Samantha read the text message from Ben, and was about to call the mayor back with the results, when Daisuke approached her. Samantha could see he was no longer on his cellphone.
"I have spoken to my grandmother," he began, "and she says that, at least for werefoxes, the longest incomplete transformation for a male is your Mister Anderson. Unfortunately, there is no known records on the longest incomplete female transformation within our Skulk."
"Well, William Anderson wasn't quite himself as he started to change back that first night," said Samantha, recalling his threat to rape her and make every female he could get his paws on part of his harem, "but since his completion, the werefox side of him has not only brought a sense of order to his troubled life, it might have helped save his marriage."
"That is good to hear. Grandmother also informed me that after proposing to her, Harold Jenkins is spending the night with Jennifer Harper in the hospital's safe room."
"Really? He must truly love her more than I realized," admitted Samantha.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Daisuke.
"Not at all. It's just that 't's been my experience that sometimes, making a promise and actually keeping it can be separate things. I'm glad he found the courage to realize and fully express his love."
"While our Skulk leader feels that Ms. Harper completing her life/mate bond with him will help ease her burdens, she is still incomplete until she can spend time with the dishonorable rogue Yvette."
"I'll try to make arrangements to expedite the matter, but court doesn't begin until nine tomorrow morning. I'll make sure it's already prepared for her arrival and Jenny Harper, but even if Yvette is the first item on the docket, the earliest we could have her back in jail and in the prison's safe room would be sometime after eleven at the earliest," explained Samantha, knowing something about the prison and judicial systems of Moon Lake.
"A shame. Based upon my conversation with Mister Jenkins, we suspect Yvette broke into their tent sometime after dawn today, but that would still be over twenty-four hours before Ms. Harper has a chance to become whole. We unfortunately just do not know what toll, if any, that will take upon her," said Daisuke.
"I'm afraid it can't be helped. I did have the situation researched. The longest known delay for completion of any were-female in the town records however has only been a couple of hours, and that's only because an unsupervised campfire sparked a bigger blaze and interrupted a wereskunk welcoming his mate on their honeymoon."
"I heard of that incident. They say the forest stank for days afterward."
"Thankfully, it was before my time, so I don't know."
"Akane no Tachibana also asked if you knew the legend of the lost werebear?"
"I think so, but it's been a while," admitted Samantha.
"Back before Moon Lake was officially founded and began formally keeping records," began Daisuke, "the story goes that a werebear was making love to his new bride when a human hunter came upon them. Not knowing about weres, he shot and killed the male under the belief it was attacking a helpless female. The woman completed her physical transformation, but in the grief of losing her mate, killed the hunter before running off deeper into the woods, never to be seen again. What actually became of her, no one knows for sure, but some say that on cold winter nights, you can hear her moaning for her lost mate in the cries of the wind."
"Whether or not that is true, I always felt it a sad tale," confessed Samantha.
"Agreed. Let us hope Jennifer Harper can be spared such dire consequences," said Daisuke, before he bowed and turned to leave.
Hmm, thought Samantha, as she began to call the mayor back with the good news about Eric's status. Do the Skulk truly not know what might happen to Jenny the longer she remains incomplete, or do they fear something else? After all, Akane did say her transformation was unique, being a cream colored Sahara Desert Fennec, compared to the rest of the Skulk present in Moon Lake being based off the traditional Red Fox.