CHAPTER 36

He walked out into the yard and turned around to look.

"Okay. I know for a fact that wasn't on the list." On the left side of his house was a turret that was slightly larger than the one on the right side of the house. This one looked dirty and faded, as if someone had cleaned the entire house but neglected this portion.

"I don't... I just..." Beth tilted her head. "Do I hear moaning?"

Yuki's ears twitched, and her cheeks reddened. Mike listened intently and heard the sounds of a woman grunting in pain beneath a section of porch roof that had toppled off the house. He and Tink moved toward it and lifted the section up to free the trapped woman.

Underneath, Abella stared up at them in embarrassment. In her hand was her tablet, the screen cracked all the way across. She was frantically tapping it with her other hand, but obviously the screen's sensor had broken, and the p**n she had been watching continued to play unhindered. A headphone jack dangled from one of her ears; she plugged it back into her tablet, and the sounds of moaning disappearing.

"Um, I was on the roof when this appeared." Abella looked over her shoulder at the house. "I fell down, and, uh..."

"It's fine." Mike knelt down by her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a bit embarrassed." Her cheeks darkened, and she stood. She let out a sigh, then handed the tablet to Mike. Through the large crack on the screen, a woman was getting pounded by two energetic men. "I don't know how to make it stop."

He chuckled and did a force shutdown on the tablet. "I'll get you a new one, once this is all sorted." He turned his attention to the new addition to the house. "Tink says she recognizes this. How about you?"

"I do, but..." Abella's features pinched. "I was never allowed inside. That's all I really know about it."

"Tink know. She can show husband." The goblin grabbed his hand, but Mike held his ground.

"Hold up. Let's check on everyone else first, and make sure there isn't serious damage anywhere else. Then we can check it out."

Why had this addition's appearance been so violent? And how had Emily packed away a portion of the house? Why send it away?

Those were questions he intended to find out, but before he did anything else, he crossed the yard toward the sundial. Several of the bushes had been flattened by chunks of his porch, and when he got to the dial, he gave it a good twist. If he had learned one thing from his time in the house, it was to make sure the defense system was active before going somewhere new.

She opened her eyes, quickly scanning the room. It seemed empty, and she found herself on the floor. Instinctively, her hands went to her throat, and she relaxed when she realized nothing was there.

What was that about, she wondered. Letting out a big yawn, she stretched, feeling all of her limbs pop, then stood. How long had she been asleep? And where was she? The room she was in had a large window that overlooked the large yard, and she walked toward it.

Down below, she saw a small group of people talking to each other. Pressing her face against the glass, her attention was caught by one of them. It was a man, and he moved through a maze-shaped garden to turn a sundial. He had a weird aura about him, almost as if he was a movie star, and the spotlight followed him around. It was strange to contemplate about someone she didn't know in such a manner, but everything about her situation seemed odd to her, so she looked around the room some more, hoping for some answers.

Her best guess was that it had been some kind of music room. Other than hardwood floors and a large, broken harp, she had no idea what else it could be. This should have troubled her, but now she realized something even worse.

She had no idea who she was. Looking down, she saw that not only was she naked, but large portions of her body were covered in dark, silken fur that closely matched the color of her skin. Her belly was white, though, and she ran her fingers over it, marveling at how soft it was.

Wait, no, not completely naked. Her fingertips caught on a pair of lycra shorts that closely matched her fur. Moving back to the window, she tried to catch a glimpse of her reflection, but it was too bright outside to get a reflection off the glass.

She heard movement beneath her, and realized that the crowd of people had moved back inside of the house. Using her hands, she felt around the window, hoping to find a way to open it and climb out. There was something about the house that she didn't like, a fear response that told her to run, but the window was painted shut.

Could she break the glass? She looked at the harp. It was far too heavy for her to pick up, and even if she did break the glass, the strangers would likely come to investigate. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she moved silently across the room to the door. Fearing that it would be locked, she gave it a tug.

The door slid open, catching briefly in its frame. She stepped into the hallway, grateful that nobody was there. Moving stealthily, she saw that she was in a hallway that terminated at a door if she went straight, but turned into a flight of stairs if she went right.

A strange smell caught her nose, and she sniffed. Her eyes narrowed on a room at the end of the hallway, and she stared for several seconds, her instincts demanding that she go check it out.

Something brushed against her back and she flinched, then spun around. The hallway behind her was empty.

Something touched her again.

Spinning wildly, she caught it out of the corner of her eye. She tumbled around, both hands grabbing for it, and finally managed to catch it just as she rolled onto the floor.

"What the hell are you?" she croaked, holding the furry object in her hands. She had pinned it under her back while falling, and when she pulled on it, she felt painful pressure just above her butt.

I have a tail?!? She let go and stood up, watching the protuberance swish playfully back and forth and barely resisting the urge to grab it

What's wrong with me?

The stairs creaked, and she ducked around the corner, crouching down near the ground. A woman walked past, putting her hair up in a ponytail, and she was followed by a slightly shorter woman with a large, thick tail of her own.