This month's story is "Anything but That" by TammyJo Eckhart, narrated by Vivienne Ferrari. This episode is sponsored by Literotica. Pick up Monster Whisperer, Second Class “That can’t be,” Darina’s whisper froze in her chest as the creature inside the cell snarled and snapped its huge teeth in her direction. She pressed her back against the cool stone wall of the basement and slid down to sit on the floor. She tried to control her breathing, but she just couldn’t seem to get a breath at all, because there was a knot in her throat. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lights, she identified the creature; a huge wolf, “far bigger than any wolf should be,” her rational mind mused. She realized she was overthinking it and calmed down. She released her breath and took a slow deep one. Using techniques she trained into her submissives when they panicked, she counted out three slow breaths, but her body seemed frozen. “Jesus!” she gasped as the beast thrashed wildly, throwing its body around yet barely moving. Why wasn’t it getting any closer to the bars of the cell? She counted her breathing as she watched it struggle. It finally slumped down and stopped moving. Its heavy, ragged breathing was loud in her ears. Its huge head and gaping fanged mouth turned toward her, and it took in a shuddering breath, nostrils flaring. Was it smelling her? The creature made a whimpering sound and turned its head and the rest of its body awkwardly from her. Darina found her body suddenly free, but she just sat there staring until the beast glanced back at her, whimpering once more before tucking its head as best it could between its chest and the arm farthest from her. “Is it afraid of me?” Fight. Flight. Freeze. “Primal responses exist not just in humans, but animals, too,” her brain supplied the facts as she got her legs under her. She pressed her hands against the wall to help her stand up. The creature flinched as she stood up. It whined as she took one, then two steps closer. How long were its arms, and was that the right word? Where must she stop so it couldn't reach her if it came at the bars? She took another step, then decided caution was better. Normally she was cautious when approaching new experiences or relationships. She grasped onto her new sub, the reason she was here, to help calm down.