Until Laddin started to howl.
It took him a moment to realize that Laddin had wolfed out, abandoning everything to leap onto the glowing orb the fairies were still building. Bruce stared, confused by what was happening until he heard Wiz scream at him.
“Stop making a moon! We’rewerewolves!”
He watched in dismay as Wiz, too, tore off his clothes in a movie-worthy display before transforming midleap into a wolf.
“Wiz!” Stratos screamed, true fear in her voice.
Bruce couldn’t stop it. He’d given the power to Laddin, who had built the thought. He should have taken the time to think it through. He should have realized that the moon was on Laddin’s mind. And now….
He watched in dismay as Wiz jumped onto the still-growing moon. The two wolves growled at each other, showing their teeth and bristling from nose to tail. Oh hell, they couldn’t fight each other, they were allies! Except obviously they could.
Then another howl cut through the air.
Stratos. Already wolfed out, she looked a bit silly in a sports bra and boxers. She leaped up onto the moon as well, adding her fury to the already explosive standoff between Laddin and Wiz.
Then Bruce felt it too. He wasn’t sure why it took so long to drop into his brain. Maybe because his vision was filled with all the other stuff. But as the fairies put all their energies into creating a moon, the other things around them faded away. There were no more fireworks, no more chaos. Even the rope restraints on the people on the ground disappeared as the moonlight grew stronger and brighter. To Bruce’s relief, the people slowly got to their feet and each headed out of the fairy circle.
The people were safe. Now he just had to find the demon.
But he couldn’t focus. His entire vision was filled with that silvery glow. It called to him. He felt the pulse of the light. It sped up his blood and made his mouth pull back into a wolfish grin. Fur sprouted on his skin. He was shifting, and no matter how much he resisted, the pull of that moon was too strong. For others as well, because he heard howls, distant but coming closer.
The wolves on the moon heard it too, and they turned, bristling and sniffing as they prepared to leap. He couldn’t lose them. He couldn’t lose Laddin!
He stopped fighting the change. He wasn’t going to win against it anyway, and at least as a wolf, he could run with Laddin. He didn’t care about the others. He needed to stay with his mate.
His human mind twitched at that last word. A discordant clang that was quickly lost amid the pull of the moon. He dove into the change and emerged a full wolf. This time, when a howl sounded, he joined in. He didn’t know that wolves had language, but in this form, he understood.
I’m here! I’m coming!
The others leaped off the moon and bolted hard for the distant howls. He joined in, using all his strength to catch up. It was wonderful, this power in his legs and the way the air flowed through his fur. He leaped over rocks, pivoted past dead brush, and when he took a misstep, he rolled and tumbled, head over tail, until he righted himself with a quick scramble.
He never stopped moving, and after one last furious burst of speed, he caught up to Laddin, almost tackling him. He was coming in from the side, and Laddin was tearing ahead. Or maybe not so far ahead, because when Bruce thought he was about to surprise his mate, Laddin turned and leaped. He caught Bruce around the haunches, and together they rolled in a joyous scramble of yips and licks.
Hello! Hello! I’m so happy!
Me too!
The sounds were all around them as bodies tumbled about in greeting. There was so much to smell, so much to learn.
Hello! Who are you? I’m friendly!
Then he caught another scent, another taste on his tongue.
Brother. Josh.
Only Josh wasn’t returning the greeting. Not really. He was prancing slightly but not wagging his tail. His nose twitched, and when Bruce yipped in greeting, Josh didn’t return it.
One by one, the other wolves caught the tension. They quieted and pulled back. And though everyone was breathing hard, they made no sound as they fell into line behind Josh.
These were Josh’s friends. Josh’s pack. And Bruce wasn’t part of them.
Laddin was the only one who spoke. He stood like the third point of a triangle as he yipped twice, first at Josh then at Bruce.
What’s up? he asked. What’s wrong?
Bruce let his head dip. He wasn’t part of their pack. He was the outsider to everyone but Laddin, and his own brother was the one holding the rest back. As a man, Bruce would have said something cutting to hide the pain. But as a wolf, he simply dropped on the ground and put his head on his paws in misery. He wasn’t going to fight his brother. Despite the moonlight flooding his body with energy, he was tired of trying to belong. More than anything, he was sick of fighting with his brother.
