Page 97 of Shapeshifter
“It’s going to be different,” I warned her. “I’ll have to spend time with the pack to keep the wolf in check. I’ll have to hunt and run as a wolf. I mean, I’ll be furry.”
Dad laughed, the tension releasing through the sound. Even Mam giggled, and the three of us walked to Byron’s home, hand in hand.
“I’m not used to it yet,” I explained. “The wolf has her own rules and sometimes I do things without even knowing why. But if I can be around you, I don’t care about the rest. I was afraid I would attack you.”
“Byron did warn us,” Dad said. “But we would have gotten through it together either way.”
Inside, Byron offered my parents a drink. By the time we all sat down together, including Vira, I was feeling great. Warm and tingly inside, and satisfied, somehow. Dorian sat next to me in silence, and his presence felt comforting.
“Well,” Byron said. “Margo made it. We don’t know what this means for her harbinger gift exactly, but she’s alive, and that’s what’s most important. Of course, there is a price all of you will pay. Your lifestyle will change forever in some ways. Margo has new needs, and as her parents, you’ll have to accommodate her to keep things running smoothly.”
“Like what?” Mam said, grimacing. “She won’t need to eat raw meat at home or something, will she?”
“No,” Byron said with a small smile. “However, she will almost certainly want to eat more. She’ll also need more freedom. I know it likely goes against your instincts, but sometimes, she’ll have a bad day and need to run as a wolf. She won’t always be able to wait for permission or daylight or a companion. She’s not a little girl now. She’s something different, something more. She’ll have strength you can’t imagine, and she’ll be able to protect herself in ways she couldn’t before. There are pros and cons to all of these changes.”
“It’s hard to take in.” Mam sounded dazed. “How am I supposed to let her run the streets, essentially naked?”
“Mam.”
“We’ll do what we can to protect her modesty.” Byron was doing a poor job of hiding his amusement. “We have clothes stocked away in the places we run. We’ll guide Margo to these places, but you should also keep an easily accessible supply in your garden.”
“That sounds simple enough,” Dad said cheerfully.
“I’ll warn you though,” Byron said. “The people in town might react differently to her now. She is different, and they might sense that, although they could put it down to her relationship with Dorian. That would explain the time she spends over here. Also, we have a relationship with the police. While some of them would love to pin everything that goes wrong on the extended pack, others work with us, even ask for our help on cases on occasion. They believe our dogs to be excellent trackers. No matter how things play out, I’ll do my best to keep Margo out of trouble.”
“Well, that’s good,” Dad said. “But she’s not living here. I’ll put my foot down on that one.”
“I don’t expect her to live here, but there is a chance that she’ll be dangerous or unpredictable for a while. If worse comes to the worst, we’ll have to consider having her live here for a time.”
“She seems calm now.”
“We don’t know how she’ll react around crowds, for example,” Byron said. “School might be a problem. Everybody knows she’s been sick and under pressure, so it might be better if you took her out of school until September. She could repeat the year with fewer interruptions.”
Dorian shot me a sympathetic look. That would not be fun.
“It’s not ideal,” Byron conceded. “It could increase her chances of success. This is pretty unknown territory for us. The werewolves here were raised knowing about this life, preparing themselves for the possibility. Margo might have difficulties that we haven’t even thought of yet. I am certain she can rejoin society as a functional member, but I’d still like to keep tabs. We have to think of everyone’s safety, not just Margo’s. When she finishes school, she’ll have a lot of choices to make about her future, but regardless, the pack will be there for her.”
“Do I have to fight?” I asked. “When I’m officially an adult, I mean. If I’m challenged, do I have to fight?”
“Fight?” Mam sounded shocked. “Why would you be fighting anyone?”
“If you haven’t established yourself as a part of the pack, then you might, but challenges are generally quick and painless. It’s usually obvious who will win and most challenges end as quickly as possible. I don’t condone it, but I do see when they are necessary. I recommend you let people know where you stand before too much time passes. Even if you don’t decide to stay here, you’ll always be welcome. You have a new family now, one that spreads across the world, one that’s continuing to grow, one with traditions that I don’t control on a day to day basis. You chose this, so you’ll have to take the good with the bad.”
“Challenges are rare,” Dorian whispered. “Don’t worry.”
“What about Eli?” I asked. “He’ll come back, and I might not be able to help.”
“I’ll push back death for as long as I can,” Vira said. “The pack will have to do the rest. If he’s recruiting for help, then I don’t know how long I’ll be helpful for. The Elders won’t approve of this, but he’s never had respect for them anyway. He’ll do as he likes and justify it later.”
“My son has contacted his pack to keep an eye on the compound,” Byron said. “It’s a pity we don’t know the other locations. I’d like to communicate with Vira’s Elders, but I don’t know how receptive they’ll be.”
“Probably not at all,” Vira said. “I could reach out, but I’m a woman and a troublemaker. They’ll likely refuse to listen to me.”
“We can always try,” Byron said.
“What do I do when Eli comes?” I asked. “Do I reach for death, shift, what?”
“Stay out of his way,” Byron said. “Let us deal with it now.”