ANDRIAN
Morning always came too fast. The sky was still dark blue when I stepped outside, breath fogging in the cold air. Snow crunched under my boots as I rolled my shoulders and tilted my head back, breathing deep. Pine. Ice. Wolf. The pack was quiet, but never asleep. It never truly rested.
Fern stirred beneath my skin.
Run, he urged.
I didn’t argue.
I stripped down, clothes tossed aside, and shifted smoothly. Bones stretched. Muscle rolled. Fur burst across my skin. The cold hit harder in this form, sharper, cleaner. It burned my lungs in a way that felt right.
I sprinted.
The forest opened for me like it always did. Trees blurred. Snow sprayed behind my paws. My heart slammed hard in my chest, each beat steady and strong. This was the only time my mind ever shut up.
Fern ran
