A/N: Rated M for Mature.

Chapter 1: Lust

Stanley didn't know himself anymore, and it scared him. The Night Howler event changed the tiger somehow…on a deeper level than anyone could understand. Even he didn't fully understand. Even after the antidote was made and treatment was given, he never returned to normal.

Normal was gone.

Sitting on the subway, like any other day, Stanley watched as she entered at the next stop. If it were a year prior, she may have never caught the tiger's gaze. She would have entered and exited without him noticing, most likely due to him being tied up in his phone, or reading a book. But today…now…he was different. The dark memories from the event mixed with feelings, urges, instincts, and desires he had never felt before.

She entered: a young, beautiful deer. She was probably in her early 20s, her fur a light shade of brown with white spots on her cheeks and her eyes a darker, entrancing amber. She wore a simple dark green blouse and had a matching skirt covering most of her hind legs. She wouldn't gain much attention from the others on the subway, but to him…no. Not him. It wasn't him.

He found himself unable to pull his eyes from her. His eyes, a tiger's eyes, locked onto her. A predator's eyes. As she moved through the car, he watched her closely. He could see her lithe form moving in heightened detail, every muscle under her fur flexing and relaxing as she moved. She was completely unaware of his presence, swaying her neck as she walked. With each step, her neck pulled his attention, the exposed fur and her form grabbing him in ways he never allowed himself to dream.

Slowly, he began to inhale through his nose, taking in the smells of all those around him. Living in the city, those with a heightened sense of smell learned to ignore certain things like the smell of gas or the stench of garbage. However, the scent of other mammals was always one of the hardest to ignore. Especially when you had been through what Stanley had been through.

The scents of all the mammals around him were clear, even distinguishable to his mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking each scent separately.

Badger, towards the front of the car, poorly applied Musk Mask.

Rhino that left two stops ago, leaving the gym.

Female fox, in heat, towards the back.

The final scent, the newest in the subway car, came to him. Deer. The scent of the young doe filled his senses as he focused on it, opening his eyes to see her again. It was subtle, airy, fresh, and would likely go largely unnoticed by other passengers. Stanley noticed. No, not Stanley. It wasn't him.

His eyes focused on her. She was blissfully unaware of his gaze, his thoughts, or his intentions. He took in her form as she gracefully took her seat across from him. She was beautiful. Every part of her was perfect, from her deep eyes, her larger ears that seemed to pan around to take in the sounds of the car, the curve of her neck to her shoulders, the shape of her frame which was visible through her clothing. All of it only served to pique his interest, lighting him aflame with feelings he didn't fully understand.

After all, why would a tiger find such beauty in prey?

Heat began to rise in his core, flushing through his body as he looked on at her, indulging his senses. A tickle of something different played in his chest, sparking an itch he had no idea how to scratch. His eyes moved down her slowly, taking in her figure, down further to the fur exposed on her legs. Sitting down had caused her skit to move up slightly, exposing more of the soft white spots in her fur to his sight. The taut muscles underneath of her fur were lean, long, amazing to him. No…no. It wasn't him.

Something in his mind began to run away from him, taking liberties in his imagination. Everyone else in the subway car seemed to vanish from his perception, leaving only her…and him. Her scent was much stronger to him now, as if she were the only other mammal alive in his world. He focused on her, pulling away her clothing and seeing her exposed before him. His paws tingled from the thought of feeling her fur under them, slowly taking in the sensations of her figure. The itch was amplified as he thought of putting his maw near her neck, breathing her scent in, consuming it. The thought stoked the fire enveloping his body, the hunger clawing in his mind.

The fantasy continued, running his paws over her body as she breathed heavily. Her scent increased as her body began to warm up under his touch. He lowered his mouth to the bend of her incredible neck, overwhelming his senses as his whiskers brushed against her. The electric feeling of each hair touching her fur drove him further away from sanity. Slowly opening his mouth, he let his large tongue move over the fur of her neck, tracing all the way up towards her ear. The taste of her fur and scent combined for Stanley, tickling his senses. With each lick, her moan from his action spurred him on. He stopped for a moment, cupping her face with his much larger paw. He looked into her amber eyes and saw trepidation and uncertainty, even fear. He lightly kissed her, careful not to overwhelm her with his size, before lowering his maw back to her neck. His paws began to move again over her body, finding every part of her as pleasing as the last. Her muscles tensed under him, relaxing as he moved on.

The scent continued to grow. The fire in him continued to grow. No...not me. It isn't me.

He continued claiming her body as his paws roamed over her hips, down her amazing legs, feeling her thighs and the soft fur there. She began to tremble under him, closing her eyes as he found the hidden and untouched parts of her form. He continued moving his tongue over her neck, up to the base of her ears and down to her shoulders. Stanley found himself hungry for her beauty, never wanting to stop tasting her, smelling her, devouring her.

Her breaths were rapid, light gasps escaping her as he ravaged her body with his mouth and paws. His desire grew and burned inside him, threatening to destroy him if he didn't continue. His mind was completely overcome by it, and he let himself go as he inhaled her scent, consuming her beauty, feasting on their pleasure. He opened his mouth, taking her neck in it as he slowly let his teeth graze over her fur, dragging ever so slightly against her skin as she moaned. His claws extended, emulating his teeth as they moved over her body, ever so slightly pulling at her fur and skin as he moved. There was nothing left in him but desire, longing for the taste of her, the heat from her body, the scent of her pleasure driving him wild. No, it's not me. It is not me…

And then came the scream.

The scream came from her mouth into his ear as his teeth sank deeper into her neck, causing her pain. The taste of her neck changed as blood began to trickle into his mouth. The feeling of his claws against her skin became rougher as they began to sink deeper, pulling harder. Her scent of pleasure was quickly replaced with one of fear, but it only served to fill him with more desire.

Prey.

She reached her cloven hoof to his neck to move him back, pushing against him, fighting him.

Mine.

He growled deeply and used his paws to pull her arms away, seeing her hooves covered in bluish liquid from his fur. The nightmare of reality ripped through his mind, quickly overpowered by primal urges that would not be denied.

Attack.

He had no control left, no ability to stop himself.

Kill.

Everything in him screamed to stop, but his body would not obey. The hunger commanded him to claw harder, bite harder, consume her.

Devour.

The taste of blood filled his maw as he clamped his jaws on her neck, hearing her scream again as the life began to drain from her.

Stanley's eyes snapped open. The subway car had come to a stop, and he looked forward as he saw the doe stand and make her way out. She was blissfully unaware of his presence as she went about her business. He looked on, dumbfounded by his own thoughts and the desires that still raged through him.

Trembling, he tried to distract himself with his phone. He couldn't let the desires continue. The fantasy was over, the nightmare had ended. That wasn't who he was, and it wasn't what he wanted. The longing in his body began to wane, satisfied for the moment to be distracted. The fear, however, never left him.

If it were a year prior, she may have never caught the tiger's gaze. She would have entered and exited without him noticing. But today…now…he was different. No, not me. I'm not…

Stanley knew he could be happy with what society had bound predators with. He knew his civilized mind could be controlled, subdued, satisfied.

However, the primal, darker side of him the Night Howlers had brought to life knew he was lying.

There was no satisfying a savage.