Finally, the smell of a burned-out fire tickled her nose, and Claire followed the bitter, almost hollow scent all the way to the clearing. She sat on a fallen limb and wiped the veil of sweat from her forehead. It was cooler here, in the deep part of the woods, but the humidity was still thick.
Without the fire or the rest of the pack, the clearing seemed oddly normal. Like any other part of the forest. Claire stared up at the patch of sky visible directly overhead and sighed. There was nothing special about this place, and she couldn’t figure out what had made it seem like such a good idea to come all the way out here, anyway. She didn’t want to practice in the clearing—it felt too exposed, even this deep in the woods. She’d be better off walking back to the pine trees. Claire stood and stretched. She had just turned to slink back into the trees when the voice spoke behind her.
“Don’t freak out,” it said.
Claire backed across the clearing as fast as she could, nearly falling over the well-hidden remains of the fire in the process, and ducked behind a tree. Her mouth was open, but some primitive instinct kept her scream locked in her lungs. If she screamed, they’d find her for sure.
A thin figure slid through the trees, walking into the shaft of moonlight that struck the clearing. “Claire?” Zahlia called, her pale features scanning the trees.
Claire stepped out from her hiding place, her heart thudding. “Jesus! You scared the crap out of me,” she breathed.
“Sorry.” Zahlia folded herself down onto the same fallen limb where Claire had been sitting. “I didn’t mean to.”
“No, it’s fine. So, uh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself. What brings you to the clearing when it’s not a full moon? Is your mom around?” Zahlia asked, her eyes glittering in the bluish light.
Claire shrugged. “No, it’s just me. I felt sort of like practicing, so I came out to the woods, and then I kind of wandered over, I guess. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to find it.” She felt heat rise into her cheeks. “My mom doesn’t really know I’m out. Am I not supposed to be here?”
“You’re allowed to be in the gathering place. And of course I won’t tell your mom that you were here. It’s just that usually I’m the only one who ever comes, other than when we all meet. It’s a good place to think.”
Claire sat down across from Zahlia. “Yeah, I can see that. It didn’t seem like a very good place to practice, though.”
“Really?” Zahlia cocked her head to one side. “Why not?”
“It just felt too … sort of out in the open, or something.”
Zahlia grinned. “That’s a great sign.”
“It is?” Claire sounded startled, even to herself.
“Sure,” Zahlia said. “Not wanting to be seen while you’re in your true form—it means your instincts are strong. And the stronger your instincts, the easier it is to learn, to be good at the things we can do.”
“Oh. Well—okay then.” Being good at being a werewolf was better than nothing, right? Claire wiped the moisture off her temples and winced as the perspiration matted the fur on the backs of her hands.
“You look hot.” Zahlia smiled. “There’s a way to fix that, you know.”
“Uh, no. What do you mean?” Claire sat up, interested. Sweat trickled down her spine and pooled in the small of her back.
“Close your eyes and think of something really cold. Snow, ice—it doesn’t matter what.”
The icicles that clung to the edge of her window every winter popped into Claire’s head. The way they hung there like a set of uneven, shimmering teeth …
“Do you have something?” Zahlia asked.
Claire nodded.
“Okay, so this is where it gets a little tricky. You have to sort of pull that idea around you, like a cloak, and hold it there.”
The cool air that slid through her fur surprised Claire, and her eyes flew open. Holy crap. The heat rushed back over her.
Zahlia laughed. “We’re not done yet. You have to stay focused. That was only the first step. Why don’t you try again?”
Claire squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the cold around herself, shivering a little against the sudden chill.
“Great,” Zahlia whispered. “Now you’ve got to let it in. Hold it under your skin, the same way you keep your wolf-self hidden.”
Claire felt the cold slide under her fur. It was like the jolt of diving into icy water on a hot day—shock and relief at the same time, and the tiniest edge of pain that disappeared as her body adjusted to the change. She opened her eyes and stared at Zahlia in disbelief.
“That’s amazing,” she breathed.
Zahlia nodded. “I love that one, especially. It really comes in handy when you’re hunting—keeps the temperature from being a distraction. Go on, move a little—give it a try.”
Claire ran a little way into the woods, experimenting. An hour ago, even a short run had left her panting and drained. Now, the heat of her exertion was whisked away by the cold inside her. Claire let out a yip of pleasure. She could run for miles, for hours, like this. Without the thick air pressing down on her, she was filled with new energy. It tingled through her, and she shivered happily as she made her way back into the clearing.