The plan worked, and soon Brendan and June were on their way into the forest, ostensibly on their way to June’s house to practice for math club. June felt terrible about lying to Brendan’s parents again, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and what could be more desperate than breaking into people’s houses with your best friend to rescue someone and recover a magical radioactive serum?

Brendan had met June at the front door with a bulging backpack on top of his pea-cloak, as June now thought of it. She looked curiously at him—he didn’t need a backpack to carry the item she’d requested he take from his mom. He winked at her slyly. Buttons was waiting for them and promised to keep secret their adventures and June thanked him. When they were safely outside June filled Brendan in on what Buttons had said, to which he replied, “What other option does he have? No one can understand him but you.” He did have a point.

The sun hung just over the horizon and the light grew softer by the minute. Brendan confirmed it was just after 7 pm on his calculator watch. June wondered what happened to her own calculator watch after she’d Shifted at the lab. Maybe she could find it later, still on the floor in Cordelia’s office, with (hopefully) just a broken wristband.

Twilight had already arrived under the forest canopy as June led the way into the woods. Leaves crunched under their feet as they walked deeper, and Brendan checked and rechecked all the pockets on his pea-cloak in silence. He stopped walking. June turned and found him chewing his lip as he looked at her.

“It’s pretty dark in here. And all the missing people disappeared in the forest.” His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the area around them.

“You saw me in your house, right, when I Shifted?” June asked.

“Of course,” he responded. “If you recall, I, uh, had an adverse reaction.”

She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Do you think there is anything in these woods scarier than I am?”

“Well, no but—”

“But nothing,” she cut in. “Everything in this forest should be afraid of us.”

Brendan angled his head to the side a moment, then a smile broke out and he nodded several times. He seemed to like that thought.

June led them deeper, until the trees grew close together and underbrush made walking more difficult, at least for Brendan, who moved like he couldn’t see very well. She paused to listen to the night. “We’re good,” she announced. “Just the normal sounds. What’s in the backpack?”

Brendan grinned proudly and handed it to her. As soon as June opened the zipper she whipped her head away for a breath of fresh air. “Oh my gosh, this smells like hot dogs!” she said, fanning her nose. “Why did you pack—”

“You said earlier you needed to eat a lot, and packages of hot dogs seemed like the best option,” Brendan said. “Portable and dense.”

June smiled, despite the strength of the odor coming from the bag. “You could have put them inside Ziplock bags or something at least. Where on earth did you get so many?”

“Costco.”

“Cost-what?”

“June! You don’t know Costco? It’s everything in bulk. Since you need to eat a ton now, you’ll love it.”

His comment stung. She did need to eat literal tons of food, and she might gain tons of weight. She sighed as she dug through bottled waters, twinkies, a map of Seven Falls, a flashlight—

“Why are these here?” she asked, pulling out a pair of black yoga pants.

“You said to get pantyhose from my mom. And your wish is my command.” He gave a playful bow.

“Pantyhose are what burglars wear over their faces in movies! You can see through them! These are yoga pants. How do you expect to see with these over your face?”

“Aren't they the same thing?” he asked defensively. “You can still see through them anyways.” He held a leg up over his face. “Well, not exactly, but…”

She put the backpack into Brendan’s hands. “I'll Shift and stab out eyeholes.”

“Shift? Why? We can just poke eyeholes with a stick.”

“Because we have a lot of distance to cover,” June said, “and it will be way faster if you ride on my back.”

Brendan gulped cartoon-style again and leaned against a vine-covered hickory tree before she could stop him. Thankfully, on closer inspection the vine was Virginia creeper, not poison ivy.

“Ride—on your back?” he sputtered.

“Yes! Just make sure you hang on. We’re going to school first.”

He gaped at her. “School! Why would we go there?”

“Because we need a Geiger counter,” June said. “The serum is radioactive.”

“The school has Geiger counters?”

“Don’t you remember, in science, when Mrs. Hatcher tested rocks for radioactivity?”

“Oh, yeah. Good memory.”

“Would you expect any less of me?” June crossed her arms. “We’re breaking into the science classroom to take a Geiger counter.”

Brendan’s hands shot to his temples. “June! We can’t steal it.”

“I know. We’re only borrowing it.” She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

That seemed to work—Brendan brightened immediately. “Stay right here,” June said. “I’m going to Shift behind that big tree. Do not try to walk up on me, okay? It could have dire consequences.” She grinned mischievously; Brendan nodded about ten times in rapid succession and turned around.

Behind an alder tree she slipped out of her clothes and Shifted—it happened more quickly each time she did it. She sniffed the air and cocked her head to listen. Her ears rotated. Nothing unusual in the area, just the forest beginning its nighttime song.

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Despite her enormous size, June snuck up on Brendan and he gave a small shout when she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Here,” she said, chuckling a bit as she handed him her clothes. “Put these in the backpack then climb on to my back. Hold on tight around my neck, and I mean tight.” She started to crouch and stopped. A smell forced its way into her nose (sweet and sharp) and burned the back of her throat. “Did you spray on more cologne?”

Brendan turned so red, June thought he might glow in the dark. “With your, uh, abilities and all, I uh, didn’t want to smell bad.”

June laughed so hard she shook. Brendan smiled awkwardly and kicked the dirt around. “It's not that funny,” he said, which didn't help her stop laughing. When she finally got herself under control and crouched down, Brendan fumbled his way onto her back. As she felt his arms wrap around her neck she heard a sniffing noise.

“Are you sniffing my fur?”

The sniffing stopped. “What? No...”

June could hear his heart beating faster. Uh huh, she thought. Busted.

“Do we really need to go to the school? If we’re looking for—”

June took off and the rush of air silenced him. She felt his grip tighten. She sprinted on all fours, nimbly avoiding trees and using her shoulders and arms to shield Brendan from the constant net of tree limbs and brush. The school wasn’t far, probably a fifteen-minute car ride—but running through the woods, June could make it in far less time. She reached an area thick with hickory trees. She spotted a few that looked like they would support her weight. She leapt up and climbed nearly to the top before propelling herself to another tree, and then launched away. She soared for a great distance in the air before landing on the ground again and continuing to run. Brendan hadn’t made a sound, and she could tell from the pace of his heart and the tightness of his breathing that he was hanging on for dear life. Hope he’s enjoying himself, she thought with a smirk. I certainly am.

It was true—it felt fantastic to be Shifted, running and soaring, and sharing it all with Brendan. When she could see the treeline that marked the high school on the horizon, June stopped in a little clearing and dropped into a crouch. “Ride’s over,” she rumbled.

For what felt like a minute Brendan didn’t move or respond. “Brendan, are you okay?” she asked in her most gentle voice (which was still a growl).

“Wow,” Brendan finally said. “I mean, I figured you’d be powerful, but June, I just, wow.”

June smiled wide as he hopped down, not even trying to hide her pleasure at his compliment.

He looked as if he had been electrocuted: hair standing up, eyes wide, skin pale, and shaking all over. Amazingly, his pea-cloak still hung from his shoulders—she'd forgotten about it while she sped toward the school but was glad it hadn’t flown off him.

June started walking but Brendan didn’t move.

When she glanced back at him, he said, “Aren’t you going to Shift back?”

“Why?” June asked. The wind picked up and the thin trees around them swayed lightly. Crickets were singing, and a few fireflies came and went like little disappearing magicians. The breeze had just a hint of chill to it. Night had already come to the forest, and they wouldn't have much daylight time left outside the woods. “It will be dark soon, and I’ve already been seen by the police. We might as well use—”

Her stomach rumbled painfully and cut off her voice. She hadn’t eaten since dinner, and she had really been showing off on the trip to the school. Ugh, she thought, gripping her tummy, I already need to eat? Great. She’d hoped the dinner would last her for a while. Maybe a few hot dogs would do the trick, at least for now. Brendan had already stared at her inhaling food at his house—what would he think seeing her eat again so soon? The familiar old hollowness nestled into her chest and she no longer felt quick and limber.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“What? Of course,” June replied, hoping her voice didn't carry her irritation. “Can you hand me a few hot dogs?” She looked around for somewhere to eat privately. There weren’t any trees large enough to conceal her around the little clearing unless she wanted to walk for a dozen yards or more and leave Brendan behind. She sighed in frustration.

Brendan handed her a whole package of hot dogs—ten in all. “Power up,” he said and nodded approvingly.

More like pig up, June thought. “Hey, can you turn around while I eat?”

Brendan cocked his head to the side. “I kind of wanted to see you eat, you know, like” —he gestured toward her— “Shifted.”

June hoped her thick black fur concealed the burning in her cheeks. “Turn. Around,” she growled, more forcefully than she’d intended.

Brendan looked at her with confusion, then held up his hands defensively, and spun around.

She knew she’d hurt his feelings. What about her own though? She wasn’t some circus attraction. Come and see the cat monster eat like a freak! Watch her human thighs grow before your very eyes! No, she told herself, I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. It’s just rude of Brendan to watch me eat like I’m here to entertain. She frowned and sliced the hot dog package open.

One hot dog in her stomach felt like she’d only swallowed air. Two, then three, then four. Still nothing. Finally, with a resigned sigh, June ate the other six in one bite. That helped, at least enough that the pain in her tummy stopped.

“Done,” she announced.

“So,” Brendan said, not turning around, “do they play Shiftwich at your school for Shifters? That’s what it’s called, you know, the special sport for Shifters.”

June chuckled, and that got Brendan to turn around. “That sounds suspiciously like Quidditch, for someone who claims to have never read the books. And this isn’t a book. Mr. Moseley is really in danger.”

“Everything is a book, June,” Brendan said as they started walking toward the school. “Most people just never realize it.”

As they walked, June hardly made a noise; Brendan, on the other hand, stepped on every dry leaf and crunchy twig in the forest. Rotating her ears, June didn’t hear any signs of people, except of course for Brendan’s plodding one-man band. Plenty of animals and insects were in full song though, and the music swelled around them. She inhaled deeply—the woods smelled like life…and Brendan’s cologne, which was still overpowering. Did he shower in it before they left?

“If demons, or whatever you called them, are real,” Brendan said, “does that mean other things, like ghosts and vampires, are too?”

“I doubt it,” June answered. “And vampires are probably just mislabeled demons. Cordelia mentioned that some famous creatures from history are just demons. Stuff like the Egyptian gods that had dog heads, the Yeti, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster. You get the point.”

Brendan had a hand on his chin and a scholarly look on his face. “Makes sense. I bet a lot of history makes more sense if you factor in demons and—” He motioned at June. They were approaching the rim of the woods now, and Brendan stopped walking. “Uh, June, shouldn’t you be Shifting back now?”

“That again?”

“June! For starters, you should always keep your powers hidden so you can surprise the bad guys. If you go in full werecat from the start, you can’t surprise them.”

June shrugged.

“Second,” he continued, holding up two fingers, “we’re gonna be able to learn a lot more from people if they underestimate us. Bad guys love to monologue their plans when they think they’re on top. If you start at full werecat, we won’t get the monologues.”

She shrugged again.

“Third, one police officer seeing you is very different than regular people. The officer might be embarrassed to tell someone. A kid at school is going to blast it on social media without shame. Probably a teacher too. Unless it’s someone like Ms. Windhurst—she’s going to type it on a typewriter and send it to the newspaper. Protect your secret, June.”

She had known he was right after he made his first point, and let out a resigned sigh. “I can’t argue your logic. You win. Can you hand me my clothes?”

Brendan gave her the entire backpack, and she stepped away behind the thickest tree in the area, a large cedar. The smell filled her nose like a red, spicy cloud. When she returned, she was dressed again in sweatpants and the Gandalf hoodie and holding two pieces cut from the legs of the yoga pants, complete with eye holes she’d made with a claw. “I smell like a giant hot dog,” she said heavily.

“It’s probably just your super senses. Regular people can’t—” Brendan stopped and a sheepish expression spread across his face. “Okay, I smell it now. You do smell like a giant wiener.” He broke out giggling.

“How old are you?" She pushed him gently. “Let’s get the masks on.” She handed him one of the masks.

Once it was on his head he made gagging noises. “You were right. I’ll never get this smell out of my nose. And if my mom finds out about her yoga pants she’ll kill me.”

“Then you’ll be free of the hot dog smell at least,” June replied.

Now with identities firmly safeguarded by their smelly yoga-pant masks, they entered the grassy clearing that surrounded Seven Falls High School, ready to commit the first crime of their lives.