A demonstration

Jess looked at him with puzzled eyes as he opened his pouch and took out the flash. Untying the belt of the robe, he let it fall around his waist, then flicked on the flash and willed himself to change.

It began almost immediately. A cramp struck his abdomen and he bent over with a groan, then fell to his knees as spasms convulsed his body. He was dimly aware of Jess reaching out to him, and Lyndsey holding her back, and then his vision blurred.

This time he made no attempt to stop the change halfway, letting it run its course until he lay panting on the floor. Sitting up, he turned to look at Jess cowering in the corner of the couch with Lyndsey's arms wrapped around her. Both women were wide eyed and trembling.

"I saw him change back to human after...when he was sleeping," Lyndsey murmured. "It was freaky, but this was worse. He was partly human before. He had hands."

"Hunter?" Jess quavered, her chin trembling as she struggled not to cry. "Talk to me, please Hunter. You're scaring me."

Hunter gave a soft growl and stood up, padding towards the two women.

"I don't think he can talk when he's like this," Lyndsey said. "He didn't before."

Hunter growled softly in what he hoped sounded like agreement, and padded closer. Jess was trembling as she watched him approach, the scent of her fear overpowering his nostrils. He touched her knee with his snout, then gave her thigh a gentle lick before looking up at her and giving her a wolfish grin. She whined, squirming in the corner of the couch, obviously terrified.