I lift up my phone again, this time opting to call Finn instead of Rita. Perhaps he can shed some light on the situation.
The phone barely rings out once when he answers frantically, “Tegan! Where the hell are you?”
“I’m at the other end of Sycamore Strand, past the cliff. Can you come and get me?”
“I’ll be ten minutes,” Finn replies.
He’s about to hang up but I stop him. “Also, I think you should bring some blankets for your dog.”
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Wolf?”
“Well, how do I put this – I’m ninety nine per cent sure he’s not your dog any more, he’s a man. One big ass man at that, and he’s naked, so like I said, bring some blankets, or better yet, clothing.”
Finn doesn’t tell me I’m a lunatic, instead he lets out a loud string of curse words that don’t bear repeating. I hang up, and sit down on a rock to wait for him to get here, all the while staring in fascination at the man who once was Wolf.
All of a sudden, he groans and shifts a little. Then his eyes flutter open, big, deep brown eyes that are peering at his surroundings in terror. He raises a hand
and stares at it, turning it over and back with wonder.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly, keeping up my position a few feet away from him on the rock. I don’t want to get too close in case I scare him, although judging from his stature and nakedness, I’m the one who should be scared.
Brown eyes find me and they don’t stop staring. Still, he doesn’t breathe a word in response. It’s almost like he’s forgotten how to form words. He’s been an animal for so long that he doesn’t know how to speak. What is he? Was he a man before he became a dog, or simply a dog who has been magically transformed into a man?
A few minutes later I hear the roar of an engine as Finn speeds down the beach towards us. He parks and jumps out, carrying a massive blanket. He barely even looks at me when he rushes to the naked man’s side and drapes the blanket over his shoulders.
The others emerge from the van, all looking like they haven’t slept a wink. I suppose they have me to thank for that.
“What is he?” I whisper to Finn, who is studying Wolf as though making sure that he’s not hurt in any way.
Gabriel, Delilah, Rita and Alvie all stand around, their eyes glued to Wolf in shock and awe. There’s a long moment of quiet before Finn answers, “He’s a shapeshifter.”
“A shapeshifter?” I question.
Finn sighs in exhaustion. “Yes, a very rare kind of supernatural creature who can shift into various animal forms. This man’s name is Ira Wolf and he was a friend of my old DOH superior Noel, the man who used to own the house I live in. Almost twenty years ago Ira had a run in with a witch who cursed him to remain in his animal form. Noel had been taking care of him until he died in the war. Tegan, how did he get changed back?”
“I’m not sure, but you all better sit down, because I’ve got a lot to tell you.” I know Theodore warned me to keep my mouth shut, but no way am I going to keep my friends in the dark. I tell them all about what happened last night, from seeing the red van all the way through to my dad taking Theodore’s place in hell. I have to hold in my tears at this point, thinking of how he might be suffering right now. I finish on the part where I woke up and found Wolf unconscious and transformed. Everybody’s completely awe-struck to discover that Theodore is in fact a Girard. Nobody had ever been able to trace exactly which family he came from since he’s so old.
“Your assumptions about how Wolf got changed back into a man are probably right,” Rita agrees, referring to my theory that the magic of the ritual somehow released Wolf from his animal form.
Delilah is rubbing her eyes, her lips are drawn in a thin line as she contemplates the fact that Theodore is back. Everyone else is silent, with similar expressions of worry on their faces. What does this mean for us? What does it mean for Tribane? All I know is that come hell or high water, I am going to figure out a way to fix this. To send Theodore straight back to hell and return my dad to his old life.
A few minutes later we get into Finn’s van and drive home. Once there, Finn helps Wolf, who still hasn’t breathed a word and looks as though he doesn’t know where he is, into his bedroom. He gives him some clothing to wear and then lets him go to sleep. I sleep for a few hours and then take a long bath and try not to think about anything at all, while Alvie and Rita retreat to their motor home.
When I get out of the bath, Gabriel and Delilah are absent yet again. I really want to know what those two are up to, family bonding perhaps? Playing catch up on each other’s lives? Although something tells me that they’re discussing far more important matters.
As I leave my bedroom, clad in some grey sweat pants and a loose white shirt, I walk right into somebody’s lean, tanned chest. Ira, the man who once was Wolf. It’s actually sad that I’m going to miss having the dog around, perhaps it’s selfish but I wish we could change him back.
“Sorry,” I whisper, looking up into his big brown eyes. His long hair hangs down by his shoulders and he’s only wearing a pair of trousers and no top. He keeps looking at me as if he knows me. Maybe he remembers me from when he was a dog.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, after I’ve heard his stomach rumble. He doesn’t answer. “Come on, I’ll make you something to eat.” Still no answer, but as I start to walk down the stairs, he follows.
In the kitchen I put some chicken and potatoes in the oven to bake, and Wolf stands by the door watching me the whole time. I take his hand and lead him over to sit at the table, he does so obediently. A few minutes later I hear Finn coming down the stairs.
“Something smells good,” he exclaims as he walks into the room.
“I’m making dinner,” I tell him. “You want some?”
“I wouldn’t say no,” he grins and goes to sit down by Wolf. “How’re you feeling Ira?” he asks, but Wolf just tilts his head to the side, staring at Finn quizzically. “Still not talking, eh? You’ll soon get the hang of it.” Finn opens a newspaper that’s been sitting on the kitchen table and begins perusing the headlines, while I check on the food and put out some plates and cutlery.