Once we were ready, I followed Caelan as he took off into the trees. We ran for nearly an hour, deep into the heart of the forest.
I suspect we aren’t far from the tower he took me to on our first date, if I have my bearings right.
Eventually, we came to a large clearing filled with wildflowers. I stopped and stared. It was beautiful, the entire field speckled with blues, purples, yellows, oranges, reds, and whites.
Calean bounced happily, tossing back his head and releasing a long, cheerful howl. He looked at me as though he expected me to reciprocate.
“I can’t howl,”I reminded him through our mind-link.
“I know,”he replied. “That’s actually why I brought you out here. I want to unlock your howl. We’re as far away from anyone else as possible. There’s not even any patrol in the area,so we should be safe.”
“What?! Are you insane?!”I exclaimed.“You’re still here Caelan. What if I hurt you? I can’t risk it.”
My curse was not to be trifled with. It was deadly.
“Just hear me out, please,”he begged.“Your father overreacted that day, but I’ve been doing some more digging and consulted with our own pack sages about your curse. Yes, your howl could be harmful, but it doesn’t mean that it will happen every time. We actually believe it’s related to your emotional state.”
“Really?”I questioned, still skeptical.
“Yes, and unlike your father, I consulted more than one sage. They all agree that your howl shouldn’t be dangerous under normal circumstances,”he explained.“I think you’re strong enough and aware enough to know when it’s different. I want to give you a chance to howl like a normal wolf.” “But what if something goes wrong?”I countered.“You could get hurt or worse.”
“You said that your father was able to withstand it better than most. That’s why I’m the only one out here. If he could survive it, then I should be able to as well. If you can’t control it, then I promise to put the alpha order back in place immediately.”
I shifted on my paws, weighing my options.
I’m still not entirely convinced this is a wise idea, but I’ve always wanted to howl along with the pack. It’s a basic right. It shouldn’t be important, but it is.
“You’ll stop me immediately if something happens?”I pressed hesitantly.“Don’t drag it out if I can’t control it. As soon as the wrong howl starts, you stop it,”
“Yes, Shade. I promise,”he replied with a nod of his shaggy head.“Okay,”I relented, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.“Do it.” “SHADE, AS YOUR ALPHA, I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO HOWL,”he bellowed through our link.
I waited for a moment.Should I feel something? Like the opening of a door? I don’t feel any different.
“Did it work?”he asked hopefully.
“I don’t know,”I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
“Well, give it a try,”he suggested.
I nodded, trying to psych myself up for this.I can howl without hurting anyone. Caelan has the power to stop me if anything goes wrong. I can trust him. I can control my amplification. Who says I can’t control my curse as well?
With renewed determination, I took a deep breath and tossed back my head, opening my mouth and releasing a forceful howl. The sound rang out crisp and clear, seeming to hang in the air a moment.
I snapped my jaws shut in surprise, cutting it off almost as quickly as it began. I looked at Caelan with wide eyes and saw the wolfish grin spreading across his face.
“I just howled!”I chirped in astonishment.
“Yes, you did!”he cheered.“Try it again, but maybe hold it for a little bit longer this time.”
“Okay. Okay,”I replied excitedly.
Feeling more confident, I threw my head back and let out a long, loud howl full of joy. It echoed through the clearing as I stopped, and I looked at Caelan.
He wasn’t clutching at his chest or twitching. He seemed entirely unaffected.
I yipped in excitement.I can howl! I can howl without hurting Caelan!I stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to me.
“Wait. What if this only works because I’m your mate?”I asked, some of my enthusiasm dwindling.“What if you’re somehow immune because of our bond?”
