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 glanced 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.

The last 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 little laugh, sounding pleased. She
seemed to like

the compliment.

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

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
binoculars attached to my face. I can smell so many different scents it’s hard to tell what’s coming 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 my compliments.

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

accepted 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…

Stop comparing 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

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

You did well, she compliments 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 uncomfortable, 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 was completely 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 plan. 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 uncomfortable, but right now my body needs to recover while I sleep. I
closed my

eyes.

Goodnight Sabriel.

Goodnight Winter.


62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda