Chapter 13

Journalists and photographers from all nations flooded the CDC headquarters for the press conference. They packed the lobby from wall to wall, every conversation, regardless of language, was speculative. Normally a conference like this would take place in Washington, but this time the CDC was addressing the world alongside a representative of the WHO. On top of a raised platform at the end of the lobby, a doctor with his credentials clipped to his suit stepped up to the podium. He was the head of head of the CDC and he began his announcement.

“Thank you all for coming today. I am Dr. Gordon Mann, speaking to you as both the head of the CDC and in association with the World Health Organization. I’m here to address your concerns as to the strange occurrences of the past six weeks.”

Every word he said came with the flash of a camera. One reporter raised her hand. “Courtney Bour with The Guardian. Why have you waited so long to speak to the public?”

“The details of these phenomena are unprecedented, and frankly unbelievable. From the rumors alone, you should all realize that we’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s taken six weeks just to get enough information for this conference.” He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the outrageous claim he was about to make. “In simple terms, animals have been spontaneously transforming into humanoid lifeforms, capable of speech and human intellect.”

A tsunami of sound flooded the building, causing Dr. Mann to visibly flinch. Journalists were shouting questions and even security guards and other employees were staring in shock. After a few moments, he pointed to a journalist from CNN.

“What is causing these transformations?” the man asked.

“We have yet to indicate the physical cause.”

“Do you believe this is natural or caused by people?” another reporter asked.

“We have confirmed that the first occurrence was due to human intervention.”

“Are you referring to the man and woman seen in the Bronx Zoo security tapes?”

“Yes. We have confirmed cases of animals transforming in their presence and they used the zoo incident to draw attention to their plight and get help. They are currently working with the CDC to help uncover what is going on. For security reasons, their identities will remain confidential. However, we believe that most, if not all of the events we have witnessed since the zoo incident are occurring naturally.”

“Do you believe this will continue?” a woman asked.

“We have noticed a steady increase in cases and we have no reason to believe they will stop happening.”

“Should the public be alarmed? Are we in danger?”

“Aware, yes, but not alarmed. From what we have seen, animals that have transformed retain their behavior and natural thought processes, though with a more human-like intellect. Herbivores and other naturally timid animals will remain cautious and will flee from other people, while carnivorous animals are only as dangerous are they were before transforming.”

“What is your opinion on the possibility of human-animal coupling? How long will it be until people are demanding legal bestiality and having offspring with transformed animals? Isn’t this proof of the slippery slope argument against gay marriage?” Of course, it was a FOX reporter who asked.

“In regards to offspring of any kind, we have found that transformed animals are all sterile, same as mules and ligers. The only exception is animals that transformed while pregnant. We have a transformed wolf woman in custody that has given birth to human-wolf hybrids like her because she was pregnant at the time of her transformation.

As for human-animal coupling, it is not in the CDC’s place to give an opinion on ethics. This event has redefined what we know about biology and human existence. Whatever the future holds, it is up to the public of this country and the world to decide cultural norms.”

“You said that you have a ... wolf woman ... in custody. What and where does that mean?”

“All hybrids, both natural and manmade, are being sheltered with all physical and mental needs being met. We are currently studying their social behaviors and trying to determine how they will live in our world and what roles they will take. We are doing everything we can to ensure their safety and happiness. It will be up to the courts to decide the rights of hybrids.”

“What should people do when these transformations take place around them?”

“They should keep their distance and call the police, and the police will get in touch with us. However, should this happen to house pets, families may retain custody if they so wish, but they must notify the CDC so that proper measures can be taken for their wellbeing.”

“Is it possible that this can start happening to people? That humans will start becoming like animals?”

“There is no evidence to suggest such a thing happening.”

In the living room of the mansion, we were watching the press conference with rapid heartbeats. Even Dr. Lawrence was with us. At the last reporter’s question, I looked over to Elise. I could certainly understand why Dr. Mann had lied to the press. It was one thing if animals were transforming, but if people were vulnerable, then fear and paranoia would run rampant. Zombie apocalypse enthusiasts would probably drop the ball and people would end up dead.

“So what now?” I asked Dr. Lawrence.

“We wait a few days to see how the public reacts, and if we don’t see the total destruction of our society, then we’ll evaluate our options.”

“Which is how we ended up here,” said Lorraine as she stepped out of the CDC van.

“What did you say?” I asked as I climbed out of my car.

“I’m just explaining things.”

“I don’t follow?”

“How else are the readers going to understand that because of lacking anarchy and civil unrest upon the revealing of animals transforming, the CDC said we should take our motley crew to a public place and Dr. Lawrence suggested the beach?”

“What readers? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Remember? We were talking about this yesterday when you helped me pick a new bikini, then we had sex in the changing room!”

“You’re wearing a one-piece and went to the store by yourself!”

“Ugh, just once, could you encourage my insanity instead of getting pissy about it?”

She was wearing a thin robe over her swimsuit, while I was wearing my trunks and a shirt. We were in a parking lot next to a public beach, with a path through a strip of forest leading to the water. All of the girls were in my car and all of the guys were in the van she was driving. Her pillar men were so huge that only three could fit in her car at once, so she was borrowing a CDC van and using all of the extra space or beach stuff. I just barely had enough room to fit all five girls into my Subaru, and that was only because Leah stayed in the very back. Betty and Elise were in a second van driven by Dr. Lawrence. I was starting to think that he had suggested a beach trip for us because he simply he wanted to go. With his job, he could certainly use a day off. However, this was a freshwater beach. We picked it for Leah, as her salamander skin didn’t react well to salt.

What we didn’t expect was how busy it would be. It was a truly beautiful weekend and we had gotten the last few parking spaces. People were walking all around us, most just arriving and making trips to bring all their stuff to whatever spot they had picked. Having this many people around made me nervous as hell for the girls. But I was also excited, eager to see people’s reactions. Would they be amazed? Scared? Our pictures were going to end up plastered all over the Internet, but a part of me couldn’t wait to see what would happen. It was like standing on a bridge or a cliff and hearing that voice in your head telling you to jump. That little chaotic voice was saying that the more crowded the beach, the more entertaining the result.

“Ok, time to liven up everyone’s day,” said Lorraine as she banged on the roof of her car and I did the same.

Doors opened and everyone got out and stretched. It had been a long car ride.

“I got to admit, you did a great job picking out the girls’ swimsuits,” I said.

Momo got out of the passenger seat wearing a black bikini to match her hair. Sonja came out of one of the back seats with a white and yellow frilled bikini that accentuated her tits amazingly. Out of the other side appeared Jenny, wearing a one-piece with a hole cut in the back for her tail to poke through and an opening that showed her belly button. From the middle seat crawled out Chloe, wearing a blue one-piece with frills around the waist like a skirt. I opened the back of the Subaru and out came Leah, wearing a strapless white two-piece.

Then, out of Lorraine’s van, THEY appeared. The four demigods, wearing nothing but sandals and speedos, stepped out and once again made me hate myself and my physique. Goddammit, Peter had rabbit ears and a puffball tail, and he was still manlier than I could ever hope to be. They were all good guys, but every time I saw them, it crushed my self-esteem. Seeing them like this now just made it worse. But I will admit, I also did feel a lot better having them here. With these hulks around, no one would dare try anything funny with my girls.

Then I sensed a disturbance in the Force.

I turned around, and before I even saw her, I had an erection. My eyes fell on her, Betty. She was wearing a blue bikini that had been custom-made for her, but with a body like hers, any bikini became a micro bikini. The top was just barely covering her areolas and her nipples were poking through the thick fabric, and between her luscious thighs, the bottom had become a g-string.

“Master, what do you think? You like what you see?”

She then turned around, showing me her perfect ass, with the blue material struggling to remain visible. I think I blacked out for a second, I definitely lost my balance. She had been fully dressed when we left the mansion, so this was the first time I had seen her in her swimsuit. I was so turned on, it was actually making me angry.

Behind her appeared Elise, gorgeous as always, wearing a ruby-red top and a tight skirt. She saw me pitching a tent in my trunks. “Put that thing away! There are children here!”

From the driver’s seat appeared Dr. Lawrence, modestly dressed, at least in the category of comfortable beachwear. He looked exhausted, but that was understandable. Driving with bikini babe Betty in the passenger seat would wreck the nerves. All it would take is a single glance to become completely hypnotized, and the next thing you know, you’re face-down in your airbag with the front of the van wrapped around a tree.

From the moment we came out into the sunlight, a tremor moved through the entire parking lot. People around their cars stopped, saw us, and became like statues. Some were asking each other to confirm what they were seeing, and many had already whipped out their phones. We would see a lot of phones today. Chloe instinctively hid behind me, and I rested my hand on her head to comfort her. Jenny similarly got nervous.

“Relax, it will be fine. You’ll all feel better once you get to the water. Now girls, what are the rules for today?”

“No taking off our clothes,” said Momo.

“No playing like we do in bed,” added Sonja.

“No wandering off,” said Chloe.

Leah covered her mouth, meaning ‘no talking to strangers’.

“Tell you or Lorraine if we need to go to the bathroom,” Jenny said.

“Correct. Now, let’s all enjoy our day.”

The pillar men and I carried the beach gear and we moved along the path through the woods. They probably could have carried all of it, but my manly pride insisted I show off. Even though it was a fresh water beach, it was still a field of white sand leading to lapping water.

“There are so many people!” Sonja exclaimed with her tail waving. True, much of the beach had already been divided up into spots for more than a hundred other visitors.

“I think I see an open space over there,” said Betty, pointing off in the distance.

It was quite a walk, past a lot of people, but we had come to be seen so that was what we were going to do. We were hidden in the woods, but as soon as we stepped onto the sand, we became visible. We walked along the spine of the beach, leaving most people with their backs to us, but immediately, others looking in our direction had their attention drawn. Initially they noticed us for the size of our group, then they noticed the tails and ears. They had heard about it on the news for weeks, but for the first time, they were seeing the animal people in the flesh. Scales, fur, feathers, they stood out like neon signs. A visible charge went through the crowds.

Then they noticed something else; bouncing tits, swinging hips, and bronze muscles. Momo, Sonja, and Jenny walked side by side, the sunlight shining on their slender, half-naked bodies, their skin smooth as glass and glowing with sexual energy. Behind them, Betty’s caramel-colored rack jiggled with every step she made and her divine ass mocked the bikini bottom so poorly trying to conceal it. Following them was Elise, showing off her flat belly and her magnificent shelf. Taking up the rear was the pillar men, causing the women who saw them to forget the names of every man they had ever loved. Guys who saw them felt their self-esteem crash and lose all hope of ever procreating.

All in all, multiple sexualities ended up questioned.

Of course, no one paid attention to me, Dr. Lawrence, Lorraine, or Chloe. Any gazes directed at Leah was due to her black and yellow skin. But still, it was nice to see my pets being admired. By the time we reached our spot, almost everyone on the beach was staring at us. We laid out a vast field of towels and set up multiple umbrellas with several coolers full of food and drinks.

Lying back on a towel in the shade of an umbrella, Elise stretched out her tail to its full length in the sunlight. “Oh, this sand feels so good! It’s so soft and warm! This was a great idea!”

“Ok, girls, before we do anything, you need to put on sunscreen,” I said.

“Sunscreen?” asked Jenny.

“It will keep your skin from getting burned. I’ll put it on you, don’t worry.”

I took out one of several bottles of sunscreen and squirted a puddle into my palm. I rubbed it between my palms and started smearing it on her face. All it took was that small contact to make her smile. I leaned in and kissed her, causing her puffball tail to twitch. The rest of the girls watched enviously as I moved across her body, rubbing the lotion on her skin so she wouldn’t get the hose again.

Once it had soaked in, I moved to Momo with more sunscreen. Like with Jenny, I cupped her cheeks and kissed her. I took my time with her, wanting to savor her thunderous purring. Her bikini left a lot more skin to take care of, not that I’m complaining. I then began rubbing Sonja all over while fighting against the urge to aim for the sweet spots. I told the girls we wouldn’t play, so I had to prevent either of us from getting horny.

“I love when Master pets me,” she hummed as I massaged her back.

I continued on to Chloe and Leah. Leah was easy, the sunscreen mixed together perfectly with her salamander sweat, and of course, I could listen to Chloe’s adorable little squeaks all day. “This is the strongest sunscreen I could get. I picked it specifically for you two. We need to protect that soft skin of yours.”

“Oh Masteeeeerrrr.” I turned to Betty, hefting her breasts. “Can you put some lotion on me? I need to feel your hands.”

“Betty, trust me, I’ll rub you all over when we get home. But please, I can’t handle more temptation.” I then looked over to Lorraine, who had covered her chest with sunscreen and was grinding against the pillar men. “Lorraine, I’d really like to end the day without half our group going to jail for public indecency.”

“YOLO!”

“A little dated, but whatever.” I jerked when I felt the unmistakable touch of breasts on my back. “Momo, what are doing?”

“Master put lotion on us, so we should put lotion on Master. See, they’re doing to Lorraine.”

As per her words, the four pillar men were now giving Lorraine a full body massage as if it was an act of worship. It looked like something from an old Britney Spears music video. For fuck’s sake, there are people watching! Before I could say anything, the rest of the girls tackled me.

“Dr. Lawrence, a little help please!”

The doctor had just sat down in a beach chair and cracked open a beer. “Sorry, but I’m going to have to follow the Prime Directive on this one.”

It took some effort, but I managed to peel the girls off me. “Ok, let’s go swimming.”

Hearing the magic words, Leah sprung up and ran towards the water, past rows of people who couldn’t believe their eyes. She had to be wearing a costume, right? Leah dove into the water and immediately surfaced, waving us in. Whooping in joy, Sonja chased after her and made a large splash. I went in third, watching as Sonja flopped around with a big grin on her face, trying to spray as much water as possible. Beneath the water, Leah was zooming around like a torpedo. But looking back, I saw Momo, Chloe, and Jenny standing at the water’s edge.

“Come on in,” I said.

“Momo can’t swim,” the feline said. Chloe and Jenny shook their heads as well.

“I don’t think Sonja can either, but she’s figuring it out. Just walk into the water until it’s up to your chests and it will come naturally to you.”

Jenny went in first, dipping her furry feet into the water and slowly stepping in. Momo followed, grimacing from the water’s temperature. It wasn’t cold, but she was used to hot baths. Chloe remained at the edge, tugging on her ears. Countless people were watching, but that wasn’t why she was nervous. I held out my hand to her.

“Just walk to me. You’ll be perfectly fine.”

She built up her courage and finally stepped into the water. She took my hand and I led her deeper in, until the water was halfway up her chest.

“Now just remember to always be able to keep your feet on the ground, and when you want to paddle, keep your fingers together.”

I looked so Momo, who was slowly walking around with her breasts just above the water. “Momo has never seen so much water before, it’s like a giant bath.”

Meanwhile, Jenny was getting adventurous, walking out until the water was up to her neck and beginning to figure out how to use her arms. A big smile on her face, Sonja paddled over with her floppy ears floating up. She swam over to Chloe and then burst up from the water. “I love swimming!”

The sound of frantic splashing and a garbled voice turned me around. I saw a young boy with goggles and a snorkel freaking out, trying to get as far from Leah as possible. He must have met her under the water and mistook her for a lake monster or something. As the boy ran off, Leah came over to me with a somber look on her face. She ducked behind me the way Chloe would, as if trying to hide from the world.

I crouched down and kissed her on the nose. “People just aren’t used to seeing creatures like you, but in time, they will be. You’re beautiful after all.”

Leah wrapped her arms around my neck and I returned the embrace. Hopefully the people watching us were paying attention.

“How’s the water?” Elise asked as she slithered over with Betty.

“It’s nice and warm,” said Momo.

Elise moved into the water, shivering as it touched her scales. “This feels pretty cool actually. But I’m supposed to be able to float.”

“What do you mean?”

“I got an x-ray at the clinic and found that I have a long third lung in my tail. Normal snakes have something similar.”

“You probably sink because of your posture, like when you raise your head when floating on your back.”

“If it looks like I’m drowning, grab me.” She then dove headfirst into the water, disappearing beneath the surface. She reappeared a hundred feet away from the water’s edge after only a couple seconds. How the hell did she get over there so fast? “This is so cool!” she hollered.

“Master, look at this!”

Without me seeing, Betty had gotten into the water. It was up to her neck, but her breasts were floating like a pair of buoys. Jesus, those things are magnificent. I just wanted to— no, no, get a hold of yourself! I must resist temptation! Damn it, she’s trying to tease me! I must change the subject!

“Are you ok in the water? Are your hooves weighing you down?

“Yeah, they’re heavy, but as you can see, my body makes up for it.”

Lorraine and her pets than entered the water, but from the looks on their faces, the men were only going in to follow her. They were probably just as confused and uneasy as the girls were.

“Master, is this right?” Momo asked.

She was doing a doggy paddle the same way Sonja had, keeping her head above the water with her tail swishing behind her. It was honestly one of the cutest things I had ever seen.

“Yeah, that’s perfect. What about you, Jenny?” Nearby, she was struggling, unable to get much forward movement without simply pushing off from the ground.

“Master, it’s not working!”

I held her against me to calm her down, waiting for her breathing to become steady. “It won’t work if you get freaked out. Just relax and try to move towards me.”

I separated from her to open up some space and she gave it another attempt. She tried to swim towards me, paddling forward with her hands and propelling herself with her legs, but the problem was her movement. Every time she brought her legs forward, she ended up pushing against the water with equal force to when she’d try to kick off, leaving her just treading water.

“Ok, let’s try something different. Take my hands and I want you stretch out your legs straight behind you and walk like your taking tiny steps.”

She didn’t understand but did trust me. She took my hands and I helped keep her head above the water as she straightened her legs out. She started moving her legs with her wide rabbit feet acting like fins at the end of a tail. I tried to move back and pull her along with me, but her propulsion was greater than I expected and she ended up running me over and sending the two of us sinking. We came up from the surface, coughing and sputtering.

“Sorry, Master!”

“No, it’s fine. Just do what you did then and use your hands to steer and keep yourself upright.”

This time she tried it on her own, and after a few attempts, she figured it out and was swimming laps around Momo, Sonja, and Chloe. Like Sonja, her rabbit ears floated on the surface of the water, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her tail poking up. I looked over to Lorraine who was starting off the pillar men by simply having them float on their backs to get a sense of their natural buoyancy.

We continued swimming for a while, all of the pets getting used to the sensation of moving through the water. Elise and Momo eventually called it quits, wanting to soak up some warmth. I decided a change of things would be good.

Sonja looked up at me as I got out of the water. “Huh? Master? Are we going home?”

“No, we’ve still got all day to enjoy ourselves. But there’s more you can do at a beach than just swim. Do you girls want to build a sand castle?”

“What’s a sand castle?”

“It’s like when you shape clay into animals and people, but instead, you make buildings out of sand.”

A lightbulb appeared above Sonja’s head as inspiration struck her.

We moved back onto the beach and Sonja and I started digging into the damp earth. Our first idea was to build a copy of the mansion, first a rough draft about the size of one of the coolers. Then, we made our tiny cabin next to it, with a forest of twigs around it. Once we started working on Elise’s farm, the other girls had started to join in. Lorraine watched as we built a sandy city.

“Mistress, would you like to do that too?” Peter asked.

“Do it too? I want to put them to shame. Come on, we got work to do.”

Our two groups dug and built opposing cities with Elise’s tail stretching from the camp as a divider. She was soaking in the sun from her towel, while beside her, Dr. Lawrence sat in his chair and read a book. Of course, people were still watching us, and I could see them starting to move in closer, with fear and confusion being replaced by curiosity. They were probably re-evaluating our pets, going back to thinking they were just people in costumes. After all, they all acted so normal.

We stopped after a couple hours, having a full sandy city in front of us. I went over to see what Lorraine had made. It was a town like ours, but with some kind of Mt. Rushmore in the back and a wall around it.

“What is that?” I asked.

“It’s the Village Hidden in the Leaves, or in this case, the sand.”

“I’m not even going to ask what that’s a reference to.”

“Elise, judge our sandcastles! Whose is better?”

Elise got up from her towel and slithered over, checking both our creations. “Meh, he wins. If you’re going to make a reference, it has to be something that everyone knows. If you had made something from maybe the Lord of the Rings, I might have given you the gold.”

Now covered in sand, we went back into the water to clean ourselves off and then returned to our towels for lunch. After eating in the shade of the umbrellas, we all reapplied sunscreen and took a nice sunny nap. Dr. Lawrence kept watch, making sure no one on the beach tried anything funny.

After our nap, we swam some more and worked on our sandcastles, but in time, the sun began to set and we called it a day. The drive back home was quiet, all the girls sound asleep, with the light of the setting sun on their serene faces. It had been a perfect day; the girls got to enjoy the outside world, we had fun, and nothing bad happened. As we pulled up the driveway, the girls began to stir, shaken by the bumps of the driveway. They were all yawning and rubbing their eyes when the car came to a stop.

We all got out and circled around to open the back. On a soft rubber mat, Leah was still snoozing, curled up with the tip of her tail touching her nose. I gently scooped her up in my arms and gave her a small kiss. Next to us, the two vans had parked and everyone was getting out, blissfully tired.

“Dr. Lawrence, I’m going to take the girls upstairs to get washed up. Can you make a call for pizza delivery?”

“Sure thing.”

“Girls, let’s get in the bath.”

I carried Leah inside with the girls following me to our bedroom. I filled up the large tub in the bathroom while the girls stripped off their swimsuits.

“It’s ready, come on in!”

The five naked beauties pranced into the bathroom, all smiles as they saw the hot communal bath. This would be Jenny’s first time, but after spending the day swimming, she was all smiles. I was first into the tub, checking the water temperature and finding it perfect. Once I took my seat at the back, the girls each climbed in, humming in bliss from the warmth. We had spent the day swimming, so the hot water felt especially blissful. I had Jenny at my side, my arm around her.

“Today was a good day,” I said as I nuzzled one of her long ears.

“Can we go back to the lake tomorrow?” she asked.

“Not tomorrow, but we’ll definitely go there again. I was thinking I would start teaching you how to read tomorrow.”

“What’s reading?”

“It’s a way to gain information or learn different stories. I taught all the girls how to do it and it helps them pass the time when I’m not around.”

“We’re having pizza for dinner, right?” asked Sonja.

“That’s right.”

Momo closed her eyes and sank down into the tub, keeping her chin above the water with a smile on her face. “Momo loves pizza.”

Each girl had a special topping they favored. Momo liked anchovies, Sonja liked pepperoni, Chloe liked vegetables, and Leah liked pineapple. Speaking of Leah, the salamander slipped under the water and reappeared in my lap. Wagging her tail in happiness, she straddled me and gave me a loving kiss.

“You definitely had fun today, didn’t you? I’ve never seen someone swim so fast. Don’t worry, you’ll get to swim plenty more times.” She then started to grind against my lap, making me hard. “Ah, not right now, Leah. We need to wash up and be nice and clean before the pizza delivery guy gets here. But don’t worry, you can go first when we play tonight.”

“Can I go second?” Chloe asked, crawling over.

I pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. “Of course.” I eyed Momo, Sonja, and Jenny. “Then it’s first come, first serve.”

We all worked together to clean each other off before dinner time, first forming a semicircle and massaging each other’s scalps with shampoo. Since Leah didn’t have any hair, she was in the very back. Then, of course, it quickly devolved into foreplay. Next to me, Momo and Jenny panted and blushed as they rubbed their chests together, leaving their tits covered in suds. On the other side, Chloe was massaging Sonja’s breasts from behind, causing Sonja to give a canine whimper of bliss. Leah returned on my lap, and we were tongue kissing as we scrubbed each other with bars of soap.