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 I slowed my pace and started to stalk quietly through the woods for the last few hundred meters from where I left the disassembled corps. I still wasn't convinced something could survive after having its head removed but 2 hours ago, I was convinced people couldn't change into animals, and Vampires didn't exist outside of books and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and look at me now. Imagine what I could know in another 2 hours.

 Banishing these extra thoughts, I concentrated on my new senses and tried to hear any movement up ahead. I could smell the sickly burnt sweet smell from here, but I had no way of knowing if that was from the fight or if he was still there. I had seen Sam move to circle around in the opposite direction when I left the trail and knew he was just a thought away.

 As I crept through the woods, I found that I was thoroughly enjoying this. The caution, the slow stepping to make sure nothing was disturbed as I placed my weight on my paw. The sheer tension in my body and the ready to explode muscles at my command, it was all making me… euphoric. As I moved around a tree, my eyes picked up a leg in the middle of the trail and an arm slightly farther off. I didn't see any movement from them, but my instincts still called for caution.

 I reached for the familiar mental pressure that was Sam and spoke, {"I can see a few limbs and they are not moving. You see anything from there?"}

 {"By the ancestors, this thing smells horrible. I can see its body but not the head. No movement, so I think it's safe. I will get closer, be ready to back me up if it shows movement."} 

 I moved my eyes to where I figured Sam would be and closer than I expected I saw a shadow from a tree become larger as Sam stepped out from behind it and slowly entered the clearing. After a few cautious moments, I could see him visibly relax and start moving around in a more relaxed manner. He still looked like he was trying to hold his breath though and I found that slightly funny.

 Without waiting for him to say anything, I stood up to my full height and entered the pathway. The vampire was just as torn up as I left him, so chances are that the stories of them healing were wrong or at least exaggerated. I started looking around more and saw where my clothes exploded when I made the change to this Tiger form. My jacket that I had just tied around my waist was still ok, but my shirt pants and shoes were all shredded. No saving them at all. Leaving them where they lay, I turned to head back to Sam.

 {"Clothing is going to be an issue, isn't it."} I asked Sam.

 Sam chuckled, {"Yeah, don't try to go the stretchy route either. If they stretch enough to stay on after the change, it is never comfortable. It's the reason I run around with just a light T-shirt and shorts all the time now. He shook his back leg, and I could see a bundle of cloth tied there. Closer inspection showed a dark band, like a hair tie holding the cloth to his leg.

 {"That can't be very comfortable."}

 {"Less uncomfortable than being caught nude walking out of the forest. I have enough rumors going around about me as it is."}

{"Hmm. Think I will have to place a backpack in a tree near the house for emergencies."} Thinking of that, I remembered the backpack the vampire dropped before coming after me. {"Be right back."} In a soft trot I made my way back up the trail and found the backpack where he had left it. I bit the hanger loop and made my way back to Sam. By the time I returned, Sam was back in human form wearing his Levi shorts and standing over a pile made of Vampire parts.

 When I returned Sam spoke to me "The stories say the only way to make sure these blood suckers stay dead is if they are burnt. They're not very flammable until they are torn apart but once they are, their bile or venom is very easy to light on fire." He held out a piece of cloth he had torn off from the vampire's clothing or maybe it was some that I tore off in my effort to dismember. Sam then pulled out a lighter and held it to the cloth until it caught fire then he dropped it on the pile. Remarkably fast, the fire spread to all parts of the vampire and in a shorter time than one would think possible the vampire was a pile of ashes. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes.

When the fire started going up fast Sam spoke "You should toss the backpack on the fire, it won't last long."

 I looked for the pressure in my mind to tell him I wanted to keep it and learn what I could about him and why he was here, but the pressure was gone. So I just shook my head and walked back to my pile of clothes and carried the remaining bits with my phone and wallet in them back to the bag dropping them next to it.

 We stayed to make sure the fire went out and didn't start a forest fire while burning, not that there was much of a chance that would happen this early in spring. As we watched the ashes settle into the ground, I waited for Sam to retake his Wolf form. Once he did, I asked my next big question.

 {"So, how do I change back? Is there a certain time I have to wait before I can?"}

 {"From what you told me about embracing the hot spot in your mind that I equate to my excess anger, then changing back should be as simple as finding that heat in your body and pushing it back to your mind. Of course, that's only if it works the same as my change."}

 I laughed across our connection, {"Hot spot? It's a white-hot torch in my head."}

 {"That's a little different from me, I have a ball of anger in my head, it flares up rather easily but with time it is changing to just a hot spot to embrace to make the change happen. But even now, if I get too angry it forces the change, so keep aware of your emotions. Hope my method works for you because I don't know any other way."}

 My head hung down as I mentally searched my body for the warmth I could feel. I started gathering it at my feet, and as it moved through my body, I felt it get hotter and hotter. When the flame reached my throat, it was hard to keep together. But once I managed to push it into my head, it seemed to click into place, and I felt my body go malleable again. Suddenly, I was standing on my own two bare feet.

 As I stood there fully nude, I felt weak, like I had lost all my energy and strength. My senses were not as strong as I had gotten used to in the short time I had been in the shape of a Tiger, but I quickly got over the moment of adjustment. My skin looked a little whiter, like I had lost my Phoenix tan completely and I also felt… Bigger. It was hard to explain. I took another moment to just move around before quickly realizing that my feet were not going to let me walk back without shoes, so I started to gather all my stuff and put it in the backpack. Once I was done, I again reached for the torch in my head and pulled on it, trying to push it into my body like I had before.

 It took a little longer this time around, but I didn't have a super-strong super-fast Vampire looking to make me a chew toy either, so I was good with slow. It took me lots of effort to push the heat from my head and into my chest, but once I got it there, it dispersed itself in the rest of my body rather easily. Quickly, I was back into the Tiger shape I had quickly grown rather fond of.

 {"What now?"} I asked Sam.

 {"Now, I need to get back to my land, it's true that this is supposed to be neutral territory between the Cullen's and the Tribe. But the elders want me to stay within our borders since I am the first Wolf warrior of this generation. Plus, I need to be there when the next person makes his first change. There are several members of the tribe that are close, and one could be only days away, so I have to be there for him."}

 {"Will you tell the elders about me, even if I ask you not to?"}

 Sam sighs, {"Yes, I will. It is part of my duty to my tribe, and though you may be blood, you are not tribe. Sorry Thomas."}

 {"It's okay, you have been very helpful to me, and I can't fault you for doing your duty. I was just hoping to keep this from Charlie and Bella for a while. At least until I figure out what it means to me now."}

 {"Nothing to worry about there, they will not find out from us. After all, you hold our secret as well. For now, know you are welcome on our lands, so feel free to come to me with any questions you have."}