easier. Instead, she was just as uncomfortable as she’d been last night.
When the assault on her senses had stopped making her nauseous, Claire sat up again. Her fur went a little farther up her arms tonight. She reached up and felt her ears, which were larger than before, and pointed at the tips. Her feet had transformed into something a little more cramped and pawlike. Mostly, though, she still looked human.
Getting unsteadily to her feet, she walked a little way into the woods, wondering if she could find the clearing where she’d met the others. She wove her way through the trees, surprised at how many landmarks she remembered. When she’d come here with her mom, it had seemed like she was just stumblingthrough the forest, too dazed to really notice anything. But there was the big fallen oak they’d climbed over. And a little ways farther on, the gnarled tree whose trunk twisted into the shape of an
S
.
Finally, the smell of a burned-out fire tickled her nose, and Claire followed the bitter, almost hollow scent all the way to the clearing. She sat on a fallen limb and wiped the veil of sweat from her forehead. It was cooler here, in the deep part of the woods, but the humidity was still thick.
Without the fire or the rest of the pack, the clearing seemed oddly normal. Like any other part of the forest. Claire stared up at the patch of sky visible directly overhead and sighed. There was nothing special about this place, and she couldn’t figure out what had made it seem like such a good idea to come all the way out here, anyway. She didn’t want to practice in the clearing—it felt too exposed, even this deep in the woods. She’d be better off walking back to the pine trees. Claire stood and stretched. She had just turned to slink back into the trees when the voice spoke behind her.
“Don’t freak out,” it said.
Claire backed across the clearing as fast as she could, nearly falling over the well-hidden remains of the fire in the process, and ducked behind a tree. Her mouth was open, but some primitive instinct kept her scream locked in her lungs. If she screamed, they’d find her for sure.
A thin figure slid through the trees, walking into the shaftof moonlight that struck the clearing. “Claire?” Zahlia called, her pale features scanning the trees.
Claire stepped out from her hiding place, her heart thudding. “Jesus! You scared the crap out of me,” she breathed.
“Sorry.” Zahlia folded herself down onto the same fallen limb where Claire had been sitting. “I didn’t mean to.”
“No, it’s fine. So, uh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself. What brings you to the clearing when it’s not a full moon? Is your mom around?” Zahlia asked, her eyes glittering in the bluish light.
Claire shrugged. “No, it’s just me. I felt sort of like practicing, so I came out to the woods, and then I kind of wandered over, I guess. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to find it.” She felt heat rise into her cheeks. “My mom doesn’t really know I’m out. Am I not supposed to be here?”
“You’re allowed to be in the gathering place. And of course I won’t tell your mom that you were here. It’s just that usually I’m the only one who ever comes, other than when we all meet. It’s a good place to think.”
Claire sat down across from Zahlia. “Yeah, I can see that. It didn’t seem like a very good place to practice, though.”
“Really?” Zahlia cocked her head to one side. “Why not?”
“It just felt too … sort of out in the open, or something.”
Zahlia grinned. “That’s a great sign.”
“It is?” Claire sounded startled, even to herself.
“Sure,” Zahlia said. “Not wanting to be seen while you’rein your true form—it means your instincts are strong. And the stronger your instincts, the easier it is to learn, to be good at the things we can do.”
“Oh. Well—okay then.” Being good at being a werewolf was better than nothing, right? Claire wiped the moisture off
When the assault on her senses had stopped making her nauseous, Claire sat up again. Her fur went a little farther up her arms tonight. She reached up and felt her ears, which were larger than before, and pointed at the tips. Her feet had transformed into something a little more cramped and pawlike. Mostly, though, she still looked human.
Getting unsteadily to her feet, she walked a little way into the woods, wondering if she could find the clearing where she’d met the others. She wove her way through the trees, surprised at how many landmarks she remembered. When she’d come here with her mom, it had seemed like she was just stumblingthrough the forest, too dazed to really notice anything. But there was the big fallen oak they’d climbed over. And a little ways farther on, the gnarled tree whose trunk twisted into the shape of an
S
.
Finally, the smell of a burned-out fire tickled her nose, and Claire followed the bitter, almost hollow scent all the way to the clearing. She sat on a fallen limb and wiped the veil of sweat from her forehead. It was cooler here, in the deep part of the woods, but the humidity was still thick.
Without the fire or the rest of the pack, the clearing seemed oddly normal. Like any other part of the forest. Claire stared up at the patch of sky visible directly overhead and sighed. There was nothing special about this place, and she couldn’t figure out what had made it seem like such a good idea to come all the way out here, anyway. She didn’t want to practice in the clearing—it felt too exposed, even this deep in the woods. She’d be better off walking back to the pine trees. Claire stood and stretched. She had just turned to slink back into the trees when the voice spoke behind her.
“Don’t freak out,” it said.
Claire backed across the clearing as fast as she could, nearly falling over the well-hidden remains of the fire in the process, and ducked behind a tree. Her mouth was open, but some primitive instinct kept her scream locked in her lungs. If she screamed, they’d find her for sure.
A thin figure slid through the trees, walking into the shaftof moonlight that struck the clearing. “Claire?” Zahlia called, her pale features scanning the trees.
Claire stepped out from her hiding place, her heart thudding. “Jesus! You scared the crap out of me,” she breathed.
“Sorry.” Zahlia folded herself down onto the same fallen limb where Claire had been sitting. “I didn’t mean to.”
“No, it’s fine. So, uh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself. What brings you to the clearing when it’s not a full moon? Is your mom around?” Zahlia asked, her eyes glittering in the bluish light.
Claire shrugged. “No, it’s just me. I felt sort of like practicing, so I came out to the woods, and then I kind of wandered over, I guess. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to find it.” She felt heat rise into her cheeks. “My mom doesn’t really know I’m out. Am I not supposed to be here?”
“You’re allowed to be in the gathering place. And of course I won’t tell your mom that you were here. It’s just that usually I’m the only one who ever comes, other than when we all meet. It’s a good place to think.”
Claire sat down across from Zahlia. “Yeah, I can see that. It didn’t seem like a very good place to practice, though.”
“Really?” Zahlia cocked her head to one side. “Why not?”
“It just felt too … sort of out in the open, or something.”
Zahlia grinned. “That’s a great sign.”
“It is?” Claire sounded startled, even to herself.
“Sure,” Zahlia said. “Not wanting to be seen while you’rein your true form—it means your instincts are strong. And the stronger your instincts, the easier it is to learn, to be good at the things we can do.”
“Oh. Well—okay then.” Being good at being a werewolf was better than nothing, right? Claire wiped the moisture off
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