Juno's mind was a raging storm, shredding at her thoughts, overwhelming her resistance to her carnivorous instincts. A beast had awakened inside her and was lusting for the flesh of an herbivore—the flesh of her lover.

Her fangs teared into Louis's skin, drawing blood, pressing down on the muscles of his throat, nearly crushing his trachea. Juno's heart cried out in agony as her fangs sank deeper into his flesh without hesitation, but her mind was too lost in the gale of hunger and bloodlust.

Juno's fangs were mere centimeters from puncturing an artery when the words blasted through the black, caliginous clouds of the storm, her hunger calming, vanishing.

"I love you… Juno."

Louis's words. His… his last words to her as—

As—

Juno froze mid-bite, her eyes snapping open, as if water had been poured over her head. She immediately noticed the smell of fresh deer blood, the taste of it in her mouth and the feel of her fangs half buried in his flesh.

Her eyes wide with horror, Juno slowly lifted her head, closing her maw, gazing over Louis's unconscious body. His chin was tilted back, completely exposing his neck to her, and blood oozed from the multiple wounds her fangs had left in his skin, staining his chestnut fur, the cheap sheets beneath them crimson. Then, she felt her hands holding his wrist and his antler in an iron grip, giving him no way to escape.

"What… what am I doing?" The words were barely loud enough to be called a sound.

Juno clasped her hands over her face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she screamed, "WHAT AM I DOING?"

You gave into your instincts.

Juno's deep blue eyes flicked up, scanning the entire room for the source of the voice. No, she knew that voice—her own voice.

"No," she breathed, fear swelling in her gut.

The black figure stood deathly still in the corner of the room, it's fangs in full view as it smiled mockingly at her. You lost control of yourself. A smirk. When you so solemnly believed that you wouldn't.

"Go… go away. You're not real." She whimpered weakly, uncharacteristically weakly.

The black figure walked forward from the corner, towards her, one step in front of the other, sauntering You've spent your whole life believing the instincts you possessed were a gift, a blessing you could use to change the world, for both carnivores and herbivores.

With every step, the shadow began to grow in size, morphing until it was a perfect silhouette of her naked body. The shadow's hips swayed with every step, the tail still behind it, and its arms hung slack by its side as it grew closer and closer. The shadow said. But deep down, you've always known the truth: you're a natural-born monster.

"Go away!" Juno cried. The memories of that moment, the sounds of those voices and the horrifying scents of that small room began to resurface, drifting through her mind, like smoke from a blazing fire. She desperately tried to lock them away, like she had for all those years, before those old wounds reopened.

It's in your blood to harm the mammals you love.

Juno shook her head, closing her eyes, a thrumming pain as she tried and tried to block out the words.

Isn't that why you allowed yourself to fall in love so easily, so you could reject your nature, to prove something to yourself.

"That's not true."

It was true, it was all true. She'd fallen in love so many times before, to prove to herself that she wouldn't harm the mammals close to her, that she wasn't like him.

The shadow now at the bedside, towering over her, gazing down with red eyes and that same mocking grin. It leaned forwards, hands on its thighs and tail high in the air as its muzzle brushed against her ear. Tell me something: doesn't it bring you pleasure having your lover's life in the palm of your hand? Doesn't it make you feel powerful, knowing that you could devour him without a second thought, because he is simply weaker than you, lesser than you—an herbivore?

"No, I'm not like that."

…You mean… you're not like him —your father?

"Stop!" Her voice broke on the word. That cold, angry face flashed through her mind, her father's face. Juno wanted to scream and sob as the memories began pouring into her mind, an unstable wave. That small, bloody dungeon and the screams of her mother—

No! No, stop!

Admit it, darling, it said, and Juno suddenly felt a pair of phantom breasts press against her back and arms strap around her neck. She shuddered. You feel neither conviction nor self-loathing overpowering this weak, pathetic mammal. No, you feel joy from the bottom of your heart.

"Stop it. Stop it, I'm begging you." She wanted to devour Louis, she wanted to devour him, to feel that sense of power and might course through her being. She wanted to prove that carnivores were never inferior to herbivores—

Stop!

The laugh that came out the shadow was sweet and innocent, sickeningly so. And now, you finally have the chance to embrace your true self. Devour the herbivore and accept yourself, accept me. End this fruitless struggle you've been resisting against all your life, give up and accept.

"I'm begging you." Juno began sobbing, tears dripping onto Louis's unconscious body.

She could feel her carnivorous instincts yawning awake, entrapping her mind, her stomach, her body in its claws, with no chance of escape. She was powerless, she was weak, she was just like him—

That's not true. THAT'S NOT TRUE!

It is true, it's always been true. Aren't you his daughter?

"Please. I don't want this."

I know you're tired of fighting against yourself, and you're ready to give in. The shadow held her in a tighter grip, its whole body pressing against hers. Devour him, and you'll never have to struggle again.

"No." Juno shook her head, her eyes clenched shut. "No. I love him."

It only takes one bite.

"Please stop," A sob broke from her throat. "I love him. Please."

You'll never have to fight against your father or yourself again. You can be free of that burden, if you accept me.

Juno's mind remained silent for a long, long while. And maybe it was because of her hunger or the despair that was slowly eating away at her resistance, but Juno found herself uttering, "you're right."

The words made her heart cry out, and it begged her to stop before her mind dove too deep into the abyss.

One bite, and she could end this mental battle she'd been fighting for all these years. One bite…

Juno's lips pulled back, her fangs parting.

One bite.

The shadow grinned wide, closing its eyes, its body fading into hers, becoming one.

Just… one bite…

The pink lighting of the room suddenly became a near-black, red, the air tainted with the scent of herbivore blood. It filled Juno's nose, igniting her carnivorous instincts once again, a smile slowly—so, so slowly—forming on her black lips. A smile that wasn't her own.

Just…

I want you to be a part of my life, Juno.

No matter the consequences we face together, I only want you.

One bite…

Her powerful jaws closed down on Louis's neck, her fangs in full view, grazing against his fur and the skin beneath.

Louis's warm, loving smile shimmered through Juno's mind—

One moment, Juno was on the bed, her body over Louis's and her maw inches from his neck.

The next, she launched herself out of the bed and stumbled to the far side of the room until her back hit the cold wall, her chest rising and falling rapidly, from the panic, from the realization that she'd convinced herself to devour Louis.

She truly was a natural-born monster. She really was no different from her father. Everything that shadow had said was true… every word.

Juno began to feel weak and she fell to her knees, her bones groaning at the impact. I'm no different from my father. I almost killed the mammal I love. Juno clutched both sides of her head, a sob slipping out as she gasped, "oh God." A tear plopped onto the purple carpet. "Oh God. Oh God. I'm… Oh God."

Juno hunched over herself, wailing into her hands, her naked body trembling with each sob, the room an empty void. "I hate myself," she breathed out. "I hate myself."

An eternity past before Juno's eyes dried out and her sobs dulled to mere sniffs, hiccups.

"Juno," Louis's soothing voice sounded through the room and her heart ached at the comfort it brought her. She didn't deserve to love him; she didn't deserve to ever fall in love again.

Slowly, she looked up at him, her deep blue eyes meeting his hazel, reading the confusion on his expression. Juno shook her head, her eyes flicking down to her tear-stained hands as she muttered, "I'm no different from those carnivores at the stock market."

Juno weakly stood to her feet, her head lowered, her arms crossed under her breast as she walked towards the bed, her eyes remaining on her red dress, left sprawled across the floor. It's in your blood to hurt the mammals you love.

Juno didn't dare meet Louis's gaze again.

I'm a failure.

…

Louis, propping himself up with his forearms, watched Juno as she walked across the room as if she were an agonized ghost, despaired by the life that was given to her. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but then closed it. He felt something warm oozing down his neck and crusting his fur. He put a finger there, feeling the warm, dense liquid staining it. Blood. His eyes widened at the blood staining his finger and the memories suddenly slammed into him.

Juno's moaning, her squirming and the gleaming of her fangs as she readied to devour him. She had almost devoured him.

Louis sat up completely in the bed, swinging his prosthetic legs over the side, standing up to his full height as he said, "I still love you, Juno, and I'll never fear you."

The female gray wolf went completely still as her head snapped in his direction; her jaw hung open in shock as her face twisted with pain.

Seconds passed and she clenched her fist, staring down at the floor as she bared her fangs, but no growl sounded. Self-loathing, conviction.

He'd seen it in Legosi after he beat the shit out of Bill. A lifetime ago.

"I still love you." Louis repeated.

Juno shook her lowered her, her lips curling into a frown as she sobbed. "I'm sorry, Louis." Her voice cracked with the words, and Louis found his own eyes burning.

Juno bent over, and Louis wasn't even able to admire her fine ass or the way her tail lightly wagged in the air as the questions swirled through his mind, but every single one refused to leave his mouth. No, he wanted to comfort her, he wanted to assure her that he wasn't going to let instincts and fear get in the way of his love for her.

Louis watched as Juno began clumsily putting on her dress, her claws tearing the fabric as she slipped it over her body, barely fitting her tail through the hole. She hadn't bothered putting on her panties of her heels, hadn't even bothered to put the straps of her dress over her shoulder. She nearly looked like a stripper who had a rough night at the club.

She walked towards the door, her head remaining lowered, her arms still wrapped beneath her beautiful breast, her every breath lanced with self-loathing.

Louis was there before she could step out the door, embracing her in his arms, placing his chin on top of her head. Juno sobbed again; her shoulders scrunched up as she rested her head against his chest. "It's okay," he said, stroking his hands down her back. "It's okay."

"Get away from me!"

The heavy push sent Louis down on his tail, the impact clanging through his body. He stared up at Juno, shock on his expression.

Juno only stared back, slowly backing away from him. She shook her head. "No. No." She bolted down the room, her footsteps echoing behind her.

Louis quickly stood to his feet—foot—and called out to Juno.

But she was already gone.

….

(AN): After reading Beakwood's "Straw and Stripes", I've always wanted to write my own Durham/Ellen story. I wrote this shortly after I finished chapter nine. Maybe I'll write one after I finish "Bloody Fangs and Broken Antlers". I hope you enjoy it.

Blood, water, screaming and death shattered into his mind—

Durham awoke with a loud gasp, his heart pounding in his throat, reverberating in his ears. His eyes flicked in every direction, scanning his surroundings. He was still lying in his bunk bed, the green curtains closed, with small rays of the morning sun peeking through.

He sighed out through his nose, his body relaxing as he rested his head against the pillow. Durham heard a small moan and felt a warm body shift against his own. He looked down his chest and smiled at the zebra cuddled against him. Her head lay rested against his chest, her every breath even, smooth as she slept.

She's so beautiful when she sleeps. He lifted his hand and placed it on top of her bare hip, his fingers lightly brushing through her soft fur. He had to be the luckiest male in the world.

And to think, he'd almost lost her last night.