A young woman becomes a werewolf and finds she strongly identifies with her wolf side. Eventually, she must choose between the human world and the wild.

Sniff all the things!

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Chapter 54

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“If you’re going to sniff every shoe in the store, you’re going to be late for work,” Candice pointed out, laughing.
Sophia looked up from the open shoebox she had her nose in and protested petulantly, “It’s only been a few!”
Okay, maybe more than a few. Sophia winced at the stack of boxes next to her.
Candice merely shook her head in amusement.
“Fine,” Sophia conceded with exaggerated indignation, pulling out one of the shoes. “It’s just all so interesting! All the different types of materials have subtle differences in how they smell.”
“Huh,” Candice responded as she took off the black dress pumps she had been trying on. “Do you think you can smell as well as an actual wolf?”
“Oh, definitely not,” Sophia replied, pulling out the white and gray tennis shoe. “Not even close. My nose was so much more sensitive during the full moon.” Her eyes lit up. “Candice, you wouldn’t believe the world that’s…” She laughed. “Right under our noses!”
“I can’t imagine what that would be like,” Candice replied, boxing the pump back up.
Sophia loosened the laces on the shoes and then continued excitedly, “It’s incredible! It’s like being able to see with your nose but so much more than that. I could tell where animals had been, what they were and how long it had been.” Her voice turned wistful. “Now I feel like I’m blind.”
There’s just so much I’m missing! Sophia paused as she pulled on the shoes.
“Those look nice,” Candice complimented as Sophia laced them up. “I think they’re the best looking so far.”
Standing, Sophia experimentally walked around in them. “It’s a little tight around my toes,” she said, making a face. “I think I liked the second pair I tried on the most. It smelled the best, too.”
Candice laughed, “That's certainly a new way to shop for shoes. I’d go for cute, personally.”
“If I’m going to smell my own shoes all the time, I should probably like it,” Sophia pointed out as she sat down and started removing the shoes.
“Fair point!” Candice conceded. “I’m glad I just have a boring ol’ human nose. Everything being smelly would be such a pain, especially my own feet! Oh God, I can’t imagine how bad the locker room must be.” Candice made a face as she rambled. “I’d constantly carry air freshener around with me.”
“It’s the opposite problem for me. I know my nose is much more sensitive than it used to be, but I still feel so… so limited after experiencing what’s there,” Sophia said, taking off her shoes. “It’s like there’s a part of me that I didn’t know was missing and now can’t stop thinking about.”
“Sounds frustrating,” Candice empathized.
Sophia nodded and then looked at the pile of shoeboxes. Which box was it? Hmm…
Sliding off the chair, she got onto her hands and knees. Leaning forward, she started methodically sniffing the pile of boxes.
“What are you doing?” Candice asked in confusion.
Ah, here it is! She recognized the combination of materials from the pair of shoes she had liked the most.
Bending forward, she hooked the box lid with her lower canines and pulled on it. The muscles in her lower back twitched as she proudly chomped down on it. Her victory was short-lived, though. As soon as the box was no longer supported by the one underneath, the box fell open and the shoes tumbled out.
Oops, she let go of the lid of the now empty box and let it drop to the floor.
“You know, you could just use your hands,” Candice commented dryly as she knelt down to help.
Sophia blushed as she got into a kneeling position and picked up the white and light blue decorated shoes. Wolfgirl urged her to sniff them again, but Sophia carefully packed them back in their box instead.
“I know,” Sophia said, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… using my hands, relying on my eyes instead of my nose, or walking on two legs - it all feels wrong.” Sophia sighed as she clutched the box. “Sometimes it’s just so much easier to let Wolfgirl take over.”
“Wolfgirl?” Candice asked in curious surprise.
Great, now she’ll really think I’m crazy. Sophia anxiously checked for the millionth time to make sure there weren’t any other shoppers nearby. How do I explain Wolfgirl?
“Sometimes, it’s like there’s a wolf sharing my mind with me,” Sophia explained, leaning towards Candice. “I call her Wolfgirl.”
“Like you’re possessed?” Candice exclaimed loudly, her eyes widening in shock.
“Shhh!” Sophia frantically shushed her.
Candice covered her mouth briefly and then whispered, “Sorry!”
That possibility never occurred to me, Sophia felt ice run through her veins as she mulled the question over. Are you possessing me? The question for Wolfgirl echoed through her mind. Have you really been something or someone else this entire time?
“I guess? Maybe?” She replied uncertainly.
There was no reply to her internal question, though, just the conflict between wolfish instincts and human thoughts.
Just me in here.
“No,” she admitted out loud. “Not like that. I don’t need an exorcism or anything.”
“Oh,” Candice answered, clearly disappointed.
“Honestly, I had kind of wanted it to be that way,” Sophia confided. “It’s just been easier to think of all the wolf stuff as something apart from me, especially when it gets me into trouble.”
“Maybe you can learn to treat it as separate from you then,” Candice suggested. “I mean, if you don’t want to act like a wolf…”
“I do want to, though, even though I know I should want to be human,” Sophia interrupted. “That’s been my whole problem; I feel like I’m supposed to be a wolf. These…” She opened her mouth to display her small fangs before continuing. “Feel more like me than the rest of my body. Thing is, I’ve always felt that way but didn’t know why.”
“I had no idea…” Candice commented sympathetically, putting her hand on Sophia’s. “Man, that’s got to be rough.”
Sophia smiled appreciatively. “Thanks for listening. I didn’t realize how much I needed someone to talk to.”
And it’s been tearing me apart.
“Of course,” Candice returned the smile. “What are friends for?”
“I mean, most people have normal problems,” Sophia teased. “You could just go hang out with someone less complicated.”
Candice laughed, “Nah, that would be boring! Still, there must be other wer-” Candice hastily corrected herself after a panicked look from Sophia. “- People with this condition out there who know how to live with it. I’ll see what I can find when I get home!”
“I’ve been looking for months,” Sophia told her glumly. “But haven’t been able to find anyone like me.”
“Maybe another set of eyes will help!” Candice replied optimistically. “Who knows, maybe there’s even a cute guy with it?”
Sophia squirmed uncomfortably as her cheeks warmed. I need to tell her about Shadow… but not now.
“Wouldn’t that be amazing!” Candice continued on. “Then every month you could do your thing together!”
“That… would be nice,” Sophia replied and checked her phone. “Oh, I have less than an hour before work. I wanted to look at bras real quick. Is it alright if we head upstairs?”
“Sure; another casualty of that night?” Candice gave her a knowing look as they stood.
“Bra clasps were not made with claws in mind,” Sophia commented sardonically.
“Hah, I was imagining you burst out of it like the movies,” Candice giggled. “Like, you’d just be standing there and *poof* you’d suddenly grow too big for your clothes. You know, they never talk about how expensive that would get. Do they keep…”
“No, my size doesn’t change, I think,” Sophia told her. “It’s hard to know for sure, though. I just know my clothes were still intact afterward - well, except for my socks and shoes. It was just uncomfortable with fur.”
And confining.
“Well, at least you don’t have to be naked,” Candice laughed, unaware of her friend’s discomfort. “That’s a lot less embarrassing. Ohhh! I bet there are some outfits that would be really cute with fur! Next time, we should get together and…”
“Shh!” Sophia stopped her as she heard approaching footsteps. “Let's head upstairs.”
The pair left the shoe section with their selections and headed towards the stairs. It had grown noticeably louder… and smellier in the time they had been there.
It’s getting busier. Sophia nervously eyed the entrance and the group of people that had just walked in. Just keep your attention on Candice.
“I might stick around after you leave,” Candice told Sophia. “I’d like to check if they have any new dresses.”
“For the Winter Formal?” Sophia guessed, forcing herself to look at her friend instead of the interesting smelling purses they were passing. “Hoping to go with anyone in particular?”
Candice giggled and blushed, “Maybe…” She pushed her hair from in front of her eyes. “I suppose you’re not going.”
“Hah,” Sophia snorted as they headed up the stairs. “The fewer people I have to be around, the better.”
“I thought wolves were social animals…” Candice teased.
“With other wolves.”
“You could always ask one to the dance. I bet it’d look amazing in a tux!”
He would look good in a tux. The mental image of Shadow in a tuxedo was too much for Sophia, and she cracked up.
“I doubt h… it would like that…” Sophia managed between giggles.
“Imagine the rental shop’s surprise when they get it back with the inside covered in fur,” Candice laughed. ”Oooh, you could invite a whole pack; I bet they’d make a sweet acapella! Awoo! Awooooo! A-A-Awoo!”
Both girls paused on the stairs, laughing. An older woman coming down the stairs with several garments glared at them and made an annoyed huff. Still laughing, the girls scrambled to move out of her way.
“Real talk, though,” Candice’s voice turned serious as they resumed climbing the stairs. “I know it’s tough, but you do need to spend some time with actual people. Wolfgirl or not, being alone isn’t good for anyone.”
She’s… not wrong. Sadness flashed through her as she recalled being sent away by Shadow. How does Shadow manage it?
“I have you,” Sophia pointed out as they stepped onto the second floor.
“But there have to be other people you could stand to be around,” Candice insisted. “Even people you could act…” She paused as a man smelling strongly of wood smoke brushed past them. “Be yourself around.”
But I want to be a wolf around wolves… Sophia looked down at the floor and then back at Candice. I just can’t lose Candice again.
Sophia swallowed and then asked, “Could we go somewhere more private?”
Candice studied her for a moment before responding, “Okay, sure, there’s no one in swimwear; let’s head over there.”
The pair reversed direction and headed to the lonely section of the store where all of the out-of-season merchandise was displayed.
“Give me a moment,” Sophia said when they arrived.
She was already bending over to investigate a rack of bikinis.
“Hmm?” Candice asked and then smirked. “Oh, go for it!”
Huh, I can definitely tell this area is a lot less visited. The air seems lighter almost. Sophia went to work exploring the nearby racks and the many new odors they contained. So fascinating; I really wish I could do this on a full moon.
“It’s kind of weird,” Sophia reflected after satisfying her lupine curiosity. “My sense of smell doesn’t seem any different than last month, but everything is so much more interesting now. It’s torture trying to ignore it; I don’t know how I’m going to survive work.”
“Hmm, maybe you could put something under your nose?” Candice suggested. “I think they make stuff like that. Your place might even have it.”
“That’s a great idea!” Sophia brightened. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Two minds are better than one!” Candice cheered. “Maybe even chapstick would help; I have some with me! Did you want to try it?”
“That would be amazing!” Sophia told her, and then she wrinkled her nose, “Could I try it now?” She giggled nervously. “Your makeup has been kind of bothering me.”
Among other things.
“Oh! I’msosorry!” Candice turned red. “You should have said something sooner! Of course, you can try it!”
“It’s not your fault!” Sophia assured her quickly as the other girl reached into her coat pocket. “But it’s definitely a downside of a more sensitive nose.”
“Here you go!” Candice offered out her palm with a tube of lip balm in it.
Leaning in, Sophia sniffed at it tentatively. There was a faint petrol smell, among others, but it mostly smelled like…
“It’s cherry,” Candice said. “Take it, it’s not going to hurt you!”
Sophia picked up the stick and removed the cap. The smell intensified significantly, but the cherry fragrance masked the less pleasant ones sufficiently. She quickly applied some under her nose.
Oh wow, Sophia experimentally looked around, sniffing. This should help a lot.
She could still detect other scents through the gloss, but they were significantly muted in comparison.
“Thank you so much!” Overcome with gratitude, she leaned in before Candice could react and gave her a lick across the cheek. “Oop, sorry! Got carried away.”
Candice laughed as she rubbed her cheek. “No worries. You can keep it.”
“That’s a relief. I was seriously considering quitting work,” Sophia admitted. “This will hopefully get me through today at least!”
“Just don’t lick any customers,” Candice said dryly. “What did you want to talk about over here?”
Oh, right, Sophia’s rhapsody rapidly ebbed. I wanted to tell her… If anything, the significant reduction in olfactory information was making her even more jittery. That even hanging out with her, I don’t want to be human? After everything she’s done for me? Damn it, why does everything have to be so difficult? Her eyes settled on Candice’s expectant face. How could I possibly hurt her like that?
“I… I forgot…” Sophia fibbed.
“You’re anxious about school,” Candice guessed.
“Well, yes,” Sophia replied. “I really don’t want to go back, and I’m not sure there’s any point to keeping my job.”
“It’s been a rough week for sure,” Candice acknowledged, leaning against a wooden support beam. “I can imagine school would really suck for a werewolf. And being grounded is so unfair, especially when you can’t say the real reasons.”
Sophia shifted her weight and cocked her head, “I know that tone; where are you going with this?”
Candice cracked a self-satisfied smile, “I told Patty about your predicament…”
“You what?!?” Sophia panicked.
“Not about that!” Candice said quickly, raising her hands. “It turns out she lives near Camden, and she suggested she might be able to help you out.”
“Patty said that?” Sophia blinked in surprise, and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why should I trust her?”
“She feels really bad about the Halloween Party,” Candice explained. “You can trust her because I trust her. Anyway, she also has a car and could plausibly have picked you up.”
“But I’ve only met Patty once..!” Sophia objected.
“Who else knows that, though?” Candice countered. “We just have to think of a story and make sure you’re both on the same page. Then she’ll contact your dad and explain everything.”
“But...!” Sophia started to protest.
“Do you want to stay grounded?” Candice asked pointedly.
“No,” Sophia admitted and sighed. “Alright, what are you thinking?”
“Maybe you could say you had a panic attack but were too embarrassed to return afterward,” Candice suggested. “Say you texted Patty, and she came by and picked you up and then took you home.”
“I left my phone at Camden’s,” Sophia pointed out.
“Alright, just say you walked to Patty’s house,” Candice replied without missing a beat. “I told you she was nearby, just a few houses down, in fact. Which, yeah, can be a bit of a ways. But I think…”
“She’s rich?!!” Sophia exclaimed in surprise.
“Her parents are pretty well off,” Candice said and then flashed an amused smile. “She’s actually kind of embarrassed about it, which is why she puts on the bad girl image. Sometimes, she gets a bit carried away, but she has a good heart.”
“Wouldn’t her parents know I didn’t come by?”
“They were out on New Year's.”
“Ah.”
It just might work… Sophia relaxed, thinking. I don’t know if it will be enough to satisfy the Outdoor Club members, but at least they won’t think I pranked them.
“I have one condition,” Candice said after a few moments.
Sophia blinked. “What?”
“You’ll come to school on Monday,” Candice told her firmly. “I understand if you’re not ready to sit with me at lunch, but you can’t throw away your life just because you get furry once a month.”
“But what about...!” Sophia’s eyes widened as she gestured to her face.
Candice noticeably hesitated before responding, “If you do continue to… change, we’ll worry about it then. I’m going to reach out to Rachel about that legend. Maybe she can tell us more.” She glanced at the floor before quietly adding, “You’re not the only one having a hard time with all this.”
Candice briefly brushed where Sophia had licked her with her hand.
Oh Candice… Sophia suppressed the urge to press up against and nuzzle the other girl. Not the time for that.
“I’m sorry,” Sophia whispered.
“It’s okay,” Candice said, smiling, but her eyes were still troubled. “But yeah, those are my terms.”
“Fine,” Sophia agreed sullenly. “I’ll try being human.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Candice mocked. “Come on, is it really that bad? I mean, there’s chocolate.”
“True, chocolate would be very hard to give up,” Sophia agreed wryly and then checked her phone. “Almost one-thirty, not enough time to look at bras.”
“We’ll have to do it some other time,” Candice said glumly. “I suppose you should go check out.”
“Yeah, thanks for shopping with me!” Sophia hefted her shoe box. “It’s been nice.”
“Of course!” Candice waved as Sophia headed towards the stairs.

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Chapter 1 << Chapter 53 < > Chapter 55

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