Chapter 37


    Chapter 37


    Winter POV


    I don’t know what it is that finally woke me, whether it’s the throbbing headache I have or the strange


    burning


    sensation that’s all over my body. It’s intense and I swear it’s getting worse as the seconds pass by. I


    slowly got up,


    putting a hand to my head and I nced down to see that all of my stab wounds were fully healed.


    There’s no pain


    whatsoever as I move and I stagger to the entrance of my little cave, peering outside and promptly


    swearing. f**k.


    How long have I been out for? Too long, I’m guessing.


    Thest thing I remember is it being past sunset and then nothing. But I suspect it’s been more than a


    few hours since I passed out, not just because of my dry parched throat or growling stomach, but


    because it’s a full moon outside. It’s been more than a goddamn day and it’s now my eighteenth


    birthday.


    My legs buckle as the heat gets to excruciating levels, my body prone on the ground. I’m helpless to


    stop the


    pain, tears welling in my eyes as I pray for it to stop, feeling like I might be dying, it’s that bad. No, I’m


    not being melodramatic. I scream as my left leg suddenly moves and breaks. It looks like I’m about to


    go through my first shift


    and all alone at that. I can’t risk any wild animals hearing my screams in case it alerts them to my


    presence, so I


    whimper as my bones all begin to crack and break, adjusting themselves. It’s the worst pain I’ve ever


    felt in my entire


    life and it seems like a lifetime. I’m panting heavily, not sure I’m going to make it without passing back


    out when suddenly the heat begins to subside and my bones stop moving. Is it over? I move everything


    experimentally and then, slowly, get to my feet, looking down to see I have paws! Well, tiny paws


    anyway.


    Hello Winter, I’m your woll Sabriel.


    I’ve never been so excited about hearing another voice.


    I like the name Sabriel, it’s beautiful, I tell her and she gives a littleugh, sounding pleased. She


    seemed to like


    thepliment.


    Winter is just as beautiful for a beautiful girl such as yourself.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Sabriel, I really want to see what we look like. Is it safe to go to the stream? We can look at our


    reflection.


    Everything is scarily in focus and I can see so far in the distance it’s like having my own personal


    binocrs attached to my face. I can smell so many different scents it’s hard to tell what’sing from


    what, almost like I have


    to unravel each one to determine it.


    It’s safe to go to the stream. There are only small animals around and there are no humans or other


    shifters. We won’t be in any danger.


    It feels surreal walking on my paws and I’m tentative, my paws sinking into the hard dirt earth as I make


    my way


    towards the little stream nearby. Once I’m there, I peer into the water and see our reflection. I inhaled in


    shock.


    We’re beautiful Sabriel, l enthuse, looking at every single detail in awe. Our fur is silver but it shimmers


    and


    glistens, something I haven’t seen before in other wolves. I’m silver all over except for my paws, which


    are white and


    just as shiny. Sabriel fairly preens at mypliments.


    There’s only one thing that concerns me and I’m hesitant to bring it up to Sabriel, but I have to know.


    We’re smaller than most wolves. In fact, the only way to describe it is that we’re a runt. There’s no


    other polite way to say it.


    I hadn’t been expecting that and I wonder why I’m so small, Is it because I’m so malnourished or have


    something to


    do with all the abuse I’ve had to put up with over the years?


    Ver


    I asked and I sensed


    Sabriel, why are we so small? I thought we would at least be as big as the average wolf sadness


    emanating from her.


    I’m a representation of you Winter. At the moment, we’re small because that’s how you feel. Once


    you’ve


    epted yourself for who you are and believe in what you are capable of, you will grow. Being a runt


    doesn’t make us


    any less powerful, she adds, and I give a small nod, although I’m disappointed. It was my fault we were


    so little and ! can’t help but feel slightly down about it.


    Winter stop stressing about it. We are perfect no matter what.


    I know it’s just that…


    Stopparing us to other wolves! We are unique, beautiful and a hell of a lot smarter than most,


    she tells me


    and I snort, unable to help myself. My Wolf is sassy and has an outgoing personality, as opposed to my


    introverted


    one.


    Now how about we get this gorgeous body of ours moving and go for a run? You’ll get tired after that,


    so I suggest spending one more night in the cave before we set off in search of a pack. What do you


    say?


    Hell yes I want to go for a run. I can’t think of anything better. I start to run, my paws avoiding broken


    twigs and


    leaves, leaping over branches. The trees passed by in a blur and I let out a small howl, giving in to my


    wolf instincts. I


    smell a deer nearby and followed it, tackling it to the ground. This is where it gets a bit gross and I start


    to eat it raw


    in my wolf form, my stomach so hungry that I’ve eaten a fair bit before I realize what I’ve done. My


    animal instincts


    hadpletely taken over and, without consciously trying, I let Sabriel take the driver’s seat.


    You did well, shepliments me and I grin and settle back to watch as she dashes through the trees


    towards


    the cave, stopping every so often to sniff and track a scent. I’m not in a hurry to get back, this is too


    much fun, but


    eventually, we end up back at the beginning of our run and Sabriel reluctantly lets me have control


    again. This time!


    have no idea what to do.


    Picture yourself as a human. From your hair color, to your eyes, all the way down to your toes Winter.


    Picture it


    clearly in your mind. Everything that makes you unique.


    I form a picture in my mind, imagining myself and hear my bones cracking and shifting. This time it’s


    merely ufortable, thank goodness, instead of painful and in no time I’m in my human form and


    standing there. I shivered and looked down with a groan. I waspletely naked. I’d shredded my


    clothes when I shifted. Damnit, I


    should have thought about that. Sabriel sounds calm.


    You won’t feel the cold so much now that you have a wolf. Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow,


    we’ll go for a quick run and steal some clothes from someone’s washing line or something. We’ll work it


    out.


    That sounded like a n. I feel myself yawning even though I’ve spent a day unconscious and head


    towards the


    back of a cave. It’s going to be ufortable, but right now my body needs to recover while I sleep. I


    closed my


    eyes.


    Goodnight Sabriel.


    Goodnight Winter.