I heard someone enter the bathroom and place something down without saying a word. The scar held my attention, it was so foreign looking on my body. It reminded me of a burn as if I had been branded by something.

I added it to my growing list of questions as I tried my best to keep my anxieties to a minimum. A person's mind could only handle so much and it felt like mine was being held together by threads. Touching the scar sent a shock of pain through my system, something I'd have to be mindful of. The pain was unnatural and made every hair on my body stand on end despite the steaming water.

After everything that had happened since waking up, this almost seemed to be the cherry on top of the cake. I finished up my shower and headed out to dry off and get dressed. The clothes Honey left looked like they'd fit alright. Leggings that stretched to fit my shape and a t-shirt with the logo of a bakery on it.

I hesitated to open the door. What was waiting for me when I went out there? More questions or finally some answers? I sighed and shook my head, pushing through the door and coming face first with Adrien. He looked as startled as I did with his hand raised in the air. Was he going to knock for me? His cheeks reddened slightly as he took a step back.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, you were in there for a while." He sounded nervous, a question left unasked in his eyes and on his lips. Things were better than before but I was just as lost and confused, all I could do was shrug. He was my only connection to my past right now and I wasn't about to burn that bridge before getting answers.

"I just needed time," I replied, looking over his shoulder to see Zephira shooting daggers at the back of his skull. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of her anger I nodded towards the conglomerate of couches and chairs that seemed to be a meeting area.

"We should probably head over there... before the back of your head catches fire." I didn't give him much of a chance to respond before walking towards the setup. There were only a few people left over. Zephira and Otto, Val, Cora, and Honey. The two girls sat together on the loveseat while Otto was positioned in a recliner. Val was on the larger couch on one end and Zephira was standing at the head.

"Have a seat." her tone made it seem like we didn't have a choice and I opted to seat myself in one of the other free recliners. I felt comfortable in it's worn seats, even if it felt like I was being swallowed up by it. Adrien sat on the opposite end of the couch from Val, neither of them looked happy. I imagined that was a default for Val. Through the entirety of breakfast, he looked... pissed off.

"I imagine you have some questions for us" She turned her attention away from Adrien, though her expression remained annoyed. I was certain it wasn't with me and tried my best not to take offense to it. All their eyes were on me again and it took restraint not to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"A few, mostly how did I wind up here?" I tried to keep my voice steady, though with all their attention on me it was difficult.

"Adrien called us, you were delirious with fever and halfway through a forced transformation. I didn't think you'd appreciate waking up in a new place naked so I dressed you." Zephira stated as if that explained anything at all.

"Okay, but how does he know me? Who am I to him?" I motioned towards the rather nervous looking Adrien who didn't meet my gaze.

"He's your friend and one of your clients... you walk his 'dog.'" I could hear the air quotes around Otto's words as he interjected as if that explained anything either.

"You know what? Start from the beginning because you already lost me. Transformation?" I asked looking around the room.

None of them really seemed to know what to say, Zephira included. She brought her hand up to her face in frustration as she struggled to find the words to tell me what the hell was going on.

"To put it simply, we're werewolves. You were forcibly transformed into one of our kind... only the modern werewolf is a little different than you might imagine." Zephira looked pained as she spoke like it was embarrassing for her to recall this information. Otto seemed to understand her pain as he took over.

"Typically, you would be well informed by all of this. There hasn't been a forced transformation in the last 100 or so years. It's considered barbaric and inhumane." he chuckled at the last bit, a bitter sound. He didn't find it funny at all.

"When you consent to change, you keep all your memories and you become bonded to the person who changed you. It's usually reserved for when a werewolf falls in love with a human, so we can invite them into the pack. A forced transformation wipes... everything." There was a sadness in Otto's voice as he continued. Cora chose to take over as her voice piped in.

"Memories of who the person was before and any connections they have to other wolves, just gone. It's considered to be one of the most painful ways to become one of our kind." She sighed and shook her head, leaning on Honey's shoulder. "It's not painless the first time, but it's not nearly as bad as what we saw you going through."

Absorbing this information was rough. I wanted to do a lot of things. I wanted to run away, to scream, to cry and to laugh. this was all ridiculous, wasn't it? I couldn't remember... so I couldn't say. I just shook my head in frustration, trying not to show how much I hated not knowing whether what they were telling me was truth or fiction.

"Your pack absorbs the pain, it's shared equally among its members. The bigger the pack the less the transformations hurt. It's why there aren't many small ones around anymore. Most of them get absorbed into the larger ones just for ease." Zephira added, seeming to have calmed down some. Adrien, Val, and Honey were all quiet. none of them seemed to want to talk about the subject.

"I got to you just in time, I don't think your body could have handled it. An Alpha, while not the only one who can cause a transformation, is the only one who can bring new members into the pack." Her eyes softened on me again. Is this why I had this innate urge to do as she said? If she was my Alpha that meant she was in charge, I had to obey... right?

"This is... ridiculous. You know that right? How am I supposed to believe any of this?" I opted to laugh, the other options would leave me a little more emotionally vulnerable than I'd care to be in front of these people. I could see the discomfort in some of their faces, but what did they expect? For me to just believe them? I may not have my memories but something about this just felt way too surreal to be fact.

Adrien stood up in the middle of my hysterics and started to... strip?

"What are you doing?!" Zephira and I both asked at the same time, though mine was more in a panic as I tried to shield my eyes. I had seen enough naked people for one day.

"Unless she sees it, she's never going to believe it." He put simply as he discarded his pants. I couldn't take it, it was too much. My face felt like it was on fire as I stole glances of his naked skin. His well-toned calves, his defined abs, everything about him was just too much.

But then they disappeared.

Hair sprouted from his legs as he crouched down, his body morphing to become that of... of... a wolf's? No, he didn't look like a wolf. I let my hands drop to my sides as I was met face to face with a gorgeous Siberian husky. It had the same mismatched eyes Adrien did, and it looked at me expectantly.

"What... what is this?" was all I sputtered out.

Zephira sighed, this clearly not being the turn she thought this explanation would take. Otto gave her a sympathetic look before speaking.

"You know how all dogs originate from wolves?" I gave him a blank look, maybe I did know it just like I knew that Adrien was a Siberian Husky or any other useless info, but the memory of learning it was lost to me. "Right, well, from what we know werewolves had to adapt just like wolves did."

I wonder if my jaw had hit the floor yet. The husky just huffed before walking towards me and putting his head on my lap. Something about this dog felt familiar, beyond him being Adrien. It felt like something was coming back to me... something from before this chaos.... vanishing when I thought about it too hard.

"So... you turn into dogs?" I replied, petting... Adrien? I wasn't sure if it was something I should do but it helped calm my nerves and nobody seemed to protest the action.

"Most of us do. I still turn into a wolf, though that's in part of me being the Alpha." Zephira added, arms crossed against her chest. She looked at Adrien a little disdainfully. "The others are different. We still aren't sure why some people take on the forms they do. The theory is that it has something to do with the person's personality."

"So, what's everyone else?" I glanced towards the others. it was hard for me to imagine any of them as dogs, but it was hard to argue with what my owns eyes had seen.

"I'm a Border Collie," Honey spoke sweetly, "Elis is a German Shepherd."

"Basenji," Cora added

"Norwegian Elkhound." came from Otto

"Alaskan Malamute," Val said, disdain in his voice.

"The others will tell you in time, though I imagine that all depends on you." Zephira didn't sound like she was joking, didn't look it either. I imagine if I was a dog at this time then my tail would be tucked neatly between my legs. She scared the hell out of me, in a way that brought other feelings I couldn't quite decipher.

"On me?" I sputtered, "What do you mean?"

"From the beginning, you haven't had a choice, so I'm giving you one now. You can choose to join our pack, or you can choose to pretend none of this happened... you can start over." Even though she said I had a choice, it didn't feel like I did. I kept stroking Adrien's fur, looking around the room for answers. If any of the others had one they kept their faces neutral... except for Val, who looked as displeased as ever.

"I appreciate the thought, of giving me a choice that is." I cautiously started to answer, " I think, I'd like to stay."