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I nodded to her and sat up on the cot. I lifted my nose directly toward the sky, stretching my neck and spine before shaking out my thick coat. The movement still felt strange, but not as alien as it’d been the first time I shifted. I looked back at Val and wagged my tail again, wanting to make sure she knew it wasmein here. I was a wolf, but I wasn’t feral like Fenris.
“How are you feeling?” Val asked, taking a step closer.
I tipped my head to the side, not exactly sure how she expected me to answer.
She seemed to realize the impracticality a second later. “Is it alright if I join you on the cot?”
I nodded, and Val walked over, sitting down next to me. I hadn’t realized how large I was compared to a human, but I’d never recognized how big wolves were before, either. It made me appreciate the size of other shifters, especially alphas. Especially Fenris.
“Did you shift on purpose?” Val asked, folding her hands in her lap.
I shook my head.
“Okay. Are you able to shift back on your own?”
I shook my head again. I wished I could explain how Fenris had helped me last time, but trapped in a wolf’s body, I couldn’t project my thoughts or use any sort of magic.
Fortunately, Val seemed to catch on to the fact that my communication was limited to nodding yes or shaking my head no. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Would you like to shift back? If you would, I think perhaps a calming spell would be helpful…if that’s alright with you?”
I nodded. I slipped off the bed, landing much more gracefully this time. I turned, sat on the floor, and rested my muzzle on Val’s knees. I was more than okay with some help. Even my wolf didn’t seem bothered by her presence, simply making herself known instead of trying to fight my every move.
Val smiled. “Goodness. You are a beautiful creature, Celeste,” she murmured. “You’re as white as the snow.”
If I was a human, I might have blushed. As it was, I simply rumbled and closed my eyes while waiting for Val to start casting a spell. If she did, I couldn’t tell. I felt…well, I felt fine, but I wouldn’t say I felt more relaxed, one way or another. If anything, the silence soothed me, and I even felt a little sleepy when the door opened again.
“Ah,” Walter said. I opened my eyes and looked at him, wagging my tail as I tried to reassure him that I wasn’t feral like Fenris’s wolf.
He approached us cautiously, eyes anxiously flickering over Val before returning to me.
“I think she’s stuck,” Val said after a moment, setting her hands back down. “I tried some relaxation, but…” She trailed off with a shrug.
“I see,” Walter said, looking thoughtful. He studied me for a moment. “Now, I am no shifter myself, but I’ve spent quite a lot of time with Fenris. I do have a suggestion, if you don’t mind.” He waited for me to nod before continuing. “I believe you’ll have better luck living alongside your wolf if you aren’t at odds. If, for example, you have a mutual goal, you will be able to work more harmoniously. You just have to figure out what that goal is.”
I thought about it for a moment. My wolf didn’t seem to object. The idea certainly had more merit than any of mine so far. And Val hadn’t been able to help, though not for lack of trying.
I took another breath and closed my eyes, trying to focus only on my wolf. It took me longer to settle my thoughts than I was used to. I reached out tentatively for my wolf’s presence and was relieved when she didn’t jump at me. Instead, she was simply there, as curious as I was. She almost reminded me of a puppy, and that made sense, in a way. She hadn’t grown up like those young shifters I saw playing in Snowmass territory. She’d just woken up one day. I probably felt as strange to her as she did to me.
I couldn’t figure out what she wanted, though. She was—well, she was a wolf. An animal. Her thoughts didn’t feel wildly complex. She wanted to be safe and warm and fed. And she cared about her fated mate.
I latched onto that.Fenris. I thought of him, of how beautiful his wolf was when he’d shifted on the beach of Isla Lobo, how strong. I thought of how stressed he was now, overcome with emotion and pain. I thought of how the last thing my wolf and I wanted to do was add to that anguish.
My wolf seemed to pause before growling. She took a step back, and then another. It felt like hauling myself out of a pool with only my arms and nothing else to grip onto. But eventually, my human self resurfaced, and I found myself sitting on the floor, staring up at Walter and Val.
“Oh!” Val exclaimed, her face lighting up. “Well done, Celeste!” She beamed at Walter. “That was a brilliant idea.”
“It was,” I agreed, smiling as his face turned a bit red.
“You did all the hard work,” he demurred. I was going to argue when my stomach gurgled loudly. It was my turn to blush as Walter gave me a knowing smile. “Shall I make dinner?” he asked.
“That would be really nice,” I said as I got to my feet. I brushed my pant legs off, watching Walter and Val leave for the little camp kitchen. He headed out first, but I didn’t miss the way Val watched the back of his head like he’d hung the moon.
Well,I thought, trying not to smile too much,if I’m going to be stuck here, maybe I can help these two figure out this whole thing.It was obvious they were into each other, but I was starting to think Walter would never give himself a chance. And Val was far too sweet to push the matter.
I followed after them toward the kitchen. “Do you mind if I help?” I suggested. “It would be a nice distraction.”
“Of course,” Walter said, making room for me at the tiny counter. There wasn’t much room, but the three of us made do. I’d never thought much about canned or camp food growing up, but Walter clearly had a magic touch. When we sat at the folding card table to eat, I never would’ve guessed half the meal came out of frozen packets if I hadn’t helped.
“Hey, Val,” I said once we’d all tucked in, “when I was with Keziah’s pack, I was able to use some of the spells Morgan and I worked out earlier.”
