*One day after the events of the previous chapter*

*6/6/90*

Bandit and Scarlet never showed up. They never came. Ellora was completely devastated by this sad fact. If it wasn't for her pack and Hunter’s efforts to keep her from leaving to find her friends she very well may have met whatever fate they had.

She had to focus on other things than her lost friends. She was temporary pack leader and that meant she had to put her followers first and those who couldn't be saved last.

That night, they made camp a quarter mile away from the road. A few of the humans stayed with the wagon. The werewolves congregated in the woods.

Coraline looked at Flint. "So, what do you think? Wanna try a howl, now that we're all together?"

Rose glanced at Coraline, then turned to the other wolves. "I've decided to change tonight. I'll have to get used to this since this is what I am now. But it will help if we transform together.”

Coraline smiled and gave Rose a quick hug. "I'm so proud of you! I know this is hard. And partially my fault," she added.

Rose placed a finger over her lips. "Coraline, we've been over this. There was no way to know that sharing a drink would cause this." She glanced to the side. "If it weren't for that albino boy, this would honestly be a dream come true. I never would have thought we could…" She shook her head, guilt from what she had done warring with her current happiness.

"Hey." Coraline touched Rose's arm. "That wasn't your fault. It was self-defense, and you weren't even the one who killed him. He's with the Maidens now. We just gotta focus on our trip to London and then our plan, so it doesn't happen to anyone else."

"I know," Rose sighed, drawing Coraline close. "I'm so glad you're with me."

Coraline hugged her back readily. "Me too! Now, let's transform. I really want to run with you."

Rose started to remove her clothes, but paused, glancing toward Steven and Flint.

Steven, noticing her look, turned away, as did Flint.

"Thank you," Rose murmured. Even with the male eyes off her, she was quick to begin her transformation once her clothes were in a pile on the ground.

She bit her lip nervously. She looked at Coraline, who smiled gently and nodded in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and allowed the change to take her.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Now that she was in control, she found herself able to appreciate the strange sensation of fur growing from her body, of her bones shifting, of her nails lengthening. It was a feeling that was close to pain, but not quite there.

When it ended, she was standing in the woods, surrounded by her friends. Coraline shook her fur and met her gaze.

“She's really pretty as a wolf!” Rose found herself thinking, admiring her sister's sleek, red and black pelt and baby-blue eyes that were both like and unlike her human eyes. She looked at her own pure yellow fur, and a small smile came to her muzzle.

Around her, the others started changing. She sniffed the air, appreciating the different scents that emanated from each person. The smells comforted her. She didn’t think of the nightmare that was her first transformation.

“This is my real first transformation,” Rose decided as she looked at her friends, and her packmates. Fur coats of red, black, yellow, brown, and all other colors mingled as the wolves accepted each other's scents and communicated in a manner that didn't require words or human thoughts.

Rose closed her eyes, continuing to absorb the scents of her friends and the warmth that surrounded them. She could feel the earth beneath her paws and the moon-touched air.

The wolves had moved back until they were standing in a circle. They looked instinctively to Ellora, their leader, who nodded once, then threw back her head, letting out a howl.

For a moment, her voice rang alone. It was a soft, warm sound that made the surrounding wolves feel safe and cared for. Then, Coraline added her small, higher-pitch howl to it. The two sounds melded together, twining like vines. Then came Flint, and Summer. Flint's howl was a bit brassy like wind passing through a powerful instrument. Summer's had little in the way of musical pitch but was so full of joy that no one cared. Steven followed. His was a trembling sound that barely managed to be heard along with the others.

Rose looked at the other wolves, then joined in. She, of course, had a loud and powerful howl that rang like war drums and sounded more like a sustained note of a song than anything. Still, it was hers a happy with it.

The voices blended together until it was impossible to distinguish one howl from another. It was like each note was a thread, and the howl had woven them together into a many-colored tapestry that told a story of wildness, fear, confusion, bravery, and friendship most of all. They sang for as long as their breaths would allow.

Then, as one, they stopped, leaving only an echo of memory in the darkness and trees. No words needed to be spoken as the pack ran into the woods for their first true hunt together.

~o0o~

The humans, who had been talking and discussing plans for their journey and calculating how much money it’ll cost for everyone to pass the toll to enter London, became silent when the werewolves started howling. They listened, marveling at the sheer perfection of the sound.

Kevin was shaking. His hands were over his ears and his eyes were wide.

Marry put a hand on his shoulder and remained close.

Hunter closed his eyes, smiling. When the howl began, he was almost certain he could discern the different voices. Then, when they blended together, he realized that it didn’t matter. His heart pounded, and he felt a powerful longing to join in that moment that was happening in the woods, to feel the sense of being perfectly connected to those around him. He didn't open his eyes until after the howl ended.

Marry was rubbing Kevin's back. "Kevin? Are you okay?"

Kevin removed his hands and shook his head. "It's just… That sound was so…" He shivered. "It was too strong for me. I don't know how to describe it. I wasn't scared, just overwhelmed, I guess."

"Well, no one can blame you for that," Garrett declared. "That was a song to beat every bard I've ever heard, and that's saying something." He sighed wistfully. "If only we could market a performance like that. Ah well. Maybe someday." He waved the others over. "Come on. I set up some cooking supplies and a few spring vegetables. I asked our lupine friends to bring us some meat, so we may have some nice stew when this night is over."

The night passed for the band of humans and the pack of werewolves. Each group went about its own business while also feeling the comforting presence of their companions nearby. Though few words were spoken between the rising of the moon and the return of the sun, everyone knew that this was the first night of whatever was going to happen next.

Only one thing was certain: Everything was going to be different from now on. Everything.