Eric slowly woke up, feeling the caressing hand moving along his slightly sore back. Why was he so sore? He felt like he had laid wrong for hours. Had he moved the wrong way yesterday? Had Dean´s attack more late consequences? Without him noticing it, he purred at Amory´s work on his back, deeply enjoying it.
Amory noted the changes in Eric´s behavior, and smiled down at him. It seemed like Eric enjoyed it enough to keep his eyes closed. After another minute or so he whispered: “You enjoy this, huh, cub?”
Eric, still with his eyes closed, mewed his answer: “Yeah, it´s so relaxing.” It took him a few seconds to realize he had mewed his answer, but the low chuckle Amory made was the reason he finally opened his eyes, looking up at his friend. “Did I just mew my answer?” he mewed again.
Amory´s chuckle now was a bit stronger. “It just shows that you enjoy this. The same is true for your purring. Just relax a bit more, little cub.”
Eric did that for a bit longer, not thinking about anything with his eyes closed. That is, until his left fore-paw hit Amory on his leg. It didn´t feel right. Confused, Eric raised his fore-paw up to his face while opening his eyes again. It took him one second to see his former hand, and another to realize what was wrong, before he screamed, or rather, roared in shock.
“There goes the silence” Amory thought with a light grimace, but kept on stroking Eric´s fur as if nothing was wrong. Maybe it would calm his mate. He heard more than a few bushes rustling as smaller animals and birds fled the loud predator.
A couple of minutes Eric roared loudly in shock. His eyes were wide when he looked at Amory, who still calmly stroked his fur as if nothing had change. Then came anger, and he growled: “Amory, what have you done to me?”
“Nothing, little cub. You wanted to know how I lived in the human world, asked me if I could let you see it like a dream. Maybe you confuse some of that for your own memories?” Amory tried his idea from before, maybe it would work.
But no such luck. “I´m not dumb, Amory. You used the app on me, after saying you wouldn´t without asking me.” Eric growled angrily, but making no move to get up. “Change me back.”
Amory sighed. “I hoped you would believe me, it would have been far easier, cub. No, I won´t change anything back.”
Eric started to struggle in his lap to get away, and Amory let him go with another sigh. Eric struggled to get himself to stand up, but was unable to get up onto his hind-paws. But being on all fours felt so natural to him. Getting why he couldn´t get up further, he roared yet again, eyes blazing with fury at Amory. “You made me a feral jaguar? You asshole, I was trusting you.”
Amory slowly got up on his legs, towering over Eric. With a little growl himself, he answered: “I just didn´t want you to leave me, Eric. I feel we need to stay together as mates. And you said you couldn´t stay here with me. Now I will go with you, or rather, you will come with me as my mate and as my pet, cub.”
“No” growled Eric, slowly backing away. “I will get my friends to change me back, and then you will be sorry for doing this to me.” With that said, Eric turned and sprinted back to their camp.
With yet another sigh, Amory slowly followed his irritated pet-mate, knowing nothing bad would happen. Eric couldn´t attack them, and they didn´t know nor understand him. Maybe they would get shocked by an unknown wild jaguar in their camp, but Amory had made sure while they didn´t know Eric anymore, they would see him as his pet-mate. At least when he got there to explain it.
Eric reached the camp and noticed a problem instantly. The tents were closed, and without hands, he couldn´t open them. And somehow, shredding them with his claws seemed so wrong he didn´t do it. So, he only had one way to get them here. “Greg, Dean, Max or Tyler, help me, please.” He roared in panic, hoping they would wake up.
A few seconds later, both tents opened. Greg was the first one out of the left one, while Max came from the other first. “What the hell, Amory? Have you made a mistake that you are so loud?” Greg asked him. Looking at the feral jaguar, he gulped.
“I don´t think that´s Amory, Greg.” Max said, also gulping. While they weren´t simple humans right now, fighting off a wild animal wasn´t what any of them wanted. Dean hid behind Max while Tyler did the same behind Greg. Dean saw a predator in Eric, and Tyler was smaller than the others.
Eric was somewhat confused. How did they know Amory? And why call him like they would call him. Just as it dawned to him, there was a fast-approaching sound behind him.
Amory jumped into the camp, faking a little of being out of breath. “Sorry” he said after a few seconds. “As you see, I found myself a mate, and he seemed so eager to meet you he run ahead when he could scent you.” Turning to Eric, he only said: “Calm down.”
Eric growled furious: “What have you done? Not only have you taken my anthro form, but also my friends?”
“Are you sure he his save, Amory? He seems rather aggressive?” Dean asked. Part of him wanted to help his friend, seeing Amory could be in danger, while the other part was to stay hidden from the predator.
“No worries, Dean. Eric here is tame. Or let´s say, I made sure he is. I wouldn´t want my pet-mate being aggressive and put down, right?” Amory chuckled as Eric bristled. To him, he mewed: “Calm down, Eric.”
“You used the app on a wild animal?” Greg said, a bit disappointed in his friend, but also curios.
Amory explained: “I met him yesterday morning, before you were awake. That´s why you needed to search me. He seemed rather intelligent and curios of me, and we talked. He was around yesterday, and I noticed he wasn´t as calm as I wished for a mate, especially if he was to join me at home. I used the app to make sure he wouldn´t attack anyone. It´s just an unknown situation for him.” By now, he stood above Eric, who still growled at him, but didn´t do anymore. Amory started to pet him, trying to calm him.
“You robbed me of my life you asshole. Why do they believe you?” Eric roared, but slowly the petting calmed him again. I felt so nice, and what did he know? Maybe Amory wasn´t lying about all that.
“I replaced you as their friend, little cub. And they don´t understand you, to them you mew like the big cat you are.” Amory mewed to answer him.
“He seems a bit calmed down now. But is it really save? And what about his life here?” Dean asked, now also curios.
“You can come and pet him, Dean, he won´t bite any of us. And for his life here, he is lonely here. While a part of him wants to stay here, he felt a bond with me. Maybe that´s why I never found anyone, I just knew deep down there is someone waiting for me.” Amory said. It was true, after all. He had been lonely, instead of Eric, but pah, details.
Over the next few minutes, slowly, Max and Greg came nearer and with Eric calm, they could finally pet him. And while Eric mentally tried to get them to listen, help him get his life back, the bigger part started to enjoy the petting and stroking. It got even better when Dean and Tyler also joined, and soon Eric was petted all around by his former friends, his protests slowly decreasing while Amory talked about different things.
Maybe around half an hour later, Tyler asked Amory: “But say, why call him Eric? Is there a reason for that?”
Amory chuckled again. “Well, while we talked, we came to the point of names. I didn´t want to give him a pet name, like Spot” He threw a look at Eric, who was still enjoying all the attention, not protesting anymore. That would come up later again. “We went through a lot of names, and somehow, the name Eric fitted him, and he liked it, as well.”
After some breakfast, they started their day, with Eric being around and included where it was possible. But by now Eric had at least partly accepted his new role, and the day would see if any of the others would keep their anthro forms, or if Amory would be the only one.