Elariana
When I shift, it does not hurt. That is what surprises me the most. My body does not resist. It does not twist or fight the change the way it used to, back when I barely dared to imagine the wolf. Now the movement feels natural, like this was always the base state, and the human body is just another form.
My bones realign. Muscles tighten. The world sharpens all at once. Smells. Sounds. Motion.
My white fur brushes the stone as I stop in front of the children.
Their reaction is not what I expect.
They do not scream. They do not scatter.
Lysa’s eyes go wide. Renn’s mouth hangs open. Julie instinctively steps in front of them, then freezes when she realizes it is me.
“Elara?” Lysa whispers.
I lower my head slowly, carefully, so she can see that I am not a threat. My wolf is
