17. The Change

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Randall took my hand in his as others began to show up, having migrated from the house. The sun was almost down and the moon was already visible in the blue sky like a second sun, the night sun.

Just staring at it made my skin crawl. This was the newest chapter in my life and I was anxious to turn the page.

Randall put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Not yet, let’s wait until everyone gets here. I know you’re excited, but just wait it out a little longer.”

I nodded, trying to push down the beast that was inside, the part of me yearning to break free, awakened by the pull of the round moon.

Quinn arrived last, making his way through the parting sea of people. They moved away and bowed to him as he passed, not making eye contact, like submissive dogs.

He joined Randall and me on the rock stage. Sylvea appeared from the crowd, also making her way to stand with us. Once the four of us were together, the crowed went completely silent, all eyes on us.

“Welcome tonight, fellow children of the moon,” Quinn began, his speech felt much rehearsed. “Tonight, we have a new addition to our Pack. She is relatively new to our world, and has had no other pack to turn to. Please welcome Selene into our family!” He waved me to step forward.

As I went to the front of the stage, up in front of all the other people, they began to clap and howl. They were cheering me on. I looked at Randall and he mouthed, “Do it.” The crowed was working up into a frenzy as more people joined in. I could feel their energy tickling against my skin as I stood up in front of them. No one had changed yet. Randall told me the truth earlier. They were all waiting for me, watching intently.

Their growing energy washed over my skin in waves and eventually spread upwards to my parted lips. It found its way into my mouth and down my throat, ripping loose a howl from inside. The howl began very human-sounding, an imitation howl. Then, I felt the change. The crowd felt it.

Before, all the other times, I had tried my best to keep it down inside of me, maybe if I fought it enough, it would stop coming. Tonight, I was embracing the monster inside of me, letting it go free in front of all these people, people just like me.

The beast forced its way outwards, pushing at my insides. I felt muscles and bones growing and reforming to create a new posture and form. I was growing, bigger than a normal wolf. My entire body was changing from human to something feral. It didn’t hurt this time; maybe it was because I wasn’t fighting it. I was just releasing it, letting it go, but it wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling either.

I looked back at Randall and something was wrong. His eyes had changed from blue to yellow, and he looked as if he was struggling against an unseen force.

“What’sh wrong?” I asked him, my speech garbled from the large teeth beginning to grow in my mouth.

“I…can’t control it…what are you doing?” He fell to his hands and knees, losing the fight against his inner beast. It looked like he was in pain. He looked out across the crowd and my eyes followed his gaze. Over half of the crowd had also lost their control and were fully changed. The others were struggling.

I looked back at him, “I’m not doin’ anything!”

He shook his head. His father walked over. He had more control then all the rest, which was expected of the leader of the Pack. He looked angry with me.

“What are you doing to my Pack?” He growled ferociously.

I shook my head, “Nothin-” I could not speak anymore, as my body was mostly changed now. It was impossible to stop the change once it started, especially on full moon nights. The last part of the transformation was my fur.

Quinn stepped back as my fur began to grow in, covering my body, thick and white as the moon. I heard gasps and whimpers from the crowd and even Randall behind me.

“A…white wolf?” Quinn glared at me. “You never told us this.”

I cocked my head at him, unable to ask what the hell was going on. At the same time, it was hard to pay attention to him; there was so much sensory stimuli. The beast was going nuts and didn’t like me leashing it.

He sighed and kneaded his forehead, looking frustrated. He turned to face the crowd, as if to speak, but I interrupted whatever he was going to say, or rather, the animal inside me did, with a howl. This time it was a real, full howl, loud and commanding. I was full animal now, and I couldn’t hold my control.

The crowd, the Pack went wild. Those that still had human voices cheered, the rest howled with me. Quinn glared back at me, but I wasn’t me anymore. He changed as well, one of the last to finish.

Randall came up and nudged me when it was time to run. He was dark black, with yellow wolf eyes, the same as his mother and father. I looked out again at the Pack, we had a myriad of colors, but I was the only white wolf in the whole pack, actually the only one with light colored fur. All the colors were dark, blacks, browns, dark grays and deep reds.

The Pack was restless, ready to run, but no one moved. They strained against their inner animals, watching, listening, and waiting.

Quinn was the only one moving. Slowly at first, but then he moved faster, running away from the direction of the house, out towards the dark forest, as far away from civilization as possible.

After him, Sylvea followed. Randall nudged me again and then took off after his parents, but I paused, unsure. He looked back at me, slowing his pace, waiting for me. No one else moved, though his parents had disappeared into the darkness. I moved towards him finally and we started running, side-by-side, into and through the trees.

I didn’t look back, but I could feel the Pack behind us, running together. Though Randall and I were alone in front of them, the Pack was one mind. We ran, never slowing, our paws falling together, taking a singular breath, a single heart beating. Whose? Who were we all matched up with? Was it Quinn, the leader of our Pack? Or was it something larger? Maybe the moon or the forest itself.

I lost my human mind somewhere during the run. It happened to me during every full moon. I would lose myself to the beast within me as the night went on. I could feel it happening, but this time I didn’t fight it. I welcomed it to take me over; mind and body, and I relaxed, allowing it to guide me through the forest with ease. The beast was comfortable here. It was sedate, happy to be running with a family.

We were happy together, the first time the two of us were at ease with each other. That was the last feeling I remembered from that night.

I awoke in an unfamiliar bed, unclothed and alone.

Next Chapter
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A/N: So here's the change finally, where we get into some action. This chapter leaves a lot of questions, but Selene's story gets even more complicated. I miiiight start posting two chapters per week.

Maybe.

If I'm not too busy.

<3