"So ready," I said as I joined him.
I closed my eyes and drew on the power of my inner wolf. She was there and waiting for me happily. I let the magic engulf me and my body tingled from my head to my toes. A magic so wondrous and rare it always left me breathless. My skin changed to fur, my bones shifted painlessly and my body became what it was supposed to be. My wolf—my strong and beautiful wolf.
Hank's wolf was as gorgeous as his human form. His shiny chocolate coat glistened in the moonlight that filtered through the trees. He was huge. My wolf was small in comparison, but I was fast. His eyes were still the same intense green and they stared at me with amusement.
"You like what you see?" he asked as his voice invaded my brain.
In wolf form the Pack was still able to communicate. A mated pair could communicate perfectly even from great distances because of the mating bite and shared blood. With other Pack members we had to be in close range. The only other wolf that could communicate with ease and complete clarity to our people was our Alpha.
"You'll do," I replied cockily.
His laugh bounced around in my head and I nipped playfully at his hind legs until he pinned me and howled with victory.
"You suck," I accused. "If I had a running start you'd never best me."
"Be my guest, my beautiful wolf," he dared with narrowed eyes as he let me up.
I needed a little distraction if I was going to make good on my boast… I limped pathetically as I got to my feet and favored my left hind leg.
"Oh baby, are you okay?" Hank got low and examined my paw. It was all I needed. I took off like a bat out of hell. Shrieking with delight I left him in the dust.
"You'll pay for that," he threatened as he took off on the chase.
"I keep hearing that one tonight," I squealed as I raced through the woods I knew like the back of my hand.
Being smaller I had the advantage of being able to go under brush as opposed to over. It gave me an edge that I used wisely. As I ran the wind blew through my fur. I felt free, happy and alive. I would miss Hung Island when we left, but I knew we'd always come back.
"Gaining on you, pretty girl," Hank huffed inside my head.
"Maybe," I shot back, "but I'm still winning!"
I whipped past Granny's wolf. She was trotting around with some of her buddies including Lori and Layla. I wondered for a moment if the shop gals had seen Dwayne's striptease and I honestly hoped they hadn't. Poor Layla was liable to loose it.
"You better run, girlie," Granny shouted with a gleeful cackle. "I can hear him coming."
I came to a clearing and skidded to a halt. I caught the scent of a non-shifter deer and I lost precious seconds. To hunt or not to hunt… that is the question. Unfortunately my brief pause put an end to both choices. Damn that Shakespeare.
Hank jumped me from behind and we rolled down the hill laughing like children. Paws and muzzles and tails were undistinguishable as we tumbled forward all tangled up in each other. We landed with a thud by a gurgling stream.
"Uncle?" Hank asked as my wolf lay pinned beneath him.
"Fine. Uncle," I huffed. "But it wasn't ‘cause I actually lost. I scented a deer and my wolf wanted to hunt."
"Excuses, excuses," Hanks said drolly as he let me up.
We went to the stream and drank like we hadn't had water in weeks.
"God, that was fun," I said with water dripping from my muzzle. "I really love being in my wolf form when it's for fun. Not for the job when I'm trying to sniff out a bad guy."
"Couldn't agree more," he said as he nuzzled me.
"You wanna hunt?" I asked as I pressed my side to his.
"In a minute. Let's just be lazy for a few," he said as he knocked my paws out from under me, causing me to land on his furry chest.
"Works for me," I said as I cuddled with my big wolf. "Oh my god, I have to tell you about the conversation I had with your mother. It was positively… "
I stopped on a dime, jumped to my feet and growled low in my throat. Something huge and furry flew over our heads. Hank leapt and tried to yank it out of the air, but it was too fast.
"What in the hell was that," he growled as we went butt to butt and circled, looking for danger.
"I have no idea. Crap," I snapped. "Is this something else I missed by skipping Were History?"
"Nope," he answered tersely. "Wolves do not fly. However, if that was a wolf it was one of the mangiest wolves I've ever seen."
Wolves did not fly… but Vampyres did.
If we could get in each other's heads in human form maybe I could tear Dwayne a new butthole in wolf form. It was worth a try.
"Dwayne, you idiot, is that you?" I shouted as I scanned the air above me.
"Yesssssss," he squealed. "And you tell Hank I resent that. I am not mangy. This faux fur cost six thousand dollars."
"Tell him he overpaid," Hank said. "Wait. Am I hearing Dwayne in my head?"
"Oh my god," I yelled. "Are you?"
Hank shook his big furry head and stilled. "Say something, Dwayne," he said slowly.
"I think you could pull off gauchos with your ass," Dwayne volunteered.
"How is this happening? It's not natural. And I would rather chew glass and swallow it than wear gauchos," Hank muttered as he paced in tight circles. "You can hear him too, Essie?"