Lions, and Tigers, and Munin, Oh My!

Chapter 9


Willow sighed. She stood up from her desk and stretched her back.

Willow heard the popping sounds of protest from her spine from

studying for too long. She had to study because finals were

coming. The semester had just flown past.


College life had kept her busy. Books needed to be read. Papers

needed to be written. Tests had to be taken. All this had caused

quite the distraction for Willow. She could almost forget at times

that she wasn't human anymore.


Well, almost if it weren't for the full moon. Did Oz feel this

way? Did he want to curse the full moon too? Willow didn't know

where Oz was nowadays. So, she couldn't ask him how he feels.

She pondered what his reaction would be to the news that they shared

a common condition. He would probably feel sorry for her. He would

mourn her loss of humanity. She didn't need his pity. Pity

couldn't change everything back to the way it was.


The full moon, her monthly reminder, was tonight. This was only her

third full moon as a werewolf. Maybe eventually she would lose

track of the counting but for now she kept it up. She both dreaded

and yearned for the monthly trip to the lupanar.


Nakedness was involved with the change. Clothes wouldn't survive

the transformation. If you wanted to have clothes to wear home,

then you had better strip. Willow still had problems with being

naked around other people. Sylvie told her that she would get

accustomed to it. Willow wasn't so sure about that.


Once Willow got over the initial embarrassment, she reveled in the

freedom found in the woods. Everything felt intensely. Senses

would sharpen at the sounds and smells of the woods. She could run

as fast as she wanted. It felt like magic.


Her own personal magic seem to mesh nicely with her beast. Her

senses were so attuned to the world around her that it was no wonder

that she managed to outrun both Sylvie and Gwen to the lupanar last

month. They were both surprised at that. Sylvie seemed quite proud

though.


Michael was picking her up tonight to go to the lupanar. Sylvie and

Gwen would be running a little late due to some unforeseen

circumstances. Willow didn't mind. She had become close friends

with Michael. True, he could never replace her Xander but it was

nice to have someone close to talk to.


As if her thought of Michael managed to conjure him, she heard the

honking of his car horn. She hastily put on her shoes. As she ran

down the stairs, she called out to her aunt. "See you tomorrow,

Auntie."


She barely heard her aunt's reply as she ran out the front door

to Michael's waiting car. He was leaning on the outside of car.

He was dressed in a ratty old sweatshirt and jeans. He looked like

he had found his clothes in the back of some dumpster. Willow was

similarly attired.


He gave a warm smile at seeing Willow's rendition of the fifty

yard dash. Willow huffed at him. She stuck out her tongue in his

general direction as she opened the passenger side door. His grin

had widened in reaction. He got in and backed the car out of the

drive.


He gave her a glance as he asked, "Did you forget I was

coming?"


"Nope, I was busy studying and lost track of time," Willow

replied.


"Like you need to study. You've got the highest average in

the class." He stated.


Willow glanced at him in annoyance. "Well, I had to do extra

studying with this outing cutting into my sharply regimented

schedule."


He laughed. "Think of it as a study break. It's better than

going out and getting drunk."


She gave another huff and turned on the car radio. They listened to

the music as they drove out of St. Louis and into the countryside.

The lupanar wasn't very far from the outskirts of the city just

far enough to keep the werewolves safe and secret.


As Michael and Willow piled out of the car, Sylvie and Gwen drove

up. Sylvie looked harried while Gwen seemed serene. Willow and

Michael waited for them to get out of their car.


Willow spoke to them as they approached her. "So, you managed to

get back from the business trip in one piece?"


Sylvie growled. She didn't like being late. She had duties to

perform as Geri. Gwen answered for them both with a short "Yes,

barely."


Willow gave them her Willowy grin and asked them to race. Sylvie

always up for a challenge finally gave a smile in return. They

quickly ran from the cars and into the woods.


Willow felt the call as she dodged around trees and jumped over

logs. The woods seem to part before her. Sylvie would swear that

was what it looked like. Willow arrived seconds before Michael,

Sylvie, and Gwen. She did a little victory dance which was very

similar to the snoopy dance to the delight of Michael and the few

pack members that had already arrived. Sylvie just huffed in

response.


Michael spoke for all that witnessed Willow's antics, "You

are such a card, Willow."


Willow gave another bright smile, "Ain't no other way to be,

Michael."


Paris and a few others were heard talking as they came out from the

woods. Willow had taken a dislike to Paris. She seemed to be a

very skanky-ho version of Cordelia back when Cordelia was still in

high school. Paris could be heard saying something disparaging

about Anita and "wasn't it nice that she wasn't going to

be there tonight. It would be a wolf-only lupanar for once."


Willow looked at Michael and they simultaneously rolled their eyes.

They had made a game of who could best describe the whorishness that

was Paris. Willow had the bigger vocabulary and usually won the

game.


Slowly, the rest of the pack trickled into the clearing. It was

going to be a clear night to see the full moon. Willow could feel

her unease begin to increase. Something felt off. She didn't

think her unease had to do with the whole naked deal. She just

couldn't put her finger on it. Oh well, she thought, she shook

off the nervousness and stepped closer to Michael.


The pack made a circle as the sun finally sunk beyond the horizon.

Night had fallen. The stars twinkled in the sky and the moon began

its nightly ascension. Willow could feel her agitation increase.

Something was definitely wrong. Her senses were sharp. What was it?


Michael worriedly glanced at her. She gave a feeble smile in

return. She could sense that something was coming. Was it a danger

to the pack? No, it wasn't a danger. She felt the familiar

tingling sensation of the arrival of the munin. Their noisy rushing

presence filled the lupanar. They were seeking Anita. Willow

wondered what would happen with Anita not being there. She

didn't have to wait long as she felt the assault of munin

possession. She curled into a fetal ball as she let out a long

scream.