Kierra

My racing heart calms with that thought, the feeling of saving her and bringing her home filling me with a type of peace. My mind detaches from what's happening to my body as it goes through its last waves of contortions. Only now hearing Asher's soft voice moving through my head.

His pitch is soothing, moving through me like a cooling balm as he whispers of the night, of running on four paws, the freedom of being able to run. It takes me a few more minutes to realize my body has stilled, that Bastion is holding my head in his lap as silent tears trail down and fall into the fur on my face. My heavy panting steadily slows as my body realizes it's no longer in pain.

My mind connects back to my weird feeling frame. Being that it is my body, I know this, but it feels as though I'm sharing it with another. Eyes open slowly, breathing becoming a deep, easy rhythm moving through my lungs as my sides move freely with each breath with no pain. Not even a twinge.

Raising my head slowly, carefully out from under the boy's hands that are buried in my thick neck scruff, I pull up to rest with my back legs folded under and front legs stretching out in front of me. Turning my head and looking down the back of my body, a thick silver pelt covers me as I move my tail experimentally. Doing so with hardly a thought, it's a long, thick, and bushy appendage that leads to a darker shade as it nears its tip.

The fur is long, guard hair makes it look even longer. With a coat this color and heaviness, I'd say I'm more than likely a timber. A gray wolf, the largest breed of wolf alive today. Well, going by natural standards, not supernatural.

Standing easily and smoothly, I look down at my huge paws. Paws meant for the winter snows of far away mountains. Getting used to looking at things from a different height is the strangest thing. Also seeing in color with no problem, the many hues actually richer in texture and vibrancy than they are when I'm in my human skin. So much for the theory of animals not seeing in color.

The 'otherness' feeling in my body fuses into me, becoming one in spirit. It doesn't change anything about me, more 'adding' as it gives knowledge and instincts born from millions of years of evolution. So even though I wasn't born a natural wolf, if I had been by myself during the change, I would be able to survive. For a time at least before finding someone with more know-how to teach me more. Not being squeamish would also help by far.

I walk around experimentally, body moving like a well-oiled machine, smooth and natural, no long leg tangling. Yay for small favors preventing large amounts of embarrassment. Looking back to where I had been, I find my shredded clothes are damp, small traces of blood, but most of it is sweat. I can tell from the very strong odor coming from them.

I seriously smell to my wolf nose. Not a bad smell, just...really different. I pick up on scents from my clothing that I hadn't while wearing them.

My eyes fall on Bastion, he looks a little worried but better than he had earlier. Stepping up to him slowly, a cold nose touches on his face. He smiles and thrusts his hands back into my neck.

Eyes roam around to find Asher off to the side, watching me, ignoring the scents and sounds finding their way to me as I watch him right back. I form the words in my head and send them out.

"Can you hear me?"

He gives a single nod, so I turn back to Bastion and ask the same to him. His eyes widen, then he nods as well, a large smile playing along his lips. My own smile forms in my mind, my canine maw parting in a wolfish grin. Even knowing I'm not an actual or true animal, Bastion keeps his hands buried in my scruff, fingers combing through the mass. Not gonna lie, it actually feels pretty good.

Need to make a note to myself that old clothes are needed since shifting seems to destroy them. I look back over to Asher, feeling his ocean eyes intent on me, creating the need to start squirming under his perusal. My ears flick as I look a question at him, my tail held low.

Hope he isn't about to do some canine dominance thing, because if he does, he is so going to feel my teeth. I don't deal with people's crap when upright in human skin, I'm sure as hell not going to when on all fours. His eyes flicker, then blink, shaking his head so hard his ears do that floppy look.

I quirk an ear in question. Really digging the body language, don't have to constantly use words. My legs become antsy, the want, even need, to run filling me. I don't want to dislodge the boy's hands though, guessing that it's comforting to him in some way. Asher finally stops his brain jumbling, the fur along his spine had raised at some point and I hadn't noticed.

That is bad. The hair around the neck and down the spine on many canines will rise when they feel threatened, which usually leads to some sort of aggression. I slowly move more in front of the kid, facing the black wolf head-on, pushing my very large body back against Bastion to move him steadily backward.

The house really isn't the place for whatever is about to happen, so I whisper directly to Bastion to very calmly and slowly go to the front screen door and open it. It's one that can open in either direction, a weak spring anchors it, so it won't stay open for long. Whispering some more to the boy, I plead with him to stay within the house, to close and lock the doors.

His eyes are dark with worry, but I can't take the time to soothe him right now, seeing Asher's body coiling tightly just as mine is doing. Huge black facing large silver. Once the door starts to open I leap through it, my body exploding into motion as I fly out of the house.

A bombardment of light and new smells right off the bat threatens my speed. Hearing Asher in hot pursuit behind me keeps me going. Large paw pads act as cushions, while my legs are like living, liquid springs as I fly through the woods, or at least feels like I do.

Weaving between trees and over fallen logs and branches, I head in the direction of the mall, then double-back as I close in on it fast, leading Asher in the direction back to the house, but going wide around it. This time of day is dangerous so I take him through to the open fields and unclaimed farming land. Leading the pursuing wolf in the northeast direction from my home, I stretch, running full out as I feel him gaining on my tail.

The open areas are perfect and large enough to make it worth it. Running along the edges of the fields where they kiss the woods, my body feels free, elation fills me till I feel I could burst. I backtrack, double-back, and go in circles with Asher staying close to my flank.

Still don't know what his problem is, and he doesn't seem too inclined to tell me. The late autumn beauty surrounds us in brilliant oranges and reds, softened by the browns and evergreens.

The smells!

Oh, the smells. For someone who already loves the scents of this time of year, having it heightened a hundredfold is an orgasm for the senses. Not to mention a bit overwhelming.

Only now I can add to the experience, for now, I can catch the spoor of animals, the deeper, earthier aromas of the trees and undergrowth. I can't tell yet which smell goes to what animal, but I'm sure if I were to start tracking it, instinct would kick in and let me know. Right now though, I have a very large male to contend with.

I turn back towards home, hoping he will tire soon, as I know I am. Not used to doing this, I'll have to build up my endurance, work on my distance traveling.

The scent of the male on my tail tickles my nose and travels lower. Not this again.

I put on a burst of speed, tearing through small passages, through dense thickets and brush overgrowth. Trees that have grown so close together they might as well be one, see me leaping between them. My body streamlining as I make my way through the woods. A small clearing ahead looks perfect.

Jumping through the trees to the small dead leaf oasis, landing poised, I turn and confront the black wolf, tail and head held high to show I'm not afraid. My scruff and spine fur starts to rise as he stalks around me, getting close just to snap at me and dart away before I can retaliate.

Stopping and pacing, tongue lolling out with perked ears, his tail is held high as well as his head. Great. This is, in fact, a canine dominance thing. Lovely. I can only go by what I've read about them and instinct from the one within me. The treacherous hussy is picking up on cues I have yet to understand.

Keeping his eyes on me, he walks along the trees of the clearing, lifting his leg now and then. Marking territory. Or remarking more than likely, as he has been around here for quite awhile. Keeping my own gaze on him as I turn to keep him within my sights, the odor of his marking is pungent and distinctive.

After he's finished marking, which takes a good ten minutes at least, he returns closer to me and paces. Releasing a bark every now and then, to which I respond with a growl, I'm not going to back down to a prissy male. The show shouldn't even be this intense since I'm female and not an encroaching male. My confusion steadily leads to annoyance when I know he could just tell me what's going on.

I can't recall everything I've read on natural wolves to know what all the expressions mean, so this encounter may end with some bloodshed, for I refuse to show submission. He walks slowly up to me, body coiled and ready in case I try anything. I keep myself held high and stiff as he approaches, low growls coming as warnings.

All of a sudden he barrels into me out of nowhere. We both go down and roll, vicious growls and snarls coming from us both, but I keep my body from rolling under his, refusing to expose my belly. Both of us rear up like wild horses as we tangle head to head. I snap at him, getting a mouthful of his scruff as I try to throw him aside, twisting my body, and attempting to stay away from his very sharp teeth.

The scruff of one's neck is thick, an extra protection for the throat. My ability to throw using my teeth fails miserably, only succeeds in yanking out some of his dense fur. His teeth find and sink into the side of mine in return, jaws clenching tight. I now remember that wolves have very lethal, bone-crushing jaws which causes me to panic a little but I manage to keep my head.

Going in low and mean, I catch his leg between my teeth, trying not to do serious damage when it's my friend I'm fighting. Totally forget the whole damn Werewolf part where he can heal with no problem. He, however, shows no qualms about drawing blood.