Smirn Household, Kambah, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Australovenator was a medium-sized predator, approximately 1.6m tall at the hips and 5–6m long from tip to tail. Its long, muscular legs would have allowed it to run fast, although not as quickly as modern emus or ostriches. Australovenator would, however, have been quite agile... The jaws of Australovenator were rather lightly built, and the teeth that lined these jaws were serrated but rather small. The most dangerous weapons Australovenator possessed were its arms, each hand bearing three fingers, and each finger bearing a wickedly-curved claw. The inner two claws were particularly large and strong. australianageofdinosaurs.com

Sam was in the kitchen when Alexa stumbled in.

“Didn’t sleep well?”

“No, Dad.”

“Ready for today?”

“No, Dad.”

“Got a boyfriend yet?”

“N…None of your business, Dad.”

They both laughed.

“I spent most of the night in my eagle form. I feel like I’ve really got to know her, if that make sense?”

“Yeh. I think your mum and me are a bit to blame for that. Since you’ve always wanted to be in the AFP, we kept emphasising how careful you had to be. The other side of that is making sure you just have ‘hang time’ with your shifter side. Sorry. Love.”

“Love you, Dad. I’ll just get back at you later by leaving you a present on your windscreen. From altitude.”

"From altitude, with attitude."

They both laughed.

Mum came through the door from outside with Alexa’s sister, Aurora, and brother, Maxwell, having finished their morning chores, checking on the thousands of birds on their egg farm.

“Thanks, mum, for a loan of those hair clips.”

“You’re looking good. You’ve changed your makeup, as well.”

“Yeh, my eagle’s a lot fussier about how I look then I was. We did a full preen last night. I was surprised that I felt relaxed after doing nothing more than chewing on my feathers for a few hours.”

“Your Dad and I try to spend at least a couple of hours a week in our shifted forms grooming each other.”

“Right, ‘grooming’.”

“Alexa Magritte Smirn. I am looking forward to the day that you fall for some lad, and I hope you fall hard. I will enjoy smirking at you every chance I get.”

Alexa blushed.

“Alexa, Aurora and Max. I know we’ve had ‘the talk’ with you a couple of times but realise that your Mum and I enjoy rocking each other’s worlds. It’s called sex and yes, your parents ‘do it’. Often. You know the basics and you know that you can talk to one or both of us about anything. Don’t be ashamed of sex and remember what we’ve taught you about it. Did what you were taught at school this year line up with what we’ve said?”

Max nodded and Aurora said, “Yes. It was strange. They did say not having sex ‘until you’re ready’ was good and gave an outline of the rest. We talked about it a bit in class, and we’re both surprised how many other parents, especially those we know from Church, basically said nothing or very little to their kids. We may have got you both into trouble, as the Personnel Development teacher encouraged all of us to talk about what our parents had taught us.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Sam brushed the concerns aside. “If anyone from Church wants to talk to me about it, they’ll get an earful.”

Alexa pulled out the trays of baked eggs and the racks of bacon and put them on top of the stove. She loaded the two toasters and got them underway.

Alexa said, "The dogs were a bit disturbed last night. Our AFP visitors?”

Daria answered, “No, we lost another two quails. There’s definitely a fox in the area. We probably need to do a fox hunt. Soon.”

They started in on their breakfast.

Alexa said to Maxwell, “Excited about going camping with your mum?”

“I was, Sis, until I found out I can’t take me phone.”

“Well, you could, so long as you wrapped it in foil and never took it out.”

Maxwell had looked initially excited, then realised the trap. “Why can’t we, anyways?”

“Do you remember who I work for, Max?”

“Yeah, the Feds.”

“Well, they’ve found out our family secret and we’re being a bit careful until we know how people are reacting.”

Alexa narrowed her eyes and really looked at Max. “Max, how are you feeling?”

“I woke up this morning feeling a bit warm. Sort of itchy?”

Daria and Sam looked at each other and Daria said, “First change?”

Alexa looked up and said, “Probably?”

Aurora chimed in, “Finally. Been feeling like I could change for the last six months or so, just wanted to wait for my younger brother.”

“Aw, Sis, you’re only a minute or two older.”

“A win is a win.”

Alexa laughed and gave her sister a high five. Checking her watch, she said, “Well, we have time.”

Daria answered, “OK, everyone finish breakfast and let’s do this.”

Ten minutes later the whole family was gathered in the courtyard of the ‘U’ shaped house. Both of the youngest had stopped off at a screened area, removed their clothes and draped a sheet around themself.

Sam said, “Let’s start with Max”.

Max moved into the centre of the courtyard, excitement all over his face.

Daria, Sam and Alexa stood next to him and put a hand on his head. Together they shouted “Change!” and stepped back.

Max grunted and then disappeared into the sheet. Some movement was seen, and growling heard.

Alexa stepped forward, grabbed the sheet, and pulled it away, saying “ta-da”.

Daria and Sam both said “Aww.” and grabbed their phones to take some pictures.

Sam said, “Isn’t he hansom! Congrats, son, I’m so proud of you. You’re a perfect Tasmanian Devil.”

Aurora chimed in, “Way to go, Bro!”

Alexa waited until the flurry of photos was over, then held the sheet around Max. “Now, Max. Think of you. Remember what it’s like to have hands and decide in your mind that’s what you want to be like.”

After a minute of two, Max changed back into a twelve-year-old.

“Well done! Now, change back into a Devil while it’s fresh in your mind.”

Again, after a minute or so, he changed back. “One last change and we’re done for the day. You’ll be able to change back and forth as you want from now on.”

This time, after only a few seconds, Max had changed back into a young man.

“OK, come on Aurora, you’re up. Sure you’ve felt that itching?”

“Yeh.” A confused expression swept across her face. “But even if I’m not, this can’t hurt me, right?”

In a sing-song voice, Max said, “Someone was paying attention in Shifter School.”

Alexa, Sam, and Daria laughed and put a hand on her head. Together they shouted “Change!” and stepped back.

Alexa snorted and spoke, “Really, Aurora. A dinosaur? You little poser.”

Sam said, “Not panicking, Alexa?”

“Nah, told ya. Only people scare me, not cute widdle lizards.”

Daria, looked up from examining Aurora and said, “Little? She beautiful.”

“OK Aurora, step away from the sheet so I can get a good look at you. Need to figure out what you are.”

Max said, “A velociraptor!”

Alexa took a couple of photos for reference.

“No. the front legs are wrong and she a bit too big. Let’s see what the internet has to say about Australian Dinosaurs. No… no… no… maybe… no… maybe, here we go. No, the hips don’t look right.”

After a couple more minutes of Alexa mumbling to herself, she finally said, “OK. I’m going to call you an Australovenator, pronounced australo-venator, the southern hunter. It looks to be about the closest match I can find. The hips don’t look right, but the drawings are only guesses since they’ve never found a complete skeleton.”

Meanwhile Daria had stepped her daughter through changing back and forwards from her were-shape.

Sam said, “I suppose this makes her a were-saur, or a sore-were since she’s such a pain.”

Everyone looked confused for a moment, until they realised the dad-joke, responding with a mixture of groans and ‘good-one, Dad’.

Sam continued, “Darling, take some leatherworking stuff with you and maybe one of the old backpacks. I think something like a saddle would allow the pair to hunt together.”

Daria said, “Yes! That would be so cute!”

“Alright Dad, time for us to get a move on.”

Sam gave them all a hug and said, “Proud of you all, love you all, don’t poop in your animal form unless you can hide it from any rangers and don’t poop in the car, especially in your human form.”

Daria smiled, while Max and Aurora laughed. “Love you too, Dad.”