Catalyst

Chapter Fourteen

 "I hate you so much right now," Phoebe muttered, keeping the robe wrapped tightly around her body and shivering in the early morning fog. The mist twisted and writhed around her ankles like insubstantial tentacles, her legs prickled with goose bumps.

"Babe, you will love me after this," Elliott bragged. He was still in his polo shirt and jeans and didn't look cold at all, despite the chill in the air. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he strolled around the clearing in the woods like he was surveying his handiwork. His property. His domain.

"Please don't call her babe." James rubbed a hand over his hair. "And are you sure no one is around? We're still pretty close to the road."

"Have you heard a single car?"

James didn't answer.

"Didn't think so."

"You guys, I'm freezing. What am I doing?" Phoebe yelled. They were standing far away from her, Elliott having insisted they give her a wide berth while she attempted...whatever it was she was supposed to be attempting. The boys had both turned their backs while she stripped out of her clothes and into the stolen robe from the motel room. Now she felt cold, awkward, and naked under the scratchy fabric.

"Well, you've got to get in the groove, as they say. Try out some shifts; see where your weaknesses are." Elliott paused. Waiting for her to say thank you? No way, Phoebe thought. Not while she was out here freezing to death. James was wearing a dark blue hoodie and she bet if she took it off him it would be warm and the smell of him would seep from every stitch. She wanted it.

"I figure you should try some normal shifter phases, maybe try fighting in them, and then go out for the weirder ones. Sound good?" Elliott clapped his hands together, not waiting for Phoebe to answer. "Okay, let's go. Try a wolf first. If you can make yourself into a decent werewolf, then it would be a really easy way to sneak into Cicero's camp, don't you think?"

"You know where he is?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I can feel my sister, can't I? And she's with him. Let's think about this for a second. Take your time, I'll wait," Elliott said dryly.

"Hey, don't be a dick to her," James said.

Phoebe tried to ignore the fact James might actually be acting protective of her feelings, but regardless a pleasant warmth in her stomach made her feel like she would melt into the grass underfoot.

She cleared her throat. "Hate to say it, but I agree with him, James. A wolf would be a good cover. And it's... kind of amazing actually that he can find Cicero. Lucky for us."

"Too lucky," he countered.

Elliott sighed and made a note of tapping his sneakered feet impatiently on the ground. "Any day now."

"Fine! I'm going, I'm going. Wolf." Phoebe blew out a breath, rolling her shoulders. "Okay."

She closed her eyes and imagined a fluffy, happy wolf. Like a great big husky with larger paws and a grayer pelt. She pictured his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his eyes brown and warm. If the trick to this new power was to want to be with whatever she was changing into she couldn't very well imagine the scrappy, mangy beasts that had invaded Linda's home and attacked James.

She'd always wanted a dog, so with as much detail as she could muster from her limited encounters with wolves at zoos and, unfortunately, Aunt Linda's, she did her best to make a wolf in her mind seem like a cuddly pet. Even better, a stuffed animal. He would have tufty ears and his nose would be wet and cold. His tail would swing from side to side when he walked. She thought of herself calling out to the wolf-dog and him bounding forward, eager and bouncy for her attention.