Chapter 2: Building Tension
As Evelyn continued to call Mark Mr. Architect every time he tries to explain something to her another picker over heard the two and introduced themselves to mark, they are an architect enthusiast!
Evelyn, now distracted by the impending conversation between her fiancé and the newcomer, decided to wander off a bit. "I'll be right back, I see a perfect apple over there," she said, pointing towards a tree at the edge of the orchard.
Mark nodded, but his attention was already shifting towards the eager architect enthusiast. Evelyn didn't mind, she loved the rustle of the leaves under her boots, the feeling of the cool air on her cheeks, and the scent of the apples. She was in her element.
As she ventured further, the trees became denser, and the underbrush thicker. As she walked she could see evidence of other animals who must have enjoyed the apples and thought she best watch her step.
Her boots crunched on the leaves covering the forest floor, and the scent of damp earth filled her nostrils. She smiled, taking in the solitude, the peace.
She spotted a particularly large, red apple slightly higher up on a nearby tree. She reached up, her fingers grazing the rough bark, and then—suddenly—she lost her footing. Her arms flailed, trying to regain balance, but it was too late. She landed with a thud, her backside sinking into the soft earth.
"Oof!" she exclaimed, more from surprise than pain. She brushed her hands off, looking around to see if anyone had witnessed her clumsy fall.
Thankfully, Mark was still engrossed in conversation with the architect enthusiast. She chuckled at herself, "Well, that was graceful," she muttered, pushing herself up. But her eye remained on the prized apple.
She couldn't give up so easily. She moved closer, using the tree to steady herself, and reached again. This time, her fingers wrapped around the apple, cool and firm in her grip. As she pulled it down, she heard a low, thundering sound. Startled, she turned to see a large buck emerging from the densest part of the orchard.
The buck was majestic, his antlers towering like a crown, dark eyes reflecting the dappled sunlight. He was the kind of creature she'd sketch in her notebook, a symbol of nature's raw power and beauty.
"Wow," Evelyn whispered, taken aback by the sight.
She'd never seen a deer so close, let alone one that looked so regal. The buck stood still, his gaze locked onto hers. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the orchard quiet except for the rustling of leaves.
Evelyn felt a shiver run down her spine, a mix of awe and something else—a primal sensation she couldn't quite place. She took a slow breath, trying to steady her heartbeat. "Hey there, big guy," she said softly, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're quite something, aren't you?"
The buck tilted his head slightly, as if he understood her. She held the prized apple out to the beast.
"Want an apple?" she asked playfully, half-expecting him to turn and bound away. But the buck took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers.
Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of exhilaration and fear coursing through her veins. She lowered her hand, the apple still clutched tightly in her fist. "Well, isn't this something," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
The buck let out a soft snort, his breath visible in the cool air. He took another step forward, his antlers casting a long shadow over her. He came right up to her and ate the apple right out of her hands.
The feeling of his nose brushing against her skin sent a strange, tingling sensation through her body. Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise and slight fear, but she couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the unexpected intimacy. The buck, seemingly encouraged by her laugh, nudged her hand again, looking for more.
"You're a hungry one, aren't you?" Evelyn said, her voice barely above a whisper, though she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in her throat. She reached into her basket, plucking out another apple. As she did, she noticed her hand was shaking slightly.
Not from fear, but from a strange, exhilarating energy that seemed to be coursing through her veins. The buck took the apple from her hand, his breath hot on her skin, and he began to eat, his dark eyes never leaving hers.
"You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" Evelyn murmured, her heart fluttering in her chest. She could feel the buck's presence, large and powerful, yet somehow comforting. She wanted to reach out, to touch the velvet of his antlers, but she held back, not wanting to startle him.
The buck finished the apple and took another step closer. Then a sound erupted from deeper with in the trees, the sound of a female deer in heat, the buck to one more look at Evelyn then bounded off.
Evelyn's heart was pounding in her chest hearing the sounds of this majestic creature running through the underbrush. She could feel the excitement and the fluttery feelings he had left her with.
Evelyn looked down at her hands, they seemed different, she shake them slightly and they looked longer and thinner. She then lifted them up and examined them closely.
"What the?" She said turning her hands over and looking at them in disbelief. She looked towards the sound of the buck and the female still in the distance. She felt her chest starting to tighten and her breathing becoming more shallow. She wasn’t looking where she was going and slipped in a particularly slick pile of deer droppings.
She landed with a splash, the moisture and warmth of the waste soaking through her jeans.
“Ew, ew, ew!” Evelyn exclaimed, jumping up and trying to brush off her pants. She looked around, hoping no one had seen her clumsy fall. Just as she thought she was in the clear, she felt a strange, tingling sensation course through her body. It started at her hands, which she had just examined, and spread quickly throughout her limbs.
She looked down at her hands again, now certain they were longer and thinner. Her tail bone hurt. She thought was from the fall not realizing why, yet.
Her breath hitched as she felt her spine shifting, arching in a way it never had before. She looked down at her jean-clad legs, watching in disbelief as they began to change shape, the denim stretching and tearing as fur sprouted through the rips.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered, her voice laced with a mix of fear and awe. She tried to step back, but her hooves—yes, hooves—sized through the leaves and underbrush, making it difficult to move.
She shook her head, trying to clear the sensation, but it only intensified. Then she caught wiff of the smell. A pungent alluring musk coming from further with in the trees.
Evelyn's nose was already changing shape too. She brought a hand up to her face and felt the beginnings of a snout pushing through her skin. She gasped, her breath fogging up in the cool air. The tingling sensation spread across her body like wildfire, every nerve ending on high alert. She could feel her skin stretching, her body contorting, and her mind reeling.
"Mark," she called out, her voice already starting to change, becoming deeper, more resonant. It came out a confused whimper, barely audible over the rustling leaves. She tried again, "Mark!"
But it was too late. Only the deer like sound “Eeeuuuuw” came out. And then it had her again. The male deer musk. Stronger and more…. Enticing then it was before!
The scent was drawing her in, her legs moving on their own accord, taking her deeper into the orchard. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and panic, yet her body was responding to a primal instinct she didn't understand. She could feel the wind rustling her new fur, her vision sharpening, shifting to a world of greens and browns.
"Evelyn?" Mark's voice called out from the distance, but it seemed to be coming from another world entirely. She snapped her head towards the sound, her ears twitching, trying to locate him. But the scent, that intoxicating musk, it was too strong.
It was calling her, drawing her in like a magnet. Her body moved of its own accord, her new legs carrying her deeper into the woods, away from Mark's distant voice. She tried to resist, to turn back, but the scent was overwhelming, a primal force that she couldn't fight.
As she moved, the world around her shifted. The sunlight filtering through the leaves above seemed to change, the hues of green and gold more vibrant, more alive. The sounds of the forest were amplified, the rustling of leaves, the hum of insects, the distant call of a bird—all of it was a symphony that seemed to speak directly to her soul. As she moved forward more changes happened. Her eyes drifted to the sides of her head while her sex shifted into something more fitting, soon she was feeling heat of her own!
Evelyn looked down and saw her body was a creamy white, dappled with spots and her nipples were hard and sensitive. Her back arched in a way that made her feel more powerful, more in tune with her surroundings. She took a deep breath through her new nose and the scent of the buck, the scent that had been drawing her in, was stronger now. It filled her nostrils, her lungs, her very being.
She heard the sound of his hooves crunching on the leaves behind her and she turned, her heart pounding in her chest. The buck stood there, his antlers casting a majestic shadow, his dark eyes reflecting the dappled sunlight.