Stranger Yet

Chapter 23: A Time for Honesty, Part 2.

"B-but... Where'd--Where's... There was a wolf there! How-How'd you do that?! Am I- ha-have I been drugged? Did you- Did someone drug me?"

"what?? No mom. You haven't been drugged." Ayra sighed, "Just take a deep breath, mom. Just take a deep breath in, count to fiveeee. And out. 1-2-3-4-5. And in again..."

Sarah breathed in and out three times. "No but- But I- that didn't happen! Oh my god... Why are you naked? What- what happened? Am I really seeing things? Where were you?! There was a big black wolf standing RIGHT THERE! And WHY are you naked!? What the hell is going on! Honey, w-where is your dress?!" Sarah's mind flip-flopped between one problem to the next, leaving little room for Ayra to answer, "HONEY, the WOLF!... it was right there! Right where you were standing?! Did you see it? It- I hallucinated! I had to have hallucinated... Things like that can't happen, Ayra!"

"Mom. Momma. Keep breathing. Keep taking deep breaths. I promise I will explain."

"There's no time to explain! I'm worried about where that wolf is! It might come back!"

"Mom! The wolf isn't coming back!"

"How can you know that? We need to go." Sarah picked herself up off the soil.

"The wolf isn't coming back. Because... Because I'm the wolf, mom..." Sarah stopped moving and stared at her daughter. She was stunned. Finally, after a moment of full eye to eye staring, she responded.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mom... I shifted right in front of you... You didn't hallucinate any of it... I know its a lot to take in... I know its overwhelming. But... If you can keep yourself calm, I can show you again... This time with the foreknowledge of what you'll be experiencing... Like I should've done from the get-go."

Sarah stayed silent, staring at her child with a dumbfounded expression.

" Mom. Can I show you?"

"I-I don't.... That ISNT possible. Did you hit your head?"

"There's so much I don't know how to explain, ma, but I really want to show you what I can do- what I DO know. Which is that I can shift into this magnificent creature... This beautiful creature that loves you and thinks of you no different than I do in this form here..." Ayra looked down at herself, "This very naked and cold form..."

Sarah took a deep breath and just stared and stared and stared at her child's very serious and anxious face. After what felt like an eternity, her mother closed her eyes tight and nodded.

"Okay... This is crazy. Absolutely crazy... Show me... I'll wait to see..." She opened her eyes and nodded once more, decidedly.

Ayra wasted no time. She stood up from her crouched position and took 5 steps back before reassuring her mother, "It'll be fine mom. Don't worry." With a split second of disturbing cracks and pops, she was back in her wolf form.

After she turned, she stepped towards her mother slowly, ears and tail down and inched herself close enough to put her head under Sarah's shaky palm.

Sarah gasped and stayed perfectly still, fighting the desire to flee once again. "This... is unreal..."

Sarah took a moment to let her hand lay on the wolf's course fur, unable to move at first.

Finally, she found the courage to run her hand over her daughters large, furry head, before reaching Ayra's neck, and massaging the thick fur collected there.

"Ayra, you're so beautiful... And terrifying. Overwhelmingly beautiful and terrifying." Sarah's heart rate had slowed some. Ayra rubbed her head into her mother's torso, loving on her.

"When did this start? How did it start? I need to know everything. But first, I need to get us home. I feel like I need a migraine pill or two... Or maybe just a shot..." Sarah grabbed between her eyes.

Ayra licked her mother's hand affectionately before nodding.

She then turned back around and went back to her clothing and shifted.

Once dressed, her and her mother walked slowly back towards the car.

It was a silent car ride, even with all the questions Sarah had had, she'd meant it when she said "home first".

When they parked the car in the driveway, Sarah immediately got out and went into the kitchen where she pulled down a tall bottle of Jim beam from above the fridge and served herself a single shot. Ayra stood by awkwardly, waiting for her mother to say something.

Sarah pulled another shot glass down. She poured two shots.

"Want one?"

Ayra was stunned, but she accepted the tiny glass her mother held out to her.

"Here's to the miracles of biology and all the things we know nothing about."

Ayra threw back the drink. Ayra couldn't hold back the cough that followed.

Sarah didn't cough. She wiped the corners her mouth and looked at the ground. "I figure that wolf thing is probably a sign of you coming to age... I mean, if you can shapeshift into a whole 'nother type of animal, you're probably ok to have a drink with me, right?" Ayra said nothing. Sarah just nodded to herself before adding assuredly, "Right." Then she poured them both one more.

After they downed it, Sarah sat down at the dinner table.

"Okay... It's time to talk. Tell me everything. Every last detail of your story. Don't leave out a single thing."

So Ayra did. She told Sarah about the bus incident all the way to the wolves stalking her and her stay at the wolf mansion. She left nothing out, save for directions to the mansion. She couldn't have given them anyway- she knew the directions information and verbalizing it would have felt impossible.

Her mom was holding her head between both of her hands massaging her temples in deep thought.

"I feel... As though I've been living in my own little world. How can this all be real without the rest of the world knowing?... Just going through life NOT knowing anything. And here you are, changing into a wild creature, being kidnapped, fighting off "hunters" and other wolves, and then shifting back into a human again. And I was here, with no clue. How can that be?"

"I know it's a lot to take in, ma..."

"It is a lot... It's a lot to digest. I have no way to protect you from this... We could move? But then what? Who's to say there wouldn't more problems... And how could I take you away when you are now just learning about your biological family? About your heritage? The truth is... I can't. And I can't protect you. Because if THIS is a reality... What else is out there?"

Ayra had nothing to say to that. Sarah sighed.

"What does all of this mean, now? What is it that you're planning to do? What would you like ME to do to help? There has to be something..."

Ayra and her mother stayed up for hours talking about Ayra's needs, plans, worries... Her mother took the information in stride.

They agreed (after some debate) that online school would suit Ayra's needs just fine while she sorted out her newfound ability, as well as her inability to fully control it when anger welled up.

"I'm going to be as involved in all of this as I can..." Sarah stated firmly. It worried Ayra, but she felt immense relief.

When all was said and done, Ayra and her mother went to their rooms, to absorb everything in privacy.

Ayra's mother was no longer completely in the dark, which was one less thing for Ayra to have to worry about. She also felt as if she'd transcended from just "daughter" to "daughter and equal".

That night, she dreamt of one of Tiernan's angry outbursts and found herself a little to excited by his intensity.

She woke up irritated by her own interest and irritated by her lack of control over the matter. She changed her damp panties in disgust, and went back to bed until the sun rose over the tree line.