.  Her art space was nothing short of a glorified mess, with a variety of paintings and canvases scattered across the small room.  Much of the carpets and walls are covered in a variety of paints and acrylic.  Karen muses to herself: getting that deposit back was out of the question now.  On the far corner of the room stands a portrait, lined with charcoal, and carefully painted on with acrylic to give the painting depth.  Marcie approaches the canvas, gasping at the subject matter.

“You don’t have to act surprised, I totally know you peeked at it,” Karen said.

“...okay, yes, I did peek, but that was when you were still sketching it.  I didn’t know you had made so much progress!”  Marcie’s hand strokes across the canvas, tickling at the hidden mole just under her eye that Karen was so good at catching.  The portrait captured Marcie’s likeness to perfection as she sat, staring at a still lake with a wistful expression.  The outer edges of the canvas are still white, leaving said portrait as more of a still image than a finished piece.

“I still need to finish up some of the foliage in the area.  You know, make the empty spots look less...empty.”

Marcie, however, shakes her head.  “I love it.  I don’t want you to change a thing.”

“Wait, b-but it’s not done --”

“I know that, but...what’s there looks so...soft, and peaceful.  You’d lose that if you kept adding more.”  Marcie smiled warmly, ears flicking a bit.  “It’s beautiful.  Thank you, Karen.”

The she-wolf hugs Marcie from behind, bending forward.  “You’re welcome, Marcie.  If you’re happy with it, then so am I.”

“You’re really getting better.  I always knew you had a talent for art.”

“Well, it beats bashing heads in, that’s for sure.  But at least the heads I’m bashing are perverts and drunks instead of...the alternative.”  Karen frowns, but a reassuring stroke on her cheek puts her mind at ease.

“That's not your life anymore.  This is.”  Marcie squeezes Karen's arm.

“Yeah, but...you never really escape it, you know?  I’m still beating people up for a living.”

Marcie closes her eyes, before looking at the painting again, still mesmerized by its simple beauty.  “It’s different, though.  You work for a reputable business, and you’re keeping people safe.  I’d say that’s a big first step.”

Karen sighed, smiling softly.  “Yeah.  I still have a lot more to make.”

“And you’ll get there.  And I’ll be right beside you.”

Turning around, Marcie presses her lips to Karen’s, causing her to squeak a bit in surprise, before closing her eyes to share the moment.  When their muzzles separate, Marcie’s grin returns.

“You remember when I said there was a second present?”

“...yeah?”

A small click catches Karen’s attention, as a silver chain dangles from the large loop, its length wrapped around Marcie’s hand.  There’s plenty of slack to the leash, ensuring the gesture was more symbolic than anything else.

“I want the Big Bad Wolf to eat me,” she whispers.  Karen’s cheeks go red.

“M-Marcie!  You know how I feel about shifting when we...you know.”

“Make love?  You know you can say that out loud, right?”

Karen finds herself unable to muster up a response -- or at least, not a verbal one.  She easily lifts up Marcie into her arms, the chain still in her hand.  “Well...it is Christmas.  And I am awfully hungry.”

Marcie’s legs kick gleefully as she gives the she-wolf another muzzle-to-muzzle kiss, her chest fluttering.  “Merry Christmas, Karen,” she breathes.

“Merry Christmas, Marcie.  Now, shall we?”

Marcie grins as Karen carries her towards the bedroom, each step a little bit larger than the last.  Her head is nearly touching the ceiling by the time she reaches the bedroom door, and she stoops down to avoid making contact.  A series of giggles follows as the she-wolf navigates the door with her girlfriend in tow, the laughter continuing Karen uses the side of her hip to close the door shut...and that laughter only continues to grow as the snow falls outside, punctuating the end to a perfect night.