Bite Me.

Ch 10

"I didn't think you'd want to see me again," Heath commented when I opened the front door five minutes later. "Why? Because you saved my life?" I queried wrapping my arms around him before he even made it through the door. He held me close, careful of my shoulder, and we stood like that for a long time. "Heath, I will never be mad at you for biting me. You have to understand that. I may not have wanted it initially, but there was no way around it and I've accepted it. But I have a question." At his nod I went on. "Why haven't I turned into a wolf yet?"

He sat me on the couch and pulled me under his arm. "That's the last step. You have to will yourself to change and then the transition is complete. That's why your shoulder hasn't healed yet."

"So how do I do that?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated, but I can show you tomorrow. Or today I guess," he said looking at the trees tinged pink in the sunrise. "Can we do it now?" I asked, impatiently. Now that I was a werewolf, I was excited and curious and I wanted to experience the shift as soon as possible. Heath looked hesitant and glanced towards Helen and Phil's room. "They'll be out until noon," I said waving off his worry. "You really should rest, Mira," he countered.

"I'm not tired. Please, Heath? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" I even stuck my bottom lip out for effect and I didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on my mouth. "Fine," he acquiesced and I squealed victoriously. We went back outside and into the woods, out of view of the house. There was a small clearing where we'd played as kids and we stopped there. I looked at Heath expectantly and he started taking off his clothes, gesturing that I do the same.

"You should take it all off, darlin'," he commented when he turned around. I'd left my underwear and bra on, feeling weird about standing in the middle of the woods butt naked. "I didn't want you to be distracted," I explained cheekily, to which he just strode over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'll be distracted either way," he said, placing soft kisses down my jaw and collarbone. I bit back a moan, trying to remember why we were out here in the first place. Oh, that's right. Werewolf. "Heath." I had meant to say it sternly but it was more breathless than anything. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "Heath!" That finally got his attention and he whined as he pulled away. "Werewolves, remember." He just rolled his eyes and took a few steps back.

"So it's hard to explain," he said, going full on teacher mode. "You have to feel the world around you. There's power there and you have to draw from that. Think of your wolf and take in the energy around you." His eyes were closed and I watched as his face grew calm and suddenly he was shifting. That big black wolf was standing in front of me seconds later and I gave him a pat on the head before closing my eyes. I concentrated on the trees first. Nothing. They seemed like normal trees. I tried the ground next. Digging my toes into the cold leaves, I imagined magic in the space between, and then a vibration went through me. It was working. I focused on the trees again and listened and felt. It was like there was a song in the forest and if I dipped my hand into the melody, I felt the vibrations.

Remembering Heath's instructions, I pictured my wolf. I was hard since I didn't know what she looked like, but I imagined a smaller, brown version of Heath's. The vibrations grew stronger and it felt like the wind was being knocked out of me. With a gasp, I opened my eyes and almost fell over in shock. Everything was different and yet somehow the same. It was like putting on glasses after seeing only a blurry world all your life. My eyes were sharper and I could see the veins in the leaves even at top of the trees. I heard a running stream and realized it was the river at the bottom of the hill. The scent of the forest permeated my mind and I sniffed again trying to distinguish the smells. I was also very aware that I had paws and a tail and a snout and they were grey, not the brown I'd imagined. Lifting one paw and then the other, I brought it closer to my face, trying to see if it was really mine.