Kaya
It’s a good thing Rana is so restless—her constant energy fuels like a second heartbeat, the surge of power she lends making the run to the heart of the forest almost effortless.
Magnus returns to the packhouse tonight, and that can only an one thing—we finally get to hunt together again. I’m not sure if my racing pulse is because I’ll get to see him or because I’ll have another chance to embrace Rana’s raw, untad strength.
Trust —it’s the first one, Rana teases, her voice curling smugly in the back of my mind. I only sigh, because I don’t want to admit—to her or to myself—that she’s right.
When I reach our eting point deep in the forest, Magnus is already there. His massive black wolf form blends so perfectly into the darkness that he might have been a shadow itself—if not for those piercing amber eyes, glowing like molten gold, and that intoxicating scent rolling off him in slow, invisible waves.
He greets with a single, silent nod. I waste no ti, shifting into my wolf form. But when my paws touch the frozen earth, a shiver runs through , and I need a mont to steady myself.
’I haven’t shifted that many tis before,’ I explain when Magnus nudges my side, his touch surprisingly gentle for a creature his size. ’It still takes a toll on .’
’That’s fine,’ his voice rumbles through the mind link, warm and sure. ’Soon, it will be as easy as changing clothes.’
I nod, though I’m not entirely convinced.
’Let’s go,’ Magnus commands, his deep voice thrumming through the mind link like a war drum. His massive paws strike the earth with a force that makes the frozen ground tremble, and in the next heartbeat, he’s leaping forward.
I follow, matching his pace stride for stride, though I swear it’s not his rhythm I’m keeping—it’s the pounding of my own heart, driving every movent.
I want to ask him—about Cecilia, about his eting with the King, about everything that gnaws at in the quiet hours. But I know it isn’t my place. So I swallow the questions and pour all that restless frustration into my body, letting my muscles burn as I run harder, faster.
’Stop.’ Magnus’s voice cuts clean through the rush of wind in my ears, pulling to a halt. My ears flatten as my gaze sharpens, scanning the shadows.
’A badger,’ he says, his tone low. ’Are you ready for this one?’
I swallow, my throat tight, and squint into the darkness until my eyes catch movent—a hunched, bristling form nosing through the frost.
That’s when Rana’s instincts surge through , hot and electric, drowning out every other thought. My human mind slips to the edges, and sothing deeper, fiercer, takes over. In the space of a breath, I am no longer the sa being.
The darkness dissipates, the wind turns into a visible matter, the branches sway like silent witnesses to my hunt. My paws press into the cold earth, the night air sharp in my lungs with every shallow breath I take to ground myself.
Every sound is amplified—the whisper of wind through dry leaves, the faint scurrying in the underbrush ahead. Sowhere out there, the badger waits. I can’t see it, but I can sense it, because I can already feel my blood sing to the killing tune.
Anxiety spikes. My pulse drums in my ears because I’m both frightened and excited at the sa ti.
’Steady, Kaya.’ Magnus’s voice threads through the mind link, deep and calm, grounding even further. ’Listen to its breathing, not your fear.’
But my pulse continues to hamr, my wolf snapping at the edges of my control, urging to let go, to sink into the raw, wild, beastly instinct. The last ti I felt this way, I... no. I can’t let my mind go there. I have to focus on the present.
’Eyes forward.’ Magnus’s tone shifts, firr now, almost demanding. ’You’re not going to lose yourself. Not with here.’
Through the trees, I catch a slight movent—a stocky shadow, low to the ground. The badger’s musk drifts on the breeze, sharp and earthy. My ears swivel toward the sound, every muscle coiled with anticipation. I lower myself, belly grazing the cold soil, and inch forward.
The badger freezes, nose twitching.
’Now!’ Magnus urges, and I spring.
Branches whip past, snow-frosted leaves scattering under my paws. The badger bolts, zigzagging through the undergrowth, but I’m faster. Goddess, what a thrill.
I feel it all––all at once. The tension, the speed, the climax of the action itself.
My fear spikes, the rush of the hunt blurring my thoughts—Rana howling for blood—until Magnus’s voice slices through the haze like a guiding beacon.
’Breathe. Focus on the ground under your paws. Hear my voice. Embrace it all.’
I do. I force myself to listen. I force myself to stay aware.
The steady rhythm of my paws, the beat of my heart syncing with his calm presence in my mind. The badger darts left, but I’m already there, cutting it off. My jaws snap, teeth finding fur and flesh. The struggle is short, my bite decisive. The taste of his blood is bitter, yet sohow, I still enjoy it. I fucking enjoy it.
I stand there, the copper tang of blood thick in my mouth, waiting for the rush of mindless rage that usually follows a kill.
’Kaya,’ Magnus’s voice snaps through the haze again, low and firm. ’You’re still here. Feel the earth under you. Hear your own breath. You are in control.’
I dig my claws into the cold dirt, anchoring myself. Breath in. Breath out. The wolf inside growls, but her hunger no longer drowns —it pulses in rhythm with my own heartbeat. I’m in control.
Madness doesn’t co. My mind is clear. My heart is steady.
’Perfect,’ Magnus’s voice is warm now, filled with approval that spreads through like firelight. ’Just perfect, Moonlight.’
I release the dead body and step back, letting the night’s air wash over . Then, the forest goes still. Sowhere between the silence of the trees, a soft white flake drifts past my muzzle. Another follows. And another.
The first snow of the season falls in gentle spirals, settling on my fur like tiny, cold stars.
Magnus pads to my side, his massive shadow pressing close. ’You did it, Kaya,’ he says, his head nudging my side in a gentle approval.
I want to feel proud, to bask in the glory of my first victory over my beastly nature, but I can’t. Because all I want right now is to embrace the peace, so I do exactly that––I press my forehead against Magnus’s, closing my eyes to let his warmth seep through my fur.
’Thank you.’
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