Shift

The Moon

Scarlet woke up early on the morning of the full moon. She stood on the front porch in Nat's blue sweater, both hands gripping a hot mug of coffee. The faint white moon winked down at her as it faded into the daylight. She could feel it pulling at her, something stirring inside her like a flutter of wings. Across the river, the trees waved back and forth in the breeze, as if beckoning her to them. In a matter of hours, she would be running amongst the trees on all fours, covered in a thick coat of fur.

Her stomach turned. She dumped the rest of her coffee into the grass and turned to go back inside where she was wrapped in warmth. Cameron was crouched before the fireplace, poking at a small log with a long, metal rod. The flames grew slowly, flickering and licking the air.

"Morning," Scarlet said.

"Good morning," Cameron replied. He stared into the fire. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Liar." He stood and raised his eyebrows as he brushed past her, heading for the kitchen. "Let me guess." He poured himself a cup of coffee. "You're nauseous, burning hot, but cold at the same time, your head is pounding, and your skin feels like it's covered in crawling insects, no?"

Scarlet scoffed. "That's pretty much it. Otherwise, I'm fine."

"Just try not to think about it too much," said Cameron. He sipped from his mug and sat in his usual seat at the table. "Try to focus on what comes after the shift, instead of the shift itself."

"What, exactly, is worth looking forward to?"

Cameron's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment. "Freedom. Pure joy and strength and raw power. Increased instincts and heightened senses. You see the world differently; you see people differently. Your whole world changes and yet, you feel more like yourself than you ever have."

Adrian bounced into the kitchen then, tousling Cameron's hair as he passed him.

"Beautiful morning," he said, grinning.

"Try to keep your satisfaction to yourself," said Cameron. "Don't forget, you're the only ones who get to see the moon tonight, friend."

"My apologies," said Adrian. And he really seemed to mean it. "Morning, Scar. How are you?"

"Apparently, normal," she replied. "I feel sick, strange, and supernatural."

"At least you've got a good attitude about it," Adrian said. "That's the most important thing."

"The most important thing," said Cameron, "is that nothing happens to her tonight." He jerked his thumb in Scarlet's direction.

A silent tension filled the room. Adrian paused, the coffee pot suspended over his mug. The eye contact between Adrian and Cameron could have sparked a fire.

"Trust me," Adrian said. "I know."

"I'm just saying..." Cameron glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone else was around. "I'm pretty sure Nat is losing it. He might snap if you screw this up."

"I get it."

"No, brother, I don't think you do." Cameron stood and moved swiftly into the kitchen, standing close to Adrian.

Scarlet, feeling rather invisible for the moment, stood off to the side and listened.

"To say that he's pissed at you is an understatement," said Cameron. "He thinks you're challenging him, that you want to take his place."

"I don't want to be alpha any more than I want to be turned into a novelty rug."

"And we all know that. But you know how he gets, especially on a full moon." Cameron sighed, resting his hands on Adrian's shoulders. "I just don't want to see anything happen to you. I don't want this pack to fall apart."