I pressed closer. The feel of her felt so good. Then she lifted her hand and started stroking the fur on the back of my head.

My throat started to rumble with pleasure. The sound vibrated around in my chest. The sound was a deep thick pur and my body quivered with it.

"Oh. It feels so good." Beth said and buried her other hand in the fur on my back. "Your fur is so soft, Alex. " With that she engulfed me in her arms. She pressed her face in the curve of my neck where my shoulder connected with my back.

"You smell good, Alex." she said and pulled back. She studied my face. "I I thought you'd smell like an animal, you do, but I can smell fresh cotton linen and sweet fields of purple lavender, too." She pressed her face to me again.

She said, contentedly, tiredly.

That's when I noticed something that my new census should have detected but it wasn't there. she sad, canton to delete, tired lee.

That's when I noticed something that my new senses should have detected but it wasn't there.

I pressed my nose to her throat. I inhale deeply. But it wasn't there I could could smell the over-the-counter pain pill that she had taken but there was no other medications.

I whined, I tried to get closer but only ended up knocking her off the Ottoman into the floor. She laughed. I didn't think it was funny.

I wanted to ask her why she stopped taking her medications. I pulled away. Two steps to the left, turn, 2 steps to the right, turn.

She couldn't hear mind speak. I stopped, I looked at Jeremy. I demanded that he asked her why she had stopped taking her meds.

"Um. Best, Alex wants to know why you're not taking your meds." He asked her but there was something in his voice that said he was uncomfortable with the question.

"There's no point in taking them." She said looking in my eyes.

"Alex?" Breea called my attention. I reluctantly turned my head from Beth to look at Breea. "You need to shift. You need to talk to Beth without a go-between."

The sound that escaped me was a mix between a growl and a hiss. I felt my ears pull flat against my skull.

She sighed. "Why don't you want to shift?"

I can't handle that pain again. It would kill me. I told her and then turned my gaze to Beth.

"Oh, Alex. I'm so sorry. I should have explained." She said, "I should have realized that you didn't understand how it works." She set the book that she held on the floor beside the chair, one of the new chairs from the dining room table. "You won't go through that pain again. It may feel uncomfortable the first few times but that's all." She sighed. "Our young are usually taught from a young age what to expect. I'm sorry that this was not the case with you. I'm sorry your level of pain was so much more then normal."

Why did it hurt so much?

"Because your body had to completely remake itself. Full bloods are born with the muscles tendons and bones that are ready to shift when they mature. You weren't."

How can I be sure it won't be like that again? I'm not full blood. I don't know what I am. How can we know what it would be like now?

"You're alive, Alex. Very few like you survive the first shift. Some do. I give you my word that it will not be that painful again." She told me earnestly.

Everyone was silent as a thought over my choices. I passed as I thought. My steps brought me closer to Beth and she reached out and stroked a hand along my spine. I arched my body into her touch.

"Alex, I think you're beautiful. But I can't hear you like they can. Please, change back. I'm sure Breea I didn't lie about the pain." She lift up and kneeled beside me.

Most of her arms wrapped around me, her face buried in the fur behind my shoulder. Without moving away from Beth are turning my head to face Breea I simply sent, How?

"Think about your human body. Think about your limbs, your arms, your legs, hair, fingers, but move away from Beth first."

Just think about it, I thought. I hesitant moved out of Beth's embrace. I went to stand where there were a few feet of space between me and the other being in the room.

I started to think about my body. It was much harder to think about my human / vampire form then the one I now stood in.

I like this form. It felt strong, week, sexy. My large paws spread out over the carpet. I could feel the strength in my muscles without even needing to flex them.

The fluorescent light cause the black for covering my polish to shine and glimmer. I marveled again at my senses. Sounds, smells, tastes were amplified beyond anything that I ever remembered.

I wondered if any of the changes would affect my vampire body. I could see my body in my mind like I was looking in a mirror. My dark hair the color of my fur, my pale skin that had an almost translucency to it, my long nails.

I experienced a rush of fear as a tingling spread over my nerves. The tingle didn't turn to pain. My muscles in my legs felt heavy. My chest felt tight as if there was a great weight on it. My skin shivered as my fur was pulled in. My scalp tingled as as long hair was pushed forcefully from each follicle.

My breathing became panting. I collapsed on the floor my muscles unable to support me.

Gawd, I thought, I hope it's not like this every time.

The tingling sensation faded. I just layed there for a moment needing to breath and try to recall energy.

Breea hadn't lied. It wasn't painful. It did feel strange though. But mostly it was just exhausting.