Freed Wolf

16 Shift

I feel her surge forward as my skin starts to crawl. My muscles burn as they start to twitch uncontrollably. I gasp as the first bone shifts, dropping me to my hands and knees as sweat glistens on my burning skin.

Sara and Claire crouch down on either side of me, their hands feel cold on my back as they whisper encouragement. When my first bone breaks their words fail to register as my fingers dig deep into the forest floor and I cry out.

The crunching and rearranging of bones was painful, but not as bad as the first time. I stay there hunched over, panting as my body remakes itself. With a final strangled cry that turns into a snarl it was over.

I stood there panting with my head hanging low as I struggle to adjust to my new body and sensations. I flex my paws, feeling the forest floor in between my clawed toe pads.

"Jess, can you hear me?" Claire asks. I tense realizing their hands were on me, a low warning growl slips out and they pull back.

"Luna?" Sara asks quietly. I look up and her worried brown eyes were locked on mine. She sat back on her knees, dropping her gaze and bares her neck.

I cock my head to the side. Why was she submitting? I whimper and nudge her hand. Her eyes snap up and she looks at me confused, before a grin creeps across her face.

"Not short circuited this time?" She asks as Claire gasps. I flatten my ears and growl. "Ok, ok," she says, throwing her hands up in surrender, "too soon I guess."

"Ya think?" Claire chides, judging her six ways from sunday.

Claire puts her hand on my shoulder, gently running her fingers through my fur. "He's waiting for you," she says smiling down at me as she nods behind us.

I turn and make my way through the thicket slowly emerging on the other side. I felt his eyes on me before I made it through. Chris looks ready to pounce on me and made me nervous, a low growl stops him in his tracks.

The hurt in his eyes tugs at my heart, a soft whimper slips through my lips as I make my way to him. He kneels down, hands outstretched, eyes dancing with excitement.

I rub my forehead on his open palm as he runs his other hand through the fur on my neck. The sparks fly freely even with the fur and his scent is next level, like my favourite drug.

"So beautiful," he whispers as he looks deep into my eyes. Movement behind me catches my attention as two wolves join us. Sara is the tri colour and Claire is the mousy grey.

I don't know when Nex showed up but Sara went to join him and Claire sat with Xavier. Both men gently caress their heads and watch Chris, waiting for instructions.

"Ready to run baby?" Chris asks, excitement clear in his voice. I nod and step back. Chris peels his shirt off, and I grin a wolfy grin letting my tongue loll to the side. He grins back, slipping his pants down as I turn away.

His soft chuckle is replaced by a wolfy snort as he shifts in a fraction of the time it took me. I can't help my frustrated snort as I glare at him.

"It gets easier each time you shift elf. He's been shifting for more than half of his life already, it'll get easier," Jace promises before he shifts into his big blond wolf.

Chris's big black wolf rubs up against my body as he walks over to me, setting sparks off along my whole body. Judes silver grey wolf walks over next followed by Xavier brown one.

The excitement is palpable as everyone happily yips and rubs around each other. Ember basks in the attention, like some missing piece is finally falling into place.