“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

John sighed, rolling his shoulders in a slight stretch as he let go of Tala’s hand. “Where do we start?”

Chase looked him over critically and the gamer tried not to stare at his ruined eye. “You’ve partially shifted, right?” Both teens nodded in response, making the older man smile. “Alright, have you fully shifted yet?”

“Yeah. A friend of mine had me run after… uh...” ’How much should I tell them about Emily and Mary? Better be careful.’ “...her cat around her yard. I guess trying to hunt it down made me shift?”

Nodding thoughtfully, the trainer looked at Tala. “You up for a run, kiddo?”

John heard her snort, and in the blink of an eye, there was a large grey wolf where the beautiful woman had just been. ’I didn’t even see it happen! Is it really that fast?’ He gaped at her, ignoring the chuckle from Chase at the expression that must’ve been on his face. ’Maybe Emily was right.’ Biting his lip, the gamer watched the wolf shake out her fur and stretch before loping a lazy circle around the two men.

“Alright, Tala,” Chase called. “No need to show off. Take the run easy so his human form can keep up. If he shifts, you can take off.”

She snorted, tail swinging from side to side as she turned her back towards the boys to wave her butt at them, making the older man sigh. “Teenagers, I swear… Ready, John?”

“Uh, yeah.” John gulped with a sudden wave of déjà vu.

“Hike!” Chase shouted, launching Tala through the tall grass of the meadow so only her tail and the tips of her ears were visible through the brush.

’Damn,’ the gamer swore to himself, stepping into an unpracticed jog after her. ’Why the hell do all video game protags have to be so damn active?’ His run was stilted, clumsy and slow, but he was actually able to run. Breathing was easier than even yesterday’s run, but only slightly, and he focused on the glimpses of grey he caught of his target.

Tala was obviously not going her full speed, he’d seen how fast the wolves could move when they were fighting in the woods, but he was thankful for the slower pace. Not watching his footing, John tripped on a bit of uneven ground and dove forward on pure instinct to roll instead of smacking face first into the dirt. Landing in a seated position, the stunned teen looked around at the grass in surprise. He shifted quickly to his knees and tensed when he heard footsteps approaching.

“Hey kid,” Chase called as he jogged lightly over, Tala’s wolf form right behind. “Nice catch. You alright?”

“Uh,” the gamer stammered, “yeah, I’m fine.” He stood, wiping the dirt from his knees with a slight smile. “Surprised myself a little, I guess. Don’t typically react that quick.”

“That’s a good sign.” The older man smiled. “Hopefully means you’re coming together with your inner wolf on good terms. Most pups take longer to adjust.”

The stone grey wolf that was nuzzling John’s hand as Chase pondered aloud stopped and growled, making the trainer laugh. “Yeah, yeah. I know he’s not a pup.” He waved his hand dismissively. “You know what I meant. I usually work with kids that are just learning to shift. I don’t usually get to work with an adult like this. It’s fun.” A huge smile took over his face and John couldn’t help but smile in response.

“Hey, I’m just glad I’m getting some help. I was a bit lost and Emily didn’t really know much to help me out,” John admitted.

“Emily?” Eyebrow raised, Chase looked from one teen to the other, Tala back to nuzzling John’s hand as he absentmindedly scratched behind her ears.

“Friend of mine. She runs a potion shop.”

“Ah!” Understanding dawned on the lycan’s face. “The witch. She’s a good one.” He nodded and smiled. “Alright, ready to try again?”

“Before we do, what are we actually trying to accomplish?” the gamer questioned.

Chase chewed the inside of his cheek a moment as he tried to think it over. “One of the tricks we use for the kids is we’ll let loose a rabbit and either hunting it down or perhaps running after it in play will encourage the wolf to come out. The rabbit always gets away,” he reassured the young man and John could feel the disgusted look on his face relax. “The young ones tend to be clumsy so they’ll trip over the extra feet or their tail will throw them off balance and they tumble around.” He smirked. “Much like you did, but they’re not as good at catching themselves.”

“That makes sense, but why are we using Tala instead of a rabbit?” John asked innocently, feeling his face heat up a bit at the even wider smirk the trainer gave him.

“Because you’re an adult and have other interests than a game of tag. Like chasing a different kind of tail instead of prey,” Chase said suggestively.

Ooh, I like this guy.

’Not you too…’ The gamer groaned, scrubbing his blushing face with his hands while the other two chuckled at him. Apparently Tala had returned to her human form to join in teasing him.

“I don’t mind you chasing me around.” She giggled.

“Yeah,” John sighed, “but with those, uh, ‘other interests’, I worry about the kid being around.” He glanced over to the area where the little girl was still playing in the grass.

Chase followed his gaze. “Ah, Trin? If you’d be more comfortable, I could send her back home. I just prefer keeping her where one of us can keep an eye on her.” His voice was soft.

’They’re really worried about the kids around here.’ Thinking about his concern as well as Dakota’s protectiveness of Tala, John couldn’t help but ask, “Are the Purifiers really that big of a risk to you guys?”

“They’re a risk to everyone. It’s not just our pack, but other creatures like us. Fey touched, blood drinkers, and mages have all had numerous losses. We’re being hunted for sport and trophy. Some of them say they’re trying to rid the human world of our kind, others are using parts of us like mad scientists to make themselves stronger.” Chase’s brow furrowed, deep creases of anger and worry aging his face.

John’s stomach rolled uncomfortably. “So that’s why people were so worried about how I called for your help and who I was.”

The other lycans nodded, Tala speaking up. “We’re all terrified we’re going to be next. I know my dad only has me on hunts because he knows if I don’t go out with him, I’d go out on my own because I’m stubborn like my sisters were.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t really understand before,” the nerd mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it. We don’t expect new people to know everything right on their first day.” Chase gave John’s shoulder a comforting pat as he spoke, chuckling a little. “We’re not monsters, after all.”

Tala snorted delicately, making John give a half smile.

“But,” the trainer acquiesced, “if it would make you more comfortable, and considering the circumstances, I can understand not wanting Trinity around while you’re working.” He gave a whistle and a moment later there was a much smaller wolf next to him. “Trin, we’re going to be out here working for a while. How about you head home and work on your homework and you and I can go meet Daddy Bly for lunch?”

John couldn’t help but smile as the pup had to stretch a little to bump her father’s hand with her nose before running off towards her house. The three watched her loping away and they all chuckled as she stumbled a little before getting inside.

Chase turned back to the teens with a confident smile, his hands on his hips.