I jumped back and exclaimed, "You're a werewolf too?!" Wolf growled and bared his teeth at Cassie.

"Easy, calm down," she said as her face returned to normal. "And keep quiet. Do you want your folks to hear?" I was still apprehensive. "Grady, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

"How can I trust you?"

"Grady, we've known each other for two months. I've taught you about your lycanthropy. Wouldn't it make more sense to attack you if you were vulnerable?"

I thought it over, then said, "Alright. I believe you. Down, Wolf." Wolf stopped growling, but still made an apprehensive gesture.

"Come on, let's go back to the Burrow. I'll explain on the way."

Wolf and I followed Cassie into Fever Swamp, careful to avoid Mom and Dad's trail cameras, and we spotted some of our deer along the way. "So, you're a werewolf, too," I asked. "No wonder you're so knowledgeable."

"Not a werewolf, werecat."

"Excuse me?"

"I told you. There are many different types of were-folk. I didn't get bit like you, Grady. I was born with the curse, though I consider it a blessing."

"Wait, born with it? How?"

"I got it from Mom. And she got it from Grandpa. And so on and so on. It came as a bit of a nasty shock from Dad when he found out, but he learned to live and love it. He likes to call it a furry problem. When we moved to Fever Swamp a couple years ago, we didn't know there'd be a rogue werewolf living in it." Cassie sighed. "I wish I knew it was Will the whole time instead of blaming it on the swamp hermit. Then again, I'm not surprised. People in the were-folk community tend to keep to themselves."

"Will was probably all alone in that old house of his from the start," I said. "No wonder he went wild. He was pretty good at hiding it. Wait, do your parents know about my...what did you call it? Furry problem?"

"Mmm...not yet. Although, knowing Mom, she'll probably figure it soon."

"Are there other were-folk I should know about?"

"Mmm...no." I could tell Cassie was hiding something, but before I could ask, she said, "We're here." We entered the Burrow and Cassie kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"You're good at taking down large prey, I want to see how good of a fighter you are against someone on equal terms," said Cassie.

"Uh..."

"What's wrong? Scared of getting beat by a girl?"

"N-No. It's just that I've never seen this side of you before. And I'm not scared of getting beat by you, I'm scared of hurting you. If your parents find out..."

Cassie smirked as her pupils changed to slits, red fur started to grow on her and her facial features became catlike. "Trust me. I can handle it. Don't be scared."

I took off my shoes and socks and could feel my snout expanding, my fur growing, and my fangs slipping through my lips as I said, "Alright." Wolf made a noise. "It's fine, Wolf. We're just pretend fighting, like WWE."

The two of us got down on all fours, circled each other, then charged. We locked arms and pushed into each other, neither one of us backed down. Then suddenly, she flipped me over her back and slammed me to the ground before pinning me to the ground. "Pinned ya," she giggled.

"Hey, let me up," I growled as I pushed her off. Then I tackled her and we rolled out of the Burrow. I landed on my back and she held me down.

"Pinned ya again," she said with a smile.

"Best three out of five," I asked.

I got pinned again. Don't ask what happened. It's too humiliating.

Somehow, I actually got the upper hand on Cassie the next round and got her onto her back, but then she pushed me off with her feet and I landed on my back. I got pinned again. "How are you so good at this," I asked as she helped me up. "You're pretty thin, even as a werecat."

Cassie and I changed back as she said, "Mom taught me. I know she's not really much at first, but she can tough when she's a werecat."

"So, how do you think I did," I asked.

"I think you're pretty strong, but you've got a lot to learn about fighting a fellow were-folk. Don't give me that look, Grady. You know I'm right." We put our shoes back on and Cassie asked, "So, are you ready for another round or do you want to explore the swamp some more? Or do you want to head back home?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind exploring some more. I'm pretty sure there are some parts we haven't been to yet."

The three of us made our way past the peat bog, then found Ezekiel's shack. We decided not to disturb him and walked past it. Then, after walking through a grove of trees, we found the bank of the river that connected to Fever Swamp. Cassie and I sat on a log and watched the sun begin to set over the trees, and we smiled. "I'm glad my family moved here, despite everything," I said. "Dad once said that I will be like the deer: learn how to adapt to a new environment and love it. He was right."

"It's nice to hear you say that," said Cassie. "I like hanging out with you."

Then suddenly, Wolf started barking. "Wolf, what's wrong," I asked.

"Grady, why is that log moving toward us," asked Cassie. I saw the log my eyes widened. "Alligator!" Cassie grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me back just as the alligator lunged out of the water. Then it went back into the water as Wolf barked at it. "Uh, you know what? I think I've had enough exploring for right now."

"Me too," I said.

The three of us quickly left the swamp and headed for my house. "After that, I just want to relax," I said.

"Me too," said Cassie. "Wolf's got the same idea." The dog plopped down on the grass. "I gotta get back home, anyway."

"Wait. You're not going to tell your family about me being a werewolf, are you?"

Cassie smiled. "My lips are sealed. But are you ready to tell your family?"

I made unsure look. "I don't know."

"Well, you better tell them sooner or later. You don't want them to find out at the worst moment."

"I'll try." The two of us went our separate ways and I found Mom and Dad eating at the dinner table. "Where's Emily," I asked them.

"She's hanging out with Clarice," Dad said. "I think this is the first time I've seen her so happy."

"She'll probably be happier if Martin moves in," I joked. "Which is unlikely!"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be," asked Mom as she went to answer it.

"Oh, no," I mumbled. "Did I jinx myself?"

But it wasn't Martin at the door. It was Dr. Flint.