Copyright© 2010 Eve Langlais

Heart pumping…legs pounding… A joyful howl burst from his throat, an eerie sound echoed by his brother who raced alongside him through the woods that were their second home. The other night creatures scattered before their headlong flight. No one wished to get in the way of the two who ruled the forest.

All too soon, the edge of the trees rushed up to meet him and he skittered to a halt, his tongue lolling as he panted from exertion. He bayed one last time, sitting on his haunches, facing the bright, fat moon. When the last throaty sound faded, Derrick and his brother shifted back into human form, their annual Halloween run leaving them sweaty but exhilarated. Their clothes still lay on the ground where they’d shed them before their shift, and they dressed in companionable silence before crossing the open yard to their house.

On the porch, the candle in their jack-o-lantern had burned out, and the sweet smell of cooking pumpkin made his nose twitch. The bowl of candy they’d left on the porch was empty. Derrick smiled. He loved Halloween, and just because his inner wolf loved to come out and play didn’t mean the kids shouldn’t get their share of candy. And he always made sure he and his brother bought the primo stuff-full-sized chocolate bars. They never worried about their house getting egged or toilet papered.

His brother’s body stilled. “There’s someone here,” said Mark, his hand on the knob of their front door.

Derrick’s smile faded at his words. He sniffed the air. Over the odor of burnt pumpkin and outdoor autumn smells, he scented a familiar cloying perfume.

With a growl, he shoved his brother aside and flung open the front door they never kept locked. The smell filled the house, overwhelmingly so. She dared to come into our home without an invitation? The effrontery astounded him, and totally pissed him off.