Joshua rubbed his gray eyes and dragged himself out of his hard-backed chair. It was afternoon, and he wasn't expecting any visitors: his mom and dad were off at work and wouldn't be home until evening, and he had no siblings. Mentally, he prepared himself to strongly but gently tell some door-to-door salesman or saleswoman that he wasn't interested in whatever they were peddling.
When he opened the door, however, he saw Ashley. Yes, it was Ashley, even though Ashley's body had never been so perfect. It was perfect in an animal way: it shone with power, the muscles complimenting her lithe frame and gifting her with speed, endurance, and strength, and her generous breasts and hips announcing her reproductive prowess. She was perfect in the animal sense, rebuilt for survival and for propogation of the species. And yet, for all the changes she had undergone, Joshua knew that it was her immediately, without any hesitation. He knew her by her eyes, and in an inexpressible way, by her soul.
The two stood there in silence for several moments, neither speaking. Ashley worried that he was afraid, or did not believe his own eyes. For a moment, she was afraid that he did not recognize her at all. She wanted to say so many things to him at once, she did not know where to begin. Finally, surprising her, Joshua simply opened the door a little wider, gesturing for her to enter.
Ashley padded lithely into the living room, something of the wolf's grace still in her movements. Joshua gazed at her for some time. Finally, he spoke. "Ashley. Tell me what's happened."
Despite herself, Ahsley found herself shivering with desire, with trepidation, with fear that he would reject her. "Joshua... please, don't be afraid," she attempted to assure him.
"I'm not afraid. I... don't know why," admitted Joshua, with just a hint of the kind smile that Ashley had come to know. "I guess I should be. You're... changed, and naked, so I know that something has happened. Finally, something has happened."
"Finally?" Ashley looked sidelong at him. "What do you mean?"
"Please, sit down," said Joshua, whereupon Ashley sat on the floor almost like a wolf. "Do you need anything to eat?"
"Yes," Ashley admitted. Shapeshifting was tiring, and she needed food badly. "Meat, please... if you have any."
Joshua left and returned with a pound of prepackaged Oscar Meyer bologna... his family, not having very much money, couldn't afford any choice meats. Ashley wrinkled her nose, smelling the chemicals and preservatives, but she devoured it anyway... it was meat, and it would give her energy.
"When I said 'finally,'" said Joshua, "I meant that... all my life I've known that something like this would happen one day. Something has happened beyond our power to explain, hasn't it? It must have, to change you like this. I feel like everything I've done so far has been to prepare me for this day. Maybe if I hadn't read so many fantasy books, I would be freaking out, or something... but even though I know that when you tell me, everything's going to change, I'm okay with that. I've been waiting for it, in a way. Somehow, I knew something would happen. I'm sorry... I can't explain it."
"You don't need to," said Ashley. "It was exactly that feeling that made me say the word "Transform" earlier today. That word saved me, Joshua. Please... just listen..."
Joshua sat on the floor across from Ashley, leaning against a creaky sofa, as she told her story about Gabe and Jen, and their creating a horde of corrupt werewolves. She told him about the Truth or Dare curse that everyone could use only once, writing it out backwards and out of word order to avoid mistakenly using it on him. She told him about how Kyle's lust had unleashed what could be the end of everything good in the world.
When she was finished, he asked the obvious question: "Why did you come to me, Jen?"
A part of her wondered why he couldn't smell her heat; she had practically filled the room with the smell of a female in need. But she reminded herself that his still-human senses hadn't been awakened yet, and spoke the words she came there to say. "Joshua... I know it's sudden, but... I can't do this alone. Right now, the pack is growing. Even as we speak, someone, somewhere, is losing their body and mind to the Darkening. In a few days, there won't be any humans left in this town. I have to fight Gabe and Jen... but I can't do it alone. I need you to help me. Ever since I was a freshman... I've secretly desired you. It's true. I only asked you to tutor me because of the feelings I have for you. My human world died today, Joshua... and somehow, yours will also. There is nothing keeping me from finally telling you how much I love you, how much I need you. I need you beside me as I fight this battle, I need you behind me, to keep me healthy and sane, I need you to hunt with me. I need you... inside me." She crawled towards him on hands and knees. It was taking a lot of willpower not to shapeshift and give her mighty need a more suitable form. "I want you to be my mate, and the father of my cubs. Joshua... will you please be my mate, and live in the wilds with me, and help me save our world? If you refuse, I will understand." She would indeed understand, but what she could not bring herself to tell him was that if he refused, she would have to kill him. She could not bear the thought of his being forced to eat human flesh, his beautiful mind being twisted by the Darkening. She could not bear the thought of having to kill him in battle when she hunted down the Dark Pack. Better for him to die here, with his mind still free, and live unstained in her memory, than for him to be corrupted and go on to corrupt others. She held her breath, inches from him, awaiting his answer.