1- The Moon

He feels itchy all over, and he’s been sick all day. He’s not sure why dad told mom to go stay with his sister. Dad makes him steak for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. Dad says he’s very proud of him. He doesn’t know why until the moon comes up and the sounds of the forest come alive. There’s a split second when the sights and sounds and textures of the world overwhelm him and make him light headed and giddy. Then he hears the sounds of his bones breaking and screams and everything goes black.

2- Secret

Dad says this is their secret, their special family secret. He says mom doesn’t need to know, that nobody outside the family needs to know. Dad’s always said before this there are no secrets in this house, that family doesn’t lie to each other and although there’s a slight haze of confusion created by his father’s inconsistency something inside him tells him that his father is right. He doesn’t want his mom to know what happens to him when the moon comes up. He doesn’t want her to look at him the way he looks at himself in the mirror.

3- Heritage

Dad says he’s bringing home his sister over the phone, and his mother goes into her room to be alone for awhile. When Shane walks in the door she’s not what he expects. She looks kind of like a boy, but in a pretty way, but that’s not what catches him off guard. Shane doesn’t smell like a wolf, and when they’re alone he asks his father why. Dad says that Shane was born before he was bitten by the werewolf. That means that Shane isn’t a wolf like them and also means that she doesn’t need to know their secret. It’s good, because he’s not sure if he likes her. She smells funny and he can tell from the sound of her thumping heart that she wants to be anywhere but here.

4-Blood

He almost transforms right in the middle of the playground after lunch. He’s not sure why, he thought werewolves only transformed on the full moon. That’s what all the movies and comics said but then he remembered how his dad said that the movies got some things wrong. He was playing with his best friend Cody, wrestling around. He’s been winning a lot lately, and has Cody in a headlock when his other friend, Dale thinks its funny to knock the two of them over. When Shay gets up to push Dale down he suddenly smells something coppery and pungent and he immediately remembers the smell of deer blood beneath the moon. He looks down at Cody, whose nose his all blood and his eyes start to sting, and his bones start to hurt and for a minute his senses become crystal clear and there’s a pang of joy in his chest because its like a veil has been lifted off the world. Then he remembers what this means and starts to run back to the school. He almost runs into a teacher who shouts a curse word at him as he darts around her and into the bathroom. He stays in there until his eyes turn their normal color and his veins stop swelling up under his skin. On the way home, dad says he’s proud of him for being so quick thinking and getting into the bathroom. Dad buys him ice cream on the way home.