Recap: Jenni is in transition to her wolf form and reveals that she knows that she was adopted. Dun Dun DDDUUUNNNNNN!!!!!

Micheal and I look at each other before he clears his throat in order to answer her question.
"Jenni....."

"No! I don't want to hear it! Both of you look the exactly like mom and dad. How long did you think it was going to take for me to realize that I look nothing like you guys or them?" She looks at us both hurt. "How long were you going to keep it a secret from me?"

I answer because Micheal looks a bit choked up.
"It wasn't a secret. Mom and Dad raised you as our sister and we see you as nothing but that. Yes, you were adopted but we have no idea who your biological parents are. I, for one, don't really give a damn either, you'll always be my baby sister."

"Me too." Micheal chimes in.

"Would you guys hate me if I wanted to look for them?" Jenni looks scared. It becomes apparent that this is her rawest truth, Jenni wants to find her biological parents even though she has us.

"Jenni, why would you think you're in this alone? Not only will be support you, we'll help you look. Even if it means going back to that place to look for answers." Micheal answers for the both of us.

The tears streaming down her face are red, her claws have drawn blood from her scalp and hairline from where she's scratched. Jenni settles back down on her log and I sit beside her.

"I love you kid." I sling my arm over her shoulders and kiss the top of her bloody head. "No matter what." I add.

"Bex. Why are you so different? What aren't you telling us?" Jenni asks calmly. She's cuddled up into my side like she used to do when we were younger and I can feel her body trembling slightly.

"Let your wolf out Jenni. Stop fighting the change just to get answers, I know it hurts to do so. I promise to tell you all I know once you change back."

She looks shocked but Micheal doesn't. We both can tell that by now she's supposed to be finishing her shift but she's holding it back. Doing that prolongs the pain and we don't want that for our baby sister.

"Do you promise to answer all of my questions when we get back?" Jenni is struggling now to stay seated. Her spine is arching and her legs are straining against her leggings.

I push her onto the ground and instantly her claws sink into the soft soil for balance. Her back arches involuntarily as her feet dig in for purchase to keep her body upright.

Her breath comes out in heavy pants and her blonde hair covers her sweaty face. Skin starts to rip and bloody fur peeks through the cracks.

I walk beside my sister and squat so that we're on the same level. Jenni's head snaps up and I can see her wolf staring through her eyes, she flashes her fangs at me before she recognizes that I'm not a threat to them.

"I promise."

It's all I have to say for her to give in.

Jenni's scream transforms into a howl. Her spine cracks as it shifts. Her fingers shrink back as the skin blends together with her nails to grow out more, forming even  sharper claws.

I can see her struggling in her clothes, we really should've just made her take them all off, neither of us would've cared but Jenni can be self conscious at times. At least Jenni threw on some cheap clothes so she won't mind losing them. 

Micheal tosses me a knife and I slowly approach her crouching form. I don't think she even knew I was there but it's best to stay on guard. One of the weakest moments of a wolfs life is their first shift which is why only close family or the wolf's Alpha is permitted to oversee it.

I lean in beside Jenni and carefully slide the knife down one side of her leggings without the knife touching her skin. She immediately frees the leg and it bends backward with an awful crunching sound at the knee. Jenni looks at the leg and understanding flashes through her eyes as she rotates onto her back so that I can get to her other leg.

I proceed to cut just as cautiously as I did with the first side. The other leg does the same thing and I can't help but shudder. Micheal gets on Jenni's side and we look at each other before it clicks in my brain that we can communicate nonverbally. Most of the time we instinctively know but it's great for times like this.

Carefully cut the strap off of her tank top then cut down the side. Don't let the knife touch her skin or she'll automatically attack. I mind link to Micheal. He looks confused at first but then he watches me and understands what to do. 

Right now Jenni's skin is extremely sensitive, even though right now it's shedding, ripping, and contorting to accommodate her wolf form. If she feels any extra pressure or foreign instrument touch her skin, she's attacking-no questions asked. This part may be a werewolves weakest point but there are natural defenses in place to ensure their survival.

As soon as Jenni is free from her tank top, Micheal and I shoot back from her body. Which is good because if we were there even a second later, she would've perceived us as threats.

Now that she's completely free, Jenni once again rotates onto her stomach to complete her transition. Most of her bones have snapped into their correct positions and now it's time for her fur.

Jenni literally looks like she's shedding skin, which I guess she is. Flakes of it fall to the ground as her body hair grows thicker. This is the only time that her skin will peel off like this. 

Basically everything is changing and becoming the new and improved version to accommodate her wolf.

Jenni's eyes roll to the back of her head as her mouth elongates into a muzzle. Her mouth opens instinctively so that her teeth can grow. The dull canines fall out in order for her sharper ones to come in, which happens almost automatically. Her canines will always be sharp, even when she changes back.

All while this happens, there's a deep grumbling in her chest. Jenni's shoulders pop while rotating into place and I know that she's almost done. Micheal and I look on with nervous glances at each other.

With one finally grunt of pain, fur rips through her spine pushing away the last amounts of flesh and I can feel Jenni backing away for her wolf to take charge.

The entire camp is quiet except for the raspy breaths of a newly turned wolf. She looks a bit crazed but that's to be expected and it's actually a good sign. It means that the wolf is taking in her surroundings and is appropriately cataloging the onslaught of information she's currently receiving. It's basically the werewolf equivalent to bringing a new baby into the world and them crying.

The baby's crying lets the room know that they are breathing properly with minimal obstructions in their airways.

A crazed looking werewolf means that the wolf is self aware and is in control of their body, as they should be. In some instances, the wolf gets stuck in the brain which will cause them to become feral. The entire point of our being is to let our inner beasts free when we change forms, without that we're no better than shape shifters. There are a couple of other parallels between weres and shifters but that's the biggest one.

I notice Micheal moving around in my periphery and then I watch as his wolf slowly approaches our sisters. She snaps but then calms down when she catches onto his scent. Even though she seems to know who he is, Micheal's wolf keeps his same slow pace until his muzzle touches hers. Jenni has been around Micheal for ninety percent of her life but this is the first time that their wolves half met. It's only natural for them to be cautious around each other.

As I watch their wolves bonding, I can't help the sliver of jealousy that creeps up my spine.
'What's taking my wolf so long?'

Jenni's wolf seems to get her bearings and starts to stand only for her legs to collapse underneath her. Micheal is right there to help her but I hold back from doing so. Technically I'm a werewolf but her wolf will know that I don't have mine since she has access to all of Jenni's memories.

'How will her inner beast react to a wolfless werewolf?' I think to myself. I want to say I watched my siblings and stayed back but the second she falls after her second attempt at standing, I'm right there to make sure that she doesn't hit the ground.

Her wolf catches onto my scent and her eyes widen slightly. I look at her with my eyebrow quirked but we won't be able to mind link until after her run. Normal wolves can't mind link until they're accepted into the pack but I'm not normal and I can just about connect mentally to anyone I damn well please.

Right now Jenni's mind is in a jumble so even trying to connect to her mind would be useless.

After a couple of minutes, Jenni's legs stop shaking and plant themselves firmly into the ground with a promise to never again fall onto the earth until her death. We take her first couple of steps slowly but her legs never waver enough for her to fall, the entire time Micheal's wolf is right on her flank giving her the stability of his body. Not that she needed it, but maybe his wolf just needed to be close to our sisters.

Soon Jenni's wolf is running laps around the camp until Micheal stops her and shifts back. I throw him some shorts and Jenni's wolf sits onto her hind legs as she observes us.

"Alright. Off with you." Micheal says dismissing our sister for her bonding run.

But she doesn't move an inch. Instead her wolf looks to me as if asking for my permission. I find this odd but instead of saying anything I just jerk my head towards the woods in an obvious 'Go on' gesture. In seconds, Jenni and her wolf are running through the woods howling in joy.

Micheal notices our little exchange and looks at me quizzically. I shrug because I honestly don't know why her wolf didn't respond to Micheal, seeing as though she'll be fighting him later on to prove her worth to the family and therefore the pack.

Micheal and I lie back onto an extra sleeping bag and look up at the sky.

I don't ever remember being so at peace with nature, not even when we used to go camping with the entire family.

The rest of our night is lazily spent looking at the stars and hearing the occasional squeals of unsuspecting prey. 

W1899