CHAPTER 3: My Wolf

Callista’s POV

Deep inside the woods, the two guards walking me out of the palace suddenly turned into fierce-looking wolves.

They had different furs; one was a hybrid of gray and white, while the other was sparkling white.

Their fangs are long and sharp like daggers, and their muscles rippled beneath their thick, ample furs.

They howled at the moon, which pierced my heart, sending shivers down my spine. Their growls are deep and menacing.

Huh? Why do they turn into wolves? Are they going to kill me just like that? With an attack?

Thud, my body makes a sound, landing roughly on the floor as a result of a push, making my body ache. I winced slightly while holding my head; it was banging.

Before I could know what was going on, I saw another wolf appear from nowhere.

This one has shades of brown fur, but it's coarse and wiry, with long, sharp fangs. Its muscle is twice the size of each guard wolf in the palace.

Its snarls are low and guttural. Its presence is enough to instill fear in the hearts of even the bravest.

I could smell blood around its body. Maybe it's a hunter-wolf.

Awoo! The brown-furred wolf jumped and pounced on the other two wolves, escorting me.

“Protect her!" the hybrid-colored fur wolf told the white one as it paced forward to attack the brown, coarse-fur wolf.

Their paws make a menacing sound, making the ground shake and tremble. It was obvious the coarse brown-fur wolf was more powerful than the white palace guard wolf.

When the white fur wolf saw that it was not getting in their favor, he pounced forward and launched its attack fiercer than the hybrid-colored fur wolf.

I think they both make a better duo. I chuckled as I watched the fight unfold, my face beamed with a small smile at the corner of my lips, seeing the palace guard wolves having the upper hand.

But what if things turned the other way around?

What if the brown-fur wolf killed them?

Will I be spared? Anyway, I am going to be executed, even if they win the duel.

Should I pray for their defeat or victory? I am not sure what I wanted.

No! I shrugged off the thought.

Thud, the hybrid-colored fur wolf, landed on the floor with blood dripping from different injuries on its body. It was panting heavily on the ground.

Part of me was happy, while the other part wasn't.

Maybe I wanted the palace guard wolves to be killed, so the brown-fur wolf would save me from getting killed.

Was I even sure it would spare me either?

Growling, the hybrid-colored fur wolf stood up and launched an attack. I think it has regained its strength.

After watching the scenes for over ten minutes, the brown-fur wolf ran away when it couldn't overpower the duo.

In the twinkle of an eye, they turned back into humans, but looking pale and weak, with injuries that they had sustained in their wolf form still on their bodies.

“Stand up!” the hybrid-colored fur wolf ordered.

“You should thank us for saving your weakling ass,” the white-fur wolf spat boastfully.

“You would have been coldly murdered if not for us,” the hybrid-colored fur wolf added, squaring his shoulders arrogantly.

Why did they save me?

Aren't they still going to execute me?

So why fight to save me?

I stood up from where I was sitting and walked slowly behind them because they had moved a few distances away from me.

“Walk forward if you don't want to be killed,” the hybrid-colored fur wolf shouted, turning to look at me from the back.

I ran to their front because I was frightened we might be attacked again. I can't stand a chance with that fierce-looking brown-fur wolf.

After walking a few distances, they stopped.

"Callista!." I heard someone call my name.

I paused and turned in their direction. My gaze traveled from one to the other.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Go and never return,” the white-furred wolf said calmly.

Huh? My jaw dropped, and my mouth widened in shock. I squinted my eyes, trying to see if I could see clearly.

Are they sparing me?

“Yes, we decided to spare you,” the hybrid-colored fur wolf added, like he was reading my mind.

A broad grin fell on my face when I heard what they said.

I am being given a chance to survive.

Tears trickled down my soft cheeks and chin; even though I was happy, at the same time, I wasn't.

“Bye,” the two palace guards growled, turned into wolves, and ran off, leaving me to wallow in my own misery.

I am in the woods all by myself.

What if the brown-furred wolf comes back to kill me?

What if I was attacked by another wolf? I don't even stand a chance to duel with anything.

I sauntered forward, wiping the tears on my face with the back of my palm, letting fate take its course since I was destined to be like this. There is no one I can question about what fate has bestowed upon me.

It's the witching hour. How am I going to survive this?

I shrugged off these questions and walked quietly into the woods. Everywhere, it was silent except for my legs kicking the rustling leaves and the gentle breeze flapping the tree wings against each other as I stared at the moon in its full bloom.

“Don't worry, I will protect you," I heard a voice whisper to me.

  

I turned around, trying to see who had just spoken to me, but I couldn’t find anyone.

Who might be here with me in the woods?

“Callista, it is me, Maya, your wolf."

What? My eyes widened as I heard that, my wolf.

Wow! That means I am not wolf-less.

The moon goddess hasn’t forsaken me, I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Thank you, moon goddess.

“Yes, I have been here with you for a little while,” my wolf uttered through the mind link.

“Why don’t you talk to me?” I asked my wolf.

“This is when I felt you needed me the most." My wolf whimpered.

“Hmm, okay"

I looked up at the full-blooming moon; it was staring at me, and I stared back in admiration.

“Why don’t you try to shift?” I heard my wolf whimper in my head.

“Huh, shift?” My eyes widened as goosebumps rose over my body. That's a dream I never thought I would be able to achieve.

“Okay,” I responded. I let my wolf take over me as I just stood there because I didn't know what to do or expect, so I just stood still. 

It happened so soon. I was on furs, and I could feel it. My skin stretched out, and my bones were cracking and breaking. It hurt, but I could endure. Tears welled up as my eyes were closely shut, and I allowed them to flow freely.

Soon, the pain stopped, and I sighed in relief. I opened my eyes; I was on my paws.

I was in my wolf form.

I could smell, see, hear, and feel everything around me. The feelings were different, and everything was wonderful.

Purr! The sound came out as I tried to cry.

I am a hybrid of brown, black, and white fur-colored wolf. Wow!

“Let’s run,” my wolf whimpered in my head.

I hesitated at first, but we started running at a very scary and frightening speed, and it became more enjoyable.

My paws pounced on the floor menacingly as I ran, and the wind brushed my fur back as I galloped deep inside the woods.

We kept running as fast as we could. I felt strong after so many years; it was such a wonderful experience on my first shift.

After running for two hours, “Let me shift back,” I said to my wolf as we slowed down our pace.

In the twinkling of an eye, I shifted back to my human form.

I perceive something strange; I think my senses are heightened.

“What’s that?” I mind-linked my wolf.

“It felt strange to me too," she replied.

Pang! I felt a sharp pain, sudden and piercing, behind my back. I stretched my hand towards my back to feel the metal object buried in my marrow.

Damn! It’s an arrow.

My face became blurry as I saw four humans surrounding me.

“Who are those people?” I asked my wolf.

“I think they are trained werewolf warriors," my wolf mind-linked.

My eyes widened in shock.

“She is the weird aura I felt,” one of the warriors said, breaking my chain of thoughts.

She moved closer to me and landed me a kick, which made me fall and groan in pain. I could feel my wolf was hurt too.

“Do you want me to shift back so we can attack them?” My wolf whimpers.

"No.” I don’t want any of us to get hurt; we are too weak to face the ruthless warriors. 

"But we could get killed this way,” my wolf howled.

I stood up to attack one that was very close to me, but I was sent back with a hard kick, making me hit my back on a tree.

Arrg! I groan in pain.

Even though I just got shifted, I am still a weakling omega, which makes my wolf nothing different. There is nothing we can do.

“You dare to walk into our territory." I heard faintly from another member of the group because my consciousness was slowly slipping away.

An intoxicating smell was felt in my nostrils. I felt the urge to stand up and follow the smell, but I couldn't gather the energy.

“Did you perceive that?” My wolf mind-linked.

“Y…yes” I replied faintly.

My wolf started humming in my head. I was nervous as the scent filled my nostrils. I haven’t perceived that scent in my entire life. It was different.

“I think our mate is somewhere around,” my wolf whimpered.

What? Mate? How is that even possible?

“Our mate bond is working its magic," my wolf answered.

I closed my eyes and fell into a slumber, but I could feel the scent; it was attractive.

My mate in the woods?