Edmund stepped out of his truck and took a deep breath of the cool night air. He’d made it home without any trouble tonight, but he didn’t feel like going inside. Not just yet anyway. The was energy pumping through his system as if he’d just gotten on a sugar high. He wanted to run right now. Really run as fast and as far as his legs could carry him.

A quick jog before he went into the house would be fine. Just a short run down the road and back. Then, he would go up to his room and get a goodnight’s sleep. First, though, he needed to send Sebastian that text so he wouldn’t worry.

He took out his phone and typed out the usual: Made it home safely. Night <3

Barely a few seconds later, he got a reply.

Sweet dreams <3

Edmund smiled to himself absentmindedly, then put his phone in his back pocket so he could start running.

As he went, the night air nipped at his face like he was speeding on his quad bike. Adrenaline began to rush through his veins as he pushed himself faster and further. He began to feel hot but didn't want to stop, so he pulled off his sweater as he went. He tied it around his waist but still somehow felt hot in his simple tank-top and jeans.

It took less than a moment for the change to overcome him, but just as Edmund was considering taking his tank top off, he tripped forward as his legs got all tangled in his pants. His pants? Edmund looked down at his pants questioningly as he realised, they had gotten disproportionate. Or, rather, his proportions had changed.

His legs looked like the hindquarters of a dog, paws and all.

“What the hell?” he tried to say, though it came out more like a canine whine.

Everything had changed. His voice, his legs, and the rest of his body too, now that he got a good look at himself. He had turned into a large dark-brown dog. No, dogs don't get this big. If he was standing upright- or- um- on his back legs, then he’d be the same height as his normal human self.

Right now, though, he was about half his usual height and really uncomfortable in these pants. His tank-top had seemed to tear off of him, but the jeans were a sturdier material. So, he had to awkwardly paw them off. Once he was free of his pants, Edmund began trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Stolen novel; please report.

He had gotten home, decided to have a quick jog, got hot, then turned into a wolf. Even if it had literally just happened to him, he felt crazy for thinking that. Nothing like that could be reality. This wouldn’t happen to a real person. No. There was no way this was real.

That's it! He was dreaming. That was the only explanation for what had happened.

‘It's all a dream,’ he thought as he looked up at the moon.

A nearby growl caused him to snap out of his musing and look around alarmedly. He suddenly realised he was in the part of the woods right behind Sebastian’s house. Geez, he had run far. The house didn’t have a proper fence around the backyard since Bruce rarely strayed away from the property, and pretty much kept any other creatures from wandering in close. In fact, Bruce was trying to do that right now, by staring down Edmund.

Ed frowned mentally. He was not trespassing in Bruce’s territory. And he wasn’t any threat to the family inside. What really was making him mad though was the idea that Bruce was standing between him and Sebastian. He growled himself as that came to mind.

Bruce stood his ground. The basset hound was old and much smaller, but he would protect his family. While Edmund understood this very well, there was still a part of his mind that really disliked Bruce’s behaviour right now. He began to growl deeper and his eyes flashed a blue.

As blue and clear as a summer sky.

Sebastian gasped for air as he woke up. A cold sweat formed on his forehead and his hands clutched desperately at the sheets of his bed.

‘A dream, just a dream,’ he thought to himself. ‘But why did I dream of Eddie and wolves again? Why did he turn in the wolf? Is this something I should be concerned about?’

A million thoughts began running through his mind, only to be interrupted by his door creaking open. Sebastian tiredly looked over, but his tired eyes combined with the near pitch-blackness of the room made it impossible to see what was there. It wasn’t his mom or nick. The figure looked dog-like.

‘Bruce?’ he figured as it came over and whimpered beside him.

“I'm okay buddy,” Sebastian said tiredly.

He suddenly felt exhausted. And much safer since Bruce had come in. His eyelids fluttered closed and he felt a weight dip the bed. Bruce hadn’t slept with him since he was a puppy, but it should be okay as long as his mom didn’t find out. Sebastian put a hand out to pet Bruce’s surprisingly soft fur and sighed in contentment. He was asleep before he knew, and awoken just as soon by the sweet smell of pancakes cooking downstairs.

Seb took a deep breath of the scent which seemed to be mixed with something else. It smelled like... early morning mist and fresh wild blackberries. Refreshing and familiar with a sense of home attached to it. Sebastian wondered briefly where that smell was from as he opened his eyes.

The first thing that he saw, was a face. Not Bruce’s face mind you. It was a human face. Eddie’s sleeping face; as cute and calm as ever. His hair was all mussed from sleep and a little bit of drool on his face. The second thing he saw was that Eddie was naked. As bare as the day he was born...

What the fuck?!