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“But I’ll be naked.”
“It’s okay,” I told her. “You can hide behind a tree, and I’ll shout instructions.”
“That sounds ridiculous.” Margo laughed, her shoulders relaxing. “Wait, what if I can’t do it?”
“You’ll relax,” Amelia said. “And let the wolf in you take over.”
Margo blew out a breath. “Sounds easy.”
“It is,” I said. “You’ll feel it when you’re out there, and I’ll talk you through it, don’t worry. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but you also don’t have to show anyone anything. Okay?”
She nodded, looking relieved. I thought I understood. There was a huge difference between getting naked inside and stripping off in a copse of trees. Then her face fell. “What if I start attacking everyone?”
“No offence, but I think the three of us could take you,” Amelia said wryly.
“You’ve no reason to attack us,” I explained. “You met us already in your wolf form.”
“Not Ryan,” Amelia said with a chuckle. “Maybe you’ll give him a fright.”
Margo looked horrified until I reassured her further, glaring at Amelia who kept giggling.
Ryan soon joined us. He took one look at Margo's worried expression and immediately launched into explanations about following trails, wolf territory, clothes stashes, and random other subjects that soon had Margo feeling too overwhelmed to worry about the shift.
In the forest, we reached a familiar clearing where I pointed out a good tree for Margo to hang her clothes on. “Tends to be less insecty.”
“What if it rains? What if I get muddy?”
“If it rains, there are always spare clothes lying around in the bins Ryan was telling you about. You’ll learn the scents and find them yourself if you don’t remember where. If you get muddy as a wolf, dip into the pond before shifting back. If your feet are too wet and dirty, walk back barefoot or get a pair of flip-flops you don’t mind destroying.”
“What if I shift, but I can’t shift back?”
“I’ll stay with you until you do.” I laid my hands on her shoulders and faced her. “You can shift. You did it before. Let the wolf take over. When it’s time, let her go. The wolf knows exactly what to do. I promise you it will feel natural. Don’t be scared, and don’t fight it.”
She nodded, her expression grim.
“Hurry up, you two,” Amelia called out, stripping off. She shifted then sniffed around while she waited for us.
Margo didn’t look any more relaxed when she hid behind a tree to take off her clothes.
“You and Amelia should move on,” I told Ryan. “Stay close enough in case anything happens.”
He agreed then walked deeper into the woods to shift. Amelia trotted after him.
“They’re gone,” I called out to Margo. “It’s just you and me, okay?”
“Okay.” She sounded shaky, so I kept talking.
“You’re a beautiful wolf, by the way,” I said. “I didn’t tell you that before. I’ve never seen one quite like you. Can you catch any scents out here? Even before shifting?”
“Um, everything smells green.”
I laughed. “Can you not smell me?”
“I think I can.” Her voice sounded like she was smiling. “You smell like a warm, cosy rug.”
I burst out laughing. “Thanks. I think.”
“It’s a good smell. When I changed, I couldn’t calm down until I caught your scent and then everything felt better.”
