{"sf1_id":813639,"sf2_id":"rnarww31","title":"Amber Silverblood: Chapter Forty Two","author":"FieryRodentThing","words":1198,"posted_at":"2015-01-31T12:03:00.000Z","tags":["Action","Adventure","Betrayal","Broccoli","Demon","Fantasy","Ghoul","Mage","Magic","Suspense","Transformation","Urban Fantasy","Warlock","Werewolf","wizard"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/813639-amber-silverblood-chapter-forty-two","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/rnarww31","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/35/3f/353ff777-b38f-4d7e-9bd1-1ab1f6911cbe","description":"#44 of Amber Silverblood\n\nNow happily full of burgers and fries, Amber continues her conversation with Stark. He makes her an offer, and she... says something stupid.","content":"Chapter Forty Two\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So,\" Stark said after the door swung shut behind us, \"let's talk about Kimberly.\"\n\nHe started off down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, and I followed.\u0026nbsp; Even though he was only wearing a t-shirt, the cold didn't seem to bother him.\n\n\"What about her?\" I asked.\n\n\"Her first full moon is coming up soon, isn't it?\"\n\n\"Oh,\" I said, the reminder making me stop in my tracks, \"yeah.\"\n\n\"The first change is never easy,\" he told me without stopping.\u0026nbsp; I had to jog to catch back up to him.\n\n\"Yeah, I know,\" I replied, shivering when I recalled that night.\n\n\"It always hurts the first time.\u0026nbsp; Your body is doing something it's never had to do before.\u0026nbsp; After that, it becomes a lot easier.\u0026nbsp; Look at you, you're doing it at will now.\u0026nbsp; But the first time...\"\n\nI bit my lip, imagining it happening to Kimberly.\u0026nbsp; Stark was right.\u0026nbsp; The first time I'd changed, it had felt like my entire body was being melted down into a liquid.\u0026nbsp; My muscles had shifted, but that hadn't been as bad as the bones.\u0026nbsp; Think about a blob of silly putty, and the way it stretches and bends.\u0026nbsp; Now imagine that happening to your bones.\u0026nbsp; Bones aren't supposed to do something like that, and when they do it can be enough to drive you insane.\n\nBut Stark was right about the other changes, too.\u0026nbsp; The second time I changed, it hadn't hurt at all.\u0026nbsp; My body had somehow accepted that it was supposed to completely reshape itself, and my bones and muscles were able to turn into silly putty on command.\u0026nbsp; If Kimberly could get through her first change, it would all be downhill from there.\u0026nbsp; But if she didn't...\n\nI shook my head, deciding to worry about that later.\u0026nbsp; \"What's your point?\" I asked.\n\n\"My point is that Kimberly needs to be around supportive people when that happens.\u0026nbsp; Those dimwits in your pack couldn't care less about her.\u0026nbsp; Being with them on her first change would be a disaster.\"\n\n\"I changed my first time without any help,\" I said, almost without realizing it.\n\nStark nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"And I'll be honest, I'm surprised by how well you're doing these days.\u0026nbsp; It says a lot about how strong you are.\"\n\nI found myself blushing, and turned away so he wouldn't see.\u0026nbsp; I watched the cars race past for a couple minutes as we continued to walk before turning back to him again.\n\n\"On the day before her first full moon,\" he said, as if there hadn't been a break in the conversation at all, \"bring her to me.\u0026nbsp; We'll provide her the atmosphere she needs for transformation.\"\n\nI looked at him in shock.\u0026nbsp; \"Wh- really?\"\n\nHe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"I've had plenty of experience guiding new wolves through their first moon.\u0026nbsp; I'm certain that, with the two of us, she'll make it through just fine.\"\n\nI looked down at my feet, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and suspicion.\u0026nbsp; I didn't trust Stark, not by a long shot.\u0026nbsp; Coming out here alone to meet him had been a huge leap of faith.\u0026nbsp; Now he wanted to bring Kimberly into it?\u0026nbsp; No way.\u0026nbsp; But at the same time, I _wanted_ to trust him.\u0026nbsp; His eyes were able to see right through me, I was sure of that.\u0026nbsp; But there was still kindness in them.\u0026nbsp; Genuine kindness.\u0026nbsp; The kind that I'd been in short supply of ever since being bitten six months ago.\n\n\"I'll think about it,\" I answered at last.\n\n\"You don't trust me,\" Stark nodded again.\u0026nbsp; \"I understand.\u0026nbsp; Don't blame you.\u0026nbsp; Take some time to think about it.\u0026nbsp; Get back to me when you've decided.\"\n\n\"How will I find you?\"\n\n\"When you have an answer for me, I'll know.\u0026nbsp; And I'll come to you.\"\n\nI nodded my agreement, and we walked in silence for a while.\u0026nbsp; I followed him, having no idea where he was taking me, but also not caring much.\u0026nbsp; As we walked, I thought.\u0026nbsp; Things gradually began to come together in my mind, like puzzle pieces.\u0026nbsp; I took a sudden, deep breath when the last piece fell into place- all of them fitting together so perfectly that there was no denying it.\n\n\"I think I know who you are,\" I said softly when he turned around to look.\n\n\"Hm,\" he said, putting his hands back in his pockets.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you, now?\"\n\n\"You knew I was a Silverblood,\" I answered, reciting all the conclusions I'd just come to.\u0026nbsp; \"You knew about Kimberly being a Silverblood.\u0026nbsp; You knew where to find me.\u0026nbsp; You're so interested in both me and her.\"\n\nStark raised his eyebrows.\u0026nbsp; \"And?\" he prompted me.\n\nI whispered my response, \"You're the Silverblood that attacked me and my father.\"\n\nFor a full minute we just stood there facing each other.\u0026nbsp; I had no idea what was going to come next.\u0026nbsp; Would he be angry that I'd figured it out?\u0026nbsp; Would he take back his offers to help?\u0026nbsp; Would he... would he kill me to keep his secret safe?\n\nThe long, tense silence grew heavier until I thought I would collapse underneath it.\u0026nbsp; Finally he tilted his head toward me.\n\n\"Is that what you think?\" he asked.\n\nI couldn't speak, so I just nodded.\n\n\"An interesting conclusion,\" he mused, but that was all he said.\n\n\"Majestic asked me to help them capture you,\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"They're setting up a trap tomorrow night.\"\n\nImmediately, I clapped my hands over my mouth, horrified.\u0026nbsp; Why had I just told him that?\u0026nbsp; I'd just ruined their whole plan!\u0026nbsp; He wouldn't come anywhere near me now!\n\n\"I see,\" he replied.\u0026nbsp; \"And do you plan on helping them?\"\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Hendricks has my mother.\u0026nbsp; They said they'd help me get her back if I helped them catch you.\"\n\nHe nodded solemnly.\u0026nbsp; \"Family is important.\u0026nbsp; You do what you have to do.\u0026nbsp; I'll be seeing you soon.\"\n\nStark reached up to his brow, like he was tipping a hat, and then turned and walked away.\u0026nbsp; I stood where I was, completely breathless and terrified.\u0026nbsp; What would happen now?\u0026nbsp; There was no way he'd come within a mile of me tomorrow, knowing what Majestic and I were planning.\u0026nbsp; Maybe not ever again.\u0026nbsp; What was I going to do?\u0026nbsp; Not only did I have my mother to worry about, but now the night of Kimberly's first change weighed on me as well.\n\nIt wasn't for another couple minutes that I realized Stark had led me back to the road the Swag Pag lived on.\n\nNEXT TIME: Wuh oh, Amber definitely let the cat out of the bag there, didn't she?\u0026nbsp; Or... wolf out of the... She spilled the beans. What now?\u0026nbsp; How will she catch Stark if he's wise to the trap?\u0026nbsp; And who will help Kimberly through her first change?\n\nAUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh me, oh my, have I got an announcement for you.\u0026nbsp; It's a big announcement.\u0026nbsp; It's a huge announcement.\u0026nbsp; It's an announcement so freaking big that IT WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE THAN AN ASTEROID IF IT WERE TO COLLIDE WITH THE EARTH.\u0026nbsp; The announcement is... coming next Saturday.\u0026nbsp; Be sure to check back next week, because, seriously... this is a big, huge honkin' announcement.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Amber Silverblood","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/811084-amber-silverblood-chapter-forty-one.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/816867-amber-silverblood-chapter-forty-three.json"}}