Moonlight Desires

Chapter 10

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Belated (sorry!) thanks to @Marilize02 for the request! It was made last year, so I know it took me a while to get to it, but there's the proof that I do keep a list!

Families could bring out your best and your worst, and Seth supposed packs were no different; if anything, they probably amplified every emotion, every squabble. Becky's pack—a significant portion of her father's side of the family, plus some members of a much smaller werewolf clan—was large and loud, occasionally lacking boundaries and common sense, but Seth could see the good and bad in that. Caitlin had bugged Becky relentlessly about her 'new friend' and made sure Seth knew he didn't need condoms on a full-moon night. "I don't know how long it'd been before you, but it's about time she was banging someone," Caitlin declared. "I was about to tell her to at least shag that Charlotte girl, but big fake breasts are so off-putting when they're in your face. If I wanted fake, I'd fuck a doll, you know?"

"You have, Cait," Becky had replied, rolling her eyes. "At Isibeal's hen night, remember?"

Rather than being embarrassed, though, Caitlin shrugged it off easily. "Couldn't have been a very memorable doll then."

Raunchy jokes and bizarre questions aside—one of Becky's cousins asked which name his family called him by—Seth found himself fitting in easily, at least for the human portion. It was after the family picnic that the true test would begin, and he noticed that Becky always stayed close, touching his hand or the back of his neck to reassure him. "They know you didn't have a pack growing up," she said softly. It wasn't for privacy—she knew the others could hear them—but because the words were just meant for him. "They're not going to judge you if you do something slightly different."

The idea had never really occurred to him. How many possible ways could there be to shift? It seemed like a rather singular thing. "Do I? Do things . . . differently?"

Becky shrugged. "Don't forget how long I've been in the States. I usually only get to run with my family once a year, and that's if I'm lucky."

That put the night in a different perspective for Seth: Becky hardly got to spend any time with her family, and here she was, sharing one of their most important days with him. He thought about offering to leave, but he forced himself to stay quiet. There were the obvious problems he would have—not having a ride, still needing a place to run—but he knew this meant as much to Becky as it did to him. "I just don't want to embarrass you," he said gently, kissing her after they had grabbed their bags. The others were already starting to disrobe, talking half-naked with their kin with nary a blushing face in sight. They were all in decent shape, but there was no shame shown about wrinkles or body hair or any other perceived imperfection. Caitlin might have whistled when Seth took off his pants, but then she blew Becky a kiss and hooted, "Cousin approved!"

"And now you know why I never brought my ex over to meet the family," Becky said with a slightly strained laugh. She was already naked, digging her toes in the grass to familiarize herself with the terrain again.

Seth crouched and started repacking his bag so his post-shift items were at the top. Many members of Becky's family were just leaving their clothing in piles, but Seth was used to being careful. He winked up at Becky and said, "So does that mean I'm the first?"

Becky made her eyes comically wide. "The first werewolf I've brought home? Yes."

Part of Seth had expected a pack to shift was one great unit, so he was surprised to see people shifting at random. Some took their time, reminding him of a cat's languorous stretch, while others transformed as quickly as a bubble popping. He recognized the energy of the change, though, and it had been heady enough when it was just him and Becky. Now with dozens of others feeling the same drive, singing the same song, it was almost transcendent. Without even thinking about it, he felt body start to melt into his wolf form and he caught glimpses of Becky doing the same. Dozens of howls lifted into the sky and then the ground shook with so many paws starting to run.