Chapter 54
“There are a whole line of men fanned out and heading this way. They are trying to cut us off from the vehicles in the driveway.” Lyle said looking concerned. Marco held out a set of keys and said “Horis has us covered. Thank you old friend." Marco says looking down in front of him. "Follow me.” He says and beings to move out toward the woods at a low crouch. Amaris and Anna both looked down to see that Horis had stopped breathing. He was gone. HIs eyes were staring far off to where his beloved Angel had gone. The girls bowed their heads to Horis and followed after Marco. Lyle took a moment to bend down and close Horis' eyes. "Sleep in peace. Be with your mate forever more." Lyle grabbed Horis' shoulder one more time in farewell and then sprinted low after the rest of the group.
Marco led them out from the berm, keeping it out of the sight of the oncoming men. There was a stant of old growth wide pines that Marco was using as cover so the men that were heading towrd the berm would not see them. Anna followed right behind Marco and Amaris and Lyle were at the rear. They hurried through the woods to an area that had lots of scrub brush. “Change into your wolf now, and we can get out of here faster.” Anna nodded and took off her pullover only to turn it inside out to reveal it was convertible into a drawstring bag. “Put your clothes in here. I don’t think our shoes will fit but at least we will have clothes.” Marco chuckled “I like your thinking.” Everyone started stripping down except Amaris. She did not know what to do and was not sure that she was entirely comfortable with taking off her clothes in front of everyone. As she stood there Lyle seemed to sense her unease. “Why don’t you girls go around the other side of that bush and you can meet back here after you have changed.” Anna who was down to her sports bra and boy shorts looked up and caught on to what Lyle was doing as soon as she saw Amaris’ face. She grabbed her bag and then Amaris’ arm and walked with her around the bush. Lyle’s face as they passed seemed concerned but he did not say anymore. When the two girls got around the other side of the bush, Anna started to take off her bra when she looked over at Amaris who still had not moved. “What’s wrong Mari?” She whispered. “I don’t know how to become a wolf, it just sort of ..... Happened last time. I don’t know how to do it.” Amaris folded her arms around her middle and looked lost. Anna kept forgetting how new this all was to Amaris.
“Oh Mari. Ok first take your clothes off so you have something to wear after you change back, otherwise you will ruin them. Second you will need to concentrate on your wolf. Let your feelings merge with it and your wolf should be able to do the rest.” Amaris had started taking off her clothes but stopped and looked at Anna like she was joking with her. “You talk like I should be able to talk to my wolf, like it is a separate being.” Anna who was now standing there completely naked in front of Amaris, folded her arms and stated matter of factly “They are. Doesn’t yours talk to you? In your head I mean. No one else can hear it but you.” Amaris shook her head. “No the only people I hear in my head are you, Marco, Lyle, and your parents.”
“Hmmm. Well I know you have a wolf because we all saw her at the bonfire that night. How did you do it then?”
Amaris thought, “Well, it happened because of the full moon. I thought werewolves only changed at the full moon anyway. How are you guys able to change when it is not a full moon?”
Anna seemed to ignore that last aside and was thinking hard. “Let’s see. I say you get your clothes off and we give it a try and see if you can shift.”
Amaris raised her eyebrows skeptically, but gave it a try anyway. After she had taken her clothes off and folded them and put them in Anna’s bag she closed her eyes and started to concentrate. She thought hard about what she knew about the wolf that she became last time, and how it felt. Then she thought about the full moon and the way it made her feel before she changed. Suddenly a searing heat came over her from head to toe. There was an odd melting sensation but no pain like last time. When the heat dissipated Amaris opened her eyes and her point of view had changed even though she had not moved. Anna was standing in front of her but she was now a wolf. Amaris knew she must be smiling, her wolf had a big puppy grin on her face. Anna whined at Amaris and threw her head. Amaris spoke to her in her head, “Can you hear me?” Anna’s wolf brought her head up and looked at her cocking her head to the side. “Anna says to talk to your wolf but I don’t sense her. You look like a wolf but don’t smell like one. You smell funny. “ Anna’s wolf kept looking at her funny. “Are you two ready to go?” Came Lyle’s voice from inside their heads also. Amaris did not know what to do about Anna’s wolf but nodded and walked around the bush to Lyle.
“Good. Let’s go. We have wasted most of our lead here changing.” A new voice added into their heads. Amaris was not sure how she knew, but it was Marco's wolf. He did not wait to see if anyone followed he turned and began to run. Lyle's wolf went with him. The two large wolves bounded off into the forest and Anna followed after. Amaris had no choice but to run as fast as she could to catch up.