Shiftless by Aimee Easterling

our more primal days, when a young male in an alpha's territory might be angling for his position, spurring the pack leader to squelch the challenge before it could be issued.  The problem didn't often come up, though, because everyone was related either by blood or by marriage in most packs, and some modern males had also learned to ignore the urge even around strangers.  But not everyone could overpower his wolf...or wanted to.  Keith wouldn't be safe with an unknown alpha male lurking around.
    The wolf and I turned to follow the male's scent, and I wasn't sure which of us was in charge as we put our nose to the ground and traced his path upstream through the trees.  It smelled like the alpha had been there only hours previously, and the sinuous path suggested he'd lollygagged about, wandering through the woods as if they were his own.  Another rumble came deep in our throats as we smelled where the male had marked his territory on the side of a lightning-scarred oak tree at the crest of the ridge.
    Another few feet, and the wolf himself came into view.  He was lounging on the leaf litter, where a gap in the canopy caused a ray of sun to warm his hide.  The huge wolf was clearly well aware of our approach, but he simply yawned and laid his chin back down on his paws as we came closer, closing his eyes as if he was planning on finishing out his nap.  And I wasn't surprised by his behavior, either, because I recognized the canine's coloration.  The alpha male was Wolfie.
     
    ***
     
    My wolf urged us forward to sniff under the alpha's tail, but I pushed her down and fought to initiate the shift back into human form.  As a canine, Wolfie was nearly double my size, and I suspected his human form was equally imposing, but I trusted my tongue more than I did my feet to get me out of this mess.  I'd simply explain to the mutt that he was trespassing on private property, would threaten him with a restraining order if necessary, and would then head back down the hill to check on Keith.  I had no idea why Wolfie was nosing around my nephew, but I wouldn't feel safe until the kid was once again under my watchful eye.
    Unfortunately, my wolf didn't want to be locked away.  It wasn't just the lost joy of the hunt that made her irritable, it was Wolfie's presence—my annoying wolf wanted to protect me.  She also wanted to play with the alpha male for some crazy reason.  Bending her forelegs down onto the ground, she lowered her head, raised her tail, and yipped.
    Wolfie opened his eyes and tilted his head at us quizzically, then rose to his feet.  He didn't seem to know what to make of my wolf any more than I did, but I couldn't spend much time paying attention to the alpha.  I was focusing all of my energy on trying to still my human mind enough to initiate the shift back to two feet.
    My reverse shifts always felt entirely different than the change from human to wolf.  Instead of pain, as fur melted away and paws became hands, I usually experienced supreme relief, a bit like stepping into a warm shower after a long day on the trail.  Today, though, I didn't feel any relief...because there was no shift.  My wolf was thoroughly in charge.  In fact, I could feel her gently guiding my human brain down toward that cage I'd built deep in the dark recesses of our mind to house her.  Seeing the trap closing around me, wolf-like, I clawed to escape.
    Despite our internal battle, our external form was still dancing around Wolfie, and it soon became clear that the larger wolf was less than pleased by our presence.  He turned as if to go, then sighed and walked back toward us.  Gently but firmly, the male wolf took our nose in his jaws, just like my father had done years ago, but without the part where his teeth pierced my skin.  Even though the younger alpha was gentle, his act of dominance chastened my wolf long enough for me to escape her clutches, and at the same instant when my human brain became dominant, Wolfie