Kylie sat in the den of the Wolf Mother. It wasn’t a place she was inside often, even though her daily duties revolved around it. She worked outside, to the extent that adults let someone her age work at all, and lived outdoors as much as she could. Being inside a home for any reason other than sleeping and eating felt foreign to her. The wolves howled outside the door. She drummed her fingers impatiently against the side of her chair. She wished she was out there with them.

Madeline wasn’t late, Kylie knew. She’d only been given the vague timeframe of “tonight,” which for the Wolf Mother could easily mean anywhere from sunset to sunrise. Kylie hoped it wouldn’t be too long. She’d known that arriving at Madeline’s home as early as she did would only make the wait harder. But how could she not? It was her sixteenth birthday. She’d wanted this particular present for a long time.

At least she didn’t have to wait alone. She stroked the soft fur on the head of the wolf pup sleeping on her lap. Asalya’s front legs dangled off the side of the chair, her snout twisted to rest on Kylie’s stomach. She was getting big, and doing so faster than any pup Kylie had seen before. Kylie had been there when Asalya was born, and had given the newborn her name. Ever since then, Asalya had followed Kylie wherever she could, and demanded Kylie’s attention whenever she was around. Kylie was both surprised and overjoyed. Despite all the wonderful wolves that lived in Nighthills, Asalya had chosen to follow her.

Kylie munched idly on a raw carrot she’d left on the table in front of her, next to a neatly-folded dress - her birthday gift from Madeline’s partner, the Fox-Among-Wolves Arin. The carrot was still chilled from the icebox. Madeline kept veggies in the house just for Kylie, the village of Nighthills’ only non-carnivorous resident. Or, rather, frequent guest. She took another bite. Her teeth felt so dull. 

Kylie didn’t hear the doorknob turn, nor the gentle footsteps behind her. She only looked up when she saw a shadow pass over her. Before she had a chance to say anything, she found a brown burlap sack about the size of her hand being dangled in front of her face. It looked mostly empty, save for a small weight that had sunk in the bottom right corner. Same as it had last year.

“Happy birthday, Kylie.” Wolf Mother Madeline leaned over the girl sitting at her table, wearing a gentle but fanged grin. The grey wolf ears perched atop her long, flowing grey hair were perked in excitement. 

She let the girl take the bag before circling around the table, her bushy tail gently wagging, poking out between pieces of her rather plain purple and black ensemble. Madeline looked human except in all the ways she did not - her eyes, ears, nose, tail, claws, and fangs all characteristic of the beasts she raised. The wolf woman moved with a grace and self-confident femininity that Kylie had always been both impressed by and envious of. She was in her mid-thirties now, and had come into being in this form in her late twenties. If anything, the passing of time had only widened her mischievous smirk. She sat down at the table across from her pupil, her icy blue eyes gleaming with joy.

“You didn’t need to sneak up on me.” Kylie grabbed the bag by its contents, feeling the small glass vial within. 

“I very much did. This might be the last night I’m able to, after all.” Madeline giggled. “Go ahead, open it up.”

Kylie tried to not let her anticipation show. Even after all these years, Madeline was still too cool to not play it cool in front of. She used her fingernail to pick at the knot that tied the bag shut. Then she set the tie aside and let the vial roll into her open hand.

It was the second time Kylie had held a container like this. The contents inside even looked the same - a viscous black fluid that left purple smears against the glass as it swirled around. Kylie wondered for a moment if Madeline’s mysterious sources had accidentally made the same potion again.

 She knew very little about the potion-makers - something about a witch, a shapeshifter, and a half-dragon? Kylie didn’t even know if those were different people or one and the same. She also didn’t know how Madeline had met them, but had long-ago realized that story was an open secret among the adults of the twin villages of Rodehills and Nighthills. And like all open secrets in these towns, it must have had to do with when they split.

The influence of magic had been involved during that time, when Madeline broke away from Rodehills and brought the wolves. Kylie remembered the tension that weighed over the mountainside in her youth. But that was nearly half Kylie’s lifetime ago, and things, as far as she knew, had moved on. There was a harmony between the two towns - maybe one that was still growing, but a harmony all the same. It was this growing trust that Kylie had chosen to nurture and protect.

The potion in her hand was a symbol of that decision. And, far more importantly, of her choice to be herself. She couldn’t stop her hands from shaking with anticipation. 

“It’s probably not as big of a deal as what I got you last year, but I’m still glad I was able to get one,” Madeline spoke up. 

The potion Kylie drank on her fifteenth birthday had changed her body to help with her gender transition. This potion wasn’t that, and it wasn’t important in quite the exact same way, even if Kylie wasn’t sure what words she’d use to describe that difference. But, two years in a row, her teacher had given her the greatest gifts she could think of. Kylie realized she wasn’t playing it cool. She was holding back tears.

“Thank you,” Kylie whispered, her voice trembling.

“Don’t thank me just yet. I’m obligated to give you the speech first.” Madeline cleared her throat, her eyes lazily turned toward the ceiling, and she flopped her wrist around as she spoke. “Kylie, you should know that magic can be dangerous and it’s not a toy and all that. This particular potion is incredibly hard to reverse so please be sure to only take if and when you are absolutely certain that its effects are desired and will be desired permanently, blah blah. Kylie, are sure you want to take it?”

“I mean, obviously.” Kylie’s eyes followed the potion as she rolled it back and forth from one hand to another.

“Yeah, I know. And I think the witch even knows. But, you know, formalities.” Madeline’s expression turned more serious, and she leaned further over the table, resting her head on her hands. “Speaking of formalities, though, how did things go with your dad?”

Kyllie’s eyes turned toward the ground. “Oh, you know, fine. He’s fine with it.”

Though the rest of her face didn’t move, the left side of Madeline’s mouth opened somewhat, showing one of her fangs.

Kylie’s eyes widened. She sat upright in her chair.

“No, really, he is. I mean it. I was just thinking he’d come around a little faster than he did.” She threw up her hands in exasperation, an act of habit when it came to talking with or about her father. “We already did this once so I figured he wouldn’t have any problem a second time, but if anything he was even more concerned? I guess he figured I was done changing, is all.”

She’d had to assure her dad over and over that this was what she wanted. During the argument a few days prior, he talked a lot about how supportive he’d been of her transition. Apparently his prior hesitancy hadn’t stuck in his mind quite like it’d stayed with her. But, eventually, he gave in. That’s what mattered.

“Nobody’s ever done changing. Especially not you, you’re a teenager.” Madeline shook her head and rolled it back. “But at least I think I know James well enough to trust that he’s not going to be giving you any more pushback.”

“Last year, you said that if anyone gave me trouble you’d unleash a fury on them the likes of which they couldn’t imagine.”

Madeline chuckled, the fierceness in her blue eyes shining through. Wolves howled outside. “And that still holds true.”

She nodded, still smirking, toward the potion in Kylie’s hand. “I suppose doubly so now.”

Kylie hoped one day she could have a gaze just as protective and piercing.

“And as much as James and I have had our differences, I’m genuinely grateful that he’s allowed me to mentor you.” The fury in Madeline’s eyes faded. “I’ve probably told you this before, but when you asked to be my apprentice, I never actually thought you’d stay here for long. I thought I’d just let this little kid who was following me around play with the puppies until they got bored. At that moment I never could have imagined you’d grow up to be an amazing young woman, one that I can genuinely trust to look after Nighthills and the wolves whenever I’m not around.” 

Madeline suddenly paused and felt the tips of her fuzzy ears. “Did you know that when this happened to me, it was an accident? The result of exposure to dark forces I didn’t understand. It turned out to be a happy accident. One I wouldn’t change even for the power to control the moon and stars. But it was something I chose to keep, not something I chose to do. Maybe this is selfish of me, but seeing you make this choice is indescribably honoring. Kylie, I’m so proud of you.”

Madeline said that often, but it was something Kylie never got tired of hearing. The sight of tears welling in her teacher’s eyes completely drained Kylie’s power to hold her own back. She tried to wipe them away before they fell on her dress.

“I’m gonna-” Kylie sniffled, then mentally chastised herself for doing something so embarrassing. “I’m going to head home soon. I’ll take it as soon as I get there.”

Kylie carefully lifted the wolf pup off her lap as she stood up, careful not to wake her. She passed Asalya over to Madeline.

Madeline cooed at the sleeping puppy. “Hey there, girl. I’ll take you to momma Anya in just a moment. I know she missed you today.”

Kylie quickly wrapped Madeline in a hug. Her wolf ears shot up in surprise. Then, just as fast, Kylie turned to hurry out the door. 

“Thank you so so so much!” She said, turning back. 

“No problem, kid. Be sure to come back tomorrow night. I can’t wait to see how cool you’re gonna look.”
“Definitely!”

Kylie threw on her coat and ran out into the night. There was no snow on the ground, an uncommonality for her birthday, but the winter wind still nipped at her ears. She hurried past the many wolves and the little stone homes made for them, towards her house in Rodehills. She’d learned last time that she should probably lie in bed before drinking one of these. Her father would be asleep by now, which she was thankful for. The last thing she wanted was another conversation about her potion right before taking it. Her heart raced as she sprinted home, both in excitement for her change and in nervous anticipation of her dad’s reaction to finding his child changed yet again. Still, she’d wanted this as long as she could remember. And nothing was going to stop her.

Not a half-hour later, Kylie was in bed. An empty vial rested on her bedside table.