Shifting fates

My breath came in sharp gasps as I tore through the trees, feet pounding against the damp earth. The sharp scent of pine and rain filled my lungs, but there was no time to appreciate the scenery—not with something crashing through the undergrowth behind me like a battering ram with paws. I pushed harder. Muscles burning, I wove between towering trunks, leaping over roots and ducking under low branches. A deep, guttural snarl echoed through the forest, vibrating through my chest like a threat. I rolled my eyes. Overdramatic much? "You're not scaring me, Lucian!" I yelled over my shoulder, even as my legs screamed in protest. "Try harder!" His only response was another snarl, closer this time. I veered left, launching myself over a fallen tree. My feet barely grazed the mossy bark before I hit the ground running. The pounding footsteps behind me never faltered. Oh, come on. I glanced back just in time to see a massive brown wolf barrel through the undergrowth, eyes locked on me like I was dinner. I really should've picked a slower running partner. A stream flashed into view ahead. Too wide to jump, too deep to wade through without slowing down. Which left me with one option. I threw the backpack I was carrying, and it luckily landed on the other side. "I am going to regret this," I muttered, then plunged straight in. Ice-cold water slammed against my legs, soaking my leggings in an instant, but I shoved forward, forcing my way through the current. The moment I hit the opposite bank, I scrambled up, fingers clawing at roots, nails digging into the muddy slope. Behind me, Lucian let out an irritated huff. A second later, I heard the splash. "Ohhh, don’t like cold water, do we?" I teased, breathless. Lucian growled. I grinned, grabbing the backpack and bolting. The ground leveled out as I reached the clearing, the distant roar of the waterfall drowning out everything else. My heart hammered, my lungs screamed for air, but a victorious laugh bubbled up in my chest as I leapt over a patch of brambles and tumbled into the open space. I spun around just as Lucian burst through the trees. He was dripping wet. Oh, this was going to be fun. "You are so slow," I panted, hands on my knees. I grabbed his backpack and tossed it behind some trees. Lucian didn’t even hesitate. He shook himself off like a dog—on purpose—flinging icy water all over me before trotting behind a tree where I’d stashed his clothes. I screeched. "You absolute menace!" No response. Just the sound of rustling leaves as he shifted back to human. I flopped onto the nearest rock, still catching my breath. A moment later, Lucian stepped out, running a hand through his wet black hair as he pulled on his t-shirt. "You cheated," he accused. I smirked. "Don’t be a sore loser, Lucian." I wrung out my hair, water dripping onto the ground in steady rivulets. I was dripping wet, and unlike Lucian I did not have spare clothes. So here I sat like a drowned rat. All be it with a huge smile on my face for having beat him. He laughed at me tossing me his dry hoodie which I happily pulled over my wet clothes. Doing a little shimmy under the protection of the fabric to take of the wet top beneath it. "You jumped in the water." I raised an eyebrow. "And? I didn’t make you follow me." "You knew I would." "Sounds like a you problem." Lucian groaned and plopped onto the rock beside me. "You still run like you’re being hunted." I shrugged, pulling my knees to my chest. "Maybe I am." For a moment, we just sat there, the sound of the waterfall filling the silence. "You nervous?" Lucian asked eventually. I hesitated. "No." "Liar." I sighed, staring at the water crashing below. "I thought I'd be excited. But it feels more like I’m waiting for something to go wrong." Lucian leaned back on his hands. "It’ll be fine." We sat in silence. The mist from the falls drifted around us, cool against my skin and carrying the soft thunder of cascading water. It wrapped us in a cocoon of quiet, as if the world itself had paused to breathe. Lucian obviously wanted to say something as we stared off into the distance, watching the water fall. After a few minutes, he sat up. His arms crossed over his knees as he glanced my way, offering a nervous smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Why are we here, Ray? You should be with Ellie." I scoffed. "That would be a novelty." He frowned. "Mum said you didn’t want to go." A sharp laugh escaped before I could stop it. "Of course she did." Mum liked to leave out certain details—What she obviously failed to tell Lucian was that Ellie had thrown a tantrum, demanding that her day be special and not shared with me. Mum, ever the devoted mother to her perfect daughter, told me to make myself scarce. I had asked Lucian to run with me because running made me feel alive. Like I was a wolf. Like I belonged in the pack and not just a spare part. The unwanted twin. Lucian didn’t press. He never did. And I didn’t bother explaining. "I have something for you," he said, pulling his backpack closer. He unzipped the front pocket and took out a tiny wrapped box, handing it to me. I blinked. "If this is another pet rock, I’m throwing it at your face." He snorted. It had become a running joke after he did exactly that on my eighth birthday. "Just open it, idiot." I peeled off the paper and froze. It definitely was not a rock. It was a delicate bracelet with a tiny sun pendant. My throat tightened. "Luc..." "Happy Birthday, Ray." Before I could answer, he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. We sat like that as the sun began to set, the sky painted in soft pinks and oranges. I closed my eyes and felt the moon—that quiet, electric moment when the magic thickened in the air, wrapping around me like a promise. A promise that tonight, everything would change. I took a deep breath. "Come on," I said, pushing to my feet. "Race you back." Lucian grinned. "You really think you can win?" I threw my head back laughing. "I just did, bro!" I shouted before taking off, sprinting back through the woods. Lucian's laughter followed me, his footsteps right behind mine. For a few fleeting moments, I let myself pretend we were just siblings, just running, just free.