The original Thomas, now stuck in the body of an Akita, laid down in the dirt near the side of the road and fumed. He'd been trapped as he'd tried to trap the others, and it ate at him.
The others had walked away from him without looking back.
He tried to take stock of his situation, but he was at a loss. He was a young, healthy male dog, but he was basically a stray. If animal control picked him up, he was doomed. He would have better luck trying to luck into a family that would take him in, but even that was a crap shoot.
He had to get the amulet back, and soon.
Thomas got up and started making his way back to town, trying his best to stay out of sight. His progress was slow, but when he realized that he was getting too close to populated areas, he slipped into a barn on a small farm where he'd smelled dogs before. Finding a stash of dog food, he broke open the back and ate his fill before hiding under some equipment and waiting for nightfall.
**
It was late, very late, by the time he found himself back at the house. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but at the least he had to make himself human again. He found the hole he'd used to escape and struggled though it, then stood in the backyard and waited for a sign that it was safe to go inside.
What he got was Honey, who slipped out of the dog door and headed to the grass to relieve herself. A cool breeze blew over her, and Thomas could smell the residue of her heat, which activated a whole different part of his brain. Throwing caution to the wind, he stepped out of the shadow and went to sniff.
She growled when she saw him, but it didn't take long before her instincts gave in and she allowed him to mount her again. He pressed hard into her willing body and felt the two of them get tied together with his knot.
It was at that moment the porch light snapped on and Ian stepped out as Thomas. "Well, well, what have we here?" he said quietly.