Chapter 31
31
The wolf wasn’t supposed to be alone.
He and Devin were two pieces of the same soul. Split.
But the wolf was simpler. Instinct given form.
He didn’t belong in this body. Hairless. Clumsy. Cold.
He wasn’t made to lead for this long.
Humans had too many rules. Too many walls.
The wolf didn’t blame Devin for wanting to hide. Fade. Make everything less.
Devin felt deeper. Different. Too much.
He thought in either form they were AloneBadWrong .
So sometimes he missed things that were good. Simple. Clear.
Alex DarkBitterDelicate was looking for him. Missing him.
Her scent soured with FearSadnessPanic .
She did not like this den.
The wolf didn’t either.
It smelled EmptyLonely .
Alex searched the den for Devin. Tried to reach him with sounds. Scents.
But Devin was quiet. Dormant.
The way the wolf faded at the new moon.
The wolf did not know how to call him back. To the surface. To this body.
The tether was broken.
Alex did not accept that Devin had gone.
The wolf tried to trail her, to keep her safe, as she searched for him.
But then he ate something that made him SleepySlow .
When he woke, Alex had brought him things that smelled of her forest. SunSoilFree.
And her den. SweetSafeWarm.
Some of the things smelled of her pack.
The horse. HayHair. The elder. KindWorry. The cub. CheeseMischief.
Something inside the wolf reacted, pulling forward. Seeking.
Alex sat next to the wolf now. Making noises again.
Words. They were called words.
This body knew lots of things. When it was allowed to remember.
Her scent was shifting. Changing. Lifting. Lightening.
She felt…something the wolf did not recognize.
The wolf pressed his nose closer, breathing in, trying to place it. This new feeling.
Again he felt the pulling from within. Stronger now. Desperate.
The tether!
The wolf didn’t know how to get out of the way. To make room in this body for Devin. But he could be still for a moment. He could breathe. Try.
The wolf filled his nose with Alex’s new scent.
Until quietly, slowly, Devin stirred.