Fog
by: Ismira Daugene
Chapter 6: Transformation
"You need to relax," Sherlock said as he put his violin away, snapping the latches on the case.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to bloody relax when I'm going to be turning into a bloody wolf within the hour," John grumbled as he paced the floor.
Sherlock set the case next to his music stand by the window and came over to intercept John's pacing. Two strong hands grabbed hold of John's upper arms, holding him still. "Listen to me, John," he said staring down at his mate. "You need to relax. I would command you, but it would be false. Your mind would still be racing."
John stared up at the man before him and tried to jerk out of his grasp, but the hands only tightened. "Let go of me," he growled, and surprisingly his voice actually sounded more wolf like.
However Sherlock didn't let him go. Instead he surprised the short blond man by wrapping his arms around the smaller body and tugging him close. John was pressed up against Sherlock, breathing in his scent and feeling his body heat. "What are you doing?" he asked tugging a little against the hold.
"Hugging you. Studies have shown that hugging someone has multiple benefits including building sense of safety and trust, boosting oxytocin levels, lifting serotonin levels, and relieving tension in the body," Sherlock explained scientifically, all the while keeping a tight hold on John.
And indeed John could feel himself relaxing into the hug. There was something about the warmth of Sherlock's body pressed against his and how the pressure against his sternum was comforting and made him feel safe. While he had been in Afghanistan, he'd learned from a mystic about chakras. He could recall the mystic saying that hugging activated the Solar Plexus Chakra, which in turn activated the thymus gland making your body produce more white blood cells and improving your immune system. A healthy Solar Plexus Chakra resulted in a confident person who felt in control of their life.
John wasn't sure if everything the mystic said was true, but he did feel a little better now. His heart wasn't beating so fast and the nervous flutter in his stomach had quieted. Surprising himself, his arms lifted and wrapped around Sherlock returning the hug. They stood like that for a while. John wasn't sure how long, but the longer they remained, the more he could feel his nerves settling. Eventually, Sherlock leaned back and looked down at him. "Better?"
John nodded. "Can you go over the transformation process again?" Sherlock had attempted to explain it to him when they'd gotten back to Baker Street, but he'd been too nervous to pay attention.
His mate nodded and led John to sit down on the couch. He kept physical contact with his mate the whole time and when they were both seated, Sherlock took hold of John's hand and wrapped his fingers around. "Being born a werewolf, I can't really tell you what my first transformation was like. However I can describe what you can expect based on other's accounts published in journals. It seems to be common that the first transformation can be painful. However it's less so if the individual is relaxed and accepting of it. It happens quickly, within the span of a minute or two. You can expect to be dizzy or confused once the transformation is complete, but it will pass. Those who went through the transformation alone described a sense of dread and anxiety. However I will be here with you. I imagine that the reason they felt as such was because of the nature of the wolf. They yearn to be in a pack with others. If they are alone it can result in both physical and psychological detriment."
John nodded along with Sherlock's explanation. He could feel his nerves fluttering up again, but they settled down when Sherlock squeezed his hand and pressed against him. "So how should we do this?" John asked.
"I find it best to be sitting or laying down when you transform. You might want to lie down on the floor though. It'll be easier for the first time."
John nodded and glanced at the clock. Sunset was only a few minutes away, so he slipped off of the couch to sit on the floor and lie down in front of the fireplace. Sherlock followed, sitting cross-legged nearby, still holding John's hand. "Remember to remain calm, John. You're going to feel some discomfort as your body changes, but try to push it to the back of your mind and focus on breathing regularly."
John nodded and let out a long breath as he closed his eyes. He could feel a kind of tingling across his skin, but that could just be nerves. However when he felt a squeezing sensation in his abdomen, he knew the change had begun. It wasn't painful at first, just uncomfortable. He could feel his organs moving around inside him and changing. It was when his bones started to change shape that the pain kicked in. He let out a started gasp as pain ricocheted through his chest and back. He kept his eyes closed though and tried to focus on breathing evenly.
The pain lessened a bit, but then seemed to ratchet up a notch again. This time it was all over. Every single muscle in his body sung with pain and a howl left his lips at the excruciating feeling. He heard a low whine next to him, but it didn't really register through the pain. Gasping, he opened his eyes finally only to see that everything looked different. He could still see color, but things were different. There were no reds or greens. Instead they were shades of blue, yellow, brown, and grey.
Looking over to Sherlock, he instead saw a black wolf lying on his belly, his head on his outstretched paws. A whine left the black wolf and it shuffled closer to John. John tried to reassure it, to let it know that he was okay now, but all that came out was a grumble from deep in his throat. At this, the black wolf rose and practically lay on top of John, licking his face and neck. The heat from the other wolf felt good against his sore muscles.
After a few minutes, Sherlock got off of John and nudged him into standing up. John did so carefully, first sitting up, and then moving to all four paws. He was unsteady and unsure of how to coordinate all four at once, but Sherlock was there beside him, supporting him. They walked around the flat a little until John felt more comfortable moving on his own, then Sherlock sat down beside the fireplace and watched as John moved around the flat by himself, taking in the different scents and imprinting them to his memory as "home".
"Yoo hoo!" a woman's voice called out from the front door. "Brought some food up for you dears," an elderly woman wearing a purple floral dress appeared carrying a tray of rare steak. "Mind it's only just this once. Not your housekeeper."
John skittered away from the woman into the kitchen, but Sherlock was calm and flashed her a grateful look. "Oh dear, hasn't met me yet, has he?" she asked of Sherlock despite his inability to answer. "Mrs. Hudson, dear," she introduced herself to John who was peeking out from behind the kitchen table. "No need to be afraid. I'm Sherlock's landlady."
This surprised John and he found himself moving closer to the kind-faced woman. He didn't think that a werewolf elite would lower himself to renting from a little old lady. Though Sherlock didn't really fit the pattern of regular elites in many ways. John found himself standing before Mrs. Hudson now. She smiled, but didn't touch him at all. "I'll just leave you two alone then. Time for my herbal soother anyway. Come visit when you're human again," she said before exiting the flat and going back downstairs.
John turned to Sherlock, but the black wolf was examining the tray with two rare steaks on it. He sniffed both of them before turning to John. There was a sense in the back of John's mind that Sherlock wanted him to come, and he wondered if that was how the Dominant commands came through in this form? Sherlock nudged the tray a bit and John bent to sniff at one of the steaks. He usually took his meat medium well done, but these smelled delicious and he found himself tearing into the steak with enthusiasm. Sherlock looked on with approval and joined him a moment later.
After both wolves had finished, John felt a bit restless. He felt the urge to run and chase, but there was hardly any room in the flat to do so. However his eyes fell on Sherlock and a grin split his muzzle. The black wolf was watching his mate curiously, but didn't quite expect it when the blond wolf lunged at him. John hit Sherlock and knocked him to the ground, but a second later, the black wolf was out from under him and running into the kitchen.
John took chase with enthusiasm, scrabbling against the smooth floor as he rounded the table and raced back into the living room. The black wolf zipped around the coffee table and through the door into his room. John sped after him, but was efficiently tackled to the ground after entering Sherlock's room. Unlike John, the black wolf knew fighting tactics in this form and was able to pin the blond wolf down. However unlike Sherlock, John had been in the army and put to use his basic training in close combat.
He was able to kick out and break free, scrambling back out into the living room. Sherlock wasn't deterred though and tackled him again in front of the fireplace. This time he was prepared when John tried to kick out, and placed his teeth against the other's throat. John fell still at that and Sherlock let out a happy bark at winning the game.
John grumbled a bit, but was soothed when Sherlock settled over him and began to clean his muzzle and face. John let him, suddenly feeling tired after their romp through the flat. It seemed Sherlock was content to clean his mate, and John soon found himself falling asleep thanks to the soothing attentions of his mate and the warmth cast out from the fireplace.
Author's Note: Hey everyone! This one is just a whole lotta fluff! Anyway, I hope you like it. I'm currently working on chapter 7, which should be done in time for update next week. TTFN!