The world passed by at a brisk pace, snowy trees becoming an endless smear out the window. Fresh snow pelted the windshield and was building up quickly on the roads. Lily sighed, leaning her cheek on her fist. This was not how she wanted to spend her night. She had homework that needed doing, people to text. Instead, she was going to the park with a total stranger where she would supposedly turn into a werewolf.

Yeah, right.

Why on Earth would her parents have agreed to this? What were they smoking, because there was no way they made this decision on their own. It was totally irrational to send their underage daughter off into the woods with a stranger they had only met once. And yet, there she was, on her way to that very place.

The pair up front were silent the entire drive, the one called Ada focused on the road while the other, Sam, gazed out the window. If Lily was tense, they were pulled taut. The silence was far from comfortable and Lily wished it would end already.

Ada pulled into a parking spot in the empty car park. The walkways had not been shovelled, so the entire expanse was a soft white pillow. It was a good thing Lily had worn her winter boots or her feet would have been absolutely soaked.

Was she seriously going through with this?

What was to stop her from leaving, really? She didn't owe either of them anything. Would her parents be mad? Probably not, right? They probably didn't want her there as much as she didn't want to be there, herself. She should just kick up a fuss and demand to be taken home. If they said no, she would call the cops and report a kidnapping.

Ada turned to Sam and murmured, "I'll be back in two hours, okay?"

"I'll try not to keep you waiting."

Lily squinted at the pair of them from the back seat. This was such a bad idea. She just wanted to go home and get into bed. She had school in the morning, after all. At this rate she was going to be exhausted and rushing to finish her homework on the bus before class.

"Shall we?" Sam turned in her seat and smiled at Lily, though it wasn't convincing. She was nervous.

"I guess."

Lily zipped her jacket up as high as it would go and got out into the bitter evening. She hated winter, it was too cold and damp and everyone was always miserable. She couldn't wait for spring to come around again. Snow crunched under her tall boots and she slammed the door shut behind her.

Sam was hardly taller than she was. Her ginger hair was loose, trailing below her hips in loose waves that seemed natural. The wind picked up the tendrils and cast them around her face, and she had to fight to remove them. Sam bent at the waist and waved to Ada before righting herself.

"Let's find somewhere quiet."

Sam led the way into the park, making big steps to clear a trench through the deep snow. Lily followed in her footsteps as best she could to avoid packing snow into her boots and soaking her jeans and socks. The streetlights were on along what would normally be the trail, lighting up most of the park for them. They passed the snow-covered play structure, the buried swing set, the skate park, and kept on going until the streetlights were in their wake.

"I know it sounds crazy," Sam began without looking back from her path. "But this is going to happen. I can tell. Please just trust me and go along with what I tell you, all right? It's for your sake."

Lily squinted at her back. "If you say so."

"It sounds insane, especially in this weather, but you're going to want to take off your clothes for this. When you change, your body is going to tear through them and you'll have nothing to wear home."

"No way."

This got Sam's attention. "I'm serious. You're going to blow through your clothes."

"I'm not stripping naked in the middle of the park."

"You'll be sheltered. Trust me, it will be much worse to have to head home without clothes than to just bite the bullet."

Lily liked the way the phrase rolled off her tongue, what with her thick accent. Bite ze bullette she said. It made her want to chuckle, but she stopped herself. Not only was it rude, she didn't want Sam to think she was growing on her.

"We'll see."

Sam stopped before a cluster of trees and glanced around them. "This should do fine. I'll be just through there,"—she pointed a bit further down to another cluster of trees—"if you need anything. Just shout and I'll come running."

"All right, so what do I do?"

"Just get on your hands and knees and wait. The change will come on its own. Don't fight it, it only makes it worse."

"How can I tell it's starting?"

"You'll get this sort of tension in the middle of your chest, your skin will ripple, and your hair will start to retract. Then the proper transformation will begin."

Sam bit her lip like she wanted to say more but stopped herself. Lily frowned. This all sounded totally insane. There was no way this was anything but a colossal joke.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just give me a shout if you need me, okay? For anything."

She wandered off then, already working her jacket off her shoulders as she went. Lily watched her go until she was gone. Should she go into the trees? Should she go back, walk home? What if Sam was right about all of this? No, she couldn't be. Werewolves were fairy-tales. She was going to kneel there like a fool waiting for nothing to happen all because some crazy stranger told her to.

Whatever, there was no better way out of this than to go along with it. The walk back would take an hour at least, and it was too cold for her liking. She would get this farce over with and go home vindicated.

There was a small clearing between the trees, no wider than she was tall. Lily stood around feeling stupid for far too long. The urge to go home was overpowering. Above, a slice of the full moon was visible around the tip of one of the trees. As she stared, an odd feeling began to swell from within her chest. Small and subtle at first, so much she didn't notice it until a slow ripple began over her sternum. Lily pressed her hand to the area to soothe it, but jerked back. Something was moving.

Lily ripped open her coat and pressed her palm over her chest. Her skin rippled steadily beneath it, just like Sam had warned. No way, this was not happening. There was no way in Hell she was right about this. And yet, the ripple was undeniable, as was the tightness in her chest. Her joints began to ache from the inside out, like they all needed to crack but wouldn't.

Without further hesitation, Lily began to remove her clothing and cast it onto her coat. If Sam was right, somehow, then she didn't want to be travelling naked. Besides, she was alone, no one could see her, right? She glanced around the small space and saw nothing amiss, but it didn't quell her anxiety.

All at once, Lily lurched to her knees, a cry flying to her lips as at last a crack came. It was followed shortly by a wave of searing pain from her knees. This time, she did cry out. It choked off quickly, though, as a fresh wave of pain overwhelmed her. One by one, her joints popped and cracked, then began a horrible shifting beneath her skin. Her vision went white, then black. She fell onto her hands next, misshapen blobs before her bleary eyes.

Holy shit, was this really happening? Had someone spiked her? Was she tripping? She had no frame of reference, but it seemed a possibility. This couldn't be happening, not really. This was all a cruel joke, a trick.

Fire spread through her body and her consciousness became hazy. Everything progressed in a blur. Her bones moved, her skin itched from head to toe, everything about reality felt entirely wrong. She just wanted it to be over, to be home, safe, in her bed, annoyed with her parents like everything was normal.

But things were not normal, not at all. Lily opened her eyes at last on glittering snow before a pair of fuzzy brown paws. They flexed when she tried to move her fingers, shifted beneath her when she tried to lift herself from the ground. Her belly was soaking wet, snow melting steadily beneath her. Lily rose to a shaky sit, panting heavily, and took in her surroundings.

The trees were bright and defined in the dim lighting. The moon overhead had moved into the open, casting brilliant white light upon her. The snow glittered all around her where it wasn't disturbed by her apparent thrashing. When she looked down, she caught sight of more brown fur and those paws again, pressed firmly into the snow to keep her upright.

Movement drew her attention to the side, where she had entered the clearing. There sat a brilliant russet wolf, enormous and elegant, gazing upon her with relief apparent in her humanoid eyes. She huffed, tail flicking in the snow. What was that in her eyes? Pride? Satisfaction? It was hard to tell.

So Sam had been right. This was real. Lily had indeed transformed into a wolf, just as Sam apparently had. Her warm eyes were easy to regognise despite her drastically altered appearance. Lily couldn't tell if she was relieved or horrified by her new reality. Werewolves were real. She had turned into one, just as Sam had said she would.

Sam got to her feet and sauntered over, sniffing Lily's shoulders, neck, and back. Lily didn't move. She didn't know what to do with herself. She was still in shock from the agonising transformation she had undergone. Sam hadn't told her her very bones would break in the process. She probably didn't want to scare her. Still, Lily was a bit pissed by it; a warning would have been nice.

Tired of all her sniffing, Lily got to her feet and stretched deeply, shoulders popping. Sam gave her space to explore her new form. Lily put a tentative foot forward, then another, getting a feel for walking on all fours. It was a bit confusing until she realised she was overthinking it. When she let her instincts take over, she moved with ease.

Sam swung her head in a beckoning motion, then trotted off out of the clearing. She led the way for a little while, but kept turning to glance over her shoulder. They made their way out of the park, cautiously crossing the highway to head for the forest across the way. In this form, snow was no obstacle. Lily moved through it with all the ease of walking across her bedroom on two legs. The cold under her pads was soothing rather than painful.

The forest was alive with activity. Night life was in full swing. Lily was surprised to find she could see clear as day in the total darkness of the forest. She could make out tree trunks in full detail, spot owls puffed up in their branches. She even saw a fox make a dash for a door mouse. Her amazement lasted until Sam came to a stop, snapping her from her reverie.

Sam gestured for Lily to take the lead. Elated, Lily did just that. She started at a leisurely trot so she could examine the new world around her. She had never spent much time in the woods, what with her frail constitution. She felt none of that now. Her lungs were clear and working beautifully, her chest free of pain and tension. She felt like a whole new person. Or, perhaps a whole new wolf.

After a while, Lily wanted to put herself to the test. Her muscles were itching to move, to burn. She began a light run, then a full run, and then an all out sprint. Sam was right on her tail the whole time, keeping up with ease. Lily didn't care. Her body was singing from the exertion like she had never known before.

Still, she knew better than to push her luck. After a short time she slowed back to a trot, panting heavily, endorphins rushing through her system. She could get used to this, that's for sure.

It was amazing how easily she traversed the woods. Scree and shrubs were no obstacle for her long legs, and trees were nothing more than a slight inconvenience as she dodged them with grace.

Lily lost all track of time. She was too busy taking in all the excitement that came with her new form. It wasn't until Sam yipped that she noticed how much time had passed. She knew before Sam gestured that it was time to go back. Lily sighed but turned around nonetheless. Even without their footprints to follow, Lily found she was able to pick up their scents without even putting her nose to the ground. She recognised Sam's scent at once, and assumed the other must be her own. It was slightly musty and earthy, with a note she couldn't quite place.

The trip back felt twice as fast as the trip out, and Lily found herself disappointed to see the highway once more. She led the way back to the park, back to her clearing, and was surprised to find herself alone when she turned. Sam was nowhere to be seen. No matter. It was time to change back.

Shit, how did she do that? Sam hadn't said. Would it happen on its own? Did she have to concentrate on it? Summon the change somehow? Panicking, Lily crouched down and did her best to summon the urge to shift back. Nothing happened. She tried harder, like she was trying to manifest a wish that would never come true, which seemed about as hopeless.

Eventually, there came a soft ripple in her chest. Lily gasped, and the sensation went away. She cursed and tried to will it back. A few minutes later, it returned, steadily pulsing outward across her skin. She began to itch all over, to ache from within, and relief bathed her before dread set in. It was time for her bones to break again. Oh no.

The shift back wasn't as bad, perhaps because she knew what to expect that time. Lily lay on her side in the snow for a long while, relishing the bite of ice against her flaming skin. Eventually, though, the cold began to get to her, so she got to her shaky feet and struggled into her clothes.

Sam was waiting where they had parted when they first arrived, concern painting her face. It melted away in an instant, and she offered a warm smile. She uncrossed her arms and took a few steps closer.

"I was starting to worry," she explained.

"I'm fine. That was insane."

She smiled. "I know, right? It never stops being that exciting. I still get a rush when I run. How do you feel?"

"Great, actually. Better than ever."

"That's good. I have so much to teach you about us, so much to explain."

"Like what?"

Sam gestured for Lily to follow. "Well, for one, we have advanced healing. You'll heal faster if you get injured, or sick."

"Is that why I feel so good now?"

"Maybe, it's hard to say. You're a bit of an anomaly."

"How come?"

They had reached the parking lot, where a lone car sat idling. Sam didn't wait and made her way toward it as though she hadn't heard the question. Lily hastened to follow.

"I'll explain it to you sometime, I promise." Sam popped her door open before offering a smile. "I promise, I'll answer all your questions as best I can."

"Okay."

Lily folded herself into the back seat, grateful for the warmth that seeped into her coat. Sam leaned across the gap and pressed a kiss to Ada's cheek. As Ada grinned, Lily gaped. They were together, that made sense. Still, the sudden affection took her by surprise.

"How did it go?" Ada asked as she put the car in reverse.

"Great, she's a natural."

Lily blushed. She didn't like people talking about her, especially in front of her like that. She longed to shrivel up and die.

"That's great. Let's get you home, it's late."

The drive home was short by comparison. The light spilling from the curtained windows seemed unfamiliar, as though it was from a different lifetime. Lily barely recognised herself now. Would her parents?

"Thanks," she said, and hurried out into the cold before they could embarrass her further.

"We'll talk soon," Sam called.

Lily made her way up the steps and sighed. Back to her normal life, her overbearing parents. Back to homework and school. How could she possibly go back to that knowing what she now knew? Knowing what she was capable of? She didn't know, but she would have to figure it out.