Leena howls in agony, and I feel like running to her aid, even though the best thing I can do for her is let the transformation run its course.
Her bones constantly break and reform as the thick black coat of fur appears and covers her entire body.
It takes a while, but the transformation finally comes to an end. Leena lies there in a heap, breathing heavily as she tries to recover.
I approach her, running my fingers through her fur to help soothe her. She continues to pant before finally regaining her normal breathing rhythm.
Once she has enough strength, Leena gets up, shaking off my hand before sprinting into the woods. I try to run after her. “Leena, wait! Let's just talk about this!”
She's far too fast in her wolf form for me to catch her. Even if she wasn't, it's clear that Leena is done listening to me. I rub both hands on my face, sighing.
How didn't I notice her earlier? I should have known she was at the door.
My stupid mistake has caused another rift between us. It's not my fault. I know next to nothing about fated mates. It's a topic I've tried to avoid as much as possible because I never thought it would happen to me.
However, in the woods, I had felt our bond snap into place, plain as day. There was no denying now that Leena is my mate. The problem now is that I may be about to lose her.
I wait most of the day, but Leena doesn't return. By evening, I decide that it's time to look for her. However, as I go to open the back door, I hear the front door give way.
I rush in that direction, but only end up seeing Molly there. “Oh, it's you,” I say.
“Well, I can't say I'm happy to see you either,” she retorts.
“Sorry, I thought it was Leena.”
“Where is she?” Molly asks, her eyes lighting up. “I have a new recipe I want us to try together.”
“That may have to wait. She's in the woods right now.”
“Woah, you got her to transform without a full moon?” I can tell how impressed she is from her voice. “How did you manage that?”
“Not in the way I'd hoped,” I confess. “We'll talk about it later, though. For now, I'm going to try to find her.”
“Oh, okay. Bring her back soon, please.”
If she lets me.
I head out as planned, transforming when I get close to the woods before running inside like she did. I pick up on Leena's scent almost immediately.
I guess this bond has its benefits. I eventually find her, finishing off a small animal in a clearing.
She turns to me and snarls. “It's just me,” I assure her. She stands over the carcass, almost like she's guarding it. Her eyes watch me carefully.
Leena stares at me like she's mesmerized by the view. She licks off some of the blood from her mouth before stepping away from the dead animal. Before I can move, Leena sprints into the forest again.
Here we go.
She howls as I chase after her, running with as much force as her legs can muster. I tear after her, avoiding the trees in my way, almost bumping into one or two because of how fast we're going.
When did she become this quick?
I double down on my speed until I'm very close to her again. Once this happens, I lunge forward and catch her, sending both of us tumbling to the ground.
Leena wiggles around in my grip, but doesn't try very hard to escape. I know it would be completely different if she was actually trying to get away from me.
The bond between us is powerful, almost making it impossible for me to want to be anywhere else. Leena moves on my body, taking comfort in my fur, and we bathe under the shade of trees that protect us from the sun.
After a while, Leena gets up, ready for another run. We spend a lot of the day together, until it's time for me to return to the house. Even then, Leena is not ready to shed this form and go back to normal.
