Stuck In The Clouds - a Werewolf Tale

~~~Chapter Five~~~

Amy and Cloud spent the rest of the day planning. All he needed was a new pack, and she needed a way out of her mom's house. As much as she loved her mother she just wasn't happy there. She'd been dragged there nearly a year ago, kicking and screaming because she had to have her surgery at hospital nearby. Amy wanted to live with her father in Houston, but she knew getting out of this town was the first step. She had to stay enrolled at a crappy little school where the only upside was her best friend, Fallon. Amy knew she would help her through anything, which was why her house was the first stop on their list.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At nightfall, Cloud snuck outside through Amy's windows as she finished packing a bag. It held some deodorant, a toothbrush, hairbrush, 12 granola bars and a flashlight, all wrapped up in what could be a week's clothes (if she re-wore a few things).She said her goodbyes to her things, the saddest being her phone, but she knew she could be tracked if she brought it with her.

She put on a brave face, and walked into the living room. Her mom and step-dad were on the couch with the puppies. Amy had pretended the bigger dog had run off when she left the door ajar that morning. As she was scolded for it, she wondered if she'd miss being yelled at like that. "Hey, Dad's downstairs. See you guys on Monday." Her step-dad grunted a goodbye. "Bye, Rae-rae!" her mom shouted over the TV. Amy blushed at the play on her middle name. She turned and softly closed the door. She lingered outside for a moment. It was almost too easy. She'd already texted her father and lied, saying mom was keeping her to help frame photography this weekend. It was a good thing her parents rarely spoke. The lie was easy for her dad to believe, Mom was usually pretty stingy with Amy's Houston privileges.

She made her way down the stairs, careful of where she placed her feet this time. She would hold onto the railing, but her step-dad had all these stupid tiki heads on the sides of the stairs because it was supposed the be a "beach house", but it'd always seemed more like he was trying to sabatoge her in Amy's eyes.

Cloud was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He told her earlier that one of the reasons he thought he lost control the night before was that it was the Summer Solstice. The moon was exceedingly close to earth, giving werewolves magnificent power. Seeing as this was also his very first Change, his inner wolf must've gone haywire. He probably got hit by a car and ended up at her house, luckily werewolves bones break and heal whenever they transition, so he was healed by the next morning.

She walked up to Cloud, who was gazing up at the moon, leaning on a pillar. "Ready to go?" he asked. She looked back up the stairs, one last time. She turned back and let out a deep breath. "I guess." She smiled at him. Even though leaving was sad, this was what she'd been waiting for since last August. Not to mention she'd waited for a guy like this her whole life. "Did you try to change while you waited for me?" she asked. "Yeah, watch this." he laughed, excited. "The elders walked me through it as best they could before the time came, and I know the techniques on reducing and managing the pain." he explained.

He took off and handed Amy her father's shirt. "I don't care about the shorts..." she commented, not wanting her parents or neighbors to find her outside with a naked boy this late if they were caught. She took a few steps back as he closed his eyes. It was obvious that he was trying to focus all of his energy on changing. He knelt down and began to shift. The shape of his back was the first obvious difference. It raised as his head lowered, and Amy could see his nose and teeth lengthening. She had to turn away at the sight of him violenty trembling as a tail sprouted from his back and his arms and legs seemed to mutate. She kept her face turned away until she heard the faint grunts from his mouth stop. She was frozen, not afraid of him, but afraid of him being hurt.

Eventually she found herself lowering her arms from her face and asking, "Are you alright?" He stood, even taller than she remembered. He was covered in hair the same shade and pattern as the dog, no wolf, before. He looked at her, blue eyes shining brighter than ever. He raised a pair of long, powerful arms that ended in clawed paws/hands. "How do I look?" a low, growling voice asked her. Amy was speechless. Cloud looked amazing, like a killing machine. The kind of animal you want to admire through a foot of glass. It was exciting just being next to him.

Cloud got down on all four paws. Part of the plan was that he would carry her to Fallon's house, but Amy still felt unbelievably silly climbing onto his back. She wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck, his warm fur tickling her face. She had her bag sandwitched between them, and held on for dear life as he shot them at supernatural speed through the night