by grapehyacinth

Bemused, Lily stood apart from the crowd, watching the college girls. Now that she was years removed from being a sorority president, she was finally able to see how unimportant that whole fake world really was. Being part of Alpha Omega Phi Delta had once been a dream come true, but it meant nothing in the bigger picture. What good had it done her in life? She worked at a boring company and was dating a guy that she should have broken up with long ago. Yet this was also the best time of her life, thanks to two new friends she'd made more recently. Their adventures far surpassed anything remotely related to sororities.

Lily had come to the annual fall barbeque as a favor to the newest president, Kiara, who was the daughter of a co-worker. Kiara had begged her to attend, as Lily was seen as essentially a god in the sorority's eyes.

When Kiara spied her, the girl dropped everything and ran to greet her. “Thanks so much for coming, Lily!” She shook her hand in earnest, and Lily blushed.

“Good to be here. You said you needed a favor of me. What's up?”

Kiara led her over to the refreshment table, but neither woman took anything from the large spread of sandwiches and side dishes. The sorority girl glanced around her to make sure there was no one in earshot, and then she cleared her throat. “Listen, I need to know how how you're so good about working things out between people. My mom says you took life-long enemies and made them best of friends overnight.”

Lily smiled to herself. She hadn't done a thing. Thanks to Dr. Fay Burns' special potion, she and two of her co-workers, Jan and Datana, had gone from mortal enemies to nearly sisters. But she had been innocent of the whole affair – until she changed...

“Well, that really wasn't me so much as I was involved...” Why bother to explain, she thought. “What exactly is the big problem here?”

Kiara shook her head. “The three new pledges just...well, they don't work. I mean, they're nice, but they don't gel. As the only three new pledges, they're supposed to work and do everything together. But they don't... mesh. Can you help?”

Even though the problem now seemed ludicrous in Lily's eyes, she knew back in her college days this would have been an absolute disaster.

“I'll help you,” she uttered with amusement.

***

There was a knock on the cabin door, and freshman pledge Cynthia rose from the cot to answer it. “Hang on, I'm coming.” She opened the door to view a blonde girl with glasses. “Hey, Vicky!” she said. “You made it!”

The new girl gave her a withering glance. “My name's Vanessa, remember?” she pushed past and surveyed the small, sparse room. Three cots seemed to huddle together in the corner, and a wooden dresser stood at the side wall. Vanessa studied her image in a large rectangular wall mirror for a long moment. She then flipped around to face the other girl. “Man, we have to spend two days here? This sucks!” She swatted at one of the cots. “These sheets are from the freakin' Civil War!” she glanced up at Cynthia, who was African-American. “Oh, sorry. Didn't mean it.”

“Didn't mean what?”

“Well, the Civil War. You're black, and–”

Cynthia scowled. “So you think anytime the Civil War is mentioned, I get angry?”

“Well... doesn't it make you uncomfortable?”

“Hell, no! It made the slaves free. Plus my ancestors weren't slaves. In fact my grandmother was white. That should make you more comfortable spending time with me,” she snapped.

Vanessa tossed her bag down, blushing. “I didn't mean it like that, I really...”

A knock at the door interrupted the awkwardness of their encounter.

“Thank God,” Cynthia muttered under her breath as the door swung open.

“Hi guys, it's me, Jasmine.”

The two sorority sisters stared at the young Asian girl for a moment. She seemed perfect in every way – her ebony hair shone like a halo, her waste was tiny, and her face was perfectly made up. And the smell of her signature jasmine-scented perfume only enhanced the effect.

The newest arrival entered, looking around. “Wow. Talk about living on the edge. There's nothing here. And it's such beautiful forest around us! I can't believe they sent us here!”

“We're three hours from civilization,” Vanessa said uncertainly. “That kind of freaks me out.”

“We'll be fine. Even now the sisters are with us. Check this out.” Cynthia led them into the small kitchen where three small bottles sat on the old Formica counter. Each had a tag with their name on it, and she read the instructions off to them: “'Do not drink unless wolves and/or bears attack'.”

“Nice,” murmured Vanessa. “And so not funny.”

“It's a final hazing,” Cynthia said, placing the tag down. “Probably hard liquor in there.”

“Ugh, like whisky? I hate that stuff,” said Jasmine.

“You're in a sorority and you don't drink?” Vanessa asked with surprise.

“Oh, I love wine. I can't get enough of it,” the girl responded.

“Awesome,” Cynthia muttered.

The three girls settled down in several old lounge chairs outside the cabin. “So what are we supposed to do now?” sighed Vanessa. “Two whole days to do...I have no idea.”

Cynthia didn't bother to respond. She was too busy texting.

“We can talk, I guess,” Jasmine said, putting down a book that she held.

The two girls eyed each other uncomfortably.

Vanessa pointed towards Jasmine's neck. “What's that thing that you're wearing?”

Jasmine fingered the symbol hanging from her golden chain. “My grandmother gave it to me. It's a chai. It means 'life' in Hebrew.”

Vanessa scrutinized her curiously. “You're Jewish? I thought you were Asian.”

For the first time since the girls had met her, Jasmine frowned in disbelief. “First of all, Jewish is a religion. There are Asian Jews, you know.”

“I didn't know that,” Vanessa uttered. “Awesome.”

“Uh...yeah. Awesome.” Jasmine shook her head and quickly picked up her book. “I'm reading now.”

“Oh, okay.”

Vanessa was left staring vacantly into the sky.

At long last, evening came on, and the girls returned to the cabin to settle down for the night.

“Well, that was a boring afternoon,” Vanessa said, throwing herself onto the cot.

“I got caught up on all my reading,” murmured Jasmine. “It was pretty restful, honestly. It's not often I have a day to do nothing.”

“I'm just glad we get cell reception here. I don't understand how, since it's in the middle of nowhere. But 'in case of wolves or bears',” Cynthia made a wry expression, “at least we can call for help.”

“Doesn't matter. There's no people for miles. Which means no help...” Vanessa paused, her eyes widening at this realization. “Want to drink that stuff now?” She looked longingly towards the kitchen.

“You're damned desperate, girl,” Cynthia said, typing on her phone.

Jasmine was horrified. “No! You can't drink it! It says not to unless there's an animal attack! You have to listen to the sisters! Maybe they're testing us!”

“Chill, girl.” Cynthia didn't bother to look up.

Vanessa stood up and shuffled towards the door. “You're right. Obviously they're testing us.”

“Where are you going?”

“I left my sunglasses outside.” Vanessa walked into the night, exclaiming, “Wow, it's so dark out here.”

“Yes, that's because it's woods,” Cynthia murmured into her phone.

Vanessa searched around the sandy area where they had been lounging. “I don't see my glasses anywhere,” she muttered to herself. “I need a flashlight.” The cabin door slammed shut on its own, making her jump.

Now she was enveloped in darkness except for the small stream of light pouring under the cabin's window shade. Her pulse quickened as the sounds of the night pierced her ears. An owl hooted several times, something howled not so far off...was that a wolf?

“Damn, where the hell are they?” she cried nervously. “I put them down right here!” She sifted through the leaves, hardly able to see what she was doing. And then she had the oddest sensation that she was being watched.

Nervously, she glanced about. “What's there?” she whimpered. “Is someone there?”

Suddenly two giant figures launched at her from the woods, roaring and shrieking.

“Help!!” she screamed, and blundered back to the door. As the two figures closed in on her, she fought to open the knob, which would not give. “Help! Guys! Let me in! There's things out here! Help me please!”

The door opened slowly, and Jasmine poked her head out. “What–”

With a tortured shout, Vanessa pushed past her, slamming the door behind them and leaning against it. She could not catch her breath, and tears were pouring from her face.

“What happened?” Cynthia called from her cot. She did not seem too interested in an answer.

“Animals! Bears, I think! They tried to kill me!”

“It was probably a bunch of frat brothers dressed up that way,” Cynthia replied, once again going back to her phone.

“No, it wasn't! They were huge, and hairy, and–”

A loud roar issued forth directly outside, and something was banging against the door. “Oh, God, they're going to break in and kill us!” Vanessa exclaimed.

Cynthia jumped up and ran to the window. She clicked the light switch on beside it which lit up the outside.

“I didn't know there were lights out there,” Vanessa whispered.

“Holy God...they're real!” Cynthia gasped.

A chorus of approaching wolf howls seemed to answer her.

“Oh, God. There's more? Those sounds are wolves,” Jasmine moaned.

“Oh, no, will they kill us too?”

Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Stay in here and no one will kill you.”

“But they're trying to get in! They'll rip down the door!”

“They're animals! They'll give up soon.”

Now the wolf howls were sounding right outside the door, and Cynthia looked dubious of her own words. “Um...”

“We need to drink those drinks! It says in case of wolf and bear attack...”

“That seems pretty coincidental that this happens and we so happen to have magical drinks to help us sitting in the kitchen. And what do you think drinking them will do to us anyway, Jasmine? Make the wolves and bears go away?”

Jasmine, like Vanessa, was teary-eyed. “But the sisters put them there! They have to do something!”

“My guess is they'll make us so drunk that we don't care what happens.”

“I'm good with that!”

The horrible thudding of many animals throwing themselves at the door made it groan.

“I'm good with that too!” added Vanessa. Closely followed by Jasmine, she ran to the kitchen and downed the bottles. Cynthia did soon after.

“Tastes like punch!”

“No! Fruit wine! And I need lots of it!” Jasmine cried in between gulps.

“That's not alcohol,” Cynthia said angrily. “I think it really is punch. Hell of a lot of good it's doing me right now.”

“Hey, guys,” Jasmine cocked her head, listening closely. All was still. “It stopped!” She held up the empty bottle as if it were a trophy. “Maybe the drinks really made the animals go away!”

Cynthia rolled her eyes, but Vanessa was nodding. “I wonder how they did that! I'm so glad–”

An unearthly noise rang out, and the three grabbed each other in fright.

Covering her eyes, Vanessa shrieked, “Oh my God, we are so going to die!”

The girls huddled together on the floor in fear, shivering violently. As the animals threw themselves at the door with renewed vigor, the hinges protested alarmingly.

“Those sounds...It's like my worst nightmare is coming true,” Jasmine stammered.

Nodding in agreement, Vanessa suddenly paused. “Guys, I feel funny,” she said, scratching at her neck.

“Whatever,” Cynthia mumbled. She jumped as she heard splintering wood.

“You're nauseous. You're probably going to vomit from being so scared,” Jasmine said. Her visage was even paler than usual. “Although I'm so scared I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. Look at the goosebumps on it.” In the relatively dim light, she peered down at her arm, examining it. “Wait, these aren't goosebumps. They're... Wait, what is this?”

Yet neither Vanessa nor Cynthia paid her any heed. They were both staring at Vanessa's sock, which was slowly ripping near the toe. Vanessa gave a cry. “What the hell is happening there?”

“Your feet are like, breaking through your socks!” Cynthia squealed, cringing as another howl arose.

Vanessa froze, gaping at her feet. Very slowly, as if in a horror movie, she could see claws poking through the fabric. One by one they sprouted until there were five. “No,” she breathed. “Those... aren't...mine...”

“Holy hell, just seeing this is making my skin crawl!” Cynthia burst out, furiously scratching at her own neck.

Vanessa merely continued to stare at herself, her mouth falling open.

“Take the damn socks off!” Cynthia demanded. “Don't you want to see what the hell is going on under there?”

“Oh, my God, I'm growing fur!”

Vanessa and Cynthia turned to Jasmine, who had been strangely quiet through their whole exchange. “What the hell are you talking about, girl?” Cynthia asked.

“Look!” Jasmine held up her normally-hairless arm. It was now covered in downy silver fur.

“What the f–”

Jasmine cut her off. “It's the drinks! I told you it's the drinks!”

“That's crazy!” Cynthia responded. But when she looked down at her own skin, it seemed to have darkened from her normal chocolate-brown to nearly black. “No...it's just dark. I can't be...”

Vanessa emitted a small whimper.

“You still haven't taken off your sock!” Cynthia yelled. “I want to see what's going on, damn it!” Furious, she jumped up and lunged for Vanessa, ripping off both socks at once.

“Holy. Shit.”

These were not human feet.

“I'm getting paws,” Vanessa choked out.

Jasmine ran over to her. “That's impossible!” But she was crying now, and she could only nod her head in agreement. The girl's toes seemed to be running together slightly, and each nail had thinned and lengthened into a claw. “You're getting fur too! I wonder if my feet are getting like that! They're all itchy...” She bent down, pulled off a sock, and started to laugh nervously through her sobs. “I have it too! I have it too! What's happening? Now my hands are getting like that!”

“I think we're turning into animals,” Cynthia said more calmly. “I think my foot's itchy too. I can't wait to see it...” Slowly, almost methodically, she pulled off her own sock. As she examined the top and the sole, her face fell. “Nothing.” She pulled at her ear, and a smile came over her face. It seemed to be growing furry and pointed. “Wow,” she said, almost dazed. “Maybe it is actually happening to me!”

“And that's making you happy?” Vanessa cried hysterically. She yanked at her shirt, which seemed now to be several sizes too large for her. “Look at my clothes! Look at them!”

“I simply can't believe it's possible, and that's it's really happening, but, I mean, wow! Now I'm getting the fur, and, guys, you're getting shorter! Holy crap, this is amazing!”

Jasmine went back to crying.

“I don't want to be an animal!” Vanessa yelled. “I'll fight it!”

Cynthia smiled. “I don't know. I feel great. Honestly, like I'm getting almost...strong. Don't fight it. Go with it. Don't you think it would be incredible to be an animal?”

“No!” the other two girls screeched in unison.

Cynthia continued as if she were a professor lecturing a class. “You guys are changing quicker than me now. I don't know if it's cause I had it after you, or maybe freaking out makes you change quicker, but, guys, just look at yourselves in the mirror!”

Jasmine and Vanessa dashed over to the mirror that hung over the dresser. Both girls grabbed their changing faces in fear. Their mouth and nose were visibly elongating into snouts, and their ears now pointed up, completely animal-like.

Vanessa moaned, clutching at her hair. “Oh, my hair's going to go away...”

“My cheeks are furry!” gasped Jasmine. “Oh, God, Vanessa! You have a hairy brown chest!”

“Hairy? You mean furry! Oh, if anyone saw me like this...”

“How can you fight this? Look at your eyes! They're turning golden!” Cynthia exclaimed from behind them.

“It's like you're almost glad this is happening, Cynthia,” Jasmine sobbed. “I don't want to be an animal forever. Will I know who I am, or will I forget ever being a person? I can't believe they did this to us. I have this urge to rip every one of their throats out!!”

The other women stared at the normally mild-mannered girl in shock. Jasmine now looked wild, her sharp teeth bared and a long tongue sticking out of her mouth.

Cynthia glanced down to see the tops and soles of her feet were now changing. “Fur, claws...I'm definitely a bit behind you but...we're turning into wolves,” she announced in a gleeful tone.

The words hung on the air momentarily, and they realized the howling outside had ceased.

Cynthia cocked her head to the side, listening. “They're gone?” She scratched at her furry hand. “Oh,” she added, turning her palm over, “I'm getting paw pads! How cute!” She took an experimental step and stumbled. “Oh, my feet are so tingly it's hard to walk!”

“I have paws now, oh, God, you're right, look at the paw pads...” Jasmine said miserably. She poked at the dark circles extending from her palm. “And I have this urge to get on all fours. My spine, it's like...aching...”

Vanessa sniffed at the air, and her fur stood on end. “The animals are not gone. They're all out there. And I need to get them off my territory!” She made a mad dash to the door, falling to all fours on the way. The other two girls could see her almost instantaneously shrink to a lupine form. Her pants slid to the floor and she ducked out of her shirt and bra. Her underwear still hung from one leg, and she swiped it off with a paw.

“Vanessa! You're totally a wolf!” Jasmine cried in horror.

Vanessa looked back at them with a wink.

“Damn! That's awesome!” Cynthia breathed. She unbuttoned her pants to make room for what was very obviously a tail coming in.

“The fear made her change like that?”

“And I think the instincts pushed it too,” Cynthia pointed out. “She wants to protect us, right, Vanessa?”

Vanessa nodded her head and grabbed at the doorknob. She could not open it with her paws, so she looked back at them and made a low mewl.

Jasmine ran towards her. “No, don't go without us! We'll help you! I can't let you get hurt! My mouth...feelssss...funnnyyyyyrrrr...” She fell to the floor, and in much the same way as Vanessa, she swiftly became a full wolf.

She paused for a moment, gazing down at herself in shock. Cynthia stumbled over to her, having more and more trouble walking on her changing feet. “You're beautiful, Jasmine,” she said, her jealousy obvious.

Jasmine tried to respond, but was only able to emit an odd purring sound. She shrugged her furry gray shoulders in resignation.

Cynthia grinned. “God, I need this. Did it hurt?”

Jasmine shook her head no.

“Does it feel nice?”

Jasmine nodded vehemently.

“Then I want to join you guys already! I wish my changes would hurry up, but...”

A great howling rose from outside, and the pounding began again. Vanessa whimpered, pawing at the knob.

“I'm coming! I just...have to change and help protect us...” Cynthia staggered to the door, feeling the animal urges welling up inside her. Her body needed to change, and she was falling to the floor, only to try to rise again. She had to open the door before she couldn't...

She threw herself at the knob, scrapping and scratching at it until it finally gave. The door swung open to reveal several wolves and two large bears, who lunged for them. Vanessa and Jasmine ran at them, now wolves in entirety. They howled and shrieked, pouncing at the animals and attacking them.

Cynthia remained in the doorway, frozen as she desperately waited for her metamorphosis to end. When she heard Jasmine squeal in pain, her wolf instincts kicked in completely. She had to protect her pack!

She finally was wolf.

She leaped from the cabin, a howl of triumph escaping her throat.

There seemed to be hundreds of animals assaulting the three new wolves. In actuality, their adversaries were only three wolves and two bears. But these few animals were extraordinarily ruthless and vicious, chasing the girls and striking at them whenever possible.

Yet the new wolves fought valiantly together, protecting each other and keeping their 'family' safe. Fear was only in the backs of their minds, as they were mostly animal in thought, and the thrill of the fight spurred them on. Cynthia had fallen into an alpha role, and she led her sisters in each attack. When they finally succeeded in scaring away their tormentors, it seemed almost too easy, and the three fell down to the earth, exhausted.

But each wolf's eyes shone with pride, and when Cynthia held up her paw, both Vanessa and Jasmine gave her a clumsy high-five. The night was a success, and victory was theirs.

They huddled together like family and fell asleep.

The three woke up late in the morning, the warmth of the sun slowly pulling them from the deepest sleep any of them had ever experienced.

Vanessa stretched her arms luxuriantly. “Good morning, guys!” she grinned, observing her friends. Cynthia and Jasmine were curled around each other protectively. They still retained vestiges of their animal forms. Cynthia's ears were slightly pointy, and Vanessa could see the shadow of paw pads on Jasmine's open palm. All three girls had a thin layer of fur sprouting from their skin. Vanessa rubbed her own and giggled. “Well, we're not going anywhere like this!”

“Like what?” Jasmine opened her eyes and gazed around the wooded area. “My God, it really happened? We really turned into wolves?”

Cynthia pulled herself into a seated position and stroked at her arm. “Well, I'm going with a yes with that, judging from the little bit of fur we have left.”

“And we're naked,” Vanessa said, adding quickly, “and I seriously don't care! How weird is that?”

“It really was the drinks,” Jasmine murmured in awe. “My God, where did they get that stuff? How is this even possible? It's like magic!”

Vanessa bounced up, rubbing her lower back where a tail nub still sat. “It's amazing and awesome, whatever it was! You guys were awesome! I never had such an amazing night!”

“It was amazing,” Cynthia admitted.

The girls lapsed into silence, gazing at each other proudly.

All at once, they grabbed for each other and embraced. “I love you guys,” Vanessa muttered.

“Is there anymore of that stuff left? I want to be a wolf again!” Cynthia screamed, and they all ran back into the cabin.

“Look what they did to the door!” cried Jasmine. Indeed, the cabin door was scratched bare in some spots, and the hinges were nearly dislodged from the wood. They pushed the door open to see a trail of their clothes littering the floor.

Laughing, Vanessa pulled on one of her ripped socks, and was able to push her whole foot through the toe area. “Guess I'm down a pair of socks.”

“And I'm down a shirt!” Jasmine giggled, holding up her torn shirt. “I liked this one, too!”

“So we have no clothes now,” Cynthia stated, her eyes shining.

“Well, there's only one solution for that!”

The girls made a mad dash for the kitchen, where they indulged in some more potion. Wolves didn't need to worry about clothing, after all.

The afternoon and night as wolves was unforgettable, and, other than a chance meeting with the two bears, the girls enjoyed themselves fully. As the moon waned, however, they could feel themselves reverting to human form. They cuddled together once more, allowing their changes to occur while they slept.

They awoke to the sound of someone clearing their throat. Three women stood before them.

The three girls gave a start and desperately tried to cover themselves. “It's Lily!” gasped Jasmine.

“Oh, God! It's not what it looks like!” shrieked Vanessa.

“It's fine,” Lily laughed. “My friends have seen it before. Datana, can you toss them the robes?”

The redhead on Lily's right handed each girl a bathrobe with the sorority's insignia on the lapel, and the other woman handed them each a set of flip-flops.

“I always wish the potion supplied clothes when you change back to a person,” she smiled.

“Potion?” Cynthia's jaw fell open. “Who are you?”

“I'm Lily, an alumnus.”

“No, I know you were a sorority president. Really, who or what are you? Did you make those drinks?”

“I told you who I am. And these are two of my friends, Datana and Jan.”

“And we're definitely NOT sorority sisters,” the woman named Jan stated. “We were the three wolves that 'chased' you to scare you into becoming a pack.”

The three girls were incredulous.

“First they were just my co-workers,” Lily explained. “A while back, we had issues, so our boss fixed that up with a little wolf experience like you had. Now you can't pull us apart!”

“Well, usually,” blushed Datana.

“So you used the same stuff on us?” Jasmine asked in shock.

“Well, it's been improved since we had it, but yes. Kiara wanted you guys to get more comfortable with each other. In order to keep you from fighting for dominance, we gave Cynthia the alpha potion. That made her change a bit slower, but it kept her calm so she could help you through your changes.”

“I'm in charge,” Cynthia repeated in surprise. “And I feel it.”

Vanessa and Jasmine, instead of being jealous, simply beamed at their new 'leader'.

“We love her,” said Jasmine.

“We'd die for her,” added Vanessa. “Wow. I never thought I'd say that!” she smiled at Cynthia, who chuckled.

The three looked back and forth at each other, and Vanessa put her arm around each. “Seriously, I'd really and truly give my life to help these two now. It's weird.”

“You're bonded,” said Lily. “They're your pack.”

“Awesome!”

Suddenly a great commotion rang out deep in the woods. Cynthia, Jasmine, and Vanessa huddled together, their hackles rising. “What's that?”

But Lily only laughed. “Judging from that reaction, I see there's still plenty of wolf inside you in addition to the fur.”

Two bears crashed out of the woods and came barreling towards them.

“Bears!” Vanessa shrieked. “Get inside!”

“Sh! It's okay! Calm down!” Datana said. She directed her voice towards the woods. “Guys, cut the act, okay?”

The bears slowed down, hanging their heads.

“Uh, they understand English?” whispered Jasmine.

“They won't hurt you,” said Jan. “Hey, guys!”

The larger bear gave her a very human wave.

“What the hell?” gasped Cynthia.

The two bears came to stand next to the older women, and the shorter bear now gave them a wave.

“Girls, this is Benton and Lana. They're bears.”

“We can see that,” snapped Cynthia.

“But they used to be people.”

“There's a bear potion?” exclaimed Vanessa.

“Well, yes, but Benton and Lana were so much happier this way that they made it permanent.”

“Shit,” Cynthia breathed.

“Nice to meet you guys,” Vanessa said in amazement. “What's that like?”

The larger bear, obviously Benton, gave a thumbs-up, and the girls laughed.

“They're very happy. Lana had a few nights as a bear when she met up with Benton, who was already permanently changed. She wanted that life so much, she went back and got a permanent potion.”

“They had babies recently!” Datana smiled.

The female, Lana, nodded and indicated that she would be returning to the woods.

“I know, you need to get back to your den, Lana. Thanks for helping us out, you two. We'll visit you soon!”

Lana nodded and lumbered off, but Benton remained. He made a low growl and made the shape of a circle with his hand.

“What does he want?” a fascinated Jasmine asked.

Lily smiled. “He wants us to bring them a pizza.”

Benton gave another thumbs-up followed by a wave of farewell, and ran off after his mate.

Lily and her friends brought the three girls back to their sorority house where they immediately arranged to share a room together.

“Guys, I'm leaving tomorrow, but I brought Jan and Datana here because I wanted to run with them tonight. They're my pack. I just thought you girls might like to join us.”

All three girls jumped at this. “You have more of that potion stuff?”

“Isn't it expensive?”

“Sure is,” Lily smiled, “but it's worth it.”

“That potion needs a new flavor,” Cynthia laughed, as the six walked into the woods.

Datana laughed. “Yes, they dumped it in our punch bowl for our first change. The whole punch thing kind of stuck. Oh, itchy. Here I go.”

“I'm getting fur already,” Vanessa said proudly, displaying her arm.

“You know,” Jasmine said, stepping around a tree, “I never felt so...included. I've had several close friends in my life, but it's nothing like this.”

Lily nodded. “That's why the whole sorority thing kind of lost its luster for me. Those girls are there to be part of a clique, no offense. This is beyond that false-front stuff. This is real and deep. These are truly your sisters.”

The six gave a quick hug as Jan groaned and fell to all fours.

“'Thar she blows!'” giggled Datana.

“I can't believe how well I can see in the dark like this!” Vanessa exclaimed. “Ears! Tail! Oo! Yay!”

Jan burst into wolf form and gave a great howl. The sound sent a shiver through their spines, forcing their changes to accelerate. And soon six wolves ran off.

***

The woods around the college was alive with activity that night, and the next day the suburban town was full of questions. Where had a pack of wolves come from? Several reports of wolf sightings poured into the police, and the local nature conservancy was in an uproar. No one knew where the pack of wolves came from, nor where it had gone.

But three sorority sisters did. And they weren't telling.