Misty stood wiped her pants off and left the garden, but not before looking back at Ellen , who waved her off with an encouraging grin. As Misty ventured deeper into the familiar forest, the chirping birds became a distant murmur, replaced by the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. As she got deeper into the trees, she felt more nervous than ever about meeting her wolf again. She wasn't even sure she had a wolf anymore, as it had been so long she she shifted. With each step the familiar scents of pine and damp earth filled her lungs, grounding her amidst the swirling chaos in her mind. She felt the life around her—the rustling leaves and the soft whispers of the wind intermingling with her heartbeat, urging her to embrace the wildness that lay dormant within.
Misty paused just be
