Call of the Wild - Pt. 03

***

Allison didn't know that it was possible for her teeth to itch. Gums, sure. But not teeth. The fine hairs on her arm seemed to twitch independently, driving her crazy. Muscles would spasm at random intervals, causing more than a few bruises as she suddenly hit the furniture for no reason.

"Okay, it looks like you're definitely changing tonight," Natalie said from outside the cell. "Try to relax. Don't fight it. Lie down on the bed."

Allison lay down and immediately arched her back as the muscles seized. She grit her teeth until the muscles finally unknotted. She panted and groaned. It felt like something was trying to punch its way out of her body.

She glanced over to the other cells. Everyone else seemed fine. No. The woman on the far end and the kid with his arm in a sling were beginning to grunt and shift.

Allison screamed as her shoulder tensed and popped. Blinding pain tore through her as her shoulder cracked. Her vision narrowed, darkness playing around the edges. Air burst from her mouth as her chest cracked and expanded. She tried to breathe but couldn't. She became acutely aware of every bone in her body as each shattered, reformed, and cracked again.

She roared, stretching out in the cell. She smashed against the bars. She snarled. She chewed at them. The taste of iron drove her into a frenzy. She roared again and smashed the furniture. Wood rained down on her. She tore at the bedding, cloth and fabric flying through the air.

She stopped. She sniffed deeply. She turned, pushing away the debris.

Meat.

She lifted the meat and sniffed.

No. Not that one.

She tossed it and grabbed another. The sweet smell of blood.

She tore into the flesh, bathing her tongue in that iron taste.

More.

###

Chapter 50

Hana shivered when she awoke, finding herself separated from Kaylie by a space that had been filled by Kal earlier in the night. She sidled over, gently spooning her naked sister and nuzzling her neck.

It was an amazing thing, being able to smell the differences between them all. For her, Kaylie was sweet, a valley of fresh blossoms at the height of spring. Kal was fresh and earthy, like a warm spring shower hitting the garden.

Hana snuggled Kaylie, sharing the warmth. It was so much more than it used to be. Like sitting beside a fire, snuggling with loved ones, enjoying each other's warmth and presence. Being one.

Hana sighed contently and drifted off again, waking again in a tangle of limbs as Kaylie had turned and cuddled into her. Little snores emanated from her. Hana kissed her forehead and extracted herself, pulling on one of the thick and wooly robes left by the hotel.

It was hard to call it a hotel. More like an entire apartment, fully furnished and providing a view of the city below. From this height, it made her realize just how small Harrisonburg really was.

Hana padded softly along the carpeted floor, quietly opening the door leading out into the front room.

Two large couches sat arranged around a small table by the TV that glowed with the light of an animal documentary. Kal sat in his tee and shorts at one end of the couch, his chin resting on his chest as he slumbered against the edge. Melissa sat cuddled into him in an oversized shirt, her hand on his chest while his arm lay draped around her. A fluffy blanket partially covered them as they slept.

Hana smiled and let them sleep. They had been through so much, and she was just glad that they could all be back together again. As a family.

Hana opened the fridge, still shiny as if new, and pulled out eggs and bacon, pausing momentarily before grabbing some yoghurt and cut fruit as well. While they were all eating almost exclusively meat, Melissa was still avoiding it. Not that there was anything wrong with it.

Soon, the smell of fresh bacon and basted eggs filled the kitchen, with warm toast and a line of expensive-looking jams. Kal, predictably, was the first to stir, breathing deeply and stretching out. It must not have been the most comfortable way to sleep at how he grimaced, but he lightened up when he kissed Melissa on the head. She in turn gave him a peck on the cheek before releasing him.

Kal, not satisfied with watching Hana cook, instead embraced her from behind, nibbling at her neck as she squirmed in his arms. His hands slipped under the robe, stroking her taut belly as she giggled.

"I'm sorry, Hana. I should have been there for you when you woke up."

"It's okay, you can make up for it later. For now, I'm just happy that you and Melissa are being sweet again."

"I missed her. It's like old times again. No fighting, no snarky comments, just us being us."

"Well, I'm glad. Now, stop stroking my tummy. When you do that, I imagine what it'll be like when I'm pregnant and I get all..."

"Horny?" he asked, his teeth playing over her neck.

Hana shivered, a little gasp escaping her lips. She clenched her thighs feeling herself warming up already.

"Are you sure you're wolves and not rabbits?" Melissa asked as she wandered into the kitchen, taking a seat at the counter.

"Well, for all we know, there might be some rabbit in there too." Kal kissed Hana's cheek and let her cook, much to her disappointment. He sat next to Melissa and hugged her. "Did you sleep well?"

Melissa smiled and cuddled back into him. "Yeah. I missed this."

They chatted and laughed around the counter, enjoying the relaxing morning routine, unburdened of all the craziness that had happened in the last few weeks. Kaylie was drawn from the warm covers by the smell of bacon and sat next to Melissa, snuggling her lovingly.

For just a little while, it was like nothing had ever changed.

***

It was the first time Hana had seen the hangar, and it was far nicer than she would have initially assumed. Fully furnished little cabins, like converted storage containers, surrounded a common area complete with couches, TVs, and a kitchen. It was like a small housing block tucked off to one side. In the center of the hangar was a lounge with cells fanned out in front of it in an arc. They looked like they could hold several grizzly bears and not break. Which was good because there was one very angry werewolf in one of them.

"That's Allison?" Hana asked.

She held Kal's arm tightly as the creature snarled at them, throwing itself against the bars.

"Yeah, she still hasn't changed back," Natalie said with a worried frown. "She should have transformed with the sunrise."

"Do you think this has something to do with my presence?" Kal asked.

"No. Not directly at least. Jason and Ava ended up changing last night as well, but they changed back in the morning."

Kal glanced over to the family hanging out in the common area, Jason's arm already out of the sling playing cards with his cousins.

"Any idea why it didn't affect them?"

"It affected them," Natalie said, "just not enough to prevent the change. He was more docile than usual, and he had vague recollections of changing. Ava not as much, but she sat there most of the night licking the cured meat after she'd eaten the raw stuff."

"So, what's the problem?" Hana asked, eyeing Allison. "Is she stuck that way?"

"Not really sure. We may need one of you to hang around and see if you affect her enough to change back."

Allison continued to snarl at them, her massive claws wrapping around the bars and shaking them. Luckily, they didn't seem to give at all, remaining firmly in place, encased in the concrete on both ends.

Natalie picked up her laptop and showed them a spreadsheet she'd built.

"I've been recording everyone's information so that we get a better sense of how long it takes to affect us. So far, just being near you already calms the symptoms, but it looks like there may be a difference in how much exposure everyone needs to not transform. I've noted my own information, but that may skew things since we... interact... a bit differently."

"Will that hold her?"

"Should be fine. Niko did a good job with it. You know, for a fancy pants jerk. Besides, even if it doesn't, I can handle her."

"I'd really rather you didn't put yourself in harm's way," Kal said.

"Don't worry about me, I can take a new wolf like this. But I will accept hugs as payment."

Natalie snuggled into his arms.

Hana continued eyeing Allison, those massive fangs gnawing at the bars.

***

Hana chased after the snowy fox, plumes of snow flying behind her as her paws dug deep. It juked one way, then another. Whenever she drew near, it ran in tight circles around her and bolted off in another direction. Her tongue hung out as she panted, pursuing its bushy tail across the territory.

Hana! Don't bully them! I'm getting dizzy!

Kaylie's voice drifted from far behind as Hana dove onto the fox. It squealed and yelped, waving its open jaw around and snarling. She nudged it over and snuffled its tummy, which made it give an indignant yelp and struggle to run off again. She pinned it down and began licking it, much to its irritation.

No! It feels wet! Stop it!

Hana panted in amusement and let the fox go. It rushed over a hill and disappeared from view. She watched Kaylie plod through the snow in her direction. If wolves could pout, that would have been the expression on her face.

You are such a brat as a wolf.

Hana barked at her playfully.

Don't even pretend that you can't talk yet. Fuzzy was spying on you, I totally saw you practicing.

Fuzzy?

Fuzzy and Dinkums. My eyes and ears here.

But they're so much fun to play with.

Then make your own. I'm going to throw up if you make them run in circles like that.

Aw, am I making your life hard? Isn't that what sisters are for?

Hana stood and bumped her head gently against Kaylie's. Kaylie growled but let her continue rubbing against her.

You're supposed to be the responsible one.

Nuh-uh, here I'm the baby. You're the big sis now.

Kaylie snapped playfully at Hana who wheeled and ran off. Kaylie chased after her.

Through the drifts, across the tundra and over the frozen rivers they ran, powdery snow flying where they tread, slowly reforming once they'd passed. To the top of the hills, dodging between the bare trees, their branches dusted in fine snow that fell as they zoomed by.

The winds shifted. Hana and Kaylie stopped. They raised their heads, sniffing at the air, their ears swiveling around.

They rushed to the eastern edge of the hill, gazing out across the fields and into the bordering grasslands.

A black and grey wolf stood nearby. It shrunk back upon seeing them, glancing nervously around. It wheeled and ran off, disappearing in a blur across the grassy plain.

Looks like things will be getting complicated from here on out. Kaylie's foxes scampered around her and rushed off to the edges of the territory. We should get Kal.

***