Into Their Woods (The Eerie, #1)(95)
“It will be over soon, Noah. This is your wolf forging the pathways she needs to shift at will. This will be the only time it feels like this. I promise it will be worth it. You’re doing amazing.” Perth does his best to console me.
I clutch onto his promises, letting them buoy me against the tide of overwhelming sensation that wants to tug me under.
A large, calloused hand brushes my hair back from my face, and I can feel Perth slowly set me down against the hard ground and back away. “It won’t be long now; I can sense your magic building.”
I whimper at the loss of him. Glacial agony finally consumes me, a heavy sheet of solid cold sliding over me, and then it all just…stops.
I lie against the frost-brushed ground, breathing heavily, my limbs and body tingling in a strange, unfamiliar way. All my bits and pieces are there, but not where they should be. My mouth and nose are wrong, my teeth sharp, my ears dislocated. The small whine that slinks out of me confirms it.
I’m a fucking wolf.
A big one, from the feel of it.
I open my eyes and it takes a moment for my vision to focus.
Whoa, I muse, thunderstruck by the changes.
Everything is sharper, clearer, easier to process on a massive scale. Movement immediately catches my attention, and I hone in on a massive red and gray wolf. My size is formidable, but Perth’s wolf is enormous.
I recognize him easily from the night of the hunt. He was the first one into the fray. The wolf that stopped the other den from getting to me first. I marvel at him, observing his size, the patches of rusty red against creams and grays. His eyes are a brighter wolfy version of the amber Perth has when he’s in his skin form. He’s nothing short of magnificent.
The big wolf chuffs as though he appreciates my inspection of him, and then, from across the clearing, Perth’s delicious voice sounds in my mind clear as day.
“Hey, beautiful, wanna run?”
27
NOAH
My heart is a prism of awe, fractals of happiness sparkling all around me in every shade. There’s a deep blue sense of satisfaction as my paws hit the earth, claws digging in for purchase before I powerfully push off, gaining speed as I go. Red gleams of riotous energy streak through me as I fly through the forest like a soundless wraith. Bright, dancing yellow bliss bridles me, keeping me from floating away on a wisp of pure joy.
Ruger was right. Running is the fucking best.
Tree trunks rush past in a blur as I zig and zag around obstacles. The wind gently combs through my fur, and I find my tongue suddenly flapping out of the side of my mouth like a pennant.
Hell yeah!
I’m so capable, coordinated in a way I shouldn’t be. It’s like I’ve lived in this body my whole life instead of mere hours.
The adjustment from two legs to four was faster and more effortless than I would have ever thought. I’d pictured myself going full Bambion-ice as I got the hang of having a wolf body and all the fur, muscles, and fangs that come with it. But after the initial shock of discovering my chocolaty brown coat and getting a feel for paws instead of hands and feet, it all came so naturally.
It was always meant to be.
I’m free now, complete in a way I never knew I needed, and blazing through the woods as we take turns chasing and being chased. Perth explained it’s the best way to explore all my new senses and hone my natural instincts. Plus, it’s just fun.
A wild laugh erupts inside of me and morphs into a joyful howl on my lips. Perth howls back as he follows me, easily keeping pace. The sound hits my newly sensitized ears, and I can decipher all sorts of meanings just from his tone. He’s saying he’s happy. He’s proud. He’s excited.
And then, his voice sneaks inside my head, playfully threatening. “Noah, you’d better run faster. Because I’m about to catch you. And when I do…”
I bolt before he can finish his thought, my muscles bunching and releasing as excitement zings down my spine all the way to the tip of my tail. Pulling ahead, probably because he lets me, I widen the gap as I laugh again and embrace a profound sense of release.
It’s as though all my problems—all the worry, fear, and uncertainty I’ve been feeling for so long—slip from my shoulders and fall completely off.
Shifting is the best feeling in the universe. Because I don’t think about my existence. I just exist.
Snow starts to drift lazily down from the clouds, big fat flakes floating through the air and landing on the leaf-splattered ground, speckling my vision. There’s an aggression to the cold front that’s quickly moving in. It carries a distinct warning, one that’s building in the air and whipping around in the wind. I welcome it. My new shifter body is running feverishly hot from all of this exertion, and the slowly dropping temperature is more a soothing balm and less a deterrent.
The thrill of the chase practically sings in my blood, and I push this body to new heights, leaving Perth even farther behind.
Take that!
I start to consider ways I could circle back and surprise attack him when I hear the distinct burble of a small stream.
Water, my mind clamors to satisfy a sudden overwhelming need. I change directions, heading toward it. Rushing, I do my best to keep my lead. If I’m fast, I could still try to stalk Perth. I quickly tamp down my thoughts, not wanting to accidentally mindspeak or project my plan and give myself away.