Shifting fates

Chapter Twelve: An Explanation

The inside of Mireya’s home was unlike anything I expected. It was warm. Not just the actual temperature, though the crackling fire in the hearth certainly helped with that—but warm in the way a hug feels. Shelves lined every wall, overflowing with dusty books, dried herbs, and jars filled with things I didn’t want to look at too closely. A worn rug stretched across the wooden floor, and a kettle hissed softly atop the wood-burning stove.

Mireya offered me a gentle smile, gesturing for me to sit at the small table near the fire. I did, my fingers curling tightly around the mug of tea she handed me.

"You want to ask if I can undo what I did," she said softly.

I looked up, startled by her directness.

She sighed. "I’ve been trying. Since the day it was done. I knew what I was doing was dangerous. Unnatural. But your mother… she offered me something I couldn’t refuse."

"Money?" I asked, trying not to sound bitter. Failing.

Mireya nodded her head slowly. "Yes. Money. A chance to save my granddaughter. Come."

She stood, her movements slow but fluid, and I followed her through a narrow hallway, my tea forgotten. At the end was a small door, painted with hand-drawn symbols that glowed faintly in the candlelight. She pushed it open.

Inside was a small room filled with a steady beeping and the soft hum of machines. My heart clenched.

A child—a little girl no older than five—lay curled in a hospital bed, her skin pale and waxy, her dark curls damp with sweat. Wires trailed from her tiny arms to machines I recognized from the human world. Monitors blinked softly, counting each precious heartbeat.

"She has a genetic condition," Mireya whispered, her voice thick. "One no healer here could fix. No potion, no spell. I had to smuggle her out, get her to a human hospital. Then smuggle the equipment and medicine back. They don’t know she exists… but it costs more than I could have paid."

I covered my mouth with my hand, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. Mireya looked at her granddaughter with infinite tenderness.

"I didn’t want to hurt you. Or your wolf. The spell was meant to be temporary—a redirection, not a theft. But magic that old has a will of its own. And your wolf… she fought it. She's still fighting."

A sob caught in my throat, and before I could stop myself, tears spilled over. "I thought you were just another monster. Another adult who didn’t care. But you were trying to save someone, too."

She reached out, pulling me into a soft embrace. I buried my face into her shoulder, letting the tears come. For her. For me. For the bond that had been stolen, and the parts of me that still felt so broken.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against my hair. "I'm so, so sorry."

We stood like that for a while, rocking slightly, her hand stroking my back the way a mother should. When I pulled away, my face blotchy and my throat raw, she wiped my cheeks with the sleeve of her shawl.

"I can't fix it. Not yet," she said. "But I'm working on it. Every day. And in the meantime, you need to go. You're not safe in that pack. Your wolf is too far already, and staying will only make things worse."

"But where would I even go?" I whispered.

Mireya's eyes twinkled. "I made some calls. An old friend of mine owns a diner about two hours from here, near a small human town. Quiet place, nothing fancy. But she said you could stay in one of the rooms above the diner. And she needs someone to wait tables."

I blinked. "You did that... for me?"

"Of course. You deserve a chance to breathe, Raine. And maybe heal."

She turned and crossed to a shelf, pulling down a worn satchel. Inside was a small flip phone. She handed it to me.

"Has my number in it. Call me if anything changes. Or if you just need someone to talk to."

Emotion swelled in my chest again. I swallowed it down.

She moved to a bowl of water set on a low table, murmuring something under her breath as she dipped her fingers into it. The air shimmered slightly around me.

"That will hide your scent for three days," she said. "Enough to get you far enough away that Ryker or your mother won’t track you. After that, you'll need to rely on instinct."

I nodded slowly, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Mireya reached out, cupping my cheek with one warm, worn hand. "Go. Be safe. And remember, this isn’t the end. It’s just a different beginning."

And with that, I stepped back into the night.