Forcing her mind to focus on other things did not seem to be working. Not even a little bit.

Russel acted like he was going to pull her into a hug but instead, his deft fingers slipped her blade out of its sheath.

“No. This blade,” he teased. “It’s such a nice one too.”

She smacked him on the chest, took her blade, and put it back where it belonged. Then Russel was kissing her again and that, at least, was able to push her terror out. For a little bit at least.

“Yes, of course it’s you,” he told her after they broke away.

“Let’s just go and get this over with,” Reid said, looking at the two of them with obvious disgust. “For fuck’s sake, I never thought I would’ve been wishing to have red-hot pokers jammed into my eyes.”

“You asked for this, Rus,” Roland said. “Now quit making out with your human pet and let’s get this over with. I’m starting to get hungry and if we’re lucky, the old man will have your heart in his hand before it gets fully dark.”

Russel flipped him off, and then flipped the rest of his brothers off for good measure. It was a bit juvenile but it made him feel a little better.

“Just remember,” he told Lola. “Hold on to my fur tight and squeeze with your legs. You’ll be fine.” He gave her one last, quick kiss, and then his body doubled over as it started to change. It wasn’t like before, where he retained most of his human features, or even when he became the rampaging, wolf-human hybrid thing during their fight with the ghouls and oni. This was a rapid thing that took maybe two or three minutes, all told. Once finished, a huge wolf stood next to her with black fur so dark, it felt like it sucked in light.

She went to grab their stuff.

“Don’t bother, woman,” Roland said. “The servants will get your belongings later. Just leave your stuff behind.”

“Fine,” she shot back. “But I keep my blade.”

“Whatever,” Roland told her and then he shifted into a wolf like Russel and Ray had done. Reid shifted next and then Rutger.

Lola flipped him off and then the brothers as they loped across the landscape, headed in the direction of the castle in the distance. Russel nudged in closer to her, his coarse fur brushing up against the skin of her arms. He looked back at her with his large, wolfish head, his yellow eyes staring at her.

“Remember, don’t let me fall,” she told him.

Then she climbed onto his back, dug her knees into his sides, grabbed fistfuls of his fur in both hands, and leaned her body almost all the way forward.

As soon as she was settled, Russel took off, following after his brothers.