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If only he'd been able to learn the trick of changing to some other form. What had Brian said? That he could take any form he chose. All he had to do was choose some form that could carry the kid without scaring her. When he thought about what a kid Ruby's age would like, it only took him a second to decide what to go for. Hell, it couldn't hurt to try.
He was wrong. It did hurt. It hurt like hell. It was nothing like changing from human to wolf, or even from wolf to human. The worst part was not being able to let loose the grunts of pain he wanted to for fear of scaring the kid even more. It took twice as long as it should have taken to change, and twice as long after that to recover enough to wobble back into the shack.
Cindy gave that little gasp again when she saw him. "You're real!"
He nodded.
"Have you come to take me home?"
He nodded again.
"Are we going to fly?"
A shake.
"Why not?"
He did his best shrug, given the circumstances, and snorted.
"Is it because you're alone?"
He nodded, relieved that she'd come up with an explanation.
She approached him gingerly, and patted his head. Then she started to climb on top, Jake standing as still as he could to make sure he didn't startle her. Once he was sure she had a good grip on him, he started out the door and down the road.
It wasn't too bad at first - even though he wasn't used to carrying anybody, at least she was skinny. But he got awfully tired after a while, what with the extra weight, keeping an eye out for danger, and as Cindy got sleepier and sleepier, making sure she didn't slip off his back. All of that was even harder because he was still trying to figure out how the body was supposed to work. Whose idea was it to make the legs so long and spindly? At least the hard feet were useful - he didn't have to worry about stepping on broken glass or sharp rocks.
The first couple of houses they came to were dark, and Jake wasn't going to risk leaving her until he was sure there was help around. Only when they got to a well-lit house, with plenty of cars parke
d nearby, where he could see people talking and laughing inside, did he carry her to the front porch. He had to kind of kneel down so she could get off. As she stood, rubbing her eyes, he nudged her toward the door. He didn't back away until she hit the doorbell, and he could hear somebody coming.
He was starting to leave when she called out, "Wait! Which one are you?"
He should have known it was coming. So he made one final choice, and his nose glowed red in the moonlight.
"After that," he said to the assembled pack, "I headed back here. And Felicia caught me. "
"I see," Brian said. He'd stayed quiet during the whole story, and the expression on his face hadn't changed a bit. "Felicia, do you have anything to add?"
"He didn't try to deny that he'd been out, if that's what you're asking. "
"Can you explain how he found that child before an experienced team like you and Dave could?"
Felicia looked abashed, something that normally Jake would have been delighted to see. "We did track her to the road, but once she got into the car with the phony Santa, we couldn't follow any farther. We were working a spiral, trying to pick her scent up again, when we got the word that she'd been found unharmed at a house on the edge of town. She barely stayed awake long enough for her parents to get her, and nobody knows what happened. "
"I see. Dave, I understand you investigated Jake's story. "
Felicia's tracking partner stood. "I changed to track Jake and the little girl back to the shack. Everything there was just like he said. "
"Will you be able to find the pedophile by scent?"
"Without a doubt. "
Brian nodded. "Jake, do you have anything else to say?"
A million things ran through Jake's mind: He could point out that the kid was safe because of him, or that it was Christmas, or that he was new to the pack. Or he could just apologize and throw himself on their mercy. But it all stuck in his throat. They knew the story - what they decided to do was up to them. "No, sir. "
"Very well. " He turned to the pack. "Jake has broken several pack rules tonight. Normally, any of these transgressions would be reason to eject him from the pack, but since he is still young, he may remain if a pack member takes responsibility for teaching him better. Will anyone vouch for Jake?"
