by Kat Zaccard
“Yeah.” Shea smirked. “Jokes on her, right, Alice?” She nudged my arm, and we both grinned.
“Whaddya mean?” asked Hayley. Oops, I’d forgotten about her for a second.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just glad I have Shea to help me out tomorrow.” I didn’t think I was all that convincing, by the quirk of Hayley’s eyebrow. Luckily, she dropped it.
“Hey, well, I can run with you guys, too, if you want. A couple of my buddies may join us, if we’re not too slow,” she teased.
“Hayley is on track, and her friends love to race on full moon nights,” Shea said. “Usually the kids who shift for the first time either panic and run headlong into the woods for miles, or panic and stumble around in the same area for a few hours before tentatively nosing around familiar scents like the gardens and orchards.”
Hayley didn’t know that Shea was secretly coaching me to act like it was my first time turning.
“Well, if I’m a runner, then I’d love to meet your pack.” I grinned.
Hayley smiled as she got up, sending her barrettes into a wind chime of motion. “Bitchin’. See you then.” She winked. We all laughed and waved goodnight.
Our interaction with Hayley reminded me that I had news to deliver to Shea. With a teasing grin, I asked her if she was planning to ask Adam to the Fall Fling in a couple weeks. Shea flushed crimson and admitted she wanted to.
“Well, I think you should. And I don’t think you have any reason to worry about his response.”
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Shea looked suspicious.
I couldn’t keep the secret from her any longer, and I told her what Adam had said in art class. Shea was ridiculously pleased and treated herself to an extra helping of dessert. I treated myself, too, since I’d delivered the good news and all. They always say don’t shoot the messenger, but I think it should be more like: give the messenger cake.
Shea and I finished eating and decided to meet in one of the parlors to study. I still hadn’t had a full day of classes yet, and Shea was catching me up on notes from earlier in September, before I’d arrived. Sara found us in the parlor and graciously shared her history notes with me. I had a lot of catching up to do. The academics were challenging, but physical education and survival skills were just as important in this remote environment.
Morning classes were usually devoted to traditional subjects such as Art, French, Geometry, History (of Werewolves), Chemistry, etc. The afternoons were dedicated to outdoor survival skills, physical fitness, and even military tactics and defense training. There were hunting parties, scouting groups, and martial arts. Apparently, the philosophy was: every werewolf should be able to defend themselves as a human as well as a wolf. Tomorrow would be my last afternoon mentoring with Jack and Kulani. And tomorrow night would be my first full moon pack run. I would miss my afternoons with Kulani and Jack, but I was beyond excited to shift with my new friends.
After an hour or so of copying history notes and working on our geometry problems, I said goodnight to Shea and Sara and we went our separate ways to our rooms. Already on the ground floor, Shea waved and followed the plush fuchsia carpet to her door. The elevator let Sara off on the third floor and we said goodnight. She disappeared down a crowded, bustling hall. I rode the elevator alone to the fifth floor. No one was in the hallway. I wasn’t sure if anyone else was even on the fifth floor; I’d never seen any classmates up here. I shrugged and opened my door. It wasn’t that late, so I called home quick to check on my parents. They sounded relieved to hear from me, and I was glad we could be normal again after the tension of the last couple weeks. They knew nothing of my new werewolf life, so I filled them in on my normal classes and mentioned that I’d made more friends today, which seemed to relieve them. I fell asleep feeling almost like I was home.
The next morning, classes flew by in a blur. There was a nervous tension running through the hallways, as everyone seemed keyed up for that evening’s full moon run. Teachers did their best to keep students focused on class topics, but it was useless to expect much learning from the pack of excited teenagers.
At lunch, Shea nervously asked if I minded going to see Adam after we ate. I smacked my forehead. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten to ask her about her plan! I tried to keep the sing-song out of my voice. “So, Adam, eh?” I asked with a waggle of my eyebrows.
Shea blushed and ducked behind a curtain of curls, “I don’t know, he’s nice,” she said.
“He is nice,” I said sincerely. “Do you want me to stay here?”
“Oh, God, no! I definitely need backup!”
We laughed and headed outside. The weather was windy and a little cooler than the day before. Leaves were blowing around in a rainbow swirl. I zipped up my hoodie and jogged to Shea’s side. We met the boys where the paths from the dorms converged and headed out into the orchards. I saw Logan was with Adam, and smiled at him. He brushed his dark blond bangs out of his eyes and smiled back. I tried not to think about it, but I was glad he’d come along. We greeted each other and walked toward the orchards. Harvest was in full swing this week so we skirted the rows of trees and walked around the coliseum toward the hiking trails on the east side of the school grounds.
Soon, Adam and Shea were side-by-side, talking easily. Logan and I exchanged an awkward glance.
“We’re totally being used,” he laughed.
“Well, at least we’re not being set up,” I tried to joke, but fell flat. Was I imagining that he looked wounded? Yeah, most likely. I cleared my throat and looked around for something to say.
He beat me to it. “Oh, hey, a bald eagle.” We both looked up, stopping to admire the giant wingspan.
“He’s beautiful.”
“Could be a she,” Logan said.
“Must be the bald thing. I always think ‘he’ when it comes to bald eagles,” I said, deadpan.
Logan chuckled, and we started walking again. “Are you nervous about tonight?” he asked.
“Nah, not really,” I answered honestly before I thought to censor my response. I was supposed to be nervous.
He looked at me suspiciously, and before I could retract my statement, he said with surprise, “You’re really not, are you?”
I looked into his green eyes. I tried to explain, “Shea has been great. She really makes it sound fun and, uh … neat,” I finished lamely.
He grinned. “Well, you’re braver than I was, at any rate. My first full moon was seriously nerve-racking. I turned pretty quickly, but then kept turning as in around and around. I thought I would never live it down, chasing my own tail. Luckily, it was over summer break so fewer witnesses.”
Logan looked so chagrined, I laughed helplessly, having to stop and clutch my belly.
“Okay, okay .. just putting you at ease, Princess.”
I stopped laughing as soon as the endearment slipped out of his mouth. He looked truly embarrassed now.
“Um, I’m sorry, that’s uh—” he said, then trailed off, looking away.
I wanted desperately to recover the humor from the minute before. I didn’t want him to see anything but me—not a title or a rumor, or that other thing I was forcefully blocking out of my mind.
“It’s so weird. I don’t know what that even means, really. It’s like being a junior or something. It’s just an appendage to my name.” I’d spoken honestly, but Logan looked at me quizzically.
“I guess it must be so different for you. I was raised knowing I was a werewolf, learning our history and culture. You found out … when?”
“Um, last week,” I said, feeling like a dunce.
“Last week! That’s incredible! You’re not freaking out?”
I looked at him and beamed. “Well, maybe a little!”
He laughed again and brushed his sandy locks from his face. Following the movement, I saw the sun light up his hair; ribbons of red, brown and blond shimmered. Without thinking, I stepped close and reached out to touch the lock of hair, examining it more closely. “It’s not really bl
ond, is it? There’re reds and browns mixed in, too.”
His hand caught my wrist, gently pulling mine away from his face. I looked into his eyes then, a warm blush rising to my cheeks. He smiled softly and leaned toward me. His lips were inches from mine. I felt my pulse quicken, my other arm reached up to his chest. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, pressing our bodies together. I lifted my face to meet his.
“Hey, guys, we gotta hurry, we’re going to be—” Shea and Adam came crashing through the woods just then, interrupting the spontaneity of the moment. We released each other quickly, coming back to reality and both looking startled.
“Astonished” was a better look to describe Shea and “down-right wolfish” was the only description for the sly grin on Adam’s face.
“Hey-ho, what have we here?” Adam wasn’t prepared to let the moment pass.
Logan socked him in the arm in a brotherly way. “What are you talking about? You’ve got lipstick all over your face,” he admonished.
Adam looked scandalized and started to wipe his cheeks theatrically. Shea and I both laughed.
“Um, Shea isn’t wearing any makeup, Adam,” I said matter-of-factly.
We all laughed, then headed back toward the school. Before we left the tree line, Logan grabbed my hand. My heart sped up, and I turned to face him. His eyes held mine for a moment, then he brought my hand to his lips and gently brushed a kiss across my fingers. He let go after that, and we walked back in silence. I waved goodbye shyly.
“Good luck tonight,” he said before the boys went their way and we went ours.
“Soooo, Logan?” Shea sing-songed, and I socked her in the shoulder.
“Shut up.” We both laughed and promised to share details after school.
I was ginning like an idiot when I caught up with Kulani later. She smiled, but didn’t pry.
“Ready for the full moon tonight?” she asked, mock-serious.
We both laughed and jogged past the outdoor classes in session. Jack was running patrols, so Kulani and I practiced alone. Once we were under the cover of the woods, we stripped quickly and shook off our human shells, revealing the wolves within. It was great to run with Kulani. I didn’t worry about being stuck as a wolf, or tripping over a log, or getting lost anymore. I let my legs find their stride, and I ran and ran. I laughed to think I used to hate running. Finally, I started to slow, then trotted to a stop. I flopped onto my belly, panting. After a few minutes, I heard brush breaking, and a large, black wolf bounded into the clearing. Panting, she sniffed my ear, trotted to scout the perimeter, turned in a circle three times, then flopped down next to me.
Hey, Pooch. I grinned to myself.
Kulani growled a little at me. I mock whimpered and put a paw over my nose. She rolled her violet eyes and blew a puff of air with exasperation. I concentrated, thinking of my human skin. I felt a shiver start at the back of my neck. That zing of electricity ran through me, and in a moment, I was human again, naked in the clearing. I sat up, looking around for something to cover up with. I was getting better at the whole nudity thing, but I still felt a little embarrassed and exposed in my birthday suit.
A shimmer of light, and Kulani was back, nonchalant as usual, but totally respectful of my embarrassment. She looked up at the clouds and said, “You know, you are getting better at projecting your thoughts at me. Let’s practice picking up mine.”
We turned back into wolves and made our way more slowly back towards campus. Occasionally I would hear her think: west, log, rabbit. I would follow the directions and stop every so often to turn human and confer. Another mile or two later and I was able to pick up every direct thought she sent my way. I felt an emotion from her—pride—and it made me feel great.
As we continued to practice, I realized I could anticipate Kulani before she projected a thought at me. It was like smelling a color. Illogical, I know. But I got the impression of purple, almost like I felt her mind brush up against mine. We got back to where we left our clothes and dressed quickly, chatting excitedly about the progress I’d made.
“Now, remember,” Kulani cautioned, “be careful tonight about your thoughts. Practice listening to others and see if you can pick up anyone else. But shield what you are thinking. Just keep imagining that wall of light around your brain, like we talked about.”
I appreciated the last minute concern in her voice. “Thank you for everything, Kulani. I’m going to miss these afternoon runs.” Kulani laughed and gave me a little bow.
“My pleasure, Princess. I am always just a thought away. You may find your afternoons a bit more rigid after these lazy runs.”
I laughed at that. Jack and Kulani were no lazy teachers. They were both trained Slivers and lead patrols. I was pretty sure I’d learned more about being a wolf and leading a pack in the last week than I would all year in class. I felt confident that running with the whole pack would be awesome.
That evening, Hayley joined Shea and me for dinner. By silent and mutual agreement, we decided to postpone our girl talk until tomorrow. Instead, we chatted excitedly about the upcoming run. After dinner was cleared, the girls all gathered in the main foyer, chatting nervously.
“All right, all right settle down, you young pups. We’re almost ready to go,” called out Den Mother Grissle. The chatter died down as she surveyed the group.
“Now, freshmen, off to bed” There was a low murmur of complaint as about thirty girls peeled away from the group and headed to the elevators.
“First timers, up front,” called Ms. Grissle.
Shea gave me a little nudge, reminding me to step forward with a few others. Some smiled nervously at me, and I grinned back, glad that our common ground dissuaded the seeds of strife Jillian was determined to sow for me. I was surprised to see one of Jillian’s friends, Pamela, among the newbies. Maybe her request for friendship had been genuine, despite her intolerance of Shea.
“All right, the rest of you file out and head to the coliseum. The boys will be on their way by now.”
Even though the nudity thing gets less and less awkward for werewolves, I was very glad they had the boys and girls change separately. Trying to turn into a wolf with a bunch of naked girls around was bad enough, but add gawking, naked boys? Hell, no!
The rest of the ladies were outside, but Den Mother Grissle held us back a moment.
Her normally stern features softened, and for once, I could see a motherly side to the Den Mother. “Now, girls, remember: you don’t have to do anything. Your bodies know what to do, but your mind may resist. So the best advice I can give is to breathe, relax, and let go. Good luck, dears.” She looked each of us in the eye, nodded once, and we were dismissed. We followed the buzz of chatter from the group ahead of us, too nervous to speak.
We entered the coliseum, following the line of girls. We stripped down in the locker rooms. There were fluffy terry cloth bathrobes for us to wear, though many girls left them behind and marched onto the training field in the buff. I wrapped myself up quickly and trotted outside. Groups were splitting up, and I glanced around for Shea and Hayley. Shea was also wearing a robe, but Hayley stood fearless, like an African Goddess, more regal than I could hope to emulate. Her braids were gone, and her hair puffed out in a black-and-purple afro.
“Hey, Alice!” She waved me over when she saw me looking around. I made my way through the crowd.
“Hey, guys! Wow, look at the moon!” It was just visible peaking up over the tree line to the east, large and orange like a ripe fruit.
Hayley laughed. “Duh, that’s why we’re here! Now, don’t worry. Shea and I will stay with you until you shift. Sometimes it takes a while to get your bearings afterwards. Just try to follow us.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at Hayley, and Shea winked at me.
Just then, a small and sinewy woman entered the arena. “Ladies, you all know the rules: no fighting, no biting, stay on Mount Henley grounds. We have patrols out to watch for newbies and trouble makers. If you are approached
by a patrol, return immediately to the coliseum. Otherwise, you return at the second horn. Got that? The boys return at the first horn; you girls return at the second horn. All right, then. Have a good run!” With that, Coach Murry shed her robe, shimmered into a sleek, golden wolf, and loped out of the arena. All around me girls were doing the same. One by one, the wolves took off into the night. Some met up at the edge of the woods to wag tails and sniff a greeting before darting into the shadows of the trees to romp and play.
The other newbies were still human and looked scared. The moon rose a little higher, lighting up patches of the field. A shaft of light struck Pamela’s foot. She cried out as if burned and began to shimmer. She grimaced while slowly shifting into a wolf, panting with the effort. Jack had told me that it hurts to resist the transformation. The others were noticeably scared. Pamela completed her shift, stood up on all fours and shook from head to tail. She walked a few steps, then stumbled and fell. Another wolf came up to her and nudged her gently with her nose. She stood again, shook her head as if dazed, then slowly trotted after the more experienced wolf. I hadn’t noticed the others shift while I was watching Pamela. I looked and saw both Shea and Hayley had changed, as well.
I grinned wickedly at them, forgetting my theatrics. I shrugged off my robe and called out, “Catch me if you can!” then, quick as a wink, I shimmered into my full wolf form, marveling at the ease of it with the full moon assist. I took off running, my legs a mahogany blur beneath me. I heard a startled yelp, then heavy paws in fast pursuit. I knew they were following me, so I veered left, toward the river near where I had first changed. I didn’t want to go where Jack and Kulani had had our lessons. Somehow, it seemed too private to share with the girls. This was a full moon run! I felt like I was flying.
Before I knew it, I leaped high over the river and landed with a splash. The shock of cold water startled me so much, I shimmered back into a human and stood up laughing and sputtering as I wiped the water out of my eyes. The water was freezing, but it felt good on my wolf-warmed body. Two wolves skittered to a halt on the other bank of the river. My jump had only gotten me about three-quarters of the way across. I laughed as I swam back and waded up to my friends.
