Appleberry(Completed)

Ch. 19: Transformation

"No offense but this car is old." Phoenix head snapped to look over at me.
"You should be the one talking. Your truck is an older model too." Phoenix was leaned back relaxed.
I chuckled. "I have a thing for older model vehicles."
"I do too. Plus, they hold up better than newer vehicles." He swallowed.
I looked him over. His Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed and laughed. He was beautiful. His whole family was. Everyone around Appleberry was beautiful. Even my dad was beautiful.
That is probably how he landed my mom along with his sense of humor and loving ways. Dad spoiled mom. It was sweet. He knew when she needed him. He knew when to back off. It was like he knew every action and thought she would have and do before she did.
"Earth to Sloane." A hand was waving in front of my face.
I shook myself out of it. "Oh, sorry."
"Did my good looks put you in a hypnotizing glare?" Phoenix laughed.
I blushed and looked out my window. "No. I was just thinking."
"Really? What about?" He glanced over at me.
"How everyone in this freaking town is beautiful. They are. Everyone has their own style and look, and their faces are just gorgeous." I waved my hands around while I talked. Something I only done when I was mostly nervous.
"So, you were thinking I'm beautiful?" His eyebrows raised.
I slapped his arm. "Not what I meant."
"But you do think I'm beautiful." He snickered.
I covered my face with my hands letting out a sigh. He was so adorably annoying. "Don't worry Sloane. I think you are beautiful too."
I felt my face burn. "What? You do?"
I looked over at him. "Yes, I do. You are beautiful. Incredibly so."
I grinned. "Thank you, Phoenix."
He put the car in park. "You're welcome. We are here."
He got out and came around to open my door. I grabbed his hand that was waiting to help me out. "Chivalry is not dead with you."
Phoenix smirked. "Nope. It runs in my family. Must have good manners, always. Especially when it comes to ladies."
"Ah, ladies." I walked past him and stopped realizing where we were.
"It's not like that. I don't have ladies. That's my brother. I am a one lady kind of gentleman." He stopped beside me.
I looked at him. "What are we doing at Ashby beach?"
"I like it here. It's peaceful. Come on." He started walked down the path to the beach.
I followed behind him. "How long are we going to stay here?"
"As long as we want. I'm not going back to school. But if you want to, I'll give you my keys. Just pick me up after." He kept going down the path.
He stopped when he got at the bottom turning around to help me. "I'm not going anywhere. I like that we are just getting away."
He smiled walking over to the logs that sat around a sand fire pit. I sat beside him. "I hate how everyone looks at me."
Phoenix picked up a stick and started breaking it into pieces. "What do you mean?"
"You know I'm a witch and wolf, right? It's not a secret. With our family history." I wrapped my arms around me.
Phoenix wrapped the blanket around me. "Yes, I know about all of it."
"Well, the witch thing isn't so bad or hard. I learn the spells and potions. It's the transformation part. Transforming into a wolf." I looked down at my feet.
"So, what you are saying, is you don't know how to do it? Or what?" Phoenix got up and started a fire.
"I know how to do it. I must ground myself and believe that I can do it. But when we go to practice transforming, I just can't. I think it's because everyone just eyeballs me. I get stage fright." I dug my heals into the sand.
Phoenix sat closer to me. "I guess I can see how that would make you freeze up. They don't need to smother you. They need to give you room to just do your thing."
I laughed. "I wish. They want to watch every move I make. I can't take it. I don't know if they are waiting for me to mess up or what."
"Don't think about them. I know I don't have any idea about how to transform. But I was kind of like that with the spells. My family would constantly watch me to see if I was doing it right. Now, they watch to make sure I don't mess up their name and get into trouble." Phoenix stood up.
He held his hand out to me. "Come on."
I took it. "What are we going to do?"
"Help you try to transition." I pulled him to a halt.
He looked back at me. "You want to get through this don't you?"
"Yes, but what if I can't do it?" I frowned.
Phoenix smiled and sighed. "Sloane, you can do it. I know you can."
I shook my head and let him take me into the woods. We stood in a clearing. We walked until we were deep enough we could hear the ocean but not see it. Phoenix turned me to face him.
He put his hands on my shoulders. "You ready for this?"
"Not really." I pouted.
"Even though you look cute when you pout, don't do it. Be strong. Because you are strong." He put his fingers underneath my chin making me look at him.
"Okay. What do we do?" I bit my lip.
He smirked showing his dimples. "Get undressed."
"What? No. I'm not getting undressed in front of you. What a perv." I folded my arms around you.
"Sloane, I'm not being a perv. You are part wolf, right?" He folded his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, and?" I threw my arms in the air.
Phoenix scratched the back of his neck. "Okay, as witches or warlock in my case. We connect to the spells and potions because of energy and elements around us. Maybe that is how you must do this. You don't have to get naked. Just undress to your underwear. Let your feet feel the earth. Wolfs run in the wild. What better way than being here trying to transform."
I swallowed hard. "Okay."
I started to undress. I threw my shirt and pants at him. Then I took my shoes and socks off. "Hell, it is cold out here."
Phoenix laughed. "I know. But you can do this."
He went over and laid my clothes down. "Now, close your eyes."
I closed my eyes. I flinched when I felt Phoenix's hand touched my check. But relaxed. "Breath in, take in all the scents around you. Don't be afraid Sloane."
Too soon, Phoenix moved away. I focused on the earth under my feet and the scents around me. Along with what I was hearing. I could hear the ocean and two heart beats. Mind and Phoenix's. I could smell the earth and the sea. I could smell the fire that was burning on the beach.
Slowly I felt ripples under my skin. It hurt. There was stinging. "It's okay. Don't be afraid."
Phoenix voice reassured me. As much as it hurt. I let it flow through me. I felt every ripple and heat going through me. It was so hot, and it felt so uncomfortably good.
When I opened my eyes. It was all black and white. At first, I freaked out. A growl escaped through my snout. I saw him kneel in front of me. He wasn't afraid of me.
Phoenix.
I lowered my head walked over to him. He held his hand out. I nudged it with my head. He petted me. How could I change for him but not the others?
Phoenix looked around. "Take off. Run around. See how it all feels."
My wolf self-whimpered. "Go on. You need this freedom."
I looked around. Then looked back to Phoenix before taking off. I could feel the autumn breeze through my fur. It was like I was flying. My heart raced. I felt the earth beneath my paws. In this moment I was free. Something I always wanted. Something I yearned for.
But now that I had it. All I could think about was him. Phoenix. I wanted to go back to him. I wanted to thank him. I wanted to hold onto him and not let go. He helped me do something, I thought I would never do. He helped me get to a place, I never thought was possible.
I sniffed the air, smelling musk, firewood, leather, and cleanliness. When I found who it was coming from, I knew then, it was him. He had been the one to invade my dreams at night. I had no clue what we talked about or how he was there in my room every night. But it was him.
I wasn't mad. He had given me so much. Everything I craved was being fulfilled with Phoenix's help. He wasn't pushing me to be something I wasn't. He wasn't making me do anything I didn't want to do. He was just there for me to lean on and ask for help if I needed it.
I came to a stop in front of him. I focused on his green eyes. I closed mine and soon, I felt the wind on my skin. Then a blanket wrapped around me.
I leaned into him. "Thank you."
His voice was a hoarse whisper. "For what?"
"For all of it. For letting me have the things I have always wanted." I nuzzled his neck.
He looked at me. "You're welcome."
Then it happened. No, not a kiss. But something else. It was like being hit with high voltage and everything on earth centered and got silent. It was a bond.
Phoenix swallowed hard. "You need to put your clothes on. I'll hold the blanket up and let you have your privacy."
I shook my head and grabbed my clothes. When I transformed, I lost my underwear. It was kind of embarrassing but then again not so much.
When I was done, I lowered the blanket. Reviling Phoenix's face. "Hey."
He smiled. "Hey."
"You okay?" I asked.
He chuckled. "I should be asking you that. You are the one that turned into a wolf."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my gosh, I did. I finally done it. I'm pretty excited about it."
He wrapped me in the blanket and hugged me. "I'm proud of you."
I leaned into him not able to hug him since my arms were wrapped in the blanket. "Thank you."
He let go rubbing my arms up and down. "You ready for food? I am starving."
"Yeah, I could eat a cow." Phoenix's eyes almost popped out of his head.
I busted out laughing. "I'm only joking. But I am hungry."
He shook his head. "How about we go to the diner out in town?"
"Sounds good to me." We headed to the car.