Reggie cried out and then looked at his hand. Maverick licked it as if he was trying to tell him he was sorry, but Gina figured he was trying to ensure her dad was really turned.

  Her mom’s eyes were huge, but she didn’t run off or anything. Gina had worried about that. Faye just watched Reggie, waiting for something to happen.

  Maverick returned to his clothes and turned his back to them, though Faye wasn’t watching him now. Her eyes were glued on Reggie.

  Gina joined her dad and gave him a hug. “That was the hard part.”

  Well, the shifting was, but she didn’t want to mention that.

  “Do you feel any different?” Faye asked Reggie.

  “No.”

  “Everyone handles the changes differently,” Leidolf said. “It can happen quickly or take some time for the wolf genes to take effect.”

  “That’s right. I didn’t smell that Gina had been turned right away. And then I did. She smelled like a wolf. Humans can’t detect the smell,” Maverick said.

  Faye smiled. “Bite me too. If we’re all going to undergo this transformation, someone needs to bite me. That’s the way of the werewolf, isn’t it?”

  Yeah, that was the way of the wolf.

  “Josh, you can do it, no sense in you having to get naked on us again, Maverick,” Faye said.

  Gina took her mother’s hand to give her courage. And Josh woofed in a way that made him sound like he was agreeing with her, and then he joined them and bit her mom’s free hand, licking it afterward.

  “Okay, well, if that’s done, you can explain the rest to them about the great things we have planned as a pack and what being one of us entails. I’m going to join my family for the rest of Christmas,” Leidolf said.

  “Thanks, Leidolf,” Maverick said, “and merry Christmas.”

  Everyone wished him a merry Christmas and thanked him too.

  Maverick walked him to the door and let him out, Leidolf smiling and shaking his head. “You have your work cut out for you.”

  Gina figured poor Maverick did.

  Then Maverick shut the door and returned to the living room. Josh trotted back to his clothes, shifted, and got dressed. Then they began playing Christmas charades as if the wolf business hadn’t just happened. But she wondered if they could smell all the Christmas feast aromas so much better now that they had been turned and what else they might be feeling. They were playing the game though, and she was glad they hadn’t freaked out.

  Gina couldn’t help watching her parents for any signs they might have been turned, but then she suspected all the royal wolves and her brother were watching for the same thing.

  Chapter 22

  Surreptitiously during the Christmas Day festivities, Maverick and the other wolves were watching Reggie and Faye while they played charades, but then Brooke said, “Does anyone want some pie and coffee, tea, or milk?”

  Everyone was eager to have some dessert.

  Gina added whipped cream on top of the slices of pies that Brooke had cut for everyone. Maverick made coffee and heated water for the tea. Brooke added some ice cream to anyone’s pie who wanted some.

  They finally settled in the dining room with their beverages and pie.

  “I don’t feel any different,” Reggie said, cutting into a slice of pecan pie.

  “You will be able to smell a lot more scents than you could before,” Maverick said.

  Reggie took a deep breath. “You’re right. I can smell the sweet ice cream and whipped cream and even the pecans in the pie.”

  “And the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in the pumpkin pie seems to be even more…fragrant.” Faye took a bite of her pumpkin pie.

  “You can see in the dark with your night vision, once the wolf genes have taken root,” Maverick said.

  That gave Gina an idea. “Let’s turn out all the lights.” Gina left the table to turn off the kitchen lights.

  “Good idea,” Maverick said.

  Josh got the Christmas tree lights, Brooke the dining room light, and Maverick turned off the living room lights.

  Maverick smiled. “Can you see us?”

  “Yeah. It must be light enough in the room,” Faye said. “The fireplace still has a fire going.”

  “It’s nine at night. It’s dark in here without the lights on,” Gina said. “The fireplace only emits a low, warm light at one end of the living room.” She turned off the fireplace. “The same thing happened to me on the campout. I could see as if it were dawn but it was pitch-black out. No campfire. When the guys got up, they were all carrying flashlights and lanterns. I’d made a trip into the woods by myself and then after that was trying to start a fire in the dark and could see just fine.”

  “Wow. I see what you mean. Even after you turned off the fireplace, I can see you.” Faye smiled and turned to listen to something. “What was that sound?”

  “Snow falling off the roof, the winds are picking up, the furnace just turned on,” Maverick said.

  Reggie pulled his hearing aids out. “I can hear without these. With them, everything’s way too amplified.” He smiled.

  Gina said to Maverick in a hushed voice, “I didn’t think of that. My dad often turns his hearing aids off because he gets so much ‘static.’”

  “I heard that.” Reggie smiled more broadly this time.

  Gina laughed. “Okay, that’s a bad thing. Now I can’t keep secrets from you when you’re around.”

  Reggie reached over and squeezed Faye’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me I could ditch my hearing aids, Maverick? I wouldn’t have hesitated to get turned.”

  “Here I was thinking I’d have to get some hearing aids soon too. Not now.” Faye sounded cheered by the notion.

  They turned the lights and the fireplace on and sat down to finish their desserts.

  Weston was sitting beside his dad and smiled. “Hey, Dad, you smell like a wolf.”

  “I don’t feel any different.”

  “What about me?” Faye asked.

  Gina got out of her seat and hugged her mom and smiled. “You’re a wolf too, Mom. Now, if either of you feel like you’re having a hot flash and want to rip off your clothes, you’re most likely needing to shift into a wolf. Weston and I shifted last night, so it’s possible you might. If you want and we can’t go with you and you want to run as wolves, Maverick will accompany you.” She shouldn’t volunteer him, but she knew he would do it too.

  “And me,” Josh said.

  “Me too,” Brooke said.

  ***

  “But you don’t have to run. You can shift and just sleep as a wolf in your guest room,” Maverick told their parents.

  Gina laughed, and he figured she believed he didn’t want to go chasing after her parents tonight like he had to for her and her brother last night. Whatever made everyone happy after being turned was fine with him. He just wanted them to know that they didn’t have to run as wolves but could sleep through the night instead. Though if Gina and her brother both went out to run as wolves, then it could be fun for all of them to be together as a family, Josh and Brooke included.

  “Or we can all go together as wolves,” Maverick said.

  “As a family,” Josh said.

  “You said something about a parcel of land?” Weston asked.

  “Yeah, so you can build a couple of homes on the acreage. Just think,” Maverick said to him, “if you have your own acreage and home, you’d stand a better chance at entertaining a she-wolf at your place and convincing her you are meant to be the one for her.”

  “I didn’t think that’s how that worked,” Gina said. “That instead the wolf instincts led you to find the right mate.”

  “True,” Maverick said, “but it doesn’t hurt for Weston to have a home of his own instead of just having her over to Sarge’s place for dates.”

  “True. Oh and Mom and Dad, Maverick and I are mated wolves. So a wedding is only a formality, but we’re mated for life already,” Gina said.

  “Mated wolves,” Faye said. “It sounds like your world has a lot of rules.”

  “It does.” Maverick began to explain more about the lupus garous. He figured that they’d remember only a small amount of what he told them after being turned. It was a lot to deal with.

  Josh and Brooke filled in all the rest of the details about the wolves that they could think of.

  “The new moon? Full moon?” Faye sighed. “I guess it’s good that we aren’t working any longer and just collect our retirement checks. I like the fact we heal twice as fast as humans. I’ve always worn my wedding and engagement rings though. Not wearing them except during the new moon phase will take some getting used to.”

  They ended up talking into the night, though Maverick really wanted to take Gina to bed so she could get some sleep and hopefully wouldn’t sleepwalk again tonight. But her parents were so wound up about everything, they just couldn’t sleep yet.

  He thought of locking the bedroom door, but he had to take care of her parents and Weston too if they took off in the middle of the night.

  “Oh, I’ve got to shift,” Gina said. “I’m not ready to get naked in front of everyone like the royals do.” She hurried off the chair and ran for the master bedroom.

  “I’ll be right back.” Maverick wasn’t going to turn unless she wanted to go running.

  But then Faye abruptly left the table and ran down the hall.

  “Faye?” Reggie said and hurried after her.

  A few minutes later, Maverick returned with Gina in her wolf coat.

  Then Weston smiled. “Maybe we’ll have a shorter run tonight and you can get some sleep.”

  “And Gina won’t be sleepwalking as a wolf,” Maverick said.

  “She was doing that again?” Brooke asked.

  Gina wagged her tail.

  “Yeah, she needs to get more sleep.” Maverick began taking plates into the kitchen and started putting them in the dishwasher.

  Josh and Brooke helped him. But neither Faye nor Reggie left the bedroom. Weston finally went to check on them.

  “Come on, Mom, you’re beautiful. Show off your wolf self to the rest of us so we all know you in your wolf form,” Weston said in the guest room.

  Maverick hadn’t considered that their parents, or at least Faye, would be reluctant to show off what she’d become.

  “Honey, when I shift, we can go out together, okay?” Reggie said from the bedroom.

  But then Gina barged into the guest room and woofed. At her urging, her mother came out of the bedroom with her, and Maverick smiled at the two of them.

  Reggie didn’t leave the room, and Maverick heard his shoes hit the floor. He must have been stripping in a prelude to shifting.

  “I called Randall,” Josh said, “so he can follow us in the Jeep with a change of clothes for anyone who might need them. Brooke and I will run with you as wolves.”

  Maverick was glad for that.

  Then Reggie came bounding out of the bedroom as a wolf and howled. Faye looked like she didn’t know what to do. Gina howled and rubbed against her mom and dad with reassurance.

  “We could all wait for Weston to shift, or—” Maverick said.

  “Go ahead. I’ll join you when I can. I don’t want to hold you up if Mom and Dad and Gina have to shift back earlier because of it and I’ve delayed everyone,” Weston said.

  “I’ll stay with Weston,” Josh said.

  “I’ll go with Maverick to help keep everyone on track,” Brooke said.

  “Okay, sounds good. Randall can get the clothes for Gina and Weston out of my truck. I’ll grab your clothes too,” Maverick said and pulled a cloth grocery bag out of the hall closet. Then he headed into Faye and Reggie’s guest room, shoved their clothes into it, and then rejoined them. “If you’ll follow our lead, Randall will trail us in the Jeep. We can’t cross rivers or go into the woods where he can’t easily reach us with the Jeep in case anyone shifts suddenly in the snow. It’s also really snowing out there, so we need to stay close to each other so we don’t lose anyone.” Maverick didn’t want to say no to them running as wolves because of the snow, since it was such a new experience for them and being cooped up in the house as a wolf wouldn’t be as much fun.

  Brooke and Maverick quickly stripped out of their clothes and shifted, and then they led the others outside through the wolf door, all except for Faye. Josh opened the front door, letting her out, since she balked at going out through the wolf door. Then he took the bag of Faye’s and Reggie’s clothes and gave them to Randall, who was already waiting for them.

  “I’m just waiting on Weston to shift, and then we’ll be joining you,” Josh said.

  “Okay, I’ve got his and Gina’s spare clothes from Maverick’s truck.” Then Randall said to those who had shifted, “Just don’t get too far ahead of me. The snow is really causing visibility issues, even with our enhanced night vision.”

  Maverick and Gina barked in agreement, and then Brooke led the way and Maverick brought up the rear. He hoped Weston would be able to join them soon, and then they could all return home as soon as possible. He loved running in the snow, but he didn’t want to lose anyone out here either.

  Like wolves would do on a run together in deep snow, they ran single file, which he appreciated, no tangents tonight. Faye was following Brooke, keeping close to her, not wanting to lose sight of her. Reggie was keeping the same distance from his wife, but Gina was giving them a little breathing room. Maverick was right on top of Gina though, not wanting to lose her. Behind them, he could hear Randall’s Jeep’s engine, the sound muffled by the blowing wind and snow.

  And then Maverick thought he heard something approaching from behind and turned to see Josh and Weston racing to catch up to them, running in their snow tracks, Weston following Josh.

  Glad to see them, Maverick woofed. The line of wolves all stopped ahead of them and turned. Brooke howled to see them. Then Reggie and Gina howled. Maverick followed up and Josh and Weston joined in on the chorus. Faye looked too timid to try. Maverick loved her and knew they’d make a bona fide wolf out of her yet.

  They ran for about a half hour, and then Brooke stopped and turned around. All the wolves stopped, and she barked, letting them know it was time to head back in. Maybe they would have a caramel apple hot toddy cocktail before they called it a night, if anyone wanted one or if they could even shift to have one.

  They turned around and headed back in, with Josh moving in front of Weston to lead the way as Randall’s Jeep’s headlights cut through the veil of snow.

  Maverick hoped everyone had enjoyed the run on the wild side, especially Faye since she seemed to be having trouble coming to grips with her wolf half for now.

  Josh stopped to howl as he drew nearer to the ranch and howls came from the bunkhouse. Maverick smiled, and the rest of them on the run paused to howl, all except for Faye. Maverick suspected she’d have to practice in private or with her immediate family to begin with.

  Then they reached the Jeep, and everyone seemed okay to run home as wolves. They hadn’t been out that long, but there was no telling when the newly turned would shift, so they had to be vigilant.

  Randall followed them all the way home, and once they were there, he got out of his Jeep to open the front door for Faye. Maverick was giving him an increased bonus this year for all his help with the newly turned wolves, though he knew his ranch manager was happy to help out any way that he could.

  Then they went inside, and Randall left their bags of clothes in the house. “Merry Christmas, folks,” he said, and they all woofed at him, all but Faye, and then he closed the door, and the Jeep drove off.

  They rubbed their paws on the mat at the front door, and then Gina’s family headed for their bedrooms. Maverick, Brooke, and Josh shifted by their discarded clothing and began getting dressed. “Did you all want a caramel apple hot toddy before you go home tonight?” Maverick asked his brother and sister-in-law.

  “Oh, yes, that would be great,” Brooke said. “That was so much fun. I’m glad we were all able to run as a family. Our new family.” She glanced at the bedrooms down the hall.

  Maverick realized the same thing as she did. No one was dressing that he could make out. And definitely no one was coming down the hallway as a human or otherwise.

  Josh smiled. “Let’s make the drinks.” He hoped everyone would shift back soon.

  “Yeah, I’m all for it. And as everyone emerges, they can have their drinks,” Brooke said, already getting out the ingredients for the cocktails.

  Hot apple cider, apple brandy, whipped cream, and caramel drizzled on top made for a fun Christmas cocktail for the finale of Christmas Day.

  And then, as if everyone had smelled the delightful drinks and wanted them, they began to come out of the bedrooms, one by one. Faye was the last to get herself dressed and come out to join them.

  Everyone was looking at her hair. Instead of being blonde, she now had dark brown hair with a few strands of gray. He wondered if she’d seen her hair had lost its dye.

  “Well, how was it?” Maverick asked everyone as he and Brooke passed out the drinks.

  “It was great,” Reggie said. “I felt more alive and younger than I’ve felt in years.”

  “I loved it,” Weston said, giving his mom a hug.

  “It was an experience and a half,” Faye finally said, running her hand over her hair. “I never felt warmer on a walk through a blizzard. The wolf coat is amazingly warm, but it’s still so unreal. I…I wasn’t sure how to howl. I felt if I tried I’d make some kind of pitiful sound.”

  “You can do it, Mom,” Gina said. “You did great. It was a lot to experience all at once, but I’m so proud of you. You know, I’ve never seen your hair that color.”

  Her mom sighed. “Don’t tell me that’s one of the changes to expect with shifting.”