Apologies for being absent for so long. Life and other stuff has been getting in the way of posting on here. I got a new job, I've been writing a bunch of different stories, etc. I would love to keep posting AWB (A Wolf is Born), by the way, but the amount of smutty stuff and fetishes I'm cramming in there just might be pushing the guidelines here. But then again, I've already posted a couple of chapters with that stuff so /

Anyways, here's Chapter 4 of Taming the Beast Within. Enjoy!

Tag Warning: Masturbation, Masturbatus Interruptus, Wet Dreams.

Legoshi POV

It was supposed to be an 'easy' night with Louise. All she wanted from him was to arrive at the locked auditorium in the middle of the night to rehearse for Adler. And barring the occasional criticism from Louise as Legoshi recited his lines, the wolf felt that everything went swimmingly. And then Louise stumbled on the edge of the stage, making her lose her footing and tumble to the ground. But Legoshi was quicker and broke Louise's fall at the last second. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of his ankle. He didn't hear or feel a crack, but it hurt to walk on. Legoshi could only hope that he had sprained or twisted it, but nothing more.

However, that wasn't the worst part of the night, as things were just getting started.

Louise, ever the strong-headed woman she was, decided to accompany Legoshi to the carnivore dorms. The male carnivore dorm, to be exact. He could think of a thousand ways why that was a bad idea, especially since Tem's devouring last week. What if the other dorm inhabitants were awake and saw them and got the wrong idea? And what would the guys think? Legoshi felt his stomach drop as his panicking thoughts drifted to his roommates, the 'Canines of 701.' Rex above, he couldn't even begin to think about how they would react, especially with Voss, a brash, crude fennec fox that had an attitude and libido almost a hundred times his size.

Legoshi felt his stomach churn as his mind conjured up the many responses and "jokes" Voss would no doubt spew from a mouth bigger than him. He shuddered and thought of nothing else, only for those thoughts to turn to Louise, his idol, the star figure that he looked up to, and his crush.

Despite her treating him like dirt, Legoshi found something attractive about Louise's harshness. Perhaps it was how she carried herself that contrasted to many of the herbivores Legoshi had met in life, or maybe it was her appearance, possibly a mixture of both. Leoghi couldn't help but admit that the doe was beautiful and was surprised to learn that no one dared to approach her to ask her out. Of course, he was also surprised that the reason behind that was because she was betrothed to someone else as part of a business deal. That bit of news saddened Legoshi when he discovered his secret feelings for Louise, but he was quick to get over it and go back to living relatively normally.

But as he got older and puberty continued bombarding the young wolf's body with hormones and urges, Legoshi's crush intensified to the point where he'd often daydream about Louise. And they were…detailed dreams at that. Almost as if…as if they were real. The sensation of her touch as she danced her delicate herbivore fingers along his fur, the way her hot breath warmed his cheek as she planted chaste kisses on his face and neck, and the strong, spicy cinnamon scent that Legoshi associated with the deer woman; it all felt too real to be just a plain dream. And Legoshi wondered if they were even actual dreams at all. But given that Louise still treated him like dirt, that idea was quickly thrown out the window.

But then there was the issue regarding his instincts. Ever since he first got a whiff of Louise's scent, Legoshi's instincts have been on the verge of breaking the young wolf. It constantly fought with his sanity, begging him to have a taste of soft, tender venison. Legoshi struggled to keep them in check, but every day that passed only served to make things more complicated. At the end of the day, Legoshi couldn't figure out if he wanted to eat Louise or… "eat" her.

As Louise stayed by his side while they trekked back to Room 701, Legoshi couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head. What made her want to walk with him into the male carnivore dorm of all places? Why did she insist on doing so? Does she really care about him as a clubmate that much? Or was she trying to make him feel better? Whatever the case, Legoshi had to get Louise to leave before she was discovered by the other males in the building or, Rex forbid, his roommates.

However, it seemed that fate had a cruel sense of humor.

As Legoshi and Louise arrived at Room 701, and Legoshi rummaged through his jacket and pants pockets for the room key, the door suddenly swung open. Behind the door were five canines (four plus one hyena), and they did not look happy. Legoshi felt a sheepish smile creep on his lips as he shrunk on himself at his roommates' scrutinizing gazes. Then one of them, a yellow-furred Labrador retriever, stepped forward, grabbed Legoshi and Louise's arms, and pulled them into the room. Once inside, the door closed, the lights came on, and the Labrador retriever whirled around and glared daggers at Legoshi.

"Where have you been?" the dog hissed sharply. "You can't keep sneaking out like this, Legoshi. What if someone saw you?" Then he turned to Louise, not sparing her from his restrained wrath. "And you. What were you doing with him this late at night? What was so important that you had him sneak out after curfew? Are you trying to get him into trouble?"

Louise opened her mouth to protest, but Legoshi cut in before she could. "N-no, Jack, she's not. We were rehearsing for the play next week, okay?"

Jack blinked incredulously before another pair of eyes revealed themselves as they stepped forward. "What do you mean you're 'rehearsing?'" Durham questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you just a stagehand?"

Louise took this moment to finally speak up. "He's been temporarily promoted to an actor since Tem's replacement is on emergency family leave for the next week or so." The hallway fell silent as Durham, Jack, and the others stared at Louise in silent disbelief before slowly turning their heads toward Legoshi, who blushed once all eyes were on him.

"You're…" Jack began but quickly faltered as Voss, perched on Collot's shoulder, picked up for him.

"You're going to be in the play!? Dude! That's…that's…"

"Unbelievable," Miguno said, his mouth agape.

Durham nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is. Don't you have what's basically a chronic version of stage fright?" He looked at Louise with a scrutinizing gaze. "And how are you going to compensate for that? You aren't going to let him barf all over the stage, are you?"

Louise opened her mouth to reply, but Legoshi cut in again, much to her irritation. "It's f-fine, guys. I can handle it, okay? Besides, I know the entire play, and my lines aren't that hard."

Louise took the pause that followed to finally say her piece. "And he's doing just fine. He needs to work on the delivery of those lines. Otherwise, I'm positive that Legoshi will be a hit on the stage, even if he is playing as a villain."

"Why not change the script a bit, hmm?" Voss inquired with a hint of mischief.

Louise looked at the fennec fox, puzzled and annoyed. "And why, pray tell, would I do that? I'm Adler, and there's a great significance to having an herbivore play the Grim Reaper when he's usually portrayed as a carnivore."

"That's what I mean," Voss said, his small muzzle breaking into a mischievous grin. Why not have Legoshi play Adler, find someone else to play the villain, and then you can be the damsel that Adler falls in love with?"

A deafening silence fell in the room, with all eyes fixed on Voss as he smiled smugly at Louise, who was staring back at him with a dumbfounded look. Legoshi looked like he wanted to curl into a ball and disappear from sight while everyone else stood in shock. Then Louise broke the silence as her previous look of surprise morphed into anger.

"And what prompted you to even utter such nonsense, pipsqueak?" she growled softly.

It was Voss's turn to glare at Louise as a soft, high-pitched growl rumbled in his throat. "What did you call me?"

Realizing she had struck a nerve, Louise smirked coyly as she approached him and Collot and leaned forward until her face was mere inches from the fennec fox's. "You heard me, half-pint. Now, I'll ask again why you think pitching Legoshi as Adler and having me as the doomed lover of the Grim Reaper is a good idea. Is it because I'm a weak herbivore that needs to be saved by a strong carnivore? Hmm?"

The fennec fox ignored her words and instead focused on her name-calling. "'Half-pint?'" he shrieked, his beady eyes blazing with fury. "'Half-pint!?' I'll show you 'half-pint,' Miss 'Prim and Proper!' Eeyaaaahhh!" Voss launched himself from Collot's shoulder, screaming as he rocketed towards a perplexed Louise. But he was grabbed midair by Legoshi as he stepped in between the doe and the fennec fox and held the latter by the scruff of his neck. Voss punched and kicked the air as he was held at arm's length, cursing up a storm and making Louise blush at some of the words that left his mouth.

Legoshi only sighed as he handed the tantrum-throwing, foul-mouthed Voss to Collot, who immediately cradled the fennec fox and rocked him back and forth as he sang in a low, soothing voice, which almost instantly calmed him down. Louise stood there in stunned silence as she struggled to comprehend what she saw. Legoshi saw this and said, "It happens. Voss has a very large and fragile self-image. He makes up for it with his attitude and aggression." He shrugged. "He once took down a rhino when we were in middle school. We don't know how, but it happened."

Louise shook her head and looked at Legoshi. "Your roommates are an extraordinary and peculiar bunch, Legoshi. I guess it makes sense, considering, well, you."

Legoshi tilted his head with a curious whine, one of his ears flopping over. Louise ignored the light fluttering in her chest as the wolf spoke. "What do you mean?"

The deer stammered, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "N-nothing. Don't worry about it," she said with a dismissive wave. "Well, now that I've returned you to your companions, I shall take my leave as soon as possible." Louise eyed the window on the other side of the room. "The fire exit runs down to ground level, correct?"

Jack shrugged indifferently, not really paying attention to the female deer. "I guess. If not, your best bet is whichever way you came up here."

Legoshi interjected, "It does reach the ground, Louise. But the stairs are very old, and some of the steps are rusted over. You'll have to be careful so as not to make any noise or fall down when one of them breaks."

Louise hummed thoughtfully as she stared at Legoshi. "I'll take that into consideration, Legoshi. However, my safety isn't really much of a concern. Get some rest because you'll need it for tomorrow afternoon's rehearsal." She patted his shoulder before heading for the window and prying it open. "Good night to you all. It was a 'pleasure' to meet your friends, Legoshi. See you tomorrow."

With that, she stepped out onto the fire escape stairs, closed the window as gently as possible, and descended from sight. Legoshi sighed, ignoring the peculiar looks from his roommates and Jack as he stepped toward his bunk and began stripping down to his shirt and boxers. He uttered a quick "good night" as he climbed into bed and pulled the curtain shut. Once cut off from the "outside world," Legoshi turned to face the wall and closed his eyes.

He listened to the sounds of his friends moving about, the loud snoring of Voss as Collot carried the sleeping fennec and gently deposited him in his bunk before the sheepdog climbed into his own, and the squeaking of the bed above Legoshi as Jack settled in. He waited for the labrador to eventually lean over the edge and poke his head through the curtain, but the wolf soon heard his friend's soft, rhythmic breathing. Then, the light was turned off, plunging the dorm room into darkness. Eventually, Legoshi succumbed to the lull of slumber.

The next day, Legoshi woke up feeling more refreshed than ever. The pain in his foot had gradually and significantly subsided overnight. This was no surprise to the young wolf; he was happy to know he could walk on his own two feet without any significant issues. However, he did have one problem to deal with. He narrowed his eyes at the tent being pitched under the covers, the by-product of yet another detailed dream of Louise in her bare fur. Legoshi huffed as he lay back, planted his head on his pillow, snaked his hands down his boxers, and pulled them down. He grunted as it sprung out from its prison and into the cool air.

Legoshi shivered as he slowly moved the covers off of him, revealing the still-growing length nestled between his legs and with a pair of baseballs attached below. He knew he was 'gifted' and had no doubt that some of the girls at Cherryton - at least the more daring ones - would jump at the chance to have a piece of him. But he didn't have much experience with girls, and not even that rabbit girl from the Gardening Club was interested in being anything more than "just friends." Besides, Legoshi only had eyes for Louise despite her distaste for carnivores – Legoshi in particular.

The wolf sighed, wondering where and how he fell for a deer that hated every inch of his being. He watched with half-lidded eyes as his erection, now at full-mast, which was a generous eleven inches and white as the cream fur of his underbelly with a ruby-red tip. Already, he was oozing a bead of pre, and Legoshi could only frown as he knew what he had to do; he didn't know if he had the strength or motivation to do it. Ultimately, Legoshi decided to throw caution to the wind, gripped his length with one hand, and cupped his balls with the other. With a defeated sigh, he closed his eyes, conjured an image of a nude Louise before him, and got to work.

He was barely five seconds in when the privacy curtain was yanked back, exposing the wolf to his roommates. Legoshi sighed and opened his eyes, giving them a pointed and annoyed look. The canines and one hyena stared back at him with wide eyes and open mouths, too stunned to say anything. Legoshi raised an eyebrow and broke the awkward silence.

"Do you mind?" he said flatly.

Jack was the first to snap out of the stupor captivating their group, and laughed sheepishly. "S-sorry, b-buddy. We'll just, uh…Lemme just close that up for ya and leave you to it, yeah?" He blushed heavily as he drew the curtain forward, obscuring the bottomless wolf from view. The labrador then turned to the others and urged them out of the room, leaving Legoshi to finish his business.

Breakfast and lunch were an awkward affair for the 701 canines. When Legoshi later joined his roommates after caring for his morning wood, they side-eyed him as he quietly ate his food like nothing had happened. Thankfully, they didn't bring up their encounter for the remainder of breakfast. Lunch was different, however.

While their meals were consumed in relative peace and quiet, it was broken when a fox and painted dog got into a scuffle about one stepping on the other's tail. It escalated to the point that the painted dog attacked the fox and bit his arm. Students screamed and stood rooted to the spot as they watched the spectacle unfold before them. And then, a large gray wolf stepped in and intervened. Harshly. Legoshi stood taller than the two canines and was significantly stronger overall. He held them by the back of their shirts in each hand at arm's length, giving both of them deadly, menacing glares. That immediately shut them up, and they apologized to each other before Legoshi set them down on their feet. Then Louise made an appearance. Catcalls and whistles rang out in the cafeteria as the doe calmly entered the fray, her uniform hugging her generous curves. Her eyes locked on Legoshi, making the wolf shudder slightly under her gaze.

Louise smirked before turning her attention to the fox and painted dog and saying, "You two should know better than to bare your fangs in public." She gestured toward the wolf at her side as she sidled up next to him. "You were lucky that this wolf could intervene before things got out of hand and other students were seriously hurt." She folded her arms behind her back and clicked her tongue scoldingly. "Honestly, I can't say I expected any better from a pair of unruly idiots like you. Perhaps you could learn something from him?"

The painted dog growled and advanced toward Louise, but he was held back by his vulpine friend, who shook his head. On top of that, Legoshi was tensed up and ready to move to Louise's defense. There was no way they could take on a gray wolf who lifted them into the air without breaking a sweat, let alone one who appeared to be Louise's bodyguard/lapdog. The spotted canine snorted and glared at the doe and wolf. "Mark my words, Louise. One of these days, you'll get what's coming to you, and your lapdog won't be there to save you." He departed with a sharp growl, his friend following him amidst the scattered applause and cheers from the other students as the two left the cafeteria.

Once they were out of sight and the excitement had died down, Louise turned to Legoshi and smirked at him. "Well, you're more of a wolf than I originally thought, Legoshi. You didn't bare your fangs, unlike the last time you de-escalated a situation; however, it seems that your go-to method for defusing such conflicts is to simply lift the offenders into the air." She chuckled and patted the wolf's shoulder. "By the way, you can call us even for last night. See you at practice."

With that, she walked away, telling everyone still milling about to return to whatever they were initially doing, and left the cafeteria with Legoshi staring at her. Then he sighed, shook his head, returned to his table with roommates, and resumed eating his food. He waved Jack and the others off when they questioned him for his sudden and recent change in behavior, merely saying that he couldn't stand by and let more students get hurt. However, his lackluster answer appeared to satisfy them for now, and they left him to consume his lunch in peace.

After lunch and subsequent classes, Legoshi set out for the Drama Club's practice building earlier than usual. Since he was now an impromptu actor (no thanks to Louise), the wolf had to be at the meetings far earlier than he was used to. An air of dread followed him as he entered the building and headed for the men's locker room, his ears and tail low as a pit formed in his stomach. Legoshi wasn't ready to rehearse in front of everyone. How would the others react to his performance? Would he revert to his 'robot voice,' as Louise called it? What if he screwed up? Oh, Louise would hate him even more than she already did, and Legoshi doubted he could handle that kind of humiliation.

Just as his mind spiraled out of control, he stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to still the raging storm within him. I can do this, he reassured himself, recalling the advice his grandpa had given him when he was just a pup:

"Remember, Legoshi. If you're ever feeling nervous about standing before an audience, picture them naked…"

Legoshi frowned and shook his head as his train of thought stopped. No, that wasn't right. Well, Gosha gave Legoshi that advice after he hit puberty, but it wasn't the one he was searching for. The wolf shrugged and dismissed the topic for the time being. Besides, whatever was plaguing him was long gone now… Oh, right. That.

Legoshi whined pitifully and admonished himself before continuing towards the Drama Club building. He could only hope that things would go smoothly today and none of the actors would give him a hard time for his mediocre acting skills. Knowing the performance at heart was only a piece of the puzzle, and Legoshi was missing the other pieces by a significant margin. Sighing, he hunched his shoulders like usual and shuffled toward his inevitable humiliation.

He just hoped that Louise wouldn't kick him out of the club entirely.