Shifting wasn’t easy. I felt every muscle stretch, every bone crack under the pressure of the change. My skin burned, Freidis's fury roaring inside me like an unleashed storm. And then, when everything settled, I opened my eyes.
The ground beneath my claws felt different. Firmer. More real.
I took a deep breath. This was the moment.
I tried to stand, anxious, trembling with anticipation. But nothing happened. My hind legs, heavy and lifeless, remained anchored to the ground.
No.
I tried again, harder. Only my front claws responded, scraping the earth in a desperate attempt to lift myself up. Nothing.
Ice spread through my chest.
"No..." I whispered, my voice breaking, barely a growl.
Riley stood beside me in silence. His expression shifted from expectation to compassion in a matter
