by D. M. Turner
“Trespassers will be eaten?” Tommy’s eyes grew as big as half-dollars again. “Really?”
She shared a grin with Colin then reassured the boy, “You’re not a trespasser. You’re a guest. So you’re safe.”
“Good.”
Some time later, they reached the second wall and gate. They stood even taller than the first at twenty-feet, to keep temperamental, out-of-control wolves within the property boundary for the main house. A few minutes after that, the house came into view.
Tommy scooted forward and leaned between the front seats. “Wow. You weren’t joking!”
She smiled. “Wait until you see the inside. It’s beautiful. Lots of rooms and open space. Lots of windows, too.”
“How many people live here?”
“Just me, Colin, and his father usually, but we get lots of visitors sometimes.”
Instead of stopping out front, Colin pulled the car into the three-car garage. The door slowly ground closed then fell silent. He glanced over his shoulder at Tommy. “You ready to see the rest?”
The boy nodded with great enthusiasm.
“Let’s go.”
Tommy beat Colin and Tanya to the door into the house.
Colin pushed it open, revealing the laundry room.
Tommy looked less than impressed, but his expression changed when they exited the laundry room and went past stairs that led to the second floor. His gaze fell on the kitchen, dining room, and living room, all open to one another. His eyes widened and filled with excitement. “It’s huge!”
“Kind of overwhelming, huh?” Tanya gently nudged him away from the main rooms and down the hallway to bedrooms. She glanced back at Colin. “Is it okay if I put him in the bedroom across from mine?”
“Sure. I’ll see if I can find clothes to fit him.” He trotted up the stairs and disappeared.
“Wait until you see your room.” She pointed to the guestroom door, which stood open. “That’s my room. If you need me and the door is closed, just knock.” She pushed open the door across the hall. “You can use this room.” She stepped back to let him enter first.
“Wow.” He glanced back with a frown. “Will anyone else be sleeping in here with me?”
“Nope. This is all yours.” The room contained a pair of nightstands and a double bed covered in a handmade quilt. A trio of large windows nestled together on the outside wall let in lots of light. She opened the first of two doors in one wall to show him a walk-in closet. The second door hid a bathroom. “This room only has a shower. If you prefer a bathtub, you can have the next room over.”
He shook his head. “I don’t take baths anymore. I’m all grown up, so I take showers now.” He poked his head into that room. His eyes widened with wonder. “I get this all to myself?”
“Yep.”
“Do you have your own bathroom, too?”
“Sure do. Every bedroom in this house has a bathroom, I think.” Tanya pointed to the ceiling. “There are four more bedrooms upstairs. I haven’t looked at them, but I think they have their own bathrooms, too.”
“So cool. You don’t have to wait for someone to get out of the bathroom.”
“Exactly!” She grinned.
“So, what do you think of the place?” Colin appeared in the doorway with a stack of clothes in his hands.
“It’s way cool.”
“I think so, too.” He offered the clothes to Tommy. “I’m not sure how well these will fit. Also…” Colin offered a sandwich he’d stuck in a small plastic bag. “Since you like cheeseburgers and lots of meat on your pizza, I thought you might like a pot roast sandwich.”
“Oh, yum! Donna makes pot roast sometimes.” The boy accepted the bag. “Thanks!”
“Eat up, then why don’t you take a shower? I’m sure you’d like to get cleaned up. Then we’ll take a look at those wounds, make sure they don’t get infected. Sound good?”
Tommy nodded so energetically, his whole torso went with the movement. He dropped the clothes on the bed and pulled the sandwich out of the bag, taking a big bite.
“After you’ve showered and dressed, look for us at the other end of the house. We’ll probably be in the kitchen.” Colin motioned Tanya toward him. “If you need anything, just holler.”
“Okay.”
“Take your time and enjoy the shower. We’ve got a virtually endless supply of hot water.”
“Way cool.”
The boy was still grinning and chewing when Colin closed the bedroom door.
He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s one happy kid. I can’t believe how well he’s dealing with this.”
“I don’t think it’s hit him yet.” She waved a hand to indicate the house. “All of this is keeping him too occupied at the moment to think about what’s happened and let him dwell on the fact his sister is missing and the men who took her tried to kill him. It’ll hit once the excitement wears off, I suspect.”
He reached for her hand. “Are you sure you shouldn’t major in psychology instead of English?”
“Quite sure.” She glanced back when they reached the end of the hall. No sight or sound of Tommy outside his room. “I have some questions for you and your dad.”
“He’s in the kitchen working on an early lunch.”
She sat on the stool at the breakfast bar that Colin pulled out for her, watching his father move with efficient confidence around the kitchen.
Colin sat on the stool next to her and reached for her hand again. He seemed to desire physical contact, but he never pushed for more. It was as reassuring as it was frustrating at times. He’d yet to kiss her, and she couldn’t help wondering—
“Dad, Tanya has questions for us.”
She blinked and forced her gaze off of Colin and onto his father.
“Oh, what might those be?”
“I need to understand how first Shifts work.”
Ian’s brow furrowed, and he cocked his head. “What specifically do you need to know?”
“Do they always happen when forced by the full moon?”
“With those who’ve been Turned, yes.”
“What about those who are wolf-born like Colin?”
Colin and his father shared a confused look.
“Colin said wolf-borns go through their first Shift when they’re eleven or twelve. Do those always occur on a full moon?”
“No, as a matter of fact, they don’t.” Ian motioned to Colin then opened the refrigerator. “Colin was out with me one day. I Shifted to chase a deer. Next thing I knew, he was running beside me on all fours. It was our first official hunt together, even though he couldn’t help much due to his small size.” His smile gleamed with pride.
“So the moon isn’t necessary for the first Shift.”
“I suppose it’s not.” Ian frowned. “At least, not with those who are born wolves.”
Part of the puzzle fitting where it needed to. Now, for the next…. “Last month, when Graham almost killed me, you and Colin had a lot of pain when you changed against the pull of the full moon.”
“Yeah, it’s bad. Why?” Ian cocked his head again, as did his son, both watching her with speculative gleams in their eyes.
“If the moon’s pull is that strong, then does it make the first Shift worse than it would be without… force?”
“That’s possible, I suppose.”
“So, what if… the afflicted person makes the first Shift by choice instead of waiting until the moon forces it? Would that decrease the trauma so they’re more likely to survive?”
Father and son shared stunned glances. Then both of them turned back to her.
Ian nodded. “That might work. It’s not traditional, but it just might work.”
“Are you worried about Tommy?” Colin squeezed her fingers just enough to get her attention.
“He’s sick. What if that makes the moon forcing his first Shift even worse?”
“Any sort of illness decreases the chance of someone surviving their first moon. That’s why Isaac i
s so conflicted about Turning his wife Imelda. With her cancer….” Ian shrugged. “What kind of illness does the boy have?”
Tanya shrugged. “Something he was born with. He’s underweight and too small for his age. Small bones. I don’t want him to die, so I’ve been trying to figure out if it’s possible to make the first Shift less traumatic.”
“There’s only so much you can do, you realize.” The old wolf suddenly looked his age, at least in the eyes. He’d seen a lot of death in his lifetime.
“What do we have to lose by trying?”
“Not much, I guess.” His eyes narrowed in thought, then he nodded. “It’s worth a shot if it’ll save the boy’s life.”
“When?”
“Tonight as the moon begins to rise.” Ian returned to his kitchen duties. “It’s a waxing gibbous moon, almost full, so it won’t force the change, but it’ll feed the wolf’s need to reveal itself. If we Shift in front of the boy, that’ll help, too.”
“As long as we tell him what’s happening first.” She cast him a warning glance. “I don’t want him scared half to death.”
“Of course, Mama Wolf.” He chuckled and turned his back on her.
She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Barely.
* * *
After lunch, Colin, Tanya, and Dad sat down with Tommy in the living room. The boy had tucked himself onto the couch next to Tanya and snuggled close. If the boy were older and his interest wasn’t so obviously innocent, Colin might feel threatened. He hid a grin.
“Have you heard anything about my sister yet?” Tommy’s eyes were wide. Fear slipped into his scent. It appeared Tanya had been right about the boy’s earlier distraction keeping the trauma temporarily at bay.
Dad shook his head. “I’m afraid not, but we won’t stop looking. You have my word.”
The boy nodded, his eyes solemn. “They were really mean. What if they hurt her?”
“They won’t get away with it.” His dark tone left little room for interpretation, though maybe only for the adults in the room.
Silence fell for a few moments, then Dad raised a brow at Tanya and made a slight movement of his head toward Tommy. She nodded then turned to the boy nestled close to her side. “Listen, Tommy, there’s something else we need to talk to you about.”
“Did I do something bad?” His eyes widened in fear.
“No, nothing like that.” She hugged him. “It’s what’s been done to you that we’re concerned about.”
“I don’t understand.”
She pointed to his belly. “Those wounds you showed me on the way here, they’re completely healed now, aren’t they?”
He nodded, his eyes filling with wonder. “I’ve never healed so fast in my life. Mom gets all stressed out when I get hurt, because I get infections a lot.”
“That won’t be a problem anymore.” She smiled and brushed hair back from his forehead. “When those men hurt you so badly, they did something that makes you… different. Special.”
“What?”
“Have you ever heard of werewolves?”
He nodded and smiled. “Yeah, they’re so cool.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely. I mean, to be a wolf would be sooo cool.”
Colin hid a grin. At least someone besides him thought so. Maybe Tommy’s attitude would rub off on Tanya and Dad.
“Well, those men Turned you into one.”
Boyish eyes widened more than seemed humanly possible. “Really?”
“Uh huh.” Tanya nodded. “That made you heal extra fast. All you needed was food to help the process along.”
“Wow.”
“Pretty nifty, huh?”
Tommy nodded. A slow smile curved his mouth. “Does that mean I can turn into a wolf?”
“Sure does. That’s what we want to talk to you about.”
His young face suddenly grew very serious. “I can’t tell anyone, huh?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Okay. I can keep a secret.”
“I’m sure you can.” She hugged him again. The smile on her face didn’t mask the moisture gathering in her eyes when she glanced at Colin. “We’re going to show you how to become a wolf.”
“Don’t we have to wait for the full moon?”
Even Colin heard the catch in her breathing before she answered. “Nope. When the moon comes up this evening, we’ll teach you how to Shift from human to wolf.”
“Are all of you werewolves?” His gaze bounced from Tanya, to Colin, to Dad, then back to Tanya again.
She nodded.
“Do you really eat people?”
“What?” Dad’s incredulous tone made Tanya laugh.
Colin chuckled. “He’s referring to the sign on the main gate.”
“Ah.” Dad nodded then grinned at the boy. “The threat seems to be enough to keep people away, but no, we don’t eat people.”
“So, it’s not like in horror movies, right?”
“Right.” Tanya nodded with confidence Colin knew she didn’t feel. She had yet to accept what she was, but he assumed she wanted to reassure Tommy.
“Good.” The boy’s smile widened, and he heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief. “What do I do when the moon rises?”
“You know what wolves look like, right?”
He nodded enthusiastically.
“When you see us change into wolves, just close your eyes and picture a wolf. Then tell yourself you want to be the wolf, and you will be.” She cast a faint grin at Colin. “At least, that’s how it was explained to me the first time I changed at will.”
Colin smiled. “Do you think you can do that, Tommy?”
“I think so.” He yawned and wiped a hand over his eyes.
“Why don’t you get some rest? We’ll wake you before moonrise so you can eat, okay?”
Tommy looked like he might argue but then nodded. “I am tired.” He slipped off the couch to his feet, rounded it, and headed for his room. At the hallway entrance, he turned and glanced back. “You won’t let me oversleep, will you?”
Tanya grinned. “Absolutely not. If they try, I won’t let them get away with it.”
He nodded in satisfaction and went to his room.
“You’re really good with him,” Colin couldn’t resist pointing out.
“I always wanted a kid brother.” She shrugged. “I used to babysit a lot when I was in my early teens. Kids are great little people.”
If Tommy was a fair example, Colin agreed with that assessment.
* * *
About an hour before the moon rose, Colin had Tanya awaken Tommy so all of them could eat. The boy alternated between stuffing food in his mouth almost faster than he could chew and swallow and bouncing in his seat, unable to contain his excitement. Truly refreshing to see such happiness about the Turning.
Please, Lord, let this one survive his first Shift. He’d be a good influence around here. Show Dad and Tanya that we’re not so evil. At least, no more so than other humans.
Having stripped out of her clothes before dinner, Tanya had changed into a robe. His robe, he noted with considerable pleasure.
Colin and his father had stripped down to only jeans, which would be easy to get out of in the moments before their own Shifts.
As the moon’s upper edge peered over the distant horizon, they gathered on the deck. Colin took a deep breath. The full moon was still a night away, but he could already feel its strength gathering.
Tanya knelt in front of Tommy and gazed up into his small face. “Do you remember what I said about visualizing the wolf when you close your eyes?”
He nodded with the entire upper half of his body.
Colin shared an amused look with his father.
She gently gripped the boy’s hands. “I need to warn you, the first Shift isn’t fun. It hurts.”
The boy’s face twisted into a serious expression.
“When it hurts, don’t fight the pain. Relax into it. Do you understand what I mean
?”
“I think so. Like when you get a shot. If you tense up, it hurts more.” He wrinkled his nose. “Or when another kid pounds you. If you roll with the punches, it doesn’t hurt quite as much, and they don’t think you’re going to fight back so they stop hitting you sooner.”
Tanya flinched ever so slightly.
Colin noticed but hoped the kid hadn’t.
She forced a smile that wobbled a bit. “Exactly. Same thing. Just relax, no matter how much it hurts, and it’ll go away faster.”
Not to mention be less traumatic to the body and, thus, less likely to kill him. A fact they couldn’t very well tell a child. Such a thing might only frighten him and make matters worse.
“Ready?” Dad asked.
Tommy nodded.
“I’ll go first,” Tanya offered softly. Her gaze rose to his and then his father’s. “In case he needs your help.”
His dad flicked a puzzled glance at him but said nothing. Probably wondering the same thing that occurred to Colin. If something went wrong, what were they supposed to do? The kid either made it through the Shift, or he died. Nothing they did would make a bit of difference.
Tanya dropped to all fours and began the Shift. She’d transformed so often over the past couple of months or so that the change went quickly and without her losing her balance. She remained on her hands and knees, then all four feet, throughout the transformation.
Tommy’s eyes widened with wonder, and his mouth opened into an O.
When Tanya shook herself to get rid of the last tingles and aches of the Shift, Colin helped her out of the bathrobe, tossing it onto one of the deck chairs.
The boy reached out then pulled his fingers back.
She stepped closer to nuzzle his throat then licked his nose, making him laugh.
His fingers locked in her ruff, and he studied her face. “She’s so pretty.”
“I don’t call her ‘beautiful’ for nothing.” Colin grinned. “That’s how she looked the first time I saw her.” Only bloodier and thinner then. She was still too thin, but he was working on it. “Alright, Tommy. It’s your turn. Give it a try. Let’s see what your wolf looks like.”
Tanya bowled the boy off his feet, knocking him into Colin’s legs so he didn’t fall straight to the deck.
