FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"The Interview"

---

By Lauren Rivers

Raindrops soaked the street outside of Mackenzie's favorite café while she waited for her friend at their favorite table by the window. Having anticipated the rain she had brought an umbrella which sat tucked by her bag underneath the table. Dressed in a light jacket and top with a black skirt and maroon thigh high socks she was comfortably dressed for the temperatures this time of year. Her shoes were brown sensible sneakers designed for comfort more than anything else, which was how she liked it.

The place was half full with plenty of open seats throughout the establishment. Smells of pumpkin spice and cinnamon dominated the area as the top two favorite beverages people always seemed to drink in the fall. For her own drink she had a mug of peach tea from which steam rose into the air filling her nose with its soothing aroma. She held her hands around the sides of the container letting the warmth heat her hands.

Every time the door would open she would cast a glance towards it to see if her friend had arrived, but so far Haley was still late. She wondered how that girl managed to get anywhere with her continual habit of showing up at seemingly random times. Somehow she always managed to get where she was going but at what time, it was never certain. Mackenzie had learned long ago to give her friend a wide berth when it came to scheduling. Get there early and expect to be running late. That was just how it was. She supposed it was at least partly related to her friend's tendency to stay up late at night and operate at all hours of the day. To her knowledge Haley had some sort of job she never talked about other than to say it was a lot of interaction with the public, but Mackenzie never pressed.

Her own employment was somewhat less glamorous. She worked part time at the bookstore until something else came along. It wasn't much but it was enough to keep her fed and a roof over her head. That was enough for now. It at least left plenty of free time for other pursuits.

She was about to order another tea when Haley finally stumbled into the café. Partially drenched from the rain she shook her head and shivered before making her way towards their table. "Sorry I'm late."

"I hadn't noticed," Mackenzie lied. It wasn't like it really bothered her, she was just being polite. "I would have ordered you something but I didn't know how long you'd be."

"That's okay," she said as she discarded her jacket on the back of the chair. Haley seated herself with a deep outgoing breath and offered a cheesy grin. "It's really coming down out there."

"It's supposed to rain like this through the end of the week," Mackenzie said without looking up from her tea. The server walked up to her friend and offered a smile.

"Can I get you something?" he asked. A handsome young man about their age smiled back.

"Yes, I'll have a pumpkin spice latte with a strawberry pastry." She pulled out her wallet and handed him her debit card. In a moment he was gone, dashing off towards the counter to fulfill her order. Haley licked her lips in anticipation wiping some of the rain off of her face as best she could. "I hope it lets up soon. It's a long walk back to my apartment."

"We need to buy you an umbrella," her companion offered.

"I have one, but I prefer to travel light. Truth be told I thought I'd get here before the clouds opened up." She gestured towards the window beside them. "Clearly I lost that bet."

Mackenzie shrugged. "You can't win them all."

"True," Haley replied. "Have you had any luck finding a place yet?"

"Not yet." A kitchen fire in one of the adjacent apartments had damaged most of the units in that part of the complex, including hers. She had not lost any personal property but there was some smoke damage rendering the place unlivable until repairs could be conducted and that was going to take a while. In the meantime she had been couch surfing among her friends while trying to find a new place.

Haley shrugged. "Why don't you just move in with me?" she asked.

"Are you serious?"

"Why not? I have an extra bedroom and I wouldn't mind splitting the rent as long as you don't mind me coming and going at all hours of the day," she said.

Mackenzie considered the offer. She was used to her friend's unusual schedule with many of their social gatherings taking place whenever the two of them could squeeze a little time in together. More often than not they were odd time frames but they made it work. While she was used to sleeping on couches, it was getting tiring constantly having to find a new place to stay. "If you're sure you don't mind, then you've got yourself a roommate."

"Awesome," Haley said. The server returned with her order, setting it in front of her with a slight nod. She handed him a couple of dollars as a tip and took a moment to enjoy the aroma of her strawberry pastry. "They have the best baked goods in this place."

"I prefer the drinks," Mackenzie replied.

"Do you have a lot of stuff?" Haley asked right before taking a sip of her pumpkin spice latte.

"Some, but I can deal with my junk later. For now I just have to grab my duffel bag and I'll be all right," she said.

Haley shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you need help you can give me a call, I'm pretty strong."

"I'll make do," she replied. Mackenzie leaned back against the chair. She watched her friend take a few bites of her fruit pastry before she remembered her teacup was empty. She held up a hand and waited until the same server returned to their table. "Can I have another tea?"

"Certainly," he said, whisking the empty cup away.

"The service is really good here," Mackenzie said.

Haley nodded in agreement taking a nice long drink from her flavored coffee. "Got any plans for tonight?" she asked.

"Me? No, nothing earth shattering. I'll probably just fall asleep in front of the TV or something." Mackenzie was not the type of person who liked to go out in the evenings. In general unless she had a shift she spent most of her time at home or wandering about town for something interesting. Her explorations usually resulted in nothing more than nice long walks, but every now and then the world surprised her. She looked down at her hands at her friend's amused glare. "How about you?" she asked in return.

"Just work," she answered with a smirk.

"They keep you busy over there at the..." She deliberately left the comment hanging in the air. Haley's job was a perpetual mystery, the other woman refusing to talk about it in more than the most basic generalities. From time to time she would almost let something slip but rarely anything that could not be applied to a dozen other jobs. It didn't stop Mackenzie from trying now and then to glean something else from her friend.

"Yeah, I work with some demanding people, but its important work, and I enjoy what I do," she said.

_Damn. _

Trying not to look disappointed Mackenzie smiled as the server returned with her refill. She held the warm container in her hands and smelled the aroma wafting up from the cup. Peach tea was always her favorite and they made it the best here. She wasn't sure what they did in specific but it always tasted better than when she made it at home. Maybe it was just because someone else made it. Either way, it was good.

She and Haley exchanged news and other pleasantries for the next hour before her friend finally stood up to leave. Haley looked out at the rather dreary afternoon with a deep sigh. "I was hoping it would have lightened up by now."

"No such luck, it would seem," Mackenzie agreed.

"Want to share a cab?" she asked. "It's my treat. It's better than walking in this downpour."

Mackenzie gestured for her to lead the way. "Far be it from me to turn down a free ride." She stopped in her tracks. "Not like I do that a lot."

Haley laughed. "I know what you mean, now come on." She called the number of a local cab company while the two girls waited just on the inside of the café. Five minutes later a rather fancy looking cab pulled up outside and beeped his horn. Haley looked at her phone to acknowledge the confirmation of his arrival and stepped outside, hurrying to the rear passenger door. She pulled it open and dove inside, while Mackenzie took her time and slid in with a shrug.

"I'm not made of sugar," she said.

Haley ignored her friend as the other woman closed the door and turned back to the driver. "

Luna Street, if you please. Take us to the apartment complex."

"Yes, ma'am," the driver responded. The car pulled out into traffic and they were on their way. Raindrops and the sound of windshield wipers doing their job were the only sounds for a block or two before Mackenzie leaned forward.

"Are you sure you really want me as a roommate? This is probably your last chance to change your mind," Mackenzie said.

"You're not that bad," Haley replied.

"Try telling that to my mother." Mackenzie stuck out her tongue but an amused eye roll from Haley put an end to that line of conversation.

"I think you'll like living with me. For the most part the complex is pretty quiet. I have a few neighbors but they all know my quirks and they don't mind. It's a nice place with a communal pool and a few other amenities. They have a club where you can go to hang out and get something to eat if you want. It's a limited menu but it's handy if you don't feel like going anywhere."

"Sounds pretty swanky," the other woman said. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen the inside of your apartment."

Haley nodded in agreement. "I've invited you over a few times but you usually have some sort of excuse why you can't come."

"Sorry about that," Mackenzie said. She could not remember specifically what she might have told her friend but in the back of her memory she knew she was right. Yet this same friend was more than willing to put up with her bullshit and invite her into her home on purpose with no defined length of stay. She really was fortunate to have someone like that willing to lend her a hand when she needed it. "I promise I'll be a good roommate."

"This'll be fun. Trust me." She smiled as the cab pulled up to her apartment complex. The driver came to a stop just outside the pedestrian gate and turned around.

"That'll be ten dollars and forty three cents."

Haley paid the man with exact change which somehow she managed to produce in record time before stepping out of the cab and hurrying over to the keypad to enter the combination to the gate. Once the gate beeped she pulled it open without delay and held it open for her friend. She waited until she heard it click shut and walked towards her apartment.

Safely ensconced in the overhang in front of her door on the second floor, she took her time finding her key. Turning it with a satisfying click she pushed the door inward allowing them entry. Haley immediately pulled off her soaked sneakers and coat and rolled the latter up to put in the dryer in the hall. She disappeared to change into something else while Mackenzie was left to explore.

Haley's apartment was a well kept unit with a soft beige carpet covering most of the living room. From here she could see the large flat screen TV and the couch big enough for two with a oak coffee table between them. The far wall was covered in bookshelves filled with DVDs. Her friend was quite the movie fiend and it was clear she had put a lot of time and effort into making her home the perfect environment for that. She took a few steps inside after making sure her shoes weren't dripping and taking a glance into the kitchen.

It was a small unit, but it had a table for two, a nice bay window filled with some plants, and a good amount of counter space. Completing the kitchen was a nice tall white refrigerator, a microwave, and an oven with the sink in the corner. Just as she completed her circuit of the kitchen Haley returned drying her hair with a towel. "You don't have to stay out here, you know."

"I know, I just want to be a good guest, I guess." She accepted the towel when her friend offered, drying her own hair and handing it back. "Thanks."

"No problem." Haley threw the towel in the dryer and turned it on. "There's the bathroom. Down the hall is the main bedroom at the end, and that room here is your room."

Mackenzie took a look inside the small bedroom. There was a twin bed, a desk, and a bookshelf beside the window, but no other furniture. The closet sat beside the desk on the left hand wall but it seemed as if no one had ever stayed in here as it all appeared fresh. "Nice."

"I know it's not much, but you can add whatever you like in here and there's lots of space for your stuff," Haley said.

"It's great," Mackenzie replied. "Really. Thanks so much for letting me stay here."

"No problem. You can get your stuff whenever it dries and I'll give you my extra key." She gestured for her to follow. "I keep it in my room."

Mackenzie fell into step behind her down the hall and entered the master bedroom. The dominating feature was the king bed, with a nightstand on one side and a large desk unit on the other. The far corner by the closet was filled with a three fold full length mirror and an open sliding closet door. As Haley moved to pick up the spare key from the desk Mackenzie peered into her closet and had to shake her head to be sure she wasn't seeing things.

"I see you found the collection," she said, placing the key in her hand.

"Man, you have a lot of shoes," Mackenzie replied.

Haley shrugged. "Yeah, I do. I tend to need them a lot in my line of work." She shrugged. "So anyway, if you're hungry I can fix dinner, but you'll be on your own after eight since I have to go to work tonight. I don't know when I'll be back but don't wait up."

"Okay," she replied. "I guess I'm okay but I might look for a snack later."

"You can have anything in the house except for my Hawaiian coffee. You touch that shit and I'll kick your ass."

"Noted," Mackenzie said with a smirk. "Loud and clear. Do not touch the coffee."

"Just the Hawaiian stuff. You can have anything else you want." Haley shrugged. "If you're not hungry, I'm going to take a shower. Just make yourself comfortable."

Mackenzie nodded, and as the water kicked in she soon found herself on her own. She took a look at her friend's movie collection and made a mental note or two for later before selecting an old movie she hadn't seen in ages and slipping the DVD into the player. She heard her friend get out of the shower a short while later and utter a good bye before leaving the apartment.

The next few hours were spent enjoying Haley's collection before she called a cab and went to pick up some of her belongings. Settling into her room, she put her clothes into the drawers and set out her few possessions and fell asleep.

* * *

Stirred awake by the sensation of something landing on the roof Mackenzie sat up in the bed. Pulling the covers off of her she thought she heard the sound of someone opening a window. Grabbing the closest thing she thought might work as a weapon she carried her umbrella down the hall towards Haley's room. Her heart pounding she brought the makeshift weapon up in her preparation to strike. From the hallway she could see a figure standing in the window. So far it seemed whoever it was they hadn't noticed her yet. She flipped on the lights and held her arm back to strike, when she caught sight of the intruder and let out a deep breath.

"Shit!" Haley slipped and fell onto her ass just inside the window. "Damn it!" She looked up to see her new roommate in her pajamas and her eyes widened.

"Haley?" Mackenzie asked.

"Uh, no. I'm not Haley." She held up her paws as before Mackenzie stood a being that resembled her friend except rather than her human features she looked like a six foot tall wolf with Haley's hair and clothes.

"Then how come you're wearing her jacket?" she demanded.

"Lots of people have this jacket." She offered a nervous smile.

"You're a werewolf."

Haley froze. "No I'm not."

"Yes, you are!" Mackenzie pointed with the umbrella.

"It's not what it looks like," Haley protested.

"I'm looking right at you!"

Haley waved her paws around and made ghost noises. "It's all a dream."

"Seriously?" she asked. "Try again."

"You're drunk?" she replied as more of a question.

"I might be a little buzzed but I'm not that drunk." Haley threw the umbrella on the bed and walked up to her friend. "Come on, cut the shit and tell me what's going on." She looked her roommate in the eyes and squeezed her arms.

Haley closed her eyes for a moment and sighed in defeat. "Fine. As you've obviously figured out by now I'm a werewolf."

"How long has this been going on?" she asked.

"If you mean how long have I been a werewolf, since I was sixteen. It's a long story and technically one I'm not supposed to be telling you in the first place," Haley said.

"Why not?"

"Because we don't discuss it with outsiders," she said. "You were never supposed to find out."

Mackenzie closed the window behind her. "Maybe if you didn't sound like a stampede when you landed on the roof I wouldn't have. Now that I know, I want in."

Haley started walking down the hall towards the kitchen. "Are you kidding?" she asked.

Mackenzie shook her head. "I've never been more serious in my life. How do you convert me? Is it just a bite or is there some sort of voodoo sex ritual?"

"What sort of movies have you been watching?" Haley asked.

"Will it hurt? Do I become a helpless slave to the rhythms of the moon? Will I feel the urge to breed with any hot male werewolf that crosses my path? Please say yes." Mackenzie stopped in the doorway to the kitchen while Haley flattened her ears and waved her tail in mild amusement.

"Slow down." Haley pulled out one of the chairs by the kitchen table. "First of all, you need to stop reading the trashy supernatural romance novels and forget anything you've ever seen out of Hollywood. We don't work like that. Second, if you're serious about becoming a werewolf it's a lot more complicated than you think. There's this big long process and it's kind of involved. You have to take a test, fill out a ton of forms, and then there's the psychological evaluation, not to mention the practical examination." Haley put on a teapot and pulled out a cup for each of them.

Mackenzie leaned back in her chair and turned towards her friend. Taking her appearance in for the first time in the light of the kitchen, she was covered in dark ebony fur on the face, chest, and tail, with smoky grey on the arms and legs. Other than that she still had Haley's bright blue eyes and long shoulder length blonde hair. Her clothes were the same ones she had been wearing when she had left the apartment earlier and all of her mannerisms reminded her of her friend, except now she was a walking talking lycanthrope. "It really takes all that, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah it does." Haley waited until the teapot went off and poured some water into each cup before setting them and the box of teabags on their small kitchen table. "Normally when I do the sales pitch it's under very different circumstances."

"You do this a lot?" Mackenzie asked.

"It's kind of my job." At the confused stare she got from her roommate Haley placed a peach teabag into her cup. "If you're serious about wanting to become a werewolf I can pull some strings and see what I can do but I'm telling you right now to get rid of anything you already have in your head about what you think being a werewolf is like."

"So fill me in," Mackenzie said, taking a blueberry teabag for her own drink.

Haley shrugged and held her cup between her paws. "All right, if you're sure." She took in a deep breath. "I guess I should start at the top." She leaned back and brushed a stray hair from her face. "There are werewolf populations all over the world. Some live in population centers, some live alone. Contrary to what you may be expecting our primary goal is to blend in and avoid attention. Most of the world doesn't know we exist and there's a reason for that. In the past exposing ourselves to the general population has had mixed results. After a couple of the more famous incidents you can guess why we decided it was better to keep our true natures hidden."

"Incidents like what?" Mackenzie asked.

"You ever see a werewolf movie?" When her friend nodded, she continued. "Those had to come from somewhere. Those eastern European fairy tales are closer to reality than you might think, at least the ones involving us."

Mackenzie sat up. "So you mean Little Red Riding Hood is real?"

Haley offered a shrug. "Let's just say that was the exception rather than the rule. Anyway, there are generally only two ways someone becomes a werewolf. Either you're born one in which case you're what we call an Alpha, or you get chosen by one of our intake coordinators. That's what I do."

"So you literally choose who you want to become a werewolf?" she asked. "My roommate has the coolest job ever."

"Slow down. It's not as simple as me just picking some random person off the street. I have to watch them and assess their suitability for weeks. We've learned the hard way that accepting someone too quickly can have detrimental effects on both them and us. We don't make someone a werewolf unless they're one hundred and ten percent certain since it's not something you can just undo. Once you're a werewolf you'll die a werewolf. It's why we like to evaluate candidates before they ever know it's on the table. If they know what we're offering they get involved with the fantasy before accepting the reality they're truly asking for. Becoming a werewolf isn't just about the fur coat and the teeth. There's a lot to it and not all of it is something you'd want. Now don't get me wrong, I love being a werewolf and I'd never give it up even if I could, but I just want you to be aware of what you're really asking."

"So what's our next step?" Mackenzie asked.

"Honestly?" Haley replied. "Sleep on it. For at least two weeks. Then if you're sure you want to do this, we can evaluate you."

"Isn't there some way we can fast track this thing?" she asked.

Haley shook her head. "Absolutely not. The evaluation process is as much about protecting us as it is about protecting you. Turning someone when they're not ready or a suitable candidate results in deaths and risk of exposure. You turn someone who can't handle it and we have few options when it comes to dealing with the fallout. If you really want this, the only way is the right way."

Mackenzie nodded. "All right. I really do want this, you know."

"We'll see." Haley took one last sip of her tea and walked to her bedroom, her tail swishing behind her.

* * *

The next two weeks passed with little incident. Mackenzie would pepper her roommate with questions about the Were world whenever she got the chance, which she answered dutifully and as truthfully as possible. For the most part Haley accepted her interest with good humor, though once or twice she would receive a rather blank stare when she asked a particularly impertinent question.

Mackenzie found the revelation of her roommate's true nature to clear up a great many of the mysteries surrounding her friend. She no longer questioned when she needed to disappear without warning or when she came in at odd hours of the night, though now that she knew her roommate came in through the front door instead of the window. With the biggest consequence being that the two seemed more at ease around each other now that the huge secret was out in the open, life seemed to be going smoother than ever.

Wiping the sleep from her eyes Mackenzie sat up and swung her legs out from under the covers. Grabbing blindly for her robe she managed to get it over her shoulders and make her way to the kitchen, where Haley waited for her already dressed with a pot of coffee filling the room with its tantalizing aroma.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," she said.

"I'll rise, but I refuse to shine." She walked over to the counter and sat down on a stool.

Haley poured her a cup of coffee, placing the cream and sugar by the other woman and watching with some amusement as she dumped three cubes of the sweetener into her beverage. Ignoring the cream her roommate took a sip and then made a face before drinking more without comment. "Today's the day your application process begins."

"Has it been two weeks already?" she asked.

"I hope you've been studying the materials I gave you." Haley glared at her with a touch of sarcasm as the pamphlet 'So You've Decided To Become A Werewolf' stared back at her having clearly never been touched.

"I glanced at them," Mackenzie replied.

"You know, for someone who wants to be a werewolf you don't seem to be taking this seriously."

Mackenzie shook her head. "I've just been a little busy, that's all."

Haley scoffed. "Doing what?" She tapped the pamphlet with her fingertip. "I see you talking a good game but as your intake specialist if I don't believe you'll make a good candidate I can scuttle your application at any time. Did you know that?" she asked.

At that Mackenzie shot awake. "Really?"

"Really." She folded her arms. "We can't afford people we can't trust, who aren't committed to our cause. Werewolves have stayed hidden for this long because we're very careful about who we allow to join us. We've made mistakes from time to time but trust me, you don't want to know what happens to people who prove themselves to be untrustworthy after the fact."

Mackenzie held up her hands. "All right, I get it, I'm sorry. So what do we do?" she asked.

"You can start by filling this out." Haley slapped a form on the counter and a black ink pen. "When you're done, we move on to phase two."

"What's phase two?" Mackenzie asked.

"That's when the real work begins." Haley watched her as she filled out the form with meticulous precision, being certain to fill out every box with the correct and appropriate response. After she had checked and double checked everything she slid the form back across to her roommate.

Haley spent a full minute examining the form while she walked back and forth in the kitchen. Once she had finished, she offered a nod of approval. "It looks good, now we can get you signed up for the tests. When are you free to take them?"

"Tests, like with a number two pencil?" she asked.

"Just the first one. The idea is to find out exactly how much you've been paying attention, and don't think anyone will go easy on you. They need to know as much as I do that this is what you want and that you're committed to going through with this. There can't be even the slightest hesitation, you read me?" she asked.

"I understand. Point me to the testing center," she said. "I'm free tomorrow, Saturday, and next Wednesday."

Haley nodded. "Good. We'll need all three days."

"All three?" Mackenzie asked.

"Hey, becoming a werewolf is not something that happens overnight. It takes a solid weekend of testing before we make our decision." Haley kept her face perfectly neutral so Mackenzie could not tell if she was kidding or not. Either way, she was a mask of stillness. At last, a smile broke her face. "Okay, enough of that. Study hard and be ready for the first test. I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

Mackenzie looked at her roommate. "Do you think I can do this?" she asked.

Haley shook her head. "What I think is irrelevant. It's what YOU think that matters."

With that, Mackenzie let the matter drop. The next day the pair arrived at a fairly unobtrusive building that looked like some sort of unused small factory or warehouse. She stared up at the nondescript structure with a faded painted sign which indicated at one point the building had been used for processing coffee beans. She looked over at her roommate who was sniffing the air with some amusement. "What are you doing?" she asked, more curious as to the why than the what.

"You can't smell it?" Haley looked at her for a moment and then nodded. "Right, I forget sometimes, you don't have the same sense of smell we do. You should get ready for that, even in human form we can smell a lot better than normal people. It's not something you can really turn on and off either. Most of us are polite enough not to say anything but if you asked I could tell what you've eaten for breakfast and what shampoo you used on your hair."

"Please don't," Mackenzie replied.

"That's what I thought," she said. "Still, I can't impress enough upon you how important it is this is something you want with your heart and soul. You can't change your mind once you've become one of us and you can't go back. Once you're in, you're in forever." Haley turned around to face her. "The reason why we do things the way we do is so that you go into this knowing what you're facing both good and ill, and accept the consequences of that decision." She shrugged. "Enough of that, I suppose. Let's get you started."

Mackenzie had no idea what she expected, but somehow it had not included a mostly empty industrial building in a largely unused part of town. She stood to the side as Haley entered the code into a keypad beside the door. A moment later they were rewarded with an electronic buzz as the door unlocked and allowed them entry. Inside was little more than a reception desk at which a young woman sat, presumably also a werewolf.

"Hey, Emily," her roommate said in greeting.

The young woman looked up from her work and offered a half smile. "Well, if it isn't my favorite intake coordinator." She stood to take a look at Mackenzie. "Is this the new recruit?" she asked.

"In theory," Haley replied. "I'm here to put her through her paces. I figured we'd start with the written and get her set up with the doc before assigning her to a proctor."

Mackenzie looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sick."

"It's not a physical, though we usually put you through one of those when you're ready. This is a psychological exam," Haley explained.

"You want to send me to a shrink?" Mackenzie asked.

"We need to make sure you understand what you're getting into, and the exam helps us do that. He'll ask you a few basic questions to be sure what sort of person you are and that you don't set off any red flags, though if you're uncomfortable with that idea you can always turn around and walk away." Haley leaned against the reception desk though they both knew what her answer would be. "Now, if you're done asking questions it's time to get you evaluated."

"Is there anything I should know before I go in?" Mackenzie met her roommate's glance right before the two reached the double doors into the main factory floor.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, whatever you think you know, I'd forget it right now," she said.

The doors opened and she walked in after her. They passed down a long hall to what looked like a small room converted for a classroom setting. She gestured inside. "You'll take your test with a bunch of other candidates. When you're done, inform the proctor and he'll come get me."

"But I don't even have a..."

Before she could even complete the sentence, Haley had produced a number two pencil. She gave her a pat on the back and a moment later was gone.

Mackenzie sat at one of the desks and crossed her legs looking around at the others who were here for the same reason she was. There were three in total besides her. Each of them seemed to be examining their fellow prospects and taking their measure. In all of her eagerness to become a werewolf she had not considered there would be others, or the possibility they might not all be chosen. She knew from what Haley had drilled into her head that they needed to be excessively careful, but then this begged the question of what fate awaited the unsuccessful candidates.

Curious, she glanced around at her potential competitors. The first was a tall girl with glasses and a neat ponytail. The other two were men, one dark skinned with short hair dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and the other wearing a dark jacket and matching pants highlighting his auburn colored hair. None of them really seemed to her like appropriate candidates for becoming werewolves but then again what did a werewolf candidate look like, she wondered. Pushing the thought aside she locked eyes with the young man in the dark jacket who gave her a nod.

"I'm John," he said, extending a hand.

"Mackenzie," she replied, returning the gesture. He squeezed her hand firmly before letting go.

"Nice to meet you, Mackenzie. This here is Shane, and the girl over there is Amy. We're all here to sign up for the full moon treatment," he said.

It didn't surprise her that they knew about werewolves. After all, that was why they were here. What did was the fact they appeared rather casual about it. She had been certain not to mention it to anyone other than Haley but even though everyone in here had been recruited by the lycanthropically inclined it still seemed unusual. She had done her best to follow the rules as her roommate had laid out wanting to be certain she gave her no reason to doubt her resolve.

Each of them offered a friendly wave which she returned in kind. Before she could ask any of them how they ended up here they were interrupted by a werewolf in a white shirt and tan vest with neatly pressed slacks completing the ensemble. Had he been in human form Mackenzie might have wondered if she were in the wrong place. The werewolf held a stack of papers in his paws which he placed on the surface of the desk at the front. Folding his arms he gave each one of them a visual evaluation before he spoke.

"I'm sure you all know why you're here. I've been instructed to give you each the standard test to determine how much you know about our kind and what you've been taught by your intake specialists. Provided your knowledge is adequate you will be passed along to the next stage. Fail to receive a sufficiently high score and you will be turned away at this point after a debriefing about the consequences of failing to keep our confidence. Understood?"

A firm nod from all four of them was his reply. Mackenzie locked eyes with him as he placed the first test on her desk. She filled out her name and waited to open her test booklet until the others had reached the same point.

"You will have two hours to complete the exam. Be certain of your answers. There is no reward for finishing early. While you may complete your exam before the allotted time elapses I would use the opportunity to go over your responses. If necessary or desired you may leave once you have completed the test, but once you do so you will not be permitted to return to amend any answers you may have changed your mind about. Assuming that's clear, you may begin." He waited a moment to see if there were any questions. When none came, he started the timer.

Mackenzie opened her booklet and glanced downwards, reading the first question slowly and carefully. With a deep breath she began to write.

When the two hours had elapsed Mackenzie was surprised to realize that only she and Shane were still in the room along with the werewolf who was supervising their exam. Both John and Amy had left early once they had finished with their questions and were presumably outside. No sooner had she finished writing her final answer when the proctor slapped his paw on the timer to silence the alarm.

"Time's up. Papers to the front, please," he said.

Mackenzie closed her exam book and stood with the test in her hands. Inwardly she was glad she had followed the proctor's advice and reviewed her answers. Most of the questions were common sense about the proper course of action regarding situations involving close contact with humans. In general terms discretion was the better part of valor in most scenarios. Unlike most movies werewolves had no particular desire to be revealed to the world at large. As long as they were kept hidden they could move freely among the human population without detection. It was for this reason the process for becoming a werewolf was somewhat complicated due to the various safeguards in place to protect their collective secret.

She handed the instructor the test booklet and received a curt nod of approval from the werewolf. He gestured with his muzzle towards the hallway where she was surprised to find Haley already waiting for her.

"No matter how many times I see you like that it still takes some getting used to," she said.

Her roommate brushed a strand of hair from her face which still looked remarkably familiar despite its lupine appearance. While there were some obvious differences she knew her well enough to know it was Haley. The werewolf offered a smile. "How did it go?"

Mackenzie shrugged. "Okay, I think." She paused. "At least, I hope so."

Haley put her hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you did just fine. Do you need a break before the next part of the test?"

Mackenzie shook her head. "I'm ready if you are," she replied. "What is next, by the way?"

"The psychological evaluation," she said.

Mackenzie raised an eyebrow towards her roommate. "Like with a shrink?"

"They prefer the term counselor," she said. Haley tilted her head towards the young woman. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just..." She blew out a deep breath. "I guess I just expected something a lot different than tests and interviews."

Haley nodded. "You wouldn't be the first. A lot of folks think being a werewolf is all battles with rival packs or things like that. The reality is that for the most part we all tend to get along with the occasional rogue element, which is how we stay hidden. While some of that does happen, the majority of it most of us never see. In any case if you don't make it through this part of the testing then the rest of it doesn't matter."

"Makes sense," she said. She looked around at the others who were milling about in the hall. "I didn't think there'd be other people."

Haley nodded. "We tend to do parts of the testing in groups though there are some elements we can only do one at a time."

"Like the psychological evaluation," Mackenzie finished for her.

"Exactly." She gestured for her roommate to follow her. As Mackenzie fell into step she noticed how graceful her roommate seemed to walk on the tips of her toes. She searched her memory to recall what they called that sort of stance. Digitigrade. Yes, that was it. The two walked until she was certain they were out of earshot. Haley glanced over her shoulder to be certain of that before she continued. "Between you and me, I don't think some of your fellow applicants are going to make it."

"Why not?" Mackenzie asked.

Haley made a face. "You remember when I told you there were only two ways to become a werewolf?" Mackenzie nodded. "Well, that's not entirely true. While less than five percent of our population comes in through this method we do have a couple of feelers out there on the internet to catch people we might never interact with in any other way."

"Wait, you're telling me you guys have a website?" she asked.

Haley made a grimace so her sharp teeth showed. "Sort of. It's nothing obvious, mostly a werewolf themed website with a bunch of really bad fan fiction and stuff like that. There's some art and occasionally one of us will post a selfie or something and pretend like its photo manipulation."

"Are you on there?" Mackenzie leaned in though her roommate gently pushed her away with her paw.

"Anyway there's an application with a big long essay question about why you want to be a werewolf and sometimes we get a bite that way. About half of the folks who come to us through the internet turn out to be a little unpredictable."

"Unpredictable how?"

Haley blew out a breath and sighed. "You know how I mentioned werewolf movies earlier?"

"Yeah, so?" Mackenzie replied.

"Well, it started out as the result of a few of us getting spotted and someone's imagination running wild. Some of us would get seen and without any real proof the folks who saw us would need some sort of outlet so they'd start making werewolf movies. Of course not every werewolf movie is a result of that but it's something we've allowed and even encouraged from time to time. For the most part it's harmless. On the positive side it provides us with a little bit of plausible deniability, but on the other paw it results in a lot of people getting a skewed perception of what life as a werewolf is really like. It tends to attract a somewhat odd element."

"I suppose that makes sense," Mackenzie said.

"In any event, it's important both for you and us that we all know what you're getting into when you sign up to be one of the lunar inclined. Once you're a werewolf there's no changing your mind and there's no take backs. If you become one of us you're one of us for life, and if you become a problem because you can't handle it then we have to deal with you, gently if possible, with force if necessary."

Mackenzie swallowed. "Hopefully it'll never come to that," she said.

"With most people it doesn't, but as I said, it's impossible to predict with one hundred percent certainty what kind of a person someone is. We do the best we can and weed out the most obvious problems. It's not perfect, but it's worked well enough." She had stopped in front of a rather fancy door which read 'Ethan Ducasse, Psychologist' on the nameplate.

"Are you sure we need to do this part?" Mackenzie asked.

Haley held open the door and gestured inside. "Good luck. Just answer honestly, and I'll be back to collect you when you're done."

'Okay," Mackenzie said. The room on the other side of the door was nothing like what she had expected. Whereas most of the other areas she had seen so far still reflected the building's original purpose, this room appeared for all intents and purposes like it belonged in a very different building. She glanced back into the hall before turning once more to the interior if only to convince herself she was still in the same place. In contrast to the hallway's featureless walls this room was like almost any other therapists office she had ever seen. No doubt it had been a custom modification to the building after the werewolves had purchased it. The walls were smooth sheetrock in a rather pleasant peach color with wood paneling taking up the lower half of the room. Books lined the shelves on either side of the desk with a false window behind the chair where the werewolf counselor sat. Like the lycanthrope who had administered the written part of the test he was well dressed and neat, likewise seeming somewhat out of place when compared to his lupine appearance.

She silently reminded herself that the popular view of werewolves was far from the reality and that it was not as unconventional as her mind made it seem. No doubt few werewolves ran around naked and eating villagers or whatever they were portrayed as doing, but even so some habits were hard to break. Degrees and other framed credentials dotted the walls making it clear that this person was rather well learned and qualified for the purpose of evaluating potential candidates. She took a moment to examine them noting they were for various disciplines and awarded from well known universities.

"Feel free to examine them as much as you like. I'm sure you'll find them all in order," he said.

Slightly embarrassed at being called out for her curiosity she shyly turned in his direction. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Wondered where a werewolf went to school?" he asked, finishing for her.

Since there was no point in lying, she nodded. "I'm still getting used to all this."

The werewolf nodded in understanding. "I suppose it is a bit out of the ordinary for folks who haven't been around us for a while. If you're wondering I did attend and graduate in my human form. Being a werewolf has its advantages but it's a little difficult to stay inconspicuous with a fur coat and a tail."

Mackenzie gave a half smile and put her hands in her pockets. "I imagine so. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking what everyone thinks when they first walk through that door. You at least have the good sense to admit you don't know what you think you knew before you came in here. Most people tend to have preconceived notions about what we are and what we do but the reality is not quite what anyone expects. That being the case one of the qualities we look for is an open mind, which you at least seem to have if the last thirty seconds were any indication." He gestured towards the sofa. "Feel free to have a seat and we can begin."

The sofa was comfortable. It was made of a soft fabric that seemed to contour perfectly to her body when she sat. Her hands rested on her lap having little idea what else to do with them as she awaited the interview. No doubt whatever he had to say would have a great deal to do with their ultimate decision. Even though she was certain Haley would put in a good word for her whether or not that would be enough was entirely up for debate. She put on her best smile and nodded to indicate she was ready to begin.

"All right then," he said. "My name is Ethan Ducasse, I'm a licensed therapist and counselor. Just to be clear, my job is not to sway your decision one way or another nor am I here to judge your motivations for becoming a werewolf. My purpose in this interview is to provide an overall assessment of you as a whole in order to determine whether or not you would be a good fit for the rather significant life change becoming one of us brings about." He offered a comforting smile. "After all, while we are as a whole a welcoming group it is a rather significant decision with wide ranging implications, both for you and for all of us. We cannot risk unstable or even indifferent individuals choosing to go through the change simply because of the potential risk to us and others. Those unhappy with the choice can be as dangerous as those who were improperly evaluated or the occasional random person bitten through some unauthorized action. Regardless, this is why we endeavor to get to know you and see to it we provide you all the information before you make your choice."

Mackenzie nodded. "I understand."

"Now, you come highly recommended by your roommate, which is of course a point in your favor. She tells me you seem highly interested but of course interest alone is not enough. While others will review your form and test answers my first question is simply this. Why do you want to be a werewolf?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

Mackenzie did not answer right away. Despite the temptation to respond immediately she knew doing so would provide the wrong impression, at least in her mind. She considered her answer carefully before looking back in his direction. "I've loved wolves ever since I was a kid. I always had wolf posters on my wall or a wolf plush on my bed. They've just spoken to me. I suppose maybe that's a rather common answer but it's the best one I have."

He gave a gentle nod before recording her response in his notes. "It's an honest one. It's better than some of the responses I've gotten over the years. You'd be surprised some of the reasons people want to become werewolves. Remind me sometime to tell you about them if the opportunity arises."

"I'll do that," Mackenzie replied, mildly curious.

"If chosen, do you think you can live with the side effects of the condition?" he asked.

"Side effects?" she asked.

Ethan held up a paw. "Nothing inherently harmful, however, you will need to mind the moonlight as remaining outside in it for too long tends to encourage the transformation."

"I though it was an 'at will' sort of thing," she said.

"In general it is, but the moonlight calls to us as it does in a lot of werewolf mythology. While we are not slaves to its rhythms we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge its influence. The formal term is the Lunar Kiss. While all of us have felt it at one time or another, simply put the lunar light encourages the wolf to come out. In small doses it can be defied but prolonged exposure tends to result in eventual involuntary activation of the change." He smiled. "In other words, don't stay out in the moonlight too long."

Mackenzie nodded, taking it in. "Anything else I should know about?"

"Your senses get sharper in wolf form and indeed even in human form when you become a lycanthrope, so be prepared for that. Although I hate to use the term, 'normal' humans can't detect the bulk of scents we can when fully shifted. They're more or less equivalent to your conventional wolf but with the human intellect to go with it. We can track individuals through deep forest or determine what most people have been doing for the past several hours, among other things. Given it's a sense most people don't rely on they miss out on a great deal of information that the lycanthropically inclined can't help but notice. For example, I can tell what you had for breakfast, the brand of shampoo you used, and how long it's been since you last washed that outfit you're wearing."

Mackenzie felt her cheeks flush suddenly becoming very self conscious. She lowered her head to her lap and searched for something to say. "I, um..."

He held up a paw. "Don't worry about it. Most werewolves are polite enough not to mention it, but it's something to consider when you assume this lifestyle." He smirked. "Most people know about the physical changes and the enhanced strength and agility. Nevertheless it does bear mentioning that having that strength can take some getting used to. Most things aren't designed for werewolf strength so you should be careful when applying your full force to anything. In general you shouldn't have any problem, but if you run full tilt towards a door be prepared for more power than you're used to having."

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

Ethan leaned back. "Do you keep a lot of secrets?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Secrets. I assume you have some."

"I suppose so, doesn't everyone?" she asked.

Ethan nodded. "If you become one of us you'll need to keep that from everyone who does not share our mutual secret. That includes loved ones, family, and friends. No one who is not one of us can know what we are. In addition, if you have a secret that endangers the rest of us we will find out, and we will do what we must in order to protect ourselves as a whole. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Mackenzie replied. "I won't tell anyone, I can promise you that," she said.

"Most people think that at first, but like a lot of things in our world it's a bit more complicated than that. There are people who actively seek out the truth about us as well as those who desire our annihilation. To be one of us is to be on guard against any threats that might seek to pull the reality of our existence from you. I don't wish to scare you, most of us don't ever encounter the more extreme scenarios, but you need to be aware that it can happen if you're not careful." He set his notes down on the desk surface. "As you might imagine, we have enemies."

"The werehunters," she said.

"Among others. The werehunters are the most extreme. If you hadn't heard about them through the reading you would have heard about them soon enough from one of us." He let out an audible breath. "They see us as an existential threat to humanity. To them we are a cancer to be wiped out. When encountered there are only ever two options. Fight or run. They will not negotiate."

"Understood," she replied.

"We do what we can to keep tabs on their members but as I mentioned they are not the only ones looking to find out what we truly are. In the past six months alone we've had a few internet bloggers determined to post proof of werewolf existence on the internet. They may not make themselves obvious. For all you know they could be the handsome young man you just met at the bar. Do you think you could handle that?" he asked.

Mackenzie considered that for a moment. She had known she would need to keep her potential secret from the world at large, but what about people who were genuinely trying to prove what she had become? Could she keep that secret from her mother? What if she chose to get married? Could she keep it from her lover, or would they be allowed to be recruited? What if they failed?

Evidently sensing her thoughts he reached out a paw to touch her hand. "It's not necessary that you answer now. The point of this is that you think about it." He closed his notebook and rose to his feet paws. "I think I have enough for now." He gestured towards the door. "Your friend is waiting for you out in the lobby. We'll have a response for you in the next few days."

On her way out she offered a thankful nod and headed back out to the lobby to join Haley, who had since shifted back to her human form. "Are you ready to go?" her roommate asked.

"Yeah," Mackenzie replied.

The next several days passed without much activity. Mackenzie waited for the inevitable summons figuring Haley would inform her were anything to develop. In addition it seemed to her that pressing the issue might be considered a bad sign given how seriously they seemed to take accepting new members. For that matter, Mackenzie was not in any particular hurry to begin the next phase of her life, should she be accepted. While she was hopeful she would be chosen to join their number it was a rather significant shift, no pun intended, and she did not want to enter into it without having let it rattle around in her head for a few days now that she did not have the test to prepare for.

For her part, Haley simply went about her business though now she made no effort to hide her other life given Mackenzie was now part of the exclusive club of people who knew about these sorts of things. Whether there was any sort of protocol in place should she not be chosen she had no idea but she imagined the werewolves made it equally clear their secret was to be respected either way. It was likely those who chose not to keep their confidence were dealt with one way or the other. Mackenzie was not worried, she would not betray Haley regardless of their decision, but she did not want to find out.

When the answer finally came in she was summoned once again to the same building with the others. All four of them were called into the classroom where Ethan Ducasse stood at the front with his arms tucked neatly behind his back. She attempted to get a read on his facial expression but he gave away nothing. Mackenzie took a seat beside Shane and waited patiently for him to begin.

Ethan remained silent for a few moments more while each of them took their seats. Once they were settled he placed his paw on a folder on the desk. "All right, I know you're all anxious to learn of our decision so I won't waste your time. I regret to inform you that all four of you have failed."

"That can't be right," Shane protested. "For what?"

"We combined your answers with your intake specialist's comments, as well as my own evaluation of your suitability and you were all found wanting in one category or another. While you are free to go through the process again at a later time there is a minimum three month period during which you will not be permitted to do so. I'm certain some of you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them should you so desire."

Shane and Amy got up and left without a word. John looked like he was going to say something, but then shook his head and mumbled thanks before following the others. Mackenzie approached the werewolf.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" he asked.

"What did I do wrong?" she replied.

He held up a paw. "It's not a matter of right or wrong, rather it's an issue of compatibility. There is no answer that will automatically get you rejected, other than perhaps clear indications of an unstable personality, but the simple reality is that there were elements about your application that we found were not the best fit to our requirements."

"Such as?" Mackenzie looked into his eyes. "I'm certain it wasn't anything I said in your office or wrote on that test." She turned towards him suddenly. "Was it Haley?"

Ethan shrugged. "The reason for your rejection if you must know had nothing to do with your roommate. I felt you were not adequately mentally prepared for the transformation. Perhaps, in a few months, after you've had time to reflect, that won't be the case."

"I see," she replied.

The werewolf held up a paw. "Please don't take our decision as a judgment upon you."

"I know, you're just being careful," she said.

He nodded. "Yes we are."

"Is this some sort of test?" she asked.

"In life one is always being tested," he replied.

With that, she gave him a nod of thanks and walked out of the building. Across the street she noticed a bar where the others were going inside, no doubt for a consolatory drink. Most days she would have simply gone home, but today it seemed like a good idea. Crossing the street she made her way inside the dimly lit establishment.

It seemed like your typical dive bar. There was the smell of smoke and liquor permeating the air. The people in the bar generally seemed to be the type who didn't really hold your average nine to five occupation. Once she noticed people were watching her she stepped inside and headed up to the bar. John, Shane, and Amy were already there on stools with drinks in their hands. John gestured towards an open stool for her to join them.

Taking the proffered seat she did not object when John ordered her a drink. The bartender swiftly prepared the beverage and took the cash from his outstretched hand with a gracious nod. Once he had walked out of earshot John turned to address her. "I'm surprised to see you here," he said. "I would have thought you'd have been a shoe in."

"Apparently not," Mackenzie replied.

John stared at his drink, clutching it tightly in his hand. "It makes me wonder if anyone gets through their testing process."

Mackenzie shrugged, not knowing what to say. She took a sip of her drink and held it away from her while she examined its contents. From what she could tell it was some sort of fruity mixed drink. Unable to determine exactly what was in it she took another test sip and decided it was drinkable. With a deep sigh she swirled it around before turning back to the group. "So what will you do now?"

"That was the topic just under discussion," he said. "How about we continue this conversation somewhere a little more private?" John indicated a corner booth with his right hand.

Taking her drink with her she followed the others to the corner where they could speak away from the bulk of the bar's patrons. Mackenzie slid in first with Shane and Amy to her left and John on her right. It was at that moment she considered the fact she did not know any of them very well other than their interactions at the testing center. She would listen to what they had to say but she was going to do so with a measure of caution. It did not escape her notice that both John and Shane had stretched out to be sure there was no way she could walk away without it being obvious. Despite their best attempts to look casual about it she could tell they wanted something from her.

"It may have occurred to you that none of us are particularly happy with their decision," Shane said.

"I'll admit I was a little disappointed," Mackenzie replied, hoping her answer was noncommittal enough but also appearing as if she was interested in their as of yet unknown proposal.

Amy tapped her drink with her finger. "Who do they think they are?" she asked. "From what I've seen they can use all the help they can get and yet they refuse us? For what?"

Mackenzie had to admit she was not entirely certain herself. For whatever reason, all four of them had been deemed unsuitable and denied the chance to become werewolves. While she had been willing to accept their answer it was clear her companions were not. She continued to listen carefully.

Shane scoffed. "If you ask me this entire testing thing is ridiculous. You expect me to believe you have everyone take this ridiculous exam and just hope they give you the answers you want?" He slammed his drink down on the table. "I don't know about you, but if I had that kind of power I wouldn't waste it like they do."

"They're just being careful," Mackenzie said.

"You say they're being careful, I say they're being selfish," Shane replied. "They just want to keep the power for themselves. They don't actually care what we wrote on their test papers. All it is as far as I can tell is just an excuse to keep us out."

"Maybe," she replied.

"No maybe," Amy answered. "But if they think they can tell me I'm not good enough they've got another thing coming."

John held up his hand. "We all know we deserve the power they have and that we'd use it better than they do."

"So what do you suggest?" she asked. "We can't make them let us in."

John held up a hand and ordered another round of drinks. "That's where you'd be wrong." He waited until the cocktail waitress replenished their drinks before he continued. "We know where they are and how they make new werewolves. All we need is one of them to bite us and then there's nothing they can do about it."

Mackenzie looked at him in surprise. "They're not going to just roll over and do as you ask."

"I never said they would," he replied.

"So then what do you plan to do?" she asked.

"We wait until we can get one of them alone, corner them, and shoot them with one of these." He placed a case on the table and opened it. Inside was a rather heavy duty tranquilizer gun meant to take down large animals. A dose was already loaded into the gun. "A clean shot with one of these should have no problem taking down a werewolf. All we need is the opportunity, and that's where you come in."

Mackenzie shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not a very good shot."

"We don't need you to shoot the werewolf, we just need you to get us one," Amy said.

"What makes you think I can get one of them alone?" she asked.

"We've seen you with one of them, you seem pretty friendly. I'm sure you can convince her to take a walk with you somewhere nearby, somewhere we control," John said.

"And what if she won't come with me?" Mackenzie asked.

Shane locked eyes with her. "Then you make sure she does."

And that was how twenty minutes later she found herself outside calling Haley on her cell phone staring at the testing center. She waited for her roommate to answer while she held her position on the sidewalk. She knew John was watching her and would know if she took any steps to do something other than what she was told. Mackenzie tapped her foot to dissipate some of the nervous energy and waited until her roommate finally picked up.

"Hey, what's up?" Haley asked.

"Just wondering how much longer you're going to be. I thought we could walk home together. Maybe go somewhere to get a bite to eat." She looked around though she had no idea of John's vantage point.

"I'm almost done, I'll be out in a minute and we can figure out our plan then. Sound good?" she asked.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Talk to you in a few." She hung up without saying goodbye and watched the doorway until a short while later Haley emerged in her human form. She held up her hand and approached with a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, how are you holding up? Ethan told me what happened," she said.

"I'm okay. A little disappointed, obviously, but it's just how things worked out, I guess. From what they tell me we can try again if we're interested later, but for right now I just kind of want to go home," she said.

Haley nodded. "Understandable," she said. "Well, when you're ready to try again you know that I'll support you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She smiled as her friend touched her on the back and they began to walk. After a few blocks she caught sight of Shane standing at the corner reading the paper and knew this was her signal. Hesitating, she slowed her pace and took a step back. "We need to get out of here."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Don't ask questions," Mackenzie said. "Just trust me. We need to get out of here." Without further argument, they hurried down the alley and away from Shane.

Haley froze as John and Amy emerged from the shadows followed by the sound of a car screeching behind them, cutting off their only avenue of escape. She whirled around and held out a protective arm to guard Mackenzie. "Stay behind me."

"I'm sorry, they wanted me to lead you into a trap," she said. Mackenzie moved to shield Haley as best she could but if the dart struck either of them it would not end well. John aimed it at Haley attempting to get a clean shot, but just as he pulled the trigger Mackenzie pushed her out of the way. The dart missed them both by inches, embedding itself into the metal door of Shane's car. Mackenzie could hardly believe what happened next.

Faster than she thought possible, Haley shifted into her werewolf form and moved to engage their opponents. Before Mackenzie could even open her mouth Haley had already taken John down and kicked Amy into the wall, whirling around to throw the tranquilizer gun at Shane's car. The windshield shattered at the impact and with Haley's claws at his throat, she growled at the wounded Amy.

Haley looked at Mackenzie. "Restraints, in my pocket." When her roommate did not move, she growled. "NOW!"

Mackenzie shook herself out of her surprise and moved to do as instructed. Taking the plastic cuffs she placed them on Amy and Shane before John straightened up and shook his head.

"Did you have to be so rough?" he asked.

Haley scoffed. "I didn't hurt you," she replied.

"My back would beg to differ. You know just because I'm a werewolf doesn't mean I'm indestructible." He smiled sheepishly at Mackenzie. "Nice work, pup."

Mackenzie stared at them both. "Okay, now it's my turn to be confused."

Haley gestured over her shoulder. "John is one of us. We planted him among you recruits to guide you in the right direction. We needed to see what you'd do, and I have to say Mackenzie, you're the only one who passed with flying colors."

"Okay, I'm still confused," she said.

"You passed," Haley said. "Look, we'll talk about it when I get home. I've got to deal with these two and I'll see you in a little while?"

"Sure," Mackenzie replied.

"I'm sure you've got a lot of questions and I'll be glad to answer all of them, but do you think you can make your way home by yourself for now?" she asked.

Mackenzie nodded. "I think I remember the way." She stayed long enough to watch John and Haley walk off with the others, and finally resumed her journey home. Letting herself into their shared apartment, she put a put of coffee on and waited.

* * *

Two hours later, Haley came in the front door. With an apologetic smile she held up a bag full of Chinese food. "Hey. I brought dinner." She placed the food on the counter and slowly looked up to meet her glance. "So I guess we should talk."

"Yeah," Mackenzie agreed. "We should."

Haley held out her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Why don't you ask the question I know you've wanted to ask since the alley?"

"Okay," she said. "What was all that about? That bit with John and the others? Was any of it even real?"

Her roommate leaned back against the counter. "It all was. Every bit." She paused and started to pull out the take out boxes. "What you have to understand is we need to be extremely careful with who we allow to become werewolves. Even with all of our checks and balances sometimes some bad ones still get through. Plus there's the fact that some people change and become a threat after the fact despite our best efforts. To make sure that doesn't happen we put you through as many tests as possible."

"Not that I don't understand the need for caution but you told us we all failed. Did those tests even matter?" she asked.

"It all matters. Everyone fails the first time."

"I don't understand," Mackenzie said.

Haley pulled out some plastic containers of soup and rice and set them beside each other on the counter. "Think about it. If we simply passed you then we would miss understanding some key elements to your personalities. By failing you we forced you to confront what you'd do if faced with the question of how important becoming a werewolf was to you." She opened the drawer and removed some silverware. "While we can test you and interview you all day long, people lie to us all the time. The only way we can know for certain is to give you a chance to prove yourself and observe the results."

"That seems rather cynical," she replied.

"People will tell you what they think you want to hear in order to get what they want. The best way to counteract this is to give them a chance to show you how far they're willing to go. Unlike words, actions don't lie, and sometimes you learn a lot more from failure than from success," Haley said.

Mackenzie nodded, seeing her point. When presented with failure Amy and Shane were willing to do whatever it took. Mackenzie, however, was not willing to betray her friend and take what they wanted by force. Instead, she had protected her friend at the risk of her own life, not even caring if she became a werewolf or not. The only thing that mattered to her at the time was keeping Haley safe. "I think I get it."

"Had we accepted the three of you, we would have welcomed two potentially reckless individuals into our population and that is something we simply cannot afford. The entire nature of our existence is dependent on our ability to operate unknown and unobserved to the majority of the human population. Every rogue werewolf is a threat to that existence. Even with our best efforts we've come awfully close to exposure on more than one occasion, and it's getting more difficult every year. You may think we're being paranoid, but all it takes is a single incident and then the world knows who we are." Haley opened the rice and placed it in a bowl before sticking a fork in the food so it stood up. "Once that happens, there's no going back."

"What will you do then?" Mackenzie asked.

"I don't know," Haley admitted. "Our leaders have a plan, but the truth is once our secret gets out the world will have to decide what we are and whether they're willing to share their world with Weres. Traditionally speaking that hasn't gone so well, but one way or the other it's bound to happen. The only question is when."

Mackenzie opened one of the take out boxes and smelled the contents. It was some sort of chicken. Pouring it into a bowl she proceeded to take a bite before looking back at her friend. "And John? Why have him pretend to be one of us?"

"You mean a potential candidate?" she asked. Mackenzie nodded. "We need someone among you who you're not watching. Unlike us, he can observe what you do and report back with you none the wiser. His job is to offer you the temptation, and control the situation should some of you choose to take it. Like Ethan and Russell, he offers us insight into the type of person you are and what sort of werewolf you have the potential to be."

Mackenzie took a bit of her chicken and swallowed. "So were you really serious about me making the cut?"

"Yeah, if you want it." Haley put down her rice. "No one's going to make you if you change your mind, but whatever you decide you need to be sure. Once you have a werewolf's blood there's no going back."

"I get that," Mackenzie said. "And I appreciate all the effort you've gone through to make sure I passed."

"I could see that you wanted it," she replied. "And for what's its worth, I think you'd make a great werewolf."

"Thanks," Mackenzie said.

"Anyway there's no rush. Take all the time you need. Whenever you're ready, let me know. If you want I can be the one to make you one of us," she said.

"I think I'd like that," Mackenzie replied. "So is there some sort of ceremony or something?"

"Not really. It's pretty straightforward, but if you like I can buy some scented candles, put on some soft rock and a robe and fake it. I'll have to cut a whole for my tail."

Holding up her fork, she smirked. "No, thank you. Whatever you usually do will be fine."

"Okay," she said. "When do you want to do it?"

"Tomorrow," Mackenzie said. "I think I've had enough excitement for today. Besides, I think I'd rather have one more day being only human."

Haley nodded. "Probably a good idea."

"So before I become one of the lycanthropically inclined are there any other surprises I should know about?" Mackenzie asked.

Haley shrugged. "You know most of the big stuff. Even though I've said it already it bears repeating. We have enemies, and if you become one of us they'll be your enemies too. You sure you're ready for that?" she asked.

Mackenzie stood up and extended her hand. "Count me in."