The moment the wolf leaps off the ridge, time stretches. My awareness drags through each second, as though the air has thickened around us. The silver wind whips past our fur. Light flickers across our paws. I sense Adam’s heartbeat before I see him. It thunders through the clearing like a pulse meant only for us.
Mid air, he moves.
Adam shifts in a single fluid motion, bones snapping, muscles reforming, golden fur rippling over his skin. His wolf erupts forward with a growl that vibrates through the ground. He meets us mid leap, not with teeth or claws, but with instinct. Pure, primal recognition.
Our chests collide.
The impact knocks the air from our lungs. His wolf grips our fur with strong paws to steady both of us as we crash to the ground. Our bodies roll through leaves and dirt,
