Phase by E. C. Newman

sometimes? Not like the movies or anything, but it’s a proven scientific fact that the full moon can mess with people’s mental and physical state. Because Juliet didn’t know what she was, she never changed into a wolf of her own accord. This built up in her until when the full moon would come she just turned. Completely forgot everything that happened and ended up far away from her home. We’re not sure how she got out of the house each time. Maybe she did sleepwalk out of the house as a human and then changed.”
    “They thought she ran away,” I said, sitting on the table behind me. My brain was clicking slowly, putting things together. “Full moon last night.”
    He nodded. “And she changed.”
    “Wait, but there were other wolves last night. And how do you know all this?”
    “Sophie, we’re shifters too.”
    My head lightened, and I reached out to grab the railing, which really hurt my hands. “Say what?”
    “I’m a shifter. Ezra is too. So is my brother, Nick, Aidan. Naomi too. You saw us in wolf form last night.” He didn’t pause long. “You cannot tell anyone about us, Sophie. That is the one thing you have to remember. Our identity must remain secret.”
    “Why?” I couldn’t understand how I could still speak.
    Micah glanced at Ezra then back at me. “It’s important. There are dozens of reasons that others knowing about us is dangerous. We are trusting you.”
    I swayed a little. “Um, OK.”
    “You cannot tell anyone. The importance of the pack is worth more than—”
    “Dammit, Micah, you’ve overloaded her as it is. Give her a second before threatening her.” Ezra said, reaching toward me. “I think she might faint.”
    “No.” I stared at the wooden slats below my feet. “No, I don’t faint.”
    “She’s your responsibility. Yours and Juliet’s. It’s on your head if this goes bad.” Micah went back into the house.
    Ezra touched my arm, and I didn’t pull away.
    “You’re a wolf?” I asked, looking up into the eyes I’d been gaga over for four years.
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s why you guys are always together,” I said monotonously. “You’re a pack.”
    “We are. And Jules is now a part of that pack.”
    Hard to keep my eyes on his, so I focused on my hands, wrapped like mummies. “Would she have eaten me?”
    He didn’t answer instantly. “She didn’t know what she was doing, Sophie. At that point, the wolf took over. She might have attacked you. You scared her.”
    “I scared her.” I half laughed without any mirth. “That’s a first.”
    His hand rubbed my arm lightly. “I need to take you home.”
    I closed my eyes at his touch, still marveling that I could register it even when I knew what he was. “Can I see it?”
    “See it?”
    “See one of you change. I need to see it.”
    He dropped his hand, looking back over at the glass doors. I followed his gaze. Gil, Aidan, Nick, and Micah stood there, watching us. I dropped my head, flushing.
    Micah opened the door. “She wants to see?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Any volunteers?”
    “I’ll do it.” Gil darted out. He pulled off his shirt eagerly and his hands went to his jeans.
    I jerked, startled and embarrassed. Ezra growled. Gil looked at me and grinned.
    “Guess they’re big enough.”
    Huh?
    He closed his eyes and the sound, the sound from last night, the cracking of the biggest knuckles on the planet, echoed around us. Gil’s impish face started to elongate, the nose into a muzzle. His chest grew a black fur pelt as he hunched over on all fours. His arms and legs shifted into animal legs and paws.
    The process probably took all of ten seconds, but it felt like slow motion. He turned into a wolf, right before my eyes. Like a horror film with really good special effects.
    The pants fell off him as he padded over to me, his tongue hanging out and tail wagging. He sat right in front of me, looking up expectantly.
    “Gil?”
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    His tail wagged some more. I reached out with