Arctic Roots - 1. The Cub’s First Change

Axel woke to a ray of sun streaking through a gap in the window shades and shining directly on his face, but the thing that woke him up was the frantic shaking of the mattress coming from his cub’s side of the bed.

“Adam, I told you that we’d fuck again this morning before breakfast,” Axel growled, turning his head away from the sunbeam. “If you’re over there beating off waiting for me to wake up, I swear I’m going to rip you a new asshole.”

“I’m not beating off Papa!” Adam cried, “I swear! I’m just so damn itchy this morning I can’t stand it.”

Axel sat up and looked over at his cub.

“Itchy, huh?” he said, “Well then, we better get some breakfast in you fast. Itchy is the first sign that today’s the day of your first change!”

“Oh, finally!” Adam replied, swinging his legs out of bed and jumping up naked, trying to scratch his chest and his back at the same time. He had a bodybuilder’s physique when Axel first met him, but now in addition to his thick musculature, he had a huge beer belly and the beginnings of an impressive set of man-boobs.

“Everybody kept telling me how important it was to put on a thick layer of fat to burn off during the first change, but I’m telling you, if I got any fatter, I was going to go on the Ayds diet plan.”

“The what-the-fuck-did-you-just-say plan?” Axel asked in shock and anger, holding back the impulse to grab his cub and give him a good slap. “Don’t joke about AIDS, Cub. Ever. It’s not fucking funny. Do you understand?”

“Papa, what are you talking about?” Adam shot back, “I’m talking about Ayds diet candy. A-Y-D-S, remember? All the big Hollywood stars swear by it to lose weight. Bob Hope, Hedy Lamarr, Ann Sheridan, Sonja Henie… You eat an Ayds candy before every meal and it makes you eat less. I used to eat them all the time when I was working on cutting body fat before a bodybuilding competition. They worked; I swear!”

“Oh, Gods,” Axel moaned. “More 1950s bullshit. Remind me when your first change is over to give you a thorough run-down on the history of the 1980s and 1990s, okay? In the meantime, don’t mention the words ‘Ayds Diet’ in civilized company ever again. Clear?”

“Clear, Papa,” Adam replied, rubbing his back against the doorframe to try to get the itches under control. “If I can’t say it in front of civilized company, then I’ll only say it in front of you.”

Axel rolled his eyes and got out of bed himself, also nude. He spun his cub around so that he could scratch his back for him. He could forgive Adam this time for not knowing about HIV and AIDS and its devastating effects on the gay community since the early eighties. It was his own fault for not spending enough time covering the last seventy years of history with him in the last six months. Adam had been sexually assaulted and bitten by a rogue werebear named Christopher back in 1952, and was turned into a half-man, half-bear monster. It was only the past summer that Axel and an army of werebears were able to stop Christopher and take all eight of his monsters to a Native American shaman in Minnesota to be cured and turned back into humans again. After they were cured, it was discovered that the eight men had become bear kindred, so they were taken back to the werebear enclave in Atikokan, Canada to reacclimate to modern society and be given the choice whether to stay human or become a werebear.

Axel and Adam hit it off right away, and Adam looked up to the big Kodiak werebear for guidance from the moment the cured humans reached their new home. Axel had never given thought to having a cub of his own before then, but his fondness for Adam wore down his defenses, and soon they were sharing a bed. Within two months Adam made his choice, and Axel had bitten and bred him, beginning the process to change him into a werebear.

The four-month process for a new cub’s body to change and transform in preparation for their first shift to bear-form can be rough on both the Cub and the Papa. Cubs must eat triple the amount that a normal werebear would eat each day to keep up with their growing body, and to put on the necessary layer of fat that gets burned off during the first shift. They also experience a never-ending supply of sexual energy that the Papa must help them burn off… sometimes ten or twelve times a day. It is said that once a werebear cub has their first change their libido slows down considerably, and after that they only need sex a mere six times a day to keep them satisfied.

As Axel scratched his itchy cub’s back, he thought about those other needs now. It was too early to trudge through the snow to the enclave’s common building for breakfast, but there was one thing he could take care of on his own. He pushed Adam back down onto the bed face-down, and as he continued to scratch his back, he also slid his massive manhood into his cub’s backdoor. Axel was much larger than your average werebear, but in the last four months, Adam had not only gotten used to his Papa’s size, he’d come to crave it.

Axel was always sure when he was with a partner to be gentle and not cause any injury, especially with a human or cub who hadn’t gone through their first change yet and couldn’t heal as quickly, so as he scratched Adam’s itchy back, he pumped his hips slowly and sensually. Adam moaned and continued to scratch at his chest with his hands as his Papa took care of the rest of his itches. After ten minutes of slow fucking, Axel flipped his cub over onto his back, and gripping Adam’s legs began to pump a little harder and heavier.

Adam stopped the incessant scratching with his right hand and allowed it to move to his own cock as he stoked himself in time to Axel’s thrusts. Before long they were both bellowing their release, Papa shooting his load in the depths of his cub’s gut, and Adam coating his itchy chest and belly with his own seed.

Axel picked up his cub in his arms and carried him to the bathroom, where they shared a nice long shower, soaping each other up from head to toe and rinsing each other off. By the time they had dried themselves off and gotten dressed, it was late enough that the common building would be open for breakfast.

They bundled up into their heavy parkas and boots to make the roughly 300-meter trek through the snow drifts in the Canadian winter from their cozy home to the large central common building. This building served as the community’s cafeteria, meeting hall, living room and entertainment space all in one.

As they walked in to join their bear brothers for breakfast, Ezekiel the eldest bear, and the one commonly referred to as “Grand-Papa” by the other bears, was the first to notice Adam’s itches.

“Glorious!” Ezekiel exclaimed. “The first of our new kindred brothers is going to have his first shift today! Adam, how long have you been itching?”

“It started in the middle of the night, so maybe four or five hours now,” Adam replied. “I woke Papa up shaking the bed with all the scratching. He accused me of beating off, Grand-Papa! The nerve of him!”

“Well, given the circumstances, that’s probably what any Papa would have assumed,” Ezekiel replied with a grin, “But since you’ve already been itchy for several hours, I’d estimate that you’re going to change by noon. After we all have breakfast, we’ll get the common room switched over from Dining Hall to Changing Room.”

“What exactly is going to happen, Grand-Papa,” Adam asked as Axel went to fetch his cub a few plates full of breakfast. “My Papa hasn’t been around any other cubs going through their first change since his own, and that was over 300 years ago!”

“Yes,” Ezekiel said, “Your Papa didn’t really have the werebear socialization that the rest of us enjoyed before coming to Atikokan, but his presence here has enriched us all.

“But as for your change…” Ezekiel continued, “Your Papa knew that the itchiness was the first sign. That’s your bear fur just underneath the skin ready to burst through. Sometime in the next few hours, one of your body parts will change first and suddenly. That’s when we’ll know that the process is starting.”

Axel returned to the table where Adam and Ezekiel sat bearing a plate piled high with pancakes, another loaded with cheesy scrambled eggs, and a third overflowing with crispy bacon. He set them all down in front of his cub along with a large mug of coffee and instructed Adam to eat.

“What part of me is going to change first?” Adam asked Ezekiel around a mouthful of eggs.

“Who knows?” Ezekiel replied cheerfully, “That’s part of the fun! It could be your ears. It could be your paws. Maybe your nose will turn dark and leathery first, or maybe you’ll grow a little bear tail! Whatever part it is, we will quickly get you undressed, and we will all undress along with you.

“Has your Papa warned you about the pain?”

Axel nodded grimly, and Adam swallowed his mouthful of pancake.

“Yes, he said that the pain would be worse than anything else because my bones and skull will have to crack and shift to change to bear form for the first time.”

“That’s right, Cub,” Ezekiel replied. “Do not try to fight the shift because of the pain. Embrace your bear and let it come. The pain is intense but fleeting. Once you have become the bear you will feel better than you ever have in your human life.”

“And you know what happens after you become the bear the first time, right Cub?” Axel asked with a wicked grin.

“Yes,” Adam said blushing scarlet red and looking down to try to hide his own grin, “That’s when Papa shifts too and claims his ‘first fuck’ in bear form.”

“It’s a tradition,” Ezekiel confirmed. “As a group, we werebears are very liberal when it comes to sex, and we’re very comfortable with sex among friends as a means to bond and build relationships.”

“And sometimes just for fun!” Marcus interrupted from the next table, eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Yes, that too,” Ezekiel replied. “In the last few months, you’ve gotten to know most of us very well in this manner, so that we could all help your Papa keep up with your insatiable needs as a growing cub. Once you’ve completed the process and are fully werebear, we will all continue to enjoy frequent playtimes together, but the very first time after you’ve changed into your bear form is a special moment for Papa and Cub, and we all respect that tradition.”

“Believe me,” Marcus said, “There are going to be a couple dozen bears or more here to watch your first change, so you and Axel probably won’t be the only two getting any action!”

“Yes, quite right,” Ezekiel agreed, flashing Marcus a look to indicate that he should focus on his breakfast and hold the commentary.

“It’s after that first fuck that the next challenge comes,” Axel said. “Ezekiel and I will both be in our bear forms, and we’ll then stand in front of you and show you how to change back.”

“That doesn’t just happen all by itself like changing into the bear?” Adam asked.

“No,” Ezekiel replied, “You need to follow along with your Papa and another experienced bear if available, or else you can get stuck or lost during the process to change back. If you don’t get the change to human done correctly the first time, you may always have problems shifting after that.”

“Oh,” Adam replied, “That worries me more than the pain.”

“Well, that’s what we’re here for, Cub,” Axel said. We’ll walk you through each step of the process so that you get it right the first time. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!”

“The only unknown element,” Ezekiel added, “Is what kind of bear you are going to be. Normally, the species of bear we become is handed down to us by our biological human father, and those genes are passed from father to son going back many thousands of years. In your case, you did not get the bear genes from your human father, yet you were made kindred by the actions of Christopher, and you were bred and turned by your Papa, Axel. If you become a grizzly, then it is Christopher’s genes that determined your species. If you become a Kodiak, then you received that as part of the gift from your Papa. We’re in uncharted waters, so whatever happens to you today will determine the fates of the other seven of your brothers.”

Adam nodded. He and Axel had bonded quickly, so he was the first of the eight former monsters to be turned, but the other seven had eventually all found Papas of their own, some black bears, some grizzlies and even one polar bear.

In the whole enclave of Atikokan, Axel was the only Kodiak bear and Ezekiel was the only Kermode. In his heart, Adam hoped that he would be Kodiak like his Papa. He wanted as little to remind him of Christopher as possible.

****

After breakfast, the bears all began the work of tearing down the dining tables and chairs and converting the space into an area fit for a cub’s first change. The floors were lined with padded gym mats, and soft sturdy furniture was moved around the perimeter of the room.

Word had spread throughout the community, and most bears were heading over to the community building except for the seven other Papas who had cubs not yet ready for their first change. They did not want them to see the pain that Adam was going to have to endure during his shift and grow afraid for their own forthcoming changes, so those Papas stayed home and kept their growing cubs entertained in bed.

By 11:30 am, Adam had not yet started his shift, and Ezekiel was beginning to discuss with Joel whether they should go ahead and start fixing lunch for the hungry crowd. Just as they settled on noon as the cutoff time that they would start preparing lunch if the change had not started, a loud incoherent shout was heard coming from one of the couches.

Adam’s shout turned into a wail as his mouth and jaw pushed out into a bear’s muzzle and his teeth fell out all over the floor.

“This is it!” Axel shouted. “Help me get his clothes off before they shred to pieces!”

Several of the bears lent a hand, and in a few seconds they had Adam stripped naked and moved to the center of the room onto the gym mats.

Axel and the rest of the observers in the room began to disrobe as well so that they could be free to shift to their bear forms along with the new cub.

“Oh, fuck!” Adam shouted as his finger and toenails were pushed out by claws and his extremities began to turn into paws. “Thish hurth tho bad!”

Fur began sprouting from every pore and then Adam’s shouts changed to screams as his skull bones cracked and shifted, reforming themselves into the shape of a bear’s. His ears grew fur and shifted to the top of his head.

Adam’s shoulders and hips reformed themselves with loud grinding of the bones and Adam rolled over onto all fours as his arms and legs snapped and stretched. A large hump formed between his shoulder blades, and all at once his entire bone structure expanded and grew to enormous proportions.

The final step in the change occurred when Adam’s testicles inflated to their new bear size and the baculum bone in his penis extended for the first time, giving him an erection that rivaled his own Papa.

Adam’s screams shifted to a bear’s roar as the last bones snapped into place and he reared up onto his hind legs and expelled the last of his human sperm onto the floor mats all around him.

The whole room fell silent as the new bear’s cries of pain faded away. Standing on his hind legs, Adam was nearly ten feet tall, and it was quite clear that he had inherited his species from his Papa and not Christopher. Adam was a massive Kodiak bear, towering above the others in the community room with an expression of relief and confusion on his furry face.

The rest of the observers in the room shifted into their bears as well, and Axel, having shifted to his own Kodiak bear form also reared onto his hind legs and placed his front paws on his cub’s shoulders.

“Adam, do you understand me?” Axel growled in the bear-language.

“Yes!” Adam growled back, “This is amazing! I’m so big!”

“You sure are, Cub,” Axel replied, “But let’s get back down on all fours now like proper bears, okay?”

“Okay, Papa,” Adam said, and together they both sank down to stand on all four feet again.

There were many growls and grunts of congratulations from the assembled bears in the room, until Axel moved his muzzle up next to Adam’s furry ear to whisper.

“It’s time, Cub. Are you ready to finally take me in my full bear size?”

“I’m as big as you now, Papa!” Adam whispered back with joy, “Come and claim your first fuck!”

Axel moved behind Adam and mounted him bear-style. For the first time, he didn’t feel the need restrain his enthusiasm or to hold anything back, and he gleefully humped his Cub’s rear hard and fast, eliciting pleasurable growls from Adam.

Many of the other bears in the room paired off in twos and threes and joined the new Papa and Cub in enjoying the pleasures of mating as bears.

Adam found his release first, spraying copious amounts of his new werebear semen onto the gym mats underneath him, and his Papa finished soon after, slamming his hips against his cub’s furry rear and emptying his load deep inside of him.

As the rest of the bears in the room finished their own bouts of pleasure, Axel and Ezekiel moved in front of Adam and instructed him to pay close attention.

“We’re going to start shifting back to human form now,” Axel told his cub, “I need you to concentrate on what a human looks like and follow along with us changing your body as we go.”

Adam growled in agreement and began concentrating on what a human form looks like.

Axel and Ezekiel started with the face, shifting it back to a human appearance and reshaping their skulls. Adam went a little slower but understood what to do and copied their actions exactly. They all changed bit by bit, reshaping their limbs and torsos, making the fur recede, and reforming their hands and feet.

There was a minute near the end where they weren’t sure that Adam was going to be able to retract his claws and reform them into fingernails, but after closing his eyes and concentrating on what human hands are supposed to look like, he finally got it.

Fully human again, Axel and Ezekiel helped Adam to his feet. To the surprise of both Papa and Cub, Adam was now looking Axel directly in the eyes. He stood a full seven feet tall, just like his Papa.

Height wasn’t the only thing they shared in common. Adam was hugely muscular and broad-shouldered, his genitals hung massively between his legs and the rest of the bears in the room couldn’t help but notice that he and Axel were practically twins in the obscenely huge penis department.

In fact, except for the tattoos, and the length of his hair and beard, Adam was nearly a dead-ringer for his Papa. The casual observer would think that they were biological brothers, and Axel beamed at the sight of his cub’s handsome chiseled face.

“How do I look?” Adam said, surprising himself with his new deep and booming voice.

“It’s like looking in a mirror, Cub,” Axel replied with tears running down his cheeks, “I’ve never been so happy in my life. Thank you for choosing to be my Cub.”

“Thank you for being my Papa,” Adam replied, and the two massive men hugged each other as if they’d never let go.