Mary McCann, senior editor of the college paper, was sickened by the big stir that the newest member of the newspaper staff had caused. They had sent Grace Charnow out to do a story on the local Wolf Conservatory that was in danger of being shut down. Somehow Grace had managed to turn all the controversy around – even Mayor Landis, who was leading the effort to shut the Conservatory down, had mysteriously been converted to a wolf-lover. He was now involved in countless animal-welfare programs around the state.

What was so great about this stupid wolf-place? Mary had nothing against wolves, but she wasn't really into them either. She hadn't thought little mousy freshman Grace was either, but ever since the printing of Grace's article, the young reporter had blossomed, becoming well-loved by the newspaper staff as well as the other students. She spent much of her free time at the Wolf Conservatory giving speeches, classes, and God-knew what else.

And now Mary intended to find out what all the fuss was about.

Mary swept her hand across her forehead, swiping away her nearly-black bangs. It was exceptionally hot, even for late June. As she and sorority sister Ashley stood with a crowd listening to a woman drone on about wolves, she wished she had taken her boyfriend Mack up on his suggestion to skinny-dip in the lake. Mack was really into this, for some reason. Mary figured it was to show off his perfect physique, but she had no problems with that. She was pretty proud of her own slim, very female figure.

The tour had brought them to a shady area in the woods. Tour guide Ann had led them to a rock, pointing out that one of the wolf matriarchs, Lika, liked to rest here. Apparently Lika had recently had pups, which the Conservatory was very proud of as red wolves like Lika were extremely endangered.

Following the group, Mary marveled at how many people had shown up for a tour of the facility. Yes, Ann's narration was interesting, but the crowds of people that were lining up to be guided around the woods had become staggering. It just did not make sense.

Suddenly there was a stir amongst the spectators, and several of the women held back shrieks of excitement. “A wolf!” cried a young boy nearest to her.

“Look, it's a real one!” Ashley gasped. Surprisingly enough, Ashley was actually relatively bright, but she was so scatterbrained it often came off looking quite the opposite.

“Ah,” Ann smiled to them, her finger against her lips to quiet everyone down. “This is Gracie, named after one of our volunteers. She's very gentle, and it looks like she wanted to get a glimpse at you guys. She's pretty tolerant of people.”

The beautiful red wolf crept out from behind a rock. It made eye contact with Mary, seated itself on its back legs, and then winked at her.

“What the hell?” Mary murmured, but the wolf bounded playfully off.

“Bye, Gracie,” Ann called after her cheerfully. “Thanks for the visit!”

Mary gaped after the animal.

“Did you see it? It was beautiful!” exclaimed Ashley.

Ann quietly inquired of the reporter, “Are you okay?”

It took a moment for Mary to register that she was being spoken to. “Uh...yes?”

Ann scrutinized her, and Mary felt the need to continue to speak. “It's weird, but...I swear that wolf winked at me.”

“Come on, Mary,” Ashley jeered in a low voice.

But an unidentifiable expression floated across the tour guide's face. “You never know. She just might have.”

***

Grace puffed through the woods. Having a fur coat in extreme heat was not a pleasant experience. She had hoped to just sleep through the warmest hours of the day, but she knew a tour was due soon, and Ann liked her to make an appearance to make their guests happy. So she had left Lika and Lika's pups, whom she had been helping out when she could, and she made her way out to the prearranged meeting place.

Seeing Mary's and Ashley's familiar faces among the crowd was jarring. It was as if a piece of the unpleasant outside world had broken through the barriers into her perfect alternate existence. She knew Mary did not particularly like her, which was why she had originally been placed on this story for the newspaper.

Yet thank God for Mary, or she would never be where she was now. She would never have made peace with her demons, she would never have found such comfort...

Grace had joined the Wolf Conservatory after Ann had offered her the ultimate tour – a cup of coffee laced with transformation serum had allowed her to be a wolf for a day. Now spending time as an animal was all she wanted to do, and she had given her whole summer up to be one. She served as a wolf ambassador, keeping tabs on the residents of the conservatory as well as traveling places with Ann so people could meet and interact with the critically-endangered red wolf.

She particularly loved visiting children. The looks on their faces when she allowed them to pet her made it all worthwhile. A good experience with what some considered a fearful animal was excellent learning fodder, and it could instill a love of wolves that would last a lifetime. Grace's being a wolf definitely helped the Wolf Conservatory's cause.

So in the end, Grace owed her good fortune to Mary, and so Grace couldn't help but wink at her unknowing 'savior'. It felt good to make that connection – even if just to freak Mary out a little bit...

***

“Did you two enjoy the tour?” Ann asked Mary as they ended up back at the building.

“Yes, that was kind of cool with the wolf. I know it sounds weird, but I almost felt like we connected there a bit,” Mary uttered almost quizzically.

Ann smiled. “So maybe you understand our great love for the wolves now?”

Mary scratched her head. “I don't know. I have to be honest with you. My name is Mary, and this is Ashley. I'm a reporter for the same college paper that Grace Charnow was. Is she here today? I'm thinking of doing some kind of follow-up to her story.”

They had stopped by the door, and as the crowd thinned out, Ann invited the girls in. “Come. Let's talk some more. Whatever questions you have, I'll be happy to answer. Are you a reporter too, Ashley?”

“No, I'm in Mary's sorority. But I do love wolves. I love all animals,” the blonde answered as they followed the woman inside.

Mary viewed the neat office with interest. A redhead typed furiously at a desk, giving them the smallest nod of acknowledgment. “Busy,” she groaned.

“That's Erin, our receptionist,” Ann explained, walking over to a coffee maker. “Would you like some coffee?”

Ashley uttered, “That's okay.”

Mary chimed in, “No thanks. It's so hot.” She wiped her brow as if to emphasize this. As she collapsed down in a chair, a back door opened to reveal an attractive man. He wore a lightweight plaid shirt which was completely unbuttoned, revealing a sweaty, muscular chest. Mary hugged her arms to herself, smiling appreciatively, and Ashley let out a barely audible squeak.

The man apparently noticed both reactions. “Hi, I'm Kevin,” he uttered in a surprisingly gentle voice.

“Oh, Grace's new boyfriend?” Mary asked with interest as well as some secret disappointment. She had heard Grace talking about him to one of the other freshmen and was surprised that the girl had been dating anyone.

The tall man actually blushed. “Yes, you know her?”

“They're on the college newspaper together,” Ashley helpfully answered for the reporter.

“She's doing a follow-up to Grace's story,” Ann pointed out. “What else can we tell you about us, Mary? You said you liked the tour?”

“Yes, but...” Mary cleared her throat. She did not want to be rude, but this place was so ordinary, just another bunch of nature-lovers out to save every bug and animal... Why was everyone so interested in it?

“No offense, but...I don't understand what's so great about you guys! I'm sure you're doing nice things, but I mean, the mayor is totally obsessed with you! He wants everyone to give you all their money, he says you deserve 'endless funds' because you're 'teaching people about nature in a whole new spectacular way'. What's that all about? What's so spectacular here?”

Kevin was suddenly shoving a cup into her face. “Want some coffee?”

“No, I already said I don't want coffee!” she swatted at the cup. “And what did you do to Grace to make her fall so deeply for your cause? She was never into wolves before!”

“She's a good soul,” Kevin murmured. “Always been a nature-lover.”

Frustrated, Mary asked if she could use the restroom, and she stalked off. She could hear Ashley chattering vacantly to Kevin as she shut the door behind her. Then she heard him mutter, “I'll be right back.”

The one window in the small bathroom was open, which, due to the heat, only served to make it stuffy. While Mary washed her hands, she heard murmurs outside. Parting the curtains slightly, she could see Kevin bending down to embrace the beautiful red wolf she had seen in the woods.

“You feel okay, Grace?” She could just make out his whisper.

The wolf seemed to nod.

“Nothing...even more...different?”

The wolf shook its head back and forth.

“Okay. See you tonight. Have a good afternoon, and keep an eye on Tiki's wounds.”

The wolf bounded off, and Mary let the curtain fall back into place. She did not even want to ponder what she had just seen. That had been one smart, tame, wolf, was all she would allow herself to think.

***

Racing away from Kevin, Grace felt some regret. She had recently hooked up with the hunter-turned-nature lover at the end of the school year, and she had thought twice before taking the long-term wolf serum she had been so looking forward to before their relationship had blossomed. But Kevin had insisted she keep to her plans, stressing that they could see each other in whatever form they happened to be in. As was customary, every few nights, he would get his turn to spend a night in wolf form. And Grace looked forward to these evenings as she made her daily and nightly rounds. She was constantly checking on all the wolves, keeping Ann, a veterinarian, abreast of any new developments. Of particular interest were any pregnancies, as all the wolves here were endangered, so pups were greatly welcomed.

But on those wonderful evenings that Kevin joined her, they spent the nights running, playing, and cuddling. And the cuddling part seemed so much nicer when one was furry...

***

A dazed Mary made her way out of the bathroom and into the front room of the Wolf Conservatory. Ann stood at the desk, speaking with the receptionist, and Ashley stood gazing out the window. Two cups of coffee, lids on, sat on the counter next to the coffee machine, and Mary and Ashley took them in hand. “Thanks for the tour,” Mary tossed behind her, and the two strode out.

“Sure you girls don't want any coffee?” they heard Ann call, but neither bothered to turn back. Ann would see that they had already taken the cups for the road, and Mary wanted out of this place as soon as possible. It was creepy.

The girls threw the coffee into the car's cup holders and thought about it no more. They made their way back to their sorority house. “Let's order in! I haven't eaten anything all day!” Ashley yelled as they settled in front of Mary's television set with her coffee cradled in her hand.

Mary tossed off her shoes and jumped on the couch. She picked up her coffee from where she had placed it on a the table beside her. “I ate a huge breakfast. I'm not hungry. I'll try some of this coffee, though.” Sipping at the beverage, she made a face. “It's cold.” But since the day was so warm, cold coffee was not the worst thing to drink, so she indulged in some more. Scratching at her face, she flicked on the TV. “It's good coffee, though. Try it.”

Ashley held it up in the air, balking. “On an empty stomach? The caffeine effects will triple!” but then she laughed, downing the whole cup at once. Only seconds later, she pulled off her flip flop and murmured, “Why am I itchy?” while scratching at her foot. “You think I got poison ivy?”

“Funny, I'm itchy too.” Mary's hand found its way back to her face, as no amount of scratching seemed to relieve the itch. “Damn it. I got a bunch of mosquito bites! Should have used bug spray!” But as she searched for the tell-tale raised bumps, her hand met with something far different.

Soft hair...it wasn't the light peach-fuzz that she was used to – this was thicker and there seemed to be more of it...and increasingly more... “What the hell?” she mumbled to herself. Raising her voice only slightly, she stammered, “I'll be right back. I'm getting some cortisone cream to stop the... itching.” Covering her face so Ashley wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary, she ran into the bathroom.

“Bring me some too! I feel really, really weird!” Ashley called back to her.

Locking the door with sweating hands, Mary turned and peered in the mirror. Tears came to her eyes as she viewed the thick grayish hairs that were indeed sprouting from her face. “What...what is this?” she cried. She ran over the alien fibers, realizing they were almost fur-like...

Suddenly Ashley's voice rang out from outside the door. “Mary, I swear, I'm...growing hair! I'm...” She emitted a horrified shriek. “Are you...are you growing, like, hair? What...why...”

For a moment, Ashley's cry calmed Mary somewhat. At least her friend was feeling these strange effects as well. But then Mary caught a glimpse of the back of her hand, which also seemed to be much hairier than normal, and the anxiety returned. For lack of something better to do, she grabbed the cortisone and smeared it on her face. But her neck was itchy and hairy too, so she continued applying it there, and it went under her shirt...

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” she screamed in terror, dropping the tube of cream to the floor.

Then she heard Ashley cry in a strangled voice, “Mary! What's–”

An unearthly howl rocked the room outside the bathroom door, and, sliding across the tiles in her socks, Mary ran out to her friend.

Lying in a pile of Ashley's clothes was a very shocked looking creature. At first glance it was wolf-like, but it was too large, and its furry face was still semi-human.

Mary's eyes bulged out. “Ashley?”

The creature's eyes visibly turned golden as it fought to speak. “Mary, help...I'm...changing...can't stop it...”

Then Mary finally lost all control. “No. NO!!” Without so much as glancing back at her transforming friend, she ran out of the room shrieking in fear. Still in her socks, she slid outside and tripped to the sidewalk. Her feet felt weird, she needed to get off these stupid socks...

Then she saw why. Claws were poking through them. “Oh, God!” she ripped off the offending articles of clothing, tossing them into the bushes like unwanted refuse. She felt as if her face were pushing out slightly, and there seemed a great pressure in her eyeteeth. She pulled out her phone, looking at herself in the camera view.

“Oh my God I have fangs!!”

This was all too much. Between the heat and the overwhelming fear, Mary fainted dead away.

***

“Grace! Grace!”

The red wolf pricked up her ears. She had been dozing in the perfect square of sun and was quite loath to leave it, as she had been feeling more and more tired lately, but the anxiety in Ann's far-off voice was troubling. Huffing in the heat, she made her way back to the Wolf Conservatory, where Ann stood craning her neck in search of her.

“They took the coffee! Your friends! You know where they live?”

The wolf nodded.

“Help them out however you can, Grace. They're going to be Mexican gray wolves.”

Grace moaned in annoyance. She didn't care much about Ashley, but Mary did not deserve this experience in the least. She was too bitchy. Well, at least turning into a wolf would change all that. It might even make Mary more likable.

***

A wet nose was nudging itself into Mary's face, but she did not have the energy to react. New vision and hearing was throwing stimuli at her from every direction, and the smells were overpowering. In the midst of this sensory overload, she merely stared at the familiar red wolf, who was trying to encourage her to get up. Memories flowed back, and Mary tried to check if the fur and fangs were still present, which only brought on a further shock. When she raised her hand, it had mutated into something non-human. It was short and furry, but there was still the hint of fingers. A dark paw pad was pushing through the fur.

“Oh, God, oh God, what's happening to me?” Mary pushed out. Nearly hysterical, her tongue brushed against her teeth. They were all longer and sharper somehow...

“I have fangs...” she whimpered again.

“Rrooofff,” the wolf beside her uttered.

Mary raised an eyebrow. The animal's piercing golden eyes seemed remarkably intelligent. “Are you trying to tell me something?” Her voice wavered as she spoke.

The beautiful female nodded vigorously. It pointed a paw at Mary and repeated, “Roofff.”

Mary did not want to entertain the ridiculous ideas that were floating around her mind. But Ashley...what had happened to her? Was it happening to Mary too? “The bottom of my back hurts...” she whined.

Nodding again, the wolf flipped around and wagged its tail at the girl, pointing at it with a paw. Then it pointed to Mary.

“Right...I'm growing a...” she stopped, her eyes bugging out. “I...moved it...” With renewed energy, she jumped onto all fours. And being on all fours just seemed... correct. A strange howl erupted from within her, and she clamped her hand/paw over her mouth. “Oh...oh, what's happening...What's happening?” she tottered back and forth, growing faint again.

The wolf was there beside her to steady her.

“Thank you...” Mary was quiet a moment. Could she really admit to herself what was before her? “Grace?” she squeaked searchingly.

The wolf nodded and yelped, wagging her tail.

“Oh, holy...hell... You turned into a wolf and I'm turning into one too.”

“Rrooofff.”

Suddenly she realized that this wolf was communicating with her, and she was starting to understand it. “I'm really turning into a wolf?” she asked the animal that she still couldn't quite accept as Grace.

The wolf made a small whine, and it wasn't quite language, but Mary understood it as a way of saying “all's going to be fine”, and she felt slightly more relieved. “That must have been why they kept trying to make me drink the coffee...”

The wolf nodded.

“I have to get back inside before someone sees me. I have to help Ashley!”

***

Grace bounded after the girl, who was trying without much success to run on two greatly-changed legs. She wanted to tell Mary to relax; to stop resisting the changes and simply enjoy them, but even though the girl was starting to understand her, not having the ability to use language still hindered them to a point. She could see that Mary was wrestling with the same disbelief that she had experienced herself. Even as the changes were more than halfway through, Mary was obviously having trouble accepting what she had for her whole life known to be impossible. When Grace tugged at Mary's pants, the girl refused to remove any more of her clothing.

“Come through the back door,” Mary's words were slurred as she held the sorority house door open with a paw for Grace. The red wolf tiptoed inside and the animal and wolf-woman slunk two doors down to Mary's room. Mary managed to open the unlocked door, and when it shut behind them, Mary gasped. Ashley was nowhere in sight.

Grace made a questioning yelp.

“Yes, she's gone. We have to find her,” said Mary, visibly fighting her changing body. She held back a sob. “Oh, my God, Grace, I'm so scared... It's not permanent?”

Grace shook her head no and placed a paw against Mary's arm, and the girl gave into her spine's pushing her back into a four-legged stance. Walking in front of a full-length mirror, she uttered, “Do you like being a wolf, Grace?”

The wolf's nodding was so exuberant that Mary tried to smile, but, as she watched, her mouth twisted into a snout, and she did not quite succeed. She made a scared moan and tried to speak once more, but found she was no longer able to. She was at eye level with Grace, and when Grace again drew her attention to the mirror, Mary saw a splendid Mexican gray staring back at her, women's clothes still hanging off of it.

Carefully, she stepped out of them to examine her new body in full.

She was beautiful.

***

When night fell and the building went silent, the two wolves crept from the dark hallways and burst into the woods. Mary ran with the vigor of youth, and Grace found it harder than usual to run to keep up with her.

As they howled into the night in hopes that Ashley would locate them, Mary just wanted to run with the new-found freedom she had never felt previously in her life. Suddenly there was nothing holding her back. No societal norms, no girlish pretenses... She did not have to worry about her makeup or the girls liking her or having a boyfriend...Come to think of it, Mack, her latest flame, really was a jerk. Who cared if she were dating the captain of a sports team? He was vapid and sexist. She was wolf! She was above all that silly college-nonsense! None of it mattered! Why had she even worried about any of the picayune silliness?

She made a note to herself to leave her sorority. The sisters were all airheaded and completely phony. Who wanted to drink and party when one could run with the night? Ashley was right up there with the fake people she realized she wanted nothing to do with, but since she was sharing this strange transformation with her sorority sister, perhaps they could have a newer, truer friendship.

Grace, who looked very tired, introduced Mary to whom she assumed was Lika, the wolf matriarch. The beautiful red wolf sniffed at her suspiciously, then allowed her to visit her pups. The babies were truly lovely, and Mary actually felt a small jealousy.

Was that even possible? Oh, God! What was she thinking?

But the idea stuck with her, and her maternal instincts soared. She would have to ask if it were possible for her to become a mother in this form.

She turned to Grace to discover her on the floor, sleeping. Lika nosed at her, and she guardedly opened one eye. A faraway howl made her jump excitedly to her feet, however, and she ran out of the den to answer it. She turned, beckoning Mary to follow her, and then raced off with renewed energy.

The howls grew closer, and soon Mary and Grace came into the view of not one, but three Mexican grays. The fact that they were waving with their paws was the unfortunate giveaway – they were most obviously transformed people.

Was this Ashley? Mary made a questioning howl at the smallest of the three, a female.

The pretty animal walked up to Mary and nosed her lovingly. She smelled very much like Ashley, only an animal version of her. Mary made a mewl-sound, and Ashley made something resembling a giggle.

When the two males approached, Grace accepted them happily, especially the larger of the two. Apparently they had met up with Ashley and helped her out. The smaller male looked at Mary quizzically, then fetched up a stick. He traced “Who R U?” in the dirt.

Mary fished up her own stick and wrote “Mary”. For Mary's sake, Grace then drew an arrow towards the big wolf, writing “Kevin”, then another arrow to the smaller animal, indicating “Mayor Landis” with a smile.

The smaller male then winked at Mary.

Mary let out a sound something like an impressed, “Wow”. So that was how they had turned the mayor around, she realized. They had made him a wolf! And he was back for more.

And then it hit her. She would be back too.

The rest of Mary's night only solidified her feelings towards the Wolf Conservatory. She understood why Grace was devoting her time to the cause, and could see how it had helped her come out of her shell. She wasn't sure how things would go with Ashley, but Mary knew with herself, it would be different. She realized she would never be the same, and she now ached to renounce her unimportant college world. She was done with the shallow friends she had. There were much better people out there to be with. And there were better things to do with her time.

***

Grace and Kevin ran through the forest with Mary, Ashley, and the Mayor on their trail. Ignoring the three wolves that followed them, Grace and Kevin nuzzled each other and embraced, and when Kevin fixed his golden eyes on hers, they went off for a time on their own. Mary, Ashley, and Mayor Landis could not have cared less. They frolicked like children in the moonlight, and the once-stuffy Mayor taught the two females to hunt when Mary's stomach started to growl.

Now that Mary was so deep into the wolf mind and instincts, it did not bother her to take down prey. She had to eat, and she did as the animal in her dictated. Dining on raw, bloody meat with the mayor of the city was better than any frat party could be!

Even though the mayor was furry.

***

“Very tired,” Grace traced in the dirt with a claw, while she remained nosed up against Kevin's furry coat. His warmth felt good against her despite the heat of the night. She was not feeling right, even for a wolf, and she couldn't keep it from him any longer.

She would go to Ann in the morning for a check-up.

***

At first light, Mary rose from a deep slumber. With a start, she realized she, Ashley, and Mayor Landis had fallen asleep together, curled up in a hollow. She jumped up. Did this qualify as having slept with the mayor? It wasn't like anything had happened...

She was so tired from the night's adventures, and when the mayor opened one eye and beckoned her to return to his side, she could not bring herself to refuse. The sun felt so warm on her coat, and Mayor Landis smelled so...nice...

Itchiness and her body actually shifting woke Mary midday. Ashley was long gone. Mary jumped up from the Mayor's side and began to pace. Why did she feel this way? Clumps of fur were on the ground where she had slept, and she cried out in horror at the sight.

Mayor Landis tapped at her reassuringly. “Turning back,” he traced in the soil. “Ashley gone.”

No! No! Mary cried in her head. She wanted more time like this! One day was hardly enough! Why wasn't the mayor changing back too?

“Week-long serum,” he scraped into the dirt in answer to her expression.

Week long? She wanted week-long! No, she wanted month-long, or whatever it was that Grace had! She couldn't go back to humanity just yet! It was too banal and silly and...

But she could feel her jaw shifting, her spine changing...even her tail was shortening. She had to get back to the Wolf Conservatory! She needed more of this wonderful potion! Darting away into the woods, she gave a quick parting howl to the mayor, who answered and then promptly went back to sleep.

In her human mind, she was terrified that she would not be able to find the Wolf Conservatory in time and she would be back in her human body. She just didn't want that. She couldn't face humanity yet!

But when she let her animal instincts take over, she could pick up the smells she associated with the building...the wooden painted shingles, the smell of sunblock, Ann's scent, and the hint of coffee...

Every step drew her closer to her goal, but also it brought more of her humanity. She could see her skin once more, and as much as she wanted to remain quadrupedal, the loss of her paw pads made it painful to remain on all fours. She ended up having to make the rest of her journey on two legs. When she reached the building, her tail was a bare stub, her ears were odd pointed nubs, and her eyes were nearly brown. And she was naked.

“Ann! Ann!” she screamed, banging at the door and then entering the building.

“Oh, lady, let me cover you up!” Erin jumped up from the desk, pulled a robe from a well-stocked closet, and threw it over her.

But Mary hardly flinched. She made a beeline for the coffee-maker. “Give me...more...”

Erin stepped in front of her, pulling the cup from her shaking hands. “Hang on, Mary. We'll be happy to work with you. Just wait for Ann to come out.”

“But...but I need to turn back. I'm not...right like this. I'm better as a wolf. I suck at being a person.”

Erin smiled. “Yeah, me too. But just wait for Ann.”

Shivering, Mary sat down in the chair beside Erin's desk. “I'm all dirty,” she bemoaned, glancing at her hands and feet, which were black with dirt. Later she intended to go into the lake, 'skinny dipping' without her stupid boyfriend. Well, if she were a wolf, it probably wouldn't be termed skinny dipping if she was furry... “My friend Ashley...”

“She was back a while ago. She's fine. She changed into a wolf quicker than you because she had an empty stomach.”

That made sense to Mary. She had been very full when she herself drank the coffee. “Do you turn everyone into wolves? Is that why they come back?”

“Oh, no. This potion's pretty expensive. It's usually only for the more extreme cases. Most people hear how wonderful we are from the mayor and his people, and they want to come. Of course the one-hundred percent likelihood of seeing wild wolves on the tour also helps.”

“I bet.”

“When I'm one, I like to lunge at Ann and stuff to give the tourists a little thrill.”

“You take turns transforming?”

“God, yes.”

Mary was silent a moment. “Please let me join you,” she whimpered. “I won't tell a soul about the coffee.”

Erin chuckled. “We know. If you did, people would just say you're crazy anyway. You realize that, right?”

Mary did not get a chance to respond as the back door opened to reveal Ann. Behind her, looking quite pale, was a back-to-normal Kevin, and beside him was the red wolf that was Grace.

Mary rushed at Ann. “Please, turn me back! Give me a longer serum! I pledge my life to you!”

Ann, startled, nudged her slightly to the side. “Fine, fine, Mary. I guess you've seen the light.”

“Make me a wolf again!”

“Mary, I'll be happy to help. We need to sit and talk, and plan what and how you can do things for us.”

Mary plopped herself back down in the chair. “Then let's do it now.”

Ann bent down and petted Grace's fur. Grace let out a contented sound. “Well, we have a few more pressing things to deal with first,” Ann looked up at Kevin when she said this.

“Pressing? What's so pressing?” asked Mary with impatience.

Kevin sighed. The sound was one of happiness fringed with worry.

Ann turned from him to Mary and looked her straight in the eye. “Your friend Grace is going to have pups.”

Mary's jaw dropped. It was possible! Was it safe? How long was Grace's serum supposed to last? Pushing away the myriad questions, she ran to the wolf and hugged it around the neck. “That's wonderful! It's awesome, Grace! I'm so jealous!”                                                            

Kevin stood by with slight ambivalence. “I'm the dad,” he said blankly.