Then, the full moon weekend hit the next day, and I had three whole days off work to spend any way I wanted.
On the full moon night, the humans cooked a feast as usual.
“Sure you don’t want to run with us?” Luca was asking Rian when I stepped out of the utility room, shaking out my fur.
“Honey, I adore you, but there’s still snow and slush everywhere, and I’m not about that life.”
Holden kissed Rian’s cheek as he walked past first his man then me on his way to shift. The utility room was nice for shifting, because it was conveniently located and it contained any mess that came from wet paws and fur.
I knew that as soon as the snow melted, Brodie and Lina were going to start on the sunroom renovations and they’d also fix up the small back porch. Brodie had said he’d see if there was a way to expand the utility room and maybe add a door to the outside so we wouldn’t have to come in through the front door.
I went to sit by Luca, who was chatting with the humans and Rian. His hand found my head and he absently gave me scratches that satisfied some odd need. I’d always liked loving touch, but being a born wolf was weird in that my whole system could feel indignant if someone treated me like they might a dog.
It was odd. I wasn’t proud of it. But getting scratches from the pack? I could get behind that.
Max jogged down the stairs and went to shift next, then finally, Brodie made sure we were all okay and shifted last.
I nudged Luca’s hip with my nose, and he smiled.
“I’m ready.” He had hiking boots on. They wouldn’t be the greatest for running, but with his thick sweats and a hoodie under a winter jacket, he’d be golden.
“Everyone stay safe, and don’t break the vampire!” Carys called out as we started to file out the front door. As usual, we rounded the house and the frolicking began. It was funny, watching two really big wolves, Brodie and Holden, wrestle like pups. Then Max pounced on me and it wason.
Luca stood to the side, laughing at that. We had agreed not to get his clothes wet the first thing.
“Okay, before even I start to get cold…,” he called out after a few minutes.
With the cooler body temperature, he wouldn’t feel the chill easily, but we still had to be more conscious about his needs.
I licked Max’s face, then jumped off him, just to hip-check Brodie to get him to chase me toward the path leading away from the yard. He snapped at me playfully and took off after me.
Luca’s delighted giggle was everything, and soon, as I ran from my Alpha cousin, I heard two more sets of paws and hiking boots behind me.
I let out a happy yip, and continued running.
Iate my weight in burgers and pasta salad, because carb loading and protein were the best after a good full moon run.
I don’t know how long we’d been out there; time moved differently in wolf form somehow, but when we got back, Luca took off his wet clothes, handed them to Rian who was waiting, and then ran upstairs in his underwear to go take a hot shower.
Now he was sitting on the window seat, watching as we finally wound down from our feeding frenzy.
We were chatting as a pack. As afamily. I could hear the fire in the fireplace in the living room and smelled the traces of woodsmoke that came with it. Kye got up and went to start on the dishwasher. There was something so incredibly domestic and perfect about the moment I felt settled in a whole new way.
Max, having eaten his fill, leaned to my shoulder. “I need the bathroom. Be right back,” he murmured, as he pushed to his feet and left the room.
All the wolves’ energy was waning. It was like a food coma on crack on nights like these.
Carys and Lina were talking about going to the movies soon. Brodie, Rian, and Holden chatted about… something or other.
I felt happier than I remembered being in a long time.
“Oh, what about that newAvatar?” Kye asked the girls.
“Hey, you’re the only one who likes those!” his sister objected.
Kye laughed, giving her the finger.
Suddenly there was the crash of a falling plate or glass, and Kye jumped, then hissed.
