Shadow and Light Book 01

"He's a dog." Tess said

"Come again?" Isabel asked

"Nice way of putting it Babe." Kyle said, "Apparently I'm part werewolf."

"Wolfen." Liz corrected

"Yeah, part Wolfen." Kyle said

"How the hell did that happen?" Michael asked

"He's descended from Wolfen. He can change into their animan form but not an actual wolf." Liz said

"Cool." Alex said

"Actually, that's got me thinking." Max said, "I've never really tried to do my other change since that fight."

"You think you can?" Michael asked

"I don't see why not." Max said

"Well we are out here for practicing powers." Liz said

"She has a point." Isabel said

"Okay." Max said as he proceeded to pull off his jumper. As he started to unfasten his pants and Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"What's he doing?" Kyle whispered to Tess

"Taking off his clothes." She whispered back

Then Max pulled down his underwear. Kyle quickly raised his hands and covered the part he didn't want to see, "Hey...dude, keep the mouse in the house."

Everyone looked at Kyle and suddenly realised that there was a huge chunk of information. "We didn't tell you did we?" Liz said

"Tell me what?"

"I told him that we need sex...a lot of sex but...eh...not the rest." Tess said

"What?" Kyle asked

Max looked at Liz and both smiled. Max moved over to Isabel and gently caressed her cheek before he kissed her. Kyle's eyes almost popped out of his head as he saw their tongues sliding against each other and looked at Alex. He was surprised not to see any protest, especially when Max cupped a breast. Alex just smiled. Then Kyle saw Liz moving, she went to Maria and kissed her. Both melted into it and Kyle froze where he was as the four parted.

"Uh...wha...when...how...huh???" Kyle stammered

"Like I said...we need sex, but, we don't care who it's with so long it's with one of us." Tess said as she walked over to Alex. She kissed him as his hand ran over her body and then broke it, "I've made love with Max, Michael, Isabel, Maria and Liz. And I plan on being with Alex as well."

The look on Kyle's face was utter confusion. His feelings for Tess were undeniable but he felt jealousy, anger, desire and an overwhelming urge to be a part of it. Max could see it in Kyle's eyes; he had only been one of them for a few hours.

"That being said, you also get to be will any or all of us." Max said

"Are you saying that if I wanted to I could do Isabel or...or...Liz?" Kyle asked

"Yeah." Max said simply

"And none of you would have a problem with it?" Kyle asked and all shook their heads, "So stripping like this is normal? Sex or whatever?"

"Well it's either that or you keep buying new clothes to replace the shredded ones." Liz said

******

A little later everyone had sat down and filled Kyle in on everything they had missed from their needs in bed to the prophecy, much to Liz's disappointment. She would like to do whatever possible to ignore that little aspect of her life. Meanwhile, Max was off to the side, trying to focus on changing into his other animan body.

He started to remember the fight with Flanagan and his Wild Pack, doing everything he could to find the trigger that sparked it. For a time it looked as though he was in deep meditation. All of a sudden Max's whole body twitched and as he did so, Liz turned her head from the others and looked at Max as she felt something.

"Max what was that?" Liz asked

"What was what?" Max asked, not turning around

"Whatever you were just thinking about." Liz said, Max then turned around and looked at his mate. It was then that everyone could see the rich shade of blue that had covered Max's eyes. "Something tells me you got close." She smiled

Max closed his eyes again and focused harder, as he did so Liz could feel it but she wasn't the only one. Michael, Isabel and Tess all felt it was well through their mental connection. The four of them stood up and moved closer, everyone watched as Max started to enter the change and was becoming is Antarian animan form. Soon the giant muscular mass covered in green fur stood before the others and roared as he shook himself off.

"What a rush." Max said as he turned around.

Liz was lying on the ground with the others around her. She looked unconscious with her eyes closed. Max ran to her side and held her small body.

"Liz...Liz." He said trying to wake her

Suddenly her eyes shot open and he saw that they were blue just like Max's. During his change, she could feel what he was doing in his mind and also focused on it. The result was an overload to her body but as she came back into consciousness, had had started began to continue. As Max held her, Liz mutated and grew resulting in her clothes being ripped apart by her swelling muscles. While she still remained smaller than Max she looked very similar to him.

"What happened?" Liz asked

"Good question." Max said

"I guess a little more got transferred than just the powers." Maria said

"Would make sense." Isabel said

"Maybe you guys should try it?" Maria suggested

"Yeah, could come in handy against any lycanthrope that wont be expecting it." Alex said

"I'm so not going to be able to pull off that look." Isabel said as she pulled off her top and started to undress, followed by Michael and Tess.

All Kyle could do was stare at the naked bodies of his girlfriend and Isabel as more and more skin came into view. Tess smiled as she brushed his cheek with her fingers, "No need to stare Kyle." She said

"Yeah." Isabel said as she came up to him, she stood naked in front of him and leaned over. "You'll get to see us whenever you want to." Isabel then kissed him hard, her tongue probed his mouth for a minute before she backed up, "Welcome to the family Kyle." She smiled and walked away

Alex sat next to the dazed Kyle with a smile on his face, "Oh yeah, you're gonna enjoy this."

"I...eh...yeah." Kyle said as a smile formed on his face.

Maria sat down next to them and all three watched as they all held hands. Through their bonds Max fed the instructions to his fellow aliens. They all focused in on it, doing their best to concentrate as the sun beat down on them. It was their first time down this change and it was difficult for them. There was strain and pain but as the minutes moved on they did start to change.

Soon there was a new breed of lycanthropes on Earth as Michael, Isabel and Tess joined Max and Liz in their new forms. For a while the five jumped, ran, lifted and did everything they could to test their new strength and abilities. The three lycanthropic humans sat on their rock and watched.

"I wonder how long before we can do that?" Maria asked

"Is that possible?" Kyle asked

"We've taken on everything else from them, just wait until your powers come through. They can be very fun." Alex said

The others soon returned and changed back into their human bodies before they picked up their clothes and got dressed. They all had fun and upon their return they decided to head out to Fraser Wood. It was time they took Kyle out on his first run as a Lycanthrope. They Pride was complete and all ran through the woods and revelled in view from nature that their cat bodies provided.

Crashdown, Same Time

It was quiet in the café on this Sunday afternoon, which Jeff was thankful for since his three waitresses of Liz, Maria and Isabel were out doing what they needed to do. At least he had some other staff but he knew he would have to hire more people for when they went to Moon Peak in little over a month. Due to that he had placed a `Help Wanted' sign out on the window a few days ago and was already going through some CVs, mostly from students at the school.

The day remained pretty quiet with a few people coming and going but only one time when the door opened did he looked up. When that door opened a scent filled the air that Jeff hasn't smelled in a long time. Riverdog looked around and spotted him, he moved closer and Jeff stood up.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to have contact with us until..." Jeff started

"It is time." Riverdog said

Jeff looked at the ageing Native American and led him into the back room, "What do you mean?"

"Earlier the mark of the three glowed. The trials for your daughter are here...now."

Jeff turned away, "But...but she's not ready, she hasn't even gotten to the school yet."

"And that is where she will face at least one of the three." Riverdog said

"I don't understand."

"After the symbol glowed, the elders and I undertook a vision quest. In the vision, the first of the symbols was within a full moon as it rose over a mountain peak."

"Moon Peak. Do you know who the enemy is?"

"No. All I know was that blood covered the moon until it was red."

"And the others?" Jeff asked

"I don't know, except one is of the star that brought four of the Pride into being." Riverdog said

"An alien?"

"The one who killed them and the others of their kind."

"Kivar. He's here?" Jeff asked with his eyes going wide.

"You know him?"

"Tess filled us in on what she knew about him. This is not good." Jeff said

"The trials for the Pride will begin, the stars say it will be in their second month at your school but the enemies are moving now."

"I guess it was only a matter of time."

"Have you told your daughter about me?"

"No, just as you asked me. But sooner or later she will come asking."

"Not her, her mate. And the other star people. Their Skinwalkers came to us centuries ago to help teach us about the world around us, if they could have done that with the other humans of this world then much bloodshed may not have happened. They warned us what was going to happen and helped us prepare with their devices but in the end it is down to the Pride to deal with what is to come. They left something behind for Max and the others, it needs to be given to them before they confront the second." Riverdog said

"What?" Jeff asked

"A key." Riverdog said, "When the dreams start, send them to me."

Riverdog then turned and left leaving Jeff alone. Nancy soon came down the stairs, ready to go out and carrying her husband's coat.

"Was that?"

"Yeah. He's just letting us know some things."

"Okay, well that can wait. Right now we have something to do." Nancy said

Jeff looked at her and then shot his eyes down to his watch before he looked up and smiled. "Let's go."

Nancy gave him his coat and he put it on, he informed his staff he was heading out and if they needed anything to call his cell phone. After that they left to an appointment they were looking forward to.

Living Room, Whitman Residence, 14:00

Jeff and Nancy arrived at the same time as Amy. Charles and his wife opened the door and welcomed them inside. As they moved into the living room, everyone saw the coffee table was covered with paperwork. While this was something that every lycanthrope parent waits for with eagerness, what they saw almost made them loose their smiles.

"I think our people have been among humans too long." Jeff said

"Why'd you say that?" Amy asked

"Paperwork is getting out of control." Jeff said

"I hear that. What happened to the good old days when the leader of a Pride just had to stamp the induction certificate with the seal?" Charles said

"We still do that." Nancy said

"Yes but not we've got a dozen forms to fill out before we even got around to the seal...and it's all in triplicate." Amy said

"Hey, where's Jake?" Jeff asked

Charles scrunched his face and pointed up. Jeff looked up and spotted the kitten's little head popping over the shade that covered the light bulb on the ceiling. It was shaped like a dish that held Jake's full body.

"Meow."

"Why is he...no, forget that. How did he get up there?" Jeff asked

"I stopped asking those questions." Charles said with a nod

"Oh well. Okay, let's do this." Jeff said

Everyone sat in seats around the table as Charles handed everyone a pen. Nancy reached into her handbag and pulled out a box that she placed in the centre of the table. Jeff opened it and inside was a stamp, made from gold with a base that was etched with the seal of Jeff's Pride.

"Okay, first up...Maria." Charles said as he handed the pile of forms for Maria to Amy.

"Do I really need to read through all of this?" Amy asked

"Hey, they're the ones who filled it in. We just need to makes sure it's correct and to fill in the blanks. You don't want her to be separated from the others and housed with the Oceanics." Jeff said

"I suppose. Okay..." Amy said as she started reading over the documents, "...Maria Deluca...Date of Birth...Address...yadda yadda yadda...all looks correct. Status...mated." Amy filled in, "Since when do we have `Pride/Pack Reference Numbers'?"

"Oh that's new. They started it 3 years ago." Jeff said as he pulled out a piece of paper, "Okay, put this down exactly. Our Pride number is...E8444465, now the number for Liz's pride is, J2145622."

"Oh we better all right that down just now so there's no screw ups." Charles said

"Why both numbers?" his wife asked

"Some idea one of the aides had at the town hall. Liz's number is to ensure they all stay together at the school, ours is in to show they are connected to us in case there is a problem." Jeff said

"Okay," Amy said as she continued to right in the empty forms. It covered everything from medical documents to any requirements that may be needed. Soon it was all done and Amy signed the pages, "All done."

Jeff took the forms and read through it before taking out the seal from the box. He pulled out a concealed tray from the base of the box, it was a simple inkpad and Jeff pressed the seal into it. Jeff stood up and faced Amy, "Amy Deluca, mother of Maria. The time has come for your daughter to learn of her race and attend the school of Moon Peak. Do you entrust the school with the care of Maria and her education as a Rakas?"

"I do." Amy said

Jeff smiled as he took the seal and stamped the forms before adding his own signature. Only one copy of forms was left without his signature and seal and that was the copy that went to the Roswell High, which was the one that presented the legal problems since it was outside lycanthrope control and in the hands of human law. Then he removed the last page and stamped it before giving it to Amy. "This Certificate of Induction is to be given to Maria by the fall of night."

Amy closed her eyes and nodded as she took the document. For the next half hour the three sets of parents repeated it with Alex and then Liz before there was a knock on the door. Charles went to answer it and returned a few minutes later with Philip beside him.

"Philip?" Jeff said. He had informed the rest of his Pride about the discovery of his own mother and Philip being Chimera.

"Jeff. I came because I know how seriously you all take this day." Philip said, "I understand there are some forms for me to sign."

"What about Diane?" Nancy asked

"Max told us about being invited to Moon Peak. Diane thought it over and has some concerns, especially with regard to Max being away with his girlfriend...unsupervised. However, I talked with her and convinced her that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that the educational benefits far outweighed West Roswell High. So, she agreed to it." Philip said

Jeff nodded and smiled. On the corner were the forms that dealt with Isabel, Michael, Tess and Max and he picked up Max's. Philip took great pleasure in filling out the forms and then signing it, just as much as Jeff took in stamping them with the Pride's Seal.

"You know that still leaves Isabel, Michael, Tess and now Kyle." Amy said

"Well Isabel is emancipated from the State thanks to Philip arranging it. She can fill out the forms and sign them herself."

"Well, that's another reason I came over. Out of concern for Michael's well being I asked Sheriff Valenti to check on his father... if you can call him that." Philip smiled

"What?" Nancy asked

"Hank is...missing. He hasn't been seen since Michael started living with Isabel. My people convinced him to leave town...permanently."

"How?"

"He knocked him out with a combination of a few select herbs. Right now he should be waking up in a crate on a cargo boat to a nice little island out in the Indian Ocean. The inhabitants owe us a few favours and we're calling in one to make sure he doesn't leave." Philip said, "I'm arranging for Michael to be emancipated. It'll be easier if I have letters of endorsement from all of you, and since Moon Peak is an option for him the Judge could be even more willing to cooperate."

"And Tess?" Alex's mother asked

"That's a little trickier. Her guardian is on the run and that's a situation I can't fix that the same way." Philip said

"This would all be easier if they were never enrolled at Roswell High and we never had to worry about human law." Nancy said

"Yes but we live out here so..." Jeff said

"What if we just faked it? No one has even enquired about Tess's mother, if someone showed up and signed the forms for the benefit of the School's principle..."

"Well there are a number of my people in the area that no one in Roswell has ever met. I could ask someone to come into town to sign them. But the Moon Peak papers will still needed signed by someone."

"Well I can do that. I am the leader of this Pride and Tess is staying in my house." Jeff said

"That just leaves Kyle. Do you think the Sheriff will let him go?" Charles asked

"We'll see." Jeff said as he signed the copies of Tess's forms, leaving one to the side to be filled in later. Then he picked up the forms for Michael and Isabel and gave them to Philip. "Give these to the kids when you see them, for signing. You'll see them before I do."

"Of course." Philip said

"You're welcome to join us for the drink." Jeff said

"I would be honoured." Philip said

Charles left and returned with a bottle of wine, a unique version that was made especially by lycanthropes for such occasions. Charles poured it out into the glasses and everyone took one.

"Friends...to our children. May Moon Peak know what they're getting into." Jeff toasted

Everyone smiled, "To the children." They all said as they clinked their glasses together before drinking.

Valenti Residence, 17:00

After spending the afternoon with the Pride, Kyle returned home to find his father cooking dinner. He was diving between pots and pans of boiling water. Kyle spotted one about to boil over and ran to it, turning the heat down.

"Hey, you in a bit of a hurry?" Kyle asked

"No, just trying to read this recipe book at the same time." Jim said

Kyle smiled, "You and a recipe book? It's like you've got a date or..." Kyle stopped what he was doing and looked up, "...something. Dad?" he asked with a smile

"Oh would you relax. No I don't have a date, I just think I should learn to make a few new things instead of cooking the same old meals all the time."

"Right." Kyle drew out, "Yeah, sure, I believe you."

Jim looked at his son and smiled as he shook his head, "So what did you do this afternoon?"

"Oh I spent the day with Tess, Liz and..."

"Tess? Tess Harding? The girl who just had her house blown up?"

"Yeah. She's actually taking it pretty well. She wasn't in there long enough to think of it as home but she did loose all her stuff."

"Kyle...I really don't think this is a good idea, you seeing her. After what she said, I really think that dangerous people are chasing her father. They might try to use her to get to him." Jim said

"Dad, she's a nice girl. You'd like her a lot and quite frankly, if they do try to use her, isn't it your job to make sure she's safe?"

"Hey, none of that manipulation stuff. And yes, you're right it is my job. You really like her?"

{If you only knew.} Kyle thought, "Yes I do."