Caden’s reaction was my first clue that the three of us weren’t alone any longer. He lost his relaxed pose and he stood upright, away from the car, suddenly alert, ready to move quickly should he need to protect one of us. I turned, looking toward the building we’d pulled up in front of, but saw nothing. I turned a slow circle, trying to spot what had alerted Caden. I'd turned about a hundred and eighty degrees when I spotted him. He was an older man, probably in his 60's, maybe a very weathered 50's. Alexis smiled and stepped forward.
"Joe! Thanks again for letting us do this out here, it's a big help." She turned to me. "This is Nickie Daniels; she's the one who'll be calling your wolf today. Nickie, this is Joe Adams. He's our host this morning."
I smiled as I shook his hand, he was several inches taller than me, probably just shy of six feet, and I looked up to meet his gold eyes. When I touched his skin I got a low level buzz across my senses that told me he was powerful. I struggled not to react because I didn't want the ability to sense strength to be general knowledge, at least until I had a better idea of how to use it.
"You're pretty old to be just discovering talents." Joe said.
"I am," I conceded, "But I've only recently discovered that I'm Kindred. I was adopted as a baby and never knew about the Kindred until I shifted."
"Wow, I bet that was a bit of a surprise." He said, I nodded in reply, "Wait a minute. You said Daniels right?" He asked, turning back to Alexis.
"Sure did," She replied.
"You from around here?" Joe asked me.
"Grew up in the valley," I replied happily.
"Adopted, Daniels, and from the valley," He ticked off the details on one hand, "You're one of James and Brenda's tribe aren't you?" He sounded pleased that he'd put it all together.
"Yep, and proud of it."
"You should be, they're good people. From what I've seen, they've done a good job raising you kids."
"I think so." I said, not sure what else to say.
We stood and visited for a little bit while we waited for everyone to arrive. Thirty minutes later several trucks and a few cars had pulled into the large driveway and we had what seemed to me to be a small crowd forming. Alexis easily took charge of the situation.
"Attention please!" She yelled over everyone, the noise of many conversations quickly quieted so that they could hear her. I wasn't sure if it was her position in the pack that demanded obedience, or Caden's large form standing behind her, a menacing look on his face. "I want to thank all of you who agreed to let Nickie call your wolf today. She's only recently discovered the talent and needs the practice. She’d like to be able to use her abilities to be an asset to the pack. By agreeing today, you're not only doing a favor for me, but you’re helping out us all.
"Here's how things are going to go. Nickie hasn't been among us for very long and she isn't comfortable with casual nudity yet. She can handle one or two at a time, but I think all of us would overwhelm her, and that won't serve our purpose today. So Nickie will stand on one side of the parking area and we’ll take turns. You can approach her one at a time and let her shift you.
"Please keep in mind she is still very new, not only at calling animal forms, but at being Kitsune, and she is still learning our ways. A soft murmur spread through the crowd but it soon quieted.
"Now, who wants to go first?" she asked. Several hands shot into the air.
Joe stepped forward, and spoke quietly, "It's my place, I'll go last, and be a hospitable host."
"Thanks, Joe," Alexis replied, before turning back to the group in front of her. "All right, let’s do this, how many of us are there?" After a quick head count it was determined that there were an even dozen for me to shift, that should be plenty of practice, if I could manage to shift them all. Alexis had told me that calling animal forms could be draining. I had some shakes handy just in case I got hungry, but we’d see how things went.
To avoid dominance problems, Alexis decided that everyone would draw numbers. After numbers were drawn and details worked out she pulled me around the far side of the parked vehicles while the first couple of people I was to shift undressed and dealt with their clothes.
"I want you to take this one at a time." She instructed, "After each shift we'll pause a moment and see how you feel, shifting others can be as draining as shifting yourself, at least until you get used to it."
"All right, you're the teacher here. As long as you don't decide to have me do something I find objectionable, you won't have any argument from me. Being smart rarely gets an objection from me."
Alexis nodded as she called the first person to come around to where we were standing. I carefully kept my eyes on the man's face. He was about my age, and only a few inches taller than I was, and his long dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail on the back of his head. He wore small gold hoops in both ears, and I could see the edges of a tattoo reaching up his neck but I refused to lower my eyes to see what the rest of it was. His name was Rick, I had been introduced to him earlier, and I shook his hand again as Alexis spoke to him.
"Are you ready for this?" I asked him.
"Sure, no reason to wait." He said with a smile.
"Why don't you go ahead and get in whatever position you prefer to shift in?" I suggested, thinking it would be easier for us both that way. Rick bent down in front of me, until he was down on one knee with his back curled over so that his hands could rest on the ground in front of him. I reached one hand out toward him. I didn't touch him, instead I my hand barely over his skin so that I could feel the energy that flowed through is skin. I closed my eyes and sent my senses out; I pushed it deep into him. I used that part of me that senses power to look for his wolf. I felt him in that small space where they seem to live. I sent that undefinable part of me to sooth him for a moment before I tried to coax it out, to encourage the wolf to the surface. I felt the wolf moving to the surface, and opened my eyes.
I was looking sightlessly in front of me, not focusing on my hand or at Rick beyond it when his body started to change. I tried to look more closely but his entire body seemed to blur before my eyes and in the next moment the blur cleared and there was a large black wolf standing on the ground in front of me he looked up with clear amber eyes.
I sent a thought to him, *Are you okay?* He looked up at me, intelligence shining in his eyes as he nodded once before turning around and walking around the side of the vehicles where he’d come from.
"How are you feeling?" Alexis asked me.
"Good, I was nervous before, but now that I've done one I'm feeling more confident."
"Not tired at all? You feel like you can do another one?"
"Nope, not tired, at least not yet. I'm ready for the next one."
"All right then," She turned around and motioned for the next person.
This time the person who rounded the corner toward me was a young blond girl. She couldn't have been more than nineteen or twenty, but she seemed very sure of herself.
"Hello," I extended my hand to her, "Can I ask your name?"
"Becky" she took my hand and shook it firmly.
"You know what's gonna happen right?"
"Yep, I've had it done before."
"Okay then, what position do you prefer?"
She bent down in front of me in what I soon realized was a common position to take before shifting. I had to admit it was pretty much the position I used too, as it had seemed natural when I tried to shift on my own. Once she was down on one knee, with back bowed and her hands on the ground beside her I again reached out with my hand and sent my power into her. I could feel her wolf sitting inside, it seemed to be anxious about something and when I beckoned to it, it refused to answer my call. I sent that part of me that could sense the wolf further into her, trying to be gentle first. Her wolf still balked, and I had to grab it with my power and pull it forward. It resisted more, not seeming to want to surface but suddenly Becky's form blurred before my eyes for just seconds before the sight of her slender gray wolf
form became clear.
*You feeling all right?* I asked her telepathically.
*Great, Thanks,* She replied easily. I motioned for her to go and she trotted off in the direction she had come from.
"How are you feeling now?" Alexis asked me.
"Tired. Her wolf fought me, she didn't want to surface. Forcing it to the surface took a lot more out of me than calling one that wanted to come."
"I find it that way too," Alexis replied, going to the rear of her SUV. She lifted the hatch, "Come over here a minute." She handed me a can of meal replacement shake she’d pulled out of an ice chest sitting in the cargo area, "Drink that and see how you feel." I shook the small can briskly before popping the top open and draining the can in one long drink. "Do you want another?" she asked.
"Probably should, just to be safe." She handed me a can and I drank this one more slowly, not feeling the aching hunger eating its way through me any longer.
"You ready to start again?"
"Yeah, we might as well," I dropped the empty cans in the trash bag she had sitting nearby for that purpose.
"All right, I'll get the next one," She went to the other end of the car while I sat on the bumper of the still open hatch for a couple minutes, letting my body absorb some of what I'd drank.
As the next volunteer rounded the front of the vehicle I stood again and prepared to continue.
I shifted four more of our volunteers, with a break after two for another drink, before I called a break. I needed to walk around some and I needed more food, but I was getting sick of the shakes.
I mingled with the remaining volunteers for a few minutes, getting to know some of the pack members a little better. When I started feeling a little better I approached Alexis to ask if she had thought to bring anything else I could eat, because I hadn't, but when I was almost to her Joe stopped me.
"I thought you could use something real to eat, so I've started the grill and I've got a stack of burgers ready to go on as soon as it's ready."
"Thank you," I said gratefully, "I was just headed to ask Alexis if she had anything but those shakes. They work great, but you can only stomach so many at a time."
"I haven't picked up any of those yet, though word's gone out that they're good, quick energy. I can imagine they'd get old real quick if you were using a lot of energy."
"They can." I confirmed.
"Give me about half an hour, and I'll have some meat ready for you to sink your teeth into."
"That sounds like heaven, thank you." He turned away and went back to cooking. I went ahead and spoke to Alexis, I told her what Joe had said and continued with "I think some real food will help."
"Good. I think a break will to us all good." She finished her conversation with another woman and turned back to me. "Are you feeling more comfortable in your ability to call animal forms yet?"
"Yeah, I do. I'm pretty sure I have it down. It's a lot more draining sometimes, and I can't figure out why sometimes it's like they don't want to shift, but I can do it."
"It feels like they're fighting you because they are. I asked several of the volunteers to resist shifting, so that you would get some practice calling reluctant animals. Sometimes medications or injury will make it difficult to call an animal form, this is a good way to practice it. I didn't tell you because I wanted to see if you could tell the difference, and how strong you are. Some of those resisting are pretty strong, but you're doing great."
"Thanks. It's good to know I'm doing a good job. I'd like to eat, then finish shifting the last few, and then head home. Do you think we can do that or will not shifting and joining the run be considered an insult?"
"Nah, Joe's pretty understanding. Plus, I warned him that you might want to just go back to town."
"Good. I don't want to upset anyone, but the longer I go the more tired I feel. Real food will go a long way, but after shifting the rest I'm gonna be tired again and I just want to get back before I'm totally drained."
"Not a problem. I'll let Caden know the game plan and then we'll see if Joe's got those burgers ready."
"Caden won't stay and run?"
"No, he'll go with us."
"I thought he was going to run."
"If we were running, he would, but since he's security, he stays with us, whatever we end up doing." I nodded, understanding.
We ate the burgers that Joe made for us and I shifted the remaining volunteers, including Joe before Alexis, Caden and I climbed back into Alexis' vehicle and headed back into town.
I was quiet most of the trip, enjoying the view I'd been too nervous to notice on the way out. I listened to the music that Alexis and Caden chose while I drank another of the shakes from the ice chest and listened to the two of them when they talked.
By the time we pulled into the parking lot at my apartment I was feeling better, I thanked Alexis for organizing the morning, and Caden for watching over us. I gathered my things and headed up to my apartment.
Chapter 25
A few days after the marathon shifting session Bill called me. It was early, before I’d made it into work yet.
"Nickie, I have news." He said as soon as I answered the phone.
"Tell me it's good news." I was hopeful.
"Well, good news and bad news. I've talked Alexis and several others around the country. No one has ever heard of anyone ever trying to force the animal form of a non-shifter in the way you’re wanting."
"And that means?"
"That means that no one I've talked to knows if it can be done, most think it can't, but some think it may be possible."
"Well, I guess that's something." I said. "I still think I can do it. I want to try."
"I'd like to see if you can too. But we still have to see if Devon even wants to."
"I'll take care of that, with your permission."
"You have it." We wrapped up the conversation and disconnected. I went to work trying to figure out what I would say to Devon.
I'd decided that I wanted to approach the topic to Devon on my own. I thought I could ease into it, not influence him, and let him make the decision for himself. I was afraid that a having Bill or more present when the topic was approached would only push him into doing something that he may regret in the future, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.
That evening I made a point to seek out Devon on my way in from work. I invited him to come up to my place for a quick dinner, I told him I had something that I wanted to talk about with him if he didn't mind.
Forty-five minutes later we sat down to a dinner of salad and grilled steaks.
"Dev, you're aware I have several talents, right?" I cut several bites off my steak as I asked.
"Yeah, what about them?" He took a bite of the salad.
"One of my talents is that I sense powers in others."
"I know, I heard you talking about it with Hank."
"Well, the thing is, I can sense a wolf in you." That caught his attention and he set his fork down and blinked at me a moment before he said anything more.
"But I'm not a shifter." He protested.
"You’ve never been able to shift before, I know. I noticed this some time ago, but it took me a while to realize what it was. I can't sense anything similar in humans, I've tried. I'm certain that I'm feeling your wolf." I saw confusion in his eyes and continued, "Have you ever thought about what you might do if someone gave you the option, the possibility, of being a shifter?"
He was silent, picking his fork back up and eating for several minutes before he responded, "You know, I honestly don't know. When I was younger I resented not being able to shift, I was convinced that there was something wrong with me because I couldn't shift. But now I've come to terms with it, I realize that it's just the way I am."
"I understand that, and really, I'm not going to push one way or the other. I am raising a possibility. If you were given the option of having someone try to bring your wolf, and it worked, it made you into a shifting Kitsune, would you?" He remained sil
ent, unsure what to say, "You don't have to answer now, think about it a while. Let me know what you think."
"I'll think about it. It's never been suggested so I didn't think it was possible."
"It may not be." I warned, "I'm the only one we know of who can sense your wolf, but I’m also the only person in the pack who can sense powers and call animal forms both. It may simply be that the two skills in combination are what it will take. Or it may not work at all."
"So even if I decide to try, I could end up unchanged? Still a non-shifter?"
"I'm afraid so. It's something only you can decide if you want to try."
"I'll consider it. Who all have you talked asked about this, if it was possible and all?"
"I've only talked to you and Bill. I didn't want to mention it to you if we knew it wasn't possible, so I asked Bill. He's talked to several people, though I doubt he used names, trying to find out if it's ever been done."
"I see. Can you give me a while to think about it."
"That's not a problem, I know this is pretty sudden and it's not a decision I'd expect you to make in an instant."
"Thanks. Can we keep it between us? I don't want a bunch of people hounding me for a decision."
"Sure, I hadn't planned on telling anyone anyway. It's nobody's business but yours."
"Thanks for that," We were quite most of the rest of dinner, but it was a comfortable silence. After dinner Devon thanked me for the meal and excused himself, siting that he had to get up early the next morning. I knew I'd given him a lot to about.
A couple of days later while I was on my way to the clinic my PCD rang. I glanced at the screen where the device was attached to the dash and saw it was Raine. I wondered what he wanted so early in the morning.
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