Nothing Stays Buried (Lunar River Series)

2.Through Wolfs Eyes

KRISTOFER

The last two days are honestly a blur. I spent the first day getting my arm tattooed but I don't even remember if I ate. My tattoo is definitely something I've been meaning to finish though. I've always wanted a sleeve to compliment my chest piece. Thankfully as a wolf, I don't have to suffer the long healing process that humans do. Two days is all I need for my tattoos to heal. I admire the tribal and moon on my arm. It complements the wolf on my chest well.

Tonight, fortunately, is the full moon. I can let Zeus out and run. Run from everything. Run and be free if even for a moment, forget my problems. Clear my thoughts, rid my anger, and find some peace within myself. Enough peace to finally talk to mom and ask for forgiveness. I need to feel my roots, and bond with the earth. Reconnect with my spiritual ancestors so they can guide me and my aching heart.

The pack house is buzzing. Everyone is excited for the sunset to begin so we can shift. I wrap a towel around my naked waist and walk through the people crowding the house. Everyone else is wrapped in their own towels as well. We never worried about seeing each other naked since transforming is instant and a natural part of us, but with the full moon it's a bit different. We aren't transforming at will. We are letting the moon do it for us. The time that it takes the full moon to trigger our transformation is different every time as well.

A very long time ago, when I was a child, we had a pervert that kept making passes at the women. He was young and a rouge my father had picked up and initiated into our pack. No one knew how bad it had been until he was finally caught. The husband of the woman the young man molested, killed him on the spot out of rage. 

Of course killing should never be the answer and the husband was turned in to the council where he was later imprisoned. If I remember correctly, he should be out on parole in the next few years. Since then, my dad opted to have everyone covered to minimize wandering eyes and until everyone felt comfortable again. Even though I trust everyone to behave after that ordeal, covering up kind of just stuck.

"Everyone, we have a half hour before the sun fully sets. Let's all step into the back yard and wait for the moon to bless us. We have been through a lot these past few months and we are finally getting back to a comfortable norm. Please enjoy the refreshments and food at the end of the run. Once you are able to shift back, feel free to return with a pair. No one returns home alone." The crowd erupts in cheerful howls.

The sun is now getting real low. We are all hanging around waiting for the moon to appear and shed enough light to shift. My skin fills with goosebumps. The air is changing. My pack falls silent noticing the change as well. The full moon is still too low to trigger the change and barely above the tree line, but it's coming.

My wolf claws inside anxiously. Zeus wants to run already. He needs to feel the moonlight on his fur. Finally, after moments of staring at the moon it rises just enough and I release the first howl. The moons energy fills me whole and I am immediately pushed aside by my wolf. Zeus takes over and the shift begins.

My body aches as my bones crack. Fur sprouts from my skin as my fingers fuse turning into paws. I drop on all fours and shake my body. My face fractures and realigns into a snout. My spine elongates and a tail grows out. With another shake, my fur fills in and fluffs out. Zeus is in full form.

ZEUS

Looking around, one by one everyone is shifting. They howl signifying the completion of the shift. I mind link with everyone's wolf to run and off we go into the woods. I take the lead running through the trees and jumping rocks. It's liberating. The cold air feels so gentle on my fur. I howl in delight. I wouldn't trade this feeling for the world. It's the only time I feel the strong connection between me and mother earth. This is the one time, I, as a wolf, get this much time to myself. I am fully in control.