Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Cordelia stood before me, her piercing brown eyes locking onto mine. In the depths of the kingdom forest, shadows danced across the ground as the branches above swayed gently with the breeze. A hushed stillness enveloped the clearing where I stood, my heart pounding.
"Are you certain about this, child? Everything comes at a price," she said, her voice carrying a sinister edge.
"More than anything," I replied, steeling myself against the uncertainty that gnawed at my insides.
"Very well," Cordelia said, raising her arms and muttering a spell under her breath.
A swirling vortex of dark energy materialized between the witch’s hands. As the magic intensified, the ball of dark lights grew bigger. Cordelia pointed her hands toward her chest, and the dark magic disappeared inside her body.
The display of dark magic only reminded me of mine, but where I had pushed my darkness away, Cordelia fully embraced it and reveled in it. My hands shook slightly.
The air around us crackled with energy as she drew the wolf spirit from deep within herself. It flowed out of her mouth, a mesmerizing display of tiny blue lights clustered together in the silhouette of a wolf's head. Just like I remembered it from Torin’s memories.
The wolf spirit, with luminous eyes, hovered above the witch. I could feel its untamed power as it tugged at my very essence. It was as if the wolf spirit beckoned me to embrace it and merge our souls.
I spread my arms wide, welcoming it, opening myself to the magic—it felt so right. The flickering blue lights descended in the air, gliding toward me, and then made contact with my chest, pulsing under my skin.
A rumbling sound escaped from my throat. As it entered my chest, I gasped, feeling an electrifying surge of power coursing through my veins. It was as if a dormant force had been awakened. As if a missing piece of my puzzle had finally been found, completing the identity that I was meant to have.
The wild energy of the wolf intertwined with my own essence, creating a fusion of strength and instinct. The boundaries of my human self and the primal nature of the wolf blurred, and a newfound understanding of my own capabilities emerged.
"Remember, three weeks, child,” the dark witch said, pulling me out of the moment. “Bring me my sister’s athame, or I'm coming after your wolf spirit."
"Understood," I managed to say in a low voice.
As the witch disappeared into the forest, I couldn't help but marvel at the raw power that flowed through me. The connection to my wolf grew stronger with every beat of my heart, revealing a world filled with unimaginable possibilities.
“I’ve been missing out,” I muttered.
"Anna," Torin called out, causing me to snap out of my reverie. "Are you okay?"
"I'm more than okay," I said, a smile tugging at my lips. "I feel…whole."
Torin smiled. "The witch's words were not an empty threat."
"I know," I said, looking down at my hands. Extra strength I hadn’t felt before floated through my veins. "I’ll have to enter the fairy realm soon."
Torin frowned, his gaze never leaving mine as he reached out to take my hand. Standing in the forest with Torin’s hand in mine, I was exactly where I was meant to be.
But it was so wrong. I immediately released Torin, stepping away. I was grateful when he let me be, experiencing my wolf inside me, and didn’t press for an explanation or talk.
As the wolf spirit stirred within me, I became acutely aware of my now extraordinary connection to nature and the forest around us. The wind softly touched my skin, and the earth's spin felt like a pulse—a constant sign of life's power.
It must be the primal side of my wolf.
"Are you ready to shift?" Torin said softly, but I detected a slight tremble in his tone. “It’ll mean everything to me if I’m the first one to witness your shift.”
I nodded, swallowing nervously. When I was a teenager, I participated two times in the annual transformation ritual at the kingdom, listening to Dad’s instructions. I knew the transformation of our animals came with pain, but I didn’t fear it.
But I had a problem.
My cheeks heated. "But…I have to undress first, right?"
Torin’s crimson eyes slid over my entire body, and although he didn’t touch me with his fingers, his intense gaze left scorching trails over my skin.
“Torin?”
"It’s advisable that you undress unless you want to walk back home naked," he said, grinning.
“Turn around,” I ordered, earning me his low chuckle.
I took off my boots and pants swiftly, folded them, and left them on the ground. Taking a deep breath, I quickly stripped off the rest of my clothes, feeling exposed and vulnerable as I stood naked in the daylight.
Torin had seen me naked before, but… I hurried behind the closest tree.
My heart raced at the thought of shifting in front of him, but I tried to focus on the memory of my father's instructions during our transformation rituals—embrace the pain; let it become part of you.
"Okay," I whispered, peeking from behind the tree. "I'm ready."
At least Dad let the pups in the kingdom bring a blanket or a bed sheet. The cool breeze picked up, brushing over my skin and causing goose bumps on my arms and legs.
Torin twisted and opened his eyes. The previous softness around the edges of his eyes was gone. His face displayed a depth of emotions, his desire for me written all over.
My eyes widened as he walked toward me. When he stood before me, he extended his arm and smiled. I placed my hand in his, and a surprised sigh of relief escaped my mouth.
Torin felt like home.
Sobering, I pulled my hand away and clutched my arms across my chest—not that I was able to cover much that way.
His lips parted as our gazes locked. And then he let his heated gaze wander over my body again, unashamed and unbothered…
until he looked at my mating marks. I could tell the exact moment when the gravity of the situation hit him hard.
He sucked in a sharp breath as he followed each line from the crook of my shoulder down to my breasts.
I was too mortified and flustered to decipher what Torin thought at this moment. He lifted his hands to his face and dragged them down, and then his head tilted back as he looked at the bright sky.
He muttered something under his breath, but I heard him loud and clear.
“What am I going to do with her?” he said as if asking the higher powers for help. He then looked at me. “Sit down on your clothes. It seems like it’ll be torture for both of us, even though you’re the only one learning how to shift.”
I immediately sat on the pile of clothes, pulling my legs against my chest and hugging myself. Torin finally looked at me, and although he pressed his lips together, his jaw muscles twitched in the way I’d learned they did when he stifled his laughter.
“I just need to focus. I know how to do this since I’ve listened to Dad’s instructions before,” I said.
“But I can order your wolf to surface quicker, and it’ll speed up the process,” he said.
I couldn’t stop the nervous giggle that escaped my mouth. “I thought we already established that I only submitted to your orders when I wanted to…"
The words escaped before I could process and filter them.
Averting my gaze to the ground, I took a deep breath. I didn’t mind Torin’s orders but only when I was in his bed. Shaking my head, I cursed myself for even thinking that.
The tips of Torin’s boots appeared in my sight. He crouched before me, too close for comfort.
“You could never submit to anyone, Anna, because you are a Queen by blood,” he said. “I only hope I can help your wolf to shift faster so you don’t feel much pain.”
I nodded, praying he would step back.
Torin’s hand brushed my cheek. “I wonder what you’re thinking, little witch wolf, that made your cheeks so hot and red.”
He chuckled.
“I was thinking about shifting,” I snapped.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled.
Standing, he stepped back, giving me space to transform.
"Shift as fast as possible," Torin instructed, using his authoritative and deep tone. It was both commanding and soothing, granting me the strength and resilience I needed. "Let the change flow through you."
Clearing my mind, I focused on my skin, body parts, and breathing. An unfamiliar tingling surged through my veins, starting from where the wolf spirit resided in my chest and flowing outwards.
I might have spoken too fast. I gritted my teeth as my human form contorted, muscles rippling beneath my skin as my body transformed.
The stabbing chest pain radiated everywhere in my body, spreading to every cell.
Bones shifted and realigned. The pain intensified, but I could bear it with Torin's guidance echoing in my ears.
"Focus on the wolf inside of you, Anna," Torin encouraged, his voice steady and strong. "Allow it to take over."
As if responding to his words, the newly awakened wolf spirit surged to the forefront, guiding me through the rest of the transformation.
I gasped as I watched in awe, my fingers elongating, nails sharpening into claws, transforming into paws covered in a thick layer of brown fur, matching the color of my hair.
The sensation of my spine elongating and adjusting disoriented me. The pain throbbed as my muscles rippled beneath my skin. My viewpoint shifted, and I realized I stood on four legs. My senses heightened and sharpened by the presence of the wolf spirit.
"Beautiful," Torin murmured, his eyes filled with awe as he took in my brown wolf form. "You did it, little witch wolf."
I wanted to shout at him that first, I wasn’t little, and second…I liked his pet name for me, but only because he said it. Instead of words, short barks echoed in the forest, making Torin laugh.
Still, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at his words, my tail wagging involuntarily as I looked up at him. Though the pain of shifting had been intense, I knew it was a small price to pay for the power and freedom that now coursed through my veins.