copper fixtures, a common problem in the area. It looked as tranquil as a forest postcard when he pulled

the Jeep up the final stretch of gravel road and cut the engine. “Or like something you’d see in one of those

teen slasher movies before it all goes to hell,” he joked with a wry smile—except he wasn’t worried

about being surprised by a mutant redneck wielding an ax like in all those movies. After all, he was more

a monster than anything that could be living in these woods.

The cabin was rustic, made of all hand-cut, redwood logs, with pine and elm trees abutting it on both

sides. Little of the surrounding forest had been cleared away. Behind the cabin was the shed, then the

dock and, finally, a quaint little fishing hole with some wild trout in it, a rowboat tied to a pylon. Kevin

had never used the boat or been out on the water. He had no interest in fishing, though he did consider

himself a formidable hunter.

He felt the hum of unspent energy as he got out, listened for a moment to the busy birdsong in the treetops

—a sound so very different from the constant, angry roar of the big city—and then hurried up the creaking,

plank wood porch stairs, letting himself in with the key Jolene had given him. He didn’t bother turning the

power on just yet; he could struggle with the old, rusty 2-cylinder generator on his return from his run.

Run, he thought, his mouth virtually watering with anticipation. Hunt. Feed. The most primal of thoughts

filled him with a nervous, ravenously hungry energy.

He threw his duffle bag on the cot in the corner and immediately shucked his clothes off, throwing them in

every direction and kicking away his shoes. The cool, slightly musty air tickled his naked skin as he

disrobed. He sniffed the air, found it good, shook himself all over like he was casting away his city life,

then he was out the door and racing into the forest just as fast as he could.

He bounded nimbly over fallen trees, forest brush, and huge, jagged rocks thrust up from the ancient

Pennsylvanian bedrock. He ran, his feet barely touching the ground. He leaped a nearby stream with no

effort at all, lading easily on all fours, then took off again into the forest, breathing hard in and out,

muscles bunching and working, mind racing and yet strangely sedate in his present, almost meditative,

state. He felt comfortable, alive. His humanity sloughed off with every step he took and the wolf came

awake. He scattered birds and small animals in his wake. And somewhere along the way, he shifted.

***

Chapter Three

Kevin was fourteen years old when the wolf came to him the first time. He was making out with a boy

named Josh when he felt the first crackling, electrical twinges of the change washing over him.

Josh was the definitive jock. He played basketball and every girl in their freshman class had a major

crush on him. Ironically, Kevin never looked twice at him. He just wasn’t into jocks, period. He was tall

and slender and redheaded pale. Other than the occasional soccer game for PE, he hated playing sports.

He liked reading and playing video games with his small circle of friends. He liked animals and going to

the zoo. He didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he wanted it to be something

spectacular—a doctor or lawyer.

Then Josh passed him a note one day in English, and Kevin’s whole world changed. The note read, I

know what you are. Meet me behind the bleachers at 3:30.

Kevin threw it away. But at quarter after three, he found himself plodding across the football field, his

shoes and the cuffs of his jeans wet from the rain that had fallen that afternoon. Josh was waiting for him.

He was alone, no one lying in wait, which made Kevin feel somewhat better. “Is this a joke?” Kevin said

anyway, because you never knew. “If it is, it’s not funny.”

“No joke,” Josh said. He had a couple beers stashed in his knapsack, which he pulled out and opened. He

gave one to Kevin. “I like you. But I don’t want them finding out, is all.”

“Who?” Kevin said, accepting the beer like it wasn’t his first.

Josh shrugged. “Everyone.”He drank down a sip. “You wanna go to the movies or something?”

Kevin shrugged too. “Can’t. I have to pick up my sister, walk her home.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“She goes to a special school for the blind.”

“Oh.” Josh nodded. “How about Saturday?”

That weekend, in the darkened movie theater, Kevin kissed a boy for the first time. It was a nice kiss,

warm, not too sloppy. It was swiftly followed by many more weekends, and many more kisses. That

summer, after school let out, Kevin and Josh went to Youth Camp in the hopes of finding some alone time

away from parents and teachers. When they could get away from the counselors and daily activities, they

spent their time making out in the woods.

One night, after they’d snuck away from their cabins and met up in a clearing outside camp, they laid

down together in the leaf litter, kissing and touching, and Josh said, “You taste really good, you know

that? But your eyes look funny in the dark.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.” Josh touched Kevin discreetly between the legs for the first time, gently squeezing his balls.

Kevin lurched from the sudden, unfamiliar sensation and sat up. Josh looked worried and said, “Hey,

man, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” Kevin said. He’d liked how it felt, actually. It made him feel more alive than he’d

ever been. The forest looked brighter, lit in shades of bright grey, and the air was alive with scents so

powerful he could taste them in the back of his throat: the decomposing leaves, the cool, damp earth, the

sap of trees and musky scent of animals. He could smell the thin sheen of sweat on Josh’s skin, the

coppery tang of blood underneath it. He realized he wanted to kiss Josh’s skin, his blood.

When Josh pulled him down for yet another kiss, Kevin nibbled his bottom lip, followed through with a

quick, sharp bite to the side of Josh’s neck. Josh moaned as a little blood trickled loose.

He was half afraid that Josh would tell him to fuck off, but Josh seemed to like it, and Kevin did too. He

sniffed along Josh’s hair and neck. He licked at the tiny wound he had made. The scent of Josh’s blood

burned coolly in the back of his throat. He kissed Josh, and they made out while they fumbled with each

other’s pants.

Kevin licked along the other boy’s lower belly, licked and snuffled along Josh’s skin until Josh was stiff

and almost bursting with arousal. They rolled over, blowing each other and giggling like idiots. It was the

most fun Kevin had ever had since sneaking out of the house with Hannah to see a horror movie at the

local cinema when they were younger.

Afterward, Josh got redressed and hurried back to camp. He said the woods were too spooky to sleep in

at night. Kevin stayed. He didn’t think they were scary; he thought they were beautiful and full of life and