Led Astray by Him

Chapter 1 - Eric Yodee and Samantha Kune

Hello! When I saw that there was some interest in the story I decided to edit it properly and try to make it more cohesive. So I've re-written chapter one and I will be posting chapter 2 shortly. Thank you for reading :)


Chapter 1: Eric Yodee and Samantha Kune


YEAR 1

In this world, people are born with the traits of an animal and when they choose, they have the ability to become them. There are several different animal clans, but there has always been prejudice between herbivores and carnivores, predator and prey.

In the year 2026, the government stepped up to increase socialization and acceptance between the two sides. Institutions which had previously been labeled as predator clans only, opened up to include herbivores, omnivores and prey-types. It was presumed that it would be a difficult transition for institutions across Canada, but it was a mostly smooth integration. There would, however, be one problem that would arise again and again: ego.

The predator animals didn't like being outdone and that was true for Eric Yodee of the Eastern Coyote Clan as well. Melton Law School had just happened to diversify the student body the year that Eric began his first year of law school.

Eric had planned to be the top student of his year to amplify his chances to land with the best law firm in town, Lino and Kaa.

However, just halfway through the first semester it became apparent that he would be taking second place to Samantha Kune, of the Kunekune Pig Clan.

He found himself thinking about her constantly. Not because she was pretty nor because she was smart, although both of those things were true.

But because she was always getting in his way.

He believed himself to be a cunning coyote and the fact that he couldn't defeat some gluttonous pig grated on him.

So Eric followed the little pig around on her daily schedule, looking for something he could use to get ahead of her. Even if he did think relatively little of the pig clans, he had to admit that she was cute.

With curly brown hair and an albino spot on her right side giving her hair a silver streak and one blue-ish eye that didn't match the deep amber of the one on her left. She was curvy but not as fat as one would expect a pig-type to be. He realized from watching her how much she restrained herself around food throughout the day.

A hesitant hand hovering over a pastry before pulling away. Secretly using the calculator on her phone to count the calories on the menu. Politely declining a colleague's homemade snack without ever taking her eyes off the delicious smelling Tupperware.

The Eastern Coyote Clan is known to be the sly, opportunistic type, and true to his nature Eric was willing to do whatever it took to come in first place.
That initial disappointment with second place, had become an obsession to Eric and by the end of midterms, he knew exactly how he was going to resolve his problem.

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Samantha had a lot to prove in her first year at the prestigious Melton Law School.

She had graduated as the valedictorian of a lesser-known university for herbivores and omnivores. It was a big deal to her as the first person in her family to even attend university.

The pig clans were stereotyped as lazy, messy and stupid but it wasn't true. Pigs were smart and resourceful, but their achilles heel was their core trait of gluttony. The pig clans loved to eat and were known for working in the food sector. Samantha's own parents ran a restaurant, and while they loved her, they just didn't understand why she always fought so hard against her own nature. She had been on a strict, self-imposed diet since puberty. Always with her nose in a book, talking about the future of the pig clans.

Samantha had had a hard time fitting in with the other KuneKune Pig Clan members as a child. Eventually looking outside of her own clan for connection, she realized that pigs were not well-regarded by others. Because of the stereotypes surrounding her, Samantha had even had difficulty making friends, never mind finding a mate.

She began to be strict about her food intake and closed herself off from others around her. In doing so, she coincidentally poured all of her focus into school and became the top student of her graduating class in high school. After going to a small university for French Language Studies and being the top student there, she received an offer and full scholarship from Melton Law School as part of the government's new Inclusion Act.

With the constant doubts about her future and diet, Samantha decided to move out of her parents' home and stay in an apartment with roommates closer to Melton's campus.

Samantha thought that if she couldn't validate herself through the love of others, she would validate herself with an astounding career. A future so bright, that it forced everyone to reconsider the potential of the pig clans.

It was her goal to be the top scoring student at Melton, although, she expected it to be gruelling. Melton was notorious for aggressive, predator-type students and ultra competitive courses.

On her first day, Samantha was surprised by all of the other animal-types on campus, including small prey animals like mice and huge carnivores like snakes and bears.

She didn't see any other pigs, but Samantha hadn't expected there to be any.

Not even her own parents understood her ambitions, Samantha hadn't expected to find any kindred spirits here.

But throughout all of the joy of embarking on this journey, there was always a voice in the back of her mind. A constant niggling feeling of insecurity and low self-esteem that she couldn't shake off.

"Everyone is talking about you behind your back because you're a pig" she would think to herself. This made her even more restrictive over her diet at school.

In fact, she often under ate in a day to maintain her weight of 150 lbs. If Samantha ever let loose to truly sate her hunger, she knew that her body would blow-up just like all of her relatives. She held a tight leash over her diet, constantly counting calories, and she never allowed herself to relax around food. She thought that she would just live like that forever.

Then she met Eric from the Eastern Coyote Clan.

She had never met a coyote-type shifter before. He was tall with broad shoulders and thick brown hair, and she would feel her heartbeat in her throat every time he walked by. Like frantic, unsupervised butterflies fluttering around inside her.

There were other handsome boys at school, but Samantha never paid them any attention. She was always focused on school after all. But for some reason, she just kept running into Eric.

At the library, at the cafe near campus, at her bus station.

It was just a presence that she couldn't ignore. It could have been a coincidence, but every time she looked at him, it seemed as if he was already looking at her. They never spoke. He didn't pull out a charming grin or ask what she thought of class. They just existed with this buzzing energy between them.

A handsome man who seemed to have his eyes on her. But she thought there was no way a man like that would be interested in a pig like her.

Unbeknownst to her, the cunning coyote was scheming a plan.

When midterms were over and Samantha came in first place once again, he finally approached her intending to swallow her whole.