Page 64 of The Good Boys Club

“I feel sick. I think I need to lie down,” Poppy said, pushing the bag of candy away.

Everyone froze. Poppy’s already pallid skin had drained itself of any remaining colour, except that her lips had turned blue. With her ice-blonde hair and pale eyes, she looked almost ghostlike. Like she’d drowned in the Howling Pines lake and had walked back to the marquee, but had left her body in the water’s murky depths.

“Oh my gods, it’s happening!” said Rose. She took Poppy’s hand. “Look!” Tiny hairs sprouted on Poppy’s shoulders.

“She’s shifting!” Kai said.

Poppy gagged but nothing came out. Regardless, every cub around her retreated like she was an unexploded bomb. Every cub except Rose, who still held her hand.

Poppy groaned, cried out. “No, I hate it. I hate it! Mammy! Where’s my mam?!”

One of the other cubs, Rob I think, ran to the entrance of the tent. I took Poppy’s other hand and watched transfixed, horrified, as her face grew outwards. Her vest tore free as her chest expanded. Pale fur erupted everywhere. Her hands—now paws—thudded onto the marquee floor.

But I was on the floor too. Why was I on the floor?

I couldn’t lift my head or look at anyone. And then a pain ripped through my gut. I was going to vomit lava. I tried to stand, but my back spasmed into an arc. Every single one of my bones felt as though they were breaking in turn, smashed one by one like the bars of a xylophone being struck. My eyeballs were going to fall out of my skull, but that didn’t matter because my head was about to explode anyway.

“Mash!” Alba yelled.

Zach was on his feet. Tears fell from his eyes. I was in too much pain to think about what they meant.

I was going to die. I was dying, and my brother was going to watch me die. And then he would become alpha and I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.

When I thought I couldn’t take any more, the agony stopped. Like a candle being snuffed out, everything felt . . . normal again. Except not normal . . . a new normal, I guessed.

“Mash, Mash.” It was Mam. Her voice was soft. “Mash, you did it.”

Clem and Nana were there too.

I pushed myself shakily into a standing position and looked down at my legs. My incredibly furry legs. They were long. I must have been huge. My coat was the same colour as Mum’s. I looked over to Poppy, who was now a brilliant white wolf. No other cubs had shifted.

“How do you feel, sunshine?” Mum asked me.

“Good.” The word came out all weird and squeaky. “Good, I feel good. Great, actually.”

Nana came up to me, nuzzled me. Then, without speaking a word, she left.

“Told you Mash was the next alpha,” Alba said.

Zach said nothing. He pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders and turned his back to me.

Whatever. I could deal with him later. Right now, I needed to run. I needed to check out what this body could do.

Mam obviously sensed it. “Go. Go with Poppy. Have fun. I’m going to wait beside the marquee in case Alba and Zach join you. Mika is out there.”

But I was already running from the tent, Poppy chasing my tail.

The first rush of fresh night air as I burst from the marquee was like nothing else. Suddenly, I understood why everyone looked forward to the full moons so much. It was something I needed for survival. I just hadn’t realised I needed it until that point.

“Shiiiiiit!”I yelled, running as fast as I could through the trees. In my mind, I was a golden blur through the darkened forests.

“It feels amazing!” Poppy shouted, drawing up next to me.

We slowed to a stop in a clearing somewhere on the Howling Pines grounds. I’d lost all my bearings, but I didn’t care.

“Hey, watch this,” I said. Then I cocked my leg against a tree.

Poppy laughed, caught sight of her tail and chased it for three or four spins.

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