Page 51 of Campfires & Canines
"Of course, why wouldn't you have a magical healer?" I joke.
She shrugs. "I don't know about magic or not, but she's great with fixing people up. We heal faster than humans and we respond better to natural remedies like herbs and stuff like that. That's what she is good at."
"Makes sense. Slate wasn't even bleeding last night by the time she checked him out."
"Hungry?" She asks, leading me towards Crickett's diner.
We grab plates and tacos with various toppings. I devour my first taco, savoring the spicy beef filling. Crickett is incredible. It's impossible to stay upset with food in my stomach and a sunny day with a friend. Things seem much better already.
I think about the people I've met and what their jobs seem to be. "What about the twins?
"Oh, same as they said." She sips her drink. "Cedar is a gardener, and Onyx is the mechanic's assistant. Everyone else has normal jobs."
"Normal, except you turn into wolves?" I shoot back, a smile tugging at my mouth.
"You're stuck on that part, aren't you?" She teases.
"I think that's very reasonable," I argue.
Two matching figures slide onto the benches beside us.
"I heard you're in the know now." Onyx grins, brushing his dirty blonde hair off his forehead.
"How are you handling everything, Hazel?" Cedar's blue eyes are concerned.
"It's starting to sink in, I think. Not completely freaking out anymore." I appreciate their friendship so much at this moment.
"Anything else we can do to help?" Onyx raises his eyebrows.
"Any questions?" Marigold presses.
Everything about this experience is strange. A whole new world has opened up, one I had no idea existed. Now that I've had time to process, I'm curious about the actual transformation. Shifting, they've been calling it.
"How often do you do the wolf thing? Do you have to change at the full moon? Is there a limit?" I blush, the questions tumbling out of me. It feels too personal to ask.
"We can shift whenever we want to. It's a little tiring, but not too bad," Marigold explains. "Not something you'd want to do several times in the same day though."
"The moon being full makes our urge to shift somewhat stronger, but we are still in control," Cedar adds.
Marigold scrunches her nose. "You know how kids get kind of crazy at the full moon? We feel everything more severely too."
"Okay, is it instantaneous? Or does your body, like, morph and change?" I chew my lip. Way to get even more intimate.
"Oh, totally instant. Can you imagine? That would suck." She laughs.
"One more question. I'm so sorry," I preface, my face burning. "What's up with the whole sweatpants and no shirt thing?"
Onyx barks out a laugh. "Clothes don't change with us. Unless you want to be all tangled up, you’ve got to strip. We can kind of leap out of our sweats at least."
"I might need to see that," I joke, picturing pants falling around a wolf's ankles. It sounds more like a cartoon.
"I'll take my pants off for you any time," he flirts.
"Careful, Onyx. Slate will definitely rip your throat out now," Marigold warns, voice low.
I look between them, mouth open but silent.
Cedar tilts his head. "Are you and Slate-"
