Switched Back

Marvel POV

What the heck just happened?

I’m staring at myself—literally staring at myself—from the other side of the room, where I could have sworn Matt was standing just moments ago. My heart hammers in my chest as confusion floods my senses. This can’t be real.

I turn my head frantically, searching for my mom, but instead, my eyes lock onto my uncle. His face carries that usual look of surprise, but beneath it, there’s something else—a flicker of realization that tells me this situation is about to become a real pain.

Finally, he speaks, his voice laced with disbelief. “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle… This can happen between boys too?”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, forcing me to process the impossible. My thoughts race, tumbling over one another, and then—panic sets in.

I’m in Matt’s wolf! I’m actually inside his wolf!

A strangled whimper escapes me as the weight of it all crashes down. I don’t want this! Not again! Matt always drags me into trouble, and no matter what I do, I’m the one who ends up cleaning up after him. Why me? Why now?

I shake myself vigorously, desperate to shift back, to escape this nightmare, but nothing happens. Frustration wells up, hot and suffocating, and tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

Why did this have to happen now? I was only looking forward to finding my mate, dreaming of the bond I’d always yearned for. My mother’s past was already a mess—her trauma from discovering the truth about my father, the betrayal by my aunt, all for the selfish desire of becoming Luna. I wanted to escape all of that. And now? Now I’m trapped in this madness.

Growling low in my throat, I snap at the figure in front of me, the sound raw and filled with frustration, before bolting out of the room and into the woods.

The cool night air rushes past my fur, the earthy scent of damp leaves and pine filling my nostrils as I push myself faster. Trees blur around me, their dark silhouettes flashing in and out of my vision like ghosts. I run blindly, trying to silence the pounding voice in my head—Matt’s voice.

‘Marvel! Wait!’

His voice echoes through my mind, relentless and pleading. But I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to be here!

Suddenly, a sharp, crushing impact slams into my left rib, sending me hurtling through the air. The force of it steals the breath from my lungs, and pain explodes across my side. A strangled yelp escapes me as I hit the ground hard, tumbling through the underbrush and coming to a stop in a heap of fur and limbs.

Dazed, I struggle to get up, my breathing ragged and uneven. What the hell was that? My mind races, but deep down, I know… this isn’t over.

‘Matt, there’s an enemy!’ I try to link my cousin, my mind racing with urgency, but before I can finish the thought, a brutal punch slams into my snout.

A sharp yelp escapes me, pain flaring through my face like wildfire. Almost simultaneously, another growl echoes through the air, followed by a yelp just as pained as mine. Shaking my head, I lift my gaze, and my heart clenches at the sight before me—Matt’s wolf. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his golden eyes wide with panic and confusion.

‘Matt!’ I scream through our link, desperation thick in my voice. My mind is a whirlwind of fear, but before I can react further, a chilling voice pierces the air.

“Now, boys, say hello to my great-grandmother, to the true Silver and Gold sisters—when you wake up!”

The voice belongs to an old man, rough and filled with an eerie sense of triumph. My fur bristles, instincts screaming at me to fight, to run, but strong hands grip me before I can even process what’s happening.

A powerful force pries open Matt’s wolfish jaws, and he stares at me in sheer terror. His body trembles, eyes darting in silent pleading. I can’t move. I can’t help him. And in the next heartbeat, I feel those same cruel hands force my mouth open.

Something dry and papery is shoved inside—rose petals. The scent is overwhelming, a strange mix of sweetness and something darker, something wrong. My throat tightens as I’m forced to swallow, a shudder running through me as the petals scrape against my tongue like fragile glass.

No. No. No! I struggle, thrashing against the invisible force pinning me down. I have to get Matt. We need to go back.

Just as I attempt to force my body into motion, a familiar voice—raw and filled with rage—tears through the chaos.

“Dad, what the hell are you doing? Stop!”

My father. His voice is desperate, furious. The realization crashes into me like a tidal wave. Why is he here? What’s happening?

I barely have a moment to comprehend it before a sickening crack resounds through the air—loud, final.

Pain explodes in my head, and the world tilts violently. Everything—Matt, the forest, the stranger’s voice—fades into the suffocating embrace of darkness.

I open my eyes and find myself submerged in a lake.

The water is cool and still, a mirror reflecting the soft glow of an unfamiliar sky above. My heart races as I kick toward the surface, breaking through with a desperate gasp. As I scan my surroundings, my eyes land on an ethereal woman sitting gracefully on the water’s edge, cradling Matt in her lap. His body, partially submerged in the lake, rises and falls in the gentle rhythm of sleep.

I breathe heavily, confusion and panic bubbling up inside me.

“What happened?” My voice trembles, echoing across the water. “I was running through the woods, trying to get away—trying to catch my breath from the insanity of being forced to accept my first wolf. And now… this?”

The woman sighs softly, the sound carrying an otherworldly calm that unsettles me even more. She moves Matt slightly, and I watch as his eyes flutter open. He stirs and struggles to his feet, and instinctively, I reach out to steady him. His eyes are clouded with confusion, mirroring my own.

Then, the woman speaks, her voice gentle but laced with something ancient, something undeniable. Matt turns his head toward her, his expression wary.

“You both know of the wolves who can switch their souls,” she begins, her tone almost poetic, weaving a sense of importance into every word. “But I failed to protect your past from dying once. As a result, they have pleaded for redemption, and now that their curse is on the brink of breaking, only your help can set them free. Once you wake again, you must unite the sisters and break the ignorance of the man who fathered you both.”

Her words settle heavily in the air, and though they make little sense to me, I can’t shake the feeling that they carry a weight beyond our understanding. She speaks with the wisdom of centuries, a voice that seems to echo through time itself.

I swallow hard, the tension tightening around my chest. “Why is it our job to get them their redemption?” I demand, frustration creeping into my voice. I don’t understand why we have to bear this burden. “This isn’t our problem.”

Matt shifts uncomfortably, his gaze flickering between the woman and me, clearly just as lost.

The woman’s expression remains serene, unwavering. “Your first grand-grandmother requested redemption for the loss of a love that was never hers,” she replies, her eyes piercing through me. “Once you fulfill her wish, you shall return to your time.”

I barely have a moment to process the enormity of her words before an invisible force takes hold of me. A sudden, overwhelming pull drags me downward. “Wait—” I start to protest, but the words are swallowed as the water engulfs me once more.

I fall, deeper and deeper, until I feel the shift—water giving way to air, the scent of damp earth filling my lungs. The sensation of movement ceases abruptly, and I land with a thud onto solid ground.

I blink in shock. Bushes surround me, the rustling of leaves filling my ears, and standing before me is a young woman dressed in elaborate Victorian clothing. Her wide eyes lock onto mine, and she gasps, clutching her chest in fear.