Chapter 10: The fluffy cloud
1050 Words
Lunette POV
The second we stepped outside, everyone started acting weird.
Not panic weird.
Worried weird.
Which honestly felt worse.
Silas was pacing.
Apollo was watching me like I might explode.
Valerie had stopped smiling.
And that was terrifying.
“Can somebody please explain why everyone suddenly looks like I’m about to die?” I asked.
“You aren’t going to die,” Silas said immediately.
I narrowed my eyes.
“That wasn’t reassuring.”
His jaw tightened.
“Your first shift should have happened yesterday.”
“Okay.”
“And it didn’t.”
“..Okay.”
“And that’s a problem. Because the first shift isn’t controlled. You can’t just control when it happens.”
“..Less okay.”
A strange ache rolled through my body.
I winced.
My muscles felt tight.
Like something was pulling beneath my skin.
Enora stirred immediately.
“Finally”
I swallowed.
“Enora keeps saying finally.”
Valerie looked horrified.
“She’s been waiting this whole time?”
“I think so.”
Apollo rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah, that’s not great.”
Wonderful.
Apparently my entire existence was not great.
Again.
A stronger wave hit me.
I stumbled forward.
Silas caught me before I could fall.
His hands settled on my arms instantly.
My stupid heart immediately forgot it was supposed to be terrified.
Instead it started doing whatever ridiculous thing it always did around him.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Mate.
“Not helping,” I muttered.
Silas blinked.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Meanwhile Enora was practically rolling around inside my head.
“Mate caught us.” Enora says.
“Please stop.” I say back.
“He’s so handsome”.
“Oh my goddess.”
“What?” Silas asked again.
Apollo started laughing. “I don’t think that was meant for us.”
My face immediately heated.
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.
Unfortunately, the ground refused.
Another pulse shot through me.
This one hurt.
A lot.
I doubled over as the air rushed from my lungs.
“Lunette.”
Silas was beside me instantly.
“I’m okay.”
“You are very obviously not okay.”
Fair point.
My knees shook.
My heartbeat thundered.
Every inch of my body felt strange.
Like it didn’t fit anymore.
Like it was changing.
Preparing.
Waiting.
And then I realized something.
I was scared.
Not of the pain.
Not even of shifting.
I was scared of losing control.
My entire life had been about control.
Keeping my head down.
Staying quiet. Not making mistakes or giving anyone a reason to hurt me.
And now everyone was asking me to let go.
To surrender.
To trust.
I wasn’t sure I knew how.
“I can’t do it.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Silence followed.
I stared at the ground.
Ashamed.
Embarrassed.
Everyone else shifted when they turned eighteen.
Everyone else managed.
Why couldn’t I?
A hand gently lifted my chin.
Silas.
His golden eyes met mine.
“You can.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You can.”
His voice never wavered.
Not even a little.
The certainty in it almost hurt.
“How do you know?”
“Because I can feel her.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Your wolf.”
My breath caught.
Silas smiled softly.
“She’s strong.”
Enora immediately preened.
“See? He likes me.”
“Of course he likes you.”
“I’m adorable.”
I almost laughed.
Even now.
Even while my body felt like it was preparing to self-destruct.
Silas brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Stop fighting her.”
I swallowed.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Then I’ll be here.”
Simple.
Immediate.
Certain.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just him.
Something inside me finally cracked.
Not painfully.
Gently.
Like a door opening.
For the first time in years, I stopped bracing for disaster.
I stopped waiting for someone to hurt me.
I stopped expecting the worst.
And I let go.
The change hit instantly.
Pain exploded through my body.
I cried out.
My bones shifted and my muscles stretched.
The world tilted.
Somewhere nearby Valerie gasped.
Apollo swore loudly.
But their voices sounded distant.
Far away.
All I could hear was Enora.
The pain vanished so suddenly it almost startled me.
One second it was there.
The next it was gone.
Completely.
I took a breath.
And everything changed.
The wind carried hundreds of scents.
Flowers.
Trees.
Fresh water.
The warriors nearby.
Valerie.
Apollo.
Silas.
Especially Silas.
His scent wrapped around me instantly.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Only the world looked different now.
Brighter.
Sharper.
More alive.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The entire courtyard had gone silent.
Which was strange.
Very strange.
Enora tilted our head.
Why was everyone staring?
Valerie’s hands flew to her mouth.
“Oh my goddess.”
Apollo looked shocked.
Actually shocked.
I didn’t know his face could do that.
Silas simply stared.
Completely frozen.
Uh-oh.
That couldn’t be good.
I took a cautious step forward.
Four paws hit the ground.
Four paws.
Wait.
Four paws?
I looked down.
White fur.
White.
Very white.
Fluffy white.
My eyes widened.
“WE’RE BEAUTIFUL.”
Enora sounded unbearably smug.
She turned in a circle.
White tail.
White paws.
White fur everywhere.
We look like a giant cloud.
Valerie finally made a strangled noise.
“She’s gorgeous.”
Apollo nodded immediately.
“That is definitely not a normal first wolf.”
Pride swelled inside me.
Enora practically threw confetti in my head.
“Did you hear that? Gorgeous.”
Silas slowly stepped forward.
His eyes never left me.
The expression on his face made my heart do strange things.
Even as a wolf.
Carefully, he lowered himself in front of me.
I hesitated.
Then moved closer.
His hand slid into our fur.
The second he touched us, a happy little sound escaped our throat.
A sound that was definitely not dignified.
Apollo burst out laughing.
My dignity died instantly.
Silas smiled.
A real smile.
Warm and genuine.
“Hello, Enora.”
My wolf immediately melted.
“I love him.”
“Oh we are so doomed.”
- Writer
