I stare at Selene in shock, emotions roiling within like a sea at storm. Searing heat flushes my skin, beads of sweat forming along my hairline. My legs tremble, the world tilting precariously, and I clutch at Selene's fur, her solid presence the only thing anchoring .
"Are you..." I swallow thickly, the words catching in my throat. "Are you my wolf?"
The question seems absurd even as it leaves my lips, defying all logic and reason. And yet, as Selene preens, her gaze gleaming with an intelligence that transcends any re dog, a hysterical giggle bubbles up from deep within .
"My wolf is a husky," I wheeze between breathless peals of laughter. "How does this even happen?"
Selene's ears flatten against her skull, and she emits a low growl, her displeasure rippling through our newfound connection like a physical force. I am not a husky, her voice echoes in my mind, resolute and unyielding.
The laughter dies on my lips as abruptly as it began, and I gape at her, struggling to reconcile the reality before . "But... you look like one."
Appearances can be deceiving, my human. There's a hint of amusent in her tone now, as if she's enjoying my bewildernt. I am a wolf, through and through. This form is rely a vessel, a guise to help blend in among your kind.
My brow furrows as I study her. Nope. Still a husky.
"Why didn't you tell sooner?" The words co out harsher than I intend, tinged with a hint of accusation. If my wolf had appeared, my life wouldn't have been so terrible. And maybe, at the Gala, I wouldn't have been—
No. No point thinking over things that have already happened.
Though I can't help glaring at my dog in accusation.
Selene regards steadily, her eyes ancient and inscrutable. You were not ready, she says simply. Your path has been a winding one, filled with obstacles and pain. But you were young, and they had too much power over you.
I suck in a sharp breath, her words striking a chord deep within . The weight of my past—the isolation, the rejection, the constant struggle to find my place—presses down upon , and I sag against her, suddenly exhausted.
Selene nuzzles my cheek, her warmth enveloping like a comforting embrace. Now, you can embrace your destiny, she murmurs. You have learned that you are strong, but you are more than you know, my human. And I will be by your side every step of the way, guiding you toward the path you were always ant to walk.
I pat her fur, feeling the connection between us, marveling at its existence. I realize now that it's what's been helping get through it all. I can even feel how it's a wall sheltering from the pain of rejection. But more importantly—
"Selene," I whimper, as pain shoots through my abdon. I'm on fire. "Why does this hurt?"
Strength cos with a roar, and weakness cos with a whimper, Selene says, like that ans anything at all.
"That doesn't explain anything," I wheeze between the worst cramps I've ever felt in my life.
Selene stands and trots away a few paces, looking behind her. Get up, little cub. We have a long way to go.
I groan. "Are you serious right now? I can't move. I'm just going to die here for a little while. Why'd you take so far from ho?"
There is a place we need to be, she explains, and I can hear the patience in her words. Co now.
I push to my feet with a groan, swaying with every step. "We should have taken an Uber."
Not for this. She stays just out of reach, leading sowhere. It isn't far now.
I follow Selene's lead, every step a torturous effort as pain lances through my abdon. Sweating, vision blurring—it feels impossible. But Selene's steady presence urges forward.
The trees seem to close in around us, casting eerie shadows across our path. Selene navigates the darkness with ease, her lithe form weaving through the undergrowth with a grace that belies her apparent husky exterior.
Just when I think I can go no further, the trees part to reveal a tiny clearing. The canopy above allows just a glimpse of the night sky.
With a groan, I collapse onto a soft carpet of moss and fallen leaves, my body trembling. The pain intensifies, threatening to consu from within. I curl into a ball, whimpering. Selene settles beside , her warmth a comforting presence.
"What's happening to ?" I rasp, my voice strained and hoarse.
Selene's eyes gleam in the dim light. You are becoming, she murmurs.
I grit my teeth, riding the waves of agony that wrack my body. Every fiber of my body feels as though it's being torn asunder, only to be remade anew. Sweat soaks my clothes, my hair plastered to my skin.
Focus on my voice, she commands, her tone gentle.
Obeying her words, I cling to the sound of her voice, allowing it to anchor as the world around dissolves into a haze of pain and disorientation. The stars above blur and spin, the trees swaying in a dizzying dance.
Then, just when I think I can bear no more, the agony reaches a crescendo, a blinding flash of white-hot anguish that steals my breath away. And in that mont, sothing within ... shifts.
Realizing what it is, I burst upright as soon as the pain begins to fade. I hold out my hands in excitent, holding out my hands. Fur! Claws!
But no.
I'm still .
Chipped coral nail polish, a burn on my right index finger from cooking, and skin that was once pale and has finally achieved a light golden hue from the sun.
My shoulders slump. "I didn't shift."
Of course not. How can you shift when I'm not within you? Selene tilts her head at curiously. Now, dig.
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