Page 124 of The Lone Wolf Café
“It’s snowing!”
My sisters screamed with joy, running and jumping and trying to catch the tiny white flakes in their hands. As it began to coagulate on the ground, turning the earth from a mottled red-and-brown to a stark white, they scooped it into their palms and stamped their handprints onto the ground.
A few minutes later, they were followed by pawprints, as one by one, all of my family members shifted forms.
I couldn’t believe it.
One day after Halloween, and winter was here.
“Come on, Nettie!” Rowena joyously tugged at my arm. She leapt into the air, her flowy, dark dress a stark contrast to the growing white. By the time she landed, she was on four paws, shaking bits of snow off her inky black fur.
I shifted too, leaping into my wolf form as adrenaline buzzed down my spine and tingled the tip of my furry tail. Abbey, Alice, and a bunch of the younger werewolves were bolting around the forest, weaving in and out of the trees. Rowena and I joined them.
We started off at a canter, getting our bearings and balance amidst the maze of oak and pine trees. But as our muscles burned and our wolfish incontestably goaded us to go faster, we lengthened our strides to a hard gallop.
Faster, faster.I could feel my heart pounding and the blood rushing through my veins, from my stomping paws all the way up to the tips of my ears. Wolves ran in all directions; dozens of them, in every color and shade from snowy white to ruddy earthtones and a few solid blacks. Many of the older wolves had white frosting over their backs, which was further accentuated by the snow that accumulated on their fur.
I saw Rowena and my sisters up ahead, and I heard stomping paws on either side of me. I turned around and saw that I was flanked by two wolves – a large red one, and a just-barely-smaller chocolate brown one.
My parents.
And they looked just as overjoyed as I did.
Up ahead, Rowena was just a few feet in front of me, shooting flirtatious, taunting glances over her shoulder as she ran.
Daring me to chase her.
Catch her.
I adored Rowena, and I loved seeing her act so wild and free. But we werewolves were competitive, and I was not going to let her win this game of tag.
I dug deep; willing my legs to move faster, my blood to pump further, and my lungs to hold more air. I could do this. I was a werewolf – all sheer stubbornness and willpower.
I would catch her.
My teeth grazed her tail, and with one final push, I leapt onto Rowena’s back. The force caused both of us to tumble, rolling nose-over-tail and crumpling into a pile in the snow.
I extended my snout and inhaled deeply, the scent of Rowena’s fur heavy in my nose. She lifted her head, which was now covered in a soft, fluffy mound of snow, and shot me a defiant glare.
I responded by standing up and hovering over her, her exposed belly between my front paws.
I win.
And I could tell by the look on Rowena’s face that she accepted my victory. I even got a prize – a big, sloppy lick to the snout.
I would have blushed if my wolf form was capable of it. Licks between wolves were the ultimate sign of affection, typically only performed between mates.
I sighed, lifting my head to inspect my surroundings. My sisters and cousins were still running amok, but standing a dozen feet away with their wolf jaw nearly hanging down to the ground was my father.
Oh.
OH.
My fur prickled as I cringed, chuckling at the sight. I knew why my father looked so dumbfounded. He’d just seen Rowena lick me.
Oh well.I sighed. I would have alotof explaining to do later.
I decided to be bold and return Rowena’s lick, which made my father grumble and plod off. I knew at this point, it was less about my same-sex choice of mate and more about the blatant PDA in front of my relatives.
