Disclaimer:
~Big thanks to Enemyoffun for making this universe to play in, and helping me hammer out some of the details in this chapter.
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
A very big thanks to my editor for helping with the edits.
Please comment on this, I enjoy reading your comments and learning from them immensely.

9 October 2011

I awoke with a start and in a cold sweat. I couldn’t remember what I had been dreaming about, but something freaked me out in my sleep. As I was breathing hard, I looked around the room I was in and saw that I was sleeping in Alex’s bed. The clock on her night stand read 12:28 AM.

‘Great,’ I thought, ‘I’ve only been asleep for a few hours.’

I saw Alex sleeping peacefully in a sleeping bag on the floor. I thought that it was nice of her to help me out like this. I flopped back down on the bed and stared up at the roof, as my thoughts started to drift.

I immediately began thinking about the note that was left for me here. Whoever they were, they knew more about me than I knew about them, and that made me feel very uncomfortable. It was like they were pulling my strings, trying to get me to jump through their little hoops. And, to top it all off, they wanted to meet at some statue of five tomorrow at dusk. Where the hell was that? I didn’t know of any statue like that in Ravencrest.

And then there was that cryptic clue about clan symbols at a great learning place. Wherever that was. I thought about the great learning and the only thing that came to mind was the university. I was told that there were other schools in town, but great learning probably meant the college, since there was no greater learning site in the town. Unless there was some ancient site that I didn’t know about.

I decided that I would wait until morning and then my thoughts turned toward my parents, and how they could keep a secret like this from this me. If I was some kind of supernatural creature, they should’ve told me years ago, or at least before I went off to college. I definitely would have to talk to them as soon as I could, to get some answers out of them. Maybe they knew what kind of were I was. If I was a were, then most likely one of them was a were as well.

I thought about sending them an email saying that we had to talk, since I don’t think they would give answers to a mysterious feminine voice over the telephone. I also didn’t know what Melissa had planned, or what her coven would do. But, she did say that she would back me up. The soonest that I could contact them would be later this morning, although I wouldn’t get a reply until about nine in the morning due to the three hour time difference between the West and East coasts of the country.

I looked out the window that the bed was under, and I could see the stars shining next to the nearly full moon. The sight of the night sky felt calming to me, and as I just stared up at the sky, I could feel myself drifting back off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning, and saw Alex come in wearing a bathrobe and a towel on her head. “Morning, sleepyhead,” she replied, seeing me awake. “Did you enjoy sleeping in my bed?”

I nodded, “It was definitely comfortable.”

She smiled. “The shower’s all yours. And then, after breakfast, we can hit the stores and find you some clothes.”

I groaned. I still wasn’t looking forward to going shopping for new clothes. I wasn’t too thrilled about taking another shower in this new body, but I didn’t think going around town smelling bad would work out very well.

“I put in a towel for you,” Alex commented, as she started picking out what she was going to wear today. “Don’t worry about taking a quick shower. Enjoy yourself.”

I sighed and made my way to the shower to get cleaned up. Before I closed the bathroom door, Alex called out, “We’ll save you some coffee.”

“Thanks,” I replied, as I returned to the business at hand.

The shower was still very nice, and I was grateful that Alex had laid out some clothes for me today. It wasn’t too difficult for her, considering that she had picked out my limited wardrobe, but I was still thankful.

After getting dressed, and wringing out my hair, I made my way down to the kitchen to get some coffee and breakfast. Alex and Cassie were both sitting at the table, each sipping some coffee.

“Good morning,” Cassie said. “Enjoy your first sleepover, even though you didn’t get the sleepover experience?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “thank you.”

“It was no problem at all. You and Alex have a lot to do today.”

“What?” I replied.

“Well, you need to buy a whole new wardrobe, since your male clothes no longer work for you anymore.”

“Oh. Right.”

“We’re going to hit Teen Scene, and get you what you need for right now. Later, we can go shopping for fun,” Alex explained.

“Shopping for fun?” I asked skeptically.

“Oh, yeah,” she replied with an evil grin.
Cassie and Alex both laughed while I went to grab some coffee. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

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

After a few hours, we finally ended up back in my apartment. There were so many bags that had to be carried in. We ended up buying so many clothes: summer clothes, winter clothes, underwear, bras, shoes, socks, and even a little black dress. I didn’t even want to think about that. Cassie ended up paying for everything. However, when I offered to pay her back, she just said not to worry about it. I smiled and thanked her again. She did say that she wanted to meet my parents when they eventually came out here.

I said that there was little chance of that happening, but she pointed out that it was not every day that their son became their daughter. I could only gape in awe at that realization. She just smiled knowingly, and told me that I should probably get a hold of them sooner rather than later.

Cassie said that they had to get going as her husband and son would be back this afternoon and that she had to get dinner ready for them. Alex said that she would stay and offer moral support when I talked to my parents. She also offered to help switch out my old clothes for the new ones. The old clothes would be on their way to the Goodwill.

I booted up my computer and sent a message to my home in California. The email would go to my parents email account. It read:

Hi Mom and Dad,
Doing well here in New York. School is alright at the moment. Can we talk soon? I’ve got some news that you’re going to want to hear. I’ll leave my Skype up so you can call. Busy day ahead of me.
Mike

It was short and sweet, but it would get their attention. I thought that it would be simpler that way, and not drop the bombshell that I was a were and a girl until I was actually talking with them. I didn’t want them to jump the gun and think that I was some nefarious person who had kidnaped their son.

We were packing up the last of my old clothes into boxes when I heard the Skype call come through on my computer. I took a deep breath, and hoped that this would go well.
I clicked the talk button on the program and typed into the chat, “Hi mom and dad.”

My mom, Diana, answered with her voice, “Not talking, Michael? And no video?”

I typed back, “My camera got knocked over when I was busy in my room today. I’m looking for it right now.”

“Okay,” my mom replied. “What did you want to talk about?”

I paused for a moment before typing, “Are you alone right now?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Your father is away on a business trip overseas.”

I typed, “Mom, what do you know about weres?”

“Weres?” she replied. “What are you talking about?”

“Mom…. Was there something that you didn’t tell me?”

I could her sigh. “Michael, you didn’t lose your camera did you?”

“No. I didn’t want to shock you though.”

“Turn your camera on right this second, Mister!” she practically yelled over the Skype call.

I sighed deeply, and turned the microphone and the video camera on. I saw surprise on her face when she got the images from my video feed. I said, “Hi, mom.”

The surprise on her face turned into anger and she venomously spoke, “Who are you and where is my son?”

“Mom, it’s me, Michael. Or Mikaela I should say now.”

“What’s going on? Why is my son playing such an infantile joke? I have half a mind to log off right now unless you don’t start talking in the next few seconds.”

I quickly racked my brain for the memory of something big that happened between me and my mother. The only thing that came to mind at the moment was an incident that happened in high school.

“I can prove that I’m your son. Or was your son.”

“I’m listening,” she said, crossing her arms and tapping her fingers against her arms. Her expression read, ‘This had better be good.’

“Remember when I came home one day in high school? I had just asked Joanna Watson to the prom, but she turned me down flat.”

“Everyone around here knows that. Michael could’ve told you that for some reason. Your point?”

“My point is that my mother, you, walked into my room when I didn’t come out for dinner that night, which was tacos. You came in and saw me crying my eyes out. I told you what had happened, and how Joanna had embarrassed me in front of everyone around when she rejected me, saying that she only goes out with basketball players and not nerds like me. You told me that there would be other girls out there that would like me for what I was, and to forget about Joanna, who was so stuck up. You then brought me some chocolate ice cream that was for dessert, and we put on one of my favorite movies, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.’”

My mom’s anger evaporated during my speech as she realized that no one would know about the entirety of that incident, except for the two of us.

“Michael?” she said in disbelief.

“Yeah, more or less.”

“What happened to you?”

“I was hoping that you could tell me. And what you know about weres.”

“Well,” she gulped. “I’m sorry, Mike. I had meant to tell you before you left for school. I just couldn’t do it though.”

“Tell me now, Mom, and it’s Mikaela now. Had to change my name, since I no longer looked like a Michael.”

“Well, your father and I, your biological father that is, are both weres from different clans. He never told me what clan he was from, since he disappeared shortly after you were born, and he told me that he was a were shortly before. I’m from a wolf clan. When you didn’t undergo your transformation after your 16th birthday, I began to wonder if you were not a were at all.

“The only other explanation was that you took after your father. And whatever animal he was.”

“So, I’m a werewolf?”

“Yes, unless you take after your father. Weres sometimes hybridize with each other if they can in nature, unless they would be incompatible species. If that was the case, then the offspring would be one animal or the other.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Is there any way to find out?”

“Just rumors,” she answered. “But, you should have had it happen already. Is there anything else that you should probably tell me?”

“First, does changing one’s gender involved in becoming a were?”

“No,” she replied. “I don’t think I’ve heard of an instance of that happening.”

“Then, how did I change teams?”

“I don’t know, I’m sorry sweetie. Have you got in touch with any Unseen there?”

“Yes, a few witches.”

“Okay…,” she replied.

“What?”

“Well, sometimes witches and weres don’t get along.”

“Okay, but the few I met seem nice.”

“Just be careful, Mikaela.”

“I will, Mom. If those goons would leave me alone.”

“Goons? What goons?”

‘Great,’ I thought to myself, ‘I forgot to tell her about those guys.’

“Before I became a girl, I found a ring in a box. I managed to open it and put it on. After I left work that day, I was chased through town and the forest by these crazy goons. I took a shower to shake off the bad feelings, but when I came out I was a girl. I called one of my few friends around here, and found out that she was a witch.”

“Who are these goons? Do you know?”

“We’re still working that out, Mrs. Williams,” Alex said, coming up from the background.

“And you are?”

“Alexandra Drake, a member of the witches, here in Ravencrest. My mother is a member of the Coven here.”

“Nice to meet you. Why is your Coven looking into this matter?”

“Because currently our Were Council is currently preoccupied with other matters, and they probably wouldn’t look into it since Mikaela is not a member of one of the families.”

“Okay. Well, that settles it. I’m going to be coming out there to help you out.”

“What?” I said shocked.

“NO ONE, and I mean no one, threatens my daughter and gets away with it.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We have a lot of work to do. And the most challenging would have to be helping you into womanhood.”

“Mom!”

“Relax, sweetie. I’ll see you soon. I have to clear it with work, but I don’t think they wouldn’t mind me going to go help my daughter out of a situation like this. I’ll see you soon, I have a lot of phone calls to make. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Diana turned off the Skype and I swiveled around in my chair.

“Well, that went well,” Alex commented, heading back over to my clothes.

“Yea, it did. I wonder if she’ll tell my dad.”

“So, why did your birth dad disappear?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Mom could never figure it out. From what she told me Steve came into her life when I was a few months old. He took on the job of being a dad and husband, and my mom never looked back.”

“Okay,” Alex said. She sealed up the last box and said, “I think we’re good to go now.”
I looked at all the boxes on the floor. I didn’t realize I had that many clothes. “Time to go to the Goodwill then, since Michael is gone.”

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

After dropping off all my old clothes at the Goodwill, we headed over to the comic book store. I was hoping that I would still be able to keep my job. Alex assured me that I would be able to keep my job, but I wasn’t as convinced. There wasn’t anyone in the store at the moment, since everyone was still in school. I saw Mr. Larson working behind the counter.

“I was wondering when I would be seeing you, Michael,” he said ominously.

“How did…,” I started.

“Know it was you? You have a very distinctive scent. You may be a girl now, but it’s still you under there, and Melissa came by earlier to tell me.”

“See,” Alex said, “I told you it would be alright.”

“And you know what I am?” I asked.

“A were? Yup, because I’m one.”

“What?” I said shocked.

“Yes, I’m a werewolf. I don’t go out as a wolf these days, ever since Tobias took over as head of the clan.”

“Clan?”

“I’m Tobias’ second cousin. He’s the head of the Locke family clan. One of the ruling clans of the town and the head of the Were Council.”

That fact perked up my ears.

“Do you think I could talk with him?”

“Why?”

Alex interrupted and said, “She needs to talk with the council about some things that concern the local political climate.”

“Okay,” he replied. “I can ask around, but I’m not promising anything. I think the Coven might be able to help more than one of the clan’s distant relatives though.”

“So…,” I started.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “you still have your job. I expect to see you tomorrow afternoon for your shift.”

“But…,” I started again.

“You get the day off to help you adjust to your new situation. Now, go have some fun.”

Alex must’ve led me out of the store, since I was in a daze for such luck. I don’t know where she was taking me, but I just couldn’t believe that my boss was a were all this time, and was giving me the day off to help me adjust.

I looked up into the sky as we drove and realized that it was close to dusk.

“Where are we going?” I asked Alex.

“Don’t you have an appointment to keep?”

“You know about that?”

She nodded. “Mom told me about it before we left and she told me to make sure that you got there, since the note sounded very ominous.”

“Thanks, Alex.” I replied.

“Don’t mention it.”

Alex drove in the direction of the school and said, “So, any idea where the Five are?”

“I was thinking that it might be the fountain of five animals outside the University Center at school.”

Alex thought about that and nodded. “That makes sense. I forgot that there were five animals on that fountain. And funnily enough, they represent each of the were clans in Ravencrest.”

“They do?” I asked, surprised.

“Yup. I don’t know much about the Were families, but I can tell you what I know.”

“Okay,” I said, eager to know more about the landscape around here.

“First, there are five clans that comprise the Were Council. The leaders of the council are the Lockes, who are wolves. Next up, you have Stiles, the cougars, Cordays, or bears, the McCormicks, or foxes, and finally the Harpers, who are the coyotes.”

“Okay,” I said, following her.

“They have been the ruling weres for as long as any can remember. They try to maintain order amongst the Unseen in the town, along with the Coven. Also, the council helps to deter turf wars between the clans. They used to have a lore keeper, but you know about that already.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to get more information from her.

“That’s all I know though. They have been pretty hush-hush about their current internal problems. They probably don’t want to get the Coven involved though.”

Alex pulled into the parking lot closest to the University Center, and we got out of the car. The two of us walked over to the fountain, looking out for whoever had sent the note to the Drakes house.

The water was flowing nicely through the fountain, and as I looked at it again, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something off about it. Probably had to do with that missing animal. A couple of Alex’s friends from school were outside, sitting at one of the tables enjoying a meal. They called Alex over, and she quickly said, “I’ll keep an eye out for you, don’t worry.”

I nodded and sighed, as I walked around the fountain, looking for whoever sent that message. I was getting tired, so I sat down at the edge of the fountain, near the wolf and coyote figures. The sound of the water flowing was very peaceful, and it helped in relaxing me.
I was staring at the figures for a while when a deep unfamiliar voice nearby said, “Enjoying the view?”

I whirled around and found a hooded figure sitting next to me, looking away from me. The cloak he wore looked old and worn, like it had been used for years. The jacket resembled what a private investigator would wear, except for the hood that he had pulled up. I tried to get a better look at his face, but he kept shifting so that I couldn’t quite get a look.

“Who are you and what do you want?” I asked, with a little panic in my voice.
“Calm down, were-with-no-clan. You don’t want to blow our cover to the Norms, now do you?”

“No,” I replied, but start talking.

“What I want, that’s quite simple. I’m here to tell you what you are. As to who, let’s just say, I’m someone who has a vested interest in the council staying in one piece.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see, in time.”

“So, what kind of were am I?” I asked, tired of the runaround that I was getting, and cutting straight to the point. I looked over at Alex, who was talking with her friends, but glancing in my direction every so often.

“You’re your mother’s daughter, as well as your father’s. Your mother’s form will reveal itself soon enough. As for your father’s, well, something has to happen first for that form to take to the wild.”

“When will I become a were?” I asked, turning back to the figure.

But, only empty space answered my question. I got up quickly and looked for the cloaked figure, but he was long gone. ‘What the hell was going on around here?’ I thought to myself.