Calista
Shifting into a cat hadn’t exactly gone as planned. My plan had failed completely.
I thought I would be able to sneak around Aerion and maybe catch a glimpse or hear something useful. Instead, all I got was a lot of petting, which I secretly liked, and a weird offer to eat a rat.
After that, my body paid the price for the shift. My bones ached for days, and every muscle felt stretched way too tight. I had gone to work wincing at every step, even Ethan was concerned whether I was okay.
It was supposed to get easier with time. The pain would fade the more I shifted, but right then, all I could focus on was the endless ache. It was like my body was reminding me just how unnatural this all felt.
In the days that followed, I threw myself into something that felt more manageable.
