Peter looked nervously to his fiancée as her mother's fiancée looked at both of them. However, he noted that it was him that Joanne Howard had the most focus on and he wasn't quite sure on how to respond to things. For it appeared that Joanne had overheard a conversation that was between him and Karen one of the mornings they'd had in the Yuletide apartment in which some of the things that related to the more private parts of Moon Lake were discussed. It wasn't enough to say "were's exist," but it was apparently enough to get Joanne worried that Peter or Moon Lake were taking advantage of Karen in some way and sent the real estate agent into digging deeper into Moon Lake to get the answers to the questions that she likely had.
Now, Moon Lake had long made sure that there was no concrete proof that could be used against the town and expose the weres who lived there and in that he was certain that Joanne had likely never found anything definitive on the existence of weres. However, because most weres would look more athletic while females also being curvier than normal human women, Peter also knew that most attentive people would notice how well built so many of Moon Lake's population were if they looked deeply enough and that could lead to them having questions, which is what Joanne seemed to have, and the bigger situation was not one where that could be easily avoided. And while he knew that Moon Lake was presently debating over a plan to reveal the existence of weres to the rest of the world, he was a bit unsure as to whether or not telling Joanne about weres was the smartest idea, particularly given the suspicions that she'd already displayed.
"It may be best to tell her," Karen advised to Peter, "she's obviously aware about "something" in Moon Lake because what she overheard and is smart enough dig deeper... and for the moment, we have the time."
"Can we...?" Peter began nervously as Joanne looked between them with a puzzled look on her face.
"It would appear that we really don't have much choice," Karen spoke, "and it's not like this conversation wouldn't have to be had eventually anyway..."
"Just what... what is this?" Joanne asked and then turned to Karen, "and why are you protecting whatever this secret is?"
"Because it's something that if revealed... could endanger a whole community of people that humanity has largely feared in much of the media," Karen said slowly, "if people even believe it at all."
"Believe what?!" Joanne spoke clearly and her voice rising, betraying her frustration and desperate attempt to find out the truth behind what she'd overheard and then protect her fiancée's daughter from whatever possible threat there was out there, if it was bad.
"The truth about weres," Peter said softly, "and please... keep it down."
"Weres?" Joanne turned back to Peter and raising an eyebrow, "as in..."
"In the myths you would likely know... werewolves," Peter answered, "but there are weres that come from nearly every animal species that man has had contact with... and the reality is not quite like the stories you've likely seen in the movies."
"Not like in the movies..." Joanne said in a low and disbelieving tone of voice.
"As in not mangy slobbering monsters that want to eat people," Karen explained, "they aren't quite the cartoonish "furries" that you've seen in some video games like Sonic the Hedgehog, either, but weres are real and in many ways are just like you and me. Except they can turn into an anthropomorphic animal."
"And in my case, based on the African Lion," Peter nodded.
"And you've just picked my fiancée's daughter because she's the next conquest as part of a harem?" Joanne rolled her eyes.
"Well... werelions do tend to swing when it comes to sex, as it were," Peter said slowly, knowing that his mother had been with his father's brothers as well as with his father, but he was hoping to avoid some of those details for the moment, "but my interest in Karen has never been about conquest..."
"And I actually did more to push onto him," Karen admitted, "but I've found him calm and understanding, humble, and caring. Something that was quite necessary when we got the call telling me that my mother had been in a car accident. Peter ISN'T a bad person."
"And Karen has been interested in art, calm yet curious, not interested in gaining status or climbing any social hierarchy, and in many ways has made me feel comfortable," Peter spoke as he looked to her, largely thinking over his own personal situation as the "lion prince," as it were. Moon Lake's werelion community wasn't as hyper organized or controlled as the Moon Lake Skulk was, and his father's position as "king" was more an honorary title than anything else. It was like the head of a club or bowling league and allowed him to help keep that club under control, and it worked relatively well. But as the only son on Leon Talbot, it had brought with it its own hurdles, namely those that figured because he was the "prince," that he was fair game, even if love wasn't there, even though Peter really tried to shy away from the whole thing. And knowing that Karen accepted that was something that he deeply respected and even loved her for, among other things. "And there are certain details that relate to were society in general and werelions in particular that would make that all the more... obvious."
"Uh-huh," Joanne said slowly, "and what are you really hiding? What is it that you both seem to think that this whole story about weres is needed? Is it something with the law? Or some kind of weird cult in Moon Lake? Please, TELL THE TRUTH and maybe I can help. Or at least to be sure that my fiancée's daughter isn't in danger."
Peter only looked at the clock again and sighed. For the moment, things looked as though they had the time, but it seemed pretty clear that Joanne wasn't believing anything that he or Karen had said. He glanced to Karen and while there was a nervous frown on her face, she did nod and let him proceed. He then calmly began to kick off his shoes while beginning to lift up his shirt. This soon puzzled Joanne who actually moved to Karen and maneuvered her away from the coach and toward the kitchen, likely thinking that Peter was going to spring some sort of diabolical "trap" as it were.
"This is merely to prove what we've said is the truth," Peter assured her, "you have no reason to be afraid."
"And Peter can be big in his werelion form," Karen added as she managed to wrestle Joanne's hands off her arms and get Joanne to turn back and face Peter, "his clothes wouldn't survive the transformation. You're in no danger."
Joanne really didn't know what to think or do. She was only trying to settle matters that had puzzled her after hearing the two of them talking about something that would "change" Karen and she'd gotten no real answers from anywhere she'd tried to search and that frustration only came out now while trying to figure that out. Granted some of the timing wasn't great, given what had happened to Karen's mother, but a part of Joanne felt she had to protect Karen and thus she could just not do so. However, being told that this all related to "weres" and Peter being a werelion was completely unbelievable to her, but there weren't that many options. Peter stood between her and the main door to the apartment, and she'd found Karen to be surprisingly strong and having bought in to this story.
Thus, Joanne felt trapped and with no line of reasoning that seemed to work. She could only watch as Peter stripped off his clothes, and while it betrayed what many woman would find to be a highly attractive, as he was well muscled with broad shoulders and excellent muscle tone. And even in its flaccid state, Peter's penis had to be larger than normal so far as Joanne could tell, though she couldn't fully be sure... given that she'd never had any interest in men. However, being in a room with a naked man was the least of her worries as what began to happen next. Peter took a deep breath and then Joanne could only watch as his features began to change. It started with tannish gold color of fur beginning to grow out from his skin and spreading out across his body.
"Wha...?" Joanne managed to stammer as Peter rose up onto his toes and his feet began to grow longer. Joanne thought she could hear some cracking sounds and Peter's feet grew longer and he began to tower over them, with his shoulders widening out a little more to fit his growing frame.
"He's taking his were form," Karen explained, as she watched her fiancée's penis pulled into a sheath that was soon covered in tannish gold fur, "proving that weres are real."
Peter could only watch back with some degree of frustration as he observed Joanne's reaction. As his claws began to grow out from his finger and toe tips, he could see that the mistrust and suspicion were gone, but they were being replaced by something that did look like fear. Something weres everywhere feared with regard to the secret being exposed, often with the reasoning that man's fear and the stories that reinforced that narrative would drive the reaction, but it was at a point where Peter couldn't go back. He had to complete his transformation now, as his ears lid up the sides of his head and moved up to the top where they stood alert. He only watched to Joanne through his now bronze/gold werelion eyes and noted that while she was afraid, she hadn't screamed, yet, and was practically clutching at Karen.
"I woo...uuuuuun...ttaa hurrrrrr...taaa yoouuuuu," Peter managed as his face began to push forward into its leonine muzzle and with his teeth reforming to fit it. And all the while the hair on his head grew out longer and in places darker as it circled the top of his head and around his neck before coming down to his upper shoulders, and he had all he could do to hold back a roar as his tail grew out behind him and slowly swayed from side to side as he looked to Joanne who was still standing still with the will or ability to move seemingly gone.
Joanne for her part only trembled, actually relying on Karen to hold her upright for the moment. Peter had gone from what was already a fairly impressive looking human male to an an even more imposing male anthropomorphic lion. He stood their calmly and with no hint of threat in his stance, but that size was imposing and Joanne had heard enough to know that lions could be quite dangerous around people, yet Karen didn't seem nervous at all. Eventually, Peter raised one hand to his muzzle and cleared his throat before getting down on one knee and resting on hand on his knee.
"Excuse me," Peter then spoke, "at times when the transformation reaches the point where the facial bones will shift to grow the muzzle, human conversation can be difficult. Now that that is done... we can talk."
"You're real..." Joanne spoke, finally finding her voice.
"Yes," Peter nodded, "and one of many weres living throughout the world... But contrary to what Hollywood would tell you... we aren't monsters, and despite our abilities and our fursonas feeling more real to us... we do consider ourselves to be human."
"So you've never attacked anyone?" Joanne said nervously.
"Never," Peter answered, "and I love Karen... and that is why I've come with her. To be there for her."
"But what I heard and...?" Joanne wondered.
"That has more to do with the fact if I were to be with Peter, I would become a werelioness," Karen explained, and feeling some relief as Joanne began to relax a little, "and it would mean my body would change as a result of that... both in human and were form. And in finding a loving man like Peter, I've been willing to make that change. To be with him, have children with him, and to love him... just in the same way a loving marriage should be."
"And Moon Lake?" Joanne asked, "Do they... know?"
"Yes," Peter answered slowly, "and this is something that you MUST keep silent on for the moment... but it is a sanctuary for weres of all kinds. It's probably for that reason that photos of the town's residents might have them look healthier than one would think out of a small town in Washington State. Being a were has certain benefits... but because of negative perceptions and past persecution by normal humans, weres have felt rather cautious and even fearful of being hunted again. For with all our strengths... we are still mortal."
"You fear us?" Joanne blinked.
"Were society fears human society," Peter corrected, "and in theory this goes against much of what weres are taught... and as such, I am taking a great deal of risk in trusting you NOT to expose us... or Moon Lake."
With that, Peter then reached forward and gently took Joanne's and in his and nuzzled the tip of his nose to the back of her hand, like a knight or a duke bowing to the pope. She wasn't quite sure on what to think on all of this, and she was certain that she would have to tell Monica in private, but the behavior on Peter's part did show that despite his more animalistic appearance at present there seemed to be a lot that carried human reason with it. And in an odd way, she thought she could see something of a kind soul in his bronze/gold eyes.
"But your mother...?" Joanne looked to Karen.
"Peter and I may have to show her the "truth" when the time comes," Karen admitted, "but I'm still a normal human for the moment and the car accident came with such surprise that neither of us were ready for it when it happened."
"But you will tell her?" Joanne asked.
"When the time is right," Karen promised, "just... keep the secret for now... please. I'm not in any danger and Moon Lake's people are good."
With some of her fear easing, Joanne then nodded and with some nervous acceptance nodded, "I promise."