Page 75 of Fight
Mr.Ridges looked at the two of us with a new appreciation."You said you're new to the culture."He said to me."How new?"
"I shifted in early June."
He turned to Devon."And you?"
"Early to mid-July."He said simply.
He was silent for just a second, before he turned to me."So let me make sure I have this straight.You shifted, discovered the Kitsune, that you are one and all that entails, learned to control your talents and shifted a non-shifter for the first time in what, six weeks’ time?"
"About that, yes."I said, "But when you say it like that, it sounds more impressive than it really was."
"It's not impressive?"
I shook my head."Not to me.It's just life.I was out on a hike with my best friend and was bitten by a rattlesnake.I panicked and shifted."
"In front of someone?"He sounded alarmed.
I nodded and continued."What I didn't know was that my best friend was Kitsune.He'd been my best friend since kindergarten.When he first shifted, he scented the Kitsune in my blood and went to our Anikitos who had him keep an eye on me for signs of shifting."I told the entire story, how he'd kept me calm and talked me though shifting again before taking me to our Anikitos."It wasn't until we pulled into the yard that I realized he was taking me to Bill."
"So you knew Bill too?"
"All my life.He's my dad's best friend.He's been a second father to me, all my life."
"So he helped you to adjust?"
I nodded."He worked with me to help me learn to control my telepathy and Karen taught me to shield.When we learned by accident that I could restrict animal forms, he set it up so I could train with Alexis," I nodded to where she was sitting."He's done everything he could to help me."
"What made you think you could shift a non-shifter?"
"I was learning to call animal forms, working with Alexis in our clinic, on my days off.Then I ran in to Devon.I hadn't seen him in years-"
"You knew him?"
"I've known Devon since I was a kid,.He was in my older sister's class."
He scowled and narrowed his eyes suspiciously."Somehow, you seem to know everyone."
"We live in a small community, if you don't know everyone you know someone they know.It's nothing remarkable where we're from."
Ridges nodded, seeming to accept the explanation, I continued."Obviously, I couldn't have known when we were kids that he was Kitsune, but when I ran into him again, I scented it.I asked him about it.He explained that he was a non-shifter, and life went on.As I had more lessons with Alexis, I realized that I could sense Devon's wolf."
"How?"Ridges asked."We have few people who call animal forms, they tell us they can't call the animal form the first time, because they can't sense it until after someone's shifted."
"Well, that's a little more complicated."I hedged."After a little bit I realized that I have another talent.I can sense power."
"Sense power?I'm still having a hard time with that one."He seemed baffled.
"From what I know, it's an unknown talent.But basically, I can sense how strong someone is and I can sense other powers in non-Kitsune."
His eyebrows lifted nearly to his hairline, "You can sense powers in humans?"
I nodded."I know a guy who's a seer.He has visions about people or things he comes in contact with.The first time I saw him after I shifted he felt different, I sensed something in him I hadn't felt before.It took me a while and talking with Alexis' mate, Hank, to figure out what it was."Ridges nodded."Sensing powers is how I was able to feel Devon's wolf before he'd shifted, it felt the same to me as anyone else's animal form."
"So you just shifted him?"Ridges asked.
I shook my head."It wasn't that easy.I asked Bill about it and he did some research.He couldn't find where it had ever been done, but he was willing to let me try if Devon agreed.He let me make the offer to Devon, and we didn't tell anyone until after he'd made his decision.There were very few present, in case it didn't work, but Alexis was one who was there."
"And you just shifted him?That easily?"
