ANIMALS

5 - More Than Friendship

~Marcus' POV~

Well, not exactly. More like a shape-shifter. However, I can only change under a full moon and it's completely inevitable. No matter where I am, what I'm doing, who I'm with, I WILL change into a wolf once the full moon rises. Since I was 12, it's been happening, and I've kept it a secret from everyone, except for my family, who also have this . . . Ability. According to my father, it's a special gene that has been passed through our family for generations. Nobody knows how it began. All we know is that everyone in our family will get this. My children, their children, no matter who I marry, werewolf or not. Mum knows everything, seeing as though Dad had to explain to her a long time ago. She understands, and even supports our bloodline.

I was brought out of my musings when Bethan awoke for the second time this morning. She rubbed her eyes, and I loosened my hold on her to let her stretch. She surprised me when she grabbed hold of me and pulled me close again.

"Stay with me." she murmured. I smiled tenderly.

"You know I will." I replied. I resumed my earlier position and we stayed like that for a long while, while Bethan slowly woke up.

Once again, we spent the whole day doing pretty much nothing. Before we knew it, it was 5:30, and Bethan's mum told us my mum was here to pick me up. Bethan looked at me, a sad expression on her face, and I smiled and reassured her that I'd see her tomorrow.

"It's only a few hours." I said.

"But my heart isn't healed yet." she mumbled. I took her face in my hands.

"And I don't expect it to be. Bethan, it's only been a few days. You're allowed to mourn over the love you and him lost. And I'm right here, just a phone call away, if you need me."

She sniffed. "Okay."

"Promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Don't cry anymore tonight, or ever again. He doesn't deserve your tears." I instinctively wiped away the single tear that had escaped from here eye and was crawling down her cheek. She smiled.

"I won't."

"Good." I smiled too. I leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I gotta go now. You'll be okay." I pulled her into a hug, then got up and picked up my bag, walking out the door, down the hallway, saying goodbye to Bethan's mum and sister, then walking out to Mum's car.

"How is she?" she asked as soon as I got in the car.

"Heartbroken. I can't stand seeing her like that. It breaks my own heart."  I replied, fully meaning it. I looked ay Mum, and she was smiling sadly.

"You really do love her, don't you?"

"Mum, you have no idea."

Mum put her hand on my shoulder, then started the car.

"We've got to get home before night fall." she stated, causing me to become alert. The sun was going down, and the moon was beginning to appear in the pink sky.

"How could I forget it was a full moon tonight?!" I exclaimed to no one in particular.

"It's alright, hun, we'll be home in time."

***

We were just in time.

I ran out of the car and met my dad and my sister, Rebecca, just as they were walking out the door.

"Come on, Marcus! We're going to change in less than 5 minutes!" Dad said.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No time for explanations! Let's just go."

Dad, Rebecca and I ran off towards the nearby woods.

"Have fun!" My mum called behind us, as if we were going out on some family dinner date.

No more than twenty seconds after we were covered by the safety of the dense trees, did I feel the rippling magic start to flow through me. I quickly yanked off my clothes, spotting out of the corner of my eye that my dad and sister were doing the same. We didn't want to rip them, after all. I wasn't particularly keen on walking home in the morning naked. I prepared myself for the pain as my spine began to lengthen and the bones in my fingers and feet shortened and changed. I couldn't help but cry out as my skull morphed into that of a wolf's, and I felt every single vertebrae in my lower spine grow and duplicate, until I had a large tail protruding from my backside. In less than a minute, the pain subsided, and I stood there on all fours, panting. My thought patterns had completely changed, and as the wind brought the forest's scents to me, I began to hunger for a kill. I opened my eyes and scanned the area. Everything appeared to me much brighter than human's vision. I sniffed the air, and soon caught the scent of a rabbit somewhere nearby. I growled to my father and sister, then took off into the woods.