"Stop wobbling! You look like a newborn puppy."
"Well excuse me, but I've never run on four legs before!"
"Will both of you shut up?" Zane snarled at them. "We're here."
Lloyd looked up to see an old trailer. It was dented and dirty and looked like it hadn't seen a car wash in years.
"Admiring the detail?" Kai asked when he saw Lloyd's shocked face. "It's old but it's home."
"Come inside," Zane said. "But first..." He immediately did what Lloyd never thought he'd see. The white wolf turned into a human right before his eyes. Then Kai did the same. Lloyd was speechless.
"Well? Aren't you gonna do the same?" Zane asked.
"Uh-Well-" Lloyd stammered, "I've never done it before. How do I-"
"Just picture your human self, concentrate real hard, and it'll happen." Kai explained. "It's not hard."
That's easy for you to say. You've been doing it your whole life, Lloyd thought. But he decided to give it a shot. He closed his eyes and gave two heavy breaths. He thought of his human form and concentrated on it. He suddenly felt like he was getting taller. When the felt it stop, he opened his eyes to see he was in his human form again. "Huh. So it was that easy, huh?"
"Everyone has trouble with it at first, but you get better as you do it more." Zane said.
"Not me," Kai bragged. "I was always great at it. Ever since I was a pup."
"Lying will get you nowhere Kai," Zane grinned, and Kai shot him an annoyed look. Lloyd didn't want to admit how funny these two were becoming.
"Now come inside," Zane continued, "we have much to discuss."
Zane opened the door and gestured them to walk inside. When Lloyd stepped inside, he was surprised how different it was from the outside. It was clean, smelled nice, and was also bigger on the inside.
"Sit, please," Zane gestured to the kitchen table, and Lloyd did so. As did Kai. "Now Lloyd. Please explain more from what you were telling us before."
"Well, it's not that easy. I-"
"What's going on?" A voice piped up. Everyone turned to see Nya limping out of her room. When she got to the doorway she stopped and flinched at the sight of Lloyd. She looked confused, but her expression quickly turned to anger. "Who's this?! Why is this human here?! Zane, I swear-"
"No, it's not what you think," Zane held up a hand. "Sit down; everything will be explained."
After a while of explaining, Nya's expression softened, but she still looked defensive, like she could leap at Lloyd and rip his throat out at any minute. "Fine," she eventually said. "I don't feel like hearing anymore, I'm tired." She limped back into her room without another word.
"Sorry," Kai said. "She doesn't trust people easily."
"I can see why," Lloyd said. "She thought I was a human at first. She looked ready to kill me. She's definitely your sister, Kai," he joked.
"You know what, I say the same thing all the time," Zane laughed.
"Alright, alright, enough about me and my family relations," Kai said. "Kid, you were saying?"
"Uh, yeah, right. So my mom's not a human-wolf, and she never said my dad was. She also didn't say he wasn't."
"Do you have any other family?" Zane asked.
"Only my uncle, but I've never met him. He lives really far away."
"Do you know what he looks like?"
"Yes, I've seen him in pictures. But like my father, I don't know him very well. I've never met my father either."
"Don't you have pictures of him?"
"No. My mom got rid of all of them."
Kai blinked. "Huh. I find this both interesting and confusing."
"You would," Zane grinned.
Kai glared at him. "One more crack like that Zane and I'll-"
"ANYWAY," Lloyd decided to interrupt that, "how do all these questions help me?"
Zane sighed. "Well, it answers one thing."
"Let me hear it."
"You have to go to your mother and ask about your father and uncle. Everything about them."
Lloyd flinched. "What? But I've done that so many times! She's never given me a clear answer!"
"Then tell her what happened tonight. I know what you're thinking," Zane interrupted when Lloyd opened his mouth to protest, "you don't want to. Well let me tell you, it's the best thing to do. Trust me. Telling her that will make her listen closer and finally open up more."
"I would do it," Kai implied. "I would take Zane's advice. I know it doesn't sound like a good idea at first, but trust me, it'll work."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes at Kai. "And what makes you so sure?"
"Because Zane's advice always helps. Trust him."
"Kai, flattery is just like lying. They both get you nowhere." Zane grinned.
Kai waved a hand. "Eh, just take the compliment. Anyway Lloyd, if you want my advice-"
"Ok, take Zane's advice, got it!" Lloyd interrupted quickly.
"That's what I like to hear," Zane smiled. "Will you stay for dinner?"
Lloyd looked at their kitchen wall clock. 1pm. "No, I should get home. It's late and god forbid my mother wakes up and wants to check on me and I'm not there and-"
"Ok, we get the point," Kai waved a hand at the door. "Go home."
"What Kai means to say is," Zane started, "we understand, and be careful getting home. And Lloyd?"
"Yes?"
"Remember to talk to your mother. Don't just tell me you will. Actually do it."
Lloyd's eyes widened. He hadn't seen Zane this serious and he only knew him for a little while. It was terrifying. "I will. I promise."
"Good," Zane smiled and nodded. "And Lloyd, come back tomorrow and tell us how it went, ok?"
"As long as Kai's sister doesn't try to kill me."
"Eh, I'll make sure to hold her back." Kai shrugged.
Zane sighed. "What he means is, yes we'll make sure Nya doesn't hurt you. Don't worry."
For the first time he was around them, Lloyd smiled. "Ok. See you tomorrow then."
"Goodnight, Lloyd." Zane said, and Kai simply waved.
Lloyd nodded and walked out of the trailer, closing the door behind him. He was only a few steps away when Zane's voice called out to him, making him jump. "Lloyd!"
"What?! Don't do that!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to tell you one more thing. Walk through the forest in your wolf form. It's safer. Any wild meat-eating animal will see you as tasty prey if you walk around in your human form. Be careful."
Lloyd's eyes widened and he gulped. "Yes sir."
"Goodnight then." Zane smiled and nodded, closing the door.
Lloyd sighed. That guy had no idea how much he scared him. Lloyd thought for a minute. How does he go into his wolf form? He assumed like the way to get into his human form, only the other way around. He pictured himself in his wolf form, concentrated on it, and felt himself shrink. When he opened his eyes, he had a tail and four legs. He did it.
Lloyd smiled. He felt pretty proud of himself. He was getting the hang of this. He began walking back through the peacefully still forest. It was beautiful. The only sounds he could hear were cricket's chirping and the occasional owl hoot.
I'm getting pretty good at walking like this. Let's try running, Lloyd thought. He knew it was risky, but hey, he wanted to impress his new friends tomorrow with something.
That made him pause and think. Friends. He'd never had any before. Now he had some. He smiled. He only hoped the others felt the same way about him.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Gotta focus. He started easy. He padded quickly to gain speed. Good so far. And after two minutes of doing that, he began to walk faster. And eventually he was doing it.
I'm running! I'm running on four legs! Wow! This is amazing! I'm twice as fast on four legs then I am on two! Lloyd was so overjoyed by his accomplishment, he didn't realize he was being followed. It seemed like time stopped when a strange figure leaped out from the bushes beside him.
Lloyd gasped in surprise. He was only out here by himself for a little bit, and now he was about to be attacked (or worse, killed) by another animal. And he had just made friends too. He had to think quick. Quick enough to outsmart his attacker.
To be continued...
